Cleaner Association — Part 3
Bang!
A gunshot pierced the air.
The thugs kneeling and lying face down flinched.
I tapped the butt of the rifle I was holding against the floor.
“If you don’t want to die, stay quiet.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“Please, don’t shoot!”
“How many times do I have to say it? As long as you behave, I won’t kill you.”
I leaned against the wall and waited.
Before long, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs.
Led by Kim Chulkwon, the Iron Fist Gang members rushed down in a group.
“Hmm!”
Kim Chulkwon grimaced.
It wasn’t because of the huge guys I had forced to kneel.
It wasn’t even because of the superhuman of the Reinforced type who was likely an executive and whose head had been blown off by a slug round.
It was because of the children.
Steel bars filled the space around me, packed tight.
Inside each cage were children.
One had the eyes of a cat, while another had dog ears and a wagging tail. There was even a child whose entire body had been replaced with snake scales.
The result of body modification.
In a world where it’s common to modify your body to become stronger or enhance your abilities.
But forced body modification was blatantly illegal.
And even more so when it came to children, not adults.
“These are the kids?”
“Yes. Take them. And those bastards too.”
“These trashy scumbags…”
Kim Chulkwon growled, fire practically shooting from his eyes.
The subdued men trembled and pressed their heads to the floor.
Yet one of them still had the nerve to lift his head.
“If the… the Chairman of the Association finds out, you—”
Bang!
“Eeek!”
“H-Hah…”
He still hadn’t learned his lesson.
When I blew his head off on the spot, the others shrank back in terror.
Even the Iron Fist Gang members were visibly rattled, except for Kim Chulkwon, who stood tall, staring at me.
“Those without any value, just kill them if they start spewing nonsense. Only keep the ones who cooperate alive. It won’t matter after tomorrow anyway.”
“That’s true.”
Kim Chulkwon glared at the guards with a look of utter disgust.
“What are you standing around for? Tie those bastards up! Free the kids!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
The Iron Fist members quickly got to work.
They cuffed the subdued men and opened the cages.
As the children hesitated, they coaxed and comforted them, leading them outside.
I quietly called out to Kim Chulkwon.
“Boss, follow me.”
“Alright.”
The core facility of the Geonwoobong Forbidden Zone.
The body modification workshop was located in the deepest part.
I swiped the electronic key I’d taken from the dead executive, and the door beeped and opened.
Pop!
The lights automatically turned on, revealing the interior.
“Wow.”
Kim Chulkwon murmured in admiration.
It was understandable.
In the center was a massive glass cylinder.
To the right, an artificial biological growth facility.
To the left, a mechanical prosthetic assembly system.
And tying it all together was a giant magic array.
Pillars of light, which were mana-supply devices, lined the walls.
Woom, woom, woom.
The immense mana waves pulsed like a drumbeat, resonating deep in my chest.
Kim Chulkwon seemed to sense it too, licking his lips.
“They must’ve spent a fortune on this.”
“Right? So, what do you think? Pretty useful, huh?”
“More than just useful. With the right wizards and technomancers, you could use this to reach Level 3, maybe even higher.”
“If you can find them.”
The Cleaner Association didn’t have access to such wizards and technomancers.
Charon?
Unfortunately, his expertise lay elsewhere.
Modifying the facility to mass-produce necromantic prosthetics was an option, but…
That was far too risky.
“Perfect. I know a mage I’m on good terms with. I should contact him.”
“Are you planning to dismantle the facility and take it with you, or will you use it here?”
“I feel like you’re tempting me to go with the first option… But no. We’ll use it here. There’s no way we can dismantle all this in just one day.”
“It would be tough.”
“But my gang can’t directly get involved in any fighting. If we clash with the Cleaner Association, we’re finished.”
“I know. Just handle the cleanup.”
“Phew… Superhuman, you’re really something else. The first time I met you, I thought you were weaker than me.”
Kim Chulkwon glanced at me with a complicated expression.
This was our third time meeting.
Once after I fought Roe Deer, once after dealing with the Dagger Gang, and now here.
And each time, I’d grown stronger at an alarming rate.
Level 1, Level 2, and now close to Level 3, perhaps?
“Anyway, you’re sure you can win, right? If you lose, we’ll suffer a huge loss. You have to win.”
“Don’t worry. You have a Plan B, don’t you?”
“Well… yeah.”
“You’re only helping me because you know I don’t fight losing battles, right?”
“Actually, yes. You might look reckless on the surface, but you’re incredibly meticulous underneath. I sensed that from the first time we met.”
Kim Chulkwon smirked.
Then he pulled out an e-cigarette and took a long drag.
The mana glow flickered in his exhaled breath like fireflies.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“You’ve decided to make an enemy of the Cleaner Association, and you’re going all the way with it… I get that. But do you really need to go this far? I mean, you’re not going to gain much from taking them down. It’s not like you’re after any of their interests, and you’re not being hired by anyone. So why go through with this fight?”
His eyes were sharp and probing, seasoned with experience.
It made sense for Kim Chulkwon to question my motives.
Honestly, I could just run away.
The Cleaner Association’s influence only extended across the Seoul metropolitan area.
If I fled overseas, or even to Jeolla or Gyeongsang Province, they wouldn’t be able to do much.
At best, they’d send assassins after me.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Boss, your main priority is growing your organization, right?”
“Of course. The Iron Fist Gang is like an extension of myself.”
“I’m the same. Except, for me, it’s my personal power that takes priority. Just like other warriors.”
“Hmm…”
“Doesn’t it strike you as strange? How I’m getting stronger so quickly. I’m sure you’ve picked up on it by now.”
“Ah!”
Kim Chulkwon’s face lit up with understanding.
Why am I getting stronger? It’s because of my Blank Body and Trait Swap.
But Kim Chulkwon wouldn’t know that.
Instead, he’d probably think I have something like the [Genius] or [Heaven-Sent Star] traits—traits that increase experience gain in game terms.
And one common aspect of both traits?
You have to keep fighting to grow stronger quickly.
Kim Chulkwon nodded.
“Honestly, I’d figured as much.”
“You understand now why I’m determined to fight the Cleaner Association, right?”
“Absolutely, 100%. If I were in your shoes, I’d do the same.”
His expression was a mix of relief and awe.
He’d realized that whether I had the Genius trait or some kind of Heaven-Sent Star, I no longer saw him as prey.
Still, he had become much more cautious around me.
“I’ll get everything ready for the aftermath, assuming you’ll win.”
“It won’t take long.”
“Alright. I wish you the best of luck.”
Kim Chulkwon gave me a respectful nod before leaving the workshop.
I glanced around the room for a moment.
The faint light from the magic circle glowed against the gleaming metal equipment.
A scene where magic and science intertwined.
But the bloodstains splattered like smears over the facility cast a dark shadow over it all.
I shook my head once and stepped outside.
Work was already well underway outside.
“Yeah! Stack everything over there!”
“Boss! We’ve finished replacing the broken CCTV units!”
“They’re all connected! They can be controlled from the central control room now!”
“That’s not enough! I told you to install twice as many! How many times do I have to repeat myself?”
“We don’t have enough power for that!”
“That’s why I told you to bring the backup generators!”
“Boss! If we connect those too, the wiring’s going to overload! I’m telling you, we’ll have a fire in less than a month!”
“A month? Who cares! We just need it to last a week! Now shut up and connect them!”
Manager Choi was scrambling around, trying to install all the supplies I had ordered.
I’d drawn up the plans for him in advance, but it wasn’t something he could handle alone.
I stepped in to help direct the final steps.
“Move that crate to point A-9.”
“A-9… A-9, got it.”
“Superhuman! What about this one?”
“Pile that up near the entrance. I’ll handle the installation myself.”
In the end, I’d have to finish most of the work.
Manager Choi, who had been barking orders, walked over to me.
“Superhuman, will we be able to finish this by morning? You mentioned the regular report is due at 8 AM.”
“We’ll have to, one way or another.”
“Ugh…”
“And once the work is done, take those guys out to a bar or somewhere and let them drink themselves silly for a day.”
“That’s easy enough. I’ll make sure nothing leaks to the Association.”
“Thank you.”
When would the Cleaner Association make their move?
It would take them at least a few hours just to figure out the situation.
Gathering their scattered forces and calculating the time it would take them to get here from Gangseo District…
‘If they’re fast, by afternoon. If they’re slow, by night.’
The supplies had been delivered and set up.
The Iron Fist Gang and the laborers Manager Choi had brought were all gone, but there was no time to rest.
Now was the time to begin the real work.
“Ugh!”
I started laying traps.
I planted Claymores along the entryway, connecting them to tripwires.
The tripwires were rigged with grenades hanging from them.
Anti-personnel mines were also a must. I completely covered the restricted zone with a minefield.
In key areas, I set up machine guns and cannons, all connected to remote triggers.
The same went for rocket launchers and rapid-fire grenade launchers.
At the same time, I hid bugs and various sensors in spots ideal for cover and concealment…
“Phew!”
I wiped the sweat from my brow.
The [Crafting], [Modification], and [Repair] traits I had gained while digging through the Magic Spring had helped quite a bit.
I’d even enhanced the explosives a little to increase firepower.
Some of the gear I’d gotten through the back channels was faulty, too.
Once I finished covering the restricted area in Geonwoobong Mountain with traps, I gained a new trait.
[Trap]
With this trait, setting traps felt even easier.
They were more hidden, more precise—it was a nice bonus.
I even went over all the traps I had already set, tweaking and improving them.
It took a lot of time and I was drenched in sweat, but seeing the completed work gave me peace of mind.
Even from the outside, nothing looked suspicious.
Even to me, and I was the one who set everything up.
“Oh, right.”
Finally, I took the magic bath out of its packaging.
The same one I’d set up in my home.
I poured ten 20-liter jugs of water into it, a total of 200 liters.
The magic bath activated, heating the water.
After confirming that the gentle mana waves were spreading through the water, I quietly closed the lid.
The preparations were complete.
By now, dawn was breaking.
At the Cleaner Association, they’d be waiting for their regular morning reports.
For me, it was time for a well-earned break.
I headed over to the central control room in advance.
I activated all the CCTV cameras and checked the status of the bugs and sensors before reclining in a cheap chair and closing my eyes.
The calm before the storm.
Whether my preparations were sufficient or not would soon be clear from the results.
“Hmm.”
The top floor of the Cleaner Association’s headquarters, in the Chairman’s office.
Well, calling it an office was an understatement—it was more like a penthouse.
Chairman Park Daeyeop casually tossed his suit jacket aside.
Whirr.
A cleaning drone zipped over, catching the jacket and placing it in a garment care unit.
A machine so expensive that most ordinary people could never dream of using it, just like the ultra-expensive cleaning drone and the garment care unit enchanted with cleaning magic.
Feeling pleased, Park Daeyeop sank into his executive chair and reached out.
As if waiting for the motion, a luxurious magic cup slid across the desk into his hand.
“Heh heh heh.”
This is the life.
Looking out over the Seoul skyline every morning after coming into work.
The warm sunlight pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The classical music, tailored to his taste, softly playing in the background.
The bitter-sweet aroma of premium coffee that tingled on his tongue.
Finally, I’ve made it.
A sense of accomplishment welled up inside him, along with a burning desire to conquer even more.
“Hmph.”
He turned his head sharply toward the east, the direction he had to strain his neck to see.
There, towering buildings lined up, easily dwarfing the Cleaner Association’s headquarters.
At the peak of them all.
Far in the distance, rising as if it would pierce the heavens, stood the three-tower complex.
The Superhuman Tower in Songpa District, visible even from Gangseo.
Park Daeyeop’s eyes gleamed as he stared at it.
‘One day, I’ll get there.’
That was his ultimate goal in life.
To become the owner of the tallest building in Seoul, in Korea, in all of East Asia!
Whoever controls the Superhuman Tower controls Korea, isn’t that obvious?
Things had been getting a bit tangled lately, but Park Daeyeop still believed it was possible.
It was supposed to be another peaceful day.
That expectation shattered less than ten minutes after he arrived at the office.
“Chairman! Chairman! We have a problem!”
The door flew open, and the Head of Operations rushed in.
“What is it? What’s the problem?”
“Chairman! We’ve… we’ve been attacked!”
“What? Speak clearly! What’s going on?”
“Geonwoobong! You know, Geonwoobong!”
“Geonwoobong… Ah, that place! I know. What, it was attacked?”
The tension instantly drained from his body.
The muscles that had been coiled, ready to spring, relaxed, and his temporarily halted breathing resumed as normal.
Park Daeyeop waved dismissively, as if he didn’t care.
“Same as a few years ago. Some idiots probably went after the poppy fields again, right? Just send one of the directors—no, we don’t even need a director. Get the External Relations Department to hire some mercenaries and teach them a lesson.”
“Well, about that, Chairman…”
The Head of Operations swallowed nervously.
“We confirmed it through the local monitoring staff. It’s that guy who attacked.”
“That guy?”
“The one… the one who killed Director Charon at Landfill Site 1.”
Boom!
Park Daeyeop slammed his fist onto the desk.
The high-end executive desk, made of expensive hardwood and enchanted with various household spells, split cleanly in two.
“Why are you only telling me this now! That’s what you should’ve started with!”
“S-Sorry, sir.”
“That bastard! That damned bastard! Not only did he kill Charon, but now he’s taken Geonwoobong too? That son of a—”
Park Daeyeop was about to unleash a torrent of curses when he suddenly froze.
He blinked several times before turning to the secretary who had entered with the Head of Operations.
“Wait a minute. What exactly was at Geonwoobong? There was something important there aside from the poppy fields, wasn’t there?”
“Well, there’s the workshop where we make the goods we supply to Assemblyman Baek, and also the items we move through the black market.”
“Damn it!”
Park Daeyeop kicked the broken desk.
The wood splintered into pieces, scattering across the room.
“How the hell did you manage this! How could you let that bastard take Geonwoobong without even knowing?”
“We’re… still assessing the situation.”
“You idiot!”
Park Daeyeop clenched his fist, raising it as if to strike.
Just before he could swing, the secretary stepped forward and offered him an ultra-premium magic cigar, already lit.
Park Daeyeop bit down on it like he was chewing through his anger and blew out a cloud of smoke.
The cyan mana glow slashed across his face, but the Head of Operations didn’t dare to utter a word.
“What about the Vice Chairman and the other directors?”
“The Vice Chairman is away on a business trip in Daejeon, and Director Viper has already arrived at the office.”
“And Ebony?”
“Uh, still investigating. We’ve heard he went to a club last night…”
“Bring them in! Right now!”
Park Daeyeop roared at the top of his lungs.
“The Association is on the verge of collapse, and you’re telling me what? A club? A cluuuuub? Get the Vice Chairman, get all the directors, drag them here!”
“Should I call for the External Relations Department too?”
“Do I have to spell it out for you? Of course! Hire whatever mercenaries we can get, round up every member who’s sitting around doing nothing, gather them all! All of them!”
Park Daeyeop ground his teeth as he glared into the distance.
It was as if he could see the face of the person from the report in front of him.
“Warrior… Kim, was it?”
A kid with a scar on his right cheek.
An up-and-coming superhuman, huh?
But in the end, he’s still low-level.
At best, a Level 3. A brat who’s just now starting to be treated as a superhuman.
“I’ll kill him!”
With a loud crack, he crushed the cleaning drone that had been flying around tidying up the shattered desk.
The high-end piece of equipment was completely obliterated.
Crunch!
–TL Notes–
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