Chapter 567

“Has this old man gone senile…?”

Go Se-won had lost count of how many times he’d faced those red eyes.

Go Jun’s gaze had gone beyond ominous. It was chilling now, and Go Se-won swallowed before he realized he was doing it.

But he was the Head of Security.

He was the only person who could put the brakes on Go Jun’s rampage, if only for a moment. And after all that deliberation, his superior was about to make a disastrous move. Go Se-won had a duty to talk him out of it.

“Vice Guild Master.”

Go Jun looked at him. A chill ran down Go Se-won’s spine, but he managed to speak.

“What you just said… Were you serious?”

Go Jun frowned.

“Of course not. Do I look like that much of an idiot to you, Team Leader Go?”

“Oh.”

Go Se-won had waited for the answer with a sinking feeling, so he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Come to think of it, the idea was absurd.

Go Jun had grown far more violent lately, but surely he wouldn’t order every member of Song Cheonwoo’s family killed…

“Don’t kill them. Capture them and bring them here.”

“Excuse me?”

“Didn’t you hear me?”

Of course he had.

Go Se-won was an A-rank Hunter who could hear a mosquito’s wings flutter from ten meters¹ away.

He asked again because he’d heard something he would rather not have heard at all.

“Would you repeat that, please?”

Bang! Crack!

The table, replaced only a few days ago, was smashed to pieces again. Flames blazed in Go Jun’s eyes.

“I said bring them here. I don’t care if it’s the grandchild Song Cheonwoo fusses over every day or some white grandmother he met at a retirement community in Europe. Anything I can use to get a grip on that old man’s life!”

His shout rang through the room, the veins standing out on his neck. Then his voice dropped.

“So, Team Leader Go. Send the men out and bring them here. Now.”

“…!”

“What? Didn’t you hear me this time either?”

There would not be a third warning.

Realizing that there was nowhere left to retreat, Go Se-won lowered his head slightly.

“No, sir. I heard you clearly.”

“Then get moving. Ah, where did you say that old man’s family lived?”

“On the outskirts of London. The whole family lives together in a huge mansion converted from a castle.”

A life worthy of European nobility.

Song Cheonwoo had been able to live that way after losing the power struggle within Ares because Lee Jungryong had allowed it and supported him.

Old affection between friends? Mercy? To Lee Jungryong, those words were about as useful as cabbage.

He could afford to look down on a rival several moves behind him. That arrogance was the ease of a man with overwhelming power.

He kept his only political rival completely under his thumb. His successor’s first thought is to kidnap the man’s family.

It came down to temperament. To the difference in what each man was made of.

Go Se-won pushed the thought from his mind and continued.

“There are about thirteen of them, counting his children, their spouses, and his grandchildren. Some of the grandchildren commute to school by helicopter or Teleportation magic circle. We receive updates on their locations in real time.”

“You’ve taken measures? Since when?”

“Since he entered the country. I reported it at the time, but you seemed extremely busy, so I took care of it on my own authority.”

“You’re good at your job, Team Leader Go. I thought you’d lost your touch after getting married.”

“…Thank you.”

Praise and a jab in the same breath. Go Se-won bowed his head again. Go Jun looked down at him, then muttered in a cold voice.

“Come to think of it, what an ungrateful old man. He should have thanked me for letting him keep his position this long. And he stabs me in the back?”

Song Cheonwoo should have retired before the new year.

But the Monster Wave in China and Lee Jungryong’s death had rekindled the ambition the old lion had never quite abandoned. The hyenas caught its scent and quietly lined up behind him.

The influential members of the elder generation, just before a sweeping change of generations.

They were the pack of hyenas.

“Damn old bastards.”

Go Jun sprang to his feet and began pacing. Then he spoke again.

“What about him?”

Him.

He hadn’t said a name, but Go Se-won knew immediately whom he meant.

The greatest threat wasn’t the old lion leading the hyenas. It was the young male lion prowling the grassland beyond Ares Guild’s high fences, waiting for his chance.

“Choi Minwoo has returned to Peace Guild.”

“You’re certain he met that old man, Song Cheonwoo?”

Go Se-won answered at once.

“They met in secret and concealed themselves with advanced illusion magic, but yes. We’re certain.”

“What about Director Hong? Can we trust him?”

Director Hong was one of the elders who, like Song Cheonwoo, had been approaching honorary retirement. He was also the helpful informant who had told them about today’s meeting.

Go Se-won nodded.

“Yes. He read the situation quickly.”

“He’s always been quick on the uptake. Still, don’t let your guard down. He’s known Song Cheonwoo for over thirty years.”

“We’re watching his every move without letting him notice.”

Betrayal upon betrayal. Everyone was scrambling to get what they wanted. Director Hong had simply chosen comfort and survival for the years he had left.

“And the security team?”

“All thirty members are on constant standby.”

The security team was handpicked from Ares Guild’s elite. Every member was an A-rank Hunter. Their abilities went without saying, and their loyalty was just as impressive.

The master they served had changed suddenly, but these were men who would handle a murder without batting an eye.

And I’m no different.

Go Se-won had done all kinds of dirty work under Lee Jungryong.

Sometimes he was disgusted by what he’d become, but until now, he’d managed to live with it.

That work had made him wealthier than most people could dream of being. It had also let him meet his beautiful, loving wife after he turned forty and finally get married.

But…

Have I been doing this too long?

Maybe this was the hypocrisy of a man who had forgotten what it meant to go hungry. Maybe it was the disgust he’d spent years suppressing.

Or maybe it was his son, who had only just started walking, and his wife, who had recently become pregnant with their second child.

Song Cheonwoo’s youngest grandson is about Sangho’s age, isn’t he?

The thought of ordering his men to abduct a child too young to speak left him uneasy.

No. We’ll be lucky if it ends with kidnapping.

Go Jun had become a different man in the past month or two. No one knew what he might do next, now that he’d grown so violently ruthless.

Even Lee Jungryong, who had never been particular about his methods, had left children alone…

“Team Leader Go.”

Go Se-won straightened at his superior’s voice.

“Yes, Vice Guild Master.”

“Prepare the security team. You know what I mean, don’t you?”

The gentleness in Go Jun’s voice made Go Se-won’s hair stand on end. After a brief silence, he answered.

“Yes.”

“I’d like results as soon as possible. Is that too much to ask?”

Go Se-won already knew his answer.

He was just another piece of shit in the same shit pit. He’d stepped into the mud long ago. It was too late to turn back.

“No, sir. I’ll bring you good news by tomorrow at the latest.”

“Good. You may go.”

That was the end of the conversation.

Go Se-won walked out of the office on stiff legs and raised a hand to his ear.

Beep.

The communicator he’d switched off for a while gave a faint chirp and lit up.

“Report the current personnel.”

As soon as the brief command ended, a sharp voice came through the communicator.

“Team One, all members standing by. Nothing to report.”

“Team Two, all members standing by. Nothing to report.”

“Team Three, all members standing by. Nothing to report.”

The three teams had thirty members in total. Even within Ares Guild, where only the best were gathered, they had been chosen from among the best of the best.

Go Se-won possessed overwhelming skill befitting the Head of Security, but even he could not easily guarantee victory if five or more of these men joined forces. No matter how thoroughly the target had prepared, there was no way to stop them.

“Orders from the Vice Guild Master. Finish your preparations and assemble in one hour. Our final destination is…”

Go Se-won paused, then said in a low voice,

“London, United Kingdom.”

They wouldn’t need passports for this trip.

Advanced illusion magic and special makeup concealed their faces, names, and even fingerprints. Exactly one hour later, they gathered before a long-distance Teleportation magic circle.

Then they walked into the dazzling light.

Whoosh!

The next morning, Go Jun received the news he’d been waiting for from his Head of Security.

“It was a success. Of the security team’s thirty members, two were killed, but the rest—”

“What about Song Cheonwoo’s family?”

“…We captured them all alive. Teams One and Two have stayed behind, disguised as the existing security personnel. They’ve taken control of the mansion and are keeping watch.”

“Well done. I knew I could count on you, Team Leader Go.”

“The team paid a heavy price. We made the most of our advantage and took them by surprise, but security at the mansion was tighter than expected. Two of our men were killed…”

“It’s fine. You took care of the aftermath, right?”

After a short silence, Go Se-won answered.

“Yes. We’ve taken control of their communications network, and we used enchantment magic to learn every code word and reporting procedure. Even if someone contacts them, they’re unlikely to suspect much.”

“How long can you keep it up?”

“Four days at most.”

“That’s long enough to finish this. Contact that old man, Song Cheonwoo. Tell him Lunar New Year is coming and it’s been too long since we saw each other.”

Go Jun laughed aloud, imagining the look on the old traitor’s face when they met. Then he looked up.

“Oh, and Team Leader Go.”

Go Se-won had been watching his superior with an unreadable expression. He quickly composed himself.

“Yes, Vice Guild Master.”

“Sorry. The good news made me forget.”

“Oh.”

“You know how distracted I’ve been lately. You understand, don’t you?”

“Not at all, sir!”

His answer came out more forcefully than before.

Of course. No matter how much he’s changed, he wouldn’t do that.

Go Se-won waited for the words he’d been hoping to hear. Instead, Go Jun’s next remark stopped him cold.

“You’re always working hard. Take this for yourself.”

“…!”

Slide.

Go Jun set a spotless white envelope on the table.

Considering the nature of the matter, it obviously contained a check for a substantial sum. Judging from his experience, it was probably at least ten billion won.²

But an envelope of bonus money wasn’t what he’d wanted.

Still…

“Thank you, Vice Guild Master.”

Go Se-won accepted the envelope politely and bowed deeply.

By then, his gaze had grown deep and unreadable as he stared at the man reflected in the spotless, gleaming marble.

Martial arts are made up of countless movements.

Thrusting and cutting. Striking and smashing.

Link movements like those together, and they become a form.

Whoosh! Bang!

I punched into empty space. Compressed air exploded, and my hair fluttered.

I continued through the forms against an imaginary opponent.

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh! Slash!

Everything I’d seen and learned firsthand, every insight I’d gained, flowed into the forms. One led naturally into the next without pause.

Forms linked together. A combat sequence.

Boom-boom-boom!

The edge of my hand. My elbow. My shoulder. Every part of my body turned and twisted as I struck in every direction.

Learning martial arts had taught me once again that a weapon didn’t have to be a blade.

Anything that can hurt an enemy is a weapon.

That was why training mattered. With enough of it, you could break a neck with one finger or split a rock with a rusty carving knife.

Whoom! Bang!

My heel came down like lightning and slammed into the ground. That strike would have crushed the skull of even an A-rank monster with a hard outer shell.

But there were no enemies to bring down here.

The hundred or so corpses—human or monster—existed only in my imagination.

“Hoo…”

I let out a quiet breath.

Clap, clap, clap.

A vigorous round of applause rang out from behind me.