Chapter 53 : I, Descend (3)
Chapter 53: I, Descend (3)
Until just five years ago, something like the Ten Gang Alliance had never existed.
Which made perfect sense.
Just imagine it.
Among outlaws, the absolute worst of the worst.
Those were gangsters.
It wasn't uncommon for members of the same gang to stab each other in the back.
And people expected those kinds of people to unite into an alliance?
It was an assumption that couldn't possibly hold true.
...That had been the prevailing opinion.
However, in every field, a superhuman riding in on a white horse was bound to appear.
For the gangsters, that person was Levi.
Well, to be precise, not on a white horse—
But on Red Hare.
One day, Levi appeared and began devouring the back alleys.
She greedily absorbed every gang she encountered.
Eventually, she founded an independent gang called Magno-Strom.
Magno-Strom was different from every other gang.
Rather than a gang, it more closely resembled an army.
The ordinary gangs couldn't stand against Magno-Strom's systematically organized structure.
Thus, the woman who had suddenly appeared unified every gang within just six months.
Afterward, she formed an alliance, gathering all the hopeless gangs under one banner.
Every gangster who made a living flaunting their masculinity had knelt before a single woman.
Seen this way, it sounded like nothing less than the epic tale of a great heroine.
The only flaw in that scenario was that the heroine lived up to her name a little too well.
Galaxy-Brained Levi.
There probably wasn't a better description of her.
Everyone who had met her said the same thing.
At that moment, Lee Taebaek finally understood why.
Even if he hadn't wanted to.
Because she demonstrated it herself.
‘She rode a motorcycle out from inside the building?!’
It seemed Levi had no intention of giving them even a moment to recover from their shock.
Red Hare's headlight shone on Lee Taebaek and Kang Hyunseong like a spotlight exposing thieves.
Lee Taebaek reached toward his temple, then suddenly widened his eyes.
He quickly pulled a mask from his pocket.
It was the one he had rightfully obtained from the Narrow-Eyed Man, Jin Sobang's subordinate.
It proved useful in all sorts of situations.
Click—
With the sound of it locking into place, the mask covered the lower half of his face.
He felt his warm breath striking the inside.
The filtering system cleared his vision as well.
A dry cough came from beside him.
Kang Hyunseong waved his hand, scattering the dust.
Fortunately, he appeared almost completely unharmed.
Only a few wood splinters clung to him.
Vroooom...!
The engine roared loudly.
As the aftershock left his head ringing, Levi opened her mouth.
“Heey— Hic Who're you guys?”
Something felt off.
The engine was thunderous, yet her words were slurred.
She sounded exactly like a middle-aged drunk driving under the influence.
“I told those idiots to patrol outside. Hic Are they slacking off? No, actually, perfect timing. Do either of you know where there's a 24-hour convenience store nearby?”
“...What?”
“I'm out...”
Moisture crept into Levi's voice.
As though comforting its owner, Red Hare snorted loudly.
“...Out of booze. Booze. On a shitty day like today, I oughta drink until tomorrow disappears.... But even after finishing every bottle in the warehouse, I still can't get drunk. Hic So I figured I'd go raid a nearby convenience store while I was at it. For old times' sake.”
She was on the verge of tears.
At that exact moment, Kang Hyunseong was about to charge.
“Can't allow that.”
An arm suddenly stretched out.
Turning around, Kang Hyunseong saw Lee Taebaek subtly shaking his head while silently mouthing words.
‘Wait.’
‘What? Why?’
Their gazes met through the dust.
‘You said the best outcome of this mission was capturing Levi alive.’
‘That's right.’
‘But if we rush in and kill her immediately, the whole plan falls apart. Besides, she's on a bike. If she decides to run, we'll never catch her.’
...True.
No matter how fast a human could run, chasing down a motorcycle was impossible.
Especially Red Hare.
It was said to run at nearly Mach speed.
That thing was practically a jet fighter.
‘Unless she's sitting still or sleeping, attacking right now is the worst option.’
‘Then what's your plan?’
‘Leave this to me.’
Lee Taebaek cleared his throat.
Thanks to the mask, his voice was automatically distorted.
“Boss.”
“......?!”
What the hell?
Since when did this guy speak so politely?
“What happened today that's got you in such a bad mood, Boss? Did something happen?”
“How could I not be?! Would you be happy if you were me?!”
“Aw, what would a low-ranking grunt like me know? You'll have to tell me.”
Kang Hyunseong flinched and looked over.
You could actually speak this respectfully?
Ignoring the stare, Lee Taebaek continued.
“Tell me what happened, Boss. I'll clean out every convenience store around here and then have a few shots of soju with you.”
“You... you little...”
At those words, Levi's eyes probably narrowed.
He couldn't see them through the dust, but he could feel it.
The longer the standoff continued, the lower Kang Hyunseong crouched.
The moment an opportunity appeared, he intended to rush forward.
Red Hare's engine was still running.
This was their chance...
“...Someone like you!”
“Damn it!”
Kang Hyunseong finally cursed under his breath.
At the same time, he was about to throw himself forward—
“—A loyal subordinate like you actually exists in our gang!”
Levi shouted happily.
Kang Hyunseong made a dumbfounded noise.
Unable to stop his own momentum, he stumbled and fell flat on his face.
Watching him, Levi burst into laughter once again.
Apparently, she mistook it for one of her subordinate's amusing antics.
Entirely unintentionally, Kang Hyunseong ended up contributing to Lee Taebaek's plan.
“They say the people you've got to be most careful of are your own subordinates. But that's a different story when you've got a subordinate this loyal! I'm in a good mood! This boss is going to show some generosity to her men for the first time in ages!”
“Thank you, Boss.”
Lee Taebaek smoothly played along while secretly continuing to spread Snow Mist with one hand.
No matter how drunk Levi was, the moment she got a clear look at them, they'd be exposed.
If she realized who they were and attacked—
That would actually have been preferable.
‘If I were alone.’
But Kang Hyunseong was here.
One-Man Thousand Slaughter.
He was famous.
Levi was the leader of the Ten Gang Alliance.
The chance that she didn't recognize him was practically nonexistent.
He was one of the two people responsible for making sure the Ten Gang Alliance never dared provoke the Resistance.
The other, naturally, was the Supreme Commander.
‘If I'd known it'd turn out like this, I would've infiltrated alone.’
Then again...
Who could've predicted this disaster?
‘We've got to keep our faces hidden for as long as possible.’
That was why he was exhausting every last bit of his mana to maintain the fog.
Damn it.
Once this was over, I probably wouldn't be able to use magic for a while.
Still...
It had worked.
Levi began spilling her life story.
Apparently she'd accumulated quite a lot of frustrations over the years.
The words poured out endlessly.
He even got to hear a brief summary of her troubled past.
Though, honestly...
It wasn't all that dramatic.
Levi hadn't become a gangster because of a tragic family background.
It was because she had an inherently violent personality.
Believe me.
I'm the character designer.
Still...
Messing with drunk people was the most entertaining thing in the world.
Listening to her was surprisingly enjoyable.
Apparently Kang Hyunseong felt the same, because before long, he was listening attentively as well.
‘Is he trying to hear the secret story behind Magno-Strom's founding while he's at it? He's awfully focused.’
The problem was his mana.
It was reaching its limit.
Feeling as though he might collapse unconscious at any moment, Lee Taebaek steered the conversation elsewhere.
“Boss, about this operation. Did you really have to bring Dojon into it? That man's fees are outrageously expensive. The advance payment alone was ridiculous, and then there are all the extra charges.
No matter how important the Ten Gang Alliance is, that's an enormous burden.
Wouldn't it be better to cancel the contract with Dojon even now?
Honestly, negotiating with the Resistance seems like it'd be cheaper.”
“Ohhh~ that?”
Levi chuckled as she raised another bottle to her lips.
Amber liquor ran down her slender jaw.
“How much was the advance again? Around five billion won, I think? Sure, that's a huge amount even for our gang... but compared to what that monster's going to do for us? Eh.”
Levi let out a satisfied sigh and wiped her lips with her thumb.
The dust had begun to settle, making the smile on her lips clearly visible.
It was an ominous smile.
“And what exactly is he going to do for you?”
“Obviously? I hired him to erase the Resistance from Lake City. Well, you guys probably already knew that much, but I'll let you in on something extra.”
She lowered her voice until it was barely above a whisper.
Combined with the cold air, it created an eerie atmosphere.
“By the way... what's your name?”
“Ta— No. Baektae.”
Lee Taebaek's answer disrupted the mood slightly.
“Baektae? What kind of name is that?”
“My mother said that's what came to mind when she had her first kiss with my father. Baektae.”
“Wow. Sounds like your biological mom was quite the tough woman. Just like me.”
“Absolutely.”
Lee Taebaek could only force an empty smile.
He had gone beyond acceptance.
He had achieved enlightenment.
“Anyway. Baektae. Didn't you think something felt strange when you came to work today? There are way too few gangsters in the building.”
“...Yes.”
“I deliberately pulled out all the capable ones and dispatched them to the Sentinel Gang. We got information today from our helper inside the Resistance, and guess what? Those Resistance bastards are attacking us today.”
Kang Hyunseong's pupils lost focus.
Because the Sentinel Gang's headquarters was exactly where the Supreme Commander had personally gone.
“The fastest way to destroy an organization is to cut off its head. Hic The Resistance is like a spider, if you want an analogy. It's got eight... no, nine legs.
Cut off one or two legs, and it's only a little inconvenienced.
That's all.
You have to cut off the head.
But is the Supreme Commander some ordinary nobody?
Unless all the leaders of the Ten Gang Alliance gang up on him, I don't stand a chance against him alone.”
This was information that only Kang Hyunseong had secretly heard among the eight Battalion Commanders—originally nine, but Sugar Water had been hospitalized.
The assumption that there was a mole among them was completely overturned.
‘The informant wasn't one of the Battalion Commanders!’
...There was only one conclusion.
The mole belonged to the Supreme Commander's private force.
The 0th Battalion.
Even as Kang Hyunseong's face turned pale, Levi continued pouring liquor into herself.
“But if the Mercenary King is the opponent, that's a completely different story. The 10 Wings aren't called the 10 Wings for nothing. And there's a reason he's got the grand title of ‘King.’ It'll be a tough fight, but the Supreme Commander isn't a match for Dojon.”
“You sound awfully certain.”
Lee Taebaek peeled one foot off the floor as he spoke.
The fog was almost gone.
His mana had run dry.
He couldn't delay any longer.
“No joke, that bastard's fucking strong. Burp Ahem. Anyway. It's around ten o'clock now... so the Supreme Commander and Dojon should be meeting any minute.”
“So that's why you sent Magno-Strom's elites away.”
Lee Taebaek walked forward, cutting through the remaining fog.
“You're planning to target Dojon after he's already fought the Supreme Commander.”
“With the Supreme Commander's ‘ability,’ he'll definitely be able to capture Dojon somehow.”
“Exaaactly~! Baektae, you're pretty smart, huh? I'm in such a good mood! Maybe I'm telling you way too much because I'm drunk, but Baektae—you get a promotion! To celebrate, I'll grant you one wish. Booze, cigarettes, women. Just name it!!”
Lee Taebaek was already standing right in front of her.
His ghostlike appearance made Levi flinch for a moment.
Then her face lit up as she looked toward him—
“Fuck, wait. Who the hell are you?”
“Me?”
The instant Levi saw Lee Taebaek's face, every trace of drunkenness vanished from hers.
Her expression changed for an entirely different reason.
“I'm Lee Taebaek.”
Something flashed.
The blade split Levi's collarbone.
She let out a shrill cry and toppled sideways.
Thud!
She was thrown from Red Hare.
Even amid the chaos, she immediately jerked her head up to look for her beloved motorcycle.
But—
“W-What?!”
Lee Taebaek was looking down at her.
Seated atop Red Hare.
Her own beloved mount.
As he flexed his wrist, Red Hare snorted.
Despair filled Levi's face.
“No way! That's impossible! Red Hare only responds to its creator and its owner—!”
He cut her off.
“Then I meet the requirements.”
He immediately turned the bike toward the entrance.
Kang Hyunseong watched his back.
Lee Taebaek, astride the crimson machine that seemed capable of swallowing anyone whole.
It was hard to believe this was his first time riding it.
The combination suited him far too well.
“I'm heading out.”
“I'll leave things here to you.”
Ahead of Lee Taebaek, the vanishing point of his vision stretched backward like a slingshot, disappearing into the distance.
The tightly drawn horizon quivered for a brief instant.
Then, accompanied by a thunderous crack, he shot away in the blink of an eye.
The taillight chased after Lee Taebaek's fading silhouette like a crimson tail.
“......”
“......”
Thus, Red Hare abandoned its former master without a trace of hesitation...
And accepted a new one.
[＃1 Small-Scale] 1.8.7 Patch Notes
◈ Main Patch
• Ownership of 「Kaneda Bike」, also known as 「Red Hare」, has been transferred.
• Ownership has changed from 「Ten Gang Alliance Leader: Levi」 → 「Operator: Lee Taebaek」.
〉〉 Auto Saving....
〉〉 Applying Patch.