Late at night, an old inn.
The Hwasan Group had purchased this place to allow lower-ranked members to live communally.
“Korea is still a liveable place, I guess.”
“Indeed. The police here are rather mild. Moreover, these so-called vigilantes seem to follow some unwritten rule against killing.”
China had always maintained a strict no-tolerance policy with villains, arming their police with automatic rifles and caring nothing for the life or death of villains. The people there were already accustomed to public executions and authoritative governance, so they found little strange about it.
“Hmm?”
“What’s this feeling?”
Suddenly, a sense of intense discomfort came over them. It was as if they were being disconnected from reality.
In an instant, the sky brightened. Crimson streaks began raining down.
BOOM—KABOOM—
The streaks exploded upon hitting the ground, resembling a missile barrage. And it didn’t stop after one hit.
“Here it comes again!”
“Run!”
Dozens of red beams were being launched from afar, following a parabolic path as they zoomed toward the inn. With the explosions, the building crumbled, burying the gangsters inside. Most died, while a few survived but were severely injured and unable to move.
When the inn became a blazing inferno, a red-haired girl in a robe revealed herself.
“Even firing Magic Missiles en masse leaves me drained. How useful the Dragon’s body truly was… Now that I’ve lost it, I finally…”
As Laura spoke these words, the space beside her shimmered, seemingly empty.
“Die.”
A Chinese man in black darted forward with a dagger. His movements were precise and unhesitating. He was an A-rank assassin and the captain of an extermination unit.
“Kyaaah!”
Laura was too slow to evade and was stabbed. A deep gash appeared on her neck, blood spurting out. The black-clad man turned toward the wreckage to hunt down any survivors.
“…Something’s wrong. Why am I so hot?”
He felt his body becoming unbearably warm. For an A-rank fighter like him, there was no reason for this abrupt onset of heat. Shaking his head to regain focus, the flames suddenly blocked his vision.
WHOOSH.
His body began burning fiercely.
“Kraaaagh!”
Attempting to extinguish the flames by rolling on the ground proved futile. This was no ordinary fire—it consumed magical energy and refused to die even when deprived of oxygen. Writhing in agony, the man was soon nothing more than a charred corpse, curled like a shrimp.
From a distance, Laura emerged.
“When a wizard reveals themselves, you should first suspect a trap. Even low-ranking mercenaries know that, right?”
The body of Laura lying on the ground disintegrated into mana, merging back into her true form. She cast a spell on the remnants of the building, offering a merciful end to those gangsters still alive but barely clinging on. The Hwasan Group, unprepared for such an alien style of battle, was utterly annihilated.
“That’s the end.”
Laura dissolved her containment barrier, which she’d cast earlier to prevent the sounds and sights of combat from leaking out.
*
Jubeom Han sat drinking heavily with the elders in a karaoke bar. On either side of him were his lovers—Han Chinese beauties he’d brought along from China.
“It seems we’ve settled in quite well here.”
Sipping on some rice wine, Jubeom Han commented as his lovers fondled him inappropriately.
“Your foresight is remarkable. When you first suggested moving to Korea, I wasn’t sure what you were thinking. But now it’s clear—this place is a treasure trove.”
“Hohoho. I was right, wasn’t I?”
Jubeom Han indulged in some self-congratulation. Despite the delayed information causing him to lose many apprentices, coming to Korea had been the right decision. In this country, there were no criminal organizations centered around top-tier Awakened Ones of A-rank and above.
“Those Falun Gong and Tai
