Chapter 37
As lightning began crackling above the research institute, the Hwae surveillance network monitoring the scene erupted into chaos.
—Aura reaction on the top floor of the building! Output too strong—the measuring device can't even capture it!
—Crazy, crazy, crazy?! Is that really Kim Hyun-woo? He came in person?!
—This is surveillance! Kim Hyun-woo and Jo Seong-hwan are clashing! What the hell is that lightning?!
—All reserve personnel, deploy! Thirty Royal Guards crammed in there! Get caught up and you won't even recover your bones! Repeating! Reserves, hurry……!
Andong Kim Clan's heir, Kim Hyun-woo. He'd shown his face and unleashed his aura to boot, so no surprise there.
"Even watching it firsthand, it's ridiculous."
Amid streets crammed with buildings and blazing neon signs, thick storm clouds loomed dead center. Winds howled and lightning tore through them. Im Maetal stared at the horrifying vista swallowing the building's upper levels and let out a hollow chuckle.
"He didn't even need to pull out something like that on a half-baked nobody like me. Absolute monsters…."
—Still, thanks to that, we slipped out. Can't exactly complain.
Hearing the voice crackle from his communicator, Im Maetal cracked a faint smile. Fair point.
Kim Chang-un. The culprit who'd driven the institute's monsters berserk—and the black hand architecting this whole fiasco.
—Royal Guards raiding the institute are scooping up every scrap of evidence and suspicion. Same for the surviving Pungyang Jo Clan staff and escorts. Jo Seong-hwan's the last one standing.
Im Maetal recalled Jo Seong-hwan and Kim Hyun-woo's exchange right before his own escape. Jo had tried pleading innocence, blaming a Hwae break-in. But Kim Hyun-woo hadn't bought it for a second.
"Kim Hyun-woo going straight for the kill on Jo Seong-hwan? Unexpected. Mentioning Hwae should've at least bought him an ear…."
—Ah, that? Maybe with anyone else…. But not Kim Hyun-woo.
"Why not?"
—That bastard already tried burying his own mess by pinning it on Hwae first.
"…Ha! Right. Yeah, he did."
Now it clicked why Chang-un was laughing. The recent ambush. Kim Hyun-woo had sent those assassins disguised as Hwae to take out Chang-un.
Not believing Jo made perfect sense—like having the eyes of a Buddha but the vision of a pig.
—Even if Hwae really broke in, it doesn't wipe away Pungyang Jo Clan running monster experiments smack in Hanseong's heart.
Chang-un pressed on.
—That's out in the open now—monsters rampaging, rift cracking wide right downtown. Blame Hwae all you want; it's pointless.
Artificially triggering a rift? High treason. Red-handed catch meant the Royal Guard Bureau's dungeons, torture, maybe even clan exile.
Jo Seong-hwan had no choice but to bolt—and blind to how his flailing only dug the hole deeper.
'And amid that mess he created—while pinning Jo—the "real Hwae" strolls out scot-free….'
The plan grew more absurd the deeper he mulled it. Pirate rendezvous. Cargo swap. My break-in timing synced perfectly with Kim Hyun-woo's arrival.
One hitch, total bust.
'And he solo'd the blueprint and command.'
Fronting as Pungyang Jo ally, backdoor Andong Kim spy, rigging the board.
Critical juncture: used them to puppet every piece to his tune.
Andong Kim Clan. Pungyang Jo Clan. Royal Guard Bureau and Royal Guards.
Joseon's elite houses and outfits danced to one boy's whim.
A boy just turning fifteen.
"So, where are you at now?"
—Me? Pungyang Jo Clan research institute.
"Wh-what?!"
Im Maetal's face went stone-cold.
"You lost your mind!? Royal Guards are tearing that place apart…!"
—Don't sweat it. They're balls-deep quelling the shitshow up top.
"That's not the issue! Why crawl back in after the op's wrapped…!"
—Eh, nothing huge. Made this mess anyway—might as well snag some souvenirs.
Pungyang Jo Clan research institute.
Call with Im Maetal cut, I beelined central via emergency stairs.
Target: secure-zone research storage.
Thirty floors on foot? Legs screaming bloody murder.
"Ugh, fuck these stairs. Twice? Hard pass."
Outsider, no codes, ghosting secure halls—alarms dead silent.
Rift waves fried every electronic in the building. Plus two Aura Users wailing on each other overhead.
'Without that, I'd be ventilated by now.'
Bitter grin dredging past-life flashbacks.
Prime facility—handful cleared entry.
Sauntering like I owned it? Fresh感慨 for a guy back from the grave.
Alright. Rewind to doormat days under Jo Seong-hwan….
"Jackpot."
Rifling the dim vault, grin split my face.
Deepest recess: door to secret passage, special isolation wing.
Kurrrr….
Leaned hard on the lever; massive composite-armor slab inched open.
Tighter lockdown than monster pens.
And inside….
Whumm—
A fist-sized orb pulsing blue glow from its custom case.
Monster Cores. Years of this institute's output.
"Op success. Time to line my pockets."
Smacking my lips, I inventoried the haul.
120 refined Monster Cores. Thumbnail orbs radiating their own aura—priceless.
Pinnacle of Jo Clan's monster R&D. Later, the hardliners' coup fuel under Jo Seong-hwan.
All mine now.
"Gonna burn cash like wildfire soon."
Muttered as I crammed them into prepped cases.
'Max 'em out? Need arms contractor hooks. Current timeline, hot prospects….'
Pleasant plotting derailed.
Ku-kuwaaaang—!
Building shuddered. Blast roared from above.
Eerie vibe crashed over me. Aura so thick even a powerless hack like me felt it viscerally.
"Verdict time?"
Checked my brought-along aura meter. Dead even waves till now. One owned the field.
Kim Hyun-woo's aura smothered Jo Seong-hwan.
"Thirty minutes. Way quicker."
Timing clash-to-now, comm buzzed—Moo-young.
—Young master. Battlefield confirmed.
"Meter agrees. Jo Seong-hwan status?"
"Even match till Kim Hyun-woo's slash broke him. Looked kill-intent, but…."
"But?"
Hesitant Moo-young spelled it out.
—Lost an arm. Fled the building.
"Tch."
Survivor Jo holes up in Namyangju main house, backchannels Andong Kim.
Probe snakes to cargo me.
Delay endangers the puppeteer.
'Banked on insta-kill. Sloppy wrap-up.'
Overhyped Kim Hyun-woo. Joseon apex aura? Sure. But green 20-year-old dojo hack.
Forgot real blood first-timer.
Shoulda foreseen the choke.
Pivoted fast.
'Hanseong Jo brass tied up with Royal Guards—no babying Jo. Who saves him now….'
Clan escorts just rolling out Namyangju.
Window open.
"Moo-young."
—Yes.
Prompt. Hungry for orders—like he knew.
'Right, Royal Guard trials—Jo Seong-hwan lopped his arm?'
Karma's wheel turns true.
"Got Jo Seong-hwan's flee vector?"
—Bolted building to lower special admin zone. Tracking now.
"Good. Head there and…."
Big bro's half-done? Lil' bro finishes.
Beat, then gleeful:
"Kill Jo Seong-hwan."
Shoooaaa—!
Evening drizzle swelled to torrent.
Hanseong-center thunderheads birthed gale, bolts, deluge.
Neon and lanterns flickered through sheets in night streets.
One red-clad man bolted rainy Hanseong lanes.
"Hah…! Hah……!"
Armless, ragged flight. Bloodshot glare oozed killing intent, but wrecked frame wobbled—collapse imminent.
Ronin-ragged. Zero believed Pungyang Jo heir.
Splash—!
Crowds spell exposure.
Ditched bright drags for black alleys.
Filth he'd scorn. Lowborn trash scattered monster-style—no bandwidth to note.
Hurry. Or perish.
No hurry? Kim Hyun-woo—Andong Kim freak—snuffs him!
Flee Hanseong yesterday…!
"Ghak?!"
Puddle slip, perfect timing.
Splash—!
Down. Sludge soaked every seam.
Thrashed to rise—drained aura, trashed bod defied.
Sneered at guards' prosthetics once.
Now? Craved one bad.
"Jo Seong-hwan young master."
"Hngh?!"
Overhead voice on sprawled skull—he snapped up frantic.
Clan muscle? Royal spook?
Wary glare locked caller.
"You… you're…?"
Face crumpled ugly.
No clan. No Royal.
Memory ghost, though.
"Long time. You remember?"
Did. Royal Guard exam ages back. Nameless blade facedown.
Lowborn punk who'd pressed him—dismissed mug now blank-stared.
"You… why here?"
"My lord's orders. Here. Busan too."
Busan. Kim Chang-un dispatch. Scheme ground zero.
Black prosthetic gleamed—face twisted.
"You cargo-swapped? Andong Kim's mutt for arm payback?!"
"Close. Not quite."
Clan? Zero grudge, zero debt.
Moo-young slow-drew waist blade.
Shing—!
Blue-silk hilt, jade guard. Andong Kim issue—Kim Hyun-woo's twin.
"I'm Kim Chang-un young master's hunting dog. Not Andong Kim's."
"…What?"
Kim Chang-un? Not Hyun-woo?
Hammerblow shock.
'Hold up. Then Kim Hyun-woo's plot? Nah….'
All of it. That fuck Kim Chang-un…?
Shwick—!
Mid-thought, drawn Moo-young blurred close.
"Kim Chang-un young master's words for you."
Dead eyes flared crimson instant.
"Thanks for the laughs, you retarded shit."
Serack—!
Moo-young's steel carved Jo diagonal.
Casual block normally.
No setup. No juice.
Thump.
Pungyang Jo heir? Ended on unknown edge.