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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Silverriver
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“There he is! Shoot! Shoot him dead!!”
The Thousand Tigers gang members, spotting Kwon Tae-ho, immediately aimed their guns.
No matter how powerful their abilities, most Returnees were still vulnerable to bullets. Therefore, members of the international mafia group, the Thousand Tigers, typically carried firearms as personal weapons.
-Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!!
A volley of gunfire rained down. Simultaneously, Kwon Tae-ho channeled his internal energy, enveloping his body in a protective aura.
Force Shield. A martial arts defensive technique that covered the entire body in an impenetrable aura.
-Clang! Clang! Clang!
Against it, ordinary bullets were no more threatening than pebbles. The gang members instantly realized that the opponent before them was not just ‘any Returnee.’
“Such a dense Force Shield …”
Individual strength was paramount for gang members. In this world, the easiest way to increase one’s power was to learn martial arts. Thus, there wasn’t a single gang member who didn’t know how to use them.
Furthermore, some were Returnees from martial arts dimensions. If one were to examine their backgrounds, one would find a diverse range of experts, from disciples of righteous sects to masters of the unorthodox.
However, or rather, because of this,
Witnessing Kwon Tae-ho’s Force Shield deflect hundreds of bullets without flinching, they were acutely aware of the disparity in their strength. They couldn’t not be aware.
“Damn it, draw your weapons! We’ll take him down in close combat!!”
But retreat was not an option. For a gang member, disgrace was a fate worse than death.
-Tat-tat-tat-tat!!
The gang members charged, each unleashing their own techniques.
Starting with the most famous and numerous – the Taekhye Swordsmanship of the Wudang Sect and the One Hundred Steps Divine Fist of the Shaolin Temple – a myriad of martial arts techniques unfolded. They wielded swords, spears, axes, daggers, and even their bare fists. No two were alike.
“Honestly…”
Kwon Tae-ho could tell. Although their skills were no match for his own, they had clearly dedicated considerable effort to honing their strength.
Seeing this, a sense of bitterness washed over him. His master’s words echoed in his mind.
Power is merely a means. What matters is the will to use it righteously.
“Such a waste of good martial arts!”
-Boom!!
He kicked off the ground with all his might and charged. He instantly assessed the incoming attacks, discerning which were fastest, which were slowest.
-Thud! Clang! Whoosh! Thwack! Bam! Bam! Bam!
His hosin-ganggi held strong. But he couldn’t be careless. He didn’t know what tricks they might have up their sleeves.
The optimal response was to evade or deflect every attack and then counterattack.
“Agh! My arm! Aaagh!!”
“Gah…”
“Ugh! Hack!”
A flurry of exchanges passed in an instant, and the fates of Kwon Tae-ho and the dozen or so men who fell to the ground diverged.
He didn’t kill them. But he shattered their arms and legs, ensuring they wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon.
“Damn you…!”
Ignoring their curses, Kwon Tae-ho pressed further into the building. Then, Yoo Seol’s voice came through his earpiece.
“Enforcer Kwon. I’ve located Liu Feifei. She’s being held in the basement warehouse.”
“Alright, confirmed.”
The target was in the basement. So, where should he go…?
“Then I’ll head to the top floor.”
“Yes. Please try not to overdo it.”
“Is there anyone here who can make me overdo it?”
The Incheon branch of the Thousand Tigers Gang occupied an entire eight-story commercial building. If he fought his way up floor by floor, the enemy forces would naturally be concentrated on the upper levels.
‘I can’t let the Assistant Director and the rookie face the enemy alone.’
His role was distraction. He wasn’t particularly interested in arresting these gang members.
However…
‘Come on, come and get me. I’m going to have some real fun.’
He couldn’t deny that his enthusiasm for beating up these gang members was fueled by a bit of personal enjoyment.
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Meanwhile, at the same time.
“They’re upstairs! Hurry!”
“Call back the outside patrol! Contact the Harmony Hall and ask them to send some men!”
“I’m going to split that bastard in two with my axe!”
Leaving the agitated gang members rushing towards the upper floors, Yoo Seol and Ha-yeon quietly descended the stairs to the basement.
“Hey! Who are you?! How did you get down here?!”
Of course, that didn’t mean they avoided all encounters. Apparently, there were quite a few people in the basement, which was supposed to be a warehouse for smuggled goods.
Three gang members confronted Yoo Seol and Ha-yeon. A difficult number to handle at once.
“Answer me! Who are you?!”
“S-sorry…!”
Just as one of the gang members, brandishing an axe, moved to attack, Yoo Seol quickly put on a tearful expression and cried out.
“W-we were called here… by a client…! He told us to wait upstairs… but then a fight broke out and he told us to run… but we got lost…! P-please help us…!! We don’t know anything!”
“What? Which idiot called girls here to have fun in the office?!”
While the gang members were momentarily confused by her convincing act, Yoo Seol made her move. Her tear-filled eyes flashed yellow.
“Wait, what are you-”
The gang member’s words were cut short. His tongue, his entire body, froze as if he had been turned to stone.
The Rainbow Magic Eyes, Yellow.
The Eye of Binding, which immobilized anyone within her sight.
“Ha-yeon.”
At Yoo Seol’s call, Ha-yeon, who had been waiting behind her, sprang into action. She punched the immobilized gang member in the jaw with all her might.
“Wazat-Cho!”
-Thwack!!
The gang member’s jaw snapped, and he lost consciousness. Just as the other two gang members, realizing what was happening, drew their weapons…
-Clatter!
Ha-yeon pulled a handful of small metal pieces from her pocket and scattered them on the floor. Bolts, nuts, and other small parts, like those used at construction sites.
-Clink! Clatter!
“What’s this? Is this supposed to trip us up?!”
The gang members charged forward without hesitation, stepping onto the scattered metal parts. A wide grin spread across Ha-yeon’s face.
“Release!”
And then…
-Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Ugh?!”
“Gah?!”
Responding to Ha-yeon’s command, the scattered metal parts shot upwards.
Though small, their speed rivaled bullets. Riddlled with dozens of metal fragments, the two gang members collapsed, covered in bruises.
“…That’s a pretty brutal ability up close. What did you call it again?”
“Hee hee, Vector Confusing! Cool name, right?”
Vector Confusing.
It was the superpower Ha-yeon had acquired in the world she had been transferred to, S-007 Laphen.
Simply put, it was the ability to store and release force. By applying a specific force to an object beforehand, Ha-yeon could release it in any direction at any time.
This allowed her to amplify the power of her blows or, as she had just demonstrated, use pre-loaded objects as traps. The possibilities were endless, a power with immense potential.
Ha-yeon’s earlier claim of being a finesse fighter was no exaggeration.
Her superpower perfectly compensated for her lack of physical strength as an Enforcer.
“Your acting was amazing too, Assistant Director! Though the story was a bit much.”
“We’re at a disadvantage, so we have to use everything we can. Most men let their guard down when a pretty woman cries and approaches them.”
“Wow…”
It was such a practical way of thinking that it almost felt like peering into the abyss. Ha-yeon asked, a bit awkwardly,
“But Assistant Director… Couldn’t you have just used your enchantment like you did with the guard at the emergency exit?”
“The Eye of Enchantment only works on one person at a time. And it’s slow. It’s not very effective in group combat.”
“Then there’s no helping it. Leave the next ones to me!”
“I will. Now, let’s move.”
The two quickly ran down the hallway. Yoo Seol used her Eye of Clairvoyance to check behind the locked doors they passed.
And as a result…
“Ha-yeon, I found her.”
Deep within the third basement level, Yoo Seol finally located their target.
“She’s in there. Ha-yeon?”
“Yes!”
-Crack!
Ha-yeon kicked the door open, breaking the doorknob. In the middle of a warehouse filled with cardboard boxes, a woman slumped in a chair, tied up.
Contrary to their fears, there were no signs of severe torture. Just some bruises on her cheeks and limbs.
“Feifei?”
At Yoo Seol’s call, Feifei slowly raised her head. She hadn’t been unconscious, but pretending to be.
“Who… are you?”
“I’m Yoo Seol, Assistant Director of Kwon Tae-ho’s Enforcer Office, and this is trainee Enforcer Lee Ha-yeon. We’re here to rescue you. We’ll untie you now.”
As Yoo Seol spoke, Ha-yeon moved behind Feifei and cut the restraints.
“Thank yo- Ow?!”
“Don’t push yourself. You’re injured. Here, lean on me.”
Yoo Seol offered Feifei her shoulder, and the three left the warehouse. Fortunately, it seemed the gang members had all gone to the upper floors. There were no other enemies in sight.
“Let’s get out of here quickly.”
“Yes. B-but… why are Enforcers in Chinatown…?”
Feifei had lived in Chinatown her whole life and had never seen an Enforcer. Why were they suddenly here?
Yoo Seol responded in a businesslike tone.
“Feifei, you are a key witness in a series of murders in the metropolitan area. If we manage to escape safely, please cooperate with our investigation.”
“Investigation…? Wait, murders… could it be…?”
Feifei gasped and stopped mid-sentence, but Yoo Seol didn’t miss her reaction.
‘Could it be…? What does she mean?’
Did she know something?
Could she know the Vigilante?
‘…Either way, escaping safely is our priority.’
Having made her decision, Yoo Seol activated her earpiece.
“Enforcer Kwon. Target secured. We’ll be leaving now, so please wrap things up on your end.”
-…….
“Enforcer Kwon?”
Something felt off. Yoo Seol called him again, but Kwon Tae-ho didn’t respond.
“Enforcer Kwon? Please respond if you can. Enforcer Kwon!”
Was he in the middle of a fight and couldn’t answer? Even that seemed strange. Given Kwon Tae-ho’s skills, he should be able to handle these gang members easily while still responding.
The fact that he wasn’t responding could only mean…
“Could something have happened to Enforcer Kwon-?”
Yoo Seol immediately shook her head. Could there really be someone in Chinatown, even in this haven for criminals, who could give Kwon Tae-ho a hard time?
But then…
“Oh.”
A sense of foreboding washed over her.
Perhaps there was someone. Someone in Chinatown, perhaps not on Kwon Tae-ho’s level, but capable of easily defeating multiple A-rank ability users.
“The Vigilante…?”
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A short while earlier, in the branch leader’s office on the top floor.
“Whew, that’s about it.”
Having quickly cleared the floors, Kwon Tae-ho stood face to face with the branch leader of the Thousand Tigers Gang. Naturally, the branch leader’s office had been full of guards, but they were all now sprawled on the floor.
“You… you bastard! Who are you?! What the hell are you doing here?!”
“Does an Enforcer need a reason to mess with criminals?”
“Of course, you do, dammit! Do you think you can just barge in here without a warrant?! Do Enforcers think they’re above the law?!”
“Of course not. But this is Chinatown.”
The one place in Korea where the long arm of the law couldn’t reach. An extraterritorial, lawless zone.
This meant it was a haven for criminals, but it also meant Kwon Tae-ho could run wild without restraint.
“You… you little…! Do you think I’m someone you can mess with?! Do you know who I’m connected to?! Your boss! The Incheon Police Commissioner! The Branch Director of the Management Bureau! I drink and share brotherhood with them! Got it?!”
“Thanks for the information. I didn’t know this place was this corrupt. I’ll arrest them all on my way out.”
“W-what?! Are you out of your mind?!”
“Think what you will.”
Despite his words, even Kwon Tae-ho couldn’t unilaterally arrest someone with connections to the Police Commissioner and the Management Bureau Branch Director.
He could arrest him, sure. But he’d be released immediately. Too many interests were intertwined in Chinatown.
‘This is disgusting. A criminal is right in front of me, and I can’t arrest him. Seriously, cleaning up Chinatown is a pipe dream unless the president changes…’
Feeling the weight of the country’s corruption, Kwon Tae-ho sighed deeply.
Well, if you considered that this corruption ensured public order in the rest of the country, excluding Chinatown, the politicians’ decision wasn’t entirely without merit.
“Hey, you. What’s your name?”
“Uh? Me? I-it’s Tang… Tang Genfu…”
“Tang Tang Genfu?”
“Tang Genfu!”
“Alright, Tang Genfu. Today, I’ll be merciful and let you go. So, behave yourself and don’t cause any trouble. If I hear about a single murder in Chinatown, I’ll assume it’s your doing and come back.”
At Kwon Tae-ho’s ridiculous condition, Branch Leader Genfu yelled angrily.
“Do you think we’re the only ones committing murder in Chinatown?! And merciful? Do you think I don’t know you wiped out all my men on your way up here?”
“Are you sure that was all of them? I heard you were calling in all your men scattered throughout Chinatown.”
“You took them all down too!”
“Hmm? That’s not possible. I encountered some resistance on my way up, but almost no one came from behind.”
“What?”
Confusion flickered across Genfu’s face at Kwon Tae-ho’s words. But the confusion didn’t last long.
-Step. Step. Step.
Quiet footsteps echoed from the hallway outside the office.
“Wait, you’re saying you didn’t encounter any of my men after reaching the front entrance and coming up here? Then you didn’t take them down-”
“Shut up.”
The moment Kwon Tae-ho spoke, the footsteps outside stopped.
-………….
Silence.
A heavy, oppressive silence filled the room. Kwon Tae-ho quietly lowered his stance. Seeing this, Genfu broke the silence.
“What’s going on-”
-Crack!
Suddenly, a slash that seemed to bisect the entire floor ripped through the air towards Kwon Tae-ho.
-Boom!!
A surprise attack. Kwon Tae-ho instinctively raised his arm, channeling his Force Shield to block.
-Spurt!
But the defense wasn’t perfect. Crimson blood sprayed into the air. Kwon Tae-ho’s eyes widened in shock as he watched the droplets scatter.
‘I’m cut? Even if my defense wasn’t perfect because I blocked in a hurry-’
-Rumble…!
The trajectory of the slash that had bisected the floor was perfectly horizontal. Thanks to that, the building was still standing, though barely. At least for now.
“There’s a troublesome one mixed in with the trash.”
A low voice echoed from beyond the door.
-Creak…! Thud! Crash!
The bisected door finally collapsed. The figure standing beyond it was revealed.
A sturdy build, about 180cm tall.
A middle-aged man with a dignified appearance and streaks of gray in his hair.
And in his hands, two Hwando swords of different lengths.
“The Vigilante…”
“Hmm? Are you talking about me?”
Just then, Yoo Seol’s message about finding Feifei arrived.
But Kwon Tae-ho, completely focused on the enemy before him, couldn’t bring himself to answer.
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