Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 150

Weapon-Eating Bastard – 150

A damp German night street.

The air I inhaled was cold and heavy.

In the distance, a streetlamp flickered as if its lifespan was ending, and the cries of an unknown wild bird echoed through the streets on the blowing river breeze.

Cutting through the darkness of that night, my third brother revealed himself.

The sight of him leisurely walking overlapped with the image of my third brother from my past life.

“It’s our first time meeting, isn’t it.”

A deep voice that felt as though it could see right through me just by speaking.

“Pleased to meet you, my youngest.”

My third brother, who returned to the Soongmoo Lee family leading his own forces, greeted me exactly like that in my past life as well.

I quietly glared at my third brother, Lee Gun-sung.

Beneath his hair, as black as if dyed with the darkness of the night, were sharp, wolf-like eyes and crimson lips wearing a strange smile.

And within those eyes, a keen glint was revealed.

Charisma, magnanimity, or perhaps generosity? It was a gaze imbued with an unidentifiable air of experience.

Whoosh!

I pushed away all the lingering effects of the alcohol.

I didn’t avoid my third brother’s eyes and stared straight back.

‘Facing a direct descendant on a private mission violates the family rules.’

My third brother knows that too.

But he doesn’t care.

That’s the kind of person he is.

“Oh, don’t you know who I am?”

My third brother said, taking a step closer.

I smiled and bowed politely.

“How could I not know? The youngest of the Soongmoo Lee family greets the third brother.”

And then, I raised my head and continued in a subdued voice.

“I was expecting you to come.”

It wasn’t a lie.

I was expecting to face my third brother.

I didn’t anticipate meeting him at this exact place, at this time, in this situation, but I had foreseen that we would meet soon.

-Lee Chul’s third brother, Lee Gun-sung of the European branch, is one of the association members of the Grand Tournament. And recently, the movements of the Soongmoo Lee family’s European branch have been quite aggressive.

I had asked the Black Viper Guild Leader to look into the European trends in advance, and right before the start of the Grand Tournament’s main rounds, the Black Viper Guild Leader gave me information about my third brother.

-Be careful. He’s dangerous. He might come to meet Lee Chul.

To the Black Viper Guild Leader, who sent me a worried look, I replied.

-Don’t worry. I had to meet that person once anyway.

And as I had foreseen, my third brother appeared before me.

“You were expecting it. I’m glad you weren’t surprised. Nice to meet you.”

I nodded.

And after taking a short breath, I glared at my third brother.

“Now that the greetings are over, this is where the formalities end. I don’t think you expect any more courtesy from me.”

“So sudden. Aren’t you happy to meet your brother for the first time?”

“Whether it’s a stranger or family, I’m not generous enough to be friendly to someone who’s after my life.”

“After your life? What are you talking about?”

I straightened my back.

And I spoke of the incident I had experienced several years ago.

“The Naming Ceremony, the Scarlet Azure Island.”

“……”

“The ancient inscriptions and Dharma artifacts that can move Guisu Mountain. The pre-arranged teleportation formations and the allocation of trainers. You were behind it all.”

That incident, when my life was first threatened after my regression.

My third brother was behind that incident.

He could have colluded with the Nine Dragons Gang and the Wanderers to divert the family’s attention, enter the Scarlet Azure Island, and attack my first brother to gain an advantage. There is only one person who could do that.

There is no clear physical evidence, but rather, because there is no evidence, I was certain that my third brother was the culprit.

“You’re not thinking of denying it, are you?”

“Hmm……”

My third brother’s eyes deepened.

He didn’t particularly raise his energy or build up his momentum.

Just that gaze.

It wasn’t a mystic eye, nor was it imbued with any kind of power.

It was just that his innate gaze seemed to have the power to overwhelm people.

The moment that abyss-like gaze turned to me, I felt a tingling sensation on my skin.

‘In my past life, I lowered my head to those eyes, but……’

Not in this life.

I hadn’t fought until now to bow my head to anyone.

Then, the corners of my third brother’s eyes curved like a crescent moon.

“You’re interesting.”

It was neither affirmation nor denial.

There was only an inscrutable smile.

“If, as you say, I was the one trying to kill you, this situation wouldn’t be very good for me. Didn’t you think that far?”

“I have no intention of dying so easily, and……”

I stroked Mujin, which I always wear on my finger in the form of a ring.

“In the first place, you have no intention of killing me.”

“Hmm, no intention of killing you? Why is that?”

“You used me as an intermediate step to attack my first brother, but things didn’t go as you planned. You wondered why things were blocked even though you tried to proceed in a way that my first brother couldn’t detect. And above all.”

I pointed to myself.

“The variable called me that appeared in the Soongmoo Lee family.”

“So what about it?”

“You’re not the kind of person who can leave all those questions unanswered.”

At my words, my third brother’s eyes widened slightly.

“You came all the way here to gauge me, didn’t you? You want to make sure there are no errors when you aim for the throne of the Soongmoo Lee family.”

“You seem quite interested in me.”

“You have to know your enemies better than your allies.”

“I see, that’s how it is. But you didn’t know this one thing.”

And then.

The smile disappeared from my third brother’s lips.

“I’m the kind of person who thinks it’s not so bad to get rid of the questions themselves before the questions get bigger.”

My third brother took a step towards me.

Whoosh!

In that instant, I felt as if the world was darkening.

My third brother had unleashed the energy he had been hiding.

Murderous intent, or hostility.

For a martial artist who has reached a high level, releasing such emotions in their energy becomes an attack in itself, like a monster’s fear.

It was an overwhelming energy that made me feel like the world had gone dark.

“……”

And I also raised my energy, facing my third brother’s energy.

A very brief confrontation.

That sharp confrontation disappeared with my third brother’s relaxed smile.

“You’ve grown up quite well. Even though our bloodline is mysterious, I never thought there would be a child like you in our family.”

It didn’t feel like he was disappointed or impressed.

It was just an intonation that seemed to say he understood.

My third brother looked at me with piercing eyes.

“You are the same kind as me.”

My brow furrowed without me realizing it.

“What do you mean?”

“A person who uses everything given to them and never stops fighting.”

My third brother’s finger pointed at me.

“And a species that is not satisfied even with the throne of the Soongmoo Lee family…… no, that looks even higher.”

“I’m different from you.”

“No, we are the same. The path you and I walk is the path of inhumanity. You will live a life that is human, but not human.”

Words spat out like a prophecy.

I scoffed and looked at my third brother.

“I’ll say it again, I’m different from you.”

To my third brother’s prophetic words, I declared confidently.

“I decide the path I walk.”

My third brother smiled again and turned his body.

“It was nice meeting you. I’ll be on my way.”

I stared at my third brother’s back as he disappeared back into the alley.

Soon, my third brother’s figure disappeared as if melting into the darkness.

I stared at that darkness and clenched my fist tightly.

* * *

Lee Gun-sung was walking slowly.

Then, the darkness beside him distorted, and several people suddenly appeared.

“There’s no need for you to get your hands dirty.”

At those words, spoken without any context, Lee Gun-sung let out a sneer.

“That child has already figured out your existence.”

“……Are you talking about us?”

“And I couldn’t have touched him anyway. The moment I attacked, he had already made arrangements to have word sent to the family through the Black Viper Guild.”

The man’s eyes shook at Lee Gun-sung’s words.

“And he cleverly leaked information to me so that I would find out. He’s an interesting child.”

“Then, can’t you report to the family just for contacting him?”

“If I tattled about such trivial matters, I would only be tarnishing my reputation.”

Lee Gun-sung swept his gaze across the night streets of Hamburg.

The man who had been following him still had an uncomprehending expression.

“Then…… why did you approach that bastard?”

“I thought I’d meet him once since he’s a singularity that’s distorting what’s been decided.”

Mysterious words.

The subordinate seemed to understand what that meant without needing an explanation.

“More than that, how did you see him?”

“Are you talking about that bastard?”

“Yes. You can be honest.”

“I…… I think we should get rid of him right now. At 17 years old, with that level of energy and martial prowess. That itself is not normal.”

“You saw him a little differently than I did.”

Lee Gun-sung stopped walking for a moment and smiled.

“He wasn’t as special as I thought. He doesn’t know how to hide his emotions and openly reveals his hostility. He’s not ripe enough yet. He’ll be a nuisance someday, but I’ll already be back in the family by then.”

He’s smart and has decent martial skills, but that’s all there is to it.

If he had been born 10 years earlier, he would have been a pretty big obstacle, but either way, Lee Chul is just a 17-year-old brat.

Brrr-.

Soon, a car smoothly approached from the distance and stopped next to the subordinate and Lee Gun-sung.

The subordinate politely opened the door.

Lee Gun-sung sat down, and the subordinate sat in the passenger seat.

“Shall I take you to the branch?”

The person sitting in the driver’s seat asked politely.

“No, I have to stop by another place before dawn.”

“I understand. Where should I go?”

“Of the Six Nights, go to Behemoth…… no, the Bund of Kabbalah.”

The wind blew.

An ominous wind crossing the humid night streets of Hamburg.

* * *

Meanwhile, as I headed back to the accommodation, I slowly closed my eyes and pretended to take a moment to catch my breath, spreading my senses around me.

‘There’s…… no one around anymore.’

I relaxed my body.

And with a long breath, I opened my closed eyes.

The animosity and anger that I had deliberately shown to my third brother had already been put away and disappeared.

‘That person must have gauged me.’

He would have calculated what kind of variable I would be when he returned to the Soongmoo Lee family, and whether I would be an obstacle in his path.

So I acted.

I deliberately revealed my rebelliousness.

I also revealed my will and thoughts.

Being pathetically submissive or appearing immature would only give that monstrous man more reason to be suspicious.

If I had tried to hide it, he would have seen through it and been more wary.

So instead, I showed off my outstanding side. I acted out hostility and confidence. And within that, I mixed in a subtle difference, an immature side.

So that he would think of me as just another brat.

‘He won’t attack me in full force, but he’ll be checking me from time to time now.’

The man named Lee Gun-sung is not the kind of person who would leave even an insignificant enemy alone.

‘Welcome. Attack me anytime. I’ll crush them and drag your forces to the surface.’

I will climb up those petty pawns and reveal the forces underlying Lee Gun-sung’s foundation.

And by the time he belatedly realizes my true nature and begins to be wary, my preparations will already be complete.

‘Someday, the day you return to the Soongmoo Lee family.’

In the fight for the throne of the Soongmoo Lee family, I will become his greatest enemy.

And I will bite off his neck and slam it into the ground.

Your struggle will end because of me.