Creak!
Jinsung, who had taken a shortcut back, tilted his head askew.
“Kk, Kkhihihi….”
“Ahhahahaha.”
Madness that had lost its reason faced off against a murderous intent that never had any to begin with.
Kang Jinno could only let out a one-sided awkward laugh. It was hard to believe he was the same creature that had been roaring just moments ago.
“Kkhihihihi….”
Like prey dragged in front of a natural predator.
A gap spanning several levels if one were to compare it to a pyramid.
“Kkhihiiaaaaa.”
There was nothing the lower-tier prey could do in front of an overwhelming predator.
“Csik.”
“Kk, Kkhihi.”
Escape was impossible at this level. Kang Jinno’s sweat-drenched, forced smile seemed to beg for some form of mercy.
Due to being in similar domains, the pressure Kang Jinno felt intensified even further.
Swoosh!
Jinsung merely lowered his stance slightly, but Kang Jinno jumped in fright.
“Kkhiiek!”
“Ah… it’s no use. Can’t do it, won’t do it, not doing it. Ahhaha??”
“Kk, Kkhihi! Kkhihihihihihihihihihit!!”
Kang Jinno desperately tried to muster anger to hide his fear, a nonsensical struggle to regain the madness he was already drowning in.
“Hm.”
Csik!
Jinsung licked his lips tastefully, his smile still hooked around his ears.
Jinsung admitted to himself that he had been quite arrogant within the reason increasingly painted with murderous intent.
The wellspring of the desire to kill, ever-flowing and uncontrollable.
“Can’t do it, won’t do it, don’t want to, ahh!”
He had developed a partial murderous intent, thinking he could find a thread of control.
But there was no such thread.
Upon releasing the murderous intent, he was enveloped in a pleasant euphoria as if he had taken drugs.
“Hhhhhh.”
Still, there had been some improvement.
Before, it felt like his ego had split into two, but this time, Park Jinsung was Jinsung, and Jinsung was Park Jinsung.
The entity known as Park Jinsung felt both betrayal and satisfaction as he fell into depravity.
“But, but but but but but.”
Naturally, this was somewhat better than having a split ego.
It felt like there was at least some room for improvement.
“But, really really, I truly have no confidence. Ahhaha. What do I do?? Huh, eh, huh??”
There was room for improvement, but the question was whether Park Jinsung’s morals could withstand it.
Having two egos might actually be much healthier for his mental state.
“Let’s just die! Huh? Eh? Huh? Now I really don’t know!!”
Csik!
For someone who claimed not to know, his smile hardly ever faltered.
Jinsung charged towards Kang Jinno like a madman, dagger held in reverse grip, embodying the archetype of one who finds joy in murder without any stance or preparation.
“Kkhihihihihit!!”
Eventually, Kang Jinno, unable to overcome his fear, moved his body as if he was nearly insane.
“How do you want to die? Like this, like that, or just commit suicide?!”
Within Jinsung’s field of vision, thirty-six lines constantly changed their shapes.
A chilly death sentence swimming through the lines. Simply bringing the dagger close and drawing along the line would result in the target’s death.
[Complete Murderous Intent]
One can fully grasp both the vital points and the Edeya of the target.
Within one’s capabilities, it’s possible to perceive the most efficient route to destroy the target.
Starting with the artery behind the thigh, drawing a straight line,
Straight up to the solar plexus in a direct line,
And the types were very diverse, including the lines that loop around the back and protrude out. It appeared as though the large physique was being wildly slashed with red lines.
Whoosh!
Kang Jinno’s fist grazed the end of Jinsung’s ear. It was heavy enough to create wind but hitting was all that mattered.
Screech!!
In just half a breath, Jinsung cut through the mirage attacking from all sides. The remaining half breath added greater speed due to the recoil of swinging his arm.
“Csik.”
“Kkhiieeeeeek!”
Even if it was just physical strength being considered, Kang Jinno had the upper hand over Jinsung.
Even if complete murderous intent tripled his physical abilities, Kang Jinno was originally a muscular giant standing two meters tall.
“Hey.”
“Wo, wooouuuh!”
Moreover, he was currently using a year’s worth of growth through the fourth stage of madness. Not to mention, the enhanced grip and leg strength from stages two and three hadn’t gone anywhere.
At this moment, he should be a carnivorous animal of unmatched strength, uncertain even to Ahn Sungho.
“Try chirping. Huh? Eh? Huh?? Go on!!”
But in front of Jinsung, Kang Jinno was just a big chirper. No matter how monstrously strong a chick becomes, a chick is still a chick.
“Ahhahahahahaha.”
The madman in view was a real social misfit who could crush a chick with his hands.
Unless Jinsung’s dagger skills were completely suppressed, the predetermined outcome couldn’t be overturned.
“Ahhaha! It hurts a bit, hurts a lot, really truly hurts, my prey!”
Jinsung purposely avoided areas without lines to prod. He didn’t forget to remove the bracelet first to ensure the victim could feel vivid pain.
With the dagger planted in the thigh, one turn to the right,
Swoosh, crack!
Then two turns to the left,
Scrape, crackcrack!
“Kkhiieeeee…!!”
As Jinsung quickly pulled out the dagger, new lines formed around that hole. The previous strike created another vital point and another death route.
“Want to kill but told not to. Don’t want to kill but told to. Ahhaha! What am I supposed to do!!”
Jinsung deliberately screamed while slashing Kang Jinno’s thigh.
Scrape scrape scrape scrape scrape, whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Each cut made a sound like slicing an apple, and each stab sounded like juice splattering.
Even amidst this, Jinsung skillfully avoided numerous routes to murder. For the unavoidable lines, he followed them just enough to adeptly control.
“Ahhaha. I’ll leave you with vivid memories. Huh? Eh? Huh?? Got it??”
Screeeech!
Jinsung slowly traced Kang Jinno’s femur with his dagger.
Carefully enough not to break it, yet rough enough to make a bizarre sound.
“Ah, eh, ugh.”
Pain triumphed over anger.
The terrible pain rising from the thigh pulled the fourth stage of madness down to the third stage of calm.
Boom!
As Kang Jinno fell in a big “大” shape, he dropped to the second stage of rage, and by the time tears were welling, even the first stage of irritation had vanished.
“Huuuuh! Ah, it hurts! So much pain…!”
Not a trace of anger remained. The anger that had been slashed to pieces by murderous intent was completely pulverized, leaving not even scraps.
“Thanks. For being alive.”
“Eeeek! Do, don’t come!!”
Park Jinsung was able to wash away his murderous intent thanks to tearing apart the Abandoned Anger.
[Complete Murderous Intent]
One can only deactivate it by either taking the Edeya or the life of the target.
“…You really didn’t kill him. Well done, me.”
It was a moment that proved the efforts he had put into trusting and acting on Ahn Sungho’s advice were not in vain.
He still hadn’t found a clue on how to control it, but it wasn’t like he had just been standing in place.
It’s more accurate to say Kang Jinno survived rather than Jinsung didn’t kill, but well, as long as he’s not dead, right?
“Are you back to your senses? Thanks to you, I am.”
“Uhuhuh! My legs won’t move! Call, call a medic! Is there no one there?!”
“Just walk on one leg, idiot. Try to be worth your size.”
“Kkhiieeeeeek!! Don’t you come near meeee!!”
As Park Jinsung tried to approach, Kang Jinno moved, foaming at the mouth. His desperately crawling figure seemed hardly worth Park Jinsung’s care.
“That’s right, that’s right. Just head towards the battalion.”
Park Jinsung deliberately drove Kang Jinno towards the battalion direction.
“Huuhuk! That, that guy is really crazy!!”
Kang Jinno, who had gotten up completely, hopped on one leg and ran. Earlier, pain had swallowed anger, but this time, fear seemed to have swallowed pain.
“Wow… Kang Jinno, you’re really something in many ways.”
With this, two-thirds of the plan was successful.
First, making the zombie squad stand out.
Thanks to Sparrow Eye’s sudden pledge of loyalty, the zombie squad could be sent to the central passageway. Considering all members are top-class warriors, they would certainly attract attention.
“The second part is a bit tricky.”
Second, the plan to fight those who had beaten Ahn Sungho.
Yuk Dongho was undoubtedly weak. Ahn Sungho wouldn’t have fallen so easily if he had properly understood his abilities.
The idea was to clash with those who had beaten Ahn Sungho with complete murderous intent,
“Alas. They’re too weak.”
The targets were too insignificant to fully unleash murderous intent. He almost committed murder without any gain.
Having decided to fully control the Edeya, he didn’t want to act recklessly while in such a state.
“But I succeeded in killing the Edeya…! Eusha, then! Shall we see if the last plan is going well?!”
Park Jinsung stretched comfortably.
The last, third plan.
Giving Ahn Sungho a chance for revenge.
The last plan was something Park Jinsung couldn’t directly involve himself in.
“Hehe. I did accidentally wreck his thigh, but I guess the sergeant will handle that part well.”
The stage was set.
Ahn Sungho was deliberately placed in the rearmost position, and Yuk Dongho and Kang Jinno were intentionally led directly to the battalion.
Even in their weakened state, Yuk Dongho and Kang Jinno were among the brigade’s top names.
With those two entering the heart of the battalion, the fate of the battalion would entirely depend on Ahn Sungho’s skill.
“Show them, Sergeant.”
The Ahn Sungho Park Jinsung knew would never lose to such ruffians.
He thought the same when he saw the footage of Ahn Sungho.
If given another chance, he was confident Ahn Sungho would never lose.
Hop, hop!
Park Jinsung hopped through the shortcut much more briskly than Kang Jinno’s hops.
* * *
“Huff! Huff! Jinno will hold out fine. We just need to press the button correctly.”
The soldiers climbed the stairs at the end of the shortcut.
Having slid down to the middle of the cliff on a slide, they had to climb back up.
The stairs had been diligently constructed by 998 since the infiltration operation training was confirmed. They hadn’t expected to be climbing up here as if fleeing when they built the stairs.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!
Uncharacteristically of Yuk Dongho, he climbed the stairs at a fairly quick pace.
It was less about needing to win quickly and more about wanting to get away from the murderer in the shortcut.
“Huff… He’s really too scary…”
Not only themselves, but even Jinno, who had entered the third stage, was no match.
Jinno in the fourth stage was truly a monster among monsters, but if someone were to follow them…
“Huff huff! It can’t be! We can’t become weak! We need to steel our hearts and end this war quickly!!”
The end of the stairs is directly connected to the Haeun Battalion’s button. As soon as they climb all the stairs, a container holding the button will reveal itself.
The stairs, hidden by bushes and built right up against the cliff, are hard to notice from the container’s side unless deliberately done.
“Huff! Just have to press the button now!”
Yuk Dongho was the first among the soldiers to reach the top. The legs that had been chased around in fear made him forget his fatigue.
Pushing through the bushes, intense sunlight engulfed Yuk Dongho.
“Ugh. It’s dazzling…”
“…So you’ve finally arrived.”
“Huff? Wh-who?”
Ahn Sungho, backlit, stood proudly in front of the stairs.
“I thought I was going to die waiting.”
“Ahn Sungho?! Hey! Yuk Dongho! You go first! We’ll handle Ahn Sungho…!”
Boom!
A soldier from 998 attempting to pounce on Ahn Sungho was slammed into the ground before he could finish his sentence.
The arm used to throw the soldier had completely dislocated from the shoulder.
“I’ve waited a long time. So.”
“……”
No one except Ahn Sungho himself saw the process that led to the soldier’s fall.
“So don’t be too hasty. This is advice.”
“……”
The 998 soldiers were rendered speechless, honey-mouthed. Only Yuk Dongho managed to maintain a semblance of a smile.
“Huff huff. Ahn Sungho is no match for me. It’s unexpected that Ahn Sungho is here, but it’s okay.”
“I’ve been thinking… over and over and over and over again.”
“It seems the Battalion F killer tipped you off, but it was a mistake to send Ahn Sungho alone. You should have brought another soldier with you.”
There were no other battalion members besides Ahn Sungho. They were too busy facing the onslaught head-on to pay attention elsewhere.
Ahn Sungho threw away the earphones he had been wearing.
“I see… The first-year who informed me was also arranged by Park Jinsung…”
“Huff huff huff!! Winning is all that matters!! As you know, [Not Only I Get Fat!!]”
Yuk Dongho, finding an easy target for the first time in a while, laughed as he manifested his Edeya.
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