Chapter 24 : The Butterfly Effect. (2)
Chapter 24: The Butterfly Effect. (2)
The Twins employed by the Dio Guild.
They were identical brothers born from a single split egg.
The two who shared the same genes were named—
Wi Roseo and Wi Roya.
Their devout Christian mother had named them after the biblical twins Esau and Jacob.
According to Genesis 25, “Esau” was a strong hunter covered in red hair.
Was that why?
The older brother, Wi Roseo, had an unusual obsession with the color red.
The shirt he wore at the airport was a red Hawaiian shirt. Now, he wore a red yukata.
Meanwhile, his younger brother, Wi Roya, preferred blue.
“Wait.”
Lee Yu-seol called out to the twins.
Everyone obeyed her words without question, as she was the de facto leader of this operation.
After getting off the truck, they stood at the fork leading to the First through Ninth Factories.
Lee Yu-seol decided to head for the Seventh Factory.
There was a relatively powerful Awakened there.
‘That tall guy is the most likely candidate for the Purple Devil.’
However, the twins suddenly started walking toward the Ninth Factory instead.
It was an unexpected and arbitrary move.
“Did you not hear me? I said the Seventh Factory. Not the Ninth.”
The twins replied.
“There’s something over here we want to check out.”
“I’m a set with my brother, so I’ve got to follow him.”
The twins shrugged.
Their attitude said, What’s the problem?
Lee Yu-seol frowned.
‘Unbelievable. They really do whatever they want.’
From what she sensed, there was nothing special about the Ninth Factory.
She couldn’t feel the presence of any Awakened there.
Lee Yu-seol turned to face the twins.
“What are you two planning to do there?”
The twins didn’t back down.
“‘You two’? Team Leader Lee, that’s a bit rude.”
“We move in our own way. Got a problem with that?”
A silent battle of nerves unfolded between Lee Yu-seol and the twins.
As ominous auras flared from both sides, the surrounding Dio Guild members grew tense and fell silent.
Only Seo Gwang-pal was grinning.
‘Heh. So even the great Lee Yu-seol can’t handle them, huh? Those twins must be something.’
Seeing the woman who’d always looked down on him now flustered was amusing to Seo Gwang-pal.
Finally, Lee Yu-seol let out a long sigh.
“Fine. Do as you please. But once you’re done investigating, regroup with us immediately. I won’t tolerate any more deviations.”
“Sure thing. Let’s go.”
“Okay, bro!”
Watching the twins walk away, Lee Yu-seol ground her teeth.
“Those damned bastards.”
Seo Gwang-pal interjected slyly.
“Is it okay to just let them go?”
Given Lee Yu-seol’s personality, it was strange she hadn’t already exploded.
“Leave them. The CEO said to let them be.”
There were two reasons why she held herself back.
First, because it was an order from the Dio Guild’s CEO, whom she respected.
Second...
“Those bastards’ specialty is stirring things up like slippery eels. Wherever they go, chaos follows soon enough.”
Lee Yu-seol gestured as she turned away.
“The rest of you, follow me!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Thus, Lee Yu-seol’s team and the twins each headed in different directions.
After walking for some time, one of the twins glanced back toward Lee Yu-seol’s group.
“Hey, bro. Why are we going this way again?”
At his brother’s question, the older one grinned.
“You know Akira Ryuji, right?”
“Hm? That Japanese guy we took out?”
Before the twins came to Korea,
they had assassinated a Yakuza boss named Akira Ryuji under contract.
“So what about him?”
“I heard intel that the gang here’s distributing the same stuff Akira’s crew was.”
Wi Roseo’s hunch was spot on.
Cha Chi-do had recruited a manufacturer who used to work for the Akira Syndicate, and based on that technology, began mass-producing Black Pearl.
And the place producing Black Pearl was none other than the Ninth Factory of the Ilsan Hunter Industrial Complex.
“There’s Black Pearl here?”
“That’s right. While that bitch Lee Yu-seol’s busy chasing the Purple Devil, we’ll be behind the scenes reaping the rewards.”
Wi Roseo ran his thumb across his neck.
“Once we enter the Ninth Factory, kill anyone you see. I’ll use my ability to set the place on fire. If we’re lucky, even that Purple Devil guy will crawl out on our side. We’ll steal the drugs, complete the job, and get paid by CEO Go. Sweet deal, huh? Three birds with one stone.”
“Oh! You’re the best, bro!”
“Damn right. Just trust me, little brother.”
The twins cheerfully put their arms around each other’s shoulders and headed toward the Ninth Factory.
Thanks to riding their motorcycle, they arrived quickly.
The entrance to the Ninth Factory was blocked by massive shipping containers, forming a narrow straight path like an alleyway.
They had to pass through it to get inside.
It was quiet around—seemed like no one else had arrived yet.
While they stood at the entrance, staying alert,
Step, step.
Just then, a group appeared from the opposite side.
They were wearing red and blue yukatas.
“Huh?”
“Hey, bro. That purple mask…”
One of the twins pointed at me.
“Isn’t that the Purple Devil?”
“Yeah. Look at that—fortune’s rolled right to us.”
Why were they here?
‘Doesn’t matter.’
Since they’d come with the Dio Guild, they were clearly part of that team.
Which meant—they were my enemies.
I said to the twins,
“Turn back.”
I drew a line on the ground with the tip of my heel.
“From here on, you can’t take another step forward.”
The twins exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
“Puhaha! He’s even crazier than we heard.”
“Wow. Thought Zhang Fei from the Battlefield Clan just jumped out of a painting.”
Their flamboyant outfits and exaggerated tone were deceiving—
they had ignored Lee Yu-seol’s command and acted alone.
‘That means they’re skilled enough to do so.’
The twins crouched low, perfectly in sync like dancers in choreography.
“Brother. Ready?”
“Go!”
The instant the twins charged in unison—
I quickly rotated my thoughts, formulating a strategy.
‘What are their abilities?’
Seo Gwang-pal, Ggeokdari, Cha Chi-do…
After facing multiple Awakened, I had learned one thing.
Understanding your opponent’s ability was crucial in battle.
I had already done my homework on Lee Yu-seol.
But the twins—I knew nothing about them.
And in terms of experience, I was still far behind.
‘In that case…’
I focused mana into both fists.
‘Strike first, win first!’
Then I thrust them forward at once.
Ding!
<Judgment of the Superhuman (Special)> activated.
Puh-buh-bung!
Mana burst from both my hands like shotgun fire.
“Kuuk!”
“Ghk!”
The twins collided with each other in the narrow passage and were sent flying far away.
They rolled across the ground for quite some time before coming to a stop.
Right where they had first appeared.
I pointed at the line I had drawn on the ground with my chin.
“Told you. You’re not crossing that.”
Though I acted arrogant, I was really checking the message floating in midair.
<Judgment of the Superhuman (Special)> Ticket: <10/3>
The skill I had received as a reward was shining.
‘Seven uses left.’
The twins staggered to their feet.
The yukatas they wore had already turned into ragged tatters.
“…You shoot energy waves with your fists?”
“An energy-type like us?”
They had concluded that I was the kind who released mana externally.
‘Good. Just as planned.’
Deceiving each other, locked in a fierce battle of wits—
This was true combat.
The twins, having taken a solid hit, lost their smirks.
“Bro.”
“Yeah.”
Now more serious, they exchanged a silent signal with their eyes.
Both spun their arms in the air and extended their hands at the same time.
‘Like mirrored reflections.’
My admiration was brief.
Flames ignited from the older brother’s hand.
The younger conjured a blue ice shard the size of a baseball.
Whoosh!
Crack!
The flames blazed even fiercer, and the ice shard sharpened into a deadly spike.
I stood in a straight path blocked by container boxes.
It made defending easier—but depending on the situation, it could also be a disadvantage.
Like now.
The twins hurled fire and ice spikes simultaneously.
‘Damn.’
When a spear comes, the rule is to raise a shield.
‘But there’s nowhere to dodge. In that case—’
Using my wits, I counterattacked head-on.
Boom!
Using <Judgment of the Superhuman (Special)>, I altered the trajectory of the fire and ice projectiles.
The flames ricocheted and struck the concrete wall.
The temperature was so intense that the steel flowed down like molten lava.
The ice spikes tore through the barriers, punching holes in them.
“……”
If those had hit me squarely, it would’ve been fatal.
And the coordination between the two was near perfect.
Their attack patterns and timing were extremely difficult to deal with.
The twins repeated their movements again.
“Hey, Purple Head. Don’t tell me you’re scared already?”
“Hehe. We’re just getting started.”
The flames in the older brother’s hand expanded and split into more than ten fireballs.
The younger’s ice swelled to the size of a basketball, increasing the number of spikes.
Could I really block all that again using the same method?
“Before we kill you, answer this—do you know anything about the Black Pearl of the Ninth Factory?”
“Tell us the truth, and we’ll make it quick. Won’t hurt you more than we have to! Hehehe.”
So their target was the Black Pearl.
Behind the mask, my lips curled.
‘Idiots.’
The Black Pearl had already been dealt with.
Even if they went to the Ninth Factory, there were no drugs left.
‘Actually, this works perfectly.’
I decided to turn this situation into an opportunity—
to use these hyenas chasing bait to my advantage.
“Hey, copy-paste twins. Control C, Control V.”
I pointed at them one after the other.
The provocation seemed effective—their faces twisted in anger.
“Hyenas don’t get sick even when they eat rotten meat. You know why?”
Who would’ve thought the random facts I picked up from years working in factories would be useful in a fight?
Life sure is funny.
“A hyena’s stomach acid has a pH of 1.5. Its powerful acid kills all bacteria and germs.”
The older twin let out a dumbfounded laugh.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
They were sly and greedy.
If I set a half-baked trap, I might lose them.
‘Time for a frontal assault.’
I took a step forward.
“I threw the drugs away. Into a vat of hydrochloric acid boiling like stomach acid.”
The twins’ relaxed expressions froze instantly.
“…Is that true?”
The older brother’s face contorted in fury.
Two steps, three steps—
I closed the distance between us.
“Of course. A hero is always honest.”
In truth, I was a liar, and this was the final bait.
“There’s still a little left. I hid it well, though.”
I didn’t stop running forward.
“Bro! He’s playing tricks! Just kill him!”
At the younger’s signal, a long-range barrage came flying.
As hellfire and razor-sharp frost bore down on me—
I activated Super Kid’s second ability.
Ding!
Purchased.
<Aura of God> activated.
Puh-buhng! Puh-puh-buh-buhng!!!
Flames brushed my face, ice shattered against my body and broke into fragments.
The twins’ all-out, deadly strike—
failed to pierce the <Aura of God>, the shield of mana covering my body.
No, they couldn’t even leave a scratch.
‘Now I’m truly invincible!’
Though the sensations on my face were scalding hot and freezing cold at once.
<Aura of God> was only a thin shield.
I didn’t know how long it would hold.
Taking their full assault head-on, I pushed my speed even higher.
Whoooosh!
Fire and ice collided, filling the area with thick steam.
“Ha-ha-ha! You flew right into your own death like a moth to a flame!”
“Bro, this bastard’s totally insane!”
The twins, thinking they’d landed a fatal blow, celebrated their victory.
5 meters, 4 meters, 3 meters…!
Only when I was right in front of them did they finally notice something was off.
“What the—he’s still alive?”
“Bro! Something’s weird—he doesn’t have a single scratch…”
Through the steam, I reached out and grabbed both their necks.
“Ghk!”
“Urk!”
They struggled helplessly in my grip.
“Gotcha, you little troublemakers.”
The purple mask twisted like a demon’s face— and a smile spread across it.