I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 261 : Draw Him Out (1)

The corpse of his son, kneeling with a sword piercing his heart, growing cold.

The Sword God gazed at that sight endlessly.

"......."

Su-hyeon maintained silence without saying a word to him.

To be more precise, he had no words to offer.

After all, hadn't he ended Cheong-myeong's life with his own hands?

Moreover, nothing could console a father's grief over losing his son.

How much time had passed?

"......Su-hyeon."

Lee Un-hak turned to Su-hyeon.

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you so much."

"......."

Lee Un-hak took Su-hyeon's hand.

"If it weren't for you, how could I have avenged Ho-seung and sent Cheong-myeong off humanely in his final moment?"

Lee Un-hak said.

"While this old man failed to act his age and only grieved, the way you paid your final respects will remain in my memory for a long time."

"Not at all. My heart is just immeasurably heavy."

"You don't need to think that way."

Lee Un-hak shook his head.

"I declare here that you are a benefactor to our family. I'm even troubled by how to express this gratitude."

"......For me as well, I'm thankful that I could avenge my master and set right what was wrong."

"You're so thoughtful."

Lee Un-hak patted Su-hyeon's arm.

"Thank you again. Just as I won't forget the grudge, I won't forget the kindness either."

"......Yes."

"And please tell the Commander as well."

"I'll convey anything you wish."

"For the revenge to destroy them."

Infinite sorrow and anger settled in Lee Un-hak's eyes.

"Tell him to use this old man without reservation."

"......I will tell him that."

"Thank you."

Lee Un-hak suddenly said, looking up at the sky.

"I'm tired."

"You should rest a little now."

"Yes...... I will."

This time, Lee Un-hak walked to Yu-jin and silently embraced his granddaughter.

"Yu-jin."

"Yes......."

"Thank you. For surviving."

"Not at all."

How could that small child have grown so reliable?

Lee Un-hak smiled faintly, feeling the passage of time.

"And thank you for growing up so upright."

"It's thanks to you, Grandfather."

"Can you promise me one thing?"

"Anything."

"Please strive not to let your passion for the sword become an obsession or blind devotion."

"......I will."

Lee Un-hak, who had released Yu-jin from his embrace, looked at Su-hyeon and laughed heartily.

"Though I probably don't need to worry too much about that."

"......."

Yu-jin, who became embarrassed, bowed her head deeply.

Ten minutes later.

The Execution Force members who arrived at the scene skillfully recovered the bodies and took quick measures to control access to the ruined road.

"Sword God, sir, we will escort you."

"Thank you."

Two members respectfully escorted Lee Un-hak to the vehicle.

"Cadet Jeong Su-hyeon. Truly impressive."

The Squad Leader in charge of the site approached Su-hyeon.

"No, I'm not sure if it's right to call you a cadet anymore."

Only his age was younger than himself.

"You're a junior I can only respect in every aspect."

"Thank you."

"I'm glad that neither of you was injured."

"Yes. That's truly fortunate."

"And how is the Sword God?"

"He spent a lot of energy fighting 'Battle Maniac' Jang Su-il, but he has no injuries. However......."

Su-hyeon continued in a heavy voice.

"His grief is immense."

"Yes. It can't be helped."

Ju Taeyang nodded.

Having lost his own son as well, his sympathy for his old friend was great.

"......Well. We called the two of you to hear the story in more detail."

"The effect of the training with the Commander was truly remarkable."

Su-hyeon said.

"Ha Jin-su's swordsmanship, speed, power, ferocity. None of them posed a threat to me. As a result, his head exploded from my fist."

"Did you use the Chukji fist?"

"Yes. It worked flawlessly in actual combat."

"Good."

Ju Taeyang's expression brightened for the first time.

"To overwhelm a Ma-in with power in the upper ranks of S-minus like that. Who would believe you're an 18-year-old, no, a 17-year-old boy?"

"It's all thanks to you, Commander."

"It's thanks to your genius and effort."

Ju Taeyang smiled.

"......Let me ask one more thing."

Heo Sung-gyeom cautiously said.

"How was Cheong-myeong's death?"

"He was stronger than Ha Jin-su, but I overwhelmed Captain Cheong-myeong without using any special skills and rendered him combat-incapable with a decisive blow from the Chukji fist."

"Amazing. And after that?"

"He began to go berserk by burning his demonic energy. It seemed like there was artificial intervention."

"......Yes. They showed that kind of behavior during Operation Caligo as well."

"But we succeeded in ending the rampage through my combined strikes with the Sword God."

Su-hyeon said.

"Once the rampage ended, Captain Cheong-myeong regained the reason he had when he was human."

"He regained his reason?"

"Yes. And then he repented his sins and asked to pay the price with death."

"......I see."

A Ma-in regaining human reason after going berserk?

This, too, was a case difficult to find precedent for.

"After listening to Captain Cheong-myeong's last words together, I pierced his heart, sending him off with respect and as painlessly as possible."

"Well done."

Ju Taeyang patted Su-hyeon's shoulder.

"What was the content of those last words?"

"Repentance, and guilt and reflection toward his family and the victims."

"......."

Yu-jin, who had been listening quietly, bowed her head.

"And one more thing."

Su-hyeon said.

"Captain Cheong-myeong directly named the villain who corrupted him."

"What!"

"Goodness."

Ju Taeyang and the Chief of Staff raised their voices loudly at the unexpected statement.

"Who on earth is that?"

"Tell us quickly."

"What I'm about to tell you is testimony witnessed and vouched for by myself, Cadet Lee Yu-jin, and above all, Sword God Lee Un-hak together."

Su-hyeon, who had meticulously laid the groundwork until the very end, said.

"The villain's name is Hwang Won-jae. The younger brother and outside director of B&S Group's Chairman Hwang Yong-jae."

"......!"

"......!!"

Looking at the shock revealed in the expressions of the two men, Su-hyeon continued.

"Moreover, he is a man who has risen to the position of second-in-command, effectively leading the [Sword of Belphegor]."

"......Huh."

It was Ju Taeyang who laughed as if in disbelief.

"Hahaha. Is it darkest under the lamp? We've been completely fooled."

And anger permeated the laughter of Heo Sung-gyeom.

"Thanks to you, Su-hyeon, we've obtained truly valuable information."

Chief of Staff Heo Sung-gyeom said.

"I express my gratitude."

"It would have been impossible without the help of both of you."

Su-hyeon spoke modestly.

"In addition, the Sword God said he would willingly follow any operation to repay this grudge."

"Having the Sword God join us would be a tremendous asset."

During the ongoing quasi-wartime situation, manpower was continuously becoming more scarce.

The unconditional promise of cooperation from a Captain-level force of the upper units was truly a huge gain.

"Chief of Staff Heo."

"Yes, Commander."

"How do you think we should utilize this information?"

"In my opinion."

Heo Sung-gyeom answered after pausing briefly to organize his thoughts.

"I think it would be best to expose Hwang Won-jae's true nature thoroughly, reveal his connection to the [Sword of Belphegor], and completely strip away his standing as a human being."

"Rather than luring him out and drawing him in?"

"Yes. Deception and bait tactics are incredibly effective if they work well, but they carry great risk if they don't."

Heo Sung-gyeom answered Ju Taeyang's question.

"Moreover, given the situation where we don't know what kind of scheme he might be plotting, I think it would be better to eliminate his room for maneuver and bring the initiative to our side."

"Hmm."

"My thoughts align with the Chief of Staff's."

Su-hyeon supported Heo Sung-gyeom's opinion.

"What if we mobilize all media to publicize this fact, while also setting up connections in the underworld?"

"Oh?"

"Due to the aftermath of Operation Caligo, their position is already shaking. While a Ma-in organization might be different, there's no reason for loosely gathered criminal organizations in the underworld seeking profit to follow them."

Heo Sung-gyeom smiled.

"We'll make them set up lines to them. There's no better stratagem to reduce an enemy's forces than division."

'Impressive.'

Su-hyeon marveled.

To come up with a division strategy in such a short time?

"But it's not as easy as it sounds."

However, Su-hyeon also recognized that there was an element of uncertainty in that operation.

"The power and organization that the [Sword of Belphegor] has built up cannot be ignored, and if another unknown entity rises when a power vacuum is created, similar problems will just continue."

"A valid concern. But you don't need to worry."

Heo Sung-gyeom said.

"Do you have a suitable candidate?"

In response to Su-hyeon's question, Ju Taeyang and Heo Sung-gyeom looked at each other's faces and grinned.

"It seems Chief of Staff Heo and I have the same thought."

"Yes. There's no better card for a new face to unify the underworld."

"Kim Inbeom."

Ju Taeyang nods.

"That man is worthy of entrusting this task."

'Kim Inbeom?'

Su-hyeon knew that name.

'A spy in the underworld planted by the Execution Force and a hope for the next generation.'

If we're talking about Kim Inbeom, he was essentially the most useful spy the Execution Force had.

And now they were planning to bring out that very card.

'This changes the story.'

Su-hyeon thought.

'A name that can achieve a sufficiently meaningful consolidation.'

"We will use all possible means to clean up Hwang Won-jae and the [Sword of Belphegor]."

Ju Taeyang declared.

"And thereby claim the blood price for our comrades."