Chapter 132: The Factory Runs 24/7

Episode 132

Kim Jinsung’s eyes, fixed on Karen, were filled with murderous intent.

A powerful aura emanated from his body, enveloping Karen, who was standing right in front of him.

‘Ugh…!’

Karen’s face contorted as the oppressive pressure weighed down on him.

Although Kim Jinsung wasn’t using his full power, the aura was overwhelming for Karen, who was practically an ordinary person with enhanced physical abilities due to his mana being sealed.

“…S-sorry!”

Feeling his breath constricted by the pressure, Karen apologized, sensing a threat to his life.

“I wasn’t trying to run away! I just stepped back a little because I was worried about being detected by the surveillance radars! Please believe me!”

**Slap!**

“Mmm!”

Kim Jinsung raised his hand and lightly slapped Karen’s mouth.

“Speak quietly. They can hear you.”

Kim Jinsung then retracted his aura, releasing Karen from the oppressive pressure.

Karen was about to sigh in relief as he could finally breathe properly, but he remembered Kim Jinsung’s warning and covered his mouth with his hand.

‘Right. This is inside the factory.’

He realized he had spoken too loudly in the middle of enemy territory.

Kim Jinsung, seeing Karen looking around cautiously, said,

“Follow me.”

He turned and walked inside, and Karen immediately followed him.

Kim Jinsung only walked towards the dark areas where there was no light.

He passed by the factory, which was still brightly lit despite being nighttime, and continued walking towards the dormitory building behind it.

They encountered numerous guards along the way.

‘…He took care of them all.’

But they were all unconscious and motionless. Seeing them, Karen looked at Kim Jinsung’s back.

‘How did he manage to take care of all these guards and the security room in the factory basement in such a short time?’

Karen’s eyes were now filled with fear.

The thought that Kim Jinsung might be even stronger than he imagined began to sprout in his mind.

“This way.”

Karen looked ahead at the sound of Kim Jinsung’s voice.

Kim Jinsung was standing at the entrance of the dormitory building, looking back at him.

Another guard was lying unconscious at his feet.

Kim Jinsung pointed at the unconscious guard with his chin and said to Karen, who was approaching,

“Just in case, change into this guard’s clothes and stand here. I’ll take care of the muscleheads.”

Karen’s eyes widened.

“You’re saying all the Nature Animal guys are in this dormitory? All four of them?”

“They were wrestling with some women in one of the rooms, completely naked.”

“…Really?”

Did he really manage to scout the inside of the dormitory in such a short time?

“They were all drunk and didn’t notice me even when I was scouting openly. Anyway, stay here while I take care of them.”

“Alright.”

Karen nodded and replied.

But Kim Jinsung was still staring at him, not moving.

Karen, reading his expression, hurriedly added,

“Don’t worry! I won’t move an inch from here this time! I promise!”

Kim Jinsung finally turned and went up the stairs after seeing him swear with his hand on his chest.

Karen sighed deeply as Kim Jinsung disappeared from sight.

‘Phew… Okay, let’s just follow his orders for now.’

He then started taking off the unconscious guard’s clothes.

A while later, after changing into the guard’s uniform, he stashed the real guard, now in his underwear, in a secluded corner next to the entrance stairs and returned to his position.

[Thud!]

‘…Huh?’

He suddenly heard a thud through his earpiece.

That was the beginning.

[Thud! Thud! Thud!]

The same sound was heard three more times in a row.

A moment later, Kim Jinsung’s voice followed.

[Muscleheads taken care of.]

Karen’s eyes widened.

‘Already?’

The muscleheads of Nature Animal were known for their tough skin, rivaling even the hunters of Major clans.

Moreover, their skin was enhanced by drugs, so their defense wouldn’t weaken even if they weren’t using mana.

In other words, their defense remained the same even when they were drunk.

‘But how did he take care of them so quickly? I thought he couldn’t even inflict a serious injury on them during the last battle, let alone kill them…?’

As Karen was making a disbelieving expression, Kim Jinsung’s voice continued through the earpiece.

[I’ll take care of the other employees in the other rooms and then come down.]

A few seconds passed after Kim Jinsung finished speaking.

Then,

[Crack!]

[Snap!]

The sounds of bones breaking echoed through the earpiece at regular intervals.

It seemed he was going from room to room, taking care of them.

‘…Did he kill them all in one blow? I can’t hear any sounds of resistance.’

Karen became certain, hearing only the sounds of Kim Jinsung taking care of them.

It seemed this quest would end much more easily than he thought.

‘…Ah! I’m losing my mind. I need to contact him at this timing.’

Karen quickly took out his smartphone and opened the messaging app.

He double-checked the long message he had written beforehand.

– The guy named ‘Jin’ who’s wanted by the Triunfo Clan is currently attacking your drug factory. The one you fought with a while ago.

If you don’t come help right now, the factory will be blown up.

‘…Let’s add some photos of the scene, just to be sure.’

Karen opened the camera app and pointed his smartphone camera at the guards lying unconscious outside the dormitory.

He took a picture that captured the numerous guards in one frame, then another picture of the guard near the entrance stairs, who was now in his underwear.

He attached the two photos and pressed the ‘Send’ button.

The message was sent to Jacob, the master of Nature Animal, whose number he had obtained for 1 billion Blanc.

A few seconds after sending the message, a call came from that number.

But Karen didn’t answer and turned off his smartphone by pressing the end call button.

He didn’t want Kim Jinsung to hear his voice through the earpiece.

‘He’ll come running even if I don’t answer, especially with the photos attached.’

Moreover, the photos showed quite a few unconscious guards.

He was sure they would come rushing with a large number of clan members.

‘They just need to arrive before the factory explodes… It’s close, so they should be here soon, right? Don’t tell me these guys are also drunk and asleep…’

Various worries suddenly filled Karen’s mind.

They needed to bring a large number of people before the factory exploded according to plan, so Karen could escape safely.

The purpose of this plan was for Karen himself to regain his freedom.

‘He might use my attempt to escape earlier as an excuse and hand me over to the Paladins alive as soon as the quest is over.

It’s better to run while I can, just in case.’

[Don’t trust anyone in the New Continent. Trust only your own strength.]

This was the oldest and most famous proverb in the Sselepoh continent.

Karen was one of those who had learned this proverb the hard way during his time with ‘Ukobachi’.

He didn’t want to be dragged around by Kim Jinsung, being held hostage by his weakness.

‘It would be best if the Nature Animal Clan arrived before the factory exploded and killed Jin as well…’

And from Karen’s perspective, that seemed highly likely.

Kim Jinsung had struggled against their siege just a few days ago. He didn’t think Kim Jinsung would be able to miraculously break through their siege and escape this time.

* * *

The illegal drug factory, secretly operated by Nature Animal, ran 24/7 without stopping.

The driving force behind this was slaves.

They exploited slaves, mainly consisting of disabled people and orphans, working them in two shifts for 12 hours a day to produce drugs.

**Crack!**

“Hey! Who told you to straighten your back!”

A supervisor with a whip shouted at the boys who were packaging drugs nearby.

“Work faster, don’t slack off! You won’t get breakfast if you don’t finish your quota on time!”

The supervisor shouted and walked around.

He glared at the boys with their haggard faces and then checked the time.

“Ah, why hasn’t my shift replacement arrived yet? My time’s up.”

His fellow supervisor should have come to replace him by now, but there was still no sign of him.

“Damn it! This is why being punctual is a disadvantage! I’m coming 10 minutes late tomorrow!”

He grumbled with an irritated expression and then glared at the boys.

His expression said, ‘Just one of you slip up’.

The boys, who had learned from experience that hell awaited them if they were caught, worked even harder, their bodies tense with fear.

But even without any mistakes, a supervisor could find fault with them whenever he wanted.

**Thud!**

“Argh!”

The supervisor deliberately tripped a boy, and the small boy couldn’t help but spill the drugs he was carrying as he fell.

“You little bastard!”

The supervisor immediately whipped the boy mercilessly.

The sound of the whip tearing through flesh echoed throughout the workshop.

“I! Clearly! Told you! That this drug! Every single grain! Is more precious! Than your! Worthless! Life!”

“Argh! Argh! Please spare me! Argh!”

The boy’s back, as he lay on the ground screaming in agony, was quickly stained with blood.

But the supervisor showed no signs of stopping. He seemed to have accumulated quite a lot of frustration.

“Spare you?! If you make a mistake! You deserve to be punished! Understand?!”

Just as he was whipping the boy relentlessly, his smartphone in his pocket rang.

He finally stopped whipping and took out his smartphone.

“Who is it? At this hour… Huh?”

The supervisor’s eyes widened.

The caller was his boss, Jacob, the master of Nature Animal.

‘Why is he calling me at this hour?’

He suddenly started to worry.

Every time Jacob had called him directly, it had never been good news.

‘Did I do something wrong? I don’t think so…’

He answered the call and put the phone to his ear.

“Yes, Master!”

– Where are you!

The supervisor flinched at Jacob’s sudden outburst.

His voice became cautious as he answered.

“I’m working at the factory…?”

– Go out and check what the other employees are doing right now! And report back to me immediately! Don’t hang up!

“Yes…”

The supervisor, with a puzzled expression, walked out of the factory as he was told.

The moment he opened the door,

“……!!”

His eyes widened.

He saw the two guards who should have been on duty by the entrance lying dead with their necks broken.

He was about to put the phone to his ear in shock.

**Thud!**

But with a dull thud, he lost consciousness.

—