Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Constellation Gallery EP.20
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Arrival at the mart entrance.
There were hulks planted there, blocking the way.
‘Aren’t those guys hot?’
I eyed them strangely—they were wearing suits without a care for the sweltering heat—and they eyed me strangely right back.
“What’s that asshole doing?”
“Why does he look like such a freak?”
“Check out the tattoo on his arm.”
Whispers crept into my ears.
“It’s not a tattoo, it’s embroidery.”
“What’s that psycho babbling about? Hey, kid over there. It’s dangerous, come here.”
“Big bros’ll protect you. We’ll keep you warm at night too.”
Tulip looked up at me.
Her face said it all: ‘Not gonna change clothes even now?’
I muttered casually.
“It’s fine. Looking dangerous is better anyway.”
“……You said you brought the weapons to create a sense of unease.”
“Well, yeah, but it changes when the other side’s a bunch of punks like that.”
Tulip stared at me wordlessly, then nodded.
The hulks ahead squinted and whispered among themselves.
“What’re those bastards whispering about?”
“Hey, leave the girl and get lost, dude.”
I ignored them and spread my arms, asking.
“Do you guys have big bags like this inside?”
“……What?”
“If you do, gimme one—no, make it a few. Extra ones, to carry stuff.”
Silence fell instantly.
The hulks stared at me in utter bewilderment.
“Did that asshole actually come to the mart?”
I looked up at the sign.
“……It’s a mart, right? Thought I got the wrong place for a sec, you fucker.”
After a brief silence, one hulk spoke up.
“End of the world’s got every nutjob crawling out the woodwork.”
He glanced around and added.
“Get lost while I’m asking nice.”
At that, another hulk started walking toward me.
He approached, cracking his knuckles menacingly, then prodded my chest with his palm.
“Hey, psycho. Leave the kid and fuck off.”
But my body didn’t budge an inch.
He looked baffled and shoved harder.
“What the hell’s this guy…?”
Behind his flustered face, one of the watching hulks frowned and spoke up.
“Ow, what’re you doing? Playing house?”
“N-no, boss. This guy… looks like he works out? He’s not budging…”
“Ow.”
I cut him off.
One hulk turned toward me.
Face flushed with anger.
“……Ow?”
“Isn’t that what they call you? Heard ’em from over there, so I said it too. Why get pissed?”
“This crazy fuck must’ve eaten the heat.”
I didn’t respond and just said what I needed to.
“Anyway, you pushed first?”
Then I prodded his chest the same way.
Whoosh—! Bam!!
The wall shook with a rumble.
In the blink of an eye, the hulk flew through the air and slammed into the wall.
“……Huh?”
I tilted my head at the guy embedded in the wall.
“Sorry. Didn’t think you’d fly that far.”
“W-what the fuck is that bastard…?! What’re you waiting for? Get the tools out, you fucks!”
I was puzzled.
‘Thought they’d get scared, but they’ve got more guts than I figured?’
Guessing they’re banking on numbers.
If they’re not backing down even after seeing a guy smashed into the wall… just pulling out the Grave of Ten Thousand Demons won’t scare them.
‘Then the answer’s this one, huh.’
I summoned the revolver.
“What was that just now.”
One hulk’s pupils shook as he freaked out.
“……Did you see that? Gun appeared outta nowhere in his empty hand. Nobody saw it?”
“I saw it too, boss.”
“What the hell, is he David Copperfield or some shit?”
I silently summoned bullets and loaded them one by one, muttering.
“Generational gap hits hard in metaphors.”
They didn’t hear me, whispering among themselves.
“……Is that a real gun?”
“Yeah, it’s real. But they’re not scared? What, you think more heads means bullets bounce off? Or fat guys are bulletproof?”
One hulk snorted.
“Real my ass. Thought a fake toy would make ’em go ‘Oh no, sorry!’ and piss themselves.”
“……Toy? Toys have orange tips by law.”
I checked the barrel.
“Looks painted to you?”
“What the hell’s this guy been saying since earlier?”
“Even in Korea, assholes scaring people with guns exist, huh.”
Oh, maybe that law wasn’t around yet?
My trigger finger itched in front of the snickering hulks.
“Cops carry live rounds too, y’know?”
“Cops?”
The hulks laughed harder.
“So you’re a cop? Or what, soldier?”
“Look at yourself, you moron.”
I looked down at my outfit.
‘……Logical.’
Insulting, but irrefutable.
Still, I could refute.
With my finger.
Bang!
“Fuck, shit!!”
The hulk whose foot nearly got hit by sparks stumbled back frantically.
“I-it’s a real gun, boss?!”
“Y-you bastard, you know how many we got in there and you’re threatening with just six bullets?!”
That was the moment.
These vicious Constellation bastards.
Sponsoring so I’ll blow their heads off, huh.
‘Whatever… thanks anyway, you pricks.’
I smiled and held out my palm.
Clatter clatter—
Bullets poured onto my hand.
Perfect silence descended.
The hulks’ faces drained of color.
“Looks like I’ve got plenty of ammo.”
I curled my lip again and added.
“Oh, and this isn’t a threat. I just called my friends.”
“……What?”
“They know where I am and they’re coming. If you wanna live, run now.”
I aimed the gun at the hulks.
“Bang!”
I just yelled it out loud like a joke, but one of them shook his legs, pants wetting.
“Pussies. Bet they’re scarier than the gun.”
“Eek!!”
As soon as I finished, the bossy hulk bolted first.
“Boss! When you run, at least grab some food first!”
“……You idiot! Who gives a shit about food now?! What if his friends have guns too?!”
I waved lightly.
“Nah, no guns. Probably one-handed swords or bows.”
“……!”
The hulks exchanged glances, faces ashen.
“……Hear that?”
“……Getting caught in a war means death.”
“Could be bullshit?!”
“You idiot!”
One hulk near-screamed.
“That gun’s real! You dumbass! And so what if ghouls?! Fuck, didn’t you see bullets raining from thin air? His outfit’s been weird from the start!”
I nodded.
Not the boss for nothing.
Judgment’s decent.
Figures, you crazy bastards.
If Tulip weren’t here, I’d have just blasted away.
Anyway, the hulks scattered.
As Tulip and I were about to enter the mart, someone walked out from inside.
“What’s with all the damn noise?”
A man with scruffy beard and wild hair swept back roughly.
He scanned around with an irritated scowl.
“Where’d all these assholes go?”
Confirming the hulks gone, he clicked his tongue and grumbled.
“Told ’em to guard the place and they slack off. Even if you wanna smoke, hold position. Little shits don’t listen.”
Then our eyes met.
His gaze swept over my hand.
But I’d already stored the revolver and bullets.
No threat left but the weird outfit.
He paused briefly.
“End of the world or not, who dresses like a total lunatic?”
“Not a lunatic.”
I replied flatly.
“Came to see if there’s food inside to share.”
He scanned me again.
Then spat it out definitively.
“No men.”
“……?”
“Women only. Able-bodied men fend for themselves.”
His tone was casual, but his attitude screamed ‘higher-up issuing orders.’
Pretty cocky, huh.
“That’s why I came here to get some myself.”
“Place is claimed. Look elsewhere, punk.”
“Oh, you’ve made this your base?”
“Shut up and fuck off.”
“Why do these guys keep talking down?”
“What’d you say, punk?”
“Oh, you heard? Was monologuing.”
That instant.
A faint groan came from somewhere.
“……?”
I tilted my head and glanced inside the mart.
Then back at him.
“You’re not, like, doing anything bad to the women you’re taking in, right?”
I asked nonchalantly.
His face hardened instantly.
A beat late.
“Mind your business and fuck off. Wanna die?”
His tone threatened.
But to me, it just confirmed.
“Bingo.”
I murmured low, and his brow furrowed deeply.
Whatever.
Could just barge in.
But with Tulip here, better settle it gentlemanly with talk?
‘He’s got numbers inside too, so Grave of Ten Thousand Demons alone won’t scare him.’
I quietly summoned the revolver.
“Shall we talk?”
“Uncle, if you keep this up, can I pull out my bow?”
“No.”