Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Blue Dragon Gang headquarters.

Two members stood in front of the building, yawning openly.

Three more were smoking a short distance away.

There was always a chance we'd be discovered the moment we approached.

But wasn't there a saying that strength made complicated situations simple?

In Yeonhae checked the faces of the five men and immediately moved.

"The guy with the buff skill isn't here. Then I'll infiltrate first."

A faint haze rose around her.

The five gangsters near the building immediately stiffened.

Judging from how their shocked expressions changed at an unnaturally slow speed, she'd placed some kind of slowing debuff on them.

In Yeonhae raised one hand with her index finger extended.

That was the signal.

She moved forward.

Choi Hyeong-seok and Phoenix Guild followed behind her.

Near the building, they split into two groups.

One consisted of In Yeonhae, Choi Hyeong-seok, and several Phoenix Guild members.

The other was led by Phoenix Guild Master Kim Gyu-o with the remaining guild members.

The two groups moved toward opposite sides of the building.

Then they began climbing the walls.

Seeing two or three people disappear through each window in the blink of an eye was impressive.

"Wow. Hunters really do have ridiculous physical ability."

"You're a Hunter too, idiot."

"I mean... I've never done stuff like that, so seeing it makes me realize what Hunters can actually do."

CRACK! BOOM!

The battle began with a violent sound from inside the building.

"Let's go too."

Eom Seok-hwan quickly headed toward the entrance.

First, he dealt with the five men who were still moving slowly because of In Yeonhae's skill.

His punches were refreshingly direct.

WHAM!

"Guh!"

Each of the five collapsed unconscious after taking a single proper punch.

Was that really a human fist?

I quietly admired it before following him to the first-floor entrance.

The lobby was empty, probably because of the commotion upstairs.

Eom Seok-hwan dramatically drew the Scale Sword and warned me again.

"Don't forget. Stay behind me."

"I know."

"And if I get pushed behind this line? Hand me the flute immediately and get out of the building."

Eom Seok-hwan drew a line in the floor with his sword right behind where he stood.

For someone whose skill was apparently related to cutting, the line was absurdly clean.

He kept repeating the same warning, clearly anxious.

What finally stopped him was the noise growing closer.

BOOM!

CRASH!

CRACK!

RATATATAT!

The louder the commotion upstairs became, the heavier the footsteps shaking the building grew.

"Grab that bastard! Beat him down!"

Two Phoenix Guild members came running down the stairs while someone shouted furiously behind them.

Following them came gangsters with swollen faces, one bleeding from the head, another limping, and several more in similar condition.

"After slapping them around properly, I already feel better. We'll join up and help block the first-floor entrance!"

The Phoenix Guild members looked as happy as children returning from a game of tag.

They'd clearly retreated because the fight had become unfavorable.

Even so, they seemed completely satisfied after tormenting the Blue Dragon Gang on the way.

Considering how many years they'd spent unable to retaliate because of the Association, their reaction was understandable.

The gangsters coming down the stairs hesitated, trying to understand the situation.

Then someone shouted.

"That's Eom Seok-hwan! What the hell are you doing all the way in Jeongmyeong?! Outsiders stay out of this!"

"You charged in just because you trusted Eom Seok-hwan? You're making a huge mistake!"

The Phoenix Guild members shouted right back.

"Shut the hell up! Your mistake was messing with Yeonwoo Guild in the first place! We knew you idiots were frogs in a well!"

"You bastards are screwed!"

"Stop talking and come at us! Hryaaah!"

With Eom Seok-hwan supporting them, Phoenix Guild's fighting style could be summed up in one phrase.

Hit and run.

And the Blue Dragon Gang clearly interpreted that as mockery.

Their faces turned bright red.

They stopped trying to understand the situation and charged.

At that exact moment, I heard another group coming down the stairs.

"F-Fuck! Move! Get out of the way!"

This time, the Blue Dragon Gang appeared first.

Anyone could tell they were being chased downstairs.

Sure enough, Choi Hyeong-seok stood on the stair landing above them with a nasty grin.

He lowered his voice and shouted.

"Hey! Come at me like you did in the pottery village!"

KRAKA-BOOM!

Choi Hyeong-seok used his skill in an overwhelmingly threatening display.

The gangsters panicked and practically tumbled down the stairs.

They were so terrified that they didn't even notice Choi Hyeong-seok was angling his blade to avoid fatal wounds.

Once he confirmed that the gangsters he'd chased down had mixed into the group Phoenix Guild was already fighting, he turned and headed back upstairs.

He was probably going to support In Yeonhae.

Hunter In Yeonhae must be fighting the gang member with the buff skill.

The mysterious buff-type Awakened we'd seen in the pottery village.

And In Yeonhae, whose main strength was debuffs.

The two of them naturally countered one another.

But if In Yeonhae didn't handle that person, our side's injuries would only increase.

In the end, they'd probably neutralize each other's skills and have to rely on their weapons and comrades.

I glanced at Eom Seok-hwan's back.

He stood like an iron wall.

Sweat slowly gathered on the hand holding the Manpasikjeok.

"Not yet. Not yet... just a little longer!"

Eom Seok-hwan shouted toward me while I remained ready to use the flute at any moment.

I quickly understood what he was waiting for.

He's looking for one perfect timing.

We had no idea how large the item's effective range was.

And because the description said it affected only enemies, we couldn't properly test it beforehand.

If I use it even slightly too early, things will become harder.

If the Blue Dragon Gang noticed the flute and started fighting with their ears covered, casualties could increase.

We had to subdue them.

They had no such restriction.

There are more of them now.

As time passed, more gangsters filled the first-floor lobby.

That was part of the plan.

Anyone who couldn't be easily subdued was supposed to be lured to the first floor.

Which also meant our side was gradually being pushed by numbers.

We were already outnumbered.

And some Phoenix Guild members had to be separated to block escape routes.

The overall situation was becoming more disadvantageous by the second.

Eom Seok-hwan really is incredible.

The only reason the balance hadn't completely tipped toward the Blue Dragon Gang was him.

With me behind him, he was holding off nearly ten gangsters at once.

Thrust.

Slash.

Between those simple movements, I couldn't see a single opening.

To someone like me who knew nothing about swordsmanship, his movements simply looked smooth and flowing.

Almost like a sword dance.

But the same motions that looked graceful to me were clearly terrifying to the gangsters.

Every time his sword moved, they shoved one another backward.

Or got smashed aside by the flat of the blade.

Still, no matter how strong he was, there was a limit.

The back of Eom Seok-hwan's clothes became soaked with sweat.

"Hryaaah! I'm back!"

At that moment, the Phoenix Guild Master came downstairs holding a gang member who looked like an executive by the hair.

"Hyung! You bastards! Have you got no respect?! Let him go!"

"You fucking Phoenix bastard!"

"If I catch you, I'm going to fucking XXXX your XXXX!"

Apparently Kim Gyu-o had specifically targeted one of their executives and dragged him down as a hostage.

There were cuts all over the Guild Master's body.

"Who's still missing?!"

"Hunter In Yeonhae and Hunter Choi Hyeong-seok! And we still haven't seen the Blue Dragon Gang leader!"

"They must be together! Damn it. We can't hold much longer!"

After being swept along by Eom Seok-hwan and Phoenix Guild's momentum, even the Blue Dragon Gang finally seemed to realize what was happening.

"It's a trap! A trap! They're planning something!"

"Get out of the first floor! Now!"

"Don't point weapons at them! Their goal is to keep us here!"

Commands erupted from different directions.

Instead of fighting, the gangsters began desperately trying to escape.

That immediately made our side busier too.

"Block them!"

"Don't let them escape!"

Chaeri flew around, completely distracting the enemy.

I kept my entire body tense, ready to blow the Manpasikjeok at any second.

Then the last group arrived.

"We've captured the Blue Dragon Gang boss!"

Choi Hyeong-seok's booming voice rang out.

Behind him, In Yeonhae slowly descended the stairs with a sword pressed against someone's neck.

"Boss!"

The near-scream caused the chaos to pause for just a moment.

"Do Hwa-in! Now!"

The instant I heard Eom Seok-hwan's signal, I blew into the Manpasikjeok with all my strength.

I'd never had anything to do with musical instruments.

All I could do was force the flute to make the loudest sound possible.

Piiiiiiii!

A red mist appeared around me.

In an instant, it spread throughout the entire first-floor lobby.

Instinctively, I understood.

The mist represented the area where the flute's sound could reach.

The brief pause caused by the Blue Dragon Gang spotting their captured boss.

A gap barely longer than an instant.

The flute's sound slipped perfectly into it.

The red mist spread until it surrounded every gang member gathered near the first-floor entrance.

That was enough.

The gloomy note reached everyone in the lobby.

Everyone still conscious heard the Manpasikjeok.

And among them...

Those I recognized as enemies showed a clear reaction.

Clang.

Thud.

Clatter....

Weapons struck the floor and bounced.

One by one, hands lost their strength.

Some completely released their weapons.

Others simply lowered raised blades until they dragged against the floor.

"Ugh... sob...."

"We're all going to die.... We're finished... it's over...."

"What was the point of any of this? Ha... I've wasted my whole life."

"...Mom. I'm sorry."

Then came quiet sniffles.

Muttered regrets.

Self-reproach.

Some simply sat down without saying anything.

Their expressions were blank.

Their eyes empty.

It looked like they weren't thinking about anything at all.

In Yeonhae stared at the Blue Dragon Gang boss in her arms as tears streamed from his eyes.

Her face filled with disgust.

Then she removed her sword.

Thump.

The Blue Dragon Gang boss sagged against the stair railing and sighed again and again.

He didn't say much.

But anyone could tell he had completely lost heart.

In Yeonhae looked over the visibly defeated gangsters, then hopped over people one by one until she reached me.

"Wow. That's incredible. This is one of those items, right? One containing a Story?"

"Yeah...."

Even I was surprised by how immediate the effect was.

I shouldn't sell this.

I liked it far more than expected.

Unlike the defensive barrier in Eumgil Village, this item directly altered another person's emotions.

One breath produced this much effect.

Its power was impressive.

And until now, I'd never had a proper personal self-defense item.

I could use this instead.

A sculptor who plays a flute....

The strange combination made me laugh inwardly.

The lobby had become complete chaos.

Unconscious people.

Depressed people.

Stunned people.

Clap, clap!

Eom Seok-hwan clapped twice, gathering everyone's attention.

"All right, everyone. Check your injuries. Let's clean this up."

Calm and composed.

Exactly what you'd expect from the captain of Raid Team Two.

He had to be surprised too.

While the Phoenix Guild members recovered and began carrying the gangsters away, Eom Seok-hwan quietly approached me and whispered.

"If you're ever going to sell that thing, please. Please sell it to Yeonwoo Guild."

"I'm not selling it."

"...Good. Honestly, that's better. Just keep it as your personal self-defense weapon."

Pat. Pat.

His hand landed heavily on my shoulder twice.

Yeah.

That had been my plan anyway.

Still, we'd need to be careful not to let information about the Manpasikjeok leak outside.

Otherwise, whenever enemies saw me, the first thing they'd do would be put in earplugs.

The police arrived after Yeonwoo Guild reported the incident and began arresting the Blue Dragon Gang members one by one.

Even after the Manpasikjeok's effect ended, the depression didn't disappear from their faces.

It seemed the aftereffects had sunk deep into their bones.

"Even if the Blue Dragon Gang members return to society later, they won't be able to operate like before."

Eom Seok-hwan spoke with certainty.

Everyone looked toward him again.

"...Why not?"

The Phoenix Guild Master's question carried obvious expectation.

Eom Seok-hwan answered by asking him something in return.

"Do you think Yeonwoo Guild would've handed them over to the police without planning the follow-up?"

"Ah."

Then the Guild Master burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

"Don't forget that our vice guild master is Hunter Kim Sang-hyeon."

"I know! I know! Hahahaha!"

So Yeonwoo Guild intended to keep an eye on them even after they were released.

I didn't know what that management would look like.

But I had a feeling it would be terrifying.

Karma.

I didn't think we'd punished them.

What happened today was far too light to count as punishment for all the crimes they'd committed.

And who were we to decide their punishment anyway?

They'd simply crossed the line and received one very painful lesson.

"Hahaha... Hrk."

The Phoenix Guild Master had been laughing for a long time.

At some point, his eyes had become red.

"Thank you. Yeonwoo Guild, Crafter Do Hwa-in... truly. Thank you so much!"

We tried to decline his gratitude.

He ignored us and dragged everyone to a barbecue restaurant.

Later, with his face now red from alcohol instead of tears, he asked,

"Are you leaving Jeongmyeong City now?"

"No."

I shook my head.

"I still have to do what I originally came to Jeongmyeong for."

"Your original purpose?"

"Yes."

The next day.

We received another flood of thanks in the pottery village.

Apparently word had spread quickly.

When we returned with the villager who had been resting at the hotel, the village was packed with people.

The moment they spotted In Yeonhae and Choi Hyeong-seok with swords at their waists, their eyes lit up.

"Um... you're Hunters from Yeonwoo Guild, right? And this gentleman is Crafter Do Hwa-in?"

"Yes? That's right. Why?"

Choi Hyeong-seok asked while subtly scanning the area around me.

"You were at Phoenix Guild too, weren't you?"

"Yes. We were."

The villagers were so excited they didn't even notice the caution in his voice.

"Oh! It's really them!"

One villager shouted toward the others behind him, then grabbed Choi Hyeong-seok's hand.

"Thank you! Goodness, thank you. I haven't been able to sleep because of those people. My insides were burning so badly I thought I'd end up in the hospital."

"Wait, how do you already know what happened to the Blue Dragon Gang...?"

"Of course we know! Those bastards got taken to the police station. How could rumors not spread?"

"Ah."

"Word is they've already lost all motivation and shut themselves inside."

Before I knew it, villagers had grabbed my hands too.

Choi Hyeong-seok flinched, but I gave him a look telling him it was fine.

In Yeonhae was no different.

Hands belonging to who knew whom patted her back and squeezed her hands while people thanked her.

"Huh? Isn't that Mr. Park over there?"

Then someone spotted the villager standing behind us, staring at the crowded pottery village.

"Do you know how worried we were when you disappeared?"

"Sirs, you saved Mr. Park too, didn't you? Goodness, how are we supposed to repay this?"

"There's nothing to repay. I only want to try making pottery."

Right.

This entire mess had started because I'd come here during an inspiration trip to experience ceramics.

My ultimate goal had always been to make pottery in this village.

How had things somehow escalated this far?

Still... those expressions are a little overwhelming....

In Yeonhae and Choi Hyeong-seok were staring at me with sparkling eyes.

Exactly the same look my juniors at the university had given me.

While I subtly avoided their gazes, one of the villagers approached with a smile.

"You have such a kind heart. You're saying that because you don't want us to feel burdened, aren't you? Fine. Experience as much pottery as you want. Take some of the ceramics we made too. We'll prepare delicious food."

"No, really, I only came for the pottery experience...."

"It's fine! Don't make us feel shameless."

And just like that, everyone swept us into the pottery village.

The villager they'd called Mr. Park still carried the sack of natural clay against his chest exactly as he had when we'd escaped.

There wasn't a single shattered ceramic piece visible anymore.

There were fewer pieces displayed outside than when we'd first visited.

Even so, the village didn't feel empty.

The villagers' faces were far too bright for that.

Rrrrrrr.

The pottery wheel spun vigorously.

Natural clay, filtered over and over to remove impurities, twisted and shifted on top of it.

A sponge soaked with water dampened the clay.

The softened material gradually took shape under my hands.

The centrifugal force from the wheel was stronger than expected.

The clay seemed desperate to escape my grip.

Tension gathered from my fingertips to my shoulders and back.

Even simply pressing a hole into the clay with my thumb and maintaining the shape of a long-necked bottle required several failed attempts.

If there was one similarity to sculpture, it was that the material changed shape beneath my fingertips.

Everything else was different.

When I sculpted, it felt like I was revealing the work hidden inside the material.

Pottery was different.

I rolled and guided the clay with both hands, gradually shaping it into something.

Even the feeling of the finished work was completely different.

The only part that felt familiar was carving patterns into the dried ceramic surface.

Still, trying a new art form really gives you a rush.

This is dopamine.

Why had I chosen sculpture out of all the countless kinds of art?

And why did I insist on using old traditional methods?

Experiencing another form of art made the reasons I'd chosen sculpture feel even clearer.

"Excuse me. Is Crafter Do Hwa-in here?"

That was when someone wearing a three-piece suit completely out of place in the pottery village appeared.

"Ah. There you are."

"Who are you?"

In Yeonhae blocked the man with one arm.

The man's eyebrows drooped as he answered.

"My, I'm not sure what I've done to deserve such suspicion. Does Yeonwoo Guild's security work involve threatening innocent civilians?"

"Please get to the point."

I interrupted before he could say anything else.

As though he'd been waiting for that, the man reached inside his suit and presented a business card.

"I'm this person."

[TIDY
Executive Director of Sales
Jeon Dae-hun]