Chapter 65: Person of the Hour, Taebaek Ri (2)

The ninjas’ faces went slack with shock. As the broom swept away, the face of its wielder came into view.

“Uh, umm?”

The boy let out a groan. Despite his young age, he was so steeped in the underworld that he looked thoroughly weathered. If not for the faint baby fat still clinging to his cheeks, they might have even called him “big brother.” The key point here, though, was that he was still a green rookie.

The ninjas’ gazes shifted sideways this time.

The man whose head was smashed against the brick wall. He was the leader of this recon team, rich in experience. Yet even he had ended up like that from a single broom swing. It was so pathetic that he nearly keeled over despite being the leader. Even a cheap plot twist would feel less contrived.

The problem was that this leader was the strongest in the recon team—and he’d gone down in one hit. Not to a baseball bat, but to a broom, of all things.

A gust of cold wind rustled their black hoods. As their cold sweat cooled, the ninjas shivered in the chill.

Amid the attackers gulping dryly, Ban eyed his own broom with a mix of bafflement and reluctance. He was just as perplexed.

Ban felt like he’d stumbled upon some heavenly opportunity. The broom he’d been fiddling with every day suddenly looked different.

“What the hell is this thing?”

He’d been sweeping the courtyard when he sensed multiple presences. Presence Detection. For Ban, who was light-years from mastering Presence Concealment, sensing presences was a distant dream.

Of course, it wasn’t his doing. This was a side effect of the area being a Save Point, spawned from the Patch Notes.

Oblivious to that, Ban followed his senses curiously and spotted the hooded conspirators.

Good grief. In this day and age, covering your face with a rag to rob people? He sneered at the two cartoonish thieves for a moment—until the front one lunged in a frenzy, prompting him to smack them with the broom.

And now, here they were.

“No way this is a +99 enhanced broom?”

“……!!”

As Ban muttered in awe, the ninjas took it as a battle cry. They instantly fanned out in a semicircle, surrounding him.

Shhwick! Shurikens sliced through the air toward him. Only then did Ban properly clock the flying projectiles.

“Hmm.”

This was weird too. Why were the thrown weapons moving so sluggishly? It was like “someone” had slowed the world’s playback speed.

He rubbed his eyes, thinking he’d seen wrong, but there was still time left. Had his eyesight improved from eating well lately…?

“Anyway.”

Thieves were thieves.

One was out cold, leaving three in total.

Back in his delinquent days, taking on groups single-handed was routine. One against three was child’s play. Plus, he had an SR-grade broom on his side.

Whoosh.

The broom traced a smooth arc. A gust whipped up. The shurikens scattered harmlessly into the wind barrier. The sight shook the ninjas to their core, numbing their reason.

“Kono re (you bastard)-!!”

One charged with his katana raised overhead. Ban switched the broom to his other hand and thrust twice, short and sharp—fast enough to leave afterimages.

The broom’s handle crushed the ninja’s Adam’s apple. Ban followed up with an upward slap to the choking ninja’s cheek. With a sharp crack, the man slammed into the brick wall, landing neatly beside the first.

“……!”

The remaining two ninjas paled.

So simply, so pointlessly, their two comrades had retired. Their brains froze as if short-circuited. Instinctively, they turned to flee—but that was a fatal mistake in this moment.

Ban swiftly scooped up a shuriken and hurled it. His first throw was clumsy in form, but the motion flowed naturally. Perhaps because of that, the shuriken leaving his hand cut sharper than the ninjas’ own.

“Gahhh!”

The low-trajectory projectile sliced both Achilles tendons. Ban launched himself forward. His stomp cracked the uneven ground with a snap.

The sprawled ninjas twisted their upper bodies in panic.

But filling their vision were Ban’s callused palms.

The ninjas reached out desperately, but Ban—hardened in the depths—showed no mercy.

Smack!

After last night’s incident.

The battalion commanders’ meeting convened.

Unlike the emergency session, this was a formal one, so attendance well exceeded half. The Commander-in-Chief even strongly urged the absentees to join via video—uncharacteristic for someone who championed freedom over authority.

The commanders assumed it was about wiping out the Gang Alliance. Likely announcing major orders before the full War on Crime kicked off.

Plus, the Sword Master who’d pledged to join the alliance had suddenly signed with Daesung Group. The Commander probably had the details and planned to inform everyone. At least, that was Tang Jihye’s guess.

Thanks to the gravity of the situation, they achieved a historic first: full attendance since the unit’s founding. Even Doctor Pepper, hospitalized after clashing with Tang Jihye, showed up on IV determination.

Thus began the regular meeting.

Shortly after the Commander-in-Chief spoke, the room erupted in shock. It devolved into pandemonium, shouts echoing to the ceiling.

The clamor shook the door. The two members guarding outside jumped in alarm.

“What’s going on in there?”

“They fighting or something?”

“Nah, no way. The Commander-in-Chief’s in there.”

“Why not? A few days ago, the 3rd Battalion Commander sent the 8th to the hospital. This must be round two. Resistance is a organization in name only—each battalion’s its own thing. Might as well have a big brawl, sort the hierarchy, or split for good. Perfect size for it.”

“…Huh, that makes sense.”

They nodded toward the meeting room door.

“Wanna eavesdrop a bit?”

“Sure?”

As the two gave in to curiosity and pressed ears to the door, it burst open. The battalion commanders poured out like an avalanche. They glanced at the sprawled guards and went their separate ways.

“……”

Among them, the most standout was Tang Jihye. She shouldered through the narrow hallway gap, leading the charge. Her destination went without saying: Hundred-Fold Sect Branch 1.

By the time Lee Taebaek arrived at the branch, Ban had mostly mopped up the half-dead intruders. It wasn’t aimed at Lime—he’d genuinely done it.

Mid-prodding the half-corpses with crossed legs, Ban whipped his head around at the engine roar.

Red Hare pulled up, wind in its wake. Lee Taebaek fiddled near his clown makeup to release the mask.

“Patriarch!”

Ban tossed the broom and rushed barefoot to greet him. Lee Taebaek dismounted, chin-jerking beyond him.

“What’s with these guys?”

“Oh, those thieves?”

Lee Taebaek’s eyes narrowed. Hard to ID with Ban’s handiwork, but their outfits rang a vague bell.

“Thieves?”

“Yeah… come to think of it, I didn’t actually check. Just assumed from the getup… but nothing’s stolen? They drew katanas out of nowhere, so maybe robbers, not thieves.”

“They drew katanas?”

“Ah—yes.”

Lee Taebaek approached the foaming, wall-smashed half-corpses.

Confirming details, his face twisted. Ban, who’d been smug, started to fidget anxiously.

“These your guests, Patriarch…?”

“Guests? Yeah, something like that.”

“Gasp!”

Ban clapped hands over his mouth. Poor phrasing on his part. Lee Taebaek softened his expression toward the startled Ban.

“Good job, Ban.”

“…Pardon? But you called them your guests… I think I messed up.”

Messed up? Way past that.

“These are ninjas.”

“Ni-ninjas?”

Ban blinked wide-eyed, muttering, “Them? Looked like total scrubs though…”

“That’s why I’m shocked. You know ninjas are infamous even in the City for being tricky. Yet four went down to you. Ban, no offense, but straight up—they’re scrubs, sure, but not ones you should be beating.”

He even checked under their masks for acting. All white-eyed and passed out. Ninja basics included disguise, but if faking, it’d be a waste of talent.

“They were ridiculously weak. Honestly, even Angela could’ve handled them.”

“Tell me step by step.”

“Yes.”

No real story to tell. Ninjas appeared out of nowhere; Ban took them down. Plain as day, no summary needed. Vertigo hit.

Trumpets blaring one after another, unreal events piling up. It was like the world’s clockwork had sprung loose.

‘Lilith Order’s headache enough.’

Lee Taebaek cleared his mind.

Whatever. Ban had solved one of his minor worries. Surface-level or not, beggars couldn’t be choosers. In this high-stress hell, he was genuinely grateful. Lee Taebaek even felt pride in his past self for reforming Ban.

“Let’s head in. Bring them too.”

“Bind them?”

Lee Taebaek waved it off gently.

He touched the ninjas. Their eyes bulged bloodshot. He’d nerfed all their stats. Half-dead became two-thirds dead.

Lee Taebaek and Ban each dragged two like sacks. Thanks to the nerf, effortless toss inside. Only after parking Red Hare did he exhale.

He flopped onto the bare floor.

Ban fetched rope from storage, tying the ninjas into human pretzels. Then he hovered awkwardly near Lee Taebaek.

“What’re you standing for? Sit.”

“How could I sit with the Patriarch.”

“The guy you punched on first meet.”

“Th-that was!”

Lee Taebaek patted the stone floor.

“Relax and sit.”

“…Understood.”

The branch was quiet. Ban said they sent followers home before 4 p.m. No guarantee the Monterey Gang incident wouldn’t repeat.

Security improved, but the branch sat on the border of gang territories. Prime real estate like this would draw new predators soon.

“Why’d you stay instead of going home?”

“Someone had to lock up.”

A perfect answer to a dumb question.

“Oldest, so you drew the short straw?”

“Yeah, something like that. I like it here. Not just me—everyone does. Feels like a real home, a sanctuary for the soul.”

“Guess I got lucky then.”

Lee Taebaek stretched out starfish-style, chest heaving as he stared at the ceiling.

“Sorry, Ban.”

“Pardon?”

Ban tilted his head.

“You’ll get dragged into a lot from now on. Stuff like today could happen daily—no, hourly. Constant threats, watching your back even on night walks. And it’s all because of me.”

“It’s fine.”

Ban lay beside him.

“Religion demands holy wars, right? Thrilled to lend my twig hands to the fight.”

“You little fanatic.”

“Hundred-Fold.”

Lee Taebaek chuckled softly, closing his eyes in peace. What a long, long day. The past few days, nay months, had been a whirlwind.

The density of these last two months outstripped his entire Earth life.

Life felt fuller for it.

He’d realized days frittered away on Earth were worth a fortune. Sleep, life’s skin, could taste this sweet…