Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Assassination Target
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The remaining $200,000 could wait for later. For now, I left the hospital and called Jungbo.
-Yes, Boss!
"Hey, sold any of the drugs?"
-Uh, Boss, about that...
"What? Couldn't sell them?"
-I'm sorry. The Hero Association's running some special crackdown on drugs, tightening surveillance everywhere. It's impossible to move product right now.
The Hero Association? Aren't they supposed to catch villains? Why are they bothering with drug busts? Do they have that many heroes to spare?
"Got it. Can't be helped. So, how much money do we have on hand?"
-About $800,000.
"Alright. Bring half of it here."
-Pardon?
I could hear the panic in his voice over the phone. What the hell, punk. It's money you made selling my drugs, so it's my money. I can spend my own cash however I damn well please.
"Here's the address..."
I gave him the hospital address and issued a warning.
"If you're not here in 10 minutes, you're dead."
-B-Boss, wait a sec...!
Click.
I hung up coldly. You've gotta treat your underlings well most of the time, but roast them every now and then to keep them from slacking off.
If he doesn't show in 10 minutes for real, I'll beat him half to death.
'Oh, wait a minute...?'
While waiting for Jungbo, a sudden thought struck me.
'Now that I can summon clones, maybe I can rebuild the hideout?'
It was about my third superpower, [Clone Sorcerer], and Skull Head's hideout.
After taking down Kane, I'd become the ruler of seven districts—from 72 to 79, excluding 73.
But as the new boss of those seven districts, I'd torched the hideout myself, leaving them ripe for the picking by nearby villain groups.
The reason I'd switched to a cell-based structure was simple.
Skull Head had no other superpowered members besides me.
No matter how many guns and bulletproof vests they had, my grunts couldn't handle even a single C-rank villain. In fact, while I was away, the hideout they were guarding fell to Kane's Four Heavenly Kings in just 10 minutes.
I had to live a double life as a chaebol heir and a villain, so I couldn't stick around to babysit the hideout forever. That's why I razed it and shifted to cells.
'But with a clone...?'
Now that I'd unlocked the [Clone Sorcerer] superpower, I could summon a clone on par with a Rank-7 ability user. I had a villain who could fight in my place, so there was no need to keep running Skull Head as cells anymore.
"Ah, fuck. My building."
I shouldn't have burned the hideout. If I'd known it'd come to this, I'd have left the structure intact! I wrecked it thinking no one else would use it, but who knew it'd bite me in the ass like this!
"Clone, summon."
I checked for onlookers and summoned the clone in a blind corner. A man who looked exactly like me appeared—from head to toe, perfect duplicate.
"Pretty wild, huh?"
"Tell me about it."
I eyed my first clone, Steel Armor MARK-II, with fascination. The clone stared back at me the same way.
"Here I am, and there's another me right in front of my eyes."
"Actually, maybe I'm the real one? You're the clone."
"Fuck off."
"Tch."
The clone clicked his tongue.
We were bantering like that—me with myself, or another me—when a familiar car pulled up to Emily's hospital.
"Finally here."
"Huh? Jungbo's... no, not him."
A female hero was driving, with Memory Hunter in the passenger seat and Rachel in the back.
The clone and I ducked behind some bushes to watch without being spotted. No point risking the heroes flipping out and trying to nab me. Not that they'd succeed, but hospitals are supposed to be quiet places.
"Mooommmmyyy! Waaahhh~!"
"Ra-Rachel! Hold on!"
"Shit."
The car barely stopped before the door flew open. Rachel burst out crying and bolted into the hospital. Memory Hunter and the female hero chased after her in a fluster.
"....."
"....."
Crouched in the bushes with arms crossed, tears started streaming from both my eyes and the clone's. Damn it! My tear button, Rachel!
"Where the fuck is that asshole Jungbo?!"
I needed to pay off Emily's hospital bills ASAP for Rachel's sake, but that prick wasn't showing, so I couldn't.
As I vented my rage at Jungbo, the clone beside me spoke up.
"From what I know, it takes at least 30 minutes by car from here to Jungbo's hideout. Telling him to haul ass in 10 was impossible from the start."
"Huh? For real?"
"...You'd know if you checked your own memories. Not that saying this does any good—it's like spitting in my own face—but please, try using your brain for once."
"Shaddup! Thinkin' hurts my head this much, you want me to do it out here?!"
"Fuck. If I were weaker, you'd kill me and take over as the real one. But since I'm stronger, I can't rip that trap of yours off."
"Kekekekeke!"
I burst into mocking laughter at the clone's deep regret.
After squatting in the bushes for over 30 minutes, Jungbo finally arrived at the hospital. His eyes bulged when he spotted us.
"B-B-Bo-Boss? Two of you?!"
He was so identical, you'd swear we were twins. No way he'd guess cosplay.
"You brought the money, right?"
"Uh? Oh, yes. Here you go, Boss."
I held out my hand, and Jungbo handed over the bag from the car, stuffed full of dollar bundles.
"$400,000, yeah?"
"Exact amount, Boss."
"Good work."
I grabbed the bag and turned to settle the remaining hospital bill. Jungbo called out urgently.
"Um... Boss."
"What?"
"Who's... this guy?"
Jungbo eyed the clone suspiciously. Oh right, no introductions.
"Steel Armor MARK-II. He'll guard Skull Head in my place from now on."
"...Pardon? Mark what?"
"Steel Armor MARK-II! You dumb shit. Try listening the first time. Anyway, he's here now, so reclaim our hideout."
"Huh?"
"He'll fill you in. I'm out."
"B-Boss! Boss!"
"...Knew it'd play out like this."
I waved coolly and headed inside. The clone could handle the rest!
Avoiding Memory Hunter and the female hero who'd driven his car, I paid off the full remaining balance at the billing desk and slipped out of the hospital unscathed.
Time to head home!
"Ugh... uuuugh... It hurts... hurts so much..."
"Please... spare me... ugh..."
"....."
People injected with animal genes writhed in agony, but Cruemora Doctor checked their conditions with a stone-cold face.
Embracing Shadow Killer's advice to ditch human rights, morals, and ethics for scientific progress and a world where everyone wielded superpowers, the doctor was no longer the man he used to be.
He'd become a mad scientist who could focus on research without blinking, no matter who the subject was, all for the sake of results.
"Heh heh heh."
Shadow Killer watched the doctor with a satisfied smile.
To Cruemora Doctor, ethics had been like a truck's brakes—essential for safe stops.
Without those brakes, the doctor pursued results day and night.
Shadow Killer had supplied over 100 test subjects for this research, and in under five days, the doctor had injected them all with enhanced genes.
"Shadow Killer."
"Yeah?"
A man sharp as a blade approached Shadow Killer.
"We've got a problem."
"Problem?"
"Yes. Here's today's paper. And [Giant] sent a text."
"Hm..."
Shadow Killer scanned the headline first.
-Hero Association Thwarts Massive Kidnapping Plot!
The article detailed how a villain group had been abducting people en masse yesterday, only for the Hero Association to catch wind early, stop it, and wipe out the group.
"This villain group—they mean Giant?"
"Yes."
Next, the man showed Shadow Killer the text from Giant.
-Hero Association intervened. Memory Hunter involved. Two S-rank heroes in pursuit. Currently fleeing.
"Memory Hunter? Now there's a name I haven't heard in a while."
Seeing "Memory Hunter," Shadow Killer smirked and sipped his coffee.
Memory Hunter was a secret hero whose info was top-secret even in the Hero Association. His work delivered final judgment on criminals, earning him the hatred of countless villains and crooks.
"Thought he was broken, but he's still kicking. What a fun guy."
Despite the Association's protection, Memory Hunter had lost his entire family to one villain—especially his only daughter, slaughtered right before his eyes.
By Shadow Killer himself.
"If Giant's being chased, all his underlings are probably nabbed by now."
"Correct. Supplying test subjects will be tough for a while. The Hero Association's on high alert..."
"Mm."
Shadow Killer shook his head at the man's words.
"Our pilot's busting his ass flying us to Fantasy Island. Can't stop the plane for lack of fuel, right? If Association eyes make kidnappings impossible, we'll just divert their gaze. Tell [Sniper] to kill one person... no, two."
"Who should he target?"
"Killing Chairman Bal Ji-un's out, huh?"
"That would be... extremely risky."
"I know. Just testing the waters. No way some sniper takes out Chairman Bal Ji-un. You'd need at least an S-rank—or me."
Shadow Killer dropped a bombshell.
Very few people in all humanity knew Chairman Bal Ji-un was a superpowered being—and a damn strong one at that. Shadow Killer knew the truth others didn't.
"Then who do you mean?"
"His kids. Bal Jeong-nam and Bal Ji-na, was it? Have him kill them. Might even drive a wedge between Bal Ji-un and the Hero Association."
"Understood."
The man bowed and turned to relay the order to Sniper. Shadow Killer called him back.
"Oh."
"Yes? More orders?"
"We'll handle Giant ourselves. Can't have him caught by the Association—or worse, Memory Hunter—or my involvement leaks."
"Yes. Won't leave a hair behind."
After the man left, Shadow Killer sipped his coffee while watching Cruemora Doctor immerse himself in research from behind.
"Coincidence? Didn't expect the Association to catch on this fast. Totally blindsided me. Oh yeah, something similar happened a few days ago."
A few days back, Shadow Killer was set to receive kids from a human trafficking ring for experiments. But before delivery, a villain wiped out the ring, forcing him to source elsewhere.
"Steel Armor, right?"
The name was popping up a lot lately.
Steel Armor had quietly built buzz, then crushed A-rank villain Kane and his crew—filming it and spreading the video far and wide. Now, every villain knew the name overnight.
"Guess I should meet him."
If he was useful, Shadow Killer would offer him a spot underneath. If useful but refused? Leave him be.
If not useful... kill him on the spot.
"Kihihihihik!"
Shadow Killer cackled grotesquely at the wailing test subjects.