Urban Vagabond: Reload

A formal scout offer from the Blood Tiger Gang.

In my last life, it was the kind of opportunity I couldn’t even dream of.

If it’s the Blood Tiger Gang, they’ve probably got firepower and influence on par with a mid-tier sect registered with the Martial Alliance...

Even the underworld’s black-path martial arts world has its own hierarchy.

Sure, someone like me was treated as bottom-of-the-barrel scum even here and rolled around as a vagabond, but not everyone on the black path lives like that.

The big syndicates and old-line gangs in the dark world are tied in with politics and business, and just don’t show themselves openly. Their experts and martial arts are in no way inferior to the righteous-path martial world.

They operate a bunch of legal businesses in construction, investment, food service, entertainment and so on, and through the small sects under their umbrella, they quietly control illegal businesses on the side.

The reason the guy smiling so casually in front of me was wearing a designer-brand shirt was exactly that.

“You’d have to take a simple test in front of the gang boss, but from what I’ve seen you’ll pass without much trouble. Then I’ll put in the word to bring you in as my direct junior.”

Right now, the Blood Tiger Gang was closer to a rising force in the underworld, but I knew that in just a few years their power and reputation would grow to a whole different scale.

They’ll keep expanding, and that just means more and more opportunities coming down the line.

On top of that, the Blood Tiger Gang had the ability to provide almost everything I needed right now.

As if he’d read my mind, Fifth Tiger laid out the specific terms of the scout offer.

“We’ll get you the type of martial arts and inner cultivation methods you want, and we’ll support you with at least mid-grade elixirs every year. You know this is the kind of top-tier treatment you’d be hard-pressed to get anywhere else, right?”

Mid-grade elixirs started at tens of millions of won a pop, and martial arts manuals and inner cultivation methods were worth even more than that.

Sure, black-path martial arts came with their own risk of qi deviation, but compared to the instability of an artificial dantian, that was nothing.

“Think it over carefully. This might be the kind of chance you don’t get twice in your life.”

“......”

If I accepted that offer, I was confident I could reach the level I’d had in my last life in no time.

“The Blood Tiger Gang is scouting him?”

“That bastard just hit the lottery.”

“Damn it. Some of us break our backs for years and still can’t even get into a subcontract crew...”

With the murmuring came a barrage of envious and jealous stares from all directions, so intense it almost made my face itch.

Man. This is touching.

In my last life, I spent over a year living like a shut-in before I finally went through with the illegal artificial dantian surgery.

My body was already stiff as a board, and then I lost an eye to the side effects on top of that, so just getting used to that ruined body took forever.

The first time I got a proper scout offer as a vagabond... if I remember right, it was at least five years after I stepped into the industry.

And this time they’re treating me like a premium commodity just because I fought once in The Dark Den.

When I stayed silent for a while, Bokja kept sneaking nervous glances at me from the side.

Because whatever I said next was going to completely change her situation too.

“Jeez, I’m such an idiot.”

Seeing her like that, Fifth Tiger laughed and handed Bokja a business card as well.

“Red Rabbit. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’d like to extend the same offer to you. We’re always thirsty for outstanding talent.”

He was saying he’d take both of us into the Blood Tiger Gang in one go.

“Mm...”

Bokja took the card and looked just as tangled up in her thoughts.

From where I was standing, the Blood Tiger Gang was definitely not a bad offer.

I’d picked up bits and pieces, but even for an underworld organization, their treatment was supposed to be pretty decent.

Do whatever you want.

I patted Bokja on the shoulder, trying to put that meaning into it.

This was the kind of temptation no one would find easy to refuse.

But my own decision hadn’t changed from the start.

“I’m not interested.”

“...Can I ask why?”

He clearly hadn’t expected me to turn him down flat; for the first time, I saw a flicker of confusion on his face.

“Are you hoping for better terms? Or are you aiming for a bigger place? I hate to brag, but in ten years our Blood Tiger Gang...”

Yeah, I know that you will become much more influential than you are now.

I also know just how thick and sickening the stench of blood will get in the process.

“I at least want to swing my blade on my own terms. A sword that just cuts whoever it’s pointed at isn’t cool.”

“...Hah.”

After I’d spent over ten years making a living as a vagabond swordsman, even the gangs of the dark world had come to respect my skills.

The Lone Ghost, Kim Muhyuk.

Back then, some of the gangs that tried to scout me were even bigger than the current Blood Tiger Gang.

And I still stayed a vagabond till the end for the same reason I’d just given.

“...I’m jealous. To the point I almost want to break that conviction of yours.”

“Give me a break.”

Fifth Tiger stared at me with a briefly cold expression, then snorted and spoke again.

“If you ever change your mind later, get in touch. My offer stands.”

“Can we go now?”

He nodded, then his gaze shifted to Bokja next to me.

“What about you, Red Rabbit?”

“I’m not interested either.”

This time I was the one who was surprised.

Why the hell not?

The Blood Tiger Gang wasn’t just some random rabble.

Far from wringing her dry for her skills, they were an organization that could give her real, solid support.

She knew that, so I’d assumed she’d accept without hesitation, but her firm refusal left no room for negotiation on her face.

Are you out of your mind?

I looked at her with that thought, and Bokja suddenly rose on her tiptoes and slung an arm around my shoulders like we were old buddies.

“My thinking’s pretty similar to this bastard’s. That’s why I like Blue Wolf Crew better.”

It’s Blue Wolf Crew, not “Blue Wolves.”

I’d let it slide earlier when Fifth Tiger asked if it was “Blue Wolves” and didn’t correct him.

Before I knew it, our crew’s name had turned into Blue Wolves in people’s heads.

“Didn’t expect to lose both of you... That’s a shame. I thought we could make great partners.”

We slipped past Fifth Tiger, who stepped aside with a helpless look, and headed toward the exit.

That’s when his voice came from behind us.

“I’ll remember the name ‘Blue Wolves.’”

...Son of a bitch.

At this point, I just raised my voice for everyone to hear, making sure no one would look down on us.

“For the record, I’m the youngest in Blue Wolf Crew, and the weakest martial artist in the group. I mean, I’ll be the strongest before long though.”

A few guys let out whistles, like they liked my guts.

Some of them were clearly trying to figure out whether I was bluffing or not, but there was nothing for them to figure out anyway.

I’ve spent twenty years living by the sword in this place.

Out of everyone here, the only person who might know the underworld’s ways better than me... was probably Hwang Suksu, walking toward us over there.

“What is it this time? Don’t tell me you’re gonna have a match with Fifth Tiger now too?”

The life-or-death duel junkie approached, eyes shining, and I held out my hand.

“Just settle my money. I called it exactly: win in five exchanges, so you know that’s five times the payout, right?”

“Of course! I personally set your money aside so I could give it to you myself!”

I opened the envelope Hwang Suksu handed me and frowned.

“...This is too much.”

Inside was not five times what I’d bet, but a full ten times.

It was still only about ten times a high schooler’s allowance, so not huge money, but I knew there was no such thing as a favor without strings in the underworld, so I glared at Hwang Suksu.

“Haha! Call it a small token of goodwill. If you ever feel like fighting again, use our bar. Or you can come find me if you need work.”

The pot-bellied middle-aged man rubbed his hands together and smiled with those creepy crescent-moon eyes, and honestly, it made me want to puke.

Him, Fifth Tiger, all of them... they’re the same...

My skills looked decent, so they all wanted to mark me for later.

Hwang Suksu also doubled as a broker who lined up different kinds of jobs in the underworld, and personal feelings aside, there was no downside to having a connection with him.

I took the money and pocketed it.

“The braised pork belly was good. I’ll come back when I’m craving it.”

“You’ve got good taste, kid! Please do come again! I’ll make it even better for you next time!”

Leaving Hwang Suksu’s happy voice behind us, we walked out of The Dark Den.

****

“You seriously don’t regret it?”

“I don’t. I said I don’t.”

“Try calling the Blood Tiger Gang later anyway. I’m sure they’ll match your terms. Work your ass off for a few years, cash out, and walk away...”

“Hey!”

Fed up with my nagging, Bokja suddenly yanked the goggles off my face.

The whole walk back to her workshop, I’d been trying to convince her that joining the Blood Tiger Gang wouldn’t be a bad move.

“I’ll handle my own life, so just shut up and get naked and lie down!”

She jabbed a finger at something that looked like a hospital exam bed.

Next to it was a complicated-looking machine and a monitor — the gear for a constitution test.

I started taking off my shirt, then paused and asked just in case,

“You got anything for me to change into?”

“You think this is a hospital? I don’t care about your body. Just strip down to your underwear and lie down.”

“...Hmph.”

I did as I was told, kept only my underwear on, and lay down on the bed. Bokja powered up the equipment.

Vmmmmmm—!

As the machine hummed to life, complex symbols and numbers began to appear on the monitor.

Bokja turned the screen toward herself and spoke to me, her expression suddenly serious.

“Take slow, deep breaths. Don’t try to feel your qi or force it to move.”

I’d handled the annoying stuff for her like I’d promised, so now it was my turn to get my constitution test.

As she stuck cup-shaped devices to different spots on my body, she kept talking.

“Nothing dangerous, so if you get sleepy, go ahead and nap.”

“...Like I could sleep.”

“Guess you’re nervous too, huh?”

She smacked my shoulder playfully and laughed.

Warm energy flowed up from the bed into my body, and soon the responses picked up by the devices attached to me would be reflected on the monitor.

This wasn’t as precise as the equipment in a specialist hospital, but spell-tech equipment was just a tool to assist a spell-caster in the first place.

In other words, if the spell-caster was skilled, the equipment itself didn’t matter that much. It just meant they had to focus harder and burn more qi.

The problem is, there are hardly any trustworthy spell-casters in the underworld.

Fortunately, Kim Bokja was the best technician I knew down here.

“How long until the results come out?”

“Roughly ten minutes? I’ll throw in a Five Elements affinity test on the house.”

Wood, fire, earth, metal, water.

The five energies that make up all things. Everyone is born with a body that either has a stronger affinity for one of them, or can absorb one of them more easily.

From the perspective of someone learning martial arts, you’d say they have “high affinity” for that attribute.

If I had a high affinity for fire, for example, specializing in yang-type martial arts would make my progress faster and help my cultivation.

Vmmmmmmmm!

Bokja pressed her palms together like she was praying and started muttering some chant I couldn’t understand, and the energy flowing into my body grew stronger.

“...Don’t resist it. Think of it like opening your whole body up and going with the flow of qi. Good. Huh? Wait a second. This is kind of...”

Flaaaaaaash!

A blinding light exploded, and that’s the last thing I saw before I blacked out.

“Uuugh...”

Some time later, I finally came around and opened my eyes. Bokja was in front of the monitor, staring up at it.

“What...?”

“...The test is over. The results are in. But this...”

She turned to look at me, her face gone pale like she’d just seen a ghost.

“I’m thinking we might have to run it again...”

“...What did the results say?”

I peeled the devices off my body and pushed myself upright.

Her reaction wasn’t exactly reassuring, and it made my mind spiral into bad scenarios.

I’m not asking for a top grade. As long as it’s Level 5 or higher...

Even if it was lower than that, I wasn’t going to give up on becoming a martial artist, but honestly, I was hoping luck would be on my side in this life.

Wobbling a little, I walked over to stand beside Bokja and looked at the monitor.

The Chinese character for “two” was blazing in the center of the screen like it was on fire.

“Level 2...?”

“Don’t just look there. Check below.”

Like I was in a trance, I lowered my gaze. Below the constitution grade, the results of the Five Elements affinity test were displayed.

〈wood〉, 〈fire〉, 〈earth〉, 〈metal〉, 〈water〉.

All five elements were lit up.

“I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“...Same here.”

We both stared blankly at the monitor for a long time.