Chapter 34

Chapter 33: The Black Crow Guild (2)

Penthouse on the top floor of the building.

Shin Geonsu, who was in his private office, felt his lips dry up as one piece of bad news after another came in.

“Brother! The security team has been wiped out.”

“We can’t communicate with the outside… It seems like someone is messing with us.”

“All elevators have stopped. The guy is coming up the stairs. He’s fast. He’s already past the 20th floor!”

There was no good news.

All he received were annoying reports of defeat, each predicting the worst.

Bang!

Shin Geonsu slammed his desk.

“Damn it! What the hell is going on!”

An intruder out of nowhere.

While the guild had many enemies due to its nature, this was the first time someone had attacked without any forewarning.

And he was alone…

“Absolutely, he’s not just some freelance mercenary.”

At first, he thought it was a lunatic with a death wish.

But as the security crumbled one after another, Shin Geonsu had no choice but to admit it.

The fear of a single enemy was far greater than that of hundreds.

Right at that moment.

“Gasp!”

“Scream!”

A scream came from outside the door.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of blades clashing followed, but only for a moment.

Then, there was no more sound.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Shin Geonsu’s heart raced.

Amidst the fear and curiosity, finally.

…Creak.

The door opened.

“Are you the guild master here?”

The man who revealed himself was wearing a bizarre mask.

***

[Barrier duration: 0h : 15m : 33s]

There was about 15 minutes left to cut off communication with the outside.

This was enough.

‘More than enough to deal with this cowardly crow.’

Jinhyuk took a step forward.

“Stop. If you don’t stop, I’ll cut you down!”

Swish!

Shin Geonsu drew his sword.

It was a weapon enchanted with multiple spells, as sparks of various colors danced along the blade.

It was a sword that looked expensive at first glance.

Indeed, a guild master is a master in every sense.

But why?

Despite the fierce warning, Jinhyuk couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘Too amateurish…’

Perhaps because he had just fought against Cheonyuseong, his senses were heightened to the extreme.

Thus, he could predict Shin Geonsu’s movements just by the way his hands and feet moved.

How he would attack.

What he would aim for.

Everything.

As Jinhyuk continued to approach, Shin Geonsu finally shouted.

“Didn’t you hear me tell you to stop!”

[Shin Geonsu activates Level 3 ‘Swift Sword’!]

Shin Geonsu’s sword disappeared.

Whoosh!

Leaving afterimages, the blade shot towards Jinhyuk.

‘Could he really think this is just a paintball game?’

Jinhyuk’s hand moved in sync with the sword’s trajectory.

At this speed, there was no need to dodge.

Snap.

The dancing blade came to an abrupt stop.

“Huh!?”

A gasp escaped Shin Geonsu’s lips.

To grab a blade moving at such speed with bare hands… It was only natural for him to react this way.

It was chilling.

A shiver ran down his spine.

From his days as a gangster to his current position.

Countless experiences told him.

…Even if he were to die and come back, he couldn’t win.

It didn’t take long for him to realize there was no hope.

“You… What are you? Who sent you here?”

Shin Geonsu took a step back, trembling.

But there was nowhere to run in a room of about 50 pyeong.

Thud.

His back hit the window.

His whole body shook.

He was afraid. His trusted subordinates could no longer serve as a shield.

“Guess.”

“What?”

“Guess who I am and why I’m here.”

What if you guess right? Will I let you live?

Snap!

Jinhyuk stabbed a dagger into the center of the desk.

Then, he sank into a plush chair, starting his own version of a golden bell game.

“Is it from Dangun or Balhae? Trying to curb our growth?”

“Wrong.”

It’s a wrong answer.

Normally, he would laugh and tell you to guess again.

But Jinhyuk’s golden bell game had slightly different rules.

If you’re wrong, there should be a penalty.

Oh, there’s a good one.

Jinhyuk picked up a Go stone from the desk.

‘Quite a large one.’

As expected of someone with money, he had a proper one.

“Why… Why the Go stone…?”

Shin Geonsu muttered, sounding uneasy.

Why?

Smack!

“Gah! My… My forehead, my forehead!”

That’s why.

Shin Geonsu clutched his face with both hands, rolling on the ground.

A lump protruding from his forehead, like a goblin’s.

With the Go stone infused with magic, it must have been quite painful.

“Guess again. Think carefully this time.”

Jinhyuk fiddled with a second Go stone.

“Ugh… The Black Market. Yes, that’s it! You were hired with a huge reward to attack us, right?”

“Wrong.”

This time, it was also wrong.

“Wait, wait! Just wait. No matter who sent you, I’ll offer you double the amount they offered. What do you need? Just say it. I can meet any demand!”

The thought of facing another Go stone made Shin Geonsu’s face pale.

In a desperate voice, he proposed a new deal.

“Hey.”

“…?”

“I asked you to guess who I am, not to offer me money.”

Is this guy learning Korean from a foreigner?

Why can’t he understand simple things?

I don’t know where he went to elementary school, but this is the level where King Sejong would rise from his grave and curse in Japanese.

Smack!

Another Go stone hit his forehead.

With even more magic infused this time, Shin Geonsu twisted his body in agony.

“Ow! My forehead… My forehead!”

“This is your last chance. If you’re wrong again, I’ll use all the Go stones in one shot.”

“Pant. Pant. Pant….”

Shin Geonsu panted heavily.

Then, as if something came to mind, he stared intently at Jinhyuk’s mask.

“Kang… Jinhyuk.”

A three-syllable word.

“Finally, a proper answer. Yes, I’m the one who sent Park Hajin to kill you.”

Jinhyuk removed his mask, revealing his face.

“Damn. So you came here for revenge? Just for that, you stirred up the whole building?”

“Just for that? Just for that?”

A frown appeared on Jinhyuk’s forehead.

“Yeah. You must have killed Park Hajin and others on our side, right? So that should be it. There was no need to go this far….”

“Aha, so you think. You should have stopped at a reasonable point?”

“Don’t be so biased. Look at it objectively. Even though I’m not here, there are over fifty ranked members in the guild.”

“So what?”

“If I die, there will always be someone targeting you. The cycle of revenge will never end.”

Blood calls for blood, and revenge calls for revenge.

As long as one side doesn’t forgive, the slaughter will continue forever.

Hmm…

Indeed, a valid point.

Blood, revenge—these are keywords that disrupt a comfortable life.

Jinhyuk smiled, as if making a decision.

“Okay. I’ll kill you and end it here. Cleanly.”

“What?”

“I’ll take the last revenge, so you should forgive it on your side.”

“That’s absurd… Cough!”

Jinhyuk grabbed a handful of Go stones and shoved them into Shin Geonsu’s mouth.

“Gag! Cough!”

Shin Geonsu coughed, his mouth full of foreign objects.

Blood and foam trickled out, but Jinhyuk only tightened his grip.

Not letting a single one be spat out.

“You break it. The cycle of revenge or whatever. There’s no rule that it has to be broken from my side.”

What? Revenge calls for revenge?

Why send assassins if you’re worried about that?

“I’ve heard enough of your whining.”

If the stragglers of the Black Crow Guild attack, he would just take care of them as well.

They weren’t scary, even if they came in a truck.

“Now, get lost.”

Jinhyuk gave his final farewell.

Then, he swung his fist with all his might.

Bang!

“Gah!”

His fist buried deep into Shin Geonsu’s face.

A chilling sound echoed as teeth and Go stones mixed.

***

‘Instant death.’

Jinhyuk glanced at the fallen Shin Geonsu.

With his face completely caved in, there was no need to check.

Now, the next step…

“Hey, you there, pretending to be dead. Get up.”

“…”

“Counting to three. One.”

“Yes! I’m awake.”

Among the black-suited men lying in the corridor, a man quickly responded.

He looked to be in his mid-20s.

With no significant magical aura, he didn’t seem to be a player.

Perhaps he was Shin Geonsu’s secretary?

“Start introducing yourself. If you prove to be useful, I’ll let you live.”

“My name is Kim Hee-woong, 26 years old. I oversee the overall operations of the Black Crow Guild! I can speak five languages and majored in computer science and accounting at Stanford! Please, give me any task!”

“Ooh, good, good. Very impressive.”

Jinhyuk nodded, seemingly satisfied.

Age, experience, and credentials.

This should be enough to use.

“As you can see, the situation here is not good. The guild master is dead, and there are many injured.”

“Yes… Yes, that’s right.”

“So, I want you to take charge of this guild.”

“Yes… Yes… Yes?”

Kim Hee-woong’s pupils dilated.

“There’s no need to think too grandly. Honestly, it’s a waste to completely destroy a mid-level guild. I just want to maintain a decent facade.”

This was a plan he had thought of from the beginning.

To set up a puppet and siphon off the guild’s resources from behind.

And Kim Hee-woong would be the right person for the job.

As a secretary, he would know the internal workings of the guild.

“But, even if I become the guild master, no one will follow me.”

That’s true.

As a non-combatant, especially a secretary, suddenly taking the top position would inevitably lead to resistance.

“You don’t need to worry about those who oppose you.”

“Ah! You mean you’ll take care of them?”

Kim Hee-woong’s face brightened.

Given the power he had just seen, it was a feasible task.

If he could so easily subdue Shin Geonsu, the guild’s ranked members wouldn’t stand a chance.

However, Jinhyuk shook his head.

“No.”

Why take on such a troublesome task?

There’s a reliable helper right next to him who can do it.

“Did you hear that?”

Jinhyuk glanced at the ring on his finger.

Then,

[You mean to say this to me?]

The silent Ellis finally spoke.

“Who else is here?”

[Do you expect me, the head of the Ataraxia family and the one with the most noble blood, to play the role of a babysitter for insignificant humans?]

Ha…

He’s using a formal tone again.

“Still not back to your senses? Want me to spin you around again? Why are you holding onto a weight you can’t even lift?”

[No! Don’t! It makes me dizzy! You despicable human!]

At the mention of spinning, Ellis raised his voice in alarm.

Despicable…

Such a cheap insult.

“Is that all you call an insult?”

[What? Isn’t this a severe insult?]

He’s talking about a severe insult.

Even babies in the nursery would speak more vividly.

At least.

“Miserable and xxxx human. If you dare to confine the noble me in a ring and treat me like a hamster, I’ll xxxx and xxxx you, then xxxx you xxxx and xxxx you xxxx! I’ll hang you xxxx and use you as xxxx for 30,000 years!”

This is the level of perfection in the harmony of threats and insults.

[How… How can you say such harsh words…]

Ellis, shocked, stuttered.

It must have been a huge shock for the noble. After all, he had always been pampered, and experiencing modern Korean language without any filter would naturally break his mental state.

Anyway, he’s finally more compliant.

“Work with this guy. If there are any who don’t listen, take care of them.”

[Got it. But what about you?]

“I have other things to do.”

Now that the relic exploration is over, there’s no need to be stuck at level 1.

Jinhyuk’s lips slowly curled upward.

It’s time to grow seriously.