Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Roadside Ambush
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Young-chul's Crew
After shuttling back and forth between the fast food joint and the bunker for a week straight, keeping watch, I'd picked up a ton of useful intel.
For starters, these guys drive cars. Two of them, to be exact. Considering the one I swiped, they must've had three originally.
They head out around lunchtime every day, but their return time is all over the place. Probably some kind of quota they're chasing. Not a sure thing, though.
They always pile exactly three guys into each car. Which means after lunch, at least six are out of the bunker. Pretty damn valuable info.
Whenever the cars come or go, they use the underground parking garage. Gotta be an EV charging station down there.
I spotted a few coming out for smokes too. One guy's a total chain-smoker—I've seen his mug so often, it's burned into my brain.
Probably at least five others besides him. Cigarette supply must be solid. Or hell, do they have a Cigarette Creation skill or something?
No outsiders spotted besides the gang. Maybe they've stripped the whole neighborhood clean.
It's supposed to be fourteen guys total, but not as many coming and going as I'd expect. Fourteen for real? Six in the cars, five smokers—that leaves three.
Ah... maybe it's not the same guys riding out every time. Rotating shifts? That tracks.
But back when they had three cars, how'd they handle it? Couldn't have been straight shifts.
Eh... not my problem. They figured it out somehow.
I switched up my approach.
Target the cars first. Seems easiest.
Need to shake things up inside their hideout. Steal a car, force 'em out into the open—makes hitting them way simpler.
Issue is how to snag a car...
Ambush it is.
Lucky break: every time they roll out, both cars make a left onto the main road, then split off in different directions.
Hide along the main drag, put the driver to sleep—easy pickings. But if the driver's out cold, what happens to the car?
Does it just crash straight ahead? That'd make a racket. Better keep my distance.
Decision made—no point overthinking. Time to roll.
There was a roadside food stall a bit away from the mart, right on the main road. Perfect spot. Good cover, no chill, and a gap to peek outside.
They don't always head this way, but they pass through sometimes.
Stick around a few days, and one'll come by eventually. That'll be their funeral.
Back to the bunker. Time for some solid shut-eye first. Stay up too long, and my body starts crumbling without me noticing.
Do all insomniacs end up like me? How are those folks surviving now? Still kicking?
Or did they stumble on a Sleep skill like me and let out a triumphant roar?
Before crashing, I dropped some food off with Seung-hee. She looked up at me with eyes full of expectation.
Told her not yet, and she seemed a little bummed but not crushed. Yeah, she knows this ain't easy.
Wanted to hit it once, but I'm wiped. Sleep first, think later.
Didn't plan to sleep long, but I woke up at 11 a.m.
Wanted to do it quick and head out... but nah, left anyway. Gang takes priority.
Heh... never thought I'd see the day. Turning down sex to head out.
Strutting down the street in broad daylight, zero fear.
Me? Nothing scares me. I'm the psycho of this district!
Slipped into that food stall I'd scoped, plopped down in a red plastic chair. Hot udon would hit the spot right now.
Sat facing the road, staring down the street. EVs are dead silent—no engine noise to tip me off.
Noon. About time they roll out.
Please come this way. Otherwise, back tomorrow. Let's wrap it in one go.
Nah, if they don't, I'll just bang Seung-hee instead. Win-win. Life's good.
Staring at the road when—keeeein—that telltale whine. Incoming. Electric car!
It's cruising the two-lane road, heading my way. Driver's face... visible. I locked eyes and muttered.
Sleep
Range engaged. All targets asleep.
"Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep."
Soon as they hit Sleep range... yes! Got 'em!
Saw the driver's head droop. Like slow motion. My focus making it drag?
Car swerves, and I spot the passenger and two in back. Nailed 'em all.
EV full of snoozing passengers veers across the median at an angle, barreling toward the shops on the opposite curb.
Speed dipped, but it'll smash at this rate.
I bolted from the stall, dashed across to the other side.
Thud thud boom!
Not as bad as I feared. Wasn't topping 100 kph or anything.
The car hopped the curb, slammed the shop entrance, and ground to a halt.
That thing... not gonna explode, right? This ain't a movie.
I crossed quick, ducked into cover, and watched. Impact like that should've woken 'em. My bad—didn't think it through.
Why'd I assume it'd just stop? Moron.
Three stumbling out, clutching their backs. No fatalities, huh.
Damn. Real back pain or what? Why's everyone grabbing their waist? Standard crash pose?
Passenger and backseat guys yelling at the driver. Blaming him even now?
Then one pulls something out, chats like it's a phone. Walkie-talkie?
I put 'em to sleep fast.
Lucky—all three in sight and range. Rushed over; the dropped walkie crackles.
Called for backup? Heading here? Told 'em the spot in that split second?
They split from the other car recently. Turnaround'd be instant.
No signals, no traffic.
Dilemma... kill all three? Leave one?
Backup'll be three guys too. And I can Sleep four. Haven't tested it yet, but.
Jackpot. Walkie was a bonus—splits 'em up. Unexpected edge.
Kill. Strike while the iron's hot.
Oh right... pics first.
Yanked out my smartphone, snapped shots. Made 'em pretty—their death portraits.
Hacked two with my new hand axe. Spared the walkie guy.
Scooped the coins quick, ducked deeper into the shop entrance.
Noise carry? Yeah, this close.
Ten minutes later, another car screeches up. Nice—things falling into place.
Three guys pile out, rush to the downed one.
"Hyeong-sik! Hey! What the hell?!"
"Boss!"
"Fuck. What happened here?"
One grabs the walkie, starts radioing.
"Car 2. Car 2. Found Car 1. Location: left from mart intersection, one block down. Left side of direction of travel. Two missing. Need backup. Repeat: Car 2. Car 2. Found Car 1..."
Guy finishes the call, eyes the downed Hyeong-sik. Other two checking breathing, prying eyes open, scanning around.
Just asleep—they wouldn't know. Can't manhandle if injured.
Backup incoming now. How many? On foot? Another car? Possible.
Whatever, chance to thin the herd.
Slept the three new arrivals right away.
All four out cold, neat and tidy.
Ooh yeah. Sleep for the win.
I'm invincible. Four or fewer? No sweat.
Process these three before more show. Gotta refresh Sleep.
Your photographer's back.
Pic'd the trio, then machete'd 'em.
Heh. Rambo shit.
Fucking bastards. Racked up a killing spree, huh.
These guys are loaded overall. Killed plenty, decent supplies—no need to burn coins on grub.
Makes sense, cruising out daily in cars. Living large.
Reset Sleep on the downed Hyeong-sik guy, ducked back into cover.
How many more? Fourteen total, five down, one as good as dead. Eight left.
Three more'd be ideal. Doubt it. We'll see.
Ran a Detection scan. Nothing but the downed guy. Called for backup—how're they coming?
Vroooom
Waited ages, then a familiar rumble. What? Gas engine?
Pitch-black luxury ride pulls up. BenX model. Screams money. Four guys hop out... one stands out.
Even a dimwit'd peg him as the boss. That swagger's next level.
"Check the perimeter."
Heh. Listen to him bark. Pure 'real deal' vibe. Stacks up against the goons.
One keeps radioing nonstop; other two scatter.
Boss looms over downed Hyeong-sik. Name was...? Young-chul?
"Car 1. Car 2. Located. One confirmed. Five unaccounted. Searching now. Repeat..."
That walkie... tempting. Long-range comms beat a dead smartphone world.
Not like I got anyone to call.
Seung-hee phone sex? Walkie sex? Ugh, lame joke.
Four opponents. Hit now while two are split? Tough call.
Crossbow...? One-shot potential. Go for it?
Sleep 'em all before stragglers return, drop one first?
Old me never. But Detection changes the game.
Just keep the split pair from bolting...
Crossbow's gotta happen either way.
Quietly loaded a bolt, cranked it home.