Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Settling Bad Blood (2)
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“How may I assist you?”
As soon as the entrance's automatic doors slid open, one of the organization's goons greeted me with a friendly smile that clashed horribly with his thuggish face. When I stiffened at his grotesque grin, he let out a hearty chuckle like it didn't faze him at all, responding with feigned politeness.
“Haha! Yeah, my mug's a bit rough around the edges! But don't worry—this isn't some shady illegal outfit like you're probably imagining! Hell, what illicit operation has a setup this massive? Just trust us and spill it: what's brought you here? What trouble made you seek us out? Tell me freely, and I'll guide you right.”
He steered the conversation with the ease of someone who'd done this a thousand times.
'That's exactly how that classmate bastard reeled me in with his sappy smile and slick tongue—hook, line, and sinker, right onto the contract.'
The memory reignited my irritation, fury surging anew.
'No holding back.'
I'd come to wreck the place anyway, hell-bent on shoving every ounce of pain, anxiety, and terror they'd dumped on me right back down their throats. I hurled a bombshell at the guy grinning ear to ear.
“You need to shut this place down today.”
“......Pardon? What do you mean by that, sir?”
“I'm gonna be the one to force it closed today. So quit jamming that ugly face in mine and beat it.”
Thwack!
With that, I drove my foot into the dimwit oaf's gut and launched him flying. As if this was just another Tuesday, another lobby thug radioed for backup.
“You psycho! Starting shit in someone else's turf? You're toast once the bosses roll in.”
“Pfft! Isn't this not supposed to be that kind of company? What bosses this, bosses that? Just hang a sign saying 'gangsters.' And why're you backing up? Get over here.”
“Eek!”
I snagged the fleeing punk's nape and yanked him straight back.
“S-spare... me!?”
“Not killing you. I'm no murderer—just chalk it up to bad luck and enjoy your hospital stay for a few months.”
Crack!
I wrenched both his arms backward.
“Gyaack!!”
“Wha... what the hell?”
“Security! Security! What're you doing!?”
Watching the two bruisers get utterly demolished, the customers freaked out and started screaming bloody murder.
I gave them a moment's glance, then detonated solar mana toward the ceiling.
Kwaaaaa!!!
“Kyaaah!”
“Uwaaaah!”
The massive blast rocked the place alongside a chorus of shrieks, swiftly giving way to dead silence.
“Folks, this joint's neck-deep in illegal crap, and the Audit Department—armed with solid evidence—is on its way. I recommend you haul ass outta here. Unless you wanna get tangled up and dragged off by the auditors. Consider this your warning.”
“Eek! Understood!”
They blanched at my show of force and the Audit Department's name, scrambling to grab their stuff and bolt from the building.
Everyone knew the sheer dread weight of those words. The Audit Department sat above regular cops—who only handled normals—specializing in probing awakened criminals and ability-fueled crimes. They had conditional life-or-death authority limited to awakened offenders: a straight-up execution squad of terror.
They only mobilized with airtight proof, so their arrival here meant...
...the company's as good as dead. No survival possible.
One wrong move, and even they could get looped into the probe alongside the firm—so they fled like hell.
Right on cue, the requested reinforcements poured down the stairs, spotted the escaping clients, then locked eyes on me: the root of all chaos.
“This fucker! Trashing our sacred business?”
“Boss, this prick looks familiar, right? His face... I've seen it somewhere.”
“Who gives a shit. Probably can't pay up again, so he's here throwing a tantrum. Fresh-awakened scrubs always pull this—thinking they're hot shit!”
I let out a scoff at the dozen or so mobsters closing in, radiating menace with their scowls.
How could they brim with such baseless confidence? Blind to the two goons crumpled at my feet? Some hidden powerhouse I didn't know about?
I shoved those stray thoughts aside and exploded off the floor toward them.
“Crazy bastard! Get him!”
“Boss's command! Pound him! No killing—smash his limbs!”
Seeing them all yank lethal tools from their belts, I skidded to a halt mid-stride.
“Weapons are cheating, no?”
“Shut your trap. You ambushed us and now whine about rules?”
“Fine, fair enough.”
Fine by me—getting tagged by those would sting even for a hunter.
“Guess I'll fight from afar.”
“What nonsense! Pound him!”
They charged while I stood still; my eyes flushed crimson as I eyed the morons.
“Sun.”
A miniature sun—no bigger than half my palm—rose over my hand, supercharged by the divine relic's influence, then rocketed toward them.
“What......?!”
The goons recoiled in horror at the bizarre sight. In that frozen instant, they dithered between fleeing or pressing the attack—that became their final view.
I lobbed the tiny sun like a grenade into their center, whistled, and clamped my ears shut.
Boom!!
The whole building quaked amid the eruption. Blinking my eyes open, I faced nothing but naked, golden-brown roasted pigs.
“Nailed the power control. All alive, no deaths.”
First time trying, worried I'd botch it—but needless concern. Full-body burns, no fatal wounds: pure agony as they writhed on the floor.
“Ugh, nasty.”
My clothes and hair had burned clean off too. I averted my gaze from the naked swine and headed for the elevator.
Ding!
The nonstop elevator halted; more goons piled out. One blast turned them into prime cuts as well.
Zing!!
The more I wielded the sun, the more vitality and omnipotence flooded my body. I turned to eye the hovering divine relic.
'Really wanna appraise this thing.'
Appraisal skills were rare. Rarer than healers. No appraiser in the country—or worldwide—could handle Mythic gear.
Even Seo Ye-rin, our top appraiser and mage the Word Spirit Sorceress, could barely scratch Legendary names. Tells you how tough it is.
“Gotta learn by doing, then.”
Effects I knew so far: All stats +20. Massive HP and mana regen boost.
Insane already, but not quite Mythic. Betting that welling vitality was the next perk, I stepped over the roasts and boarded the elevator.
“Boss and top dogs first.”
I punched the penthouse button, drawing slow deep breaths to ramp tension.
Oppponent: E-rank hunter. Stuck there without mana awakening for D-rank, but physical specs surely outclassed mine—a true powerhouse.
Plus time to handle the dozen-ish hunters guarding him.
Ding!
Elevator arrived; I summoned solar mana.
“Die!!”
“Drop dead!!”
Doors parted, and two familiar faces stabbed at me like they'd been waiting. I shifted Manbyeon to gauntlets, infused solar mana, and thrust forth.
Bam! Bam!
My jabs melted their blades outright and cratered their solar plexuses.
Sizzle!!
Shock and searing flesh agony ripped screams from the twins as they crumpled.
“Graaaah!”
“Ow ow ow ow ow!”
They say burning's humanity's worst pain; the pair thrashed wildly on the floor. I ignored them and pressed on.
Rumble!
Blocking my path: the boss's pet hunter squad. Mostly F-rank nobodies with just a awakening and one or two tutorial runs. Against normals in shylocking and strong-arm sales, though? Always top dogs.
That why they barely flinched at me and the downed twins behind.
Hell, they spat and cursed the twins. Fitting for trash blind to the power gap.
“Knew it was you. Shin Juha.”
The lead guy—Yuk Kwang-sik, boss's self-styled left-hand man—glared murderously. If Kang Cheol-woo (who tried offing me in the hidden stage) was the boss's fave real right-hand ace, this clown was desperate-flailing garbage chasing scraps of notice.
And the bastard who'd hounded me most alongside Kang Cheol-woo, all to score boss cred.
Yuk Kwang-sik smirked with fake leisure, looking down his nose as he spoke.
“Heard you awakened and bolted...... So why crawl back? What's the mess mean? You really gonna shove past us all to the boss? Even if you're buffed up now, that's—!”
“Ah, you prick. Yapping nonstop like always, past and present. Shut it and charge. Nah—I'll come to you.”
His foul yap faking calm oozed zero sincerity.
I morphed Manbyeon to sword form. Solar flames licked up the blade as I kicked off toward them.
“Won't kill ya. But payment's due for eyeing my neck.”
“M-mana? Attribute mana too? Shit! B-block!”
Too late. That signature arrogance and smugness choked you out, you trash fuck.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Sensing foes' strikes via Infinite, my body danced flawlessly—I lopped limbs off over ten hunters.
Arms for some. Legs for others. Ears. And for a few...... privates.
“Seared 'em shut so no reattach—live crippled forever. Or if you've got cash, beg a healer. That'll run at least ten billion won minimum.”
“Urk... you fuck! Shin Juha!!!”
Leaving Yuk Kwang-sik foaming in torment over his hacked-off junk, I flung open the boss office door where the prez awaited deepest in.
“......Unbelievable. A total scrub I couldn't squeeze even 100 mil from is gonna topple me and my company.”
“Haven't even clashed yet. Conceding defeat already?”
“Even if I smoke you, I know I'm cooked. These goddamn pigs tail-wag when I feed 'em cash, but now? Not one rings back!”
“My handiwork there. More precisely, the Seohwa Group princess you almost croaked via Kang Cheol-woo called in favors.”
“Seohwa...... Seohwa Group, huh. Told that prick Kang Cheol-woo to snag you, and he pulls unspeakable shit. So that's how you roped in the Audit crew?”
“How'd you guess? Been here an hour; they'll hit in about 30.”
The boss heaved a deep sigh, lumbering his bulk up from the chair.
“Then I'll waste you in 30 and ghost.”
“What? Bags already packed?”
“Yeah—all your doing. You wrecked my whole empire!!!”
He slipped knuckle dusters from behind his back and barreled at me.
“Yeah. Let's end it. Today.”
The day to sever this festering bad blood—for good. So thinking, I surged forward.
Kwaaaang!!!
A colossal boom thundered through the boss's office as his fist collided with my blade.