Nachal Bang's Bloody Takeover
"That crazy motherfucker!"
"Kill him!"
"Raaargh!"
The Il Do-mun thugs, having tasted blood, started charging in a frenzy. But I could see it all clearly. These guys weren't berserk warriors drunk on blood. They were no different from all the bastards I'd killed before. Proof? They rushed like they were ready to fight, but their movements were oddly sluggish. Deep down, they were terrified of being the first to charge and getting themselves killed.
I could read them like an open book.
"Hraaaargh!"
I let out a soul-rending scream as I watched them. "How tragic...! That I have to kill you all!"
Activating my special ability: Acting. If the enemy was gripped by fear, amplifying it was only natural. They'd be even more terrified if they recognized me.
"Wh-what?!"
"That's...!"
"The Scream Demon!"
As expected, the ones who recognized me froze for a moment. Galbi Jong was right—the nickname "Scream Demon" had spread like wildfire through the underworld. Even these nobodies without prior face-time were shaking in their boots.
Smack!
Galbi Jong flashed that clear-eyed grin of his at me.
"Let's go!"
Our one-sided beatdown began.
"Raaargh!"
"Hup!"
"I'll kill every last one of you! As brutally as possible!"
We three formed up in a tight formation, advancing from advantageous positions to pick off the hesitating foes.
Slash!
"Gahk!"
With their skills, they couldn't block my battle-hardened sword strikes. One went down pathetically, and right after, Jae Mi-son deflected a guy's saber with his gauntlet from the flank before thrusting his I-sang Je-go right into him.
"You're nothing but sacrifices for the Scream Demon!"
Galbi Jong didn't hesitate either, stabbing his saber into enemies left and right with a roar. Not a master, sure, but the guy's got guts and no second thoughts—pretty damn solid.
We synced up pretty well, the three of us, and I felt a huge rush of satisfaction from it. Me, Jae Mi-son, and Galbi Jong. We shouldn't mesh at all on paper, but maybe we're the best fit out there?
"R-run away!"
"Aaaah!"
In a flash, the Il Do-mun warriors were dropping, and deserters started bolting. The cowards were fleeing in panic.
And right then—
"You fucking dogs!"
A tougher-looking bastard appeared and rammed his blade into the gut of one trying to run.
"Guhk...!"
"You dare run?!"
What the hell? Why do these assholes love team-kills so much? Well, in modern wars, deserters get shot too. But these underworld punks? No loyalty to their boss's discipline. I don't buy it. Only trained soldiers follow orders like that. You can't expect that shit from street trash.
"Fuck off! Everyone scatter!"
"Run, you bastards!"
"Spare me!"
"Uwaaaah!"
As expected, once the boss showed up and offed one guy, the rest realized it was hopeless and scattered like roaches.
"Wh...?"
The Il Do-mun leader blinked in confusion, stunned like an idiot. Look at that fool. Did he really think these underworld rabble would fight to the death?
In battles like this, only prepared killers come out on top.
"Now's our chance!"
Anyway, kill the dumbass while he's off-guard!
"Raaargh!"
We three charged together.
"Wh-what?!"
The Il Do-mun leader stumbled back.
"Scream Demon! Why us?!"
"'Cause we're interested in your business!!"
"What?!"
"You dare swallow up every damn business Am-to-bang's Mi-pyeong built? You're fucked, asshole!"
"Wait!"
Whoosh!
The leader shouted like he wanted to talk, palm out. But in a life-or-death fight, chit-chat's worthless. No mercy mid-battle. No judgments. Just kill or be killed.
I unleashed the Dae-ryu Geom-beop and brought my sword down with ferocious power.
"Hup...!"
The leader snapped to instinctively, raising his saber to barely block, but we were three strong.
Slash!
Jae Mi-son and Galbi Jong lunged from both sides, stabbing him.
"Guhk...!"
The Il Do-mun leader spewed blood and collapsed.
"Foolish! The Scream Demon wiped out Am-to-bang, and you think you can hog all the profits? We'll take your life as interest!"
"Kuk kuk... Thought you could steal from others without backlash?"
Galbi Jong and Jae Mi-son each tossed in a line.
"..."
I looked down at the dying bastard. Tears streamed from my eyes.
"This must be the underworld life. That's why I hate it. Il Do-mun leader... I'm truly sad to kill you. So at least, I'll send you off with my tears."
"Kkh, guk... What bullshit, ugh..."
A pathetic end. For a guy who terrorized low-level merchants, it was downright shabby. He seemed about Am-to-bang's Mi-pyeong's level anyway—not my match.
"Ch-charge, you fools!"
"What the fuck's this guy?"
Some loyal dog? Target for elimination.
I eyed the charging fool, fired a thrust to check him, then roundhouse-kicked during his stagger.
Thud!
"Gak!"
Ended it by stabbing his unbalanced body. Didn't even use Gui Qi.
I roared, trampling his corpse.
"From now on, this place belongs to Nachal Bang!!! Anyone wanna rebel? Step up!!! I'll turn you into a corpse!!!"
"Ahh...!"
Blood dripping from my sword as I bellowed—some guys gaped in shock.
"Come on! I said come out! I'll kill you with tears in my eyes! You there!"
"Hiiik! Not me!"
"Not me either!"
"All of you, kneel! Now! Before I slaughter you all!"
"Aaaah!"
I barked and bullied them for all I was worth, and every Il Do-mun warrior in the place dropped to their knees, faces to the floor.
"Kneel immediately!"
"Kuk kuk, unless you wanna die."
With threats piled on, what choice did they have? They smashed their foreheads down.
Il Do-mun fully crushed. Zero casualties on our side.
"Heh heh heh, too easy."
"No different from Am-to-bang..."
Jae Mi-son said, looking satisfied.
"From now on, this is no longer Il Do-mun. It's Nachal Bang!"
Official declaration. This building was ours now.
Clap clap clap!
Galbi Jong laughed maniacally with those sparkling eyes, applauding wildly.
"Kuhaha! Perfect, Scream Demon! Truly masterful swordwork and rhetoric! To crush and claim Il Do-mun so easily...! Teaming up with you is my fortune! The most beautiful choice of my life!"
Yeah. This job went smooth as silk, simple as pie. Swept aside the underworld trash, seized their assets and businesses!
Power! Power honed through martial training and real combat! Just swinging it got me massive gains...!
And this was far from the end. I'd keep building my strength and forces, grabbing more and more.
"Ooo...!"
Flashback to killing one of the Chang-sam and O-su-man duo—those emotions surged up. To survive in this murim, you need power. Power to live like a human.
This moment proved it!
"Ooo!"
Tears flowed. Thrill. Rage. A storm of indescribable feelings, spilling out as tears.
Why was I crying now? Because my hands were dirtied? I'd just killed off Il Do-mun's crew without grudge or beef—purely for my gain.
Before, I'd only killed those with bad blood. This was a total shift. In murder, grudge or no makes all the difference.
But does grudge absence really weigh the sin? Can you justify killing based on that?
I think yes! No—it's right. Killing with grudge is light; without is heavy. Obviously. Vendetta slaying vs. random pleasure kills? Worlds apart!
So yeah, doing this makes me a sinner. Profit-killing ain't much different from joy-killing.
I accepted it. This stinging in my chest? Guilt's blade piercing my heart.
Sin. Blood. Karma. I took it all on.
That's what it means to be murim folk.
Hummm.
My inner energy stirred quietly in my dantian.
Right then, I realized my understanding of my body had deepened.
Yeah. Gui Qi is something ingrained in my flesh. Power I can wield anytime I want!
Flash!
Some image hit me. A world blazing purple. Honse—chaos of the world. That's my body...
Yeah. That's it.
For a second, I glimpsed Aunt, but she vanished. I'm no kid anymore. Can't live thinking only of her forever.
Stood straight, feeling the image. Dark, chaotic something. But for a murim man like me, not unpleasant at all.
If this is where I belong, I can live here without complaint.
"Ahh."
Accepting it, I felt like I grasped how to handle Gui Qi... a bit.
"Scream Demon?"
Galbi Jong's voice snapped me out. I'd stood frozen, tears streaming, for just a few seconds. To others, it'd look like I was grieving the carnage, lost in thought.
"Ah, Galbi Jong. Good work. Your skills were damn solid."
"Too kind! You're the impressive one!"
"Heh heh heh... Yeah. Jae Mi-son, you too—good job. This guy's I-sang Je-go handling's improved a ton."
"Kuk kuk, it was easy this time. Three of us made it feel stable. We mesh well. Galbi Jong."
"Thanks for saying so! Fighting with you two felt secure too!"
Galbi Jong laughed brightly, praising us. We really did click.
"Anyway. This'll spread Nachal Bang's name far and wide. Chaos'll follow, of course... but we'll handle it. No time to rest. Kim Geun-hyeop. These guys groveling here."
"We'll use 'em."
"Oho! Exactly what I was thinking!"
Underworld scum like these might backstab, so offing them's ideal—but right now, they've got use.
"We'll squeeze 'em for intel on Il Do-mun's businesses. Take over and run 'em ourselves—perfect."
"Spot on, Galbi Jong."
"Leave this to me? Wanna test my skills. See how far I can go. Heuk Jeon Mun never let me—first time, but I'm confident."
Those clear eyes proposing it.
"What a solid guy."
Looks like irredeemable trash at first glance, but damn, I like him more the longer I look. A warrior I can respect.
"Got it, Galbi Jong. This op's yours."
"Thanks! I'll report once sorted!"
Galbi Jong strode to the grovelers and bellowed.
"Business investigation starts now! Rebel or stall, and you're dead—got it?!"
"W-we'll tell everything!"
"Please, just spare us!"
Wonder how far this guy's got. Running businesses needs admin talent. He knew that, wanted to test if he's got it.
If he does, Nachal Bang's potential skyrockets. Like Liu Bei getting Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, aiming for the throne—maybe Jae Mi-son and Galbi Jong are that pair.
"Kick... Bigger deal than expected. Few murim folk act that composed."
"Right? I agree."
Jae Mi-son nodded at my reply.
"Sado-ryeon's Heuk Jeon Mun? That's his faction?"
"Yeah. But bottom-rung of bottom-rung sects. Barely tied to Sado-ryeon."
"Shitty sect, huh... Makes sense they'd waste talent like that. Heuk Jeon Mun's limit."
Jae Mi-son said it with gleaming eyes. He'd acknowledged Galbi Jong too.