Chapter 049: Infernal Affairs (2)
All preparations were complete. Han Seol, Im Jui, Jeong Su-hwan, and Han Eun-ji headed out to the operation site. Han Byeol and I stayed behind in Nakyuan, commanding from the server room while controlling the drones. The four executives who departed with the drones had them strapped to their backs, gazing down at the earth from the sky. They were the very image of reapers.
This wasn't a war. It was a one-sided slaughter.
Our intelligence division had already succeeded in luring them out through information manipulation. Using the master PC, I'd authorized their hacking attempts. We were even eavesdropping on their excited chatter about their successful hack. Naturally, all the data they accessed and "hacked" was meticulously fabricated fake intel from our intelligence team.
Here's what we'd uncovered. The Special Awakener with eavesdropping abilities needed physical contact and the target's consent to activate their power, which then lasted for 12 hours. They'd tried to use it to mock me. And that Special Awakener was the commander of this "Nakyuan Soldier Capture Operation."
They had their own plan: ambush us at the rendezvous point where we were supposed to meet Shim Eun-hyeon and capture us. Oblivious to the fact that they'd already fallen into a deep quagmire, they were marching even deeper into it.
Han Byeol spoke up. "Your Excellency, a photo just came in from Shim Eun-hyeon."
"Got it."
It was a selfie of Shim Eun-hyeon, his wife, and their three daughters in a car. I'd pretended to suspect him and demanded photos every 30 minutes, which was how we'd gotten it. We were already monitoring everything from above via drones.
Two bombardment drones were on standby at the rendezvous point. Over 50 soldiers from the Gangnam government were hiding in the brush, waiting. Definitely Awakeners.
Our plan: obliterate their assembly point first, then intercept Shim Eun-hyeon midway on his route there.
Eleven vehicles were racing down a dark road toward the rendezvous. The middle car held Shim Eun-hyeon and his family, flanked front and back by five vehicles carrying Gangnam government soldiers.
Han Byeol looked at me with a serious expression. "We'll drop right after the bombardment ends."
"Yeah."
A low hum filled the air as the two bombardment drones targeted the Gangnam soldiers hidden in the brush at the rendezvous.
During prep, I'd run one experiment. One day, it hit me: the Coating drone's coating blocks even the strongest attacks once—could it handle fall impact too? I immediately called the executives and tested it. Starting from 10 meters, gradually increasing height. The final test was a 100-meter drop: the coating peeled off, but the subject took zero damage.
Each of the four executives had two coatings applied—one for fall impact, one for combat.
A deeper hum echoed as countless red orbs began plummeting from the sky over the rendezvous.
The soldiers looked up too late.
BOOM!
A deafening roar ripped through the air, followed by a massive explosion. Flames engulfed the woods in an instant. They were swept away helplessly before overwhelming power.
"Gaaah... Urrgh...!"
A few survived the initial blast. But survival wasn't in the cards. Their flesh melted away, exposing bone as they crawled on the ground, gasping their final screams.
Another wave of red orbs rained down from the sky.
KABOOM!
They vanished without a trace. Only a cratered pit, black ash, and burning woods remained.
Had they been spread out, the wide blast radius might've weakened, letting some escape. But clustered tight for ambush, the focused power intensified. In the end, they left no mark on the world, fading into oblivion.
The convoy heading to the assembly point slammed to a halt. With radio silence from the ambush team, they'd sensed something was off.
The drones carrying the executives—now mid-flight—hovered 100 meters above their vehicles.
"Begin. Everyone ready?"
Im Jui tapped the radio on her shoulder twice instead of replying.
"Dropping now!"
A whoosh, and the drones released their grips. The executives plummeted from the sky.
THUD! CLANG!
Deafening impacts kicked up clouds of dirt as they landed. One coating peeled off each of them.
"Security Chief, secure Shim Eun-hyeon and his family. The rest... kill them all."
"Yes!"
"What the...!"
The Gangnam Awakeners piled out of their vehicles, staring in stunned disbelief at the executives. It was understandable—hard to believe even seeing four sword-bearing figures drop straight from the heavens.
SLASH!
"Gurk!"
"Enemy! It's the Union! Kill them all!"
No mercy, no parley. Im Jui sliced two throats before they could think.
SLASH!
"Aaaagh! My arm! You fucking— Koff."
The executives carved through mercilessly. Jeong Su-hwan secured Shim Eun-hyeon while bisecting two approaching soldiers. Inside the car, Shim Eun-hyeon shielded his wife and daughters' eyes, holding them tight.
"Watch the swords! Those are the blades Nakyuan executives carry!"
"One touch and you're sliced—don't block, just dodge!"
They were well-trained soldiers. But training doesn't stop natural disasters.
"N-No! Come back!"
One soldier judged it hopeless and bolted. His collapse triggered the rest.
SLASH!
"Stay back! Don't come closer, you fuck! P-Please! Don't! Gurk!"
Im Jui hunted down the fleeing soldiers, ending them all. No need for drones—the fight wrapped in about a minute.
Han Byeol piloted a drone to gather the mangled corpses in one spot.
Blood-soaked Han Seol trudged to the last car. Inside sat a man with a black eyepatch over his right eye, sweating bullets. The Special Awakener who'd tried eavesdropping on me. He was the commander of the Nakyuan soldier capture op.
Just a minute ago, he'd probably been fantasizing about capturing our executives as trophies and parading back to the capital.
Tap tap.
Han Byeol rapped on the window. "Coming out on your own? Or dragged out?"
The man stepped out himself.
His car's backseat radio crackled to life.
Han Seol grabbed the radio from the back and silently handed it to him.
He picked it up. "Major General... Th-there was a brief radio glitch. We're en route to the rendezvous without issue. No need to worry."
"What nonsense is that? If this op fails...!"
CRUNCH!
Han Seol snatched it back and crushed it in her grip.
BANG! ZZZT!
The piled corpses dissolved into sludge via Dissolving Liquid Projection. Terror blanketed his face. Soon, his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
The bombardment drones that torched the rendezvous arrived. I floated one right in front of his face.
"You... you gutless fucking moron..."
"H-Huhk!"
His legs gave out, and he collapsed.
"Head back first... we'll talk then. Blow all the cars with the explosives you brought and withdraw immediately."
"Yes!"
"Break all his limbs."
We detonated every vehicle and melted the bodies. Using Dissolving Liquid, Bombardment, and Coating drones, we airlifted the executives, Shim Eun-hyeon and family, and the eavesdropping Special Awakener back to Nakyuan.
"Do-hyun, Shim Eun-hyeon and his family are settled in the hospital VIP room for now. The kid seems pretty shaken."
"Sigh... What was that guy's name again?"
"Yu Jeong-geun."
Yu Jeong-geun—the Special Awakener who'd tried eavesdropping on me from underground level 2.
"Shall we go?"
"Yeah."
Han Seol and I headed to B2. I'd told Na Hye-won to stay in the room with Seo I-rang and not come out.
The door creaked open. In the corner of B2, Yu Jeong-geun sat tied to a chair, head bowed. Han Byeol, Jeong Su-hwan, and Han Eun-ji loomed over him. The executives bowed their heads at my arrival.
Han Eun-ji brought a chair in front of him. I sat and said, "Hey."
"H-Huhk... Y-Yes, sir!"
He slowly raised his head. His one remaining eye brimmed with terror of death.
"You fucking bastard."
"S-Sorry! I'm sorry! Please, just once... spare me! Please! I was wrong!"
"You dared eavesdrop on me?"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"What a clown. You came out personally—must've been pretty damn confident."
"..."
Yu Jeong-geun bowed his head again. Jeong Su-hwan grabbed his hair and yanked it up.
"Enough. Let me ask you something..."
Yu Jeong-geun interrupted, shouting, "Y-Your Excellency! I was insane! Truly sorry! Please, just my life...!"
SMACK!
"Guhk!"
Han Byeol backhanded his face. Shattered molars clattered to the floor as blood sprayed from his mouth.
Han Byeol glared coldly. "When His Excellency speaks, shut your mouth and listen to the end."
"Kuhuh... H-Hek... S-Suh... Suhry...!"
"Tch... I want answers from him, so don't hit his mouth."
Han Byeol bowed to me. "My apologies."
"Tissue."
"Yes!"
She handed me some. I wiped the blood from his mouth with it, saying, "From now on, I'll ask questions. Hesitate or contradict yourself, and I'll cut off two fingers each time. Feet after hands. Got it?"
"Y-Yes! G-Got it!"
"Good. You've heard of Nakyuan's medical tech? We can lop off all your limbs and keep you alive and well. Choose every word carefully from here on."
Yu Jeong-geun nodded frantically.
"Alright."
I glanced at Han Byeol. She nodded and said, "They say the Republic of Korea government has warehouses storing food and liquor. Where? And list every key Gangnam government facility location."
No pointless questions like who ordered it or why. We knew the Gangnam president was behind it, and I didn't care about motives. I spread a stack of papers before him—transcripts of every conversation and photo from him and his men in that room.
His eye widened.
"We already know you're a key military figure. Think hard and answer."
Shim Eun-hyeon and his family officially joined Nakyuan. He knelt before me, thanking profusely for over an hour. I urged them to stay indoors as much as possible—no telling who outside might spot them.
Gangnam surely knows I'm behind this. But since they struck first, they can't complain. They're probably sweating bullets, fearing I'll bring up the eavesdropping. No contact yet means they've cut Yu Jeong-geun loose.
From him, we got not just food warehouse locations but secret military bases too. They'd been setting up bases north of the river for espionage. We even got the list of moles hiding in the Union.
Union executives are rounding up and harshly interrogating Gangnam spies. North cleanup's done, Yu Jeong-geun executed as worthless—but I'm not stopping here.