Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 68

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Episode 68

I wandered around to gather information and observe the movements of the Nest.

The one who dominated this Nest was a man called Baek Cheol-soo, a rising star in the underworld, nicknamed the Human Butcher.

His estimated martial prowess was at the 5th level of Warrior.

He was a skilled individual, different from the average wanderer, and the Baekgol Clan, which he had absorbed, was large enough to run several businesses not only in the shadows but also in the light.

And recently, he was preparing to move into the legitimate business world, based on the funds he had gathered from his underworld dealings.

That plan included the black market.

“…More importantly, are you really going to pay me?”

I grabbed a drug addict who was drinking in a corner of the Nest and was listening to his story.

At my words, I tossed him 100,000 won [approximately $75 USD]. The drug addict grinned and started talking again.

“Baek Cheol-soo, he’s really something…”

I already knew the information, but I was gathering information directly to fill the gaps in my memory.

‘This was around the time he was trying to go legit. When I hid in the Nest, the Baekgol Clan was already a well-established organization.’

In his early days as a wanderer, Baek Cheol-soo used his unique skills to handle the dirty work for those in power, taking various cuts in the process.

And after establishing himself to some extent, he took control of the Nest and dominated the slums of the Safe Zone.

After that, Baek Cheol-soo, having accomplished both, became greedy.

He began to liquidate his underworld businesses one by one, preparing to move into the light.

In fact, this was somewhat successful.

However,

Due to ‘some incident,’ a conflict arose with the Soongmoo Lee family, and he received a visit from the main family’s martial arts squad.

After that, it was a common story.

The Baekgol Clan collapsed overnight.

Baek Cheol-soo retained only enough people to maintain the organization and continued to operate only in the shadows.

‘Now is the time when he’s trying to increase his influence in the underworld and gradually move into the light. Somewhere in that transition period. It’s the perfect time.’

He must be investing a lot in the black market.

As such, there would be a lot of goods, and Baek Cheol-soo’s warehouse would be full of all sorts of wealth.

‘The problem is how to access the black market and the warehouse. And how to get out without a trace…’

A good idea quickly came to mind.

I left the Nest for now.

* * *

The place where Baek Cheol-soo, the owner of the Nest and the Baekgol Clan, resided was the largest mansion in the very center of the Nest.

He burst into laughter as he listened to the sales figures of the black market.

“This is more fun than selling drugs. Chief Jung really worked hard.”

“…”

Baek Cheol-soo smiled and looked at the man standing silently with his mouth shut.

Chief Jung Jin-soo.

He was the brain of the Baekgol Clan, whom Baek Cheol-soo had brought into the organization himself a few years ago.

Thanks to him, Baek Cheol-soo was able to dream big, unlike the average underworld thugs.

Baek Cheol-soo then said with a bitter smile.

“Chief Jung. No, Jung Jin-soo.”

Ooze-.

Jung Jin-soo stopped breathing for a moment.

“You need to manage your expression. I’ll say it again, I’m not holding you back. You can leave whenever you think you’re capable of it.”

Baek Cheol-soo stared intently at Jung Jin-soo.

The moment Jung Jin-soo saw that look, he felt as if he were falling off a cliff.

Jung Jin-soo forced his stiff facial muscles to feign a smile.

“I’ll be careful…”

The twitching corners of his rigid face looked ridiculous.

Baek Cheol-soo smiled at the sight and leaned back deeply into his chair.

“Yes, it’s good to see you smile. I really care about Chief Jung. Isn’t it all thanks to me that Chief Jung went to a good university and makes good money?”

“…That’s right. Boss.”

“Yes, let’s finish the report we were hearing.”

Baek Cheol-soo took out the documents and tossed them on the table.

The report was all written in the documents, but Baek Cheol-soo always had Jung Jin-soo report directly to him.

“It has become a service that caters to the tastes of the wealthy for entertainment and money laundering. In addition, the fact that you can obtain items that are difficult to obtain legally without revealing your identity seems to be appealing.”

“I was worried because we were only handing out tickets to a few people, but I guess the higher-ups liked this better? Should we try to increase the number of customers?”

“Maintaining a small number of invitation tickets on a quarterly basis is more helpful in maintaining the customer base.”

The black market operated by the Baekgol Clan was a strictly secret community open only to a select few.

Because of the feeling that the term black market brings, it seems like it would take place in a dark, secret room, but the reality was different.

In the 21st century, the Baekgol Clan’s black market takes place in a decent building.

The target customers are the highest echelons of society.

And within it, items that arouse secret collecting desires are freely traded.

From drugs to elixirs, expensive works of art, stolen goods, smuggled goods, and if you want… even people.

At first, there were only a few customers who came looking for curiosity or decadent entertainment, but the number of customers was increasing.

“Hmm. Good. Very good.”

Baek Cheol-soo smiled with satisfaction.

“I’m sure Chief Jung will do well, but be careful. Our goal is not this kind of seedy place, but up there. Chief Jung, you want to quit this dark business too, right?”

“…”

Baek Cheol-soo asked with a meaningful smile.

Jung Jin-soo had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.

“So, Chief Jung, do as you see fit, but don’t forget the goal. All we need to get from the black market is money and connections. Based on that, we have to go up to the light. So, if the tail gets too long, it’ll get stepped on…”

It was the moment when Baek Cheol-soo was shining his eyes and adding the last words.

“Big Brother!”

Thump!

Baek Cheol-soo’s office door burst open, and one of his subordinates came in with a flustered expression.

Baek Cheol-soo’s brow furrowed.

“Do you want to die?”

The subordinate who rushed in was startled, but then hurriedly began to speak.

“N, no, that’s not it. Something really big happened!”

“Tell me.”

“A, a guest has arrived… Th, that is, I think you should go see them, Brother…”

“A guest?”

“Th, that… They seem to be from the Soongmoo Lee family!”

Baek Cheol-soo and Jung Jin-soo.

The moment they heard those words, their faces were filled with astonishment.

* * *

The Safe Zone of South Pyongan Province.

The area near the border with the dangerous zone in the north is slummed, but the central and southern parts are virtually no different from ordinary cities.

The place I headed to was a building located slightly outside such an urban area.

The building with its luxurious exterior looked no different from any other office building.

The exterior was clean, and the employees waiting at the entrance were also dressed in suits and stood upright.

However, in reality, it was only one of the Baekgol Clan’s major strongholds.

I moved away from the building for a moment and took out a mask from my pocket.

A mask with a clean surface without any patterns or designs.

One of the four masterpiece-level equipment I received from the Soongmoo Lee family, the Manmyeon Cheolpi [Thousand Faces Iron Skin].

Because the ability of the Manmyeon Cheolpi was needed for this task, I stored the remaining three conspicuous equipment in the Hunter Association and only brought this one.

I immediately equipped the Manmyeon Cheolpi and poured magic power into it.

Woo-ung!

My appearance reflected in the mirror began to change naturally.

I left my hair color and eye color alone.

Instead, I lowered the bridge of my nose a little, and my sharp eyes were softened to look more gentle. My thick lips became thin and long.

‘Is it done well?’

I showed my face in the mirror.

What appeared in the mirror was not my original self, but the appearance of a man in his 30s or 40s.

‘The voice… can’t be helped. Now that Baek Cheol-soo has learned to use magic power, he’ll be more suspicious if I try to modulate it with magic power.’

My voice is still awkward because my puberty hasn’t ended yet, but if I lower the tone a little, I can just pass it off as a unique voice.

After changing my face, I immediately walked towards the front desk.

“Welcome. How can I help you…”

I immediately cut off the employee’s words.

“Call Baek Cheol-soo.”

The employees’ expressions twitched at my words.

“Excuse me, but there is no such person here…”

“You should be careful. You don’t want to see the Nest and this dirty business disappear without a trace tomorrow, do you?”

“…!”

Another wave of fear arose in the employee’s eyes.

Knowing not only the boss but also the identity of the Nest and the building.

Looking closely, he was wearing a sword at his waist, and a long piece of equipment wrapped in cloth could be seen on his back.

A warrior.

Not just one with a mere appearance, but a proper warrior.

Only then did the employee notice the rare eye color and dark black hair for an Asian.

‘Soongmoo Lee family!’

The employee felt the tips of his fingers tremble.

He was clearly someone he couldn’t handle on his own.

“Currently, the president is out on business…”

“Then tell him to come right now.”

“Ah, th, that…”

“I won’t regret turning back now. But can Baek Cheol-soo handle what comes after that?”

These were the words of someone presumed to be from the Soongmoo Lee family, no less.

If he was a direct descendant?

Even if he wasn’t a direct descendant, what if he was from a close branch family?

The employee’s mind raced.

“I’ll guide you to the VIP room for now. I’ll contact the president as soon as possible.”

“Good.”

I was guided to a reception room located on the highest floor of the building.

I gestured to the ordinary employees who were fidgeting about what kind of drink to bring and waited after chasing them away.

Even if I had caused trouble in the Nest, it would have been very awkward for a warrior from the Soongmoo Lee family to go all the way to the Nest to meet a wanderer.

So I came all the way here.

Exactly 30 minutes passed after that.

Even though there was a distance from here to the Nest, Baek Cheol-soo arrived quickly.

But I looked at him and said quietly.

“You’re late.”

“Who might you be… Keuk!”

Thwack!

Before Baek Cheol-soo could say anything, I kicked him in the stomach.

Baek Cheol-soo rolled pathetically on the ground from the sudden attack.

The people who followed him, the middle-aged man in a suit, and the other employees, as well as Baek Cheol-soo who had fallen, all had bewildered looks on their faces.

“If you made me wait 30 minutes, you should have bowed your head as you came in. How dare you come in with your head held high?”

“I, I’m sorry.”

Baek Cheol-soo quickly got up and bowed his head.

‘It’s real.’

Baek Cheol-soo swallowed hard as he bowed his head.

In this country, no one with any sense would recklessly try to impersonate the Soongmoo Lee family.

Nevertheless, every now and then, one or two crazy bastards might try to imitate the Soongmoo Lee family.

That’s why I tried to confirm that first.

And the moment I was hit, I realized.

Even though it was unintentional, he knocked me down. Moreover, even the unique overbearing and domineering aura of the Soongmoo Lee family.

‘At least he’s from a close branch family.’

I moved as carefully as possible to avoid causing friction with the Soongmoo Lee family.

I paid attention to even the smallest detail so as not to touch them.

‘Damn it, but why here?’

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t think of anything that would involve me with the Soongmoo Lee family.

‘I have to greet him first.’

Baek Cheol-soo breathed out without showing it and managed his expression.

Then, he carefully raised his head and opened his mouth in the most polite voice possible.

“I am Baek Cheol-soo, who is running the Nest and this place in a small way. It is an honor to meet a member of the great Soongmoo Lee family.”

“You’re doing interesting things.”

I didn’t even acknowledge his greeting and started talking.

“If you’re talking about interesting things…?”

“I heard you’re running something called a black market. You’ve grown a lot for a scoundrel from the Ten Swords Clan [a rival martial arts family]. I thought you’d be stuck in the shadows, but you’re preparing to move into the light.”

Baek Cheol-soo’s eyes trembled.

The one who appeared to be from the Soongmoo Lee family knew his origins and even his businesses.

That fact alone made his liver cold.

“You’re planning to use this as a foundation to move into the light, right? The black market is meant to build connections and money.”

“If my actions have offended the sensibilities of the great family, I am truly sorry.”

I watched Baek Cheol-soo, who couldn’t get a grip, and shone my eyes.

All of this was information I knew thanks to my past memories, but from Baek Cheol-soo’s point of view, it must have felt like his inner thoughts had been exposed.

Anyone would know that he was expanding his business, but he would have tried to hide his intention to move into the light through it as much as possible.

“The reason I came here is not for any other reason. It is because my lord is keeping an eye on you. He intends to start something through you.”

Discomfort could be seen in Baek Cheol-soo’s lowered eyes.

But at the same time, a glimmer of curiosity arose.

“Are you curious about my lord’s identity?”

“If it’s not too presumptuous, may I ask?”

“The most complete bloodline of the Soongmoo Lee family. And among them, the one most worthy of the throne.”

I smiled slyly.

“The seventh son of the Soongmoo Lee family, Lee Jae-hak.”