Fallen Into the Trap!
They've fallen into the trap!
I reached out toward Kim Soo-kyung's pitiful corpse.
Minion of the Underworld
Until now, I had only ever resurrected monsters with this power. I had never once tried it on a dead person.
So, just to test it, I had killed a villain and brought him back as a minion. The result was no different from when he had been alive.
The only changes were the blind loyalty he now felt toward me and the absurd leap in strength compared to his living days.
I turned the resurrected villain back into a corpse and filled the empty slot with Kim Soo-kyung instead.
Thus, Kim Soo-kyung—who answered my call and was reborn as a Minion of the Underworld—knelt on one knee and bowed her head to me.
“I greet my master.”
“I’ll ask right away. Where is the Black Snake Clan’s hideout in Korea, and who is their representative?”
The newly reborn Kim Soo-kyung answered every question I threw at her without hesitation. Through her, I obtained all the information I wanted.
“For the time being, stay here, guard the place, and maintain your disguise as best you can. Do you have any scheduled contacts?”
“We report every night at ten o’clock Thailand time.”
“Not much time left, then. Handle it properly on your own.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Oh, and while I’m at it—looking at this operation, it seems you’re dabbling in everything from illegal drugs to human trafficking. Is that also part of the clan’s business?”
“It is. We mainly distribute the X-drug produced here to Japan and China. Recently we’ve been expanding into the Korean market as well. For human trafficking, our primary clients are China and South America. China usually wants adults who can serve as immediate labor, while South America prefers children who can be brainwashed and raised for the cartels.”
“Those sons of bitches really are everywhere, no matter the country. What about records? You must have transaction logs or ledgers.”
“Of course. We have everything.”
“Organize them neatly and keep them ready. Bring them when I call for you later.”
“Your command will be obeyed.”
Refusal or hesitation wasn’t even a luxury she could afford for a tenth of a second. To the current Kim Soo-kyung, my words were the highest priority—more important than her own life or anything else.
Is it because I turned a human into a Minion of the Underworld? She understands orders even better than Goblius. Much easier to handle.
After finishing up at the scene, I climbed into Banban’s car and headed for the house where So Hong-min’s family was staying. On the way, I contacted Director Lee Won-hyung.
“Yes, Director. It’s me. Has Agent So Hong-min left for the day? He’s still working overtime? Perfect. Can you arrange a discreet meeting with him?”
A short while later.
“Daddy!”
“Honey…!”
-Ye-jin! You… *sob*…!
Over the video call, So Hong-min saw his family standing beside me and finally broke down in the tears he had been holding back. At the sight of their father and husband like that, his wife and daughter dissolved into tears as well.
-Are you really okay? You’re sure you’re all right?
“Yes. The person here says it’s safe now. He’s taken care of all the Black Snake Clan watchers who were monitoring us and the local organizations connected to them. He says we can return to Korea to be with you…”
His wife fought to hold back her sobs, but she couldn’t control the steady flow of tears or the tremble in her voice.
-All right. We’ll talk about the rest when you’re back… Let’s sit down together as a family in Korea. And thank you. Thank you so much for saving my family!
So Hong-min kept bowing over and over, weeping as he expressed his gratitude. I answered him with a gentle smile.
“I’m glad you can all live together as a family again.”
-It’s all thanks to the Goblin Lord. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Watching him bow repeatedly, conveying his sincerity again and again, I could sense just how much worry he had carried for his wife and daughter.
That was when another voice cut in.
-Hello, sister-in-law. This is the first time we’ve greeted each other face to face. I’m Jang Gi-jun, Section Chief of Public Security Division 3 and Agent So Hong-min’s superior.
“Ah, yes! Hello. My husband always talks about how much he owes you. Thank you for everything.”
-Once you’re back in the country, I’ll treat both you and our niece to a proper meal. I’ll be counting the days. Until then…
-Honey, I’ll call again after work.
Having said what he needed to, my brother-in-law moved to a different location with his phone. Naturally—the device used for the video call had been his, not So Hong-min’s.
Sure enough, my own phone rang moments later.
It was my brother-in-law.
“Brother-in-law?! I thought my heart was going to burst. The director called me in and it sounded like he told me something important, but my head’s still spinning. Anyway, why the hell did you go to a place that dangerous by yourself? You know exactly what kind of storm your sister would raise if she found out…”
“Well… someone had to do it. Otherwise a lot of people would get hurt. And the person who might suffer the most is you, brother-in-law.”
-Still… thank you. Thanks to you, I get to keep living. Not just me—Agent So was so grateful he was practically crying. But how could you fly off to Thailand without saying a single word? At least give me a heads-up next time.
“How could I? If you knew Agent So was a spy and that his family was being held hostage, you would’ve acted completely unnatural. Then who knows what the terrified Agent So might have done? Right?”
-Yeah, that’s true. I’ve never been any good at acting… Anyway, you’re not hurt?
“No, I’m perfectly fine. Could you head to the director’s office with Agent So Hong-min? There’s something I need him to do.”
-Something for Agent So?
“Is that true?”
-Yes.
“Understood. Report immediately if anything happens.”
The woman lounging on the sofa, sipping whiskey, asked the Black Snake Clan’s vice-leader, Im Hyung-gi, after he ended the call.
“What is it?”
“Our rat inside the Public Security Division just contacted us. They’ve located our hideout.”
“What? Is that information accurate?”
The woman frowned, clearly displeased. The shift in atmosphere was so palpable that everyone sharing the space with her swallowed dryly and broke into cold sweat. They knew better than anyone that their lives could hinge on nothing more than her mood.
Only Vice-leader Im Hyung-gi maintained his natural composure in the face of her irritation.
“Yes. But they found the previous location. It’s fortunate we moved a week ago. It would have been troublesome otherwise.”
“The previous hideout?”
Some pleasant idea must have struck her. The corners of her mouth twisted into a grotesque smile.
“Have you come up with something good?”
“That annoying mutt Jang Gi-jun has dug his own grave. I was planning to deal with him tomorrow or the day after anyway, but this is even better.”
Recalling the man who had stubbornly pursued their trail, the woman scowled and asked Im Hyung-gi another question.
“How many other clans have major operations lined up besides us right now?”
Im Hyung-gi answered without hesitation.
“As far as I know, the Wolfdog Clan, the Reaper’s Scythe Clan, and the Blood Thunder Clan are all on edge because they’re preparing new ventures.”
“As soon as the rat sends detailed information on their operation, forward it to them as well. Set the time using our old hideout.”
“You mean…?”
“There’s too much food for us to eat alone. A feast is always more lively with plenty of guests, isn’t it?”
While preparing a new business, the Management Bureau’s surveillance was an enormous burden and a dangerous variable. From their perspective, they needed a decisive incident that would force the Bureau to back off.
And now an opportunity had arrived to slaughter a large number of Public Security agents. There was no chance they would let it slip.
Even if many agents simply died or were injured, it would be a net gain. The Public Security Division would be forced to pour all its manpower and budget into handling casualties, supporting bereaved families, and rebuilding combat strength.
Of course the government and the Bureau could recover quickly, but that brief window of vulnerability was exactly the time they needed.
Several hours later.
Countless vans converged on an onsen hotel situated midway up Mt. Taeryong, near the border between Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces.
In the dead of night, at an hour when the currently shuttered hotel would normally see no visitors, the people arriving were all wearing combat uniforms that marked them as members of the Public Security Division.
“Move into position.”
At their commander’s order, the agents entered the onsen hotel with swift, silent precision. Every one of them was armed with firearms. After all, Public Security agents were Awakeners who had also completed elite special forces training.
Once the agents had quickly filed inside, only the now-empty vans remained in front of the hotel. Silence descended once more.
That was when the other side made its move.
“They really showed up. These morons don’t even realize they’re walking to their deaths.”
“We go in immediately too. Once they scatter to search the hotel, we pick them off one by one. We have them outnumbered by a lot.”
“It’s the Third Division, right? We’re going in first. I’ve got a mountain of old scores to settle with Jang Gi-jun. His head belongs to me. Anyone who touches him dies.”
The villain who had thrown out the threat led his crew inside, weapons gripped tightly. The others followed close behind.
Though they belonged to different clans, they had gathered here tonight for one single purpose—to personally tear apart Public Security Division 3 and every agent in it.
The villains charged in full of momentum, splitting into groups of three or five to scour the upper and lower floors, corridors, and every passageway…
“There they are!”
“Kill them!”
The moment they spotted the searching agents, they launched their attack—only for something to feel immediately wrong.
Stab.Whoosh!
“W-wait a second. Something’s off.”
He had driven a dagger deep into the collarbone. It was no ordinary blade; once the edge sank in, it injected poison that delivered unimaginable agony.
Normally, anyone struck by that weapon would die screaming so horribly their vocal cords would tear.
Yet the opponent didn’t utter a single groan, let alone a scream. In fact, from the very beginning…
This doesn’t feel like stabbing a person…
“Huh? This is—!”
The colleague beside him suddenly cried out in shock.
“It’s not human! It’s a wooden puppet!”
But by the time they realized the truth, it was already far too late.
Boom!
The clothes the puppet wore suddenly swelled and burst apart, spraying liquid in every direction. The villains’ eyes widened at the familiar smell that flooded the corridor.
The scent you’d catch at any gas station.
G-gasoline?!
The massive quantity hidden inside the clothes had soaked the entire passageway—walls, floor, ceiling. If someone set it alight now…
N-no…
“Run—”
Whoosh!
Flames suddenly erupted across the puppet’s body. The villains yanked the dagger free and leaped backward.
But it wasn’t enough.
The gasoline-drenched corridor ignited in seconds, turning the entire hallway into a blazing inferno.
“Get out of here!”
“Downstairs, hurry!”
The real problem was that the ignition points weren’t limited to just one or two places.
“All the agents who entered first were puppets! We’ve been lured into a trap!”
“Fuck, did the Black Snake bastards set this up with the Management Bureau to screw us over?!”
One villain from another clan grabbed the nearest Black Snake member by the collar and snarled.
“W-we didn’t know anything about this! If we had, why the hell would we walk into a shithole like this?!”
The grabbed villain protested his innocence, but it changed nothing.
After all, the ones who had fallen into the trap weren’t the agents—it was them.
Cough. Cough.
The villains’ coughing grew harsher. Some had low resistance to fire, while others had high resistance. Direct flame damage might not be fatal to the latter, but that wasn’t the true threat.
Oxygen deprivation and carbon monoxide poisoning were.
In real fires, far more victims died from toxic gas inhalation than from burns. Fire resistance offered no protection against that.
No matter how powerful an Awakener, continuously breathing carbon monoxide without a special countermeasure was suicide.
The villains who had barely fought their way down to the first floor through flames and smoke dragged their exhausted bodies outside—only to freeze at the new disaster waiting for them.
“Hello?”
“…!”
Another catastrophe stood right in front of them.