novelraw Chapter 25 : I am Not a Psychopath (2)
Chapter 25 : I am Not a Psychopath (2)
Chapter 25 - I am Not a Psychopath (2)
“Sir Seopung-gae......! We have to leave, quickly.”
The man whose chin fat folded into three layers whispered to Seopung-gae. It was Jin Sobang, the branch master of the 31st District.
“Yes, yes, I know. But didn't I tell you? It'll only take a moment. You keep watch outside the door.”
“How can I, a Three-Knot Beggar, let the Beggar of the Arts go first while I just stand watch from behind! Especially in the lower districts, where beggars hear the words of the day and the words of the night!”
Seopung-gae didn't even give him a glance.
His straw sandals avoided the sparse wooden floorboards that were like missing teeth, and his aged eyes were engrossed in surveying the interior.
“Mmm.”
Seopung-gae groaned softly.
The interior was truly disastrous.
The walls, which had originally turned yellow with age, were now so black it was hard to find a blank space.
“Hah.”
That wicked mage finally went and caused a disaster!
'It's my fault for not stopping the young warrior.'
Bound by a pact, I drove a young lamb into a demon's den.
That remained a painful thorn, pricking my conscience.
And so, three days later, I came to visit this place.
'Everything is a pile of ash......'
The more Seopung-gae's pupils moved, the more his insides burned. The corners of his eyes kept rising fiercely.
Jin Sobang scurried after him, trying to persuade him. He was burning with anxiety, but for a different reason.
“Elder!”
“You're noisy.”
Seopung-gae clearly showed his annoyance.
“If you have no intention of keeping watch and are only going to interfere with my business, then get the hell out. Why did you even follow me?”
“You left the 31st District in a hurry without even accepting my greetings, so as the branch master, how could I not follow.”
“Right. Now that you've achieved your goal, please leave, Branch Master. I'm telling you this as your senior.”
“No matter that it's your word, great warrior, I must disobey your will. For you are my benefactor.”
Only then did Seopung-gae turn his gaze to the insistent Jin Sobang. His attire was completely different from his own, which barely covered his body with rags.
'How luxurious.'
He lowered his gaze a little.
His eyes took in the belly fat bulging out like a hill from the tightly cinched waist-sash, and the three-knot rope trembling pitifully beneath it.
And that wasn't all. From beneath his long sleeves, the tips of steel fingers were peeking out.
It was an expensive cybernetic prosthesis. A rare item that was hard to see even in the current lower districts, where the middle class had become the majority.
Though they were both members of the Beggars' Sect, their starkly contrasting attire was proof that Jin Sobang was of the Clean Clothes Faction.
“They say ten years is enough to change rivers and mountains, but you've changed from head to toe, Branch Master.”
Seopung-gae muttered with a dry laugh.
Despite the sarcasm, the look in Jin Sobang's eyes did not waver.
“Please call me Sobang, like you used to, Elder.”
“My good man. You are not as you were before, so how can I treat you informally? For the man you are now, the title of Branch Master is more comfortable to use.”
“The world is changing. I dare to recommend that you, Sir Seopung-gae, also quickly liquidate the old evil customs and convert to the Clean Clothes Faction.”
Jin Sobang spoke humbly, yet firmly.
“Furthermore, no matter how much of a money-grubbing member of the Clean Clothes Faction I am, I am still a man of the Beggars' Sect. For my benefactor to enter the witch's house alone, my duty as a guard... Mmph!”
A palm, its lines filled with grime, covered Jin Sobang's mouth, pressing down.
While a wave of nausea rose up from the foul smell, Seopung-gae brought his index finger to the center of his own lips.
“Shh.”
The hall was ruled by a cold silence. Suddenly, there was a sign of a presence.
Footsteps followed. As the surroundings were painted pitch black, the tension heightened severalfold.
Gulp–.
Both men's eyes slid simultaneously toward the source. Their gazes were directed at the stairs.
Creek.
Someone was coming down, one quiet step at a time.
Creek.
Finally, as the lower half of a body came into view, Jin Sobang urgently sent a telepathic message.
—Great Warrior! We must leave now!
“......”
The desperate cry did not reach Seopung-gae. Seopung-gae glared at the stairs with eyes full of anger.
'The Great Warrior!'
Jin Sobang, his mouth still covered, flinched. It had been a long time since he had seen Seopung-gae so enraged.
Seopung-gae was a laid-back old man, but when his eyes turned sharp, blood was sure to be spilled.
Was Seopung-gae a Six-Knot Beggar for nothing? He too was a martial artist with grand ambitions. His easygoing attitude was just a mask for dealing with ordinary people.
He is of the Arts Faction to his very bones, one who has established his will with his fists and firmly protects the prestige of his side.
Just because the Arts Faction are beggars who beg, doesn't mean their substance is also shabby. They gave up many things and spent that much time cultivating their strength.
And yet.
For a master who was counted among the best even in the Arts Faction to be grinding his teeth like this. Cold sweat beaded on Jin Sobang's chin fat.
'Go-eun, what in the world has that witch done?'
The Orthodox-Demonic Non-Aggression Pact.
An unwritten rule that the Orthodox Faction and the Demonic Cult would not interfere with each other. Unlike the martial world which only had the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions, Lake City had a new power holding its ground: the megacorps.
The megacorps, an enemy of the martial world, had borne the fruit of an unprecedented agreement in the history of the martial world—a truce declaration by the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions, who had been chaotically biting, tearing, and fighting each other.
However, this did not mean an era of peace.
If one were to provide a pretext, even if the agreement didn't break, a crack would certainly form.
Therefore.
Jin Sobang had avoided Eunko Bar to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
He had at least instructed the beggars under his command not to go anywhere near this place.
Jin Sobang was a man who kept his word.
He swore he had not the slightest intention of setting foot in Eunko Bar. That was, until he met his benefactor, Seopung-gae.
'Dammit, I have to end this at my level!'
In the meantime.
The owner of the footsteps stepped onto the floor.
Creek.
However, it was evening, when dusk had already fallen. And because the surroundings were completely pitch-black, identification was difficult.
'Is it Go-eun, that witch?'
Seeing the slender wrists, he looked like a woman at first glance.
But then again, the hips fell straight without any curves.
He's holding something in his hands.
Just then, Seopung-gae's hand, which had been covering Jin Sobang's mouth, slid down.
Jin Sobang, catching his breath, focused his vision. It was at the same time his eyes were about to disappear into the flesh of his face.
Pabat!
With the sound of a flagstone cracking, the opponent's face suddenly shot forward.
Pretty features that could momentarily make you mistake him for a woman. At least, it wasn't the witch...
'That thing in his hands!'
The two sticks he was holding. Realizing what they were, Jin Sobang's eyes widened.
“...Who carries an umbrella indoors...”
In his left hand was a folded umbrella, and in his other hand was a sword that was close to a skewer.
The target of the sword's tip was none other than himself, Jin Sobang.
Jin Sobang bent his upper body back excessively. The sharpness of the blade grazed the tip of his nose.
The next moment, Jin Sobang used the elasticity of his waist to flip his body over. Then, curling his back like a turtle—.
THUD–!!
He slammed into Seopung-gae.
Pushed by the force of his back, Seopung-gae was sent flying into the wall. It was the Iron Mountain Lean.
“I'll take the punishment later, Elder!”
After moving Seopung-gae to safety, Jin Sobang kicked off from his spot. He leaped back, creating distance from his opponent, and caught his breath.
“Wait, man!”
Seopung-gae shouted urgently, reaching out his hand.
“I know. The reason you came here, Sir Seopung-gae, was because of that person. That's why I'm stepping in.”
Jin Sobang said this, staring straight ahead. A rare handsome man was staring back at him.
'Those who have fallen to a heart demon had faces like that.'
The outline of the situation began to piece itself together in Jin Sobang's mind.
'That man has been magically modified by the witch.'
Jin Sobang swallowed dryly and said.
“That man is currently suffering from Qi Deviation. Great Warrior, no matter how much you hold back, the young warrior will get hurt. The gap is too great.”
Jin Sobang rolled up his sleeves. He wiggled his steel fingers. A clashing sound was made as metal ground against metal.
Kk-rik, kk-rik.
The writhing of the mechanical arm overflowed with vitality, as if it were a living creature. The sawdust on the floor rose up from the vibrations.
“If I step in, the young warrior's body will be less damaged. So please, trust this unworthy one just this once.”
“......”
There was no reply.
He simply took a step back.
“Thank you for believing in me, Great Warrior.”
“As you say, if it is a heart demon, you must hold back.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jin Sobang walked toward Lee Taebaek. As the look in his eyes changed, the pressure in the air grew heavy.
He said.
“I will hold back as much as possible… but as long as you continue to use killing moves, young warrior, you may get hurt.”
KWAANG!
Jin Sobang launched himself forward. A speed unbelievable for his large frame. His steel fingers shot toward the wrist holding the sword.
Lee Taebaek pulled his shoulder back a few inches. Jin Sobang's steel grip closed on empty air, then opened wide.
Hwik!
It was in that instant.
Lee Taebaek swung his right hand. The Para-Blade struck at Jin Sobang's temple.
“Fast, but!”
It was Jin Sobang, twisting his head to dodge.
“Too straightforward!”
Jin Sobang corrected his posture and immediately struck. The muscles in his back squeezed out a fist. The transition from defense to offense was clean.
A fierce exchange of blows followed. It was a pattern of Jin Sobang pushing forward and Lee Taebaek dodging and counterattacking.
“Hah.”
Seopung-gae let out a dry laugh.
“Just because you converted to the Clean Clothes Faction doesn't mean you've neglected your training.”
Jin Sobang was, after all, the branch master of the 31st District.
In the lower districts, where all sorts of bloody incidents run rampant, a branch master must act as a mediator. Therefore, according to the nature of the crime-ridden area, a branch master is required to have a commensurate level of martial strength.
He may look like a plump pig now, but it was an undeniable fact that Jin Sobang was a skilled fighter.
Moreover!
Pshhhhhhh!
Steam shot out from the exhaust port in his steel arm, adding thrust to his fist.
'It's the Swift Fist.'
As Jin Sobang threw his punch, his cheek was pulled back by the force of the steam.
He threw out one tremendous punch after another, making a mockery of his words about holding back as much as possible.
Jin Sobang avoided the gaps in the floor and pressed his attack. His fists created several afterimages.
SWOOOOOSH!
And Lee Taebaek continuously evaded them. His movements were agile, with no wasted motion.
Lee Taebaek's heat signature is drawn out into a gradient. Instead of the main body, his hand catches only a shadow.
A line of sweat ran down his cheek. The more he pressed the attack, the more his own stamina was being eaten away.
Controlled movements.
And also agile.
At the beginning, he drew his sword and rushed in, but now he is only moving his legs. It was strange for someone supposedly suffering from a heart demon.
'......This is.'
It was like watching a martial spar.
But was that just an over-the-top assumption?
'I can't take this anymore.'
His patience depleted, Jin Sobang stomped his back foot. The floor collapsed. Sawdust scattered. It seemed he intended to completely blow away what little furniture was left.
“......”
Lee Taebaek's eyes grew heavy. He had to meet Jin Sobang, who was charging like a wild boar, head-on. The floor next to where Jin Sobang had leaped from exploded as if bursting.
FWOOOOSH!
A violent gust of wind arose. Lee Taebaek's hair was thrown back, as if he had been hit head-on by the wind from a fan.
Then he inadvertently grimaced. Gritty air pushed its way into his lungs.
Whoosh, Jin Sobang's face magnified before him.
Having come within an inch of him, he opened his other hand. He threw out sawdust he had collected at some point.
Jin Sobang's fist struck Lee Taebaek's body as if to push it away.
KWAAAAANG!
Lee Taebaek was slammed into the wall. Amidst the dust, he slid down the wall in a heap.
“Hoo, hoo.”
Jin Sobang panted, his hands on his knees.
'Oops!'
In his excitement, Jin Sobang had ended up using a killing move.
The killing power of the prosthesis was comparable to a heavy firearm.
At best, it would result in a serious injury. Usually, one ends up smelling incense behind a folding screen.
However.
'Thanks to the young warrior barely managing to pull his body away, the fist ended up hitting near his hip.'
It meant that despite Seopung-gae's earnest request, he had almost killed the young warrior. They weren't even enemies, and he had stepped forward at the risk of being rebuked by the Six-Knot Beggar, Seopung-gae.
If, in this situation, Jin Sobang's mechanical arm had punched a hole through the young warrior's chest...
Within the Beggars' Sect, which strictly forbids firearms, the glares directed at him for having a mechanical arm implanted were already sharp.
It was only overlooked because he was the branch master of the 31st District, the roughest neighborhood, but users of prosthetics were not welcomed in the Beggars' Sect.
'And on top of that, to think I used a cowardly killing move that sprays shrapnel.'
His front teeth dug deeper into his lower lip.
If the young warrior had died, it wouldn't have ended with just a reprimand.
Fortunately, the young warrior did not die.
Thanks to that, Jin Sobang also had a narrow escape from death.
'Still, I can breathe a little easi—...'
It was then.
“So with just pure Bullet Time, this is the best I can do against a prosthesis.”
Jin Sobang's shoulders jumped.
Lee Taebaek stood up, brushing the dust from his clothes. Relief and astonishment crossed Jin Sobang's face.
“But if I add a restriction to it, it might be a different story.”
His visible injuries were minor.
After brushing off the rest of his clothes, he looked cleaner than someone who had just gone for a jog.
Jin Sobang dropped his head with a fed-up expression. A clear footprint was stamped on his mound-like belly.
'I was just thinking that he wasn't very satisfying to hit!'
Just before the impact, Lee Taebaek had pushed on Jin Sobang's thick belly to cushion the blow. How cunning. This wasn't the response of someone whose reason was paralyzed.
No.
The moment Lee Taebaek spoke, his conviction, which wasn't quite a conviction, that he was possessed by a heart demon, was shattered.
“You- you weren't being controlled by a heart demon?!”
“What are you talking about? I just needed a sparring partner, so I didn't say anything. Prosthetic users are rare, after all.”
Lee Taebaek rubbed his neck, loosening the tense muscles. Jin Sobang was once again flabbergasted.
“Didn't you use a killing move at the very beginning!”
“That's because I thought you were actual thieves. But after seeing that old man, I knew you weren't. And.”
As Lee Taebaek flicked his coat open, something glinted at his hip. A revolver was hanging there.
“If I were going to use a killing move, I would have shot you.”
“......”
“In the first place, aren't I the one who should be raising my voice, not you guys? I only used my sword in self-defense because I didn't know who you were at first. In Lake City, the law says you can return fire with a gun if someone breaks into your home.”
It was sound logic.
In the lower districts, a hotbed of lawlessness, the one law that was more or less observed was trespassing. Even firing a cannon without asking questions was recognized as grounds for exemption from liability.
“W-Wait, just listen to me. I'm the branch master of this 31st District. I only came in because.”
“That's enough excuses.”
Lee Taebaek gestured with his chin toward the space beyond Jin Sobang, his gaze still fixed on him. Seopung-gae was there.
“You clearly told that old man you wouldn't use a killing move, but at the end, you even threw sawdust.”
“Th-That's...”
“Fuck, my eyes still sting. For a gentleman with a prosthesis, why are you so petty? Did you get your balls replaced with prosthetics too?”
Jin Sobang sucked in his lips.
“Whatever the circumstances, you have no right to speak. Am I wrong? Breaking and entering, assault, and on top of that, you completely trashed the place. If you're the branch master of the 31st District, does that mean you can act so recklessly?”
Lee Taebaek sheathed his blade and approached with a cool gait. Jin Sobang hesitated, breaking out in a cold sweat.
“First, calm down. I will apologize first.”
“If you want to calm someone down, it's not with a mere verbal apology.”
Thump.
Lee Taebaek kicked away the debris with his foot and sat down. Then he raised his head and met his eyes.
“You have to provide proper compensation.”
A glance toward the opposite side. A sign to sit. He was about to be extorted by a kid who wasn't even dry behind the ears.
He, the Branch Master!
And a beggar from the Beggars' Sect at that... though calling him a beggar is a bit of a stretch since he's from the Clean Clothes Faction, but anyway!
But in the end, Jin Sobang was fated to sit down.
“Let's sit down first.”
Seopung-gae led the way coolly.
“Great Warrior...!”
“Sobang.”
Jin Sobang flinched at the stern word. Having already disobeyed once, he could not refuse again.
“I overstepped my bounds, Elder.”
“That's enough. Let's just hear him out first.”
Jin Sobang took a seat next to Seopung-gae.