Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Slaughter Game.

The red blade began to dance.

It was not flashy.

Nor was it graceful.

The movements were simple and linear, without a single unnecessary flourish.

It was a blunt and heavy sword dance.

But the acceleration that flashed out in an instant was not something the members of Nine-Tail Crew could handle.

SLASH!

SPURRRRT!

The heads of the gang members were lopped clean off, and blood burst out like a fountain.

Each time that happened, the blade of Slaughter Game burned even redder.

The dark-red Blood Energy sloshing like blood inside the blade.

At first, it seemed to be about one-third full, but every time Eunseong cut down an enemy, the amount gradually increased.

Blooming.

The release of potential available once a Spirit Sword reached 5-Star.

The Blood Energy needed for that Blooming was steadily accumulating.

‘I understand how Uncle Sangeung felt.’

Eunseong realized why Instructor Kim Sangeung had abandoned his Spirit Sword, Bloodslaughter Ghoul.

Perhaps because Bloodslaughter Ghoul had been among the combination materials, Slaughter Game possessed a mechanism that made it grow stronger only by killing people and absorbing their blood.

‘If I keep swinging something like this, I will become a murderer before I even realize it. If I want to get stronger, I will keep wanting to kill people.’

A sword did not have to have an evil spirit dwelling in it or contain wicked Ether to be called a Demonic Sword.

A Spirit Sword with an activation structure that made its user corrupt himself, like Slaughter Game, was more than worthy of being called a Demonic Sword.

‘No, I am the one rotten to the core.’

A self-mocking smile appeared on Eunseong’s lips.

At the very least, Eunseong had not forgotten what he had done.

It was laughable.

He had abandoned even humanity for the sake of personal revenge, and now he was talking about Demonic Swords and whatever else?

‘It is better to become evil than indulge in disgusting hypocrisy.’

Gritting his teeth, Eunseong suppressed the self-loathing welling up inside him and swung Slaughter Game.

WHOOSH!

SLASH!

SPURT!

The heavy blade diligently chopped off his enemies’ necks like a guillotine.

Sluuurp, sluuuurp......

Unlike Eunseong, who looked indifferent and expressionless, Slaughter Game greedily drank in blood like a vampire.

Vmmm, vmmmm!

A dull blade cry rang out.

That cry was not a sharp wail of ghosts.

It sounded like the growl of a blood-starved demonic beast.

The sword, Slaughter Game soaked full of blood, was enjoying itself.

As if trying to live up to its name, it seemed to be fully enjoying the slaughter.

Just then.

CLANK!

The factory door opened, and workers in white work clothes came rushing out one after another.

“O-Oh my goodness!”

“Please spare me!”

“Kyaaaah!”

“Please do not kill me! Please!”

A woman in her fifties, a student with a youthful face, a foreign laborer with dark skin, a disabled person with an impaired body, and so on.

They must have approached people who had no proper jobs and tempted them by saying they would give them work......

“Phew.”

A sigh burst from Eunseong’s mouth.

This was why Nine-Tail Crew was so vile.

If they committed crimes only among their own members and made a mess among themselves, he could let it pass as that.

But to drag ordinary people into it too......

Nine-Tail Crew was like a plague.

It made men and women of all ages, Awakened and Non-Awakened alike, take part in crime.

However, Eunseong knew that most of those people were favorable toward Nine-Tail Crew.

From their perspective, Nine-Tail Crew, which at least gave them jobs, was more worthy of gratitude than the government, which provided neither restoration work nor reconstruction, nor any support at all.

Perhaps because of that, some workers did not run away.

“You bastards!”

A worker who had taken Overdrive charged at Eunseong.

Judging from his shabby appearance and poor nutritional state, he was definitely not a gang member.

It was nothing more than the struggle of a laborer trying to protect his livelihood, his own rice bowl......

Vmmm, vmmm!

The grip of Slaughter Game tickled Eunseong’s hand.

It felt as if it was telling him to kill, to give it blood.

‘Shut up.’

Vmmm, vmmm!

Slaughter Game resisted.

‘If you keep running your mouth, I will break you.’

Eunseong pressed Slaughter Game down with Ether imbued with his will.

If it did not stop inciting him, he truly intended to break it.

After all, he could simply make another Spirit Sword.

......Vmmm.

Slaughter Game quieted.

“You bastaaaard!”

The worker had already reached Eunseong’s nose.

WHOOSH!

Eunseong swung Slaughter Game.

THWACK!

The worker was sent flying far away.

“Guh!”

There was no blood.

He had not cut him.

He had merely struck him with the flat of the blade.

“Do not lose your lives after coming here to earn money. Anyone who has nothing to do with this, get out. From this point on, anyone who attacks me...... will be killed, no matter who they are.”

Eunseong launched himself toward the members of Nine-Tail Crew.

***

With Eunseong and Choi Yura’s intrusion, the battle tilted sharply in the Bridal Mask Corps’ favor.

The Nine-Tail Crew members guarding the factory and the foreign-worker gang members who had hurried over were no match for Eunseong and Choi Yura.

“Taegwon.”

“Yes, brother.”

“Hurry and get the others ready to leave.”

“Yes?”

Oh Taegwon did not understand Eunseong’s intent.

They had already wiped out almost all the Nine-Tail Crew members......

“Did you think this would be all of them?”

“Ah?”

“Move quickly. From now on, every minute and every second may decide life or death.”

“But the factory......”

“I will take care of it, so prepare to run first.”

“Understood, brother.”

After receiving Eunseong’s order, Oh Taegwon gathered the Bridal Mask Corps members wearing Bridal Masks and prepared to exfiltrate.

“Do we have time to destroy the factory too? Fire will not be enough for the factory. The sprinklers will activate. Wouldn’t it be better to run quickly instead?”

Choi Yura offered a fairly reasonable opinion.

“I am not setting a fire.”

“Then?”

“I am going to blow it up.”

“Blow it up......?”

“Follow me.”

Eunseong took Choi Yura and entered the factory.

Inside the factory, Overdrive manufacturing seemed to be in full swing.

Powders made from refined Etherium, various solutions, and all kinds of drugs brought in from around the world were mixed together inside flasks and beakers.

The sharp smell unique to chemicals lay thick in the air, and heaters and agitators installed everywhere ran without rest, giving off a low vibration.

Masks the workers had thrown away were scattered here and there.

“Ugh.”

Choi Yura instinctively covered her mouth.

“This.”

Eunseong took a card from his deck and summoned one-kilogram TNT blocks.

“Install them where I tell you.”

“......You really must have prepared for war.”

Choi Yura clicked her tongue.

Even if he was a Hunter, to think he carried this many explosives......

Eunseong did not answer.

His gaze swept over the factory.

The steel beams connected to the ceiling, the load-bearing pillars, and even the center where the equipment was concentrated.

“Three on that pillar, three below that compressor line over there. One on that steel beam.”

“Why there?”

“It is a point where the load is concentrated. Even one explosion there should bring it down.”

Eunseong handed Choi Yura an armful of TNT blocks.

“Attach them flush against the pillars. I will connect the detonating cord.”

“......You know how to do things like this too?”

This time, Choi Yura was genuinely surprised.

Setting off a bomb was easy.

One only had to press the button on the detonator.

But bringing down a building required considerable specialized knowledge.

One had to sever the points where the load was concentrated, bind the charges so they would not scatter, and make the explosions go off simultaneously.

“I just learned by watching over someone’s shoulder.”

“Whose shoulder was that, exactly?”

Choi Yura spoke as if she found it absurd.

“Move quickly. We do not have time.”

Instead of answering, Eunseong urged Choi Yura on.

“Exfil, exfil.”

After installing the TNT blocks, Eunseong and Choi Yura quickly left the factory.

“They are coming.”

Eunseong sensed the enemies’ approach through the drone footage and spoke.

• Vroom, vrrrrooom!
• VROOOOOOM!

Nine-Tail Crew members wearing Joker masks were swarming in a black mass.

There seemed to be roughly two hundred of them.

Still, they were some distance away, so there appeared to be enough time to exfiltrate.

“Tell them to scatter in every direction. Do not move in a group. And you follow me.”

“Yes, brother.”

Oh Taegwon nodded.

VROOOOM!

VRRRRRRM!

Eunseong’s group, along with everyone in the Bridal Mask Corps, left the Nine Nutrition factory all at once.

About five minutes later.

“You rat bastards!”

“Where did all these bastards go!”

“Fuck! Find them!”

The Nine-Tail Crew members who arrived late were venting their rage.

“There! Inside!”

Someone pointed inside the factory.

“Catch him!”

“Catch that bastard!”

The members of Nine-Tail Crew chased an unidentified fugitive and were sucked into the factory all at once.

“How are you all doing?”

Eunseong smiled broadly at them.

In Eunseong’s hand was a detonator.

“Now then, shall we all go to the underworld together like good friends? For the record, even if I wanted to go, I cannot. I would like to go with you, but I am not human, you see. Huhu. Then...... goodbye.”

Click.

Eunseong, no, Helkiyan, the Card Spirit of the [Mutation] card, pressed the detonator’s button.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM―!!!

A massive explosion occurred, swallowing everything.

***

Eunseong’s group kept racing without stopping, with the massive explosion at their backs.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE―!

WEE-OOO WEE-OOO―!

The sirens of fire trucks and police cars could be heard in the distance.

“What are you going to do now?”

“We will rest a little, then stir up two or so more places.”

“You are going to do even more?”

“The night is long.”

Eunseong glanced at the Garmin (GARMIN) smartwatch on his wrist as he spoke.

It was a model favored by special forces soldiers.

“It is only midnight. We should move until at least three or four.”

“You really are insane.”

Choi Yura let out a hollow laugh.

“We have to press them. Tomorrow, we definitely cannot do this.”

Eunseong’s eyes shone like those of a beast stalking prey.

“Well, I suppose so. Starting tomorrow, they will be spread out everywhere.”

Choi Yura nodded as if she agreed with Eunseong’s opinion.

Yes, this was certainly the first and last day they could stir up one place after another like this.

From tomorrow onward, Nine-Tail Crew would enter a wartime posture, and the entire city would be in an uproar.

If possible, taking care of everything they could tonight was the better choice in many ways.

“Tell me if you are tired. We happen to have one more pair of hands now.”

Eunseong said while glancing at Oh Taegwon, who was diligently following them.

“Are you telling me to back out now?”

“I am telling you to rest if you are tired.”

“Just drive. Who said anything about backing out?”

“Confirmed.”

“If I had known this would happen, I would have slept before coming out.”

Choi Yura grumbled.

It seemed tonight was going to be a little long.