Chapter 22 – Barbarian

Occasionally, this kind of raid happens.

A tiny gate.

A small-scale raid that requires at most a single Blue Mark Raider.

It was the Raider Bureau’s biggest headache.

As the scale was small, the reward was also small. Since participating in other raids yielded much higher income, there were no applicants.

There was even a separate department to find personnel.

When the arrival of a gate was imminent, they increased the reward or requested cooperation from companies, and if that still didn’t work, they called in the emergency standby personnel. If even that was not feasible, they had to mobilize Bureau employees of Raider backgrounds.

Because of this, the employees of the small-scale raid support department always had deathly faces.

“It is worth living now.”

However, at some point, their faces brightened up.

“I didn’t know the sky was this blue.”

“Indeed. We used to bend our backs looking only at the ground every day.”

They were spending a leisurely daily life like never before.

It wasn’t that the occurrence of small-scale gates had suddenly disappeared or that department members were reinforced.

A single Raider had merely appeared.

He slaughtered magic beasts like a machine.

He did not choose the size and type of the gate. Whenever a raid that lacked personnel or needed reinforcement was announced, his name always went up. The man, whose company and name had been unfamiliar, soon became a talked-about figure throughout the Raider Bureau.

“Is it that person again?”

“Does that fellow go around without even eating?”

“They say he ran several rounds yesterday too?”

He handled several times the number of raids that other Raiders did.

Since nothing but magic beasts’ corpses and mana stones rolled around in his wake, the employees gave him the nickname of the Mana Stone Factory, aka the Factory.

On the Raider Bureau computer system, the name of the Factory was typed repeatedly today as well.

“We are short of one person for the Hongdae raid.”

“Did you contact the manpower agency?”

“Yes. They say there is no one. What should we do…”

“Is the Factory there by any chance?”

“Yes. He is, but.”

“Then just proceed.”

“Yes?”

“You know that fellow is not at the Blue level. Just tell him to do it.”

“Still, the regulation…”

“Then call the standby team? Do you want to contact them and grovel?”

“I will proceed.”

As his name rose and fell day after day, people who were curious about him emerged.

Employees who did not go to the field asked the field workers about him.

“Is he really a person overflowing with a sense of justice?”

Those who received this question all wore ambiguous expressions.

“What does he look like? I heard he is extremely handsome, is that true?”

Then, with an even darker expression, they began to choose their words on how to answer.

“What do you think of that person?”

Only reaching this point did they show a relieved expression and give their respective answers.

And the answers were all different.

“A nutcase.”

“A thug.”

“A madman.”

“An interesting person.”

Everyone looked at her.

“W-Why?”

“Interesting? That person?”

“He is funny.”

“Was that your taste?”

“No, not that. Isn’t he funny? Is it just me? I found him interesting…”

“The filter is on thick.”

“Are you interested in that man?”

“Be honest.”

“No!”

“Aw.”

“I said no!”

At any rate, the Factory who drew everyone’s attention, Lee Se-min, was diligent in his raids today as well, wearing the blue belt he had extorted from the Taekwondo kid.

***

Today’s raid was in a village in Gyeonggi Province with good mountains and water. It was a place where tourists flocked to enjoy the valleys in summer.

“Hello! Good morning!”

*Chug-chug-chug-chug.*

When Se-min appeared riding a crappy scooter, the citizens gathered at the containment line murmured.

A dragon Sukajan jacket and jeans. A single sword carried on his back.

It was not the appearance of the Raiders they had seen so far.

“Sorry. I am busy with today’s schedule, so I can’t give autographs. I can take a selfie.”

“What is he saying?”

“Is he a Raider?”

No one showed interest.

“Everyone is very shy. This is the problem with Korea. No need to watch others’ eyes.”

“Se-min. The gate will open soon. Hurry.”

“Yes, I’m coming. I will go.”

However, as the protruding nail gets hammered, there were those who did not look kindly upon Se-min’s appearance.

“He stands out too much for a Blue Mark.”

“Leave him be. Are there only one or two kids who don’t know their place?”

As Se-min performed various raids, his area of activity began to overlap with Raiders belonging to top corporations.

This time, Green Mark Raiders belonging to Renegade were together.

Renegade, as the name suggested, was a corporation where Raiders of free dispositions who didn’t care about rules gathered. However, over time, that meaning faded, and it turned into a Raider group that merely put forward a delinquent style as their symbol.

“By the way, that jacket is a bit cool?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Just saying.”

They were wearing studded leather jackets.

“It looks okay the more I look at it.”

“Still, the category is different. We pursue the American biker look, but that is Japanese biker gang fashion.”

“Aren’t they similar?”

“Different. As different as the difference between a Harley-Davidson and a Kawasaki!”

Se-min heard everything they whispered. However, he didn’t particularly step forward.

Two men were debating his clothing, but Se-min had zero interest in their shabby leather jackets.

Se-min had seen such an advertising copy in the past.

Attention. Will you steal it, or will you lose it?

He stole their attention. It was a victory. He did not waste energy on a fight that was already finished.

By the way, it was a padded bra advertisement.

“I see you often lately.”

The support team leader in charge of this raid requested a handshake. He was the man who oversaw Se-min’s first raid and had conducted raids with him several times since, building a friendship.

“Since Se-min is here, we can leave work early today, right?”

“Don’t worry. You will be able to have a wonderful dinner with your wife today.”

“I am unmarried.”

“Haha, my mistake. I will correct it to your girlfriend.”

“I am single.”

“Speaking of single, the girl group Thrice released a digital single yesterday. Have you listened by any chance?”

“No.”

Se-min, the conversation magician, skillfully transitioned the flow of the talk that was about to turn awkward.

“The title is ‘Raid!’. It means they will raid men’s hearts, isn’t that bold?”

“Hahaha. Indeed. If we compare Thrice to Raiders, they would be Black Mark.”

“That is true. Their groins will be slaughtered.”

“Pardon?”

“Their hearts, I mean. Excuse me. I bit my tongue.”

Soon, the Raider Bureau employees briefed them on the raid overview.

The appearance of harmful magic beast system number 38, Raigo, was foretold. In addition, several types of magic beasts could come out, but they were expected not to be difficult entities.

[Operating gate opener. Everyone prepare.]

From the container of the tactical vehicle, the support team operated the equipment. An unknown force was projected from the vehicle. It soon formed the shape of a wicked pupil.

[Counting ten until gate deployment.]

The countdown familiar to Raiders began to run.

Two Renegade members of Green Mark stood at the front, and the remaining Blue Marks deployed behind.

“Everyone stay behind us. Don’t get hurt by stepping forward.”

The Renegade members bragged, holding their weapons.

The other Raiders nodded without saying much. The tone was not pleasant, but it was a general formation.

When Raiders of different classes were mixed, the higher grade took the order and the vanguard.

That was how much heavier their load was.

The gate opened. The current split left and right, vomiting the bodies of magic beasts.

Raigo.

An entity resembling a lion, it was a giant beast with a fluttering mane. Single raids were permitted from Gold Mark, and a raid was authorized only if there were at least two Green Marks for one entity.

Therefore, the mission of the Blue Marks today was to deal with minor magic beasts other than the Raigo.

“Let’s go!”

“It is a hunt!”

The Renegade members leaped in, their leather jackets fluttering. It looked like ordinary leather, but bulletproofing was processed inside, making it better than most armor.

“Hryaa!”

They preemptively attacked the Raigo.

The two also had unique weapons; one was a flail connected by a chain, and one was a large hammer.

“Grrr…”

Thrown into a foreign dimension, the Raigo roared loudly upon seeing the two humans split left and right to rush at it.

“Roaaaaar!”

The lion’s roar of the Raigo was at the level of physically delivering an impact. The Blue Mark Raiders waiting in the back took a step back.

The Renegade duo shouted back as if not to lose.

“Uweeeeeeek!”

“Guaaaaaaaak!”

Emitting shrieks, each swung their weapons. Worthy of Green Marks, their attacks had no redundancy.

Se-min observed the way they fought closely.

Though it was only one step, the gap with the Blue Mark was distinct. They overwhelmed the Raigo, continuously hitting its skin.

The Raigo swung its front paw in anger, but they skillfully dodged and attacked the weakness again. The Raigo wailed and kept backing away. They approached from both sides with chuckles.

If it went on like this, there was nothing for Se-min and the Blue Mark Raiders to do.

However, the gate rose again, showing the pupil, and foretold the appearance of a new magic beast.

[Judging by the gate measurement, it is not a Raigo. Please support.]

The quick Renegade Raiders drove the Raigo to the other side to adjust the movement line. Then, the Blue Mark Raiders stepped forward and blocked the gate.

[When do you think you will finish the Raigo?]

“It will take some time. This fellow’s skin is tough.”

[Then the side that finishes first will support.]

The Raigo had thick skin, so it didn’t seem to receive damage even from their continuous attacks.

The frustrated one leaped onto the Raigo’s back and stood holding its mane. The Raigo shook its body, but he did not fall easily.

He began to beat the Raigo’s head with his flail.

“Die! Die!”

“Roaaar!”

“Die!”

The Raigo rolled on the ground. The man also rolled on the ground together and was thrown by the impact.

The Raigo stood up. Blood flowed from the beast’s forehead. The eyes of the enraged Raigo turned red.

“Now it will be a bit interesting. Right?”

“I thought it would end boringly.”

The Renegade Raiders rather grinned.

While they fought a blood-and-death battle with the Raigo, Se-min and the Blue Mark Raiders were encountering new magic beasts.

“That is…?”

A giant size. Heavy muscle. Menacing horns.

The Blue Mark Raiders hesitated. It was a magic beast they had never experienced.

The magic beast roared.

“Mooooooo!”

It was the magic beast Se-min knew well.

The very fellow whose taste he even knew by part.

Neutral magic beast system number 12, Kowood.

Three of them appeared.

The gaze of the Kowoods turned toward them. Because they were cowardly, they did not attack first. The large cow-like magic beasts gathered together to keep guard against the foreign humans.

It was the moment Se-min was about to lift his hand to suggest stopping for now.

“Iyaaaaaa!”

An inexperienced Raider rushed blindly. His spear stabbed the Kowood’s body.

Because the skin was thick, it was deflected.

“Uh?”

Se-min swallowed his saliva.

The eyes of the crouching Kowood turned savage.

“That should be a neutral magic beast…?”

A Blue Mark Raider who knew a bit about magic beasts muttered. Se-min nodded.

The Raider who rushed alone backed away slowly, watching the reactions.

“Why aren’t you guys fighting?”

“Hey, that is a neutral magic beast!”

“What is that?”

“Sigh. How did you become a Raider?”

There was no more time to talk. The Kowood was stamping its back foot, preparing to run.

The target was the man in front of him.

And the humans in the rear who looked like the same species.

The Kowood charged with its horns forward.

“Uwoooooo!”

“Damn it!”

The man turned and ran.

At the menacing momentum of the Kowood, the other Blue Mark Raiders also turned their backs. They scattered in all directions like a rabble.

Only Se-min remained.

“Kowood. I missed you, fellows.”

He picked up his claymore. His cherished sword, the discontinued model KCL2 of Geoseong Metal Industry, hummed.

Se-min felt good the moment he saw them. Even looking at the three Kowoods charging at him, the corners of his mouth pulled up.

During the long time he endured beyond the gate, his palate had changed. Now, even if he ate Hoengseong Hanwoo beef, he could not feel the same emotion as before. What he wanted was only one thing.

The Kowood meat containing sharp demonic energy, where wild flavor was condensed!

Se-min shouted.

“Long time no see!”

Right before clashing with the Kowood, Se-min swung his claymore horizontally.

His sword cut the rightmost Kowood.

The force did not die.

He bisected the central Kowood.

Still, force remained.

He slaughtered the remaining one as well.

The three Kowoods were instantly separated top and bottom, revealing their internal structures clearly. Blood and entrails splattered in the air.

As the inertia did not die, the bodies of the Kowoods crashed into Se-min. Se-min rolled on the ground, tangled with the Kowood corpses.

“Ah. Damn it.”

Se-min stood up and shook off the flesh and entrails.

“I must send this to the dry cleaners.”

Looking back, the Blue Mark Raiders who fled had hidden somewhere and were staring at Se-min blankly.

Se-min let out a sigh.

Even so, what was with the fleeing?

“Misters.”

When Se-min called them, the Blue Mark Raiders cleared their throats and came forward.

“If I weren’t the macho man Lee Se-min, I would have pouted and not even talked. Consider it a relief that I am a man among men.”

“Ahem…”

“S-Sorry.”

“It is a relief you are safe.”

Se-min pointed behind him.

The Renegade Raiders were still fighting the Raigo.

“Iyaaaaaaaa! Die!”

“You dog-like lion bastard!”

“Roaaar!”

It was a dogfight where one couldn’t tell who was the beast and who was the human.

Se-min shrugged.

“Go help those people.”

“Raigo is dangerous…”

“You can assist them appropriately.”

The Blue Mark Raiders nodded and slowly moved, pushed by Se-min’s glare.

Although they didn’t seem to want to join the rough fight, when a Renegade member flew through the air and rolled on the ground tangled with them, they were automatically drafted into the fight.

Everyone rushed at the Raigo, emitting shrieks.

Madness is easily transmitted.

“They are alive.”

Se-min stopped paying attention to them and pulled out his claymore carefully.

“Mmh…”

He soon radioed the support team leader through a channel that was not heard by the other Raiders.

The team leader who heard Se-min’s request reacted with absurdity, but Se-min advanced his opinion until the end.

Soon the team leader agreed.

Se-min placed his sword on the Kowood corpse.

***

“Guaaaaaar!”

A Blue Mark Raider bravely struck the Raigo’s head.

The Raigo opened its mouth and tried to swallow him. Then, a Renegade Raider appeared from the side and struck its teeth. The Raigo wailed in pain and pulled its head back.

“Don’t miss the opportunity! General attack!”

“Defeat the Raigo!”

Everyone rushed in and swung their weapons at the Raigo’s head. Spears, swords, hammers, and flails—all kinds of menacing weapons beat the Raigo.

The Raigo let out a pitiful wail.

“Whack!”

The flail struck the Raigo’s skull square.

In the end, the Raigo died without even being able to scream.

It was a victory achieved after a terrible blood-and-death battle. It was a strong entity among Raigos. The Raiders sat on the Raigo’s corpse and celebrated the victory.

“Everyone went through a lot!”

“Good job.”

“Now I can live.”

“You are talents fit for Renegade. Submit an application once you become Green Mark.”

The Renegade members soon frowned.

The Blue Mark Raider Lee Se-min, aka the Factory, whose rumors had begun to spread lately, was not visible.

“By the way, where did the remaining one go?”

“Who knows…”

“Did he sleep alone in the back while others suffered?”

“He caught a Kowood…”

“Kowood? Why would he catch a neutral magic beast?”

The guilty Blue Mark Raider looked away. The Renegade members kept complaining.

“Where is he? I must say a word.”

While looking around, he found something strange.

In the clearing where the raid ended, Se-min was carving the Kowood corpse. The Raider Bureau employees were helping him nearby, setting up equipment here and there.

“What is he doing?”

They walked toward Se-min with chuckles.

Se-min raised his thumb to them.

“You went through a lot. I buy today. Everyone worked hard, so let’s have a light after-party before leaving.”

“What is this? What is that, and why do you build a fire?”

“Ah, that is what is called a barbecue.”

“Who doesn’t know that?”

Se-min grinned.

“Kowood resembles a cow. Then what taste would it have?”

And he carved the Kowood meat with the claymore. It was a skillful deboning. Blood dripped from the fresh meat.

Understanding his intent, the Renegade member stepped back.

“Who eats magic beast meat?”

“If you haven’t tried, don’t speak.”

Se-min began to place the meat pieces on the grill.

It was a barbecue grill he had requested the support team to secure from a nearby pension. Since he decided to purchase the Kowood corpse excluding the mana stones, this event was conducted entirely at Se-min’s expense.

“I buy today! Everyone worked hard, so have a piece of meat before you leave if you don’t have urgent business!”

Despite his invitation, people did not approach easily.

How many would step forward to eat magic beast meat?

Se-min spoke again.

“What I ate every day beyond the gate is this Kowood meat. It isn’t bad for the body. I also asked the magic beast research lab directly. They said it is protein. Good for the body!”

When he placed the fresh meat on the grill, smoke rose and the smell spread.

The Renegade member, exhausted from the raid, swallowed his saliva without realizing.

*Gulp.*

A rich smell of meat drifted.

It was a wild flavor.

As no one challenged easily, Se-min found a target first. He gestured mockingly with a finger at the Renegade members.

“Hey. You guys. Looking at you wearing leather jackets, you seem to think you are quite manly, but is that all? Are you schoolboys?”

“What?”

“What did you say?”

Cutting down their masculinity was the greatest insult to them!

They rose in anger. Their biceps and triceps bulged.

Despite their threatening appearances, Se-min calmly closed his eyes and savored the smell of the grilled Kowood as he continued.

“The true men of the ancient hunting days celebrated victory by swallowing the animals they hunted. Some even chewed and swallowed the prey’s heart, believing that its strength would dwell in them.”

“…!”

“O modern people of the greenhouse, who adapted to civilization and lost the wildness of the ancient days. Behold.”

Se-min lifted the Kowood meat high. It was grilled on the bone. It was a whole-roast visual seen in cartoons.

“I, Barbarian Lee Se-min! I open a feast with the meat I hunted myself today!”

And he took a large bite of the meat.

Juice ran down between his teeth.

The flame of the barbecue grill flickered, illuminating the glossy surface of the meat brightly.

The sound of chewing meat and swallowing down his throat was amplified by aura and heard by everyone.

“Mmh. Delicious. Fantastic.”

It was a terrifying mukbang where it seemed he would drool even if he brought a Kowood to show.

The Renegade members looked at the Kowood meat grilling on the plate without realizing.

It was a type of meat they had never experienced.

Yes, it was meat.

It was meat.

“Ahem, shall I try a taste?”

In the end, they also put a piece in their mouths.

They were just curious.

But.

“This!”

“This taste is!”

They placed their hands on their knees. Combined with the fatigue after the raid, their legs almost gave out.

It was similar to beef, but a flavor beyond that. A juice that felt like the essence exploded inside the skull!

“How is it?”

Se-min asked with a fishy smile.

“Men. How is the taste!”

“Ugh…!”

“Say you want to eat!”

They eventually couldn’t endure further and looked at Se-min with trembling eyes.

“I, I want to eat!”

Then Se-min smiled gently and welcomed them.

“Then let’s eat together, men.”

At that gentle smile, the men approached the barbecue grill as if possessed. And they began to shove meat into their mouths along with Se-min.

Soon, other Raiders and Raider Bureau employees also stood in front of the barbecue grill. They carefully tore the meat.

All those who tasted it praised it.

“Delicious!”

“Did magic beast meat taste like this?”

“It is a new taste never experienced before.”

Three large Kowood corpses.

It was an amount they could never finish.

“Today I buy!”

Se-min shouted, deboning the Kowood meat wildly.

At his declaration, everyone cheered.

“Alcohol! Bring alcohol!”

When they contacted the outer control team, they came with alcohol.

It was also the last raid of the day for the Bureau employees.

A dinner party took place in the clearing where the raid ended.

Once alcohol entered, Se-min became friends with the Renegade Raiders.

“Hey! The leather jacket is cool! That isn’t faux leather, right? Hahaha!”

“Your dragon jacket is also okay? Hehehe!”

“Yo, men met, how can we not call each other brothers?”

“Good! What year were you born! How old are you!”

“Tell me first? Hehe!”

“You speak first? Hahaha!”

Receiving the light flaring with the magic beasts’ corpses as the background, holding swords and tearing meat, they looked like primitive barbarians, Vikings holding a blood feast.

Se-min shouted.

“Everyone! Kowood is edible!”

***

[Everyone! Kowood is edible!]

“…”

Hyun Jae-young stopped the mouse.

And played again.

[Everyone! Kowood is edible!]

He doubted his eyes.

The person shown on the monitor was the person he knew.

A man wearing jeans and a dragon Sukajan jacket, holding a claymore. He was tearing meat in front of magic beasts’ corpses.

The clear scene of butchering visible in the corner of the screen.

It was a Kowood mukbang.

“This is ridiculous…”

This video uploaded on the video site Wetube was recording an immense number of views.

People debated who the Raider in the screen was, and whether Kowood was really that delicious.

Hyun Jae-young quietly closed the internet browser and came to the living room.

“Ugh…”

On the living room sofa, Se-min was groaning like a zombie.

He said he drank too much yesterday.

Yes, he also saw. In the video, Se-min was chugging soju from the bottle with men in weird leather jackets.

“Jae-young… water…”

Hyun Jae-young handed him the water bottle and asked.

“Brother.”

“Yeah…”

“Was Kowood delicious?”

“Delicious… the best… but did I tell you…?”

“No.”

Hyun Jae-young played Wetube on his phone and showed it to him.

Looking at the screen with swollen eyes, Se-min’s eyes gradually widened.

“It seems one of the Raiders yesterday was a BJ. He had a camera on his body. Everyone is in an uproar because of the video.”

“What…?”

Se-min stood up. And after contemplating with a serious expression, he swept his bangs back and made a fatal expression.

“*Sigh*… I wanted to live as a solitary Raider, but the world does not leave me alone…”

“…”

“Bring some paper. I will give you an autograph. It might be hard to see me in the future.”

Hyun Jae-young returned to his room without a word.

Se-min was talking nonsense. Looking at him tearing a magic beast and shouting, people would curse rather than praise.

He quietly checked the comment section.

Pinky Princess: The dragon jacket guy over there is okay?

└ I Like Flowers♥: 22222 The scent of a rough male

└ Polka Dot Dress: 222222 That is a real man haha

└ Cutie Nemo: 222222222 Ah, I want to make him my boyfriend

“Wow, damn, no way.”

He rubbed his eyes, feeling a sense of disparity with the world.

And scrolled down.

A Man’s Single Path: The trio of leather jacket and Sukajan… I want to serve them as older brothers…

└ Narande Cola: Agree, the pride is killing me, it’s awesome, it’s dying

└ Changjung Shin: Dam…n… I also… want to eat… I want to eat meat… Kowood meat…!

Neanderthal: Old memories. Come to mind. That man. Cool. My kind. I admit.

Chef Master: Kowood meat… looks quite okay? Food ingredients are endless.

└ Jajangmyeon Master: Older brother! Shall the chefs gather and push a group buy?

└ Sushi Manager: I agree! I am curious what taste it will have!

King Barbarian: I admit that man as a barbarian like me! Hooray! Open a blood feast with the meat of the prey!

Your Luxury: Raider brothers are cool!

Common sense was being destroyed.

Hyun Jae-young looked at Se-min, who was groaning from the hangover. He rolled on the sofa, came down to the living room floor, and stretched out. It was the appearance of a common unemployed neighborhood brother.

He checked the comments again.

Freesia77: I became a fan of the Sukajan guy over there ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ Anyone want to make a fan club?

└ Star Twinkle: 222222 Even if he is Blue Mark, it’s fine…

Raider Lover: My sister works at the Bureau, and she says that man is famous… She says his skill is not at the Blue level… He is really diligent and takes charge of raids others avoid ㅜㅠ

└ Won-mi Who Lives Casually: Really? Awesome, really cool ㅜㅜㅜ

└ Raider Lover: Yes yes! ㅜㅜ He has some craziness, but that is also charming

└ Arongdiriarong: I heard too ㅜㅠ They say he is different from Raiders who only look at money… Really cool

Hyun Jae-young dropped his phone.