Pink Magpie and Retriever (2)
Was it thanks to the training in the Northern Snow Mountains? Even without fully committing to killing intent, I could now maintain my movements to some extent while staring straight at the red lines.
'Killing intent and hostility... somewhere in between.' I had to keep control over the innate killing intent. As long as I did that, I could mimic it to a degree. Of course, it was just mimicry, so I couldn't achieve explosive speed.
Whoosh!
"Damn, you're quick!"
Spiked clubs swung from all directions. In this cramped pub, I hopped lightly, leaping from table to table. The gang members tangled with each other, unable to swing properly or even hitting their own comrades.
"Agh! Whose side are you on, you punk?!"
"Your fault for standing there, idiot!"
Were all the opponents I'd fought before just weird? These gang members looked scary on the outside... but they didn't give me that I'm gonna die vibe.
Whoosh!
A club whistled past my eyes. Even swinging with full force, they weren't skilled at killing like forest hunters, didn't radiate thick killing intent like magic beasts, and compared to Mr. Regaf, their attacks were laughably slow and sloppy.
'I-It'd still hurt if it hit.' Not dying didn't mean it wasn't scary. I was still a total coward. Since I wasn't fully surrendering to killing intent, I felt the fear vividly.
"Pain... hates it!"
So I redirected my killing intent. Not toward people, but objects. With objects, I could kill freely. It was a trick only possible when I held the reins instead of surrendering to the intent.
Slither.
The red lines on the gang members' necks vanished. Lines began appearing on their weapons instead.
'There.'
I kicked a table. Swung my dagger across the line.
Slash-crack!
I sliced through every weapon trying to hurt me.
"My club..."
"No way. This was iron."
"Is that dagger weird? Or is it the kid swinging it?"
The gang members stared at their shattered weapons, then quickly at me. Some dropped their hostility entirely; others' faded.
"Huff... huff..."
Sweat dripping, I scanned their dazed gazes.
"Um, can we stop now?"
They nodded and meekly set their broken weapons on the floor.
Thud! Thud!
Now the only fight left was Illine sunbae.
'Where does sunbae get that super strength...?'
Illine sunbae was hurling people barehanded.
***
Edwin tapped the head of Gahed, who knelt beside him while he sat. Bluish chains of light wrapped his hands and words. Gahed had tried to flee but got caught immediately.
As the Hyena Pub cleanup wrapped up, Edwin nodded in satisfaction.
"What'd they call you? Gray Rib?"
"Mane, sir..."
"Right, yeah."
Edwin's real attention was elsewhere. He inwardly marveled at Yufir slipping out from the now-docile gang members.
'What happened in that year?'
Her innate gift was excellent, so he'd sent her to training camp for basics... but she'd grown beyond expectations. Reports mentioned struggles and frequent incidents, but maybe those spurred her growth. People born with gifts had wildly higher growth potential.
Edwin's lips twitched.
'And she doesn't seem controlled by her gift...'
Maybe she'd found a great mentor unbeknownst to him. Gifted folks often got overwhelmed by reliance. Sudden power in unintended situations could do that to anyone. Having someone correct it in time was key—and Yufir seemed to have had that.
"Team leader... looks like mine's done tooo..."
"Pink Magpie, you're a whole new person. When'd you get this good?"
"Huh? Oh, ehehehe."
Sudden praise made Yufir grin dopily.
"Aw, it ain't that big a deal... heehee!"
"Told ya my eye for talent never fails."
Illine finished up too, dusting her hands as she approached.
"Alright, time for the serious talk?"
Edwin looked down at Gahed.
"Why'd you raid the lab?"
"L-Lab?"
"Ehey... I hate crappy acting the most."
Swoosh.
Edwin raised his arm toward the bar table—specifically, an empty glass on it. His fingertip flashed.
Shatter!
Blue flames burst like a gunshot. The martini glass exploded into shards. The bartender yelped and ducked.
Gahed swallowed hard.
"Next one's your head."
Edwin pointed at Gahed's head. Sweat beaded clearly on his forehead.
"I-I really don't know!"
Gahed yelled in panic.
"Hyenas have been hurting lately too... we couldn't do anything big!"
"Hurting how?"
"Back alleys started shifting weird lately. Lion and Tiger... you know 'em?"
"Yeah, how could I not know the jungle kings of the Back Alleys."
"We're scavengers on their scraps. As long as they backed off, we fed our own fine."
Gahed calmly explained their plight.
"But balance broke. Heard Lion gang got halved. Tiger took total control. Didn't get details, but small gangs flocked to Tiger... even those spider bastards..."
"Spiders now?"
"Y-Yeah, they strutted into our turf recently, showing off and trashing. Lowlifes we couldn't even look in the eye before... wonder what they're riding high on."
Gahed gnashed his teeth in frustration.
Edwin stroked his chin thoughtfully.
'So the Hyena traces left at the lab were from those snatched guys?'
Something big was brewing in the back alleys. The usual balance tilted hard one way, and the weaklings were suddenly rampaging.
'They wouldn't break balance themselves.'
These gangs needed to eat too—no one invites chaos willingly. Order kept everyone fed.
"Outside meddling, huh."
Edwin stood.
To shatter that order, one side needed conviction: they'd win in the chaos, and gains outweighed losses.
"Um..."
Gahed looked up from his knees.
"You from the capital? Knights?"
"What if we are?"
Gahed glanced at his crew. They looked thuggish, but had families waiting at home. Just fools knowing no other way to survive.
"You hunting Tiger?"
"..."
Edwin saw the angle quick. Brains like that were rare down here. Self-taught survivors were gold.
"Maybe. If it ties to my goals."
"Tiger's wrecking the alleys thinking they're kings."
Gahed bowed his head.
"If your work stabilizes things, we'd help... plenty here starving soon."
"Got some loyalty, huh, Ribs?"
Edwin chuckled, beckoning Yufir and Illine toward the door.
"See ya, Mane."
"Mane, sir."
***
Following Team Leader Edwin, we exited the Back Alleys.
"That's it for today? Feels like... we didn't do much."
I'd imagined agent work as epic from day one. Felt half-done.
"Most missions we take don't wrap in a day. Investigation first—days, weeks, months standard."
More like preliminary scouting than starting the op.
"Can I ask about the mission...?"
"Pfft, 'course. We're a team."
Edwin chuckled.
"Central and east have disease labs. Full of specialist mage-doctors. The eastern one's been hit."
"Disease lab...!"
"Yeah, you'd know it well, Yufir."
No way I wouldn't. Anyone with Mana Disease-stricken family checked those labs monthly, yearly. New drugs? Cures? Daily prayer for family relief.
"Top priority: the missing eastern lab director."
"Kidnapped?!"
"Likely. Motive unknown, so can't say for sure. But tied to back alley gangs, so we start there."
Serious stuff. Research halted now—including on Mana Disease.
Squeeze.
My fist clenched unconsciously. We needed solutions yesterday; unexplained raids delaying it was unbearable.
"I'll... work hard..."
"Haha, newbie's fire makes your team leader happy."
Edwin eyed me via the rearview.
"But don't let zeal turn reckless."
"Huh?"
"We walk thin ice always. One reckless move endangers teammates."
"Ah..."
I got it.
"Got it."
"Good."
Brief silence.
"Other teams'll join soon. Feel how big this is?"
"Yes."
"Gear up solid. Your first op might be flashier than you think."
"Yes... team leader."
Snore.
Illine sunbae snoozed in the passenger seat, nose whistling.
"Bet she was a dog in a past life. No other way she'd love naps this much."