I Didn't Say I'd Let You Live
"I didn't say I'd let you live."
The car carrying Taeju cut through the heart of New Seoul.
New Seoul, the capital of the Samhan Empire.
Once a small peninsula nation called South Korea, its territory had now expanded to border Primorsky Krai, Siberia, and the central steppes.
That made the Samhan Empire a multi-ethnic state.
Koreans formed the largest indigenous group, but it was a melting pot of Chinese, Japanese, Mongols, Southeast Asians, Slavs, and even Africans living side by side.
New Seoul wasn't a rebuilt version of the old city—it was a meticulously planned metropolis from the ground up.
Wide, straight roads stretched endlessly, traffic flowed without a hitch, buildings gleamed like they'd been erected yesterday, and neon signs sparkled everywhere.
After looping through the city center for a while, the car ducked into a narrow alley.
...The entertainment district?
Full course, my ass. They're actually taking me to a bar.
This would be disappointing.
Screech!
The car halted.
Jeon Gyeong-cheol, the vice master of the Galaxy Guild, got out first and opened the door.
"You can get out now."
"How polite."
"No trouble at all. Sorry about this, but may I pat you down?"
"Go ahead."
Beep, beep-beep.
Jeon Gyeong-cheol ran the scanner over every inch of Taeju's body.
As if anything would turn up.
"No smartphone either?"
"Too cumbersome."
"Understood. This way, please."
Taeju followed Jeon Gyeong-cheol's lead down to the basement.
The stairs went on for quite a stretch.
Feels like a club...
But no music thumped from within.
Now he was getting a little curious.
They pushed through a door into a dimly lit, cavernous hall—empty, no signs of business.
A table and a few sofas sat in one corner.
Behind them stood nine rough-looking thugs in formation, mostly mana compatibles with a couple of awakeners mixed in.
Those are the guys from New Seoul Station.
Familiar faces, too.
Lee Dongwoo, the president, sat on the sofa, his eyes bloodshot and glaring daggers.
Next to him lounged a middle-aged man, leaning deep into the cushions with legs crossed.
The faint tattoo on his face and his aura marked him as a Master for sure.
Creak. The entrance door slammed shut.
Taeju glanced back to see Jeon Gyeong-cheol smirking as he wrapped the handle tight with iron chains, clank-clank.
"What're you staring at? Didn't see this coming?"
Jeon Gyeong-cheol's demeanor flipped in an instant.
The polite guy from outside was gone.
Lee Dongwoo shot Taeju a look of disbelief.
"Unbelievable! You really came alone?"
Taeju shrugged and plopped down on an empty sofa.
"Yeah. I was hyped for the New Seoul full course. What's this? Nothing here."
"Kekeke, you're a real comedian. You know this is where you die, right?"
"Nah, no idea."
The middle-aged man across from him eyed Taeju oddly and spoke up.
"Truly peculiar."
"Who're you?"
"Ah, forgot to introduce myself. Lee Doochang, master of the Galaxy Guild. Old family ties with our president Lee Dongwoo here."
"Nice. You know my name, yeah?"
"Hahaha, of course. Kim Taeju, right? Not an awakener... What makes you so bold?"
"As you see, in this brutal world, I trust only myself."
Lee Doochang was wary deep down.
A guy who'd built a company from scratch in a backwater like Gurye wasn't stupid.
So why the calm?
He had to know his situation.
What was his ace?
Some special weapon?
Or bare-handed?
They'd taken a roundabout route on purpose to check for tails.
Multiple times. None.
The pat-down was thorough too—no phone, no trackers, no gadgets.
Trusts himself that much? Cocky for a mere compatible.
He knew compatibles with high mana could outmuscle some awakeners.
Lee Dongwoo here had beginner-level strength, even without skills.
But banking on that?
Not bluffing.
Something was up.
They'd find out soon.
As Lee Doochang fell silent, Lee Dongwoo sneered.
"Fearless? Or just gutsy?"
"Let's go with gutsy."
"Ha! You don't think we can do whatever we want with you?"
"Like what?"
"Fine. Let me spell it out."
Lee Dongwoo leaned in close to Taeju's ear, whispering with venomous hate dripping from every word.
"First, fingers one by one. Then toes, tongue, nose, ears. No need for eyes, so gouge 'em out. By then you'll be pissing yourself. Cut off that dick next, then arms and legs—turn you into a limbless log and roll you on the floor."
Taeju sighed deeply.
"...Hoo. This is New Seoul, y'know. The empire's capital. No laws here?"
"Yup, New Seoul. Strict laws, but none for scum like you."
Lee Dongwoo lit a cigarette and blew smoke right in Taeju's face, continuing leisurely.
"But don't freak out too much. There's one way you walk out intact."
"What's that?"
"Hand over the spore poison antidote and Taehong recovery elixir formulas. Oh, mosquito antidote? Don't need it—you can live off that. I'm being generous."
"Thanks for the generosity, but... can't do it."
"Then you die. Oh, and that Baek Seoyeonn bitch too. Burn down Baek Hongpyo and the orphanage."
Taeju's eyes narrowed just a fraction.
That sealed their fate.
He'd come to bend Lee Dongwoo and maybe get patent help.
Change of plans.
No mercy for irredeemable scum like this.
He'd seen that look plenty—in his days as Dang Gunak.
"Hmm, I'm kinda known as a pharma chairman. People won't sit idle if I vanish."
"Kekekeke, I guarantee no one knows you're here. Witnesses? Think I didn't cover that? Hotel entrance, entire route—every CCTV's wiped. Ditch the pipe dream."
"No CCTV here either?"
"Why bother? What, frame myself? I leave no evidence."
Lee Dongwoo grinned wide.
Just thinking about it thrilled him.
Superior Expert and a Master.
Plus nine more—total twelve, including himself.
One man alone.
Whatever trick he had, no escape.
Payback for the station humiliation.
Torture till he was satisfied.
Formulas or not, no survivors.
Baek Seoyeonn included.
"Ah, perfect then."
"...What?"
Ignoring Lee Dongwoo, Taeju turned to Lee Doochang.
"You handle this kinda thing often, right? Am I right?"
"Heard of the Galaxy Guild?"
"First time, honestly. Weird, though. A guild with a Master should be known."
Lee Doochang burst out laughing.
"Haha, not dumb after all. We're not really a guild. More like fixers for problems the law can't touch. Galaxy's just a fresh name."
"Figured. Killed a lot of people?"
"Obviously. Way more than you imagine. You won't know how many bodies I've dumped in monster zones. You'll join 'em soon."
"Tsk. Master wasting time on this crap."
"Simple reason. Money."
Just as expected.
Not mines, but worse than mines.
He always thought this—he wasn't like Dang Gunak.
If that guy were here, he'd break limbs first, then talk.
Or skip talk and kill on sight at the station.
Taeju shot up and sauntered to the center of the club hall.
"Talked enough. Let's start."
"Ha! This psycho!"
Lee Dongwoo gawked in shock.
Lee Doochang and Jeon Gyeong-cheol scanned him warily, drawing weapons.
Thick sword aura rose from Lee Doochang's curved blade.
Tension thickened the air.
Taeju? Not a bit.
"Grab him and kneel him before me!"
At Lee Dongwoo's order, the waiting thugs charged.
"Eyes down!"
"Fuckin' dead man."
"Achilles tendon first."
"Hands are mine."
Too much chatter.
No time for replies.
Just kill.
What technique, though?
Biggest dilemma.
Hidden weapons = blood spray. Messy cleanup.
Poison = puking, drooling corpses. Gross.
Clean kill? Bare hands best.
Blood Seal Poison Palm uses poison—no.
Then?
Men's fists.
Yeon Ga-gyeon's Yeon Ga Fist, learned from Un Jin-myeong.
Like Blood Seal but no poison, punches instead of palms.
Smashing pots.
Penetrating fist to mush brains.
Cleanest.
Taeju met the rushers head-on.
Strode forward, fist to the first.
Thud! Crack!
"Guh?"
Skull shattered, brains pulped.
Dodged the next attack easy.
Smack! Crunch!
Blade flashed before his eyes.
Grabbed the wrist, yanked to temple.
Thud! Splorch!
Taeju's fists wrapped in faint aura.
Simple: strike, dodge, strike, pull and strike...
Thud, thud, thud.
Dominoes falling.
Three down at once. The rest finally clocked it.
"...Huh?"
"What?"
"D-dead?"
"Get up!"
Taeju didn't wait.
Phantom Bewilderment Step into their midst.
Thud! Thud! Smack-smack-thud!
Crack! Splorch! Crunch!
Thud, thud, thud...
Leaves in autumn wind.
How could a body move that fast?
Never two hits.
One sufficed.
The survivors bolted every which way.
"Aaaah!"
"S-spare me!"
"Nooo!!!"
Club center: only Taeju's fists.
Lee Dongwoo leaped from the sofa.
"Wh-what?!"
Jeon Gyeong-cheol's sword hand trembled as he advanced.
He'd planned to join in, but six down in two steps.
"...Damn it!"
Lee Doochang just watched, useless.
Meant to team up, but missed the beat.
Shit! Knew something felt off.
Lee Doochang ducked behind the sofa.
Lee Dongwoo and Jeon Gyeong-cheol half-dazed.
Taeju approached like the grim reaper.
"What's wrong? All cocky earlier."
Lee Dongwoo flailed, trembling.
"D-don't come closer."
"Gonna?"
Jeon Gyeong-cheol froze.
Dodge those fists?
No confidence.
But that wasn't key now.
He was closing in.
Boss sneaking behind via sofa for a backstab.
Telepathy between them—no words needed.
Strike when boss rapid-moves.
Him: upper body, throat stab.
Boss: legs, thighs slash.
Master mana blade cuts anything.
Assuming enemy Master, safest kill plan.
He was close.
Jeon swallowed.
Gulp.
"Hold up!"
"Yeah?"
"My bad. How about I kill Lee Dongwoo myself right now? End it?"
"Nah. No."
"No need for this. I just followed orders—no grudge."
"I do."
"You fuckin'—!"
Instant!
Curved blade arced weirdly at Taeju's throat.
Whoosh!
Simultaneous!
Stinging killing intent from behind thigh.
Shh!
Cut him?
Stabbed?
No feedback in hands.
Target vanished.
"B-back! He's behind! Idiot!"
Slither.
Taeju now at Lee Doochang's back.
Hands poised like clapping his head.
"B-boss!!!"
Clap!
Smack!
Crunch!
Lee Doochang's head crushed vertically.
Eyes mashed together.
Taeju's distant punch closed in unseen.
Splat!
Thud!
Crack!
Smashed Jeon Gyeong-cheol's forehead.
Thud.
Last one.
Lee Dongwoo already kneeling.
"S-spare me. P-please! I'm not like them."
"How so?"
"Useful. Connections in the palace, top officials. I'll back you fully in New Seoul."
Original goal, actually.
Leverage him for a foothold.
"Back me?"
"Know Mirinae Group? Patent office, FDA—tons on our payroll."
"Hmm, help me out?"
"Y-yes! Promise."
"Then one slap. Lucky you."
"O-oh! Gently, then..."
Snap!
Smack!
Whiiiirl!
Crunch!
Taeju's full swing spun Lee Dongwoo's head three turns.
"F-fu..."
"I didn't say I'd let you live."
Thud.
"I didn't say I'd let you live." End
ⓒ Kkucchi Kkucchi