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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Imperial Palace Etiquette
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On the spacious rooftop of the convention hall, where a memorial and award ceremony was currently underway.
A dozen or so snipers, positioned by the Bureau to prevent any unforeseen incidents, were stationed there.
However…
a single glance was enough to tell that their condition was far from normal.
“Ughhhh…”
“Arghhh…”
Every one of them was covered in blood, their eyes completely unfocused as they let out a stream of bizarre groans.
Furthermore…
coiled on the crown of each sniper’s head was an insect, much larger than the fist of a grown man.
*Thud, thud.*
A man strode casually through the zombie-like snipers and stopped just before the rooftop railing.
The Insect Master, Kim Do-hun.
Having subdued the snipers on the rooftop in an instant, he began to skillfully operate the radio in his hand.
“Rooftop secured.”
While waiting for a reply, he leisurely gazed down at the peaceful morning scenery of downtown Seoul.
The calm before the storm.
Unaware of the massacre that would unfold in just a few minutes, the city seemed endlessly relaxed and peaceful.
*Kssshk-.*
Just then, the radio in his hand crackled with harsh static,
followed by a series of transmissions from his comrades.
- Machine room team, we’ve just secured the area.
- Demolitions team, all eight locations are rigged.
Finally snapping out of his thoughts, Kim Do-hun transmitted again in a flat tone.
“Infiltration team, report.”
This time, the response came from the Torture Technician, Lee Hui-ji.
- Yep, we’re ready too!
Everything was proceeding smoothly, just as planned.
“As previously briefed, we execute the operation the moment the target steps onto the podium.”
A deep smile spread across his lips as he finished speaking.
He tried to maintain his composure, but the thought of finally getting a chance to kill as many of those worthless insects as he wanted made his heart race with excitement.
*First…*
The moment their target, Hyoja Kim Bong-gu, stepped onto the podium, the power supply to the building would be cut.
That was the plan.
At the same time, the bombs planted in eight different locations throughout the building would detonate…
Then, the elite infiltration team would storm the convention hall, carry out an indiscriminate massacre, and abduct the target before disappearing.
Kim Do-hun’s role, having secured the rooftop, was to ensure an escape route for his allies and to block any enemy pursuit.
This was a ‘perfect operation,’ simulated hundreds of times, taking into account countless possibilities and variables.
It was a perfect plan.
According to their own calculations, the probability of failure for this operation was practically zero.
“The target?”
A transmission came in from a subordinate who had infiltrated the waiting room, disguised as an event staff member.
- The target is stepping onto the stage now!
He is!
A sharp grin formed on Kim Do-hun’s face as he prepared to give the order to execute the plan.
- Wh-who are you?
It was a transmission from the subordinate who had infiltrated the convention hall, disguised as an event staff member.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
*Don’t tell me the subordinate in the waiting room was discovered.*
Just then.
A desperate scream echoed from the radio.
- P-please. S-save me!
With those words, the transmission cut out completely.
This time, a transmission arrived from the machine room infiltration team.
- Gghh…!
- N-no, no-!
- E-everyone, run-!
Realizing something was terribly wrong, Kim Do-hun shouted urgently into the radio.
“Machine room team, calm down and report the situation!”
But communication with them was also lost.
Then, a transmission came from the demolitions team.
- De-demolitions team is about to be wiped out…
- All the bombs have been disarmed…
Although he had no way of knowing what was happening, compiling the information from the successive transmissions suggested that…
two teams, both worthy of the name ‘elite,’ had been completely annihilated in a matter of seconds.
“What in the world…”
Kim Do-hun struggled to maintain his composure and began to slowly assess the situation.
The first to be targeted was the subordinate who had infiltrated the convention hall waiting room as an event staff member.
*Each floor of this building is massive.*
To get from the convention hall waiting room to the machine room would take at least several minutes.
*And it would take even longer to move without being noticed…*
But just seconds later,
the machine room team and the demolitions team had reported their annihilation one after another.
*Does that mean there are at least several dozen combatants, split into multiple groups, stopping us?*
Did the Bureau figure it out and make a move?
*This isn’t their style.*
The Bureau is an organization that prioritizes capture above all else.
*Even if they did catch on to our plan, the chances of them responding this aggressively are nonexistent…*
Then who in the world is this group opposing the Alliance and thwarting our operation?
Just then, the radio in his hand crackled with static once more…
- Oppa, we’ve got an ‘uninvited guest’ over here too.
It was a transmission from the Torture Technician, Lee Hui-ji, the key operative leading the infiltration team.
“Report in more detail!”
Lee Hui-ji’s voice, trembling with excitement, came through the radio again.
- Oppaaa, can I kill this unni?
“Unni?” Kim Do-hun muttered under his breath, then pressed the radio again, demanding an answer.
“Are you saying the enemy the infiltration team encountered is female?”
After a short silence, the transmission returned.
- Yup, a pretty unni I want to torment for a very long time…
- Huh? W-wait a minute! This unni is crazy strong, isn’t she?
- O-oppa! I think I need to deal with this first and radio you back!
“W-wait!” Kim Do-hun shouted urgently, then barked into the radio.
“How many enemies are there in total?”
- J-just one for now!
So just one person was pushing back not only the entire infiltration team but also Lee Hui-ji, an Alliance executive?
“Who in the world…”
A chain of questions followed, but communication with Lee Hui-ji had already been cut.
“The underground aquarium…”
The infiltration team led by Lee Hui-ji was on standby in the underground aquarium, which was closed to the public for today’s event.
As Kim Do-hun anxiously chewed his lower lip and was about to move to support the infiltration team…
*Kssshk-!*
- Hey, can you hear me?
Kim Do-hun immediately shot back at the ‘mysterious man’ who had suddenly radioed him.
he asked.
“Who the hell are you…?”
- Oh, so you can hear me.
“I asked who you are.”
As he finished, the radio crackled with static again for a moment.
- If you must know, I'm a 3rd-dan in Taekwondo, 1st-dan in Hapkido, a 9th-dan homemaker, with a 100-dan sense of awareness. The bike my sister bought me has 21 gears, and my favorite basketball player is Michael Jordan…
“This is your last warning. If you reveal your identity and the group you belong to right now, I’ll grant you the mercy of a quick death…”
A mocking reply came from the other side of the radio.
- Kill?
*Kssssshk-.*
- You?
*Kssssshk-.*
- Me?
Suddenly, a massive roar echoed as the rooftop access door crumpled like paper and went skittering across the floor.
*CRUUUUUUUMBLE—!*
Through the thick cloud of dust that rose, a handsome young man in a neat suit appeared.
The man who had appeared out of nowhere tugged at the tie constricting his neck, loosening it as he spoke.
“Hey, go on and kill me.”
The moment he finished speaking, the young man who had appeared so suddenly, Kang-jun, vanished from sight.
In an instant, he was gone.
*SLAAAAAAAAAAP—!*
Struck by a hard palm, Kim Do-hun’s eyes flew wide as he let out a groan and coughed up blood.
“Gaaahhhhh…”
Kim Do-hun staggered like a newborn foal, gasping for breath, completely disoriented.
*GRAB—.*
Kang-jun grabbed a fistful of his hair with all his might, raising his other hand as he continued in a soft voice.
“You said you were going to kill me?”
“Guh…”
“I said, go ahead and try.”
His voice was low and smooth, like the devil’s whisper, yet it brimmed with a menacing, chilling energy.
It was chilling.
Finally.
The single slap had knocked the soul right out of him. With dazed, half-lidded eyes, Kim Do-hun struggled to look at Kang-jun…
*I’m going to die…*
His instincts screamed that the operation had failed.
That they had been annihilated.
He sensed his own death.
“Unni, who in the world are you?”
Lee Hui-ji asked, backing away.
She glanced around the inside of the aquarium.
The bodies of her subordinates were strewn across the floor.
*T-to just one person…*
Iriel, who had been watching her intently, answered.
“I am Iriel, Minister of the Imperial Court.”
She then untied her long, straight hair, letting it fall freely.
“I express my profound gratitude for your recklessness.”
“What does that mean…”
“It is thanks to you that I am able to serve my Jugun after so long.”
A bright smile on her face, Iriel began to close the distance again, step by step.
“As a token of my gratitude, I shall remember your name.”
She then converted the immense amount of magic concentrated in her hand into the shape of a long whip
and asked again.
“What is your name?”
“You’ll be shocked when you hear it.”
Lee Hui-ji said playfully, tightening her grip on the daggers in her hands.
“The Torture Technician, Lee Hui-ji.”
She licked her lower lip
and asked.
“You’ve heard of me, right?”
Iriel, however, showed no sign of surprise. “Torture…” she muttered lowly, then added.
“I, too, pride myself on having some expertise in ‘torture.’ I find myself curious about your achievements in the field.”
“What?”
“However, you are far too rude.
It seems you are in urgent need of a lesson in ‘etiquette.’”
Finishing her words, Iriel slammed the whip formed from her condensed magic onto the floor with all her might.
*KRAAAAAAACK!*
A single crack of the whip split the ground into several fissures, and the very earth trembled violently.
As tension crept onto Lee Hui-ji’s face and she swallowed dryly…
“I shall personally provide you with your etiquette lesson.”
At those words, Lee Hui-ji grinned and replied.
“Unni, you’d better give up any hope of a peaceful death.”
Then, in a voice brimming with madness, she added softly.
“Just like you said, I’m a very ill-mannered
and wicked girl!”
With that, she kicked off the ground with all her strength and surged toward Iriel.
Having successfully closed the distance, Lee Hui-ji swung the daggers in her hands at a blinding speed.
*Just as I thought…!*
Her tactic was based on the fact that a whip is a weapon vulnerable in close combat.
It was a sound strategy.
For a moment, it seemed Iriel was unable to counterattack, focusing only on dodging the blows, but…
“Imperial Palace Etiquette, First Form.”
As Iriel muttered to herself, the magic that had formed her whip transformed into a massive gauntlet, encasing her fist.
The next moment.
Iriel thrust her fist, wrapped in the enormous magic gauntlet, straight toward her opponent’s solar plexus.
She aimed for her solar plexus.
“Silence.”
Struck squarely in the solar plexus, Lee Hui-ji clutched her chest and began to gasp for air.
“Guhhh…”
Watching her, Iriel chuckled softly and replied.
“One must never raise one’s voice within the Imperial Palace.”
Lee Hui-ji barely managed to pull herself together and get up, gripping her daggers tightly as she panted raggedly.
“It hurts, it huuurts…”
Seeing this, Iriel muttered lowly again.
“Imperial Palace Etiquette, Second Form.”
The magic that had been in the form of a gauntlet now morphed into a small dagger…
“Preparing for an Audience.”
As she finished speaking, Iriel’s form stretched like taffy and then vanished.
“Wh-where…”
Lee Hui-ji’s brow furrowed as she began to whip her head from side to side.
*Sliiiice—*
*Sliiiice—*
A cold sensation touched both her wrists, and with a scream of “Kuaaack!” Lee Hui-ji dropped both of her daggers.
Iriel’s magic dagger had instantly severed the tendons in both her wrists.
“Uh, uhh…”
Lee Hui-ji’s eyes widened as she stared at her own limp, useless wrists.
Iriel reappeared, flicking the blood from her dagger before speaking sternly.
“When one seeks an audience with the Hwangje, one must first tidy one’s appearance and disarm completely…”
Her words trailed off vaguely as her form once again stretched like taffy and vanished.
*Sliiiice-.*
*Sliiiice—.*
In an instant, both of her heels were deeply cut, forcing Lee Hui-ji to her knees, her face pressed to the floor.
“Gggk…”
Iriel added again in a dry tone.
“And one must immediately kneel and bow one’s head to the ground.”
Hearing the cold voice from above her, Lee Hui-ji began to mutter, drool dribbling from her mouth.
“I-I-I was wrong. P-please forgive me…”
She was crushed by a fear she had never felt before.
The desire for survival had completely devoured her reason.
She could do nothing but tremble before a madness several times more intense than her own.
“P-please, spare me…”
Iriel grabbed her hair tightly and began to speak in a gentle tone.
“It seems etiquette is finally beginning to sink in.”
“P-please…”
“You’re quite cute when you’re so docile.”
“Sp-spare…”
“I believe I just told you to be silent, did I not?”
At those words, Lee Hui-ji clamped her mouth shut, barely holding back the sobs that threatened to burst out.
“Now you are more or less ready for an audience with His Majesty the Hwangje.”
Sensing her own death, Lee Hui-ji tried to struggle, but neither her arms nor her legs would obey her.
“P-please…”
Just then, Iriel whispered softly in her ear.
“Imperial Palace Etiquette, Third Form.”
She yanked the hair she was holding, tilting Lee Hui-ji’s head all the way back.
She brought the blade of the magic dagger right up to her throat and whispered.
“The Imperial Audience.”
Then, with a *slice-*, she severed her carotid artery in a single stroke
and released her grip on her hair.
“When one is granted an audience with His Majesty the Hwangje, one must take special care not to dare gaze above his knees.”
As she finished speaking, the dagger in her hand vanished without a trace.
“You ill-mannered child.”
Looking down at the now-dead Lee Hui-ji, Iriel continued speaking as she tied her hair back up, not letting a single strand escape.
“You should be grateful that my Jugun brought me with him.”
What if her Jugun had brought not her, but the notoriously merciless and cruel Grand Duke Crabslie today?
*You would never have been able to close your eyes so peacefully.*
Iriel began to walk across the aquarium, littered with corpses and bloodstains.
The sharp *click, clack* of her heels was the only sound that remained in the hall.
