I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 157 : Kill Jeong Su-hyeon (1)

The secret room of 'Catacomb', the headquarters of [Sword of Belphegor] that every Execution Force member dreams of finding.

Hwang Won-jae, who freely commutes between his workplace and the Catacomb without arousing anyone's suspicion, was sitting face to face with the Vampire Queen.

"I heard those guys escaped safely?"

"Yes. Their escape skills are quite exquisite."

"Well, that's experience in its own way."

The Vampire Queen giggled.

"In a way, aren't they like our seniors?"

"Hmph. If we're counting, I suppose so."

Hwang Won-jae twisted his mouth.

"But they're nothing more than petty thieves."

The seniors they were referring to was a Ma-in bandit group that had left Korea 10 years ago when public safety stabilized due to the Execution Force's activities, and had gained notoriety in China for train and airplane hijackings.

"I heard the deputy leader's ability is quite unique?"

"That's right. An awakened one related to barriers. I hear they've never failed an operation because he can block outside intervention entirely."

"Hmm, good. Well, if that weren't the case, they couldn't have caused such a ruckus in a foreign country far away."

Taking advantage of the recently turbulent political situation, Sword of Belphegor was actively drawing in Ma-in organizations from troubled foreign countries.

The Spring and Autumn Warring States period unfolding in the Chinese continent.

And Japan, divided between the Kanto government forces and the Kansai warlord groups, once again reenacting the old Sekigahara.

And Russia, Southeast Asia, India.......

"There are plenty of guys to bring in. How many things are as sweet as personally trampling this solid fortress that symbolizes South Korea, humanity's victory?"

Hwang Won-jae smiled contentedly, as if pleased with the situation dancing in the palm of his hand.

"So you're basically saying you'll bring in everything and destroy it all."

"Well. Anyway, as long as 'He' is with us, no matter how many of those trash come, they pose no threat to us. It's enough if they just tie down the Execution Force bastards."

"But even with you stepping up."

The Vampire Queen crossed her legs the other way and continued.

"I didn't expect the reactions to be this intense."

"They know it too. The small land and high population density, meticulous system, the quality of Execution Force members and the power of hunters. This place, which everyone saw as a country of humans, is about to have something happen."

Hwang Won-jae's mouth split into a strange smile.

"Therefore, they too can drink human blood and enjoy slaughter through that crack of fracture."

"How mischievous. That's not all, is it?"

The Vampire Queen shrugged.

"That alone wouldn't be reason enough for them to abandon their territories and come to this country."

"Right. That's why we're preferentially calling back those who were once driven out of this country."

"And in that process, using your ability to slightly 'nudge' the public opinion within that organization, right?"

"You know well."

"Really. It's fortunate that you're not an enemy."

"You're one to talk."

Hwang Won-jae said.

"Isn't it beneficial for you too? As the power of the underworld grows, naturally your power will grow too."

"Well. Simply killing and drinking blood isn't enough, is it?"

A flush rose to the Vampire Queen's face.

"What I want is the power to move and destroy anything at will. When I see humans with beautiful faces to my liking becoming distorted. At that moment, I feel that I am alive."

"I don't like profanity, but at times like this, it's hard to restrain a better expression than 'crazy bitch'."

"My. When it comes from you, it doesn't feel bad at all."

That the two most calm and rational executives were actually the most twisted.

This was nothing short of an open secret among the executives of [Sword of Belphegor].

"By the way, will that man handle it well? Unlike us, he's quite lacking in self-control."

"Well, isn't that good?"

Hwang Won-jae said.

"If he fails, I'll just give him an appropriate punishment, and if he succeeds, nothing could be better. Either way, it's not bad."

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'Executioner' Kwak Hyeok-jung.

More accurately, as Kim Cheol-han had said, pleasure killer Kwak Hyeok-jung.

He was the executive in charge of direct negotiations with the bandit group that had successfully entered the country by deceiving the surveillance network of the Execution Force led by Squad Leader Song Young-hwan.

"The outline is as follows. Two days later, at 1 PM, hijack a train departing from Mokpo, passing through Daejeon, and arriving in Seoul, massacre the citizens, and kill 'that man'."

The bandit group's executive nodded at Kwak Hyeok-jung's words.

"That's an easy task."

"Don't be too careless."

"Aren't you underestimating us too much?"

Kwak Hyeok-jung indifferently rose from his seat at the sight of the executive displaying strong confidence.

"Confidence is good. Then there's no need for any nagging."

"I'd appreciate that."

'Insolent bastards.'

He wanted to pull out their impudent tongues and cauterize the wounds with fire.

But he couldn't do that to Ma-in, his own kind, not humans.

Kwak Hyeok-jung, who had skillfully pushed aside dozens of torture methods that came to mind, left the room.

'I must be patient. There's someone else I want to kill.'

Recently, what most stimulated his killing intent was not the captains, Squad Leaders, or Instructors of the Execution Force.

Jeong Su-hyeon.

An arrogant youngster who, despite being just a cadet at the academy, kept ruining their plans at every turn.

'I want to kill him. I want to torture him meticulously, give him so much pain that he can no longer feel pain, and then kill him. A death whistle made from his skull would make a different sound.'

Intense killing intent.

It was both the instinct of a Ma-in and the survival method of a broken being who could only feel pleasure through killing.

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"Then I'll be going now."

"Take care on your way up, Su-hyeon."

Su-hyeon prepared to board the train, seeing off Lee Yu-jin and her cousin siblings.

"Come back again, oppa!"

"Yeah. Take care."

Su-hyeon, who patted the heads of the clinging children, said to Yu-jin.

"See you when school starts."

"Yeah."

Yu-jin, who nodded, hesitated and added a word.

"......If I come to Seoul to play, shall we meet again?"

"Sure."

Su-hyeon nodded and said goodbye.

"I'm off."

The inside of the train on a weekday afternoon was quite empty.

Clunk.

Su-hyeon, who had put his carrier up, sat by the window and sighed.

"Whew."

Su-hyeon, who had depleted his energy among energetic children and adults observing his every move like scanning a potential son-in-law, checked the time and closed his eyes.

There was about an hour and a half left until arrival, and he intended to take a quick nap in that gap.

'I'm a bit tired.'

Clunk clunk.

Su-hyeon, who quickly adapted to the slightly shaking movement of the train, soon fell asleep.

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The front car of the train.

A man approached a middle-aged man who appeared to be sleeping with his head down and a mask on.

"As of the current time, all boarding is complete."

"Hmm."

The man, who had been barely suppressing the urge to spill blood right away, finally threw off his mask and snickered.

"Good, then let's get started."

"Yes, boss."

"Subdue your assigned cars as pre-arranged, and check the target's face. If you find him, request reinforcements immediately."

"Understood."

The man, who had answered in a disciplined manner, soon lowered his voice and grumbled.

"By the way, boss."

"What? Is there a problem?"

"It's not really a problem, but to think killing a mere 17-year-old kid is also an objective. Aren't they quite insignificant?"

"Hmph. They probably want to handle it quietly using our hands. Moreover, that request seemed to have personal emotions mixed in, to my eye."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes. Anyway, our real purpose isn't the massacre, which doesn't even make money, right? Although it is fun."

Kuk kuk kuk.

"We just need to secure that and leave. Until then, let's play along."

"Yes."

"Oh, of course. Let's make sure to kill that kid, whatever his name is, Jeong Su-hyeon. The price on that bastard's head is 1 billion won."

"Wow, a 1 billion won head."

The man admired.

"With that money, how many human heads could we take in the future?"

"Hehehe, this is how you grow a business."

The boss, Ko Kyeong-ho, smiled with satisfaction.

A good twenty years in total.

If it had just been a simple killing impulse, he wouldn't have needed to save money by specializing in hijacking for so long.

Like Kwak Hyeok-jung or the Vampire Queen.

The longer a Ma-in has lived, the stronger a Ma-in is, the more compulsions they tend to have beyond simple killing impulses.

And in the case of this man, Ko Kyeong-ho, it was none other than money.

"Yeongil."

Ko Kyeong-ho woke up a middle-aged man who was trying to sleep next to him, fully armed with earphones and an eye mask.

"Huh? Oh. Is it time already?"

"Yes. Let's begin."

"Good."

Ma-in Jeong Yeongil.

He was virtually the alpha and omega of this bandit group, the key player.

His characteristic was to separate the space within the barrier from the dimension of reality, making external observation and intervention impossible.

"Barrier activation."

Doong!

A red mana wave spread throughout the entire train car.

One car, two cars, three cars.

The spreading mana wave eventually covered all ten cars.

Taak!

From the moment he snapped his fingers.

The train, while running on the real-world track, became a space where no one could enter.

"Boys."

Ko Kyeong-ho said.

"Take out your tools."

"Yes!"

Assembled short spears, pocket knives, baseball bats, nunchaku.

As the Ma-in took out the weapons they had brought with them, the passengers, whose nerves were on edge due to the ominous atmosphere, all fell into confusion.

"W-what's this?"

"What's going on?"

"Weapons! Knives!"

"There's a baseball bat too!"

"Could it be? A hijacking?"

"Those people! They've been suspicious from the start!"

"Attendant! Where's the attendant? Report to the Execution Force!"

"You crazy bastards, the Execution Force will be here in 10 minutes!"

"Oh my, do you think we came without knowing that?"

Boss Ko Kyeong-ho snickered, mocking the desperate attempts of passengers trying to maintain composure.

"You there, mister, turn on your phone."

"W-what?"

"Turn it on and try to report directly. See if the call works or not."

"......!?"

The passenger who turned on his phone widened his eyes as he saw the screen that had become useless due to no signal reception.

"Impossible! What is this......?"

"Now do you understand a bit?"

Ko Kyeong-ho drawled.

"This train is already within a barrier. No one can come to help you."

He flicked his finger.

Pueok!

The head of a passenger hit by the nunchaku that flew like lightning burst open like a watermelon.

"Aaaaaaah!"

"Kyaaaaaah!"

Ko Kyeong-ho made a languid expression, as if entering a hot bath, at the screams of the panicked passengers.

"Mmm, this is the scream. Indeed, hearing screams in one's mother tongue is special."

"Boss. Can we kill them all?"

"Then we wouldn't have anyone to take hostage. Go easy."

"Hehehe, understood."

Their tactics always worked well.

In the trap of a train, they take citizens as hostages to restrict the opponent's actions.

"Execution Force or hunters, they're all the same."

Ko Kyeong-ho said.

"Right. With the lives of innocent citizens in our hands, how could they properly fight?"

Jeong Yeongil chuckled.

"Though they'll all die anyway."

"Of course."

"Come on, let's move. Yeongil, take over the driver's compartment first."

"Hehe, it's been a few months since I drove a train."

Jeong Yeongil and one Ma-in to assist him headed toward the driver's compartment.

"Aaaaaaah!"

The death scream heard shortly after gave an idea of the fate of the train driver.

"Hmm. Easy, so easy."

Ko Kyeong-ho said with a satisfied face.

"The peace has been too long, hasn't it? Our human lords."

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[A quest has been generated!]

[Sudden Quest: Train Bandits]

[This train has been hijacked by a Ma-in bandit group!]

[This train is already within a barrier! No one can exit or enter!]

[They are looking for something! Once they find it, they will detonate a bomb to massacre the citizens!]

[They are after your life!]

[Survive the Ma-in and disable the barrier!]

As I read through the status window rushing in like a storm, I suddenly felt cold sweat trickling down my spine.

'What on earth is this.......'

I can declare with certainty.

This was a situation even I didn't know about.

'Was there such an event?'

A Ma-in bandit group conducting a hijacking.

I'd heard the name but had never actually encountered them.

Moreover, they're after my life?

'......Damn it.'

Could it be because the Ma-in side's level of vigilance against me has risen too high?

While I couldn't yet be certain about who instigated this.

'It seems like it's going to be a tough time.'

For now, I had to survive.