Burning the Straw Shack (5)
Ju Kang-rim had witnessed Shira Vito's final moments firsthand. She had refused to join Gerald's ranks and fought to the death alongside her ragtag crew, dying amid a horde of zombies. He had been in a position to help her but simply watched her perish. Back then, he'd thought there was nothing he could do.
"At the time, I just figured Shira Vito had chosen a dog's death. But... looking back now, she must have known Gerald was an immortal."
What if he'd helped Ttakkachi back then? Would he have learned about immortals sooner? Shira Vito might not have known immortals were behind everything, but she'd been used and discarded by them, just like him, harboring the same hatred.
In a way, Shira Vito was the Ju Kang-rim who hadn't regressed.
"Arrogant as it sounds, my regression into a grim reaper was just luck—catching King Yeomra's eye. Someone like Shira Vito, a proper awakener, might have done better with it."
"No."
Yoo Wol-ryeong cut him off sharply.
"King Yeomra watched you far longer than you think. It wasn't mere luck."
"Pardon? Uh, thanks."
Ju Kang-rim blinked, unsure what she meant. There were far better awakeners and fighters out there. He figured she was just saying nice things to cheer him up.
"Either way, regression gave me a 'chance,' right? So if there's proven talent without a rotten heart, I'd like to give them one too."
"Even if they might betray you?"
"Honestly? I wouldn't care if they did."
Ju Kang-rim smirked, lips curling.
"No, I'm actually planning around the possibility. Betray me or not, Ttakkachi will lead me to Kangryeong Daegun. The situation demands he step in now anyway."
"I see."
Yoo Wol-ryeong nodded, still looking uneasy, but it was irrelevant to Ju Kang-rim. Double-agent games and disinformation ops were routine under Gerald. Betrayal was daily life; turning it against them was commonplace.
"That said, I won't give her a chance to betray us. I've got a rough fix on Kangryeong Daegun's location."
Yoo Wol-ryeong's eyes widened as she stared at him.
"How?"
"A few roundabout questions during interrogation were enough."
Ju Kang-rim glanced at Ttakkachi's back as she diligently dismantled traps.
"She's a green hunter, low on experience. Pinning down her organization's movements and base was child's play. She probably doesn't even realize she spilled it."
He frowned, a touch regretful.
"Should've figured it out sooner, honestly. The Kangryeong faction's just a mobster gang at best. If I'd nabbed Lopez or Jang Han-taek intact, it'd have taken half a day tops. Hell, even cop connections would've done it."
He tested the waters casually. Tracking Kangryeong Daegun would've been easy with minimal contacts. But he'd leaned too hard on Yoo Wol-ryeong's "informant," delaying things.
"I see."
Yoo Wol-ryeong just nodded calmly. So Ju Kang-rim got more direct.
"Plenty of others probably know besides us. But they left it alone—maybe bigger fish to fry than some mob boss, or stalling for time."
"Done!"
Ttakkachi cheered triumphantly then, wiping sweat from her brow amid the dismantled beast traps and booby-traps. The evidence of her sweaty labor in setting—and now undoing—them.
Ju Kang-rim surveyed the Shine Sand piles at the traps' center, awestruck.
"Where'd you learn this crap?"
"You thought we just dig potatoes in Gangwon? We all know how to trap roe deer and wild boars."
"That's got massive misconception potential..."
He eyed the Shine Sand volume. As she said, a hefty stash.
"Why hoard so much?"
"Stashes got raided lately, cut off distribution..."
"Ah, my fault?"
"Not exactly..."
She trailed off, but it meant no buyers without outlets. Still, party drugs like this had plenty of private channels—clubs optional.
"What now?"
"Dumping in water'd pollute, so... burn it here?"
Burning Sandcastle
Goal: Destroy Shine Sand supply points (4/5)
Reward 1: 2,500 nyang in soul coins
Reward 2: (Special) 100% bonus on immortal kills
Ju Kang-rim checked the mission on Biman again. Last supply point—destroy it, claim rewards.
But Reward 2 left him inwardly bummed. Ttakkachi promised Kangryeong Daegun intel, sure, but that didn't erase the regret.
'5,000 nyang ain't chump change.'
Ding.
Biman chimed—not his, Yoo Wol-ryeong's. She frowned at it, then looked at him.
"Informant."
"Huh?"
"Wants to buy the Shine Sand with soul coins."
"How much?"
"$10,000 per kilogram."
About 10 million won each. Ju Kang-rim scanned the piles.
"Total kilos?"
"Around 200kg."
Ttakkachi answered, stunned. 2 billion won. Money he'd never touched even in his past life.
He pondered what it could buy. No money woes for a while, at least.
"Your thoughts?"
"Do as you wish, Reaper Ju. It's your achievement."
Yoo Wol-ryeong seemed uninterested in cash. Maybe what thrilled her was the gamble itself, not the spoils.
'Shine Sand's worth that much, huh.'
Short deliberation over, Ju Kang-rim spoke.
"Reaper Yoo, relay to the informant."
"Yes."
He approached the Shine Sand, straightened a package, drew his Saingeom, and slashed its side. White powder glittered out with a sickly sweet scent.
He felt Yoo Wol-ryeong's puzzled gaze but ignored it, flicking his lighter instead.
"Burning stuff's been fun lately."
Shine Sand ignited easily. Flames whooshed up instantly, engulfing the area.
Ju Kang-rim grinned at Yoo Wol-ryeong through the blaze.
"Set up a meet with that informant. Got words for 'em."
"Soon as possible."
She got it. He hated being jerked by some mystery source. Control stayed with him—Yeomra, Gerald, informant plans be damned. Only when they meshed with his would things roll right.
Staring at the inferno, Ju Kang-rim thought:
'No clue what they want with Shine Sand, but hiding in shadows gets you zilch.'
Smoke from Sebitseom soon swelled into visible flames. From the car, Ju Kang-rim felt a pang of regret. As a citizen, torching a pricey public facility stung.
But per the timeline, Sebitseom never reopened anyway—doomed with Korea.
'Ruins either way. Go out in style.'
"Um... so..."
Ttakkachi ventured cautiously. Partly her fault for needing traces erased to keep infiltrating Kangryeong faction. Bentley crammed with a giant dog and three people.
"What do I tell Elder Kangryeong?"
"Something like, 'Fought hard, lost, barely escaped alive.' Not even a lie. What, he beats losers?"
"Not that, but... he might suspect me..."
"Handle your own cover."
"No clues I could hand over? Don't wanna look like dead weight!"
She was desperate. Ju Kang-rim's irritation rose, but double-agency was tough. He'd suffered under Gerald's insane demands too. Shrimp caught in whale fights hurt most.
He rummaged, pulled Saingeom, handed it over.
"Here."
"Just a sword...?"
"'Just'? It's a divine relic. Killed your Jang Han-taek."
Technically Saingeom clashed with his soul and body, but it contributed big.
Ttakkachi gaped at it in horror.
"The blade that killed Jang Han-taek..."
She'd investigated his death site herself. That incomprehensible madness and grudge—this sword caused it.
"S-so you're the 'Reaper'?"
"...What kinda middle-schooler nickname is that?"
"Jang Han-taek's scene had 'grim reaper' scrawled everywhere. Rumors in the faction: ghost, monster, or spec-ops killer hunting us—calls it 'Reaper'."
"Pfft."
Yoo Wol-ryeong turned from the wheel, stifling laughter. Grim reaper laughing at "Reaper"? Same diff, no?
Ju Kang-rim was baffled, but Ttakkachi's earnestness irked more.
"Heard it wields a giant scythe and chains, draped head-to-toe in robes. Kinda different. Not that your coat's uncool..."
"Khkhkhk."
Yoo Wol-ryeong now face-planted on the wheel, shoulders shaking. Ju Kang-rim couldn't grasp her amusement.
She caught her breath.
"You got... the nickname you wanted."
"...Thought grim reaper vibes, but it's generic."
He could name a few hunters with "Reaper"—some fitting, but common diluted impact.
Yoo Wol-ryeong consoled:
"No prefix is a win. 'Reaper of Despair' or 'Death's Reaper' would've been..."
"Oh, there's prefixes."
Ju Kang-rim itched to smack Ttakkachi; Yoo Wol-ryeong exploded again, face to wheel.
"What?"
"'Capital Area Reaper' for now..."
Yoo Wol-ryeong half-sobbed with laughter. Then Biman chimed.
Ju Kang-rim appreciated Biman. Yeomra in person? Might've decked him.
"Prefix is a region, and a vague one..."
"Aim nationwide, Reaper Ju."
Daredevil was "Hell's Kitchen Devil," Batman "Guardian of Arkham." Why "Eunpyeong Devil" or "Capital Reaper" feel cheap? Chauvinism's curse?
"Ttakkachi."
"Y-yes?"
"Change the nickname."
Why her "Shira Vito" cool, his lame? Unacceptable.
"Huh? H-how?"
"Figure it out, damn it. Make it badass. Before I become 'Ttakkachi Slayer'."
"......"