Dagger Gang — Part 3
Kim Chulkwon.
Even through the blurry CCTV feed, I could clearly see that his right arm was a steel prosthetic, and an SMG was holstered at his left hip.
‘I guess this needs to be settled.’
The ss I caused was enormous. It was no wonder Kim Chulkwon felt the need to co here himself.
He probably wanted to resolve things before they got even more out of hand, whether through negotiation or force.
“It’s the Iron Fist Gang.”
“Oh, you’re right! It really is the Iron Fist Gang!”
Manager Choi was nodding his head like a broken machine. It seed like his brain wasn’t working well after the torture he endured.
I slowly stood up and pulled out a rifle from the golf bag.
“Let’s go. Let’s at least hear what they have to say.”
“But sir, what if Kim Chulkwon snaps and starts shooting—”
“Shooting? Here? I doubt it. And even if he does, I’m not just going to stand there and take it.”
I gave the rifle a firm tap, and only then did Manager Choi’s face show so relief.
The truth is, Kim Chulkwon was already overextending himself by showing up here. This place was within the police patrol zone. Just coming here heavily ard would already raise red flags. If he opened fire here?
He wasn’t running a nationwide gang, after all. He was a local thug in Sillim-dong. Picking a fight with the police would be suicidal.
Even if the cops were incompetent, they could easily crush a small gang like the Iron Fist Gang.
Click.
I switched on the lights in the labor office and walked into the lobby.
Sitting down where the receptionist usually sat, I kept my eyes on the entrance.
Manager Choi stood by the door, glancing nervously back at .
“Sh-should I open the door?”
“Wait.”
I paused to think.
It was obvious why Kim Chulkwon brought his gang here in force.
He wanted to appear intimidating.
He was wary of , and this was his way of showing it.
So, what I needed to do now was put on a little show—just enough to convey strength and violence. Sothing that would make him think twice about crossing .
‘Ti to channel my inner Guan Yu.’ (TL Note: Guan Yu is known for enduring great physical pain and displaying superhuman levels of endurance and stoicism.)
Rip!
I tore off the left sleeve of my tracksuit.
The blood-soaked bandage that had been stuck to my arm also ca off, revealing my battered shield beneath it.
The thing was practically in tatters, full of shrapnel from the rocket blast.
‘This thing’s done for.’
The protective armor underneath wasn’t in much better shape. It was full of holes and tears. Repairing it would probably cost more than buying a new one.
Finally, my left arm was exposed.
It looked terrible, swollen and covered in dark bruises, as if a tiger had bitten and thrashed it around.
I bit my lip and activated Black Fla.
Black flas started to dance around , swirling like dark flower petals in the air.
The stage was set.
“I’m opening the door now!”
Manager Choi unlocked the door.
Clack. Rattle!
The steel door slid up, and the humid night air flooded in like a wave.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Kim Chulkwon strode in without hesitation.
“Wait, hold on a second!”
Manager Choi tried to stop him, but was promptly ignored.
Several n followed closely behind Kim Chulkwon, likely his lieutenants.
That’s when I made my move.
I had already prepared a dagger, the cursed one with the faint purple glow of its magical circle.
Without a second thought, I drove it deep into my left arm.
Thunk!
An explosion of pain shot through
like lightning.
I gritted my teeth to keep from screaming.
‘I am Guan Yu!’
I repeated to myself over and over.
If not for the Endurance trait, I would’ve passed out from the sheer agony.
I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my jaw, then dragged the blade down my arm.
Shhhkk!
I must have hit sothing important because blood sprayed out in a long arc.
The blood splattered across the ceiling and floor, turning them a dark crimson.
So much blood ca out that so of it even sprayed in front of Kim Chulkwon as he approached.
The blood ford a sort of line, like a warning not to co any closer.
“Hm…”
Kim Chulkwon let out a groan as he ca to a halt.
One of the n who had followed him snorted dismissively.
“Look at this guy, putting on a show. What’s next? Gonna slit your belly and pull out your guts? All this just for cutting your arm?”
What was the point?
I set the dagger down on the counter, shoved my fingers into the wound, and grabbed hold of the shrapnel embedded in my arm.
With a sharp yank, I pulled it out.
Pluck!
Blood splattered, along with bits of flesh and a jagged piece of tal.
The n behind Kim Chulkwon went pale.
I flicked my fingers.
Clink!
The piece of shrapnel hit the tile floor with a tallic clang.
Their gazes followed the shrapnel, then quickly darted back to .
No one said a word.
All their eyes were glued to the sight of
cutting open my own arm and pulling out shards of tal.
“Ugh, ugh!”
The man who had mocked
earlier turned green and bolted for the door.
Can you bla him?
Imagine it.
Under the cold, fluorescent lights, a guy wrapped in black flas, casually slicing his own arm open to dig out shrapnel.
Is that a human or a demon?
I shrugged my shoulders and chuckled.
“Looks like one of your guys is a bit jumpy, Mr. Kim. Maybe tell him to watch a few horror movies.”
“Huff…”
Kim Chulkwon ran a hand through his hair, clearly annoyed.
“Get out.”
He muttered.
“B-but, boss!”
“Leave us!”
“B-but—”
“Do I have to spell it out for you morons? You’re no help right now, so go out there and keep the rest of the boys in line. Got it?”
“Y-yes, boss!”
“Understood!”
The remaining n fled without further protest.
Though their faces were pale, their expressions showed clear relief at being dismissed.
Kim Chulkwon sighed and muttered under his breath.
“What the hell am I supposed to do with idiots like that?”
You tell .
Your face isn’t exactly brimming with confidence either, buddy.
I smirked and flexed my fist.
The pain was still there, but the foreign sensation that had been bothering
was gone.
The shrapnel in my arm had all been removed.
The muscle and flesh were still a mangled ss, but with enough ti, I could heal it with Wound Recovery and Regeneration.
“Manager Choi, co here for a second.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Manager Choi quickly scurried over like a well-trained soldier.
Without hesitation, I handed him the cursed dagger and pointed to a swollen spot on my back.
“Cut here and remove the rest of the shrapnel.”
“W-what? ? This should be done by a doctor!”
“You just need to get the shrapnel out. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“But, sir…”
“It’s fine.”
“But, but what about sterilization?”
“Sterilization? I’ve survived worse. Just do it.”
My vision was starting to blur, and my body felt sluggish.
It was like trying to run a high-speed internet connection on a dial-up modem.
The curse was to bla.
A low-level curse, mind you.
Normally, it would just make
a little slower. But during a fight, it could be fatal.
“Hrgh… hrgh…”
Manager Choi’s nervous breathing brushed against my back.
“Sh-should I start?”
“Two centiters lower.”
“H-here?”
“Move it half a centiter to the right. Yes, right there. Now, cut about three centiters deep and feel around for the shrapnel.”
“Huff… okay…”
Poke!
Manager Choi hesitantly pierced my back.
“Well done. Now find the shrapnel and pull it out.”
“Ugh… what am I doing…”
Despite his grumbling, Manager Choi was surprisingly competent.
When using his fingers didn’t work, he fetched a pair of tweezers from sowhere and began fishing for the shrapnel.
Clink!
He dropped the shard into a tal dish and exhaled in relief.
But the job wasn’t done yet.
“There are five more. Please keep going.”
“What? Oh… alright.”
Having done it once, he quickly beca more skilled at cutting open my back.
And at that mont, the strange tingling sensation faded away.
Acquired trait: [Curse Resistance].
Just a few more to go.
With enough poison resistance, curse resistance, and other status effect resistances, I could unlock a combined trait.
The [Unyielding] trait.
I let Manager Choi work on my back while I turned my head to face Kim Chulkwon.
He was trying to act nonchalant.
But his body betrayed him.
His pupils were shaking like crazy.
“Now, Mr. Kim… what brings you here?”
“Ah.”
Kim Chulkwon snapped out of his daze.
“First, I’d like to extend my respect for what you did to the Dagger Gang. Those vermin were a blight on this city—leeches, a social cancer. The number of people who shed tears of blood because of them… Well, you could fill dozens of trucks with them. Warrior Kim, you didn’t just eliminate them; you saved countless lives.”
He said it like he wasn’t part of the sa rotten underworld.
Sure, the Dagger Gang was more ruthless, but it wasn’t like Kim Chulkwon and his crew were saints. It was the classic case of the pot calling the kettle black.
“There’s no need to flatter . They ca after
first, so I dealt with them. If the Dagger Gang hadn’t made a move against , I wouldn’t have had any reason to retaliate.”
“Retaliate if provoked… And what are your plans moving forward?”
“Sa thing. I’m not looking for a fight. I’ve got plenty to do as it is. As long as no one crosses , I won’t cause any trouble.”
I was being blunt, practically laying my cards on the table.
Kim Chulkwon nodded slowly, his expression heavy.
“But there’s one matter I’d like to discuss. It’s sothing that needs to be clarified, or it’ll lead to problems down the line.”
“What exactly are you talking about?”
“The territory the Dagger Gang left behind. Do you have no interest in it? Normally, you’d be entitled to at least half of it, given how much you contributed. But, as you can imagine, my crew also took quite a hit during this. My n are already grumbling about their share.”
Huh?
What was he talking about? I thought I made it clear—I didn’t want any of their territory. Yet here he was, talking like I was gunning for a piece of the pie.
I stared at Kim Chulkwon directly, and he t my gaze, his eyes full of tension.
Why was he acting like this?
After thinking it over, it hit .
Kim Chulkwon was scared.
He was afraid that I might dive into the underworld, seize control of the Dagger Gang’s territory, and eventually dominate Sillim-dong or even the whole of Gwanak-gu.
How ridiculous.
Was that what he thought I was after? A turf war? Taking over the criminal underworld?
They say the world you see reflects who you are. A crook sees crooks everywhere.
I needed to put his mind at ease. But I’d have to speak his language—the language of soone deeply entrenched in the underworld.
“I don’t need any of it.”
I cut him off bluntly.
“I’m not interested in territorial disputes, and I have no plans to get involved in your world. I’m not here to play gang leader.”
“…Really?”
Kim Chulkwon’s relief was evident, though his pride seed bruised.
“But…”
I continued.
“I did play a major role in this. So, instead of staking a claim to the territory, I have two simple requests.”
“Go ahead.”
Kim Chulkwon eyed
warily, clearly expecting sothing significant.
I paused for effect before speaking.
“First, let’s consider the debt I owed you settled. With this, I’ve repaid you in full. If anything, you’ve co out on top. You’ve beco the undisputed boss of Sillim-dong now.”
“Fair enough. I accept.”
He agreed readily.
“And second, I’d like one thing in return. Just one.”
Kim Chulkwon narrowed his eyes, waiting for
to continue.
I took my ti before dropping my request.
“A house. I want a house.”
“A house?”
Kim Chulkwon blinked, confused.
“Yeah. Doesn’t matter if it’s a detached ho or a comrcial building, as long as it’s secure and soundproof. Also, I want you to handle any tenants living there—clear it out for .”
“Secure and soundproof… Hm. Maybe a basent training area, too?”
“Exactly.”
If a superhuman, especially one from the warrior class, could choose their ideal ho, what would it be?
An apartnt? A penthouse?
The answer was simple: a detached house.
Preferably with a secret underground training room. At the very least, it needed to have a space for physical training. Every warrior needed a dojo, every reinforced fighter a workshop, every mage a lab, and every priest a chapel. That was common sense.
I realized this after seeing Seo Woojin’s underground training room.
Up until now, I’d relied on brute force to get stronger, but things were different moving forward.
I needed to master the Mountain Breaking Sword Art and hone my mana techniques.
For that, I needed a dedicated training space.
Kim Chulkwon was silent for a mont, clearly mulling things over. He probably hadn’t fully assessed the Dagger Gang’s assets yet, so he was ntally going through his own properties.
It wouldn’t be a comrcial building.
He wasn’t about to hand over a rental property bringing in steady cash, was he?
In the end, there was only one realistic option.
The first hideout you’re given in Arcane Seoul.
A detached house in the mountains, near a police station, secluded enough that the land and property prices were relatively low.
After a mont, Kim Chulkwon finally spoke, his voice asured.
“As long as security and soundproofing are all you care about, there’s a place that cos to mind. You don’t mind if it’s a little out of the way, do you?”
“Not at all. In fact, I prefer sowhere quiet, with minimal foot traffic.”
“Then I have just the place.”
Kim Chulkwon’s eyes twitched slightly, probably from a mix of relief and annoyance.
Was he happy?
Probably. Instead of losing half the Dagger Gang’s territory, he was getting off with just a house.
But he’d soon find out why that house was given to players as their first base in Arcane Seoul.
Of course, he wouldn’t know that.
“Would you like to see it? It’s on the outskirts of Sillim-dong, along the ridge of Geonwoobong Mountain. It’s not a large house, but it’s quiet, and there’s a police station nearby. It’s perfect for training and solitude. I think you’ll like it.”
Bingo.
–TL Notes–
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