Immortals vs. Grim Reapers - chapter 30
Chapter 30. Burning the Thatched Cottage (2)
Wol-ryeong wore an expression of incomprehension.
Gangrim smiled bitterly.
“Do you know why the CIA seems to know everything?”
“Why?”
“Because the CIA does know everything.”
“I see.”
“You’re supposed to argue ‘What are you talking about?’ for the conversation to continue. Anyway, the CIA has an image of ‘knowing everything’. There are even conspiracy theories that ‘the CIA actually knew but deliberately fabricated’ whether a building collapses or a president is assassinated. The CIA not only allows such conspiracy theories but even encourages them.”
“Why do they do that?”
“So that their enemies think the CIA knows everything and fear them.”
Gangrim said with a smile.
“They instill fear to make their enemies restrict their own actions. And make them give up out of fear on their own. That’s what image is all about.”
“Why did you suddenly decide to create an image?”
“I felt the need after dealing with Han-taek last time. It’s better to become a clear object of fear rather than being mistaken for a formless ghost or U.S. military. It’s easier to deal with them that way.”
Gangrim said, fiddling with the black coat he was wearing.
He still couldn’t fully manifest his official attire, but he had progressed to the point where he could create it in the form of everyday clothes.
Though even the everyday clothes were still imperfect, just managing to create a single coat.
“Since I’m acting as a Grim Reaper anyway, it’s better to implant that image in their minds. Many bad guys have committed so many sins that they’re already on edge. They tend to tremble uncharacteristically at the occult or superstitions.”
“So you spare them to spread rumors.”
Wol-ryeong nodded as if understanding.
“I spare them if they don’t know much about me for certain and are in a state of fear. I can’t spare those who are too brave or smart. Soon, they’ll give me a nickname or something. Then I should actively use that image.”
Gangrim said with a smile.
“Soon, rumors will create more rumors, and they’ll think of me every night, recalling me when they see darkness. They’ll startle at the rustling of leaves and the sound of wind. And finally, when they face me, they’ll clutch their hearts at that concentrated delusion.”
Gangrim and Wol-ryeong headed towards their next target, leaving the burning room salon behind.
“And they’ll meet the Grim Reaper.”
***
The Han River banks were chilly as November approached.
Gangrim looked around the desolate riverbank, tightening his collar.
Even for autumn, it wasn’t normally this deserted, but it was natural to feel uneasy stepping foot here, considering the zombie-infested area just across the river.
“We’ve arrived.”
Wol-ryeong spoke.
She was dressed in an ordinary navy coat with boots.
Gangrim too was wearing a gray coat and hat. On his back was a backpack containing the equipment needed for this hunt.
To the outside eye, they looked like an ordinary couple. But they had just arrived to carry out another massacre.
“Is that the target?”
Gangrim asked, looking at Some Sevit Island. Wol-ryeong nodded.
This building floating on the river was once a famous tourist attraction, but now it was quietly becoming a ruin with no visitors.
All the strongholds they had cleared out so far were in the heart of the city, but this time it was in a place with few people.
But it wasn’t strange.
“They import and distribute Shine Sand from here?”
“Yes. There’s a boat dock, and they bring it in through convenience stores via boats, then leak it out externally through the convenience stores again.”
Wol-ryeong answered calmly. Gangrim checked the time.
12:09 PM.
Though it was November, it was still bright and sunny, but Gangrim had no choice but to move now. After observing for the past few days, he found that they cleared out all the Shine Sand from the warehouse at night.
‘They’ve noticed I only attack at night.’
Of course, it’s advantageous to attack at night.
You can attack unilaterally while hiding your appearance, and maximize fear while concealing your identity.
In fact, he could prevent Shine Sand distribution by raiding and devastating this place at night. But Gangrim chose to raid during the day.
Because this place was a trap.
They would have concentrated their forces here, stationed immortals, and be waiting for him.
That was exactly what Gangrim wanted.
Gangrim’s goal was to eliminate immortals, not Shine Sand.
But if they thought he would raid at night, now was actually the opportunity for a surprise attack.
“Shall we go then?”
Wol-ryeong nodded slightly.
The two who had been walking along the Han River like a couple on a date suddenly split up and began to move.
Some Sevit consists of three islands. Among them, Gangrim’s target was the largest island with a convenience store and wedding hall.
The now-ruined wedding hall was being used as a warehouse.
‘If he’s here, he’ll be waiting there.’
Wol-ryeong couldn’t move until confirming the presence of an immortal. If confirmed, she would decide whether to intervene based on Gangrim’s capabilities.
Gangrim spotted a gang member standing guard at the entrance. A CCTV was also monitoring the main entrance.
Gangrim approached the man without hesitation. The gang member belatedly noticed Gangrim and reached for the gun at his waist, trying to stop him.
It was too late a reaction.
Gangrim took off his hat and covered the gang member’s face with it while simultaneously splitting his head with an axe.
At the same time, as his official attire manifested, a robe and hat covered Gangrim ‘s body and head.
Gangrim tilted his hat to cover his face and muttered, baring his teeth.
“It’s time to die.”
***
He tightened the straps and checked the locks and triggers.
After confirming everything was perfectly prepared, Magpie stroked the head of the dog sitting close to her knee and muttered.
“We’ve done all we can. The rest is just waiting.”
“Magpie!”
Just then, a gang member urgently approached.
“The main entrance CCTV has been destroyed. And there are a few men who aren’t responding!”
Before Magpie could answer, there was a clunk, and all the interior lights went out at once.
The wedding hall, with all electrical devices turned off, was eerily quiet. The gang member froze with a tense expression at the darkened indoor scenery.
Magpie muttered with an unimpressed expression.
“He’s here.”
Magpie stood up and patted the dog’s nape. The dog, as if understanding, ran off busily somewhere.
The gang member muttered anxiously.
“How did this happen during the day? Hasn’t he only appeared at night until now?”
“It’s probably because we moved the Shine Sand before nightfall. Many positions are empty, what about the others?”
“They, they went out for lunch… I told them to rush back, but it’ll take a while.”
“Attacking during lunchtime, how rude. He should at least respect mealtimes. Anyway, half is enough. Don’t panic and keep to your positions. Just stick to the plan.”
“But…”
The gang member looked around the interior with an uneasy expression.
Though it was a trap set up on Magpie’s orders, he doubted if it would really work.
The ghouls filling the wedding hall seemed more reliable in comparison. But he couldn’t show such thoughts in front of Magpie.
“Just hope for luck. Go prepare.”
Magpie instructed while loading an arrow into the crossbow. Then she stared at the main entrance with a tense expression.
Will he burst through the main entrance, or break through a window?
The closed structure of the wedding hall limited the number of possible entry points. The first shot was crucial, no matter where.
Just then, the main entrance opened slightly.
As Magpie tensely put her finger on the trigger, something rolled in through the door.
Hisssssss.
Dozens of cylinders rolled down the virgin road, turning it white. Only then did Magpie realize what they were.
“…Tear gas!”
***
Though Gangrim knew it was a trap, he wasn’t foolish enough to jump in without any countermeasures.
How should one fight when leaping into a fortress with a carefully prepared trap, full of enemies armed with all sorts of weapons?
The answer is to make them rush out of the fortress.
Gangrim heard screaming from inside the door. His lips curled up slightly.
‘No matter how much they prepare, they’re still just gangster level.’
Gangrim had seen and learned from humanity’s top military group.
While he might not be called a strategist, there’s a clear difference between someone who has learned tactics and someone who hasn’t.
Judging the time was right, Gangrim put on the gas mask he had prepared.
“Kuh, huk!”
As someone tried to rush out the main entrance, Gangrim split their head. Simultaneously, he grabbed their collar, pulled them in, and struck the neck of the person following.
“Don’t go out! Don’t go out!”
Belatedly realizing Gangrim ‘s presence, the gang members retreated behind the door.
Gangrim hid his body behind the wall.
Bang, rat-tat-tat.
The door was riddled with bullet holes and began to break apart. Gangrim sensed the coughing sounds from beyond the door subsiding.
Though fewer people rushed out than expected, it was enough to confirm there were no booby traps on the door.
Gangrim counted to three, then kicked the door open in one go and threw himself into the tear gas smoke.
Gunfire erupted again belatedly, but guns fired while crying and shouting were unlikely to hit their mark.
‘Three near the door.’
Inside was already so thick with tear gas smoke that it was hard to gauge even a foot ahead.
Gangrim assessed their numbers by the sound of coughing, then immediately charged. Few people could properly defend against a hand axe suddenly emerging from the tear gas.
“How does he know our positions?!”
A scream-like shout was heard.
Gangrim didn’t have eyes that could pierce through tear gas. But even the faintly visible silhouettes were enough.
The moment Gangrim leaped in, he had attached will-o’-wisps to the gang members. These bright lights, visible only to his eyes, revealed their positions even in the tear gas.
But Gangrim couldn’t continue his attacks relentlessly. Just as he struck the back of a gang member’s head who was covering his face with a handkerchief, tears and snot streaming, and was about to move to the next target, his hand axe was unexpectedly blocked.
Thunk!
It was a ghoul, its entire body wrapped in brutal armor. Its size was considerable too.
The ghoul tried to grab Gangrim, showing no reaction to the hand axe embedded in its forearm.
Gangrim quickly pulled out the hand axe and swung again. However, the attack only penetrated shallowly, unable to sever the body.
‘Since ghouls don’t feel pain, I need to incapacitate them in one go.’
Meanwhile, ghouls began to swarm towards Gangrim ‘s position.
Gangrim initially pulled his body back. The enemies seemed to have prepared quite thoroughly. Gangrim thought it might be more difficult than expected.
‘Coughing sounds are the enemy.’
Fewer people coughing meant more ghouls. Gangrim thought as he readjusted his grip on the hand axe.
‘8 minutes… I need to find and deal with the immortal within 10 minutes at most.’
Clunk.
Suddenly, the electricity came back on. Someone had reconnected the power in the meantime.
The round, dome-shaped ceiling slowly began to open. Gangrim watched this with an incredulous expression.
While it might have been a beautiful sight of sunlight streaming in for newlyweds during a wedding ceremony, for Gangrim, it was a very annoying sight.
‘4 minutes.’
Gangrim clicked his tongue and adjusted the time. He then muttered, holding up his hand axe.
“I offer 10 years of my lifespan to the Death Sword.”
Whoosh.
As flames ignited on the Death Sword, it began to burn. Gangrim charged towards the heavily armored ghoul, wielding the Death Sword now transformed into a long falchion.
Slash.
As if the earlier axe getting stuck like in a block of wood was a lie, the ghoul’s body was bisected in one stroke.
‘I can’t get held up by mere pawns. My target is the immortal.’
Gangrim could feel the immortal’s gaze. Despite all this chaos, the immortal was enduring without uttering a single curse.
It meant this was no ordinary opponent.
Gangrim predicted where the immortal might be. At some point, he felt the ghouls were herding him in a specific direction.
‘Over there.’
The wedding hall seemed just wide and flat. But even there, there was a space where one could overlook the interior freely from the tear gas.
It was the second-floor staff room for overall control of the wedding hall. A killing intent flashed from there.
Just as Gangrim was about to dodge, something clamped down on his leg.
A dog as big as an adult was biting his leg. Simultaneously, an arrow flew from the second-floor staff room, piercing Gangrim ‘s arm.