‘Special Security Management District.’
In this space where all of Hanseong’s criminals gathered, countless interests were entangled.
Drug deals.
Business operations.
Smuggled goods storage or theft.
A pandemonium where they monitored each other while aiming for each other’s backs.
Secretly plotting work in the gaps between these complexly entangled forces was no easy task.
If that was true for one person’s work.
How much more so if an entire organization moved?
“Is that true?”
A seven-story building in the Special Security Management District’s central area.
The man sitting in the office at the building’s top asked back into the communication module as if he couldn’t believe it.
“The proprietress… so that woman Park Bokja pulled out all her business establishments?”
Letting out a hollow laugh after receiving his subordinate’s report was the head of the Sword Pact who dominated this district, ‘Dokgo Seong.’
He hurriedly inquired among other subordinates as well, but the news coming from them was the same.
-Yes, boss. We had the guys check everything and it’s confirmed. District 3, Lower Level 77, Central Residential District 47… All the gambling dens the proprietress manages are completely empty.
“Huh.”
The gambling dens that had been operated under the proprietress’s name, and the thugs who’d worked at those establishments.
They had completely disappeared from this Special Security Management District at some point.
“This is driving me crazy. When we said we’d take them over, they stubbornly refused saying they’d rather die, so why now all of a sudden?”
“That woman, didn’t she go senile in her old age or something?”
The subordinate executives who’d heard about the situation grumbled along with him.
None other than that Park Bokja.
The notorious proprietress of Pyeongwoon Tavern had abandoned the business she’d built over a lifetime like worn-out shoes and fled.
No matter how much they thought about it, they couldn’t understand.
“Taewan.”
-Yes, boss.
“Ask around among the guys who were taking work from Pyeongwoon Tavern. Where they’re going, who they’re talking to. Report as soon as you find out. Tell the other guys too!”
-A-alright.
Beep.
Having finished giving instructions to the ‘younger brothers’ operating outside, Dokgo Seong fell into thought with his chin propped up.
Park Bokja.
That woman who’d been crouched in the eastern district suddenly disappeared overnight.
‘Moreover, she didn’t even sell for money—she vanished her traces as if fleeing in the night.’
At this rate, all sorts of riffraff would swarm to seize the empty business establishments.
If that happened, this district where order had been painstakingly established would shake once more.
Meanwhile, the fact that Park Bokja had suddenly disappeared would just get buried.
‘Considering that woman’s personality… she must have aimed for this from the start.’
While Dokgo Seong’s thoughts deepened—
-I found out, boss!
One of his younger brothers, Taewan, brought information.
-There’s a large building currently under construction in the central residential district area, and the guys who worked at Pyeongwoon Tavern are going in and out of there.
“Central residential district?”
-Yes.
Central residential district. Large building. And the Pyeongwoon Tavern thugs entering there.
Which meant the reason for abandoning the gambling dens throughout Hanseong was…!
“Because she caught a bigger job.”
At Dokgo Seong’s single phrase after finishing his thoughts, the other executives asked back.
“A bigger job?”
“Right. She caught one tremendous case on a completely different dimension from these hole-in-the-wall shops.”
This place was none other than the ‘Special Security Management District.’
No matter how well you did in this rat hole, in the end you couldn’t escape being a back-alley thug.
But Park Bokja had left this place.
Central residential district.
It meant she was planning to launder her status there and set up a proper business entity.
“But does that make sense?”
One subordinate who’d heard Dokgo Seong’s words opened his mouth.
“For bottom-feeders like us to launder status—isn’t that impossible without aristocrat connections?”
“Right. To change citizen grade or personal information, you’d have to touch the Hanseong database.”
No matter how much money that woman had raked in, she wouldn’t be at the level to pull off something like that.
In other words, Park Bokja currently had backing.
Someone who could access the citizen database and erase her criminal record.
She was conducting business together with someone from the aristocrat class.
“…”
Having said that much was momentary.
Dokgo Seong who’d briefly stopped speaking fell deep into thought.
‘A business involving aristocrats. Moreover, if it’s big enough for that proprietress to completely settle all her business foundation and enter… even if I don’t know for sure, it must be a tremendous enterprise.’
But right now the building hadn’t even gone up yet.
It meant the business was still in the preparation stage.
Park Bokja conducting the business and the guys lined up beneath her.
They could be replaced anytime according to the whims of the distinguished aristocrat lords.
Then…
‘If we insert ourselves well, we could hijack that business.’
One couldn’t refuse the rice cake placed before one’s eyes.
Having finished thinking, Dokgo Seong immediately connected communication.
“Boss, who are you connecting to?”
“Who else.”
To insert oneself into an aristocrat’s business, one had to use the same aristocrats.
And Dokgo Seong had a connection perfect for this situation.
“Our always-visiting customer.”
A customer who revealed neither status nor name, only telling the location to move ‘products.’
The buzzing sound rang several times briefly.
A green light came on the interface indicating connection status.
“This is Dokgo Seong.”
-What is it? For you to contact first.
What answered beyond the communication was the voice of a dignified middle-aged man.
But he knew.
This man was merely a contact.
The main body existed separately.
“A rather interesting case came to our side. So, this lowly one knows well it’s presumptuous to say, but…”
But now the situation was different.
“Could you possibly send word to Young Master Jo Seonghwan of the Pungyang Jo clan?”
But now the situation was different.
If there was backing conducting such a business, this side had to use everything usable.
“Good! A bit more to the side! That’s it!”
“Special instructions! If even one piece of material goes missing, we’ll hang you in the marketplace and kill you, so understand?! Got it?!”
Heavy construction drones and workers equipped with artificial bodies were scouring the construction site.
Since the foundation work was all finished, the time remaining until the building went up completely was about two weeks from now.
If they spent about a week on interior work, by next month at the latest it would be completed and able to function properly.
While the building was going up thud-thud upstairs like that.
In the building’s basement where construction was completed, two guards with activated artificial bodies were engaged in close combat.
KRRABOOOM—!
One side was Seo Taewoong with all combat modules centered on both arms fully activated.
And the other side was Mooyoung, controlling his quickening breath while aiming a practice curved sword.
“You’re in good condition. You’re also using the artificial body completely like your own body.”
“Not yet…! I’m still far from it…!”
The two guards protecting Changwoon’s side.
The reason they were conducting sparring in the basement of this construction-in-progress building was none other than this.
Since the Andong Kim main house training hall had been occupied by other guards, Changwoon’s guards in their hat-without-strings status had no place to spar.
Feeling sorry for this, Changwoon spent a large sum to install a training hall in his business establishment’s basement.
That was this very place.
The guards-only training hall Changwoon had specially prepared.
“Already tired? You seem to be steadily building stamina though.”
“How could that… be…!”
Mooyoung who’d already controlled his breathing and straightened his posture.
Seeing that, Taewoong clenched his fists and prepared to receive Mooyoung’s sword.
‘The Young Master has found an incredible gem.’
When people heard the term phase power wielder, most recalled the tremendous force wielded by aristocrats of noble birth.
The lightning wielded by members of the Andong Kim clan.
The wind breathed out by the household of the Pungyang Jo clan.
But contrary to such perception, most of those called phase power wielders were not like that.
At best they could only create flames about the level of a lighter or float a pebble in their palm.
The powerful phase power these current power clan scions wielded was the result of selective breeding conducted over several generations.
‘But Mooyoung… this child’s power is on a completely different dimension.’
Now that he’d sparred once with Mooyoung, Taewoong could recognize without difficulty.
Physical ability enough to overload the first-grade artificial body covering his entire body.
That mechanical arm threatening him with output not inferior to that physical ability.
Those things were merely means to assist Mooyoung’s power.
Clang—!
When he blocked the sword that flew in instantly, the sword appeared again from an unexpected path.
“Damn it, this time too…!”
“…!”
Mooyoung shouted as if frustrated when his sword path was blocked, but from Taewoong’s position it was also hellish.
If he blocked, once more.
If he blocked that, once more.
The motion detection sensor installed in his eyeball clearly pointed forward, yet Mooyoung’s sword sometimes drove down from the side or from behind him.
‘Amazing. Reaction speed that even machines can’t follow.’
He who’d become a veteran through long battlefield life and missions was barely barely blocking while relying on sensation.
If he was this much at that young age, just how much more would he grow in the future?
‘But…!’
As a senior guard, in terms of dignity, he couldn’t let himself lose disgracefully here.
Thwack!
Taewoung deliberately showed an opening while exchanging offense and defense, then grabbed Mooyoung’s sword that stabbed in there.
“?!”
“Pressuring the opponent to grasp the flow and utilizing that is more than good enough.”
Having muttered that, Taewoong pulled the sword he was gripping to grab Mooyoung’s collar.
“But your movements are too hasty.”
The next moment, he threw Mooyoung toward the training hall wall.
Boom—!
Mooyoung crashed into the wall with a roar.
If not for the inertial neutralization device installed in the training hall, the painstakingly made basement would have blown away entirely.
“Cough…! Khack…!”
Mooyoung who’d gasped for breath released the sword he’d been holding from his hand while gritting his teeth.
11 battles, 11 defeats.
In the end, Mooyoung couldn’t win even a single victory from Taewoong.
“Thank you for the sparring… senior.”
“Hmm.”
Mooyoung lying on the floor not getting up as if dejected.
Seeing that, Taewoong slowly walked to him and extended his hand.
“What are you so hasty about?”
“…”
Taewoong’s question after pulling Mooyoung up.
Seeing Mooyoung with no answer, Taewoong sighed quietly.
“The phase power you possess is among the best even among aristocratic families’ late awakeners. Your growth speed is fast, and your skill rises with each sparring.”
“I know that well too! But…!”
“Is it because you only waited during the last rescue mission?”
“…!”
Mooyoung closed his mouth at the single phrase striking the core.
‘As expected, that was it.’
The operation to rescue Miss Yoo Arin on the day of the face-to-face meeting.
What performed well in that operation were Changwoon who shot down the armored helicopter, Hahoe’s programmer, and Imae mask who tied up the royal guard’s feet.
Meanwhile, all Mooyoung did was wait near the operation area.
That fellow was bothered by that the whole time.
Having received such grace from Young Master Changwoon yet not having any particular accomplishments until now, he must have become anxious.
“Senior’s mission is protecting the Young Master. And my mission is eliminating those who threaten the Young Master.”
“Right.”
His own artificial body was the Andong Kim clan’s standard issue supply.
External work aside, he couldn’t do missions conducted underwater.
“So I must become stronger as quickly as possible. Otherwise…”
“Do you think the Young Master will abandon you?”
“Th-that’s not it, but…!”
When he lightly poked Mooyoung’s inner thoughts, his startled appearance was even amusing.
While the two guards were preparing to leave the training hall—
“Mooyoung.”
“Yes, senior.”
Taewoong who’d received a message Changwoon sent opened his mouth with a faint smile.
“…It seems you won’t need to worry after all.”
“What?”
The moment he asked back like that, the same message was transmitted to Mooyoung who was with him.
[Taewoong, Mooyoung. Come to the coordinates above right now]
[Urgent. Quickly]
Their master was calling the two of them.
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