"Oh, it's taking freaking forever...!"
It's puzzling why these thugs would head not into the slums beyond the city, but toward the enclave of luxury hotels where Danguk's elite congregate.
"At this rate, the buildings are too tall!"
The structures have soared beyond the reach of simple leaps. At this height, I'd smash a window and be reported as that crazy kid before I even reached their destination.
"Ahhh!! Someone fell...! H-huh, he's fine?"
"What's with that paper bag?"
"R-relax. I'm just a benevolent blue-collar stalker. Anyway, I'm off!"
Better to gouge only eye-holes in a stray paper bag than have my face all over the Royal Guard's bulletin.
Now there's no one to worry about spotting me.
Full tailwind! Acceleration surges! Ha—no one can stop me now!!
Pursuing a car's tail at high speed is hopeless. Who wouldn't notice someone racing beside them at near-car speed, wearing a paper bag?
Time for a new plan: I'll force them to reveal their destination by hacking the car's navigation.
Yes, the uproar on a crowded upscale avenue will draw attention—and clean-up will be messy—but I'll make sure their boss pays dearly for this!
"Here—take this! Hope this rock hurts like hell!"
Every chunk of asphalt counts. I won't hurl it by arm strength—I have a sturdy scabbard, essentially a baseball bat.
"Graaah!!!"
"Hold the wheel steady!"
"Brake! Brake!!"
The rock struck the scabbard, shattered the rear window, and nicked the driver's head just enough to force a sudden brake.
"Aaaah! Terror attack!!"
"Scatter! Run!!!"
"Hmm... Looks like I'll be the criminal tonight..."
Fortunately, no civilians were harmed in the chaos.
"You bastard!!"
"Come out!! You messing with the Ironworks Guild?!"
"Ooh, it's a gangster—keep your pretty eyes open."
"Huh? What is this lunatic?!"
Whirlwind—Sword Wheel
A subvariant of Four Wheels. If Four Wheels flings objects along set orbits, Sword Wheel projects intangible sword qi for a remote slash. Though its form is ephemeral and its duration brutal yet fleeting, its cutting power is unmatched.
"Kyaaa!!!"
Fortunately, the slash was superficial this time.
The danger of such a precise cut is that even a slight miscalculation can kill—no matter that it was meant for subdual.
Abandon the naive idea that more power is always better. Once you wield a blade, you stand at the threshold of life and death. Hacking indiscriminately does not make you a warrior—it makes you a butcher. Even maniacs who relish the sword earn an infamous title, but indiscriminate slaughter is sheer madness.
A sword is not just a tool for wild destruction. You must master its power for suppression, precise thrusts, or even culinary precision on a cutting board. A true swordsman wields his blade to suit the need.
"So, how about this one?"
"…Quite hazardous."
"See?! It's so strong!!"
"Yet this remains a half-baked failure."
"What??? This??"
"Your technique's power is undeniable, but can you control the sword qi?"
"Of course! I'll cut that tree—Haah!!!"
Crunch!! Thud!!
"…Oh dear…?"
"Observe. It's so sharp that it cleaved not only the target tree but the ones behind and beside it. A technique you cannot direct at will will one day betray you."
"…Tch. Again!"
"Be careful. I favored these trees in particular…"
"Ah."
Screech!! Thump!!
"I…should have…wished…"
Only after felling several cherished trees—and an unfortunate passerby—did Sword Wheel learn the minimum power needed to avoid killing.
"Phew… To nail this in a real fight… tie that sack tight around his head. One slip and he's dead."
"Y-you magnet of trouble…"
"I told you, I'm Magpie."
Enough. He shows no will to fight. But according to the nav… is that the building?
Vroooom!!
"W-wait, that's—"
"Quiet!"
The phone display… Ah, bingo~
"Jang Chen and gang"
[Operation starts in 5 minutes]
Location and orders.jpg
Got you, you bastard. Time to run like hell.
"Huff… Is this it?"
The earlier chaos will summon the Royal Guard, so I should've left something behind!
"Yah!!"
"What, what?!"
Crack!
Like a cornered rat, I smashed the contact's phone—along with the vital SIM chip.
And now I'm phone-less…
The convenience store is just ahead… ah, there it is.
"W-who are you?!"
"Relax. I'm a robber and a member of the Police Dark Army."
"P-police what…?"
"The Police Dark Army. Now get out if you don't want trouble."
"W-wait! I'll give you every last coin!!"
"Forget the money. I just need to scan that barcode."
"…What?"
"And leave. It's about to get bloody in here."
"…Huh?!"
"That kid from the emergency broadcast…"
"Ah…yes…"
"No mistaking it. That was Baekhyun just now, right?"
The headline read: Riot at Yongmun's central tower at midday? A slender swordsman cloaked in a paper bag was spotted. All on site recognized him immediately.
"Hmm. It certainly looks like him to me."
"Wait, Meursault…!"
"Now that he's been identified, lying would only seem more suspicious."
"What's his angle? Betrayal now…"
A crimson blade gleamed in Wei Yenwu's hand—his long-time partner and beloved sword.
"There's no reason for betrayal, and we don't know why Baekhyun acted as he did."
"Why should I believe that?"
"I have no proof. But that boy would not act so recklessly. I know he always moves with purpose."
Indeed. From our first meeting—fighting for his survival—to delivering me, to protecting a friend, to fulfilling missions: Baekhyun has always sought a goal. Today's stunt was simply another calculated operation, Meursault concluded.
Vroooooom!!
"Ha…busy as ever, aren't we?"
"Sir Wei Yenwu? It appears your card has been stolen!"
"My card stolen? But I bought those dumplings…"
"No, sir. Our records show suspicious activity in the transaction history."
"Suspicious…what?"
"Continuous purchases and refunds on the same items."
"Let me see the details."
Wei Yenwu had handed Baekhyun the card, so it was unlikely he'd been stripped of it. And repeated purchase-refund cycles? Something didn't add up.
"Two products: different flavors of gum…"
"Indeed. Lemon and strawberry were bought, refunded, then rebought in rapid succession."
"That pattern is a cipher."
"And once a cycle ends, it repeats after thirty seconds. At that speed…"
"SOS. It's Morse code."
"Indeed…but why send it now?"
"All transactions took place at a convenience store in a high-rise in central Yongmun—some distance from the crime scene."
And then they finally grasped the true intention.
"Urgent bulletin! A mob has seized a building in Yongmun, holding hostages at midday! More details as soon as possible..."
"That building—it's where Baekhyun scanned the code."
"Yes."
"Royal Guard, full combat gear, depart for the scene within three minutes!"
"YES SIR!!!"
"Let's move, Otis."
"...Right. Ha...that accident-prone kid beat us here..."
"I apologize for suspecting you. It seems Baekhyun was deployed faster than us."
"We should proceed swiftly."
"Ha! Yes, let's go."
'That kid...he's resourceful.'
The arrogance, the refusal to bow, the tactical instinct—and that intuition. Undeniable. He is the real deal.