Chapter 51: The Unqualified (2)
Iron Instrunt God is a great craftsman.
The swords he forged were worthy of being called treasure blades and legendary swords.
On top of that, his obsession with perfection bordered on madness.
If even a single thing displeased him, he would lt it down in the fire again.
It was perhaps only natural that he would eventually ascend to a state where his skill in working iron was not unworthy of the title 'God' bestowed upon him.
The swords he crafted began to reign supre across the land.
As Iron Instrunt God entered his old age, he stopped giving his swords to just anyone.
His heart had shattered upon realizing that the blades he had hamred, heated, and honed were slaughtering the common people and turning the mountains and rivers of the martial world into seas of blood.
He even went so far as to buy back at several tis their worth the swords that had already been put into circulation.
Yet the more he did so, the more the martial artists who debated the fate of the land yearned to possess Iron Instrunt God's weapons.
His swords in particular were as though a soul had taken up residence within them.
They began to possess their own distinct characteristics, and the martial world classified them as Righteous Swords, Evil Swords, Vicious Swords, and Demon Swords.
Those distinctive swords were then subjected by certain sects and families to sorcery administered by shamans, which imbued them with special powers.
‘Calling Wind and Summoning Rain, Moving Mountains and Crossing Waters.’
aning: to summon wind and rain, to move mountains, and to cross great bodies of water.
Of course, achieving such power was only possible with weapons of the Peerless Divine Armant class, but swords made by Iron Instrunt God were, in later generations, classified as belonging to that very tier of Peerless Divine Armants.
Just like the White Tiger Sword.
The White Tiger Sword was not made by Iron Instrunt God.
The reason I did not use the White Tiger Sword was partly because it served to govern the five elents of my dicinal herb field.
But ordinary swords, no matter how well-crafted, could not withstand my ferocious poison energy.
After a fierce battle, the blades would corrode and lt without fail.
That was why I was fond of Iron Instrunt God's weapons.
Even the swords I had seized from enemies, the armants he had crafted held up against my poison energy.
He, who had refused to give his swords to just anyone, was ultimately killed by the Evil Path Alliance Leader.
Iron Instrunt God, who had vowed to forge swords only for those worthy.
He lived and died on his own terms.
And I never received a sword from him in the end.
* * *
In Japan, we booked two hotel rooms.
My mother, Bo-reum, and .
The mother and daughter, thrilled by their first trip abroad, couldn't fall asleep until late, and finally drifted off after midnight, starting with my tired mother.
I slipped out of the hotel.
The target: the Bureau of Disability. No—Jang Masayoshi's penthouse.
His penthouse had been featured in the dia a few tis, so I could find out where it was.
"Wow…… This is basically a fortress."
It looked like an impregnable castle.
He was hailed as a hero in Japan, but in Korea he was a traitor and a rebel.
The internet was overflowing with posts threatening to kill him.
A twenty-story building.
The entire building existed solely for one man—Jang Masayoshi.
A fitness center, a martial arts training room, a dining hall, and a laundry room.
The dozen-or-so guards and dozens of surveillance caras could be evaded with the Dark Moon Mask, but—
The problem was his penthouse on the top floor.
The elevator, the only ans of entry and exit, could only be opened using Jang Masayoshi's fingerprint and iris recognition—and to make matters worse, it was even equipped with a weight sensor.
If anyone other than Jang Masayoshi sneaked aboard, an alarm would imdiately sound and police along with Japan's Gukmubon climbers would be dispatched.
"He's quite the coward."
Even with the Dark Moon Mask to sneak in, getting past the elevator was going to be difficult.
Next was the ergency stairwell.
The staircase was secured by triple iron doors, fortified to the level of a bank vault.
Even if one managed to cut through or lt the triple iron doors with poison, the guards protecting them had to be dealt with first.
But those guards were fitted with biotric sensors, so if they died or lost consciousness, an alarm would sound imdiately.
"What to do about this……"
I observed his penthouse carefully for a while but ended up having to return to the hotel without any useful gains.
I had done so research before coming, but it seed I would need to think a bit harder about the thod.
The following day.
Our family's sightseeing continued.
We visited a Tokyo amusent park, put on adorable rabbit-character headbands, and took photos.
Seeing my family laugh and chatter ward my heart, yet my mind was filled with nothing but that penthouse.
The trip itinerary: five nights, six days. The second night was growing late.
Only four more days until the return flight.
Feeling restless, I went to the hotel lounge.
I didn't particularly enjoy drinking, but I thought I'd at least take in the Tokyo night view.
"One whiskey, please."
I ordered the drink—which I had no intention of actually consuming—in simple Japanese and settled into a seat in the lounge, when—
"Those Gukmubon bastards……!"
A furious Chief Han entered with her aides in tow.
"Give sothing strong."
It seed their negotiations hadn't gone well for them, either.
"So the strategy for the top floor, 21st floor—leaked after all."
"That was our best bargaining chip. What do we do now?"
An aide asked her with a worried look.
"We'll have to use Plan B."
Plan B, huh. What could that be?
Chief Han asked her aide,
"Jang Ae-guk, that bastard—you said he's infatuated with an entertainer in Ginza, right?"
"Yes. Apparently he's been showering her with jewels and money."
"The wretched man. When he was in Korea, too, he was always making passes at entertainers like that."
"In Japan, word has spread, so even entertainers won't have anything to do with him, apparently. There are also rumors he's connected to a disappearance case."
"That's exactly like Jang Ae-guk."
She knocked back her strong drink and spoke in a low voice.
"You made contact with the Ginza entertainer, yes? What does she say?"
"She says she'll cooperate with us."
"It can't have been easy. Good work."
"A friend of the entertainer apparently visited Jang Ae-guk's penthouse and has been unreachable ever since."
"He got rid of her?"
"It would seem so…… But we don't know the details. Japan's Gukmubon is keeping a lid on the information."
"That's surely what happened. Alright—since the entertainer says she wants revenge for her friend, this couldn't be more convenient for us."
"Yes."
Chief Han's eyes glead.
"When is the entertainer going to the penthouse?"
"Tomorrow."
"If the entertainer goes, the elevator weight sensor will be switched off, then."
"That is correct."
Chief Han nodded and asked again,
"Can she steal the Iron Instrunt God sword and get it out?"
"It seems worth a try."
"And the ans of getting out?"
"We've made samples using the fingerprint and iris data of Jang Ae-guk we have in our possession. Using these to ride the elevator down to the laundry room should do it."
It appeared that there was an informant within Jang Masayoshi's laundry room who had been cooperating with the Korean Gukmubon.
The implication was that this person would smuggle it outside.
Chief Han, reviewing the plan, couldn't conceal the unease on her face.
"It might be too difficult alone."
"In addition to her, one other entertainer has agreed to go along. She's our Gukmubon operative whom we placed in advance."
"That's true, but…… It's still too dangerous."
Chief Han rubbed her chin.
The deliberation continued for so ti, and when she had made up her mind, she opened her mouth.
"I'll go myself."
"What? Chief Han! Jang Ae-guk knows who you are."
"I'll wear a Human Skin Mask. I'll infiltrate posing as one of the other entertainers."
"It's dangerous. Even with a Human Skin Mask—"
"If another operative goes, they could end up dead. I'll be fine."
"Still, if we could reconsider just one more ti—"
"I'll be fine. I'll approach him when he's thoroughly drunk. I know his behavior when he drinks well. My Japanese is good, too."
"……"
"Just get a dress ready. Sothing sexy."
Gulp.
She knocked back another strong drink.
Chief Han didn't know.
That from a corner seat, I was curling the corners of my mouth into a smile.
* * *
The following day.
I returned to the hotel room carrying an armful of shopping bags.
My mother and Bo-reum clapped their hands and delighted over the newly purchased clothes.
Bo-reum seed to have grown a bit more accustod to shopping, but my mother still appeared visibly uncomfortable with the act of spending money.
I had forced myself to pay, threatening 'If you don't wear them, I'll donate every last one', and had barely managed to give them to her as gifts.
"Then get so rest. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow."
"Alright, Tae-yang. Thank you so much."
"Don't ntion it."
I closed the door.
And imdiately headed for Jang Masayoshi's penthouse.
Wearing the Dark Moon Mask, I hid in advance near the elevator in the underground parking lot of the penthouse and waited.
Around one in the morning.
Screech—
A top-of-the-line German luxury sedan arrived, and Jang Masayoshi stepped out with a woman on each arm.
One of them was Chief Han.
Jang Masayoshi, thoroughly drunk, failed to recognize Chief Han despite her heavy makeup layered over the Human Skin Mask.
"Yeah, yeah! Mmm. Smooch smooch smooch."
Masayoshi, his lips heavy with the scent of alcohol, attempted to press them against Chief Han's cheek.
Chief Han, her expression stiff, dodged the man's lips.
"Hey, hey! What's the matter! I'm Masayoshi! The nation's hero."
"Ho ho ho."
"Rejecting the kiss of a hero!"
"……"
"How incredibly charming."
"Ho ho ho……"
What a ridiculous scene.
Zzzt—
Jang Masayoshi's fingerprint and iris were recognized, and the elevator doors opened.
I slipped swiftly inside.
I looked at the weight sensor.
Damn!
Only the alarm was disabled—the weight itself was still being asured!
Two hundred and eighty kilograms.
Even accounting for the hefty Jang Masayoshi, there was absolutely no way three people—including slender won—could be read as this weight.
Blast!
Jang Masayoshi reached out toward the elevator button.
The display above the button flashed the figure of two hundred and eighty kilograms.
"Oh my! Where is our great hero putting his hands."
A coquettish voice followed.
It was Chief Han.
"Heh heh heh."
Jang Masayoshi's gaze shifted back to Chief Han.
Click—
The button was pressed, and the elevator rose toward the penthouse.
Phew.
I had broken out in a cold sweat worrying Jang Masayoshi might turn his gaze to the weight display—barely managing to calm down.
Of course, there had been a thod.
To knock everyone out on the spot, then use the man's fingerprint and iris to ascend to the penthouse.
That would expose Chief Han's identity and put her in danger, but I had decided to figure that out when the ti ca.
The mont the doors opened, Jang Masayoshi scooped up the entertainer he was obsessed with and carried her into the room.
"Bring the drinks, drinks! Over by the refrigerator!"
"Hai."
Chief Han, her dress trailing along the floor to expose her décolletage, made her way toward the refrigerator.
The sounds of Masayoshi stripping off his clothes and tossing them carelessly to the floor followed, and she cautiously surveyed the surroundings.
My gaze moved to the sa spot.
Iron Instrunt God's sword, hanging on the wall.
It was sealed behind sturdy bulletproof glass.
"……Damn!"
Chief Han bit her lip as she saw the sealed glass wall.
Below it, a keypad device was visible.
She was scratching the underside of her lip when—
"I said bring the drinks!"
At the sound of Masayoshi shouting from the room, she grabbed the whiskey and went inside.
"Co here! Co! Co be embraced by this hero!"
"Oh my, you still haven't had nearly enough to drink."
"Then I'd better give you so. This is a rare whiskey. The Japanese Pri Minister gave it to ."
"Ho ho ho."
Her plan was to ply him with drink and then extract the passcode.
Iron Instrunt God's sword.
It was undoubtedly a magnificent blade, but Chief Han, who wielded a spear, wouldn't even be able to use it properly.
Just what was she doing all of this for over that sword.
I was honestly quite impressed, in no small way.
Keep fighting, Chief Han.
I stood before the glass wall.
"……There's one more!"
The sword was not a single blade.
There was also a dagger, about the length of a forearm.
That dagger, which resembled the shadow of a night sky, was sothing I could identify at a single glance.
"Iron Instrunt God's work!"
Above the matte black steel, faint silver patterns drifted, and along the spine of the blade, rippling wave-grain patterns were engraved.
The hilt of the dagger was wrapped in dark ebony, and at its end, four characters were inscribed in small letters.
'Heon Do Eun Gong.'
'A sword offered to one's benefactor.'
It seed Iron Instrunt God had made the dagger intending to repay soone.
Offering it, he had said.
Knowing Iron Instrunt God's character as I did, I found it curious that he had chosen such a word.
"At any rate—he had two of them."
At this unexpected windfall, I curved the corners of my lips upward.
"Now it's ti to open this."
I naturally didn't know the passcode.
On closer inspection, the glass wall even had an alarm attached to it.
It appeared that any reckless attempt to destroy the lock would cause a commotion.
Should I wait for Chief Han to secure the passcode?
No.
A Poison Demon has a Poison Demon's way.
I channeled the Heavenly Poison Blood Divine Art.
Acidic poison energy condensed at my fingertips.
I pressed my index finger against the glass wall.
Hisss—
"It's lting."
For , who had yet to reach the level of an absolute master, the internal energy consumption was great, but there was no other way.
I had no choice but to spend the ti to lt through it.
As a little ti passed, an oval-shaped hole began to form in the glass wall.
So that the lted glass wouldn't fall and shatter, I activated Suction Energy Art and adhered the glass wall to my left hand.
Thud.
The oval hole was punched through.
"Done."
I carefully reached in and retrieved the dagger first.
"As expected of Iron Instrunt God's blade."
The mont I gripped it, it fit my hand perfectly, as though it had been made for .
It wasn't mine to keep, but still.
Running my hand over the characters 'Heon Do Eun Gong' carved in intaglio, I felt a faint trace of him, and sohow my chest grew heavy with emotion.
"One more."
The mont I reached in next and grasped Iron Instrunt God's sword—
Beep! Beep—! Beep beep!
An alarm erupted, filling the entire penthouse.
Damn!
There had been an alarm sensor installed on this one too?!
At the blaring alarm, the first to co running out of the room was Chief Han.
"What on earth—?!"
Her expression filled with great shock as she saw that the Iron Instrunt God sword that should have been inside the glass wall had vanished, leaving only a round hole behind.
And then—crash!
With a deafening sound of the door being smashed, Jang Masayoshi burst out.
"What the—!"
He cursed, then hurled the entertainer he had been holding at his side onto the marble floor.
"Kyaaah!"
The entertainer's scream rang out, and Chief Han reflexively ran over and caught her.
"Get behind !"
Chief Han shouted to the entertainer in Japanese.
Masayoshi, realizing Chief Han was extrely quick, opened his eyes wide.
"Who are you? A climber?"
"……Blast."
The mont Chief Han placed the entertainer behind her back and readied herself to fight—
Jang Masayoshi darted back into the room.
He had gone to retrieve his Artificial Dantian.
"Tch!"
She realized she had made a mistake and imdiately grabbed Masayoshi from behind and wrapped her arms around his neck.
The technique of tightening both arms around the neck to cut off blood flow—Blood Hand Death Seal.
"Hurk!"
Neither Chief Han nor Masayoshi had their Artificial Dantians on.
She had concealed it in her bag but hadn't had ti to put it on.
Yet both Masayoshi and Chief Han had naturally built up internal energy within their energy centers through tower climbing and martial arts training, and so they both emanated quite formidable energy.
She with her chokehold, and he gripping her arms and moving toward his bedside table where his Artificial Dantian was stored.
Chief Han, realizing the choke wasn't fully locked in, shifted her position and tightened her grip harder, but Masayoshi's brute strength was greater than hers.
Crack!
Masayoshi charged into the wall in an attempt to shake her off.
"Ugh!"
The mont a single gasp escaped from Chief Han—
Snap!
Masayoshi got his hands on the Artificial Dantian.
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