Chapter 131 — The Mad Dog's Hunt (3) (Conclusion)
As Seo-woon revealed his face, surprise and confusion were clearly visible on Arseni's face.
"You said you were looking for me, and I came looking for you. Aren't you happy to see me?"
"…Do you think you can get away with this here? Russia isn't a country Sweden can provoke."
"If you have evidence, go ahead and start a war. And I don't think Russia can handle me either."
As soon as Seo-woon finished speaking, six long, sharp energy beams shot out from his hands. Seeing the exquisite energy, Arseni's expression turned determined.
Seo-woon watched as Arseni pulled a skull-engraved dagger from his pocket. Arseni stabbed his own palm with the dagger.
"What a mess."
Just seeing the skull light floating behind him like an aura clearly indicated that he was using a special item. However, it was also clear that the knockback effect of that special item was no ordinary one.
Beep!
The second contract with the commander has been completed. For the next hour, your stats will be doubled. After another hour, all stats except the base 10 will be permanently lost.
This was a buff with a huge price tag, requiring him to give up all the stats he had accumulated so far.
Instead, Arseni's eyes sank deeply as he used an item he'd hoped to never use in his entire life—an item that could instantly quadruple his normal stats.
For a player following the path of a knight, only two things mattered: stats and skills. The thought of all the physical training he'd endured to increase his stats evaporating like a popped balloon wasn't pleasant.
"I will kill you. If I take your items, losing my stats will be a small price to pay."
As soon as he finished speaking, Arseni charged forward—much faster than before.
Hoo!
Seo-woon dodged his sword and extended his foot. It was a minor move, but Arseni, having placed all his weight into his sword, stumbled and lost his balance.
Even before the fight began, he had known his opponent was many times stronger. Thanks to the Cloyd game, he was well aware that his strength stats were insufficient compared to a knight's.
He had no intention of engaging in a power struggle with armored brute force. So from the start, he fought using only techniques that gave him an advantage. He avoided directly countering Arseni's attacks, instead using his speed and clones to target the man's rear.
Avoiding Arseni's strength and fighting using his own strengths was the natural choice.
Knock!
As Arseni stumbled, another blow landed on his side. The power of the unarmed combat technique—which Seo-woon hadn't used in a long time—had changed drastically as he grew stronger. Even a light punch threw the massive knight helplessly aside.
When both feet left the ground, no matter how high a person's stats were, it was impossible to unleash their full power.
Bang!
When Arseni tried to twist his body midair, Seo-woon's elbow hit his waist. Arseni's entire body went numb, his mouth gaping open in pain.
This attack, which contained the essence of the stinging technique, pierced the thick armor he wore, delivering the full force of the blow.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
After being relentlessly beaten for over thirty minutes in the same manner, Arseni realized he could not escape Seo-woon. If the man had aimed for his head, he would have been dead long ago. But Seo-woon was playing him like a football.
The intense blows left Arseni with nothing to do but open his mouth in agony and struggle helplessly.
His increased agility allowed him to see all of Seo-woon's attacks, but he had no way to counter them. The moment they touched him, he was knocked backward as if by magic. None of his skills were effective, and the barriers he relied on crumbled like paper against the monster's overwhelming energy.
Desperation filled his eyes.
Seeing the look of defeat, Seo-woon finally plunged his blood-stained sword into Arseni's neck.
"Guh!"
Ki-chan, watching from nearby, shook his head as Arseni clutched his enemy's throat and bled to death.
"What a disgusting move."
He'd seen Seo-woon use this style—instilling despair in his opponent—before, when he defeated a pro-Chinese player. Completely crushing the opponent's spirit and then defeating them was a side Seo-woon never showed in Cloyd. He tended to do this only against real enemies.
Even when defeating Japanese players, he would corner them, break their spirit, then finish them off.
Seo-woon watched until the very end as his opponent knelt on the ground, gasping for air with Seo-woon's hand gripping his throat.
Once Arseni finally died, Seo-woon began stripping him of his belongings.
Ting!
All items stored in the ring have been erased.
It was a notification that played as Seo-woon pulled the ring from Arseni's hand. He wasn't after the items anyway, so he paid little attention.
Ki-chan frowned as he watched Seo-woon strip the man of everything and then separate his head from his body.
"Ugh. What good was that?"
"A warning."
The coldness in Seo-woon's terse reply sent chills down Ki-chan's spine. Seo-woon, clearly in a mood shift, exuded an unapproachable charisma.
Back at the villa, Seo-woon looked down at Boris, who was writhing on the floor with his teeth falling out.
"I'll ask you once. Where could Andrei be?"
Boris weakly lifted his head at the sound of his phone ringing.
"Go to hell… You won't die easily…"
Thud.
His head fell to the ground before he could finish his sentence.
"How many safe houses did you say there were?"
Ki-chan racked his brain and answered.
"According to the information we received from China, there are seven, including the one we just seized."
"Seven…" Seo-woon glanced at the clock. "Let's go to the place you said you just captured."
Dawn was breaking when the two entered the city of St. Petersburg.
"Let's proceed quietly from here."
Ki-chan nodded and put his cloak back into his subspace. In the dark alley, the two men, with hats pulled low over their faces, stepped out onto the still-empty street.
An hour passed, and Andrei still believed Arseni would return with Boris.
Two hours passed, and doubt began to creep in—perhaps he would never see Boris again.
Three hours later, Andrei was certain he had lost the two brothers who had been with him his entire life.
He didn't hesitate a minute longer.
He left his room, smashed his cell phone, and removed the chip implanted in his forearm. With a stern expression, he changed out of his usual clothes and put on shabby ones. He pulled a fake beard from his pocket and stuck it on his face.
His eyes were filled with murder as he stepped into the street.
"I'll find out who he is… and kill his entire family."
He had killed countless people, used their families as bait, but now that he knew the pain of losing one of his own blood, he felt no regret nor remorse for his actions.
He left Moscow in a rusty truck and headed for St. Petersburg. The safe house he kept on the outskirts was known only to the three brothers, not even the government. It had never been used before.
He had arranged it himself; it was impossible for anyone to find it.
Hiding his burning anger beneath expressionless eyes, he parked the car and entered a shabby apartment building. Climbing the narrow stairs, he entered the hallway—only to freeze.
All the apartments on this floor were supposed to be empty. He had bought them all himself. No one should be here.
But there were footprints in the dust.
"Two people."
Two sets of footprints.
It was dust he had scattered himself. The footprints led to the apartment where he had prepared emergency supplies.
Andrei jumped over the railing.
Bang!
At that moment, the door to his safe house exploded open, and two figures leapt over the railing after him.
Andrei—in shabby clothes—and the two men in black training suits and low hats began a chase through the city.
Seeing his enemies, clearly skilled fighters, quickly gaining on him, Andrei hurled a parked car behind him.
Boom!
The car that should have crashed into them was split cleanly in two by a blast of energy. A fireball flew toward him, but it was also split, exploding violently.
Glancing at the men emerging from the flames, Andrei pushed his legs even harder.
He relied on his lightness technique and stealth—skills he chose over direct combat.
Through the heart of St. Petersburg, he used everything at his disposal, finally grabbing a civilian.
Seeing the cruel sight of Andrei pulling a grenade and throwing both himself and the civilian, Seo-woon quickly grabbed the thrown person and turned around.
Bang!
Grenade fragments flew in all directions, shattering his hastily raised barrier. But modern weapons had limits.
Seeing fragments fall after the barrier broke, Seo-woon gently set down the boy—still a child—and resumed the chase.
The boy stared blankly after them, then began trembling uncontrollably.
"Damn!"
If the target hadn't been a child, Seo-woon wouldn't have even considered catching the human shield. But now Andrei clearly knew.
He would use anyone in his way.
And Seo-woon was right.
Andrei headed toward the city center, where many tourists were gathered. He deliberately kept a distance, preventing Seo-woon from recklessly throwing spells behind him.
"Shhh!"
Chang!
At that moment, a sword flying at Andrei's back shattered his barrier with one blow.
Shhh!
More swords followed. Andrei twisted his body and cast a spell behind him.
Though it was only low-level magic—fireballs—the explosions in the sunlight drew the eyes of everyone nearby.
Boom!
Seo-woon punched a fireball flying directly at him, his expression twisting.
Before anyone could understand what was happening, dozens of helicopters appeared overhead. Sirens blared, evacuation orders were issued, and armed troops completely surrounded the area.
Despite this, many civilians remained in Isaacievsky Square, trembling in terror as they watched a scene no one would ever pay money to see.
The explosion of spells and the decapitation of Emperor Nicholas's equestrian statue were horrifying.
Desperate to escape, Andrei was struck by a knife thrown by Seo-woon, grazing his Achilles tendon. Limping, he threw himself into the square crowded with civilians.
Using them as shields, he fled, hoping the authorities would save him.
"Only defensive magic! Nothing else!"
"I know!"
Even without Seo-woon's warning, Ki-chan wouldn't dare use offensive magic in a place filled with civilians. After a frantic exchange of attacks, Andrei was finally cornered and leapt toward a group of trembling young children.
Desperate, Seo-woon threw his sword at the children—kindergarten-age—who were being protected by several terrified female teachers.
Pffft!
Instead of wasting time blocking the dagger, Seo-woon took the blow with his own body and fell beside the children Andrei had targeted. Blood streamed from his lips.
"Aaaah!"
Just standing up caused the female teachers to scream.
Whzzt!
"Shut up!"
Andrei pulled the dagger from Seo-woon's chest and shoulder. A red ball of flame appeared in his hand. Seo-woon couldn't move.
"I won't die alone."
Seo-woon didn't understand the words, but he understood Andrei's intent clearly.
—Are you ready?
Ki-chan, who had moved outside Andrei's line of sight, responded through telepathy.
—I'm ready. But since he's learned magic, he'll throw a fireball the moment he senses mana. I'll try to stall him.
—Don't forget—they're just children.
—Yes!
Seo-woon raised both hands slowly in front of Andrei, then pulled out his phone and activated translation mode.
"Aren't you curious about your brothers' fate?"
"I know they're already dead."
He spoke without hesitation. He already believed both his brothers were gone.
"But shouldn't you at least take their bodies? If we leave them there, they'll become food for wild animals."
Andrei's gaze didn't waver. "We never lived thinking we'd die peacefully. We were prepared."
"Really? That's what I wanted to tell them."
As soon as the translation finished, Seo-woon threw two heads—taken from his subspace—at Andrei.
Even Andrei, normally steadfast, flinched when his brothers' heads rolled across the square.
His eyes filled with anger and grief.
—Now!
"Kraaaah!"
A bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, striking Andrei directly. He screamed as electricity tore through him, and just as he prepared to hurl the flame at the children—
Seo-woon slit his throat.
Knock.
"Kyaaaah!"
The female teachers shrieked, covering the children's eyes. At that moment, gunshots rang from all directions, and soldiers screamed warnings for Seo-woon to surrender.
Seo-woon didn't even blink.
He hung the three brothers' severed heads on the decapitated equestrian statue in the square.
"Let's get out of here."
"Yes."
They sensed powerful individuals approaching from every direction, but no one could stop the two of them alone.
When they slipped out of the square and returned to the inn where they had stayed earlier, not only Russia but the entire world had exploded into chaos.
The moment they turned on the television, they saw the Russian President giving an emergency statement.
"This incident is a clear act of terrorism by a foreign ability user targeting our country… The three people killed were ability users and innocent citizens…"
A thinly veiled threat. Karina scoffed at the broadcast.
"Innocent citizens? Everyone knows they were government assassins."
"We're done. Let's go back," Ki-chan said.
"Yes. I'm already craving kimchi stew."
As the two spoke casually, Karina let out a weary sigh.
"If you leave now, you'll definitely be seen as suspicious."
"Let them suspect. If they have evidence, let them arrest us."
Just as he finished speaking, two people entered the room—two exact copies of Seo-woon and Ki-chan. They smiled faintly and vanished with a bang.
"We've only been to crowded, CCTV-heavy places. Our alibi is solid. Let's go."
Karina stared, stunned. "Y… yes. Let's go."
As they were about to board the private plane at the airport, a group of men in black suits blocked their way.
"As you know, there was a terrorist attack in our country. Innocent Russian civilians were killed. Until we complete the investigation, all foreign ability users are prohibited from leaving."
The man speaking glared directly at Seo-woon, as if he already knew who the culprit was.
"My alibi is solid. Move. I'm busy."
"There's no need to translate. I speak Korean quite well."
Seo-woon smiled faintly. The man did indeed speak clear Korean, though with a slight accent.
"The fact that you came this far means you've been watching me. You know that, right? I don't recall committing any terrorist acts. I was sightseeing."
"We'll find out during the investigation. It's better for you to cooperate."
Karina stepped forward.
"We have no obligation to submit to interrogation by Russian authorities."
The man pushed aside the ID card she held out.
"Given the circumstances, we must investigate."
There were twelve ability users behind him—each comparable to high-ranking swordsmen.
Strong, yes… but not enough. Not against Seo-woon.
"Listen," Seo-woon said calmly. "If you don't step aside, we'll have to force our way through. As I said, you have no authority to detain us. And from what I saw, the 'innocent citizens' you mentioned took hostages and threatened civilians. Shouldn't you be rewarding the foreigners who protected your people?"
The man's expression crumpled.
"The crime scene hasn't been made public yet. How do you know that?"
Seo-woon shrugged. "Dreamed it."
His bluntness made the man's aura flare with hostility.
At that moment, Seo-woon's eyes changed—filled with madness.
Wheeze…
The twelve men froze, unable even to move a finger.
Thump… thump…
As Seo-woon walked lightly among them, the only sound was blood splattering on the ground.
One by one, the twelve collapsed, blood gushing from their necks and chests.
"Guh—!"
"This is self-defense, right?" Seo-woon asked casually.
Karina nodded. "Yes. They had no right to touch us but attempted to detain us. Sweden will handle the rest. Get on the plane."
Too terrified to stop him, the man who had spoken earlier watched the three board the jet.
"This humiliation… Russia won't forget this! Don't think our country will just stand—"
He stopped mid-sentence as Seo-woon walked toward him again.
"It doesn't matter whether you remember or not. That's why I hung those bastards' heads in the square—so you won't forget."
He leaned close.
"When I return to this country… I will return as a real terrorist. I will make sure your government doesn't function. Tell your superiors this: the next targets will be the president and your parliament."
No one else heard his whisper.
After speaking his mind, Seo-woon turned and walked away with light steps.
Only after the private jet had taken off did the man collapse to his knees, trembling.
< Episode 131 — The Mad Dog's Hunt (End) >