Thugs (4)
Go Cheon-su glanced at the chat window.
"Brothers, mission request."
Then he immediately addressed the viewers.
"Can you help this guy out so he'll be fine for a bit even after we chop off his arm? Something like delaying the aftereffects."
Just cutting off the arm outright would leave him in no condition to function nine times out of ten. And they didn't have enough meds on hand to handle the aftermath anyway. No telling what use this outsider might be, so investing that much in him wasn't an option. They had to decide carefully based on their limited stock.
But if he could sweet-talk the viewers, he might pull off something without dipping into their own meds.
'He's not just some leech.'
A guy who demanded they cut off his arm without hesitation wasn't your average type. And with that rage burning toward the Black Tattoos, he could be useful if handled right.
As long as it was within what viewers could casually sponsor, Go Cheon-su didn't care. It wasn't critical for their survival right now, and it wasn't some absurd demand to heal and revive a guy on death's door from another illness. If they limited the effect to just the affected area, viewers could snag something decent for a fair price. He was just asking those who wanted this kind of experimental content to join in once.
As Go Cheon-su tilted his head, a notification appeared.
🎉 Ulbu-jjimneun Jeongsin-byeongja has set an Effect Reward Mission!
Ulbu-jjimneun Jeongsin-byeongja's Mission - Chop Off Oh Young-jun's Arm
No matter what tool you use, you MUST strike the body exactly 10 times to cut it off.
Reward: Oh Young-jun can move without arm amputation aftereffects for 1 hour.
It was a mission true to the viewer's name.
Go Cheon-su checked the set mission and immediately stepped right up to Oh Young-jun's face.
"If you're really that resolved, I'll cut it off for you."
"Go Cheon-su…!"
Jang Seo-yeon looked shocked beside him, but Go Cheon-su ignored her and spoke to Oh Young-jun.
"One last time. You really want it cut off?"
"Yes…!"
Oh Young-jun shouted with a resolute expression.
"I don't want to die like this!"
"Good."
Go Cheon-su nodded and turned to the group.
"We're cutting it off, so everyone wait here. I'll be quick."
"Cheon-su-ssi!"
Kim Ha-ryeong raised her hand and cut in.
"Shouldn't I come check on the patient too?"
"Yeah. Follow me."
Honestly, he didn't need Kim Ha-ryeong right now, but leaving her behind would just raise questions from Jang Seo-yeon and Yang Min-cheol. Go Cheon-su headed into a nearby building with Oh Young-jun and Kim Ha-ryeong.
Prep didn't take long. He just dragged over a heavy table tall enough to reach his shoulders.
"Alright, arm up."
He handed Kim Ha-ryeong an axe while saying that.
"Ha-ryeong, disinfect it please."
"Sure thing!"
Kim Ha-ryeong disinfected the axe as ordered, seemingly enjoying this kind of work. Go Cheon-su took it back from her and looked at Oh Young-jun. He'd placed his infected arm on the table.
"Uh, but…"
Oh Young-jun stared blankly at Go Cheon-su gripping the axe.
"You're not gonna chop it off just like that, right?"
"Oh, right, my bad."
Go Cheon-su fetched a curtain from elsewhere.
"Gotta move spots."
He shifted the table to a spot with a building pillar.
"Oh Young-jun-ssi, over here."
"Mm."
Wearing a confused look like he had no clue what was happening, Oh Young-jun followed obediently. Go Cheon-su grabbed him and started tying him to the pillar with the curtain.
"Uh, this is…"
"It's gonna hurt."
Go Cheon-su shook his head with a grim expression.
"Like I said, we're short on anesthetics. Can't wait for them to kick in. Infection could spread in five minutes."
"But even a little…"
"Oh Young-jun-ssi."
Go Cheon-su's voice was firm as he raised the axe.
"I'm doing what I can. If you don't like it, we stop."
"No, that's not…"
"Good."
Go Cheon-su placed Oh Young-jun's arm on the table he'd brought.
"Ha-ryeong, you know what to do next, right?"
Kim Ha-ryeong nodded vigorously and moved to Oh Young-jun's side.
Thud.
With an innocent look, she covered Oh Young-jun's eyes with her hands. Go Cheon-su stared in bewilderment.
"What're you doing?"
He'd meant for her to hold the arm.
"Oh, right. My mistake."
Kim Ha-ryeong delighted the viewers, then pulled a strap from her pocket. She blindfolded Oh Young-jun with it and gripped his arm near the wrist on the table, just as Go Cheon-su wanted.
"Hoo."
Prep complete. Go Cheon-su raised the axe high.
Standing still for a moment, he eyed Oh Young-jun's arm.
'10 times…'
Chopping it off in one go wouldn't cut it. Go Cheon-su met Kim Ha-ryeong's eyes. She tilted her head questioningly.
"Ha-ryeong, one more curtain?"
"Curtain? Sure."
Despite the odd request, she trotted off and yanked another one down. Go Cheon-su used it to tie Oh Young-jun's arm to the table.
"Cheon-su-ssi, I don't need to hold it?"
"No point. He'd thrash anyway."
No way it'd stay still during the chop. Kim Ha-ryeong hadn't dealt with a flailing patient before—it'd be risky.
'And…'
Go Cheon-su had no intention of severing the arm cleanly.
"Ha-ryeong, at least grip the table tight."
10 times. The condition had to be met.
It was gruesome just thinking about it. Hacking the same spot 10 times would guarantee the wound wouldn't heal right later. Another approach was needed.
"Oh Young-jun-ssi, here goes."
With that, Go Cheon-su brought the axe down on Oh Young-jun's finger.
Aaaargh!
Yang Min-cheol grimaced at the scream echoing from the building.
"They're really doing it."
"You thought they wouldn't?"
Jang Seo-yeon sighed.
"Go Cheon-su's one scary bastard."
She acknowledged it—he moved without hesitation once decided, like he had some certainty.
"Wonder what he's scheming this time."
She muttered supportively anyway. Leaving him would've turned him into a monster anyway. Go Cheon-su was just giving minimal help.
"…Once Cheon-su finishes, tell him good job. Doesn't matter how the armless guy ends up—he stepped up so we didn't have to see it and took it all on."
"Yeah…"
As Yang Min-cheol nodded, the screams stopped.
Thud!
But something hit the floor.
Thud!
Jang Seo-yeon puzzled over it briefly before realizing.
"Axe strikes…"
The screams had just stopped. The chopping continued.
"Passed out?"
Or maybe gagged with socks. The noise was loud.
Thud! Thud!
The heart-pounding sounds persisted.
Thump thump.
Jang Seo-yeon held her breath, waiting for it to end.
And…
Krunch!
A big noise, then no more axe strikes.
"…Done?"
Yang Min-cheol asked cautiously. Jang Seo-yeon waited, then approached the door.
Silence. No clue what was happening inside. After a while, she pressed her ear to it—
The door flew open.
"Whoa!"
As Jang Seo-yeon startled back, Kim Ha-ryeong, who'd opened it, beckoned.
"Come in."
She gulped dryly watching Kim Ha-ryeong vanish inside.
"What the… It go okay?"
She crept in carefully. Table and bloodied cloth scraps came into view. Turning, she spotted Go Cheon-su standing axe in hand.
"Go Cheon-su?"
Approaching him, she noticed someone on the floor.
"That's…"
Oh Young-jun. Jang Seo-yeon sighed at the bandaged stump.
"You really cut it off."
The severed arm lay nearby, thumb peeking from under cloth.
"Ah, don't look."
Go Cheon-su turned away.
"Only the thumb's left."
"What?"
"Thumbs up—means it was the best surgery."
Kim Ha-ryeong smiled beside the stunned Jang Seo-yeon.
"Cheon-su-ssi cut off all the other fingers."
"Wh-what?"
Jang Seo-yeon looked flustered. Chopping fingers one by one—hard to aim true on a writhing body from pain. Kim Ha-ryeong's words made it seem literal "thumbs up," so she averted her eyes.
"…Bro, he okay?"
"Dunno."
Go Cheon-su replied lowly to Yang Min-cheol, who'd checked Oh Young-jun.
"If he doesn't wake in five minutes, we leave him."
No time to wait. Yang Min-cheol, knowing that, sighed.
"Doubt he'll make it. Hope you didn't suffer for nothing, bro…"
Pop.
Then Oh Young-jun sat up like it was nothing.
"Huh?"
He looked baffled himself, staring blankly.
"Wh-what happened?"
Everyone but Go Cheon-su gaped at the recovered man. Realizing something from their reactions, Oh Young-jun's eyes shot to his severed arm.
"It's… off…"
Cleanly gone below the shoulder. Murmuring dazedly, he looked up at Go Cheon-su.
"You… cut it off."
"Yeah. Passed out briefly though."
To cleanly sever the arm on the tenth strike, he'd started with the fingers—cumulative agony made Oh Young-jun black out. But it was just shock-induced; the mission completion delayed aftereffects, letting him move freely once conscious.
"Haha!"
Clueless, Oh Young-jun beamed.
"It's done! I'm fine!"
Infection pending or not, he shouted joyfully at his restored mobility.
'Tough bastard.'
Go Cheon-su gave a wry smile. Pre-mission, blackout could've turned to madness and death. Same if infection hit—the reward only delayed arm aftereffects.
"Go Cheon-su-ssi! Thank you!"
Oh Young-jun dropped to his knees before him.
"It's all thanks to you!"
"Yeah, but calm down."
No telling what came next. Oh Young-jun stayed excited despite the words.
"Still, I have to thank—"
"Shh!"
Go Cheon-su pressed a finger to his lips. As Oh Young-jun blinked confusedly, Go Cheon-su turned, ear cocked.
Thud.
Noise from outside. Go Cheon-su signaled the group to stay put and crept forward.
'No way…'
He wiped dust from a small window and peered out—his eyes widened.