Teamwork (3)

"Chugoe. No matter how much I think about it, seventy million won is way too cheap. Don't you think we should try renegotiating?"

"I thought that discussion was already settled."

"No, wait, just hear me out. Even if we're striking when the guards are down, this is an incredibly dangerous job. We could all end up dead."

"And?"

"What do you mean, 'and'?! Do you really think your life is only worth seventy million? Are you really that cheap?!"

"...."

At Fox's outburst, Kang Hyuk momentarily fell silent. Her words actually made some sense.

Well, she has a point. It is a bit cheap considering our lives are on the line. If the mission fails, we're dead, Kang Hyuk thought to himself.

However, he had absolutely no intention of agreeing with her. After all, he wasn't planning on settling for seventy million won; he intended to pocket the entire five hundred million won. Along with the lives of everyone else here.

"Sorry, but I am cheap."

"Ha...! So that's how it's going to be?"

"Look, Fox. If the mission fails, money won't mean a damn thing. Why don't you focus on the job first?"

"Hmph! I can handle myself just fine without you nagging me. Mind your own business, you ugly freak!"

Fox snorted loudly, then whipped around, turning her back to him.

Hmm... Even if he was supposed to be Chugoe, being called ugly to his face would usually hurt quite a bit.

Should I act hurt here? Or maybe angry?

Kang Hyuk pondered for a moment but ultimately just shrugged. There was no need to cause friction among the team before they even started. I'm the nice guy here, so I'll just have to be patient. Obviously!

"...It's time. Everyone, gear up."

A moment later, Red Skull approached them fully equipped, and Kang Hyuk, Fox, and Rector began putting on their gear. It was finally time to move.

Currently, Fox was in a thoroughly foul mood. The reason, of course, was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Chugoe.

Ugh...! How dare that ugly bastard reject my suggestion?

Fox glared sideways. They were currently riding in a four-seater SUV, and Chugoe was sitting right next to her.

I even gave him a subtle peek of my cleavage, and he dared to...! But wait, is he really ugly?

As she stared at Chugoe, a sudden doubt crept into Fox's mind. No matter how she looked at him, he didn't really seem like the Chugoe she had heard of. Even though he was wearing a mask, his sharp jawline and clear, striking eyes weren't fully hidden.

"What are you looking at?"

"...Hmph!"

When Chugoe suddenly turned to ask, she snorted and whipped her head away. Regardless of his looks, she was incredibly annoyed with him. If only he had agreed to her proposal, they could have demanded far more than seventy million won.

"You two seem to be getting along well."

"Red Skull. Shut your mouth before I rip it open."

"Calm down. I was just trying to break the tension."

"Tension, my ass!"

Faced with Fox's sharp glare, Red Skull had no choice but to shut his mouth. In truth, he didn't care at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠all about the relationships between his team members. As long as the mission was completed successfully, what did it matter if they looked at each other like mortal enemies? If anything, a little friction was better. It kept them on guard against one another, preventing anyone from plotting a backstab.

Fox is a money-grubbing bitch, so her actions are predictable. Rector didn't even bother wearing a mask, which means he's just a brainless brute...! The problem is that guy, Chugoe...!

Red Skull glanced at Chugoe through the rearview mirror. For some reason, his eyes kept drifting back to him. He simply couldn't read what the man was thinking.

And that wasn't the only reason Chugoe caught his attention. Chugoe's physique looked far more solid and agile than he had anticipated. It was like looking at a veteran mercenary. For a D-class villain, he seemed to possess some serious skills. Because of this, Red Skull found himself constantly on edge around him.

"What are you staring at? Never seen a handsome guy before?"

"...Haha, quite the sense of humor."

When Chugoe met his gaze in the rearview mirror and asked, Red Skull let out a dry chuckle. Either way, he resolved to keep his guard up around Chugoe throughout the mission to prevent any unexpected variables.

"...Get out."

About thirty minutes later, they finally arrived at their destination, and Red Skull spoke. They had stopped at the entrance of a run-down slum.

"From here on, we head to our designated positions. Keep your earpieces in so you don't miss any transmissions, and stay sharp so we can move at a moment's notice."

"Will do."

"Alright, move out."

With that, Red Skull, Rector, Fox, and Kang Hyuk slipped into the shadows. Geographically, Red Skull and Rector took the front, while Fox and Kang Hyuk took the rear. This was because Fox and Chugoe were villains specialized in long-range combat.

"...Chugoe. I heard you use a machine gun?" Fox asked suddenly as they walked. They were currently heading in the same direction.

"I switched to a revolver recently."

"A revolver?"

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?"

"Hmph. If you drag us down, I'll shoot ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you first, so you better watch yourself."

Fox pulled out her bow as she spoke. It seemed her primary weapon was indeed archery.

"Hey, Fox. How long are you going to keep pouting? Did my rejection really sting that much?"

"Shut up!"

"Tsk, tsk. Talk about an amateur."

"...Y-You ugly freak!"

Fox spun around in a huff, but in that exact moment, her breath caught in her throat. Chugoe's clear, sharp eyes were staring right at her through the eyeholes of his mask.

"What?"

"N-Nothing."

"How boring."

"B-But Chugoe. Can't you show me your face? I'll show you mine too," Fox proposed, swallowing hard. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't bring herself to think Chugoe was ugly. In fact, seeing him this close, she was convinced he was an absolute hottie. Just look at those thick eyelashes, those clear, piercing eyes! If those didn't belong to a handsome man, whose would?

Ah...!

As she imagined Chugoe's handsome face, her heart began to flutter. In an instant, all her ill will toward him vanished. She was a woman who loved handsome men just as much as she loved money. After all, the only reason she wanted money in the first place was to blow it at host bars!

Now that she was certain Chugoe was a handsome man, she had absolutely no reason to remain hostile toward him. Fighting with a handsome guy was, in her eyes, the height of stupidity.

"Come on, please? I said I'd show you mine too. Pretty please?"

"I don't really care about your face."

"Aww, don't be like that. Please?"

When Fox began to act cute and lean in close, Kang Hyuk flinched. Is this bitch crazy? She was trying to tear my throat out a second ago!

"...If we complete the mission successfully, I'll show you my face," Kang Hyuk said after a brief pause.

He didn't quite understand what had brought on this sudden change, but he figured it would be best to exploit her sudden infatuation. If he used his face as a reward, Fox would likely put in a proper effort during the mission.

"R-Really? You'll really show me your face if we pull this off?"

"Yes."

"Y-You promised! Don't you dare back out later!"

"Sure. Now get to your position."

As Kang Hyuk waved his hand dismissively, Fox happily scurried up to her spot. Her position was on the rooftop of a five-story building, while Kang Hyuk's was on the adjacent eight-story building.

A moment later, Red Skull's voice crackled through the earpiece. Fox, Rector, and Kang Hyuk all gave their confirmation. Glancing up at the sky, Kang Hyuk saw the full moon hanging high. If the information Red Skull provided was accurate, Ellen would be arriving shortly.

About an hour passed in silence.

At Fox's transmission, Kang Hyuk quietly drew his revolver. He had no intention of using his 5.56mm Frost Bullet Creation skill. There was no need to reveal his unique abilities in front of these people. However, he was ready to deploy the Shield magic embedded in his magic ring at a moment's notice. To an ordinary observer, no one would suspect that the simple ring on his finger was a rare magic artifact capable of casting defensive spells. That was how scarce magical artifacts were in this world.

Kang Hyuk and Fox focused their attention on Ellen's group. Just as Fox had said, there were roughly thirty guards. They formed a tight perimeter around Ellen, escorting her toward the center of the slums.

Kang Hyuk nodded slightly at Red Skull's words. When the guards' attention was divided... that would be their cue to strike. The plan was for Red Skull and Rector, disguised as slum dwellers, to snatch Ellen, while Kang Hyuk and Fox provided cover fire from the rear.

A moment later, Red Skull and Rector could be seen pushing through the crowd of slum dwellers. Immediately after, several guards collapsed under their swift strikes.

"W-What's going on?!"

"Secure her!"

"T-The Saintess!"

Red Skull and Rector successfully grabbed Ellen. At that exact moment, Kang Hyuk's revolver spat fire.