제국사냥꾼

퉁구스카
 – STORY –

Magic has returned.

Those who have safeguarded the most worthless

knowledge will begin to dream the most epic dreams.

– GENRE –

Fantasy Tragedy
December in Singapore was a season of heavy rainfall. The tropical city, where
showers swept through, was filled with humid air. Christmas carols echoed through
the sweltering streets. Even in this scorching city, the giant Santa sculpture was
dressed in thick, red fur. People gathered in front of it, smiling and taking
commemorative photos. They were oblivious to what was happening right now and
had no idea of the events that would unfold in the future.

“Hyungnim.”

One of my subordinates called out in a soft tone.

“Do you see that ‘Magic Power’ here too?”

I had given the name “Magic Power” to what I believed was the source of magic. It
had been in short supply for a very long time, but for some reason, it had started
overflowing in the sky and on the ground three days ago.

I frowned as I replied.

“Yes. It’s flowing everywhere, to the point where there’s no corner left untouched.”

Upon hearing my response, my subordinate looked around with a curious gaze.

However, to ordinary eyes, there was nothing unusual to be seen. Unless they were
like me, with their eyes gouged out and relics embedded.

Another subordinate chimed in eagerly.

“Shouldn’t we go back early, then? To prepare for something. If we hurry, we might

be able to book a flight to Incheon before the sun sets.”

“No. It would raise suspicions.”

“Suspicions?”
“Leaving for a foreign country and staying for less than half a day is not a common
occurrence.”

“Ah!”

“Those who have noticed this significant change would have had the same thought…
‘First, I need to confirm whether this is happening only where I am or if it’s a global
phenomenon.’ Later, in order to avoid exposure to their tracking, we must avoid
obvious actions.”

“I see!”

“If we wanted to save time from the beginning, we should have hurried from
Australia. Three days in Brisbane and today and tomorrow here would provide a
reasonable alibi.”

Schedules with this much leeway would get lost in the everyday concerns of people
who had both money and time to spare.

“So, both of you should just enjoy your trip like ordinary travelers. This
phenomenon… even if this abnormal excess of Magic Power continues, there won’t
be any immediate trouble. Visible changes will come slowly.”

“Kuhh! You always have a plan, Hyungnim!”

“Lower your voices.”

“Yes!”

“Lower them.”

“Yes…”

One of my two subordinates became subdued.

As I had mentioned, Singapore was the second destination of this trip. A flight
forming a huge triangle with Incheon, Brisbane, and Singapore as its vertices. The
goal of this short trip was to confirm the density changes of Magic Power based on
longitude and latitude.
If the distribution of Magic Power were localized, the density would change with a
change in location. Furthermore, the distribution could take the form of a wide area
or a narrow strip. That’s why I had planned this triangular flight. A triangle was the
minimum condition for forming an area.

The results confirmed that the distribution of Magic Power was uniform in all the
places we had visited.

Considering the area of the triangle I had drawn, even if the density of Magic Power
decreased outside of it, the influence of its sides was likely to extend globally. I
resisted the temptation to draw a larger triangle, weighing the risks of future tracing
against the certainty it would provide.

The remaining question was how long this change would last…

On that matter, no one on Earth would be able to provide an answer.

As I pondered, I realized that the hotel I had booked was nearby. Walking into the
lobby, I felt my subordinates watching me, like eager puppies.

“Kyung-tae, I told you to lower your voice, but I didn’t say to keep your mouth shut.”

“Ah.”

“If you have something to say, go ahead.”

As soon as I gave him permission, the guy eagerly started talking.

“This is the Intercontinental, right?”

“What about it?”

“From what I’ve found, there’s a bar just one block away from here that claims to
serve every drink in the world. It’s probably an exaggeration, but it’s known among
locals. How about stopping by there?”

“You want to start looking for alcohol before the sun even sets?”

“You told us to enjoy the trip, didn’t you? After all, isn’t half of traveling about eating
and drinking? And they won’t just serve alcohol there. You could have a drink, then
after sunset, you can explore the local night market, try some dim sum, have some
laksa, and enjoy all kinds of skewers with a cold beer.”

…He went on and on, talking a lot. I wondered what he had found during that short
pause.

Still, it was a better plan than just staying holed up in the hotel. When your mind is
tangled, it’s good to deliberately look for something to do. Good ideas tend to come
when you have some leisure. I nodded to him, indicating that he should go ahead.

“All right, let’s check in first.”

“Thank you, Hyungnim!”

“Your voice.”

“Yes.”

It was a place with a lot of tourists. There was nothing to gain from attracting
attention.

After leaving our luggage in the room, it was just past 5 PM. Across the street, a
modern-style National Library building stood tall. Personally, I preferred books to
alcohol, and I could read in both English and Mandarin, but right now, it didn’t seem
like anything I read would register in my mind.

“Shall we go, Hyungnim? I’ll guide you.”

Eager Kyung-tae guided us from behind. I heard a sigh from the opposite side.

Finally, we arrived at a place that was magnificent from the inside out. Even just the
two-story-high ceiling and the spacious area would be an unimaginable luxury in
Singapore, where land prices were sky-high. Shelves on a large pillar were filled with
bottles of liquor, and they sparkled in various colors under the bright green light.
While the claim of serving every drink in the world might be an exaggeration, the
lineup certainly looked top-notch.

Inside, a jazz-arranged carol was playing. The volume was just right so that
conversations wouldn’t be drowned out.
“Take your time choosing.”

The girl who guided us to the table went away with a smile and left us with the
menu. Flipping through it quickly, there were 25 pages of regular beverages alone,
and the special collection had 108 pages. The guy who talked too much earlier
suddenly had his mouth agape. I pushed the collection book toward him.

“You look.”

“Can I order from this?”

“I’ll go with champagne for myself. I don’t want to get too drunk.”

Kyung-tae, who was excited earlier, turned his seat to look at me.

“What about Suyeon-noonim?”

“The same as Hyungnim.”

“Okay. Then I’ll have champagne too. Since we’re drinking together, it’s better to
order a bottle. You two can check out the snacks.”

Saying that, he stared at the collection book. The sound of pages turning, completely
absorbed. I wondered if it would be nice to be so engrossed in something like that.

“Wow!”

He found something and was surprised. Once again, he glanced at me.

“What is it?”

“There’s a bottle here that’s 750 milliliters and costs $197,000.”

“Champagne?”

“Yes. It’s insane, isn’t it?”

$197,000 in Singapore dollars was roughly 1.6 billion Korean won. You could drink
Dom Perignon Oenotheque, a high-end brand, for 300,000 yen in the heart of Tokyo.
I nodded slightly to Kyung-tae.
“Let me see.”

“Sure.”

The open page had product descriptions written in English.

[On October 26, 1916, in the midst of World War I, a small smuggling schooner
named ‘Jonkoping’ set sail from Gavle Port in southern Sweden. This ship was loaded
with 3,000 bottles of champagne ordered by the last Russian Emperor, Nicholas II…]

The narrative continued with various details, including being sunk by a German U-
boat U-22 off the coast of Finland, but the summary was that it was champagne from
a century ago retrieved from the bottom of the sea. It remained preserved due to the
pressure and temperature of the seabed.

“It’s from 1907 and costs $197,000.”

“It’s champagne that has been aged for a hundred years. Aren’t you curious about the
taste?”

The sound of swallowing objections. I looked at Kyung-tae.

“Do you want to try it?”

“Of course! But the price…”

“Order it.”

“Oh? Oooooohhhh?!”

Kyung-tae cheered, clenching his fists.

“This isn’t a dream, right? I’ll be forever loyal to you, Hyungnim! Hahaha.”

Perhaps not liking the way things were going, Suyeon politely interjected.

“Hyungnim, if you keep indulging him like this, he’ll get spoiled.”

“What’s wrong with that, Noonim?”

“Your behavior…”

“You’re arguing with facts.”

“Facts, what…?”

I tapped the table with my fingers to break up their discussion. The two fell silent
immediately.

“This champagne has seen the light after a hundred years. Isn’t it okay to drink it in
commemoration on a day like today? Shall we have a glass together?”

It was the day we first sensed the magic source overflow, anyway, and today was
when we’d confirmed it was a worldwide phenomenon. Whether it was for a good
reason or a bad one, it was worth commemorating. In a way, there was a common
thread between the return of the magic source and the champagne from the sunken
ship.

Suyeon, who usually shied away from extravagance, reluctantly agreed.

“Okay.”

However, Kyung-tae, with his large build, was watching for cues. After all, indulging
in such extravagance for reasons other than business was not common. It would be
better for me to place the order.

The waitress who responded to our call listened to the order and couldn’t hide her
surprise. But she quickly assessed the situation and gave us a sweet smile.

“Your order has been confirmed. Is there anything else you’d like?”

I ordered a few snacks in addition.

“We’ll bring the food as soon as it’s ready. Please wait a moment.”

The footsteps of the waitress, who was now moving away, seemed light. She was
probably feeling like she was floating, considering the service charge added to the
bill. It was 10% of the price with tax added, equivalent to the cost of a small car. They
would have to split it with the other employees though.
Not long after, the drinks and food were served. There were twelve pieces of sea
urchin roe with yuzu sauce and lemon, croquettes the size of a bite filled with La
Peral cheese and shallot pickles, a plate of Madeleines with no added sugar, and a
dish of grilled piadina topped with anchovies. These were things that could be made
relatively quickly, as long as the preparation was done.

It may seem like a lot, but if I didn’t order like this, Suyeon would hide her
preferences and make things difficult. In places like this, I had to be careful because
she was the type of person who would avoid causing trouble by confirming my
orders one by one.

The champagne had almost no label left, and the glass bottle and cork still had traces
of the sea and the passage of time that meticulous cleaning couldn’t remove. The
manager personally came out and showed me the Christie’s auction certificate,
guaranteeing its authenticity. It was a certificate made so that customers could check
the unique number with the auction house. I’ll have Kyung-tae take it as a souvenir.

“Alright, let’s open it.”

With permission granted, the manager carefully handled the bottle, removing the
cork. Since it was so old, it had to be handled delicately to prevent any damage.

“Shall I pour it into the glasses for you?”

In response to the manager’s question, Kyung-tae, who had regained his appetite,
waved his hand and spoke in rough English.

“No, no. It’s okay. You may leave.”

The manager left, leaving a message that we should call if we needed anything.
Kyung-tae chuckled and politely held the bottle with both hands.

“Now, I’ll pour the first glass.”

I tilted my glass and received the champagne that Kyung-tae poured. From the
narrow glass, golden bubbles rose in a transparent whirlpool.

“You both should have some too.”

Taking the bottle that was passed to me, I filled the two of their glasses in order.
We clinked our glasses and tasted the champagne. The first sip, with the scent of oak
and fruits, was fresh with a moderate acidity and less sweetness. It was well-aged
and smooth, but in terms of pure taste, the high-end selections available in the
market were of a better quality.

Suyeon, seemingly feeling the same, made a slightly bitter expression.

“It doesn’t seem to have a taste as special as its price.”

Kyung-tae, who was savoring the experience, retorted.

“Hehe, Noonim, this is meant to be enjoyed with emotion, emotion.”

“Can emotions put food on the table?”

“Apple, a company, claims something like that.” (+) [1]

“…”

What kind of comic talk is this?

As I squeezed a lemon onto the thick scallops, Suyeon, who had taken a few sips, put
her glass down and asked.

“Hyungnim, what do you think will happen to the world if this situation continues
for a long time?”

“Well, that’s hard to say.”

I placed the lemon on the ice and fell into thought for a moment. The expected
changes were so massive that listing them one by one would be endless, and it was
not easy to choose the right words when shortening the explanation.

For now, it seemed best to say this.

“One thing is for sure. The world we live in is going to become more rugged,
dangerous, and unpredictable as time goes on.”
 1. TLN: Emotional branding is when a company tries to make you feel a certain
way about their products. Apple is great at this. They want you to feel happy,
creative, and like their stuff makes your life better. They use cool ads and
stylish products to make you like them. So in the story, when he mentions
“Apple,” it’s a joke about how good Apple is at making people feel certain
emotions to buy their products.
Suyeon, who had been gently stroking her lips, asked again.

“Is it because of people?”

I shook my head.

“No. It’s because of all living things.”

This answer seemed to surprise both Suyeon and Kyung-tae, who had been listening
intently. They might now be starting to grasp the enormity of the changes I was
anticipating.

“Magic wasn’t exclusively for humans, was it?”

“Yeah. More accurately, it was primitive magic.”

“Primitive magic?”

“Something closer to specialized superpowers in appearance. Most of the awakening

will likely manifest as enhanced life itself and other peripheral abilities.”

Implementing magic required a circuit to convert magic power into magic circuits
engraved in the soul. In environments rich in magic, the circuit naturally formed as
the soul connected to magic.

‘However, I can’t have such a sophisticated circuit as my own… ’

Having too much magic was also a problem. In this vast and turbulent flow, creating
highly integrated circuits was an impossible task.

So, primitive circuits could potentially surpass me in terms of the total amount of
flowing energy, but they might suffer from leakage, wastage, and reduced complexity
in utilizing that energy. I suspect that they might only effectively utilize energy at a
rate that didn’t even reach 1%.

There exists an insurmountable gap between those who were mages before and
those who were newly awakening.

I explained all of this to the two of them, slowly, calmly, and in an organized manner.

As we spoke, the soft glow of twilight filled the inside of the glass, casting a beautiful
light even in my extraordinary field of vision.

Kyung-tae, who had been looking at my glass absentmindedly, scratched his head.

“Ah, I sort of get it, but it’s hard to imagine. People, but also, what was it, like wild
boars, are becoming much more dangerous than they are now, right?”

I tilted my head.

“Why wild boars, of all things?”

“They’re the first thing that comes to mind. They often come down to residential
areas. You hear news about them rushing into convenience stores or ramming cars.
So, imagine that, like superpowered wild boars? I mean, a lot of people could get
hurt or killed, right? Haha.”

Hmm.

“True, but when considering the total amount of damage, there are creatures that
could be more troublesome. I’m talking about species with a direct motive to attack
humans.”

“Like?”

“For example…”

I thought of the animal that kills the most humans in the world.

“Mosquitoes.”

“Uh, mosquitoes?”
“Yes.”

I picked up a piece of rock candy, swallowed it, and continued.

“It’s a rather extreme example, but imagine a world where even insecticides struggle
to work, and mosquitoes with sheer strength tear through mosquito nets to get in. It
would be incredibly extreme, wouldn’t it?”

“Huh?”

Kyung-tae protested.

“You mean, those creatures might appear in swarms?”

“I said it’s an extreme example.”

“So…?”

“The likelihood of awakening, as well as the strength of abilities, will be proportional

to the creature’s body mass and the time it has lived. There will also be differences
depending on the species.”

Mosquitoes had small souls. With a small soul in a small body, the exposed surface
area to magic, and thus the size of the circuit that could be created, would also be
small.

However.

‘The problem lies in numbers.’

Perhaps because I had a sip of champagne while pondering, my contemplation

temporarily drifted in a less productive direction. How many mosquitoes were there
in this world?

I should calculate this using Fermi estimation.

Since mosquitoes exist even in deserts, except for polar regions, we should assume
that mosquitoes were distributed globally, with varying population densities. The
approximate area would be about 13 million square kilometers, maybe?
Let’s roughly estimate that there was one mosquito per 5 square meters in places
like deserts, swamps, and grasslands…

260 billion mosquitoes.

Even if the probability of awakening was one in ten thousand, it meant that right
now, there were 260 million super mosquitoes ready to emerge. Moreover, this
probability was repeated with every generation. In reality, it would feel like many
more.

Although this was an imprecise estimate, it implied something significant. If the

proliferation of magic power was not resolved early, humanity would have to live in
such a world. Starting with tiny creatures like mosquitoes, all living environments
would become unfamiliar and hostile.

Kyung-tae splashed some water on his face.

“I might have to sell my stocks…”

Suyeon, who was taking notes, narrowed her eyes.

“Why are you suddenly talking about stocks?”

“I think the uncertainty in the future global economy might worsen.”

“…”

He was quite consistent.

“What did you buy?”

Kyung-tae answered when asked.

“Cell X Leone.”

“Any profit?”

“No, I’m in the red. I’ve been holding onto it since the end of the year before last,
around 200,000, as Kim-ajussi in Yeouido advised me… I should have sold it when it
hit 300,000, but I got greedy watching it go up…”
“You made a mistake.”

“I know I did.”

Kyung-tae looked sulky. Kim-ssi in Yeouido was the executive in charge of my

domestic asset management, and it seemed he also shared investment advice with
Kyung-tae.

“Don’t rush.”

“What?”

“All the things we’ve discussed so far are about what could happen if the magic
power proliferation becomes a long-term issue.”

If this phenomenon ended in the short term… Although it might not evaporate all at
once, there likely wouldn’t be such severe chaos. In a bear market, it might even be
the right time to buy. It would stabilize soon.

Of course, it was just a prediction.

“So you’re saying that we’ll have to wait and see a bit more.”

“That’s right.”

I refilled their glasses until they were full. Now the bottle was empty. Kyung-tae,
upon seeing the champagne overflowing as if it would spill over any moment,
exclaimed and sucked it down. He was the one encouraging me to drink more. Not to
mention Suyeon.

What’s the big deal? It’s just alcohol even if it’s expensive.

The rich flavor of lemon and butter in the madeleine paired wonderfully with the
champagne. The oily softness of the madeleine, when paired with the champagne’s
cold crispness, was a delightful combination.

Suyeon, who had been watching me drink with a steady gaze, carefully spoke up.

“It seems like you, Hyungnim, aren’t exactly pleased with this situation.”
She had good observation skills. I admitted my concerns openly.

“That’s correct.”

“I can’t believe… Huh? Why?”

Kyung-tae, a beat late, wore a puzzled expression.

“Hyungnim, shouldn’t you be able to use your abilities without sacrificing those who
should die now?”

“Soon, it’ll come to that.”

“Huh? ‘Soon’? Not right away?”

“Even with a lot of magic power, it’s too much.”

To harness my potential, I needed to adjust my circuits according to the changing

environment. Before doing so, running the circuits at full capacity would result in
cellular-level collapse or turning into a vegetable, just like an electronic circuit frying
due to overvoltage. In fact, even now, while I was sitting still, a light load was being
applied.

Kyung-tae couldn’t hide his confusion.

“Anyway, if you become much stronger than before, is there a problem?”

“Of course. The stronger I become, the stronger those in London will become.”

By those in London, I meant the former associates of my master.

Beside Kyung-tae, Suyeon nodded thoughtfully.

“I didn’t… consider it that far. You once mentioned that they were people who would
live quietly in the world’s shadows, right?”

“That was the case then. All that remained for those imperialists was their past
glory.”

But now it was different. Struggling with a shortage of magic power, London’s mages
were about to obtain tremendous power and influence. They’d looted knowledge
and artifacts from all over the world during the time when the sun never set on their
empire.

I muttered with a slight irritation.

“My former master, that damned white-haired bastard, has done things that can’t be
undone by him or me… So the clash between me and London is almost certain. It’s
going to be a long, dangerous, and exhausting fight.”

The “Eye of the Golden Age,” as they call it, was originally the most precious relic of
the London imperialists. I didn’t have the option of pulling it out and returning it to
save my life. The moment I pulled it out, I’d die from circuit rupture.

Thinking of my former master, memories of the tasteless alcohol from my days in the
orphanage resurfaced.

Sigh. What a despicable guy.

Suyeon asked.

“Is it impossible to hide and live, avoiding the prying eyes of that ‘London’?”

I responded decisively.

“Even if it’s possible, it’s a matter of luck.”

“…”

“I don’t want that. Rather than living a fugitive’s life in fear for the rest of my life, I’d
rather fight with everything I’ve got.”

Until one side or the other is completely finished.

In the memories left by my former master, there were the abhorrent values and
atrocities of the London imperialists. Just as it was with my master, to the fanatics, I
was just an impersonator, a decoy. There was no negotiating or coexisting with them;
they had no redeeming qualities or value.

“And I guarantee you, it’ll be beneficial for everyone, including you, when those guys
disappear from the Earth. They’re just cancer cells that would otherwise devour this
world.”

After finishing my statement, I controlled my emotions. Somehow, my tone had

become more rough. I usually refrained from revealing too much emotion, but when
it came to my master and the imperialist bastards, it was difficult not to.

A moment of silence settled on the table. The music playing at the bar and the
indistinct voices in the surroundings made for a chaotic backdrop.

Kyung-tae, who had been playing with the half-empty champagne glass, downed it
and shrugged.

“But, Hyungnim, it’s not going to change anything, is it? When you say ‘kill,’ we kill,
and when you say ‘die,’ we die, right?”

At that moment, I instinctively scanned Kyung-tae’s brain. There were no signs of

any falsehood in his frontal cortex or amygdala. (+) [1]

This guy was always like a tail-wagging dog. It was not an insult; he was genuinely
loyal, like a dog. Sometimes, he seemed like a lunatic though.

That’s why I didn’t mind spending 16 million on champagne.

“By the way, Hyungnim.”

Kyung-tae asked.

“We still have a lot of side dishes left. Can I order another bottle of champagne that
isn’t so outrageously expensive?”

“Do as you please.”

“Thank you!”

He immediately ordered a new bottle of champagne.

The guy, who had been flipping through the menu, pointed to a page.

“How about this one?”

“What is it?”

“It’s a 2000 vintage Krug ‘Sir Winston Churchill.'”

“…”

Krug is a champagne brand that Winston Churchill reportedly enjoyed. They still
sold products with his name on them. However, Churchill, while not directly related
to London’s mages, was morally a detestable imperialist scoundrel.

Suyeon and I looked at him in disbelief, and Kyung-tae laughed heartily.

“Feeling a bit better now?”

I clicked my tongue lightly.

“…Alcohol isn’t a sin.”

“Hehehe! Thank you very much, Hyungnim!”

He promptly ordered a new bottle of champagne.

The champagne bearing the name of an imperialist was far superior to the ‘American
Taste’ that had been rescued from the shipwreck a hundred years ago. However, the
design was absurd. Churchill’s face, pasted in gold leaf on the deep green bottle,
sparkled in the light.

Amidst all this, Kyung-tae turned his head and murmured as quietly as possible.

He looked like he was trying to suppress a chuckle.

This guy could be quite the character.

Afterward, we focused on eating and drinking quietly. It was partly a conscious effort
on my part. Thanks to Suyeon’s steady consumption of the spread of dishes, we
didn’t need a third bottle of champagne.

Kyung-tae looked at the empty plates and made a suggestion.

“Wouldn’t it be better to leave here and go out? I think they might be setting up a
night market like Lau Pa Sat around here soon.

At first, he was ambitious, but once the expensive champagne entered the equation,
it seemed his desires were somewhat satisfied.

The manager, who had been subtly keeping an eye on our table, finally relaxed after
the bill was settled. He escorted us to the door with a request to come back, along
with his farewell.

As we walked side by side toward the night market, Kyung-tae asked Suyeon.

“By the way, Noonim.”

“What?”

“I’ve been curious for a while. You’re a girl, so why do you call him ‘Hyungnim’?”

“Because I want to.”

“I see.”

Kyung-tae, who was acting all sophisticated, turned the tables and asked Suyeon.

“Then should I call him ‘oppa’?”

Kyung-tae hesitated for a moment, scratching his head.

“Um, that might not be quite right.”

The conversation, which had paused briefly here, soon shifted to a mundane topic.

Walking at a leisurely pace, we arrived at the famous Lau Pa Sat night market in the
city after about 40 minutes. Apart from barricading the street and setting up tables,
there was nothing particularly special about the place. However, once we were
seated, Kyung-tae, who had been ordering beer, seemed thoroughly delighted.
Suyeon, on the other hand, maintained her quiet eating habits even here.

Well…

Even such ordinary scenes might become increasingly rare in the future, so they had
their own significance.

After eating their fill and having their share of drinks, the two of them returned to
the hotel. It was around 11 o’clock.

“Rest well, Hyungnim.”

“May you have a comfortable night!”

Suyeon was in front, and Kyung-tae was in the back, joking around. It was a mood
lightened by alcohol.

“Yeah. Sleep well, both of you.”

As I entered my room, separated from them in the hallway, I looked at the dimly lit
bed and let out a heavy sigh.

 1. TLN: Amygdala is a small part of your brain, but it has a big job. It’s a major
processing center for emotions.
Dreams of revisiting the past were always the same nightmares.

“Come out!”

The roaring of my master was not in the form of a human.

“Where are you hiding?”

The pitch-black tentacles snaked through the narrow alley, filling it tightly. As I ran
frantically, my eyes were filled with panic, and my master’s outstretched hand looked
like a rushing torrent of black tar. Concrete bricks with cement-coated walls
collapsed on both sides, and fragments of slate roofs soared from the ruined
buildings.

The small house where my childhood memories were embedded was destroyed like
that.

“Come… out…!”

The thunderous anger of my master echoed. Although I knew it was a dream, I

couldn’t stop running. In this dream, my consciousness was trapped inside my past
self. Inside my skull, the sound of a heartbeat filled the space. Even as I ran
desperately, I couldn’t feel the wind. The heavy air clung like damp mucous
membranes. It felt like wandering through the belly of a monster.

The maze-like landscape, where similar intersections repeated, suddenly skipped

several seasons. This place was my past mental world. It was an abstract space
where various memories I had at that time were connected infinitely, randomly, and
like patchwork.

The boundaries between different memories looked like curtains made of shattered
mirror fragments that reflected different times. I could vaguely see beyond it, but my
master, who wasn’t the owner of the memory, seemed unable to. That difference was
the power that made this close escape possible.

Rumble—

When I turned around, my childhood home which I had barely escaped from was
collapsing like an earthquake. It was crumbling behind the billowing dust clouds.
The form of the furious Master was towering over it. It was a shadow much larger
than reality. However, this place was originally an area where the distinction
between substance and shadow was unclear.

I stumbled and screamed as I crossed the boundaries of new memories.

“There you are.”

My master spread darkness and turned it into wings. With several thunderous flaps,
he crossed the clouds and descended like a predator overstepping boundaries. His
lightning-fast claws tore through the entire surrounding landscape. Unconscious
chaos seethed between the cracked rifts.

I fell into the sewers under the crumbling road. Gasping for breath, I swallowed
sewage several times, got up on all fours, coughed, and started running again.

Haa, haa, haa.

As I tumbled into the hole, the liquefied Master flowed in after me. He expanded and
contracted until he took on the shape of a snake covered in black scales. Two yellow
eyes rose like suns penetrating the pumpkin-like darkness. The snake became a
horizontal waterfall and smashed through the iron bars, colliding with the wall. Gold
appeared on the ceiling, and concrete dust rained down.

At that time, I was just an ignorant child, but I instinctively realized that getting
caught would be the end.

That was a snake that devoured souls.

Fortunately, in my state of misery, I didn’t know that the randomness of the maze
created in the mental world was actually influenced by my desperate mind.

There was only one thing in my mind. Survive, escaping from my master.
The sewage drain led to a side passage, which served as a drainage tunnel to remove
rainwater. It was even more twisted and winding than reality, but somehow it didn’t
feel unfamiliar to me. At the end of the tunnel, once again, the boundary’s
shimmering curtain was in place. The shadow of the black snake flickered under the
pale streetlight, and a gust of wind-like breath shook my hair. At the moment when
the pursuer’s speed offset the complexity of the maze, I escaped the tunnel with a
single fleeting step.

As soon as I crossed the boundary of memory, gravity reversed.

Aaargh!

Once again, an uncontrollable scream from my present self. I fell from the sky above
my feet to the sky overhead. Following me, the snake that had crossed the boundary
turned its body in mid-air. Right after I saw that, rushing water struck my entire
body. Abnormally strong currents swept me downstream. The open jaws of the
snake head came through the surface with a roar, tearing into the space where I was.

In a futile protest, Master, infuriated, tried to transform himself to adapt to the new
environment. He had no choice. In this world, most of the spells that affected
physical reality didn’t work.

I swam frantically to the shore just before my master could complete his
transformation. Then what I saw was the view of the orphanage compound where I
had been picked up. At this time, surreal rain poured sporadically from the crimson-
stained sky. My master was caught in the swollen current and descended towards an
unfamiliar boundary. The curtain of shattered mirror pieces swallowed the rushing
stream. The distorted snake shape faded into the distant memories.

The 14 buildings of the orphanage were arranged according to a certain pattern.

Connecting the buildings created a heptagonal shape with seven lines. At the
intersections and corners where the lines crossed, the accommodations were
located. Compared to the number of buildings, the site was relatively small.

In the first building, there was one dead child.

In the second building, there were eight dead children.

In the third building, there were twelve dead children.

In the fourth building, there were nine dead children.

Thus, in the four small dormitories forming a heptagon, the total number of dead
boys and girls was 30.

Furthermore, from the fourth building to the seventh building, along the way, the
total number of corpses found was 30. From the seventh building, turning towards
the tenth building, the total number of dead children was again 30. After that, the
number of corpses found along a single line was always the same, 30.

This was, in essence, a magic square where the sum of each side was 30.

Unlike me back then, who was ignorant, I now understand the meaning of these
numbers.

A heptagon with all sides totaling 30 was completed when a ritualist drew seven
lines to add up to 31 at the center of a star. In numerology, 31 symbolizes the name
of God, “El,” and also means navigation. In other words, it became a journey toward
the divine. (+) [1]

On the other hand, the 7 of the heptagon represented eternity and life, and the magic
square represented inner balance and closed integrity.

Therefore, the horrifying ritual that sacrificed 105 boys and girls had the purpose of
a seeker of eternal life reaching out to the divine through a navigation ritual.

So, what were the consequences?

Christianity’s concept of sanctity includes resurrection. It involved consuming the

soul with the soul and seizing the flesh to enjoy new youth. The ritualist repeated
this ritual every time life was nearing its end, with the hope of reaching eternity. This
was the first practical application of the aged imperialist, a design that took a long
time to plan.

Upon reaching the center of the heptagon, I discovered the apparition of myself,
bound, and my master who stood before me. It was the situation right before the
nightmare began.

Rumble—
The ground shook. Master’s spiritual form had returned from beyond the boundary
of memory. The rough tremors indirectly conveyed an even greater rage.

The me from the past wiped away tears with dirty hands. The place where a wall
with fresh plaster should have been was undulating with the new boundary of
memory. It was time to resume the escape with no guarantee of success. As I threw
myself at the boundary, my vision was engulfed in darkness.

Zzing. Zzing.

“…Damn it.”

What woke me from the nightmare was the vibrating alarm of a smartphone placed
by my head. Due to the high probability of dreaming whenever I slept, I developed a
habit of setting alarms at every hour, and this time, it paid off.

This was already the third nightmare tonight. I rubbed my forehead with one hand
and let out a long sigh. I couldn’t even remember what it felt like to get deep sleep
anymore. The inside of my eyelids felt hot.

As I closed my eyes for a moment, the alarm, which had become silent after I cried
alone, started ringing again. The smartphone screen, lit up by the incoming light,
showed the time as 4:05 AM. I pushed the button to silence the alarm and, while
trying to deactivate the other alarms, I noticed that a text message had arrived.

“[Singapore Airlines] We regret to inform you that the scheduled departure time of
your flight (SQ602) has been changed from 12/23 14:30 (SGT) to 12/23 15:23 (SGT)
due to airline circumstances. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. If you have
any inquiries, please contact the following number. (+65) 0800-124-8888. Available
call hours…”

Sometimes, it happened. I wished I had woken up when the text arrived.

Though the inside of my eyelids was hot, I felt even more tired today. I might be able
to get a couple of hours of sleep on the plane. After finishing a shower with cold
water, I ordered a cafe latte through room service. Even if it wasn’t on the room
service menu, they would somehow accommodate orders from the deluxe rooms.

The coffee arrived in just 15 minutes. I handed the staff a $100 tip.

I stirred the coffee with a cinnamon stick and took a sip while waiting for the aroma.
I took out my tablet from my bag. I was planning to read a book until it got brighter
outside.

The book I pulled up at random was a general education book on modern world
history. I turned the pages as slow as a tortoise. My mind was somewhat distracted
by the lingering effects of the nightmare, and the shallow depth and lack of insight in
the Western-centric historical view made it seem pitiful.

After wasting over an hour, I finally closed the book and considered reading an
academic journal. But just then, my phone vibrated, signaling a new message on my
messenger app.

[Have you woken up?]

A message from Suyeon. The time on the phone read 6:01 AM.

[Is something wrong?]

[I thought you wouldn’t sleep for long. If it’s okay with you, I’ll come over.]

I had no idea what her business was at this early hour, but I also had something to
say to someone in an empty place. Perhaps Suyeon was also anticipating that and
making a preemptive move. I replied:

[Take your time.]

About ten minutes later, I heard a knocking sound on the door. Knock, knock, knock. I
had locked the chain but unlocked it to see Suyeon already dressed in a suit. I
stepped aside to let her in. She entered the room, glanced at the coffee cup on the
floor, and expressed mild regret.

“You must be tired.”

“I just woke up a bit earlier than usual. Have a seat.”

I waited for her to take a seat before asking my question.

“What’s going on?”

Suyeon, who had been gathering her thoughts and hesitating, asked a direct
question.

“Hyungnim, will I still be of use to you in the future?”

“In the future?”

“If, eventually, we have to fight against that ‘London.'”

“…”

I tilted my chin slightly and replied.

“You’ll be useful. The opportunity for awakening is open to you, and if need be, I can
personally open or calibrate your circuits.”

“Really?”

“You won’t become as sophisticated as me. But in terms of a primitive magic user,
you’ll become exceptional. That should be enough. Even a mage can die if they take a
bullet to the head. You might need more firepower, though.”

Primitive magic had a high likelihood of starting with aspects related to basic bodily
functions. In other words, the direction could be diverse, but typically, strengthening
physical abilities was what was expected. This eventually led to an increase in
portable firepower. In a thoroughly prepared fight, even a true mage could be a
threat.

However…

“The issue isn’t about whether you’re useful or not.”

“…”

“Suyeon, you don’t owe me anything.”

The moment I said this, Suyeon’s expression showed a mix of hurt, anxiety, and loss,
swirling in an emotion.

 1. TLN: First, numerology is a belief system that assigns symbolic meanings to

numbers. It’s often associated with spiritual or mystical interpretations of
numbers, where each number is thought to have its own unique significance.
In numerology, each letter of the alphabet is assigned a numerical value. In
certain interpretations, the number 31 can be seen as representing “El”
because the numerical values of the letters ‘E’ and ‘L’ in some systems add up
to 31.
The organization members I’d recruited owe me at least one life, from the higher-ups
to the grunts. Whether it was their own life, the life of someone they love, or the life
of an irreconcilable enemy they couldn’t live under the same sky with. My
organization and I had dealt with problems that neither morality, nor the law, nor
even the gods could solve. I’d fed starving families and untangled the knots of sworn
vendettas. In return, they agreed to pay with their own lives. It was a deal to repay
life with life.

Therefore, I had the right to order my subordinates to die.

Suyeon was the only exception.

Ten years ago, during the summer, when she came to my office and kneeled, pledging
to inherit her deceased brother’s debt, this kid was nothing more than a high school
student.

Good talents were rare. If a sprout showed promise, it might be worth reaping and
nurturing, but that was a different story when it came to whether the deal was
finalized. As a creditor, I did not recognize co-signing, then or now. Life debts
couldn’t be collected in such a manner.

So, the debt this kid said she would repay vanished along with his own brother’s
death. Even if that death was caused by a battlefield, it was enough as long as he
remained loyal until the moment he died.

“I don’t owe you anymore… I never expected to hear those words again after all these
years.”

Suyeon, as she said this, had an embarrassed expression.

“Did I lack something?”

“It’s not like that.”

I wasn’t careless enough to keep someone around who was still lacking.

“Then why…?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying I’m casting you aside. I’m giving you a chance
to rethink your own path.”

The situation hadn’t changed much from when I initially accepted this kid.

“My answer is already decided.”

“Too hasty.”

“I apologize.”

She didn’t seem very sorry.

“Listen.”

I snapped my fingers to get Suyeon’s attention.

“If the era of magic returns, my master’s former allies will receive protection from
national authorities. Well, by the time I’m ready to fight, there’s a high chance they’ll
already be in positions of power themselves. What do you think that means?”

“…”

“It means we need to strip away the facade called ‘England’ first. We need to scatter
the military, and paralyze security and administration, making the Imperialists’
headquarters defenseless. We need to remove everything that protects them except
for their own power. I’m determined to use any means necessary to achieve that.”

“Are you suggesting that the method might be… terrorism?”

“It’s more than terrorism. If it’s possible and necessary, I’ll even smuggle a nuclear
device to detonate it. In a city of nine million people.”

This was a highly unlikely scenario. However, it was a suitable example to convey my
determination. Something like a Dirty Bomb might actually be used. From the
perspective of causing social chaos and exhausting the nation’s response capabilities,
it was an incredibly cost-effective weapon. It was relatively easy to acquire or
manufacture, and even just detonating it in half a dozen places would create
significant turmoil throughout the UK. The chaos didn’t necessarily have to last long.
It only needed to be sustained during a surprise attack and retreat.

I wouldn’t kill people indiscriminately. But I wouldn’t hesitate to minimize collateral

damage. This wasn’t an opponent that warranted excessive concern.

“I don’t owe you any real debt,”

I gave Suyeon some time to ponder those words before continuing.

“Unlike the others, you have the right to get off the train before it derails. How about
taking on a role that’s safer, somewhere else, where your hands won’t get any
dirtier?”

My executive route was usually a shortcut to becoming a senior official. In a business

analogy, it was akin to becoming a subsidiary CEO or vice president. So, in Suyeon’s
case, it would simply mean postponing the predetermined future for a few years. She
had the potential.

“…I understand what you’re saying, but my answer won’t change.”

Suyeon’s eyes met mine with politeness but determination. It was probably safe to
assume that she’d bring forward the scheduled promotion, much like her late
brother. Her older brother had held a good reputation within the organization. He
was expected to be the future head of the secretariat.

That was why I accepted her. If I had left her alone, she might have really died, and
with the bloodline she inherited, she would have been more than capable. She had
shown promise, and, in reality, she had lived up to the expectations she inherited.

“Hyungnim.”

After a brief silence, Suyeon calmly nailed her point.

“Even if you wish it, I can leave right now with a knife and stab anyone who stands
out, regardless of age. So, there’s no need for this consideration. My brother would
have said the same thing if he were alive.”
“…Your brother is dead, and you’ve been living for me for the past ten years.”

“That’s true.”

“Alright. I won’t bother you with this issue any longer.”

“Thank you.”

Suyeon bowed deeply. I apologized.

“I’m sorry if I made this difficult.”

“Don’t mention it.”

She didn’t say no. She wasn’t the type to tell lies, rather, she would remain silent if
need be.

An awkward silence followed. From in front of me, where she was staring intently, I
could feel that she was shifting the conversation unnaturally.

“Last night, as I was reviewing what you said yesterday, I had a thought.”

“What is it?”

“You mentioned that the world wouldn’t change drastically overnight, and there’s no
need to rush concrete preparations. However… what if we stockpile certain things
within the country that are hard to obtain and could run out in the future?”

“For example?”

“For example… weapons and ammunition. These things may become impossible to
acquire in the future.”

Indeed.

“It’s a good point.”

What I said to Kyung-tae was also partly due to a sense of unease; I didn’t want to
think deeply about it. In the black market, weapons and ammunition supply was
inflexible. Ammunition, in particular, was scarce. Because of its importance as a
means to protect myself, it took priority. In the worst-case scenario, if I didn’t have
any other choice, I could supply various rebel groups in Southeast Asia or to the
yakuza.

In particular, Filipino rebels had been acquiring more weapons since they signed
peace agreements with the government. They were getting more arms in exchange
for disarmament and other concessions. So, more weapons ultimately meant more
rights for them. It was a situation where, in case negotiations failed, we needed
insurance. We needed more weapons than what was being handed over.

Since the profit margins were high in this market, I wouldn’t incur losses no matter
what happened. I nodded in agreement, and Suyeon asked me.

“Should we contact Daegu and set up the appointment?”

“Yes.”

“Who will you send?”

“I’ll go. It’s important.”

I was the trump card. No matter how skilled someone might be, there was no
replacement for me when it came to negotiating while watching vital signs.

“Alright. When would be a good date?”

“Anytime, tomorrow afternoon or the day after is fine.”

“I’ll check.”

The domestic weapons vendor I dealt with was an organization within the US
military. While there were other suppliers, I’d practically monopolized the trade.
They did business without any concept of cost, and it was also because of my control
over the transactions.

We started off by pilfering general military and duty-free goods from them, but over
time, we’d grown to trade-sensitive items through a relationship built on trust. The
power of well-laundered dollars attracted officers and generals alike.

I waited for Suyeon to finish taking notes and then extended my hand.
“Let me see for a moment.”

“Yes.”

The notebook she handed me contained recent schedules and information on the
organization’s overall operations. However, since I already knew the contents, I could
immediately decipher the various coded information, metaphors, personal codes,
and modified shorthand that someone unfamiliar with it would find
incomprehensible.

On the first page, along with his SNS address and direct phone number, there was a
selfie of someone else attached, along with a note to contact them if acquired. I
looked at the picture and then handed the notebook back.

“Is this your idea?”

“…Yes.”

“Well done.”

Suyeon included a note in the notebook that allowed her to send a message through
a smartphone messenger to a business in Daegu. It was a minimal notification.

After that, we discussed what kind of investment might be needed. When it reached
7 o’clock, Kyung-tae joined us. After finishing his morning exercise, he sent a text and
knocked on the door.

“Good morning, Hyungnim. Noonim seems to be in a hurry today.”

We decided to have room service for breakfast again. The quality of the food was
adequate, and there was no need to use the buffet when we had a spacious suite with
a dining area. There wouldn’t be much open at this hour anyway, probably just a
toast shop if you went out.

While sipping on post-meal tea, Suyeon suddenly asked a question, as if something

had just crossed her mind.

“Hyungnim, how much of the magic power information should we spread out?”

“Hmm.”
After giving it some thought, I replied.

“For those who already know my secret, you can open it all up. The others I’ll think
about it slowly.”

“Understood.”

Within the organization, there were more people than one might think who were
aware of my unusual abilities. Many within the organization had experienced
mysterious power at some point, and more importantly, one of the organization’s
main objectives was to serve as a safety net to prepare for the worst-case scenarios.

In case my Master’s old associates or the trackers they might send were to confront
us, it would be crucial that even the core members who were responsible for
stopping them understood magic. Otherwise, there was a high probability that they
might panic when faced with the situation.

So, informing them in advance about the potential intensity of the ‘real situation’ that
the organization might need to prepare for made sense. They were not people you
could easily betray, especially given that they were now considered a higher risk.

Also, in the gift market, you had to spend money, and for that, you couldn’t hide
information from people like Kim on Yeouido.

The sound of a cell phone rang out. It was Suyeon’s. She glanced at the screen,
furrowing her brow slightly.

“I’ve received a response from the US military. It’s surprisingly fast. But…”

“But what?”

“The rank doesn’t seem right. They say a Lieutenant is coming as the responsible
party, even though it was clearly conveyed that you would be coming in person.”

“That should be fine.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Considering the pride of those American guys, they probably think a Lieutenant is
good enough. They’re personnel with different qualifications than South Korean
Lieutenants, after all.”

“But it’s still the pride of the cartel that smuggles military goods.”

“And what would poking at it get us, other than a potential shootout?”

“…”

“Don’t worry about the minor details. The fact that they responded so quickly in
itself shows they respect me enough.”

More accurately, it was probably about respecting the money I had.

Above all, superficial ranks might not match the hierarchy within the cartel. For
example, the Lieutenant could be a higher-ranking key player. Otherwise, they
wouldn’t send him to negotiate with me.

“Anyway, did they confirm the date and location they proposed?”

“It’s tomorrow at 6 PM, at the usual meeting place.”

“Lock it in.”

“Okay.”

And so, my schedule for tomorrow was set.

If I could stay overnight in Incheon on my way back and take a domestic flight the
next day, that would be ideal, but there probably wouldn’t be a flight available at the
right time. Incheon wasn’t a city with a high demand for air travel, especially to and
from Daegu. Moreover, there was no way there would be a direct flight from
Singapore to Daegu.

With my schedule for the day ahead settled, I decided to spend the afternoon at the
National Library, which I had been eyeing since yesterday. Even though I couldn’t
make full use of it due to its late opening hours, the vast space filled with
bookshelves gave me a sense of psychological comfort.

Knowledge was power, and it was a light that guided you even in the darkest of
times. This was one of my deeply held beliefs.
The next afternoon, I arrived in Daegu at my leisure. Kyung-tae was driving, and the
car took an exit at the Palgongsan IC, heading east from the Bulro Bridge
intersection.

After about five minutes of crossing a frozen stream, the boundary between
developed and undeveloped areas appeared. There was a sign standing sparsely on
the landscape after passing through sparse vegetable gardens. It read “Hyangsan
Environment” in yellow letters on a blue background.

This large junkyard, located on the outskirts of Bongmu-dong, was the facility I
considered the most important among the businesses I managed in Daegu. It played
a crucial role in transporting military supplies. Originally, it was located near
Gimcheon, but due to land restrictions in a development-restricted zone, it had to be
relocated.

Finally, the car came to a stop. Aware that we had arrived, an elderly man emerged
from a container serving as an office. It was Mr. Park, in charge of this junkyard. He
respectfully nodded his head in my direction as I got out of the car.

“It’s been a while, Chairman. I was surprised when I heard you were coming. You
usually don’t contact me this early… I thought you were coming to see the Yankee.”
(+) [1]

“I stopped by to check the condition of the goods while I was in Daegu. How have you
been?”

“I’m just living day by day, as always. Would you like to see the underground
warehouse?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll take you there.”

I followed Mr. Park into a large assembly building with one side wide open. Suyeon
and Kyung-tae followed behind. Mr. Park instructed some of his men to close the
main entrance while activating a hoist crane installed on the ceiling. To go
underground, we had to remove the stone slabs blocking the entrance.

Krrrrrr—

The motor noise of the crane was drowned out by the sound of concrete scraping as
the slab was lifted, revealing a path leading underground. It was a ramp large enough
for a 10-ton truck to enter comfortably.

The blast door to the armory was opened by turning a dial-like mechanism. Mr. Park
dialed an eight-digit number on the metal handle-like dial. A metallic click sounded
from inside the door. When he turned the handle and pushed, the thick door slowly
slid open.

Power-independent lighting automatically illuminated the space. I entered the

armory. Inside the blast door, there were helicopter engines and components
covered with a waterproof tarp. They were items for which the delivery date had
already been confirmed. Besides that, there were rows of shelves and wooden crates
scattered sparsely in the room, separated by walls stacked with sandbags. Boxes of
various sizes had labels indicating the contents, quantity, weight, and production
year.

The contents were visible to me. Even without opening them, I could see. There was
plenty of space, and the goods were in excellent condition thanks to precise
temperature and humidity control. There was also thorough preparation for
electrostatic discharge. There was enough empty space to bring in a lot of inventory
if necessary.

Mr. Park asked,

“How is it?”

I looked at Mr. Park and replied,

“Not bad.”

“That’s good to hear. It’s my job to manage this place.”

Inside Mr. Park’s calm words, there was not a hint of tension. Although it was a
business facility that wasn’t visited very often relative to its importance, but this was
enough even though it was a random inspection.

To be honest, I came to see people rather than the goods. I had often seen people
change over time, even those who were desperate and urgent when they incurred
debt. Furthermore, debts of life were mostly a personal matter. So, from time to time,
it was important to feel that the relationship was being maintained by meeting face
to face.

“This will do for now; I’ll check on the kids working here.”

The old man nodded at my words.

There were twenty-two organization members stationed at the Hyangsan

Environment, including Mr. Park. Among them, I could only see the faces of ten. Even
though it was a small undercover business, it operated stably enough to make a
profit every year. It would have been odd if they were all waiting, to be honest.

I scattered around and greeted each of the ten members who were resting or focused
on their work. They were somewhat tense due to my presence, but they seemed
pleased that I remembered them. In reality, it was the information Suyeon had
prepared as my secretary.

For subordinates, my visit should not resemble an inspection by a military leader.

Such an attitude wouldn’t help with loyalty.

After completing the inspection of the facility and preparing to get in the car, Mr.
Park called Suyeon.

“Hey. Lately, Kyung-tae hasn’t been causing trouble and is serving the Chairman
properly, has he?”

Before Suyeon could reply, Kyung-tae grumbled.

“Ah, Mr. Park, really. Where can you find someone as good as me?”

“Don’t be so arrogant. Weren’t you the one who downed drinks recklessly in front of
the Chairman during the promotion ceremony?”
“Ugh! That was three years ago, three years! And that time, I bet that I could drink a
barrel of soju, that’s why I drank it from a wooden box. I haven’t done that since
then. Because of that embarrassing history, I barely drink a third of a third of the
usual amount nowadays.”

“Is that true?”

Suyeon nodded to the old man, who was still a bit skeptical.

“Yes, it’s true.”

“Alright, you’ve become a man.”

At Suyeon’s words, the old man immediately understood and shrugged.

“…I feel unjustly accused.”

Mr. Park bid me farewell.

“Take care in this cold weather.”

I looked at him and nodded in acknowledgment. As the car started to move, Mr. Park
followed me a few steps before stopping. His reflection in the side mirror revealed a
sense of regret. He had been a loyal subordinate who might, in case of need,
voluntarily reverse all the charges.

The meeting place with Lieutenant Walker was a high-end pension on the outskirts
of Daegu to the southeast. It was operated by a tourism development company under
the organization’s umbrella and was reconstructed by Japanese craftsmen from the
ruins of a high-end estate district from the Japanese colonial period. Surprisingly,
U.S. soldiers liked this kind of place. They didn’t like sitting on the floor.

I arrived first, parked my car, and was flipping through the pages of a book when
Lieutenant Walker entered ten minutes ahead of the scheduled time. Outside the
closing door, I saw Kyung-tae setting up a spectrum analyzer for eavesdropping.
Lieutenant Walker, with a stiff smile, took a seat across from me.

“It’s been three years since we met in person, Chief. Have you been waiting long?”

“No, I just arrived.”

Even though I had cracked this book several times, I had only managed to read about
thirty pages while waiting. I placed a bookmark and handed the book to Suyeon, who
was sitting behind me. The cover caught the Lieutenant’s attention, and he showed a
somewhat deliberate curiosity.

“What’s the title? I’m not familiar with Korean yet.”

“Chimpanzee Politics.”

“Chimpanzee Politics?… Well, Politics can be somewhat animalistic. They even call
politicians ‘chimpanzees’ at times.”

“No, it’s different. It’s not a metaphor; it’s literally about power struggles among
chimpanzees.”

“I see.”

The lieutenant, who had been puzzled, chuckled.

“Power struggles? Among chimpanzees? Hahaha! That’s quite amusing! To describe

primitive dominance fights among animals with such grandiose terms!”

Ignorant, indeed. I suppressed myself and added.

“…Isn’t it interesting? You might find it even more interesting when you realize how
intelligent animals can be.”

“Haha. Well, sometimes, people wonder how someone can be so human in their
thinking, so maybe chimpanzees are smarter than some of those so-called ‘humans.’
I’ll read it when I have time.”

Whether that time would come before he died, who knew.

Anyway, thanks to the lieutenant’s ignorance, the atmosphere had softened. He had
apparently understood that I wouldn’t press further on the subject.

“As prearranged in our contact, this time, I intend to place more orders than usual.”

The lieutenant asked.

“What exactly are you thinking in terms of ‘how much’?”

I answered with a short interval.

“Unlimited.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. I mean I’m willing to purchase all the weapons you can
procure without limits. I’ll prioritize the types with greater power and caliber.”

The lieutenant blinked his eyes, and he put down the chopsticks he had been using,
which he stubbornly clung to even though there were forks available.

“‘Items,’ not ‘weapons’…Are you planning on starting a war somewhere?”

He correctly grasped that I meant to exclude items for tax exemption or general
supplies.

“War? Not at all.”

First, I needed to ease this guy’s tension.

“Until now, our business has been too small compared to the demand in the global
market. And I’ve proven for a long time that I’m a reliable trading partner. It’s time
for both of us to expand our horizons for mutual benefit.”

The first time I expanded my horizons was when I introduced weapons into our
trading items. Back then, these guys acted like scared kittens. Walker ran his fingers
through his beard, letting out a long breath.

“Are you saying that all our previous transactions were preparation for today?”

“For the sake of convenience, let’s say they were.”

“Hmm.”

“In 2012 and 2017, we underwent comprehensive audits, but we got through them
without a hitch. As you’ve experienced, it’s because my company’s operations are
impeccable. The quantities you provide us with are like salt scattered into the sea of
the global market. So, is there any reason to be scared now?”

“I’m not scared.”

Walker furrowed his brows, feeling his pride being challenged.

The years 2012 and 2017 were significant in our industry.

Firstly, the junk dealer who was caught in 2012 for smuggling out $100,000 worth of
thermal observation devices (TOD) and selling it for a mere $500 was a complete
idiot. However, this camera got caught up in the wind of it being listed as an item on
a U.S. auction site.

In 2017, it was even more outrageous. A scrap dealer arrested at that time lined up
around a hundred military tactical vehicles and trailers next to a vinyl house and
posted sales ads on the internet.

Interestingly, he managed to avoid getting caught for three years despite doing such
a foolish thing. The police usually didn’t care about these things. When the police
finally showed up at the vacant lot next to the vinyl house, the military containers
that had been in the trailers were empty.

Why were they all scrap dealers? It was because the Gimcheon Excess Property
Processing Office, operated by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), was at the
center of all this smuggling. We usually picked up the items from there like anyone
else. If you brought a discarded vehicle or container all the way here, the items you
ordered were inside.

Walker warned me as if giving advice.

“Chief, you’re underestimating the CIDC.”

CIDC stands for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Walker’s warning
sounded quite serious to me.

“I’m not underestimating them, Lieutenant. But I think they have more pressing
concerns.”

“More pressing concerns?”

“What usually makes them take things seriously is a threat to national security. For
instance, let’s say we trade a million rounds of rifle ammunition right now. How
much does that truly threaten U.S. security? Would the CIDC or the CIA perceive it as
a significant security threat?”

Walker couldn’t easily answer my question. Rifle ammunition wasn’t an item with a
large margin considering the effort involved, but it was useful as an indicator
reflecting the overall scale of arms trading.

Knowledge is power. As a knowledgeable arms dealer, I calmly continued my

persuasion, well-versed in market dynamics.

“Explaining America to Americans may seem quite funny, but… Well, I’m more of an
expert in the distribution field, so please listen to me.”

“What?”

“A million rounds… is just slightly more than what Texas gun dealers sell in a week.
That’s the official sales volume.”

No matter how scary the IRS might be, some people evade taxes. In fact, the United
States was the world’s largest tax evasion market. Therefore, the official sales
volume of firearm dealers was inevitably less than the total trade volume.

“In your country, there are over 400 million firearms, and among them, about 390
million are owned by citizens. That’s counting only officially registered firearms.
When fellow enthusiasts gather for an event, they often use well over a million
rounds of ammunition per day.”

Where wouldn’t it reach the millions? The largest shooting festival in the western
United States consumes an average of around 3.5 million rounds every year. Plus,
there were people who brought tanks and armored vehicles.

“Your citizens purchase nearly 10 to 12 billion rounds of ammunition each year.

Purely individual purchases, excluding organizations, are around 8 billion rounds.
Did you know these facts?”

“…A bit.”

“You probably had a general idea, but not the specifics.”

Seeing the American’s somewhat puzzled expressions about their own country was
somewhat amusing.

“Now, if we look at the global scale… In that Afghanistan you’re familiar with, every
time households that can afford it hold a wedding, they fire tens of thousands of
rounds in celebration.”

The tradition in that part of town had caused headaches for the U.S. military. From a
distance, wedding guests often look like an armed militant group.

“As you know, terrorists use even more ammunition than that, targeting people like
you.”

“Hmm…”

“From China, Russia, Eastern Europe… and occasionally from North and South
America, there’s no way even the parties involved in the deals would know how
many weapons flow into the Middle East as if they were essential goods. It’s such a
vast market, with so many actors involved.”

In Korea, even the loss of a single gun or a single bullet could create a massive
uproar, but from the perspective of U.S. intelligence agencies, a million rounds of
ammunition flowing into other countries was not such a critical issue.

 1. TLN: The term Yankee has several interrelated meanings, all referring to
people from the United States. Their various meanings depend on the context
and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United States, the
Northern United States, or to Americans in general.
“Meanwhile, how about the buyers in this area?”

I list potential customers one by one, folding my five fingers one by one.

“The Guangdong Triad, who thrive as Communist Party followers; the Yakuza who
play within Japan, killing each other; the Moro Liberation Front, playing tug of war
with the Philippine government; Myanmar, struggling with human rights issues over
arms imports; various rebel groups fighting Myanmar and the forces supporting
them…”

There were actually more, but they were not important here. There was no need to
disclose all my business partners one by one. I lowered my fist and asked a question.

“Lieutenant, do you see any commonalities among these people?”

“…It’s not a priority for our government.”

“More precisely, their priority is lower.”

With the United States’ power no longer what it used to be, there were more
problematic issues to manage. Above all, there was China, North Korea, and Russia in
Northeast Asia. These three were like black holes that suck up the U.S. intelligence
budget. It was a matter of where to spend the limited money first.

My throat was dry from talking for so long. When I picked up the empty cup, Suyeon
brought me the teapot and poured me a cup. After drinking the warm tea-like water,
I continued my unfinished words.

“Let’s humbly admit it. We can’t surpass the real explosives experts playing with oil
money in a gunpowder warehouse, nor can we attract as much attention from the
U.S. and the world as they do. As long as we strictly adhere to the line we need to
protect, we won’t have any trouble.”
That line was not acting like amateurs. It meant not storing products just about
anywhere, not selling to just anyone, and not exchanging money recklessly. Although
these were the basics of smuggling, the investment and management costs were so
high that amateurs couldn’t even think about it. Or, even if they could, they didn’t do
it.

In any field, problems often arise from not adhering to basic principles. If we stuck to
the principles, we’d be comfortable, and so would the intelligence agencies. I decided
to give him a warning just in case.

“You should also strictly adhere to the line. Even if I promise unlimited purchases, if
you get greedy recklessly, that’s when you’ll attract the intense interest of the
mainland.”

Releasing a large quantity of goods in a short period of time, or touching risky items
that shouldn’t be touched. Even if I refused to accept them, there might be parts I
hadn’t examined, so I want to remind them.

Also, it was a way to shift the focus of the current risks, which were tailored to me,
onto the other party.

As expected, Walker interrupted with frustration.

“Heh, don’t you trust us? We’re very cautious, and our supply capability is much
greater than what Chief thinks. Until now, there simply hasn’t been a partner who
can digest that quantity. If our headquarters decides to start pushing out goods,
you’ll regret your ‘unlimited’ promise.”

“I hope it really turns out that way.”

“Your confidence is excessive.”

“Well… If you can come up with $1 billion by the end of next year, then I’ll consider
myself defeated.”

“$1 billion?”

The shocked Walker repeated the same words as if he had malfunctioned for a
moment.
“…$1 billion? $1 billion, did you say?”

“I did. I said it’s unlimited.”

“Oh.”

The second “Oh” in a moment had a different meaning.

“With that money, you could even buy a destroyer.”

I shrugged as if to agree.

“Well, compared to Pepsi’s heyday, it’s nothing.”

“What are you talking about? Hahaha!”

Walker bursts into laughter. It was somewhat unexpected that he understood my

joke right away.

In 1989, in exchange for supplying the Soviet Union with about $3 billion worth of
cola, Pepsi received a fleet consisting of seventeen traditional submarines, one
frigate, one destroyer, and one cruiser. Even if we add up all the achievements of Cali
Cartel, which was notorious for arms smuggling during the Soviet dissolution era, it
would not surpass this single contract that Pepsi signed in terms of scale.

“Okay.”

Finally, Walker’s resistance collapsed. Money was money, and the quick surrender
was inevitable.

“I lost. $1 billion, that’s too much. I can’t afford it. It’s such an unrealistic amount that
it doesn’t feel real… It’s such a big deal that it’s difficult to give you a definite answer
right here, but I’ll try to get you a positive response within a week.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“But by the way.”

“What is it?”
Walker, who had been hesitating strangely, asked me.

“Chief. Before the deal, could you possibly get us some cocaine?”

…Look at this guy.

“You guys do drugs?”

If that’s the case, it was worth reconsidering this deal. Those addicted to narcotics
were reckless idiots who didn’t know restraint in everything, and they would
eventually get into trouble one way or another. Once they touched narcotics, they
had no future, and it was as foolish to discuss long-term plans with someone who
had no future.

My gaze was cold, and Walker quickly waved his hand.

“Please don’t misunderstand. We’ll keep our end of the deal, I promise. We just want
to take out insurance because we have an inflexible friend.”

“Is it part of risk management?”

“Yes.”

It was difficult to be sure, but based on his physiological signs, it didn’t seem like a
lie. However, there were still doubts.

“If you catch someone using narcotics as a weakness, wouldn’t it be burdensome

when you actually use it?”

“We’ll show the evidence not to the military police but to our wives and children. It’s
a safe way.”

“I see.”

I, who was lost in thought, asked in reverse.

“If one person needs to take it about three or four times, is that enough?”

Upon hearing this, Walker looked somewhat embarrassed.

“How would you feed just one person that? We’ll have to lure the guys who’ve been
dealing with drugs back on the mainland to work as winds catchers, so please
prepare generously if possible. For the winds catchers, the drug itself will be an
incentive.”

“Alright. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be cocaine, so I’ll get you morphine. It
should be enough as a weakness to ruin a career if it’s about abusing unapproved
opioid preparations.” (+) [1]

Morphine was highly addictive, but compared to cocaine, it was pale. Especially in
terms of side effects. It was my small favor to Walker’s “inflexible friend.”

I respected people who were faithful to their work. As long as they didn’t threaten
me.

Walker seemed to be relaxing his frown.

“Morphine is too weak…”

“Morphine is too weak” was quite an ironic statement for a country where you could
buy narcotic painkillers from a pharmacy without a prescription. I added the term
‘prescription’ just to emphasize the contrast.

“This isn’t a neighborhood where every passerby reeks of cocaine like in the United
States, Lieutenant. Unless you’re in Gangnam’s entertainment district, if you get
tracked here, even releasing one dog could chase you from Seoul to Daegu. Are you
crazy enough to deliver cocaine?”

Exaggeration in this context was effective in convincing Walker. He didn’t have much
knowledge about the specifics of the drug distribution process, whether it was
weapons or narcotics. Cocaine did indeed leave a lingering scent compared to other
drugs.

Walker raised his hand again.

“All right, I get it. Then I’ll take the morphine. And finally—”

“Finally?”

“After we’ve ramped up the deals, will the payment method stay the same?”
Walker inquired for confirmation, so I took a casino chip out of my pocket and slid it
onto the table.

“Go and persuade them with this.”

In the global black market, Native American reservation casinos were as reliable as
Swiss banks. In fact, some casinos even operated like regular banks, and the casino I
was dealing with fell into that category.

The chip I offered was akin to a promissory note issued by the casino. The fees for
using it were quite high, but considering the efforts the Native Americans put into
anti-money laundering and chip counterfeiting prevention, it was a reasonable price.
Plus, their sovereignty served as a political shield. Walker smiled, not concerned
about the cost.

The conversation continued for about another hour after reaching an agreement.
Since this guy might become a general someday, it wouldn’t hurt to build some
personal rapport. Walker enjoyed talking about money and expressed his envy and
admiration for billionaires. In the end, he lamented,

“Lieutenant, I should have bought Bitcoin before I became an officer. That

tremendous luck in 2017… It could have truly become… mine…”

He’s crazy.

“Chief, how much fun did you have with Bitcoin?”

The question was thrown with the premise that I had enjoyed it, considering that
someone in my position had touched cryptocurrency. If a person involved in the
black market claimed they hadn’t, even a passing dog would laugh.

“Well, I did make quite a profit. It’s been a common payment method in our industry
since its early days.”

“Oh!”

Walker widened his eyes and leaned forward.

“You must have made a fortune if you asked about money from the beginning! What
was your profit margin when the price was around $15,000? $17,000? For someone
like you, it must have been at the end of 2017, right?”

The end of 2017 was when the global cryptocurrency speculation frenzy reached its
peak. While the average price on overseas exchanges was around $18,000, it had
crossed $20,000, particularly in South Korea.

I denied Walker’s wild guess.

“No, I didn’t. I cashed out half of what I had at $1,000, then gradually cashed out the
rest, completely at $4,000.”

Walker, his excitement waning, looked at me with a regretful expression as if he had

lost his own money.

“Why… at $4,000? Even if it was in the middle of an upward trend…”

“That was madness, Lieutenant. Even Newton said he didn’t understand the madness
of bubbles. Businesspeople should never rely on luck.”

“Ah…”

Walker’s body, which had leaned closer to the table, returned to its original position.
Even if he had made a profit by cashing out half at the $1,000 mark, it seemed that
this greedy fellow considered it too modest of a fortune to even inquire about the
profit margin.

The guy who had been overly engrossed heaved a sigh even though this was not his
story.

“It’s a pity. So, you haven’t touched that money since then?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“I’m buying only as much as I need and keeping it rolling. Whether when giving or
receiving, cryptocurrencies are rare in terms of convenience for evading tracking.”

Honestly, even though I had made a financial profit, there were many inconveniences
in terms of business. Due to the high volatility and reduced security, it had become
difficult to use cryptocurrencies as a currency.

But there was still a reason to use cryptocurrencies: there was no alternative.

Walker expressed a strange regret.

“While you might be a cautious person, I suppose other organizations made a

fortune sitting in one place? Like the drug lords in Latin America, for example.”

“…There are quite a few cases like that. Many of those who suffered losses from
repeated buying and selling, but at least some of the middlemen I know have
changed the unit of funds they handle since around 2017.”

“Ha, I envy them. Seriously jealous. Lately, the Mexican government can’t seem to get
a grip on the cartels. They say it’s because of the power of money. Haha. Well, in the
end, it’s the budget that rules the world.”

Well…

The reason President Obrador gave up the war against crime was because last year’s
all-out attack against the cartel ended with significant collateral damage—civilian
casualties. The background to that was the relentless financial power of the cartel,
which hired former special forces and procured all kinds of heavy weapons on the
black market. If you dig into it, the profits earned from the cryptocurrency market
would probably have played a part.

Those who speculated in cryptocurrency investments and lost their money might
even take pride in the fact that they contributed to the deterioration of security in
the third world. (+) [2]

 1. TLN: Opioids are a class of drugs. Opioids work in the brain to produce a
variety of effects, including pain relief. Some people use opioids because of the
euphoria (“high”) they can produce.

 2. TLN: In a broader sense, the “Third World” can refer to economically

disadvantaged or less developed countries that face various challenges such as
poverty, lack of access to basic resources, and political instability. In this
context, it could mean that those who lost money in cryptocurrency
investments might take pride in contributing to the problems faced by
economically vulnerable regions or countries by engaging in speculative
financial activities rather than investing in their development or well-being.
After sending Walker, the remaining task was to feed the two subordinates who had
been waiting, skipping meals. When I ordered a new meal, Suyeon glanced at the
discarded food with regret in her eyes. However, for my trusted aides, it was
essential that no leftover food entered their mouths unless it was an unavoidable
situation.

I removed the silicone mask that I had been wearing throughout my interaction with
Walker. Silicone, resembling skin, peeled off with a slight sound. While this item was
used whenever a disguise was needed, it was difficult to adapt to the stifling feeling.
CIA agents were known to endure days wearing it, a feat that I found hard to
comprehend.

During the waiting time, Kyung-tae held a warm cup of tea and asked,

“Hyungnim, what was that Pepsi you mentioned earlier? Was it Pepsi the drink?”

“That’s right.”

I summarized the incident, and Kyung-tae looked amazed.

“It was quite an unexpected move for the second in command of the cola industry to
do something remarkable in an unrelated field.”

“It happened because there was a shortage of vodka in the Soviet Union at the time.
Can you believe there was a shortage back then? But then again, wasn’t there
something else that wasn’t in short supply?”

“Oh? Did they originally pay for cola with vodka?”

“Yes, and it was Stolichnaya, just as you like.”

“Ah, Stolichnaya! That’s delicious! Pepsi had a good eye for choosing vodka.”
Kyung-tae praised Stolichnaya for its rich flavor, especially in high-quality vodka,
where the alcohol scent resembled coffee beans. Meanwhile, the prepared table had
become simpler than before, and the two people began to eat. Watching them enjoy
their meals, it was evident that both of them were hungry. I remained silent, sipping
my tea, lost in thought.

‘War… ’

Walker had asked me if I was prepared for war, but he would never dream that he
had struck a nerve in my dream. If he were to learn of my determination, he would
probably try to break off our relationship immediately.

In this place, Camp Henry in Daegu, there was no room for the weapons thieves to
engage in direct transactions with terrorists. Moreover, my target, the UK, was one of
the “Five Eyes,” a core ally of the United States, so getting caught would likely result
in being treated as a criminal far worse than a common felon. (+) [1]

The weapons secured here were unlikely to be used in the UK.

Getting them out of here posed a problem. As terrorist threats increased day by day,
the UK strengthened its borders in the air and at sea. It also possessed the
information-gathering capabilities of the first of the “Five Eyes.”

Hence, long-term airdrops were close to impossible, and smuggling via cargo or
fishing vessels was relatively safe but still involved considerable risk. Even if we
obtained the goods from elsewhere, transporting them would be a major challenge
due to the large quantity involved.

However, if I were to engage with mages in London, eventually, I would have to

confront London itself. A defensive battle alone would be unwinnable. Although the
war that might break out was still uncertain, if I didn’t start looking for a solution
soon after it began, it would be too late.

There didn’t seem to be a more certain route.

My train of thought naturally led to the South American cartels.

‘Perhaps using submarines like they do.’

The submarines they used to transport drugs were capable of sailing from the Gulf of
Mexico to Europe through the North Atlantic currents. Given their small size, if the
engines were turned off and they relied solely on the power of the currents, they
could pass through the underwater surveillance network (SOSUS) near the British
coast.

It might even be alright to order the construction of submarines for them. While
entrusting the transportation itself would be the best option, if they were to modify
the submarines to carry weapons instead of drugs, it would cost at least 300 million
dollars per operation. That was as much as the expected profit from transporting
cocaine. Even a nation couldn’t afford such reckless spending. It would be better to
directly acquire submarines.

The problem was that it was not just about having money.

Their older semi-submersibles were estimated to cost around 2 million dollars, and
even the latest fully submersible ones would likely not exceed 100 million dollars.
However, not even outdated models past their disposal date have ever appeared on
the black market, let alone the latest models.

I understand. Recklessly selling the most secretive means of transportation would

invite new competitors one after another. Major cartels, who likely hold tens of
billions of dollars in cash outside of personal assets, wouldn’t seem likely to sell their
business’s foundation for a mere 100 million dollars.

How should I approach those whom I have no acquaintance or dealings with? To

whom should I extend a hand? Are there other reliable paths to obtaining the
submarines? These were the thoughts that deepened as time passed.

“Hmm?”

The two who were eating stopped and stared at me. Suyeon asked,

“Why are you lost in thought? You even sighed.”

“…I sighed? Did I?”

“Yes.”

It seemed my thoughts leaked unconsciously.

At times like this, adding my thoughts was also the role of an aide. I shared my
concerns with them and added,

“It’s not an immediate problem, so finish your meal. The food is getting cold.”

As the head of the organization, my most important responsibility was to feed my

subordinates. To feed, clothe, and shelter them. It was the task of taking care of the
lives that had become mine. When the organization became one’s life, sustainable
loyalty could be achieved.

Knowing me well enough, the two didn’t hesitate and resumed their meal. Their use
of chopsticks and spoons showed that they were now eating more leisurely,
suggesting their appetites were somewhat satisfied.

“About earlier.”

Suyeon, who had just put down her utensils, took a sip of water and spoke.

“Lieutenant Walker slipped in his words. Did you notice?”

“‘Our headquarters,’ you mean?”

“Yes.”

“I had a hunch for a while that there were more conspirators, but if such remarks slip
out carelessly, it probably means that the conspiracy is growing. It’s possible even
the commander could have been involved.”

Suyeon’s dry anticipation was evident.

“I did say that 1 billion dollars was impossible, but if the insurgents did indeed take
control of the support headquarters, we can anticipate a growing supply in the
future. It’s time for the seniors who returned to the mainland to pay us back.”

Even units stationed in South Korea have a rotating roster of members. The
conspirators at Camp Henry were no exception. Members were constantly being
rotated.

Therefore, to maintain the organization’s functionality, new members needed to be

recruited at regular intervals. On the other hand, leaving the organization didn’t
mean exclusion. Cutting ties completely would lead to uncertainty. When I raised
concerns in the past, they provided explanations. Regarding this matter, there was
no need to worry, and they hoped for a continued positive relationship in the future.

Hence, my proposal for expanded deals would likely be a hoped-for outcome, despite
its larger scale. It was ideal that the pie grows as the number of people increases.

I shifted my gaze.

“Kyung-tae.”

“Yes, Hyungnim.”

“What’s Walker up to?”

Kyung-tae, who had finished eating and was patting his stomach, briefly checked his
phone in response to my question.

“Other than a 47-second call with someone suspected to be a higher-up in the car,
there hasn’t been any noteworthy activity so far. The call was about meeting
tomorrow to report, and… he’s currently having drinks with a fellow tailor sergeant
from the same unit. He seems to be in a very good mood. They’re at a bar they often
frequent.”

“His good mood is probably because of the allowance I gave him.”

Since leaving the base today, Walker had been under constant surveillance. Even
phone calls in the car couldn’t escape the long-range laser eavesdropping that
detected vibrations on windows. The surveillance team even provided specially
modified vehicles for remote listening during movement.

Kyung-tae commented in a joking manner.

“They say that you prepare for war to enjoy peace, but when you prepare this
diligently and there’s no actual need to fight, it’s quite amusing. It’s as if the magic
power concentration has skyrocketed compared to now.”

“…”

The concentration of magic power hadn’t changed today. It hadn’t become shallower
or denser on average, although there might be temporary fluctuations in accordance
with the flow.

But sudden changes weren’t guaranteed to happen in one go. If it did change
abruptly, it was highly likely that the battle itself wouldn’t even take place.
Regression or collapse of civilization was inevitable, and in such a world, the
Londoners wouldn’t have the courage to reach this far.

Of course, we were preparing for such situations. Preparations for war and disaster
readiness overlap in many aspects, so it was efficient to do a little more.

Kyung-tae continued.

“If the concentration continues to rise, even if the world collapses somewhat, the
value of stockpiled weapons might become something new.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I have a favorite novel. It’s called ‘Metro 2033.’ Have you read it?”

“No.”

I gave a succinct response, and Kyung-tae chuckled with a somewhat disappointed

expression.

“As expected. You’ve read every other type of book except novels, haven’t you?
Anyway, it’s a novel set in a world where everything is ruined by nuclear disaster. In
that world, they use bullets as currency. I thought, what if our reality turned out like
that? For some reason, it doesn’t feel entirely bad. Maybe it’s because I’ve read a lot
of similar genre novels…”

His last words were more of a quiet mutter to himself.

Bullets determine life and death. If bullets were considered physical resources for
exchange in human lives, then bullets become a currency with a definite exchange
value.

For some reason, I briefly wished for it to become like Kyung-tae described.
However, that feeling only lasted for a moment. Living in such a world would mean
living for survival in a different sense than living hunted by predators. In either case,
it would not be a life of ‘living only to survive.’ Neither option appealed to me.

“Stop talking nonsense. Whether I win or the imperialists win, it’s a hundred times
better than seeing the world crumble in a war with those bastards.”

“Haha, you’re absolutely right.”

Kyung-tae wore a smug expression.

Suyeon, who had been organizing her thoughts, spoke up.

“You mentioned the difficulty of transporting weapons earlier, but even if we manage
to transport them, won’t we lack the personnel to distribute these weapons? We
have limitations on deploying our people to London.”

That was a valid point.

“That’s also a challenge we need to address.”

Dying and killing was a fight that benefits from having more manpower. However, if
only my subordinates were to engage in this, even if we were to achieve victory, we’d
be unable to avoid the intelligence agencies’ tracking.

“Why, did something come to mind?”

In response to my question, Suyeon gave a slight nod.

“It’s about the rebels in the Philippines.”

“Why them?”

“Besides the Liberation Front we trade with, there are four more Islamic extremist
groups. Among them, apart from BIFF and its factions, ‘Abu Torayfiyah’ and ‘Abu
Sayyaf’ could potentially serve as a contact point to reach the Middle Eastern Islamic
extremist factions if handled properly.”

“Are you suggesting that we extend our hand to Islamic extremists based on the logic
of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’?”

“Yes. If London is the target, they won’t necessarily dislike it. What they want is fame
to take control after the collapse of IS, and we aren’t interested in that sort of thing.”
(+) [2]

“Hmm.”

“Hyungnim, I know that you’re hesitant about dealing with extremists…”

“No, that’s not it. I said I wouldn’t discriminate against means and methods. You’ve
explained it well. It’s worth considering.”

Abu Torayfiyah and Abu Sayyaf were both fanatical individuals who even shot fellow
Muslims. Moreover, both groups have fewer than fifty members, making them
irrelevant as trading partners.

However, their small scale could actually be an advantage, as they’d be more inclined
to spill secrets if we just dangle a million dollars in front of them.

The problem was that there was no connection between us and them…

We couldn’t request introductions from our client, the Moro Liberation Front, as they
have hostile relationships with both sides. Especially with Abu Sayyaf, their elite
force called ‘Azang-Azang’ bombed a mosque and crossed a river of no return. (+) [3]

Kyung-tae expressed a skeptical opinion.

“Noonim. I doubt if these lowlifes can introduce us properly.”

Suyeon immediately replied to this.

“Abu Sayyaf also raises doubts for me.”

“Is that so?”

“But with Turaifie’s guys, we might have something to expect.”

“In what way?”

“They have close ties with the Pakistani immigrant community and actively recruit
Pakistani collaborators. Unlike Abu Sayyaf, who risks their lives with kidnappings
and piracy and has many unclear sources of operational funds… It’s suspicious how
their organizational strength remains unshaken despite the leader’s consecutive
deaths.”

Suyeon paused for a moment and then continued.

“When you consider various pieces of information, it’s highly likely that these guys
are being directed by the Pakistani intelligence agency, just like the early Taliban
days. If that’s the case, there’s still a clear channel to the Taliban even if the Daesh
(IS) leader is dead.”

“Wow.”

Kyung-tae admired Suyeon’s analysis, speaking in a rapid and flowing manner.

“Even memorizing information about such insignificant guys.”

“It’s my job.”

“Still, that’s impressive.”

Ignoring Kyung-tae, who was giving two thumbs up, Suyeon stared at me with a calm
attitude.

“There’s one more thing. How about asking Chief Chu to contact the Latin American
cartels?”

“Chief Chu? The one from the Diamond Casino?”

“Yes.”

The “Chief” Suyeon mentioned was the unofficial owner of the casino where I issued
the chips to Lieutenant Walker. Of course, he wasn’t a real chief representing the
entire tribe. It was just a nickname that carried over into this world. Most of the
figures among the Native American tribes had accepted modern political systems a
long time ago.

Puzzled, I tilted my head.

“Why Chief Chu of all people? It’s rare to find someone in this world who hates drug
dealers to that extent.”
The North American Native American tribes had suffered greatly in the past due to
poverty and drug addiction. Therefore, the Chief of their tribe, the “People of the
Desert” (Tahoenne Adam), despised drug dealers intensely. Even though their land
was close to the Mexican border, he never engaged in any trade with drug cartels for
that reason.

 1. TLN: The Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada,

New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States

 2. TLN: “IS” refers to the Islamic State, a terrorist organization also known as
ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).

 3. TLN: I couldn’t find Azang-Azang/아장-아장. So maybe this one is fictional.

Suyeon calmly responded to the question.

“That’s right. That’s why using ‘People of the Desert’ as intermediaries for smuggling
is different from other smuggling routes. It’s a good route for individuals who want
to avoid the cartels while also knowing that Chief Chu doesn’t deal with them.”

“…I see.”

One commonality among Native American tribes near the US-Mexico border was
smuggling. It might not make a lot of money, but it was better than having nothing,
and psychologically, they felt closer to people from Central and South America than
to the US. From the Native Americans’ perspective, the US was a nation built by
invaders.

The “People of the Desert” tribe was mostly located within US territory, but a small
minority lived in Mexican lands. It was ideal for carrying out independent smuggling
operations.

I tapped the table with my fingertips slowly.

“I see. Among those, there’s a higher probability that those who paid extra for
additional services might be connected to the cartels in some way. Not that it’s a
good connection, though.”

“Having connections to the cartels doesn’t necessarily mean strained relationships

with all the members within the organization.”

“I know.”

Even within a single organization, relationships of interest were often complex. To

avoid being purged or to cover up their activities against rivals, many members had
to cut ties with their families, friends, and close associates.
Suyeon continued,

“The Chief values trust, so he won’t sell the customer’s information, but there’s a
possibility he might consider confirming their intentions under certain conditions,
assuming contact can be established.”

This girl really had a sharp mind. As I observed her silently, Suyeon modestly
lowered her gaze.

By the way, was she related to the cartels in any way…

Crossing the border didn’t magically change someone’s status. Among those who
sought Chief Chu’s help to get to the United States, there would be quite a few who,
having struggled with life as it was, had become petty criminals. Such individuals
would have no qualms about cutting my throat.

This was definitely worth trying. Compared to dealing with the risk of getting
involved with the Pakistani intelligence agency like with the Filipino rebels, dealing
with the casino’s Chief Chu was a much better option.

“Even so, I was planning to go to the US soon. Let’s give it a shot when the time
comes.”

“Understood.”

Suyeon, who was habitually taking notes, seemed a bit puzzled.

“If you were planning to go soon, does that mean you have other business as well?”

“Well, if you want to call it business, sure. I want to see the gigantic ones in this
world with my own eyes.”

“Gigantic ones…?”

“Among all the creatures on Earth, the ones with disproportionately massive bodies.”

“…”

The person who couldn’t grasp it before finally sighed. I nodded in confirmation.
“Yeah. Those gigantic organisms will soon start showing signs of awakening. Maybe
I’ll witness the moment their circuits first open up… I’m hoping to gain some
valuable knowledge by observing such phenomena. Something no mage or
imperialist has ever experienced.”

Suyeon, who had been pondering over what she heard, asked a natural question.

“Are those gigantic organisms perhaps whales?”

She might have thought of the blue whale. It was a common association, but it was
not correct. If I wanted to see whales, there would be no need to go to the United
States.

“Whales are the largest mammals, but they’re not the largest life forms. What I want
to see in North America are plants and fungi.”

“Fungi? Could it be…?”

“Mushrooms.”

After hearing the answer, Suyeon’s expression revealed an uncommon shock.

“…There exist mushrooms that are larger in mass than whales?”

“There are.”

While the blue whale, the heaviest individual, weighed up to 200 tons, the
mushroom I wanted to see was a single organism estimated to cover an area of 965
hectares with a weight of 37,000 tons.

Suyeon swallowed her surprise after a brief silence.

“Hey, I have a question–”

“What is it?”

Kyung-tae, with a playful expression, asked his question.

“You mentioned that the probability of gaining superpowers is proportional to body

mass. So, does that mean overweight or obese people have a higher chance of
awakening than slim individuals?”

“That’s correct.”

“Wow, I can’t believe it. You, Hyungnim, making jokes like this. Hahaha!”

He burst into laughter. I remained silent, and as the silence continued, Kyung-tae
gradually stifled his laughter.

“Haha… Ha…”

“…”

“Uh…”

“…”

“Could it be that it wasn’t a joke? You really mean that if you’re heavier, you have a
higher chance of awakening?”

“When have you ever seen me joking with you guys?”

“Oh, my God.”

Kyung-tae was shocked and couldn’t close his mouth.

“Wow, this is really ‘Oh, my God.’ So, having a big belly makes your soul fat! Souls
work that way? Calories were right!”

“Calm down. Don’t lose your mind. Do you really think souls grow that easily?”

“Then?”

“If your soul were a tree, your body would be a pot. But even if you repot a tree, it
doesn’t grow immediately. There are differences depending on the species, and the
years it has lived also have an impact.”

“Oh, right. That’s true.”

Kyung-tae, who had accepted the explanation, was puzzled again.

“But isn’t what you said about obese people awakening quickly contradictory?
Unless they’re extremely old obese people.”

“That’s a slightly different story.”

I pondered for a moment before answering.

“Mass of the soul… It’s not a material concept, but for convenience, let’s call it mass
for now. That way, it’ll be an easier analogy.”

“Yes.”

“The key point is that even with the same mass, volume and density can vary. The
soul is intertwined with life. So, as the physical body gets bigger, the surface area
where the soul touches magic power increases. It’s unrelated to mass.”

“I see. Like the difference in melting rates between granulated sugar and regular
sugar?”

“The phenomena may differ, but the principles are similar.”

“I see…”

In a similar context, the awakening rate relative to body mass would likely be much
higher for tiny creatures like insects compared to humans. If you compared
individual entities, humans would naturally dominate. However, insects were like
granulated sugar, and humans were like regular sugar.

Kyung-tae, who had calmed down, spoke with a serious expression.

“Hyungnim, I think I can see the future right now.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Don’t you see, Hyungnim? People who’ve been holed up in their rooms, day by day,
gaining weight, will start pouring into the world, saying, ‘My time has finally come!'”

“…”

“These days, there are a lot of people like that, right? Living a tough life, having no
hope, and even being excluded from the government’s unemployment statistics.”

It was an unexpectedly realistic prediction.

“But it won’t last long.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Less mature magic power circuits tend to leak during the process of converting
magic power into magic power.”

“…What happens if it leaks?”

“Unrefined magic power, to a limited extent, exerts radiation-like effects on living

things. It’s not exactly the same, but similar.”

“Oh, my…”

Magic power, and magical power, in particular, was the force that twists reality
within organic beings possessing souls. If this power was not controlled, the first to
be twisted was the organic being itself. This included cells and genes.

“While using their abilities might strengthen their circuits in accordance with those
abilities, there will be no shortage of those who die before reaching that point.
Moreover, these successive deaths will be enough to render the rest of the
population quite miserable.”

Therefore, the future of the emerging awakened individuals was one of two
possibilities.

‘They will either stabilize their abilities and join the ranks of the law-abiding, or
succumb to cancer.’

It might be a bit difficult to comprehend, but using immense power in a short time
might lead to multiple organ failure rather than cancer. In this regard, plants might
be superior to animals. They were highly modular organisms.

“Poor souls. After all that effort to leave their rooms, they might just end up
succumbing to cancer… It’s like a cicada, isn’t it? Spends several years underground,
only to come out, enjoy the sunlight, and then die.”
Even saying this, Kyung-tae didn’t seem particularly looked apologetic.

Suyeon dryly commented.

“The cicada is better. At least they get to mate.”

“Oh, Noonim. That’s a bit harsh… And do you know how many cicadas can’t find a
mate and die?”

“It’s unfortunate, but that’s life. We don’t owe them a warning.”

This girl wasn’t the type to mock others thoughtlessly. If she said she’d kill someone,
she’d do it seriously.

Anyway, like Suyeon said, there was no obligation to give a warning.

Once the awakened individuals started appearing, national attention would be

focused on them, and all sorts of inspections and research would be carried out.
Although the information might initially be somewhat inaccurate.

Kyung-tae changed his posture and lightened the mood.

“Now, let’s stop joking about this… As the head of security, isn’t it somewhat risky for
you to go to the United States?”

“Because of the people in London?”

“Yes. When you went to Brisbane and Singapore this time, you mentioned that, right?
You said that any mage who senses this change would have the same idea as you.”

“That’s right.”

“This time, wouldn’t it be the same? No one would want to leave their position
during such an important time.”

A valid point. However, it was not the right answer.

“It’s not necessarily so. What we were cautious about during the last trip was not an
immediate conflict but the possibility of tracking us in the future. Right now, they
don’t have the resources to exert themselves externally.”
“Why is that?”

“During times like this, no one wants to leave their position. And besides, there
might be some political matters involved.”

Of course, there could be political conflicts. These imperialists were greedy,

authoritarian, and filled with pride.

“From the beginning, it was my Master who aimed to monopolize the ‘Eye of the
Golden Age’ and betrayed his comrades, you know? Their leadership, the ‘Round
Table Cabinet,’ must have been a mess more than the old British parliament that they
were kicking into by now.”

They must be fiercely arguing about their priorities for accessing artifacts and texts,
establishing future orders, and the privileges of their families.

Kyung-tae nodded in agreement.

“I understand what you’re saying. But it’s just your speculation, isn’t it Hyungnim?
That there won’t be room to project power externally.”

“For now, that’s true.”

“What else is there?”

“It’s about the size of the mushrooms.”

“Okay.”

“The area it covers is twice the size of Yeouido Island, considering only the largest
one.”

“…”

“And that entire area is full of national forests, mountains, and woods. How many
personnel and resources do you think they’d need to deploy to capture me there?
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, they mobilize that many personnel. Can they really
avoid my detection?”

“It would be almost impossible.”

“Right?”

The imperialist bastards were probably even considering a rebellion against the
current ‘Round Table Cabinet.’ They wouldn’t want to send out troops, whether
attackers or defenders, not just mages but even regular soldiers. As I told Suyeon,
mages were equally defenseless against bullets.

Furthermore, for the time being, I wouldn’t be able to use magic properly, just as I
was busy adjusting my circuits.

I trusted the power ambitions and survival instincts of those aristocrats.

“One more thing.”

I touched my temple with my finger.

“These eyes. They have no means to visually observe magic power and mana.
Research based on observation is difficult. So even if our thoughts align, our
priorities may differ.”

Humans, being the most superior beings in the natural world, probably won’t
degrade their greatest wisdom, magic, by comparing it to the primitive magic of
beasts and plants, especially since they consider themselves exceptionally superior.

Instead, they would explore the ancient “Golden Age” with its rich relics and
traditions. The Round Table in London places all standards related to magic in that
era.

The results would determine whose approach was more correct, theirs or mine.

“I understand that the risk is surprisingly low.”

Kyung-tae nodded.

“Still, it won’t hurt to be cautious. The kids who were receiving comprehensive
combat training in the 4th quarter are about to return. With your permission, I’ll
bring them back and utilize them.”

“How many are we talking about?”

“Just a moment, Hyungnim.”

Kyung-tae checked his phone.

“191.”
“That’s too many. It’ll be overly conspicuous in a quiet town.”

“Yes. Should I select the top twenty by performance and have them on standby?”

“Go ahead.”

I accepted the modified proposal. 191 was a number suitable for assaulting the
Mexican cartel’s stronghold, even if it was not a full-scale battle.

The members of my organization’s strike force regularly received combat training in

the United States. Any country where training was possible could handle as many
recruits as needed, but the United States was unique in that it was the only nation
where civilian access to high-level tactical academies was allowed.

Of course, the United States wasn’t foolish; it monitored these training centers
through the State Department. However, all members of the organization’s strike
team were registered as employees of security firms, bodyguard agencies, or private
military companies (PMCs) in name only. They were divided among several training
centers, so there was no reason for suspicion. Moreover, many of these centers didn’t
inquire about their clients’ identities. The only drawback was that they were
somewhat expensive.

Nevertheless, Kyung-tae was one of those talents who stood out in such training. His
evaluation reports from experienced instructors always included the word “top.”

It was only a hypothetical scenario, but even in a full-scale confrontation with the
“Rokudaime Yamaguchigumi (Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi),” Japan’s largest designated
yakuza group, I had full confidence that the strike force alone could overwhelm
them. The 11,000 “Imhyeop” groups, which the crime syndicate boasted about, were
meaningless in the face of my subordinates’ qualitative superiority.

‘Half of them are aging.’

It might be true for criminal organizations, but as a violent organization, the Yakuza
had long since lost its vitality. This was a case where both the country and the violent
organization had aged. If necessary, they wouldn’t even be comparable to the
Mexican guys with whom we might have to engage in a real battle.

Kyung-tae asked.
“So, what’s the specific location you’re heading to?”

“The mushrooms are in Oregon, but I plan to check out the Sequoia forest in
California first.”

“Could you mark it here?”

“Sure.”

Kyung-tae handed me his phone with a map application open. I marked the journey
from the Sequoia National Forest just south of the Sierra Nevada mountain range to
the national forest in Oregon and then on to a small city in Utah. Although I had
planned the route in advance, I couldn’t recall the exact location, so I had to look up
the information on my own phone.

After I handed the phone back to Kyung-tae, he looked puzzled.

“It’s quite a coincidence. Why are all these ‘giant things’ you mentioned located in
the United States?”

I felt the same way.

“I don’t know. There might be more undiscovered things in places like the Amazon.”

Regardless, it wouldn’t be all good news for the United States. These giant entities
would likely pose both a significant mystery and potential threat in proportion to
their size. Not only the United States, but any country with vast territory and
abundant wildlife would face challenges. However, I wished I could see such
landscapes more normally.

The “Eye of the Golden Age” granted me an exceptionally high-resolution vision,

allowing me to see even with my eyes closed. Although I could adjust it to some
extent, I couldn’t completely block my vision. That’s why falling asleep was a
challenging daily task. To make matters worse, I often woke up from nightmares, and
there was a time when sleep deprivation almost drove me insane.

Even now, when I was accustomed to it, the occasional moments of feeling
overwhelmed by fatigue and excessive information were still quite frequent.

However, it was better to view a quiet landscape like this rather than be in a crowded
place. For me, a crowded place was no different from a mysterious temple of organs
and muscles filled with the turmoil of internal processes and chemical signals. Even
after becoming accustomed to it for a long time, there were still moments when I felt
like my mind was going crazy.

…I should sleep.

Reluctantly, I shook off my hesitation to lie down and covered myself with a blanket,
trying not to think about the impending nightmare. If I couldn’t get rid of those
thoughts, tonight’s sleep would be impossible.

What should I occupy my mind with instead?

I tried to focus on something other than the disturbing thoughts, gazing at the ceiling
where the blood vessels on my eyelids overlapped.
The day had changed. Today, January 7th, twenty days had passed since the
negotiation in Daegu. I was sitting in a car driven by Kyung-tae’s subordinates,
traveling on an inland road in central California. There was no change in the
concentration of magic power.

Throughout the journey from Los Angeles heading north, all I could see were
vineyards and orange orchards, making for a monotonous road. Kyung-tae, who sat
beside me, idly scrolled through his phone, and his expression suddenly changed
when we passed through a cliff-lined area with a breathtaking view.

“Wow. The scenery just drastically changed.”

I took my eyes off my tablet and looked out the window. There, a lake with a vivid
blue color still shimmered amidst the continuous drought. The yellowed shores were
probably due to the current cold season.

“It’s a shame Suyeon-noonim isn’t here, Hyungnim.”

“She’s joining us in a few days anyway.”

“Even so.”

Suyeon was still in South Korea. She was busy coordinating the New Year operational
plans for the organization’s subordinate units and facilities as the secretary-general
of the organization’s headquarters.

There had been various things to deal with recently. The Yankees at Camp Henry had
agreed to expand the deal, and during the four-day New Year organization meeting
held on January 2nd, I gathered the mid-level officers to present the organization’s
management policies for the future. It was up to Suyeon and the staff officers and
key executives to specify these policies. The decisions of the people I selected were
essentially my decisions.
Kyung-tae turned his head toward me. It seemed like he was expecting something.

“By the way, how did you like the novels I recommended?”

“Well.”

I glanced away from the tablet for a moment and looked across the scenery.

“They aren’t proving to be very helpful.”

“Is that so…”

“Don’t be disappointed; I didn’t have high expectations to begin with.”

I usually didn’t get close to novels, and the reason was simple. It was a form of
reading that involved a lot of waste. Novels generally prioritized delivering emotions
and excitement over conveying knowledge, which was the opposite of what I sought
in books.

However, after thinking about what Kyung-tae had mentioned in Daegu, I considered
that a novelist’s imaginative thinking might be helpful in preparing for the future.

‘Because there have been real cases.’

In 2001, the collapse of the Twin Towers due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks had a
significant impact on the global crime market. At that time, I had been regularly
receiving academic journals from several think tanks for market forecasting, and one
of them was the American Studies Journal from the American Studies Association
(ASA). (+) [1]

I probably read about it there.

Under the title of “Cultural Imaginations of Terrorism” or something like that, a short
essay, written just a month after the terrorist attacks, explained what the U.S.
Department of Defense had asked Hollywood figures to do. According to the essay,
the Pentagon had requested a group brainstorming session from the movie industry.
What would terrorists target in the future? How would their plots be executed? And
how could these plots be prevented?

The author of the paper stated that this plan was triggered by a single novel. The
content of the novel closely resembled the patterns of the terrorist attack, and it was
even mentioned on CNN news on the day of the attack. The author of that novel was
Tom Clancy.

Kyung-tae scratched his head.

“The list I gave you wasn’t just my personal recommendations.”

“What I wanted was unrelated to the novel’s artistic completeness.”

“I know, I know.”

I felt a glance from up ahead. Sitting in the co-driver’s seat was a mid-level officer
from the secretary’s office whom Suyeon had sent to take her place. He held the rank
of deputy chief. He was a friend who had eaten the rice given by the organization
much longer than the one in a higher position right now, Suyeon. The guy sitting in
the driver’s seat was also taller than Kyung-tae.

I met the guy’s eyes through the rearview mirror.

“Hong Young-sik, do you have something to say?”

“N-No.”

“Go ahead. Don’t beat around the bush.”

“It’s really nothing, Chairman. I was just amazed to see the head of the security team
treating you so comfortably from up close.”

“What’s important is the intention, not the form. Even if I tell you that, it’s because
you guys lack confidence in yourselves and can’t accept it. Being cautious and polite
externally makes you more attentive, and that caution naturally shows in your
actions.”

“I see your point, sir.”

Deputy Chief Hong agreed respectfully.

“If I may offer an excuse for everyone, Chairman, you see, he can see through us, but
we don’t know how we appear to ourselves. So, rather than knowing how we’ll
appear to others, we focus on maintaining appearances, and that caution naturally
affects our behavior.”

I nodded my head.

“I’m not saying to be lax. A careful attitude is a good thing… What I mean is, if you’re
confident that you won’t reveal your true self, then you can act like Kyung-tae
without a problem.”

“I’ll do better, sir.”

“Good.”

Sticking to formalities didn’t necessarily increase the organization’s efficiency.

Wasn’t the old Japanese Imperial Army the second-rate army because of a lack of
discipline?

Anyway, I was irreplaceable within the organization, and the abilities I possessed
gave me an invincible status. So, there was no reason for my subordinates to act like
hard-asses.

I paused for a moment and then asked another question.

“Have you gotten used to working under Suyeon? It must have been awkward since
you’re quite a bit younger.”

Deputy Chief Hong responded as if the question caught him off guard.

“It was awkward, yes. Even when I was the department head, I had to push this guy;
otherwise, he said it was job obstruction. The chairman couldn’t have been more
wrong about someone. It’s just that Director Kang expresses her emotions in such a
dry manner… You know what I mean, right? Anyway, it was a bit difficult to deal with
her at first. It lasted about a year… Rather than saying it was awkward, it’s more
accurate to say it was difficult.”

“That’s fortunate.”

At that moment, a radio transmission came in through the in-car receiver from the
lead vehicle upfront. They reported that they had passed through the park entrance.
Despite keeping a wide gap between the lead and follow-up vehicles to avoid
suspicion, the supported location was only a minute away.

The car I was in soon reached the park entrance. A staff member collected a $35 toll
fee and handed us a pass through the window.

“It’s a pass valid for seven days. Attach it to the inside of your front windshield so
that it’s clearly visible from the outside.”

“Understood. Thank you, sir.”

“Have a great trip.”

The guy in the driver’s seat exchanged polite greetings with the staff member. The
car began to drive toward the Sequoia forest on the other side of the mountains.

 1. TLN: A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs

research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political
strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture.
Half an hour passed, and the road, which had risen to an altitude of 5,000 feet, now
had weathered asphalt that looked almost white in its pale gray. Speed limit signs
and cautionary road signs flickered past the roadside. The latter displayed warnings
to install snow chains. Although other vehicles were seen stopping to install chains,
the vehicle prepared by the headquarters field support team had a four-wheel drive
with snow tires, so there was no need to delay.

As the ancient Sequoia Grove drew nearer, my heart rate quickened. The flow of
magic power that came into view was unusual. There was also an unrefined trace of
magic. Evidence that there was at least one Awakened being nearby.

Awakened beings had circuits that absorbed the surrounding magic power, and the
absorbed power was called control strength. The range in which this control
strength was exerted was called the circuit field or magical field.

I felt my lips dry.

‘An Awakened being who deploys a field to such a distance… ’

It was unexpected. The trees in this Sequoia National Park were indeed giant and
ancient, but I didn’t think they would already be opening circuits. I thought it might
be possible only for trees like Oregon’s mushrooms, which had expanded their
territory through symbiosis for 8,700 years, or Utah’s golden aspen, estimated to
have existed for at least 80,000 years.

The reason I came to this Sequoia forest was simply to observe the early precursors
before Awakening, but it seems I had underestimated the potential arising from their
gigantism. Perhaps the quality of souls that had endured for so long had become
another variable.

The magical knowledge I possessed was fundamentally the result of digesting the
soul of that arrogant bastard, my Master, that was embedded in my mind. That
arrogant bastard knew a lot, but that didn’t mean he was a master of all things
magical. So, my judgments based on that knowledge could have errors.

Well, that bastard of Master was also steeped in religious bias and human
supremacism.

“I’ll stop the car here.”

As Kyung-tae’s subordinate turned the wheel and slowed down, I got out of the car
and immediately began to search for a southern path. Kyung-tae, who had been
closely following with his security detail, spoke with a bewildered expression.

“Uh, Hyungnim. The biggest tree around here, ‘General Sherman,’ is supposed to be
in the opposite direction.”

“I know, but what I need to see isn’t that guy.”

“Have you already found something?”

“…You can’t even imagine what I’m looking at.”

I felt my control field contracting, as if squeezing each other out, a pure contest of
control strength that occurred when different fields clashed. My control strength
over the surrounding magic power was now barely significant compared to the
formidable strength of the behemoth I could only now barely see.

‘What will happen when my circuits are completely normalized?’

I roughly estimated and inwardly shook my head. It was still far behind. There was a
significant gap in class that the density and intricacy of circuits alone couldn’t
overcome. As time passed, even the circuits of this behemoth would go through its
own natural optimization.

How efficiently you used the drawn-in magic power was a separate issue, but in any
case, within this behemoth’s territory, no mage or primitive ability user could fully
demonstrate their abilities. They couldn’t draw in the surrounding magic power at
maximum efficiency unless they destroyed the tree itself.

Finally, I stopped in my tracks. Somewhere, I could hear the sound of flowing water.

Perhaps it was because this wasn’t the most famous tree in the park, or maybe it was
because it was off-season, but I didn’t see anyone else except for our group.
Naturally, there were no surveillance personnel I had been concerned about either.
The security team, pretending to be tourists, was standing at a distance, guarding the
outer perimeter. Kyung-tae, who had come with me, was reading the plaque in front
of the tree.

“[The President]… The name sounds grand, doesn’t it? Is this the one you’ve been
looking for, Hyungnim?”

Without turning my head, I replied.

“Yes. This might be the first awakened being of this era.”

“Awakened? Are you saying that thing has already opened its magic power circuits or
something?”

Kyung-tae tilted his head up to look at the tall and massive trunk.

“Oh my. This ‘President’ guy is really huge. It must be taller than most apartments…
It’s like looking at a cliff, not a tree.”

His amazement, which was almost mumbling, became more evident as he moved
backward.

Approaching the overwhelming mass of the ‘President,’ I reached out my palm to

touch its rugged surface. Inside the bark, I could feel the currents of magic power
and mana as if they were tangible. It was a sensation different from mere
observation. The internal circuitry resembled rapids and waterfalls, chaotic and
inefficient yet beautiful.

The magic power and mana I could perceive had waves-like patterns of different
colored spots of light. Therefore, the ‘President’ was a tree of light with various
colors, from its deep roots deep in the ground to its high canopy. The magic power
escaping from incomplete circuits became a light cluster resembling an aurora and
flowed out like a galaxy.

With a sigh mixed with admiration, I warned Kyung-tae.

“Kyung-tae.”
“Yes.”

“Stay within roughly 5 meters of me as a center, and tell the guys over there to make
way to the left and right. That’s where magic power is flowing.”

“Oh.”

Without Kyung-tae’s order, the other guys quickly sent a message through the radio.
Glancing back, I saw the security personnel in that direction dispersing. I turned my
gaze back to the front.

Roughly within a 5-meter radius was the maximum range where I could exert my
control here. The control that drew in magic power could technically push back
magic power or mana if used skillfully. To avoid being exposed to the violent and
unrefined mana, one could either stay close to me or completely leave the area.

Still, it was only 5 meters. I felt small and insignificant in my current state.

But this wasn’t entirely a negative emotion. It was more of amazement than self-pity.
This tree was much more beautiful than anything I had seen before.

On the other hand, interpreting the ‘President’s’ circuits didn’t take much time. The
complexity of the circuits was still low, and there were only a few circuits performing
meaningful functions.

However, there was a clear difference from human circuits. This difference would
become even more pronounced in the future. The hypothesis that different abilities
would manifest differently in different species gained even more weight.

“Hyungnim.”

Kyung-tae cautiously asked in a voice filled with the unfamiliar.

“So, what ability does this guy have?”

“Ability?”

“Yes.”

“He’ll probably grow better than anything we’ve seen so far. He’ll also become
sturdier.”

“…Is that the answer?”

“Isn’t that the essence of the basic desire of life?”

Though simply expressed, it was indeed a remarkable ability. Since some of the
energy needed for growth would be replaced by mana.

I was quite looking forward to how much bigger this behemoth would become in the
future. Plants that had started to replace energy with mana due to biotic
enhancements, no matter how their changes manifested, would likely cause
tremendous upheaval in human civilization.

Hearing my answer, Kyung-tae wore an awkward expression.

“It’s true, but the term ‘desire’ doesn’t quite fit plants.”

“Why?”

“Plants don’t have intelligence.”

“Who says that?”

“Huh? Isn’t that obvious?”

“Nothing in this world is obvious.”

“Well…”

“Sometimes, doubt common sense. Plants have intelligence and even cognitive
abilities. They’re just different in principles and forms from human intelligence.”

If I were to watch those who mockingly underestimated plants, believing that only
human intelligence was true intelligence, I couldn’t help but think they resembled
the imperialists who claimed their civilization was the only true one and colonized
the world.

I disliked imperialism. Regardless of right or wrong, I disliked it simply because it

was imperialism.
“Doesn’t it make sense?”

Kyung-tae chuckled in response to my question.

“Of course not. To Kim Kyung-tae, your words are always right. It’s just that the
content is completely opposite to what I’ve known so far, so it doesn’t feel real.
Haha.”

“Hmm.”

This kind of conversation was becoming tiring with repetition, but what could I do?
The knowledge to prepare for the future was unique to me alone. Looking ahead, this
guy needed to keep his wits about him.

With 99.5% of the Earth’s existing biomass being plants, it foreshadowed that most
of the awakening entities that would appear in the future would be plants.

“Let me give you a simple example.”

I spoke up.

“Many trees recognize their relatives.”

“Wow.”

“Genetically close relatives don’t compete with each other, or if they do, they don’t
take it to the death.”

In other words, plants have a lineage too. Just like in human society, it was a natural
strategy to preserve and spread genes.

“However, even among the same species, there’s fierce competition between trees
with different ‘lineages.’ It’s a war where they spread their roots antagonistically to
occupy a bit more territory. So, in dense forests, you can see the family relationships
of the trees that have rooted in that area by looking underground.”

“That’s amazing. They don’t have brains, so how do they make such judgments…”

Answering up to here, there was already too much information. Feeling it was
becoming tedious, I condensed the words I had to say into one sentence.
“Plants’ roots are their brains.”

“…”

Kyung-tae, who had closed his mouth, now curiously examined the ground beneath
his feet. Even so, there was no way the naked eye could see below the surface.

In truth, even though I condensed my explanation, the knowledge I had provided

was still too much. Plant intelligence was distributed beyond just the roots.

However, it was true that the roots played an overwhelmingly significant role.

At the foundation of it all were the root tips. Root-tip cells formed a network
functionally similar to an animal’s brain by sending electrical and chemical signals to
each other.

Even roadside wildflowers had tens of millions of root-tip cells. What about a
behemoth like the ‘President’? It would be faster to weigh than to count. Even
without such behemoths, the cognitive network mass of trees of a certain size was
much heavier than the human brain. There were differences in how cognition was
achieved, and the difference was significant enough to make mutual communication
almost impossible.

That’s why I thought people who babbled that animals were pitiful, so let’s only eat
plants, were stupid.

‘To value life, you should just starve to death.’

The morality these savage people professed reminded me of the nauseating sense of
superiority displayed by my master and those London fellows.

Interrupting my train of thought, I turned away from the “President.”

“That’s enough for this one. Let’s go check out the others.”

Kyung-tae looked surprised.

“Have you seen enough already?”

“It’s just the beginning of the awakening process, so there’s nothing more to see right
now. Maybe we’ll come back another time.”

I’d love to observe the development of the circuit for a longer period, but realistically,
it was impossible. Moving this entire tree to plant elsewhere was out of the question.

At least I had glimpsed the starting point of biotic enhancement circuits, which were
fundamentally different from those of humans. If I were to compare it to
programming, I had collected some code. By increasing my library of code like this, I
would eventually find it useful.

I hoped that these efforts would surpass the knowledge and artifacts possessed by
imperialists.

Afterward, I went to see “The Senate,” “McKinley,” “Lincoln,” and finally stood in front
of “General Sherman,” which was said to be the largest tree in this national park, at
least by conventional tree standards.

Kyung-tae, while keeping an eye on nearby tourists, asked me.

“How is it?”

“It’s developing a bit slower than the others.”

“Well, can’t expect much from this one, huh?”

While larger biomass increased the chances of awakening, the probability was still a
probability. I could see that the flow of magic power was penetrating “General
Sherman” like rifts of light, but it had not yet formed a significant circuit.

“Chairman.”

Hong Young-sik, the deputy director, who had been on the phone with someone,
turned to me.

“A call from Diamond Casino.”

I took the phone from Deputy Director Hong.

The Chief of the casino invited me to the San Xavier Native Reservation, located
south of Tucson, Arizona. It was land obtained anew through dealings with the
federal and state governments, though it hadn’t been the tribe’s territory in the past.
Diamond Casino was also located within this area.

As our convoy of vehicles entered the protected area, police officers who had been
waiting by the roadside signaled for us to stop. Two officers with red skin
approached, palms open, and tapped on the windows. A subordinate in the driver’s
seat rolled down the window, and the senior officer spoke.

“Hello, everyone. It’s a good day for a trip, isn’t it?”

The subordinate responded.

“Yes, it is. Except for the rain on the way here.”

This was a desert. It wasn’t the rainy season, so it had never rained here.

The police officer replied with an impassive expression.

“Welcome. We’ll escort you to where the chief is waiting.”

Although we had already provided our vehicle’s registration, it was a procedure to

confirm it once more. Vehicles could remain the same while people might differ.
Information such as vehicle registration numbers and passcodes were exchanged
through separate channels.

Our destination wasn’t the casino. The leading police car entered a dusty, unpaved
road that led to impoverished residences. Dust billowed up like smoke in the wake of
the tires. The road, devoid of any straight lines, was lined with scattered wooden
houses, adding to the desolation.

Finally, we stopped at an ordinary house that was no different from the others.
Kyung-tae, who got out of the car first, checked the surroundings as a formality
before opening the door. As soon as I stepped out of the car, the intense desert heat
assaulted me. To the north, the white spire of an old cathedral was visible. It was a
legacy of the white-skinned invaders.

Thud. The officer who had closed the door of the old patrol car pointed with an
outstretched hand toward the entrance of the house.

“Please, come in.”

I gave Kyung-tae a slight nod. It was a gesture indicating that there was no threat
inside the house. Protecting me in this way was completely different from standard
security.

Inside the house, a uniform hum of central air conditioning and artificial coldness
greeted us. There was a hint of the musty odor of aged filters in the air. The interior
seemed like a typical family home, suggesting cooperation from one of the tribe’s
members or perhaps an intentionally fortified safe house.

The elderly chief, leaning on a cane, stood up and greeted me as he limped over.

“Welcome, Chairman. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you in person.”

“I’m glad to see you, Chief. You look healthy.”

“You, on the other hand, remain unchanged despite the passage of time. Not a single
wrinkle on your forehead… Anyway, please have a seat here.”

The chief, guiding me to a seat, was dressed in a stylish suit. I sat across from him at
the old dining table. The chief offered an apology first.

“I apologize for unilaterally notifying you of the time and place, as I did to such an
important customer. However, due to recent political issues on the tribal level that
need to be addressed, it was difficult to schedule a separate meeting. Just this
morning, I returned from D.C., and I’ll have to leave again soon. I hope you
understand.”

“I already mentioned on the phone that it’s fine. A direct meeting with you is a rare
request. But may I know what the issue is?”
After receiving the question and staying silent for a moment, the chief shook his
head and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Even if I keep my mouth shut, it’ll come out sooner or later…”

“…?”

“The problem is the copper mine.”

Anger and irritation flashed in the chief’s eyes.

“For years, mining companies that are eating up open-pit mines have been
encroaching on our tribal land. It’s not about profit-sharing ratios; the state
government is trying to skew the distribution in favor of the mining companies, isn’t
it?”

“So, you’re wrestling with the federal government?”

“You could say that. We’re helping our tribal government behind the scenes. So far,
we haven’t made any income, though.”

“…If the mining companies have any sense, they’ve lobbied their side as well.”

“That’s exactly it.”

It was always the same story. Whether it was a protected area or a Native American
reservation, the United States would do whatever it took to take away anything of
value as soon as it was found on that land. That’s the kind of imperialistic behavior I
despised.

The chief seemed to genuinely express his concerns. Since their vulnerabilities
would be revealed anyway, there was no need to damage trust with empty
pretensions.

I asked in response.

“By the way, didn’t the Apache tribe face a similar issue before? If that case is still
pending in court, have you considered joining forces and making a unified voice?”

This was a conversation I had with the chief before. Their issue might also have been
a copper vein. It happened several years ago, but these kinds of legal disputes were
never resolved quickly.

The chief responded with sarcasm.

“We’re already doing that.”

“Sorry.”

“The federal government, those damned bastards. They have less credibility than
drug dealers! In our tribe’s language, there’s not even a word to insult them.”

The “People of the Desert” did not have swear words in their mother tongue. This
was a common feature of Native American languages, influenced by their cultures
where strongly cursing or insulting individuals was strictly prohibited.

I harbored a small hope.

‘It might not be as difficult to resolve this as I thought.’

Right now, the chief probably needed lobbying funds to use in the political arena. It
wasn’t a matter of selling
Beasts, he said. I instinctively pulled my body back, displaying my reluctance.

“Kill people? Several of them? If it’s tied to politics, I’ll decline.”

The nature of the targets would depend on who they were specifically, but for now, I
had to show my hesitation. Even if it was the same compensation, it had to appear
more valuable.

The chief denied any suspicion.

“That’s not it. You must have misunderstood due to the mention of the mine earlier.”

“It’s not just the mine. You still have the issue of the tribe’s holy land, don’t you? If I
remember correctly, it was the summit of Baboquivari mountain, right?”

“…It’s not Baboquivari mountain; it’s Waw Kiwulik. The center of the world. It might
be fine for outsiders, but at least in front of us, please don’t use the name imposed by
invaders.” (+) [1]

“I didn’t intend to offend. It simply slipped my memory.”

“I understand.”

The chief’s wrinkles deepened even further.

In reality, claiming not to remember was a lie and it was a topic I had brought up
intentionally.

‘There’s no way we can forget the psychological weakness of our major trading
partners.’

The deeply wounded were easily shaken, under the assumption that they were
understood.
Waw Kiwulik was the spiritual mountain of the tribe, not too far from here. The
“People of the Desert” believed that the mountain’s north peak houses the divine
spirit “Iitoy,” also known as the “Man in the Maze,” who guided the harmony between
humans and the world.

However, the mountain was merely nominally tribal land, actually under permanent
lease by the U.S. government. In front of the sacred plateau which tribal members
called the “Garden of the Gods,” there was a massive astronomical observatory
complex, including the world’s largest solar observatory.

“Now that the topic has come up, may I ask if there has been any improvement in
that matter?”

My question infuriated the chief.

“Don’t even mention it. Those people have now dug up even the sacred mountain!”

“I see.”

“The tribal elders were naive and foolish. They signed the contract without seeing
through the core of the scam. They thought it meant they were really borrowing…”

Did they really?

I believed that even the “People of the Desert” had their own calculations, despite
using the word “lease.” Wasn’t a non-withdrawable lease contract essentially the
same as a perpetual contract? Over 60 years had passed since then, and the tribe had
not regained the land they lent.

The contract fee paid by the U.S. at the time was worth about $500,000 when
adjusted for current value. In Korean won, that was about 600 million. And as rent,
they were paying 25 cents (about 300 won) per acre annually.

The elderly chief clenched his fist under the table. His granddaughter, Mashath,
interlocked her hand with his trembling fist. His gaze, feigned indifference, was
directed in the opposite direction. It seemed like he was trying to hide something,
but my eyes were attentive.

I brought up the past.

“Chief, I’m reminded of the time you first proposed a deal to me. There was only one
casino owned by the tribe back then if I recall correctly.”

Now, there were four casinos. The chief at that time was an amateur just starting his
business. He was old in age, but he lacked the experience of a businessman and had
much less background compared to now.

I wondered if that was the reason. When I didn’t easily agree and tested the waters,
the exhausted and desperate chief went so far as to reveal everything, from his
background to the tribe’s unfortunate situation, seeking my sympathy. My
understanding of “People of the Desert” and the chief himself was based on the
stories I heard back then.

‘This old man was lucky.’

I might not be a just person, but I detested imperialism. The chief’s struggles
garnered at least a bit of my sympathy.

In other words, the chief and my first deal, about 10% of it was concluded with my
personal favor added in. The contract was also fair. I subtly reminded him of that
point.

“Your business has soared, but it seems the tribe’s situation hasn’t improved. I
express my regret as a friend, Chief.”

“Friend?”

“Isn’t that right?”

“…Well, I suppose so. I still appreciate the Chairman’s kindness. There was
something different about you, something that set you apart from the others. So, I
continue to treat you differently from my other clients. Even this conversation…”

Here, the chief changed his tone.

“But I never knew we were friends. True friends help each other unconditionally
when times are tough, right?”

“In the country I was born in, even among friends, there’s a saying that they don’t
vouch for each other. Doesn’t that type of relationship last longer?”
“Haha.”

The chief smiled with amusement at my composed response.

I used a guarantee as an example because one of the means the chief initially used to
secure credit for his business was an unlimited mutual guarantee system among
different tribes. Accounts guaranteed by one tribe’s casino were guaranteed for
payment at another tribe’s casino as well. However, it didn’t end well. What started
as an initiative involving 11 tribes had now been reduced to just five tribes’
agreements, and even that had been narrowed down to mutual guarantees for
limited amounts.

If the elderly chief hadn’t handled it well, there might not even be this reduced
“alliance” among the five tribes.

The chief smiled and continued.

“If you agree to this request, I will consider you a friend as well. I’ll take on your
request as a friend’s favor. I won’t just introduce one or two people; I’ll help you
wholeheartedly until you achieve your goal. Even afterward, I’ll offer more
conveniences in our dealings as a token of friendship.”

There was no room for negotiation from the beginning, which was discomforting,
but looking at just the conditions, it wasn’t bad.

At that moment, the power in the house suddenly went out. The lights went off, and
the noises from the air conditioner and refrigerator vanished. As my companions
immediately went on high alert, the tension in the room soared, and I raised my
hand to calm my subordinates. There was no sign of an attack from outside.

In the silence, winds mixed with sand blew, and the two police officers who had
volunteered to be our escorts were waiting boredly in their patrol car.

The chief spoke, making an effort to hide his embarrassment.

“Don’t be too alarmed, everyone. It’s probably the work of those damn ants.”

“Ants? What are you talking about?”

“They’re called ‘Raspberry Crazy Ants.’ They’re strange creatures that crawl into
electrical panels and cause short circuits when they’re bored. They have insane
reproductive and adaptive capabilities, and these days, they’re causing chaos in the
southern United States.”

“Hmm…”

I had heard about the problems the United States was facing due to the unlimited
spread of feral hogs and invasive species, but this was the first time I had heard
about ants.

Afterward, I brought the conversation back to the topic.

“Let’s start by getting information about the targets.”

The chief nodded.

“The targets are a group called the ‘White Guard.'”

“The name is quite explicit. Are they neo-Nazis?”

“That’s correct. They recently separated from the ‘American Front,’ stating that they
want to continue the legacy of the ‘Silent Brotherhood.’ Have you heard of the
‘American Front’?”

“Ah, I know about them.”

The neo-Nazi skinhead group was something I had heard about before. While they
might not be very influential as a criminal organization, they were harmful to people
of color in the United States. Their crude white supremacist ideology seemed to
persist over time.

The chief continued.

“These vermin have been actively destroying the foundation of our tribe’s young
members who were pioneering their lives outside the protected area. There have
been nine deaths and six disappearances at businesses that have been targeted.”

“With things getting to this point, aren’t the police taking action?”

“Hmph. Each case has different circumstances, and the jurisdictions vary, so when
you look at them individually, they don’t seem like much of a big deal from their
perspective. Moreover, it seems there are individuals putting pressure on them,
probably higher-ups or supporters of the ‘White Guard,’ or perhaps even their
backers.”

Not only were their identities unknown, but their existence itself was uncertain. The
fact that an influential chief like him couldn’t even uncover this much meant that
they were putting a lot of effort into the mining project. Be it money or people.

Considering that copper mining rights were potentially a substantial asset, it was a
rational choice to focus on it. That alone could change the future of the tribe
significantly.

“And what about the media?”

“Those journalists are interested in discrimination against black people but not in
the discrimination we face, Chairman. To those high-and-mighty individuals, we’re
just garbage operating casinos.”

In reality, it wasn’t operating casinos; it was more like there was no other viable
business besides casinos.

‘It’s a typical strategy of labeling.’

Gambling was considered immoral. Would Americans really have a positive view of
casinos?

The casino operating rights, begrudgingly granted by the federal government after a
legal battle, were not only almost the only source of livelihood in protected areas, but
they were also a menace to the external image of Native Americans. The perception
that had been pushed down to the gutter was their own downfall when it came time
to reduce benefits for Native Americans.

While money could solve many problems, the situation at hand was urgent.

“So, you mean we should eliminate the ‘White Guard’ by any means necessary?”

In response to my question, the chief affirmed with a determined expression.

“Exactly, please do your best to eliminate them by any means necessary.”

“Aren’t you considering delivering a warning?”

“My heart may be as hard as stone, but won’t it disrupt our business? What about the
legal battle regarding the mine? We must avoid any damage to our interests, even
minor allegations.”

“Understood.”

I casually tapped the table to buy some time, and when the chief became impatient, I
accepted his proposal.

“Alright, I agree.”

“You’re accepting it just like that?”

“…Is that a problem?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know all your abilities.”

Abilities. I wondered what kind of expression this old man would make if he ever
learned about my true abilities.

Regardless, negotiations had reached a point where they could conclude. While it
might not be the best outcome, it was better than total failure. I stood up, adjusting
my attire.

“It seems we’ve reached an agreement. You mentioned being busy, so unless you
have other matters to discuss, I’ll take my leave.”

“No, wait. Are you leaving like this?”

“Yes. I want to handle your request as quickly as possible.”

“…”

“Is there something else you’d like to discuss?”

The chief, looking a bit flustered, couldn’t find the words. I bid him farewell.

“It seems like we’ve reached an agreement. Since you mentioned being busy, I’ll take
my leave.”

The chief seemed puzzled but nodded in acknowledgment. I continued.

“If you have any further business, be prepared, my friend. Until we meet again.”

I didn’t ask for any additional information. Given the current lack of reliable casino
intelligence, I had already confirmed that. If I set my mind to it, there were plenty of
ways to gather information, whether it was about the victims or the targets. This was
an opportunity to demonstrate my skills.

The chief, who had escorted me to the door, stood beside his granddaughter,
watching as my car departed.

Inside the moving car, Kyung-tae spoke.

“I’ve never heard someone call someone else a friend, even in jest.”

I turned my head to look at him and added one more thing.

“So, I meant it in the literal sense.”

As I thought about it, that seemed to be the case. While I might have casually
referred to them as friends in idiomatic expressions, I couldn’t recall ever using the
term “friend” so genuinely before.

But even then, it was a phrase with a lot of calculations behind it. I gazed out the car
window and replied.

“At that time, I have a somewhat different thought.”

“What kind of thought are you referring to?”

“I thought that if I did well, I could recruit personnel from here.”

“You mean to send personnel to the UK?”

“Yes, and on one hand, I wanted to show my distinctiveness to the casino heir here.”

“I see.”
The town passing by outside the car resembled a wasteland. The rare few people
seen were just part of the desolation, adding no vibrancy. Their faces lacked any
signs of vitality, almost as if they were living their lives out of inertia at the bottom of
the world.

“Kyung-tae.”

“Yes?”

“If these Native Americans here were empowered, how do you think it would change
their relationship with the United States?”

“Well…”

Kyung-tae scratched his head, deep in thought.

“It could be one of two scenarios. The Americans might treat these friends here more
humanely, or they might perceive them as a greater threat and try to suppress them
even more.”

“Which scenario do you think is more likely?”

“I think the latter.”

“Why?”

“To treat them more humanely would require money, you see.”

It was a concise understanding that was typical of Kyung-tae.

I agreed. Even if this became a sacred place, would the United States really be willing
to accept the sunk costs of returning the land, along with the investments made and
the facilities built there? It would be a decision that could threaten the astronomical
investment that the United States held in the field of international astronomy.

In any case, the United States had ignored their own original sin so far, and now they
were going to face it head-on.

‘Not just the United States.’

The awakening of abilities as a societal phenomenon was a probabilistic power that
would be given to anyone, regardless of their social class. In that case, the balance of
that power would inevitably tilt toward the side with a larger number of people.
Those who couldn’t raise their voices due to a lack of power would start rising all
over the world to assert their rights. They would do it with the anger, thirst, and
greed they had accumulated from their long years of suffering. Socially
disadvantaged groups were not necessarily righteous; they were simply groups that
had been treated unfairly.

In short, it was the cost of inequality that would come with the advent of an unequal
world.

Kyung-tae’s words comparing them to cicadas resurfaced in my mind. The more I

pondered it, the more I savored the richness of that expression.

“The cicadas will cry.”

Kyung-tae reacted to my muttered words.

“Yes?”

“Don’t mind me. It was just my inner thoughts.”

“Alright…”

Kyung-tae shrugged and turned his attention back to the front.

I silently sent my best wishes.

Cicadas, cry your hearts out. Only by being that loud will the mages at the round
table not hear the sound of my footsteps as I approach them.

 1. TLN: Waw Kiwulik is the name of Baboquivari Mountain in the Native

Language
The division of power in this business was never accomplished peacefully. This was
especially true for the street gangs before the full-scale industrialization, as most of
these neighborhood thugs had no ability to leave their own neighborhood (Street).
They had to make their living in that neighborhood, live or die.

The relationship between the “White Guard” and the “American Front” was likely no
exception. Shabby houses and cheap rent were the most powerful forces that
confined these beasts. Even if it turned out that the “White Guard” had a sponsor, it
was unlikely that the sponsor bought houses for these thugs.

Therefore, it was highly likely that the two tough groups that recently split up
overlap in their territories. There was no need to look for the base of the emerging
organization, the “White Guard.”

This was why I changed my next destination to Oakland, the operating area of the
“American Front.” It was unfortunate that the original schedule had been delayed,
but when you received a mission, it was better to resolve it promptly.

On the plane heading to Oakland via Los Angeles, Kyung-tae, sitting next to me, was
connecting to the in-flight Wi-Fi with his laptop, searching for information on his
own.

He leaned forward, placing one hand on his chin, and said.

“By the way, I never thought I’d come all the way to the United States for a hunt.”

The first-class cabin on the domestic flight at this vague time had no passengers,
making it eerily quiet. I kept my gaze on my smartphone screen and replied casually.

“It should be easier than what you were doing in China.”

“Ah, it’s nothing compared to China. You have to be really careful there.”
Kyung-tae said this as he nonchalantly chewed on something. Despite his
appearance, he was a guy with an innate talent for finding and torturing people to
death. He successfully completed nine human hunts that the organization had
struggled with for a long time, and the profits he gained from that were
approximately 230 billion Korean won.

I didn’t think of him as a simpleton for no reason. Even hunting dogs probably
wouldn’t compare to this kind of hunting dog.

Kyung-tae reminisced about the most successful hunt he had ever conducted.

“When I made 1.9 trillion in one go in Jinan, that was the second best moment of my
life. It didn’t even take half a year to embezzle that money, you know?” (+) [1]

“That’s right.”

“That bastard, I mean really, he was squeezing out his nails and using his toes, but he
still wouldn’t cough up the money. He cried, saying all the money from Korea was
gone, but… that professionalism alone even this Kim Kyung-tae has to admit it? This
guy is a real scammer through and through.”

“You did go through a lot back then.”

“Hardship? I did it all for you, hyungnim.”

“…Right.”

It was a story I’d heard many times, but what could you do? Compliments made
hunting dogs dance.

Moreover, this guy’s pride wasn’t focused on the fact that he succeeded in the hunt,
but that by doing so, he was more helpful to me than any other hunting dog.

If it weren’t for him, the 87 billion budget spent over 11 years on tracking would
have been in vain.

As Kyung-tae mentioned, as a profitable business, human hunting usually targets con

artists who flee overseas. When you caught just one con artist properly, the
laundered assets that person refuses to reveal were often in the tens or even
thousands of billions. Kyung-tae’s 1.9 trillion hunt was in a league of its own.
Since these prey were criminals, they diligently prepared to live as “non-existent
people.” In other words, they were already “non-existent people,” so even if you
really eliminated them, there were no legal repercussions. At the very least, you
didn’t have to worry about official investigations by law enforcement agencies. As
long as you erased the traces well.

Perhaps imperialist hunts like this one wouldn’t be the only more profitable ones.

‘Even if there was a little trouble during one hunt… ’

Since there were many guys in my organization who had been unfairly treated, I
received a ridiculous suggestion to use some of the proceeds for victim relief, even if
it was just a part.

I responded to this suggestion as follows:

“Why should I do that?”

And I asked again.

“Why should I risk getting my tail stepped on when there are others who should take
responsibility?”

Large-scale scams like the phone fraud scams spread numerous traces around
because, even due to the trait of constantly needing new victims. And until the con
artist finished wrapping up the business and fled overseas, there was usually at least
a few months of time. During that time, the scammers did everything they could to
prepare for escape.

So, there was an abundance of time and opportunities to catch the scammer before
the grand scam bore fruit. That was why my hunting dogs could sniff ahead of time.

If you were a person with normal judgment, wouldn’t you realize right away that
someone promising a fixed 10% monthly profit was a scam?

However, even if someone heard such nonsense and realized it was a scam, they
rarely reported it to the authorities. They just get annoyed or express contempt and
keep their distance. It was because the one being scammed was a fool. Such
spectators didn’t even have the awareness that they inadvertently facilitated the
situation, let alone the later ridicule.
Even if, by some rare chance, a diligent person did report it, it was even harder to
find cases where law enforcement authorities respond properly. It was fortunate if
they didn’t hear any complaints like, “Why are you doing this when you’re not even
involved?”

‘Or they start cursing right after receiving the report.’

For example, during the Cho Hee-pal case, the Chief Prosecutor at the Seoul High
Prosecutors’ Office received money and delayed the issuance of a warrant, giving
Cho Hee-pal’s gang time to escape overseas. Although the prosecutor eventually
served a prison sentence, he was just a small part of the iceberg, as he justified
himself. (+) [2]

Weren’t guys like that worse off than me? At least I gave con artists the shivers. Even
if the authorities tried to catch a con artist, the maximum sentence under Korea’s
criminal law was just a few years. It was closer to a legal loophole than a
punishment.

While educating my hunting dogs in defense logic, I strengthened the motivation of

the entire organization by significantly increasing the budget for the childcare
facilities run by the organization.

‘The Mexican cartel guys don’t just operate hospitals and schools for no reason.’

Such social contributions were both a means of gaining the support of local residents
and a tool for arming organization members ideologically. Unless they were
psychopaths, even the most heinous criminals wanted to believe they were good
people somehow. Without seeing through this psychology, you couldn’t stably run a
large organization. My organization, even more so.

“Hey.”

Kyung-tae turned his laptop screen toward me. On the screen was a P2P chat
program used as an internal messenger substitute.

“It’s a message from Suyeon-noonim. She says she has a payment to receive.”

“We’re on an airplane now, so tell her we’ll talk later.”

“Okay.”
Kyung-tae quickly sent a short reply. Suyeon didn’t input any more messages. Here in
the United States, exchanging encrypted packets on an airplane would almost
certainly put us under surveillance.

When we arrived at the old airport, it was raining. The smell of the sea on a humid
day permeated the terminal. We took a prepared car and headed to the northern
port. The hotel Hong Young-sik had booked was a mid-sized hotel adjacent to the
ferry terminal. The hotel’s blue roof sparkled like water under the overcast sky.

We got a place close to the waves mainly because of the street gangs’ physiology.
These guys were at the bottom of the smuggling pyramid. Typically, these guys’
money-making scheme involved taking chunks of the goods, mixing impurities, and
then selling small amounts at a time. The extortion of protection fees, theft, robbery,
etc., was nothing more than supplementary income.

So where did they import these goods from?

The easiest way was still by sea. Airports had much stricter inspections, and roads
were easy to get caught in the middle. But a ship, once the cargo was transshipped
somewhere in the wide open sea, became hard to trace. This was smuggling at its
finest. This was why my organization owned numerous ocean-going fishing vessels
and cargo ships.

Oakland, where the police budget had hit rock bottom, was a good city for this kind
of smuggling.

In my eyes, even the yachts gently swaying in front of the hotel pier seemed like a
means of smuggling. In fact, several of them likely had sensitive cargo stowed away
somewhere in the hold.

But no matter how suspicious, without a warrant, they couldn’t be searched, and
even if they were searched and something was found, it couldn’t be used as evidence.
The principle of the fruit of the poisonous tree. Illegally obtained evidence was not
admissible in court.

While some of the security team went to request an extension, I made a call to Korea.
The call was protected by end-to-end encryption, so there was no worry of
eavesdropping. It seemed like Suyeon was waiting as soon as the signal went
through.
[Hyungnim.]

“I heard there’s a matter that needs approval.”

[Yes. The Guangdong Triad has requested a large supply of illicit military weapons
for guerrilla warfare.]

“Illicit? How much are they planning to buy?”

[They’ve set a timeframe but haven’t specified the types or limits. It’s essentially an
unlimited purchase declaration.]

“…”

This was unlucky. To request an unlimited purchase at a point where we wanted to

stockpile.

[I’m sorry, Hyungnim. I did my best to refuse, but—]

“I know you did.”

It was difficult to outright reject an offer from the Triad. If you said it was absolutely
not possible, they took it as an insult. The Chinese had their pride… Still, those who
dabble in foreign goods were somewhat more lenient, but the ones on the mainland
were a problem.

Furthermore, those playing in Guangdong were the dirty hands and feet of the
Communist Party. Unless they planned to completely cease activities in China, we
had to cater to them to some extent.

So, the best approach was to buy time through price negotiations. Offering a price
that the other side couldn’t accept but without explicitly revealing your intention to
break off the deal. Suyeon had the ability to walk that subtle line.

Therefore, when Suyeon said she did her best, it also meant that she had managed to
push the profit margin for this deal to an unusually high level.

“What’s the profit margin?”

[The markup for assault rifles classed as pure is 38 hundred percent.]

Unbelievable.

“And they accepted those conditions?”

[Yes. Please take a look at the other items. I’ll send you the files.]

My smartphone vibrated. Without ending the call, I opened the files Suyeon sent me.
The profit margins ranged from a minimum of 3,800 percent to a maximum of
12,000 percent depending on the item.

The standard for calculating the profit margin in dealings with other organizations
was the average market price in the legitimate weapons market. The typical profit
margin in the black market was around 1,000 percent. It could vary significantly
depending on the transportation route and the destination where the goods were
sold, but the final price the retailer received was about 8,800 dollars for an 800-
dollar automatic rifle, for example. This was because it included transportation costs
and risk management expenses. There were no honest dealers regarding people
buying weapons in the black market.

Since my actual purchase price for the goods was much lower than the regular
market price, a nominal profit margin of 3,800 percent meant that the real profit
margin was more than double that. It was almost a $20,000 net profit for each
assault rifle sold.

Something big was coming.

The real target of this deal was the Chinese government. It was not just the usual
case of outsourcing work to the Triad; they were borrowing the Triad’s shell to make
it seem like a completely unrelated third party. This was so they could confidently
claim innocence when questioned by the international community.

Otherwise, there was no reason for them to request work from someone like me, an
arms dealer who operated outside the purview of Western intelligence agencies
unless they’d already concentrated on surveillance and containment.

This occasionally happened.

“Where are these goods headed?”

[The first leg is to Laem Chabang Port. The final destination hasn’t been disclosed
yet.]

“…Laem Chabang, that’s in the south of Thailand, right?”

[Yes.]

“Are they planning to support a coup?”

[It could also be cargo heading to northern Myanmar via land.]

Suyeon also seemed to have accepted the fact that the other party was the Chinese
government.

In northern Myanmar, there was a rebel group called the United Wa State Army
(UWSA) which had been thriving. These rebels, who advocated for the creation of a
Wa ethnic independent state, had, in fact, been under the covert control of the
Chinese Communist Party since their inception.

China’s strategy was simple. Give both aid and trouble. By supporting rebels to
increase Myanmar’s economic and political burdens while shaking money in front of
them through business, they made offers Myanmar couldn’t refuse.

Compared to the political and economic benefits of controlling a nation, the

substantial margin they threw at an arms dealer like me was pocket change.

‘Otherwise, they would have ordered Pakistani replicas.’

Pakistani-made replicas, which were produced in cottage industries, had problems

with durability and reliability but were extremely cheap. Even if they’d declined in
the last few years, there was no reason for them not to accept Chinese orders.

In other words, the fact that the Chinese insisted on paying a higher price for
genuine articles meant they were concerned about the combat capabilities and
morale of the supported side. Also, the relationship with the beneficiary.

I asked for Suyeon’s opinion.

“What are the odds, in your view?”

[Ninety percent Myanmar, ten percent Thailand.]

“Can we squeeze more out of Myanmar?”

[Rather than that, it’s possible that their intention is to mitigate the Myanmar
government’s and public’s reluctance regarding their previous support for the
United Wa State Army. Since the advent of democracy, they can no longer simply
quell citizens’ dissatisfaction with brute force as they used to.]

The United Wa State Army’s equipment was almost entirely of Chinese origin, apart
from the AK rifles they produced locally. If Suyeon’s hypothesis was correct, China
might be trying to launder its image by providing the United Wa State Army with
American-made equipment now.

Even though they’d signed peace agreements like the Philippines, the United Wa
State Army remained one of the most significant security threats in Myanmar.

“Just being a pro-China government doesn’t seem enough?”

[In my judgment, yes. They seem to be entering long-term image management. They
have a lot of interests to protect, not just the harbor. They probably don’t want to
create vulnerabilities for friendly figures. At the very least, they don’t want to create
weaknesses for people who are friendly to them.]

“Hmm.”

The Myanmar elite had been in bed with China for a long time. Even after the
democratic elections, this hadn’t changed. Although the military had ceded power,
military figures still held key positions across various sectors.

Among them, only they and their masters would know who among them were
China’s lapdogs.

“Let’s do this.”

I had a good idea.

“Let’s do some laundering here before we go.”

 1. TLN: Jinan is a city in China.

 2. TLN: Cho Hee-pal, one of Korea’s most wanted scammers, who fled the
country in 2008 after swindling thousands out of 3.5 trillion won ($3 billion).
[Laundrying… is it?]

“Yes. Ask for weapons instead of money. Or even formally accept the money and then
place an order.”

[…]

A margin of 3,800 percent meant, in simple terms, that you could exchange one gun
for thirty-nine guns. You had to consider the price difference between different
firearms, though.

Furthermore, once we laundered our inventory from U.S. to Chinese-made, it became

easier to use or sell, whether domestically or internationally. This was because
countries and armed groups that use Chinese-made weapons were mainly
distributed in the third world, making tracking more challenging.

It might seem funny to give and receive weapons, but it was a trade that could be
validly established, accomplishing both weapons stockpiling and financial gain.

[I haven’t considered it myself, but will they really agree?]

“Why, because of their pride?”

[Yes. No matter the circumstances, they ultimately treat Chinese-made as cheap

compared to U.S. products. Chinese people’s inferiority complex would explode.]

It was a valid point. However, there was a part being overlooked.

“What matters here is the form. Our trading partner here is, after all, the Samhap
Association. The offense will be against Samhap’s pride, not the Communist Party’s.
That’s exactly what you need to create.”

Negotiations could be prolonged if the conditions were met.

“If they get angry, gradually reduce the margin. When they see the decreasing
payment, any practical person will develop some greed.”

Since the budget had already been approved by the time of the initial proposal
acceptance, you could use double books if additional negotiations were not reported.

[So, you’re saying you want to create opportunities for embezzlement?]

“Yes.”

I had one firm belief about China as a country. There was no uncorrupted corner in
China, that was my belief. Whether the National Security Agency’s Third Country
Division was in charge of this or the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Action Unit, I didn’t know,
but they would never miss an opportunity to fill their pockets with government
money. After all, the Chinese Communist Party was the world’s leading group of
experts in the field of embezzlement.

“Can you do it?”

[ can handle it.]

Suyeon’s response was decisive.

“Nothing else?”

[No.]

“Alright, see you later.”

I ended the dry conversation and spent some time reading the newspaper provided
in the room.

About an hour passed. The guys who had gone out one by one returned, each
carrying a light bag. They had moved discreetly to avoid suspicion when they went
out and came back. About half of the bag’s contents were weapons and ammunition.

Ghost guns. Fully automatic firearms with untraceable serial numbers.

According to U.S. law, citizens had the right to manufacture and possess firearms for
purposes other than sale, even without a license. Furthermore, if the completeness
of the firearm’s lower receiver was less than 80%, it was not considered a firearm,
even if all other parts, including the barrel, were perfect.

Due to these two provisions, it was relatively easy to acquire unregistered firearms
in the United States. All you needed was information about a trustworthy dealer.

Although California regulated ghost guns strongly through state law, it was a futile
effort since enforcement was impractical. How would they monitor the entire
country when every citizen could potentially become a black market dealer?

The largest room where we had gathered briefly became tense with the guys
checking their equipment.

Kyung-tae assembled my share of handguns and handed them to me.

“For dealing with neighborhood thugs, this should be sufficient. Hyungnim shouldn’t
have to use his hands personally.”

The Ruger handgun was slim and came with a suppressor and an optical sight
attached. I gripped it and checked the wrist. While the firepower was low due to the
short barrel, the weight was actually heavier than most ordinary handguns.
However, the weight being forward made it feel good in my hand.

But the strength of this gun lay in its excellent noise control.

Kyung-tae pointed to the window and suggested.

“Why don’t you try shooting it?”

Beyond the window where raindrops were splashing, the dark sea was rolling in
waves. I opened the window as Kyung-tae had suggested. Raindrops fell over the
window sill, and the carpet on the floor was slowly getting wet. I aimed at the
horizon where the sea met the sky.

Tap, tap, tap!

Tiny popping sounds. That was all the gunshots were. The recoil was also minimal,
so there wasn’t much of a sense of actually firing. Faint smoke and ejected casings
rolling on the floor were the only evidence of the quiet gunfire. Even if you fired in
the middle of the city, it would be difficult to trace you by the sound alone.
I lowered the barrel, and Kyung-tae, who had been watching, said.

“Do you like it?”

I nodded firmly.

“It’s genuine, huh? And the bullets are subsonic?”

“Yes.”

Subsonic bullets, which were slower than the speed of sound, did not create
shockwaves, making them quieter than supersonic bullets.

The remaining team members most of them were armed with low-noise firearms,
using.22LR subsonic ammunition. While they had low stopping power, they were
still lethal. Especially in the hands of a skilled shooter.

As one of my subordinates collected the casings, I gazed at my handgun for a

moment.

‘Even just this firearm is a favorite of mass shooters.’

This gun had killed numerous people in schools, post offices, and stores. Yet, those
who didn’t know much about it would mock it as a gun used by kids due to its
supposedly weak bullets.

Drrrrrr, thump.

Kyung-tae, who had closed the window, spread a map on the table and conducted a
brief briefing. The information gathered from outside was included here. Although
the time given was short, capturing and interrogating the gang members, who
seemed like gangsters, and extracting information about the local power dynamics
shouldn’t be too difficult, especially with the kind of technical pain they could inflict.

“First, let’s focus on the fashion code of the ‘White Guard.'”

I was an observer. Kyung-tae continued talking to his subordinates without paying

attention to me.

“Their colors are red, white, and black. It seems to be taken from the Nazi flag or
something. If you see someone wearing black clothes, a white hat, and red shoes,
consider them white; they are the prime targets. Since most of their Adidas is a
knockoff, it should be easy to spot.”

In the United States, street gangs were clearly distinguished by group traits. Hand
signals, dances, songs, chants, graffiti, symbolic symbols, tattoos, colors, and clothing
were the most important means of identification. Unless they were clueless
foreigners or tourists, the locals had no reason to adopt this fashion style.

The briefing didn’t last long. There wasn’t that much information because the
information obtained had been cross-verified. Street gangs weren’t that complex of
prey, and Kyung-tae clapped his hands.

“We’ll start the job tomorrow, so let’s disband here for today.”

The situation was a bit challenging because they had been traveling long distances
for days. To be at their best, the hunting dogs needed sufficient rest.

‘When you can rest, you should.’

Kyung-tae said this with good reason since the possibility of encountering the
vanguard of the imperialists was not zero.

“Oh, by the way.”

Kyung-tae, who was leaving after saying his goodbyes, stopped for a moment.

“Have you contacted Suyeon-noonim?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened?”

“Those Chinese bastards forced us to sell weapons to them.”

That one sentence was enough explanation. Suyeon’s discretion was at a level where
she could handle most matters with post-approval. Therefore, the fact that she
requested my approval already intuitively revealed the scale and complexity of the
deal. Kyung-tae wore a regretful expression.
“It’s a shame. It would have been nice if she could join us on this trip.”

“It’s inevitable.”

“It’s a pity. I wanted to show her the forest where the ‘President’ used to be, even if
we missed the main target.”

The guy who had finished what he wanted to say went back to his room with a “Take
a good rest.”

I stared at the remnants of the briefing left on the table.

‘Pathetic.’

That was the assessment of the police force in Oakland.

Knowledge about the hunting ground was as important as knowledge about the prey.
It was natural for my hunting dogs to scrape up law enforcement data in this city.

In this city, more than ten shooting incidents were reported on average every day.
However, the police response didn’t even reach half of that. The response time was
also abysmal. Even though reports were received, cases where hours passed before
the scene was inspected were abundant. It was a city where gunfights were
commonplace. Truly deserving of the nickname “Baby Iraq.”

Therefore, Kyung-tae believed in proceeding quietly whenever possible, but he also

believed in the possibility of using high-powered support weapons if necessary.

Trivial matters must not be taken lightly.

If we were the lions, then the prey was the mouse pups. While it might be somewhat
excessive preparation against street gangs, doing our best for small matters was a
shortcut to not ruining big affairs.

I traced the map with my fingertips.

The places where gunfights mainly occur were determined. These places—streets,
and avenues—represent the boundaries of different organizations, and the
frequency and intensity of gunfights showed how hostile each organization was
toward the others. Kyung-tae had drawn circles several times with a red pen.
‘The hottest places are 84th Street and Hegenberger Road in the east, 23rd Street in
the south, MacArthur Intersection in the north, and the harbor area in the west… ’

Although the harbor was the top priority search area, if there were no results here,
the search would need to be expanded to other places.

However, when comparing the police arrest records and the racial and income
distribution maps by residence, it seemed unlikely that things would get that
complicated. Except for the harbor, the rest were all places where blacks and
Hispanics clashed.

In this racially dominated slum, the only place where pale white scraps could intrude
and must intrude was the harbor.

At most two days. At least a week. If it took longer than this to eliminate this gang of
skinheads, I would feel quite embarrassed personally.

The inside of my eyelids felt hot. It was a nauseating fatigue. After tidying up the
data, I put the loaded gun under my pillow and lay down on the bed. It was enough
to take a short nap until dinner. As someone who always lacked sleep, taking short
naps was an inevitable habit.

The sound of rain hitting the window pane was monotonous.

As if falling into the abyss of sleep, the consciousness that kept getting closer and
farther gradually sank deep.

A dream.

One of the greatest pains in my life.

Amidst the remains of a large beast and suddenly facing it, I reflexively distanced
myself and activated the magic circuit. Mage’s Combat stance. However, the beast
was already dead, not showing any movement. The flesh was all decayed and gone,
leaving behind a heap of bones with an empty darkness inside the skull. I
reconfirmed that eerie appearance and realized that I was in a dream. Because this
was…

“Damn bastard.”
Just looking at it made my teeth grind. My Master, who wandered through the
labyrinth of memories and chased me to the very end, absurdly died due to magic
depletion.

Moreover, the fact that my body moved as I wished in this dream meant that this
wasn’t the usual nightmare. As my thoughts reached this point, I soon became
disappointed that the alarm would ring. It was a rare ordinary dream. A chance to
get a bit of deep sleep.

‘No, it’s not ordinary.’

This lucid dreaming was a side effect left by the pursuit of my Master.

Having a bit of time, I began to notice my surroundings. A forest filled with giant
trees. The closest thing to me was the “President” with an opened magical circuit. As
if it were an ordinary dream, the memory of the impressive encounter served as the
background. However, unlike reality, the magical field of the “President” didn’t
weaken my magical field. It must be an unreal possibility since it was a dream.

Leaning against the fence of the walking path, I silently gazed at the remains of my
Master. More precisely, a pair of black eye sockets in the skull that still bore traces of
human presence.

When I gazed into the darkness, the darkness gazed back at me.

As if it wasn’t a simple misunderstanding, the darkness spoke to me.

[Release… me…]

It wasn’t a mere illusion, nor was it a fear entrenched in my subconscious. Perhaps it

was an auditory hallucination created by the dream, a lingering fragment of a
specter.

[Release… me…]

I responded nervously.

“What are you saying? You’re a corpse down to the marrow.”

The collapsed darkness rippled weakly.

[Restore my powers… and resurrection…]

Crash!

A transparent explosion shattered a pile of bones. It was a telekinetic shockwave I

remotely triggered. It felt like anger-infused magic coursing through my entire
circuit. Overwhelming power. I could feel omnipotence surging from the escalating
magic. It might be something only possible in dreams, but at this moment, I was a
mage who was harnessing one hundred percent of the circuit’s potential. In reality, it
would take at least a year for something like this to be possible.

Amidst the explosion, all other bones shattered into pieces, but the two beast’s skulls
that had shot upwards remained intact at the end of a few bounces. Broken branches
and fluttering leaves rained down on it. The dead beast mournfully wailed.

[Restore… what’s mine…]

“Shut up!”

I retracted my hand that had been aimed at the front, clenched the air, and forcefully
swung it down. Then, intensely burning lines of heat tore through the winds and
twisted. Sizzle! Bang! The glowing whip was a frenzy of heat combined with physical
force. Master’s skull was driven into the ground by the recoil.

Unlike the past Master, who could only transform to a certain extent, I was able to
freely manipulate magic. This was because this was my mental world.

My hand trembled with emotion.

My master’s specter sobbed.

[You… stole my power and wisdom…]

“Who are you blaming?”

I mocked the specter as I struggled to quell my boiling insides.

“It wasn’t anyone else who killed you but your own arrogance. Isn’t that right?”

Unlike this son of a bitch, who embodied chosen people’s determination, and if he
hadn’t underestimated me as a young yellow race, and hadn’t wasted his magic while
being intoxicated by his newfound power as a mage, the results of this surreal game
of tag might have been completely different.

From the very beginning, there was a reason why this guy chose me. It was because
the pursuers never thought that they would hide in the body of a mere yellow race.
The extent of the ingrained prejudice was so great that they couldn’t help but
dismiss me.

“…”

As I continued my thoughts, I suddenly felt pathetic.

‘What kind of bastard’s specter is this.’

I wanted to laugh at it, mock it, get angry at it, and unleash my violence on it.

However, that person over there wasn’t the same as my master. They were just the
core of the trauma that remained within me. Dreams reflect desires. Even after a
long time had passed, I still hadn’t overcome my fear. Perhaps I wanted to ridicule
the object of my fear in some way?

If so, what’s the difference between this and self-indulgence?

As my thoughts reached this point, the silent beast was the evidence. I swung the
blazing lines of heat that had fallen slack while I was sprawled out. Bang! The
intense pressure smashed against the unbreakable skull and sent it flying like a
cannonball into the distant shadows of the forest. I blocked the magic and made the
burning whip disappear.

Calm returned to the forest.

The reduction in mental burden was one of the functions of dreams. Since I was not
the boss of a massive organization here, it would’ve been fine to get as nasty as I
wanted and let go of my anger. Mocking an enemy that was only a figment, getting
carried away by power that was also only a figment.

But I couldn’t allow myself to accept that version of me.

What needed to be done now was to make use of this rare dream as an opportunity.
While the shallow sleep was regrettable, that was why the sensation of manipulating
the circuit was no different from reality. I needed to simulate my full capacity as a
mage for future preparations.

‘More than anyone else, I need to become stronger.’

My true abilities were the ultimate insurance that would protect me in any situation,
the universal key to adapting to all magical variables on my way to London. When I
rose beyond the expectations of the imperialists with an overwhelming asymmetric
power, the oldest mages would undoubtedly turn into true prey.

I was prepared to take risks to enhance my magical abilities and gain practical
experience.

The following afternoon. The guard hounds, with their keen sense of smell and
agility, pinpointed a warehouse rented by the ‘White Guard.’ Kyung-tae reported as
the leader of the guard hound team.

“It’s not just used for storing goods. Those without homes gather there for shelter,
doubling as security.”

I examined one of the photos that the security team had taken.

“Is this their sign?”

“Yes. It’s a mark they scatter around like a dog marking its territory.”

In the photo, there was graffiti painted on the wall.

[ᛟᚱᛁᛟᚾ 14/88]

On a red background with black letters, a white skull was drawn next to it. It
incorporated all three of their symbolic colors. It felt utterly juvenile to use runic
characters. Even if they used runic characters, it ultimately translated to English. The
excessive use of red, which was practically abused, felt crude.

“It’s similar to dog urine in its filthiness.”

Kyung-tae chuckled at my commentary.

“Indeed, Hyungnim.”

When translated, ᛟᚱᛁᛟᚾ became ORION, which was an acronym widely used by white
supremacists, standing for “Our Race Is Our Nation,” and the numbers 14/88 each
represent different slogans. 14 represented the 14-word sentence, “We must secure
the existence of our people and a future for white children,” while 88 stood for “Heil
Hitler.”

Childish wordplay at its finest.

The strike was scheduled to take place at midnight. After Kyung-tae finished a brief
practice session with the subordinates, he sent them off to prepare and asked me.

“What would you like to do, Hyungnim?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m wondering if you really need to come along with us. We’ll handle everything, so
you can just relax and receive the results, right?”

“Well…”

The reason for moving together at times like this was usually to avoid spreading the
forces too thin. While their job of guarding me was different from typical security
work, focusing on preemptive threat removal—meaning a broad definition of
preemptive strikes and close protection on the battlefield—the security team
effectively acted as the elite guards. However, the most important role was still to
protect me. If I were on-site, I could allocate the forces assigned to close protection
as reserves. The more reserves, the better.

“No, I should go as well.”

Kyung-tae didn’t ask twice.

“Alright, then. I’ll get ready.”

And time passed.

The support team at the headquarters across the sea had briefly hacked the old
warehouse’s surveillance cameras and the cameras around it. These cheap Chinese-
made IP cameras, with no security whatsoever, were still useful for deterring thieves.
Those who wanted to save money at all costs were everywhere.

Nevertheless, my guard hounds hadn’t entered the scene beyond midnight yet. It was
because the ‘White Guard’ had introduced some variables.

“Should we postpone the operation by a day, Hyungnim?”

Kyung-tae asked, and I checked the time before responding.

“…Let’s wait a little longer.”

“Understood.”

Three hours earlier, a van had come to the warehouse and dropped off several
sensual women. They were dressed provocatively and laughing raucously. Despite
the cold weather, they were barely clothed. They were women who sold their bodies
while working away from home.

I didn’t directly intervene with the women who disappeared in droves. It would only
complicate matters further. Once a report came in from the agency that sent the
women, the police would definitely take this case seriously. Mass kidnapping,
murder, human trafficking, and so on. It would be hard to imagine any other outcome
when a group of neo-Nazi skinheads disappeared along with these women.

In other words, this case would become something that the city’s police couldn’t
simply ignore, no matter how poor and lacking in enthusiasm the organization was.
If they were unlucky, the case might even be handed over to the federal authorities.

Waiting in the car was long and boring. A patrol car passed right by us at one point,
but the indifferent gazes of the two police officers onboard only briefly glanced our
way.
‘They probably just thought we were homeless.’

In a country known for its wealth gap and cars, homeless people with cars were
quite common. And not all homeless people were necessarily unemployed. Even
university professors and government workers sometimes lived in their cars, eating
and sleeping there. Therefore, the police had no reason to pay special attention to us.

So, how much longer did we wait? The radio crackled to life.

[A vehicle is entering.]

The car that entered the warehouse courtyard was the very van that had brought the
women earlier. Although it was a common Ford Transit found in the United States,
there was no mistaking it when you saw the license plate.

“VAGINA.”

Vagina. Quite straightforward, wasn’t it? The car’s owner must have spent some
money on the license plate.

The middle-aged woman who got out of the van stood crookedly and lit a cigarette.
As the cigarette burned down, her customers, along with her children, opened the
warehouse door and came out. After some conversation between the middle-aged
woman and the skinheads, she burst into laughter. Having received payment, she
nodded her head and drove away with her kids.

Except for one.

Kyung-tae looked puzzled.

“Why? Why isn’t she being taken?”

The only remaining woman seductively approached one of the men and initiated
professional foreplay. The man embraced her waist and signaled to the others to
enter. It was clear that he was the center of the group that had taken over the
warehouse. He might be a boss or a high-ranking member.

“It’s ridiculous. It’s probably some kind of privilege for the superior.”

I sighed in response to Kyung-tae’s question and scratched my head.

Establishing a hierarchy for certain actions, where some people did them first and
others shouldn’t, was a common phenomenon found in many organizations. The
twisted hierarchy among the low-ranking soldiers in the old South Korean army was
an example.

On the other hand, it was also a display for some reason. In the world of thugs and
gangsters, displaying masculinity was a qualification to dominate over other males.
Boasting like having done it seven or eight times in one night was somewhat like a
medal.

As I continued to observe the inside of the warehouse with my exceptionally good

eyesight, I finally made a decision.

“We have no choice. Let’s proceed as planned.”

“Should we bury the woman along with them?”

Kyung-tae asked, and I shook my head.

“Let’s think about that a bit more.”

“Understood. I’ll report after completing the first phase.”

Kyung-tae replied and got out of the car with a mask on.

‘If only there was a way to manipulate memories with magic.’

However, such a spell did not exist. First of all, you needed a complete understanding
of how the brain functions and operates, and even if you understood it, there was a
separate issue of whether your magical circuitry computation abilities could keep
up. Where was a circuit as complex as the brain?

Furthermore, if the opponent was a mage or an ability user whose circuitry was
pierced?

It was impossible. To tamper with the brain using magic, you had to remove the
opponent’s magical field first. In other words, the circuit had to be in a state of near
non-existence.

I opened the door and stepped out of the car. Around me, the members Kyung-tae
had left behind, eight people in two teams, were scattered. Some were sitting on a
bench, others were leaning against the wall, pretending to be loiterers and keeping
an eye on things.

The hem of my coat fluttered. The winds blowing through the alleyways carried the
peculiar smell of this foreign and impoverished neighborhood. In the backstreets of
the harbor area, a mix of factories, warehouses, and homes, you couldn’t expect there
to be no stench.

In my eyes, I could see everything that was happening inside the warehouse in detail.

As usual, my guard hounds had exerted excessive force.

There was a world of difference between malnourished wild dogs and well-trained
hunting dogs. My army, which would accompany me on the Imperial Hunt, swiftly
subdued the self-proclaimed elite warrior idiots. Kyung-tae confirmed that no one
died in the process. It was to surpass the request from the casino owner. He hoped to
get through this without killing anyone.

As I entered the warehouse, the eyes of the nineteen-year-old whose life was tied to
a chair focused on me. The mouths gagged with gags were silent. It was a tense
silence. The only one not tied up was the woman, the troublemaker of this job. She
stood trembling among the masked armed personnel.

I was also wearing a mask. However, the prey seemed to sense from the atmosphere
alone that I was the owner of the hunting dogs.

My subordinates had spread a thick plastic sheet on the floor. From now on, people
would be slaughtered here, and it was not a job where blood could be splattered in
all directions like a regular slaughterhouse.

In the midst of this, there was one guy whose erection wouldn’t subside. It was the
officer who had been wriggling with the woman until the last moment. I pierced
through his dilated pupils, beyond his eyes filled with fear.

Did he take some kind of drug?

Even if it wasn’t clairvoyance, anyone who recognized the person from the facial
expressions, or the unnaturally reddened complexion, could figure it out. People who
had never seen something like Viagra would naturally not know. Facing the guy who
had pitched a tent in his crotch and seeing his face flushed abnormally made me feel
quite uncomfortable.

“…I want to cut him.”

The guy remained pensive at my words. I had spoken in English.

“Should I cut him?”

Kyung-tae’s indifferent suggestion. The order was a mess, but if we cut him and
interrogated him, we would have enough time for the interrogation. However, I
shook my head.

“We should deal with the girl first.”

This time, the woman became pensive.

“P-please spare me! I won’t tell anyone about what I saw here! I promise!”

Tears flowed from her frightened eyes.

“Calm down.”

I tried to soothe her calmly, but it was futile.

“If you don’t, I’ll kill you.”

Her crying suddenly stopped. This seemed to work better. However, she started
sobbing. While the sobbing continued, I gave the woman, who was flushed with
embarrassment, a glimmer of hope.

“Our mission lies with these mongrels tied up here. You’re an unexpected variable.
Killing innocent civilians just to erase evidence isn’t something we appreciate either.”

“T-then…”

“If you cooperate, there’s a chance we might let you go.”

The woman who accepted the glimmer of hope had a completely different
expression on her face.

“I’ll do it! H-hic, I’ll never tell anyone, hic, what happened here!”

“That may not be enough.”

The woman, who was cautious, asked.

“W-what can I do, then?”

“Can you lend me your hand for a moment?”

“Huh?”

Staring at her, the woman hesitantly offered me one of her hands. I grabbed her
hand, and with my other hand, I drew a gun from the holster inside my coat.
Although she reflexively pulled her body away when she saw the metal shine, the
hand I held didn’t move a bit. I handed her the grip of the gun.

“Grab it properly with both hands. Keep the muzzle down. It’s better not to move it
too much.”

The woman swallowed her dry saliva and slowly wrapped her fingers around the
grip. It was slightly shaky, but she managed to hold it steady. I finally let go of her
hand.

“What’s your name?”

“Karen… Karen William, hic, Williams.”

A smile that seemed like she was trying to flatter me appeared on her tear-stained
face. Her trembling lips seemed desperate. Apart from the flashy makeup, she had a
decent face. Flawless white skin, blue eyes, and naturally blond hair with a bright
complexion. The neo-Nazis who were tied up would definitely go crazy.

‘That’s why it’s even more difficult to kill her.’

As valuable as she was, the client probably wouldn’t want to waste her. Once Karen
disappeared, she would definitely not stay quiet. I would mobilize all my resources
to track down the White Guard.

There was a way to eliminate her. First, send her out and then, while tailing her,
disguise myself as an accident or a robbery at a suitable distance and kill her.
However…

“Miss Williams.”

“Yes, yes!”
“Let’s be accomplices for just today.”

There were milder ways, and there was no need to kill her if we didn’t have to.

Karen Williams was a woman who caught on quickly. She immediately glanced at the
tied-up neo-Nazis as soon as she heard my words. Judging by her expression, it was
clear she had figured it out. The index finger on the hand holding the gun was also
stiff and hesitant as if she didn’t want to put her finger on the trigger by mistake.

I approached a table that had been pushed aside while unwrapping the plastic. The
table, whose last cleaning was unknown, had poker cards with handprints, traces of
drug use, unopened bags of drugs, dollar bills rolled up like straws, empty glass jars,
and finally, a bottle of Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Good liquor that didn’t suit low-level
thugs. I chose a glass that looked clean with no lip marks and filled it about a third
full.

Returning to my spot, I offered the glass to Karen.

“Now, drink it all.”

She hesitated for a moment, then obediently brought the glass to her lips.
Surprisingly, she seemed inexperienced with alcohol, and after finishing it, she made
a small gulp sound and wrinkled her forehead. Her arms didn’t have any injection
marks either.

I tossed the empty glass to my subordinate.

Due to the strong alcohol, Williams’ hiccups lessened.

“Um…”

“Speak.”

“…Are you really sparing my life?”

Still cautious, but her trembling had reduced compared to before. In response to her
question, I nodded.

“I don’t have a hobby of playing pranks on someone I’m about to kill.”

“…”

“The gun is very quiet. Close your eyes, pull the trigger, turn around, open your eyes,
and then leave. Your memory won’t have any sounds, screams, or bloodstains.”

However, photos and videos as insurance would remain.

“Now, look at me and smile.”

Karen hesitated, her shoulders trembling. Her gaze shifted toward my subordinate,
who was recording the video.

“It’s practice. Even if it looks forced, it’s awkward.”

She tried to follow my instructions but wasn’t doing well. Like her forced smile
earlier, her desperation made it seem unnatural. I spoke calmly.

“Don’t think too hard about it. Isn’t this what you used to do?”

“Wh-what did I used to do?”

“That’s right. Smiling at bad men. I’d like you to smile at me at least once.”

Karen’s expression changed. Her smile mixed with tears was better than earlier. I
quietly commented while looking at her face.

“It might be better to remove some of the makeup. It’s too thick.”

“…I have cleansing wipes in my bag.”

“Where’s your bag?”

“In the office, hic, over there.”

“Bring it.”

One of my subordinates ran lightly to retrieve her handbag from the office in the
warehouse. Karen tried to reach for the bag, but I extended my hand to stop her. She
had forgotten what she was holding in her hand. It was only when she saw my fixed
gaze on the gun that she realized. Her trembling finger was close to the trigger.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“No need.”

Ironically, she was the one who was dangerous. The surrounding subordinates
lowered their guns.

I had started to get annoyed by the time wasted, but nagging her would only waste
more time. A subordinate brought her bag, which was covered in dust and had been
haphazardly left among the miscellaneous items. I took a cleansing wipe from it and
personally wiped Karen’s face.

Hmm. It wasn’t coming off as well as I thought.

“Uh, sir…”

“Stay still. Even if I’m not good at it, try to understand.”

Now, even the back-and-forth with the gun seems tedious. And in such a situation,
maintaining a gentlemanly attitude was important.

As Karen lowered the gun and hesitantly held her face for me to clean, she cautiously
said.

“…Sir, you don’t seem, um, you don’t seem like such a bad person.”

That’s right. I was waiting for this kind of reaction.

It might be a foolish response, but oppressive situations naturally limit a person’s

thinking. After all, were the new recruits in the military known for their brilliance
from the start?

This woman was desperately trying to gain favor with me, the one holding the power
of life and death. Desperate flattery, at least in the moment of speaking, seemed
genuinely sincere.

Polite responses in situations like this were the prerequisites for Stockholm
Syndrome to take hold. Judging by her reaction, spending another week here might
result in nearly perfect brainwashing. However, it wasn’t worth putting in that much
effort. I held Karen’s chin and turned it from side to side. While observing her
reaction, I pulled out another cleansing wipe and said,

“I am objectively a bad person.”

“Ah…”

“But still, compared to the scum in here, I must seem like a better person. You do
know what kind of people they are, don’t you?”

“Yes, yes! They’re very bad, garbage people!”

Karen nodded vigorously, forming a connection with me. She seemed to have no
personal feelings for the customers. After tossing the used wipe on the floor, I let go
of Karen’s chin and slapped the cheek of the skinhead closest to me. Smack!

“Where are you looking at with those eyes?”

Blood and teeth splattered. Thanks to my enhanced strength and magic

reinforcement, the sound of the impact resembled leather tearing. The man who had
been eyeing Karen was hit, and instinctively, he lowered his head. His head wobbled
as if his bones were rattling.

Wiping the moisturizer-covered gloves, I calmly spoke to the shocked Karen,

“The reason I’m here is that these people committed crimes and never faced
punishment.”

“If they’re criminals, what kind of…”

“They killed people. People like you, innocent and kind.”

“Ah.”

Calling herself innocent and kind was sugarcoated. This woman probably wasn’t any
different.

“For example, look at this guy.”

I grabbed the head of the guy I had slapped and forced him to raise his head.
“The teardrop tattoo near his eye is a symbol that he killed someone. There are
seven teardrops, so he probably killed seven people.”

It might not be true at all. It was likely just bravado. In reality, it might be the
opposite.

However, the truth wasn’t important here. The guy whose head I held acted like he
was innocent and cried out loudly. He writhed in pain as if his muscles were about to
burst, screaming behind the gag. My subordinates, who had seen my signal, covered
his head with a hood and administered a truth serum. The muffled cries became
even more frustrating.

I asked.

“Tell me, Miss Williams. Don’t you think something is seriously wrong with the fact
that these serial killers are freely walking the streets?”

“Yes, I completely agree with you, Sir!”

“To me, the old man who asked for revenge represents the people who have lost
their families and neighbors. I hope the suffering of these murderers can provide
some comfort to them.”

“You are truly magnificent.”

Karen nodded enthusiastically, empathizing and fully immersing herself in her role.
It was a strategy to ensure her survival.

On the other hand, the justification I had provided seemed to resonate well with the
local sentiment in this area. It was a country where there was a peculiar admiration
for vigilantes. Perhaps there were many people who took justice into their own
hands here, especially among former soldiers or professional fighters, who might
have taken it seriously.

I had probably gone far enough. After removing my mask and brushing my hair back,
I looked directly into Karen’s round eyes and said.

“Miss Williams, that gun is very quiet.”

Karen’s shoulders stiffened.

“Close your eyes, pull the trigger, turn around, open your eyes, and leave. That’s the
end.”

Although the words were the same, the reactions were different. The woman I was
trying to control trembled as she held the gun. The lowered muzzle wobbled, but it
was more of a struggle and tension than fear. She was completely absorbed in the
choice between killing and not killing. Her mouth was dry, and she licked her lips
with her tongue.

“Promising to keep a secret… is it still not enough?”

Karen wore a cross necklace around her neck as she asked this question.

‘A woman selling her body believes in a religion that forbids adultery.’

The first prohibition was murder, and the second was adultery. But even with a
superficial faith, faith was faith, and it often defied logic.

I nodded my head.

“I swear to God, I sincerely don’t want to harm you. But I can’t blindly trust you
either. Your actions could cost my people their lives.”

God, oath, sincerity. And the lives of my people. Words that moved the heart.

“I’ll help you.”

With gloved hands, I wiped Karen’s eyelids. Her eyebrows twitched slightly, but she
obediently closed her eyes as I instructed. I held onto Karen’s shoulders, turned her
slowly toward the target, and carefully adjusted her posture. I didn’t exert too much
force. If she hesitated this much, it was enough. Finally, I held her hands, slowly
raising the gun. The slowly rising muzzle aimed at the center of the target. I let go
and stepped back.
“This is enough. When you’re ready, pull the trigger.”

I avoided using the word “shoot.” The choice of words could make a difference.

The target, the skinhead, breathed slowly inside the hood. The truth serum flowing
through his veins robbed him of his ability to reason.

Carefully observing the shooter’s breathing and physical tension, I called her name
coldly at the decisive moment.

“Karen.”

Flinch!

The slide of the gun moved back with a bang! The trigger was pulled reflexively.
Karen probably barely felt the recoil. She held the gun with all her strength since it
had very little recoil. A spent shell casing from the silencer bounced on the floor. A
faint, lingering scent of gunpowder could be detected at the tip of my nose. The
bullet hit the target’s spine. Although not an instant death, Karen was startled by the
strange sound coming from the target and accidentally dropped the gun.

After retrieving the gun, I grabbed Karen’s shoulders and turned her around.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Trembling as if she would break, Karen opened her eyes. I covered her ears with my
hands to gradually block the diminishing sound of the target’s breathing. Sometimes
sharp, sometimes bubbling with the sound of blood. At the same time, by locking
eyes with her, I kept her gaze fixed on me.

‘Her heartbeat is very fast.’

It was a natural and favorable reaction. In an excited state, a person often easily
misconstrued their own emotions. It was even more likely when their mind was
paralyzed. In this woman’s memory, I needed to remain not as a villain but as an
ideal vigilante for at least a month.

After the target’s life was decisively ended, I finally removed my hands. Karen, whose
pulse was still racing, stared at me with a vacant expression, her mouth moving as
she breathed.
“That’s it. Thank you for your help with this difficult task.”

“Yes…”

“You’ve made the streets a bit safer for yourself.”

“Yes…”

The scene from earlier, where she held the weapon and enthusiastically nodded at
my words, would likely be enough material for the devil’s editing.

“It’s better to take a moment to calm down before you go. Let’s go inside.”

I led Karen to the office to give my subordinates time to clean up the body.

The office, which overlooked the entire warehouse from the second floor, was a
private space for the officers. A Southern Army flag hung on the wall. I opened the
creaky window to let out the stale air that had been trapped inside. The oppressive
smell of sweat dissipated, and cold air flowed in. I placed Karen on the edge of the
bed, put firewood in the rusty oil stove, and pulled a chair over to sit facing her.
Guards were stationed at the open door.

After a slightly awkward period of time, when Karen’s attention was drawn to the
awkwardness, I spoke.

“Do you have any procedures to follow when you return?”

“…yes?”

“Do you contact the establishment where you work or something like that? You
won’t be walking alone, will you?”

It would be crazy to let a woman walk alone on the streets of this city at this hour,
especially in the outskirts. It wasn’t entirely safe for men either.

“Well, originally, Fraser was supposed to take me back tomorrow. I paid him in
advance.”

“Fraser?”
“Uh, the guy outside…”

“Ah, I see.”

It seemed like the name of the officer who had been in this room with her. It made
sense if he was a regular customer. Sending a car to pick up one customer could be a
hassle.

“It’s probably better this way. My men will escort you.”

“Um, that…”

“Don’t decline.”

Karen seemed like she wanted to say something more but swallowed her words. It
was a common occurrence for her to keep quiet about something obvious, but I
pretended not to notice and changed the subject.

“By the way, did the client already take the money?”

“Oh, yes. The tips are my condition.”

“He’s not entirely devoid of morals, it seems.”

“Yes, well…”

This time, her answer was somewhat evasive. In the world of hostessing, not
touching the money earned from a customer was the bare minimum in terms of
morals. Even those who upheld this rule might still have flaws in other areas. Many
of them didn’t even follow this rule.

I got up from my seat and approached the safe that was placed haphazardly in one
corner of the office. Inside the locked safe were chunks of drugs, something that
looked like a ledger, bundles of cash tied with rubber bands, and a pile of jewelry
that seemed to have been collected through robberies.

‘It’s a mechanical lock.’

Opening a mechanical dial lock was easy. I just had to align the tumblers while
looking at the components with the “Eye of the Golden Age.” Occasionally, there were
locks that were difficult to crack even with X-ray vision, but there was no need to use
such expensive high-end locks in street gang territories. I fixed my gaze on the dial
and asked Karen.

“Miss William, have you ever seen magic?”

“Magic… um?”

“Yes, magic.”

Karen was taken aback. She didn’t know that right in front of her, a mage was using
magic. Click. All the gears fell into place. I took a step back and opened the safe to
show her.

“To you, this must seem like magic.”

“…”

Karen, who had been surprised by the safe opening, soon forgot her astonishment
when she saw the contents.

“You can take all the money here.”

“Yes?”

For a moment, Karen didn’t move and then her eyes widened.

“All of this… you’re giving it to me?”

I nodded to confirm.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Oh my God!”

With an exclamation that was almost like a scream, Karen covered her mouth with
both hands and hesitantly got up, staggering toward the safe. Her expression went
from astonishment to shaking steps. The distress and fear that had lingered just a
moment ago had completely evaporated. There was enough power in the forty
bundles of one-hundred-dollar bills to do that. Caran stood in front of the safe,
staring at the money, then turned her head toward me with a questioning look.

“You’re really… giving this to me? I didn’t misunderstand, did I?”

Her question was more like a gasp than words. I nodded again, showing my certainty.

“You heard correctly.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“It’s fine. I don’t do this kind of thing for the money.”

“Wow.”

Karen’s eyes were filled with awe as she looked at me. The power of money was as
strong as magic. To her, the murders were already in the past. They might come back
to haunt her as memories over time, but the shock would have diminished. The only
memories that might resurface would be the feeling of pulling the trigger and the
strange sound she heard briefly.

Maintaining secrecy costs $400,000.

It wasn’t my money anyway.

A reasonable amount of guilt was the fertilizer for self-justification. Now, this woman
would have to convince herself whenever her guilt reared its head. That killing the
man was justified because he deserved to die. If not, she couldn’t justify taking the
$400,000 she received. What could be a stronger persuasion than that?

“Thank you.”

A grateful Karen clasped her hands together, her voice choked with emotion.

“Thank you so much! Thank you!”

“…Consider it an expression of my goodwill towards you.”

The bundles of bills went into the old bag that was hanging on the office coat rack.
Inside the bag was something with faint white powder on it.
Next, I let Karen pick what she wanted from the jewelry bundle. It was better than
just pouring everything into her handbag. Karen tried on rings and bracelets,
occasionally flashing me a cautious smile. Her flattery had become closer and gentler
than before.

It was simple, really.

I checked the time.

47 minutes.

It took 47 minutes to turn a woman who had led a fairly ordinary life except for
selling her body to a killer and diluting her guilt. This would probably pass even the
Milgram obedience experiment, famous for electric shocks, without considering
guilt.

‘It was interesting this way.’

The boundary between herbivores and carnivores was not clear-cut. Even animals
that normally ate plants would eat meat if the opportunity presented itself. Like a
cow chewing on a chick. The innocence that humans associated with cows wasn’t
affected by the screams of the chicks being crushed in their mouths.

‘The line between them will blur even more in the future.’

It was time for this woman to finish up.

“Before you go, there’s one thing you should remember.”

“Yes? What’s that?”

“Tax reporting.”

“Ah.”

“If you spend the money recklessly, the tax authorities will definitely come after you.
You should know how troublesome that can be.”

In the industry Karen worked in, such incidents happened frequently. Besides,
$400,000 was an amount that could prompt the tax authorities to send armed
agents. They would definitely have a search warrant. Considering the possibility that
the visible $400,000 was just the tip of the iceberg.

“What should I do then?”

Karen’s expression darkened.

“If you give me your address, I’ll send you a casino chip by mail in the near future.”

“A casino chip?”

“Yes, a casino chip. Take that chip to the Diamond Casino in Tucson, Arizona. It’s run
by Native Americans. When you show the chip at the counter, they’ll either ask about
your business or guide you to a separate lounge. That’s when you let them know you
have money to launder.”

“Wow…”

“The commission won’t be too burdensome. The chip itself is valuable.”

Not just anyone could use a chip to receive special services. It had to be reported in
advance that such a person would be coming. That way, they wouldn’t be suspicious
of the person when they arrived. Coins given to vendors by U.S. military personnel in
Daegu were exchanged in a similar way.

Karen’s heart raced with anticipation. It wasn’t fear but the excitement of
experiencing the unknown.

“Don’t forget. Diamond Casino in Tucson, Arizona.”

“Yes!”

“So, what’s your address?”

“Ah.”

Karen, whose attention had been scattered, easily gave me her address without any
resistance. The escorts would verify whether the address was correct. I led the
woman who was eagerly thinking about the Diamond Casino outside.
“Get your things. It’s time to send you off.”

As we left the office, Karen looked back at the spot where the body had been
removed behind the iron railing of the stairs. There was only an empty chair there
now. There was no trace of death left, not even a drop of blood.

I told my subordinates where they needed to go.

While leaving with my two subordinates, Karen looked back at me sadly, like
someone leaving behind a lingering attachment.

“Um… C-Can I see you again, Sir?”

…Why would you want to see me again? I slowly shook my head.

“It’s better for both of us if we don’t meet again.”

I packaged it as being for her benefit.

“Is that so?”

“Take care.”

“Today, today I’m really grateful! May God bless you!”

A farewell filled with sincere emotions. Objectively, it was a very strange situation. I
met her gaze and nodded lightly.

In the now-quiet warehouse, I finally faced the beasts in human skin.

“I’ve made you wait a long time, you pigs.”

In Nazi Germany, Jews walked in rows and died in rows according to the regime’s
control. Most of them didn’t resist or even make a proper sound until the very end.

Were Jews a particularly weak people? No. All other massacres contain similar
scenes. People who have not experienced it might think that they would at least put
up a fight if they were in that situation, but if it were that easy, many parts of history
would be different.

The pigs here were no exception. Even when their comrades died, they didn’t make a
sound; they just held their breath and rolled their eyes. If even one of them had
bitten the bit, screamed, or twisted in anger, I would have adjusted my assessment of
the White Guard. They might not have a concept of camaraderie, but they were men
with camaraderie and spirit.

“Do you find out anything?”

While I was questioning Karen Williams, my subordinates weren’t just waiting

around. There were plenty of things they could do quietly. In response to my
question, Kyung-tae answered.

“We checked these guys’ phones.”

“And the results?”

“First of all, this guy-“

Kyung-tae’s gaze pointed at one of the officers.

“He’s at the top of the White Guard hierarchy.”

“He got lucky.”

Was his name Fraser? He wasn’t just an officer.

‘He seems too scared to be the leader.’

Earlier, Kyung-tae reported that this warehouse was not only an operational base but
also a place where homeless people could get food. From this boss named Fraser’s
perspective, staying in this warehouse would mean having 24-hour protection from
his subordinates. I had suspected as much when I confirmed the existence of the
vault.

“Anything else?”

“We’ve identified the people outside as well. Surprisingly, they’re quite organized.”

“Really?”

“Yes. We’ve identified seven people at home with passcodes, twelve who went out for
transport and collection, and twelve again for guarding the main business and
patrolling the area. According to their orders, it seems that four people form a
group.”

“Convenient numbers for taking turns.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“What about their backers?”

I had guessed that these guys might have supporters or backers. Kyung-tae
answered.

“We have messenger conversations and call records, but that alone isn’t enough
information. We’ll probably need to interrogate them, but it might get noisy, so we
were waiting for that woman, Williams, to leave.”

“Good job. Let me take a look too.”

“Do you mean the phones?”

I nodded.

After a flick of my fingers, Kyung-tae politely handed over the leader’s phone. The
security had already been unlocked. They had used everything: iris scans,
fingerprints, you name it.

‘Jay.’

The alias used in the Telegram secret chat by the last person. I immediately thought
of Robert Jay Matthews. The leader who once led the now-defunct neo-Nazi
organization, the Silent Brotherhood. Chief White testified that these skinhead pigs
claimed to be the successors of the Silent Brotherhood in their investigation, and
that was how I came across the name.

Over 70 police officers were killed in a shootout, so how heroic and cool must these
bastards have looked in their eyes.

‘Actually, Matthews himself had hostile relations with drug dealers.’

Matthews was a man of conviction. He was a criminal with beliefs. His belief was
about as serious as believing in the world government conspiracy of Zionist Jews,
but still, it felt quite comical that the mastermind behind cocaine distribution would
borrow that middle name.

Well…

From the remaining conversations, it seemed that this Jay guy had his own beliefs
too. Except for the past week, most of the messages were deleted, making it difficult
to determine his history or identity.

Having seen everything there was to see, I handed the phone back to Kyung-tae.
There wasn’t much information, but it could be useful to give false instructions to the
guys outside.

“I’ll do the interrogation. Bring the rest in.”

“Yes.”

After roles were assigned, I walked around the inside of the warehouse once more.
There were many chairs folded and put away, possibly used for beating people.
There were also extensions and cement posts that could have been used for that
purpose. The walls were cluttered with Nazi-related decorations. They were cheap
replicas.
“Untie him.”

At my gesture, one of my subordinates came forward with a knife and cut the
leader’s gag. It had been tied so tightly that the corners of his mouth were swollen
like clown makeup.

“Wh-Who are you? What’s the deal with all this?”

In a breathless voice, he asked, and I responded by slapping his cheekbones again.

This time, the sound of leather bursting was loud enough. I casually wiped off the
spattered blood on my raincoat and said,

“Your words.”

“…”

Fraser, who had been moaning, swallowed his saliva in response to my action and
used honorifics this time.

“Sir… Who are you, sir?”

I scraped his cheekbone again, and this time, the sound was like cracking leather. His
nose also burst this time. Blood droplets sprayed onto the plastic laid out beneath. It
might have been an exclamation that came reflexively from the pain, but did I have to
understand that? I grabbed his head, which had turned around, and turned it back
into place like a basketball.

“Can’t you pull yourself together?”

Fraser, who seemed to be in considerable pain, didn’t respond and just let his tears
flow. I once again raised my hand and struck.

“Stop crying. It’s disgusting.”

Fraser, whose face was now distinctly discolored, looked up at me and pleaded.

“Please… no more…”

“Are you giving me orders now?”

“No, no, sir…”

I lowered my raised hand slowly, and the leader breathed a visible sigh of relief. His
cheekbones were swollen to the point where his face had become asymmetrical. It
seemed like he’d lost his hearing on one side. From the looks of it, he might look like
a professional fighter who had taken many blows in a cage fight. The tears were still
flowing, but for now, I moved on. After all, I just needed an excuse to let him off the
hook in the first place.

“Name.”

“Yes?”

What did he mean, “Yes”? I grabbed Fraser’s head again, focusing on the swollen
center, and pressed hard on the swollen cheekbone with my thumb. The sound of
fingers sinking into the swollen flesh was heard.

“Aaaargh!”

“Name.”

I already knew his name, but interrogations usually start with easy questions. It’s
about creating the fact that the subject “answered the question.”

“Fraser! Ugh! Fraser Duke! Fraser Duuuuuke…”

I heard the name being shouted like a plea, and I removed my hand. Even without
reinforced magic, I had powerful strength, and the handprint was vivid on the
bruised skin. The skin was so thin that you could see blood seeping through.

“Alright. Fraser Duke.”

I leaned forward towards Fraser. Shadows fell over his face.

“It’s time for confession. Why do you think I came looking for you?”

“Yes?”

This guy was not very bright. I released Fraser’s upper body and kicked his knee
hard with the back of my heel. The feeling of the kick radiated from the diagonal
impact, and screams echoed through the spacious warehouse. The knees trapped
between the edge of the chair and my boot couldn’t be in good shape. If I hadn’t
purposely kicked slightly aside, the cruciate ligaments would have torn, and the
kneecap would have shattered.

‘Because it would be difficult to destroy it all at once.’

What I needed was a variety of violence that could slowly break the body and mind.
Balancing between ruthless brutality that induced fear and the need to keep the
subject alive. Sustainable pain.

“I’ll ask again. Why do you think I came looking for you?”

Fraser, who had been watching for an opening, opened his mouth with a pained and
fearful expression.

“Per-Perhaps… Did you come from the 14K? Because we invaded your territory?”

“Wrong.”

Snap! Fraser’s knee was kicked again, and he writhed in pain, twisting his body. The
condition of the rear cruciate ligaments was precarious. This was enough to consider
that complete recovery was out of the question, even if he managed to leave here
alive. That would be the story when he left here alive, of course.

The 14K Fraser mentioned was a loosely organized coalition of various Chinese triad
factions. They worked together in a loose cooperation.

‘These guys just killed someone in Chinatown without any precautions?’

Since overhearing my conversation with Karen, this guy must have been desperate to
retrace the steps of his organization. He had two clues: my client was an old man,
and I was here for the revenge of ‘people who lost their families and neighbors.’
Additionally, he must have considered the fact that I was of Asian descent. As a
result, he seemed to have touched upon Chinatown.

Why would a fledgling organization mess with them? Most organizations shied away
from stirring up the intricate web of relationships (guanxi) in Chinatown. I
continued the interrogation.
“Come on, get it right. Why do you think I came looking for you?”

“…”

“Hurry up and guess. If you give the wrong answer or if you keep hesitating like
this—”

A groan erupted from Fraser’s mouth. Squelch, thud. This time, I completely damaged
his cruciate ligament and dislocated his kneecap. I had to forcibly realign his knee,
which was enough to cause an audible scream.

I finally lifted my foot after working my Walker heel into it as though I was grinding
something.

“That’s how it would be.”

The reason for not using the truth or confession serum first was that the statements
obtained through confessions often have many flaws. Different events could get
mixed up, or the chronological order could be reversed. Therefore, it was better to
play the irrational monster first, not giving them any room to think, and then use the
confession serum later. If necessary.

Words burst from Fraser’s mouth. Beating him regularly, and receiving the gift of
violence, Fraser started vomiting out the murders committed by him and his
organization indiscriminately. Driven by terror beyond mere pain, especially for
someone with a weak psyche like him. The fear that his body would be permanently
damaged was more powerful than any pain.

‘That guy Jay is certainly a criminal. He’s most likely an insider of the American
Front.’

The distribution and composition of the murders reveal the killer’s tendencies. In
this case, there were mixed tendencies of organization and the puppeteer’s
influence. Ordinary homicides, gang conflicts, ideological or political human hunts.

The ‘Indian hunting’ was one such event. More precisely, it was part of ideological
indoctrination training. It aimed to incite the followers ideologically, foster a sense of
belonging, and provide experience in organized murder. The Native Americans died
for such petty reasons.
But what deaths were not petty, really?

Based on the countless keywords, I narrowed down the scope of the interrogation.
According to his statement, Jay helped establish the White Guard by using proxies,
provided ideological foundations and legal protection, and, in return, received bribes
or commissioned the disappearance of specific individuals.

These idiots were deeply infatuated with Jay’s justification for creating a ‘white
nation.’ To them, ‘white nation’ was synonymous with utopia.

After listening to all this, I sighed and wiped the blood on my gloves with a
handkerchief before asking.

“Tell me more about Jay. What does he do? What’s his real name? Where does he
live?”

Fraser, who had turned into a bloody mess in a short period of time, was completely
crushed psychologically. Learning that he became mentally handicapped every time
he hesitated with an answer, as it was in the literal sense, he screamed in panic as
soon as he saw my displeased expression.

“I don’t know! I really don’t know! I’ve never seen his face! He always sent a go-
between! He always contacted us first! Please, spare me! Don’t hit me!”

“A go-between?”

“Yes, yes! A go-between!”

Heaving breaths, his words broke off. It was likely that several ribs had been broken,
making even breathing painful for him. Nonetheless, I pulled out my gun and shot off
his ear. He let out a scream and sobbed, and I continued to pull the trigger, slowly
reducing what remained of his ear. His eardrum had been torn apart earlier.

“Stop crying and talk, talk. Where did you usually meet that bastard, whether it was
one person or several, what were the demands, what did you talk about, how was his
accent and appearance, how did you arrange meetings…”

Tap, tap, tap! Within the quiet gunshots, there were consecutive cartridge ejections
and the humming of the suppressor. Experiencing the real-time reduction of one ear,
Fraser cried out in a mixture of weeping.
“Please, spare my life! Spare my life!”

“You won’t die from this much.”

A long time ago, van Gogh cut off his ear, and kind of recently, Russian anti-Bolshevik
artists cut off his ear. The latter, Pyotr Pavlensky, only cut off his earlobe, but in any
case, he didn’t have any problems with excessive bleeding until the police arrived.

Well, this guy had taken Viagra, so he had a relatively large amount of bleeding.

While the outside became noisy for a moment, four new pigs were caught and
brought inside. The ones being dragged in smelled the pervasive scent of violence
and fear indoors and froze.

Fraser, now in deep despair, urgently exclaimed,

“I can summon him! I will try to summon him!”

“That bastard?”

“Yes!”

“How?”

“Yes?”

“I said, how, and with what excuse are you going to summon him?”

“Um, well…”

“You blurted it out without thinking? Do I still seem easy to you?”

“Absolutely not!”

“Then think. Think and convince me. Before I put a hole in your useless head.”

Gasping for breath, Fraser focused on finding an excuse to lure Jay’s representative.
To avoid pushing too hard, I decided to postpone further violence.
Fraser, who had been intensely contemplating, came up with an answer while
glancing around cautiously. It was money, not a fixed tribute, but voluntary offerings
and contributions as bait to lure the counterpart.

‘I didn’t have high hopes.’

These guys were all about the same.

Still, it would work. While I might seem easily swayed as the leader of one
organization, the “White Guard” was an organization with significant operating
costs.

Just looking at the scum I was torturing in front of me proved that. Despite having
led so many crimes, this scum’s spiderweb tattoo had only three layers. It meant he
had spent less than three years in prison. At least one thing was thoroughly
protected.

In this world, legal protection belonged to the leader. It was rare for exercising that
authority to quickly stimulate a sense of belonging and loyalty, just as it was rare for
an organization’s power to exceed the law.

However, exercising that authority required money. Whether it was bribes or

attorney fees. Bribes were just a fixed cost, and even if you took bribes and still
couldn’t avoid trial, it usually cost tens of thousands of dollars. Attorney fees for
serious crimes often exceeded $3,000 per hour. If you were a partner at a law firm, it
could easily go up to $10,000 per hour. Unless it was at that level, you couldn’t keep
someone from going to prison or reduce the sentence to a meaningless level.

The organization’s operating costs were a separate matter.

So, the tributes Jay had received from these guys didn’t have much significance
beyond maintenance costs and a loyalty pledge. When someone offered to contribute
money, no one would refuse, no matter how much it was.
“So, how much are you willing to offer?”

Fraser responded immediately to my question.

“$400,000!”

I sighed. I lightly tapped the cheek of the idiot and lowered my voice.

“You should mention a reasonable amount, alright?”

I had to doubt the amount unless Jay’s IQ was not in double digits. Considering the
contents of the ledger that came with it, more than half of that amount was paid to a
drug wholesaler.

Besides, these kinds of guys were usually a bit greedy.

I gave the beaten idiot an amount.

“$10,000. That should be enough. You can say you want to contribute a little more to
help with the construction of the ‘White Nation.'”

“Isn’t that too little?”

“For your standards, even that is excessive.”

Yeah. Excessive. But he would believe it.

‘He wants to believe it.’

Jay was a true believer, and what was important to a true believer was their faith.
The fact that his beliefs deeply influenced these fools was, for Hitler Junior, both a
trophy of his actions and a “believable reality.” How proud he must feel. How
virtuous. That was the second reason he would accept without concern whatever
amount was offered.

“I’ll consider this enough for now…”

If we were going to summon Jay’s representative, we had to do it in the morning.

Calling in the early hours would raise suspicion. Until then, we needed to keep this
garbage of a boss alive. At least he should be able to make phone calls.
“Hey, Fraser.”

“Yes!”

Fraser’s buzz-cut head was covered with ominous black tattoos. I poked one of those
tattoos with the barrel of my gun.

“Do you really believe you have Aryan blood in you?”

The tattoo I hit was a cross with ribbons running up and down. Inside the ribbon
was the phrase, “For the glory of the white nation and Aryan race!” written in blocky
letters. When the barrel of the gun touched my forehead, Fraser couldn’t even catch
his breath properly.

“Answer me, won’t you?”

As I raised my arm, ready to strike, Fraser closed his eyes tightly and shouted.

“I believe it, hub, I believe it!”

It was a cry interrupted by a lack of breath.

“You believe it?”

“Yes!”

“On what grounds?”

“I’m white, that’s why!”

Ignorant reasoning. Did having a white heritage make you an Aryan?

“So, have you taken a genetic test?”

“…I haven’t!”

“Why? I heard genetic tests were popular. Among your internet buddies, at least.”

“That’s… well…”
I grew tired of him hesitating and struck him down again. The iron cross tattoo tore,
and beneath the gun handle, blood and grease were smeared. Even if I tried to use
my hands less, my learning was still slow. I pushed Fraser’s forehead with the end of
the suppressor, making him raise his head.

“Speak. What is it?”

The white pig, who raised his eyes upward and focused the muzzle on his forehead,
answered again, sobbing.

“Genetic tests… They, the Jewish capitalists, have a conspiracy, manipulating the tests
to destroy the identity of whites, a vile conspiracy to, black, undermine the identity,
those filthy Jews…”

His response was a mess of superstitious gibberish, but I understood the content.

Bastard.

Genetic testing, once popular among white supremacists, showed that two-thirds of
them were not purely white. I wondered how these fools had accepted this fact when
I first read about it in a book. People truly were creatures that believed what they
wanted to believe.

Pure Aryans might be easier to find in India than in the United States or Europe.
India’s strict caste distinctions would make it easier.

‘Come to think of it, ‘The Witch’ was from India.’

“The Witch” Grace.

She was born in colonial-era India, with a lineage belonging to the Aryan group and
exceptional beauty. Due to her beauty, she was abducted by an old British mage and
became an assassin. She systematically seduced the greedy abductor, and in return,
the mage shared his magic with her, even violating the rules of his order. If he had
been deeply infatuated, would he have called her the grace of his life?

Grace, who had been watching her chance while entwined with an old imperialist
between her legs, finally killed the mocking master of her order, seizing her most
valuable assets and disappearing.
She was a woman deeply loathed by all the members of the order, including the old
master. She was the greatest disgrace and worst loss of “The Round Table of Light
and Truth,” hence their hatred. Her treachery revitalized both the greatest and the
worst aspects of their order.

‘Can I join hands with that woman?’

When time passed and she reemerged in 1999, she had become the Grand Master of
the devil-worshipping cult “O7A.”

“Sir… Sir…”

Fraser, with a cracked voice, desperately called out to me.

“My bleeding won’t stop. I’ll die like this… Please, Sir, you still need me, don’t you?
Please… Please save me…”

This guy was showing too much of a bleeding act. How did someone like him become
the leader? I looked at Fraser with disdain and, reaching out to a nearby henchman, I
signaled with my hand.

“Knife.”

As Fraser heard what I said, he shivered again. His widened eyes fixated on the knife,
which was being brought closer. I examined myself in the light and asked,

“Fraser, have you ever seen magic?”

“Yes?”

I ran a simple and concise spell in my circuit, even though the circuit operation was
incomplete. The spell was simple and could be used easily even now. In response, the
cold metallic glint of the knife began to glow with a reddish hue. Fraser stared at the
increasingly hot glow without even breathing. The others who had been just
watching while I struck the leader also joined in, staring at the knife.

Tssss—

“Aaahhh!”
The smell of cooking flesh filled the air. I turned the knife around and grabbed
Fraser’s severed ear. I pressed it and a piece of flesh came off like an undercooked
pancake.

“Alcohol.”

I gestured with my fingers, and a henchman quickly brought whiskey. I opened the
cap and poured its contents onto the side of Fraser’s head. Fraser started to regain
consciousness.

Although the alcohol’s proof wasn’t high enough for disinfection, it served as a
substitute for clean water. The drying of the wound might make it easier for
infections to take hold, but was that the problem now? I returned the empty bottle
and the knife to my henchman.

The stares that had gathered on the knife now turned to me. Fright beyond
understanding began to mix with those glances.

Just as the commotion outside seemed to die down, another four pigs were brought
in, spaced out over time. This time, they put up a bit more resistance. One of them
was in such a condition that they’d die soon anyway. No need to wait for it to die. My
subordinates tightly wrapped the guy in plastic.

Crackle, crackle!

The guy wrapped up in plastic struggled for air. The faces inside the plastic turned
blue due to oxygen deprivation. This was because a lack of oxygen caused the skin
around the eyes and lips to turn blue. The pigs, facing death as they met eyes with
someone who was dying, shivered. A henchman, responsible for the recording,
silently captured this scene.

As the number of people tied to chairs continued to grow, it was quite a refreshing
sight as well. Usually, there was no occasion to bury so many people all at once.

Fraser, whose eyes had cleared up, asked in a trembling voice,

“Sir, are you perhaps a Wiccan master?”

“Do I look like such a quack?”

“…”

The mage this guy mentioned wasn’t a true mage in the real sense. It was a reference
to the priests of the rapidly spreading religion, Wicca, in North America.

Even if I said it was rapidly spreading, the absolute number of followers was only
around two hundred thousand, but the closer you get to the bottom of society, the
closer you get to such superstitions. It was an issue of education.

Especially in this neighborhood, the influence of magical beliefs like Santería and
Yoruba from Latin America and the Caribbean was strong due to the population that
had moved from there.

Even on this bastard’s body, there was a type of tattoo related to such beliefs. That’s
why I used magic as a calculated move. To nurture the seeds of fear within him.

If I could directly manipulate the brain and nerves with magic, it would be great, but
casting a spell and corroding flesh infused with spirits were completely different
areas.

“Ugh…”

Fraser, who was already in a state where his fever had heated up his bones and
dulled his mind, seemed to have completely surrendered psychologically, without
any chance of further breaking him. However, his thing was still standing stiff, and it
was unpleasant to look at.

‘No, is there even a need to keep looking at it?’

This bastard was so low that he didn’t even deserve to be called a gangster, but I felt
like I was working even when I didn’t have to. I could take a break and leave the rest
to my subordinates at this point. Now it was time to try to come up with something
or deceive someone.

“Sir…”

“What.”

“I swear. I’ll do anything you ask, so pl-please save me. If you spare my life, I’ll even
pay tribute…”
“Just watch.”

“Are, are you sure?”

“A true mage does not lie.”

Yeah, right. But Fraser’s expression in the darkness had a glimmer of hope. He must
have heard rumors that lying would make you lose the power of magic or something.

How ridiculous was it that there was a fairy tale aspect in the world of these
gangsters?

“Cooperate with my subordinates. I’ll check the results in the morning.”

“Yes! Yes! Thank you!”

Thank you for what? I left the desperate bastard and the rest to my subordinates and
climbed the stairs to the office. The office was filled with the cold of dawn. I closed
the window that was still open, sat down on the chair where I had been conversing
with Karen Williams, and was hit by the realization of fatigue. The heat from the
heater and the smell of oil made my exhaustion even more palpable.

Still, it was impossible to concentrate here.

‘If I complete the request, I’ll have to take a day or two off.’

It wasn’t even on my mind to read books right now. Amidst the occasional screams, I
basked in the warm light, enjoying my free time.

Sometimes, moments like these were inevitable.

Last night, I loaded eleven rounds into my pistol in the hotel room. Ten rounds in the
magazine, one in the chamber. And now, on this afternoon when the day has
changed, not a single round remains in my pistol.

The first round was used by Karen Williams. Nine rounds were used for the ear-
popping torture. And the last remaining round was my mercy to Fraser.

Thuud! Thud!

The pig boss, tied to the chair, leaned forward, tears of thin blood flowing from one
eye. To give this goldfish a painless death, I carefully adjusted the angle while holding
his head and fired at point-blank range. The bullet that entered his eye socket
bounced off in multiple directions, trapped in his skull. If the bullet had been
stronger, it would have pierced through the back of his head.

I turned to face Jay’s errand boy, still bound to an extra chair, and swapped out the
magazine.

Rattle!

The errand boy, newly bound to a spare chair, twitched in his seat, his eyes glaring
wildly. His eyes were filled with a lot of bloodshot veins, like a prey easily caught in a
$10,000 trap. What I didn’t like was his complacency, as he had received a call in the
morning and only showed up in the afternoon.

I looked at the frightened guy and grabbed my pistol.

“Don’t get greedy. There’s no mercy for you.”

Then, I turned my gaze to Kyung-tae.

“Did you find anything?”

Kyung-tae raised his thumb with one hand.

“I’ve confirmed Jay’s real name and phone number.”

“Really?”

“Yes. His Facebook page as well. He’s been actively liking posts.”

Jay’s errand boy had two phones: a prepaid phone and a regular contract phone. It
would have been safer to leave one behind when coming to a place like this, but this
guy brought both. Maybe he thought something might happen? I wondered.

“What’s his real name?”

“Calvin Kenneth Braimlow.”

“Address?”

“I’m cross-referencing it with the remote navigation memory at headquarters, but

wouldn’t it be quicker to use truth serum rather than going through all the other
clues?”

“Prepare it.”

“Sure.”

Unless the statement was about complex facts, confirming simple information like an
address with truth serum was considered a credible statement. As long as there was
no room for lying, as long as you didn’t give them the power to kill, make them tell
the truth. This dosage control was a tricky thing, even for experts. My subordinates
were less likely to make mistakes, as they’d practiced killing people with it
occasionally.

‘In the end, I’m giving the guy we can’t kill a peaceful death.’

One of my subordinates carefully injected a mixture of scopolamine into the errand

boy’s vein. The effect appeared before the full dose was even reached. All truth
serums were essentially anesthetics. A gynecologist was the first to propose the
possibility of a truth serum to the U.S. government. The reason? Because pregnant
women in anesthesia were answering their questions accurately. Of course, the
United States didn’t just use it for the purpose of revealing perjury. (+) [1]

When the anesthetic effect set in, the two subordinates who had been restraining the
errand boy let go and stepped back. The drugged guy’s hazy eyes roamed through
the empty air. Kyung-tae put his hand on the errand boy’s shoulder and spoke to him
affectionately.

“Hey, listen.”

“…Yes”

“Do you know Calvin Braimlow?”

“…Yes.”

“Where does he live?”

“…Lombard… Street.”

“Where’s that?”

“Russian Hill…”

Kyung-tae repeated these questions for verification several times, but the errand boy
couldn’t remember the exact address. That was understandable; however, even this
incomplete information would help narrow down the search area. Kyung-tae sent a
message to the field support team, and since we were using a truth serum, he added
more questions while we were at it. About his usual activities, personal
relationships, family, and daily routines.

Shortly after that,

“Ding-dong.”

Kyung-tae looked at his phone and made a sound with his mouth.

“We’ve confirmed the address. It’s 950 Lombard Street, San Francisco, right?”

“Share it.”
“As you wish.”

Looking at the address and photos sent to my device, it was an unusually large
mansion right in the heart of downtown. Selling just the house would make you a
millionaire, but well, there were plenty of people who got lost even when they had
nowhere else to go.

While I was looking at the photos, a call came on my business phone. It was from the
White Chief. My subordinate had edited and sent the video that they had filmed to
him about three hours ago, but it seemed he had only checked it now.

‘Either he was busy with his work, or he had a lot on his mind.’

At the point when he had identified Fraser as a target for the “White Guard,” he must
have had at least some idea of what he looked like. So, as soon as he saw the video I
sent, he would have known it was genuine. I received a call a short distance away
from the pigs, and without formalities, I started with my questions.

“Chief, did you watch the video?”

[…I didn’t expect to see the results so quickly.]

“To be precise, the results haven’t been determined yet. Their lives are still intact,
and the main target was in the process of confirming their location.”

[My point is, anyway, the speed is astonishing.]

“I appreciate the compliment.”

[It is a compliment. Did you personally handle this?]

“Our company did. I tend to take care of truly important matters myself.”

[…I see.]

“Chief, I hope you accept my sincere intentions.”

[Well… Thank you. I didn’t expect you to take it this far.]

It seemed like Chief White was genuinely surprised. After all, how often do you get
the opportunity to kidnap someone at a casino? Even if they did it, they usually did it
individually and, at most, engaged in a defensive struggle. Furthermore, just like any
other black market, the contract industry was full of amateurs, fraudsters, and
thieves.

‘Come to think of it, those idiots who subcontracted to the point of absurdity were
there too.’

Although that had happened in China, it wasn’t any better in other countries’
contract industries. After all, the black market was ultimately a completely free
market that avoided the surveillance of public authority, and there was no system for
verifying experience or guaranteeing credit. That’s why large criminal organizations
tried to create something similar to market order in their own way because there
were so many landmines.

“Give me your instructions.”

[Instructions?]

“Why do you think I spared all of them? There’s no need to interrogate all of them.”

[…]

“Once the contract is made, me and my company become a knife in your hands. How
to use the knife depends on the person holding it. We can be a dull knife or a sharp
one.”

Materials cut from a dull knife would undoubtedly turn into a mess.

The chief’s hesitation didn’t last long.

[I’d prefer it to be as painful as possible.]

“Understood. You’ll receive the results as before.”

Let’s talk again later. With this statement, I hung up the phone.

Inside the warehouse, sunlight streamed in through high windows, and there was a
faint smell of urine. The reason was the guys who had been tied up for too long.
Some of them might have been scared to the point where their bladders were
shrinking. That’s why the slaughter was better when it was quick.

Kyung-tae asked,

“Is that the Chief?”

“Yes.”

“I thought so.”

Yes, it was a predictable situation. But we couldn’t proceed without asking. If he saw
me as a sadistic killer or a schizophrenic maniac, it would be problematic. The
horrific results should be what the chief himself wanted. I nodded to Kyung-tae and
the others.

“Proceed.”

“Yes.”

Although I received an order to make it as painful as possible, I had no intention of

spending a long time on it.

[The most effective method is probably still electric shock…]

However, that wasn’t something that could be done easily, as Milgram had falsely
staged in his experiments. It was a time-consuming and resource-intensive process,
and, above all, it didn’t provide much visual satisfaction. It ended with a scream, a
little burning, and a little increase in fear.

Similarly, the poison didn’t provide strong visual stimulation. Using an electric saw
to dismember the target would be more beneficial for customer satisfaction.

Vvvvrrrrr!

My subordinates, wearing sealed protective suits and face shields, started the
circular saw. Other subordinates set up tables. The screams of the pigs, blocked by
the blade, were buried again in the sound of the motor. I watched the first pig being
dismantled on the table without much excitement. Technically, it was delicate
sawing, despite appearances. The noise was highest when the steel cut through the
bone. Except for the fact that the subject was a person and alive, it was no different
from a normal butchering process.

After watching only the first dismemberment, I left for outside the warehouse. The
subordinates standing outside were unmasked and had concealed their weapons. No
matter how remote the alley was, they couldn’t walk around in their robber gear in
broad daylight.

Across the street, our parked cars were playing music loudly. Yet, no one from the
nearby residential areas had opened their windows to protest. If anyone in this
neighborhood had intact limbs, they would have gone to work by now, and this
warehouse would likely serve as the workplace for some of these people.

In this neighborhood, living conditions were probably the same everywhere. In a city
with poor public safety, especially. Cheap houses were cheap for a reason.

In front of the warehouse, a few oil drums were lit. Normally, gangsters would gather
around them to chat and warm their hands, but now it was the fire lit by the guys on
alert to burn what needed to be burned. I took out a handkerchief from my pocket
and tossed it into the smoky fire.

The sawing process for dismembering a person took three hours. The fragmented
bodies were thrown into tanks of sodium hydroxide brought by two trucks, and the
blood was drained through the floor into the drainpipe, covered with plastic that we
had laid out.

“Good job, everyone.”

I encouraged the subordinates who had finished cleaning up the scene.

“When this is all over, take turns getting a day of free time.”

Now, I had to deal with “Jay,” whose real name was Calvin Braimlow, and tomorrow
morning, send the bodies dissolved in sodium hydroxide back to this warehouse to
be flushed into the sewer. After that, I’d collect the remaining unburned bones, break
them down further, and throw them into the sea. Then, it would truly be over.

Using something like perchloric acid would be faster, but sodium hydroxide was
easier to obtain.

As we got into the car, Kyung-tae inquired,

“Do you think Karen Williams might need some additional measures? She saw your
face, sir.”

“It’s fine.”

I dismissed Kyung-tae’s concerns.

“Even if that woman decides to spill the money after a conflict, by the time she makes
up her mind, she won’t even remember what I look like.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Human memory was easily contaminated. Unabomber montage, arguably the most
famous montage of the 20th century, was actually the face of an unrelated third
party. While the witness did encounter Unabomber, the face of another person they
encountered afterward was superimposed on their memory. (+) [2]

‘Moreover, there’s a racial barrier between that woman and me.’

People often say that all other races look alike, don’t they? After today, every time
Karen saw a face similar to mine, she would be startled and surprised, and those
faces would become part of her memory of me. Such distortions were heavily
influenced by emotional states and stereotypes about other races. Age and height
information were relatively accurate, though.

That’s why in modern forensic science, the reliability of a montage was at the level of
“better than nothing.”

However…

After some more thought, I decided to be cautious.

“No, let’s keep her under surveillance for another two or three days.”

Kyung-tae’s complexion brightened.

“Good thinking, sir.”

If we watched how she reacted after receiving the casino coin, it would become clear.
If she acted cautiously, there would be nothing more to see.
 1. TLN: Scopolamine is used to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by motion
sickness or medications used during surgery. A gynecologist diagnoses and
treats issues with female reproductive organs.

 2. TLN: Theodore John Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, was an

American mathematician and domestic terrorist. He was a mathematics
prodigy but abandoned his academic career to pursue a primitive lifestyle.
Between 1978 and 1995, Kaczynski murdered three individuals and injured 23
others in a nationwide mail bombing campaign against people he believed to
be advancing modern technology and the destruction of the natural
environment.
Strictly speaking, Jay – Calvin Braimlow – was not the contract target. What I
promised to the White Chief was the extermination of the “White Guard.” However,
the essence of the request was revenge, and if I could put in ten times the effort to
reap a hundred times the effect, there was no reason not to.

I needed a submarine for this. The smuggling fleet of terrorism that would set
London ablaze.

‘Come to think of it, the [American Front] was also influenced by the [British Front,]
wasn’t it?’

The headquarters of devil worship was currently in the UK. Anyway, the most
sinister things in the world were all aided by the British.

Then one of the subordinates in the driver’s seat said,

“We’ve arrived.”

Calvin’s mansion stood facing the San Francisco Art School. A sloping area, with a
foundation raised for leveling, blocked the view like a fortress. Thick pine trees even
extended their branches, making it impossible to see the inside from the outside.

For an ordinary person, that is.

“No one seems to be inside.”

Kyung-tae tilted his head at my words.

“Really? I thought there would be some subordinates guarding at least.”

Then he frowned and shook his head again.

“Come to think of it, it’s strange that there isn’t even one servant. In a mansion of this
size.”

I replied indifferently,

“Maybe he’s a shy guy.”

There were often people of that type. People who obsessively hide their vulnerable
areas. Revealing your personal space to such people was similar to showing your
naked body to others.

Or maybe he just hated people.

“At any rate, it’s good for us. Let’s go in with just the two of us first. It seems safe
enough.”

Kyung-tae nodded without saying anything.

“Yeah. I’ll tell the rest to patrol reasonably.”

This was a residential area. There were many closed circuits and many parked cars.
It meant it was difficult to approach by car.

Creak- Clank-!

The small back door’s electronic lock could be easily released with simple magic.
What I lacked in my current magic was not sophistication but power, and the voltage
needed to open the lock was only 1.5 volts. Temporarily stopping the closed circuit
was about the same difficulty level.

I led the way with a suitcase on my back. As I walked slowly, I stepped on weeds that
had grown through cracks in the paving stones.

“What kind of mansion is this? It’s not even a ruin.”

Kyung-tae’s comment followed.

The garden, which seemed to have been neglected for a long time, even looked
yellowed from winter. The twisted branches of thorny bushes clung to the dried-up
vines. The decadent garden completely surrounded the mansion. Waiting for Calvin
to fall asleep, it would be easy to burn it down with just a spark. A magical arson
would leave no clues, and the vengeful chieftain would also be satisfied.

However, if I disposed of him like that, the case would remain a mystery.

To set fire to a mansion like this, you had to scatter a lot of sparks, and that was only
feasible. Magic arson wouldn’t leave any evidence, but it would be unnatural for
anyone who saw it because it would scatter so many sparks. The black boxes of the
cars parked generously in this area would record this unnaturalness, and…

‘Before long, when those with awakened primitive magic abilities start to appear,
suspicions may arise that this incident was caused by some kind of superpower.’

Even if the concentration of magic power was high, it was still too early for
awakened individuals to appear. Those masters bastards of the Round Table, who
were chasing the apprentices, might get involved in this case, and that was a concern.

Above all, the client, White Chief, would have strong suspicions. He probably would
already know that the fire was my doing.

So, I wanted to avoid even this small risk on this side.

Kyung-tae and I opened the sliding door and entered the room. The alarm system
here wasn’t working either. Whether mechanical or electronic, the locks and security
devices in front of me were useless. “The Eye of the Golden Age” recognized wires
with electric flow as unique colors, so there was no way it would miss a device that
was turned off when I was conscious. It was a function to search for and highlight
specific information within sight.

Kyung-tae wrinkled his nose and chuckled.

“That ‘goods’ I saw from outside seems to have been a homemade bomb, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Of all things, TATP. Isn’t that enough to create an alibi by now?”

“Why. It’s conventional, isn’t it?”

“Well, it is for rookies.”

TATP. Triacetone triperoxide. This explosive was a friend of terrorists that could be
produced with just acetone, sulfuric acid, and hydrogen peroxide. Here, even with
just three tools, you could make it: a beaker, a mixer, and a filter. With the materials
and tools, even an ordinary person could become a bomber in less than an hour. That
was why it was nicknamed the “Mother of Satan” because it was too easy to make
and produced Satan’s minions.

Kyung-tae, who smelled it and noticed the presence of a bomb, was because this
explosive emitted a very artificial fruity scent. Both during the manufacturing
process and in the finished product.

There was a separate locking device on the door leading to the underground. I easily
unlocked it again, and when we went down the stairs, the pungent smell became
even stronger. Kyung-tae, who saw Calvin’s basement, exclaimed,

“Wow. Impressive, very impressive.”

In the center of the basement, there were workbenches for making bombs and new
initiates. The surrounding area was cluttered with car batteries that were likely used
to extract sulfuric acid.

‘A trivial hobby.’

That’s right. It was a hobby. There was no reason for someone with so much money
to make handmade bombs. Just buying a finished product would suffice.

Therefore, the workbench in front of me was filled with aesthetics and ecstasy. The
aesthetics of a revolutionary and the childish ecstasy of a dreamer who dreams of
struggle. Extracting sulfuric acid from batteries was also in the same context. It also
had the meaning of avoiding suspicion, but it seemed like watching a rich person
consume poverty as fashion.

“Hyungnim, did you happen to see this too?”

Kyung-tae, who approached the bookshelf, pulled out a book with gloved hands. The
title was “The Anarchist’s Cookbook.” It contained various bomb-making methods,
and it was a banned book that had to be republished with the content modified due
to an FBI ban.

Regardless of its fame, it was more of an entry-level book in this field. In reality, it
was a book with greater value as a collector’s item than its contents.

“Put it on the road. Detectives will probably like it.”

“What a waste. It’s hard to come by such clean copies.”

I brushed off Kyung-tae’s unnecessary regret and sat down at Calvin’s workbench,
checking the soldering iron’s power. Since Calvin had a newly made initiate, I
decided to complete it and put it to good use. Kyung-tae scratched his cheek.

“Do you do it yourself?”

“Yeah.”

According to the confession of Calvin’s errand boy, Calvin was expected to return
home shortly. However, completing this initiate took only a few minutes. For
someone like me who had been in this business for a long time, making a
deliberately “flawed” initiate wasn’t difficult at all.

I quickly completed the initiate, then opened the door to a small refrigerator in one
corner of the workshop, holding the finished product. Inside, there was a bomb that
Calvin had been diligently crafting. It weighed roughly around 15 kilograms.

15 kilograms, yes, 15 kilograms…

Considering quickly in my head, with an error margin, the explosive pressure would
be around 30 to 40psi (pounds per square inch) at a distance of 5 meters, and
considering an enclosed environment, it would become even more powerful. With
this level of power, even without shrapnel, it would create a 100% fatality zone up to
the distance of the workbench.

I set the initiate on the bomb, closed the fridge door, and stroked my chin in thought.

“It feels somewhat empty.”

“Is that so?”

“At the very least, shouldn’t this be someone’s revenge?”

In a capitalist society, money equated to status and power. Despite his sinister inner
self, Calvin Braimlow was contributing to the local community, or more precisely, the
marginalized white community. He was making an effort to expand his connections
among the residents of this affluent neighborhood.

It was natural for self-proclaimed revolutionaries of this era to dream of becoming

influencers.

Therefore, the excruciating death that the client ordered was practically impossible
for Calvin. The final moments of this wealthy white supremacist had to be carried
out in a way that left no room for doubt, after all.

Above all, the San Francisco police had a generous budget. Unlike neighboring
Oakland.

So, the client should understand this inevitable leniency.

I ripped a short sentence from the notebook that Calvin had used to write recipes on
the table. Then, I stuck it to the fridge with a magnet. Since I had removed all the
other magnets, it couldn’t help but stand out.

[Those who seek revenge must dig two graves.]

A Chinese proverb about revenge. One for the enemy and one for oneself.

The reason I wrote it like this was that the real motivation of this guy Calvin was his
hatred toward people of color.

I turned my body and gazed at the front of the workbench for a moment. Most of the
newspaper clippings pinned to the corkboard on the wall were about institutional
discrimination against white people and the criminal acts of people of color. At the
center of it all was a case where a mother and daughter were brutally murdered in
broad daylight on the street by a black man. The last name of the two victims was
Braimlow.

The perpetrator who killed the mother and daughter was a self-proclaimed “radical
black civil rights activist.” In court, he reportedly spouted nonsense like, “White
people, as the privileged class, can never be victims of black people.” “White people
are synonymous with sinners.” “My murder was not a crime but a righteous act.” “If
white people disappear, all problems will be solved,” and so on.
It sounded somewhat similar to the “Black Guerrilla Family.” The black supremacists
of white supremacy, consuming the legitimacy passed down by their ancestors
through blood, with no value.

There was no backstory, no unmarked graves, and no reason for the hatred. Group
hatred as a social phenomenon, whether it was the hatred of any group, usually had
its own reasons, but they were often unknown to me, except when they were related
to my work. In a world full of people who need two graves, understanding hatred
was just a matter of business etiquette for me.

The tragedy of the Braimlow family would no longer be my concern once this
moment passed.

I looked outside as I descended the slope from the garden. When I came into the
mansion, the garage door was opening, and a car was entering.

“Finally, the landlord has arrived.”

“Shall we go?”

“Of course.”

I strolled out of the mansion just as casually as when I entered. The landlord was
coming in through the front gate while the intruder was making their exit through
the back gate. We moved in opposite directions, ensuring we wouldn’t cross paths in
this spacious house. As I descended the slope from the garden outside, I observed
the inside of the mansion from the car.

Since he had just arrived home, there was no rush for him to head straight for his
workstation. I would need to wait a bit longer until Calvin entered the zone of the
intended crime.

“Hyungnim.”

“What is it?”

“Do you happen to crave some sweet donuts?”

“…Why on earth are you bringing that up out of the blue?”

“Well, we are in the USA, and Donuts are a staple here. It’s considered courteous to
enjoy some donuts while on stakeout duty in your car.”

“…”

Wasn’t that a stereotype of the police? I glanced at Kyung-tae, who seemed genuinely
hungry rather than motivated by any particular stereotype. Given that he hadn’t had
a proper meal throughout our operation, his hunger was likely to catch up with him
soon.

‘No, this is him being considerate.’

I decided to fill up on some calories briefly and then return to the hotel for some rest.
I felt like my mind wasn’t working properly due to sleep deprivation. Although there
was a saying that the job wasn’t done until it was done, I hoped this would be over
soon.

“…Alright, go order some.”

“Yes, sir!”

Kyung-tae radioed the team responsible for securing the exit via a simulated escape.
He gave them an oddly specific instruction to bring in donuts from a nearby place
highly rated on Yelp, matching the quantity with the number of people by type. It
seemed like an unnecessarily detailed order.

A while later, I observed Calvin’s movements while savoring a glazed donut with
overly sweet milk tea by my side. The guy who had just finished his dinner had now
stumbled upon the basement door that I had deliberately left open. He froze like a
deer caught in headlights, then swallowed hard, and with a cautious step, he
descended the stairs after retrieving a gun from the secret compartment of the
fireplace.

In this place without major interference, much like the “President’s” stronghold, my
control field could momentarily expand to encompass the entire mansion and extend
slightly beyond. Within that range, I could remotely execute spells. I was prepared to
upload my algorithms into the circuits.

“Would you like one more?”

“Hmm.”

This time from the box Kyung-tae presented, I chose a chocolate iced donut.
Surprisingly, it tasted better than I expected. Just as Calvin, who had been moving
like a puppet, finally stood in front of the fridge. He read the note I had left and his
eyes widened. In an attempt to react swiftly—

My spell first caused a spark in the fuse.

Tic.

Kugugugugu-thud!

A powerful explosion shook the ground. The shockwave tore Calvin’s body to shreds,
and a portion of the ceiling collapsed, creating an instant ashen tomb. The police
examining the debris would likely conclude that a malfunctioning sanctuary caused
the mishap.

Kyung-tae asked,

“Is it over?”

“Just a moment.”

I initiated one more algorithm within the circuit. It was a very small and simple
ignition spell. The target was the fragments of the note I left behind. Removing a few
conspicuous large pieces would be sufficient to ensure the destruction of the
evidence. It would make handwriting analysis impossible.

“Done. Let’s go.”

At my command, one of the subordinates in the driver’s seat pressed on the

accelerator. The car sped away, leaving the upscale neighborhood behind. However,
the road back to the hotel during rush hour wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.

In that time, I had devoured three more donuts.

It had been ten days since I sent the custom-made Snuff film to White Chief, and on
January 20th, I found myself in the aspen forest of Utah. The cold winds blew,
causing the white branches to tremble in the hazy mist, emitting a soft shush-shush
sound. Taking a deep breath, I gazed at the forest, and an exclamation of awe escaped
my lips. (+) [1]

“It’s breathtaking.”

Every root in this cluster of Quaking Aspens, unified as one, was bathed in radiant
magic and circuitry. Compared to this, the “President” was like a single reed in a reed
field or a grain of sand on a beach. It was disheartening that this spectacle was
visible only to my eyes. To ordinary people, it would appear as a white snowfield,
white fog, and white trees. Still, that alone would create a somewhat dreamlike
landscape…

Before coming here, I had stopped by Washington State, and despite the massive
organism that was the fungus spreading throughout the state park, it lacked magical
substance relative to its size. Therefore, this cluster of poplars was particularly
exceptional to me. (+) [2]

“Why is it so noisy around here?”

Kyung-tae was visibly concerned about the chaotic surroundings. Despite being in a
remote area with no credible cities within a 30 km radius, several police patrol cars
were stationed along the roadside of the passing route. Somewhere in the distance,
the sound of barking dogs could be heard.

“Do you have a bad feeling about this?”

“Something feels off.”

“…Really?”
I didn’t ignore Kyung-tae’s unease. Sometimes, this guy’s intuition for danger felt like
magic beyond magic.

The view provided by “Eye of the Golden Age” was still valid, but there was too much
information here, limiting the practical visibility. Especially in the direction of the
forest, beyond the usual perception, it extended only about 50 meters due to the
rampant directions of various radiance.

‘It will probably decrease further if we go inside.’

My control field would inevitably shrink to a radius similar to when facing the
“President.” Despite diligently tuning the circuits all along, it was as if the magic
power exerted by the forest in front of me was that much stronger.

Hence, it would be challenging to accompany many subordinates to explore the

forest’s interior. I couldn’t protect them all from the unrefined magic power.

As events led up to this point, I too felt a bit restless. I had been captivated by the
enchanting scene and hadn’t had a chance to think clearly. However, I realized that
going into the forest would leave me very vulnerable.

Kyung-tae had been considering this as well.

“As the head of security, I want you to not go in there, but… wouldn’t it be insufficient
to just observe from the outside, like the ‘President’?”

I gestured with my chin toward the mist in the forest.

“Look at that fog over there. Doesn’t it strike you as strange?”

“I’ve felt uneasy from the start. The direction of the lake is clear, but the forest is
covered in mist. Especially during midday…”

“That’s right. That mist is probably the result of the forest’s spell.”

“You mean magic?”

“Yeah.”

By now, this guy would probably understand why I was feeling so awestruck. Even if
I had foreseen the emergence of lifeforms awakened to primitive magic other than
humans, witnessing it firsthand was a different dimension of the issue. I was
currently facing a century-defining event, an irreversible change in the world.

…At this point, the concentration of magic power shouldn’t suddenly drop or
anything.

Kyung-tae, scratching his head, made a new suggestion.

“If you want to explore the inside, perhaps we should consider going in, even if it
means risking exposure to either a magic power explosion or a magic power
hemorrhage, as you mentioned before.”

“No.”

I firmly shook my head.

“You are the elite of the organization and the core of the task force. Do you have any
idea how much time and budget it took to train you? We can’t afford to recklessly
waste you before a full-scale war even begins.”

Magic power and magical power-induced cancer were different from ordinary
cancer in nature. Even if it were detected early, my abilities or conventional medicine
might not be able to deal with it.

“All I have are some theories and hypotheses.”

Just like the “President”, the awakening of this forest was faster than I expected. Was
there any law that said I couldn’t call it magic power cancer? Therefore, it was
appropriate to exercise caution until these guys developed circuits and created their
own protective fields.

“But-“

“Buts or whatnot, it won’t work. I never thought I could get stronger without any risk
or burden from the start. We have to accept the risks.”

My judgment remained unchanged: I must evolve into an asymmetric power beyond

Round Table’s expectations. I was also the organization’s entire magical capability
and the entirety of its potential. My limit would determine the organization’s magical
limit.

Kyung-tae sighed and offered an alternative.

“Then at least wait for a day or two to see how the situation develops. The forest isn’t
going anywhere just because we wait.”

“Of course, we’ll do that.”

For now, we should return to our lodging and assess the situation. Why were
security guards and police gathered in such a remote place, and what was causing
Kyung-tae’s unease?

The cabin we rented as our lodging was located within walking distance of the forest.
Along the road, despite it being winter, there were about ten camping cars parked.
Some people were using a crane scale to weigh fish they caught in the white-frozen
lake. Others were enjoying ice fishing in the snow-white lake.

“Excuse us, gentlemen.”

Kyung-tae addressed them in fluent pronunciation, quite different from his usual
manner. Among the men who were making noise, one wearing a gray Canada Goose
coat glanced at Kyung-tae.

“What’s going on?”

“We’re tourists here to see the forest over there, but the atmosphere feels strange. It
seems like a lot of security guards are here too. Do you happen to know if something
happened here?”

The ability to speak multiple accents in the same language was a useful tool. It could
create confusion during investigations and tracking or change the impression people
had of you. Kyung-tae’s New York accent diluted the impression of Eastern tourists.
One of the men who received the question shrugged and replied.

“I just arrived yesterday, so I don’t know the details, but I heard that people have
gone missing in that forest. Not just one, but a whole group.”

“Oh, really? How many?”

“I don’t know the exact number. I heard this from the security guards when they
came and asked around. They even issued a warning not to enter the forest. Lately,
there’s been a lot of strange fog, and it’s considered dangerous. They even set up a
fence around it, but I don’t know why anyone would go in.”

Don’t you think so too? The man glanced at his colleague, who nodded in agreement.

“Why don’t you folks enjoy some fishing like us? Outsiders come here to admire this
forest that’s supposedly lived for tens of thousands of years, but when you actually
go in, there’s not much to see. There are lots of fallen trees, making it inconvenient to
walk around. With snow piled up, you won’t see what’s beneath your feet either.”

“Haha. Thank you for your advice. But, can you catch fish well here?”

“We don’t know until we try.”

“It could simply be the skill of the fishermen.”

The man, who had improved his mood due to Kyung-tae’s flattery, offered to share
the fish he had caught. He couldn’t offer any pike, but he could offer some perch. It
was a common sight at fishing spots or fishermen’s self-satisfaction. Kyung-tae,
playing along, asked for more, as there were many people, and managed to get three
big ones. It was always nice when you could get people to do what you wanted.

In the subsequent conversation, the fisherman pointed out a camping car some
distance away with a police line around it.

“One of the missing families brought that car. There are a few more cars that have
lost their owners, and people have gone missing from the cabins too.”

“I see. You’ve been very helpful. Thank you.”

“Helpful? It’s fine. You folks came all the way out here to this countryside, so it would
be a waste if you just turned back.”

“Traveling can have its ups and downs. Have a good day, sir.”

“You too. There’s nothing special here, but enjoy your time.”

After exchanging greetings, Kyung-tae, who had left the fishermen behind, handed
the bulky bundle of perch caught on a fishing line to his subordinate and wiped the
smile from his face. Continuing the conversation, he asked a question.

“Hyungnim, why does this place keep getting more unsettling?”

“Hmm…”

“Could it be possible that the forest itself is the culprit?”

“Well, it’s hard to say.”

A forest that ate people? Perhaps additional magical phenomena triggered by the
poplar cluster were the cause. Or it could simply be that people have gotten lost and
exhausted due to the fog and collapsed. In the polluted air of China, there have been
cases of people not being able to find their way home in front of their own houses. In
an area as small as 43 hectares, there could easily be lost individuals. With these
thoughts in mind, I answered.

“I’ll say there’s a possibility.”

“Even so, are you going to go in?”

“Isn’t it possible that it’ll become more dangerous as time goes on?”

By then, I would have become a more complete mage, but that wouldn’t necessarily
mean greater safety. The Round Table Cabinet in London would establish order, and
the presence of newly awakened abilities and their influence would also be a
variable. There was also the possibility of global turmoil leading to restrictions on
international travel.

Considering the path of struggle we must take in the future, the current risks were
just a taste of what was to come. I was prepared for such thorny paths. Kyung-tae
clicked his tongue.

“Isn’t there anything noticeable inside that camping trailer?”

Looking beyond the police line, I adjusted my gaze and then shook my head after a
moment.

“Not really.”
Kyung-tae expressed his disappointment again.

“Don’t worry too much.”

I glanced at the distant forest.

“If the forest itself is the problem, we should be able to see signs of unusual
phenomena before the phenomenon of devouring begins. If it’s something else, I’ll
have to bear any penalties, no matter who’s here.”

“Understood.”

As usual, our group of four split into two teams and conducted inquiries at various
places.

Kyung-tae and I casually asked a few questions about the resort’s main building,
which doubled as a grocery store and restaurant. We inquired about when they
started working here, which cabin was said to have lost guests, whether they were
family guests or not, when they arrived and when they disappeared, and if there was
anything else unusual. Kyung-tae’s natural conversational skills smoothly steered the
conversation.

The staff, earning $600 a day for three guests who rented high-end cabins,
responded politely and diligently.

“Any strange people?”

“Yes.”

The last question I directly asked was whether there were any people who looked
strange. If, by any chance, the Imperialists from London had sent their underlings,
there was a high likelihood they would stand out due to their fanatical devotion.
Since the means of cultivating loyalty itself was a form of fanaticism.

This applied to me to some extent as well.

Nevertheless, I didn’t wrap myself in religious garb. Not due to a feeble conscience,
but because an organization with impaired rationality was more prone to self-
destruction.
“Hmm, strange people, strange people…”

The staff, tapping their foreheads with clenched fists, hesitated with a doubtful
expression.

“Lately, there have been some… uh, you know, bohemian types… Is that what you
mean? People who laugh a lot, are optimistic, have a scruffy style, and seem to have a
few screws loose in their heads.”

“Yes.”

“These kinds of people have been coming and going, but is it really strange… you
know what I mean? This place is a tourist attraction, and all sorts of people come
and go.”

“That’s true.”

I thanked them for their kind answers and handed over a pack of menthol cigarettes
I had just bought, along with a tip of a $100 bill. The staff expressed their gratitude
with a delighted expression.

The cigarettes I bought weren’t for smoking. It was more of a habit for inducing trace
confusion in tracking. Smoking was a habit with addictive patterns, and the type of
cigarettes smoked didn’t change easily. Menthol cigarettes with their stimulating
aroma were good for chasing away dogs, for example.

Well, the chances of me experiencing such an extreme situation were slim, but it was
a habit that wouldn’t hurt. I’d always lived with this mindset.

As I thought about it, I couldn’t help but get angry. Why do I have to live like this?

After stepping outside, I forcefully tossed the crushed cigarette pack into the nearest
trash can.

 1. TLN: A snuff film, snuff movie, or snuff video is a type of film that shows, or
purports to show, scenes of actual homicide.

 2. TLN: Poplars: any of a genus of slender quick-growing trees (as an aspen or

cottonwood) that have catkins for flowers and are related to the willows.
Two days had passed, and it was the third day at the mountain lodge located at an
altitude of 2,700 meters.

Last night, one of the security guards had visited the lodge for an investigation. Since
there was a saying that “the culprit will definitely return to the scene,” even we, who
arrived just yesterday, were not excluded from suspicion.

We cooperated diligently with the security guard’s random investigation. Even if it

was a forged license, it was properly registered in the database, and our movements
could prove our innocence. Our official reason for the visit was a company team-
building event.

After chatting with the security guard and exchanging information, it turned out that
the county law enforcement authorities hadn’t even figured out if this was a simple
disappearance case or not. Security guards in this rural area, with a population
density of only four people per square kilometer, could only be so competent. They
were elected officials chosen by votes to begin with.

The tired-looking security guard mentioned that they were expecting support from
higher law enforcement authorities soon for the search. The county police would
probably arrive within a few days, followed by the federal police.

We had breakfast, which consisted of grilled trout aged overnight in the refrigerator
with mayonnaise sauce, fish mayo, salad, coffee, and egg sandwiches we had
purchased in advance at the restaurant.

There was enough grilled trout for each person. We had spent the whole day
yesterday investigating, and Kyung-tae had managed to receive one package of trout
each time we went out.

In any case, Kyung-tae’s sociability helped.

“Shall we summarize?”
After finishing the meal and gathering around, I sat at the head of the table and made
eye contact with my subordinates.

“The minimum number of confirmed missing persons is over thirty. We don’t know
where they disappeared to, but at the moment, the forest and the lake are the most
likely destinations.”

The existence of the frozen lake was another reason why the search was difficult,
along with the thick fog in the forest. If you set up a fishing tent, used it to sink the
bodies by poking holes in the ice, and waited for the ice to freeze again before taking
down the tent, it would be a perfect crime.

Yesterday evening, I saw dozens of tents on the lake. They belonged to anglers who
spent the night fishing.

Furthermore, the Poplar Cluster wasn’t the only forest in this area. With the fog and
the proximity of the camping grounds and lodging facilities, it was just one of the
most prominent places.

“Let’s assume that some kind of human hunting is going on here.”

I raised my index finger.

“First, as of now, there is no commonality among the victims. These are lives that
wouldn’t be of any use to Round Table nobles. It’s also difficult to see this as a trap to
lure me in. Why would hunters want to provoke the vigilance of their prey?… Tsk.
Even though it’s disgusting, I’m still in the position of the hunted.”

I felt uncomfortable, but I was still the prey.

The fact that there was no commonality among the victims was confirmed not only
through two days of investigation but also by tapping into the security guards’ radio
communications. Different origins, ages, genders, relationships, and classes. Those
nobles wouldn’t be able to come up with a reason to murder an entire family,
including a six-year-old child on a family trip.

In the first place, trapping me, who possessed the “Eye of the Golden Age,” would be
an almost impossible task. Unless they accurately predicted the state of the forest,
there was no point in wasting effort on an empty possibility.
I extended another finger.

“The second point. considering the estimated timeline of each disappearance case
and the results of our investigation, the unidentified group of murderers doesn’t
seem to be that large. Even if we assume a conservative estimate, it’s likely less than
half of our group and at most double our size.”

So, they didn’t pose a significant threat to me and my team, especially within this
foggy forest.

“The third point is that the victims come from various states. This means that there’s
a high probability that this case will eventually fall under federal police jurisdiction.
If we delay, it will become troublesome.”

Until the search was officially closed, we probably wouldn’t be allowed to move
around freely due to the need for crime scene preservation. It might be different if
the vast forest were easy to control, but it was not.

“The fourth point is, as I mentioned before, this forest is one of the obstacles I have
to overcome in collecting the fragments and clues of the new magic spell—let’s call it
the “Code.” How many of those do you think who possess the Code will willingly
reveal their secrets?”

Unless I saw it with my own eyes, there was no way for me to avoid this danger.

I folded my fingers.

“It will take at most one or two days. I need to understand the magic of this forest.”

And by laying the foundation of the circuits now, I could attempt further exploration
when the forest’s abilities became stronger and more complex in the future. Having
the key to the analysis, the magical potential of a single organism weighing 6,600
tons was incomparable to an ordinary forest.

‘It will probably become one of the best and worst labyrinths in the world in the
future. In terms of scale, it will probably still lag behind places like the Amazon.’

Therefore, I was convinced that the knowledge I gained at this time would generate a
snowball effect in the future.
“Any objections?”

No one among my subordinates spoke up in response to my question.

“Then we depart at 09:00.”

Except for the one team that would accompany me, the rest of the personnel were
stationed on the outskirts of the forest. I had decided to place them there not only to
avoid wasting them recklessly but also to call for reinforcements in case the situation
became dire. It was a placement that considered securing an exit in case of a similar
situation.

And at 09:30,

I crossed the fence and took the first step into the forest, where faint snowflakes
were falling. I arranged the formation in a zigzag pattern with me in the center.

“Maintain this distance as much as possible, and even if you fall due to an irresistible
force, return as quickly as possible. This is my advice to all of you.”

Even though they already knew this information, the four, including Kyung-tae, took
my advice very seriously. Accepting the possibility of death was not something to be
taken lightly, especially when facing death. Furthermore, if that end was one of the
worst diseases, it was even more so.

Once we entered the fog, we no longer needed to hide our weapons. The
subordinates dressed in alpine camouflage retrieved their guns from their bags and
silently and swiftly assembled them. They were using Russian-made low-noise rifles
called “Vikhr,” short and lightweight for easy carrying and concealment. The length,
including the silencer, was similar to the Korean K-2 rifle. The only downside was
that the ammunition was a bit scarce.

“Hyungim.”

“Yeah.”

I received the gun Kyung-tae handed me, pulled the trigger slowly, and then pushed
it forward. I didn’t forget to push it one more time for a final check to ensure the
chambered round was securely in place.
‘It’s warmer than outside.’

It seems the mist in the Poplar forest also served to retain warmth. It was similar to
how the water inside a lake in the dead of winter was warmer than the outside. If the
sole purpose was to retain moisture, a different form of magic would have
manifested, as dense fog interfered with photosynthesis.

I had completed my preparation for exploration by wearing body armor and a

ballistic helmet.

“Let’s move.”

I didn’t need to personally determine the basic exploration route. Using the satellite
map of the forest, I had already set reference points by marking GPS coordinates.
Connecting these points would create a path spiraling toward the center from the
outside. These reference points would also be helpful in regrouping if we got
scattered.

I only needed to speak up when a stop was necessary. Sometimes, I stopped to sketch
circuit diagrams, memorize the flow of magic, and mentally draw an outline of the
massive circuit, almost as if committing it to memory. This wasn’t as simple as
copying and pasting code; it was far more complicated unless the magic was in a
usable form. Currently, about 99.9% of the forest’s circuits were cluttered, which
made it even more challenging.

Within the dense fog, my visibility was reduced to around 30 meters. Regardless of
my eye’s capabilities, my brain couldn’t handle the flood of visual information.

Occasionally, I would change direction, wondering how much further we had to go.
At the edge of that 30-meter visibility range, a very unpleasant symbol appeared.

“Stop.”

At my quiet command, the formation halted. I took a few steps forward and carefully
examined the area around the symbol for any threatening elements, such as magical
ambushes or traps. This might be possible only for Round Table’s elites, but there
was no harm in being cautious.

Only after confirming safety two or three times did I speak up.
“Follow me.”

While deviating from the planned route for a moment, I took the lead. Here, the
formation would be rearranged according to our pre-agreed-upon plan: two to the
left rear and two to the right rear.

Kyung-tae discovered a hand sticking out of the snowfield and stared at it with a stiff
expression.

“This is…”

“One of the missing persons, I assume.”

The corpse was not in normal condition. I walked around the circular symbol, using
my boot to clear away the hard-packed snow around it, ensuring that my
subordinates could see the rest of the corpse.

Inside a circle created by tearing apart a human body to make it elongated, there was
a star drawn with blood. The star had an inverted shape, and outside the circle were
seventy-two Latin characters resembling a star, written with blood. It was a symbol
of devil worshipers who drew dark power from the Acausal Realm. Their belief itself
was nonsense, but the problem was that the star inside the circle was not the seven-
pointed star but the seven-star.

‘If it’s the seven-star, it’s the lineage of the British.’

Traditional devil worshipers used the inverted pentagram as their symbol because
its shape resembled the head of a goat. However, followers of Satan rooted in
England uniquely used the seven-star. This change occurred when the real mage,
Grace, joined them, stealing the wisdom of the Round Table. Her followers were
known as the Order of 7 Angles (O7A) because of this.

“Heh.”

Kyung-tae, who was at the perimeter, glanced at the dirty symbol. His amazed
reaction was due to occasional education about potential hostile forces.

“Do you think those Satanists from the island came all the way here?”

“No.”
I shook my head.

“It’s too sloppy to think that way.”

“What do you mean?”

“The order of the characters is wrong.”

I referred to the 72 characters of Kabbalah (magnum nomen Domini Semenphoras

licterarum), which express the name of God that I couldn’t dare to utter. Devil
worshipers, who turn crosses and stars upside down, also write these characters in
reverse order, as if it were obvious.

Would the real mages from the Witch Council make such a mistake?

That was impossible.

“It might be the work of the Yankee faction that received orders from their
homeland.”

Despite the persistent tracking, hunting, and suppression efforts by the Round Table
Cabinet, the new stream of devil worship created by Indian witches spread rapidly
worldwide. However, such underground church-like expansion inevitably came with
the loss and distortion of doctrine.

The symbol itself had no magical effect.

Kyung-tae glanced at it once more and furrowed his brow.

“The state of the body is quite… unusual.”

Indeed, the corpse wasn’t just torn apart; it was “unfolding” like plant roots. If blood
vessels and capillaries penetrated the skin and branched out in all directions, it
might look similar.

I said,

“It’s not a corpse.”

“What?”
“From a plant’s perspective, there might just be a nutrient clump here.”

“…”

Those torn apart might be due to human activity, while the pulling could be the
forest’s doing. When pulling in moisture, other substances might have come along,
and perhaps the root tips in the cold sensed their taste. Or maybe they caught a scent
floating in the air

As evidence, the direction in which the remains were spreading and moving was
tilted towards where surface and underground roots and stems were closer and
more abundant.

Kyung-tae, who had been lost in thought for a moment, suddenly understood my
point and grinned.

“So, it’s an environment where you can kill people without worrying about the body
being discovered?”

“To some extent.”

“Sounds good, doesn’t it?”

What he meant by “good” was not only about the current moment but also the
satisfaction of knowing that this environment could potentially kill people without
concerns of bodies being discovered. Even if I were a skilled forensic scientist, it
would be difficult to gather detailed information from a corpse damaged in this way.

However…

“No, it’s not all good.”

Kyung-tae, correcting my words, suddenly smiled and wore an ambiguous

expression.

That’s right. Could it really be considered good?

In an environment where any action wouldn’t easily become known – or could be

easily covered up – how many lunatics would emerge once real political and
economic interests began to intertwine in this maze? Just given anonymity, Satan
could possess anyone, whether they were humans or not.

Creatures in the green maze would reveal their true nature without shame, not even
realizing they were at the bottom. Those people around me were more likely to be a
hindrance than help.
The nickname for this Poplar forest was the “Trembling Giant.” It got its name
because the entire forest was one, and its branches trembled whenever the wind
blew. Considering that Poplars were a type of willow tree, the name was quite
intuitive. There was a Korean idiom that went, “shaking like a willow tree,” after all.
(+) [1]

However, as we got closer to the center of the forest, the usual landscape seen
through our vision changed drastically. The snowflakes blowing in from outside
melted into the warm mist, and even the east wind couldn’t push away the thick,
heavy fog. That was only natural; this mist was the forest’s humidity bound by magic.
To penetrate its physical restraint, you needed quite a strong wind.

This was also why my subordinates were having difficulty breathing. It felt like the
resistance was at the level of wearing a gas mask.

I, too, was breathing heavily, my clothes were damp, and sweat was forming on my
forehead. In January, in the Northern Hemisphere, and at an elevation of 2,700
meters?

The perceived humidity was over 100%. It felt like the magic was forcibly trapping
more moisture than the maximum saturation point. Droplets of dew had formed on
the metal parts of my gun.

Before long, I once again found the symbol of the devil’s cult. Kyung-tae, having seen
another gruesome corpse, audibly exhaled.

“These guys, could they be trying to make the forest perceive humans as prey?”

“That’s possible.”

“Hmm. Then could this be a measure against you? A trick to obstruct your code
collection.”
“…I’m not sure.”

If this were a measure against me, then it meant that Grace knew about the betrayal
of her mentor—she already knew that Eye of the Golden Age had leaked outside
Round Table. She wasn’t as close-minded as the fanatics in Round Table’s ranks, so
her thoughts might be more open regarding the usefulness of primitive magic and
the application of this eye.

But was that possible? That the secretive, confidential, and obscure internal affairs of
the Round Table Cabinet had leaked to the devil’s cultists?

‘Maybe something happened during their power struggle.’

The possibility wasn’t zero, which was frustrating. It might be more plausible to see
it as a measure against the Round Table, but you couldn’t entirely rule out the
possibility.

“If we capture the ones who did this, they might know something.”

I resumed the search with a nod.

The stars drawn by the devil’s cultists were hidden all over the place.

The dense, flowing fog explained why the police hadn’t been able to discover the
corpses. The fact that the air was stagnant meant that the smell was trapped. So the
police dogs couldn’t pick up the scent, which was one reason, and the security
officers were likely scared.

Of course, the search was likely being conducted only around the forest’s perimeter,
waiting for support from higher authorities. The limitations of security officers
elected by popularity.

I had been responsible for leading from the front since finding the first symbol.
Although I had provided Kyung-tae and the others with high-altitude thermal gear, it
was nearly useless in these conditions. To use thermal imaging that would work in
these conditions, you needed proper, sophisticated equipment.

But there was one thing nice about this fog.

‘The sound doesn’t carry far.’

Ordinary fog actually amplified sound, making it travel further and faster. This was
because it had a higher density and elasticity as a medium compared to dry air.

However, mist bound by magic experienced an increased elasticity due to its

restraining force. This meant it vibrated less as sound waves. Sounds like footsteps,
hushed conversations, or even suppressed gunfire wouldn’t reach as far in this
forest. I could clearly see the reduced range.

Tup!

The sound of leather gloves rubbing. I clenched my fist and signaled my team to stop.
Finally, living humans, the devil’s cultists had been spotted. Two of them were
visible, probably not as lookouts. One leaned against a tree, while the other sat with
their back against it, keeping watch to their sides, so there wasn’t a blind spot. Their
fronts were about 10 degrees off from directly facing me.

There was a circle drawn around the tree trunk, as usual, made of torn-apart
humans. Of course, there was the usual crimson star drawn where they sat.

Both were armed with submachine guns, devoid of any muzzle brakes, yet they had
suppressors attached. Bullet dispersal was impossible, making these bullet-spraying
weapons. They each held one in their hands, and their belts were filled with
magazines like totem poles.

My team and I took cover behind fallen tree branches, our posture low.

Kyung-tae, having grasped the new trait of the fog, made a nervous comment.

“These guys are using their heads too, huh?”

“Surprising?”

“Kind of. When you think of devil cultists, don’t you picture brains soaked in drugs?
They even have their tongue pierced.”

“…”

Coincidentally, both of them were indeed have pierces.

Kyung-tae’s comment about weapons was related to the choice of firearms. Given the
severely limited visibility, it was likely better to abandon precise shooting and go for
indiscriminate bullet spraying. This decision probably considered the user’s
proficiency as well.

The problem was that we needed to capture them alive. The scenario we had in mind
was one where we would assassinate them.

These guys were probably using suppressors to be cautious of security officers

patrolling the forest periphery. But even so, if they found themselves in danger,
shouting loudly would be their signal to the nearby ruffians. In this dense fog, even a
shout could serve as a sufficient alarm.

What was surprising was that neither of them had radios.

“How do we subdue them…”

Kyung-tae muttered, showing his concern. If we didn’t need to consider the distance
between us and them, he wouldn’t have had this dilemma. He would have
approached, subdued them, and made them kneel before me, as always.

“Hyungnim, I’m sorry, but can’t we just quickly take care of them ourselves?”

Kyung-tae suggested this with a hint of hesitation, still disliking the fact that I was
taking risks.

“You know. It’ll be over really quickly, I promise.”

“No.”

I looked through the fallen tree branch and the opaque scenery to see the miserable
bodies of the devil’s cultists.

“The flow of magic here is particularly violent. They’re already being transformed in
real-time.”

“What do you mean?”

“It indicates they’re currently undergoing a state of disarray.”

They already had cancer cells in their bodies. Since this was a type of cancer that
absorbed magic power and used it as nourishment, it showed a proliferation rate
that was on a different level in environments with an abundance of nutrients.

‘Their bodies’ starting to itch a bit.’

When it came to the impact on life, there was one significant difference between
magic power and radiation: the former tended to alter cells more often than destroy
them. The evidence was the Satan cultists who fearlessly scratched their bodies with
gun muzzles. In a day or two, they’d probably become severe patients.

Itching was both a precursor and a major symptom of cancer, whether it was a solid
tumor clinging to an organ or blood cancer developing in the lymph nodes and bone
marrow. If you’d ever witnessed a terminally ill cancer patient peeling their flesh off
despite taking powerful painkillers, you’d understand how horrifying this itchiness
could be.

Magic power cancer, though a form of cancer, shared some superficial symptoms
with ordinary cancer. This was the knowledge the Masters of the Round Table gained
through experiments on human subjects. I happened to be one of the beneficiaries of
this knowledge.

…Whether it could truly be called a benefit, I wasn’t sure.

“Hah.”

Kyung-tae sighed.

“Six meters is right in front of us.”

Six meters. The minimum radius within which my magical field could guarantee
safety in this forest. It was only one meter longer than during the time of the
“President.” However, considering the overwhelming biological mass and mass-
equivalent circuit control strength of “Trembling Giant,” that extra meter wasn’t
merely a “mere” meter.

But even in this dense fog, I could see up to ten meters with my naked eyes. In the
midst of this, six meters was an incredibly short distance when it came to
engagement with an enemy, even if they held a shotgun. It was dangerously close,
even if the opponent had a pump-action shotgun. This was what Kyung-tae meant by
“right in front of us.”
While deep in thought, I conjured an idea and redirected magical power through my
circuits to construct a spell. A strange spell composed of clues gathered from this
forest.

Whoosh—

A ripple-like vibration spread through the nearby fog.

“Don’t be alarmed.”

I raised my hand to show the subordinates who had witnessed the ripple.

“It’s me.”

Kyung-tae and the others finally relaxed and lowered their gun barrels.

‘It seems like it’ll work.’

I hadn’t completely grasped the principles of this fog yet. Still, I had enough
understanding to interfere with the magic the forest was casting. I wasn’t using my
power entirely from scratch; I was merely modifying the existing spell, so the strain
on my circuit was minimal. It was like achieving a hundredfold result with an output
of one.

After a few failed attempts and some refining, I managed to manipulate the fog’s
power to guide different fog flows to collide with each other. Right in front of me, a
dense white barrier appeared and then settled heavily.

It seemed to work.

Even though it was a small success, it felt exhilarating. This was the first tangible
result of the possibilities I had hoped for.

“Let’s do it like this.”

I explained the plan to my subordinates.

“How does it sound?”

According to my plan, the approach itself wasn’t dangerous. We could simply walk
until a certain distance. After that, some improvisation might be required, but
somehow, it should work.

“Uh…”

Kyung-tae responded with a hesitant expression.

“It sounds good, but are you okay, Hyungnim? Using that much power seems like a
strain on your circuit. You still have a long way to go to adapt…”

“Don’t worry. It may look big, but the actual strain is minimal.”

“If you say so.”

“Get up.”

The spell was already active in my circuit. The subordinates who stood up expressed
their light amazement at the already-formed white barrier. They had never received
this type of magical support in a real combat situation before. The dense fog curtain
had a level of opacity closer to smoke screens.

And we began to walk. The wall of fog, flowing like a waterfall, retreated exactly as
much as we walked in our direction.

Kyung-tae whispered in amazement,

“Wow, Hyungnim. This is amazing, really!”

“Don’t make a fuss. You’ll have to get used to things even more remarkable than this
in the future.”

We approached the enemy’s flank while circling about 80 degrees around them. 29
meters, 25 meters, 20 meters. The distance kept shrinking. The enemy couldn’t see
us, but that applied to my subordinates as well, and tension seeped into their
footsteps.

The gap with the prey had come within 15 meters. 14 meters, 13 meters…

One of the prey creatures looked in our direction.

“What’s this?”

We immediately took cover. As the fisherman mentioned during the reconnaissance,

there were so many fallen trunks in this forest that it was almost like they were
entwined around our feet. Perhaps it was because it was such an old forest.

The cultist focused their gaze on the opaque barrier and poked their companion
with their elbow.

“Hey, look here.”

“What?”

“Look over here, you wanker.”

“…Wow! It’s bloody magical, isn’t it?”

Magick, as pronounced by British-origin Satan cultists. It was a simple difference in

pronunciation, but it altered the meaning of the word.

The two cultists approached the fog and waved their guns as if searching through
thin air. It seemed they were trying to feel for something. Their behavior resembled
someone groping in the dark. The gun’s chamber came dangerously close to my
control strength’s limit. We couldn’t get any closer because there was a possibility
that the impulsive creatures might impulsively pull the trigger.

While this was happening, one of them cautiously tried to step into the fog barrier. I
pulled the barrier slightly toward me.

“Whoa.”

The brave one looked back at their companion.

“See? Did you see?”

Then they took one more step. They were still trembling, but more boldly than
before. Naturally, I created another ripple in the fog flow by pulling the barrier back
a little. It was as if a fisherman shook their bait to lure a fish. My improvisation made
the prey excited and thrilled, more than they had been before.
“This is evidence that the eternal power within this forest, the Aeonic power, is
growing stronger. Pure magic itself! I never thought I’d see something like this in my
lifetime…”

It seemed they didn’t even consider that humans might be using this magic?

This was a matter of knowledge and the limits of imagination. Perhaps, it was
because they were not direct descendants of Grace from the mainland. They seemed
incredibly ignorant. True magic users would have immediately gone on high alert.
They were interpreting the phenomenon in this Poplar forest as a miracle resulting
from devilish ceremonies – a result of human sacrifice.

With this, the two cultists had now come fully within the range of my control
strength. I sent several signals in succession to my subordinates. These signals
included the method of subduing, the timing of subduing, and the actions to be taken
after subduing. Kyung-tae and the others returned the signals as they holstered their
guns behind them.

Three, two, one. Now.

The moment my four subordinates leaped over the cover and charged like beasts of
prey, I immediately dismantled the mist wall, loading a new spell just in time.

 1. TLN: Meaning, you would tremble like a willow tree leaf, shiver, shudder,
when you feel very cold, when you are sick, or when you‘re scared.
“Huh?!”

The startled two devil worshipers instinctively retaliated. Although they yanked the
trigger like startled herbivores, the blind threat of stray bullets was high from a gun
that fired 30 rounds in just 1.6 seconds. No matter how agile my subordinates were,
they couldn’t move faster than a finger’s contraction. However.

Tick!

The gun didn’t fire. None of the four rounds that the two were holding.

“Ugh–!”

The one who was a little further out got his abdomen first. Almost simultaneously,
the waist of the one who was one step closer behind him was bent at a right angle.
Kyung-tae, who had hit the one in the back, stepped aside and thrust his elbow in.
The satanic worshipper, who had been stabbed in the side, sat down with a
suffocating expression. Kyung-tae and his subordinates pushed down the agonizing
creatures, who couldn’t even make a sound, confiscated their weapons, bound their
hands, and gagged them.

Kyung-tae, who treated the captured two like sacks, measured their weight and
showed his subordinates three and four fingers in order. The two subordinates who
received the signal swiftly exposed the throats of the helpless devil worshippers
with syringes filled with truth serum. According to Kyung-tae’s judgment, three-
quarters of the pre-filled amount was injected.

In the meantime, I picked up one of the devil worshipper’s guns.

Clank.

When I pulled the bolt, an unexploded shell popped out of the breech. I quickly
caught it. There were clear traces on the back of the bullet where it had hit. It hadn’t
exploded even after being hit. This unexploded shell was the result of the magic I
used. I had simply suppressed four tiny ignitions with the spell I had preloaded.

Sigh…

I relaxed my body with a long sigh. I had been tense even though I had expected this
outcome. It was the first time I had used magic in close-quarters combat like this, not
in a stable environment.

‘It’s a shame that I can’t use this trick for long.’

The first shot. When one shot was blocked, the automatic gun had to retract and
advance the striker in an annoying manner. Repeating this process could turn all
firearms into scrap metal. Therefore, the ignition suppression I used was a very good
trick to block the opponent’s firepower at the lowest cost.

However, this trick was only possible when the opponent’s firearm was within the
range of my field – the range of magic power control strength. It became impossible
if the distance was far, or if the opponent holding the gun was an ability user with
their own field.

I just picked up the unexploded shell that the devil worshippers had thrown away. It
was enough to take it as a souvenir.

Ughh…

The two devil worshippers, who had risen to their feet, made a strange noise
through their eyes. They drooled with unfocused eyes and were still breathing
heavily. My subordinates grabbed the backs of the creatures, who were still too weak
to move and held them tightly.

Unlike in Auckland, letting go of the truth serum was a precaution in case these guys
were fanatics. They might get into trouble if they screamed without knowing their
lives were at stake. I had to accept the possibility of information contamination.

I waited for a little less spittle from the mouths of the satanic worshippers before
asking them a question.

“Satanic saints. Which cult are you affiliated with?”

“C-cult? Cult?”

The worshipper seemed to be rolling the word around in his mouth as if he didn’t
understand it. His bound comrade responded with a dumb laugh.

“Oh, cult… We are the ‘Servants of Arcturus.'”

The name was unfamiliar to me. I couldn’t possibly know the names of all the
arrogant creatures worldwide who belonged to the O7A’s overseas factions. I might
not even know about regional task forces or subsidiary cults.

However, from the moment they included the name Arcturus, commonly known as
the brightest star in the constellation Bootes, in their group name, it was confirmed
that these guys were fanatics beyond doubt. Because this star was the seat of the
dark deity for Satan worshippers and the subject of autumnal human sacrifices.
Modern Satanic churches, unlike in the past, had long abandoned the traditional
rituals dedicated to this sacred star.

“So, you are the ‘Servants of Arcturus.'”

“Yes, that’s right…”

“Are you the only cult in this forest?”

“No.”

“No? Did other cults come with you? Personnel sent from the UK, perhaps?”

“No, they didn’t… Why don’t you know…? There’s no way…”

“What do you mean I don’t know?”

“Didn’t you see that mist a moment ago, you idiot? We’re not the only ones in this
forest… Dark gods are manifesting their powers… Cthunai, Nemiku, Atazoth,
Arcturus… Oh, Magick. Glory to Aeonic power, the Holy Virgin, the stars, and the
Avengers.”

“…”

There were other people here, and as the direct descendant of a witch who had
crossed the Atlantic, I had been tense, but I heaved a sigh at the unsatisfying answer.

“Maagickk, Maaaagick, Maaaaagick!!”

The guy kept shouting louder and more excitedly, drooling with wide-open eyes.
Then the guy next to him, who had been mumbling, started shouting Magick too. It
seemed like one of them had taken a bit too much of the drug. I crushed them both
before they could answer or shout any further.

“Maaaagick…”

It seemed that these guys in this faction could invoke Magick as if it were the holy
chant Om (ॐ). Just by memorizing it, they could enter some mystic realm. (+) [1]

“Clear this side. They’re useless.”

Upon receiving the order, Kyung-tae dragged the guy who had taken too much to the
back and shot him in the back of the head. There was a small gunshot followed by a
splatter of dark red blood. The lifeless body slumped forward.

I continued to interrogate the one I had kept alive.

“I’ll ask again. Who brought you here?”

“Of course… our leader’s orders, you bastard…”

“Did you come to this forest on your cult’s will, or someone else’s?”

“I don’t know…”

Another drawback of truth serum. The drugs used for truth serum lowered the
subject’s cognitive abilities, making it difficult for them to understand complex
questions. So, if they gave a ‘don’t know’ response, it was often accepted as it was.

I changed my question.

“Have you heard the name Grace before? I’m talking about the Grand Master of the
Order of 7 Angles (O7A).”

“Oh, Grace the Lord Rounwytha… Our beautiful Savior, prophet, and saint… She
promised us a thousand-year kingdom… Jealous, aren’t you? Huh? Aren’t you
jealous?”

“Yeah, I’m really jealous. Anyway, did that woman tell you to come to this forest?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

Short and simple answers could carry a heavy weight.

“Tell me what she ordered you to do.”

The drugged fanatic started confessing about his religious activities, beginning with
the doctrines he knew and moving on to regular gatherings, violence, murder, theft,
rape, arson, and other acts that pleased dark gods.

This guy had interpreted Grace’s religious teachings as something she had
“commanded.” He seemed to have completely forgotten the context of the questions I
had asked earlier.

‘This is why truth serum isn’t used often.’

If the subject was dumb, the use of truth serum became challenging. Highly trained
individuals sometimes managed to lie even when drugged. Cross-validation by
changing the questions gradually could reveal the truth, but it was a laborious
process.

I sighed and strengthened the specificity of my question.

“Tell me what ‘Grace’ told ‘you’ to do ‘in this forest.'”

The clear and emphatic question finally yielded a proper response.

“She told us to… lead the forest’s spirits… to the Acausal Realm where the dark gods
reside…”

In the Satanic worship doctrine, the witch had reinterpreted the Acausal Realm as
the source of all Magick. Therefore, leading the spirits of the forest to the Acausal
Realm could be interpreted as having an impact on the forest’s magical growth.
“So, we… drew the sacred heptagonal star with sacrifices… and offered the lives of
sacrifices… to create a path for the spirit of this forest… we made many paths… It
was exhilarating…”

“Was it really necessary for the sacrifice to be human?”

As sustenance, humans were no different from other animals. Essentially, a forest

that ate humans and one that ate animals have the same meaning. Did they really
need to endure the practical risks of human sacrifice?

However, this was a foolish question.

“Did you need human sacrifices?”

The Satanic worshipper, intoxicated by the drug, looked at me with a dazed

expression.

“Are there… beings other than humans… in the world?”

“…”

Yes, these were devil worshipers. People who had lost some sense of common sense.

Perhaps I should consider human sacrifice as the witch’s own karma for encouraging
religious fanaticism. Even I was sometimes pulled by the organization’s momentum.

This was why organizational culture should be rational.

“That’s enough about that. Did Grace give you any other instructions?”

“Yeah. We will receive blessings… blessings, oh, blessings. My soul will be dyed with
Aeonic power…”

That was not something she ordered.

But it was not an entirely irrelevant statement. From the flow of his thoughts, it was
likely that he also heard the content when he received the instructions. In that case, I
could roughly understand Grace’s hidden motives.

‘In the end, these are also sacrifices with a different meaning.’
Being blessed with Aeonic power meant, in terms of phenomena, one of two things.
Contracting a unique cancer or awakening psychic abilities with an open soul circuit.
It could be both, but if you got cancer, you were going to die anyway, so there was not
much difference.

Let’s assume Kyung-tae’s hypothesis was true. If the circuit was opened, a gifted
individual was born, and if cancer was contracted, there would be cancerous masses
left behind.

Magic power cancer continued to proliferate even if the parent organism died. The
nourishing masses, which constantly fatten themselves, were the ‘living’ nutrients
suitable for the forest that perceives dead sacrifices as nourishment.

Taking it a step further, a real maze where people who have survived were captured
would be completed. A gradual understanding of the prey. There was no guarantee it
would work, but from Grace’s perspective, it was worth trying.

So, this could also explain why these guys didn’t have radios. The progression of
cancer varies from person to person. When the guy whose symptoms had worsened
started screaming into the radio, it might be difficult to control the other armed
sacrifices.

But to prove all these hypotheses, one element was needed.

The ability to find a place suitable for contracting cancer.

“I don’t know. I don’t know…”

When asked if there was something sent from the UK, the Satanist shook his head as
if a drunkard was swaying. Given the limitations of the truth serum, changing the
format of the question repeatedly still resulted in the same answer.

“Oh, it’s itchy… Scratch it… I’ll scratch it… It’s hurt? Or is it itchy? I don’t know… I
want to eat mint chocolate pizza…”

The image of the devil worshipper scratching his body against the ground in agony
from the itch. It seemed like the effects of the truth serum and the root drug were
gradually wearing off.

“Get him up.”

Kyung-tae held up the guy’s rear roughly. I kneeled down to meet the dazed eyes of
the devil worshipper at eye level.

“Just endure a bit longer. If you answer a few more questions, I’ll scratch it for you.”

“Quickly, quickly…”

“Yeah.”

Even such a rascal would probably know the number and rank of their gang, their
headquarters, and what kind of weapons each of them was armed with.
Furthermore, whether there were emergency signals, what the contingency action
plans were…

Having obtained all the information that could be expected, I placed my hand on his
shoulder.

“I think that’s enough. Now, I’ll keep my promise.”

“Promise… What promise?”

“I said I’d scratch the itchy spot for you.”

“Oh, right… Do it quickly… It’s too itchy…”

“Step aside, Kyung-tae.”

Tung!

I scratched the guy’s brain, which had been so diligently answering questions until
now, with a gunshot. There was no better way to relieve the itch that had spread
throughout his body. A faint echo brushed my nose, and the gunshot, filtered once
through a silencer, created a peculiar resonance within the mist.

The devil worshipper turned into a corpse with his head twisted backward and
collapsed in a limp pile. I looked at the brain fluid flowing unnaturally in one
direction and said.

“It seems like your guess, Kyung-tae, is correct.”

“What guess are you talking about?”

“The one about feeding people to the forest.”

“Oh, that? But among the questions you asked him…”

Kyung-tae nudged the just-deceased Satanist with his toe.

“…was there anything related to that?”

“There were enough clues to make an educated guess. Symbolic expressions that
only make sense in this context.”

I recounted the contents of my speculation. Kyung-tae burst into incredulous

laughter.

“Wow, are these underlings just expendable to that witch? She’s quite the head of the
devil worshipers.”

“Make a distinction between underlings and devotees. Besides, there’s no way that
witch would like these lowlifes.”

In fact, she might even despise them. Because devil worshipers often dabble in neo-
Nazi ideologies as a hobby. Would that crazy woman, who has no shortage of hatred
for “The Round Table of Light and Truth,” find these offspring of imperialism
appealing?

So, for her, the followers of devil worshipers led by O7A were nothing more than
tools for revenge.

 1. TLN: Om is a symbol representing a sacred sound, syllable, mantra, and

invocation in Hinduism.
Initially, this “Trembling Giant” was a slowly dying forest. New shoots needed to
replace the aging trunks, but due to ecological distortions, such as an increase in
herbivores and reckless grazing by nearby ranches, the new growth was not taking
hold. That’s why there were fences around the forest’s boundaries. These were
protective measures taken by environmental authorities, but there was no guarantee
that this simple measure could revive the old forest.

However, now that the heart of the forest was so close, I was facing the emerald
green shoots in the cold, white forest of the harsh season.

“…”

I kept my subordinates waiting and touched the new shoots with my fingertips. The
forest reacted to the gentle swaying of magic as it extended beyond normal visibility.
It sensed my touch. While different from human senses, plants also had their own
form of perception.

On the sprouts were crimson runes, like graffiti added to a sacred painting. There
was no beauty in the aesthetics of devil worshipers.

Above, the sparse light at the periphery was dimming. The fog in the center was thin,
and, through clearly defined convection, it continuously received warmth from the
periphery. It was a slow but steady flow. Thus, this place had become an
environment suitable for photosynthesis.

The magic of the forest that I had observed so far could be summarized into two
traits.

‘Phase transition of water. And confinement to water.’

The warmth in the fog was probably mixed with minerals and heat from the phase
transition of water originating from solar energy. The latter was heat created by the
physical compression of moisture.
It was impressive to efficiently build and operate this kind of spellwork when the
proportion of effective circuits seemed insignificant. The soul of the Poplar forest,
estimated to have existed for at least 80,000 years, up to a maximum of 1 million
years, displayed the power appropriate to such a span.

It was possible to create a similar phenomenon using a high-level telekinesis

spellwork. However, the forest’s magic was fundamentally different from telekinesis.
Although there was still much waste and simplicity in this spellwork, if I could
successfully adapt and improve it to fit my circuit, this alone could turn me into an
unprecedented bomb mage.

“Hyungnim.”

Kyung-tae looked worried.

“Is it okay to engage in combat here?”

“Why?”

“I’m worried that if the stray bullets hit the tree trunks, the giants might get angry.”

Was that his concern?

“I have been continuously anthropomorphizing this forest, but it’s not appropriate to
project human thoughts and emotions onto plants.”

“Um… You mean there won’t be any reaction?”

“No, there will be a reaction. If possible, it will even try to eliminate the threat. Just…”

I paused for a moment and then tapped my head with my finger.

“Just don’t confine your thinking to a single framework.”

“I see.”

“Think of it more like dealing with extraterrestrial life. They have senses, emotions,
and intelligence, but all of these are entirely different from those of humans.”

Plants might not have sensory perception, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t
perceive pain. It just meant their concept of pain was different from that of animals.

‘Otherwise, there’s no suitable expression, so I have to use animal-related words.’

In any case, Kyung-tae would have understood my intention well. Even if we used the
same words, there was an underlying difference to remember.

Separately, the concern Kyung-tae raised was something I had also considered. I had
thought about what would happen if the forest expressed ‘anger’ or ‘panic.’ And I
decided.

“We’re proceeding with the attack. Be prepared for strong winds.”

“Strong winds?”

“Yes. Currently, that seems to be the only way this forest can express anger.”

“I understand.”

As we stood in the center of the forest after breaking down the outer perimeter of
the two-man hunter teams of the devil worshipers, we were left with the last group
of Satan’s lackeys. In an environment where visibility had slightly improved, armed
with automatic weapons, I would engage in combat. Even if we had to prepare for
the aftermath of the bullets striking and causing secondary explosions in the tree
trunks.

Although there seemed to be no other way to prepare except to maintain a strong

cover, there was a big difference between knowing what was coming and not
knowing.

Kyung-tae nodded.

“We’re ready.”

The attack would start with my shot. I was the only one who could observe the
enemy. When the enemy began returning fire, Kyung-tae and his subordinates would
respond based on the flashes of gunfire. If I had known the fog would suppress
sound, I would have brought grenades.

Setting aside useless regrets, I synchronized the trigger and aligned the sights. I
numbered the targets among the devil worshipers and had conducted image
training. One, two, three. One, two, three. I would aim to kill three of them before
they could react. With my finger on the trigger and my sights aligned on the heads of
the enemies beyond the crosshair, I controlled my breathing calmly.

Heup, huu–

I pulled the trigger calmly while minimizing my body’s fluctuations by stopping my

breath in the middle.

Tat-tat! Tat-tat-tat!

Two exploding heads and one shoulder pierced by a bullet. The third one didn’t go
down. Cries and curses burst out. I immediately shifted my aim and fired three shots
at the scrambling pests. Tat-tat! Tat-tat-tat! As the fallen stems sprayed fragments, a
few streams of fresh blood were ejected. Two more casualties. Two wounded. The
6mm steel armor-piercing rounds penetrated even the living stems without
hesitation.

Huahk – and the fog surged.

It was still a faint breeze. The fog was blurred due to the disturbance caused by the
compression and expansion of water and wind. In the midst of it, the devil
worshipers shouted in confusion. What the hell?! Who are these bastards?!
Immediately after, counterattack bullets began to fly.

Chararararalak!

Gunfire from a high place. The sharp noises, thanks to the extreme firing rate,
merged into one continuous sound from start to finish. It was only after the end of
the long chain that a low-pitched echo could be heard.

However, I had misjudged the direction by a long shot. I had slammed three subsonic
armor-piercing rounds into a senior’s upper body that was moderately covered. At
the moment when the recoil hit my shoulder, three red dots appeared on the target’s
forehead, and the back of his head exploded. The guy with a fractured skull
staggered to his knees, and the remaining enemies began spraying bullets at the
level of hundreds of rounds per second. The momentary firepower was so immense
that I had to take cover myself this time. The body armor and helmet were nothing
more than a last resort.
Swoosh. For a moment, the strong winds pushed my back. It felt as if the forest was
panicking. After all, the fog, which only distinguished between light and darkness
visually, couldn’t possibly know where the actual perpetrator was.

The enemy’s relentless barrage of bullets reached its limit in less than a minute. It
was not because they ran out of ammunition but because their suppressors
overheated.

“Fuck!”

A single-syllable curse was heard from the other side. The frenzied bursts of high-
capacity drum magazines must have generated intense heat, hot enough to cause
annoyance. The red-hot flashes were visible even through the fog. Their guns were
items notorious for having fragile suppressors, to begin with.

Tat-tat! Tat-tat-tat!

Kyung-tae and the others braced against the increasingly powerful wind and
initiated suppression fire. I, too, secured the ability to aim accurately in the rushing
winds while firmly hunkering down behind my cover. Amid the sounds of the roaring
winds filling my ears, my three-point shot blended in.

Damn it…!

I grazed one of them slightly. But I chose the one that was still unharmed in the
confusion. Only sturdy poplar stems were constantly destroyed. After pulling the
trigger four more times, I could finally see some blood from one of them. Perhaps the
subsonic rounds were affected by the wind. It was somewhat reassuring to think of
the wounded enemies as casualties due to Kyung-tae and the others’ gunfire.

Now, the enemies found it increasingly difficult to hold their positions. The violent
wind thrashed the branches wildly. The fog, like waves, oscillated back and forth,
repeatedly shifting between transparency and opacity.

While amateurs in combat, the devil worshipers had no shortage of guts. I read the
instructions from a higher-ranking member to the rest as if they were whispering.
Despite the chaotic environment, I repeated the orders multiple times without
raising my voice for the subordinates who might have misunderstood. It was almost
laughable to see them trying to ensure that this side didn’t overhear.
Tat-tat!

A bullet pierced through the side of the guy who was crawling out of his cover. The
bullet, entering diagonally, tore through his belly, breaking through the other side.
Half of the enemies, who had dispersed to divert our firepower and create a half-
circle, faced a similar fate one after another, except for one.

“Maaaagick!”

One guy, his face drugged up, suddenly stood up and charged. My shot just missed
where he was crawling. I quickly adjusted my aim and fired a three-round burst,
but—

‘Body reinforcement…!’

The devil worshiper, who had gained the strength of darkness and awakened
primitive magic, had an abnormal movement that couldn’t be predicted due to the
newfound power. I would have been better off if he had charged straight at me, but
this time, the issue was his erratic path due to the fog and the wind.

Clang! The round hit an empty chamber. Of all times! I immediately changed
magazines, but the enemies on the other side were now raining down a desperate
hail of bullets as if offering their lives in a suicidal banzai charge. The same rain of
small fragments fell over Kyung-tae and his subordinates. (+) [1]

However, the momentary silence of our firepower had unexpectedly become a

poison for the charging drugged-up man. He stumbled in each direction he fell. I
thought he was running straight, but was there a chance of maintaining direction in
this fog?

“Maaaa–huh, huh—gick!”

Struggling with shortness of breath, the Satanic warrior, even while gasping for air,
eventually passed by the line where we were.

“……”

I put an end to that pitiful soul with a burst of automatic fire. The dull thud followed
the gunshots.
The fanatic warrior wore body armor, but we were armed with subsonic armor-
piercing rounds in our assault rifles. Pistol rounds and lightweight armor plates
couldn’t defend against armor-piercing rounds fired from rifles.

‘He would have died anyway.’

He was already a guy whose organs were starting to fail due to excessively using his
awakened powers, driven by the newfound awakening of his power. Multiple organ
failure due to using abilities beyond his limits. Incomplete circuits, rapid mana
leakage, and cell collapse due to magic overload were dangers that Suyeon and
Kyung-tae were made aware of early on.

The balance of firepower had been reversed.

The enemies could no longer overwhelm us with their instantaneous firepower. In

terms of numbers, they still had a slight advantage, but their ammunition was
running low. It was the result of them recklessly using a rate of fire exceeding a
thousand rounds per minute.

I could see one guy was about to lose it right now. He slammed his gun into a tree
trunk and shouted, infuriated by his overheated suppressor. But there was only one
magazine left.

On the other hand, we still had plenty of suppressors and spare ammunition.

Tat-tat!

My aimed shot ended another worthless life.

Now that the enemies could no longer unleash their overwhelming barrage, the
sporadic return fire from the Satanic fanatics was much less threatening than before.
Furthermore, since we were still using suppressors, their ability to maintain
direction in their return fire was compromised.

Contrary to common misconceptions, suppressors didn’t reduce bullet velocity or

decrease lethality. In the case of guns like the “Vikhr” I was using, which had a short
barrel, suppressors even increased bullet velocity and accuracy to some extent.

Moreover, suppressors not only suppressed noise but also reduced muzzle flash,
minimizing the chances of being exposed by the flash.
The reasons we didn’t remove the suppressors up to this point were these.

The exhausted devil worshipers, after exchanging heated opinions, made their final
choice. It was a fanatical assault, emulating the deceased fanatic warrior. They
seemed to have no other option, feeling that violence was a virtue and murder was a
doctrine.

They inhaled the drugs they had brought to their faces, nearly as if they were
applying it like makeup, their eyes rolling back as they trembled and called out to
their gods.

“Aaaaaarcturus! The dark constellation on high places!”

However, the magnificence the fanatics called for was a determination to face the
gusts of wind. They didn’t have much of a choice, after all.

Anyway, it worked out well.

I might spare the higher-ranking one to pick his brain later.

 1. TLN: A Banzai charge (or “banzai attack”) (萬歳突撃) was a tactic used by
Japanese soldiers against the American soldiers when they were losing World
War II. Banzai charges were usually suicide charges. This was so they would
have an honorable death without surrender.
The battle was over. As the gunfire ceased, the forest’s tension subsided shortly
thereafter.

The results of administering the truth serum to the higher-ranking member weren’t
particularly impressive. They didn’t seem to have any special knowledge about real
magic, the Round Table, witches, or those who possessed the Eye of the Golden Age.

‘These guys were thoroughly useless.’

It wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it was somewhat disappointing. From the

perspective of the Witch of Wales, it was likely a casual attempt, where they’d take it
if it worked and leave it if it didn’t. The potential gains outweighed the investment.

What was surprising was the capacity of the forces she directly or indirectly led. Not
only did they manage to operate beyond the scrutiny of the Round Table, despite
being based in the heartland of the UK, but they also used fanatics of this caliber
without batting an eye…

Unlike the small groups of two individuals that manned the outer perimeter, the
individuals guarding the heart of the forest were united as a group of nineteen. The
fact that these nineteen were unafraid of losing control due to the formation of
malignant cells was evidence enough. It meant that they were so devout to Satan, to
a dimension where they could accept even excruciating pain as a test. They were
prime candidates for recruitment if the Order of 7 Angles (O7A) were to expand its
influence in the future.

The underground church of Satan worshippers, corroded by the grace of magic,

seemed to have secured a more massive following than expected. Although their
organizational structure might be lacking, they had managed to build a substantial
religious base.

I checked the only loot while calming down from the excitement of combat. It looked
like a wristwatch, but inside the bezel, there was only a disk with a star and a single
bead. However, this was the missing piece of the puzzle.

“It seems like it just by looking at it. A watch that doesn’t tell time.”

Kyung-tae said as he examined the devil worshiper’s watch, lying next to his body.

“Is there such a thing?”

“Yeah. Don’t you think I like watches? A few years ago, a brand called ‘Heutlence’
released a ‘watch that doesn’t tell time.’ I think it was a Heutlence product. They put
a single bead on the watch dial if I remember correctly.”

Heutlence…? I didn’t know that brand. Unless it was a brand with the world’s best
reputation, it was not worth knowing. Luxury watches, for me, were nothing more
than decorations or bribes for politicians. Occasionally, they were used for money
laundering and transportation.

At that level, Patek Philippe watches cost millions of dollars when you wear them on
your wrist. They were also suitable as collateral or a way to set aside emergency
funds.

Kyung-tae evaluated the devil worshiper’s watch after carefully examining it.

“But it doesn’t look like such a luxury item.”

I nodded in agreement.

“It’s a kind of compass, a detection device that follows magic power and mana.”

“Wow. A magical item?”

“Item?”

“Uhh, people usually call them that these days, both in games or novels.”

“Well, at least not in the Round Table.”

Things created by their worshipper of the “Golden Age” were called “relics” or
“antiquities” to signify their sacred nature. Objects made after the “Golden Age” were
referred to as “artifacts.” Among these, particularly important ones are distinguished
by spelling them as “artefacts.”

Miscellaneous things that didn’t qualify as artifacts were classified again as

“talismans.” These were usually the oddities created by the Round Table’s masters
before this “change” occurred. If we were to categorize this detection device as
resembling a watch, it would probably fall into the talisman category.

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t really matter what you call it.”

For convenience, I had given the arbitrary name “magic power” to the source of
magic. In London’s Round Table, they might call it “Aether” or something, but the
future wouldn’t necessarily conform to that. The Masters of the Round Table might
have some influence over the process of the British government and international
standards in the future, but that was something to see when the time came. They,
too, had to be careful not to expose their foundations recklessly.

“Anyway, is there a way to turn this thing off?”

Lost in thought, I responded to Kyung-tae’s question with a question of my own.

“Do you think it could be turned off?”

“No.”

“That’s right.”

“I knew it…”

Kyung-tae scratched his head.

“Still, I was kind of hoping it might. It’s the reward we got for all this chaos, after all.”

“Weren’t there supposed to be real rewards as well?”

“Haha. Well, it’s a magic item, so I had my hopes up. Would it be okay if I tinker with
it a bit?”

Instead of replying, I tossed him the detector. Catching it, Kyung-tae tilted the disc,
occasionally defying gravity to roll the golden bead within.
“Wow. It’s like those magnet experiments I did when I was a kid. It has a different
taste than the magic you’ve shown us, though.”

“The Masters each have their own specialties.”

This wristwatch-like detector, in the past, would have been utterly useless, a bottom-
tier gadget. Its sensitivity was so low that it wouldn’t react to anything less than a
fairly strong magical power. However, in the environments of the past, there didn’t
exist the kind of magical power that met these criteria.

‘An item that might or might not react even when placed right in front of each of
Round Table’s Masters, but where could it have been used?’

But creating even such a discarded item wasn’t easy.

The technique of attaching the soul extracted from a mountain sacrifice to objects to
permanently establish magical properties was one of the signature skills of the
masters that Grace assassinated, particularly in the field of miniaturization. My
master, although an exceptional mage, lacked the ability to create a 2-millimeter
diameter bead using only talismans.

Now that the world had changed, with repeated experimentation, I might be able to
mimic it.

While fiddling with the detector, Kyung-tae suddenly spoke up.

“Hyungnim, I just had a brilliant idea.”

“An idea?”

“Yeah. Whether it’s the toothy ones surrounding the Round Table or the Witch of
Wales pleasuring herself with a crucifix, they probably can’t make something like
this as well as you, right?”

“But?”

“The nature of this forest seems to be getting even rougher than what we
experienced earlier.”

“Most likely.”
“So, what if we build secret strongholds in places where only your eyes can find
them, instead of playing around with these bead toys?”

“…Isn’t that a given?”

“Oops.”

Kyung-tae rolled his eyes. There was no way I hadn’t considered that option. It was a
way to utilize the asymmetrical advantage granted by the “Eye of the Golden Age.”
The utility of building multiple strongholds within the green labyrinth, even with a
simple thought, was boundless. Emergency shelters, smuggling relay points, secret
warehouses, and more.

With luck, it could also make potential hostile forces mistakenly identify my base.
That was the part I found most charming when I first thought of this idea.

“The problem is that good opportunities are surprisingly rare.”

“Yeah…”

“Just in Korea, for instance. How many suitable places do you think there might be?”

Kyung-tae’s contemplation of the question didn’t last long.

“There probably aren’t many, to be sure.”

Korea wasn’t an ideal environment in this regard. With 70% of the land being
mountainous and its relatively small landmass, and in terms of quality, the entire
national park and forest where the “President” was located didn’t even come close to
matching up to the vast organism that was the “Trembling Giant,” encompassing an
entire forest, as a potential site to divert the enemy’s attention from my real base,
making it an unsuitable candidate for a dummy site.

Looking overseas, the number of potential sites increases significantly. However,

establishing and maintaining a stronghold there would be a challenging task given
most of them would be remote areas, not to mention the need to secure additional
personnel.

Kyung-tae chimed in hesitantly,

“I was thinking of something like ‘Eight Gates Transformation.'”

“Eight Gates… what?'”

“Eight Gates Transformation. You know the techniques and strategies that
Gongmyeong (Xu Huang) uses in ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms.’ You must have
read it too, right?”

Even in a country where novels were considered a waste of time, everyone had read
Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Not because they found it interesting, but because
it provided some insights into dealing with those pesky Chinese bastards. It was
considered the representative work of what remained of their cultural heritage,
post-Cultural Revolution.

There were few who read it with genuine interest, though. And that’s where I came
in. Understanding their culture deeply enough to engage in a conversation that didn’t
bruise their ego but showcased my knowledge instead was essential. It was like
showing them a little respect without actually making them feel inferior. If you could
show off a bit of knowledge that they didn’t possess, you’d become an extraordinary
individual in their eyes.

For example, if someone bragged about reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms
dozens of times, and you, instead of admitting that it was a big deal, showed that you
knew even more about it, they would elevate you as a superior human being rather
than acknowledge that their dozens of readings were just a show-off.

Without their pride, those idiot folks were nothing but corpses. But accommodating
their level was such a tiresome task…

I extracted the information Kyung-tae mentioned from my memories.

‘Surely there were descriptions that Gongmyeong was adept at handling the spirits
of the Six Gates and proficient in the Eight Gates Transformation.’

He was known to summon 24 divine generals, manipulate them, use the Red Secret
technique, and change the direction of winds using the secret of the Five Senses.
There were many bizarre descriptions about him.

I remember many bizarre descriptions, such as summoning and controlling 24

divine generals, using the Technique of Direction Control, and changing the direction
of winds using the secret of the Five Senses with his abilities

I also remembered that there were also contents related to principles [1] . Such as the
Eight Elements and the Eight Gates Restriction. These included the Open [2] , Rest [3] ,
Live [4] , Block [5] , Scenery [6] , Fear [7] , Hurt [8] , Die [9] . Three gates of opening [10] ,
resting [11] , and survival [12] , and three gates of fearing [13] , hurting [14] , and dying [15]
. Between them, there exist paths that could be controlled through the blocking [16]
gate and the bright [17] gate.

What Kyung-tae had envisioned was exactly this.

“Did you think of the concepts of ‘Life Gate (生門)’ and ‘Death Gate (死門)’?”

“Yes, yes! That’s exactly it.”

“…Well, if we’re going to get technical, they are somewhat similar.”

“Is that so?”

The Life Gate was the gate you came out of alive, and the Death Gate was the one you
entered to die. Putting aside the vagueness of this theory that corresponded to the
main Eight Gates, if we established an ideal base, at least in terms of efficiency, it
should be similar.

Upon my affirmation, Kyung-tae’s enthusiasm ignited.

“After all, if we’re going to transport weapons and personnel to the UK mainland,
we’ll need at least one relay base in the Gulf of Mexico, won’t we?”

“Go on.”

“I’ve heard that the Central and South American guys build submarines or load cargo
in the tropical jungles and swamps. Well, many of these bases are bound to be
abandoned, and I thought maybe we could find or acquire at least one. Search for it
or something.”

In Kyung-tae’s mind, if they were going to be discarded anyway, how expensive could
they be?

Even if it wasn’t in the Amazon jungle, the northeastern part of Brazil was teeming
with drug cartels looking for hiding spots. The murky waterways formed where
rivers met the sea burrowed into the coastal jungle like the shapes of countless tree
roots. Each of those roots was a potential artery of the drug market, capable of
supplying hundreds of tons of cocaine annually.

After careful consideration, I replied,

“It won’t be as simple as you say, but if the opportunity arises, we’ll look into it.”

Then I turned my gaze towards the forest beyond.

“If there’s anything to tidy up, get it done. It’s about time we leave.”

“Got it.”

I had already confirmed the circuitry in the central core. It had been a slow
exploration, and the days were short during this season, so the sky would soon begin
to change color. Avoiding the lax patrols of the security guards to escape would not
be difficult at all.

Today, along with the circuitry of the giant, I had obtained a fragment of magic not
found in Round Table’s knowledge repository, the Codex Gigas Aureolus, in London.

 1. (陳法)

 2. (開)

 3. (休)

 4. (生)

 5. (杜)

 6. (景)

 7. (驚)
 8. (傷)

 9. (死)

 10. (開)

 11. (休)

 12. (生)

 13. (驚)

 14. (傷)

 15. (死)

 16. (杜)

 17. (景)
Something terrible happened.

A virus-related pneumonia that originated in Wuhan, China, had swept across the
world in about six months. As of the present moment, with the spread of infections
under control in major countries, the officially confirmed number of infected
individuals had exceeded about 3.1 million, and the death toll had crossed 200,000,
with numbers still increasing. Developing countries were in a situation where they
couldn’t even provide reliable statistics.

Looking at this situation, I felt quite perplexed.

‘The abundance of magic power might have been a harmful environment for
microorganisms like bacteria and viruses.’

“The Round Table of Light and Truth,” with which my master was associated, had
conducted biological weapon research at the request of the British government
before cutting ties with them. However, attempts to created magical diseases had
repeatedly ended in failure.

Bacteria were small. Viruses were even smaller. The conditions necessary for circuits
to be inscribed into organisms on the scale of micrometers and nanometers didn’t
satisfy the minimum requirements. Instead, organisms heavily exposed to magic
power and magical power died rapidly, even more quickly than if they had been
exposed to ultraviolet light.

If circuits could be inscribed into microorganisms, their small size would mean
minimal magic power requirements, allowing them to function significantly even in
environments where magic power was almost depleted. That was the British
government’s idea, but it turned out to be nothing more than false hope.

Nevertheless, a worldwide pandemic had occurred.

Was the disease being suppressed to this extent due to magic power, which should
have grown larger, or was there some unknown factor that had amplified the spread
of the disease, which I didn’t know about?

My mind leaned towards the former, but my heart couldn’t quite grasp it. Seeing
several bio-companies, including pharmaceutical companies, struggling with
reduced yield in bacterial and cell cultures recently, it seemed that the former was
likely the case…

Perhaps there were significant errors in the experiments conducted by imperialists.

“Is there something bothering you?”

When I woke up from my thoughts, Suyeon’s face, inspecting my complexion, was

quite close.

“Not particularly.”

It was awkward for the leader of the organization to show a lack of confidence. I
replied calmly, removing emotion from my expression.

“I was just thinking that we’re unlucky.”

“…I’m sorry. It’s because of my wrong judgment.”

“No, I’m not saying that. You’ve done very well.”

This girl’s apology was related to the Guangdong Three Unions – essentially, the
weapons supply contract signed with the Chinese Communist Party.

At the time, there were restrictions on delivery dates for the Chinese orders. But
when you thought about it, this delivery date restriction was a condition that acted
like a shackle not only on us but also on the Chinese side, who had come to the
negotiating table. The instructions from above meant that we had to somehow
resolve things before then.

Suyeon had taken advantage of this point. In an atmosphere where the contract
seemed to be going smoothly, she repeatedly made concessions, leading the Chinese
side, blinded by the ease of the negotiations and the greed in their different pockets,
to make ridiculous demands until the very end. It was easy to drag things out
because there were so many different items in the deal. Each item had a different
margin.

As time went on, Suyeon suppressed her accumulated anger and overturned the
deal.

The transcripts of the post-report meeting contained her statements from that time.

“We’ve already made an unprecedented level of concessions. However, you… you’ve

crossed a line that shouldn’t be crossed. It’s truly an insulting demand.”

“In the future, we won’t be doing business with all of you. Goodbye.”

Suyeon’s pretext was a matter of pride, and for the Chinese, pride was a matter of life
and death. The more unreasonable demands they made, the more they themselves
would be to blame.

The Chinese, who hadn’t even thought of preparing alternative trade partners, had to
hold on to the enraged Suyeon, even if it meant making significant concessions. If
they missed the deadline, they would be the ones to suffer.

‘It’s fortunate if it ends with us breaking.’

Performance competition and factional disputes within the Communist Party were
notorious for their brutality. Try messing up work with excessive greed while
optimistic progress reports had been submitted several times. Could the anger of a
direct superior who had wiped out both performance and ill-gotten gains be
resolved with just a standard disciplinary action?

As a result, the final negotiation was settled on highly favorable terms.

The strategy itself was simple, but implementation was a separate matter. If actions
were as easy as words, then everyone who claimed to know a bit about stocks would
be a millionaire. Suyeon’s abilities demonstrated in this negotiation were one step
beyond what I had known and trusted.

I cleared my throat and said,

“Let me make it clear. The deaths that occurred this time are not your responsibility.
It was just bad luck. No one could have anticipated that the virus would spread so
extensively. It was unavoidable.”
“No, it wasn’t. It was well within the range of predictability. We had reliable
information.”

“I received that information too.”

“…”

“I’ll say it again; it’s not your fault. This is a decision made by ‘me.'”

“…I understand. I apologize.”

Suyeon briefly lowered her head.

The reason this girl kept talking about taking responsibility was that five of our
people who had entered Thailand during the transportation of the goods had died
from complications of pneumonia and dengue fever. The journey was treacherous,
and the news was slow to spread due to quarantine measures. (+) [1]

Logically, if a pandemic had erupted, it would be appropriate to delay the delivery.

However, there was no such thing as common sense in this market, especially not for
the Chinese. They relentlessly pressured us to adhere to the agreed-upon deadline. It
was likely because they were afraid that the project would fall through due to the
situation. Then they wouldn’t be able to embezzle. Damn Chinese bastards.

I looked at Suyeon silently for a moment, our eyes meeting briefly before she looked
away.

‘Yeah, it hasn’t changed since the old days.’

Suyeon’s self-blame held no sadness. Having observed this girl for a long time, I
could roughly distinguish emotions from the activation of the limbic system,
typically settling at “this girl is feeling something.” So, the responsibility she was
feeling was solely focused on the losses she had caused me with her miscalculation.
The identity of the faint signal flowing through the anterior cingulate cortex was
probably a sense of guilt towards me. (+) [2]

Five deaths.

Certainly not a small loss. When I heard the news, it was quite disheartening. Those
deployed on the front lines of international smuggling were elite beyond the
bodyguard unit, my precious assets. Each of them was fluent in one or more foreign
languages like locals, possessed survival skills and combat capabilities for hostile
environments, and had unwavering loyalty and exceptional adaptability to navigate
even the worst scenarios. If we were to quantify the value of each individual, it
would easily reach tens of billions.

Money couldn’t create people overnight, so this loss was even more significant. If I
could bring them back with cash, I wouldn’t hesitate to pay hundreds of billions. It
was not a small amount, but in return, it would be no more than the annual salary of
one high-priced soccer player. If you wanted the best results, you had to assemble
the best team.

“Hyungnim.”

“Yes?”

“If it’s not about the Thai incident, why did you say it’s bad luck? Are you concerned
about Kim Jaehwan’s business?”

“…It’s not that.”

Kim Jaehwan was the real name of Kim-ssi from Yeouido. He reported losses in the
300 billion range in the stock market crash, although the reasons and timing were
different. We were prepared for the market crash to some extent.

But it was natural to be disappointed. However, where in the world was there an
investment without failures? An organization that demanded unconditional success
would eventually degenerate into an organization that concealed failures. The
reported losses were almost beyond our control, and I believe Kim Jaehwan would
become an even better investor through this experience. There was a separate
reason for my regret.

“I regret that I had to be tied up for half a year at such a crucial time.”

“Ah.”

Suyeon made a knowing expression.

Before countries closed their borders for quarantine purposes, the most crucial
locations had been explored in January and February. However, it was painful that
additional investigations were blocked at this time, even though we had already
maximized the gap with the Round Table. Many countries, including those below
developing countries, had sealed off their ports and airports to this day.

The more I thought about it, the harder it was to hold back a sigh. Could luck really
be this bad?

“Turn on the TV.”

At my words, Suyeon pressed the power button on the remote control. The voice of
the announcer immediately flowed out. It was a news channel that was being
broadcast in the office. As I listened to various incidents with one ear while perusing
the report Suyeon had brought, I raised my head as the announcer conveyed news
about the Olympics.

[Next is the news from Japan.]

[The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which once faced a crisis due to the worldwide COVID-19
pandemic, as well as Japan’s lax epidemic prevention measures and opaque
information disclosure, finally held its opening ceremony yesterday after being
postponed for nearly a month. It was the result of Prime Minister Abe’s strong
determination and active Olympic diplomacy.]

[However, this Tokyo Olympics has been surrounded by controversy from the very
first day. It’s about doping allegations. Some events were even suspended due to
strong protests from the athlete representatives. Let’s hear more about it from our
correspondent on the scene. Reporter Kang Young-rim?]

The screen changed to show a reporter holding a microphone with the stadium in
the background.

[Yes, I’m Kang Young-rim.]

[What’s the situation on the site?]

As with most reports from foreign correspondents, the response came a beat later.

[Yes. I’m currently at the Olympic Aquatics Center in Koto, Tokyo. The men’s 400-
meter freestyle preliminaries were underway from 9 a.m. However, from the early
stages of the competition, there were numerous cases of athletes significantly
breaking existing world records, leading to the suspension of the competition.]

The anchor asked another question.

[Many world records were broken… Certainly, it’s strange, but can the competition
be stopped just because of that? Doesn’t it mean the athletes’ skills’ just get better?]

[In practice, it’s virtually impossible.]

The reporter firmly denied it.

[The competition for medals among the world’s top athletes is a fight decided by a
hundredth of a second. In fact, until today, the previous record holder, Germany’s
Paul Biedermann, competed with a mere 0.01-second difference to the existing first-
place record. However, today, Thailand’s Pitaya Sonkham reduced Biedermann’s
record by 27.92 seconds, becoming the unofficial world record holder.]

[27.92 seconds?]

[Yes. Sonkham’s record is 3 minutes and 12.15 seconds, while Biedermann’s record
is 3 minutes and 40.07 seconds. Considering that the world record for the 400-meter
long-course freestyle has remained in the 3-minute and 40-second range for the past
20 years, it’s a highly shocking development.]

[It’s indeed shocking. But you’re saying that there are many such cases, not just
Sonkham?]

[That’s correct. Indonesia’s Taufik Ahmad recorded 3 minutes and 19.83 seconds,
and Canada’s Dylan Barnaby recorded 3 minutes and 22.20 seconds, securing second
and third place in the preliminaries. Below them, up to seventh place, all athletes
surpassed Biedermann’s record by seconds. What’s remarkable is that among the
countries ranking from first to seventh, except for Canada, the other six countries
have never set a world record even once.]

[Seems like there are doping suspicions?]

[Yes. After the competition was suspended, Taufik Ahmad complained of chest and
abdominal pain and was rushed to the emergency room, adding to the confusion.
Athlete representatives who raised suspicions have urged for a thorough
examination to see if Ahmad’s condition issues might be a side effect of drug abuse.
However, it’s still unclear which drug could produce such a powerful effect.]

[What’s the Olympic Committee’s response?]

[The Olympic Committee is conducting drug tests on the entire team once again.
Additionally, they’ve requested technicians from Omega, the official timekeeper
manufacturer, to verify the electronic timing system for any abnormalities.]

[I see. There’s a possibility of errors in the timing equipment, right?]

[That’s a possibility, indeed. Omega representatives have argued that their Quantum
Timer has a maximum error margin of just one-thousandth of a second, and they
claim that merely reviewing the recorded footage will prove this. They’ve also
expressed their willingness to cooperate with the committee’s requested system
check. As a result, it appears that other events requiring timekeeping might also face
inevitable delays until the inspection is completed.]

[Understood. Thank you for the detailed update.]

Having heard this, I turned my gaze back to Suyeon.

“How’s the adaptation going?”

Although the subject is omitted, this was obviously a question regarding physical
enhancement.

 1. TLN: Dengue fever is a mosquito-transmitted virus and the leading cause of

arthropod-borne viral disease in the world. It is also known as breakbone fever
due to the severity of muscle spasms and joint pain, dandy fever, or seven-day
fever because of the usual duration of symptoms.

 2. TLN: The limbic system is the part of the brain involved in our behavioral
and emotional responses
“Physically, there are no issues.”

A truly functional response.

“I know that.”

Because I’d adjusted it, and I’d been checking the results every day.

“I was wondering if there’s any discomfort in your daily life.”

Suyeon, who had been lost in thought for a moment, nodded faintly.

“Of course, there’s no problem.”

“That’s good.”

I observed Suyeon’s breathing. Except when speaking, she was taking very slow
breaths.

It was because her breathing efficiency had increased thanks to the adjustment of
the magical power to the appropriate level.

Now that the initial work of stabilizing my magical circuits had achieved some
results, I began to open the circuits for the most critical individuals: Kyung-tae,
Suyeon, the security team, the international operations department, the special
forces, and other high-ranking personnel stationed at headquarters, all of whom
might be exposed to high-intensity combat in the event of a sudden crisis.

The first abilities typically enhanced by a stable magical circuit were those related to
basic life functions. However, there was no guarantee that these functions would be
improved in a balanced manner.

For example, an overly enhanced immune system could lead to allergies or

autoimmune diseases. If skeletal strength remained constant but muscle strength
continued to increase, problems could arise. What would happen if the efficiency of
gas exchange in the lungs, and the absorption of oxygen, increased too rapidly and
caused a drop in carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream?

‘They’d die. Because the body’s pH level would become fatally alkaline.’

Before that happened, it would be better to regulate breathing, but human

respiration was largely habitual, so it could be difficult to anticipate and prepare for
it unless you knew in advance.

Enhancements to the human body through natural, spontaneously occurring

primitive magic contained numerous risks, unlike my artificially designed magical
enhancement formula.

In terms of adaptability to primitive magic, animals were far inferior to plants. Plants
could experiment and make mistakes by sacrificing a part of themselves, but animals
couldn’t do that because it was impossible.

Humans were no exception.

Therefore, those whose circuits I had opened for enhancement underwent

continuous monitoring at the organization’s hospital, and the details were reported
directly to me. The circuits I had carefully inscribed were naturally far superior, more
sophisticated, and stable in structure compared to naturally opening circuits.
However, there was still the law of ‘just in case.’

Due to the trait of circuits that formed their own fields, once a certain level of circuit
stabilization occurred, I couldn’t intervene anymore. Their own fields would push
out my magical interference. If there were any issues, they needed to be detected
early.

Even while I was lost in thought, the announcer’s voice continued to deliver the
latest news.

[—As various events’ schedules continue to be delayed, confusion among tourists in

Tokyo is worsening. Seiko Hashimoto, in charge of the Olympic Games, held an
emergency press conference, stating that they are considering moving up the soccer
match schedule, which had been delayed due to the August heat when they decided
to postpone the Olympics.]
[In response, the national soccer teams, who were in the midst of adapting to the
original schedule, expressed strong dissatisfaction, saying that Hashimoto’s
announcement had not been discussed in advance.]

[Japan had sent medical teams and chartered flights to Third World countries still
grappling with the aftermath of the coronavirus, just to bring in the national
delegations. That’s how high the expectations were for this Olympics. However, a
series of unfortunate events, from the extinguishing of the Olympic flame during the
relay to the additional costs incurred due to the delayed event, suspicions of
manipulation of domestic coronavirus infection statistics by the Ministry of Health
and Labor, inappropriate shrine visits by the Prime Minister’s wife amid virus
spread, and now doping controversies and event suspensions, have deepened Prime
Minister Abe’s concerns.]

[Next in the news…]

As the news revealed, the cumulative changes in the world over the past six months
were now becoming apparent within the scope of human perception. These changes
included record-breaking events in seconds, a sharp increase in cancer rates, an
increase in fatalities caused by wild animals, and tree roots damaging roads.

‘306,972 trees… ’

That was the number of trees on the streets in Seoul. According to the attached
weight calculations in the report, even if the original diameter was just 10
centimeters, the weight per tree exceeded one ton. Compared to the awakening
probability based on body mass, it was more than 13 times that of an average adult
male. Starting from a 30-centimeter diameter, it increased 34 times, from 40
centimeters, 70 times, and from 50 centimeters, over 100 times.

While humanity was experiencing changes at the level of seconds in world records,
the trees of August were capable of awakening and undergoing abnormal growth.

I paid attention to one of the countermeasures specified in the report.

“Hmm. National Ecology Institute? Did that strawberry guy have a nephew like this?”

One of the proposals was to give the organization’s executives’ nephew, who was a
research specialist in crop bioscience and was working as an assistant professor, a
quick Ph.D. and persuade related parties with bribes to get him placed in the
National Ecology Institute. The proposal was written by Suyeon.

‘Is that okay?’

The National Ecology Institute was an institution where all kinds of statistics on
trees and the results of government research were concentrated. Its status would
soon begin to skyrocket. It wasn’t bad to have a means to indirectly influence the
direction of research, not just obtain information.

Especially, the latter part of the role was difficult to entrust to someone who couldn’t
be trusted. Even if you bought researchers, it was difficult for me to release my
knowledge. Even if the research was about plants, knowledge related to magic power
and circuits could be applied expansively to animals.

This was a matter I had specifically instructed the secretariat to find a solution to.

‘Even like this, I need to keep Round Table’s dominance in check.’

If the British took the lead in international standards for magical research, wouldn’t
Round Table’s influence increase accordingly? I had to prevent the concentration of
worldwide related information in London. It wasn’t just about the imbalance of
knowledge; there might be clues about me among that information.

While I was lost in these thoughts, I felt Suyeon’s gaze fixedly on me.

“What is it?”

Suyeon spoke with an unusual expression, quite rarely seen.

“Just now… you called Chief Song Heungju ‘strawberry’…”

“…”

This was Kyung-tae’s influence. He kept calling him “strawberry” all the time, and
now I made the same mistake.

“Strawberry” originated from the nickname given to the organization by the police.
The Ansan Strawberry Faction. This was a team that, if necessary, was dispatched
without regard to location and left traces in Ansan by sheer chance. For the police, it
remained an organization of uncertain substance. They even spent money to keep it
that way.

Suyeon wiped away her expression and returned to the original topic.

“We are pursuing similar plans for other related facilities, but it’s difficult to find
suitable individuals. It’s even more challenging with foreign institutions.”

“None of your fellow alumni seem suitable?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a shame.”

“I apologize.”

“Stop apologizing. I was amazed that you managed to recruit even a few people from
there.”

“…Yes.”

This girl had always been academically inclined. I gave her a scholarship while
thinking about how far she could go, and she managed to get her Ph.D. in just two
and a half years. This girl, who had graduated from high school through the GED
exam, achieved this at the well-regarded Emerson University in the United States.

‘It was because she wanted to join the organization as soon as possible.’

Even during her fierce studies, she had managed to attract and recruit three high
school students as local collaborators and organization scholarship students while
maintaining her connections. I still vividly remembered my astonishment when I
received the email explaining the situation and requesting permission and support.

“I know you might not like hearing this, but…”

Suyeon carefully chose her words.

“The situation has changed from before, so shouldn’t our approach to recruiting
organization members change as well?”

“How do you mean, changing our approach?”

“Instead of searching for people who are at the point of owing their lives and then
selecting the necessary talents, shouldn’t we also consider making the necessary
talents owe their lives?”

“You mean by setting traps?”

“Yes.”

I furrowed my brow deeply.

“You’re talking about this now?”

Suyeon maintained her characteristic calmness even in the face of my expressed

reluctance.

“What’s certain is that scholarly achievements that counteract Round Table’s

imperialism should not only come from Korea. My one and only absolute goal is your
ultimate victory, and everything else is just a tool to achieve that goal.”

“Is that even the identity that forms the foundation of the organization?”

“In extreme situations, extreme responses are sometimes required. Regardless of

what orders you give, my loyalty won’t change, and secrets will be kept until the end.
If the personnel performing the operation are fragmented and do not know the full
scope of the operation, that’s enough.”

“…”

I couldn’t bring myself to say that I couldn’t completely trust her in this regard.
However, Suyeon’s proposal contained the potential risk of collapsing the entire
organization.

Let’s say we actually implement Suyeon’s scheme. And imagine that somehow the
fact of it being put into action leaked within the organization. What would happen
then?

‘The people who owe me favors will start to harbor doubts, won’t they?’

Perhaps even me? Doubts like, ‘What if I owe something?’ In a situation where there
was absolutely no room for suspicion, even those who had received my help would
inevitably begin to question. The blind trust in the savior would be replaced by dry
loyalty to a flawed human being. An organization that constantly grumbles was
never going to be a weapon against the Round Table.

Suyeon understood my point. She had an expression of momentary regret as she

accepted it.

“It’s not possible.”

I emphasized repeatedly.

“Absolutely not.”

“I understand.”

In Suyeon’s accepting face, there was a momentary sense of regret.

“As an alternative, there is a way to indirectly support researchers who are

progressing in the right direction. However, this method will be significantly less
efficient since it won’t directly transmit your knowledge.”

“I’ll have to accept that.”

“If you’re willing to take on some risk, there is another alternative.”

“Tell me.”

“London.”

“…?”

When I looked at her with suspicion, Suyeon calmly explained her plan.

“If ‘The Round Table of Light and Truth’ intends to lead the world in the field of
magic someday, there’s a high probability that they are already sharing related
information with influential figures in the British government or politics at this
point. But the British government might be one thing, but Round Table mages are
masters of magic, not experts in electronic security. At best, they probably use
outsourcing for cybersecurity. Moreover, the relationship between the British
government and the Round Table is unlikely to be so harmonious, don’t you think?”
Yeah.

Really, this girl’s mind was working well. Even before severing ties with the
government, the Round Table had always been an isolated and exclusive group. They
had never fully shared their secret knowledge with the government, even for a
moment. Could those guys readily accept the government’s security as it was?
Ultimately, they thought they should stand above the government themselves.

“Assuming that’s true, what’s next?”

“Next, you know the inner workings of Round Table well enough to infer the
connections.”

She was talking about the knowledge of my deceased master. Even though it was
knowledge from decades ago, the human relationships of the masters, captivated by
a sense of religious chosenness, tend to be ‘aristocratic.’

“And the secretive information in London always draws the interest of other
countries, especially China and Russia. If they detect any indication that the UK is
pursuing something unusual, they’ll do the rest themselves.”

“Indeed…”

“What we need to do is just give them a little push.”

Pushing them a little – making them smell something was not an easy task, but it was
worth trying. If knowledge that could provide a starting point for magical research
spread secretly throughout major countries, indirect checks on the Round Table’s
influence would become significantly more efficient. Suyeon, who was waiting with
her hands folded, looked pretty in her eagerness as I gave permission.

“Work out the specific plan.”

I gave my approval while tapping the report.

“You can use as much money and manpower as you need.”

“Yes.”

Suyeon nodded slightly.

Muscular strength, muscular endurance, and cardiovascular endurance were the
most fundamental elements that made up an individual’s Combat Endurance. Rarely
was there a lifestyle habit as beneficial as running to train these three. Running was
also one of the most useful abilities in practical combat situations.

Water.

I endured my severe thirst and ran along the mountain path that the dawn had
painted with shades of blue. I wore a weighted vest, carried a heavy backpack, and
even had a gas mask covering my face while running intervals on a challenging 6km
terrain with steep slopes. When performing the Body Strengthening spell, the body
had to endure such a heavy burden. As I sprinted up a slope of over a hundred
meters, my heart rate quickly reached its maximum.

I need water.

Those who had done some running would understand. How fast could I run? How
much pain and difficulty could I endure? Renewing that threshold, and continuously
renewing it, was essential because without reaching your limit, you couldn’t utilize
your physical abilities to 100%. Many people gave up on themselves before reaching
that limit due to pain.

My head is burning.

…Therefore, my practical running should reach the maximum threshold while the
Body Strengthening spell was active. It should be an effort that squeezed my mind
with pain. And in the meantime, it should be a process to confirm if the Combat spell
could be constructed.

All of this was an effort contributing to my ultimate survival.

“Oh my…”
As I reached the vicinity of the summit, a middle-aged woman with a camera looked
at me in astonishment. I was in such a state that I felt like I was about to die at any
moment, but I quickly removed my gas mask, tore it off, and threw it away. The
panting sound I made was like the breath of a terminally ill patient on the verge of
death.

“What kind of exercise are you doing like that? Are you okay, young man?”

I nodded vaguely and poured the water from a water scoop that had been left at the
spring. Then I drank it in big gulps, even though it was sunrise. Summer was still
summer. The boiling hot water felt like it was finally cooling down my overheated
brain. It felt like I had barely escaped from hell after running through it. It was truly a
fantastic feeling of relief.

Whew…

Exhausted, I sat on the stone wall near the spring. The damp stones conveyed a
coolness to the palm supporting my body. There was even a slightly sticky sensation.

The middle-aged woman, who had been worried about me until now, was now
worried about my pants.

“If there are cherry stains on your clothes, they might not come off easily.”

“…It’s okay.”

August and Cherry. Normally, these two words should be apart in terms of timing,
but at the moment, they were not. The entire area around the spring was black and
white because of a Yoshino cherry tree that had taken root next to it. It was a cherry
tree that bloomed flowers and dropped fruit continuously even in this hot season.

“Did you come here to take pictures of flowers?”

The woman smiled in response to my question.

“Yes, I heard there’s a cherry blossom tree that doesn’t wither near this spring, so I
came during the less crowded hours.”

“Are there many people coming here for this these days?”
“Yes… In the news, they talk about difficult things like endocrine disruptors, global
warming, and cosmic radiation, but I don’t really understand all that. It just looks
beautiful.” (+) [1]

As unusual growth and deformities in trees became more common worldwide, the
academic community was in a state of emergency, with various hypotheses pouring
in about the cause of this phenomenon. However, global warming couldn’t explain
the deformities and cosmic radiation was disproved due to decreased solar activity.

At the moment, the most widely supported hypothesis was environmental pollution.
It suggested that endocrine-disrupting substances, which affect both animals and
plants or some equivalent form of pollution, had an impact. This hypothesis could
also explain the recent surge in cancer rates.

This had put Japan in a rather awkward situation. Some overseas scholars and
environmental organizations had criticized Japan for releasing radioactive
contaminated water, while the Japanese government denied any connection between
their actions and recent environmental changes.

‘Talking about Fukushima’s power is quite a funny joke.’

This was a reaction from Kyung-tae that appeared on the internet. It implied that the
reason various world records were being indiscriminately broken at the Olympics
was due to radiation contamination. If that were true, Japan, which had been
supporting various events, should have excelled in all disciplines.

“It’s scary, isn’t it?”

When I asked again, the woman looked at the flowers.

“I’ve heard it’s good to be cautious, but, well, what can happen? Everyone here
doesn’t seem to mind. There’s even a fence.”

The ‘caution’ she referred to was the presence of pollutant substances. Based on the
current leading hypothesis, environmental authorities recommended not
approaching trees showing deformities or abnormal growth, as it was assumed that
these areas had been more affected by pollution. It was a judgment that somehow
reached the truth.

However, just as people who went for picnics, attended religious ceremonies, or
danced with strangers in clubs during the peak of the global pandemic weren’t very
concerned about the possibility of contracting a deadly disease, the recent warning
about the possibility of cancer didn’t seem to bother many people. Cancer was
cancer, and flowers were flowers.

The middle-aged woman in front of me was living proof of that.

Now, she showed interest in the gas mask I had thrown aside.

“You’re wearing a mask even though people rarely use them these days? Isn’t it
uncomfortable?”

She had a subtle air of treating me as eccentric. During the peak of the Chinese-
origin pneumonia outbreak, gas masks were a very rare sight.

However, this was just for training. In the past, regional riot police units used gas
masks as part of their training to enhance cardiorespiratory endurance. I casually
replied while brushing off dirt from the gas mask.

“It is uncomfortable, but I’m just a very timid person.”

I was so scared that I couldn’t sleep well until I saw London burning. The truth I
revealed made the other person burst into laughter.

“You make jokes fun. What’s there to be scared of for a healthy young man like you?
It’s people like me who should be scared; we’re at risk for something like a lung
disease.”

Hearing myself called ‘young man’ at this age felt strange. As a place my master had
painstakingly constructed, my body had many aspects beyond normal.

“Oh my?”

The woman tapped her nose with her fingertip and was surprised.

“Why did my nose suddenly bleed?”

That nosebleed was a dark omen for the near future. I quietly asked her,

“Do any of your family members work around here?”

In this area, there were numerous businesses run by the organization. So, my
question was considering the possibility that this woman might be related to
someone involved with the organization. However, her response was a simple denial.

“No, none of them. I just live around here; I work elsewhere.”

“Is that so?”

Then, I had no obligation to help her. I got up and bid her a dry farewell.

“I’ll be going. Take lots of good photos.”

This was both a farewell and advice. Even in a life that might end soon, wouldn’t it be
less regretful to leave behind one more photograph? My intervention could only go
this far.

As I began to descend the trail, Kyung-tae, who had been watching from outside the
hiking path, approached and struck up a conversation.

“Well, it might be better this way.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If people start dying here, won’t they have a reason to close the mountain?”

Kyung-tae had also taken note of the ominous prophecy. I nodded dryly.

“We’ll have to wait and see.”

This mountain was the organization’s property. However, despite that fact, the
district and city had freely developed hiking trails, erected signs, and even built
stairs, infringing upon our property rights. If we were to put up iron fences to block
access, they’d cite violations of the ‘Law on Urban Parks and Green Areas’ and
inundate us with administrative measures, making it a real hassle.

‘Why did I put the mountain in the background?’

The reason we established the organization’s headquarters in the mountain wasn’t

due to some insignificant Feng Shui reason. It was primarily done with escape routes
in mind in case of sudden emergencies.
We could potentially engage in legal battles against the environmental authorities to
resolve the issue, but it would take a long time, and even if we were to win,
exercising our property rights immediately wouldn’t be guaranteed. The residents,
who have lost the benefits they used to enjoy for free, would flood us with various
complaints. Our organization had already experienced a situation like this once, and
attracting the attention of the authorities in such a way wasn’t productive.

However, now it might be more practical to incur additional costs, like bribes, if
necessary, to exercise our property rights. Our people needed a larger and more
discreet training facility, one with good accessibility. The one remote location, away
from the eyes of hikers, was insufficient in many ways.

“Dropouts?”

In response to my question, Kyung-tae chuckles.

“There aren’t any.”

Indeed, one by one, figures moving through the steep forest terrain started to come
into view. I’d instructed them to run through the mountain, combining tactical
mobility with terrain awareness training to avoid a situation where they all jumped
out and fell. All of them were individuals with open circuits, equipped with basic
magical power protection against potential attacks.

Back at headquarters, I spared with Kyung-tae and the other security personnel in 2-
on-1 matches. Boxing might not be very useful in combat situations where the
difference in abilities often led to a one-sided victory, but this sparring match was
different from traditional boxing in many ways. It was a free-for-all brawl where
everything except leg techniques was allowed. It helped us adapt to the enhanced
visual acuity and responsiveness of our altered bodies. Once we got used to it, even
leg techniques would likely be allowed.

Hook!

I dodged the headgear and delivered a punch as I passed by. I dug in and raised his
chin. The impact felt satisfying, with a sound that went “thunk.” It was a close cross-
arm defense. As soon as I confirmed the block, I lowered my upper body and stepped
to the side. It was a jab, slightly blurred, that I put into his ribs.

“Ugh!”
The nearby roaring was painful to my ears. The brutal force struck through the
protective gear. In exchange for making Kyung-tae stumble, a straight from another
guy landed on my back. The hit was on my back, but the sound resonated through
my chest and into my throat.

Screech – The sole scrapes against the floor with a high-pitched noise. I recovered my
swaying center of gravity with a firm step and rotated my upper body while using my
elbows. I managed to deflect a series of left-arm straights that were aimed at me. In
the next moment, I landed a counter square on the face of the guy whose upper body
was pulled inward. Another explosion-like sound of impact. The combination of the
glove’s elasticity and enhanced muscle strength made every punch sound like an
explosion, ringing in your ears.

“Yaaah!”

Before I could press the guy whose head was bent backward, Kyung-tae’s full-body
tackle came in. His shoulder, hitting my abdomen, was a sheer exercise of kinetic
energy. His arms, embracing my waist, were restraints to prevent escape. The impact
on the abdomen caused my breathing to involuntarily stop. I immediately changed
my stepping, trying to resist, but it was already a matter of overcoming a significant
weight difference. With all my strength, I twisted my body as much as possible. The
goal was to reverse the positions of top and bottom.

The result was a 70% success rate. While I couldn’t completely flip the positions, I
managed to get out after delivering successive blows to Kyung-tae’s head. However, I
had to allow a flurry of strikes from another guy who was right there. The barrage
sounded like a thunderous body blow, from the ribs to the collarbone. I used a large
punch motion to induce a momentary dodge and then stepped precisely on his
counterpoint to create distance. Thanks to my significantly improved foot speed, this
step was possible.

In this manner, after enduring another thirty minutes, the evaporated moisture and
heat from our bodies had completely offset the air conditioning. I, as well as my
subordinates, had enhanced our physical capabilities, and with multiple rings in use,
this outcome was expected. When I stepped out of the ring, Suyeon, who had
endured another thirty minutes by switching opponents in a different ring, stopped
her training and came down looking like an exhausted person after falling into the
water.
Even in my exhausted state, I kept a close eye on each of my subordinates.

‘There’s no immediate need to fine-tune it further.’

Despite using physical enhancement continuously for days, there were no signs of
circuit ruptures or leakage in magic power and mana, which was a very reassuring
fact. It could be said that there was a sense of accomplishment in personally
designing the basic setup, each optimized differently for individuals. (+) [2]

“Good work, Hyungnim.”

“Yeah…”

I drank the drink Suyeon handed me and wiped away the sweat with a towel. Kyung-
tae, who had come down from the ring and sat on the stairs, was grinning and made
a fuss.

“Wow, you were impressive earlier. You threw me down with just the recoil from
your core while you were floating. Considering the weight difference between us…
overwhelming strength makes other factors meaningless, I guess.”

“Well, I should reflect on ending up in such a situation.”

“Oh come on, Hyungnim… How could you be better than us in a 2-on-1 fight?”

“If you set the bar low, you’ll never get any better.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Now go wash up. We need to eat.”

“Got it.”

Right now, all I could think of was washing up and having a meal. I was starving as if
I was about to die.

 1. TLN: Endocrine disruptors are natural or man-made chemicals that may

mimic or interfere with the body’s hormones, known as the endocrine system.
 2. TLN: I decided to alternate between mana/magical power. If you do not
prefer this, and want me to stay only one (mana/magical power), please do tell
me in the comment section!
The effect of the physical enhancement technique was not to create new strength but
to amplify existing strength. It meant that there was an underlying basic calorie
consumption even though exercise capacity increased in terms of calorie
expenditure. The acceleration of natural recovery also came with a proportional
increase in consumption. This was the reason why my daily calorie intake exceeded
5,000 kcal with a slightly more abundant meal.

After finishing a somewhat heavy meal quantitatively, Suyeon, who had already put
down her utensils, looked at her buzzing phone and then conveyed the received
message in a composed voice.

“Hyungnim. The government has decided to award presidential commendations to

organization-affiliated companies.”

What on earth is this?

“Commendations? Why?”

“It’s for elevating the national status through humanitarian aid to Native American
tribes and contributing to the enhancement of friendship between South Korea and
the United States.”

“…”

I couldn’t believe my ears, so I remained silent.

The humanitarian aid mentioned by the government was nothing more than the
virus testing kits and various epidemic prevention supplies that I had sent to five
Native American protected areas in response to a request from the Diamond Casino
over the past few months.

During the height of the pandemic that originated in China, Native American tribes in
North America were completely ignored by the federal government’s health
administration for several months. The medical support provided by the federal
government through the Health Service Corps was, at best, a bunch of body bags.

Few people might know, but the official term for Native American autonomous zones
within the United States was “Nation.” However, how could a nation that had been
deprived of diplomatic power still be called a nation? And how did they manage to
procure epidemic prevention supplies from a foreign country? Even ‘real’ nations
were struggling to obtain supplies.

In the end, what remained was private efforts. As the “People of the Desert”
dwindled away, the chieftain had offered me an unprecedented deal. I, swayed by his
desperate proposal, courteously promised him a donation that was equivalent to ten
times the amount he had requested. The chieftain appeared astonished by my
unexpected kindness, but I had a rational motive.

‘It is quite possible.’

I’d long foreseen the season when cicadas sing. When that season came, Native
Americans in North America would become a truly wailing horde of cicadas. I
wanted to gather them and turn London into a terrorist mastermind. For me, their
suffering was like a stroke of luck that had come at just the right time. The
suppressed resentment against the imperial invaders, once the bodies were
collected, would become new strength and abilities that could be used as tools of
anger.

Even if they didn’t want it, it would happen. Native Americans were a poor and
marginalized group, which meant they had a high crime rate. This would inevitably
tarnish the external image of Native Americans much more than it was now. It would
lead to delinquents within the indigenous group who use superhuman abilities for
crime or potential security threats. Such perceptions would lead to the formation of
a recruitment group that hated imperialist invaders.

That’s right. I wished for their misfortune while helping them. The crime would be
committed by the invaders, and the choice would be solely up to the Native
Americans. I would reap the rewards simply by bestowing kindness. How could this
not be good for me?

When times were tough, I was the only one who offered a helping hand. My presence
would have been clearly imprinted on the Native American tribes trapped within
their fences as well. At the moment, my presence might be limited to those who
know of me, but when the entire tribe fell into the shadow, it would not be so.

Kyung-tae complained disapprovingly,

“If they were going to give something, they could have given a medal or something,
not this lousy certificate. How much did we spend?”

Suyeon replied briefly,

“There’s nothing we can do. We distributed it under different names.”

“But still… If you think about it, Hyungnim could have become a national merit
recipient.”

I was a little taken aback.

“What’s the point of me becoming a national merit recipient?”

“It wouldn’t be a bad thing, would it? Your superficial status would garner social
recognition and respect to that extent. I think it’s better for people to look up to you.”

“…”

It was unnecessary greed. Temporary fame like this didn’t have a long shelf life, even
though social reputation could be a useful cover. It would be detrimental for the
organization if attention was focused on the organization solely by pushing forward
with the organization’s work. The White Chief, who was our client, would also
expose the organization’s core.

Kyung-tae’s words made me contemplate something, and Suyeon, who had been
quietly pondering, spoke up.

“Regarding future plans…”

“Hmm?”

“Apart from this case, it’s not a bad idea for you or the key personnel of the
organization to become patriots and strategic assets for this country.”
Patriots and strategic assets?

“The big picture, I see.”

“Yes. There may be some inconvenient tasks that come with it, but it’s essential to
note that the Korean government will provide national-level protection even in times
of peace. When ‘The Round Table of Light and Truth’ wants to use the British
government’s diplomacy and intelligence as leverage, the Korean government, which
values us, will be a reliable breakwater.”

Certainly, there were limits to the protection one could receive from accepting bribes
and seeking refuge in the underworld. Official protection based on one’s surface
status served as a defensive mechanism against pressure I hadn’t even realized yet,
at the very least, it wouldn’t provide me with enough time to escape.

I also considered the national power to be appropriate. Relying too heavily on a

powerful nation carried the risk of being manipulated too much by them, and if the
national power was mediocre, it wouldn’t be able to properly play the role of a
barrier.

‘There were things I saw again this time.’

In the midst of an international health crisis due to an epidemic, Korea unexpectedly

demonstrated its leadership in global disease control. This included producing
diagnostic kits, establishing epidemic prevention strategies, and exporting medical
equipment and personal protective gear. Thanks to this, I was able to assist the tribal
chief easily, so you could say I was fortunate.

Suyeon’s suggestion continued,

“Furthermore, there will be improved accessibility to various information and

national projects. If magic emerges as a field related to the nation’s core interests in
the future, legal measures restricting public access to certain awakened lifeforms
and areas that are important or high-risk will likely be put in place.”

“Well…”

“With the existing connections and organization scholarship students alone, it is

expected to be difficult or cumbersome to overcome these measures. The situation
will be similar overseas. In many cases, national influence and diplomatic contacts
will be required. Therefore, even for the smooth collection of your ‘Code,’ it’s
necessary to have qualifications and conditions for easily undertaking official
business.”

“It’s a valid point, but…”

I had been vaguely considering the possibilities Suyeon had brought up. However…

“You know that the risk is considerable.”

“Yes.”

“Yet, you seem to think that the benefits outweigh the risks.”

“That’s correct.”

“If your calculations are like that, understood. I’ll consider it positively.”

“Thank you.”

When a nation’s power started to delve into a technically unknown field, the first
thing it typically considered was the military applications of that technology.
Therefore, among the various risks I was concerned about, the most significant one
was the prospect of war and national-scale conflicts.

‘This country really likes forced labor.’

First of all, the military system was not free from allegations of forced labor. Even the
current president, who claimed to be progressive, remained obstinately ignorant of
the recommendations of the International Labor Organization regarding forced
labor. Well, the treatment of awakened individuals might be better than that of
ordinary soldiers, but it was clear that there would be numerous inconveniences and
unpleasant treatment in various aspects, not just in international conflicts. Just look
at how medical staff were treated during the recent Chinese pandemic; the answer
was clear – they should have been paid their salaries on time.

In this country, there were already plenty of potential sources of unrest. China was
the biggest concern, followed by North Korea. In such an environment, could
awakened individuals be left alone? There might be a fallback option of releasing
only some of my subordinates into Yangji, but even then, I would ultimately have to
bear the burden of handling the tedium with Yin and Yang to minimize any
unexpected power losses. (+) [1]

However, I trusted my chief of staff’s judgment. Even if the predictions ultimately

proved wrong, as long as this guy found a way, I wouldn’t be pushed to the edge of a
cliff.

Kyung-tae, who had been silently listening, smiled and said it was good.

“In the end, it’s disappointing about the medal.”

“…Let’s assume that.”

Strictly speaking, my support for the Chief of the People of the Desert fell far short of
receiving an Order of Merit. Just when the White House owner was already venting
his anger on social media, what use was there in improving relations?

The current President of the United States had harbored significant resentment
towards Native Americans, especially the “People of the Desert”. This was due to the
fact that they had obstructed the President’s plans to build a barrier on the border
with Mexico. The “People of the Desert”, whose land extended across the United
States and Mexico, refused to allow the barrier to pass through their territory due to
their autonomy rights under Native American agreements.

However, the “People of the Desert” had a compelling reason for doing so. It wasn’t
simply because they didn’t want their tribal lands to be divided, nor was it just
because they disliked the United States and the President. The land where the
barrier was meant to pass was sacred ground, where their ancestors were buried.
The cluster of Saguaro cacti, known as “Organ Pipe” by Americans, served as a sacred
burial ground not only for the “People of the Desert” but also for the Apache tribe.
Native Americans believed that the Saguaro cacti in this cluster were the souls of
their ancestors.

In early of that year, when the pandemic originating from China was entering the
United States, these sacred Saguaro cacti, imbued with the spirits of their ancestors,
were cut down or blown up one by one by the President’s executive orders.

Amid the dying agony of the severed cacti, how did the People of the Desert feel
about losing another sacred site following the highest peak of the holy mountain,
“Waw Kiwulik”? The Chief must have felt as if his blood were running backward.
For me, their anger was an investment opportunity that promised both safety and
high returns.

Ring, ring, ring—

My smartphone vibrated to signal an incoming call. The number displayed on the

screen belonged to the White Chief.

“This ‘inspiration’ of yours is quite something. Come and join me for a cup of coffee.”

As I made the call, I casually asked for coffee, and both of my aides reacted
simultaneously. Kyung-tae, who was standing askew, and Suyeon, who stood upright,
looked at each other.

“Well, since Noonim always does it, this time, how about I-“

“Sit.”

“Yes.”

Kyung-tae, with his dignity crushed, planted himself down. What on earth were
these guys doing…? I shook my head lightly and picked up the phone, which I had left
to ring for about twenty seconds.

“Yes.”

[Chairman.]

The voice calling was weaker than before. To me, it was a good sign.

“What’s wrong?”

[…I wanted to express my gratitude for your help.]

“Well, I understand that the tribe is not yet at a stage to receive thanks. I know you’re
incredibly busy, so you must have another reason for contacting me. Please speak. I
prefer productive conversations.”

[……]
The speaker let out a sigh. It was predictable. Although the United States had
successfully controlled the pandemic, the Native American protection zones, always
a lower priority in terms of disease prevention, were still struggling with the virus.
Due to local lockdowns, even the importation of goods was not going smoothly.

[Ha… It’s really embarrassing for me to be like this every time.]

“So, what’s the matter?”

[I want to acquire additional testing kits. This time, I’m willing to pay the full price.]

“Money is not an issue.”

[Chairman.]

“I said it’s not an issue. It’s money that could feed hungry people, isn’t it?”

Diamond Casino had substantial funds, but most of that money belonged to the
customers, not the Chief. Furthermore, unlike regular banks, their financial
operations were quite narrow in scope, relying heavily on fees from various services.
While these fees might be a significant amount as criminal organization income, it
was far from enough to sustain their business while guaranteeing the survival of the
entire tribe during a global health crisis, economic downturn, and mobility
restrictions.

‘Even now, the money flow has hardened considerably.’

The pandemic was also affecting the casino’s customers. The Chief must have seen a
significant drop in business.

After a heavy silence, the Chief asked,

[I didn’t mean to ask a question like this, but I have no choice. Why are you helping
us to this extent? You have no reason to do so, do you?]

It was a question I had fully anticipated. I answered casually, without attaching much
importance to it.

“What’s the big deal? Have you forgotten that our first transaction was an act of
kindness on my part, without any compensation?”
Such was life. My capriciousness, driven by nothing more than a dislike for
imperialism, had now become a convenient excuse to hide my true intentions.

[……]

I was satisfied with the Chief’s return to silence. I felt like congratulating my past self
for my capriciousness. (+) [2]

 1. TLN: Yangji (양지) here, I’m still not sure if it’s a name of a certain place in
the novel or something else. If I translated it literally, it can be “sunny
spot”/”sunny place”/”tombs”/”fields”/”battlefield”

 2. TLN: Capriciousness: the quality of changing mood or behavior suddenly

and unexpectedly
[But…]

The Chief, who looked like he was suspecting a favor, asked again with difficulty.

[Isn’t this help different? You gain nothing from it.]

Thud. Suyeon placed a coffee in front of me. I took a sip and let out a long exhale. It
was natural for someone who had been deceived and disappointed their whole life
not to easily believe in unselfish kindness.

“Gain, huh.”

But what if he didn’t believe it? In reality, there was no hidden agenda in my favor.
Reflecting on it again, the indigenous people would be forced to walk the Trail of
Tears [1] , even half of their own will, under the coercion of invaders. I had no stake in
the misfortune that the Chief would face. So…

“Think of it as friendship.”

[Friendship?]

“Yes. It’s the same ‘friendship without guarantees’ that I mentioned before, my
friend.”

For a moment, the Chief was silent for the third time. Who in his life would have said
such words to him? Those who had lived a harsh life have no immunity to emotions
that were unexpectedly tender. I was currently touching those emotions. It was
difficult at first, but once you touched it once, it would collapse like dominoes.

The old man, whose life had weakened more than ever, was speaking internally with
prolonged silence that grew longer with each repetition. It was a static created
instinctively to regain composure, not to expose weaknesses.
I tilted the coffee cup, made a sipping sound, and opened my mouth.

“Your population is about 10,000. Assuming a 5% infection rate and estimating

medical expenses at $300,000 per person, the total would be $150 million. In
addition, emergency support for the tribe members who have lost their jobs… Can
the tribal government and the casino alliance handle this if you pay me separately?”

Even $300,000 per person was a conservative estimate. Because the medical
facilities in the indigenous protection zones were meager and limited to clinics, they
would have to outsource treatment outside the protection zone. The Indian Health
Services had long become an ineffective organization due to budget shortages.

Furthermore, the indigenous people either couldn’t afford insurance or, if they did
have it, the coverage was likely subpar. It meant they would have to pay whatever the
hospital claimed. Even without that, the burden on the autonomous nation and the
casino alliance, which had already spent a significant amount on lobbying, would be
substantial. If everyone individually filed for bankruptcy, the future of the tribe
would completely disappear.

“It does sound a bit strange.”

The Chief finally responded with great difficulty.

[What… do you mean]

His voice trembled.

“The kits we sent over there, there are already 5,000 of them. With one kit, you can
perform a hundred tests, so even after the five tribes belonging to the casino alliance
undergo the first and second tests, there will still be some left. Why do you need
additional ones?”

[…It’s not like that, because they were taken away.]

“Who are you talking about?”

[Who else? Obviously, the Health Service Corps and those damn Federal Emergency
Management Agency guys! We don’t have the ability to test ourselves even if we have
the kits, so the gifts you send us first go into their hands.]
“I see.”

A good excuse for plunder. It was a question I already knew the answer to.

[Once that happens, the time for a ‘more urgent place’ justification will gradually
evaporate. They’ll say there’s some administrative order about it.]

“But couldn’t you send the tribe members’ samples this way?”

[They have all the authority over disease control. Do you think they’d just willingly
give us permission to transport the samples?]

“My apologies.”

The President was really doing well. The man who got irritated just because we sent
test kits would probably explode in anger if he found out that the tests were also
being conducted in South Korea. In the midst of all the tribal governments
challenging the federal government, there was no way they would tolerate a single
indigenous tribe hitching a ride on that wave.

There was also a legal basis for this. Executive Order 13909, which came into effect
on March 18th, gave the federal government complete control over all disease
control supplies in the United States and, like the previous administrative order on
the sacred burial grounds of the indigenous people, it applied to indigenous
autonomous territories as well. It was really a self-governing right that was only
upheld when it was convenient.

For now, the infection in the United States had been somewhat contained, but
because of the huge damage it caused and the fact that the virus had not completely
disappeared, the President still had a reason to stockpile supplies for emergencies.

“There’s no choice.”

I said indifferently.

“I’ll try to secure more supplies. This time, it’s probably not the cost of the kits
themselves that’s the problem but moving up in the queue. But if it’s around 10,000,
we should be able to manage somehow. The competition won’t be as fierce as last
time because the major nations have successfully suppressed the epidemic, so they’ll
be competing with relatively easier Third World nations. The amount of bribes going
in will decrease.”

[Really…]

The Chief sighed heavily.

[It’s really shameful, but I’ll still be in your debt this time. And…]

“And it’s okay if the thread leading to the Beaner Cartel takes longer to find. What’s
the point of looking for it when you’re not even free to move?”

Beaner was a derogatory term for Mexicans, bean-eaters. It was ridiculous how
Americans insult others for eating beans when they themselves eat baked beans. I
shook the coffee cup and continued.

“Don’t waste your energy on feeling sorry for me. Take care of yourself. If you
collapse, there won’t be anyone to protect the tribe. Your granddaughter still has a
heavy burden on her shoulders.”

[Thank you, um, thank you.] (+) [2]

I pretended not to hear his choked voice.

“Since we’re on the subject, how is Mashath? Is she healthy?”

[She’s fine. She’s right here, listening even now.]

“That’s good to hear.”

[She sincerely wants to convey her gratitude to the Chairman. She believes that her
well-being is also thanks to your concern.]

“You’re too kind.”

[If she had been harmed in any way, I wouldn’t have had the face to meet my children
and grandchildren. I want to express my gratitude once again. Chairman, I’ve truly
seen you in a new light…]

In this dry life, it had been a while since I’d felt like laughter might bubble up from
below my throat. Somehow, I’d ended up in a situation where I was blending the
current leader and the next leader of the casino. I savored the well-brewed coffee
and composed myself. The skills of my secretary were always top-notch. I leisurely
enjoyed the taste and aroma before setting the cup down.

“Chief, even in the lowest and dirtiest alleys, you can occasionally find unexpected
humanity. For instance, the ‘Los Zetas Cartel’ who upheld loyalty not to the
organization but to individuals.”

Loyalty among Los Zetas was a fairly well-known story in this business. Even the
Chief, who despised drug cartels, couldn’t argue against this example.

“I may not be a good person, but I’m a more honorable human being compared to the
savage scum in that previous war. While the distinction between good and evil may
be blurred, I’m more certain than anyone in distinguishing allies from enemies. I can
tell you that you and your tribe are unequivocally on my side.”

So, cling to me now. In debt to me, owing me your life, loyalty, and even facing my
enemies in the fiery London that awaits us with bombs. I welcome you as my
debtors.

“Over there, it’s probably around 3 PM now.”

I said while checking my wristwatch.

“If you don’t have any other business, it’s best to end the call quickly. I’ll do my best
to send the requested items as quickly as possible, so Chief, please focus on
overcoming that damned disease before the heat subsides. If you miss this timing,
you’ll have to face a much harsher winter.”

These days, it was rare to find someone who didn’t know that viruses were weak to
moisture and heat. Although the area near Tucson, where the People of the Desert
reside, had a high average temperature, it was dry year-round, making it an
unfavorable environment for disease prevention.

‘It’s during the rainy season that we might have a bit of humidity.’

When the humidity dropped to 0% and the temperature dropped during the winter,
the virus would likely become active again. The young people I was targeting have a
low risk of dying from lung disease, but if they suffered from complications, they
wouldn’t be good recruits. For my sake, the Chief needed to do his best in disease
prevention.

[Understood.]

The voice I heard was firmer than before. A good sign.

[We will overcome this in the end. We’ll do our best, even if it’s to repay the
Chairman.]

“I’ll look forward to better news next time.”

The call ended. Lost in thought, I tapped my fingers on the table a while later at
Suyeon.

“Select a few scholarship students from the organization who could work as
journalists.”

“Where do you plan to use them?”

“When the commendation comes from the Blue House, I’m thinking of sending them
out for interviews about this support.”

Suyeon, who received the instruction, expressed a faint sense of confusion.

“Have you already made a decision?”

“A decision…? Oh.”

Suyeon’s mention of a decision referred to ‘becoming a patriot of this country.’ Until

just before the call, I had no interest in short-lived fame, but it seemed I changed my
stance shortly thereafter. However, that was a misguided assumption.

“No, it’s nothing. I just thought I might leave a footprint to deceive the enemy.”

This was a deception plan regarding the Round Table. In the past, my master tried to
use me as a refuge, and the idea of the great Master of the Round Table fleeing with
the body of an inferior yellow race [3] was something that imperialists, including my
master, couldn’t even imagine.

In a similar context, I could prepare a mechanism to deceive them.

Suppose, for example, that I was suspected by the Round Table, even for a moment.
The investigation into me would eventually reach my unexpected acts of altruism
and statements. The idea that the Masters of the Round Table, who was known for
being friendly to the indigenous people, would be considered a terrible joke.

Even if it didn’t become decisive evidence to dispel suspicions, I could expect it to

have an effect on lowering my ranking in the list of suspects.

“I understand. There’s no need for it to be reported on a grand scale.”

“That’s right.”

“If we look into it, we’ll find enough material for the article. I’ll also prepare the
script and direction.”

“Leave it to you.”

It was so convenient to have a confidant who understood my intentions with just one
word. I finished the leisurely aftermath of my meal by sipping the coffee that had
cooled down.

Afterward, I inspected the trees that were brought to the headquarters. These were
the trees that were removed from the area around the headquarters due to rapid
growth, which damaged roads and sidewalks. Thanks to winning the bid with an
overwhelmingly low price, I was able to sweep up all the awakened beings who were
eyeing the opportunity.

These awakened beings, or rather, it would be better to call them awakened trees.
Anyway, their primary purpose was to form an intangible defense line around the
headquarters. In the event that hostile forces with magic or superpowers attacked
the headquarters, the presence of awakened trees forming their unique barriers
would interfere with or suppress the enemy’s ability usage.

In other words, it was the work of creating living barriers, similar to what Kyung-tae
had mentioned about creating Life Gate and Death Gate. These preparations weren’t
just for guarding against the Round Table but for any future disturbances. Such
preparations might ultimately prove useless, but such tranquility was precisely what
I desired. Insurance against accidents was best when there was no need for a payout.

Those who wish to live must always know fear. The difference between courage and
recklessness was whether you recognized fear or not. Ignorance of fear was just a
virtue of the expendable.

 1. TLN: The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of
approximately 60,000 people of the “Five Civilized Tribes” between 1830 and
1850 by the United States government.

 2. TLN: The second thank you is more polite.

 3. Asian race
The season had changed, and autumn had arrived.

November in Seoul was chaotic. The once proud public safety, celebrated as one of
the world’s best, had deteriorated, making it less safe than before. Children could no
longer play late into the night, and even the less crowded streets had become places
to be cautious of, even in broad daylight. The frequency of patrol cars with sirens
blaring through the city had noticeably increased. Each day, headlines in the media
were adorned with stories of criminals with extraordinary physical abilities, who ran
through the streets, evading police pursuit, and committing crimes that were once
rare or deemed impossible. The shadows over the city, inhabited by millions, grew
larger and darker with each passing day.

However, despite all this, Seoul was still considered one of the safest cities in the
world. This wasn’t just because Seoul’s safety had declined less than the global
average but also because the entire human system was woefully unprepared for the
new era. The severe economic downturn caused by the Chinese-origin pandemic had
only aggravated the situation.

In such a world, I was facing a young troublemaker.

“Hey, mister [1] .”

The kid, who was puffing on a cigarette, glared at me and exhaled a puff of smoke.
The way this youngster referred to me as “mister” sounded more like “uncle” and
had a rough pronunciation. There was light-colored lipstick smudged on the
cigarette filter. She extinguished the cigarette against the wall he had been leaning on
and straightened up.

“Why are you staring like that? Do you have business with us?”

The group of punks who had been standing next to me started to move around me as
if they were annoyed. Their hands were in their pockets, shoulders slouched, and
they struck poses that suggested they thought they were cool. While they might have
recently become adults in terms of age, mentally, they were still stuck in their school
uniforms.

I didn’t pay them any mind and called out the target’s name.

“Do Won-hee.”

She flinched. The cigarette, which had been burning slowly, weakened. Today’s prey,
Do Won-hee, had a fierce look in her eyes.

“Ajussi, what’s going on? How do you know my name?”

“Baek Seungyeon. Remember?”

“…Hah, bastard.”

This time, the target burst into a mocking laugh.

Four years ago, Do Won-hee, who was in the third year of middle school at the time,
had driven Baek Seungyeon, who was in the same grade and was now part of this
group of delinquents, to suicide. It involved repeated physical assaults, bullying,
extortion, and extended periods of forced prostitution. However, due to the
protection and influence of her parents, who were part of the upper-class cartel, Do
Won-hee had received a remarkably light sentence in court, with only one year of
probation. This was despite the fact that at the time, Baek Seungyeon had been in a
coma, and a tenuous relationship of power existed between Do Won-hee’s uncle and
Baek Seungyeon’s father.

“This fucker.”

Do Won-hee flicked her cigarette and stared at me from head to toe.

“You know that girl’s father, right? How did you know I was here? You didn’t stalk
me, did you?”

“I did.”

“You did what? Seriously, it’s unbelievable. Hey, ajussi. That’s a crime, a crime. Do you
want to visit the prison with your friend? Should I send you there right now?”
The henchmen laughed. The confident Do Wn-hee took one more step closer to me
and raised her chin.

“Why, does that girl’s father ask for more money? If he needs money, he should come
and beg himself. But he sends his friend instead? Isn’t this a matter of courtesy? If a
lame person kneels down and begs, well, I can show some courtesy to my father and
ask for a favor.”

I shook my head.

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it?”

“He asked me to make you die. For sure, with his own hands.”

“…What?”

Beep, beep, beep, beep…

The sound of a signal indicating the reverse of a large cargo truck came from the
narrow alley at the end. The white side of the 25-ton trailer blocked the setting sun
from the west. It was one of the mobile workshops operated by the organization. Do
Won-hee, feeling an unusual atmosphere, stiffened her expression.

“What? What is this?”

The exit on the opposite side of the alley was blocked by a van that came to a halt
and the sound of footsteps descending from it. Five men dressed in Western clothes
with their hands neatly folded. They were the security personnel from the security
team, including Kyung-tae. Do Won-hee stepped back a little more as she looked at
me.

“Do you know who my father is?”

“I do. But do you know who I am?”

“Who even are you!”

She shouted fiercely and took another step back, showing clear fear in her body
language. With her back against the wall, Do Won-hee called one of the henchmen
who had moved a little less than her.

“Hey, Beomgyu! Do something!”

The guy called Beomgyu, like the others in the gang, was undoubtedly a well-raised
punk with good parents. Reacting as if cornered like a trapped animal, he looked left
and right and exclaimed, ‘Ahhhh!’ as he pulled out a butterfly knife from his pocket.
His name was Park Beomgyu. Just by looking at him being part of this gang, one
could tell he was no match for Dowon-hee, but he was also a brat who had been
lucky with his parents. As someone who had earned his keep by being the princess’s
errand boy, his reaction was different from the usual, but he was still just a kid.

With a flick of his wrist, the butterfly knife came out of its sheath, shining in the
metallic light from the knife’s movements. Lately, it had become a trendy item for
some reason. It was a display of manual dexterity that they considered a threat. In
my eyes, it was just a child’s play, no different from a kid’s scissors game. What
would happen if they used this showy trick in a real fight?

The guy, who looked like a punk with his appearance, growled as he swung the knife.

“I’m going to kill you… Fuck, I’m going to kill you!”

“Try it.”

Ignoring the knife’s less effective actions, his strength and speed were beyond the
norm. It was a sign of physical enhancement. Moreover, it was quite advanced.

Tick, tick, tick…

Meanwhile, Do Won-hee was grimacing, pressing the walkie-talkie to her lips.

Unfortunately, the driver and security guards who were supposed to receive the
signal were already taking a bath in a nearby mobile workshop. These people had
made a living from dark jobs, and they must have been prepared for such “accidents.”
Just like me, who never forgot to be afraid.

Even a lion could die from a hyena’s bite.

Holding the walkie-talkie, Do Won-hee yelled loudly.

“Beomgyu, you idiot! Aren’t you supposed to take hostages? What are you guys
doing, not helping Beomgyu?”

Then, she put her hands together and shouted as loudly as she could over the fence.

“Help! There’s a psycho killer here!”

This was the reason I took action myself. Do Won-hee’s shouts couldn’t break
through my deployed telekinesis barrier. It was a low-density telekinesis spread to
neutralize soundwave diffusion. This allowed silent abductions and murders in
broad daylight, even in busy alleys. It was an application technique for telekinesis I
had developed, inspired by the ‘Trembling Giant,’ which served as a damper for
sound diffusion.

If it was just about killing, I wouldn’t be needed. However, I had to keep one alive to
capture, so caution was necessary. Plus, I intended to make a good impression on my
newly recruited subordinates. Remember that the debt belongs to them.

Contrary to Do Won-hee’s words, human relationships were not just about sincerity.

“Aaah!”

The guy with the knife charged at me relentlessly, urging me on to make a move. It
seemed like he intended to stab somewhere and take me as a hostage. I deflected his
large knife move with ease and grabbed his vulnerable neck, twisting it in an instant.
There was a sickening crunch as his vertebrae snapped. His body, which had been
exerting great force, suddenly transformed into a weighty mass as I felt the life drain
from him.

The eyes of Do Won-hee’s gang, who had witnessed death, were filled with fear.

“Let go! You bastards!”

“Aaaah!”

“I’m sorry! Please spare me!”

The security personnel who had approached without us noticing easily subdued the
fleeing gang members. They broke their necks to kill them without blood splattering.
Kyung-tae grabbed Do Won-hee, who had fallen to the ground after my blow, by the
ankles and dragged her down. With a sickening thud, Do Won-hee hit the ground,
clutching her abdomen in agony.

Snap!

She whimpered and curled up like wounded prey. Kyung-tae, holding her hair,
dragged her like a sack. In the midst of this, I picked up the fallen knife and made a
casual remark.

“Be gentle. She is a product that must be handled with caution.”

“Hey, Hyungnim. This is customer satisfaction delivery. Even Sergeant Baek would
approve, don’t you think?”

As we exchanged such conversations, the side of the truck’s cargo compartment,

where several subordinates in protective suits and the client who had been
monitoring the situation on a monitor were located, began to fold down, making a
motorized sound. With a walking stick in hand and a slightly uncomfortable leg, the
client, Baek Yeong-hun, a former naval sergeant and the father of Baek Seung-yeon,
whom Do Won-hee had killed, looked at Do Won-hee, who was being dragged closer,
with a cold and indifferent gaze.

This man was the client for this hunt and would be joining our organization from
today, as well as the one who had been unfairly discharged due to undue pressure,
not as a reservist.

Suyeon had found this valuable recruit in a homeless shelter near Seoul Station. He
had a history of serving as an electrical engineer on a ‘Dolphin’-class submarine
during his time in the Navy.

Once I and Kyung-tae climbed up into the workspace, the side of the cargo
compartment closed again. Only when the door was completely closed did Kyung-tae
toss the prey as if discarding it. Do Won-hee fell to the ground at the client’s feet. I
also released the back of the body I had been holding. The organic being known as
Park Beomgyu crumpled and crinkled as it folded.

“……Hng!”

Do Won-hee, who met eyes with Sergeant Baek, paled and took a step back. However,
her hand remained in her pocket. Thump, thump, thump. Shouting earlier to capture
a hostage, it was clear that her judgment was not fitting for her age. Perhaps if left
alone, she could have turned into a major problem.

“Load them up.”

With the obvious order given, the subordinates in protective suits began to work on
disposing of the bodies. This included putting the bodies of the deceased, including
Park Beomgyu, into the same ‘bathtub’ as the deceased security personnel. The six
sealed containers on the two-axle stabilizers were useful tools that allowed the
bodies to be decomposed even while driving, safely storing and dispersing corrosive
gases. There was no need to worry about odor complaints when driving on deserted
roads while releasing the gas.

Tears welled up in Do Won-hee’s eyes.

“Spare me.”

She had nowhere else to go.

It seemed like she didn’t have the courage to look at her henchmen as they entered
the bathtub.

“I-I really made a mistake. Please forgive me just once. Will you?”

I ignored the sobbing voice and watched Sergeant Baek as I carried out the orders.

“Sergeant Baek Yeong-hun. Can I consider you my subordinate now?”

“……Yes.”

“Good. From now on, speak freely.”

At this, Sergeant Baek Yeong-hun’s gloomy gaze, which had been fixed on the prey,
turned toward me. His deeply sunken eyes were like dry wells, filled only with a cold
chill and determination. I felt a small sense of satisfaction knowing that there was no
sign of regret. While it might be difficult to expect blind loyalty, the likelihood of
betrayal seemed slim. These were the eyes of someone without desires other than
survival.

“Do you remember the terms of our deal?”

Sergeant Baek asked with a faint smirk.

“I owe my life, and I will repay it with my life. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right.”

“When do I start working?”

“After we’ve got your body in shape.”

Just a month and a half ago, Sergeant Baek had been a homeless man suffering from
malnutrition and alcoholism, his body severely damaged. To build up the physical
stamina required for a voyage, he would need a considerable period of care and
rehabilitation. Circuit engraving and adjustment were not yet under consideration. It
might be different if natural awakening became inevitable.

In any case, it would take quite some time to secure the first submarine. Just three
days ago, I received a call that we had finally found a ‘Connection Seller’ from the
White Chief. Even if I were to board a plane to Houston the day after tomorrow, there
were many obstacles to overcome before ultimately achieving success.

From the end of the workspace, a faint sobbing sound could be heard.

“Please spare me… I’ll give you as much money as my dad has…”

Do Won-hee. Outwardly, she appeared to be just a scared college girl crying, but
there was no one here who would be fooled by that facade. After all, no matter how
you look at it, she was a murderer. Tears of a murderer, whether adult or not, were
crocodile tears. If ever there were tears I would shed, it would be the same.

“I can arrange a separate place for you.”

Ignoring anyone else’s gaze and taking enough time to vent one’s anger, I made the
proposal, but Sergeant Baek slowly shook his head and declined.

“We’ll finish it here.”

“Aren’t you going to regret it later?”

“It’s fine. Just make sure that brat’s parents are well taken care of.”
“Alright.”

Parents who helped absolve their child’s guilt would soon shoulder their own
responsibility. It would be a simple traffic accident. I also planned to expose the
corruption of her uncle in the military at some distance and bury it. There would be
a lot of rumors for a while, but the alibi was thoroughly prepared.

“What are you talking about?”

Do Won-hee, who had stopped crying, asked urgently.

“What are you going to do to my parents?”

It seemed like her love for her parents ran deep, no matter how she appeared.

“Speak! Tell me!”

Approaching with a limp, Sergeant Baek Yeong-hun violently pushed down his
daughter’s enemy. No matter how weakened he had become, Baek Yeong-hun was
still a former soldier by name. The cries of the prey soon turned into a choking
sound. The hand with manicured fingernails dug into the former soldier’s forearm,
and the foot in sneakers kicked the empty ground for a moment. Do Won-hee’s arms,
weakened by the loss of strength, fell lightly on the cold floor. Reddish blood
gradually flowed from her congested eyeballs. If you were to put red ink on a white
canvas, it would look somewhat similar.

The former soldier continued to exert force with his grip for quite some time
afterward.

 1. Ahjussi
Two days later, in the eastern suburbs of Houston.

The Mexican fugitive introduced by the chieftain was living a quiet retirement life on
a ranch close to the lake and the sea. To be honest, it was quite unexpected. I had
anticipated a rough life of squandering money on gambling and drugs, leading to
destitution. Not only because of preconceptions about cartels but also because I
believed he had to reach that point before he would finally offer his connections.

‘By the way, he asked me to buy dog food on the way.’

I could understand showing me around the front yard, but it was the first time
someone had asked me to buy dog food. I couldn’t tell if the person was naive or
intentionally testing my reaction. If the chieftain hadn’t explained that he was closer
to the former, I might have simply ignored it. If it was an attempt to test my
disposition, well, there was a chance I might not comply.

A faint smell of manure seeped in through the open window with the chilly winds.
The sign that read “Dos Vaqueros” was getting closer as we drove at speed.

“We’re here.”

Kyung-tae, who had taken the wheel himself, parked the car in front of the store. The
escort vehicles that had been following us parked on either side. The land had plenty
of pastures, but it wasn’t a comfortable place for people to live, as many trees opened
their circuits and distributed themselves near the quiet store.

“Will you wait in the car, or…”

“I’ll enjoy the winds too.”

“Sure.”

Kyung-tae, who had gotten out of the car, opened the door for me. The guys in the
escort vehicle were waiting inside.

Bawk, bawk, bawk.

I watched as the chicks pecked at the feed in the chicken coop fence. Among these
aspiring roosters, there were individuals with opened circuits. There seemed to be
some connection with the bloodstains left in the corner of the chicken coop. Kyung-
tae clicked his tongue, savoring the moment.

“It might be harder to eat chicken from now on.”

Even though they couldn’t see everything as I could, the guys I had personally
adjusted to awakening for had senses open enough to indirectly perceive changes in
the magical field. In other words, they had the ability to detect awakenings. The guy
who occasionally ordered chicken and beer for the organization’s headquarters
expressed genuine concern in his sighs.

“Are you really worried about that?”

“Hyungnim, chicken is a very serious matter. Haven’t you heard the saying that C
between B and D is the chicken between birth and death? The disappearance of
chicken is like the disappearance of life itself.” (+) [1]

Suyeon slightly furrowed her brow.

“You’re making jokes too lightly in front of Hyungnim.”

“Oh, Noonim. This is a trend, a trend. Who else but me could keep Hyungnim up to
date with the trends of today’s generation? I’m here to help Hyungnim stay young
not only in body but also in mind. People age as much as they fall behind in trends,
you know.”

“……”

Suyeon, with a puzzled expression, kept her mouth shut, not knowing what to
respond with. Turning a taciturn person into one who displays such a variety of
expressions could also be considered an ability.

Although it was a joke, Kyung-tae’s prediction had its reasons, as always. The reason
there might be more chicken restaurants in Korea than McDonald’s outlets
worldwide could be that chicken was considered a representative of humble,
commoner food. However, in the future, discerning between chicks would require
awakening individuals with the ability and sense, and even mass breeding and
mechanical slaughter using battery cages could become more difficult due to
frequent accidents. When that day came, the prices of all meats that relied on factory
farming would skyrocket. The success of the franchise business would no longer be
the same as it is today.

In fact, the market had already shown signs of this change. It had been discussed in
detail in the 3rd quarter investment report by Kim-ssi in Yeouido.

Ding, ding…

Hearing the clear sound of a notification bell, a staff member who was tidying up the
shelves welcomed us with a smile.

“Hola.”

“Hola.”

Kyung-tae, upon receiving the greeting, showed the staff member a note with the
name of the feed written on it. The staff member, understanding, gestured toward
the interior of the spacious store. One of the security personnel followed the staff
member. The staff member, who walked ahead, was openly carrying a pistol.

Meanwhile, I glanced at the newspapers on display in front of the counter and the
posters on the corkboard on the wall. Among the posters, one that stood out
prominently was a recruitment notice for a local militia.

[Old River Tau-Militia is recruiting new members!]

The notice was written in both English and Spanish and mentioned that anyone in
the Tau-Power region could apply.

“Tau-Power” here was, of course, a local expression meaning supernatural power.

The series of events leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, which were ultimately
canceled without even having a closing ceremony, had been a turning point in
making humanity realize the changes occurring in the world. There had been signs
and incidents before, but the impact of the failed Olympics was unprecedented.
Here, Suyeon’s actions against London also had a great effect.

‘The Marquis of Exeter, Count of Wiltshire, Count of Uxbridge, Lord Boyle of Derby,
and the daughter of the Count of Plymouth… ’

A list of nobles with a high probability of being contacted by the Round Table Cabinet
for the domination of the magical world order. Based on this list I provided, Suyeon
succeeded in exposing the contacts between the Round Table’s Masters and the
intelligence networks of various countries in London. It was a remarkable
achievement that made the eight million dollars spent on the budget seem well
worth it. The hacking group that received more than half of that budget would
probably be raising their glasses at a luxurious resort somewhere in the third world
right now.

On the other hand, because intelligence agencies around the world had already
caught a whiff of it, it was a relatively easy task. In the public’s eyes, the Tor
network’s hidden services, commonly referred to as the “Dark Web” or “Dark Net,”
alone held a number of requests related to valuing information. Just the size of the
implied compensation alone indicated that there was something substantial behind
it.

This was due to the power struggle within the Round Table leadership, which had
spilled over to affect even the nobility attending The Senate. While the British Senate
was just an honorary gathering, it still held significance within certain circles of
British politics. However, it was arrogant to hope that their secrets could be
maintained while they openly quarreled and drew attention, even from the nobility.

The aged imperialists, blinded by greed, had lost their advantage. I owe them deep
thanks for their mistakes.

“We found it.”

One of my subordinates, carrying a bag of dog food, approached and placed it on the
counter. I paid for the dog food, along with the local newspaper, “Houston Chronicle,”
which I had picked up while waiting.

Sitting in the car, I began to read the newspaper. Nowadays, I rarely had the time to
look at printed text, so the smell of paper and ink felt especially nostalgic. The pages
of the “Houston Chronicle” were filled with various incidents and accidents, more
than one would expect for a local newspaper. It was evidence that the world was in
turmoil, even at the local level.

Nevertheless, the front-page headline covered the largest armed robbery in history,
which had occurred at the Bank of France.

“It looks interesting.”

“What do you mean?”

“The European gangsters.”

“Ah.”

Kyung-tae immediately understood what I meant just from hearing the term
“European gangsters.” Considering the amount of media attention and the coverage
by influential outlets worldwide, it was impossible not to know about it.

Kyung-tae gave me a disgruntled look, saying.

“To think that even Kim Kyung-tae would be surpassed. How do those guys look, I
wonder?”

“Hmm? Surpassed you?”

“I mean the amount, the amount. I’m not saying this out of greed or anything, but
they’ve crossed the 1.9 trillion mark, after all. I’ve held the title of world champion
for several years now. Taking all expenses into account, wouldn’t it be a perfect
defeat on my part?”

“…”

In a half-joking manner, he boasted about his skills, drawing a sigh from Suyeon.

This time, the stolen gold bars and cash at the Bank of France amounted to 1.52
billion euros, just over 2 trillion won. Prior to the Bank of France incident, the largest
robbery had been the Bank of England heist in 2009, which was worth
approximately 900 million won. Even considering inflation, France had lost nearly
twenty times more than the UK. The media would surely make a fuss about it.
I sent my sincere compliments to the robbers who Kyung-tae wanted to see.

‘Those bastards were really screwed.’

If it weren’t for the unfortunate connection with the Round Table, my most despised
nation would have been France, not the UK. These lunatics were still the dominant
imperialist nation in the 21st century, running colonies in Africa. Independence was
merely nominal. I hoped that the assets they lost this time were 100% pure French
gold and bills, as dealing with the foreign exchange of African nations bound by
“colonial agreements” would not be enjoyable at all.

In a world where selected humans could become close to bipedal equipment, the
security systems of ancient times had undergone inevitable changes and decay in
various ways.

The entrance road to the destination, the ranch, stretched for 600 meters through
the green pasture, far from the national highway. Even to my unobstructed eyes,
there were only a few buildings within a few square kilometers. Apart from that,
sporadic windbreaks and dark-stained trees formed the boundaries of the property
on the other side of the pasture. The road on this sparsely traveled property was
covered in dusty soil brought by the winds from the sea and the plains. As the line of
vehicles moved, the dust kicked up, causing some nameless wildflowers to sway at
knee height.

It was a peaceful and serene landscape that gave a sense of tranquility. If I were to
retire one day, I’d want to live in such a static and quiet place. It would be perfect if
there were no other people there.

The vehicle came to a stop. Once again, Kyung-tae was the first to get out and open
the door. In front of the ranch, a large satellite dish stood like a decorative ornament
in the middle of the open field. It resembled a snowman made by rolling snowballs
together, complete with a rounded appearance. After getting out of the car, I
instructed Kyung-tae and Suyeon to proceed. The former cartel boss, who was
waiting for us leaning against a pillar near the entrance to his residence, raised his
hat in greeting when our eyes met.

“ Mucho gusto [2] . You’ve come a long way; I appreciate it.”

Beside the former cartel boss stood a woman who appeared to be his wife. They
seemed quite relieved to see most of the security guards waiting near the car. I
approached the boss, extending a gloved hand, disregarding the submachine gun he
held at an angle.

“You may have heard it from the chief, but my name is Hwang.”

“Huang.”

The boss repeated my alias while shaking hands.

“You appear much younger in person than I expected, probably because you’re Asian.
I’m Ricardo, and this is my wife, Araceli.”

Ricardo and Araceli. Were these their real names or aliases? In truth, even if they
were their real names, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. High-ranking
cartel fugitives typically had several identities prepared, and as long as they lived
quietly and paid their taxes, the US authorities wouldn’t pay much attention to their
names. As long as they didn’t get caught red-handed.

Moreover, in Mexico, first names were tools of anonymity. Because there were so
many repeated names among the people there, they often referred to each other
using their last names officially and informal nicknames (apodos) privately. The fact
that cartel bosses called themselves by various nicknames was not unrelated to this
cultural practice.

The fugitive received the dog food from Kyung-tae, placed it near the entrance,
thanked us briefly, and then signaled with a fist bump, asking indirectly.

“Earlier, I noticed a drone flying around in the distance. Was that you guys who sent
it?”

Indeed, there was a designated security team that was dispatched whenever
necessary, responsible for identifying threats beyond my line of sight. I nodded in
confirmation.

“You noticed it well. It was just routine reconnaissance. Did it make you
uncomfortable?”

“It was unsettling. Caution is good, especially if it’s the caution of a business partner.”
Ricardo chuckled and nodded in the direction of his wife.

“That’s why I would appreciate it if you considered the fact that you were brought
here from so far away and my wife’s cautiousness as caution. Even though you were
introduced by the chief, it’s still quite unsettling to welcome someone without a
single gun in my former workplace.”

“I understand. After all, one’s life is the best guarantee of good manners.”

“Haha! That’s a splendid expression! It seems like you’re growing on me already.

Let’s go inside.”

Ricardo opened the door and gestured for us to enter. As we walked, the wooden
floor creaked softly underfoot. I stepped into the negotiation room, where the air
carried the scent of dry firewood and lavender.

This phrase “C between B and D is the chicken between birth and death? The
disappearance of chicken is like the disappearance of life itself.” is a humorous play
on words in Korean, using the letters of the alphabet as placeholders for concepts.
Let me break it down:

B: Birth (탄생 in Korean)

C: Chicken (치킨 in Korean)

D: Death (죽음 in Korean)

So, in this phrase, “C” (Chicken) is humorously placed between “B” (Birth) and “D”
(Death). The saying suggests that chicken (in the context of eating chicken) is
something enjoyable and often consumed between the two significant life events of
birth and death. It’s a lighthearted way of emphasizing the importance or enjoyment
of simple pleasures like eating chicken in life.

In essence, it’s a humorous way of saying that chicken is a significant and enjoyable
part of life, like a comforting and tasty experience between the profound moments of
birth and death.
 1. TLN: I’ll explain this below.

 2. Nice to meet you

The host ushered the guest into the living room and asked me while offering me to
sit.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“Something to drink, yes. Just a glass of water, please.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

Upon hearing my reply, Ricardo raised his eyebrows and shoulders, then quickly
fetched two glasses of water. I took my first step into what seemed like a carefully
chosen negotiation ground, waiting for him to sit on the opposite side.

“Ricardo, I heard that you used to work in the infrastructure division of the ‘Cartel
del Noreste’ in the past. Your brother is still with the Northeast Cartel, isn’t he?”

“Roughly correct.”

“Roughly?”

“My role was more accurately in installing and operating supply points. It was more
akin to a quartermaster than a simple facilities manager. And my brother is part of
the ‘Tropa del Infierno’, a top-notch strike force under the Northeast Cartel. I don’t
know if you’ve heard of them.”

“I’ve heard of them.”

Knowledge was power, and thorough research on your negotiating partner was a
prerequisite for successful negotiations. Leaning against the backrest, I crossed my
legs and continued.
“Knowing your brother’s affiliation brings something to mind. At the beginning of
this year, Comandante (Commander) Cisneros, also known as Hugo Alejandro
Salcido Cisneros, was assassinated along with his aides. I believe it happened in
Nuevo Laredo, right?”

“You seem to know more than I expected.”

Ricardo didn’t hide his surprise.

Comandante Cisneros, whose full name was Hugo Alejandro Salcido Cisneros, was in
command of the Tropa del Infierno. And Nuevo Laredo, situated along the U.S.-
Mexico border, was one of the major drug trafficking routes for the Cartel del
Noreste.

Cisneros’s death was proof that Mexican President Obrador’s determination to

eradicate cartels from the country was not yet broken. Although the president had
declared that he would abandon the war against crime, it was more like an
announcement that they would stop an all-out war. Looking at the constant arrests
and deaths of cartel members, it was clear that those who had been complacent with
the government’s surrender declaration were being naive.

Somehow, I had a feeling.

“Living so peacefully—”

I said, casting a glance out the window.

“And then suddenly feeling the need to trade with me… Could that be related to that
incident? Generational changes are always accompanied by noise.

Ricardo paused, stroked his beard for a moment, and seemed hesitant before he
admitted.

“Once again, you’re right.”

“Shall we hear the details?”

Instead of answering, Ricardo stared at me in silence. The absence of his usual smile
made the silence somewhat nervously static. The source of this tension was probably
his own uneasiness, not me. It was a problem that he was so obviously inexperienced
in negotiations. It could make it easy to underestimate the other party. I had to
control myself to avoid doing just that. I chose to guide the conversation in a way
that wouldn’t lead to ignoring him.

“Seems like you’re pondering where to start, but it’s too late.”

“Late?”

“Late as in you’ve already made a mistake.”

“Mistake?”

“Yes, a mistake. You haven’t denied that what you’re expecting from me is related to
the organization’s generational shift, and you’ve admitted that you have no regrets
about your life up to this point.”

When it came to cartels, bloodshed was often inevitable during a generational

change, especially if it was caused by a sudden power vacuum due to a leader’s
death.

“If your brother is a party or an insider involved in the leadership change, then the
time you have is not long. These factional conflicts are crucial, depending on which
side gains the upper hand first. It can be a one-time victory or a matter of life and
death.”

Ricardo’s eyes now carried the chill of someone who had taken lives before.

“Right. I made a slip of the tongue from the very beginning.”

His armed wife raised an eyebrow as her husband’s demeanor changed. This was
another clue about their lifestyle. It seemed like they were leading a truly rare
retirement life for former cartel high-ranking members. I nodded lightly and
changed the topic.

“It’s a slightly different story, but earlier this year, I made a significant trade deal
with the mainland Triads.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Listen. Those Chinese were making a mistake just like you.”

“…”

“At that time, our company could get a significant concession just by stalling. As
someone who used to be the ‘quartermaster’ of the cartel, you probably have a good
idea of the usual profit margins for weapons and ammunition. Would you like to try
matching how much profit, or margin, per assault rifle, shipped from somewhere in
Northeast Asia into the ‘Golden Triangle,’ was eventually made?”

Ricardo’s eyes softened slightly as he thought. He was likely contemplating how

much margin I left in Myanmar, as well as what my intentions were with such a
question.

“Let’s say around 2,000 percent?”

I shook my head.

“4,130 percent. I received the price of a Mercedes-Benz for each full-option assault
rifle.”

“That is insane.”

The expletive that immediately came out was repeated with an incredulous tone.

“That is insane! Huang, were you a scammer?” (+) [1]

It was only natural to show this much seriousness when he had practical experience.
For someone like Ricardo, who had dealt with real-world logistics, it was natural to
react this way. Handing over a full-option assault rifle for a price equivalent to a
Mercedes-Benz, which cost around 54.4 million Korean won this year, was quite
literally a scam-like transaction.

Although I planned to receive the compensation through barter, the Chinese had
subtly maneuvered to minimize losses by paying with items that had no market
price. Their strategy was to reduce losses by declaring that the equipment had no
official market value due to its scarcity.

‘Well, even if you look at it that way, selling drugs can quickly make up for the loss.’

That’s right. Just as the CIA once funded itself by selling drugs, the funds of these
Chinese gangsters who operate in the underworld ultimately came from the drug
trade. That money circulated and eventually reached me.

China had been supporting not only the United Wa State Army (UWSA) with
weapons but also drug manufacturing facilities. The influence of the UWSA spanned
the infamous Southeast Asian “Golden Triangle,” producing and distributing drugs
like methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl, earning an estimated annual income of
40 billion dollars, roughly 50 trillion Korean won. Given their conservative nature,
the actual scale was likely much larger. This was because almost all the fentanyl that
went from China to America came from here.

As with all businesses supported by the Chinese, the majority of the profits naturally
went to the Chinese investors. It was not surprising that even the leader of the UWSA
used a Chinese-style name.

The official stance of the Chinese Communist Party regarding drugs was that they
were the enemy of the nation and the people, but that was just for show. Those at the
top of the party and the entrepreneurs connected to them had turned the land of the
Wa people into one of the world’s largest drug production areas. Local authorities
only cracked down as much as was necessary for performance, face-saving, and
diplomatic reasons.

So, along the China-Myanmar border, advanced countries, especially the United
States, had set up surveillance networks to counter China’s expanding influence and
drug trafficking. This was also another reason why these Chinese gangsters had to
find subcontractors in third countries belonging to the Western sphere.

“Don’t be too surprised.”

I shrugged.

“Those guys are doing a business that’s making so much money that even if they
bought all the goods I handed over at full price, they’d still have a lot.”

“What kind of business is that?”

“Drug trafficking. What other business can guarantee that level of profitability?”

Myanmar’s ordinary Wa tribe village in the north produced a number of drugs that
rivaled a small cartel’s distribution. Moreover, that region was highly centralized,
eliminating the decentralized inefficiencies found in Central and South America. In
May, for instance, from just one unlucky external distribution warehouse, a total of
18 tons of methamphetamine, worth $10 billion, poured out.

No matter how much Mexican cartels brag about their power, they couldn’t beat the
Chinese Communist Party. In every aspect of the black economy, those fake
communists maintained their position as the world’s number one with an
overwhelming lead.

I snapped my fingers to refocus his attention.

“Now, Ricardo, what do you think is the reason I’ve been telling you all of this?”

“Perhaps you won’t try to stall for time and profit when dealing with me?”

“That’s correct.”

“Why?”

“Because the chief is my friend, and you are someone he introduced to me.”

It was an unexpected answer, and Ricardo’s expression flickered with surprise.

The “Los Zetas” cartel was originally composed of former special forces members,
and the organizational culture was very military-like. The young negotiator in front
of me had repeatedly referred to himself as a “quartermaster,” most likely due to the
influence of the organization’s culture or his past military service.

‘It seems that this kind of code works well with guys who have camaraderie.’

Words were tools used to gauge one another. Regardless of whether their
camaraderie was genuine or not, what mattered was that the parties involved
believed it was real.

I adopted a languid tone, exuding an air of relaxation.

“That’s why you should pass on the message to your underground friends. Here,
there won’t be any fights or a need to escape through tunnels.”

Shock filled the eyes staring back at me.

“How on earth did you…”

“Let’s just call this my caution. ‘Caution on the part of the trading partner is a good
thing,’ isn’t that right?”

The self-proclaimed quartermaster hesitated for a moment before a disheartened

laugh escaped him. He couldn’t possibly imagine that I had eyes that could see
underground. The three armed men below seemed confused. They had been
eavesdropping on our conversation in the negotiation room through the bug
concealed in the landlord’s vest. A dog wagged its tail vigorously toward them.

“Why don’t you also ask your friends to come up? If your friends from Mexico came
all the way here with you, they can’t just be casual acquaintances. They seem like
people who would move together with you when you move.”

I finished my sentence and took a sip of water to moisten my dry throat. Ricardo
turned to his wife with an awkward expression.

“Araceli, tell everyone to come up.”

The source of the awkwardness was undoubtedly the bug. The fact that a
conversation that should have been kept secret was being eavesdropped on was now
openly acknowledged. They were putting on an unfamiliar act.

‘Alright.’

With this alone, I had overcome one of the difficult hurdles in the negotiation.
Ricardo was now confined within the framework I had set. The regret was not mine
but Ricardo’s.

To tell the truth, the limited time given to Ricardo was a disadvantage for me as well.
I had to conclude the contract somehow. If the negotiations fell apart here, the
London operation would be delayed accordingly, and I would have to bear the
additional risks associated with the delay. But how would this quartermaster discern
my dissatisfaction? The essence of every negotiation was to hide one’s weaknesses
while probing the weaknesses of the other party.

Now Ricardo had realized that he was just a novice negotiator. Simultaneously, due
to the honesty I had shown, he might unconsciously perceive it as being difficult to
find a better trading partner like me. Furthermore, by mentioning the trade with
China, I had subconsciously conveyed the impression of my stature through its scale.

The outcome of all these causes would undoubtedly be a negotiation that proceeded
swiftly and progressively. It was good for me, and it was good for the quartermaster
too. All I had to do was make sure that the conversation didn’t veer off in an
unexpected direction. As long as I didn’t give room for deeper thought, it would be
enough.

 1. TLN: Reminder that the MC called himself “Hwang,” but in Ricardo’s case, his
pronunciation of MC’s name is a little bit wrong. Also, a fun fact, Huang can
also mean yellow.
The names of the three who emerged from the basement were Raul, Jorge, and
Miguel. Ricardo introduced them in order of rank, essentially mentioning their
military ranks from their time in the armed forces. Even the lowest-ranked Miguel
wasn’t just a simple soldier, which was quite impressive. Their mere presence here
hinted at a lot.

‘Group defection is almost always due to political reasons.’

Just as politics played a role in national politics, internal power struggles were also a
form of politics. Presumably, the cartels’ top brass and their subordinates retired as a
result of factional infighting. They had been “removed” from the “line.” Even if they
received services from the casino, conceding defeat was apparent, and it was a
voluntary retirement to some extent.

How often do high-ranking members retire from criminal organizations just out of
loyalty? Especially if each of them was at the level of a mid-level officer? One person
might be a coincidence, but if there were two, it was suspicious; if there were three,
there was no need to look for further evidence.

Using a bit more imagination, one could even speculate that the faction that had
removed Ricardo in the past was involved in the side trying to restrain Ricardo’s
younger brother.

I didn’t mention this possibility aloud. Whether I was right or wrong, it was still a
problem. The former was embarrassing, and the latter was reckless, as it could
heighten suspicion. A negotiation that merely suppressed the opponent’s morale was
unlikely to be a good negotiation.

“Are the four of you from the same unit by any chance?”

In response to my question, Ricardo gave a faint smile.

“Yes. We’ve been comrades for 14 years.”

“I suspected as much.”

“You had a hunch, didn’t you? I doubt you went through all this trouble just for
‘caution.'”

I could feel a slightly nervous tension. It was probably due to the fact that the friends
from the basement and the tunnel leading to the barn were discovered. I pretended
not to notice this sharpness.

“I heard that in the past, ‘Los Zetas’ had many cases where former comrades in arms
became involved with the cartel. I wondered how things have changed now, but it
seems like that aspect hasn’t changed much from the past.”

“Um…”

Ricardo, who seemed to be contemplating, slowly shook his head.

“No, that’s not it.”

Regret was evident in his voice.

“I hoped it wouldn’t change, but it has changed a lot. The ‘Los Zetas’ during the time
of General El Kelvin is gone for good. We’re here now, just rookies from the best days
and old soldiers reminiscing about the past.”

There was a certain irony in Ricardo’s eyes that I found quite amusing. Whether then
or now, Los Zetas was an organization notorious for frequent civilian massacres. The
fact that people who had been a part of such an organization were still indulging in
their self-righteousness was absurd. At least I didn’t get carried away like that. I was
a dirty human living in a dirty world.

El Kelvin was the nickname used by Rogelio Gonzalez Pizana, the second
commander-in-chief of the Los Zetas cartel, known as ‘Z-2.’ Under Gonzalez, Los
Zetas were not divided into the three main factions and regional rulers as they were
now, and they still retained the military identity established by the first commander-
in-chief, ‘Z-1’ Guzman. The four here were the leaders who had served in the
organization during that time.

Looking at it from another perspective, it was somewhat surprising.

‘These guys ultimately survived the Los Zetas’ major split. They’re tough guys for
cartel bosses, no matter what the supply chain was like.’

Even if he was a novice negotiator, his abilities and tactics as a mid-level officer were
quite impressive. Or maybe he was incredibly lucky. Either way, there were enough
reasons to revise the evaluation of the people in front of me. In this world, luck was
also a skill, and experience was accumulated through luck as well.

“My apologies.”

I shifted my posture to refresh my attention.

“Now, let’s go back to the main topic… when and how much do I need to pay to get
what I want, how will you acquire the goods, and how will you prove your ability?”

“Proof… yes.”

Ricardo, stroking his mustache meaninglessly, finally began to speak.

“Within the ‘Northeast Cartel,’ there are individuals who have acquired the technical
know-how and blueprints to support my younger brother.”

“Technical know-how and blueprints? Does that mean you’ll start construction from
now on, or are you offering the technology instead of the actual product?”

“The latter. If you’re satisfied with just one or two vessels for urgent use, that would
be a shame. It would be more advantageous for you to have production capabilities,
especially as a weapons dealer like yourself.”

Of course, it would be advantageous. The cartel’s submarines were small and were
manufactured inland, then transported down rivers to the sea. The construction
facilities were not on the level of a full-fledged shipyard, but more like large
warehouses. Therefore, once you had the technology, you could set up facilities and
manpower somewhere in a remote area like the Philippines or Indonesia and
produced as many as you wanted, even with some trial and error at first.

However, there was one concern.

“Everything sounds good, but there’s one question.”

“What is it?”

“It’s the fact that the organization you represent is both ‘Los Zetas’ and the
‘Northeast Cartel.’ Can the ‘Northeast Cartel’ meet the ROC I’ve presented using its
own technology? I have to be skeptical.”

ROC. This term stood for Required Operational Capability and literally referred to the
specific performance the buyer demanded from the supplier when procuring a
particular piece of equipment.

What I wanted was a top-of-the-line smuggling submarine that could maintain a

cruising speed of 4 knots, submerge to a certain depth for a certain amount of time,
exhibit high acoustic stealth and mechanical reliability, and cross the ocean with a
minimum of 10 tons of cargo on board. Additionally, the hull must be made of non-
metallic composite materials to be free from magnetic anomaly detection (MAD).

This ROC represented the pinnacle of submarine manufacturing technology

accumulated by all cartels. The ‘Cartel del Noreste’ likely didn’t possess such
advanced technology, as maritime smuggling was not its primary focus. After a
moment of silence, Ricardo, who had been quiet, responded with a troubled
expression.

“The technicians were brought in from the Sinaloa region. I heard they also brought
the blueprints. It cost quite a bit.”

Was that so? The ‘Sinaloa Cartel’ was undoubtedly the number one player in the
industry with no room for doubt. The cost incurred would undoubtedly include
many lives.

“Don’t feel too bad about it. It was something we had to do.”

“No. I understand. We were… behind in such matters.”

Ricardo’s straightforward acknowledgment was something that wouldn’t have come

out if he sensed a dark atmosphere on my side. He would have yelled and cursed at
me.

I prodded at his weaknesses once again.

“So, in the end, you didn’t have the ability to provide a finished product from the
beginning. Acquiring the technology doesn’t immediately guarantee production
capacity.”

Ricardo’s face turned a little redder with my casual jab. I provided some empathy
before his embarrassment deepened.

“Besides, in times like this, it’s necessary to reduce our dependence on regional
operations. Border controls are getting tighter, and land-based smuggling won’t be
as easy as before. It was a wise investment.”

The self-proclaimed ex-military supply officer stared at me for a moment, then took
a cigarette from his pocket without seeking permission. He struck a lighter without
asking and once the flame caught, he inhaled deeply. The smoke, rising up to the
ceiling, dispersed like spilled ink under the slowly rotating ceiling fan. (+) [1]

Seemed like he was getting frustrated with the negotiation I’d dragged on. I
understand the frustration he was feeling, even though I was the one who created
this situation. But still, wasn’t there something called etiquette?

An uneducated brat.

Honestly, from the beginning, this negotiation was a game where I had a one-sided
advantage. ‘Los Zetas’ was too well-known in contrast to my ‘Company,’ which had
almost no known information. There was a stark difference in the difficulty level of
negotiation preparation.

In the end, these cartel underlings had to meet me unarmed and defenseless. It was a
position they couldn’t avoid. Lighting up another cigarette after tapping the previous
one into a tray, Ricardo focused his gaze on me once more.

“We don’t need money. Give us weapons.”

He brought up something pointless and quickly moved on, likely because he didn’t
want to be delayed further.

“I heard you’re quite the arms dealer in the Far East, dealing even more than those
North Koreans. The chief recommended you. You might be someone who does bigger
business than those North Koreans.”

“It just happened to turn out that way.”

“Is it the Asian humility I’ve only heard of?”

“Well… let’s say it’s half humility and half reality. I’d say it’s more that those idiots
have done more wrong than I’ve done right.”

North Korea was a traditional powerhouse in the arms smuggling market, especially
in the Third World. It had an unparalleled position, especially in markets run by poor
Third World nations. There were hardly any nations that still maintained and
operated the old Soviet-era equipment production, modification, and maintenance
lines used by Third World countries. Among the few nations that maintained such
capabilities, North Korea was the only country that dared to step into the smuggling
market, even at the risk of betrayal.

From China’s perspective, it was an acceptable partner for outsourcing. It was a

nation of defective nations involved in smuggling, and there was no worry of betrayal
due to diplomatic circumstances. And, most importantly, if things went south, North
Korea would take all the blame. This was the biggest factor that made North Korea’s
position unique.

However.

‘One thing to remember is that trust is the lifeblood of business.’

For instance, if China was responsible for shipping, whenever they had something
that wasn’t theirs, North Korea would always inspect it. Or if China sent high-quality
domestic rifles and ammunition, by the time they reached their destination, they
would have magically transformed into shoddy North Korean versions. Here, the
term “high-quality” in this context was relative to North Korean standards.

Ultimately, China decided to reduce its reliance on North Korea in trade, and I
indirectly benefited from that decision.

“Anyway, you want weapons…”

I pretended to be lost in thought and tapped the armrest with my fingertips, creating
some space. Under the table, I clenched my fist nervously while lifting my chin
slightly at Ricardo, urging him to continue.

“I’ll consider it after hearing what you have in mind. Item, quantity, deadline, and
location. Please provide each one.”
The supply officer licked his lips and replied.

“800 sets of automatic weapons to arm our men, 800 sets of second-generation or
better night vision goggles and laser sights, 800 red dot sights, 8,000 magazines with
240,000 rounds, 7,200 grenades, 160 machine guns with 32,000 rounds, 80 RPG-7
anti-tank rocket launchers with 640 rockets.”

He listed them off like a madman, especially the rockets. In these times, the value of
rockets had increased significantly in the international arms market. Demanding
numbers that exceeded half the inventory of a typical Somali warlord’s possession in
this situation was no small feat. This calculation, which assumed I wouldn’t gouge
him, was based on the premise of a “quiet” estimate. But, considering it as a
technology transfer cost, it was still a reasonable price. After all, most of these items
were items that had piled up by screwing over the Chinese.

“For the mentioned quantities…”

Ricardo took out the map from his chest and unfolded it with a slowness that would
not irritate my subordinates. Ricardo, in no hurry, tapped a specific port on the west
coast of Mexico with his finger.

“Deliver to the southern pier of Puerto Vallarta by the end of this month.”

This time, the schedule was tight as crazy. If this were a typical order for money, I
would have charged an enormous premium. I kept my eyes on Ricardo’s fingertip
while lifting my right hand and flicking my index finger twice.

“Is it possible?”

“It’s possible.”

After receiving the summons, Suyeon, without hesitation, made an affirmative

whisper after confirming the port’s location.

“We have sufficient inventory, so if you give the order today, it will arrive no later
than 17 days from now. There’s still a margin of about four days until the end of the
month.”

If this girl said it was possible, then it was possible. By now, I was sure my chief of
staff had already drawn up a transportation schedule down to the hour.
However, there was a separate issue. I pushed Suyeon away and looked questioningly
at Ricardo, who was nervous about the conversation between me and Suyeon in
Korean.

“Everything sounds good, but isn’t this within the territory of the Sinaloa Cartel?”

The Sinaloa Cartel, ranking number one among Mexican cartels, had engaged in a
full-scale war with the regular army last year, leading to the president’s de facto
surrender. The reason given by the government for the cessation of hostilities was
closer to “They’re too dirty to fight” than anything else. Regardless, the fact remained
that the government had deployed 2,000 regular troops and 5,000 police forces and
still failed to achieve its goals, which could be considered a humiliating defeat. The
Puerto Vallarta Port was located right in the territory of those dirty individuals.

 1. TLN: Note that quartermaster is also the same as supply officer.

Ricardo quickly dismissed the concern I had raised.

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Why not?”

“Because we have a deal with the navy. Contra Almirante Martínez, who currently
controls that area, will cooperate with you. The ammunition boxes will have
humanitarian aid labels and will be transported to the airport. So, you need to pay
attention to the packaging.”

Contra Almirante Martínez. I didn’t know much about the Mexican military’s rank
structure, but I could tell he was quite high up, given that the word “Almirante
(Admiral)” was involved. However, if he held such a high position and was corrupt
enough to accept bribes, he would probably have already received bribes from the
Sinaloa side…

This could potentially turn into a repeat of the Myanmar incident. The five who were
left behind in the jungle were still a painful memory. They were lives that should
have been put to better use. I added some weight to my suspicion and asked.

“How much can we trust this Admiral Martínez?”

“It’s not about trusting him; it’s about trusting an old comrade he owes a favor to.
You could say it’s a friend’s guarantee. This friend is also in that area, so don’t worry
too much.”

“And who is this friend?”

“Diego. Jose Diego Svaralska.”

Ricardo’s response was filled with confidence, and I could sense a touch of pride
when he mentioned the name. I understood that they had prepared diligently,
whether out of eagerness or urgency. All this preparation was a precaution for
receiving goods from across the Pacific. If the contract with the arms dealer from
Northeast Asia wasn’t finalized, all this preparation would be meaningless.

Despite that, I couldn’t completely shake off my unease. No matter how much effort
went into the preparation, it would all be in vain if the results were disappointing.
Was this truly the rare “friendship guarantee,” or was it a scam masquerading as a
guarantee? In such situations, it was wise to consider the worst-case scenario. I
should accept the deal but also prepare separate security measures…

“Alright.”

Clap! Ricardo clapped his hands.

“I’d like to hear your response soon.”

The eyes of an inexperienced negotiator were fixed on me. Through those eyes, I
glimpsed tension, excitement, and anxiety. Would I try to haggle on the price? Did I
schedule the delivery too urgently? If this negotiation failed, what should I do next?
If it fell through, could I find a new trade route within the given time frame? It was
impatient. This was why negotiations with tight schedules were disadvantageous.
Even when Suyeon was dealing with the Chinese, she took several weeks to reach a
resolution.

“One condition.”

I held up my index finger.

“If we agree to only one condition, your brother won’t run into shortages of weapons
and ammunition.”

Ricardo took a deep breath and asked, his voice trembling.

“What’s that condition?”

“Advance payment. We need to receive half of the blueprints as an advance payment.”

“Wait…”

“And your technicians and our technicians need a chance to communicate with
interpreters present. Before handing over the goods, we need to confirm the fact that
you possess the blueprints and that these blueprints meet the level of quality I
require.”

Up to this point, I had spoken, and then I glanced sideways.

“Have you not even considered an advance payment?”

The supply officer, who had been acting like a malfunctioning robot, struggled to
maintain his composure.

“You can verify the payment when the exchange takes place.”

“Verify the truth on-site?”

Nonsense. I couldn’t help but sneer at the absurdity of it.

“Ricardo, what I need to receive are the blueprints of the submarine. I’m not talking
about some ordinary semi-submersible, but the blueprints of a top-notch, state-of-
the-art submarine with all sorts of advanced technology. How long do you think it
will take for a technical verification of those blueprints?”

Therefore, I needed enough time to be able to turn the ship around mid-voyage. I
firmly stated,

“Exactly half of the entire blueprint. Until that is in my hands, the shipment won’t
leave the home port.”

“Half is too much!”

“Then there’s no deal.”

“You!”

Thud! Ricardo’s voice had become louder, but it was my hand that slammed the table.
Creating a momentary silence, I leaned forward and spoke in a low tone,

“Remember that I promised not to exploit your position from the beginning.”

“…”
“I showed goodwill by accepting the quantities and deadlines you mentioned
without any deductions, and now it’s your turn to reciprocate. Isn’t it common sense
that if one thing goes, one thing should come back?”

Ricardo closed his mouth with an uncomfortable expression. He probably wanted to

argue, but there was no point since I had logically cornered him from start to finish.
The deal was going smoothly, and I had already offered very favorable conditions. I
had made my decision and, like him, I couldn’t afford to ruin this negotiation.

However, the reason he couldn’t shake his vague uneasiness was simple.

‘He can’t quite grasp it. Even if he gives half of the blueprints as an advance payment,
is that acceptable?’

It was natural to feel anxious when you had little or no technical knowledge. Or
perhaps it was because he didn’t know if it was within his authority.

“What’s your answer?”

I urged him to respond with a chin gesture. In response, Ricardo, his face tense, his
mustache twitched, and took on a defensive stance.

“Give me a moment. We need to discuss this among ourselves.”

“Don’t keep me waiting too long.”

As I leaned back, Ricardo stood up from his seat. The moment he turned away, his
tired expression became evident. The military supply officers left Miguel and Araceli
in the reception room and went upstairs with three of them, but it wasn’t for their
internal discussions. Ricardo’s room had a fairly sophisticated radio setup connected
to a desktop computer, and Raul and Jorge were just screens.

“Suyeon.”

“Yes.”

“Bring me a notepad and a pen.”

I recorded the frequency of the radio that Ricardo was using on the notepad that
Suyeon handed me. Miguel and Araceli seemed a bit concerned about the Korean
language used, but that was all.

‘These guys even have satellites, it seems.’

For personal-operated radio equipment, no matter how strong the output was, the
effective communication range didn’t exceed 30 to 40 kilometers. In other words,
communication with Mexico, which was about 400 kilometers away, was impossible.

However, there were two ways to make it possible: one was to use moonbounce
technology, and the other was to use satellites. Moonbounce technology was only
possible when the moon was in the right position, so the radio waves headed for
Mexico had to use satellites. The former high-ranking members of the Mexican cartel
probably wouldn’t borrow amateur radio satellites (AMSAT) or commercial
satellites, so ultimately, those satellites would be considered cartel property.

It was not a big deal. Even my organization’s front companies owned 41 satellites.
These were not the grandiose satellites that came to mind when people think of
artificial satellites; they were small, ranging from 1 kg to 6 kg, called CubeSats. The
cost of launching them was only about 100 million won per kilogram. With good
timing, it could be done for even half that price. NASA even declared that they would
reduce this cost to $1,000 this year, although that plan went south due to the COVID-
19 pandemic.

Anyway, what amazed me was that the cartel guys had come up with the idea of
launching satellites. It was not difficult, but it required a significant shift in thinking
and the acquisition of technical expertise. Artificial satellites were a field completely
different from the cartel’s traditional businesses and organizational techniques.

The supply officer, who had been struggling with the codebook in front of the radio
and computer, finally came downstairs, taking more than 20 minutes even after
copying everything in the codebook. I was already aware of the results as I watched
the monitor screen. The supply officer received a single file through an email
account.

Although it was a boring wait for me, objectively speaking, Ricardo’s brothers had
made a very prompt decision. I didn’t know how high their ranks were, but they
didn’t seem to be stupid leaders.

Ricardo, who was sitting on the couch, placed a USB memory stick on the table.
“We accept the conditions.”

“A wise decision. Suyeon.”

My secretary, who had come closer again, plugged the cable into the tablet for work
and connected the USB. The PDF file stored in it was originally a DWG extension,
which was a conversion of the blueprints. I quickly glanced through the drawings,
one by one. They would have to be properly verified at headquarters to be certain,
but from a weapons expert’s perspective, the probability of them being fake seemed
slim.

After checking the last page, I looked up from the tablet.

“Will there be an opportunity for the technicians to exchange opinions?”

“We will inform you separately through the chieftain. We will also provide the
contact method later. So, let’s start with the shipment first. It must arrive by the end
of the month.”

“Let’s do that.”

“It’s best not to disappoint us.”

“Don’t be surprised if the goods arrive too quickly. Be prepared to receive them in
advance.”

“…I’ll try to have faith in that confidence.”

Now, stop pretending to be strong. I gave a reassuring nod to put my counterpart at

ease. This negotiation had been quite satisfactory. They might tamper with the
remaining half of the blueprints when I receive them in person, but having already
verified half would dramatically reduce the time required to confirm whether any
tampering had occurred. Their technical experts would likely want to discuss this as
well, making it burdensome to engage in any deception.

Thinking that the business here was done, Ricardo brought up a peculiar topic.

“By the way, do you have any Tau-Runners in your organization?”

“Tau-Runners?”
“That’s what they call people with unusually strong abilities these days. Here, we
refer to them as Tau-Runners or Tau-Masters. I’m not sure what you call them in
your country. It can’t be ‘Bendecido.'”

I didn’t ask because I didn’t understand the question. It was just out of context.

In this region, which was the southern United States, a few people had recently
gained special physical abilities known as “Thaumaturgy.” This term originally meant
magic. They resurrected a dead word and gave it a new meaning.

The Greek letter “Tau (Τ)” was used as an initial letter for “Thaumaturgy” and
symbolized “Thaumaturgy.” Now, it had become a symbol of the origin of mysterious
power. Tau-Runners and Tau-Masters were those who used the “Tau.” These people
were considered top-priority recruitment targets for all sorts of organizations,
including militias, cartels, private military companies, sports teams, and more.

In the same context, “Bendecido” likely referred to “Blessed” and was probably a
term used in Mexico.

“Why are you asking about this?”

I questioned, and Ricardo continued with his strange talk.

“We’re just considering that it might be a good idea to send Tau-Runners when we
launch the ship.”

“Do you want mercenaries?”

“No, it’s just that we want to be prepared for any eventuality. It’s also a
recommendation for your side. It’s about having minimal self-defense capabilities.”

It was getting even stranger. I furrowed my brow.

“Eventuality? Didn’t you say earlier that the Naval Port Security would be guarding
the site?”

The Mexican Navy’s Naval Port Security, known as “UNAPROP,” was no ordinary
security unit. It was a specialized unit for maritime and port security operations, one
of the warning groups to remember as a potential risk factor for maritime smuggling.
Ricardo’s friend was a Lieutenant Colonel. A special unit’s Lieutenant Colonel led his
subordinates to ensure safety at the deal site. Why would there be any kind of
eventuality with them there, barring one exception: if they were to betray us.

“It’s just…”

Ricardo hesitated and finally let out a sigh along with the information.

“Recently, there have been rumors of madmen in the Guadalajara area wearing
armor and using swords to slice up ‘Sicarios’ from ‘Sinaloa’.” (+) [1]

“Armor and swords?”

“Yes.”

“Could it be the ‘Templar Knights’?”

“You know about those farmers too. Yes, it could be them. It’s still speculation, but
these lunatics in armor wielding swords and shields, engaging in guerrilla warfare,
are probably just imitating that order of knights.”

As he spoke, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of deep absurdity.

 1. TLN: Sicario = a hired gunman or assassin

Mexican drug cartel members were surprisingly devout Catholics. At least, they
believed they were. They held a distorted and warped faith, but it was something
they genuinely believed in, deep within their hearts. They took it so seriously that
they sometimes killed people as sacrifices.

The “Los Caballeros Templarios Cartel” was a group that took this low-level faith to
its extreme. Their core belief was in a ridiculous doctrine that all actions in this
world, including their own acts of murder, robbery, drug production, and
distribution, were part of God’s plan to build the Kingdom of Christ since divine
providence operated beyond human comprehension.

So, these criminals boast a code of conduct similar to knighthood, protecting the
weak and such. In this context, the weak referred to faithful followers of God, the
people who did not resist them. Collecting taxes from them was the legitimate right
of the order with a divine mission.

I was aware of this much. However, hearing about these criminals imitating knights
in actual operations was new. Swords might have been used for ceremonial
purposes, and armor would have been drawn in posters, nothing more.

If it was just a minor threat, there wouldn’t be any reason to issue a warning. The
mere mention of it meant that the situation in Guadalajara was unusual. It implied
that the Templar Knights’ forces were not ordinary.

‘But haven’t they been struggling to rebuild their organization for a long time?’

These fake “Templar Knights” had faced attacks from the Mexican regular army over
an extended period, resulting in a collapse of their overall organization into
numerous remnants. Even after breaking apart, they were more like scattered
fragments compared to the powerful forces that kept rising and falling in opposition,
like the “Sinaloa Cartel” or the “Los Zetas.” Some had even joined friendly cartels to
ensure their survival.
And now, were those guys, who weren’t part of any other cartel, fighting against
“Sinaloa”? All by themselves?

The only deduction that could be made here was one. A genius had emerged who
could instantly reunify the fragmented organization and compensate for its lack of
power. With a population of over 130 million in Mexico, it wasn’t surprising that at
least one prodigy would emerge. Unfortunately, that prodigy happened to be a
cartel’s holy warrior.

I scolded Ricardo in a cold tone.

“If you had such information, you should have informed us in advance!”

“I just wanted us to be prepared for any eventuality. Look!”

The map was still spread out on the table. Ricardo looked at me and pointed to
Guadalajara, then slid his finger westward, following the road.

“Even if you take the fastest route from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta, it’s over 300
kilometers. How many checkpoints do you think those ‘Sinaloa’ guys will have set up
in between?”

“At this moment, probably quite a few!”

When the ship carrying the merchandise arrived at the port, the situation could
change dramatically. What if the pseudo-knights, the butchers, unleashed
indiscriminate slaughter that escalated to a state of emergency? What if the cartel,
the fake knights, and the military engaged in a three-way battle that ignited the city?
On that day, the roads would be blocked, and security at the port and airport would
be reinforced. If the authority for searches and inspections shifted from the navy to
the federal police or the armed forces, even the admiral’s guarantee would become
meaningless, and the goods and blueprints would disappear.

‘These damn Nacho’s kids… ’

Even when I stepped into the room, there was a certain decorum to maintain. I was
seized by an impulse to get rid of these scoundrels once and for all.

With the frequency and encryption system secured, the chances of being caught off
guard were low. In the worst-case scenario, we could even turn the ship around. But
considering the value of the blueprints, it made sense to prepare for combat, even if
it came to that, assuming the port remained open.

However, Ricardo, unaware of the turmoil in my mind, continued to defend the

situation.

“This isn’t necessarily all bad. While the fake Templars are causing chaos, the
attention and power of the ‘Sinaloa’ guys will be mostly focused in the east. So,
Guadalajara becomes that much more important.”

I could sense a hint of desperation in his urgent tone. Suppressing violent impulses, I
bought a little more time, waiting for complete calm to return before finally agreeing.

“Fine, but let’s be clear.”

“About what?”

“No matter the circumstances, our people won’t serve as mercenaries. Even if there’s
combat, we’ll only exercise defensive force. After the goods are offloaded at the pier,
whatever happens is not our concern. Do you understand?”

“That should do.”

There was a faint hint of disappointment on the quartermaster’s face, as if he had

some lingering regrets. Regardless, I extended my hand and stood up.

“Then, this is it. I hope this deal ends satisfactorily for both parties.”

“Agreed, El Municionero.”

“El Municionero?”

“I’m not sure if you know Spanish, but it means ‘the one who provides ammunition.’
Our trading partner who deals with ‘Los Zetas’ should have a suitable alias. Besides, I
doubt Huan is your real name.”

I simply acknowledged his point.

“That sounds about right.”

Not only my name but also my face was masked with silicone.

“We only had a brief conversation, but Huan, you seem like someone who could
make a name for yourself on Mexican soil someday. I wonder how it would feel if you
became famous under the nickname I gave you. ‘El Muni’ would be an acceptable
abbreviation, I suppose.”

Made a name for myself with the nickname he gave me? I was tempted to frown at
the juvenile sentiment displayed by the quartermaster. The suppressed annoyance
began to simmer up again.

And in Mexico, I would never tread lightly. The market might be sizable, but it was
highly competitive and dangerous due to many rivals. Where did you think the CIA
and DEA were looking? El Municionero would likely be a one-time alias.

Ricardo and his wife watched us as we left, just like when they first welcomed us at
the entrance. As I was about to get into the car, I noticed small creatures moving
hastily among the weeds near the car’s wheels. They were tiny ants, their bright
brown bodies shining like honey. Watching them, I felt the lingering discomfort
slowly dissipate.

“Hyungnim?”

I gestured for Kyung-tae, who looked puzzled while holding the door, to wait for a
moment. I had spotted a few ants scurrying rapidly, seeming to move erratically
among the weeds. It wasn’t just one or two; it felt like several fluid lines of
disorganized motion.

‘Could these be those crazy ants?’

White Chief had complained about the “Raspberry Crazy Ants” when the electricity
at the meeting place had gone out. He had mentioned that they could crawl into
electrical panels and cause short circuits. Seeing their erratic movements in person
made me think that the term “crazy” might be fitting.

Although I had brushed it off when I heard about it, seeing them in person, I felt like
they might be onto something. I bent down and picked up one of the ants. It wriggled
as if it were glowing between my thumb and index finger. After holding it for a
moment, I placed it on the ground and used my index finger, hovering close but not
touching the ants, to observe their reactions. The ants’ movements changed
dramatically.

Sssssss-

It felt like I could hear the sound just by watching. It was a visual change that
stimulated my senses. The ant I had picked up had apparently left an alarm
pheromone on my fingers. The ants began to move even more frenetically, as if they
were going crazy, trying to locate an enemy.

“What have you been doing since earlier?”

Ricardo, who had been waiting for us to leave while crossing his arms, couldn’t resist
his curiosity any longer and approached to see what I was looking at. He made a
disgusted expression when he saw these infamous ants.

“Damn it. Araceli! We should call the pest control!”

Pest control?

It would be futile. As someone with the “Eye of the Golden Age,” I had a feeling I
understood why the chef was so shaken by these ants. When we arrived, I hadn’t
noticed such small details, but the mad ant empire had constructed a massive and
three-dimensional city inside the ranch, extending from the blind spot of vision to
inside the ranch’s fence. This meant that they covered an area of at least an acre.
Counting the number of individuals, there would easily be hundreds of millions of
them.

Could this be used as a bioweapon if handled correctly? For an indirect purpose, like
disrupting infrastructure. I decided to keep this possibility in mind, which had
suddenly occurred to me. With a bit more investigation, I might find an answer.
Whether it was worth pursuing practical applications or not. Somehow, these ants
reminded me of the ten plagues of Exodus.

“Drive.”

As the car started, Suyeon apologized to me.

“I’m sorry, Hyungnim. I didn’t catch the information about the conflicts and power
shifts among the cartels regarding Guadalajara.”
The conflicts and power shifts among the cartels were crucial information for
negotiations. Suyeon was apologizing for the gaps in the pre-negotiation research
conducted by the secretary’s office. I waved my hand vaguely in response.

“It’s fine. Most likely, the ‘Sinaloa Cartel’ blocked the unfavorable information.
Attacking a crucial stronghold of the cartel isn’t something that ends with just a
minor skirmish for the Templar Knights. If you think about it, that’s how the Mexican
government sees it too.”

Moreover, in the current global context, there were only a few places that were truly
turbulent. Major events that could capture international media attention were
scattered around. Military tensions, diplomatic disputes, and numerous social
conflicts were on the rise. It was as if humanity was experiencing growing pains in
the era of magic.

Furthermore…

‘Mexico has always been a place where cartels cause trouble now and then.’

It was originally that kind of neighborhood.

Last year, following their victory in a full-scale battle with the government, the
“Sinaloa Cartel” launched an offensive to reclaim the 17 states they had dominated
during their heyday, especially as the momentum of the Chinese-origin pandemic
waned. Over the past few years, the southern cartel alliances had held sway over
places like Guadalajara and the state of Jalisco. The remnants of the “Templar
Knights,” who were ousted by the joint forces at the time, were part of this campaign.

This was because the leadership of the current head of the dominant “Jalisco New
Generation Cartel (CJNG)” in the southern alliance had either succumbed to the
epidemic or had been annihilated by government forces, making any organized
counterattack impossible. As a result, the government seemed to have done nothing
but favor Sinaloa in this regard.

“Let’s gather information on the conflict between these two factions.”

To Suyeon’s words, I returned the notebook I had borrowed and added further
instructions.

“Set up a field command post and a safe house in Puerto Vallarta and send in the
action teams. The size of the deployment will be determined in consultation with
Kyung-tae. Instruct the support team to monitor the frequencies listed there until
the job is done. Once the review of the blueprints is complete, I’ll get a direct report
from the tech team.”

“Yes. We’ll confirm if it’s safe to proceed with the installation of the field command
post in the infectious disease risk area.”

“That’s right. And Kyung-tae.”

“Yes.”

“As the person in charge, go ahead first and get settled. Observe the local situation
and make plans. In this delivery, we can’t afford a single loss.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll go there too. There might be variables that can’t evade my eyes.”

Neither of them objected to my plan. They knew my determination and my abilities

as a mage. Kyung-tae sometimes referred to the field command post I’d join as a
‘map hack’ or ‘bug report,’ strange terms the younger generation used these days.

“By the way, about the leader of that knightly order.”

Kyung-tae shifted the conversation with a curious expression.

“He didn’t just go insane, he must have really thought things through.”

Thinking things through meant that he had seen through the era’s changes, likely
brought about by the appearance of an awakened.

“Because we’re not the only ones who can think. The answer will become clear when
we see if they’re solely using swords or if they’re also using automated weaponry.”

Was it just madness, or was it a calculated strategy?

As we’d discussed in numerous internal strategy meetings, in modern warfare,

physical fitness equated to firepower and defense. Awakened individuals who
transcend human limits could be armed with more powerful weapons and wear
thicker armor. This implied that conventional ‘anti-personnel’ weapons struggle
against awakened adversaries. In other words, it was a phenomenon of weapon
systems becoming anomalous.

However, organization-wide equipment and strategy changes require time and

resources. Therefore, the “Templar Knights”, who first introduced the military elite
paradigm to the cartel industry, would be able to ravage “Sinaloa” unilaterally for a
while. It was reminiscent of the nightmare “Los Zetas” brought to the cartel industry
when they first introduced this kind of military elite paradigm.

The use of cold weapons like longswords also existed as an extension of this context.
Since the empowerment of personal weapons led to a decrease in ammunition
capacity or an increase in ammunition consumption, carrying cold weapons like
longswords to improve combat sustainability was worth considering depending on
the situation. Especially in cases like the current “Templar Knights,” where prolonged
guerrilla warfare was waged against the enemy.

Kyung-tae spoke up.

“If this is an intentional tactic and performance, I’d like to meet them and have a
showdown. It’s an opportunity to gain experience that will pay off in the future.”

I narrowed my eyes at this suggestion.

“Don’t talk nonsense. The stakes are too high. We need to proceed safely.”

“Well, Hyungnim. I’m not underestimating ourselves. Especially when you’re with
us.”

“…”

While I might consider pulling the plug if it became too dangerous, it was a deal we
couldn’t simply walk away from with a submarine on the line. If those fake holy
warriors with the drugs decided to crash the party, it could get complicated in many
ways. The fake knights were best left to their own devices. Puerto Vallarta was far
less important than Guadalajara.

‘But if Guadalajara falls, we’ll have to be prepared.’

Despite Kyung-tae’s words, we weren’t in a position to fear the fake knights, but
what concerned me was not the direct conflict with them but the additional
variables that unnecessary conflict could create.

In the end, the final judgment would have to be made after I assessed the situation
on the ground.
In November, Mexico was one of the Nations where the outbreak of Chinese
pneumonia was still ongoing. The steady stream of new patients, numbering in the
dozens each day, provided sufficient grounds for various foreign ministries to issue
regional travel advisories. In a country like Mexico, if the statistics reported dozens,
the actual number of patients was obvious, likely numbering in the hundreds.

Yet, Puerto Vallarta remained a safe haven from the disease. This was due to the
efforts of the financially struggling state government, which had concentrated its
epidemic prevention capabilities to attract wealthy tourists. Even with my own eyes,
I couldn’t detect any trace of the epidemic.

However, the state government’s efforts were in vain. The global economic crisis
triggered by the pandemic and the oil price collapse had crushed tourism demand
itself. Moreover, within the severe economic downturn, Mexico’s already notorious
security situation was continually worsening. Murders, kidnappings, rapes,
robberies, riots, arson, and frequent clashes between cartels. Even in Puerto Vallarta,
a place known for its safety, dark smoke often rose from the slums. Eventually, the
once-thriving autumn port became shrouded in a melancholy silence.

Arriving at the port a fortnight earlier than the expected arrival date of the ship
carrying the merchandise, and before the command post had even been fully set up, I
spent nearly four days on-site inspection. When I dropped by a restaurant on the
main road on the fourth day, instead of lively music, the news on the local TV channel
was playing.

“Según encuestas recientes, la falta de seguridad pública es una de las mayores

preocupaciones de las personas pobres. La industria privada de seguridad también
está creciendo en respuesta……”

The news discussed how the security gap was becoming the main concern for poor
people and how there was an increasing demand for private security companies. The
announcer’s voice was as dry as the atmosphere in this city. In this country, it was
nothing particularly new. It was just that the fall seemed to have descended even
deeper than before, beyond the rock bottom we believed it to be.

“Es difícil sobrevivir. Los estadounidenses no llegarán este año. Válgate! No se puede
ganar 50 pesos trabajando todo el día. (It’s hard to survive. Americans aren’t coming
this year. Damn! You can’t even make 50 pesos working all day.)”

This was a complaint from a waitress seated across from me. Since my group was the
only customer in this shop, the waitress reluctantly accepted my request to chat until
other customers arrived. Kyung-tae and Suyeon had moved to a nearby table for a
while. Apart from them, two security teams were waiting in vehicles outside.

“Originally, many Americans used to come here?”

I asked, and the waitress nodded vigorously.

“Yes. This city used to see a significant increase in population every winter. Wealthy
retirees from North America used to spend their winters here, warm and
comfortable. So, for the past six months, even though it was difficult, we had hopes
for the winter, thinking, ‘What if?'”

She let out a deep sigh.

“Well, in the end, it’s a complete disaster. Many of the hotels and resorts are said to
be on the brink of closure. Some have already shut down. It’s all gone wrong for us.”

“I understand what you mean. It must be very tough.”

“It really is. If I told Senor’s group today was the first customer, would you believe
me? There’s no sign of this recession getting better, is there?”

Fifty pesos were less than 3,000 won, even in Mexico, where the cost of living was
relatively low. It was a meager amount of money. I watched as the waitress’s eyes,
despite her initial reluctance, kept rolling toward the leftover food I had, and her
throat seemed to tighten at times. This woman was in a situation where even in
Mexico, where prices were low, it was difficult to afford the cheapest meal sold to
tourists. Unless there was an employee discount, this was a menu sold to tourists
and was relatively expensive.

‘It’s like the African laborers working on Cacao farms.’

They spent their whole lives harvesting cacao, but they didn’t even know what
chocolate tasted like before they died. Exploitation was part of human nature and
occurred in all fields where profit could be pursued, so I didn’t feel particularly
moved. Mexico, from the start, was two to three times better than the African
average.

Furthermore, this waitress’s frank complaints gave me a strong impression that it

was a strategy to increase profits. Otherwise, would someone blatantly say, “I’m
poor,” like this?

“Please leave this here, and if you have any menu you want, go ahead and order.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s on me. You seem like you haven’t eaten yet.”

“Oh, really…?”

I reassured her with a calm nod.

“Don’t worry about the price. Order as you like, as much as you can eat. While you’re
at it, may I have a horchata, please?”

The waitress, who had been in conflict, quickly succumbed to her hunger and, after a
brief conversation with the person who seemed to be the boss, rang the bell for the
kitchen to take her order and returned. In the days when money flowed into the
harbor, it would have been unthinkable.

“T-Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Her cheeks flushed with a hint of embarrassment. Perhaps it wasn’t the fact that I
came alone, but the moment I made an effort to spend time talking to her and asked
for her opinion she felt a fondness for me. These features could be enough for her to
have confidence. The distant owner watched this scene with an expression of mixed
feelings. From the perspective of someone who was on the brink of ruin due to a lack
of customers, it might not be such a bad thing. After all, sales were going up.

The waitress cleared the table and sat down again, smiling.

“Senor, you’re a kind person. You speak Spanish well. Are you not Chinese?”
“No, I’m from South Korea.”

“Corea?”

“Corea del Sur.“

“Ah, South Korea! I’ve seen it on TV so often it’s like I’m sick of winter. They say it’s
the country that handled the damn Chinese pandemic the best. They make good
masks, and their test kits are trustworthy, unlike the Chinese ones. Even the mighty
United States supposedly received a lot of help from South Korea this time.”

“That’s what they say.”

“It felt really refreshing. Those who used to act so high and mighty turned out to be
nothing more than rich idiots.”

Exactly. The United States, full of wealthy and powerful savages.

“Maria, right?”

I read her name tag.

“Between the United States and China, which one do you dislike more?”

Maria, who received the question, blinked her eyes like a rabbit, and then she sighed
and fell into thought. The United States, which invaded Mexico and plundered more
than half of its territory without shame, treating Mexicans as potential illegal
immigrants, and China, which exported the pandemic and devastated the world,
making even immediate sustenance difficult. The conflict-ridden Maria didn’t take
long to come up with an answer.

“China.”

“As expected. Do other people feel the same way?”

“I think so. Isn’t that true in most cases? They look like they’re about to die, but they
hate the Chinese even more. They don’t like that they keep insisting they’re not the
source and don’t like the fact that the stuff they give out has a lot of flaws. It’s also
annoying how they sell masks and kits, putting on a show that they’re helping when
they’re the ones who spread the disease.”
Reasons for hatred flowed out smoothly. It was the expected answer. Common
patriotism couldn’t beat a starving stomach. Maria chuckled and then spoke
seriously.

“I’m telling you this since you said you’re not Chinese, Senor.”

“What is it?”

After glancing around as if to make sure, she put one hand to her mouth.

“In my opinion, Taiwan is number one.”

Spit! There was a sound of someone spitting out their drink. When I turned around,
Suyeon had put her cup down and was holding her mouth with the back of her hand.
Her other hand was clutching her forehead. Kyung-tae, who didn’t know how to
speak Spanish, was sitting with a dumbfounded expression after getting hit by a
water thunderbolt. Suyeon apologized, pressing her temple, and Kyung-tae replied,
“No, Noonim. This is a reward for Kim Kyung-tae, a reward,” in English, making
Suyeon’s face even worse.

Maria gracefully got up, took a towel, and fulfilled her waitress duties. Kyung-tae,
who calmly accepted the gesture, this time stammered in English.

“Oh, the reward doesn’t end in one time, huh?”

In this tourist city, knowing English was a required part of the service industry. It
could make a difference in the tips received, depending on whether one knew it or
not. Hearing Kyung-tae’s joke, Maria laughed heartily.

Afterward, she sat back down and, seeming more at ease, continued to share
additional complaints about China and the stories of those around her who were
struggling even to have meals. The mention of Taiwan as number one seemed like
her way of additional verification.

“Mary! Aquí está tu orden! (Mary, this is the food that he ordered!)”

The chef from the kitchen extended his upper body and shouted, to which Maria
turned her head and raised her voice.

“Bien, voy a estar allí! (Yes, I’m coming!)”

She winked at me and turned away.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll be back soon.”

I watched her cheerful stride, contemplating the hatred and animosity she had
expressed towards China. It was quite satisfying to see these negative emotions
spreading throughout the world.

‘After escaping the frying pan, I don’t want to end up in the fire.’

I opposed “The Round Table of Light and Truth” because I was so sure that they
would never let me go. By destroying the Round Table, my only desire was to live in a
world where there were no longer people trying to find and kill me. This hope was
the most distinct difference between me and the imperialists who filled the world.
Their desires were endless, while mine had a simple and modest ending.

The problem was that the era in which the population became an asymmetrical
power was approaching. China officially had 1.44 billion people, and unofficially it
was estimated to be closer to 1.5 billion. Awakened individuals with circuits open
would become an increasingly difficult force to overcome by other means.

I was counting on the newly re-elected U.S. president, who succeeded this month.

‘He may be insane in many ways, but that’s precisely why he can boldly prevent the
things he wouldn’t be able to do when sane. By issuing an executive order, he can
ignore autonomy and destroy the holy land of “People of the Desert” like he’s
plundering it.’

He, the lunatic who held the reins of government with anti-China promises, was
already building a sharper confrontation with China than ever before. This was
because of the resentment he held, believing that they almost ruined his term due to
the Chinese virus.

This political opposition was receiving direct and indirect support from many
nations affected by the virus. Hong Kong, which was tumultuous with freedom
protests all year, had now become a thorn in the mainland’s side, and Kyung-tae gave
an inexplicable comment saying, “I sense a brewing crisis.”

Drururur-
Maria returned with a serving cart. She placed my drinks first.

“Here’s the horchata you added.”

It was a creamy, cinnamon and vanilla-spiced drink made with rice milk. Then came
the main course, five in total, and two desserts. I gave the waitress a restrained smile,
glancing at her to see if she noticed. In reality, I couldn’t afford to give her more than
this.

After clearing the cart and starting her meal with a more relaxed attitude, she
continued to share various stories. I made occasional comments and inserted the
keywords I wanted to discuss one by one.

“Cartel?”

Maria’s eyes widened, and she nodded slightly, looking a bit melancholic.

“Well, it’s a tough time for everyone. Many people are considering joining cartels
because at least they won’t have to worry about food. Moreover-“

“Moreover?”

“My dad used to say that nowadays it’s tough not only for us but also for the cartels.
That’s why they’re going all out to compete with each other. After all, humans have
the things that humans need the most, right? With the cost of human lives being so
cheap, recruiting members for their organizations has become easier, so there are
frequent fights.”

“Good point. What does your father do?”

“……”

I offered an apology to Maria for asking a question that seemed to make her more
melancholic.

“I’m sorry. I asked an unnecessary question.”

“No, it’s okay. In the end, it’s because of those damn Chinese. Originally, he worked at
the harbor office right here…”
The word was that even the last bastion of maintaining order, the government
officials, was being cleaned up.

From the testimony of this local, it could be reconfirmed that the current situation in
Puerto Vallarta, and even in all of Mexico, was similar to a pile of dry firewood
soaked in gasoline. Any cartel, with money and weapons, could endlessly recruit
troops, creating an infinitely precarious situation.

‘In Guadalajara, it’s already an ongoing story.’

It took me only three days to travel from Houston to this port. In those short three
days, the situation in Guadalajara had deteriorated rapidly, to the point where any
attempt at concealment or compromise was impossible. The so-called ‘War of the
Meat Shields,’ with the “Templar Knights” starting the fire and “Sinaloa” igniting the
counter-fire, was turning Mexico’s second-largest city into something resembling
Baghdad in 1990.

And it wasn’t just Guadalajara. Similar incidents, albeit varying in scale and form,
were beginning to occur sporadically in different parts of Mexico, and even beyond,
in all the unstable streets and cities worldwide. While the appearance might seem
calm, within, there was simmering heat, destruction, and death.

Looking at it differently, I could perhaps take advantage of this situation and get
myself some insurance. As a precaution against unpredictable external forces setting
the world on fire.
“Miss Maria, how much is the minimum wage in Mexico? Oh, please eat and tell me.
You can take your time.”

The woman who received the question swallowed what she was chewing so
deliciously and then asked inquisitively.

“The minimum wage?”

“The legally set minimum wage.”

“Oh, that? Korea pays hourly. In our country, it’s paid by the day.”

“I see. So, how much is it?”

“It’s different in the northern and southern parts. In the northern border area, it was
180 pesos a day, I think? Or was it 185 pesos? Anyway, roughly around that. Here, it’s
only 123 pesos. Even with a 20% increase from El Cacas.”

“El Cacas? Who’s that?”

Cacas meant ‘pieces of shit’ in Korean. It was a minor thing, but I wondered who
could have such a nasty nickname. The woman answered with a small laugh.

“It’s President Lopez Obrador. His original nickname was El Peje, but he got a new
one after scolding the corrupt big shots, saying ‘You pieces of shit!’ It happened
earlier this year.”

I see. There might not be any ill will towards those who gave him the nickname, but
it would have been better for President Obrador to have been called a specialty of his
hometown. I nodded and returned to my steak.

“I understand what you mean. But Miss Maria, why aren’t you receiving the legal
minimum wage? Is it possible that you’re being treated unfairly by your employer
here?”

“Unfair treatment? Oh no!”

Maria jumped up to defend her boss.

“The boss is a good person. He’s also my dad’s friend. It’s just that in this industry,
we have contracts that fill the wage with tips. Until earlier this year, the amount was
higher than the minimum wage, so there wasn’t any problem. Thanks to the
customers today, I might catch my breath…”

In the United States, the common format of employment contracts existed here as
well. As Maria grew more tired and let out a sigh, her words became indistinct. Then,
with a lack of energy, she began to slice the well-cooked beef tenderloin. I looked at
her dejected appearance and solidified my plan.

‘Just offering the minimum wage will likely astonish a significant portion of the
population.’

Puerto Vallarta was a poor city. This poverty began to reveal itself as soon as you
crossed just one street from the beach, where large hotels and luxury resorts were
abundant. Incomplete and rusty steel structures started to appear, accompanied by
shabby houses and even shabbier people living there. Well-maintained areas were
only a small part, and the rest of the city was filled with poor individuals who came
seeking jobs supported by the money of tourists. Sometimes, walls painted in soft
pastel tones, and other times, walls colored in intense primary hues, along with
countless bougainvillea flowers, disguised this poverty as exotic romance.

Tourists who roamed these alleys probably saw only the surface and returned home
with memories filled with all kinds of colors. They might have said that Puerto
Vallarta was a beautiful place and, unlike typical Mexico, a safe place. However, the
only reason they could be safe was the frequent patrols by armed military police.

Since the epidemic, this bare harbor had been suffering from a severe famine for
almost three-quarters. The woman in front of me, just by having a job, was
considered one of the fortunate few.

123 pesos.

The daily minimum wage here was barely around 7,000 won ($6). With a good
excuse, you could barely survive a day on just 70 million won, let alone 10,000
people. Currently, I was involved in deals with a nominal market value exceeding 300
billion won, and the potential value of the blueprints I would obtain was much
higher. So, I had plans to spend around 1-5% of the total deal amount as a safety
cost. Considering the risk factor, even up to 10% if it became absolutely necessary.
This was still a substantial sum, enough to shake the entire impoverished city.

The problem was the excuse. There was no convincing excuse. An excuse to keep all
these people obedient…

“Senor.”

The woman caught my attention.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

How could I ensure that this harbor would remain peaceful until my departure? I
didn’t care if it turned into hell after I left. If martial law was declared, like in
Guadalajara, everything would be over. I responded after being asked, my mind still
preoccupied with the thought.

“I’m thinking about doing something good.”

“Something good? What kind of thing?”

“Bringing hope to the citizens of this city.”

“…?”

Maria tilted her head in confusion. However, I wasn’t joking. As soon as the
immediate threat of starvation disappeared, jobs, even if well-paying, would become
unpopular if they risked people’s lives. It was uncertain whether even the cartel
thugs would generously pay the daily wages of meat shields and lackeys.

So, providing false hope to this starving harbor would serve as a preventive measure
to deter the factions competing for control from recruiting more sicarios, at least
until my deal was completed.

“Earlier, you mentioned that your father used to work for the Harbor Office, right?”
Maria nodded cautiously in response to my question.

“He’s just on unpaid leave due to government budget issues, but he’s still associated
with them.”

“That’s fortunate. Anyway, what do you think about introducing me to him?”

“Introducing you? To my father?”

“Yes. You see, I’ve been looking for the right person related to my work. I don’t know
if you’re aware, but in Mexico, they call it the ‘Land of Friends (Amigo)’ among
businessmen. They say that to do business, you need to make friends first.”

In other words, the ‘Land of Friends’ didn’t mean it was a friendly country; rather, it
implied that without connections, you couldn’t achieve anything in the country. Just
like China, the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, and other politically backward
countries. I rested my chin on my hand.

“Since your father is coincidentally on break today, wouldn’t it be possible to arrange

something?”

“Well, that’s…”

“I will offer compensation.”

“Hmm…”

Maria hesitated at my sudden proposal. Originally, I intended to use this woman as a

bridge to approach Plaza Hefe, the cartel’s regional boss, but this was Mexico.

‘Across the road, there’s a luxury cruise dock that regularly hosted ships, right next to
it is a casino where foreigners freely splurged their bills, and to the south, a line of
hotels along the beach… It’s a strange place without any connection to the Plaza.’

Running a business in such a famous tourist spot without paying tribute to the cartel
was an unimaginable task. This establishment, too, must have been paying the
“Derecho de Piso” or “floor rights,” which was essentially a form of rent. Maria, as an
employee, must have had connections with the Plaza organization members. Given
her striking features, even lesser officers might have been interested.
In essence, I was looking for an ‘appropriately humble’ contact. It was easier to gain
trust if the contact wasn’t a high-ranking figure. At the moment, I was just a foreign
businessman with limited knowledge of this port, not “El Municionero.” So, if Maria’s
father was a harbor official, it might be a better choice for me. It would reduce the
number of bridges to cross.

‘Anyway, is this woman acting as a go-between?’

Luck seemed to be on my side. Maria, who was hesitating earlier, agreed.

“Alright, I’ll introduce you! My father has been quite gloomy lately, so it might be
good for him. But, should we discuss the payment separately, for you and my father?”

“I’ll take care of it without any regrets.”

“Great, then we’re friends from today! But I still don’t know your name.”

“Call me Hwang.”

“Huan. From now on, you can call me Maria. Nice to meet you!”

In Chinese, I had transitioned from being a “new friend” to a “good friend”. It was a
shift from someone almost like a stranger to someone you know a bit. Maria, who
smiled and shook my hand, pointed to the table.

“Can I finish this first and then contact him?”

“Of course. Enjoy your meal; it looks good.”

“Really?”

“Yes. In Korea, we express someone who enjoys their food as ‘having good luck.’ So,
let’s say you’re about as ‘feliz cara‘ in your terms.” (+) [1]

“Wow, I learned something new!”

Maria happily continued to eat, truly enjoying her meal. Kyung-tae, who was sipping
horchata like me, said, “Hey, if she was Korean, she could have made a hit with
mukbang, right?” Was mukbang a term for food broadcasts? There were so many
confusing terms these days. I maintained my patient endurance to preserve Maria’s
favorable impression of me.

So, after eating almost enough for six people and feeling content, Maria immediately
called her father with a bright voice, saying she made a very good friend.

About 40 minutes later, an old Nissan Versa pulled up in front of the store. The car, in
general, was not in good condition, and the bumper was covered in scratches from
doing its job. The man who got out of the car scrutinized the waiting security vehicle
carefully before entering the store. Maria lightly hugged him and introduced me.

“This is Huan I mentioned earlier. Huan, this is my father.”

I shook hands with the portly public servant.

“I’m Hwang.”

“Pedro. Pedro Santos Sanchez. You can call me ‘Perucho.'”

“Nice to meet you, Perucho.”

Perhaps because it was his daughter’s introduction or maybe he had some rare work
after a long time, Perucho allowed a nickname from the first meeting. It could be the
vibrancy of a lesser harbor official, who frequently received signs of respect from
businessmen. Maria said, “You two talk. Huan, don’t forget to tip me before you
leave,” and went back to her work. It was the position of an employee who had to
endure the boss’s discomfort, pretending not to see his inconvenience while waiting
for a guest who might not come.

The retired civil servant sitting across from me gave me a calculating look.

“So, you’re into business?”

“Yes.”

“Could you be more specific about the kind of business you’re in?”

“You can think of me as dabbling in various profitable fields. I own farms in several
countries, run a company, and, as you can see in front of you, not many, but I also
have a few passenger ships. Currently, I’m visiting candidate ports to include in the
passenger routes.”
“I see. You must be quite impressive.”

Perucho, trying not to seem too impressed. But I had only spoken the truth. Over the
past few years, one of the items consistently included in the investment portfolio of
Yeouido Kim-ssi was the purchase of overseas farmlands, a company is a basic
necessity, and there were a few passenger ships, including a cruise ship that
exclusively catered to foreigners, playing in the West Sea and South Sea, and a cruise
ferry traveling between Vladivostok. (+) [2]

Among these, the smallest ship was the cruise ferry with a capacity of 500
passengers, which I acquired this year for a mere 600 million won in a court auction.
The company that owned it originally went bankrupt due to the economic downturn,
and there were no buyers because of consecutive outbreaks of group infections on
cruise ships.

‘Everyone probably thought it was a bad time.’

In the end, this ship, which had repeated multiple failures in the auction, became the
property of an organization affiliate at a price that wasn’t even a quarter of the cost
of new construction. I intended to use this ship for a deal with Bratsky Krug, a dealer
in Russia.

I encouraged him.

“Let’s start with something to drink and talk.”

“Are you the one buying it?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

In a November with low latitude, it was still warm for plump people. Perucho, with
sweat on his forehead, readily accepted my offer.

“Maria! Don’t you have something cold and refreshing here?”

“How about Lemonade?”

“All right, I’ll have that.”

Perucho turned to me.

“How long have you been in the passenger business?”

“I’m starting with international routes in earnest for the first time now.”

“Starting a cruise business at a time like this? Aren’t you being too reckless?”

“On the contrary, it’s precisely because it’s a time like this that it’s worth trying. Do
you think the prices of those cruise ships in front of us haven’t dropped
considerably? In an economic downturn, the way to become truly wealthy is to strike
while the iron is hot. In any business, there are always risks.”

“…That’s true.”

The retired civil servant smacked his lips and looked at the cruise ship moored in the
harbor as if it hadn’t received proper management for nearly half a year. The
passenger ship, which seemed to have been left to the elements, created a stagnant
scene in the front waters of the port. That was why the Harbor Office had gone into
hibernation.

“So, what do you want from me? Top-secret data for your business feasibility
analysis? Or a smooth permit process? Maybe making sure local companies won’t
overcharge to be included in the cruise itinerary?”

I tilted my head in response to the civil servant’s question.

“No, actually, before that, I’d like to do some charity work.”

“Charity work?”

“Exactly, I mean I want to help those in need. When I looked around the city, it
seemed like there were so many people who couldn’t even have a meal. As a
Christian, it was hard for me to just pass by the suffering of my brothers and sisters.”

Perhaps my earnest imitation of a devout believer was unexpected because Perucho

looked a bit puzzled and asked again.

“Could you please tell me specifically what you’re planning to do?”

“Well, I don’t know. Should I start by giving each citizen at least one piece of bread?”
“Each citizen? Hahaha!”

Perucho burst into laughter.

“You seem to underestimate this city too much, Senor Huan. Do you know how many
people live here? Just in the city center, there are 220,000! Including the suburbs, it’s
almost 400,000! Let’s say you’re giving one piece of white bread for 30 pesos to
400,000 people. How much would that cost? Huh?”

“400,000 times 30 pesos… Well, that would be 12 million pesos, right?”

“…”

12 million pesos was roughly 700 million won. It was the cost of feeding the entire
city at a cheap price for just one meal. The retired civil servant, who had been silent
for a moment, seemed to have realized that I was sincere, as he swallowed and
adjusted his posture to a more polite one. The daughter, who brought lemonade on a
tray, found his transformation from stern to polite might have seemed refreshing.

 1. TLN: Feliz cara/cara feliz = happy face (lit)

 2. TLN: I made a mistake in translating Kim’s name. Before, I translated him as

Kim from Yeoudio. That’s not right. The MC is literally calling him Yeouido Kim.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
‘Trembling Giant.’ Since I gained a fascination with water on that white and misty
winter day in the forest, there had been one small improvement in my life. I could
now easily remove the moisture that built up between my silicone mask and my skin.
In a hot country like Mexico, this was a tremendous advantage. I used to wonder how
CIA agents, the pioneers of this kind of disguise technology, managed to wear or
attach these things all day long, as if they had some kind of secret technique. But
now, it had become somewhat manageable for me too. I might not have their skills
and patience, but I made do with a bit of magic.

However, wearing it continuously for several days was still challenging. Even after
removing the moisture, the oil residue remained, and no matter how thin and finely
sculpted the mask was, it still felt stuffy to wear. Furthermore, achieving perfect
coordination with facial muscles required the use of pressure and adhesive agents to
squeeze and adhere to the face. So, if the material lost its elasticity or adhesion, I had
to replace it with a spare mask. This was especially true if it wasn’t a full-cover type
like the one I currently used. The more improvement there was in disguise and
comfort, the more parts needed attention.

Therefore, when I was out in public, engaged in activities under disguise, I rarely had
the chance to use my own room. Firstly, it was for security measure, and secondly, it
was a safety measure to ensure that I wouldn’t accidentally expose my bare face
while resting.

“I’ll check it briefly.”

It was the 12th morning of my stay in Puerto Vallarta. Suyeon, who had finished
preparing to go out, carefully examined my mask. Originally, wearing and finishing
the adhesive on this thing was her job, but lately, I’d been doing it myself while
looking in the mirror, using precise telekinesis techniques.

Suyeon poked my cheek with her fingers and turned my chin here and there. She
soon nodded with an okay sign.
“Everything looks fine.”

With a passing grade, I shifted my gaze to the glass bottle on the table. It contained
the crazy ant queen, which had been kidnapped by a regular ant with the help of
another ant, receiving nutrition from it. Since I left Houston, checking this every
morning had become part of my daily routine. In my subordinates’ personal
belongings, there was also one glass bottle each.

Beyond the table, curtains bathed in the morning sun were softly glowing. Through
the gap in the curtains, a calm sea sparkled like a river. The harbor was still peaceful.

“Perucho is waiting outside.”

Suyeon’s report made me smile lightly even in my half-awake state.

“That guy is begging like he’s asking for your seat.”

“What do you mean…?”

“He’s acting like my secretary.”

It was just a casual remark, but Suyeon’s gaze became chillingly sharp. I had
occasionally felt this before, but there was definitely a somewhat obsessive side to
my chief secretary’s attachment to her position. She reacted strongly even when
lightly touched.

‘In the end, it must be because of her older brother’s legacy.’

In Singapore, Suyeon answered that she had been living for herself for 10 years. But
from my perspective, it seemed more like the younger sister’s possessiveness
regarding the role that should have been her older brother’s. It was an obsession as
unchanging as the seasons during rivers and mountains transformation.

So, if I were to ask whether I disliked it, the answer was no. Why would I dislike it?
As long as this obsession didn’t change, her loyalty to me wouldn’t change either. I
diverted the attention with a casual question.

“What time did that guy start waiting outside today?”

“He’s been waiting since 5 in the morning.”

“He’s quite dedicated.”

“He didn’t even go home yesterday. He stayed at this hotel.”

Did he have that kind of money? That thought quickly faded away. Naturally, he
wouldn’t have paid. He probably used our close relationship as leverage to demand
special treatment from the hotel or the hotel took care of it themselves. I had figured
out that he was the kind of person who would do that over the past few days. He
believed himself to be different from others, but in reality, he was no different.

“What about the others? Did anything unusual happen last night?”

“Nothing.”

“They probably wouldn’t be the ones, but don’t let your guard down for a moment.
After putting in so much effort to come this far, we can’t turn back without a plan.”

“Understood.”

The subject of my inquiry, the other sites, naturally referred to the command center
and safe houses. Currently, I was pretending to be a businessman staying in a hotel,
but I had plans to move my residence when the time came. The guys deployed there
were monitoring areas beyond my line of sight using satellites and drones.
Eavesdropping on the satellite communication of the “Northeastern Faction” was
part of their job, and they were also putting in the effort to collect radio frequencies
from the Sinaloa Cartel. Even just securing the communication channels of the lesser
sicarios would be a great help in understanding their overall movements.

“Kyung-tae.”

“Yes?”

“Get a suitable watch and let’s go out.”

“To whom are you giving this item?”

“Perucho.”

Kyung-tae brought the watch and received my approval, then I nodded silently.
“Let’s go.”

As we passed through the living room of the suite and stepped outside, Perucho, who
had been waiting like a servant in the corridor, greeted me.

“Presidente Huan! Good morning.”

“Yes, good morning. You’re diligent as always.”

“It’s my job, after all, to serve the Presidente.”

It was an utterly sincere-sounding remark, to the point of being amusing. Where had
that slightly annoying attitude he had when we first met gone? Even when
addressing me, he always added “Chairman” or the respectful term “Don.” Now, he
seemed to have become genuinely fervent in his worship.

“Thank you very much, but isn’t your official duty more important? I heard you were
reinstated recently.”

A momentary twitch crossed Perucho’s face at my words.

“No, it’s not like that. You don’t have to worry about it. After all, this isn’t a
complicated port where many ships come and go. Do you think I’m needed here?
Rather, Presidente‘s business is the way to prosperity for the port. I am in the
position where I should be.”

Abu had certainly grown in the past few days. I nodded lightly.

“If you think so. Then I’ll accept your kindness a little more.”

“Kindness? You’re saying too much, Presidente.”

In fact, it had been two days since Perucho had switched from a leave of absence to
active duty. However, this chubby man, full of enthusiasm, eagerly followed me
around and took on the role of a local assistant, not caring about the position he had
regained and his duties.

The reason I kept this lesser government official by my side was simple: he looked
unassuming. Every time people of all ages and backgrounds saw this unassuming,
chubby man, they would reflect on the coincidences, fate, and luck that might have
made him theirs.

Tap, tap. I signaled Kyung-tae with my fingers. Understanding the accompanied

gesture, Kyung-tae opened the case containing the watch in front of Perucho.

“What’s this…?”

Blue wave patterns engraved on the dial behind the sapphire glass. The contents of
the case were a mid-range model of an Omega Seamaster. To the slightly confused
yet expectant obese government official with the watch and me, I gave a reassuring
gesture.

“It’s because the old watch looked worn out.”

“Oh, my goodness!”

“It’s a product that costs less than $10,000, so please feel free to wear it.”

“Thank you! Thank you!”

It was an entry-level item, but it cost over $6,000. It was a luxury item that one could
barely afford to buy with several months’ worth of a government official’s salary.
Perucho, now wearing the watch, started to act like someone trying on a suit that
didn’t fit. It was because he was paying too much attention to the watch on his wrist.
And thus, the impression of this chubby man had moved beyond being unassuming
and entered the realm of being an idiot, which was exactly what I had hoped for.

A $6,000 improvement in the acting skills of an actor who didn’t even know he had a
role. It was not a bad price. Especially when you were swindling tens of thousands of
people.

As we reached the lobby, the crowd outside the main gate had erupted in excitement.

Huan! Huan! Huan! Huan!

Their chanting of my false name created a rhythmic and overwhelming resonance.

Armed police officers were struggling to control the crowd. From the moment we
passed through the lobby entrance, I couldn’t hear anything anymore. In the midst of
the noise, which felt like a home run hit outside the Major League Baseball
championship stage, I waved to the citizens who loved Huan for quite some time
before exposing the watch-clad actor and then boarded the waiting limousine.

Thunk!

After the door closed, I spoke to Perucho, who was sitting across from me.

“I feel like I’m receiving too much favor. Everything I’ve done so far is just sharing a
bit of food with everyone.”

“Too much favor? Absolutely not!”

The chubby man shook both his hands and head.

“Presidente is doing things for us that even the government couldn’t do! That
damned government didn’t give us a single grain of rice or a single kernel of corn!”

The chubby man became so excited that he swung his fist in the air.

“Can you believe it? In such difficult times, the government didn’t give a single peso
to the suffering common people! Other countries give cash and food, but how can
there be such a difference? Can’t they just delay the tax payments a bit?”

“Please calm down.”

To calm down the excited chubby man, a calm word was enough.

As Perucho mentioned, the Mexican government hadn’t come up with any relief
measures for individual citizens struggling with the health crisis and the resulting
economic crisis. Thanks to that, the relief goods worth 141 pesos that I distributed to
each person had a tremendous impact on this starving port. I was truly grateful to
the Mexican government.

141 pesos was roughly 7,900 Korean won.

The items provided per person for this amount were as follows: 4 kg of tortillas, 4 kg
of rice, 2 kg of tomatoes, 2 kg of bananas, 1 liter of cooking oil, 48 eggs, one loaf of
500-gram white bread, and 1 kg of chicken. Among them, the eggs and white bread
were obtained as extra bonuses, thanks to the influence of the Catholic diocese due
to bulk purchasing and price reduction.
The man who helped with this task, Bishop Perez Ortega of the Autlan diocese,
started from being an unassuming chubby man and connected three bridges to
become the person he was today.

“Um, Presidente, I have one thing to ask…”

“What is it?”

As I looked at him, Perucho hesitated for a moment, rolling his eyes carefully before
speaking with great difficulty.

“Uh, excuse me if this is an impertinent question, but, Presidente, are you particularly
close to Señorita Choi?”

Señorita Choi, or Choi, was the fake last name Suyeon used. In other words, this
chubby man was asking if there was something between Suyeon and me. Right after
the question was asked, Suyeon stared at the questioner with an icy expression, not
blinking once. Perucho seemed uncomfortable pretending not to notice that gaze.

“No, we are not.”

I replied, turning the slightly annoying question back at him.

“But why are you asking that when you know it might be impertinent?”

“Oh, well… Señorita Choi is so exceptional, and even though she has several
bedrooms, she seems to use the same suite, and she doesn’t seem to call any other
woman. She’s always close to Presidente, so I was wondering if that’s the case…”

Listening, I got irritated.

“I am a celibate. Got it?”

“It’s just a question, not a judgment. You are indeed a faithful believer.”

The government official who had disembarked took on an unnatural posture like a
puppet on strings. I suppressed a sigh and looked out the car window.

‘Celibacy is nonsense.’
My body might not have had a ‘proper’ experience yet, but the reason was not some
stupid abstinence. It was because of these eyes. These damn eyes that wouldn’t close
even if they want to.

How many perverted assholes were there in this world who would build an X-ray
machine to peer into veins filled with flowing blood, a beating heart, a liver secreting
bile, and intestines filled with feces, all flashing brilliantly with various information,
souls, and mana? Even if all the components of the human body were vividly
displayed with a variety of colors due to the influence of various factors, I was not a
pervert who got excited while watching the mysterious spectacle of the human body.
I could analyze the ‘objective’ beauty, but I couldn’t feel the ‘subjective’ charm.

In human desire, the visual stimulus played a significant role. Perhaps no one felt
this fact more urgently than I did.

‘I’d rather have a blank slate of visual stimulation.’

I found it difficult to even imagine a human body with blood, flesh, and organs
wriggling. I was exposed to the otherworldly sights all day long. While I maintained
an objective image of humans through drawings and photos, connecting that image
to real people in the realm of instincts was another difficult task. Perhaps in terms of
sexual aspects, innate equipment was superior to mine.

However, for someone like me, sexual desire became a torment the more it
accumulated.

Experience? If we must define it, I had some. There were moments in this line of
work that you couldn’t avoid, and there was a need to prepare for them in advance.
But that was merely concealing disabilities with elaborate imitation and technical
accumulation. It was something far from being called normal behavior.

In other words, I was visually impaired.

The coldness Suyeon showed a while ago was probably annoyance at touching a
sensitive nerve.

The scenery outside the car window was the street flowing north. It wasn’t far from
the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Perucho, deciding that the unbearable moment
had passed, started muttering again. He emphasized that his daughter was a good
child and, despite dropping out of college, if only they had money, she had the ability
to graduate and repeatedly emphasized that Korea was a very good country. He even
interjected anecdotes that a man needed a good wife for a stable life.

Interrupting his ongoing chatter, I spoke up.

“Perucho.”

“Yes, Presidente!”

“Korea is indeed a good country, but Mexico is also a good country. Where else can
you find such a beautiful country in the world?”

“……”

Perucho’s chubby face showed a hint of disappointment.

“Mexico is a beautiful country. But it can never be a good country, Presidente.”

His mustache, which had forcefully put on a cheerful demeanor, sighed gloomily
while drying off.

“The land may have been blessed by God, but the people who live on that land have
been corrupted for a long time. They curse the shitheads, but starting from the
president, who is a shithead himself, to the government that values pride more than
the lives of its people, the cartels that are polluting the blessed land with blood and
drugs, the incompetent army that can’t do anything about a single cartel, and the
countless fatherless bastards all around…”

His comments about the government’s pride were probably related to the Sinaloa
Cartel’s humanitarian activities. When the most powerful cartel in Mexico started
humanitarian efforts in their stronghold in the northwest and in some major
contested areas, President Obrador, whose dignity was hurt, expressed his
displeasure by saying, “Stop that.”

‘To be honest, I understand. More people die from drugs and shootings than by
helping them.’

The president’s demand meant that stopping inter-organization warfare and other
criminal activities would be more helpful to more people than such hypocrisy. But
from the perspective of the poor people receiving help, it sounded like “Don’t help
the poor.” The chubby-faced Perucho was now voicing the anger of these weaker
individuals.

The top cartel was always the role model for all the other cartels. Competitors who
saw “Sinaloa” building a solid kingdom in the northwest each took similar actions in
their own territories, whether big or small. It was clear that the federal government’s
authority had dropped in every village where such support took place.

The cartels engaged in humanitarian activities invariably emphasized that they were
performing the “government’s role.”

“Look at what Guadalajara has become. Mexico is a land of hopeless sinners. Here in
Sodom and Gomorrah, Maria can’t even dream. She would be lucky to avoid
becoming a vulgar unmarried mother or not turning into a drug addict, and it would
be another stroke of luck if she lived through her baptism. Presidente, I want to give
my daughter a better future.”

It was a heartfelt father’s sentiment, but it had nothing to do with me. And it was
absurd that he was angry at the injustice of the country while being in a position
where he probably accepted bribes. Half of the fat attached to the boat was likely
earned through corruption. Based on what I’d seen over the past few days of him
using my name, he was also ultimately a Mexican government official. He was one of
those common weaklings who confuse weakness with goodness.

But it was a problem that the actor who should fulfill his role was in such a dark
mood. Wasn’t it worth filling up the watch? I layered my indifference with feigned
sympathy.

“So, you wanted to involve me in this?”

“Yes. Korea is indeed a good country, but I heard there are many heretics, non-
believers, and bald heretics there, Presidente. You are a rare faithful person who
keeps premarital chastity and has an excellent character, so I thought there was
nothing more to see. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable…”

“Apologies accepted, let’s do it this way.”

“Yes?”

“As soon as I finish my business in this city, I’ll look into a job for Maria. Whether it’s
in Korea or the United States, I’ll make sure she can settle wherever she wants. You
won’t doubt a job that I guarantee, right?”

“Oh, you have my gratitude! If you do that for us, we will never forget your kindness!”

“And here’s some advice: a child’s love life is not something parents should interfere
with lightly. It’s something they should leave to their own choices. If Maria is a
qualified person, God will help her, just as He brought you to me. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, indeed!”

It was just because I didn’t want him to pester me that I said that, but a politician
was a politician. Perucho nodded desperately as if he wouldn’t let go of the lifeline he
had just caught.

I had no intention of actually looking for a job. Wherever I placed Maria, they would
probably think that the company had a connection with “Huan,” who should
disappear from this city for good as long as I was sane enough not to leave
unnecessary traces.

I patted the now cheerful Perucho on the shoulder.

“I swear by the Almighty God that this promise will be kept as long as I, Huan, am
alive. So let’s discuss the details later.”

“Thank you, Presidente!”

“But how many tens past the hour is it now? Surprisingly, the traffic seems a bit
congested. It would be inconvenient if we’re late for Mass.”

“Uh, it’s 10:20! We still have plenty of time!”

Perucho, now checking the time, had become a person who cared about his precious
watch again. That was good.

The LCD screen attached to the front of the limousine’s passenger compartment was
tuned to a news channel. The city of Guadalajara in the low-quality video was
burning like a battlefield. I instructed them to turn up the volume.

[The violence in the Guadalajara metropolitan area has now entered its 14th day.
The cartel feud, which was once called the ‘Guerra de los Escudos humanos (War of
Human Shields),’ has now acquired a new name, the ‘Guerra de los Condenados (War
of the Damned).’ This is because the cartels, which used to send armed groups with
local peasants as human shields, have now started deploying units composed of the
‘damned.’ ]

The expression used to refer to awakened primitive magic users in this land was
originally “blessed ones (Bendecidos),” but the cartel’s ability users were called
“damned (Condenados),” at least on public airwaves. It couldn’t be helped. After all,
their deeds done with superhuman abilities were all wicked ones.

[President El Cacas has instructed the Durazo Montano Minister of Security and
Public Safety to prioritize the protection of critical functions and stable residences in
the city. Opposition factions criticized this as a discriminatory measure that only
protects the wealthy, but the ruling party expressed support, reminding everyone of
the tragedy that occurred in Culiacan at the end of last year. However, some ruling
party members expressed personal positions that do not align with the party,
effectively giving a boost to the opposition.]

Culiacan was a city where the Sinaloa Cartel and the government forces had clashed.
The countless sacrifices of citizens caught in the crossfire left no option for the
government other than to retreat.

[Meanwhile, the man known to have triggered this war, El Maestre, the leader of the
“Los Caballeros Templarios Cartel”, clashed with the defense forces in Las Huntars
within the city of Guadalajara earlier this morning during a blockade operation. After
killing forty defense personnel and damaging three vehicles, he and his associates
managed to hijack the remaining vehicle and escape.]

The screen transitioned to show fragmented bodies and destroyed vehicles one by
one. The injuries on the bodies were not visible due to mosaic censoring, but only
the distinct marks left on weapons or vehicles that were cut in half could be clearly
seen. Despite the vehicles having additional armor, there were numerous signs of
penetration on the surface. One of them had its armored door cleanly sliced
diagonally. The cut was so precise, contrasting with the armored plates and
bulletproof glass. There was no doubt that this result was created by a single cut. The
seats were covered in dried bloodstains.

As the TV volume lowered, the driver announced our arrival through the car’s
speakers.

[We have arrived. It’s the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe.]

Although there was still more than half an hour left until the Mass started, the
narrow streets flanking the main entrance to the cathedral were filled with people
who had come to see the Mass. They were likely attendees who had chosen this
nearby cathedral due to “Huan’s” presence. The streets in front of the cathedral were
crowded with worshippers, and if the police hadn’t controlled the road in front, they
would have had to walk from a more distant location.

As we exited the car, the police officers saluted. Whether I held a salutable position
or not was irrelevant. This was a strange country where even the cartel appointed
the head of the traffic police.

A police officer of about the rank of captain (1° Oficial) extended his hand toward the
cathedral.

“It’s an honor to have you, Don Huan. Please come inside. Everyone is waiting.”

The waiting individuals included the city’s high-ranking officials, businessmen, and
local maintainers. They were the leading actors on the stage I had set.

‘For things that are difficult to do yourself, you can find people who are good at it
and outsource it.’

The alliance of shadowy figures that ruled this city with a tight grip possessed
exceptional abilities when it came to devising plausible plans and strategies that
could offer hope to the citizens. Their extensive experience in milking this city for all
it was worth spoke volumes.

In essence, what mattered was the plan, not the outcome. No matter how exorbitant
the cost of a plan might be, I would only have to pay a portion of the initial expense.
Plans like boosting employment among the poor, providing continuous relief
supplies, urban redevelopment plans, expanding tourism facilities, and more plans,
one after another. These manipulative con artists, made up of politicians,
businessmen, and other high-ranking nobodies, had endlessly presented and
publicized plans to drain the pockets of a well-intentioned foreign businessman,
while injecting hope into the hearts of the impoverished citizens.

Watching these excellent maneuvers, I thought of the strategies employed by stock

market players. Weren’t they fundamentally the same? Inspiring people with
intangible hope to make them fanatical.

By this point, I had spent around 82 million pesos, equivalent to roughly 450 million
Korean won. My initial budget had been 30 billion pesos, so I was doing quite well. If
I could hold out for just three more days, I didn’t anticipate incurring many
additional expenses during that time.
“Don Huan.”

After an hour-long Sunday Mass, one of the corrupt figures approached me in a

dignified manner.

“Mayor Salazar Baquillano.”

“Oh, Huan. Why be so formal? Just call me Chellino.”

Salazar Baquillano, aka Chellino, was the gluttonous mayor of this hungry port. An
individual who had risen up five rungs from a corrupt harbor official.

“All right, Chellino. Is there something you need from me?”

I inquired, and the mayor laughed, responding positively.

“Yes, indeed, I do. Well, not exactly something I need, but someone I’d like to
introduce.”

Who was this person on the sixth rung? A federal government official, a prominent
member of the ruling party, or perhaps a local cartel lord? Either way, they were
welcome. While inflating people’s hopes with promises of prosperity, it would also
make it easier to fulfill my role as “Huan” disappearing from this city.

“That sounds promising. If you’re introducing them to me, I’m sure they’re important
connections.”

“Oh, haha! You’re being so kind with your words. Well then, if you’re agreeable, let’s
go see them right away.”

“Right now?”

“If it’s convenient for you. One of them is the type who needs to get things done
immediately or else he can’t relax, while the other has come from a far place and
took the time out of his busy schedule to attend. Perhaps Don Huan has other urgent
matters?”

“No, not at all. Businessmen can’t afford to miss opportunities, and if you’re
introducing someone, Mayor, then I’d be more than willing to adjust my schedule to
meet them. I’m already looking forward to meeting these individuals.”
“Haha! Great, great. You have an excellent attitude. Let’s leave the question of who
they are until we meet them in person and savor the joy of that moment.”

“Chellino” Salazar Baquillano led me to his mansion, “Casa Suenos Del Mar,” located
in the northern suburb of Bucerías. To get there, we had to drive 40 minutes north
from the Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral, where we attended Mass.

At this point, one should know that this mansion, with its rather extravagant name,
was situated right in front of a seemingly endless stretch of beach, miles and miles
long. Even if you brought the longest sandy beach in South Korea here, it wouldn’t
compare. The only downside to this upscale neighborhood was the presence of tacky
hotels and foreign tourists strolling along the streets.

Even in Bucerías, the line between rich and poor was drawn along the highway. The
refreshing afternoon southwestern wind, carrying the scent of the sea and the
waves, lost its vitality as it traversed the well-gardened residences and only
permeated the alleys of the less fortunate after shedding most of its vigor. As I drove
along the highway, this contrast became vividly apparent. The cars veering left were
modern, belonging to this era, while those going right were relics from the past. In
this city, even the change of eras was filtered like the wind, gradually seeping in.

The line of vehicles, including the limousine I was in, stopped when the paved road
ended at the entrance to the property. There, two plainclothes guards armed with
automatic rifles were stationed, and along the wall, high-end cars that had arrived
earlier were neatly parked.

“Pr-Presidente!”

Among the parked cars, one stood out—a Porsche 911 Carrera S, gleaming in silver.
Perucho, the stout man, shouted in a pale voice as a warning.

“Be careful! That’s El Juego’s car!”

I responded, feigning ignorance.

“Who is that?”

“He’s the heir of the Sinaloa Cartel’s Bucerías Plaza, a very ruthless and dangerous
man. Do you know how many people have gone missing since that guy returned to
this port six months ago? This might be a trap, an attempt to kidnap Presidente and
demand a ransom! No one would suspect the Mayor’s invitation!”

“Calm down, calm down.”

I comforted Perucho, who was speaking frantically with a stern face. At the gate, the
mayor was making a welcoming gesture, smiling. I signaled that I would follow
shortly and faced the anxious man with a long mustache.
“Perucho, I understand you’re worried about Mexico and the cartels, but if their plan
was to kidnap me, they would have done it long ago.”

“Presidente!”

“Think about it. This port isn’t ideal for exporting drugs; the Plaza’s main source of
income will ultimately rely on tourism. They make money from selling drugs to
foreigners, collecting taxes from shops catering to tourists, operating casinos, and
even arranging prostitution.”

“…”

“Would someone like that kidnap a businessman trying to bring in a wave of tourists
to Puerto Vallarta? Not unless the Plaza’s boss is planning something big and trying
to escape. Am I wrong?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

The reason I hadn’t taken the threat of a Plaza armed attack seriously despite all the
money I’d spent was precisely this. Hepe, responsible for a Plaza, wasn’t someone
with the vision to rise without being cut down. Even if they stormed in en masse,
they’d be cut down by the security team eventually.

“Every business involves risks, you know?”

I repeated my words from our first meeting, and Perucho’s gaze fell. He understood
logically but couldn’t shake his fear from his heart. So, I put on a reassuring smile
while suppressing my inner laughter.

“I’m safe. But Perucho, you’re not. So, please wait for me here.”

“No, I can’t!”
“Yes, you can.”

It would be troublesome if this burly man overheard the conversation inside. The
recorded conversation was going to undergo some devilish editing, so if the parties
to the conversation made any claims, they would sound like sinners offering flimsy
excuses. However, this man’s testimony could turn the tables.

Perucho needed to see and hear only up to this point—me being invited by the
Mayor to meet Hepe from the Plaza. That’s why I touched on Perucho’s weakness.

“What will happen to Maria if you do something wrong??”

A surprised reaction from Perucho.

“If something goes wrong with you again, how should I look at Maria? If I find her a
job, will she accept the favor from someone indirectly connected to her father’s
death?”

In the end, Perucho nodded, accepting my terms. Satisfied with how my supporting
cast was working just as I wanted, I walked toward the Mayor, who was waiting for
me.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“The conversation seemed to go on for a while.”

“It was just a minor personal matter. Nothing you need to concern yourself with,
Chellino.”

“Well, well. Even though we have a connection, you take a lesser government official
like him so seriously. There’s a certain level of compatibility between people.
Anyway, Don Huan, no matter how you look at it, you’re overly magnanimous.”

“That’s an exaggerated assessment. Anyway, shall we go in? Your guests are waiting.”

“Of course, let’s go. This way!”

Mayor Chellino and I walked side by side, passing through the gate made of iron
bars. Inside the gate, the pathway was an independent entrance shared by nine
luxurious mansions. Armed guards patrolled the relatively short pathway back and
forth, briefly acknowledging the presence of the Mayor and me.

The rear entrance of “Casa Suenos Del Mar” was located to the left at the end of this
pathway. Even though a servant was waiting, the Mayor personally opened the door
for me.

“Welcome to my home, Huan.”

“Casa Suenos Del Mar” had a layout with two separate structures flanking a
courtyard in the middle. The side facing the entrance was a guest house, while the
side facing the sea was the main residence. The door connecting the courtyard and
the main building was tall, reaching up to two stories, and its roof was supported by
four white columns. The walls were painted pale cream, and the roof had
Mediterranean-style red tiles. The garden was covered with lush green grass, and in
between, there was a swimming pool with blue tiles, creating a striking contrast. Just
from what you could see, it was already a beautiful living space. The fact that it was
enclosed by walls on all sides, ensuring privacy, was another advantage.

The Mayor seemed somewhat embarrassed by this grand mansion.

“This place, it’s a bit embarrassing to invite guests to my modest home.”

Yes, it only had five bedrooms, which wasn’t a lot for a mansion. Although each
bedroom was larger than a typical house in the slums, such discrepancies were
common in Mexico. In that regard, Mexico wasn’t the worst country. I reassured the
Mayor.

“Chellino, you’re in a public office, after all. You haven’t had many chances to handle
big money. Also, it’s not just about the size of the mansion. The wind and the sea
here are a beauty that even money can’t buy in Korea. Honestly, I envy it, so you can
be proud.”

“Oh, really? Hahaha! It feels good to hear that, even if it’s just empty praise!”

Before entering the main building, some men, whether they were the Mayor’s people
or sicarios from the cartel, used metal detectors to scan our bodies. The metal
detectors were malfunctioning because I had momentarily interrupted the current
flowing to the sensors.

Afterward, the Mayor entered the main building with a smile. Inside, the Mayor
introduced the people who had been waiting.

“Please, say hello to Huan here. This is ‘El Juego’ and ‘El Tiro’ of the ‘Sinaloa Cartel.’ I
apologize, but I can’t disclose their real names.”

Juego and Tiro. Juego had the classic slicked-back hair and wore semi-transparent
sunglasses. He had a good physique and looked like a fashionable guy from the
streets. Tiro, on the other hand, was slightly shorter, had a larger head, and his body
was heavily muscled; he looked like a “damned” man. They stood up from their seat
and shook hands with me courteously.

“I’m Huan. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m El Juego. I’m the boss of this port.”

“I’m El Tiro.”

As I shook hands with them, Tiro furrowed his brow.

‘Does this guy sense something?’

When two different magical fields overlap, an ability user with a mana circuit could
indirectly sense the presence of another ability user or awakened being by feeling
their mana being suppressed, causing their own power to weaken.

However, El Tiro seemed uncertain about me. This was due to my efforts to suppress
my magical abilities as much as possible, a skill that only a true mage who could
manipulate their circuits freely could achieve. In the end, El Tiro whispered
something to El Juego, more like a warning look toward Suyeon and Kyung-tae than
me. While receiving that gaze, Suyeon spoke to Kyung-tae in Korean.

“I’ll take the left and the front, you take the right and the back.”

The two, who had similar roles as bodyguards, stood at a distance from me. It was
either to prepare for a situation where I had to exert maximum control strength over
magic power, or it was due to their cautiousness to not provoke the Mayor and cartel
executives from a distance between them and the door.

The Mayor looked at me with a sly smile.

“Don Huan, you’re not surprised to hear about the identities of these two?”

I replied nonchalantly.

“I understand the uniqueness of Mexico well enough. As long as you do business in

this land, I expected to eventually meet with cartel representatives.”

Apparently, my attitude was quite unexpected, and the Mayor invited me to sit down
with a strange expression, not knowing whether to laugh or be surprised.

“Haha… Let’s sit down and talk.”

Four people, including the Mayor, took their seats around a sturdy wooden table
with no seams. My position, with the courtyard obliquely behind me, provided a
good view of the interior.

El Juego, with a mischievous look, spoke in a low voice.

“You’re an unusual person. A regular businessman who isn’t afraid of us, and a
devout believer who doesn’t despise us.”

The Mayor chimed in.

“That’s right. It’s quite surprising how calmly he’s taking all this, considering how
wary I was of him.”

“Wary? Wary for what?”

I asked, and the Mayor shrugged.

“Even if Don Huan here were to be disappointed with Chellino Baquillano, it

wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary.”

To this, I loaded up a retort and turned my head.

“Disappointed? Not at all. I already told you. I understand Mexico’s uniqueness well
enough.”

At this point, El Juego spoke up again.

“Could you tell us what you mean by Mexico’s uniqueness?”

“It’s simple. The cartels aren’t evil.”

“Huh. And the reason?”

“I believe that saving people is good, and killing them is evil.”

“Wait a moment. Are you saying that our cartel saves people?”

“They kill and save, but if you compare the two, they save more. Ultimately, it’s about
the quantity left, which is good. If there’s a positive result, it’s good, and that’s
enough. In a world where people live, there can’t be perfect goodness. I prioritize
results.”

“I don’t like liars.”

“I don’t like liars either.”

El Juego chuckled softly.

“Speaking sincerely, it seems your perspective and analytical skills as a businessman

have many issues. Are you seriously making these remarks without realizing that we
are distributing relief supplies all over the place? You don’t see that obvious
intention?”

“Regardless of the intention, doesn’t it practically help the situation?”

“Looks like I come here to talk to an idiot. You’ve underestimated us with your
simple calculations. Do you know how many people are dying in the United States
because of the drugs we provide?”

“Yes.”

“But?”

“As long as you don’t sell drugs, Americans won’t have access to drugs, will they?”

My slow response, despite being a bit of nonsense, actually contained a lot of truth.
The Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia, especially the Wa rebels (United Wa State
Army) connected to China, had been producing fentanyl recently, known in the
United States as “China White,” which had gained tremendous popularity. This drug
required only one-fifth the amount of cocaine for a single use, and at a minimum, it
was only one-two-thousandth of the cost, making it easy to smuggle. It was highly
profitable, and in terms of its effects, addictive qualities, and side effects, it far
surpassed cocaine.

The Chinese Triads smuggled vast quantities of China White into the United States
every year, enough to kill the entire U.S. population several times over. It was quite a
comical situation, but realistically speaking, the huge quantity of cocaine going from
Latin America to North America was essentially keeping many Americans safe from
China White, which was far worse.

“I also do business in the United States, and I understand how that country works.
The more you know, the more profit you can make. If cocaine disappears, another
drug will take its place, won’t it?”

El Juego, who had listened quietly, now pushed back with a cheeky smile.

“Go on.”

“In the end, demand leads to supply. As long as Americans want drugs, someone will
supply them. Most likely, the Chinese will take on that role.”

“That’s true. You seem to really understand. But what does your business have to do
with it?”

“I may have failed, but I explored the insurance sector once. And even there, I often
helped the poor and sick. I couldn’t ignore their circumstances.”

Narcotics were a luxury favored by those who had a hard life. Even the impoverished
residents of North Korea indulged in methamphetamine, which helped them forget
their hunger.

El Juego, who had listened to my fluent lies, twisted his lips into a wry smile.

“Damn Chinese. That damned China White! Do they think we’re so stupid that we
don’t make fentanyl? What the hell are they thinking? They’re so blinded by
immediate profits that they kill all the customers!”
He clenched his fist and shook it, similar to how Italians gather their hands when
talking.

“Even if we kill them, aren’t new guys going to fill the void if we don’t kill them
slowly like we do? It’s all because of those short-sighted guys that our people on this
side are also talking about handling fentanyl!”

This reminded me of Chinese fishing vessels that engaged in illegal fishing in the
world’s seas. The Chinese fishermen from the Red Continent, who dried all kinds of
fish species from their own fishing grounds, were now destroying the waters of
other countries with their densely-knit driftnets. Their fishing methods had no
future; it was just about today’s profit.

They were a horde of locusts worshiping gold.

“I’ll tell you a slightly different story.”

I said.

“During the Vietnam War, some of the deployed U.S. soldiers had experiences with
heroin use. One out of three, to be exact, had used heroin at some point, and one out
of five was showing signs of addiction. But do you know who initially started making
and selling heroin in that region?”

“Well, I don’t know much about that side of the market. Was it the Americans, by any
chance?”

“No, it was France.”

“Too bad. It was getting interesting.”

“Don’t be disappointed. The United States joined in after fifty years, too.”

“Why did they join?”

“Because their interests aligned. France wanted to keep Vietnam as a colony, and the
United States wanted to prevent the spread of communist influence. But the leading
force in the Vietnamese War of Independence was none other than the communists,
who later became the Viet Cong.”

“Huh, it’s getting interesting again.”

France had been cultivating opium in this region and selling it since the 19th century.
It served both as a means to weaken nationalist forces and as a source of revenue for
the rulers.

On the other hand, initially, the United States wanted to grant Vietnam its
independence. Their plan was to secure independence first and then establish a pro-
American government to prevent communism. However, France threatened to
cooperate with the Soviet Union if the United States didn’t support them. Reluctantly,
the United States sided with France. From then on, the United States became the
enemy of Vietnamese nationalists.

However, the United States had no reason to feel wronged. After France was chased
away by the Viet Minh, the United States inherited France’s legacy.

El Juego chuckled in a low tone.

“So, in other words, the heroin that addicted U.S. soldiers was actually made by the
United States?”

“It’s somewhat similar. Strictly speaking, their role was in distribution, and
production was outsourced to various places. But it’s undeniable that they were the
biggest player in the entire Southeast Asia. CIA’s drugs scattered across Vietnam
must have ended up in the hands of U.S. soldiers too.”

France withdrew completely from Vietnam a few years after the United States
entered. To this day, the notorious Southeast Asian “Golden Triangle” was more than
half a result of U.S. efforts.

Juego’s chuckle deepened.

“Selling drugs to their own ‘citizens’ must have been a tradition in the United States.
You probably already know this, but that damn CIA is like our market’s senior!”

“Of course. It was during the Reagan administration.”

“Oh, right. The president at the time was Donald Reagan, wasn’t it? I heard that. The
current president seems quite stupid, too. Maybe the name Donald is just unlucky.
Hahaha!”

It wasn’t Donald but Ronald Reagan, but there was no need to correct him.

Reagan was a president who had strengthened the “War on Drugs” during his tenure
but, behind the scenes, was supporting the Nicaraguan anti-communist rebel group,
the Contras, by selling drugs to American citizens. The CIA, a traditional drug
powerhouse, was in charge of the entire product distribution and financial support.
The spread of drug addiction in the United States during this period marked a point
of no return. After all, the CIA was a powerful and competent organization. This era
also coincided with South America becoming the world’s largest drug-producing
region. The money paid by the CIA to production organizations wreaked havoc on
security throughout South America.

That was why I found it quite foolish when the United States placed all the blame on
other countries for the drug problem. Who was blaming whom? Both the United
States and South America were founding members of the world’s top three drug-
producing regions.

“Going back to the beginning—”

I continued the story.

“At first, the United States feared that these addicted soldiers would return to the
mainland and continue seeking drugs. However, the results were the opposite of
what was expected. Soldiers liberated from the war didn’t need drugs. Even after
returning home, only one out of a hundred remained addicted. It’s a well-known
story; have you heard of it?”

El Juego pursed his lips and shrugged. He didn’t know. When I turned my gaze,
Mayor Chellino also shook his head. The former was excusable, but the latter was
simply ignorant. By the time someone reaches the level of politics, they should have
heard of famous anecdotes like this.

There was also the “Rat Park Experiment” related to this. It was an experiment that
provided drugs to lonely rats confined in metal cages and, as a control group, to rats
in a “park.” Here, “park” was referred to as a paradise for water rats, a space
designed to be perfect in every way.

What were the results? The lonely and isolated rats compulsively used drugs, but the
rats with companionship in the “park” showed no interest in the drugs they were
given. Even when sugar was added to the drug solution, they ignored it, and even the
rats previously addicted near the metal cages showed signs of quitting once they
were transferred to the “park.”

The results clearly indicate the message. I continued my words.

“In reality, those who become addicted to drugs due to the temptation of easily
obtaining them are relatively few.”

Even though that minority was by no means innocent, I was now playing the role of a
defender for the cartel.

“The reason Americans cannot escape the lure of drugs is because they are living a
life that leaves them no other choice. An unstable life where they struggle to make
ends meet every day, an environment where there are barely any positive stimuli,
parents with nothing to pass on except poverty, friends in the same situation, and a
society that doesn’t care about abandoned and marginalized individuals.”

Leaning back in my chair, I delivered my words laced with restrained sarcasm.

“The biggest culprit that drives Americans into drug addiction is not the Mexican
cartel or the Chinese Triads; it’s America itself. That’s my point.”

In the briefly silent room, claps suddenly echoed. Clap, clap, clap. El Juego, who
clapped slowly and loudly, looked at me with a mocking grin.

“You seem to dislike the United States quite a bit.”

“It’s not just the United States.”

“Hmm?”

“I dislike countries like the United States, China, Japan, Germany, Belgium, the United
Kingdom, France, and others. I dislike countries that have committed many sins and
don’t reflect on them. Because I believe that God will not approve of what they have
done.”

“Kuha! I didn’t expect God to make an appearance here. Interesting, really

interesting!”

El Juego, who sought agreement by tapping the shoulders of the mayor and my
colleague, asked me with renewed interest.

“Alright, Huan, do you think we’re better than the United States in your eyes?”

“Of course, you guys are evil. But…”

“But?”

“Whether you’re villains or not, I believe that the Lord is using you for a good
purpose. The Lord is infinitely good, and all the good things in this world come from
Him without exception.”

“Did you hear that? Did you hear?”

El Juego laughed loudly.

“I thought we’d meet a stubborn, close-minded old man like our local priest, but look
at this! If he had nothing to do, he’d probably ask our kids for education! The kids
who go to Mass every Sunday would have gone completely mad! Hahaha!”

The other two at the same table seemed uncomfortable with El Juego’s irreverence.
Especially the landlord. Although he was a member of the ruling party and the mayor
of a tourist port with an unusually high police presence, he didn’t want to provoke
the foreigners unnecessarily and seemed to be trying to keep things calm.

It seemed he was trying to show me up right from the beginning. In Spanish, there
was a saying that even a foreigner had a say in it. He didn’t deliberately act rudely to
suppress the foreign businessman; he just seemed to be naturally disrespectful. I
wonder if this guy, like me, didn’t have parents?

Up until now, El Tiro, who had been silently listening, finally spoke up.

“Don Juan, there’s something you should know.”

“What is it?”

“You sabotaged our work.”

“Sabotage?”

I asked in surprise, and El Juego tried to restrain El Tiro.

“Easy, easy, buddy, let’s talk nicely.”

“We were too impatient. We couldn’t gather the allocated number of troops by the
designated date. From unemployed town folks to beggars, no one listens to the
recruitment officials. It’s all because of this useless foreigner.”

While it was precisely what I intended, I didn’t feel particularly good about it.
Insurance regarding accidents was most ideal when you didn’t need to use it. The
fact that this cannon fodder, El Tiro, attempted to gather meat shields was itself a
bad omen to me.

‘It means that battle could happen in this city as well.’

There was no law that said the battle zone must be in Mulron. There was a
possibility that they might want to gather troops and make demands here.

However, regardless of the situation, they seemed to be in a hurry for troops. Even if
they were just disposable mercenaries used for a low price, there was still a daily
maintenance cost, and considering the high numbers, they didn’t seem to be thinking
about long-term deployment.

Thud!

With a slam, El Tiro brought his fist down on the table. I didn’t miss the opportunity
to act startled, showing a flinching reaction. He leaned closer to me, and elsewhere,
he spoke in a threatening tone.

“My point is this. If you want to do business in our territory, you’ll pay a military
fund. In return, our cartel promises to look after you.”

Before I could say anything, El Juego intervened with annoyance.

“Oh, you’re impatient! Do you really have to be like this?”

“I’m not in a position to take your orders, am I?”

“I’m the one responsible for this port!”

“And I’m the Deputy Commander of ‘Doble A.'”

I finally learned the identity of this guy named Tiro.

“Doble A,” or in other words, “Artistas Asesinos,” was one of the three major armed
factions led by the Sinaloa Cartel.
‘He’s bigger than I expected.’

The elite of the three factions, “Gente Nueva,” were probably busy fighting with the
knights and scavengers here in Guadalajara, and one of the deputy commanders
from the remaining two strike forces was here. What did that mean?

If fighting were to break out in this port, it wouldn’t be ideal, but it would be
manageable within the expected range. With just the military and police forces in
this area, it would be enough to handle a cartel-on-cartel clash without the need for
martial law in the short term. I made sure of that myself.

El Juego said irritably.

“Anyway! I’ll explain it well, so just stay quiet. Don’t I have my own position?”

“……”

El Tiro, with a sour expression, backed away slightly and clenched his fist. It seemed
that within the organization, El Juego’s position wasn’t as bad as I thought. Perhaps
through connections or family ties. Simply being the boss of one port wasn’t enough
to stop the Deputy Commander of “Doble A.”

‘It doesn’t look like a deliberate act.’

This was some good cop, bad cop act, and it was not even intentional, unlike the
FBI’s exaggerated show.

“Could it be that this port will become a battlefield? Like Guadalajara?”

I asked with the demeanor of a businessman trying to suppress my fear and

swallowed my saliva. El Juego, who had to attract investment, reassured me with a
pat on the back.

“No, no, don’t worry. Your conscience is clear. His mission is a bypass attack. The
sicarios gathering here will make a detour to the south, clearing out the
headquarters of those knight-wannabes in southern Michoacan.”

“Hey, El Juego!”

“What now?”
“Are you out of your mind to disclose the operation to an outsider?”

“Why are you worried? Are you afraid that a foreigner from across the Pacific is a spy
for the knights?”

“Still, there’s such a thing as principles!”

“Principles, my ass! In business, we have to show trust to each other! Don’t you know
that today, Chellino and I are being extremely accommodating to you?”

They were playing around quite a bit. The two who had been engaged in a staring
contest turned their sharp gazes away with Chellino the mayor’s intervention.
`El Juego pulled the couch closer to me and leaned his body diagonally on the
armrest.

“I saw you something you shouldn’t have for a moment.”

“…No.”

“Don’t be too scared. Tiro here is a bit edgy right now. We need to gather our forces
before the main unit lands, and if things continue like this, we’ll get a beating from
the commander.”

“Speaking of which, that ‘war chest’ that was mentioned earlier, is it a bribe for the
commander to cover up any failures?”

“Hey, businessman, you catch on fast! That’s right, exactly!”

El Juego easily affirmed it. Even though the word “bribe” came up, El Tiro showed no
signs of embarrassment. For them, it was just a natural part of their thinking.

“About 4 million pesos should be fine, right? Think of it as the peacekeeping fee for
this city. It would be even better if you paid it in dollars. The Mexican currency is
very unstable these days.”

4 million pesos was roughly 200 million won. It was a manageable amount if you
were going to give it, but it was best to avoid unnecessary waste. I rolled my head
and asked a question that might be meaningless to me but would be natural for
‘Huan’.

“I can’t just give that amount of pesos or dollars without conditions. Earlier, you
mentioned that the organization would provide some convenience to me. What
specific convenience can you offer me?”

‘Huan’ might see the risk in the business environment more significantly or be
scared enough to give up on this port, but in El Juego’s position, it would be difficult.
He had already offered ‘concessions’ and talked about ‘my perspective.’ El Juego
made the proposal.

“I’ll grant you a tax exemption for ten years, but only for the businesses you own in
this port.”

“Tax exemption?”

“Yes, a tax exemption! ‘Derecho de Piso,’ in other words, the protection fee collected
by the organization.”

“Well…”

“We usually collect 10% of your operating profit as a tax. Imagine how much of an
advantage a 10% difference will be when you compete with businesses in the same
industry. Most competitors won’t even dare to do business! What I’m offering is
practically a monopoly!”

“That… would indeed be advantageous.”

To be honest, the condition itself was quite favorable.

‘It’s not necessarily a promise that will be kept to the end.’

Once ‘Huan’ had a lot in this port, and thus couldn’t easily withdraw, El Juego would
finally reveal his intentions. He would cancel the promise, make more and more
unreasonable demands, and force the foreign businessman to spit out more profits.
It was like raising livestock. Whether in a gambling den, a business deal, or the
criminal underworld, the wisdom of surviving as a human being was ultimately quite
similar. Could you really not see through this arrogant guy? El Juego’s temptation
continued, transitioning from a rude attitude to a technically gentle one.

“Yeah, that’s right. And with connections to the organization, you won’t need to pay
‘express fees’ here and there, right? Within our cartel’s territory, no government
official or cop will be able to ask you for ‘grease’ money. I’ll stake my name on it and
make a clear promise.”

“Express fees” and “grease.” These two words summarized the business environment
in Mexico succinctly. In particular, “grease” was such a well-known concept in Mexico
that there was even an idiomatic expression called “Mexican ointment (Unguento
mexicano).” Just as one applies lubricating oil to a machine, not greasing the
bureaucratic wheels in Mexico meant that your business would continue to squeak.

Before becoming an idiomatic expression, “grease” (unguento) originally referred to

ointment used as a salve or to the anointing oil applied to delay the decay of a
corpse. The decay of a corpse and the decay of bureaucracy shared a common
thread—the act of applying oil covered the stench of corruption.

I nodded and said.

“So, essentially, it’s about making one-time payments for all the unofficial expenses
going forward, right? At a very steep discount?”

“That’s right! We understand each other.”

“…Okay.”

“Hallelujah!”

“In that case, I’ll make a larger investment. I’d like to establish a good relationship
with El Tiro this time.”

“Perhaps because you’re of the yellow race, you’re very quick at calculating! So, how
much are you willing to spend?”

“Under the condition that the agreements we’ve discussed so far will be notarized by
the market owner, I’ll have $2 million in cash ready within four days. However, please
ensure that the notarized document has three seals. Signatures alone won’t do.”

In three days, my ship would arrive. Since I wouldn’t be leaving anyway, I decided to
call a large sum. Chellino, who had to guarantee a political suicide, looked very
uncomfortable but would likely be in this position already. He’d collect a commission
too.

“Wait a minute, three seals…”

Chellino tried to say something uncomfortable, but El Juego, who had risen to his
feet with arms raised, blocked him. El Juego, who was rejoicing silently in his own
world, suddenly turned to El Tiro like firing a machine gun and shouted.
“See that? Did you see it? This is how you have a conversation! Follow the example of
El Juego! This muscle-bound guy! Two million dollars! Try to match that! Two… mil…
lion… dol… lars!”

Despite El Juego’s explosive vulgarity, El Tiro surprisingly didn’t seem too upset. Of
course, it was all because of the money. Two million dollars wouldn’t be a small
amount even for cartel executives who frequently handle large sums of money.

“But four days seems too late. I’ll already be on my way when you return.”

“Until the expedition is over, you can leave it on my side. I’ll handle it. Besides, for the
paperwork, you can add Chomo’s signature. Don’t worry.”

In context, “Chomo” would likely be a nickname for the “Double A” commander.

‘If his nickname is Chomo, his real name is probably Jeronimo.’

Due to Hugo’s reckless remark, Tiro gave me a slightly suspicious look, and I
pretended not to notice anything.

To civilians, this might seem surprising, but criminal deals often relied heavily on
trust. This was especially true for transactions within criminal organizations.
Deception could lead to facing off with the other party’s faction and potentially even
loss of life. Establishing a faction to avoid being deceived was an individual’s ability.
The one who got scammed was a fool.

“I suppose there’s no other way.”

El Tiro nodded to me and said/

“Let’s do it this way. I’ll graciously accept the money. You won’t regret my favor.”

“I also hope this turns out to be a good investment.”

Afterward, Chellino reluctantly prepared the notarized documents.

“Sealing documents seems quite unfamiliar. Is this absolutely necessary?”

“There’s no more certain proof than that. Think of it as part of Eastern culture.”
“…”

Chellino hesitated, looking uncomfortable with the stamp ink pad in front of him.
Fingerprints were not entirely absent in Mexican culture, but they were not
common. Leaving fingerprints as a government official was much more burdensome
than cartel bosses.

As Chellino hesitated with the ink pad in front of him, El Juego got irritated and said
a few words.

“Hey, Chellino. Why are you hesitating so much? As always, 5% is yours. Work hard,
earn more, move to a bigger house, get promoted, and make some hot new friends,
okay?”

Even the promise of a 5% commission didn’t seem to brighten Chellino’s mood.

Dealing with the burden of this guarantee was bad enough, and seeing cartel bosses
easily pocket large sums of money must have been painful.

However, as El Tiro’s gaze gradually turned fierce, Chellino’s resistance had its limits.
In the end, four documents, each with the signatures of four witnesses and four
fingerprints, were completed and sealed in four envelopes. Ironically, the envelopes
for official documents had the logo and phone number of the federal government on
them.

‘It’s convenient to have the ability to control water, even at times like this.’

As the ink pad was water-based, I could distort the fingerprint shape by exerting a
constraint force on it when stamping. I just had to press firmly and buy some time.
The precise control capability from my sophisticated circuits allowed for such
accurate forgery.

Even manipulating fountain ink wasn’t too difficult. By exploiting the nature of water
and oil not mixing, you could easily forge fingerprints. You controlled the moisture
content to create a mold and simply mixed in the ink.

Having captured my share of documents, I casually assumed an unimportant attitude

and asked the most important question.

“Now that everything’s done, I have a question. What would have happened if I
hadn’t provided the military funds?”
El Juego replied with a counterquestion.

“Why are you curious about that?”

“It’s just curiosity. As a foreigner, I’m interested in the realities of Mexico.”

“Well, you seemed to know quite a bit about the United States too.”

After being satisfied, Juego began to boast with a stern expression fitting of a cartel
executive. The deal had been concluded, so he could confidently rattle off
intimidating words. This allowed me to generously record his statements, which I
could use as material for editing.

“May I ask one more question?”

“Anything.”

“There seem to be a significant number of military and police forces in this city. Is it
possible for cartel sicarios to gather here on a large scale? Do you exert influence
over the navy, army, police, and defense forces as well?”

The Guardia Nacional, or National Guard, was a unique Mexican organization that
combined military and federal police functions. It operated under the direct
authority of the Minister of Security and Civilian Protection in the federal
government. In essence, it represented the military force directly controlled by the
President, Lopez Obrador. However, even as a member of the ruling party, an
individual mayor could not cover for large-scale actions of a cartel’s combat forces
unless they had used bribery.

‘But if bribes were used, it would be a loss-making business for the mayor.’

Chellino, the mayor, smiled and shook his head.

“This man wouldn’t go that far.”

“Then what?”

“It’s simple. For the sake of restoring order, the President has decided to tolerate the
expansion of the Sinaloa Cartel this time.”
Hmm, quite a mess. Even when Sinaloa controlled the dark corners of Guadalajara,
on the surface, things were peaceful. This was indeed a political decision that could
only happen in Mexico.

‘If the cartels are fighting each other, the cartels will take the blame first.’

Last year, during the battle in Culiacan against the Sinaloa Cartel, the government
had to admit defeat due to the accumulating civilian casualties. The worsened public
sentiment continued to haunt the President. Therefore, what the President was
attempting now was a very calculated political decision. The government would
tolerate the Sinaloa Cartel’s expansion for the sake of restoring peace, as well as
tarnishing the image of the Sinaloa Cartel in the process. During the process of
expanding their influence, the Sinaloa Cartel would inevitably cause numerous
civilian casualties. This would highlight the government’s incompetence but, given
the President’s still-unrecovered image from the downfall last year, it seemed like a
gain rather than a loss for the government. Meanwhile, Sinaloa’s forces would be
worn down.

El Juego played his part well, offering praise.

“Do you understand, Don Huan? This is how powerful our cartel is. It’s like another
government in Mexico.”

It was a statement that could make a splash in the devil editing.

“I see. As an ordinary person, I’ll rely on the discretion of El Juego and El Tiro.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve grabbed a really good lifeline. Let’s do well from now on.”

I shook hands once again with the three daredevils with dreams.

With this, all I had to do was wait for the remaining three days to pass. Until it was
over, I couldn’t let my guard down, but I had removed all the obstacles that could be
dealt with through effort.

However, in life, there were things that could go wrong in unexpected places, no
matter how meticulously you plan. What turned the smoothly operating plan upside
down wasn’t the Sinaloa Cartel or the Los Caballeros Templarios Cartel. It was a
decision by the Mexican government to secretly accept foreign support, and one of
the countries involved was the Nation, the United Kingdom, which was the first in
the world to establish a special forces unit composed entirely of superhumans.

In other words, the Masters of the Round Table had their eyes on the leader of the
Mexican Holy Knights, El Maestre, a supernaturally powerful awakened individual
from the Los Caballeros Templarios Cartel.

I found myself in a distant parallel world, closer to the front lines of the Round Table
than ever before.