The Shaman King (1)

Ju Kang-rim was at a loss for words at Yoo Wol-ryeong's point, but in the end, he didn't put down the blender.

"For now, let's grab a few of these and use them as a welcome ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gift when we meet Kangryeong Daegun tomorrow. Want ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to try one out too, Reaper Yoo Wol-ryeong?"

"I have my own weapon."

Yoo Wol-ryeong tapped the S&W Magnum of Trust and Faith holstered inside her coat.

Right. She had that thing. Hard to believe every time he saw it, though.

"Anyway, have you figured out how to learn Kangryeong Daegun's name?"

"Ah, of course."

Ju Kang-rim flashed a sly smile.

"We just need to meet Kangryeong Daegun. I've already talked it over with Ttakkachi on that front. And who knows—maybe a new face will join us."

The plan was simple.

1. Ju Kang-rim and his group head near Kangryeong Daegun's base.

2. Ttakkachi lures Kangryeong Daegun to a specific spot.

3. They charge in and beat the shit out of Kangryeong Daegun.

4. Call out Kangryeong Daegun's name three times, and it's done.

Yoo Wol-ryeong listened to Ju Kang-rim's plan and gave her blunt assessment.

"Everything but step one looks problematic."

"I expected that harsh take."

"Just three questions. Will Kangryeong Daegun come out just because Ttakkachi calls? Is Kangryeong Daegun as much of a pushover as you think? And how exactly do we learn Kangryeong Daegun's name?"

"Ttakkachi just needs to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠summon Kangryeong Daegun once—lie if she has to, whatever works."

The longer Ttakkachi stayed in the Kangryeong faction, the higher the risk of double-crossing them. Her usefulness would drop off fast, so better to use her quick and take out Kangryeong Daegun in one go. Ttakkachi could only truly become one of theirs once Kangryeong Daegun was dead.

"So we have to finish Kangryeong Daegun right there on the spot. We know for sure he's an immortal, so once we confirm it's him, you can step in, Reaper Yoo Wol-ryeong."

"Fair enough. But how do we get the name?"

"We'll find out when we storm his base."

Ju Kang-rim twisted his lips into a grin.

"I've already narrowed it down with the clues we have. He's a nutjob obsessed with his bloodline—should be easy to pinpoint. But to do that, we need to get close first."

Vroom.

The car carrying Yoo Wol-ryeong and Ju Kang-rim pulled up near Dongjak Station. It was ten minutes early, but their contact was already there, waiting as if it was no big deal.

"Han Min-ah!"

Ju Kang-rim waved, and Han Min-ah turned. Her eyes widened at the massive trailer parked by the roadside.

Ju Kang-rim had borrowed the whole thing from his intel source and dragged it here. Han Min-ah hesitated but climbed into the back seat at his gesture.

Yoo Wol-ryeong glanced at her in the mirror but said nothing and started driving. The trailer soon crossed the Han River.

The riverside at dusk was beautiful, but the northern sky they headed toward twisted unnaturally.

Midway across the bridge, Yoo Wol-ryeong spoke up.

"Han Min-ah, you're joining as an emergency medic since you don't have a zombie hunter license. No weapons allowed—keep that in mind."

"Ah, y-yes! Got it!"

"But that's just the lower world's rules."

Yoo Wol-ryeong drew the Revolver of Trust and Faith from her coat.

Whoosh.

She spun it lightly, gripped the barrel, and handed it to Han Min-ah.

Han Min-ah took it in a daze, then her wrist dipped under the weight.

"Up here, no eyes watching, no one to nitpick. Hope you never need it, but just in case."

Ju Kang-rim eyed Yoo Wol-ryeong in surprise.

"Thought you were a stickler for rules."

"Charging into a zombie-infested gang boss's lair with thousands of thugs? If the rules say go in unarmed, fuck 'em."

Fair point. Ju Kang-rim worried if Han Min-ah could handle the revolver's weight and fire it, but she was already mimicking shots with "bang bang" sounds from her mouth.

"...Lighter than it looks?"

"N-no, it's heavy. But I'm stronger than I look."

"Huh. Didn't expect that."

"Nursing involves a lot of heavy lifting. Moving drunks or elderly patients from bed to bed in the hospital builds muscle whether you like it or not. Sometimes you just wanna shoot 'em."

He thought it was a joke, but her grip on the revolver said otherwise.

After practicing for a bit, Han Min-ah suddenly asked,

"By the way, where are we headed? Thought we were hunting zombies, not a mob boss?"

"Yep."

Ju Kang-rim answered.

"You won't have much to do, Han Min-ah. Just backup in case things go south against that kind of opponent. Stay in the car, and if one of us comes back hurt, patch us up."

Ju Kang-rim was wary of Kangryeong Daegun's unknown powers. Immortal for sure, but who knew what shamanic or Taoist tricks he had up his sleeve? They'd dodged real threats so far—no Baeknyeon Dorsey or underworld bullshit yet—but this world still held plenty of unknowns, demanding precautions.

Having Han Min-ah's soul-healing nearby would be reassuring.

"But why catch a mob boss?"

"..."

Ju Kang-rim paused, wondering where to start. Han Min-ah saw him as just a zombie hunter, and hunters nabbing gangsters was weird.

"He's a real piece of shit. Spreads drugs, turns people into zombies on purpose, kills folks left and right."

"Why would he do that?"

"Born rotten, I guess. But scum like that doesn't last. He's made too many enemies—someone besides me would've offed him eventually."

Ju Kang-rim hurried to add before she could say, "But killing is..."

But Han Min-ah beat him to it.

"Then couldn't we just kindly convince him that bad deeds lead to bad ends and get him to stop?"

Ju Kang-rim went silent, then nodded.

"Maybe."

"So why not try that?"

"But if we talk him down nice and easy, and he actually listens by mistake, we'd have to let him live, right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah?"

"Can't have that. So we rush in, kill him first."

"Eek, ugh, ah. Guess he has to die."

Han Min-ah muttered awkwardly. Ju Kang-rim nodded firmly.

He wanted to kill immortals, not hold hands and live happily ever after.

"He deserves it for all the shit he's done."

"True... but solving everything with violence isn't right."

"Then what?"

"Convince him to off himself?"

The nurse was spouting madness with a sunny smile. Ju Kang-rim almost ignored her but thought it wasn't half bad.

Torture him to the brink of death, force the name out. Hit him with Reaper's Soul Summon a couple times to make him beg for death. But by then, he couldn't die even if he wanted to. Natural regret for being immortal. Then Ju Kang-rim's the only salvation.

Imagining an immortal groveling for death improved his mood.

"Hm, not bad. Fitting end, maybe."

"Right? I heard some religions say suicide means no forgiveness, straight to hell. Gives him eternity to reflect."

Sunny face, terrifying words.

"Or snap the lumbar and rod it. Seen full paralysis from bike wrecks—know exactly where to break so he blinks but does nothing else. Rod seals it."

"...Nurse Han Min-ah, you're scarier than you look."

"Crosses my mind nursing patients sometimes."

How hellish was hospital work? Even zombie hunters wouldn't think like that.

But he couldn't do it her way. His goal was immortal cleanup, not torment.

"Sorry, convincing's out. Have to kill him."

"Ah... guess no choice then."

That was it? Han Min-ah accepted surprisingly easy. Her "convince" pitch was just an idea.

Ju Kang-rim, caught off guard by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her quick buy-in, felt like probing further. To keep her close, he needed her limits.

"You cool with me killing Kangryeong Daegun?"

"That's the mob boss's name? Not entirely..."

Han Min-ah thought, then spoke.

"I'd rather save the moral, salvageable ones than waste effort on irredeemable scum. In a peaceful world with time, maybe I'd talk you out of it."

The harsh world and lack of slack doomed Kangryeong Daegun. He could blame the world that made Han Min-ah this way—and since he helped make it, no right left.

Then Han Min-ah lit up, revolver in hand.

"If killing him quick saves more lives faster, better do it fast. Let's save the world!"

"Told you she's no normal civilian,"

Yoo Wol-ryeong muttered.

Screech.

The car stopped near mountains of scrapped vehicles. South of Sungnyemun. An enormous junkyard fortress loomed, zombies swarming beyond.

They'd plowed through plenty on the way, but this was next level.

"We walk from here."

Drivable roads from Gangbuk ended here. The Han-adjacent route was cleared for hunters and military, but ahead, North Han Gate's influence hit direct—impassable wreckage.

"Ten-minute hike. Stay in the car, Han Min-ah."

"Huh? Alone?"

"We'll make it safe."

Yoo Wol-ryeong muttered something and slapped a talisman on the trailer. It corroded instantly, blending as an old wreck. Windows opaqued from inside.

"Basic camouflage sorcery. Mimics surroundings, but you see out clear."

"'Sorcery' and 'camouflage' in the same sentence?"

"Trailer's tough too. Don't open the door unless you have to. Magnum first, but weapons inside if desperate."

Yoo Wol-ryeong's tone screamed "your fault if shit hits the fan."

She still didn't like dragging near-civilian Han Min-ah in.

Ju Kang-rim turned to her. Han Min-ah nodded resolutely.

"Don't worry. I'll hunker down so you won't."

"...Thanks."

Han Min-ah wasn't a civilian to protect—she was team. She had to handle herself. To thrive as hunter over nurse, some risk was mandatory. If she couldn't even self-preserve, she wouldn't last anyway.

"Survived hospital holding patients accountable. I'll manage."

"You know survival basics. See you soon."

But to make her real team, give her chances to shine.

'Means risking her a bit.'

Before heading out to hunt Kangryeong Daegun, Ju Kang-rim checked Biman one last time for mission details.

A brutal-titled mission had arrived early morning.

'First real immortal face-off, but the rewards are generous.'

Saingeom enhancement and guaranteed legendary Today's Fortune.

Ju Kang-rim vowed to take Kangryeong Daegun's life, sob story or not.