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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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“That crazy bastard!”
“Kill him!”
“Kyaaaaaaaa!”
The Ildomun disciples, having seen blood, started to rush towards me in a frenzy. But I can see right through them. These guys are by no means warriors intoxicated by blood. They’re no different from the guys I’ve killed so far.
The proof is that while they’re charging as if they’re ready to fight at any moment, their movements are strangely sluggish. Fear, the fear of possibly dying if they’re the first to engage, underlied their actions.
I can see right through it all.
“Haaaaaaaaaaak!”
Watching them, I let out a scream of anguish from my soul.
“How sad…! That I must kill you all!”
I activated my special ability, Smoke. If the enemy is gripped by fear, it’s only natural to amplify that fear. If they recognize me, they’ll be even more terrified.
“Uh, uh uh?!”
“That’s…!”
“Screaming Demon!”
As expected, those who recognized me faltered for a moment.
It seems Galbijong’s words were true, and the nickname Screaming Demon has spread among the Black Path. Seeing how these strangers are so afraid proved it.
Chuckle
Galbijong, with his clear eyes, grinned at me.
“Let’s go!”
Our one-sided attack began.
“Kyaaaaaaa!”
“Hup!”
“I’ll kill them all! As brutally as possible!”
The three of us formed a formation, taking advantageous positions as we advanced, eliminating the hesitant enemies.
Swish!
“Kuhk!”
With their level of skill, blocking my battle-hardened sword strikes was impossible. One guy collapsed pathetically, and Jaemison, darting in from the side, deflected the guy’s sword with his armored gauntlets and thrust his Isangjego into him.
“You are nothing but sacrifices to the Screaming Demon!”
Galbijong also roared, plunging his sword into the enemies’ bodies without hesitation. He’s certainly not a master, but he had courage and didn’t hesitate, which made him quite good.
The three of us coordinated our attacks quite well, and I felt a great sense of satisfaction from that fact. Me, Jaemison, and Galbijong. Three people who seem completely mismatched, but in reality, perhaps we’re more in sync than anyone else?
“Ru, Run!”
“Aaaaaack!”
In an instant, the Ildomun warriors fell, and soon, deserters began to appear. The terrified ones fled.
And right then.
“You bastards!”
A seemingly stronger guy appeared, stabbing a fleeing man in the stomach.
“Keuhuk…!”
“How dare you run!”
Seriously, why do these bastards love team-killing so much? Well, I guess even in modern warfare, desertion is punishable by death. But these are just Black Path thugs. Will they follow orders just because their boss is trying to maintain discipline?
I don’t think so.
That kind of thing is impossible unless they’re trained soldiers. You can’t expect such qualities from mere gangsters.
“Bullshit! Tell them all to get out!”
“Run, you fucker!”
“Spare me!”
“Uwaaaaaack!”
As expected, as soon as the boss appeared and killed one of their own, the disciples, feeling there was no hope left, all fled.
“Huh…?”
The Ildomun Master, seeing this, expressed his bewilderment and became stunned. Look at him. Did he really think a bunch of Black Path thugs would fight to the death? In battles like these, only prepared killers win.
“Now’s our chance!”
Anyway, let’s kill that idiot while he’s off guard!
“Kyaaaaa!”
As the three of us charged together.
“Uh, Uh uh!”
The Ildomun Master stumbled backward.
“Screaming Demon! Why are you doing this to us?!”
“Because I’m interested in your business!!”
“What?!”
“How dare you swallow up all the businesses that Dark Earth Gang Mi-pyeong built up? You’re dead, you bastard!”
“Wait!”
Flash!
The Ildomun Master shouted loudly as if to stop us, spreading his palm open. But in a life-or-death battle, there’s no need for conversation. There’s no mercy in battle. Judgment is also useless.
Only killing and being killed.
I immediately unleashed the Daeryu Sword Technique, bringing my sword down fiercely.
“Hup…!”
The Ildomun Master, instinctively regaining his composure, raised his sword and barely managed to block my attack, but there were three of us.
Swish!
Jaemison and Galbijong, springing from both sides, stabbed him.
“Keuhuk…!”
The Ildomun Master collapsed, vomiting blood.
“Foolish! You dared to take over the Dark Earth Gang’s territory after Screaming Demon annihilated them! Consider your life the price you pay!”
“Kekeke… Did you think you could take what belongs to others without consequences?”
Galbijong and Jaemisohn each said a word.
“…”
I looked down at the dying man.
Tears streamed down my face.
“This is the life of the Black Path, isn’t it? That’s why I hate the Black Path. Ildomun Master… I’m truly saddened to have killed you. So, at least, let me send you off with my tears.”
“Kgh, Keuk… What nonsense, Ugh…”
A meaningless end.
A pathetic death for someone who reigned through the fear of lower-class merchants. He seemed to have similar skills to Dark Earth Gang Mi-pyeong, so he was no match for me in the first place.
“Ma, Master!”
“What is this guy?”
Was there someone with such loyalty?
He’s a target for elimination.
I glared at the approaching man, thrusting my sword to keep him at bay, and then, while he was stammering, I delivered a roundhouse kick.
Wham!
“Urk!”
I finished him by plunging my sword into his collapsing body.
I didn’t even use my demonic energy.
I roared as I trampled on his corpse.
“From now on, this place belongs to Nachalbang!!! If anyone wants to resist, come forward!!! I’ll turn you into a corpse!!!”
“Aaah…!”
As I shouted, blood dripping from my sword, some of them gaped in astonishment.
“Come out! Come out, I said! I’ll kill you while shedding tears! You there!”
“Haaak! It’s not me!”
“It’s not me either!”
“Get down on your knees, now! Before I kill you all!”
“Aaaaaack!”
As I yelled and threatened them with all my might, all the Ildomun warriors present knelt and prostrated themselves.
“Get down on your knees right now!”
“Kekeke, if you don’t want to die, that is.”
With the added threats, what choice did they have?
They all buried their heads on the ground.
With this, we completely subdued the Ildomun.
Without any casualties on our side.
“Hehehe, easy.”
“There wasn’t much difference from Dark Earth Gang…”
Jaemison said, seemingly satisfied.
“From now on, this place isn’t Ildomun, it’s Nachalbang!”
The official declaration.
This building is now ours.
Clap clap clap!
Galbijong, with his clear eyes, burst into laughter and clapped.
“Khahaha! Excellent, Screaming Demon! Truly admirable skill and eloquence! To think you’d subdue and take over the Ildomun so easily…! Joining forces with you was a stroke of luck! The most beautiful decision of my life!”
That’s right.
This operation proceeded very smoothly and simply.
We easily swept aside the Black Path thugs and seized not only their assets but their entire operation!
Power!
The power gained through cultivating martial arts and honing it in actual combat!
Just by wielding it, immense profits have come to me…!
And this won’t be the last time. I will continue to grow my power and influence to gain even more.
“Ooh…!”
The feeling from when I killed one of the Chang-sam and Oh su-man duo flashed back, surging within me. To survive in this world, one needs power. Only with power can one live like a human being.
This moment had proven it!
“Ooh!”
Tears streamed down my face.
Thrills. Rage. A mixture of indescribable emotions. They gush out in the form of tears. Why am I crying right now?
Because I dirtied my hands?
I just killed everyone related to the Ildomun, not because of any particular grudge, but simply because they were competitors. Purely for my own benefit.
Until now, I’ve only killed those I had a grudge against. Compared to that, this is a completely radical change.
Because whether there’s a grudge or not is a very serious matter in killing.
But does the presence or absence of a grudge truly determine the gravity of murder? Can it really be that way? Can the act of murder be justified solely on the basis of a grudge?!
I believe it can!
No, that’s right. Murder with a grudge is lighter, while murder without a grudge is heavier. It’s obvious. There’s an insurmountable difference between killing an enemy and indiscriminate pleasure killing!
Therefore, I, having committed such an act, am a sinner.
Killing for profit is ultimately not much different from pleasure killing. I’ve decided to accept that fact. This stinging sensation in my chest. It’s the feeling of the blade of guilt piercing my heart.
Sin.
Flesh.
Karma.
I accept it all.
That is what it means to be a Martial arts warrior.
Rumble.
The internal energy settled in my dantian moved quietly. At this moment, I realized that my understanding of my physical body has deepened. Yes. Demonic energy is something that resided within my physical body. It’s a power I can use as I please!
Flash!
I sensed a certain image. A world burning in violet. Chaos. That is my physical body… Yes. That’s it. I thought I saw Aunt’s face for a moment, but it quickly disappeared. I’m no longer a child. I can’t live forever thinking only of Aunt.
Standing upright, I felt the image. Something dark and chaotic. But it’s not a particularly unpleasant place for a martial arts warrior like me. If this is where I have to be, it’s a place I can be without any complaints.
“Ah.”
Once I acknowledged that, I felt like I understood… a little bit about how to handle demonic energy.
“Screaming Demon?”
Galbijong’s voice brought me back to reality.
I had only been standing still, shedding tears, for a few seconds. To others, it would have been interpreted as me being saddened by this carnage and lost in thought.
“Ah, Galbijong. Well done. Your skills are quite good.”
“You flatter me! You were the amazing one!”
“Hehehe… Yes. Jaemison, you’ve worked hard too. This guy’s Isangjego handling skills have improved a lot.”
“Kekeke, it was easier this time. Being three made it feel more stable. I think we work well together, Galbijong.”
“Thanks for saying so! I also felt a sense of stability fighting alongside you two!”
Galbijong smiled brightly and gave his praise.
Indeed, we probably work well together.
“Anyway. With this, the name of our Nachalbang will spread far and wide. Of course, there will be chaos that follows… but we have to accept it. There’s no time to rest. Kim Geun-hyeop. These guys lying down here.”
“We have to use them.”
“Ooh! That’s exactly what I wanted to say!”
While it’s right to eliminate these Black Path thugs since they could betray us, they have value to us now.
“We need to use these guys to investigate the businesses run by Ildomun. If we take over those businesses and run them ourselves, it’ll be perfect.”
“That’s exactly it, Galbijong.”
“Will you leave this matter to me? I want to show off my skills. So to speak, I want to test my abilities, to see how far I can go. Black Finance Clan never allowed me to, so this is my first time, but I’m confident.”
He proposed with clear eyes.
“He really is a decent fellow.”
From the way he talks, he’s an incorrigible scumbag, but this man… the more I see him, the more I like him. He’s a warrior I can acknowledge.
“Alright, Galbijong. I’ll leave this matter to you.”
“Thank you! I’ll let you know as soon as things are sorted!”
Galbijong approached the prostrate men and shouted.
“From now on, we’ll be conducting an investigation into your businesses! If you act rebellious or try to be evasive, I’ll kill you, so keep that in mind!”
“I, I’ll tell you everything!”
“Please, spare my life!”
I’m curious to see how far this man can go.
Even so, to run a business like this, you need someone skilled in administration. Galbijong also knew this, which is why he wanted to test whether he could as there aren’t many Martial arts warriors who possessed such administrative qualities.
If he has that talent, Nachalbang’s growth potential will increase significantly.
Like when Liu Bei gained Zhang Fei and Guan Yu and set his mind on conquering the world, perhaps Jaemison and Galbijong are those kinds of people for me.
“Kek… He’s more impressive than I thought.”
“Right? I agree.”
Jaemison nodded at my reply.
“Sadoleon’s Black Finance Clan? Did you say he was from there…?”
“Yeah. But it’s just in name only. I heard it’s a bottom-of-the-barrel sect. Honestly, there doesn’t seem to be much connection to Sadoleon.”
“A third-rate sect, huh… That makes sense. They let go of such a talented individual. That’s the limit of Black Finance Clan.”
Jaemison’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
It seems he acknowledges Galbijong as well.
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