190. Daegu Frontline (1)
Heo Jin-ho and Gyeon Gwan-im. The dispossessed and the usurper. The one who reclaimed and the one who lost meet again in the Daegu governor's office.
Gyeon Gwan-im wears an awkward smile, gazing at Heo Jin-ho. Heo Jin-ho sits calmly in his office chair, looking back at Gyeon Gwan-im. It's a reunion so awkward it borders on the absurd.
"Well, damn. Never thought I'd see you again so soon."
"Heh. You've got some thick skin."
Gyeon Gwan-im acts nonchalant, greeting Heo Jin-ho as if they're old friends bumping into each other. Heo Jin-ho finds it almost ridiculous, but he chalks it up to the warlord's brazen charm.
"Yeah, I didn't expect to run into you this quick either. You look surprisingly clean-cut."
"Haha. Enjoy it while it lasts. Who knew you'd end up holding my leash? Guess that's the loser's fate."
Outwardly calm, Gyeon Gwan-im inwardly shoots Heo Jin-ho fearful glances. After all, the man before him holds his life in his hands. If Heo Jin-ho decides to settle personal scores, there's little he can do to stop it. At best, he'd secured some protection through a judicial deal with Dragon Priestess Yu-na.
But what if Heo Jin-ho snaps and attacks anyway? No guarantee holds up then.
At least he won't toss away the governor post just for revenge right now. But people aren't purely rational creatures. They're driven by emotion.
Gyeon Gwan-im knows Heo Jin-ho's capabilities and temperament well enough to bet he won't lightly abandon the governor's seat. Still, humans aren't always rational—they're emotional beasts. Gyeon Gwan-im himself became a warlord out of vengeful impulse, so it wouldn't be strange if Heo Jin-ho declared payback against the enemy right in front of him. Like it or not, Gyeon Gwan-im had toppled Heo Jin-ho once, demoting him from head of the Daegu provisional government to mere governor.
"Got a problem with that?"
"Hell yeah, I do. But... what other shot at a comeback do I have?"
Heo Jin-ho asks if Gyeon Gwan-im has complaints, looking mildly annoyed. Gyeon Gwan-im admits he does but says he accepted the deal because it's his only chance to rebound.
Heo Jin-ho probably knew that already, but from Gyeon Gwan-im's position, lying to his new master on day one would sour things irreparably. Sure, he'd already botched the first impression as a warlord—but as a slave? That's a different story.
"Heard the real vicious ones who got here before me are locked up for life? Super high levels, too, and no chance at redemption."
"You mean Jo Sun-do?"
Gyeon Gwan-im explains he took the deal because otherwise, he'd rot in prison forever. As proof, he cites Jo Sun-do, the tyrant of Gyeongju captured by the Balhut Cult. Tried and sentenced to life, he's under heavy guard in Pohang Prison.
Even now, Jo Sun-do's level is high enough that a little investment from Sera could push him into superhuman territory. Yet he's denied any shot at atonement. In that light, Gyeon Gwan-im—with his ingrained common sense—is practically fortunate to serve Sera.
"Yeah, that bastard."
"Exactly. Anyway... before we seal the contract, one thing left to do."
"Ah."
Heo Jin-ho stands, strides over, and slugs Gyeon Gwan-im square in the face. A sharp thwack echoes as Gyeon Gwan-im crumples to the floor. Heo Jin-ho shakes out his hand, satisfied.
"Debt paid."
With that, he declares their old grudge settled. Deep down, he'd love to beat the man senseless, but as governor, recruiting Gyeon Gwan-im is a boon. One solid punch vents it all—no petty dragging it out.
"Hah. That fist packs a wallop. Thought I was a goner there, Heo Jin-ho."
Gyeon Gwan-im whines that he nearly died, clutching his swelling cheek as he rises. His expression, though, screams relief. He'd pegged Heo Jin-ho's grudge as the biggest hurdle—and now it's drawn, greenlighting his integration into Daegu.
"You're still breathing, aren't you? No issue then, Gyeon Gwan-im."
Heo Jin-ho sees the gears turning in the man's head and isn't thrilled, but...
"Fine. We prepared the contract. Read it over and decide if you sign."
The human Heo Jin-ho's vengeful urges lose to the governor's pragmatism. He soothes himself that the punch cleared the air and hands over the document.
"What, you wanna go back to that cozy cell? Sign it."
"Hold up. Gotta read the fine print. Can't have some sucker clause slipped in."
Heo Jin-ho urges him to sign immediately, but Gyeon Gwan-im insists on reviewing every line. Hidden traps are possible, and once signed, no take-backs. He pores over it...
"Heh. Ten years of slavery booked solid."
He jokes bitterly about the decade-long enslavement. He'd known beforehand, but ten years changes mountains. Who knows if he'll even survive that long?
"Merits can reduce the term."
"Then I'll rack up merits no one can ignore."
The contract allows reductions for services rendered. Clinging to that, Gyeon Gwan-im vows to earn them.
"Planning to swear loyalty to Sera?"
"Loyalty... I'll see what Sera's really about first."
He's not ready to pledge blindly. Oaths come when Sera proves the Korean victor—not to crash and burn together.
"Wolf in sheep's clothing."
"In this apocalypse, you gotta be a wolf to survive, Heo Jin-ho."
Heo Jin-ho snarls "wolf" like an insult, but Gyeon Gwan-im retorts it's the only way.
"Alright. My side's signed. Yours next, and we're done."
Heo Jin-ho signs without hesitation. As the pen scratches, the Geas Scroll's magic activates, binding them with immense mana. The contract seals flawlessly.
"Now I'm the governor's underling. Sera's dog. So, mind if I make a proposal?"
Gyeon Gwan-im, unwilling to rot as a slave for ten years, pitches his plan to rack up merits fast.
"Proposal?"
"How about the same deal for my crew? Frontline's short on manpower, right?"
Free his imprisoned subordinates and fold them into the governor's forces.
"Ho? Think your guard dogs will bite?"
Heo Jin-ho perks up, asking if they'll agree. Gyeon Gwan-im hasn't polled them yet, so no guarantees, but...
"They won't love this shady contract. But I'll convince 'em."
He vows to handle it.
"Anything's better than that hellhole prison. Awakeners crave freedom most. Seal your mana, and that powerlessness hits like depression. I know the feeling."
"That bad?"
"Worse. Your confidence crumbles into despair. Desperate for escape, they'll sign this slave rag in a heartbeat."
The mana-suppressing cuffs strip awakeners' omnipotence, plunging them into severe depression. For a taste of freedom, they'll leap at it.
And as Gyeon Gwan-im predicted...
"Heard this gets you freedom? Becoming Sera's dogs?"
"Sign us up! Sign!"
"Get these damn cuffs off now!"
"Please! Use us like dogs!"
His elite guard signs without pause. Heo Jin-ho gains a loyal squad of top-tier awakeners for Daegu—a massive win. Bound by Geas Scroll for absolute obedience, it's the elite unit he'd craved back in the provisional government days.
"Slippery bastard."
"Hey, I just laid out reality. How's my performance? Solid, right?"
Heo Jin-ho marvels at how Gyeon Gwan-im assembles elites with mere words. He'd toyed with the idea himself, but executing it? Gyeon Gwan-im plans boldly, succeeds, and now flaunts his talent to prove loyalty. That's what's scary.
If that guy ever turns on me for real, who in Daegu stops him? Sera might, but I'd be the first head rolling.
Heo Jin-ho regrets freeing him a touch but trusts the utility enough to give him a shot.
"Yeah, performance checks out. But... those cuffs that rough?"
He probes about the suppressors. Gyeon Gwan-im explains.
"Great for capture. But zero thought for awakener rights."
He deems them brutal—never wants them on again. They revert awakeners to helpless normals, delivering crushing dysphoria. Many prisoners suffer deep depression.
"...Raiders' rights? Come on."
"Fair point!"
Most inmates are bloodthirsty raiders too vile for mercy. Gyeon Gwan-im scratches his head, stumped.
"Anyway, train these freed ones as soldiers for the front. Or guerrillas."
For external raiders like them, guerrilla work suits best—but either way, bolster Daegu forces.
"Whichever the governor orders."
"Smoother compliance than expected."
Heo Jin-ho raises an eyebrow at the ready obedience.
"Levels on the line—more precious than life. Defy an order once or twice, and they drop mercilessly."
With levels as vital as breath, defiance tanks his value. No one else wants a downgraded Gyeon Gwan-im—refusing orders equals suicide.
"To awakeners, levels are credit. Life itself."
"Hah. Sly fox. I'll never fully trust you."
Too self-aware for comfort.
"But I'll put you to work."
He believes Gyeon Gwan-im will deliver regardless.