Chapter 21 - Debut (3)
Debut (3)
Debut (3)
“Back in the day, even gangsters were considered criminal organizations.”
A bald man with a completely shaved head spoke.
He—Kim Young-so—was a member of the Hwayeong Faction.
“But after Hunters appeared, most gangs were exterminated like cockroaches. What’s left now are just the scraps that survived by flattering the government and the Association.”
Hoo—.
Kim Young-so exhaled a thick cloud of cigarette smoke.
Cough!
An old man coughed in response.
It seemed his airway was weak.
Kim Young-so kicked the old man.
“Ugh…!”
The frail old man collapsed helplessly.
“G-Grandpa!”
A small child clung to the old man.
A frightened expression.
Tears looked like they might spill at any moment.
As if it were nothing, Kim Young-so spat a glob of phlegm onto the floor and walked toward the bank counter.
There stood a man with relatively short hair and a fierce-looking face.
Another member of the Hwayeong Faction—and the newest recruit—Yang Minha.
Kim Young-so spoke to him.
“Minha.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“What do you think gangsters are supposed to be?”
“Well, that is…”
Yang Minha hesitated, trailing off.
Seeing that, Kim Young-so spoke as if he understood.
“Yeah. It’s vague, right? Gangs these days are really vague.”
He glanced sideways.
Outside the bank, police and Hunters had formed a perimeter.
“Neither villains nor Hunters—a gathering of ambiguous nobodies. That’s how people see gangs these days. And honestly, what we do isn’t that different either.”
With most gangs already wiped out,
making any unnecessary move could get their signboard torn down by the Association at any moment.
So the surviving gangs kept their heads low.
“Doing charity work like some NGO, totally unfit for the name ‘violent gang,’ and running over panting like dogs in heat whenever the Association or a guild calls.”
Kim Young-so dropped his cigarette butt to the floor.
A faint glow lingered.
He crushed it out with his foot.
“I’m going to raise the Hwayeong Faction again. The boss seems hesitant, but I plan to skim some money here and make contact with the Union.”
“What? The Union? You mean the Gaebyeok Union?”
“That’s right.”
“B-But the boss said never to get involved with the Union—”
“Idiot.”
Kim Young-so cursed at Yang Minha as if he were pathetic.
“If you want to make it big, you’ve got to know how to gamble sometimes.”
That was true.
Without challenge, there is no success.
Challenge is the prerequisite for success.
So his words weren’t entirely wrong.
But—
“If we get support from the Union, our Hwayeong Faction will—”
Before he could finish.
Slash—.
A strange sound suddenly rang out.
At the same time, something splattered against his cheek.
When he wiped it with his hand, a vivid red liquid smeared his fingers.
‘Blood…?’
Confused, he glanced to the side.
And then—
“What the…?”
Kim Young-so was struck speechless.
What in the world was this situation?
His brain couldn’t process the information pouring in through his eyes.
Yang Minha—his head suddenly severed.
The cross-section spraying blood like a fountain.
The head rolling across the bank floor.
Their eyes met.
The light had vanished from them.
Then—
“So this is all you’re doing? Robbing a bank?”
A voice came from behind.
Kim Young-so instinctively realized—
Danger.
Tadak—!
He quickly put distance between himself and the voice.
Yang Minha’s body staggered and collapsed.
And in that gap—
As if pushing aside smoke, someone appeared.
Shaggy hair. Tall, slender frame.
Pupils that looked like swirling darkness.
He—Lee Jeon-seok—was staring at Kim Young-so.
Lee Jeon-seok held a blood-red dagger.
Blood trickled along its blade.
No doubt about it.
‘He killed Minha.’
When? How?
He hadn’t noticed him approach at all.
And he himself was an A-rank Hunter.
“…Who are you?”
Kim Young-so asked quietly.
Then—
“Hunter.”
A short, concise answer.
That wasn’t what he meant.
“An inspector?”
Kim Young-so pressed again, but Lee Jeon-seok didn’t answer.
He only wore a chilling smile.
Step.
He took one step closer.
Kim Young-so recoiled in shock.
‘Crazy…’
This wasn’t normal.
Strange.
He’d never felt this kind of pressure—not even facing S-rank Hunters.
‘Stronger than that?’
Impossible.
SS-rank Hunters were rare, precious assets even in Korea.
Why would someone like that step in over a mere bank robbery?
Gulp—.
Kim Young-so swallowed unconsciously.
Cold sweat ran down his cheek.
After some time—
Kim Young-so drew the longsword at his waist.
Was he attacking?
No.
The opposite.
“Don’t come closer!”
He grabbed the child beside him as a hostage.
A rough, anything-but-gentle grip.
The blade pressed against the child’s neck.
“If you come even one step closer, this kid dies.”
In that instant—
Lee Jeon-seok stopped.
Seeing that, Kim Young-so smiled.
‘Yeah… that’s it. You can’t ignore a hostage.’
As an inspector, it was only natural.
Abandon a civilian?
Impossible.
Inspectors were the face of the Association.
‘…I’ve already got enough money anyway.’
Kim Young-so glanced at the bag slung over his shoulder.
A backpack stuffed with cash.
All fifty-thousand-won bills.
‘This should be enough to get the Union to listen. So for now, I take the kid hostage and get as far away as possible.’
He slowly backed toward the exit.
The sword never leaving the child’s neck.
“If you don’t want to see this brat’s head cut off, move!”
“Waaah—!”
The child burst into loud sobs.
People waiting outside panicked.
They didn’t know how to respond.
They simply retreated step by step, following his lead.
“Yeongjin…!”
The old man on the ground called out desperately.
“It’ll be okay.”
Lee Jeon-seok spoke, as if reassuring him.
“I didn’t come alone.”
He was right.
Among the people retreating—
Anya Ivanov stood there.
“Didn’t you hear me say move?!”
Kim Young-so shouted venomously.
But—
“Kim Young-so. Rank 2 of the Hwayeong Faction. A-rank Awakened.”
Anya paid him no mind.
She continued calmly.
“If you surrender now and release the hostage, we will spare your life.”
Her pressure was palpable.
This was a society where criminals gained powers and became villains.
Times had changed.
If the conditions were met, killing villains was largely permitted.
“Damn it…!”
Kim Young-so ground his teeth.
He didn’t look like he intended to surrender.
There were always some like that.
Of course—
‘…Even if I surrender, it’s over. This will reach the boss soon, and I’ll be expelled.’
And that wasn’t all.
He’d spend the rest of his life in prison.
Depending on the case, he might even be sentenced to death.
Modern law showed no mercy to villains.
So—
‘I absolutely can’t get caught here.’
Kim Young-so made his decision.
“Die!”
Behind him, arrows began to form.
Blue mana swirled together, creating dozens of arrows.
A trait called Mana Projection.
Despite its simple name, its power was brutally violent.
Every single arrow flew straight toward Anya.
Then—
BOOM—!
Earth and sky.
The air shook violently.
Several Hunters were injured by this trait.
Homing effects combined with chain explosions between arrows.
They pierced skin and muscle, directly damaging internal organs, leaving many Hunters who responded to the incident permanently incapacitated.
But—
Why was it?
“How…?”
Anya stood unharmed.
Only a cold chill lingered in the air.
White particles swirled like snow.
There was no trace of arrows—or explosions.
Step.
Anya silently approached Kim Young-so.
“Don’t come closer! Didn’t you hear me?! Are you okay with the kid dying?!”
Kim Young-so shouted threateningly.
A drop of blood slid along the blade.
The child cried as if about to pass out.
The scene descended into chaos.
Even so—
Anya didn’t stop.
“You—You bastard…!!”
Panicking.
Then—
Crack—!
With a loud sound, his body froze.
From legs to head.
Every part encased in ice.
What about the child?
Unharmed.
Only Kim Young-so was trapped in ice.
It was the effect of Anya’s trait—Absolute Zero.
She precisely controlled the cold, freezing only Kim Young-so.
Tap—.
Anya lightly struck his arm.
It shattered, releasing the child.
“Are you okay?”
“Waaah!”
The child still couldn’t stop crying.
Anya gently patted the child’s head.
A soft touch—so different from Kim Young-so’s.
Despite her cold appearance and expressionless face, she was surprisingly good with children.
Then—
“Inspector, it’s dangerous!”
A police officer shouted from afar.
At the same time, light flared ahead.
“You think… I’d go down alone…!”
Crack—.
From between the splitting ice—
Kim Young-so spoke in a dry voice.
The ice rapidly melted.
Red light burst out.
‘…He has more than one trait?’
Anya frowned.
Even she looked shaken this time.
“Self-destruct… Heh. A useless trait, but… it’s A-rank. You’ll lose an arm at least… the brat too, and you…!”
Was he giving up entirely?
The reason didn’t matter.
Anya immediately extended her hand.
To stop the trait from activating.
‘If it’s a self-destruct type, at least a 100-meter radius will be completely obliterated.’
Most people here would die.
So she had to stop it.
‘With my Absolute Zero…’
It was possible.
Absolute Zero.
An S-rank trait.
It could suppress the explosion’s range and effects to the utmost limit.
Killing him would be more certain—but there was no guarantee it would cancel the self-destruct.
So Anya had to prepare for the worst.
Her hands trembled like leaves.
White cold gathered between them, forming a sphere.
‘The timing can’t be off by even a little.’
The instant Kim Young-so activated self-destruct—
She had to engulf the explosion in cold.
Otherwise, even she would take severe damage.
She could protect herself with mana, but she wasn’t skilled enough yet to control mana and Absolute Zero simultaneously.
That’s why—
She sharpened every nerve, ready to activate Absolute Zero at any moment.
Then—
Slash—!
A dagger flew from somewhere.
A strike aimed precisely at Kim Young-so’s neck.
“Ghk…!”
The dagger pierced his throat.
But—
Was this the resilience of an A-rank?
Even with his artery pierced, he didn’t die.
He clenched his teeth, clinging to consciousness.
The self-destruct radius expanded even faster.
Then—
“Go quietly. Your punishment will be lighter.”
A calm voice rang out.
“You…!”
Kim Young-so’s eyes widened in shock.
Anya didn’t speak, but she looked equally stunned.
It was Lee Jeon-seok.
He had appeared right in front of them.
“Traits only work while you’re alive. Isn’t that right?”
“You bastard…!”
Mockery laced his words.
Kim Young-so’s face twisted.
“Hit the mark, did I?”
Lee Jeon-seok spoke as he pulled out the embedded dagger.
Kim Young-so’s reaction—
That was confirmation enough.
There was no reason to hesitate.
“Damn it…!!”
With a curse, Kim Young-so accelerated the self-destruct.
Red light spread rapidly.
But it was meaningless.
Lee Jeon-seok had no intention of giving him time.
[The Blood Dagger absorbs blood.]
The Blood Dagger, sharpened after drinking deeply.
Lee Jeon-seok swung it horizontally.
Slash—.
A clean cut.
The head spun through the air.
“…!”
Shock flashed across Kim Young-so’s face.
But the dead do not speak.
[You have taken a life.]
[You acquire a trait at random.]
[Self-Destruct (A) acquired!]
Kim Young-so collapsed, half-encased in ice.
His head rolled across the floor.
The red light vanished in an instant.
With the caster’s death, the trait was canceled.
Anya had gathered as much cold as possible just in case, but Kim Young-so lay still—breath gone.
No sign of self-destruct reactivating.
“Are you all right?”
Lee Jeon-seok asked, shaking the blood from his dagger.
Anya nodded awkwardly.
At the same time, she let out a long breath she’d been holding.
And then—
“Hunter…”
She murmured something.
No—
She was just about to.
“Yeongjin!”
The old man rushed over.
“Grandpa!”
The child ran into his arms.
The old man checked for injuries, then bowed repeatedly, tears streaming.
“Thank you! Thank you so much, Hunters!”
Anya waved it off as if it were nothing.
She set aside what she’d been about to say and guided the old man and child to the paramedics.
Soon after, police and Hunters arrived.
They quickly secured the scene.
And just like that, the bank hostage incident caused by two villains came to an end.
While the police were cleaning up—
Lee Jeon-seok sat on a nearby bench, checking the traits he’d gained from killing Kim Young-so.
Self-Destruct
Rank: A
Effect: Causes a massive explosion at the cost of one’s life. There is a very low chance of survival.
Self-destruct.
Seeing its effect, Lee Jeon-seok frowned.
“…Of all things.”
The one thing he wanted least.
A trait that activates at the cost of one’s life.
Completely useless.
There was a line about a low chance of survival.
That was probably why Kim Young-so used it.
Betting his life on a slim chance.
A situation that forced such a gamble.
Even so—
It held no merit for Lee Jeon-seok.
Probabilistic survival.
How low was that probability?
Most likely, death.
Better to bite an enemy’s heel to the end.
Still…
‘This one’s not bad.’
The other trait was better.
A trait obtained from killing a B-rank villain.
Was his name Yang Minha?
Berserk
Rank: B
Effect: All stats except mana increase by +30. However, the longer it is maintained, the more unstable the user’s consciousness becomes, eventually attacking friend and foe alike.
A trait with clear pros and cons.
But Lee Jeon-seok bore the Eternal Mark.
An ability that prevented mental erosion.
Meaning—
For him, Berserk was simply a buff that permanently increased stats by 30.
Of course, it consumed mana, so it couldn’t be used recklessly…
Swish—.
Lee Jeon-seok sheathed the Blood Dagger.
Inside his coat—straps like a belt.
He fixed the dagger in place like a sheath.
The Infiltrator’s Coat.
Convenient, with decent effects.
It required holding one’s breath, but that wasn’t much of a drawback for a Hunter like him.
Stealth combined with equipment.
‘Even Inspector Anya didn’t notice until I got close.’
It had already been an A-rank trait.
Complete invisibility.
Even presence vanished—its effect rivaled S-rank stealth.
‘Perfect for my combat style.’
Perhaps because of that—
It felt like a combination he’d be using often.
Then—
[You have saved many people from a bank terror incident.]
[Your good karma increases by 2000.]
The system finally appeared.
The reward for killing villains and saving people.
Not a small amount.
But compared to saving Choi Eun-ha, it felt paltry.
That thought made Lee Jeon-seok look away with slight regret.
Then—
Ding—.
A particularly interesting message appeared.
[Anya Ivanov has reached her first crossroads of fate.]
[Overcome the ‘Fate of Self-Blame’ assigned to her.]
[Reward – Free Access Ticket to the Karma Shop (S)]
‘This is…’
The same system that appeared when he saved Choi Eun-ha.
Like a quest in a game.
This time, the reward wasn’t hidden.
A free access ticket to the Karma Shop.
An S-rank one.
Did that mean anything up to S-rank could be purchased for free?
Lee Jeon-seok’s interest was piqued.
Naturally so.
He’d avoided the Karma Shop because spending good karma felt wasteful.
Now it was free.
Of course he’d be interested.
Whether this was the system’s intention or not—
As long as it didn’t harm him, Lee Jeon-seok was willing to play along.
Besides, the reward wasn’t bad at all…
“Hunter Lee Jeon-seok.”
Suddenly—
Anya approached him.
For some reason—
“There’s something I’d like to ask.”
She spoke in a serious tone.
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