“The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 111”
Let me tell you something.
I am not at all kind.
If I were to choose between good and evil, I would undoubtedly be the latter.
I have heard curses and walked through bl**d. They called for vengeance against me, and I took their breath away.
A throne built upon countless corpses.
This was the seat of the Demon Lord.
But.
Even I, who am like this, have lines I will never cross.
One of them involves children.
The rule is: Do not interfere with the future.
Wars, fights, all manner of foul deeds must end among us adults.
The moment children, the future, are drawn in, the moment they are made to seek vengeance and grow in anger.
The shackles of pain grow uncontrollably.
‘The future,’ unknowingly shackled to ‘the past’ without even understanding why they are fighting.
Knowing this tragic scene, I cannot stand the sight.
Because of this.
I don’t interfere with children. Even an evil person must have a code of honor.
“But seriously, these bastards are doing this kind of stuff to kids?”
After catching the tail of Kwon Yong-jun’s school, I immediately moved.
What I faced was children whose souls had been extracted.
High school students to middle school students. Some elementary students had even been targeted.
Yeah, high school students are pretty much adults, and middle school students, well, puberty has started early these days.
But elementary school kids? That’s going too far. Don’t they have better things to do than pick on those little ones?
I felt something pop in my head.
It was a safety pin. The one that had been tightly fastened for a family and spring had finally come loose after a long time.
I immediately beat what the kids called the “truly despicable seniors.”
“Don’t you know? Humans accumulate mana in their own ways. This place where mana accumulates is called a ‘mana hole,’ right? If it breaks, you can’t use mana, can you?”
“Alright, now I’m going to personally break your mana holes. Don’t worry. It won’t affect your daily lives at all. You just won’t be able to use mana. Only mana.”
I grabbed one and called someone.
According to him, it was the “truly, truly despicable seniors.”
“Hello? Nice meeting you. You’ve got some dirty souls there.”
This time, I broke their mana holes too. This was where mercy could still be applied.
The next group I brought in was just plain trash.
“Never thought. You guys have no solution.”
I didn’t k*ll them. Instead, I gathered them together and extracted their souls.
“You have to experience it to understand. Empathy. Ah… you probably think this is some kind of drug.”
In the way these guys did it.
Of course, the soul extraction agent I tampered with was several times stronger.
“Since I don’t have to k*ll you.”
Instead, their fate awaiting them will be a humiliating life worse than d*ath.
After all, one reaps what one sows, right?
I captured one more to call the top boss.
Another group arrived. They looked pretty bad too, judging by the state of their souls.
No solution.
I immediately extracted their souls.
The cycle continued: bring in a group, extract, bring in another group, extract… This went on for a few cycles.
Of course, as we went up the chain, they became stronger, and some even resisted. I personally folded their limbs and placed them right in front of the soul extraction agent.
“Don’t cry. Do you feel wronged? What’s wrong? The people living normally out there feel wronged, sharing the air with filth like you.”
“Originally, when you do bad things, you should receive punishment. Today is the day you receive yours.”
While gleefully extracting souls, I finally reached the Head.
—
“Move!”
With great force, the man with bloodshot eyes pushed the bicycle blocking his path and ran forward.
“Huhk… Huhk…”
His heart felt like it would burst. Even with the use of mana, his legs trembled.
But he couldn’t stop.
Instinct told him.
If he were caught by that monster he just saw, he would d*e. No doubt he would lose completely.
“sh*t…!”
Who would’ve thought that a person named “Head” would end up being chased like this?
Immersed in self-pity, the man reflected.
Exactly why had it come to this?
Yes, that phone call.
Everything started because of one phone call.
—
2 hours earlier.
As usual, the man sat in his office, smoking a cigarette while flipping cards.
“Dai.”
“Haha. Then I’ll take that.”
“Excuse me, Head. Let’s check the cards. What do we have here?”
“Heart 7. Spades 7.”
“One pair?”
“One pair?!”
“Huh, you think you can get this with a pair?”
“Man, you’ve got guts, Head. Gotta respect that.”
“Hey, that’s why my name’s Dae-in. I live big, know what I mean? Big~ Big! Now deal the hand. Hurry.”
The man’s name was Jeon Dae-in, chosen by his grandfather to signify becoming a great person.
Jeon Dae-in followed the meaning of his name and always pursued dreams.
Failed Academy three times. Did not make it into university. Failed as an Agent.
Ultimately, ended up living a petty life in a small party.
Well, a life not going well doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad, but the real problem began afterward.
“Flush.”
“Woah! It’s coming up!”
“Hehe. I’ll take that.”
“Just a minute.”
“…Huh?!”
“Full house. Sorry~.”
“Ah, what?! Head, how can you—”
“Haha. Today just seems to be my lucky day. Let’s keep flipping. Junior, go buy us some coffee with this money. You can keep the change.”
Jeon Dae-in sweeping all five rounds.
That was Jeon Dae-in’s life. Scrambling constantly and then taking it all in one fell swoop.
A call came from a known senior inviting him to work together. Jeon Dae-in, entangled in conflicts with the party at that time, emotionally accepted the offer.
Honestly, even back then, Jeon Dae-in regretted it. If only he had held back. Why had he let his useless pride bring him to this state?
That organization he entered.
The name was embarrassingly simple: Black Bear Gang.
But who could have known? This embarrassingly simple-named organization would turn out to be an opportunity for him.
To sum it up, Jeon Dae-in was instantly promoted to Head. The senior who brought him in and all the intermediate officers got involved with the Evolution Group and were jailed.
So, it was just the boss and me left, right?
Moreover, everything he attempted went smoothly. Every idea he proposed hit it big.
With repeated successes, Jeon Dae-in became the right-hand man of Boss Du-chil and the second-in-command of the Black Bear Gang.
This is when Jeon Dae-in truly began living up to the meaning of his name and lived as a great person.
“Hmm, but Head, are you serious about giving out commissions for recruiting kids?”
“The amount is quite considerable.”
“100 million won for recruiting 10 people… honestly, I can’t believe it.”
Jeon Dae-in smiled faintly and blew out cigarette smoke.
“Is it fake if I say it’s real? Just meet the quota first. I’ll transfer the money to your account right away.”
“Wow!”
“If I’m telling you this secretly, it’s because this is a one-time business. It won’t last long. Grab what you can while you can. I’m grabbing as well. Remember ‘Sol Drug’? Just give them a small taste first to get them to sign. Once they take it, they won’t be able to regain their senses. Got it?”
Honestly speaking, the commission is 200 million won.
That too, 200 million won for every five people. That’s 400 million won for ten people.
Completely different from the amount of 100 million won for ten people. Naturally, the difference went directly into Jeon Dae-in’s pocket.
Short on labor, but with great results.
No need to immerse your hands in filth and still reap sweet rewards.
Isn’t this the life of a powerful person, a great person?
Satisfied, Jeon Dae-in took a sip of the coffee brought by the junior.
Right then.
Ding!
The problematic phone rang.
“Hello?”
– Head, this is Yeong-tae. Remember that kid we were targeting before? Kwon Yong-jun that you were keeping an eye on? It seems like it’s successful. They contacted us first. But…
Kwon Yong-jun.
Currently the top prospect in the area he manages.
Talent almost guaranteed for Academy admission. If we just trained his mana properly, he’d be in the top ranks of the organization within a month. There’s no way he wouldn’t surpass Jeon Dae-in within a year.
If he recruited this kid and made him his right-hand man…
This irresistible temptation moved Jeon Dae-in. He headed to the location with a simple poker game going.
When they got near, something felt off.
“Sss, ugh… must’ve been something wrong with lunch. Let me use the restroom and I’ll be right back.”
At the time, he didn’t know this restroom break would save him.
Jeon Dae-in finished his business in the restroom and returned to the location.
When he opened the door…
“!!”
It was there, a massive creature resembling a human form.
“Hm?”
“AAAAAAAAAAH!!”
The moment their eyes met.
He bolted.
If he got caught by that monster, he was dead.
Certainly dead.
Jeon Dae-in turned around and ran with all his strength, even pushing out the last reserve of energy.
—
Squeak-!!
Jeon Dae-in threw away a motorcycle he had stolen somewhere and ran into a building.
“d*mn, d*mn! Hurry! Hurry!!”
Encouraging his legs, as he entered the building, he walked through the corridor and pushed a certain point on the wall.
A recessed wall. At that moment, the wall opened to reveal a secret passage.
A hidden place in the Black Bear Gang known only to Boss Du-chil and Head Jeon Dae-in.
‘If I get inside here, I can contact the boss. Somehow, it’ll work out.’
After navigating a labyrinth-like path, entering a code, and riding the elevator up some more, he finally reached the safehouse.
Jeon Dae-in emerged from the wardrobe of one office apartment.
“Haa, I’m alive.”
The tension easing, he collapsed.
“Kk… Haha. Well, that turned out well.”
If that monster had attacked the headquarters from the beginning, there would have been no way to defend. Could he have even caught this escape timing?
This must be what they call turning misfortune into good fortune.
“Kk…k.”
After laughing for a while alone in the empty living room, Jeon Dae-in stood up.
“Huf, now’s not the time for this. I should contact the boss.”
He went into a room set aside in the apartment, took apart the decoration sitting on one drawer corner, and placed it in front of him.
The ‘decoration’ was an actual magic crystal. An anti-eavesdropping, anti-recording magical communication device.
The boss solely communicated through this magic crystal, and such resourcefulness has helped evade multiple crackdowns.
He infused mana into it. The sphere glowed with lights of various colors signaling a connection.
For a moment, he closed his eyes to prepare what to say. He planned to minimize exposing his mistakes, appropriately dressing it up, and exaggerating the enemy.
After crafting this story, he opened his eyes.
“!!”
Can you see the script?
It’s not a joke. It’s real.
There, in front of him, was a piece of paper so clear that nothing else existed in his vision.
The voice then echoed.
“Do not turn around.”
Glug.
“The script on the paper, that’s what you need to say now.”
Jeon Dae-in froze and struggled to speak.
“…Wh… Who are you? Why… Why are you doing this?”
“You know better than I do, right?”
“…”
At that moment, countless wicked deeds Jeon Dae-in had committed rushed through his mind.
Which one of these had something to do with this monster? There were too many to count.
“Why, too many to figure out?”
“!!”
“From how many of your kinds I’ve dealt with, I can tell just by looking.”
“…”
“Anyway, you’re going to call your boss here now. Got it?”
“…”
“And just in case, let me warn you. Don’t say unnecessary things out of misplaced loyalty.”
Snap.
The space opened to reveal a prison.
Screaming souls reaching through the bars, pleading to be killed.
“You’ll end up like that.”
“Please, spare me!”
“You started it. We’ve received the signal. Let’s wrap this up at once. Don’t make it any more painful for either side.”
Jeon Dae-in managed to force out a voice in desperation.
To survive.
“Boss, it’s Dae-in. There are some promising rookies here. They want to meet you, Boss. That Yong-jun kid we mentioned before.”
The corner of Park Ki-hyuk’s mouth twisted grotesquely as it was hidden from the crystal.
*
Clang-!
There’s a saying: “The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.”
“d*e!”
Creak, Smash!!
But the opposite is also true.
“sh*t! You fucking–!”
Expecting absolutely nothing but surprisingly decent. Well, cases like that.
The guy named Du-chil now was exactly that.
Undoubtedly different from all the ones he had dealt with before, this one knows how to fight.
And it’s dirty.
He dodged a punch, but the guy shifted weight and lunged with his shoulder.
Thud-! A heavy blow came his way. The weight was more than he had thought.
Then he chucked a glass bottle right at his face.
Whatever it was, it looked dangerous. He tried to swat it away with his hand.
The bottle exploded.
Poof!!
“Instant b*llet, you son of a b*tch!”
Already out of the way, the guy flipped him the bird from the smoke.
Inhaling the smoke made him feel slightly dizzy.
Poison? Quite strong poison.
Du-chil cast a spell toward him covered in the poison. Flames shot up. The fire power was significant, clearly connected to the poison.
Still, it didn’t stop there. A few leather pouches were sent flying his way.
It was oil, oil that would fuel the flames even more. It underwent some special magical handling, and the fire became even more intense.
As if that wasn’t enough, he scattered several magical gems from his coat.
“Come out!!”
Out came a bunch of ‘Stone Golems.’ A completed Stone Golem punched him directly.
Du-chil, still unsatisfied, pulled out a g*n and fired at him.
Tat-tat-tat!
Needless to say, bullets wouldn’t affect him… right?
Hmm?
Looking down after a pricking sensation, he saw a few bullets embedded in his abs.
What’s this? He realized unknowingly exclaiming.
This guy had hidden ‘Magic Bullets’ between the regular ones.
10,000?
The enormous figure with a dirty face.
Looking at his appearance, you’d think he loves fair battles, but his fighting style resembles a time-worn mercenary. Fighting this dirty actually marks a certain level of mastery.
A very commendable attitude.
Better than those fools who overestimate their abilities and recklessly charge.
The fact that he fights this way means he fully understands his own capabilities.
The reflection ends here.
Time to act.
Kung!
Stepping on my True Foot, the flames enveloping my body vanished in an instant.
When I extended my leg toward the lower half of the Stone Golem,
Crash! Its legs shattered.
During this entire time, I simply endured the bullets just with my bare body.
As I mentioned before, while this guy was better than expected, that’s only relative. It’s not genuinely decent.
To begin with, this fight was far beyond his capability to participate.
“Have a taste of this-!”
The b*stard was reaching for something from an alternate dimension.
I rushed forward instantly.
Approaching up close, I grabbed his head and slammed it down hard on the ground.
Boom!
“Gwahk!”
I stared down at the flailing figure.
“Saw your parlor tricks.”
Now it’s time to end this.
The space is breaking.
As if the gate to the abyss opens, space breaks.
Amidst howling souls, four ‘God’s Bodies’ looked this way.
To be exact, they were looking at the figure beneath me, licking their lips.
“Eat.”
The creatures eagerly pounced.
Crunch, crunch.
Du-chil’s body disappeared.
With each passing moment, an unpleasant feeling crept over me.
It’s truly the worst sensation having someone else’s memories flood in, especially dirty ones like these. I can barely hold back the urge to vomit.
Actually, the reason I sometimes avoid extracting memories is because of this filthy feeling.
Still, there was some merit to the hard work.
“…Godfather? What’s this b*stard?”
Now I’ve caught the body by the tail.
Changing into a fresh set of clothes from the alternate dimension, I left the scene.
Closing space.
Among the screaming masses, Du-chil and Jeon Dae-in were entangled.
