Urban Vagabond: Reload

Step. Step.

Black-White 13 walked toward them one step at a time, their sword hanging low—stained with their own assassins’ blood.

At that shocking sight, Yang Hayun felt a crawling disgust, like insects were running over her skin.

“How could you... kill your own side...?”

Black-White 13 stopped briefly, looked at Yang Hayun, and spoke in a voice tinged with laughter.

“Take a look to the side. You did the same thing, Hayun. Didn’t you?”

“...!”

Yang Hayun bit down hard on her lip. She didn’t even have to look to know Kim Muhyuk’s body was a wreck.

To overcome the Yin-Extreme body she’d been born with—something that felt more like a curse than a gift—she’d poured herself into effort that bordered on obsession.

After it manifested, she’d had to keep distance even from her family. She couldn’t meet friends anymore, either.

Ordinary people couldn’t endure Yin-Extreme qi that only grew stronger with each passing day.

Because of me... even the people around me...

She hated watching others get hurt and become miserable.

So she shut her heart, acted like being alone was comfortable, and spent the last few years avoiding people.

-Hayun. Right now, it probably feels like the martial arts you’re learning are only making your Yin-Extreme qi stronger—but in the long run, it’s the path that will let you control your own energy.

Her master—Glacier Priestess, the strongest expert of Sun and Moon Gate and its Grand Elder—had told her that to overcome a Yin-Extreme body, she had to learn ice arts instead.

It would be hard to control the strengthening Yin-Extreme qi for now, but as time passed, she would always be able to return to an ordinary life—that was what her master kept reassuring her.

I’m sorry, Master. In the end, I just caused trouble for people around me again.

The moment she thought of her master, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

Yang Hayun’s mind and body were already at their limit.

A body that didn’t even feel cold was shivering purely from fear.

Black-White 13 lifted the blade dripping blood and aimed it at Yang Hayun.

“I told you I would take you alive. If you’d come quietly, no one would have died or been hurt... but in the end, your selfishness will get even your companion killed.”

“I... I...”

A life-or-death battle against assassins for the first time, an enemy still perfectly fine, the state of the companion injured because of her—everything was bleak.

We’re both going to die... because of me...

Yang Hayun’s stamina and resolve, already pushed to the edge, began to crumble.

The moment despair and fear tried to swallow her—telling her there was no way out of this—

“Who’s dying? Don’t fall for that cheap con. I’m still doing just fine.”

Kim Muhyuk stepped forward, a hand on her shoulder. The tremor that had seized her eased when she heard his calm voice.

“...Tch. Big talk.”

Biting down hard on her trembling lips, Yang Hayun stared at Kim Muhyuk’s back—covered in wounds.

Along with her guilt toward him, those Black-White eyes staring at her no longer felt terrifying.

“Cute trick. Guess you’re not confident in your skills?”

Kim Muhyuk tilted his head crookedly and glared at Black-White 13, like he knew exactly what they’d been doing.

“...You really are sensitive to killing intent. Usually, when someone’s pushed this far, they don’t notice.”

Black-White 13’s eyes flashed with interest.

They’d deliberately shown the two of them a shocking scene, then stared them in the eyes while leaking killing intent in a thin thread.

It was an assassin’s method—frighten someone cornered until they give up on themselves.

But even that didn’t work on Kim Muhyuk.

Which meant he handled killing intent as well as assassins did, and he understood their ways just as well.

“Martial artist Kim Muhyuk. What are you, exactly?”

Even with time pressing, Black-White 13 felt a thick curiosity rising.

“You understand assassins’ instincts so well it’s impossible to believe you’re a righteous late-bloom talent, you stay so cold your eyes don’t change even in a situation where you might die any second... and you’ve got enough chivalry to risk your life fighting alongside someone you met today, calling them a companion?”

This kind of case was a first.

Murmuring that, Black-White 13 stepped closer to Kim Muhyuk, one step at a time.

“And how did you figure out who I am? Did you just toss out bait, and I happened to bite?”

They removed the mask they’d been wearing. Beneath it appeared the Black-White mask—half white, half black.

[You keep provoking my curiosity like this... and it just makes me want to know more and more about you, doesn’t it?]

It was deception and play—something only a powerful person who believed they had perfect control of the situation could display.

Kim Muhyuk willingly played along.

“From the moment you showed up as an examiner, I thought there was a chance I’d end up fighting you someday. Back then, I didn’t imagine it would be like this, though.”

[Oh? Martial artist Kim Muhyuk has been watching me closely since then, too? I’m delighted! But that alone wouldn’t be enough for you to be sure of who I am.]

“Because you said it yourself.”

[...I did?]

Kim Muhyuk slowly loosened his body, which kept stiffening under Yin-Extreme qi, and answered.

“When I said I was going to get out of here, you said ‘as expected’—that I was realistic. No one who’d just met me here would say that. I figured you were basically asking to be noticed.”

Black-White 13 stared blankly for a moment—then suddenly burst out laughing.

[Hahaha...! My mistake. To make such a beginner error. I must have liked martial artist Kim Muhyuk that much.]

As if impressed, they lightly tapped their own forehead.

It almost felt like friends chatting, warm and familiar.

But the killing intent swelling between them only grew thicker.

[It was an enjoyable conversation. Almost enough to regret that we can’t keep it going longer.]

RRRRUMBLE—!

At that moment, dark clouds rolled in and thunder suddenly began to crack, as if an enraged sky were warning someone.

At the same time, the scenery around them wavered.

The spell formation wasn’t operating normally.

Seeing it, Black-White 13 clicked their tongue.

[...So they finally noticed.]

A plan that should have been handled quickly—acquiring Yin-Extreme qi—had been delayed far too long because of one variable: Kim Muhyuk.

They were confident they could slip their own body out whenever they wanted, but if the Martial Alliance Leader had realized something was wrong, there was no reason to take further risks.

Monsters like that could smash the spell formation itself and force their way in.

[Before we start, shall I tell you one thing?]

CLANG.

Black-White 13 dropped the bloodstained sword onto the ground, then drew two slightly curved daggers from their waist.

A secret personal weapon they used when they carried out killing themselves.

[You are not being shown on the Martial Alliance’s monitors right now. From this moment on, I could cut off every finger and toe you have, pluck out your eyes, sear your tongue, peel your skin and pour salt over it—and no one would know.]

At the horrific image, Yang Hayun flinched.

But she forced strength into her eyes, crushed her fear, and glared at Black-White 13.

“I’m not scared. Not even a little!”

[When the rescue team arrives, your lives will still be intact. Even if you have to live the rest of your lives disabled. And while they treat you, I’ll put this mask back on and walk away freely.]

Black-White 13 tapped their mask lightly with the edge of a dagger.

And the instant he heard that, Kim Muhyuk understood exactly what kind of state Yang Hayun must have been found in—ruined beyond recovery.

“...You really aren’t being shown on the Martial Alliance’s monitors?”

His eyes sank flat as he asked in a low voice.

“Even if you overlay another screen, if there’s an original feed, it could still be recorded. They could trace you later.”

At the seriousness of Kim Muhyuk’s question, Black-White 13 shook their head and answered with complete confidence.

[I’m a kind of virus that’s slipped into the spell formation itself. Until I disappear, this area can’t be filmed or recorded at all, so no trace remains whatsoever!]

“Yeah? I like that.”

Black-White 13 tilted their head at Kim Muhyuk’s reaction—so different from what they expected.

[...What do you mean you like it?]

“That it won’t be left on record.”

Kim Muhyuk gave a small, amused smile—then stripped off the jumper that had become little more than rags and tossed it aside.

At the sight of him exposing himself to Yin-Extreme qi without hesitation, Yang Hayun jerked, staring at him.

“What are you doing?!”

“Yang Hayun. You owe me your life today, right?”

“...Of course.”

Yang Hayun bit down hard and nodded.

If she made it out of here alive, she intended to repay the debt of the life he’d saved—no matter what it took.

Apparently satisfied, Kim Muhyuk smiled and stepped forward.

“Then pretend you didn’t see what you’re about to see.”

The vagabond way—surviving without caring about means or methods.

Enduring extreme cold while still preparing for the most dangerous fight, Kim Muhyuk had kept one final move in reserve to draw out the enemy’s carelessness.

That was why he hadn’t shown anything beyond a Level 4 constitution so far.

SSSSSS—!

The white frost clinging to his body melted in an instant.

A trait permitted only to those with a top-grade constitution—the ability to drive qi rapidly through the entire body.

Yin-Extreme qi that had seeped into him was pushed outward, and his face, pale as ice, began to regain color.

“W-Wh-Wh—what...?!”

Yang Hayun was so shocked she could only repeat herself.

[You keep surprising me. Did you endure the pain of Yin-Extreme qi on purpose all this time?]

Black-White 13 chuckled, shoulders shaking, then slowly licked their blade.

As expected, their eyes hadn’t been wrong.

Back during the third-rate license exam, and now—Kim Muhyuk was nothing like the mediocre ones.

The thrill of killing an unexpected opponent like this was as addictive to them as a drug.

[HAHAHAHA!]

As if they couldn’t stand it anymore, they lunged straight at Kim Muhyuk and slashed with the curved daggers.

KRAAANG—!

The shockwave from the clash drove Yang Hayun back a step.

When the dust settled, the two of them were locked in place, weapons pressed tight.

Kim Muhyuk was venting steam from his entire body, eyes glinting with something chilling as he stared at Black-White 13.

“Should’ve come with your men from the start. Starting to regret it now?”

[I admit I let my guard down. But do you really think you can beat me with just this?]

“Feels doable. Unlike someone who killed off the remaining ‘companions’ to get rid of them, I’ve got solid backup.”

At some point, Yang Hayun had slipped behind Black-White 13. She swung both palms wrapped in cold.

WHOOSH!

“You bastard! Pretending to be something you’re not!”

It wasn’t clear whether she was yelling at Black-White 13 or at Kim Muhyuk—but the Yin-Extreme qi swirling around her palms was aimed precisely at Black-White 13’s back.

[I wanted time with just the two of us. This is getting annoying.]

With a sharp, irritated voice, Black-White 13 whipped the curved daggers violently—intending to knock Kim Muhyuk’s sword away in one motion, then turn and slice Yang Hayun’s arm.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

But unlike they expected, they couldn’t shake Kim Muhyuk’s blade off.

His sword stuck to them like it had glue on it, never giving them an opening.

Strength, speed, inner power—everything about him felt like a different person from the Kim Muhyuk they’d been watching.

[...You hid a lot of skill.]

The ease in Black-White 13’s tone kept draining away, and bewilderment gathered in their eyes.

Even as wounds kept piling up all over his body, Kim Muhyuk didn’t even twitch an eyebrow—enough to make even an assassin like them click their tongue.

And the Yin-Extreme qi that had been seeping into Kim Muhyuk’s wounds a moment ago—at some point, it had started wrapping around him in a white coil, as if protecting him.

As if it obeyed the will of someone who could control it.

Seeing that, Black-White 13 muttered without meaning to.

[...Don’t tell me your constitution...]

Their eyes widened as something clicked—recalling the moment Kim Muhyuk had slammed palms with Song Junho.

Kim Muhyuk closed the distance, then whispered like he was sharing a secret.

“Seems the constitution-measuring machine glitches sometimes.”

[...!]

The moment they realized their judgment had been completely wrong from the start, even a veteran assassin’s decision-making blurred for an instant.

SHRAAAK!

Black-White 13’s strike—closer to a wild miss than an attack—cut through empty air, and Kim Muhyuk didn’t waste the opening.

“You said you’d start with fingers, didn’t you?”

Kim Muhyuk slid underneath them, smiling with eyes that gleamed.

FWASH!

Blood erupted, and three severed fingers dropped to the ground with wet thuds.

Black-White 13 stumbled back, staring at their right hand—missing fingers.

Then they lifted their head and looked at Kim Muhyuk again.

[...]

With a chill that crawled up their spine, they realized it.

They had provoked something they never should have touched.