Loyalty Test (3)
Seoul after sunset.
In the darkened corners of the city, clandestine meetings were underway.
Along the Han River.
An abandoned cruise ship pier.
"So… what exactly are we supposed to do?"
The guild master of Dandelion Seed, a young mother, spoke with a voice that trembled with unease. Behind her, roughly twenty guild members gripped their weapons clumsily, scanning their surroundings. All of them were second-floor Climbers.
The Owl Guild member standing opposite her wore an expression as blank as a mask.
"There's no need to overthink it. We provide the information only. Judgment and action are entirely up to you."
"We're… truly sorry about the Wandering Merchant. But if he's really in such a desperate situation, wouldn't it be better for us to go help him ourselves? And that vending machine… if we just take good care of it for him…"
Her words trailed off. Even she knew it was nothing more than an excuse.
The Owl Guild member merely shrugged.
"You don't need to tell us that. We're not the Wandering Merchant."
That was when it happened.
"So."
A large man standing behind the guild master could no longer hold back and stepped forward.
"Where exactly is the Wandering Merchant? You people said there wasn't much time."
An impatient demand. In his eyes, guilt was nowhere to be found—only naked haste and greed.
The guild master panicked and tried to stop him, but the man paid her no mind. The Owl Guild member regarded him for a moment, then pulled a worn map from his coat and spread it on the ground.
"He's at an abandoned paper mill on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province, in Namyangju."
At the same time.
The rooftop of an abandoned broadcasting station building in Sangam-dong, Mapo District.
A tension completely different from the meeting with Dandelion Seed hung thick in the air.
"A pleasure to meet you."
Yoon Tae-shik, guild master of the Owl, bowed his head. Behind him, vice-guild master Kang Jin-ho stood like a shadow. Surrounding them were twenty elite members of the Unity Guild. True to their special forces backgrounds, they had already formed a proper encirclement.
"So you're the Owl that's been making such a splash lately."
Han Cheol-min, master of the Unity Guild, stepped out from behind the perimeter.
"Where's the intel. Just give us the Wandering Merchant's location. If the information is solid, we'll keep our end of the bargain as well."
"Of course."
At Yoon Tae-shik's gesture, Kang Jin-ho pulled out an identical map and tossed it to Han Cheol-min.
Whoosh!
Han Cheol-min caught it and scanned the contents quickly.
"An abandoned paper mill in Namyangju, is it…"
"If you have doubts, you're free not to go. We've merely offered the opportunity. The choice is yours."
Yoon Tae-shik's calm reply drew a booming laugh from Han Cheol-min.
"Hahaha! Excellent. I suppose an information guild would have guts like that."
When his laughter died, the atmosphere on the rooftop turned ice-cold in an instant.
"But tell me."
Han Cheol-min took a step closer.
"Why share information this important with us at all? It would be far more profitable for the Owl to handle it yourselves. Lack of strength is just an excuse."
A sharp question. Yoon Tae-shik regarded him for a moment, then let out a short snort of laughter.
"You're refreshingly direct. Fine. I'll be just as honest."
He spoke again.
"We are merchants, not warriors. Our power comes from information, not the edge of a blade. Even if we eliminated the Wandering Merchant and seized that vending machine, without the strength to hold it we would only have it taken by other wolves. We understand that perfectly well."
"So you intend to use us as meat shields?"
"Not meat shields—a reliable shield and spear. We serve as the head and provide the information; you serve as the hands and feet and apply the force. Isn't that the ideal partnership?"
Han Cheol-min asked nothing further. He nodded as if satisfied.
"Very well. We accept your proposal."
He turned and shouted to his guild members.
"Everyone, move to Namyangju immediately. It's hunting time."
Rustle, rustle!
The Unity Guild members melted swiftly into the darkness. Once they had completely vanished, Kang Jin-ho approached Yoon Tae-shik and asked in a low voice.
"Are you truly all right with this, hyung-nim? Those bastards' eyes were completely unhinged. They don't look like the type to keep a promise."
"I know."
Yoon Tae-shik gazed down at the cold rooftop floor as he answered.
"The place those fools are headed isn't a hunting ground. It's their own grave."
Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.
The abandoned paper mill marked on the map.
The first to arrive was Dandelion Seed.
"I-is this really the place?"
"It's way too quiet… isn't this a trap?"
The Dandelion Seed guild members entered the factory with extreme caution, leaning on one another for courage. They searched the vast interior for any sign of the Wandering Merchant, but all they found were obsolete machines and mountains of paper stacks.
As time passed, anxiety and suspicion grew heavier.
"Keep it down. You'll give us all away…!"
The large man hissed in a stage whisper.
"The Owl bastards said it was here, so it has to be. He's probably just hiding somewhere."
No sooner had he spoken than another movement was detected.
Rustle, rustle.
From the main entrance, a group entered in silence with perfectly coordinated motion. The Dandelion Seed members flinched and adjusted their grips on their weapons.
"W-who are you!"
At the head of the newly arrived group, Unity Guild Master Han Cheol-min stepped forward and demanded an answer. His voice carried razor-edged wariness.
"Are you the Wandering Merchant?"
"What?"
The young mother, guild master of Dandelion Seed, waved her hands frantically.
"N-no, no! We're a guild called Dandelion Seed. We were contacted by the Owl and came here… who are you?"
"The Owl?"
Han Cheol-min's brow furrowed.
"So those bastards didn't call only us."
He looked over the ragtag appearance of Dandelion Seed and snorted.
Dragging in even this bunch of amateurs… what were they playing at? Was it a trap after all?
Hmph. And if it is a trap?
Han Cheol-min's eyes glinted coldly.
They had come this far. Clearing the obstacles in front of them and searching the factory top to bottom would be enough. Squeeze anyone they caught and they would get a lead on the Wandering Merchant.
And of course.
The partnership with the Owl ends here. The crime of arranging this whole board is heavy. After today, those rats would have to crawl into a hole and never show their faces to Unity again.
"Everyone, scatter and search thoroughly starting from the first floor. There might be traces."
Han Cheol-min gave the order. At the same time he strode straight past Dandelion Seed into the depths of the factory.
"You're in the way. Get lost."
"Eek?"
The Dandelion Seed people stumbled backward without thinking. A few tripped over their own feet and landed hard on their backsides.
About a minute more passed.
Boom!
With a heavy roar, the massive iron door—the factory's only entrance—slammed shut. At the same instant:
Clack!
The sound of the locking mechanism engaging rang out with chilling clarity.
"What the—?"
"Who closed the door…"
Everyone inside stared toward the iron door in shock.
In the darkness, a massive silhouette stood blocking the door, a heavy blunt weapon resting on one shoulder. It was Hwang Dae-un, who had not been there a moment before. He had personally closed the massive iron door and barred it shut.
"Who are you! The Wandering Merchant?"
Just as Han Cheol-min was about to shout—
Thud. Thud.
From the second-floor railing, a group began walking slowly down the stairs.
Hyun Si-woon, Baek Yeon-ho, and Jang Cha-yul.
The remaining two: Kang Si-a had already drawn her bowstring taut from roughly the third floor, and beside her Baek Do-hee stood with her hands clasped, ready.
"Honestly, what a disappointment."
A voice gone cold. Hyun Si-woon's expression looked bitter.
He had hoped, even a little. That they wouldn't come. Or that if they did, they would at least hesitate out of the barest shred of conscience…
How could anyone so brazenly turn a blade on someone who had shown them kindness?
"Yes. I am the Wandering Merchant."
At those words the Dandelion Seed guild members froze, drained of color, while Han Cheol-min's eyes flared with greed.
The Wandering Merchant really had been here!
He looked far from the injured state they had been told about, but that hardly mattered. What mattered was that subduing them would yield enormous profit!
"Finally showing yourself, Wandering Merchant. Did you dig this trap because you couldn't trust us?"
Han Cheol-min asked with shameless boldness. His sheer gall—turning the accusation around—made Hyun Si-woon's eyebrow twitch.
"A trap?"
"Yes, a trap. You staged this pathetic little play to test us, didn't you?"
Han Cheol-min jerked his chin toward their surroundings.
"Your arrogant experiment is what brought this result. You couldn't trust your partners and tried to size us up, so we had no choice but to find a way to survive. You brought this all on yourselves."
A plausible sophistry. A cunning way of shifting the blame for betrayal onto Hyun Si-woon.
But Hyun Si-woon no longer felt any value in trading words with him. He simply issued one final warning.
"Return every last coin of the profits you've earned so far, keep silent about all information related to the Wandering Merchant from this day forward, and live quietly—then I'll spare your lives. You get one chance. Anyone willing, step aside."
An ultimatum.
The moment he finished speaking, there was a reaction from the Dandelion Seed side. The word "lives" had struck home.
"I-I have a child I have to protect. I'm out!"
"…M-me too."
The young mother and three men who had simply followed the crowd scrambled sideways out of the line.
But that was all.
The rest, while remaining wary, ran the numbers in their heads.
Looking at it, the Wandering Merchant's side seems outnumbered…
How strong can they really be?
Better to side with those military-looking guys. At least some scraps might fall our way.
Return the entire profit? They've lost their minds.
In that brief span they finished their calculations and reached a decision.
"Guild Master over there."
"Speak."
Han Cheol-min answered in a low voice.
"We'll help too! We'll fight as well! Once we take them down… just give us a tiny share! We wouldn't dream of asking for half!"
The corner of Han Cheol-min's mouth twisted. He had no reason to refuse help from people who knew their place.
"Fine. Help us. We'll make sure you get enough for the value of your lives. About 1,000 TC per head sound fair?"
"Th-that much is plenty!"
"Thank you!"
Pathetic fools.
Han Cheol-min snorted inwardly.
1,000 TC? Once they had the vending machine, that would be pocket change.
But then again.
His eyes turned colder still.
No reason to pay even that pocket change.
Use them thoroughly as meat shields, and once everything was over, quietly dispose of them. The dead tell no tales. In this hellish world, the life of the weak was lighter than dust.
"Good. Talk is over."
Han Cheol-min raised his hand. At that single gesture, the special-forces elites arrayed behind him drew their weapons in perfect unison. Killing intent flooded the entire factory.
Certain of victory, he issued his final command.
"Wipe them all—"
He never finished the sentence.
BOOOOOOM!
From the factory entrance came a rupture that tore at the eardrums. Han Cheol-min's head snapped around.