บท 13: Poisonous revenge

Sitting alone in his apartment, Hans wrote something on the paper, pondering over what he should do next.

The weight of repaying his debt had been lifted and he could now easily keep up with the hospital expenses for his family. Yet, amidst this newfound stability, a sense of aimlessness pervaded his thoughts.

"Should I just strive to become rich? It's not like I need to, but just in case 'they' were to wake up, I can't imagine making them live in a quarter like this."

"Sigh, it feels so empty now, and I have nothing to do."

Just as he let out a sigh, the phone in his pocket vibrated, startling him, "Bzzz, bzzzz"

"Hello, who is it?" Hans answered cautiously.

Barely anyone knew his number and he had almost gotten no call in the last few years, making him wonder.

Who could it be?

"Hans, right?" A deep chuckle greeted him from the other end.

"I heard that your family's at the Cityview Hospital. Funny thing, I happen to have someone who is visiting there right now, wouldn't it be a pity if something were to happen to them?" Hearing these words and the creepy voice, beads of sweat started forming on Hans's forehead and his breathing turned heavy.

"W-what is it? What do you want? Is this about money?"

"Relax kid. You roughed up some of our men last time, don't you recall?"

Hans' heart sank, 'Their people? What does he mean, the only people I've beaten up were those..'

'Ah… it's them!'

"Get it now? Well then, come to xxxxx, if I don't see you in fifteen minutes, your family's toast."

"Beep, beep," with that, the man on the other side hung up.

Panic coursed through Hans as he couldn't think of what to do, but as long as his family was on the line he definitely wouldn't just stand there messing around.

"What to do? What to do? I have to go, but I can't leave my family alone. I have to send someone, but who? Who could go? Who is it that I trust? Is there even anyone I trust?" It was at this moment that Hans realized, despite being eighteen he was utterly alone.

All the time, the hours, the days he had spent trying to earn something had left him with nothing more than emptiness.

But knowing that he didn't have time to even think of anything, Hans simply rushed to the meeting point without looking back at his decision.

It barely took him five minutes to get to the provided address and awaiting him was a rundown two-story building.

The windows of the building were dirty and broken, some seemed a flick away from shattering while the floor was covered in a layer of dust and the light bulbs weren't functioning.

He entered a room that seemed like a reception before stepping lightly and silently under the effects of {Stealth}.

From an adjacent room, laughter echoed, voices that were a bit familiar yet menacing. However, Hans slipped into the shadows, undetected by anyone.

"Bhahaha"

"Hey, boss~ what are we going to do with him when he gets here~" Questioned someone and Hans recognized that it was the very same guy who had previously pissed his pants out of fear in the warehouse a few days ago.

Liam replied, his teeth subconsciously tightening, "Haha, dunno, maybe I'll just skin him alive, or maybe I will play target with him."

The other goons chuckled, "That's too kind of you boss, I would've thrown him in a pit of fire if I were you."

Liam nodded, "Mh, after what he has done to you guys, maybe I should make him suffer a bit more."

"Boss, what about his sister? Can we play with her?" asked another underlying.

"Pfft hahaha, did no one tell this fellow about her? She's a mummy bro, she's been in a coma for four years, you're better off playing with a doll," a burst of laughter filled the room, while Hans, at the entrance, was doing his best to hold back.

If it wasn't for the fact that they could cause trouble for her, Hans would've beaten them up if not killed them for insulting his sister.

"By the way, shouldn't he be here by now?" queried a fatty, raising his left arm and looking at the ticking hands on his silver watch.

Liam reassured, "There's no need to worry. He's been paying for their coma for four years now, he's a complete fool for his family."

"Is that so? Pfhaha, he is a fool. Who knows how much money he has spent? All of that would've been better off with me; I could have bought a house or something," remarked another.

"Yeah, no kidding," chimed in a third.

Hans, still standing at the entrance, had only one thought as he struggled to control himself, 'Hold it, I must hold it, if I were to act up here I wo-'

"Don't worry about his family! Since I plan on killing him today, that means that the hospital will leave his dear parents and sister's bodies rotting in the streets," Liam sneered.

At this moment, the last thread holding Hans's reasoning snapped.

_____

In the bar where Hans paid his debt.

"Boss! Boss!" a lackey came rushing.

"Agh! For f*ck sake, what is it now?!" the boss grumbled.

"I-i- it's Liam! He gathered all his guys and went to kill that guy that beat them up last time!"

Hearing this, the boss slammed his hand on the table, snapping it into two.

"THAT FUCKER DARES?! Even though I told him countless times to let it go!"

"Hey you, tell me the situation! Quickly!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

After hearing all the situation, the boss stormed out of the bar, heading towards the designated meeting spot before ordering some of his men to go to the hospital to take care of Liam's men.

By the time he arrived at the building, the boss noticed that it was run down and full of dust, but that was pretty normal.

The unusual thing was that it was hot and was almost thirty degrees despite the winter weather. The boss was well aware that the building didn't have any heating system, so what was this abnormal heat?

As he progressed further into the building, the temperature continued to rise, accompanied by the crackling of flames.

"I-I'm sowe, pwese 'et me 'o, ai be' u," (I'm sorry, please let me go, I beg you.)

"Pwese… pwese," pleaded someone while the boss stood at the missing door, watching the scene inside the room.

The boss could see that the flames had engulfed the walls and floor while many men lay, probably dead.

Amidst the inferno and a few burning bodies, a lone figure of a boy stood straight in the middle of the room, his left hand holding a man by the neck, holding him midair.

"L-Liam?" The boss stammered as he called out, "Please wait a second!"

However, the young man didn't seem to have heard anything until the boss put his hand on his flaming shoulder; being so close to him, the boss could tell that the heat was palpable, making him sweat.

'I.. am sweating? Someone like me? This boy… he must be a high-ranking mage!'

"Excuse me!" He shouted, still holding onto Hans' shoulder.

The other side's fierce and fiery eyes turned to him as if they were staring deep into his soul.

Only then did Hans finally let go.

Noticing the man, only one thought crossed Hans's mind: 'What… is a monster like this doing here?'

{Piercing Gaze}

{[Name: Kwang-su Kim

Age: 21

Class: ???? (RARE)

Title: ????

Level: ???

Strength: ????

Dexterity: ????

Endurance: ????

Wisdom: ????

Skills: ?????

Hidden skills: ???? (RARE)

Evaluation: Extremely dangerous individual to approach with your current strength. Estimated rank: A or higher. }

Taking the chance, Liam, who had just been dropped to the ground, mustered all his remaining strength and pulled out a gun before pointing it towards both, the boss and Hans.

Seeing this, Kwang-su Kim stepped ahead while the flames engulfing Hans quietened down a bit.

"Didn't I tell you to just let it go!" Kwang-su Kim admonished.

"U astawd"(you bastard) id u 'ink ai ud 'ust oey or powers,"(did you think I would just obey your orders) Liam retorted.

"Ey ay u ae a wong 'uner, I'd u 'ink aid elief at?" (They say you are a strong hunter, did you think I'd believe that?)

" u ae us a wraud"(you are just a fraud) "IE!"(DIE!)

With that, the trigger was pulled, and a loud BANG echoed through the silent building.

However, much to Liam's surprise, the bullet didn't have any effect on Kwang-su Kim, rather, he looked at the fellow with pity and disgust.

"I thought you had changed," Kwang-su Kim sighed.

"Haaaa…"

"I just let you be for a while because we were friends back in the day, But it seems that instead of maturing, you've only regressed, now it is time to say goodbye."

'Ooo, ait pwese!"(No wait please) 'I aent inkin raight,"(I wasn't thinking straight) Liam pleaded.

"Et I go, pwese is on ime, I ust ade a istae"(let it go, please this one time, I just made a mistake) Liam whose eyes were filled with madness to kill the two a moment ago was now crawling away from his old friend, his entire body shivering in fear while his swollen face uttering words that were impossible to comprehend, if not for the begging look in his eyes.

With every step Kwang-su Kim took, the ground cracked and his sorrowful face looked like it could shed a tear.

He retracted his arm, as if to throw a straight punch and though his mouth opened, no words came out of it.

'If only you had listened to me, I wouldn't be doing this right now. May we meet in another life.'

An enormous flow of energy burst out from his pouch and his once-old friend was blown away, smashing into the wall before falling into his blood, lifeless.

Meanwhile, even after witnessing this touching moment, Hans remained enraged.

"WHAT ABOUT MY FAMILY?!" he asked.

"Don't worry, I have arranged my people to protect them. I ask for your forgiveness, neither this nor the last time was I informed of the ongoing events, I hope you won't hold a grudge and forgive us," Kwang-su Kim replied with a forced smile.

After ensuring that the matter wouldn't be sought after anymore, Hans rushed to the hospital, relieved to find them unharmed.

He had never been so happy to see them still in the same spot he left them.

_____

That night… at Kwang-su Kim's place.

"Hans, that's his name, let's see… he should be a Rank-D mage right? Maybe even a Rank-C. But why would someone like him even need to borrow money? Hans…Hans, here it is, Rank… …E??!!!"