Reinforcing Kim Chulkwon — Part 2
The gun felt light.
Despite weighing over 5 kilograms, it felt as light as a feather.
By the time I emptied the last magazine, even the recoil felt faint.
Acquired the trait: [Rapid Fire]
The final piece for a gunman was now in place.
No need to waste time.
I immediately combined the traits.
[Shoot], [Aim], [Sniper]
[Gunplay], [Rapid Reload], [Rapid Fire]
It didn’t take long—just a few seconds at most.
It was similar to close combat in many ways.
For a gunman, these traits were both powerful active and passive skills as well as character-enhancing perks.
That’s why the game developers lumped them into traits. Beyond the basic traits, they couldn’t easily differentiate between skills and talents.
As I nodded in satisfaction, a loud noise rang out.
Riiiiing!
A classic, almost cliché, phone ring.
The sound was coming from a small table positioned just behind where Go Junbeom had been standing.
On it was a smartphone, vibrating and ringing noisily.
I picked up the phone and spoke to Kim Chulkwon.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? Oh, yes!”
The lobby was a scene of utter carnage.
What I had destroyed wasn’t just the Iron Fist Gang.
I had also made sure every internal CCTV camera ate a bullet.
This ensured that no one outside could learn about what had happened inside.
After grabbing the smartphone, I headed not for the main entrance but the back exit.
The Iron Fist Gang’s base served as the second stronghold in the game.
While all 10 floors weren’t fully realized, the first floor and the living quarters on the 10th floor had been meticulously designed.
I was familiar with the layout, which allowed me to quickly reach the locked security door that served as the back exit.
“I’ll open it…”
Boom!
I fired the shotgun at the security door.
The thick steel door stood no chance against the impact shotgun shells.
It was torn apart, crumbling like sand.
Kim Chulkwon stared blankly at the destroyed door.
“You’re… quite direct.”
“We don’t have time.”
I stepped outside immediately.
The area behind the building was a parking lot.
Rows of luxurious cars and motorcycles stretched out before us.
“Oh!”
Kim Chulkwon’s previously lifeless face lit up with excitement.
“They’re all intact!”
“Is that so? Where are the keys?”
“They’re all biometric. Should I activate them?”
“Just two motorcycles. We need to get as far away from here as possible.”
Kim Chulkwon quickly activated two motorcycles.
They were top-of-the-line models, screaming wealth even at a glance.
Vroooom!
With the roar of the engines, we sped away from the Iron Fist Gang’s base through an underground escape route.
The back exit doubled as an emergency exit and escape tunnel.
Once we emerged back onto the surface, I came to a stop and pulled out the smartphone.
It wasn’t mine but the one I had taken from the Iron Fist Gang’s base.
“What’s this?”
Feigning irritation in my voice, I waited.
A sinister chuckle echoed from the other end of the line.
[Did you enjoy my gift?]
“A gift?”
[Yes. You must’ve received a very warm welcome earlier. Judging by the silence now, I assume you handled things quite decisively.]
The voice.
Low, grumbling, and unmistakably memorable.
Bomber.
I quietly swapped my traits.
[Track] activated, and a red arrow materialized in midair.
“Who are you?”
[Does that even matter? What matters is that by this time next year, you’ll be dead. Say hello to your funeral day, you bastard. My brother will be waiting for you in hell!]
That was the last thing he said.
With a near-snarling tone, the call ended, and then—
BOOOOM!
The explosion erupted from the Iron Fist Gang’s base.
Flames shot skyward, and the 10-story building was consumed in an inferno, sending shockwaves in every direction.
The Iron Fist Gang’s headquarters was obliterated.
The blast originated from the first floor, but the damage didn’t stop there.
The entire structure was compromised. Glass windows shattered, steel beams warped, and with a creaking, groaning sound, the building began to collapse.
Kim Chulkwon stared blankly at the crumbling structure.
“The… the Iron Fist Tower… My building…”
“Snap out of it! Run!”
“Yes, sir! Yes!”
Though we were a safe distance away, you could never be too sure.
The collapsing tower might still reach us.
I yanked the throttle on the motorcycle.
VROOOOM!
The bike surged forward, rapidly picking up speed as it zoomed onto the road.
I followed the glowing arrow ahead, chasing it down at full speed.
“Sir! Superhuman! Where are we going?”
Kim Chulkwon shouted from behind, but I ignored him.
Using the driving and riding traits, I maneuvered swiftly through the dark streets.
‘By now, Bomber should know we’re alive.’
Smashing the CCTV cameras and using the underground tunnel to escape had thrown him off for a moment.
But that victory would be fleeting.
Now, he’d be focusing on me and Kim Chulkwon, planning his next move.
Whether to flee, counterattack, or both.
As I reached this line of thought, a sharp tension gripped the back of my neck.
[Sixth Sense], [Danger Sense], and [Insight] screamed warnings in unison.
In an instant, I leaned low, pressing my body against the bike.
The motorcycle practically hugged the ground as its engine roared at maximum output.
VROOOOM!
Swerving across the centerline, I wove through the oncoming cars, narrowly avoiding collision.
Honk! Honk! Beep beep!
Car horns blared as something streaked toward me.
A burst of fire.
Or perhaps a white trail.
The projectile struck the car I had just passed.
BOOOOM!
The deafening explosion launched the car vertically, flames consuming it entirely.
A moment later, the vehicle detonated, scattering fiery debris in all directions.
‘A rocket!’
I lifted my gaze, scanning the area ahead.
There, a 20-story commercial building loomed in the distance.
The rocket had been launched from its rooftop.
I squinted, activating [Bright Eyes] and [Sensitivity], while using the magnification function of my goggles.
It felt like I was standing on the rooftop myself.
Two men came into view.
The stout, round-faced man with a short build.
And in stark contrast, the tall, scrawny man who looked as thin as a bamboo pole.
Bomber and Demolition Specialist.
Both were holding rocket launchers.
Whoosh!
The second attack came immediately.
Once again, I swerved the motorcycle to dodge it.
The third attack followed, then the fourth, and the one after that—all dodged in the same way.
“Ahhh!”
“A terrorist attack!”
“Somebody help!”
“Run! Get out of here!”
The road had descended into chaos.
People fled in panic, and cars began driving in reverse to escape.
It was a good thing I had my goggles on beforehand.
If my face had been recognized, it would’ve been a serious headache.
Screeeech!
Arriving at the building where the two were waiting, I pulled to a stop.
Kim Chulkwon, now wearing a mask, joined me as we headed up to the rooftop.
Not by elevator, but through the emergency stairs.
Using [Detection] and [Insight], I noticed there were others hiding in the vicinity besides the brothers.
Just as I was about to charge in, Kim Chulkwon couldn’t hold back his question.
“Superhuman, isn’t this a trap too?”
“Of course it’s a trap.”
“What? Then, is it really okay to charge in like this?”
“Better than letting them escape. Oh, and you stay here. Wait until things quiet down before coming in. I’ll be fine, but you could die.”
“U-Understood.”
BOOM!
I blasted the rooftop door open and stormed inside.
Immediately, searing flames and crackling lightning struck at me.
It was similar to what had happened with Human Hunter.
Back then, it had been an earth magic trap. This time, Bomber had set a fire magic trap, while Demolition Specialist had set an electric magic trap.
Naturally, neither had any effect on me.
Thanks to [Magic Resistance].
“Kill him!”
“Die, you bastard!”
“We’ve been waiting for this!”
Gunfire erupted from behind steel barricades.
A mounted machine gun—12.7mm caliber.
The heavy rounds hammered against my mana shield as if trying to tear it apart.
At the same time, a poisonous magical mist that even ignored flames spread through the air, and a bizarre shadow tried to suppress my mind.
But I remained unharmed.
[Diamond Body], [Poison Resistance], [Resolve].
If I had one more trait slot, I would’ve added [Drug Resistance] as well, but I needed the mana shield and [Einherjar Cultivation Technique], so I couldn’t spare it.
Even so, this setup was more than enough.
Since precision wasn’t needed, I carefully aimed the shotgun and fired one shot at a time.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
“Gahhh!”
“Urgh!”
“Guhhh!”
The screams of Superhumans echoed as they fell.
This time, I used [Enchanted Ammo].
The magically enhanced bullets pierced through the steel barricades and struck the Superhumans behind them.
While the enchanted bullets couldn’t penetrate more than two walls, this was the perfect spot to use them.
The Poison Gang executive who had been spewing poison collapsed on the spot, and the Naked Gang executive who had been trying to brainwash me foamed at the mouth.
The regular gang members didn’t even need mentioning.
“That’s the Dasan Shotgun!”
Bomber’s eyes widened in alarm.
At Level 3, he was able to resist the effects of enchanted bullets.
Click.
In a flash, I replaced the magazine and switched out my traits.
[Gunman], [Einherjar Cultivation Technique], [Mana Shield].
[Magic Resistance], [Insight], [Sixth Sense].
At that moment, a dark shadow descended from above.
It came from the structure connected to the rooftop door, right over my head.
“Die!”
The elongated steel fingers gleamed sharply.
It was a prosthetic I had seen before—Poison Gang’s Steel Scorpion.
The same one I had yanked off after the idiot had dared to flip me off. Now it was painted a sickly green and aimed right at my face.
Too bad I had already spotted it through [Detection] before coming in.
While it wasn’t as perfect as [X-Ray Vision], it showed silhouettes clearly enough.
Without flinching, I swung my shotgun.
The ebony stock struck the descending steel fingers, knocking them aside.
Steel Scorpion’s eyes widened in shock.
With a precise half-spin, the barrel of my shotgun aimed directly between her eyebrows.
“Goodbye.”
BOOM!
Moments later, the headless corpse fell to its knees.
“Brother! Run!”
Demolition Specialist lunged at me, wielding a sharp skewer.
It glinted with a cruel, eerie light.
A cursed magic blade imbued with a blinding curse.
For a moment, I considered drawing my Black Tiger Sword but decided it wasn’t worth humoring him.
Instead, I swapped out [Magic Resistance] for [Rapid Fire], took advantage of both [Gunman] and [Rapid Fire] buffs, and unloaded the shotgun.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Demolition Specialist was reduced to nothing more than chunks of meat.
In his last desperate act, he attempted to throw a magical vial, but even that shattered mid-air from the impact shells, spilling viscous liquid over the chunks of his remains.
I watched as the liquid began to wriggle and transform, my gaze contemplative.
‘Demolition Specialist was an expert in cultivating bacteria.’
Just like Human Hunter had specialized in drugs.
The three brothers truly were a gift that kept on giving.
Just as the eldest had provided me with numerous traits and loot, the youngest seemed set to offer me Disease Resistance and Indomitable traits.
‘But before that…’
I opened my golf bag and pulled out a sniper rifle.
Not just any rifle—the Dasan Sniper Rifle.
Around that time, Kim Chulkwon finally made his way up to the rooftop, stepping past the shattered door.
“Is it over?”
“No.”
I lifted my head, scanning the skyline between the buildings.
A short, stocky figure clad in a wingsuit was fleeing, using a mana propulsion device to boost his escape.
“You’ll see!”
Bomber shouted, clearly thinking he’d put enough distance between us.
“I swear, I’ll get my revenge! By the fires of Shiva, I’ll bury you in flames and bombs! I’ll scatter your ashes before my brothers’ spirits and bring them peace!”
If it were me, I’d be using this time to get even farther away, instead of wasting it on threats.
I raised the Dasan Sniper Rifle and brought the scope to my eye.
Even at over a kilometer away, Bomber appeared small in the scope’s view.
This required something beyond simple sniping skills.
[Gunman], [Sniper], [Aim]
[Focus], [Insight], [Sixth Sense]
My concentration soared sharply.
Transcendent senses honed in entirely on the scope.
The world within the scope seemed to expand, pulling me in.
Bomber, who had looked like a mere dot before, now filled my vision, magnified as if he were the entire world.
Did he sense something?
Bomber turned his head, looking back.
In that moment, even the strands of his eyebrows and the overly large pores on his face imprinted vividly on my mind.
I held my breath and pulled the trigger.
KABOOM!
The signature report of the Dasan Sniper Rifle roared.
The bullet cut through 1,500 meters of air in an instant.
The projectile’s trajectory, tracing a perfect line, intersected with Bomber’s flight path.
The result?
BOOOOM!
The explosives Bomber was carrying detonated as they collided with the impact round, triggering a violent explosion.
Flames painted the sky a blazing red.
I wouldn’t be able to collect any loot, but letting him live would’ve been far worse.
With a cold expression, I packed up the sniper rifle.
“Ugh, ugh…”
“Where… am I…”
Just then, the Poison Gang and Naked Gang executives began regaining consciousness.
I didn’t bother showing mercy—I shot them on the spot.
This time, I used regular bullets, not impact rounds or enchanted ones.
That was all it took.
The dozens of Superhumans who had ambushed me on the rooftop, lying in wait to fight me, were completely annihilated.
“Haaah.”
Kim Chulkwon, who had been observing, shook his head in disbelief.
“Superhuman, you are truly terrifying. Even a Level 5 Superhuman couldn’t pull this off.”
“Combat strength doesn’t scale directly with level. Keep that in mind.”
“I’ve learned that the hard way. To be honest, I got complacent after reaching Level 3, and that’s how I ended up in this mess.”
“Complacency is the worst enemy of all.”
I took a moment to survey the area.
The city was burning.
Wee-oo, wee-oo, wee-oo.
Given this was within the jurisdiction of law enforcement, fire trucks and police cars were already racing toward the scene in the distance.
If we got caught here, it would spell trouble in more ways than one.
I hurriedly rummaged through Demolition Specialist’s belongings and grabbed a few vials. Then, I turned to Kim Chulkwon.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Yes, Superhuman.”
VROOOOM!
We returned to the Iron Fist Gang’s territory.
A place outside the reach of the authorities, a neglected world.
Even though a 10-story building had exploded, this was a zone where the residents of the studio apartments were left to clean up the mess themselves.
“Sigh…”
Kim Chulkwon stared at the collapsed building with a conflicted expression.
At least it had fallen straight down on its footprint.
If it had toppled sideways, there would’ve been hundreds of casualties.
“What will you do now?”
“What should I do…”
Kim Chulkwon mumbled with a dazed look.
After experiencing something like this, retiring would be understandable.
But, just as in the game, Kim Chulkwon would follow the path laid out for him and reach a conclusion.
Soon enough, he let out a short cry.
“My brother!”
Fortunately, Kim Chulkwon’s brother was found in a hidden safe house.
Each of the three executives had been given a different safe house’s location.
In this case, the one who hadn’t betrayed him had hidden Kim Chulkwon’s brother there.
“Brother! You’re alive!”
“Minseok! Hey! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Brother!”
Had the attackers focused all their efforts on Kim Chulkwon?
Or had they deliberately held back, intending to use his brother as leverage if things went south?
Whatever the case, the final executive and Kim Chulkwon’s brother were unharmed.
Kim Chulkwon wept as he hugged the executive and his brother, who was still in a vegetative state.
“It’s okay… It’s really okay. Thank God… Thank God…”
That evening, Kim Chulkwon came to see me.
He knelt before me with a serious expression and asked,
“Superhuman, how can I become stronger?”
–TL Notes–
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