Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 101

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Episode 101

Seungmu Lee’s gaze settled on the main house.

Specifically, the entrance to the head of the family’s office within the main building.

There, Lee Tae-shin was meticulously reviewing a stack of documents, his brow furrowed in concentration.

The glasses perched on his nose glinted in the sunlight.

Chief Secretary Choi, standing respectfully beside him, briefly glanced at the spectacles.

Then, as Lee Tae-shin continued his perusal, he subtly spoke.

“Report.”

Instantly, a figure clad in black materialized from the shadows beside the desk.

Within the Seungmu Lee family, only one group was permitted to wear black: the Spirit Sword Unit.

“As you predicted, they have begun to move. The five dimensional gates in Toham Mountain showed traces of being opened using Behemoth’s… that is, the Heavenly Demon Church’s sacred objects.”

Lee Tae-shin’s hand, which had been turning pages, froze.

His face remained impassive, but a flicker of something akin to anger flashed in his eyes.

“Even after being crushed twice, they still haven’t learned their lesson. Old relics of a bygone era.”

Lee Tae-shin’s mention of ‘twice’ was significant.

While the organization was believed to have vanished during the Great War, it implied they had resurfaced at least once since then.

“But… the Spirit Sword Unit only discovered it now.”

Lee Tae-shin’s tone remained characteristically calm.

The kneeling Spirit Sword Unit member visibly flinched.

“I apologize. Three squads are currently dispatched on missions related to the king of the uncharted territories.”

“What I expect from those who wear black is not apologies or excuses.”

The Spirit Sword Unit member recoiled inwardly.

Lee Tae-shin was likely the only person in the world who could express disappointment to the Spirit Sword Unit, the Seungmu Lee family’s most secretive sword.

“I will overlook it this once.”

“Thank you.”

The Spirit Sword Unit member bowed even lower.

At Lee Tae-shin’s gesture to continue, the member resumed his report with composure.

“A total of thirty-one crossed the dimensional gate. Thirty were at the Common Face level, and one was confirmed to be a White Face.”

“Was the pursuit successful?”

“That is…”

Lee Tae-shin’s gaze sharpened as the Spirit Sword Unit member trailed off.

“I apologize. The White Face has been tracked, but we have intentionally refrained from capturing him. Additionally, the remaining thirty Common Faces… were found murdered shortly after exiting the dimensional gate.”

“Murdered?”

“Yes.”

A strange light flickered in Lee Tae-shin’s eyes.

“Was someone in Gyeongju? It would have been difficult to handle if the White Face was in command.”

Despite not having lived through the Great War, Lee Tae-shin seemed intimately familiar with Behemoth.

The Spirit Sword Unit member took a deep breath and continued.

“Lee Chul, the young master, was present.”

“…What?”

For a fleeting moment, surprise registered on Lee Tae-shin’s face.

He removed his glasses, his attention now fully focused on the Spirit Sword Unit member’s account.

“In detail.”

“A quasi-3rd class mage from the Eiffel Magic Tower [a prestigious magic academy] was also at the scene. The young master appears to have been collaborating with that mage on some endeavor. While the young master was working alone in Toham Mountain, the dimensional gate opened, and the forces of the Heavenly Demon Church crossed over.”

“Their goal in moving, even at the risk of being discovered, was the youngest?”

“Yes, that is correct. There were no other unusual circumstances in Toham Mountain, except for the young master’s presence.”

“Did you ascertain why the youngest was in Gyeongju?”

“We could not. Currently, the Spirit Sword Unit is intentionally avoiding gathering information about the youngest young master, as per your orders.”

“…I understand.”

Lee Tae-shin leaned back in his chair, his gaze distant.

The old relics of a bygone era had resurfaced from the darkness like cockroaches.

And their target was his youngest son.

“Is it going to repeat again?”

Lee Tae-shin’s brow furrowed slightly.

“…Lord.”

Chief Secretary Choi, standing beside him, regarded Lee Tae-shin with a concerned expression.

“Heh heh.”

But soon, a peculiar smile played on Lee Tae-shin’s lips.

‘He defeated thirty Common Faces, you say.’

Despite the secrecy surrounding them, Lee Tae-shin and a select few others knew the true extent of Behemoth’s, or the Heavenly Demon Church’s, power.

They were grotesque, terrifying, and formidable.

While Common Face was only one level above Faceless, a group of thirty commanded by a White Face possessed power far beyond what one might imagine.

‘He’s grown, I see.’

Based on the fragmented information, Lee Tae-shin estimated Lee Chul’s current level.

Fast.

Alarmingly fast, bordering on heretical rather than righteous.

But that was precisely why he was looking forward to it.

He anticipated the day when his child would stand in a similar position as him, surveying a similar landscape.

Despite the unpleasant memories of the past, Lee Tae-shin felt a surge of satisfaction at Lee Chul’s accomplishments.

“Spirit Sword Unit. I will add one more order.”

“Yes, give your command.”

“Track and report the youngest’s movements. We need to understand why the Heavenly Demon Church is targeting him. Therefore, monitor his journey closely. Also…”

Lee Tae-shin paused momentarily.

But he soon continued.

“I will not tolerate those insignificant things interfering with the Seungmu Lee family’s affairs. If Behemoth attempts to set foot on this land, thoroughly track them down and eliminate them.”

“Understood.”

The Spirit Sword Unit member acknowledged the order and departed.

Lee Tae-shin’s strange smile lingered.

It had only been a few months since Lee Chul embarked on his journey.

Yet, he already eagerly awaited his son’s return to the family.

Ability as a ruler, charisma and charm to attract people, foresight and composure to control situations.

What the child lacked was power and a support base.

When that child returns with both, what kind of wind will blow in the family?

Lee Tae-shin couldn’t help but anticipate it.

* * *

Jeju Island held immense significance within the Korean Peninsula.

Its location at the southernmost tip meant that it served as the final destination for all the spiritual energy flowing through the land.

Consequently, Jeju Island was home to Mount Halla, revered as one of Korea’s three great spiritual mountains.

Halla translates to ‘a mountain located so high that it can pull the Milky Way’.

This spiritually rich island attracted numerous visitors with its natural beauty and stunning scenery.

Or, at least, it should have.

In modern times, Jeju Island’s popularity had waned.

The reason was simple: the only dangerous zone in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, excluding the northern one, was situated on Jeju Island.

Summer.

Spring had long passed, and the weather was transitioning into early summer.

Stepping out of Jeju Airport, I immediately felt the unique heat of the southern region.

“Seoul wasn’t this hot…”

While Jeju Island’s southern location contributed to the heat, the influence of the spiritual veins was undeniable.

The volcanic terrain, rich in yang energy, combined with the developed spiritual veins, amplified the intensity of the heat.

Wooong!

I channeled my magic power, dispelling the heat from my skin.

Some warriors attached profound significance to magic power, refraining from using it for trivial purposes. However, I saw no reason to hoard the power I possessed.

‘I haven’t even entered Hallasan yet, and this is with buildings and inhabited areas around. If it’s this much here…’

I felt magically invigorated.

While the density was only slightly higher than in other places due to being downtown, I knew it would be significantly different upon entering Hallasan.

The spiritual mountains and lands of Korea were smaller in scale compared to those overseas.

However, their proximity to uncharted territories for an extended period had imbued them with comparable energy.

While they might pale in comparison to world-class spiritual lands, the spiritual mountains of Korea were by no means inferior when considering ‘spiritual lands where people can live’.

I exited the airport and headed towards the taxi stand.

Just then.

“Hey there, student! What’s up! Traveling? University research? Whatever it is, good, good. Ooh! This is a handsome young man. Come here, come here. I have a car here.”

A taxi driver, leaning against the railing in front of the airport and smoking, rushed over and grabbed my luggage.

I quietly scrutinized the middle-aged man.

“Huh? Why? Is there something on my face?”

The taxi driver grinned.

He had a pleasant demeanor and a smiling face.

“Get lost.”

I said it bluntly.

* * *

The taxi driver’s expression faltered.

I subtly placed my hand on Black Night at my waist.

“Even though there is a dangerous zone in Jeju Island, it’s not like there are no tourists, but you’re the only taxi here.”

I retrieved my luggage from the taxi driver’s grasp and continued.

“Besides, those hands aren’t the hands of someone who drives. Has the Black Crow Society fallen so low? Sending agents like you.”

“H, how did you…”

At my words, the taxi driver… no, the agent of the Black Crow Society stammered in embarrassment.

From that single, flustered utterance, I could roughly gauge his capabilities.

At that moment, I sensed someone approaching from behind.

They were deliberately concealing their presence, but it wasn’t enough to evade my senses.

I had detected them following me from the airport entrance.

I naturally turned around and continued.

“I guess I’m not considered as important as I thought. Sending only agents like you.”

It was a man wearing a white shirt and a black casual jacket in this sweltering weather.

He seemed surprised that his identity had been exposed, paused momentarily, and then offered a sly smile.

“Haha, I’m sorry. He’s my assistant, and he recently joined and was undergoing training.”

“You don’t seem much different either.”

The slit-eyed man bowed politely.

“Although the situation has become like this, allow me to introduce myself. I am Lim Yong-mook, the head of the Black Crow Society’s South Korean branch.”

The man straightened up and smiled with a sly look.

* * *

Black Crow Society.

They were an information broker group known as the Black Crow Society, boasting considerable information power in the East Asian region.

The organization’s size, scope of influence, and methods of contact were closely guarded secrets, and transactions were only conducted with those whom the Black Crow Society approached first.

In modern times, information brokers needed to transcend traditional information gathering and possess satellites or operate through hacking.

The Black Crow Society was a relatively advanced organization in that regard.

‘I thought they would eventually make contact.’

It was happening a little sooner than I anticipated.

Given my existing connection with Jung Jin-soo, they may have discovered me and approached me in the process.

“I didn’t expect the young master to notice. I hope you weren’t too offended.”

“What business does the Black Crow Society have with me?”

“This isn’t a story to be told here, so why don’t we go inside? You can save on taxi fare and hear a good story, can’t you?”

“……”

I glanced back and forth between Lim Yong-mook and the still-embarrassed man.

“Okay.”

“Thank you.”

I settled into the back seat of the taxi, and Lim Yong-mook naturally took the seat beside me.

The hesitant driver paused, glancing at me through the rearview mirror before asking.

“Where shall I take you?”

“To the entrance of Hallasan.”

“…Are you talking about the dangerous zone?”

I frowned and turned my head to the side.

“Do I have to be disappointed any further?”

“I’m sorry… Please drive quickly. Stop doing stupid things.”

“Yes, yes. I, I’m sorry.”

At Lim Yong-mook’s tap on the front seat, the taxi smoothly pulled away from the curb.

Lim Yong-mook offered an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry. First impressions are usually important, but my assistant ruined it all.”

“You must have underestimated me that much.”

Lim Yong-mook’s expression twitched slightly.

“Underestimate? How could I, a mere information broker, dare to do that?”

I silently stared at Lim Yong-mook.

He maintained his fake smile, but it appeared forced no matter how you looked at it.

“It’s a waste of time to beat around the bush. Tell me why you came to me.”

At my words, Lim Yong-mook nodded and said.

“I want to sign a formal contract with you, young master.”