Chapter 35 – Junk Story

A few days later, Se-min was standing on a white sandy beach in Incheon.

He had moved his activity area through Yoo Sang-heun, deciding to raid gates occurring in Incheon for the time being.

The Platinum-rank monster, Upara.

A forecast was issued that the bastard would appear at Seonnyeo Rock Beach in Incheon. It was a magic beast Se-min had not experienced. Strangely, Upara had a characteristic of mainly appearing in the Incheon area.

According to the overview sheet, not only Upara but also a couple of Drakes were expected to appear. It was a sight of lizard guys flocking together.

If Drakes were like subspecies of dragons, Upara resembled snakes more. It had a shape as if Eastern dragons had degenerated.

For the raid, two Platinum-mark Raiders including Se-min, and five Gold-mark Raiders were deployed.

“I’ve watched Se-min-ssi’s videos a lot. They were really cool. Please take good care of me today.”

“Don’t mention it.”

The raid industry is narrow. It was not much different here from Seoul. Raiders who watched Se-min’s news showed goodwill.

A Raider who fought magic beasts at the risk of death receives respect from fellow Raiders.

It was a medal that followed courage.

“It’s your first time doing an Upara Raid, right?”

“Yes.”

“The bastard also plays strange tricks, so you must be careful. Unlike ordinary magic beasts, it uses sorcery. Do not panic and calm your mind. Of course you will do well on your own, but I’m saying this out of over-anxiety.”

Upara emitted mental waves, causing illusions. It was a mental attack that awakened fear deep in the heart.

Raiders facing the bastard saw ghosts or even met dead people.

“We decided to face Upara, and the rest will face the Drakes. What do you think?”

“I think that would be good.”

“Let’s do well.”

A Platinum-mark like Se-min, Kim Jeong-hwan held a spear and grinned. The authority to order was given to him, who had experience in Upara raids.

He was a Raider who mainly active in the Incheon area, and spoke comfortably, perhaps because he was close with the other Raiders.

As the level rose, the bearing of the Raiders was out of the ordinary. Gold-mark Raiders were the top class in ordinary small companies. Their attire and equipment looked ordinary, but relaxation and experience exuded from their attitudes.

The briefing was nothing special. However, there was a request to take care so that Seonnyeo Rock, the symbol of the beach, would not be destroyed.

The Raiders stood at their respective positions.

Soon, the gate opener opened the door.

Upara’s unique translucent body began to appear. It soon became a lizard the size of an elephant and landed on the white sand beach.

The bastard stared at the humans surrounding it with an innocent-looking face.

“Upara tends not to attack first. Shall we go first?”

Se-min nodded.

Although Upara looked gentle at first glance due to its cute appearance, it was a creature that had killed numerous people. Survivors also suffered from aftereffects caused by mental waves. Magic beasts classified as harmful species all had that much of a criminal record.

Drakes’ bodies also began to be visible beyond the Gate.

Se-min exchanged glances with Kim Jeong-hwan and leaped at the same time.

It was better to finish quickly.

Se-min deployed the Tai Chi Wisdom. What overcame Upara’s mental waves was indeed aura.

However, the aura wavered.

Upara was emitting mental waves.

Se-min structured his aura protective shield even sturdier. The shaking subsided. Glancing sideways back, the Gold-mark Raiders gathered together and were protecting one another.

“[The mental waves are above average. It’s a strong guy, so be careful.]”

The radio of the Combat Support Team rang in his ears.

Upara opened its mouth and increased the strength of the mental waves even further. Se-min and Kim Jeong-hwan struck down their respective weapons without caring.

Upara dodged backward.

Those called magic beasts moved nimbly compared to their sizes. Upara was not an individual that became Platinum rank solely through mental waves. Soon, Upara’s counterattack flew in.

Teeth like saw blades lunged at them.

It was a guy that looked innocent at first glance, but as it opened its jaws, it turned into a scary face.

Se-min grinned while blocking the teeth with his claymore. Only now did the enemy become a monster worthy of the name magic beast.

Se-min and Kim Jeong-hwan split to both sides and stabbed Upara’s body. The translucent body was harder than expected. After plunging the claymore once, Se-min exploded aura to tear open the surface.

Upara twisted its body greatly.

The mental waves became even stronger.

The aura barrier surrounding Se-min surged.

“Are you okay?”

“[Yes. Still…]”

The pressure of the mental waves was the greatest on them, who faced Upara close up.

Kim Jeong-hwan’s heavy breathing was transmitted through the radio.

“[It’s a strong guy. Damn it. I’m already starting to see it.]”

He probably meant that illusion. Se-min had never been hit by Upara, so he could not know what it was like.

Making his aura barrier even firmer, Se-min rushed again toward Upara’s flank where he had made a hole. The claymore dug into Upara’s interior. Upara thrashed its limbs, launching a counterattack.

Se-min retreated back again. Upara’s angry face turned toward him. Se-min scanned the surroundings. Kim Jeong-hwan was composing himself a little distance away.

He did something while bowing his head.

Se-min tilted his head. Kim Jeong-hwan was doing something, but he could not know what it was. As Upara’s attacks followed, Se-min dismissed his thoughts.

“[Be careful. Drakes have also crossed over completely.]”

Roars of Drakes were heard from behind.

As Se-min turned back, the Gold-mark Raiders were enduring the mental waves with more resolute appearances than expected. They blocked the Drakes.

Soon, Kim Jeong-hwan also joined the battle again.

“Ugh!”

Se-min was struck by Upara’s tail. He rolled on the white sand beach. As he spat out sand and raised his body, his head rang.

His sense of balance grew faint. Se-min slumped on the ground again. Se-min tried to raise aura, but he could not concentrate. A feeling of exhaustion bound his entire body.

It was the mental waves.

Outside his field of vision, something like black ink loomed.

Sitting on the ground, Se-min watched Upara. The bastard was clashing with Kim Jeong-hwan. As if mental waves were nothing to him now, Kim Jeong-hwan swung his spear widely, pressuring Upara.

Se-min stood up to join the battle. However, something blocked his front.

It was a dark figure.

A black devil was standing.

It was the guy who had killed Noh Hak-jae and dropped Se-min to the other world. Se-min doubted his eyes. His vision shook dizzily. Tinnitus rang in his head. Se-min clenched his teeth.

Se-min also knew it was an illusion.

However, it did not disappear.

At that moment, the Tai Chi Wisdom flowed smoothly through his body. The black smudges faded. The Tai Chi Wisdom calmed his pounding chest, stabilized his shaking vision, and cleared his head.

The black smudges were erased at once. The devil’s figure that hovered before his eyes also grew faint.

Se-min muttered like a spell.

“Tai Chi indicates Yin and Yang, Heaven, Earth, and Man, and furthermore, Origination, Penetration, Advantage, and Firmness…”

Se-min leaped. His aura was now overcoming Upara’s mental waves. Just as a deep-rooted tree does not shake in the wind, his Tai Chi Wisdom flowed solemnly.

He drove the claymore into Upara’s head. It failed to pierce the skull. After pulling out the sword, Se-min slashed both of Upara’s eyes.

Body fluid burst out.

In an instant, the mental waves reached physical force, shaking the white sand beach.

Se-min turned his eyes. Kim Jeong-hwan was slicing off Upara’s arm as if it was nothing. Behind them, the Gold-mark Raiders overwhelmed the Drakes. They looked as if they had overcome the mental waves.

Se-min was impressed.

Perhaps they had become immune from frequently facing Upara.

Se-min spat, sensing the black smudges looming again at the edge of his vision.

“Annoying bastard.”

Upara, it was indeed a magic beast worthy of the Platinum rank. For Raiders who had no way to combat mental waves, it seemed it would be difficult to face even if several Platinums came.

However, in Se-min’s case, he had the Tai Chi Wisdom, and the Raiders here also seemed to have some secret.

“[One Drake has died. Upara is also heavily wounded. Please be careful until the end.]”

The Combat Support Team’s radio announced their victory. The movements of the Raiders became a level lighter. They killed magic beasts energetically.

Soon, Upara and two Drakes lay stretched out as corpses on the white sand beach.

The sand was dyed red with the blood of the magic beasts.

The sea breeze cooled down their sweat and passed by.

The raid concluded.

“Everyone, you worked hard!”

Kim Jeong-hwan shouted loudly. The Raiders gathered and celebrated their victory. Se-min greeted the Raiders one by one.

Se-min felt a strange sense of heterogeneity from Kim Jeong-hwan. For some reason, he looked elated. It was an expression as if the excitement of battle had not worn off.

“Are you okay?”

“Aha, I’m fine. I’m fine. Something like Upara is nothing. Hahaha.”

His tongue wavered slightly.

Se-min tilted his head.

“By the way, Se-min-ssi, you said you’d stay in Incheon for the time being, right?”

“Yes.”

“How did that happen? You were originally active in Seoul, weren’t you?”

“I fought with the president. We got into a big fight because my words got a bit rough while drinking. Saying he didn’t want to see my face for the time being, he shoved me in Incheon for about a month. He is narrow-minded. Not the vessel of a leader.”

It was the excuse Se-min currently trumpeted externally. Remarks that would have made Yoo Sang-heun grab the back of his neck if he knew poured out.

Kim Jeong-hwan laughed.

“He should be grateful just that Se-min-ssi stays at a small company, the president’s mindset is lacking. Why don’t you change companies this time?”

“Still, I have received grace, so I’ll bear with it.”

“Se-min-ssi is a man. A real man. Hahahahat!”

The Combat Support Team was collecting the corpses of the magic beasts. Watching that sight, Kim Jeong-hwan mimicked tilting a glass toward Se-min.

“It seems I’ll see you frequently for a while, shall we have a light drink?”

Se-min thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Sure.”

***

Kim Jeong-hwan guided him to a dark room. Two Gold-mark Raiders who had done the raid together also came along. Perhaps Kim Jeong-hwan was acquainted with the manager here, as the employees bowed their heads deeply.

Kim Jeong-hwan subtly asked Se-min.

“By any chance, if you need girls…”

“No, thanks.”

“Oops, I said something unnecessary.”

Kim Jeong-hwan laughed. The others looked quite regretful, but Kim Jeong-hwan did not press further.

The table was set. Fruit platters, Western liquor, and beer were laid out. He handed a glass with ice to Se-min and poured Western liquor. Golden liquid sloshed in the glass. Se-min also offered him a glass.

They exchanged drinks in deliberately polite postures.

“To Se-min-ssi’s Incheon exile life.”

For Se-min, who was used to soju or beer, it was an unfamiliar taste. Se-min frowned and looked at his glass again. The Raiders laughed, asking if the taste was not good.

Kim Jeong-hwan opened the conversation with stories of the Kesia Raid. When the Limitless Association was mentioned, they clicked their tongues.

“Limitless Association people are like that. They brag heavily, but in reality, they conduct raids like half-wits. The rumors aren’t good in Incheon either.”

“In Incheon?”

“There are people who dislike them. You can guess, right?”

Kim Jeong-hwan glossed over it.

They kept exchanging glasses. Se-min could discharge the intoxication through the Tai Chi Wisdom, but ordinary Raiders lacked such a delicate technique. Their faces flushed and their speech became light.

In the midst of that, the door suddenly opened. And four shadows strode into the room.

“Oppa, why didn’t you call us?”

“Why did you guys come?”

“We said we’d come because we felt hurt.”

Whether it was acting or sincerity was unknown. Se-min clicked his tongue inwardly. The women searched for their respective partners and took seats.

“Who is this oppa? It’s my first time seeing him.”

The woman seated next to Se-min asked with a grin. She leaned her shoulder against him as soon as she sat.

“Isn’t he a face you’ve seen a lot somewhere?”

The Gold-mark Raider who shared the table said. The women widened their eyes and looked at Se-min. Attention was concentrated.

Se-min drank another glass without a word.

“Is oppa a celebrity? He’s definitely a Raider. Who is he?”

“What rank is he? No way, is oppa also a Platinum?”

“He looks young for a Platinum.”

Kim Jeong-hwan put his arm around the woman sitting next to him and spoke.

“Don’t you guys even watch television?”

“Explain quickly. Who is this oppa?”

“In the place where the Limitless Association fled, a man remained alone to face two Kesias. You don’t know?”

Everyone’s eyes widened. The woman sitting next to Se-min pointed at his souvenir jacket.

“Huh? Come to think of it, it’s a souvenir jacket.”

“Is it real?”

“Lee Se-min?”

The women made a fuss. Se-min shrugged his shoulders.

“We hit the jackpot today.”

The woman poured alcohol for Se-min. Se-min found the woman clinging tightly to him uncomfortable, but he silently accepted the glass for now.

The two Gold-mark Raiders had grins from ear to ear. Kim Jeong-hwan whispered something with the woman next to him.

The woman hit on Se-min.

“It really is Lee Se-min. I’m oppa’s fan. You look even cuter in person.”

“The camera tends not to capture my real appearance.”

“You’re even shameless. Shall we toast to celebrate?”

“No.”

“Are you playing hard to get?”

Kim Jeong-hwan said, laughing.

“Cut it out. Se-min-ssi doesn’t like this kind of place, and you guys came on your own.”

“Oppa dislikes women? By any chance, is your preference men?”

“If you guys keep doing that, I’m sending you back.”

The woman softened. Se-min swirled his glass, took a light sip, and spoke toward Kim Jeong-hwan.

He brought up the topic he was curious about.

“When we raided earlier…”

“Yes.”

“The mental waves were very tough. Doesn’t Upara appear frequently in Incheon?”

Kim Jeong-hwan’s eyes shone.

“Right. I don’t know if this expression is correct, but Incheon is practically their habitat.”

“However, I was surprised that the others were calm. Is there a secret?”

“Hahaha, it’s just that I developed a knack from facing them frequently.”

“A knack?”

“You’ll automatically find out once you live in Incheon for a bit.”

Kim Jeong-hwan did not answer in detail and shrugged his shoulders.

Se-min did not pry further either.

He had seen Kim Jeong-hwan doing something strange during the raid. And after that, he looked as if he had completely overcome the mental waves. Kim Jeong-hwan was by no means stronger than Se-min, and even though there should be a larger gap in terms of aura level, he did so.

Reflecting and mulling over it, Kim Jeong-hwan had used something during the raid. To put it accurately, the words ‘ate’ or ‘inhaled’ were suitable.

Among the materials on Park Seo-geon obtained from Kim Gyu-jin, there was this information.

‘Rapidly expanded influence after forming ties with the Triads.’

‘Presumed to smuggle drugs through China.’

‘Rumors of selling narcotic substances targeted at Raiders.’

Considering the strange elation Kim Jeong-hwan showed right after the raid, there was a possibility that it was a psychotropic drug. If so, it made sense that they endured Upara’s mental waves.

Furthermore, Kim Jeong-hwan avoided answering Se-min’s questions and glossed over them. That could soon be interpreted to mean the substance was not something proper.

However, it was still a suspicion. Se-min needed to obtain more information. If they were obtaining such drugs from the organization in Incheon, things would become easy.

How could he earn their trust?

Se-min took a deep breath.

He was a true man who had lived mingling with magic beasts in the other world. For the sake of his purpose, he did not refuse even a path of thorns.

Se-min closed his eyes.

“To catch a monster, I also must become a monster…”

“What did you say?”

“Talking to myself.”

Se-min opened his eyes again. Unlike before, his gaze was insidious.

What did hardship matter?

“I will willingly walk the path of Asura!”

Se-min summoned his third ego.

“Oppa is quiet. What did you do before becoming a Raider? You must have been a nerd.”

The woman sitting next to him kept talking to Se-min. It was a good question. Se-min leaned back and crossed his legs.

“Do I look like that?”

The woman flinched. An unknown bad-boy energy began to flow from Se-min, who had been sitting awkwardly until just now. It felt as if a thick scent of a cigar, which no one had even lit, was drifting.

Se-min smirked darkly.

“I wish that were the case.”

Se-min swirled his glass. The Ballantine mixed with ice sloshed, breaking the dark light.

“Then, there would be no need to have nightmares every night…”

In his eyes, the melancholy of a man harboring a dark past descended.

Se-min was by no means embarrassed. The moment an actor doubts himself, the stage ends.

His wholehearted method acting assimilated into the dark atmosphere of the room, adding a level of persuasiveness. Even Kim Jeong-hwan was startled and began to look at him anew.

“Did something happen in the past…?”

“I…”

Casting a shadow over his eyes, Se-min stared at the liquor glass.

“I committed many evil deeds.”

At that, a woman who seemed to know a bit about the Raider Lee Se-min raised an objection.

“According to Ahn Seong-jun’s interview, Se-min-ssi was a wonderful student who blocked him when he was bullying kids…”

“That’s his misunderstanding.”

That bastard Ahn Seong-jun was really of no help.

“The big brother of the organization I belonged to told me to test him. At that time, I was searching for talented kids while hiding my identity. Using the bullying as a pretext, I tested him.”

“A test?”

“The result was a failure. The guy’s talent wasn’t bad, but he lacked the key thing.”

“The key thing…?”

“Madness.”

Se-min smirked. Everyone in the room held their breath.

Se-min was impressed by his own adaptability. Perhaps his throat was dry, as Kim Jeong-hwan swallowed a sip of liquor and asked Se-min again.

“If you say organization, what kind…?”

“It’s a name not very well known in the sun, so you wouldn’t know it. If uttered, both I and Jeong-hwan-ssi will be in danger.”

“Th-Then, what did you do there?”

Se-min spoke with a lonely smile.

“Hitman.”

“…!”

“Should I say I was a cold-blooded assassin.”

Suddenly, the scale of the story expanded. Kim Jeong-hwan and the Gold-mark Raiders looked at one another’s faces. It was a half-believing, half-doubting expression.

Se-min drove a wedge.

“The organization gathered and trained children who had talent in aura from an early age. The me of that time was truly trash, going around killing people while drunk on violence and drugs. Kehehe…”

Kim Jeong-hwan thought. There was no way it was a lie. A person could not make up such a story in their right mind. Unless they had a steel plate attached instead of human skin, they couldn’t casually fabricate such words, could they?

Abandoning suspicion, Kim Jeong-hwan now began to piece the story together himself.

“Th-That’s why. The reason why Se-min-ssi fights at the risk of your life. Aren’t you absorbing yourself even more in raids to erase the guilt of the past!”

“Have I been caught? Fufu…”

“I wondered why you wore a strange souvenir jacket. That must be because Se-min-ssi insists on it so as not to forget the sins you committed yourself. Like a brand stamped on yourself. A scarlet letter whipping you not to forget your past self!”

“Th-That is correct.”

Se-min resolved to punish Kim Jeong-hwan, who ignored his fashion, after the business was over.

“Even so, you have been born anew now.”

“Born anew…”

Se-min pulled and embraced the shoulder of the woman sitting next to him. And downing the liquor in a single shot, he showed a sinister smile.

“I’m merely enduring.”

“…!”

“After seeing the blood of a magic beast like today, I feel like spending a night of madness while high on LSD. Although it’s not something to say to people in the sun like you guys. Kehek…”

“Y-You did drugs too?”

When Kim Jeong-hwan asked, Se-min shrugged his shoulders.

“I did all the bad deeds you guys can think of.”

“Ooh…”

At Se-min’s words, Kim Jeong-hwan exchanged glances with the Gold-mark Raiders. Se-min leaned back leisurely and held an empty glass. At his signal, the woman sitting next to him poured alcohol.

They toasted once more. Under the influence of alcohol, Kim Jeong-hwan did not doubt Se-min. He asked casually.

“Se-min-ssi.”

“Yes.”

“I have a good item, would you like to try it?”

“A good item?”

“For us Raiders, it’s an even better item. Hehe…”

“I’m curious.”

Correcting his posture, Se-min focused on Kim Jeong-hwan. Kim Jeong-hwan smiled meaningfully and reached into his chest.

“You were curious about how we endure Upara’s mental waves, right?”

“Of course. You guys were great.”

“This is that secret.”

What he took out was a bluish powder packaged in a small vinyl.

It was a suspicious item at a single glance. It felt as if the DEA would barge in at any moment, point gun barrels, and shout to bow down and put hands behind the back.

Se-min accepted it and held it against the light. It was a color scheme he had seen a lot somewhere.

Right, it somehow resembled magic stones.

“It temporarily nullifies ordinary mental attacks and also increases aura. If used long-term, it’s an item that raises the Raider’s skill itself.”

“What about side effects?”

“There is no such thing. Although there is a slight addictiveness, it’s not even as bad as cigarettes. Isn’t it amazing?”

“Oh…”

There was no way a drug with no side effects existed.

Se-min accepted it. Perhaps everyone in this place knew about it, as the women also added words.

“Oppa, can’t you give us some too?”

“No. It’s expensive.”

Se-min asked.

“Where do you get this?”

“First.”

Kim Jeong-hwan winked. The other Raiders also took out the same thing from their chests. In front of Se-min, Kim Jeong-hwan tore open the vinyl and placed it on the back of his hand.

“Do it once and let’s keep talking.”

He grinned and inhaled it straight away.

It was exactly like the drug scenes seen in movies. As he inhaled, the powder on the back of his hand was sucked in, leaving a blue afterimage.

Kim Jeong-hwan tilted his head back and let out a bizarre sigh. Gasping while staring at the sky, he looked at Se-min again. An unknown energy lingered in his eyes.

He smirked.

“Good. Hahaha.”

The others had already inhaled once as well. They distributed small amounts to the women too. Perhaps normal people used it too, as they also inhaled once and showed the same behavior as Kim Jeong-hwan.

Se-min swallowed his saliva and stared at it.

He worried.

Should he cause a scene here? Or should he play along with them for now? If he did anything foolish, the organization would hide.

However, drugs were scary. He had never even smoked cigarettes, and was a model citizen who didn’t throw trash on the streets.

Because his hand wouldn’t move, Se-min swallowed his saliva. Everyone was looking at him with expectant eyes. He suppressed the desire to raise aura and beat them up right then and there.

As Se-min hesitated, the woman sitting next to him tore open the vinyl.

“Here goes.”

Then she poured it onto her hand, shoved it right to Se-min’s nose, and giggled.

Se-min inhaled without realizing. A portion of the powder was absorbed.

Like a floodgate opening, Se-min’s body kept inhaling it. All of the bluish powder disappeared into Se-min’s nostrils.

Se-min stared at the ceiling. Something hovered on the ceiling. It was air currents.

Se-min could see the movements of the air flowing in the sealed room. Lowering his head in bewilderment, he saw the faces of the men and women looking at him. Everyone was looking forward to his reaction with bright expressions.

Se-min witnessed the lingering scent of aura burning from the three men. He could also see the masses of power pooling in their dantians.

The Tai Chi Wisdom in his dantian felt as if it could be grasped in his hand. All thoughts became clear. He felt he could even perform complex mental calculations in one go that he normally couldn’t do.

At this moment, if he picked up the claymore placed beside him, even what would happen next was clear. If he kicked the woman beside him into the sofa, she would die, and using that recoil, he would leap and slash several in one move. How Kim Jeong-hwan, located at the edge, would respond was also clearly drawn. There would be many ways to kill him.

Every kind of task looked easy. It was literally doping. Muscles expanded further, his head cleared, and aura boiled.

Se-min opened his mouth.

“What is the name of this?”

Kim Jeong-hwan smirked. His smile spread. To Se-min, Kim Jeong-hwan’s entire face looked like a single pulled-up mouth.

“It is Gift.”

Meaning a present. A gift from whom?

Se-min shook his head. His senses were so sharp that he felt uneasy instead. Even the tiny movements of the woman wriggling beside him were captured by his entire body. Everything was annoying.

And above all, the Tai Chi Wisdom was grumbling to him. Tapping his dantian as if he had treated it to something nasty, it complained not to do this in the future.

Thus, Se-min realized that this was not a mystical medicine, but merely a drug.

“What do you make it with?”

The feeling of speaking while high on Gift was unfamiliar. Even his tongue and vocal cords moved flexibly as if greased. This was also why he had felt Kim Jeong-hwan’s speech was slightly slurred during the raid.

“We don’t know either. Since the seller doesn’t tell us, there’s no way to know. Don’t worry, they say they don’t make it with anything dangerous. There is no addictiveness either.”

“It’s not that I’m worried…”

“I’m asking because I like it. I feel like I can do anything. It’s not just a feeling, I feel I can actually do anything.”

Se-min raised aura in his palm. A materialized qi arose. It soon took the shape of the small monster, Upara.

The people let out gasps of admiration. Although it was a trick anyone with a Platinum mark could do, the masters who could implement the form this vividly and exquisitely were extremely few. On his palm, Upara jumped and moved.

The woman tried to touch it, but stopped at Kim Jeong-hwan’s restraint.

“Your hand will fly off.”

What was so funny about those words, everyone laughed loudly.

“I guessed it, but indeed Se-min-ssi is exceptional even among Platinums.”

“Oppa, you can’t do this?”

“This is truly amazing. you girls should pay to watch.”

At those words, the woman sitting next to him clung even tighter to Se-min. Se-min asked Kim Jeong-hwan.

“Where on earth did you get this?”

“Hehe, it’s a great item, isn’t it? I was also surprised.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this. If it becomes known to Raiders…”

“Everyone will be anxious to get this. Isn’t the feeling fantastic too?”

Perhaps wanting to savor this moment more, Kim Jeong-hwan did not offer an answer easily. Se-min gave him more of the reaction he wanted.

“That’s right. It’s been a while since I felt like this. Are there really no side effects?”

“Of course. I’ve also used it for a long time, but there were no abnormalities. When they checked my body, they said my aura had actually increased.”

“I want to obtain it even if it costs a thousand gold.”

“I felt the same way as Se-min-ssi when I first used this.”

The others stared at the air with hazy faces, perhaps as the drug effect rose further.

However, Se-min was instead calming down. Probably the states they and Se-min felt were different. The Tai Chi Wisdom was expelling Gift from his body. The strange feeling also gradually faded.

Kim Jeong-hwan giggled.

“I thought Se-min-ssi was a model student style, but I was mistaken.”

“It’s acting. Because people only believe what they want to believe.”

“Hahaha! Correct.”

Drunk on alcohol and the drug, Kim Jeong-hwan became loose with laughter. He kept giggling.

Se-min poured him alcohol. Kim Jeong-hwan accepted it politely in a deliberately respectful posture. Se-min also matched him, gathering both hands.

“If Se-min-ssi wants, I should tell you specially.”

Toasting with Se-min, Kim Jeong-hwan offered his phone. He covered the screen so that others couldn’t see.

A map application was displayed on the screen. It pointed to a location. Se-min memorized the location.

“If you’ve seen it all, lend me your ear.”

Kim Jeong-hwan invited Se-min over as if telling a great secret. As Se-min offered his ear, he whispered something.

It was about the transaction method.

“Do you remember everything?”

“Yes.”

“You can do it like that.”

“Fascinating.”

The procedure was as follows.

The business partner is a Japanese restaurant near the harbor. Order tuna belly sushi there, then take some wasabi and stamp three dots in a triangle on the table.

Then the clerk approaches and asks how the fish is today, and Se-min replies that the taste is mediocre so call Mr. Wang.

The clerk counters that Mr. Wang is already dead, and Se-min says that’s a pity, I want to offer incense at least.

Then he is guided to their hideout.

“I cannot say more than this. Both the price and whether a transaction is possible, you must negotiate directly with them.”

Se-min nodded.

In all circumstances, they would be a subordinate organization of the Triads. Adopting a Japanese restaurant of all things seemed like their own disguise. They were quite cute bastards.

He had no more business with them now. Se-min stood up from his seat.

“Where are you going suddenly?”

“An urgent matter arose. A big trouble happened.”

“What kind?”

“A close friend had a bereavement.”

“Oh dear, that’s big trouble.”

“Since he is my only friend, I think I must stay by his side. Because he is the only fellow who associates with a cold-blooded guy like me, I am sorry.”

“Not at all. Of course you should go. Is your body okay?”

“It’s the best. See you next time.”

“Yes. Let’s meet again!”

Se-min left the room. Sounds of revelry were heard from every room. Ignoring the employees who bowed their heads, Se-min came outside. Night neon signs lit the streets.

Mulling over the location of the Japanese restaurant Kim Jeong-hwan had conveyed, Se-min caught a taxi.

***

The next day, Se-min headed to the Japanese restaurant Kim Jeong-hwan had told him about. The name was Kotetsu. As Se-min entered, a clerk guided him and handed over the menu.

The price range was by no means cheap. Especially, the fatty tuna belly sushi was expensive. Se-min opened his trembling mouth and ordered it.

If there was anything peculiar, it was prepaid. It meant he must pay this expensive price unconditionally to establish a transaction.

They were cowardly bastards indeed.

“Enjoy your meal.”

The clerk brought out the sushi. Appetizing-colored sushi was laid in a row. Because Se-min felt it was a waste of money, he decided to eat the sushi first and perform the certain ritual.

The taste was excellent.

Se-min moved his chopsticks without resting. It was a ravenous appetite to the extent that people around whispered. Having polished off the sushi completely, Se-min patted his stomach. Now it was time to start the procedure.

He took some wasabi and stamped three dots.

He felt gazes tailing him.

Se-min sat in his seat and waited for the clerk. He did not come straight away. Soon, customers left one by one, and except for a couple of tables dining in the corner, the restaurant was empty.

Only then did the clerk approach.

“How was the fish today?”

“The taste was mediocre…”

Having eaten it up completely, he felt embarrassed to say it was mediocre. The clerk also had a reproving look.

“Ahem, anyway, it was very mediocre. Where is Mr. Wang?”

Staring blatantly at his empty plate, the clerk replied.

“He is dead.”

“That’s a pity. I want to offer incense at least.”

The clerk’s voice lowered.

“If you wait outside the shop, a guide will lead you. Follow without saying a word.”

Se-min nodded.

At that, the clerk changed attitude and grinned.

“Thank you for visiting! Come again!”

Then he began to clear the table. Se-min stood up from his seat.

He waited outside the shop for the person called the guide.

Soon, a car stopped in front of him. The door opened and the man sitting in the back seat gestured. Se-min scanned the car and the license plate, then boarded.

People were sitting in both the passenger seat and Se-min’s side seat.

“This.”

The man sitting beside him handed over a blindfold.

“You must wear this to go. Hand over your weapon too.”

The car was circling the same spot. They did not threaten him. They just gave him a choice. It was a tone meaning if he agreed to the conditions they go to the hideout, if not that was it.

Se-min unfastened the claymore and wore the blindfold without hesitation. The cloth was thick, showing nothing of the front at all.

He felt the car changing direction.

Se-min was a top-tier Raider regarding aura. Even if his eyes were not visible, he could check the surrounding situation by spreading his energy perception. Concentrating on the car’s movements, the general route of movement was grasped.

Even after putting the blindfold on him, they moved carefully. They circled the same spot or deliberately turned back along a long route. Midway, Se-min also got confused and almost lost it.

Before long, the car stopped.

“Get up. Don’t take off the blindfold.”

The man got down first, then opened Se-min’s door. He grabbed Se-min’s arm and guided him.

The others were doing something ahead of them. Sound of something opening and closing echoed.

“It’s stairs from here. Step forward slowly.”

The man seemed to be familiar with this kind of work.

“Stairs end in two steps. Now go forward. Straight ahead.”

Moving here and there, Se-min soon came to be seated.

The blindfold was untied.

Se-min was standing in a sealed room with not a single window. Looking back, there was a steel door, and men stood beyond it. Wondering if they were locking him in, he raised aura, but they swarmed into the room where Se-min was.

The men surrounded Se-min.

“He is coming.”

Sound of footsteps began to be heard from outside. He would be the seller.

Soon, a man entered the room and sat opposite Se-min.

It was a familiar face. It was Park Seo-geon, the man Se-min was searching for.

He hadn’t expected to meet him so directly. Se-min was inwardly surprised, but Park Seo-geon looked calm. Aura was felt, but his realm was not high.

“Nice to meet you. It is an honor to meet the famous Raider Lee Se-min.”

“Yes. I am Lee Se-min.”

“I am a person named Park Seo-geon.”

No particular hostility or suspicion was visible. If so, it meant there was no link between those who tailed Se-min and Park Seo-geon.

He heard they were originally gang members under this man, did other circumstances arise? Se-min’s head became complicated.

“I heard the story from Kim Jeong-hwan-ssi.”

He had already given a hint, it seemed.

“I thought it was a joke when I heard the talked-about Raider was interested in the drug. But you really came.”

Se-min grinned.

“The stuff was killer.”

“We do not provide the stuff to just anyone.”

“Why?”

Se-min leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.

“Isn’t your purpose to pocket money by selling the stuff?”

“Because we are confident. This is not cheap drugs. There are no aftereffects, and it doesn’t harm your bodies either. So there’s no need to release it recklessly.”

Park Seo-geon laughed. Outwardly, he was a good-impression man.

As he gestured, a subordinate brought something in front of Se-min.

Orange juice.

“Wet your throat.”

Se-min shook his head. At that, he reached out, took the orange juice, and drank a sip himself.

“There is no need to guard. Although the place is like this, we are a gentlemanly organization. We want to establish a long-term trading relationship.”

Park Seo-geon put out a small bag of Gift. The amount inside was merely about one knuckle of a thumb.

“Our stuff is expensive. That’s why we mainly deal with Raiders. There are positive effects for Raiders too. Providing the stuff continuously to a trusted few, that is what we pursue.”

“I see.”

Se-min glanced behind. Although he spoke politely, it was felt that aura aptitudes were deployed.

This was a basement, and there was only one path going outside. And Se-min did not even have a weapon now. As Se-min became guarded, Park Seo-geon shrugged his shoulders.

“I deployed some kids just in case. Please understand. Se-min-ssi is a Platinum Raider, after all.”

“Understood.”

Se-min nodded. At the same time, he thought.

The item called Gift was no ordinary item. Park Seo-geon was merely an agent selling the stuff. If so, where was their background?

It was obvious. The Triads were providing Gift.

If so, should he establish a trading relationship first and watch them further? Should he do an undercover investigation while mingling with them?

Se-min rolled his head. Soon, a conclusion was reached.

He was neither a policeman nor a detective. He was not skilled in complex calculations either.

“To hell with it.”

“Pardon?”

Se-min punched Park Seo-geon first.