Gunfire in the middle of the city had already become routine in District 12.

Let alone in such a remote place, a shootout wouldn’t even draw a glance from the citizens.

Click-!

Jang Moon-seok reloaded and got out of the van.

After checking Hwang Tae-su’s car, Jang Moon-seok raised the corners of his lips in a grin.

“Hey, you son of a bitch, you should pick your targets more carefully!”

It felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest.

Hwang Tae-su’s car was in terrible shape.

Just because it was a bulletproof car didn’t mean it could withstand hundreds of bullets. Even bulletproof cars had levels.

The standards varied by continent, but the model Hwang Tae-su was in was a German car.

And typically, the bulletproof glass of German cars imported into Korea had protection levels ranging from VR5 to VR7.

While it could withstand a dozen or so shots while in motion, it was a different story when an M60 with 7.62mm rounds and automatic fire concentrated on one spot while the vehicle was stationary.

Eventually, it would be penetrated.

Indeed, the front windshield was riddled with bullet marks, and the driver’s seat, where the barrel had been focused, wasn’t just shredded—it had been completely pierced through.

Hwang Tae-su would either be dead or gravely injured. No—being injured was the reasonable assumption.

However, surprisingly, there was movement inside the car. Startled, Jang Moon-seok and his subordinates aimed their guns.

Someone stepped out from the back seat.

It was Park Yeon and Doo-shik.

As they exited the car, they stretched as if their bodies were a bit stiff. Their completely relaxed and carefree demeanor left Jang Moon-seok speechless.

“President Hwang, are you alright?”

Hwang Tae-su, who had been mentally knocked out by the sudden ambush, nodded after being called several times.

“Y-Yeah, I’m alright.”

“By the way… were those Burglars?”

To block someone on the street and launch an indiscriminate attack like that—

The weapons they carried may have been different, but in the world he came from, it was exactly the kind of thing Burglars would do.

“They seemed like mercenaries.”

“You think so? From their armament, they do look like mercenaries. Or maybe wandering knights… no, that’s unlikely. This is a world without knights.”

“Maybe Robbers? Didn’t Seo-jun hyung tell us to be careful because robbery sometimes happen in District 12?”

“Robbers or Burglars, same difference.”

“They’re not the same.”

“How are they different, you dumb orc bastard! They’re the same.”

“You’re the dumb one, you stupid hero bastard! Think about it. Robbers are those who use force to take others’ belongings. Burglars are those who steal without force, like you sneaking colas from the fridge. Got it now?”

“Sneaking colas, my ass!”

“I saw it all.”

“Hah… the world’s really going to hell. An orc accusing an innocent man, of all things.”

Even in this situation, the two of them bickered, leaving Hwang Tae-su dumbfounded.

Do they really not understand the situation and are arguing like this?

Can’t they tell just by looking that those guys were targeting me?

He wanted to shout, but right now, the only people he could rely on were those two—monsters, and potentially candidates for the monster list themselves.

“Um, Mr. Park.”

“What do you think, President Hwang?”

“Well, they’re neither Robbers nor Burglars.”

“Then what? They can’t be wandering knights.”

“They were aiming for me.”

“You?”

“Yes.”

“I see. No wonder they reeked of bloodlust, unlike your average Robber…”

Park Yeon swiftly switched into deduction mode.

Amused by this, Jang Moon-seok raised his gun.

“You done with the comedy skit?”

“Skits, I don’t know about that, but let me ask one thing.”

“What’s stopping you from saying whatever before you die?”

“Just as President Hwang said, are you bastards assassins who came targeting him?”

“As… sassins? Pfft!”

“Puhahahaha!”

“He called us assassins, assassins.”

“I’ll ask again. Are you assassins?”

“We’re not assassins, but yeah, we came to take care of that f***ing loan shark bastard.”

“I see.”

With Jang Moon-seok’s words, Park Yeon’s hazy eyes changed in an instant.

“Not Robbers, not Burglars—beings who came solely to take lives.”

“So?”

“The gods taught us the truth of forgiveness. You too should repent and apologize to President Hwang. Then we shall retreat.”

“Not happening, you son of a b****.”

One of Jang Moon-seok’s men gathered a wad of spit and hurled a phlegmy loogie at Park Yeon’s face.

The thick phlegm trickled down his face. Park Yeon closed his eyes and drew a sign of the cross.

Bang-!

A single gunshot.

The shooter was the man who had spat. He glared with wide eyes.

Because Park Yeon, with his eyes closed, was holding the bullet in his hand.

‘…Is that even possible?’

The muzzle velocity of an M4A1 is 884 meters per second. A bullet travels about 900 meters in one second. And he caught that?

‘…!’

Only then did the subordinate realize what kind of person they were dealing with and widened his eyes—

At that moment, Park Yeon vanished from the sight of Jang Moon-seok’s group.

Panicked, they began firing indiscriminately. Some of the bullets even flew toward Hwang Tae-su, but—

Ting ting ting—!

The bullets bounced off as if an invisible wall had formed.

The description was long, but all of this happened in an instant.

And in that brief moment, Jang Moon-seok felt something missing from his left hand and the crook of his elbow.

The emptiness turned into pain.

“Aaaaargh!”

Jang Moon-seok suddenly screamed.

His subordinates hesitated. But just like him, they too cried out in pain and collapsed one after another.

“Ugh…”

“F***! Where are they! Where are they!”

Fighting an invisible enemy was something even well-trained soldiers struggled with.

Jang Moon-seok’s subordinates who hadn’t yet fallen tried to overcome their fear in their own way.

However……

“Aaargh!”
“Aaaargh!”

They, too, met the same end.

In a brief moment of no more than ten seconds—

That brief moment was enough for Park Yeon to make the eight large men collapse to the ground.

Park Yeon, who had disappeared from their line of sight, gently reappeared in front of them. At that, Jang Moon-seok and his gang crawled toward the van in a scramble to avoid him.

“To harm another is the same as harming oneself. Even if you don't live righteously, at least don't live by hurting others.”

Jang Moon-seok, terrified, nodded involuntarily. At that, Park Yeon looked over the sprawled-out gang members.

“I’ve severed the tendons and veins in your left hands and arms. It won’t significantly hinder your daily lives, but you won’t be able to carry heavy loads or hold guns. I regret that it came to this.”

Park Yeon made the sign of the cross once more.

Perhaps because they realized there was no intent to kill in his demeanor, Jang Moon-seok and his subordinates hesitantly got up and moved toward the car while eyeing Park Yeon.

Once everyone had boarded, the car roared to life and sped off into the distance.

Park Yeon gazed after it silently.

Then he scratched his neck.

“I'm hungry.”

A few days later—

–…To questions from the press, Mr. Jang stated that he acknowledges all charges. Meanwhile, Mr. Jang has turned himself in for attempted murder, and the police have also secured testimony that he committed a premeditated crime in an attempt to falsely accuse Mr. Hwang.

“Hmm.”

All eyes of the henchmen turned to Hwang Tae-su, who sat cross-legged at the head seat and let out a low hum.

Hwang Tae-su remained silent for a while. In fact, he seemed deep in thought, eyes closed.

Unable to hold back, Go Hyung-geon cautiously spoke up.

“Um, boss…”

“What?”

“May I ask how you did it?”

“Did what?”

“Jang Moon-seok, I mean. There’s no way he would turn himself in unless he was out of his mind.”

Kim Si-hyun nudged Go Hyung-geon while glancing at Hwang Tae-su.

“It’s obvious the boss orchestrated everything.”

“Is what Si-hyun said true, boss?”

Hwang Tae-su gave a light nod.

“See? I told you the boss planned it all.”

“Wow… Boss, you're amazing. I respect you!”
“I respect you!”

Deep bow!

“This kind of thing is nothing. Just bring me a cigarette.”

As Go Hyung-geon handed over a cigarette, he asked,

“But how did you bait Jang Moon-seok?”

Hwang Tae-su felt a slight pang of guilt. It was strange. Back in the day, such lies wouldn’t have made him feel guilty at all…

The truth was, he had been the one who got played. Jang Moon-seok’s operation was meticulous.

He had lured Hwang’s subordinates into a drug deal and recorded the scene, then had the seller turn himself in.

With solid evidence in hand, the police raided the organization, which naturally fell into chaos.

During that chaos, Jang Moon-seok had tracked Hwang Tae-su’s every move using surveillance he had arranged in advance and was planning to take him out at a suitable moment.

But of course, he couldn't reveal any of that. Even if he did, no one would believe him…

“Phew. Hyung-geon, do you know who Sun Tzu is?”

“I do. Grandpa and grandson.”

“Not that grandson, you punk.”

“Is there another kind of grandson?”

“The Sun Tzu who wrote The Art of War. That Sun Tzu left us with these words: The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Bleeding battles are the worst strategy.”

“Hoooh…”

“In truth, I’ve been digging into Jang Moon-seok behind your backs for a long time. He was a much filthier bastard than I thought.”

“Just how filthy are we talking…? Could you tell us?”

Hwang Tae-su coughed to buy time. Thanks to his training with Monster1 and 2, his brain spun up instantly.

“Ahem. You guys ever heard of genocide?”

“You mean mass murder?”

“Of course you’d know, being a college man, Si-hyun. Yeah, mass murder. This bastard had a past of massacring civilians. He probably didn’t know it himself—someone filmed him doing it.”

“……!”

Hwang Tae-su let out a low chuckle.

“That’s right. I got my hands on that video. And I hid it somewhere secure, ready to use anytime.”

“You were waiting for the right moment?”

“Exactly. But then that bastard Jang Moon-seok had the nerve to bare his teeth at me. At me, Hwang Tae-su. So I used that as leverage and made a deal.”

At this point, the subordinates couldn’t even cry out in amazement. They simply looked at Hwang Tae-su with faces full of reverence.

Just then—

Brrr!

Hwang Tae-su’s phone vibrated. He checked the caller ID, then exhaled sharply.

“What’s the matter, boss?”

“Hm? Ah… It’s nothing. Anyway, you guys go and get to work.”

“Boss, if I may—when should we move into District 13? Now that the Dokjeon faction’s leadership is in shambles, this feels like the perfect timing.”

“Yeah, just say the word and we’ll head straight for their hideout…”

Even as Go Hyung-geon and Kim Si-hyun were chattering, the phone kept vibrating.

No good.

I can’t keep Monster2 waiting!

“We’ll talk about that later—now get the hell out, you bastards!”

At Hwang Tae-su’s sudden roar, Go Hyung-geon and the others hurried out of the office. Once alone, he picked up the phone in a tone dripping with courtesy.

“Ah, yes. Mr. Park. Yes, yes. Our appointment? Of course I have to keep it. I was just about to come see you. Yes, of course. Then I’ll head out now. Yes, see you soon.”

After hanging up, Hwang Tae-su let out a deep sigh and clutched his aching head.

‘Is there some ghost that died without getting its Coke or something? If you want something, ask for money—why Coke… Damn it.’

Here it comes. Here it comes.

The swearing’s coming in hard!

“Shit.”