Chapter 22: Attack on Bucheon Brothers Clan

“Wow! That… what is that…”

“Shh!”

Startled for no reason, Yohan clamped his hand over Jeonghu’s mouth and ducked down below the window.

“It’s a monster.”

“That’s a monster, alright.”

With just two swings, he took down two of them in an instant.

If that’s not a monster, then what is it?

Jeonghu looked over at Yohan.

Honestly, ever since the game began, he had always thought there would never be anyone stronger than Dad.

That thought hadn’t changed even when he first saw Juhui after she awakened her abilities.

‘Even if they’re that strong, Dad would win somehow—that’s what I used to think. But this time, I don’t know… Can he really win?’

That was the only thought running through his head.

“…I don’t know yet.”

At Yohan’s words, Jeonghu tilted his head.

“Not yet?”

“Yeah, not yet.”

With that, Yohan quietly stood up and looked out the window again.

The Bucheon Brothers Clan’s fortress had returned to its calm state after taking down the Giant Hunter.

Yohan had come all the way to Bucheon Station, thinking that as long as the now-stronger Jeonghu joined in, they could handle it somehow, but seeing a monster like that made him think they’d need to completely revise their plans.

“Let’s give up on attacking Bucheon Station.”

“Then what? Is the looting over?”

“No, of course not.”

Yohan patted Jeonghu’s shoulder as he spoke.

“Did America pull out of Vietnam because it was weak? No way.”

“I…”

“…Dad, every time you talk like that, you sound like you’re in your fifties.”

“Shut up, you brat.”

***

In line with the third game, the Bucheon Brothers Clan also began a massive item looting operation.

A total of 35 people—one A-rank, two B-ranks, and four C-ranks per team, making five teams in all, started roaming around Bucheon for the loot.

They didn’t just attack people at random.

When they found someone, they tried to recruit them regardless of ability, and if they refused, they attacked immediately.

If the opponent was too weak, they didn’t bother killing them and just captured them. But if their items looked good, they either killed the person or took their items by force.

“Alright, listen up! Nothing good will come from disobeying, so get in the car quickly. Once you’re in, fill out the info sheet we gave you! You must! Must! Write your occupation! Be specific! Got it? Be specific! Hey, what are you doing? Hand out the pens!”

As people were herded onto a bus stolen from a bus company near Bucheon Station, a gangster handed out sheets and pens.

The moment a mother and daughter, their faces full of fear, were dragged onto the bus, the gangster’s eyes turned lecherous.

“Wow, ma’am, you’re really pretty, heh heh. Your daughter’s pretty too. How old is she?”

“…Eighteen.”

“…That sounded like a curse word?”

Just as the mother and daughter shuddered at his leering gaze—

Elsewhere, a family was being torn apart.

“Dear! Deaaar!”

With his wife’s desperate screams, a young man was surrounded by five gangsters and was losing his life.

“Keugh!”

As her husband collapsed to the floor, a sword piercing his chest, the gangsters ignored the man they’d killed and just snatched up the items he was holding to load them into a truck.

Even as people trembled in fear at the blood soaking the floor, the gang members’ expressions were as carefree as ever.

In fact, they seemed used to this sort of situation, laughing and chatting among themselves.

To those being taken away, their attitude was even more horrifying.

When all the work was done and the buses and trucks were packed, the sun began to set.

“Time to withdraw!”

At the team leader’s words, one of the gang members spoke up.

“If we just hit that spot over there a bit more, we’d meet our quota. Can’t we just loot a little more before we go, boss?”

“Didn’t you hear what Cheolwoo hyung said about it being dangerous after sunset?”

“Come on! That guy doesn’t even fight himself, so what’s he know…”

“Hey, watch your mouth. The only reason we’ve gotten this big is because we listened to Cheolwoo hyung, right? Even the boss would believe it if Cheolwoo hyung said you could cook ramen with cold noodles. You think we’re any different?”

“…I misspoke, boss. Sorry, boss.”

“Long as you know. Hey! Everyone, let’s move out!”

After making sure everyone was split between the bus and the truck, the team leader boarded the van he came in.

“Ready to go, boss.”

“Alright.”

Just as Team 1 loaded up their loot and started moving,

“Seoyoung, are you ready?”

“Yes, Dad.”

On the rooftop of a four-story shopping center nearby stood Yohan’s family.

To be exact, it was Yohan, Jeonghu, and Seoyoung.

“Alright, let’s see the power of your Fireball, now that it’s three times stronger.”

At those words, Seoyoung nodded and took out the Amplification Staff.

As mana gathered into the brilliantly glowing orb, the Fireball’s energy began to dye the gem a deep red.

Seoyoung’s eyes gleamed as she swung her staff with force toward the enemies, and a Fireball three times larger than usual shot out.

It only brushed past, but the heat was so intense that Yohan and Jeonghu were startled.

KWA-BOOM!

The Fireball struck the van carrying the team leader and exploded.

“Nice. Direct hit! Jeonghu!”

“Got it!”

Jeonghu drew his gun and, excluding the bus carrying the captives, began firing wildly at the lead van and the truck following behind.

With such relentless gunfire, the enemies couldn’t easily get out or fight back, and Yohan leaped straight off the building.

The Heavenly Demon Spear appeared in his hand and pierced through an enemy scrambling out of the truck.

After confirming another enemy dead from a bullet that pierced the vehicle, Yohan immediately leaped up again.

TATATATANG!

Sensing an opportunity, one of the gangsters inside the bus opened fire indiscriminately.

CHARRRRRK!

Just then, Jeonghu descended using the Demon King’s Chainmail of Annihilation, reaching out and sending chains flying toward the shooter.

The chain, ending in a blade shaped like sharp claws, pierced the enemy’s throat, then continued through the remaining gangsters inside the moving bus.

“Five down. How many left?”

Yohan asked Seoyoung, who was on the top floor, through the radio.

The answer was…

KWA-BOOM!

Another Fireball fell in reply.

Yohan gave a thumbs up toward the rooftop.

Meanwhile, Jeonghu opened the bus door and went inside.

“Is everyone alright? Hurry, run away!”

After freeing the captives on the bus, Jeonghu gathered up the dead gangsters’ items.

Yohan checked the car, now a mess from the gunfire.

“Good, it should still make it to the shelter.”

There were holes everywhere, but it looked drivable.

“Th-thank you.”

Leaving the grateful rescued behind, the three of them quickly slipped away.

It was to avoid a possible counterattack from the Bucheon Brothers Clan.

***

“Why can’t we reach Team 1?”

“I’ll try the radio again, boss.”

“Yeah, try it.”

After finishing their looting and preparing to join up with Team 1 as planned to return to the hideout, Team 2’s leader was getting frustrated, puffing on a cigarette as he failed to reach Team 1.

“This is Mansik of Team 2, bosses. Is Yeongcheol hyung from Team 1 there? Our team, Mancheol hyung is waiting on the radio, boss.”

One of the team members was trying hard on the radio, but there was no answer from Team 1.

“No response, boss.”

“What the heck! Did they run into a monster or something?”

“Team 1’s guys are just below you in skill, boss. They’re stronger than us, boss.”

“Yeah, they’re the elite. Yeongcheol hyung’s stronger than me too. They’re not the type to get killed by some monster.”

Team 2’s leader, Mancheol, stubbed out his cigarette and spoke to Mansik, who was in charge of communications.

“This won’t do. Contact the base.”

“Understood, boss.”

As Mansik picked up the radio, Mancheol put a fresh cigarette in his mouth, but suddenly paused and looked ahead.

“Hey, stop the car for a second.”

“What’s wrong, boss?”

“There’s something we need to catch before checking on Team 1. Guys! Do you see that up ahead?”

At Mancheol’s words, all the team members turned their eyes in the same direction.

Standing there, her white hair fluttering, was a proud and imposing witch.

“I-isn’t that the Sangdong Witch, boss? What’s she doing there?”

“How would I know? Anyway, catching her means a reward. We have to get her.”

“Isn’t it too much for just us, boss? Thirty people couldn’t beat her last time, boss.”

The team members protested urgently, but blinded by the thought of getting a powerful item and rising in rank, Mancheol couldn’t see anything else.

More than anything, unlike the average guys, Mancheol’s combat power was a whopping 6,000.

Slightly weaker than the witch…

“Hand over the high-grade item I said I called dibs on.”

He was convinced that if he got his hands on one of the looted items, he could win, so he tried to capture her.

“If we use the item without permission, won’t we get in trouble, boss?”

“Just say it was an emergency! Get it out while I’m asking nicely!”

“…Understood, boss.”

They were afraid of getting in trouble or even dying, but tempted by the chance to get stronger and secure their position, the hesitant gangsters began to move without hesitation.

As the sound of them rummaging for items filled the air, Mancheol and Mansik kept their eyes on the white-haired witch.

It was a tense situation, not knowing when she’d attack, and when the guys who went to fetch the items didn’t come back, Mancheol turned around in confusion.

“What is it? What’s taking so long with the item?”

“Sorry. There’s nothing for you.”

The team members were already lying dead on the ground.

Atop the truck piled high with items, Jeonghu stood, blood dripping from his chains, staring at Mancheol and Mansik.

“Who the hell are you?”

A chill ran down Mancheol’s spine, but he forced himself to act tough and asked Jeonghu.

“Me? No need for you to know.”

“Hah, you little brat, talking down to me.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. Guess I failed at raising my kid properly.”

Just as Mancheol was about to charge in, ready to attack, another voice spoke up beside him.

With a cold expression, Yohan said this to Mancheol and swung his hand.

So fast it couldn’t be seen, the hand gripped the Heavenly Demon Spear that had appeared at some point.

“You too… guhh…”

Thud.

Without realizing he was about to become prey to the Heavenly Demon Spear, Mancheol clutched his bleeding neck and collapsed.

Left alone, Jeonghu slung an arm around Mansik’s shoulders and spoke.

“Shall we have a little chat?”

As the sweating Mansik nodded desperately, the father and son grinned wickedly side by side.

Just like that, the Yohan family was quietly, without anyone knowing, taking down the Bucheon Brothers Clan—the largest force in Bucheon.