Into the Creations 1348

Chapter 1348 – 1348. Special Operations

The car crossed the military demarcation line through Gangwon Province and entered North Korea.

Entering North Korea didn’t make anything particularly special. The air was the same. However, the roads were terrible.

“Here. Stop.”

The van, which had been driving for a long time on the bumpy road, stopped in the middle of the road at Jang Ju-seok’s command. We got out of the car, fully armed.

Jang Ju-seok’s ability was Blood Control. It wasn’t just the ability to manipulate blood. He also had the ability to track targets using their blood.

“Which direction exactly?”

Kim Si-eom asked. Jang Ju-seok raised his index finger and pointed to the forest.

“This forest. Oh Gang-hoo is inside this forest.”

“He wouldn’t have come here to rest… It seems he’s trying to shake us off here, having noticed our pursuit. Mr. Jang Ju-seok, can you pinpoint his exact location?”

“The margin of error is about 30 meters. It’s difficult to be more precise than that.”

“There’s a high probability that Oh Gang-hoo is lying in ambush. I think we need a plan.”

Kim Si-eom said, adjusting his baseball cap. He wanted a solid plan.

Shin Bo-ra, who had been silent until now, stepped forward.

“The ambushes that a fugitive like Oh Gang-hoo can choose are limited. Now that we’ve confirmed the possibility of an ambush, we won’t fall for it if we’re careful. Oh Gang-hoo is exhausted from running. The best thing to do is to attack right now without giving him time to recover his strength.”

“Ms. Shin Bo-ra. It only takes five minutes to make a plan. Please act calmly.”

“If you want to make a plan, do it yourselves. I’m going to catch Oh Gang-hoo.”

Shin Bo-ra confidently walked forward. I followed her, saying,

“I agree with Ms. Shin Bo-ra. What’s the point of a plan when we’ve come this far? Let’s finish this quickly and go back.”

Kim Si-eom’s expression crumpled visibly. Jang Ju-seok, with his arms crossed, followed behind us.

“I agree with Kim Si-eom that we need a plan… but since more than half of the four of us are refusing, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Tch, damn it. I’m going to report this to the Association.”

Kim Si-eom grumbled irritably as he followed behind us. He had no choice. It was too far to turn back now.

We found Oh Gang-hoo and his four subordinates resting under a tree. They were a mess. Their clothes were covered in blood and dirt, and their faces were full of fatigue. Unlike us, who had come here by car, they had run all the way here on foot.

Oh Gang-hoo smirked when he saw us.

“I thought the Association’s professional trackers were coming… but it was just a bunch of kids.”

Before we could draw our weapons and rush at him, Oh Gang-hoo waved his hand first. His subordinates all put on gas masks. Then, black smoke billowed from Oh Gang-hoo’s wrist and spread in all directions.

“It’s poison gas. Be careful.”

Jang Ju-seok said. It was unnecessary meddling. No one here didn’t know Oh Gang-hoo’s ability.

Lightning Flash of the Thunder Sky Style.

I swung the Hwaryeon Flying Blade faster than anyone else. A blue sword aura wrapped in red lightning flew towards Oh Gang-hoo. Oh Gang-hoo didn’t move. Instead, his gas-masked subordinates stepped forward. They drew their swords from their waists and easily blocked the sword aura.

Shin Bo-ra reached out into the air. A long hammer formed in her hand. It looked similar to a sledgehammer. It had a luxurious feel, perhaps because it was silver. She gripped the hammer with both hands and slammed it into the ground with all her might.

*Kwaang!*

The shockwave occurred a beat later, in an unexpected place. The shockwave suddenly erupted from under Oh Gang-hoo’s feet. Oh Gang-hoo frowned and limped.

“Tch… you use such boring abilities. I was going to capture the girl… but I’ve changed my mind. Kill them all.”

“Yes, Master.”

His subordinates rushed towards us in unison.

Jang Ju-seok and Kim Si-eom stepped forward. Jang Ju-seok tore open a blood pack with his hand and manipulated the blood, while Kim Si-eom held his sword and casually aimed it at the enemies.

“We’ll take care of these guys.”

“Ms. Shin Bo-ra, Mr. Seong Yu-jin. You two take on Oh Gang-hoo. We don’t expect you to capture him alive, so kill him as quickly as possible.”

Jang Ju-seok and Kim Si-eom began to fight the enemies. Shin Bo-ra didn’t even look back at them and headed towards Oh Gang-hoo with an indifferent expression. I approached him, stepping lightly, not wanting to let my prey be snatched away right in front of me.

“Did you think that just the two of you could take me down? Did I look that easy?”

Oh Gang-hoo’s body grew larger. His muscles swelled, and blood vessels burst in his eyes, causing tears of blood to flow. He had created a drug to enhance his body and injected it into himself.

“Oh Gang-hoo. I will eliminate you.”

Shin Bo-ra’s hammer changed. It was about the size of a toy hammer. But it looked threatening, perhaps because of its ornate design made of red metal. She swung the small hammer at Oh Gang-hoo. Oh Gang-hoo spread his large hand and grabbed the hammer. The moment the hammer touched Oh Gang-hoo’s body, an explosion occurred.

“Kkkyaaaaaaak!”

Oh Gang-hoo staggered and screamed. His right hand had been blown away by the explosion. Shin Bo-ra still swung her hammer with an indifferent face. Oh Gang-hoo recoiled in horror and stepped back, avoiding the hammer.

Shin Bo-ra, who was about to stick to Oh Gang-hoo, suddenly coughed up blood. She had been poisoned. Shin Bo-ra calmly drank an antidote.

“Do you think you can be safe from my poison with that measly antidote? I promise you, who blew off my right hand, you won’t die easily.”

Oh Gang-hoo glared at Shin Bo-ra, who was coughing up blood, and growled.

I seized the opportunity.

‘Acceleration, Instant.’

[Acceleration is used. It lasts for 10 minutes. Remaining stacks: 6]

[Instant is used. Remaining stacks: 5]

Lightning Flash of the Thunder Sky Style. Lightning Light.

My target was Oh Gang-hoo’s neck.

Oh Gang-hoo reacted to my attack. He quickly leaned his body back. The blade, carrying red lightning, barely grazed his neck.

“This bastard…!”

Oh Gang-hoo fell backward and swung his only left hand. Black poison gas was released and clung to my body. I stopped breathing, but it was useless. The poison gas clung to my skin and began to be absorbed.

I felt nauseous, and my arms and legs became heavy.

“Hehe. How does it feel to have your limbs paralyzed? You’ll be terrified as if you’re dying alive. Hurry up and take out the antidote.”

He was aiming for the moment I took the antidote. It was so obvious that I couldn’t even laugh.

Instead of taking the antidote, I used the Thunder Sky Style.

*Fzzzt. Fzzzt.*

Lightning flowed through my meridians, burning away all the poison. The nausea disappeared, and my arms and legs became light again. Oh Gang-hoo’s face immediately contorted.

“Damn it! Of all people, I didn’t expect someone who’s resistant to poison to be in the tracking team…!”

Oh Gang-hoo turned his body backward as the situation became unfavorable. He tried to escape, scattering poison gas like a skunk. Shin Bo-ra and I moved at the same time. Shin Bo-ra’s hammer shattered Oh Gang-hoo’s legs, and my sword cut off Oh Gang-hoo’s head.

Oh Gang-hoo died.

But the situation wasn’t over. Shin Bo-ra and I rushed towards Oh Gang-hoo’s subordinates.

•••

Oh Gang-hoo and his subordinates were all dead.

The task the Association had given us was successfully completed. That’s what I thought. Until Kim Si-eom suddenly attacked Jang Ju-seok. He beheaded the unguarded Jang Ju-seok. Jang Ju-seok’s head rolled onto the dirt floor.

Shin Bo-ra and I simultaneously distanced ourselves from Kim Si-eom. Feeling a bit confused, I pointed my sword at Kim Si-eom.

“Why did you kill Jang Ju-seok? Did you dislike him that much?”

“Jang Ju-seok’s ability is troublesome. The ability to track someone’s location just by having their blood… It’s too troublesome.”

Kim Si-eom said leisurely. Shin Bo-ra narrowed her eyes even more as she glared at Kim Si-eom.

“Who are you?”

Kim Si-eom just grinned instead of answering.

“You don’t need to know.”

Kim Si-eom’s legs moved dazzlingly. It looked ridiculous in a way, but I noticed the profoundness in his footwork. That was a footwork technique.

‘And it’s an illusionary step that deceives the eyes.’

The solution was simple. I just needed to focus more on my senses than my sight.

It was when I heightened my senses. Kim Si-eom’s figure sprang like a bow and rushed at Shin Bo-ra. Shin Bo-ra didn’t panic and responded. She raised her hammer and blocked Kim Si-eom’s sword.

“You, were you from the Chinese side from the beginning?”

“Haha. You figured it out right away. Ms. Shin Bo-ra, you have something hidden too. I’m not particularly curious about what it is. Just die here.”

“You’re the one who’s going to die.”

Shin Bo-ra knocked away Kim Si-eom’s sword and raised her short hammer high. Red light began to gather on the hammer. Shin Bo-ra swung the hammer in the air. *Kwaang!* An explosion occurred. Shin Bo-ra used the explosive force to launch an attack on Kim Si-eom.

Kim Si-eom dodged her attacks like flowing water. Then, suddenly, his figure split into three.

‘…Clones? This bastard was hiding his ability.’

The three Kim Si-eoms attacked Shin Bo-ra simultaneously. Shin Bo-ra, who hadn’t expected the clones at all, bit her lip. It seemed she was planning to endure the attacks.

‘But this bastard. Why is he ignoring me? Is it because I’m B-class?’

[Instant is used. Remaining stacks: 4]

[Heavenly Mind is activated. It lasts for 1 minute.]

[The time of a genius is activated for 10 seconds.]

I used three skills in a row. I instantly grabbed Kim Si-eom from behind. The three Kim Si-eoms looked at me with surprised eyes at the same time. It didn’t end there.

[Instant is used. Remaining stacks: 3]

I cut the back of the one in the center.

[Instant is used. Remaining stacks: 2]

I cut the neck of the one on the right.

[Instant is used. Remaining stacks: 1]

I stabbed the heart of the one on the left.

The three Kim Si-eoms bled simultaneously and fell to the floor. Soon, the clones disappeared, and only the real corpse remained. The one with the cut neck was the real one.

The situation was over.

‘Let’s report it. This is a clear mistake on the Association’s part… I can get more credit for this.’

I took out the radio. I tried to make a call, but I couldn’t get a connection.

“Kim Si-eom. This guy wouldn’t have done this without any preparation.”

“…Well, the situation is over, so let’s go back.”

Of course, we had to take the bodies with us. That was very annoying.

“Thank you. You saved my life. I’ll repay this debt someday.”

I looked at her. No matter how I looked at her, she wasn’t exactly a beauty. I answered casually.

“Ah, yeah.”