Close-Range Specialists: The Back World's Lawless
The lawless of the Back World. For those who live in the melee, only two things hold value...
Some will say money. Others will say backing.
And neither answer is wrong.
Excluding a tiny handful of outliers who operate on a whole different level, the lawless are assassins scraping by day to day. For them, money buys a night of fun or keeps their necks off the chopping block just a little longer. Backing gives them a foothold to claw their way out of the shadows they call home.
But what happens when someone dangles both right in front of them?
The answer's obvious. Every single one bites.
Proving the point, I was staring down one hell of a ridiculous scene.
"Well, damn. Never thought I'd run into you guys here. And even the ones I've only heard rumors about. What a world."
Four assassins waiting at the door I'd been guided to. I didn't recognize two of them, but the other two were familiar faces from hanging around the Request Office.
They weren't on my level, but they were strong enough to rank in the Back World's top ten fingers. And the other two? New faces, but they matched the rumors I'd heard. Their auras felt about right, too, so they had to be the ones.
One of the guys who recognized me did a double-take and spoke up.
"Baek Se-rin? No way—you got the offer from Baek Ya-seong too?"
"Obviously. Why else would I be here? Looks like you all did too. Guys I can barely catch a glimpse of on a normal day, all in one spot."
"Shit, talk about the worst luck..."
He muttered a curse under his breath as I grinned back. He already looked like he'd given up on snagging the exclusive spot.
I clapped him on the slumping shoulder with a chuckle. "Hey, don't throw in the towel yet. Life's full of twists, right? Sai Weng loses a horse—who knows?"
"Sai Weng my ass... I've seen you fight enough times. How the hell am I supposed to keep hoping?"
He shook his head with a click of his tongue, brushing off my pep talk. I was pondering another shot at encouragement when our guide approached first.
"Excuse me. I'm Do Jin-hyeok, assigned to guide you all on behalf of Baek Ya-seong today. First, allow me to thank you for accepting our proposal and coming here."
The man bowed politely. As he did, we all scanned him in a flash—his movements, gaze, hand scars, the weapon tucked behind his belt. Basic assassin recon, done in a heartbeat.
And without a word, we all knew it: this Do Jin-hyeok guy was a monster.
He's probably stronger than any of these four next to me.
Top ten in the Back World, and he still outclassed them. I pictured him lunging at me right then. I'd left my weapons at the entrance, so an easy win? Nah.
But block the opener, and I might handle him.
No clear path to defeat, though. Just hypotheticals in my head, but plausible ones. As I mulled it over, Do Jin-hyeok opened the inner door.
"The family head is waiting inside. Please, come in."
He stepped aside, and we filed in without hesitation—five of us, atmosphere still buzzing with tension.
Once we were all in, Do Jin-hyeok shut the door behind him.
Kiiiek—thud.
Smooth hinges, oiled with plenty of cash—nothing like the rusty crap in the Back World. Then a deep male voice rumbled into my ear.
"Come in, all of you. I'm sure you all know this already... but I'm Jin Hyun-cheol, head of Baek Ya-seong."
The man introduced himself as Baek Ya-seong's leader. And yeah, we all knew the name. You couldn't miss his face—even in the crumpled newspapers littering Back World alleys.
In this godforsaken dystopia, where the government—everyone's favorite euphemism for "Central"—rules like kings, Baek Ya-seong is their sharpest blade. Top domestic assassin corp, with a rep that echoes worldwide. No need to spell out the prestige.
"I've seen your files... but some things you gotta see with your own eyes. You didn't come for chit-chat, so let's cut to it."
Jin Hyun-cheol snapped his fingers. Two men hauled a massive table over from the corner, setting it down in front of us with a heavy thud.
And on it? Our weapons, the ones we'd surrendered at the door. Neatly arranged, like they'd planned this from the start.
But it wasn't just our gear.
"This is..."
"A choker."
A small choker sat in front of each set of weapons. As we muttered, Jin Hyun-cheol stood and picked one up.
"Let me be clear: I intend to hire every one of you here today. But only one will be my daughter's exclusive assassin. The rest will serve under her directly. Obviously, the pay and status gap between exclusive and subordinate is night and day. That's why it's just one spot."
He didn't quote numbers, but coming from Baek Ya-seong's head? Had to be massive.
He dangled the choker. "This is standard issue for all Baek Ya-seong assassins. As you guessed, it's your lifeline. I control every choker in the organization remotely. My kids handle their subordinates'."
He tossed it into empty air. It exploded mid-flight.
Kwaang—!!!
Palm-sized blast, but enough to vaporize a neck easy. I swallowed a quiet gasp. Jin Hyun-cheol turned back.
"Don't like it? Head back to the Back World. But know this: no second chances."
The four next to me reached without hesitation. Even if not exclusive, Baek Ya-seong's protection? No-brainer.
And me? Exclusive assassin was the goal. A non-threat to someone like me.
Click-click—
Chokers snapping on. We grabbed our weapons next. The others went straight for pistols first—standard carry, even if not primary. This Korea wasn't the peaceful old one; gunshots echoed on normal streets sometimes.
They checked chambers and mags, holstered, then loaded up on high-end gear—blades and bio-weapons loaded with premium features, honed by years of survival.
Mine? Minimalist. Aside from my prized custom stiletto, all street-bought Back World specials under five million won.
Underwhelming for my kill count. Sure enough, Jin Hyun-cheol tilted his head.
"That's your full kit? No gun in sight. Where's yours?"
"Ahaha, guns don't really suit me."
It's not like I hated them. In a game-turned-real, one trigger pull to kill? Ideal. But my mod wouldn't allow it.
This build aimed for the ultimate pure-blade assassin. Boosted physicals, blade limits unleashed... but the fatal flaw? No ranged weapons—guns, bows—or sci-fi blades from the game.
A restriction I'd never have picked knowing reality awaited. Back then, it was just for flavor. Now? Stuck with it. Infuriating.
I equipped my modest loadout with a sigh. Jin Hyun-cheol eyed me, intrigued.
"Overconfidence, carelessness, or real deal? Either way, you've got balls. I can look forward to this?"
His gaze burned with expectation. My answer was set.
"Of course. Expect the best."
Guns? High-tech? No sweat. The trade-off built this mod, plus three years of real combat. Enough to crush anyone here.
The exclusive assassin spot? Mine for the taking.