MAEPG: Episode 32
Episode 32 Shadows of Seoul (2)
“Here you go.”
The masked man handed me an envelope and a tablet.
I first turned the envelope over and took out the contents.
Three lottery tickets fell out.
“The drawing date and winning numbers. Check them now. Don’t complain later.”
“Hmm…”
The lottery information site was open on the tablet.
He meant for me to compare and check it myself.
I casually pushed the tablet aside and took out one of the lottery tickets from the previous drawing that I had brought with me.
And I scanned the QR code with the burner phone I had prepared and compared it to the three winning tickets.
“…I don’t play unnecessary tricks. This is a trust business too.”
There was nothing strange about the QR code… Next was the amount.
2.8 billion, 2.2 billion, 1.5 billion.
After comparing the numbers on the site, there were some differences in the amounts, but I didn’t find any particular problems.
This time, I picked up the winning tickets one by one and examined them closely.
“You didn’t pull any other tricks, did you?”
“I do that depending on who I’m dealing with. I don’t have a death wish.”
‘He’s not saying he doesn’t do it at all.’
I examined them carefully, then left the envelope and put only the winning tickets in the subspace bracelet.
I couldn’t detect anything strange with Heinz’s “Blood Magic”.
I didn’t smell any special chemicals even with the vampire’s sensitive sense of smell.
‘I’ll have to have Hans examine them again with “Dark Magic” somewhere far away from home later.’
It would be more certain for Hans, the magic specialist, to directly examine them than Heinz.
Better safe than sorry.
“Oh, and I want to get a new identity. Can you introduce me to someone?”
I pushed the empty envelope and the tablet back to him and continued.
Han Seong-hyeon couldn’t collect all three winning lottery tickets.
Even if Han Seong-hyeon collected the largest amount, 2.8 billion won, I needed an identity to collect the other two.
Even if I didn’t use them, it would be helpful to have them.
“…Isn’t that what you guys used to do?”
“It was. Until we were completely destroyed.”
Human trafficking and organ trafficking.
Naturally, they were closely related to ‘missing persons’, and laundering their ownerless identities was also one of the organization’s main tasks.
“I have enough data, but the technicians are all gone. And the remaining guys aren’t answering my calls, probably because they’re scared.”
Reading memories wasn’t a cure-all.
The more I forcibly rummaged through their heads, the more strain it put on their brains, and information loss was inevitable.
So I had to prioritize and read the information, and at the time, I wasn’t interested in petty criminals who forged identities…
“If that’s the case, I’ll give you this as a service.”
And then he handed me a piece of paper with a few names and contact information written on it.
I pocketed it and got up from my seat.
“Then I’ll be going.”
“I hope to see you again.”
“You too.”
We exchanged brief farewells.
It was a parting phrase in this world, meaning let’s meet again without getting stabbed to death.
Click—
As I opened the door I had entered through, a young man with an ordinary appearance was waiting outside and guided me out.
It was a fairly satisfying outing.
‘It would be convenient to have a gang. Which one should I choose? These guys seem pretty useful too…’
I looked around, savoring the thought, as I followed the young man guiding me out.
____________________
“Whew—”
The man took off his mask and wiped his face.
And he tapped his fingers on the table, lost in thought.
“Um, Boss. About that guy from earlier…”
One of his subordinates, who had been assisting him during the transaction, cautiously spoke.
“Yeah, I know. He doesn’t seem like he’s from the Merchants, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. …Shouldn’t we investigate him?”
‘Merchants’ was a derogatory term for the human trafficking organization that had now fallen.
Who was he to pretend to be from that organization, even lying?
“No, forget it. Just leave it alone.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“Why not? You were there too, you know. Let’s not risk our lives.”
Why did they choose their clients carefully in the first place?
Wasn’t it to filter out sting operations and small fry, and to ensure safer and more sustainable transactions?
“But no matter how I look at it, he doesn’t seem like the type to be in the open.”
“Definitely, it was suffocating when he threatened us earlier. Even though I couldn’t even see him.”
“Right? It’s because he’s a Devil. Probably a vampire.”
“Huh… So that was it?”
The boss recalled that time.
Pale skin, sharp blood-red eyes, the suffocating scent of blood.
‘He must have revealed his identity on purpose. As a warning. If he’s a vampire, is he from the Blood Alliance? Or maybe the Heaven’s Turn Society?’
“Now that it’s come to this, what does it matter who he really is? We got a new customer, and we completed the transaction normally, so that’s enough. We made a good profit this time, didn’t we? I hope he becomes a regular.”
There was nothing good about messing with a dangerous person.
It was the wisdom of someone who had survived in the back alleys until now.
“Here you go.”
The masked man handed me an envelope and a tablet.
I first turned the envelope over and took out the contents.
Three lottery tickets fell out.
“The drawing date and winning numbers. Check them now. Don’t complain later.”
“Hmm…”
The lottery information site was open on the tablet.
He meant for me to compare and check it myself.
I casually pushed the tablet aside and took out one of the lottery tickets from the previous drawing that I had brought with me.
And I scanned the QR code with the burner phone I had prepared and compared it to the three winning tickets.
“…I don’t play unnecessary tricks. This is a trust business too.”
There was nothing strange about the QR code… Next was the amount.
2.8 billion, 2.2 billion, 1.5 billion.
After comparing the numbers on the site, there were some differences in the amounts, but I didn’t find any particular problems.
This time, I picked up the winning tickets one by one and examined them closely.
“You didn’t pull any other tricks, did you?”
“I do that depending on who I’m dealing with. I don’t have a death wish.”
‘He’s not saying he doesn’t do it at all.’
I examined them carefully, then left the envelope and put only the winning tickets in the subspace bracelet.
I couldn’t detect anything strange with Heinz’s “Blood Magic”.
I didn’t smell any special chemicals even with the vampire’s sensitive sense of smell.
‘I’ll have to have Hans examine them again with “Dark Magic” somewhere far away from home later.’
It would be more certain for Hans, the magic specialist, to directly examine them than Heinz.
Better safe than sorry.
“Oh, and I want to get a new identity. Can you introduce me to someone?”
I pushed the empty envelope and the tablet back to him and continued.
Han Seong-hyeon couldn’t collect all three winning lottery tickets.
Even if Han Seong-hyeon collected the largest amount, 2.8 billion won, I needed an identity to collect the other two.
Even if I didn’t use them, it would be helpful to have them.
“…Isn’t that what you guys used to do?”
“It was. Until we were completely destroyed.”
Human trafficking and organ trafficking.
Naturally, they were closely related to ‘missing persons’, and laundering their ownerless identities was also one of the organization’s main tasks.
“I have enough data, but the technicians are all gone. And the remaining guys aren’t answering my calls, probably because they’re scared.”
Reading memories wasn’t a cure-all.
The more I forcibly rummaged through their heads, the more strain it put on their brains, and information loss was inevitable.
So I had to prioritize and read the information, and at the time, I wasn’t interested in petty criminals who forged identities…
“If that’s the case, I’ll give you this as a service.”
And then he handed me a piece of paper with a few names and contact information written on it.
I pocketed it and got up from my seat.
“Then I’ll be going.”
“I hope to see you again.”
“You too.”
We exchanged brief farewells.
It was a parting phrase in this world, meaning let’s meet again without getting stabbed to death.
Click—
As I opened the door I had entered through, a young man with an ordinary appearance was waiting outside and guided me out.
It was a fairly satisfying outing.
‘It would be convenient to have a gang. Which one should I choose? These guys seem pretty useful too…’
I looked around, savoring the thought, as I followed the young man guiding me out.
____________________
“Whew—”
The man took off his mask and wiped his face.
And he tapped his fingers on the table, lost in thought.
“Um, Boss. About that guy from earlier…”
One of his subordinates, who had been assisting him during the transaction, cautiously spoke.
“Yeah, I know. He doesn’t seem like he’s from the Merchants, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. …Shouldn’t we investigate him?”
‘Merchants’ was a derogatory term for the human trafficking organization that had now fallen.
Who was he to pretend to be from that organization, even lying?
“No, forget it. Just leave it alone.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“Why not? You were there too, you know. Let’s not risk our lives.”
Why did they choose their clients carefully in the first place?
Wasn’t it to filter out sting operations and small fry, and to ensure safer and more sustainable transactions?
“But no matter how I look at it, he doesn’t seem like the type to be in the open.”
“Definitely, it was suffocating when he threatened us earlier. Even though I couldn’t even see him.”
“Right? It’s because he’s a Devil. Probably a vampire.”
“Huh… So that was it?”
The boss recalled that time.
Pale skin, sharp blood-red eyes, the suffocating scent of blood.
‘He must have revealed his identity on purpose. As a warning. If he’s a vampire, is he from the Blood Alliance? Or maybe the Heaven’s Turn Society?’
“Now that it’s come to this, what does it matter who he really is? We got a new customer, and we completed the transaction normally, so that’s enough. We made a good profit this time, didn’t we? I hope he becomes a regular.”
There was nothing good about messing with a dangerous person.
It was the wisdom of someone who had survived in the back alleys until now.
_____________________
Past midnight, on the outskirts of Seoul where there were no people.
Boom—!
[Hehehe…]
Clatter— Clatter!
A group of undead surrounded an abandoned factory and swarmed inside.
“What about the backup request? What happened?!”
“I can’t get through! The phone and internet are down! We’re completely isolated!”
“Damn it—! Everyone, prepare for battle!”
The person in charge of this factory, nicknamed the Factory Manager, gritted his teeth and shouted.
Even though they were currently in hiding, they were survivors who had been through thick and thin.
They were superior beings with power on a different level from those inferior humans.
“Grrrr—”
The Factory Manager’s body swelled up, and his size increased.
He ripped off the constricting shirt that bound his enlarged upper body and tore off the hems of his pants.
He threw away his burst shoes and gasped roughly.
A muscular body over two meters tall and a wolf’s face with sharp teeth.
He was a ‘Devil’, a returnee who had become a werewolf in another world.
“Hooo…”
“Hehehe. I, I’m going to kill you… Hehehe.”
His subordinates weren’t normal either.
Those who had taken the form of werewolves like the Factory Manager, a vampire with blood-red eyes and long fangs, one with snake scales on his skin…
There were still some who retained their human form, but the madness in their eyes was no different from the inhuman beings.
Boom!
The undead, who had finally killed all those guarding the perimeter, swarmed towards the inner part.
Teeth and claws dripping with blood.
Among them were faces familiar to the Factory Manager.
“Ugh… Damn it, we’re really screwed.”
[Hehehehehe—]
The pale-skinned security chief of the factory’s perimeter was laughing, black blood flowing from all the holes in his face.
He was someone whose strength was comparable to his…
‘Did he turn them all into undead in this short time?’
It hadn’t been long since he requested backup while buying time outside after realizing the attack.
As the Factory Manager gritted his teeth, preparing for a final showdown, the undead parted, and a figure entered.
A strange smiling mask visible inside the pulled-down hood of a pitch-black robe that seemed to be shrouded in darkness.
Blue ghost fire emanating from the eyeholes and a chill seeping out like fog.
It was a being as if ominousness was given human form.
‘No, is he even human?’
The Factory Manager trembled slightly at the encroaching fear.
His instincts, sharpened after becoming a werewolf, were screaming.
That the being in front of him was an unbeatable monster.
[Well, there’s nothing more to see. You’re all going to be culled.]
Hans, the being who had attacked the factory, looked around.
Numerous Devils surrounded by undead, and the space they were in…
[The wails of the dead are endless. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a place so filled with death…]
It was an ordinary meat processing plant.
Except that the targets weren’t livestock, but humans.
From equipment for drawing blood to equipment for crushing bones.
It was even equipped with all sorts of amenities.
“Hehe! You’re a Devil too, why are you acting all high and mighty! This is necessary for us to survive!”
“Humans slaughter and eat livestock, so why can’t we? Isn’t the law of the jungle the natural order?!”
Some of the Devils, overwhelmed by his presence, shouted as if trying to shake off their fear, but…
Hans didn’t bother to answer their desperate pleas.
He didn’t feel the need to talk to crazy bastards who were about to die anyway.
‘But there were survivors. They must have done it to maintain freshness, in their own way.’
The undead dispatched to the warehouse reported that they had found people locked up.
They didn’t seem to be in bad health, so he ordered them to guard the place for now.
And Hans looked at the Devils, who were chattering as if asserting their innocence.
[Yes, the law of the jungle is good.]
A chilling voice, as if a demon was whispering.
Those who had been chattering shut their mouths unconsciously.
A momentary silence fell over the place.
[Your bodies look very healthy. You’ll make excellent undead.]
And I’ll search your brains too.
They wouldn’t complain since it was the law of the jungle and a necessary task.
At Hans’s command, the undead rushed at them.
Clatter! Clatter!
“Kyaaagh! You’re just corpses!”
[Hehehe! Kyahahaha!]
“Grrrr, I’ll tear you apart!”
Bang— Bang! Bang—!
The Devils were survivors who had been through countless battles, so they didn’t go down easily even against the undead.
Some even pulled out guns and started shooting.
Hans, who had no intention of dragging out the fight, immediately intervened.
[Kyaaaaagh—]
“Ugh, their power suddenly…”
A black crown appeared on Hans’s head, and a pitch-black aura spread, enveloping the undead.
Swoosh—
“Aaagh! It hurts! My body! My body!”
“I can’t see! I can’t hear anything! Am I even talking? Can’t you hear me?!”
All sorts of curses shot out at his light gesture, overwhelming the Devils and incapacitating them one by one.
The Devils collapsed one by one.
With the Factory Manager, who was captured last, there was no one left to resist.
“Ugh… To think Hahoe Mask was this strong…”
The Factory Manager muttered as he was dragged in front of Hans, subdued by the undead.
He knew about Hahoe Mask because rumors had spread, but he didn’t expect him to be this overwhelming.
This factory was also quite a distance from Hahoe Mask’s area of activity, and it was so well hidden that he didn’t expect an attack.
He couldn’t understand the fact that Hans hunted Devils, read their memories, and tracked down those involved.
[Well, don’t feel too wronged. I am the ruler of death, so you will find peace and become my eternal power.]
Hans spoke kindly and patted the Factory Manager’s head.
It had the opposite effect, as his trembling only intensified.
[But of course, you have to pay the price first, right? It’ll sting a little. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt that much.]
The black leather glove that was patting his head grabbed his head.
Dark magic power immediately pierced into his head.
[Of course, I wouldn’t know since I’ve never experienced it. Hehehe…]
“Ugh—Kyaaaagh—!”
A piercing scream and a convulsing body.
The undead who were pinning him down shook.
After some time, the scream, which had been quite long due to the werewolf’s tenacious life force, gradually subsided.
As the undead restraining him stepped back, he stood up unsteadily, blood flowing from his entire body.
[As expected, you’re tough, I like that. Now, who’s next?]
The subdued Devils avoided Hans’s gaze and broke out in a cold sweat.
Even though all they could gain was a very brief reprieve.
For quite a long time after that,
Only screams, unable to escape the barrier and reach the outside, echoed emptily inside the factory.
Past midnight, on the outskirts of Seoul where there were no people.
Boom—!
[Hehehe…]
Clatter— Clatter!
A group of undead surrounded an abandoned factory and swarmed inside.
“What about the backup request? What happened?!”
“I can’t get through! The phone and internet are down! We’re completely isolated!”
“Damn it—! Everyone, prepare for battle!”
The person in charge of this factory, nicknamed the Factory Manager, gritted his teeth and shouted.
Even though they were currently in hiding, they were survivors who had been through thick and thin.
They were superior beings with power on a different level from those inferior humans.
“Grrrr—”
The Factory Manager’s body swelled up, and his size increased.
He ripped off the constricting shirt that bound his enlarged upper body and tore off the hems of his pants.
He threw away his burst shoes and gasped roughly.
A muscular body over two meters tall and a wolf’s face with sharp teeth.
He was a ‘Devil’, a returnee who had become a werewolf in another world.
“Hooo…”
“Hehehe. I, I’m going to kill you… Hehehe.”
His subordinates weren’t normal either.
Those who had taken the form of werewolves like the Factory Manager, a vampire with blood-red eyes and long fangs, one with snake scales on his skin…
There were still some who retained their human form, but the madness in their eyes was no different from the inhuman beings.
Boom!
The undead, who had finally killed all those guarding the perimeter, swarmed towards the inner part.
Teeth and claws dripping with blood.
Among them were faces familiar to the Factory Manager.
“Ugh… Damn it, we’re really screwed.”
[Hehehehehe—]
The pale-skinned security chief of the factory’s perimeter was laughing, black blood flowing from all the holes in his face.
He was someone whose strength was comparable to his…
‘Did he turn them all into undead in this short time?’
It hadn’t been long since he requested backup while buying time outside after realizing the attack.
As the Factory Manager gritted his teeth, preparing for a final showdown, the undead parted, and a figure entered.
A strange smiling mask visible inside the pulled-down hood of a pitch-black robe that seemed to be shrouded in darkness.
Blue ghost fire emanating from the eyeholes and a chill seeping out like fog.
It was a being as if ominousness was given human form.
‘No, is he even human?’
The Factory Manager trembled slightly at the encroaching fear.
His instincts, sharpened after becoming a werewolf, were screaming.
That the being in front of him was an unbeatable monster.
[Well, there’s nothing more to see. You’re all going to be culled.]
Hans, the being who had attacked the factory, looked around.
Numerous Devils surrounded by undead, and the space they were in…
[The wails of the dead are endless. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a place so filled with death…]
It was an ordinary meat processing plant.
Except that the targets weren’t livestock, but humans.
From equipment for drawing blood to equipment for crushing bones.
It was even equipped with all sorts of amenities.
“Hehe! You’re a Devil too, why are you acting all high and mighty! This is necessary for us to survive!”
“Humans slaughter and eat livestock, so why can’t we? Isn’t the law of the jungle the natural order?!”
Some of the Devils, overwhelmed by his presence, shouted as if trying to shake off their fear, but…
Hans didn’t bother to answer their desperate pleas.
He didn’t feel the need to talk to crazy bastards who were about to die anyway.
‘But there were survivors. They must have done it to maintain freshness, in their own way.’
The undead dispatched to the warehouse reported that they had found people locked up.
They didn’t seem to be in bad health, so he ordered them to guard the place for now.
And Hans looked at the Devils, who were chattering as if asserting their innocence.
[Yes, the law of the jungle is good.]
A chilling voice, as if a demon was whispering.
Those who had been chattering shut their mouths unconsciously.
A momentary silence fell over the place.
[Your bodies look very healthy. You’ll make excellent undead.]
And I’ll search your brains too.
They wouldn’t complain since it was the law of the jungle and a necessary task.
At Hans’s command, the undead rushed at them.
Clatter! Clatter!
“Kyaaagh! You’re just corpses!”
[Hehehe! Kyahahaha!]
“Grrrr, I’ll tear you apart!”
Bang— Bang! Bang—!
The Devils were survivors who had been through countless battles, so they didn’t go down easily even against the undead.
Some even pulled out guns and started shooting.
Hans, who had no intention of dragging out the fight, immediately intervened.
[Kyaaaaagh—]
“Ugh, their power suddenly…”
A black crown appeared on Hans’s head, and a pitch-black aura spread, enveloping the undead.
Swoosh—
“Aaagh! It hurts! My body! My body!”
“I can’t see! I can’t hear anything! Am I even talking? Can’t you hear me?!”
All sorts of curses shot out at his light gesture, overwhelming the Devils and incapacitating them one by one.
The Devils collapsed one by one.
With the Factory Manager, who was captured last, there was no one left to resist.
“Ugh… To think Hahoe Mask was this strong…”
The Factory Manager muttered as he was dragged in front of Hans, subdued by the undead.
He knew about Hahoe Mask because rumors had spread, but he didn’t expect him to be this overwhelming.
This factory was also quite a distance from Hahoe Mask’s area of activity, and it was so well hidden that he didn’t expect an attack.
He couldn’t understand the fact that Hans hunted Devils, read their memories, and tracked down those involved.
[Well, don’t feel too wronged. I am the ruler of death, so you will find peace and become my eternal power.]
Hans spoke kindly and patted the Factory Manager’s head.
It had the opposite effect, as his trembling only intensified.
[But of course, you have to pay the price first, right? It’ll sting a little. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt that much.]
The black leather glove that was patting his head grabbed his head.
Dark magic power immediately pierced into his head.
[Of course, I wouldn’t know since I’ve never experienced it. Hehehe…]
“Ugh—Kyaaaagh—!”
A piercing scream and a convulsing body.
The undead who were pinning him down shook.
After some time, the scream, which had been quite long due to the werewolf’s tenacious life force, gradually subsided.
As the undead restraining him stepped back, he stood up unsteadily, blood flowing from his entire body.
[As expected, you’re tough, I like that. Now, who’s next?]
The subdued Devils avoided Hans’s gaze and broke out in a cold sweat.
Even though all they could gain was a very brief reprieve.
For quite a long time after that,
Only screams, unable to escape the barrier and reach the outside, echoed emptily inside the factory.
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