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chapter 151
Gui-Lei (鬼雷) (1)
Peng Jinghao’s note about the Demon-Taming King read like this.
—Demon-Taming King of Fukhaedaesung: sealed near the Challenger Deep off Guam. Numerous villain organizations secretly involved on the side of evil. However…
By chance, the Somersault Cloud’s last known location was also said to be Guam.
‘Wukong.’
“Why?” Sun Wukong asked.
‘Do you think this is really a coincidence?’
“Not a chance.”
Pfft.
Sun Wukong let out an obvious snort of amusement.
“Hundred percent related.”
‘Right?’
“Second Brother, I’m not sure whether this fellow went looking for the Somersault Cloud like you did back then and ended up like that—”
A flash of light flickered in Sun Wukong’s eyes.
“But one thing’s certain: those two things never move independently. Solving them together could be an option.”
‘I’m with you.’
“By the way, what kind of place is Guam anyway? Why does that old man’s face look like that?”
‘It used to be a paradise on earth. Warm sun, beautiful sea, a resort.’
“Used to?”
‘Nowadays, except for a few major resort areas, most of it has long since become Harlemized.’
Guam hadn’t fallen into lawlessness that long ago.
Fifteen years? Sixteen at most?
But that was plenty of time for the world’s largest resort to collapse.
The cause was massive, repeated dungeon breaks.
Not just one, but dozens of consecutive breaks…
They weren’t all four-star quality, but some dungeons were strong enough to drastically alter the island’s ecosystem.
Even the United States poured in massive manpower to restore order and failed.
Worse, the changed ecosystem led to the discovery of all manner of dungeon resources, triggering an unexpected gold rush.
Crime syndicates, mines, intelligence agencies from around the globe rushed in, and in a flash Guam transformed into a city of vice and crime.
Today it was still a U.S. territory in name, but the U.S. military had mostly withdrawn, leaving only minimal forces.
The international community largely left it alone; it had even earned the nickname “The Black Archipelago.”
‘Especially monsters that came up from cracks in the nearby deep sea—those made the whole maritime area a mess.’
“But to criminal organizations, that makes it a great resource area, right?”
‘Exactly.’
“Interesting. It’s like one big den of vipers, huh?”
A den of vipers?
Lee Hyun tilted his head at the unfamiliar term, but Sun Wukong waved his hand and said Lee didn’t need to know.
“Then the cause of those consecutive breaks or the cracks found under the sea—”
‘Very likely the Demon-Taming King.’
“So it’s basically our Second Brother’s fault that Guam turned into a lawless city? That guy really is a walking nuisance.”
Sun Wukong grumbled, but the idea that they could pinpoint the Demon-Taming King’s exact location put a smile on his face.
Lee Hyun felt it again—deeply—that Sun Wukong and his brothers really were ‘gods.’
A being sealed in a place could still change an ecosystem and people’s way of life…
‘We humans are probably nothing but mayflies to them, who vanish at the slightest snort.’
That thought made Lee Hyun feel an even stronger urge to do more.
“Okay. I get that. But why hide your identity so painstakingly?”
‘If I moved about revealing who I am, it would just make things more troublesome.’
“Huh?”
‘Whether I like it or not, I’ve become a figure people watch now.’
Sun Wukong twisted his mouth.
“Oh, so your head’s gotten a little bigger?”
‘Not as big as the Great Sage’s, but—well, a little.’
“What? Are you making fun of me? I don’t have a big head…!”
‘Right now it’s half my body. Two-heads-to-one?’
“You little—! That’s a disguise used to save effort! Normally I’m a slender, eight-head beauty—”
‘That, too, is a disguise isn’t it?’
“You—!?”
‘Anyway, if I move now, too many eyes will follow. One slip and it would be a nuisance for my comrades and the organization.’
Sun Wukong glared at Lee Hyun for changing the subject, then returned to the point.
“Basically you don’t like people judging you, right?”
‘Yes. “Jet” now has many things to protect. But—’
Lee Hyun took a long breath and continued.
‘Gui-lei is different.’
The identity known to the public for Gui-lei was “Apostle of Zeus.”
A freelance god, belonging to no one.
‘He’s arrogant enough that it wouldn’t be surprising if he caused incidents and got away with it; his skills are known to be high-ranker level or close to it.’
A perfect identity for moving freely while avoiding the public eye.
‘Of course, there’s overlap between him and me in that both of us work with brain-tech—’
“His combat style is completely different. Gui-lei’s a sorcerer.”
‘Yes. That’s right.’
Sun Wukong clicked his tongue.
“You lead a rough life. Don’t care what anyone yells—if it’s crap, just tear through it. No one stands up to someone who causes a ruckus.”
Lee Hyun gave a hollow laugh.
He could definitely imagine Sun Wukong doing that.
That freedom to ignore the world’s gaze and prejudices; the kind of swagger that tramples anything in its way—he lacked that.
‘I’m still not strong enough. I guess there’s nothing I can do.’
“Hmm, you don’t have to take it so seriously… Still, I like the approach.”
A bitter smile flickered across Sun Wukong’s face.
“…If I’d had your flexible thinking back then, maybe I wouldn’t have had to go through what I did.”
“Excuse me? I didn’t catch that.”
“It’s nothing. Anyway, say you switch identities and go in. How do you plan to get to a lawless island? The surrounding waters are probably sealed off.”
‘I happen to have the right people in Korea who can open the way.’
“People who’ll open a way?”
Sun Wukong cocked his head, puzzled. Lee Hyun answered with a wry smile.
General Lee Goon-san snorted when he heard Lee Hyun’s plan.
“Guam… and not as Jet but as Gui-lei? What are you trying to get?”
“I need to retrieve something.”
A small crease appeared between the general’s brows.
“Is it something you can’t get in the open? Tell me what it is, and I’ll try to get it.”
“No. I must get it myself.”
Lee Hyun shook his head calmly and kept details to himself.
‘Talking about anything connected to Logos is too dangerous.’
Operating on Earth and operating in the heavens were worlds apart in difficulty.
Lee Hyun didn’t want to drag others into matters connected to Sun Wukong.
“…Your stubbornness is something else.”
Even though Lee Hyun’s secrecy annoyed him, General Lee didn’t press further. His lips pouted a little in silent protest.
Lee Hyun couldn’t help but laugh. He was, as always, grateful.
“Guam is completely isolated from the outside.”
Although Lee Hyun had traveled much of the world as leader of Cheong-Rye, he’d never had a chance to go to Guam.
“So we need a hotline or some emergency contact line for quick communication with the outside.”
“Like I have anything that useful,” the general muttered.
“Please help me, General. You know I can only ask you for this.”
Lee Hyun rubbed the man’s arm and shoulder in a teasing way, and the general’s mouth twitched.
“Ahem! Alright, I happen to have a decent contact. I’ll arrange something.”
“Thank you, General. You know I love you, right?”
“You’re shameless… But getting into Guam is a whole different matter. How do you plan to do that?”
The general sniffed and then eyed Lee Hyun with concern.
“Don’t worry. I have a plan.”
“Oh?”
“I’ll use the City Cartel.”
The general’s eyes brightened.
“Come to think of it, those guys have been looking for Gui-lei, haven’t they? So that’s why you were asking about the cartel?”
“Because drug routes from Central and South America to Asia pass through Guam.”
“So you’ll punch through the area and force your way in?”
Lee Hyun smiled but didn’t speak. The general took that as affirmation.
“You go straight for the jugular, then.”
“That’s Gui-lei for you.”
The general stroked his chin and thought.
“Doing that could be good for ‘Jet’ too. If done right, it could sever Gui-lei’s ties to Jet. And Gui-lei himself could become a useful hand later.”
The City Cartel had even allied with the Central Hero Committee out of hostility toward Jet.
So these things needed cleaning up.
But—
“Still, are you sure? The City Cartel isn’t a pushover. Guam’s full of worse dens.”
There were downsides.
“And if Gui-lei starts operating, people will pay attention to Jet’s absence. How will you cover that alibi?”
That was the biggest problem.
It could fan suspicion that “Jet = Gui-lei.”
If the City Cartel noticed something, other organizations would too.
“There’s a good way to handle that too. You’ll see something interesting soon.”
General Lee narrowed his eyes at Lee Hyun’s mysterious smile, but gave only one answer.
“Alright… I’ll help. Make a list of what you need. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.”
The general’s eyes softened.
“But don’t do anything too dangerous. If you get into trouble in Guam, rescuing you will be extremely difficult.”
“I’m Jet, General.”
“I know. Jet never fights a battle he can’t win. But going to Guam—you’re saying you’ll go as Gui-lei?”
General Lee’s gaze grew serious.
“Be careful. Very careful.”
Lee Hyun bowed in thanks.
That evening.
Hongdae’s club district thrummed with crowds.
“…Hey, you’re really doing this?”
“I can go alone. Why did you follow?”
On the rooftop of a building that overlooked both the shops and the throng, Lee Hyun and Go Jin-woo stood.
Lee Hyun wore a platinum coat and held the golden mask of the Divine Shin Nahan in one hand.
He was ready to become Gui-lei.
Go Jin-woo looked uneasy.
They were watching the entrance to a famous club with a long line. On the surface it was a big club playing both hip-hop and EDM, but it was actually one of the secret footholds the City Cartel used to enter Korea.
General Lee had told them.
“If you cause a ruckus there, people could get hurt. If you mess up, you’ll be branded a villain and someone will have to clean that up later.”
Pfft.
Lee Hyun snorted in spite of himself.
Go Jin-woo narrowed his eyes.
“I’m saying it because I’m worried. You—”
“No, I’m not laughing because it’s funny. I’m laughing because I’m grateful.”
Go Jin-woo fell silent and turned his head a little in embarrassment.
“You know your brother and the General worry because they care. Don’t worry.”
Lee Hyun smiled warmly, then looked back at the club entrance.
A group that looked like VIPs were being ushered in via a fast track by security.
Lee Hyun’s eyes hardened.
“I only kill those who deserve it.”
He put on the mask.
Click!
At the same instant, a wash of pure white electricity spread outward.
Szzzzzt!
Gui-lei awakened.
