Mu Ssang stopped walking once they were under a hollow eagle rock. Shaped like a horseshoe, it was the deepest and most secretive place in Wol Song San. No one could hear their screams, let alone gunshots.
Samedi released the stack he’d carried there. The subjects carried by the careless delivery man weren’t in good condition. Their faces had turned blue, and they collapsed like empty potato sacks.
“This guy, why’s he like this?”
Samedi grabbed Bones by the shoulder and shook him.
“Don’t shake him, he’ll die. Broken ribs have pierced his lungs. It’s a traumatic pneumothorax.”
Mu Ssang took out a Monami ballpoint pen from his pocket. He removed the front and back parts of the pen and pushed the empty tube into Bones’ chest.
Beee—
The air that filled the guy’s lungs rushed out of the tube.
That guy was extremely unlucky. No, it was because of Samedi’s careless handling. The weight of the person on top of him broke his ribs and ended up piercing his lungs while Samedi ran with him slung over his back. Although he had provided emergency treatment, Bones would die if he didn’t go to the hospital. Mu Ssang had helped him ease the pain, so it was up to fate whether he survived or died.
The other guys were in terrible condition too. The guy whose clothes were ragged was on the verge of dying from frostbite. At that point, everyone would freeze to death before he could question them.
“Samedi, light a fire.”
Samedi gathered a stump and some dried twigs to make a fire. Located under the hollow eagle rock was a small basin of three meters deep, 10 meters in length, and six meters in width. He used to seek refuge in that place since it protected him from the wind and snowstorms.
Whoosh—
The fire burned brightly thanks to the breeze. The three gang members’ faces loosened up, and driver Kim’s teeth stopped chattering.
Sssch sssch—
When Mu Ssang swung his hands twice, the arrowroots that had been holding them together were cut off at once.
Samedi, who was quick-witted, immediately brought over a large rock and lowered it. Mu Ssang swept the rock’s surface with his Billion’s Water Armor.
Craaaack—
Rock dust rose as the surface of the rock was smoothed out. Mu Ssang sat on the self-made chair.
“You guys have gone through a lot in this cold weather. Now, let’s have a conversation.”
“Uoaaaa!”
When would they ever witness such an unusual sight? It was the appearance of a ghost ordering around another ghost. Chicken feet, Bullhead, and driver Kim froze in their places. Mu Ssang, who searched the surrounding area with his resonance waves, threw a rock in the direction of the forest.
“Dig.”
Samedi dug out the spot where the rock landed. Soon, he returned with an aerial bomb the size of a basin after pulling it out from the ground. The Americans had launched that bomb, a 250-pound MK80, in the 6.25 war. It was also called the dumb bomb with 130 pounds of gunpowder, containing at least 60 kilograms in total.
Mu Ssang turned the middle part of the bomb with his Vajra. The bomb was cleanly cut in half like a radish cut with a kitchen knife. The gang members’ eyes widened at the continuous use of magic. Even Samedi flinched.
Mu Ssang threw another rock. Samedi rushed to dig the ground. This time, he dug out a bunch of 50-caliber machine gun bullets. Mu Ssang recalled several painful memories when he saw the bluish rusty bullets. That was the place where his temple friends had died from an explosion.
“Wakil, you will get hemorrhoids if you sit on the cold rock for a long time.”
“You know a lot now. Why? Are you going to bring me a cushion?”
Samedi swayed back and forth, and his nose twitched.
“There’s a big animal over the mountain. I’ll catch it.”
A cloud of snow rose in Samedi’s place as he jumped over the eagle rock and disappeared. Mu Ssang smiled. Samedi’s survival instincts had developed and taken a strange turn. The moment he saw a power that he couldn’t handle, he would instinctively suck up. It was an unusual variation of an animal’s natural reaction. Mu Ssang twisted the machine gun bullets to separate the core from the shells. He collected the gunpowder in the shells.
“Say your names, in order.”
“I’m Ch…Chicken feet.”
“I’m Bullhead.”
“I’m Mr. Kim.”
“And that guy?”
Mu Ssang pointed at Bones who was panting next to the fire. The moment he switched to Black Mamba, he might still have compassion for those standing on the opposite end, but he no longer showed any mercy.
“Bones.”
“Good!”
Mu Ssang didn’t ask any further. It was greed from not wanting to carry the burden of those whom he was going to kill in his hometown.
“Your family?”
“The Chil Sung market gang.”
“Oho! You’re friends of Eel?”
“Y…yes, mister.”
Eel was someone who would steal money from the people at the market back when he used to work at BOSS. Eel was evil, but since he wasn’t in a good place either back then, he didn’t care.
“Is that dead guy one of you too?”
“Y…yes, mister.”
“Mr. Kim, are you part of their gang?”
“What? N…no, mister.”
His pronunciation was unclear because of his chattering teeth. Mu Ssang took off his top and placed it over driver Kim’s body, which had already turned blue because of the cold. Driver Kim flinched at the sudden generosity. It was said that pigs were fed to their fill, and their pigsties were cleaned before they were killed. He suddenly felt nervous.
“Th…thank you.”
“You guys don’t know why you’re being treated so harshly, do you?”
“Yes, mister. We did something wrong, but this is horrible. Just hand us over to the police. We’d rather be punished and settle for the damage. In a state of law, personal investigation and violence are illegal in and of itself,” driver Kim protested quite well for someone who used to be a part of the secret police.
“Hahaha, the state of law… good.”
Mu Ssang slightly smiled. From the display of power, it seemed like the guy’s brain had woken up from paralysis. From the man’s words, he could tell that he previously came from a position of power.
“Those aren’t the kind of words someone would say after mocking the dead and trying to kill the witness. So, that means you have a way out of the police. Sue me instead.”
“If you save us, we promise not to say a single word for the rest of our lives.”
His words were like silk. Mu Ssang glared coldly at driver Kim. He certainly wasn’t a gang member. Something smelled. Gang members knew well how brutal violence could get. They couldn’t say anything in that situation. Still, that guy wasn’t the kind of person who would reveal the truth. It was time to use the objects he had prepared.
“I’ll be called an idiot if I choose the long way instead of the shortcut.”
Driver Kim’s face creased devilishly. Those were words he had used often while he was working in the secret police. He used to say that to the victims when they protested to be tried in court.
“Who’s the leader here?”
“It’s…it’s me,” Bullhead answered faintly.
“Get over here!”
Bullhead crawled out, his face pale.
“Palm!”
Mu Ssang placed a nail-sized amount of gunpowder in Bullhead’s palm.
“If you move, there will be greater pain waiting for you.”
Click—
He lit it on fire with his turbo lighter.
Papapa—
The gunpowder burned fiercely.
“Kuaaagh!”
Bullhead leaped in his place. How could he withstand the pain of burning flesh? He rolled around, accompanied by ear-splitting cries. Eel had a bad habit of using his subordinates’ palms as ashtrays. Still, a completely different kind of pain shook his nerves.
Gunpowder and explosives were different. Gunpowder was used as a propellant for ammunition or explosives and did not generate shock waves. Explosives were also a kind of gunpowder, but they reacted quickly and involved shock waves. Be it gunpowder or explosives, combustion was instantaneous. Chicken feet shook his hands like crazy, but his subcutaneous tissues were already burnt. The gunpowder heated up to over 1,000 degrees instantly. Damaged tissues were irreparable.
“I told you a greater pain awaits if you move, didn’t I?”
Bullhead stopped moving at his warning, his voice was much colder than the weather. The resonance waves in his voice impacted the man’s auditory system. The physical shock momentarily paralyzed his brain.
“Wrist!”
Bullhead fell to his knees.
“Please, save me. I’m but a lackey. I only did as I was told.”
“You did as you were told? I’ve seen plenty of your dirty works. Did it feel good wringing those shopkeepers to death? Now that you’ve had a taste of the heat, you need to know what wringing means.”
Mu Ssang grasped Bullhead’s fingers firmly.
Craack—
“Kuaaaak!”
Even a strong metal plate would crush when Mu Ssang wore the Billion’s Water Armor. Nothing more could be said about human bones and muscles. His fingers crushed like it was in a grinder. Bullhead’s eyes shook, revealing the whites.
“You all saw, right? If you don’t want to become physically handicapped, try to hold still. All of you, hold out your left hands too.”
“Uuuu!”
The pale-looking driver Kim and Chicken feet reluctantly reached out their hands. Mu Ssang placed the gunpowder in their palms and lit it on fire relentlessly.
“Kuhhhh!”
Chicken feet and driver Kim’s eyes rolled, revealing the whites. The demonstration beforehand was effective. Chicken feet and driver Kim stayed in position and endured the pain of burning flesh despite the tears and runny nose.
“This is only but a taste. Look.”
Mu Ssang pointed at the aerial bomb.
“There’s plenty of gunpowder left.”
Those words were enough. The nail-sized amount of gunpowder left their palms deformed. Those words meant that the ghost-like b*stard, no, the ghost was going to burn their bodies with gunpowder. Chicken feet and driver Kim, whose souls had left their bodies after watching the demonstration, nodded their heads desperately.
Rumble—
Samedi appeared. He threw the deer he had caught onto the floor, next to the fire. He broke its neck with his strong hands and sunk his teeth in.
Slurp—
Sluuuurp—
The gang members’ faces turned paler at the disturbing sound of blood being consumed. The deer struggled to move its legs but couldn’t escape because of Samedi’s strength. When Samedi was done filling himself up, he turned to look at Bullhead’s group and smiled.
“Hhhh!”
Bullhead’s group whined at the disgusting sight of blood dripping down Samedi’s mouth. Their opponent wasn’t human. They felt like those sharp teeth would sink into their necks at any time. The Chil Sung gang was going through all kinds of things because of Madam Jang’s request.
Samedi removed the deer’s hide. While his left hand cut through the hide like a knife, his right hand grabbed and stripped it down instantly.
“I did well, right?”
Samedi covered the chair made of rock with the deer hide and looked at Mu Ssang with twinkling eyes. The sight couldn’t have been more similar to a pet waiting to be praised by its owner after performing a trick. Mu Ssang smiled and raised a thumb.
Excited, Samedi brought over a large flat rock and placed it before him.
“Wakil, stone barbeques are good.”
“Huh, he can even taste now!”
It seemed like he did not only regain consciousness but also his sense of taste. His teacher was truly amazing. He’d turned a zombie back into a human. He carved out the rock with his Vajra and smoothed it over with his Billion’s Water Armor, instantly creating a barbeque stone slab.
A burning fire and deer meat sizzling on the stone slab, accompanied by a group of people—everything made it seem like a winter camping trip. Of course, the one enjoying the camping trip wasn’t the humans but the zombie.
“Now, shall we play a game?”
As soon as Mu Ssang finished talking, Bullhead stepped forward and pointed at driver Kim.
“We only carried out the work as told by that b*stard. We dug the ground and shattered the bones with a shovel because we were told to do so. Us gang members have a hard time nowadays too. We did it because we wanted the 3,000,000 won. We only danced to his tune. We didn’t know anything.”
“Are you betraying me, idiot? Do you want to be buried?” driver Kim shouted.
“Shut up, you f***er, who betrayed whom first?” Bullhead glared.
“Are you guys incapable of understanding the situation? Should I burn off your mouths with the gunpowder?”
“Hup!”
Both of their mouths closed like clams when they realized the situation they were in once more.
“I thought Mr. Kim was your nickname, but I was wrong. Who are you?”
There was only silence.
Driver Kim kept his mouth shut. The experiences he had gained from working at the Martial Law Branch and Serving High Office caused the sirens in his head to go off. The situation wasn’t good. The man before him had a connection to the grave. The moment he opened his mouth, he was bound to die.
“Bullhead, who is that?”
“I don’t know either, sir. All I heard from the rumors is that he used to be a government official, but he is now a driver for a wealthy family. He often buys us alcohol and assigns us work, so we used to be close.”
“Hm, he hid his identity? He’s a guy with many secrets. Samedi, bring out all of his belongings.”
Samedi, who was enjoying the stone barbeque, glared at driver Kim with disapproving eyes. Even dogs got mad when they were disturbed during their meal. Let alone zombies!
“He’s rude… Can I hit him?”
“Brat, if you hit him, he’ll die.”
“Weakling. B*stard, you need to willingly surrender when we’re talking nice.”
Samedi had grown fond of the term “willingly surrender.”
“…”
When Samedi walked forward, driver Kim rolled his body up like a hedgehog. Samedi smiled and flicked his forehead. It was a method that Mu Ssang used often.
Crack—
The sound of dried wood breaking rang.
“Agh!”
A long scream echoed. Driver Kim’s eyes lost their focus before he collapsed backward. Samedi took off all of his clothes and rummaged through his wallet. Driver Kim had on him a wallet, hunting knife, cigarettes, and a flat leather pocket tied to his thigh.
Mu Ssang’s eyes flashed once he checked the man’s ID.
“Yoo Young Chul? Do they have the same name?”
The b*stard, who had shattered Sam Chul ajussi’s back with a kick, was also called Yoo Young Chul. 11 charms dropped out from the flat leather pocket.
“Yoo Young Chul, did you use to work in the Sabuk’s Martial Law Division?”
“Huk!”
Yoo Young Chul took an intake of breath.
“I see!”
He could guess from that much of a reaction. The Chil Sung gang members didn’t know anything anyway. They were kids who only carried out tasks for the money. As long as he interrogated that guy, he could solve Sam Chul ajussi’s case too.
“Yoo Young Chul, I’m going to ask questions from now on. If you take your time to answer, I will break your fingers, and if you use your brain, I’ll break your toes.”
“Ugh, you can’t do this. Why are you doing this to me?”
“First question. Where are you currently working?”
“…”
When he didn’t answer, Samedi stood up. He pressed down on Yoo Young Chul’s shoulder and grabbed his pinky.
Craaack—
A finger broke in Samedi’s hand.
“Kuaaagh!”
A thick hand covered his mouth. Yoo Young Chul trembled, but Samedi’s pure strength could contest Mu Ssang’s. Tears and mucus covered Samedi’s hand.
“Egh, dirty b*stard!”
Samedi quickly removed his hand.
“I’ll ask you again. Where are you currently working at?”
Samedi grabbed the man’s thumb.
“W…wait, I’m a driver at Good Heart Oil, no, I’m the madam’s personal driver.”