Ch.552Chapter 21. Blood Pack (12)

Clunk, clunk.

A large truck drives along the asphalt road.

Inside the truck carrying a long container instead of a concrete mixer, the container is set up like a command center.

Correction.

It is a command center.

Outside the container is the Hero Association’s emblem, and though there are only two people inside, they are executives of the Hero Association.

“Jun-gyeong. Do you think they’re really Hwalbindang?”

“No. They’re imposters. Those guys are fake.”

The appearance of S-class villains claiming to be Hwalbindang.

“But can imposters be that strong?”

“That’s the problem—they are strong. Fortunately, there’s a designated organization that can handle such powerful imposters.”

They are a mixed group of two men and two women, with at least one A+ class ability user among them, possessing enough power to annihilate a team of ability users.

They even destroyed the cradle of ability users and caused Zenros—this requires intervention and suppression by both the nation and the Association.

“Damn. I hate having to step in at times like this.”

Jung Ki-jo, the president of the Hero Association, covered the Taegeuk Watch with his hand—the device that gave him authority to issue commands to all heroes gathering at Ganghwa Island, Incheon—and lamented.

“Having to clean up after Haeguneul. Disgusting.”

“Is that an official statement?”

“Of course not. Haeguneul involved in this? Wow, I didn’t know that.”

The young hero Cheok Jun-gyeong approached from behind Jung Ki-jo and pulled on his leather gloves with a bitter smile.

“Are you pretending not to know when you actually do?”

“I have to pretend. Otherwise, who knows what strange things those bastards might do. They’ll just start saying the Association is incompetent and questioning what S-class heroes are good for.”

“Wouldn’t it be fine if they said that?”

“They’d say it to the pregnant Baek Seol-hee.”

“That absolutely cannot happen.”

Cheok Jun-gyeong shook his head and scanned the monitors in their command vehicle.

“It’s like they think heroes are just cleanup crews for their crimes. Ugh, filthy bastards. Their stock should crash so all the shareholders revolt.”

“Conglomerates only collapse in dramas.”

“Reality can be worse than dramas. Even among conglomerates, they’re a special kind—forcing children to work, and even… sigh, let’s not talk about it.”

Though he complained about Haeguneul as if dealing with untouchables, there was clear “anger” in President Jung Ki-jo’s voice.

“Jun-gyeong.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Did you all know?”

“…Honestly, I didn’t know.”

“Haa. I’m sorry for getting angry at you.”

“It’s fine. I understand. I was shocked when I heard about it too.”

Cheok Jun-gyeong picked up a printed document from the command center table.

“Collecting and trafficking Korean blood. And the buyer is even a foreign S-class ability user… If we hadn’t confirmed they were secretly diverting it from the Red Cross, we might never have known.”

“Yes. Thankfully someone came forward. And it’s fortunate that these Hwalbindang imposters defeated the execution squad.”

Someone noticed the large-scale blood drainage.

That person was afraid of retaliation after whistleblowing, but seeing Hwalbindang taking action gave them courage.

Thanks to that courage, the Association President had grounds to bring S-class hero Cheok Jun-gyeong to Incheon.

To prevent Haeguneul from tampering with the scene, to accurately assess the situation, and to severely punish those involved in the crime.

“Can we still catch them?”

“Yes. It should be fine. Don’t lose hope.”

…Although it would be meaningless if Haeguneul completed the transaction and ended the situation before they reached Ganghwa Island, the Association could only head there with a glimmer of hope.

And what they saw was an unreported battle unfolding on the road.

“Damn it, what’s this?! Why is there a battle going on here?!”

[Uh, umm, well…]

“You bastard! You deliberately didn’t report this?! Did they pay you off?!”

[N-no, sir!!]

No information had been relayed from the field agent, yet there were traces of magical combat everywhere?

“Damn it, this is why I hate Seoul people!! This would never happen near Busan!”

Screech.

The truck stops on the bridge.

The Association President climbs the stairs leading outside the command center and stands on top of the truck to survey the scene.

“Ugh, urk…!”

“D-damn. Were they all ‘broken’…?!”

On the bridge, the road was filled with suited ability users, presumed to be Haeguneul combat agents, all collapsed on the ground bleeding.

All of them bleeding from their lower bodies.

Growl.

And golden jindo dogs with mouths full of blood glanced at the Association President before disappearing beyond the bridge.

Thud, thud.

“That’s….”

“It must be created by the Hwalbindang imposter…huh?”

Jumping down from the truck, Cheok Jun-gyeong, clutching black gloves with wide golden hemispheres embedded on the back, was startled.

“Mr. President, could that be…!!”

“…Wait.”

Thud, thud.

“Well, well. You’re late.”

Among the ability users with broken cradles, a black-haired young man appeared with golden jindo dogs.

“This is an execution ground. No unauthorized entry.”

“Who are you?”

“You, could you be Tae Jo?”

The Association President recognized the young man immediately.

No, just by looking at his face, he was clearly Armored Taejo.

“Why are you here?”

Though his method of using abilities was different, the staff he gripped was his assigned Mana Gold—

“That’s impossible. That ill-mannered kid couldn’t be this man.”

Cheok Jun-gyeong immediately contradicted the Association President’s thoughts.

“Not content with impersonating Hwalbindang, now they dare impersonate a Korean S-class hero… Does The Syndicate want to insult heroes that badly?!”

BOOM!

“If you think I’ll mistake you for the real person just because you look similar and have similar abilities, you’re mistaken!”

Blue magical energy exploded from Cheok Jun-gyeong’s entire body.

“I, Cheok Jun-gyeong, won’t fall for your shallow deception!”

“No, um, Jun-gyeong. That really looks like—”

“Tae Jo would never act like that! This is clearly a fake created by The Syndicate!”

“……A fake?”

The Association President could only think that this was the real Tae Jo, the genuine Armored Taejo hiding behind the persona.

But.

Why would Tae Jo block their path?

If Tae Jo was blocking the way while someone was attacking Haeguneul, then the reason and the mastermind behind it…

“……Ah, this is Jung Ki-jo! I’m telling everyone! The Hero Association will now, umm…!”

After briefly considering what to say, the Association President:

“We will eliminate the fake heroes created by The Syndicate’s ‘Yimemangryang’! I’ll inform you as soon as we determine whether they’re shapeshifters or not!”

He announced to everyone that the Tae Jo before them was fake.

Even if that contradicted his own intuition about the truth.

“Those you see before you are not real! They are illusions or deceptions created by The Syndicate! Exercise caution in battle!!”

For now, everyone’s safety was the priority.

“Be careful not to break their cradles!!”

* * *

Slash!

I swing my greatsword to cut the whip.

Simultaneously, I thrust my clenched fist forward.

[Goblin Punch!]

Today I feel like shouting my techniques.

[Egg Break!]

Every time I deliver a magic-enhanced punch to the cradle of a Haeguneul execution squad member, I want to shout loudly with magical energy.

[Hmph.]

“Ugh, urk….”

[I’ve destroyed something unnecessary again. How fearsome, my power as a Goblin.]

One punch precisely breaks two orbs.

And this fist doesn’t discriminate between men and women.

[Dominant Egg Fist!]

Extending my fist forward again, I launch a magical bullet.

Like swinging a boxing glove loosely and sending only the glove flying, I strike the abdomen of the Haeguneul execution squad blocking my path with just the magical Goblin Punch.

“Ugh, huff…!”

The execution squad member rolled their eyes and fell to their knees.

Before their eyes rolled back, their expression seemed to say “how could you use such a terrible attack against me,” but soon they lost consciousness and collapsed forward.

[And so another becomes Zenros. Only one remains. You, villain.]

I rest the greatsword on my shoulder, then point my fist at the woman standing on the drum—Bathory.

[Any last words?]

“…Ha, haha. This is ridiculous.”

Bathory swept her bangs back with her hand and sneered at me.

“You think you can defeat me just because you’ve taken down these pawns? Now?”

[It’s not confidence, but predetermined fate.]

“Goblins don’t believe in fate!!”

Bathory shouted loudly, pointing at me.

“Goblins are people who forge their own destiny!”

Whoosh!

A blood-red whip swings widely toward me.

The whip flies at a speed that would do more than just graze skin if it hit, but I quickly move my body to take cover between the drums.

Slash!

The whip cuts through the entire drum.

Blood gushes from the split drum.

“Eek…!”

Simply thinking about it, one might wonder if covering the battlefield in blood would give Bathory, a blood manipulator, an advantage.

[It’s mixed. What a shame. Will you control blood that contains what you so despise—non-Korean blood?]

“Shut up!!”

With even 1% foreign blood mixed in and everything pooling together, Bathory can only attack me using the pure Korean blood she brought with her.

“You’re not even a real Goblin!”

[If I were a Goblin, a Goblin would say something like this.]

“……Huh?”

Bathory gapes blankly.

I don’t miss the opportunity, immediately slipping out from beside the drum and rushing toward her.

“Why aren’t you transforming into a Ri—”

[Because I’m a Goblin.]

Though my face is exposed, I’m only wearing a black suit.

[I told you, I am a Goblin.]

“No way—”

[I’ve said it many times, what a shame.]

THWACK!!

“Ugh, huff…?!”

I thrust the end of the Goblin club precisely into Bathory’s abdomen.

Beyond the abdomen, I strike and magically shake the most precious part of an ability user—the cradle containing future potential—from the outside.

“Ugh, you…!”

[You’ve been capturing Korean tourists, locking them underground, and using them as blood bags, haven’t you?]

“……!”

Bathory, on her knees, jerks her head up to look at me.

[That’s why you deserve execution.]

“Hmph.”

Bathory twists the corner of her mouth into a smirk.

“No matter how much you pretend to be a Goblin, you’re not—”

[Whatever.]

SMACK!

[Whether I’m a Goblin or not, you’ll be executed as a villain.]

The proof of existence is.

[It doesn’t matter if I’m not a Goblin.]

Belief, and action.

[Today, S-class villain Bathory dies.]