The physiognomist hadn’t even fully drawn his pistol yet.
From the part sticking out, it looked like he was holding a Glock 26.
His gaze, which had been fixed on my eyes, slowly dropped.
Then it stopped at the back scratcher in my hand.
He still hadn’t fully drawn his gun, but my barrel was already trained on him.
After confirming that what I was holding was a hunter-grade pistol, the corner of his mouth curled up.
His eyes were sharp.
Moonlight poured in through the window in the wall we had both been leaning against.
It was hard to imagine a clearer view of each other’s faces than this.
The insect was still buzzing erratically in front of us.
Both of us, without thinking, had our attention stolen by its movement for just a moment—
Flap.
The instant the insect flew out the window,
Swoosh!
Both the physiognomist and I extended the arms holding our guns.
Click.
Out the window.
“Don’t come any closer!”
“Don’t move!”
As we shouted our warnings at the same time, the unidentified figure approaching from the distance froze in place.
“Not bad instincts, little brother.”
“Anyone with bad hearing is already dead.”
The guy outside probably wasn’t targeting us in the first place.
From that distance, there’s no way he could’ve seen us inside the building.
Just bad luck.
With the moon behind him, he appeared only as a dark silhouette.
On the other hand, seeing the two gun barrels gleaming in the moonlight, he quickly raised both hands high.
“P-Please, spare me!”
“Huh?”
At that voice, the physiognomist slightly raised his gun.
“Mr. Kim?”
It was the postman who had agreed to the deal with the raiders disguised as a scouting party.
“D-Drunkard?”
“Is that really you, Mr. Kim?”
“It’s me! It’s me! Sob… drunkard… good to see you!”
Lowering his arms, Mr. Kim took a step forward.
“Stop!”
“Huh?”
“I said stop.”
“Drunkard, who’s that next to you?”
“Mr. Kim, you saw him earlier, didn’t you? The well-built postman; he’s my little brother now.”
“Ah… so you two decided to stick together in the end?”
Ignoring my warning, Mr. Kim took another step forward.
“Stay right there!”
“What’s wrong, young man……”
“I said stop.”
“Let me just……”
“Mr. Kim, don’t come any closer!”
“Stop!”
“No, listen to me—”
“Mr. Kim! Listen!”
“This is your last warning.”
“Please, help me……”
“Mr. Kim!”
Bang!
“Eek!”
Only after wasting a single bullet into the air did Mr. Kim finally stop approaching.
“…Don’t make me repeat myself again.”
My precious ammunition.
Warning shots are something only the rich can afford.
I don’t even remember the last time I did that. Must’ve been years.
All the things I could have traded with that single round flash through my mind.
And then, the next moment, I almost feel like I’ve suddenly become rich.
The confidence seeping out from the magazine I brought along at my leisure.
I’m the kind of man who fires warning shots.
Anyway, if not for the physiognomist, my first shot would have gone straight for Mr. Kim’s calf.
I let him off once.
“Young man, please help me……”
“Raise both hands high.”
“Just listen to me for a—”
“Raise both hands high. Want to see what happens if you make me say it three times?”
“…Ugh……”
Beside me, the physiognomist only let out a deep sigh, saying nothing.
At the very least, it seems he has no complaints about my approach.
Mr. Kim raised both arms high.
“Mr. Drunkard, please persuade the young man. I’m asking for help……”
“Mr. Kim……”
“Keep your right arm raised, and use only your left hand to slowly unbutton your shirt and pull it open.”
“……”
“Unbutton your shirt and pull it open. That’s twice.”
The choking, hiccuping sobs coming from Mr. Kim made my face tighten on its own.
But there’s no helping it.
Mr. Kim unbuttoned his shirt.
And then,
“Help me, sob……”
Just as expected.
Under his shirt was a belt rigged with a small explosive.
A bomb that must have been forcibly attached by someone.
“Fuck, Mr. Kim……”
The physiognomist’s voice was heavier than ever before.
So this must be his real voice.
A bomb that could go off at any moment.
The physiognomist and I moved behind the wall for cover.
Of course, I didn’t lower my gun aimed out the window.
“Ajhussi, this isn’t going to work.”
“…I know. There’s no way.”
The raiders must have taken Mr. Kim to a safe area they had already secured.
They brought him into a completely controlled environment, probably sizing him up along the way.
And when the opportunity came, they stripped him of everything.
That’s how seasoned raiders operate.
Blind ambushes and sudden attacks carry too much risk.
Even if you strike first, there’s no telling how a fight will unfold.
If they tried to kill the postman just anywhere and, by bad luck, a witness appeared, it could cause unnecessary trouble.
So they lured him in, put him at ease, and took everything without much effort.
The problem comes after that.
How could Mr. Kim have gotten out of their grasp alive?
The answer is, “That’s not possible.”
Without realizing it, Mr. Kim took another step forward.
“Listen to me, Ajhussi.”
I closed one eye and aimed the barrel precisely at Mr. Kim’s forehead.
“S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to…… I’ll stay still. Please help me.”
“Ajhussi, I’m sorry, but you’re already as good as dead.”
“Mr. Kim……”
The physiognomist knew they were raiders.
So he said he wouldn’t make the deal, and at first he tried to persuade Mr. Kim.
But Mr. Kim didn’t listen.
Even so, he couldn’t exactly say something like, “Those guys are raiders!” right in front of them.
If he did, it would’ve immediately turned into a fight.
Even if the physiognomist quickly drew his gun, at best he’d have taken one or two of them along with him on the way to the afterlife.
“I should’ve listened to Mr. Drunkard, sob…….”
The physiognomist lowered his head.
Of course, he already knew Mr. Kim was going to die.
But knowing it in your head and seeing it with your own eyes are completely different things.
Keeping my gaze and the barrel of my gun fixed on Mr. Kim’s forehead, I spoke quietly to the physiognomist.
“Pack up.”
Without a word, the physiognomist began preparing to leave.
The one who planted the bomb must be hiding somewhere.
Since they can’t risk being seen, they’re probably keeping their distance.
They’re likely tracking him from afar using a basic tracking device attached to the explosive belt.
Waiting to hear the blast, no doubt.
Of course, it’s not like they went out and got a tracking device just to pull this off.
Even a simple tracker isn’t exactly a common item.
More likely, they came across one while looting and then figured out a way to put it to use, resulting in this situation.
There’s no way to confirm what kind of detonation mechanism they used, but the goal is the same either way.
Catch the fish that bites the bait.
Once the explosive goes off, anyone nearby will either be killed or crippled.
Even a small charge is more than enough for lethal damage if it’s packed with shrapnel.
After that, the raiders hiding nearby will show up and collect the spoils.
“Turn around and slowly lie face down.”
“Ugh……. young man…….”
“You really don’t listen.”
“Sob.”
Mr. Kim slowly lowered himself.
“Face down, and put your hands behind your back.”
Mr. Kim moved hesitantly.
Still, he didn’t make any more useless remarks.
“Is there explosive on the side or the back of the belt too?”
“Sob……. I think there was some on the side……”
“Check right now and be sure.”
“There’s one on the left, nothing on the back……”
They only attached two, probably to conserve resources.
“Rotate your body 90 degrees clockwise.”
Mr. Kim did as he was told.
That should do it.
If it goes off while he’s lying face down, the shrapnel attached to his abdomen won’t scatter outward.
Even if the one on his left side goes off, I’ve already turned him the opposite way, so at this distance we’ll be safe.
“Mr. Kim, listen carefully.”
“……”
“If you have any information about the ones who stripped you, tell me everything now.”
“Information……”
“Think, Mr. Kim!”
Taking a deep breath, Mr. Kim sank into thought.
Then something came to him.
“The leaders were those two.”
Two leaders, huh.
“You mean the one who spoke bluntly and the one who pretended to be polite?”
“That’s right, those two. They split roles, but they were both running the group. And……”
It’s not easy for two people to share leadership equally.
These aren’t your average raiders.
“It sounded like they were planning to attack a settlement, but where exactly, I……”
It’s common for raiders to start targeting settlements once they build up enough strength.
In the end, even raiders aim to settle down.
True to their nature as bandits, they figure it’s easier to take an existing settlement than to build one from scratch.
“They must have talked among themselves about how they’d approach the settlement.”
“I wasn’t held for very long……. Ah, would something like this count as information?”
“Anything you remember, just say it, Mr. Kim!”
“I heard they hired mercenaries and sent them in to gather information about that settlement……”
So they’ve infiltrated the settlement with mercenaries to collect information.
Doesn’t seem like they’re planning to just charge in headfirst.
Smarter than expected.
It’s about time for the physiognomist and me to get out of here.
“Let’s move.”
“Yeah……”
A bomb that could go off at any moment.
There’s no way to save him.
No….Mr. Kim was a walking corpse from the start.
I lowered my gun as I stepped back.
If I were being cautious, I’d keep it trained on him until the very end, but that doesn’t seem necessary.
And I don’t want to, either.
“Mr. Kim.”
“Mr. Drunkard……”
“When I get back to headquarters, I’ll make sure this is reported.”
If the attack on a postman is reported to headquarters, the military will respond.
Apparently, in the old days, there was an organization called the police that handled things like this, but that doesn’t exist anymore.
“…Is there really no way for me to live? Hmm?”
“…I’ll make sure it’s reported.”
Of course, even if the military mobilizes, it won’t be easy to track down raiders who wander without a fixed base.
If they search once and come up empty, that will probably be the end of it.
But more often than you’d think, it does produce results.
The rate of bringing postman killers to justice is as high as 9%.
“Mr. Kim.”
“Yeah…”
“Knowing it’s the end and being able to calmly prepare yourself before you go… that’s a kind of luck.”
“……”
It’s true.
More often than not, people meet their end in an instant. Either they’re caught off guard by a sudden monster or zombie, an unexpected sniper shot, or an air raid with no warning.
We left the building and quickly put distance between ourselves and Mr. Kim.
Mr. Kim didn’t make a sound.
He didn’t try to follow us.
What could he be thinking?
By the time we were far enough away,
Boom.
A heavy, muffled explosion rang out.
***
We had to get through the sniper zone before sunrise.
I kept moving at a fast pace without stopping, and the physiognomist followed quietly with his mouth shut.
Judging by his protruding belly, I thought he’d be slow, but it seemed surviving to that age wasn’t just luck.
After the sun rose, we crossed the mountain.
From here on, the physiognomist didn’t have the stamina to keep up with my pace.
I slowed down a bit, pretending to be tired, to match his speed.
Then we found a place that looked safe.
A large rock nestled among thick trees.
I went into the rock’s shade and immediately pulled out some compressed powdered rations and took a bite.
Crunch.
At this rate of delivery, I’d have plenty of food left, so I could afford to eat my fill.
The physiognomist didn’t seem to have much of an appetite.
“Brother.”
The way he called out felt oddly unsettling.
“What is it?”
“About Mr. Kim.”
Crunch.
“Why did you ask about those raiders?”
“You said you’d report it to headquarters too. They attacked a postman, so of course it should be reported. And for that, we need information.”
“Just to report it? Is that all?”
Of course not.
I needed more information so I could recognize them if we ever crossed paths again, anywhere.
I clearly remember the faces of the two who seemed to be the leaders, but that alone might not be enough.
If the day ever comes when I run into them again and recognize them, I’ll probably be able to act with fewer reservations.
“That’s all there is to it. What other reason would there be?”
“Well, I guess that kind of thing is the military’s job.”
“That kind of thing?”
“Retribution. Payback. Revenge.”
Revenge carried out by the military.
“The most satisfying revenge is the kind you carry out with your own hands.”
“Who doesn’t know that? If I had the ability, I’d have done it already!”
Right, you need the ability.
If you want to do something not just anyone can do, you have to stop being just anyone.
By the way, I’m curious.
“What kind of relationship did you have with Mr. Kim to be talking about revenge?”
“Same bloodline!”
“Didn’t you say his last name was Kim, not Woo?”
“Oh, that was an alias, an alias. His real name is Woo, just like us. We’re all the same bloodline!”
What is he, a vampire? Why is he so obsessed with blood?
When it’s time for us to part ways, I should tell him that my name was an alias too.
That my real surname is Son. Not even a single consonant or vowel overlaps with Woo.
If he keeps thinking we’re the same bloodline, I have a feeling it’ll cause trouble someday.
“Anyway, you said Mr. Kim had a core on him, right? So he never ended up using it?”
So he had a core with him.
The raiders must’ve taken it.
“If it was valuable, those raiders really hit the jackpot.”
“It’s hard to call it valuable when the risk is that high. It had a 98% chance of failure. And the failure effect was permanent full-body paralysis.”
No one in their right mind would ever use something that useless.
Which means—
“At that level, it could’ve been an ability core.”
“Exactly. That’s why he carried it around as a last-resort insurance. If you’re about to die anyway, it’s all or nothing, right?”
In the end, it seemed Mr. Kim didn’t use the core even at the decisive moment.
Or maybe he simply couldn’t.
We started moving again.
You have to be even more careful when going down a mountain.
I’d packed a lot of survival gear, and the bag was so heavy the straps kept slipping off my shoulders.
As I adjusted the straps—
Clunk.
The spherical object inside the bag rattled around, bumping against the sides.
Leave a Reply