#18 His Personality is Fucking Crazy
“Combat power unreadable?”
“Yes.”
The masked man crossed his arms. His name was Lee Jeong-myeong, the leader of the retired Awakener gang Raiders. White hair framed his face, but his body was still solidly built.
“Let me see.”
Taking the binoculars, Lee Jeong-myeong peered at the man trudging along in the distance. His combat power was truly unreadable. It looked no different from that of an ordinary civilian.
“For real? Is this thing busted?”
The combat power meter was an expensive piece of gear. Tilting his head with a face full of dissatisfaction, Lee Jeong-myeong glanced at the subordinate standing beside him.
[7400]
‘Not broken, huh?’
He checked with the other subordinates, but the combat power meter was functioning perfectly.
‘So he really is a non-Awakener?’
Doubt filled Lee Jeong-myeong’s face.
‘And a non-Awakener’s carrying an S-rank Magic Stone around?’
Leading a criminal organization like Raiders meant his caution was no joke. He wasn’t some idiot who’d charge in just because he heard about an S-rank Magic Stone.
‘Bait?’
He narrowed his eyes and picked up the radio.
“Any bodyguards or ambushers around him?”
Soon enough.
“High chance it’s bait. Keep maximum distance and tail him.”
If it was bait, it was damn tempting bait.
‘Three S-rank Magic Stones they said, but down to one after Yeongdeungpo 12th Street...’
He’d bought something. That bag slung over his shoulder looked suspicious. A gut feeling said it held something valuable.
“Who was the first spotter?”
“Uh, Yoo Young-min on Yeongdeungpo 12th Alley duty.”
“Where’s he now?”
“Call him?”
“Leave him there for now.”
They slunk along, tailing the distant man. The guy was truly peculiar. Like he hadn’t been in Seoul for ages, he wandered leisurely, sightseeing. Hopping on a bus out of nowhere, grabbing street food, totally chill. All with an S-rank Magic Stone in his pocket.
By the time the man slowly reached Seoul’s outskirts, buildings thinned out, and so did the people.
‘What the hell is he doing?’
Lee Jeong-myeong muttered under his breath.
“Tail report.”
Impatience was starting to creep in. But he squeezed out his last bit of restraint and radioed lowly.
“Maintain max safe distance, eyes on all sides. Still too suspicious.”
“Huh?”
Suddenly.
“Huh?”
He realized the man in the distance had vanished.
“What?”
Lee Jeong-myeong tilted his head. The guy had disappeared like a mirage.
“What the—where’d he go?”
“......?”
Pop!
When Lee Jeong-myeong whipped around, a man in his twenties stood there.
“......!”
The outfit matched the guy from afar exactly. An uncanny phenomenon that made him doubt his eyes.
‘Over a kilometer away...?’
Three teams had him surrounded within a one-kilometer radius, yet he’d reached here in seconds.
“U-uh—respond! All teams, return to me!”
Lee Jeong-myeong shouted urgently into the radio, but no reply came. Only then did he notice the two radios in the man’s hand.
“......Who the hell are you?”
Lee Jeong-myeong’s voice came out cold. Of course, the man was Kang-ho.
Kang-ho looked at him with utterly unimpressed eyes, then shifted his gaze to the smartphone in his other hand.
“Wh-who are you!”
Only then did Kang-ho show Lee Jeong-myeong the screen. There, bold as brass, was his own wanted poster emblazoned with WANTED.
Leader of unknown affiliation. Extreme danger. Approach with caution.
“Wanted criminals getting bold in the city streets. Security didn’t feel that lax, though...”
Lee Jeong-myeong’s subordinates, scattered all around, had all been knocked out cold with their tongues lolling.
He sensed it instinctively.
‘A powerhouse!’
Cold sweat suddenly trickled down his spine.
‘Unreadable combat power powerhouse...? No way that exists.’
Kang-ho calmly met his gaze and tilted his head slightly.
“Raiders gang...... You guys cherry-picked the worst crimes. Robbery’s baseline, murder, kidnapping—the works. And ex-Baekya exec...”
An ex-Baekya Guild executive going full gangster explained why they’d evaded capture so well.
Gauging the situation, Lee Jeong-myeong gritted his teeth.
‘Gotta bolt first.’
Blasting mana, he kicked off the ground and bolted. Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh! His body warped translucent, blending into the surroundings. His unique ability Assassin had activated.
Gliding lightly over the earth in swift flight—
“Wasting a nice ability like that on dirty work.”
“Gah!”
He yelped in shock without realizing. Kang-ho was jogging effortlessly beside him.
Crack!
A light tap to the back of his head, and Lee Jeong-myeong’s vision plunged to the dirt.
Crunch-crunch-crunch!
He tumbled across the ground several times before splashing into mud.
“Hah, ha, hah!”
Before he could even draw the two sharp daggers from his belt to fight back, Kang-ho appeared behind him again.
Crack!
Splash into the mud again. And now the daggers were in Kang-ho’s hand.
“Don’t touch. Still dangerous.”
He said it in a very gentle tone, as if to someone else, then turned back to him.
‘C-can’t... move a muscle.’
Lee Jeong-myeong felt chills. Before forming this gang and becoming a fugitive, he’d been a top-50 domestic ranker. Ranked 50th, but a grizzled vet of the Great War.
Even going all-out to escape, getting smacked around like a kid? In this country, only about five could do that. No top-rankers on the list, so what the hell was this guy?
“Wh-who... who are you?”
“Baekya exec gig would’ve fed you for life. Why pull this shit?”
“......”
He shut his mouth. Instead of adding more, Kang-ho channeled mana into the bracelet on his right wrist. An upgraded Oerblade.
Zing—
Mana surged up his arm. It formed a chillingly clear, pure blue blade.
Shing—
The blade slowly approached Lee Jeong-myeong’s nape.
Sizzle!
His clothes disintegrated on contact. Hair where it touched vanished without trace, and beyond the skin, he felt the characteristic heat of mana.
‘Pretty decent.’
Kang-ho murmured appreciatively. With two more S-rank Magic Stones added, output felt way better.
Only then did Lee Jeong-myeong speak.
“N-no thrill... no tension...”
“Hm?”
“War ended... that tension vanished... World’s too... peaceful now...”
Kang-ho looked down at him. Age: 55. Looked younger, but definitely war-era born.
“......”
Kang-ho stared silently, then withdrew the Oerblade’s mana.
“Bored of peace, huh.”
At Kang-ho’s words, Lee Jeong-myeong gave a self-mocking smile.
“Yeah. Boring, dull. Can’t feel that raw survival rush... blood spraying everywhere... That answer your question?”
Kang-ho smiled bitterly instead of replying. Types like this existed. Awakeners addicted to war. Overcoming brushes with death. Slaughtering foes, savoring survival’s thrill and killing’s twisted beauty. That intensity could be drug-like.
Sometimes those addicts turned criminal. This gang, including him, robbed and murdered. Fugitives chasing the thrill of the hunt. War’s lingering psychopaths. A taboo the era hushed up.
Kang-ho hauled him to his feet. Pity and a sigh darkened his eyes.
* * *
Sunset on Bukhansan’s mid-slope. Code name Sword God, Park Jun-woo, sat cross-legged, sipping soju. Across from him sat his prized disciple from Sword God Sword Demon Guild—the most promising ranker, holding his glass.
Twenty this year. Awakened young, rocketing up the ranks.
“Master.”
The disciple asked.
“Yeah.”
“Your old friend visited recently.”
“Kang-ho, you mean?”
“Shocked how young he looked.”
“He is young. Doesn’t age, that guy. Era’s biggest mystery. Maybe not even human. Nah, he is—confirmed it myself.”
The disciple nodded.
“Seemed so serious and gentle. Polite, humble too.”
“Hm?”
“You know that aura? The vibe ingrained in you. Felt it. Got curious.”
“Hmm......”
Park Jun-woo smiled at his disciple.
“I see. Could come off that way.”
His smile deepened. Then, with a mischievous grin, he added,
“But not really.”
“Pardon?”
“Kang-ho’s a total asshole deep down.”
“......Pardon?”
“Not just asshole. Fucking batshit crazy.”
Swear words from the great master. The disciple just blinked.
“Batshit crazy, but he knows friend from foe crystal clear. That’s why Kang-ho’s fun.”
Park Jun-woo chuckled.
The disciple stood dumbfounded, head tilted. Park Jun-woo shook his head.
“Especially ruthless with criminals. If I crossed him, I’d off myself.”
“......”
“Back in the day... oh yeah, about 15 years ago. When Kang-ho brought that tiny Shabel Tiger cub. You know Night Walker?”
“Night Walker... the infamous thief criminal? About... 15 years back...”
“You know him. Where’s he now?”
“Mana crippled, in Incheon detention, I hear.”
“Biggest mistake of his life: trying to rob Kang-ho’s pack. Probably still regrets it, the vegetable.”
“......Pardon?”
“Guy mouthed off, got stripped bare, tossed in jail.”
“......?”
“Don’t commit crimes, disciple. And never get caught by Kang-ho.”
Park Jun-woo downed his soju.
“Ahh—good stuff.”
A bitter smile played on his lips.
. . . . . .
Whiiiine—
Seoul outskirts plain after dark. Kang-ho nodded slowly, gazing at Lee Jeong-myeong with distant eyes.
“Lots suffer war syndrome. But not all justify crimes. Some hole up in the countryside farming for 30 years.”
Kang-ho continued dryly.
“No more survival high?”
“......”
Kang-ho closed his eyes briefly.
“First, make you feel it. Seems right.”
“......?”
Smack!
In an instant, Lee Jeong-myeong tumbled far back into the mud.
“Wh-what...?”
Smack!
“Gah!”
Thwack!
“Ow!”
Smaaack!
“Ack!”
Fire seemed to spark in Lee Jeong-myeong’s eyes. The world spun dizzily. He raised both arms in frantic guard pose at the silently approaching monster.
The monster spoke lowly.
“If peace”
His voice sounded like a beast’s growl.
Smack!
“is boring,”
Smack!
“make it”
Smaaack!
“missable.”
The calm, emotionless tone made it creepier.
Smaaack!
Lee Jeong-myeong thought: Something’s wrong here.