The Best Cure for Those Returnees is a Beating

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“Over there! Shoot! Shoot to kill!!”

As soon as the Cheonhobang organization members spotted Kwon Tae-ho, they immediately aimed their guns.

No matter how powerful a returnee might be, an ordinary level returnee can still be injured by bullets. Therefore, the members of the international mafia, Cheonhobang, carried at least one firearm for personal armament.

– Tutatadatadatadatadang!!

A downpour of gunfire erupted like rain. At the same time, Kwon Tae-ho raised his internal energy and enveloped his entire body with strong energy.

Hoshin-gangki. A martial arts defensive technique that covers the whole body with impenetrable energy.

– Terdedeudedeudedeun!!

Before it, ordinary lead bullets were no better than stones. The members instantly realized that the person before them was not just any ordinary returnee.

“What a thick Hoshin-gangki….”

For crime organization members, individual power is crucial. In this world, the easiest way to enhance personal strength is to learn martial arts. Therefore, there was no one among the members who couldn’t wield martial arts.

Not only that. Some of them were even returnees from the martial arts world, with all sorts of adept practitioners from the orthodox martial arts lineage to the unorthodox’s elite fighters, if you inspected their lineage.

However, because of this.

Seeing hundreds of bullets deflected without him blinking, the members painfully realized the difference in their strength. There was no way not to realize it.

“Damn it, grab your weapons! We’ll engage close combat!!”

But there was no retreat. For a crime organization, nothing was more terrifying than being branded as a coward.

– Tadadatadat!!!

As the members charged in, each displaying their own martial arts techniques.

Starting with the famous and highly populous Mu-Dang’s Taekkyuk Hyegeom and the Shaolin’s Baekbo Sin-kwon, numerous martial arts unfolded. Weapons varied from swords and spears to axes and daggers, and sometimes even bare fists. Not a single one was similar to another.

“Goodness….”

Kwon Tae-ho could tell. Even if their levels were inferior to his, they had surely put in considerable effort to build their strength.

And so, he felt a bitter sensation watching the scene unfold before him. At the same time, his master’s words crossed his mind.

“Power is merely a means. What’s important is the mindset to use it correctly.”

“How wasteful to use martial arts!”

– Kwaang!!

He kicked the ground with all his might and dashed forward. He quickly filtered the multitude of attacks rushing at him, determining which were the fastest and which the slowest.

– Teroong! Thung! Paat! Peok! Pebubuck! Pebububeok!

His Hoshin-gangki remained intact. However, one could never be too careful about what measures the enemies might employ.

Thus, the optimal response was to dodge or deflect all attacks and then counter-attack.

“Ah! My arm! Aaaah!!”

“Kuhh….”

“Khak! Cough!”

As the brief encounter passed, countless bodies collapsed on the floor, and the fates of Kwon Tae-ho and the defeated diverged.

He did not kill them. However, he crushed their arms and legs to the point where they could not stand up immediately.

“Damn it, this bastard…!!”

Leaving behind the curses hurled by his opponents, Kwon Tae-ho pressed further inside. Shortly after, a transmission from Yoo Seol arrived in his earpiece.

– “Executor-nim. We have pinpointed Liu Pei-pei’s location. She is reported to be confined in the underground warehouse.”

“Got it. I’ll confirm her location.”

The target is in the basement. So, Kwon Tae-ho had to head to the…

“Then I need to go to the top.”

– “Yes. Please don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Is there anyone who can push me around?”

The Incheon branch of Cheonhobang occupied an entire eight-story shopping building. If he demolished the first floor and moved sequentially up, their forces would surely concentrate on the upper floors.

‘There’s no way I can let my aides or new recruits handle this.’

Kwon Tae-ho’s role was primarily a diversion. He had no intent to specifically arrest the Cheonhobang members.

However.

‘Come on, try to chase me. I’m going to create chaos like never before.’

There was no denying the immense personal motivations packed into the hands that would destroy the organization members.

*

Meanwhile, at the same time.

“Upstairs! Hurry up!”

“Gather the patrols that went outside! Send some of our kids to the Huayi Theater to ask for help!”

“I’ll chop that damn Leuze into two pieces!”

Yoo Seol and Lee Ha-yeon, excited, quietly descended the stairs leading to the basement while leaving the rushing organization members behind.

“Huh? Who the hell are you two!? How did you get down here!?”

Of course, even so, they couldn’t avoid running into the enemy. They said it was a warehouse for smuggled goods, and there was quite a number of personnel down here for work.

Yoo Seol and Lee Ha-yeon encountered three enemies. A number that made it difficult to deal with all at once.

“Are you going to answer quickly?! Who the hell are you?!”

“S-sorry…!”

Just as one of the members approached excitedly with an axe in hand, Yoo Seol quickly put on a tearful expression and shouted.

“W-we were called in by a client here…! We were told to wait upstairs, but suddenly there was a fight and we had to run away, and we got lost…! P-please save us…!! We don’t know anything!”

“What? Are you insane? Who the hell invited women here to cause trouble?!”

Taking advantage of the organization members’ shock at the seamless act, Yoo Seol made the first move. Her teary eyes began to gleam yellow all of a sudden.

“Wait, what scheme are you—”

The organization member’s words faltered. His tongue, as well as his entire body, froze, as if immobilized.

The Rainbow’s Binding, Yellow.
A constraining magic eye that inhibits the movements of the visible enemy.

“Ha-yeon!”

At Yoo Seol’s call, Lee Ha-yeon, who had been waiting in the back, rushed out. Lee Ha-yeon threw her fist toward the chin of the unguarded organization member.

“Wajang-chyo!”

– Peok!!

One organization member’s chin twisted around, and he lost consciousness. Just as two other organization members grabbed their weapons late in the game.

– Chwa-ra-ra-rak!!

Lee Ha-yeon scattered small metal pieces from her pocket. They were bolts or nuts typically used at construction sites.

– Jjang! Jjwa-ra-ra-rang!

“What the hell is this? Are you telling me to trip over and fall?!”

Over the metal parts that Lee Ha-yeon had scattered, the enemies charged in without any suspicion. Meanwhile, a thick smile painted Lee Ha-yeon’s face as she shouted.

“Release!”

And just then.

– Tuwakakakakakakaka!!

“Khheok?!”

“Arghhhh?!”

At Lee Ha-yeon’s shout, the metal parts that had been dispersed on the ground shot up vertically all at once.

Even small parts flew at speeds comparable to bullets. The two organization members, turned into swiss cheese by dozens of metal fragments, succumbed to numerous bruises and collapsed.

“… It’s quite a deadly ability in person. What was it again?”

“Hehe, Vector Confusing! A cool name, right?”

Vector Confusing.
It was the supernatural ability that Lee Ha-yeon had mastered in the world she had been transported to, S-007 LaFen.

In simple terms, it involved storing and releasing force. By applying a specific shock to an object in advance, Lee Ha-yeon could liberate it in any desired direction at her chosen moment.

Through this, Lee Ha-yeon could enhance the impact of her strikes, or utilize objects with pre-applied shocks as traps, among numerous other applications. It was an ability with limitless potential for development.

When Lee Ha-yeon claimed to be a crafty type earlier, it was no mere boast. Her supernatural ability compensated for her physical shortcomings by over 120% brilliantly.

“Your acting was amazing too, Assistant! The context was a bit off, though.”

“Considering our disadvantage, we have to utilize everything we can. When a pretty girl stammers and approaches, most men let their guard down.”

“Wow….”

Is this what could be called a wholly practical mindset? It felt like peering into the abyss. Lee Ha-yeon, with an awkward expression, asked.

“By the way, Assistant. Couldn’t we have just enchanted the enemies and gotten rid of them like we did at the emergency exit?”

“The Enchantment Magic Eye only works on one person at a time. Even then, it’s slow. It’s difficult to use in a multi-enemy situation.”

“Then there’s no option. Please leave it to me for the following battles!”

“I’ll make sure of it. Now, let’s hurry.”

The two sped through the corridor. They checked the locked doors with Yoo Seol’s visibility magic eye and moved on.

And as a result.

“Ha-yeon, I found it.”

Deep within the third basement. Yoo Seol finally spotted their target.

“That’s inside. Ha-yeon?”

“Yes!”

– B bang!!

Lee Ha-yeon smashed the doorknob and opened the door. In the middle of a warehouse full of cardboard boxes, a woman was slumped in a chair, bound.

Contrary to their worries, there were no severe torture marks. Just a few bruises on her cheeks and limbs.

“Pei-pei?”

At Yoo Seol’s question, Liu Pei-pei slowly lifted her head. It seemed she hadn’t actually fainted but had pretended to be unconscious.

“Who are you…?”

“We are Assistant Yoo Seol and Trainee Executor Lee Ha-yeon from the office of Executor Kwon Tae-ho. We’ve come to rescue you. Let me set you free now.”

At Yoo Seol’s words, Lee Ha-yeon stood behind Pei-pei and cut the handcuffs that bound her.

“Thank you… Wait?!”

“Don’t push yourself. You’ve been hurt quite a bit. Lean on my shoulder.”

With Yoo Seol offering her shoulder, the three exited the warehouse. Thankfully, it seemed the organization members had all pushed up to the upper floors, as no enemies were visible anymore.

“Alright, let’s get out quickly.”

“Yes. But I wonder why the Executors are in Chinatown…?”

Having lived in Chinatown all her life without ever seeing an executor, she couldn’t understand why all of a sudden?

In response to Pei-pei’s despondent question, Yoo Seol replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Ms. Pei-pei is a crucial witness in the serial murder case occurring in the metropolitan area. If you can manage to escape, please cooperate with our investigation.”

“A murder case…? You don’t mean…?”

As Pei-pei attempted to continue speaking, she was taken aback, gasping and closing her mouth. However, Yoo Seol did not overlook that reaction.

‘Do you have some clue…?’
Could she possibly know the vigilante?

‘… It would probably be best to just escape safely for now.’

Having made her judgment, Yoo Seol turned on her earpiece microphone and reported.

“Executor. We have secured the target. We will be exiting now, so please finish up.”

– …….

As an unusual atmosphere emerged, Yoo Seol called out again, but Kwon Tae-ho did not respond.

“Executor? If possible, please respond. Executor!”

Could he not answer because he was in battle? That thought felt strange. Considering Kwon Tae-ho’s abilities, he should easily be able to deal with this level of crime organization members while responding.

Yet, the absence of a response meant there must be something…

“Is something wrong with the Executor—”

Yoo Seol shook her head vehemently. There was no way that Kwon Tae-ho, of all people, would struggle against an opponent, no matter how chaotic Chinatown was.

But at that moment.

“Ah.”

A sense of ominous foreboding swept through Yoo Seol’s mind.

There might indeed be a person in this Chinatown who could easily take down those with abilities not at Kwon Tae-ho’s level, even if they were not on par with him.

“Vigilante…?”

*

A little earlier. In the branch manager’s office at the top of the building.

“Huh, that should be about enough.”

Kwon Tae-ho, having pierced through the floors in an instant, was now face-to-face with the chief of Cheonhobang. Naturally, the office was filled with guards, but they were all sprawled out on the floor.

“You bastard! Who the hell are you? What do you want coming here and causing a ruckus to us?!”

“Is a prosecutor required to cause a ruckus against criminals?”

“Absolutely! Can you just barge in here without a warrant, huh?! Do executors just do whatever they want?!”

“Of course not. But this is Chinatown, isn’t it?”

Chinatown, the only place in South Korea where public authority is ineffective and lawless.

That meant it also implied Harbinger posed a haven for criminals, but at the same time, it meant Kwon Tae-ho could act without reservations, unlike usual.

“You! Do you think you can just walk all over me?! Do you know who I’m connected with? Your concern! The police chief! The managing bureau chief! We drink together, call each other brothers! Huh?!”

“Thanks for the intel. I didn’t know this neighborhood was that corrupt. I can just arrest everyone on my way out.”

“What? What did you say? Are you out of your mind?”

“Think whatever you want.”

Though he spoke those words, Kwon Tae-ho realized that even he could not unilaterally arrest influential figures connected to the police chief and the managing bureau chief.

He could indeed make an arrest if he did, but they would quickly be released. Chinatown was simply too connected with various interests.

‘It feels disgusting. To have a criminal right before my eyes yet not be able to arrest him. Without a new president, it’ll be a futile dream to cleanse Chinatown…’

As he felt the pervasive level of corruption in this country, Kwon Tae-ho let out a deep sigh.

Well, considering such corruption had stabilized law and order across the country while excluding Chinatown, one could excuse some of the politicians’ decisions.

“Hey you, what’s your name?”

“Uh? Me? That’s, uh, Tang, Tang Gangfu….”

“Tang Tang Gangfu?”

“Tang Gangfu!”

“Alright, fine, Tang Gangfu. I’ll let you off this time, but you better not do anything bad for a while. The moment you hear even a single report of a murder in Chinatown, I’ll know it’s your doing, and I’ll come crashing back.”

Kwon Tae-ho’s absurd condition provoked an outburst from chief Gangfu.

“Y-you think we’re the only ones killing in Chinatown?! Plus, you let us go? Are you really joking? You smashed all our people on the way up, didn’t you?!”

“There wouldn’t be only my organization in the building, would there? I’m hearing you’ve gathered all the followers you scattered throughout Chinatown.”

“Didn’t you take them all out already?!”

“Huh? That’s impossible. While I faced foes on my way here, there were barely any who came from behind.”

“What?”

Kwon Tae-ho’s declaration brought a look of doubt upon Gangfu’s face. However, that doubt was fleeting.

– Jeobak. Jeobak. Jeobak.

The faint sound of footsteps echoed from outside the office.

“Wait a minute, when did I say we had arrived at the front door? So you didn’t come across our guys at all? Then you didn’t take them out—”

“Shut it.”

As Kwon Tae-ho said that, the footsteps echoing from outside suddenly stopped.

– ……..

Silence. A thick stillness pressed down throughout the space.

Then, as Kwon Tae-ho quietly lowered his stance, Gangfu broke the silence at the sight of his movement.

“What do you—”

– Kwa-gak-gak-gak-gak-gak!!!

Immediately afterward, a slicing strike that cleaved through the entire floor struck down upon Kwon Tae-ho.

– Pakaaaaang!!!

An unexpected ambush. Kwon Tae-ho instinctively surrounded his arm with Hoshin-gangki to block it.

– Pi-sut!

But his defense wasn’t complete, and blood splattered up red. Seeing the vibrant drops of blood scattering in mid-air, Kwon Tae-ho’s eyes were filled with shock.

‘I got cut? No way, even in a rush to block, my defense wasn’t that poor—’

– Gururung…!

The trajectory of the slicing strike was perfectly horizontal. As a result, the building only stirred up a curtain of dust but did not collapse. At least not yet.

– … It seems a bothersome one has mixed in with this trash.

At that moment, a low voice resonated from beyond the door.

– Kiiing…! Thud! Kung!

The door, split in half, fell over. The figure behind it was revealed.

A sturdy physique of about 180 cm. A middle-aged man with a dignified face and a sprinkle of white hair.

And in his hands were two blades of varying lengths.

“Vigilante….”

“Hmm? Are you calling me?”

At that instant, a transmission from Yoo Seol arrived, confirming she had found Liu Pei-pei.

But with his mind totally consumed by the opponent before him, Kwon Tae-ho couldn’t respond to that transmission.