Chapter 25
Chapter 25
"Young master. Please step back."
Tae-woong opened the armored plates on both his arms. With the hum of his power core spinning up, his arms began to glow red. The air around him vibrated with a chilling intensity. He was unleashing his Grade 1 cybernetic enhancements at full power.
"It's going to get rough."
No sooner had he spoken than Tae-woong appeared before one of the executives, driving his fist forward without hesitation.
KABOOM—!
In the next instant, the executive—who had braced for defense—exploded from the waist up. The man, who had never lost a brawl in his life, was reduced to ground meat, his spine gleaming cleanly exposed. The gruesome sight, where not even a scream had escaped before death claimed him, drained the color from the other executives' faces in an instant.
"A-ahhh?!"
"Damn it! Stick to the plan! Distract him somehow!"
Rat-tat-tat—!
The stunned executives fired their pistols, but the bullets didn't even scratch Tae-woong's body. Those with cybernetic enhancements tried to coordinate and fend off his onslaught, but their opponent was a bodyguard armed head to toe in Grade 1 cybernetics. One punch caved in a skull; a grip crushed a shoulder to pulp; a leg that failed to dodge flew skyward.
He was a human weapon. Running military-grade hardware at max output, he was untouchable for street thugs who scrapped in back alleys.
"You son of a—!"
Dokgo-seong's eyes bulged as he lost six executives in the blink of an eye. Things had gone south. No, way beyond south. The bodyguard was holding back to protect Park Bok-ja for now, but if he got serious, he'd turn this place into a bloodbath in under five minutes.
'Take a hostage instead?'
The thought flashed through his mind, but Dokgo-seong shook his head. Insane. Lay a hand on the noble bastard standing behind him? If even a scratch marred that Sedao body, the Imperial Guard would swarm every one of his operations... no, the entire underground district.
A few executives or dozens of underlings wouldn't be the issue then. Everyone connected to him—family, friends, acquaintances—would be rounded up under guilt by association and tortured.
Only one option left.
"Open the door! We're getting out! Right n—!"
His decision: escape.
'The guys waiting upstairs should still be there.'
He'd heard intruders hit the first floor. Aura Users, they said. But even so, just one guy. The building towered over ten stories, every floor crawling with his men. No Aura User could have broken through that many already.
'Get out first. Then contact the clients to save my neck.'
With that resolve, Dokgo-seong flung open the door without hesitation.
"Huh?!"
He stumbled back, choking on air. Waiting on the other side was Chang-un's other bodyguard, Mu-young. And behind him, the mutilated corpses of his men lay scattered like butcher shop scraps.
"You... you killed them all?! You crazy bastard...!"
Shwick—!
Before Dokgo-seong could finish, Mu-young's blade had already severed both his arms. The sword arced next toward his waist. A single flash, and Dokgo-seong's lower half separated, his torso collapsing to flop on the floor.
"Guh... guuuuh...!"
His cybernetic enhancements kept him alive, but he couldn't move anymore. With the boss neutralized, the executives raised their hands in terror.
Situation over.
"Young master! As ordered, we've eliminated everyone trying to sabotage your business!"
"Y-yeah... sure..."
Chang-un managed an awkward smile at Mu-young's sparkling-eyed report.
'Told him to handle it however since they were irredeemable scum anyway, but...'
He hadn't expected a total wipeout, no survivors.
As Chang-un stood there dazed, Tae-woong powered down his enhancements and leaned in to whisper.
"That... Mu-young was upset about underperforming on the last mission. Seems it was eating at him..."
"So he went all out? Made that mess to prove himself?"
"Happened on the way in, sir. He said these were heaven's worst scum blocking your business, so he'd bring you all their heads..."
"Even so, that's overkill. Look at him—his eyes are kinda creepy."
Might need to talk to the kid. Chang-un muttered that, then remembered something and slowly approached Dokgo-seong.
"S-spare me! I'll do anything... please...!"
Had he realized there was no escape? Dokgo-seong's limbless torso shuddered as he begged, and a chilling smile spread across Chang-un's face.
"Don't worry. We're keeping you alive for a long time."
Of course, you'll be begging us to kill you soon enough.
With that unspoken addition, Chang-un shut down every part of Dokgo-seong's cybernetics except life support.
"W-what are you...!"
"Ah, hello?"
He beckoned Park Bok-ja to clean up inside, then made a call. Not long after...
"The whole building's wallpapered in corpses. You said casino, not slaughterhouse?"
Dokgo-seong's face went ghost-white at the sight of the arrival—far paler than before. The half-mask covering his face wasn't camouflage; it was real wood.
"H-Hwae...?"
Impossible. The Sedao's contact had brought in a wanted rebel, charged with high treason?
Dokgo-seong's mind raced.
'Kim Chang-un, tight with Hwae operatives, builds a casino in the central district.'
If true, then the real purpose of this casino he'd built was...!
"T-treason?"
"Tsk. Hey now."
Chang-un feigned sternness at the forbidden word.
"Not treason—revolution. Tch. Whatever."
No point talking more; it'd just hurt his throat. As Chang-un muttered, Dokgo-seong stared in confusion and asked again.
"Why... why the hell...?"
"Why am I starting a revolution? That it?"
Chang-un approached quietly, leaning close to Dokgo-seong's face.
"Yeah. Even I think it's a shitty thing to do."
He sighed. Just hole up in Hanseong, enjoy the wealth and glory birth handed him. Exploit the masses everywhere, wield unchecked power till death...
That would've been bliss.
But what could he do?
"This country's fucked, and my life's even more fucked."
"!"
"That's why."
Chang-un narrowed his eyes, smiling faintly.
"Do it, or die."
'Hello, young master! Name's Dokgo-seong, doing business in central Hanseong!'
Seeing Dokgo-seong's face brought back buried memories from his past life. After Tae-woong died in Kim Hyun-woo's ambush, this guy approached offering "work."
A vulture exploiting my status as neither full noble nor commoner. I worked with Dokgo-seong, diving into the dirty jobs of cleaning up after the Sedao scum.
"Back then, I thought it was for the best. I'd sworn to kiss Hyun-woo's feet and do anything, but... with no aura to my name, what could I do?"
Figured pitching in on the nasty stuff would earn the clan's respect. And I was damn good—famous among the Sedao for handling their "indiscretions." No one better for the grime.
'But not anymore.'
In this second life, he'd chosen different. Saved Seo Tae-woong from death. Recruited Mu-young before vengeance twisted him into a villain. Protected Yu A-rin, the revolution's seed, and sent her father Yu Sang-hyun to Hamgyong alive.
No gain rubbing shoulders with trash like this now.
"Urgh!"
Meanwhile, Park Bok-ja rose shakily from where she'd cowered behind him.
"You're up quick. Thought that beating would've knocked you out."
"Out cold? Don't be ridiculous."
Pshk—!
She jabbed a neural stabilizer into herself. Steadying her wobble, she slumped onto her office desk.
"I've rolled in back alleys for decades. This is nothing."
She lit a cigarette dangling from her lips after speaking.
"Surprising. Knew you donated to the orphanage, but didn't think you were that sincere."
"Like the bastard said, old age dementia."
Chang-un tossed it casually. She puffed deeply on the cigarette clenched in her teeth.
"Just a worthless whim."
"Whim."
He chewed over what Dokgo-seong had spat at her.
'You've killed plenty, stolen plenty—that's your life.'
'Now you wanna pretend it never happened? Play the good guy like nothing occurred? Think that's possible? Huh?'
Not wrong. Not for her. Not for him.
Impossible.
As her cigarette burned low...
"There's a priest in the black market outskirts on the lowest level."
Park Bok-ja glanced over at his low murmur.
"Says he preaches that prayer and repentance forgive any sin."
"..."
"If you're interested, go pray or something."
Muttering that, Chang-un stepped out of the office. He gazed at the cityscape in the sunless heart of the metropolis, artificial lights blazing.
"Still, she's way better off than me."
True enough. What a fool that past-life idiot had been. Only realizing after the reaper came for his neck.
Central residential district. Unlike the lower levels he'd seen, this place looked almost tidy. Well-maintained signs, not rickety old neons. Sleek ads, occasional holograms. Not Sedao-level wealth flaunted on streets, but home to folks who lived decently enough.
Slurp. Slurp.
Munching cup ramen at a convenience store corner, admiring it all, when a guy plopped down beside him and spoke up.
"Analysis is back. No need to crack his skull—backup data was in his cybernetics."
"He extracted and stored his own memories?"
"Blackmail material if things went south, probably."
Turning at the exchange, Chang-un spotted a clean-cut guy in his twenties. I-maetal. Same face from his past life—no heavy disguise.
"Illegal Sedao deals, human trafficking for entertainment... Plenty match missing persons in police databases."
"Figures."
Most of what he'd done back then was underworld work those types like Dokgo-seong handled anyway.
"One question for Dokgo-seong's head: what're you doing with this intel?"
"Hmm. Maybe take it to the Royal Guard this time?"
Chang-un teased, and I-maetal shook his head like bullshit.
"Extracted memories aren't admissible unless from them. AI-faked video—they'd toss it."
He kept going.
"Killing Dokgo-seong was smart, but dangerous. You know?"
"Yeah. Kicked the hornet's nest."
Evidence could be wiped, but exposure alone was enough. The Sedao bigwigs Dokgo-seong dealt with—especially Pungyang Jo heir Jo Seong-hwan—would freak.
Soon audits, probes, endless harassment on his operations.
"If you know, you've got countermeasures."
"Got 'em."
Chang-un grabbed his microwaved frozen dumplings, answering I-maetal's probe.
"Might as well burn the nest to the roots now."
"How?"
"Make it big enough they ignore a guy like me."
"...What?"
I-maetal blinked, confused.
"First, sell Pungyang Jo's weakness to the highest bidder."
"Who the hell would that be?"
"Who else."
Pungyang Jo's eternal rival clan. And heir Jo Seong-hwan's nemesis.
"Andong Kim's heir, Kim Hyun-woo."
Chang-un slurped his ramen broth, smirking like it was ridiculous.
"Gotta tell big bro."