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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The Slipper of Discipline
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Chapter 30
Nam Hyeon-cheol finally dragged Kang-jun into a dark, secluded alley, where not even the light of the streetlamps could reach.
“You have no idea what kind of work I do, do you?”
Nam Hyeon-cheol spoke in a high-handed tone, staring at Kang-jun with a menacing smile.
“Right, that must be why you were running your mouth without knowing your place.”
In response, Kang-jun said nothing. Instead, he simply glanced around slowly.
‘Not only is it deserted, but there’s not a single security camera in this alley…’
Just then, Nam Hyeon-cheol unfastened the gold watch from his wrist and asked in a chilling voice.
“Which part of you should I break?”
Was this not his precious son, whom he had raised with the utmost care, never once raising his voice at him?
Whatever the reason, he had no intention of letting the man who had laid a hand on his son walk away unscathed.
The guild’s legal team would take care of the aftermath, settling things at an appropriate level.
“Should I shatter one of your arms?”
“Or would your ankle be better?”
“Or maybe I should just pull out all your teeth?”
Normally, at this point, the person should be on their knees, begging for forgiveness, shouting, “I was wrong!”
But when no answer came, he glanced at Kang-jun’s face once more.
“Not going to answer?”
Nam Hyeon-cheol asked again, his tone purely irritated, as he repeatedly poked Kang-jun’s forehead with his index finger.
“Hey, are you mute?”
Poke.
“What’s this? Look at this bastard.”
Poke.
“When someone talks to you, you should answer—?!”
As Nam Hyeon-cheol shouted, blue sparks began to crackle all over his body— “Crackle, crackle-!”—flashing brightly for a moment.
His muscles bulged as if they would burst, and he seemed to have grown taller by at least a handspan.
His hair grew long, reminiscent of a wild beast’s mane, and his canines and fingernails became endlessly sharp and pointed.
*Beastification*.
This was not merely a transformation into a ‘therianthrope,’ a form that was half-beast, half-human.
It was a transformation-type ability that not only significantly boosted one’s overall physical capabilities but also granted sharp, animal-like instincts.
Grrrrrr…
Baring his sharp teeth, he let out a low growl, his beastly eyes glaring at Kang-jun as if to see right through him.
A Hunter using their abilities to assault a civilian was not an issue that could be quietly swept under the rug.
That was why he had intended to just show his therianthropic form to correct the bastard’s insufferably arrogant attitude…
‘This guy, how can he be so calm?’
The moment their gazes met in mid-air, he was once again seized by a strange, groundless anxiety.
How should he describe it?
It felt like driving a truck with failed brakes, speeding toward a cliff a thousand leagues deep.
‘Why am I so anxious?’
Just then, the ‘animal instinct’ that had saved him from the brink of death countless times whispered in his ear.
Run.
But Nam Hyeon-cheol desperately ignored his instinct’s warning, growling even louder to hide the fact that he had been momentarily scared.
‘He’s just a civilian, isn’t he?’
Even if the man were a Hunter, considering they’d never met, he must be nothing more than some worthless riffraff.
‘Right, at best, he’s…’
Swallowing dryly, he began poking Kang-jun’s forehead again with fingers that were now several times thicker.
“You really are determined to be insolent to the very end. If you think anyone has seen this form and lived to tell the tale, you are sorely mista—”
Just then, Kang-jun snatched Nam Hyeon-cheol’s index finger with one hand and yanked it back.
Craaack!
An eerie sound echoed as Nam Hyeon-cheol’s body twisted, and he collapsed to the ground.
“Ugh, gack, gaaaaah—!”
Overwhelmed by a pain so immense it made his mind go blank, he tried to pull his finger free, but it was no use.
‘Wh-what is this strength…’
At that moment, Kang-jun neatly slipped off one of his slippers, gripped it tightly, and muttered under his breath.
“Everyone, parents are a mirror to their children. To teach your children etiquette toward adults, proper public manners, consideration, and patience, the parents must first set an example with their words and actions…”
It was a passage Kang-jun had discovered in the ‘Great Encyclopedia of Parenting,’ which he had been trying to read a few pages at a time whenever he had a spare moment.
The passage had left quite an impression on him, so much so that he had underlined it with a highlighter and even drawn a few stars next to it with a red pen.
“If a child has done something wrong, it is the parent’s role to give them time to think about it and help them recognize their mistake on their own…”
“What… what are you saying…”
“When a child’s behavior goes far astray, you mustn’t coddle them. Though it may hurt your heart, you must help them repent through stern discipline…”
“Ugh, p-please…”
And then, Kang-jun, gripping the slipper he had taken off, swung it with all his might.
Whoooooosh—!
The slipper Kang-jun swung moved like a great serpent, tracing a relentless, undulating black curve through the air.
SMACK—!
Just then, Bong-gu, who had rounded the corner and entered the alley, spotted the two and cried out urgently, “B-Boss!” for a moment.
“Damn, I’m too late…”
Muttering in lament, Bong-gu squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away, unable to watch.
SMACK—!
SMACK—!
SMACK—!
SMACK—!
The deserted alley regained its silence only after that menacing sound had echoed several more times.
What was even more chilling was that with every slap of the slipper, Kang-jun recited a line from the ‘Great Encyclopedia of Parenting,’ as if possessed by a ghost with a grudge against bad child-rearing.
“Especially during childhood, a parent’s nurturing style has a significant impact on their child’s entire life…”
“A parent’s wise discipline is a means to teach them how to live wisely in the world…”
“We’ve resolved the matter amicably between us, so I’d like to head home.”
Not even a few minutes later, Kang-jun returned to the police station and said with a perfectly nonchalant tone.
At his words, which sounded completely normal, the police officers could only stare wide-eyed, their gazes alternating between Kang-jun and Nam Hyeon-cheol, who was being carried on Bong-gu’s back.
They had expected Kang-jun not to return in one piece, yet for some reason, he had walked back on his own two feet, perfectly fine.
Meanwhile, Nam Hyeon-cheol had returned only after fainting with his eyes rolled back, barely carried on Bong-gu’s back. It was only natural for them to be perplexed.
To make matters worse, Nam Hyeon-cheol’s face was densely embroidered with what looked like ‘footprints.’
“Bong-gu, Bong-gu, he must be heavy. You can put him down now.”
At Kang-jun’s words, Bong-gu muttered, “Oof…” and promptly dumped Nam Hyeon-cheol, whom he had been carrying, onto the floor.
Thud…
Nam Hyeon-woo, who had been staring with wide, unbelieving eyes, scrambled over and began shaking his father awake.
“D-Dad? Daaad—!”
At that, even the half-balding chief of the substation muttered under his breath in a daze, as if he couldn’t believe it.
“H-how…”
In response, Kang-jun nudged the fallen Nam Hyeon-cheol with his dirt-covered bare foot and replied.
“He must have been very tired. He collapsed as if falling asleep the moment we reached an amicable agreement.”
“Excuse me…?”
“I tried waking him, but he wouldn’t get up. I considered just leaving him, but I was worried his mouth might get twisted if I did.”
At his words, all the police officers were left speechless, silently and carefully examining the condition of Nam Hyeon-cheol, who was sprawled on the floor.
‘Could that young man have done this to Nam Hyeon-cheol?’
Based on the circumstantial evidence, it seemed almost certain, but they all quickly shook their heads.
It might be possible with anyone else, but the man lying there was Nam Hyeon-cheol, the Beast, ranked 10th among A-rank Hunters.
Just then, Kang-jun said, “Let’s go,” and started walking, and his family members all began to trail behind him.
“Kang-jun, where on earth did you leave your shoe?”
“Jugun, I will devote my life to serving you with eternal loyalty…”
“Eoreushin, by the way, what’s in the bag you’re holding?”
“Ah, the owner gave me some expired food.”
Those left behind could only stare blankly at the backs of Kang-jun and his family, like a dog that had been chasing a chicken.
In Nevada, USA, there is a ‘secret military operations area’ where civilian access is strictly prohibited.
Area 51.
This series of underground research facilities was originally used for testing and researching the U.S. Air Force’s advanced aircraft.
But three years ago.
When the strange phenomenon known as Gates began to appear all over the world, its purpose changed entirely.
Inside the complex underground research facility, a small girl was barely clinging to life, dependent on machinery.
Several researchers in white lab coats stood around her, busily recording something on their charts for a moment.
“What is ‘Meryem’s’ current condition?”
At the question from the white-haired doctor, a researcher began to report in a polite tone.
“After her last prophecy exactly 100 days ago, she has not opened her eyes even once.”
At those words, the research director who had asked the question turned his gaze back to the girl lying unconscious.
‘Saintess Meryem…’
She was a person from another world, rescued from beyond a Gate by Hunters from ‘Alteon,’ one of the top guilds in the world.
The girl, who introduced herself as a saintess, showed a surprisingly friendly attitude toward the people of Earth.
She could use ‘Foresight,’ which allowed her to glimpse fragments of the future.
Furthermore, she would sometimes claim to be hearing the voice of the god she served, predicting Gate occurrences around the world and helping to minimize the damage.
One hundred days ago.
It was entirely thanks to her prophecy that they had been able to minimize the damage from the disaster-class Gate that had occurred in Southeast Asia.
“Doctor!”
Just then, a researcher, his eyes fixed on the monitor displaying her vital signs, shouted.
“M-Meryem-nim seems to be waking up!”
Her body temperature, respiration, pulse, blood pressure, and other graphs, which had shown no change for the past several months, began to trace erratic curves.
Just then.
Meryem, who had been dependent on the machinery, suddenly began to have a seizure, and finally, her eyes fluttered open.
“A… a terrible disaster has descended upon Earth…”
As all the researchers held their breath, she continued to speak in the suffocating silence.
At her words, the research director spoke urgently.
“Meryem, I know it’s difficult, but please, be a little more specific!”
She licked her lower lip once and replied.
“I-I-Immortal…!”
As if mustering all her strength just to utter one word, she enunciated each syllable and continued.
“H-He, he is a being so powerful and terrifying that even the god I serve feels fear. He is a veritable ‘disaster.’ Where his steps fall, only ruin follows…”
“…”
Hah…
“The Emperor of the living who rules the dead, a calamity descended from another world who laid waste to the entire Abyss, has finally shown himself here on Earth…”
The doctor, unable to hide his bewilderment, began to look at her with a grave expression.
‘I’ve never seen her lose her composure like this…’
Even when she had prophesied the disaster-grade Gate in Southeast Asia, hadn’t she maintained an endlessly calm demeanor?
The doctor swallowed the dry saliva in his mouth and asked again in a very cautious tone.
“Meryem, it would be best if you calmed down first. So, are you saying this ‘Immortal’ is that dangerous of a being?”
“Doctor, why ask such an obvious question! All the gods of the constellations refer to him as ‘■■■’ and watch him in fear!”
At those words, the doctor furrowed his brow slightly and asked again.
“What did you just say…?”
It was because one of the words she had spoken was completely unintelligible, as if it were covered in static.
“N-Now that Immortal’s footsteps have reached here, this dimension of Earth will not have much time left before its destruction!”
Just then, she suddenly began to foam at the mouth and suffer a much more violent seizure than before.
Her vital signs once again fluctuated wildly, drawing large waves on the monitor.
Beep, beep, beep—!
After spewing mouthfuls of dark red blood, she convulsed one last time before collapsing again.
The researchers began to move about frantically, intending to check on her suddenly worsened condition.
“Immortal…”
The research director muttered to himself and, with a face full of distress, began to scan the large monitors installed along the wall of the research lab.
It was state-of-the-art surveillance equipment that could monitor signs of Gate occurrences around the world in real-time.
On the screen, the results displayed were completely at odds with the terrifying word ‘disaster.’
“If such a dangerous being has appeared, then why is this peace being maintained…?”
He was utterly confused.
* * *
“Achoo—!”
Back home, Kang-jun, who was once again sucking on a crab shell, sneezed, and Lee Su-bin asked.
“Kang-jun, are you catching a cold?”
To that, Kang-jun muttered, “I don’t get things like that…” and was about to start sucking on the crab shell again.
“Kang-jun, try mixing rice into the crab shell like this.”
Muttering “Oh?” as if seeing it for the first time, Kang-jun began to diligently mix rice into the crab shell.
Then, after taking a large spoonful, his eyes widened in amazement as he exclaimed.
“Wow, this flavor is revolutionary.”
“It’s good, right?”
“Yeah, can I have another bowl of rice?”
It was a peaceful evening, no different from any other.
