Shadowless Squad

Kim Bongpal and Warg’s conversation ended as the werewolf did everything he could to convince the belligerent man about Maya’s former appearance. Meanwhile, Kim Bongpal asked after everything he was curious about, and now all that was left was to wait for the bodyguard.

“Oh, it’s delicious. It is from Moorim, right? What’s the name?”

“This is Golden Honor.”

“Hmm. I like it. Hey, Warg? Have a drink, too.”

“Y-yes!”

Kim Bongpal enjoyed some long-awaited entertainment while they waited. They ordered Moorim dishes and drinks, and occasionally mixed in foods from Lupaine. It wasn’t as fun as in El Plades, but the Shire-style nightlife had its own taste. The music was pretty good, too.

The waiters at the pub who witnessed the scene of Warg, the son of Wargen, being beaten like a dog did their best to serve Kim Bongpal.

“Hey…brother.”

“Yeah?”

One funny thing was that at some point, Warg started to call Kim Bongpal brother, and Kim Bongpal didn’t say anything about it. It felt unfamiliar since there weren’t many people who called him that, but it called to mind a few old memories.

“It’s about hitting me earlier.

“Huh. Why? Are you upset because I hit you?”

“No! It’s not like that…d-did you use a particular trick when you hit me earlier? I tried to block your attack by focusing on the right area, but it still got through.”

“That? It’s…what is it? Hey, Tearing Mind. It’s the Beyond Mountain Punch, right?

“Yes…that’s right.”

Tearing Wind Sword answered Kim Bongpal’s question with a tremble in his voice. He couldn’t believe that this genius used the technique without properly knowing the name. He shouted in his heart.

‘…Whatever!’

Tearing Wind Sword downed another drink with a bitter smile. And then.

“Warg!”

A new werewolf arrived.

“Why did you call me?”

There was no fixed hierarchy in a werewolf pack except for the pack’s leader. Otherwise, matters were determined by strength. Of course, showing respect to old wolves who have contributed to the pack for a long time was common, but no such respect existed for others of a similar age.

Therefore, Wargen’s bodyguard had no need to show respect to Warg.

“And you’re even with human males. Have you grown interested in men?”

This newcomer looked around and asked Warg. He completely ignored Kim Bongpal and Tearing Wind Seat.

Seeing this display, Tearing Wind Sword shook his head, and Warg smiled a little, revealing his teeth. It was because he imagined what would happen to this bodyguard who had caused him pain by giving him the bracelet — again, the bracelet he stole.

And as Warg expected.

“Ugh! Gaargh!”

The sound of slaughter echoed through the pub.

* * *

The bodyguard became polite like Warg in a matter of moments.

“Tsk. So, you got it from a monster’s belly?”

“Yes! I’m telling you the truth! Please trust me!”

Kim Bongpal nodded. It didn’t seem like the Werewolf was lying, and there was no reason for him. Anyway, this wasn’t as helpful as he had hoped.

A monster’s belly, huh? Maybe it was eaten by that monster or something. After all, smartwatches, especially the hunter’s smartwatches, weren’t made of materials that a monster’s stomach juices could digest.

“Give it to me.”

Kim Bongpal took the smartwatch from Warg and looked at it. It was locked, but there was a way to unlock it.

Click-click-click.

Kim Bongpal searched his old memories and entered the code. It was a code that all Hunters should know, one that hadn’t changed in several decades. Usually, hunters shared a common code to open their watches before death. That was the only time they would ever take it off.

“Oh, ooh!”

“Was it a magic tool?”The werewolves were amazed by the hologram that floated above the watch. It only changed the color a little when they touched it, so it was surprising that Kim Bongpal knew how to work it. However, he didn’t respond and looked at the device.

It wasn’t Seo Hayeon’s. Still, its original owner seemed to belong to her raid squad. She is featured in a few group photos stored on the album, and it was odd how unfamiliar her face looked in them…

“Ha. I thought she would always be a silly kid….”

She wore an expression not very familiar to Kim Bongpal. Come to think of it, what he remembered of Seo Hayeon was from six years ago. It might be a short time for him, but not so for most people.

Looking at her face in the photo, Kim Bongpal thought: the kid has become a decent adult.

Kim Bongpal kept flipping through the photos, but no more showed her.

“Fuck.”

Kim Bongpal quietly cursed. The werewolves flinched in surprise, but his gaze was fixed on the smartwatch.

Sizzle-

Kim Bongpal took a cigarette out, lit it, and took a long drag. After several months in the Shire, only a few were left.

The owner of the smartwatch was a young woman. She looked to be in her early twenties at the latest, about the same age as Seo Hayeon when they’d parted. Kim Bongpal didn’t feel very good about it.

That felt weird. He had witnessed the death of other hunters countless times. When he factored in the normal people he saw die during the Outbreak, there was no point in counting. Some of them were even younger than this smartwatch’s owner.

None of them had bothered him back then.

“…”

It was then that Kim Bongpal realized that he had changed a little bit. Come to think of it, it was funny that he only realized it now. Why was he coming to Purple Clouds? Seo Hayeon. It was to find her. Then, why was he looking for her? Twenty billion?

That wasn’t the reason. It was a lot of money for most people, but not him. The fact that Seo Hayeon owed him that much was just a joke.

It had been a long time since Seo Kang Jun called him a brother for the last time.

“Right. Fuck it.”

What was wrong with an uncle going to find his niece? Kim Bongpal cleared those feelings with a curse and suddenly felt ridiculous about being at this place.

He stood.

“You guys play more. I’m leaving now.”

“Where are you going?”

Tearing Wind Sword asked as Kim Bongpal stalked away.

“…”

There was only one day left until the date Young-no promised. What should he do until then?

Kim Bongpal took a moment to choose an answer.

“Extensive training.”

* * *

Where the two humans sat at first, only one human and two werewolves remained.

“…”

“…”

The three of them didn’t speak to each other.

“…But who the hell is that human?”

It was the werewolf bodyguard who came later that broke the silence.

“I don’t know, you bastard. You get off easy, and I don’t want to see you.”

Warg, glancing at him, growled. The bodyguard looked offended. No, he was called over and beaten by someone he didn’t know. But he had no choice but to cringe in front of a powerful man.

“You fucking bastard!”

The werewolf left with a curse that he wasn’t sure was for. There were two left now.

Warg’s gaze turned to Tearing Wind Sword. This human was weaker than him, so Warg could roughly estimate his level with a glance. This man was a master below him, much less Kim Bongpal.

Werewolves were a race that showed great respect to those stronger than themselves, as Warg did to Kim Bongpal. But otherwise, they showed the opposite. Warg scanned Tearing Wind Sword up and down again and concluded that he did not need to worry about him. Eventually, he also left.

“Whew.”

Tearing Wind Sword let out a big sigh. It was a busy day when many things happened to him. From the fact that Kim Bongpal stole the essence of the Eight Directions Sword Technique to see Wargen’s son being beaten in the city of Purple Clouds. Besides, he didn’t expect that he could drink luxurious liquor in a fine pub he had never been to before.

Tearing Wind Sword, rising from his seat, also headed outside. But then.“Huh? Where are you going?”

A waiter at the pub stopped him. For a moment, it made Tearing Wind Sword think, ‘No way.’ He wondered if they always grabbed people like that here.

“You have to pay before you go. It’s 5 million M in total.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“Lord Warg told me to get the rest from the person who remained here.”

Tearing Wind Sword looked blank for a moment; his expression grew bewildered.

“H-how much did you say?”

“Yes, three bottles of Golden Honor, three bottles of Red Lady, and the dishes were originally 5.1 million M, but after taking it off, the total came out to be 5 million M.”

What? How much? Tearing Wind Sword’s mouth fell open wide.

“…”

He looked around. Kim Bongpal, who brought him here to treat him, was nowhere to be seen. Warg and the werewolf also left.

“…Please wrap up the rest of the drink and food.”

The petit bourgeois Tearing Wind Sword.

* * *

Another day passed.

“Sister! I’m here!”

Kim Bongpal and Maya visited the Frail Night Sect again.

“…Oh my? Something has changed.”

Young-no said so as soon as she saw Kim Bongpal. Over the past 15 days, his energy had changed. His ability to control mana was already excellent, and Young-no knew he was one of the top masters just by looking at him. However, there was an immaturity that could not be hidden.

No, it was more like clumsiness than immaturity…a sense of mana control that somehow smelled old-fashioned.

However, it had changed so much that it was almost perfect now. The former appearance he showed almost seemed unsightly in comparison. Those were the results of his two weeks under Tearing Wind Sword’s tutelage and his practice alone last night.

“Right? I was surprised, too!”

Maya said so, pushing her chest forward. It was as if she’d been complimented.

Young-no smiled at her and handed over the prepared snacks. Meanwhile, Kim Bongpal nodded as if it was no big deal.

“Have you collected all the information I requested?”

“Uhm. About half.”

“Half of it?”

Young-no took out a piece of paper and said:

“We have found out the whereabouts of the Otherworlder and what they are doing right now. Most became new members of the Celestial Demon Cult, and the few who refused are still in prison. However, the woman you mentioned last time….”

“You made me wait for fifteen days and couldn’t find where she was? Is that what you’re going to say?”

“No. It’s not like that. We found her whereabouts. However, we just couldn’t contact her…she’s in the Celestial Demon’s abode, and we can’t get in and out of there.”

Kim Bongpal’s eyebrows twitched. He now knew the story of the Celestial Demon, that she was a female half-elf and the first to not also be a Cult Leader. And Seo Hayeon was now in her abode. That wasn’t good news.

He inevitably had to face the Celestial Demon to find Seo Hayeon.

“I’m sorry. I can’t believe we gave you such incomplete information after saying that we wouldn’t accept payment….”

Young-no said, lowering her head.

“Instead, we have prepared a few more details you might like.”

Kim Bongpal received the paper handed by Young-no and looked at the contents. As Young-no said, it was a lot of helpful information for him. Maps, organizational charts, boundary situations…

…And the location of the Shadowless Squad, the raiding party of the Celestial Demon Sect kidnapped the Earthlings.

“Ha. So, they are coming here now?”

“That’s right. Considering the location confirmed yesterday and the movement speed of the Shadowless Squad, I think they will probably reach Purple Clouds within a few hours.”

Kim Bongpal didn’t think for long. She said they would arrive in Purple Clouds in a few hours, but…

‘I don’t have to sit down and wait for them.’

“Good. I’ll come back later and read the rest.”

With those words, Kim Bongpal stood up.

“Huh? Let’s go together!”

According to Warg, the beautiful and mature (?) Maya followed behind him…with crumbs on her lips.