Failed Possession Chapter-50

## Ch-50

—

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Roichi.”

Sss—
A cigar thicker than a thumb slowly burned down. The middle-aged man—his face covered in scars and a black eyepatch over his left eye—looked the other man over as though appraising merchandise.

“They say you handle jobs cleanly. If the pay grade matches what you ask for, you don’t back out halfway, and once the deal’s done, you don’t whine about money either.”

If the Orthodox Heaven Alliance had its Five Great Families and Five Great Sects, the Black Dragon Association had the Six Dark Sects.

The Hao Gate was one of those Six Dark Sects—a major faction.
If judged simply by numbers, they ranked at the top among the Six Dark Sects, but their combat strength wasn’t particularly high.

What the Hao Gate specialized in wasn’t martial arts or fighting.

It was information.

Deeply embedded in the underworld, countless kinds of intelligence flowed into the Hao Gate.

At the same time, they brokered requests that couldn’t be handled in the light.

“Well, if Roichi introduced you to this old man, your skills and character are guaranteed. So—did you hear about me before coming?”

“Dogger Badger.”

The man with the hood pulled low answered.

“Guzen. Heard you’re like a raccoon of an uncle. You love money and tend to gouge people, but at least you get the job done.”

“Young punk’s got no manners.”

“And what about you starting with casual speech first?”

At the retort, Guzen’s eyebrow twitched.

Hooking the cigar between his fingers, he glared at the man. Beneath the pressed-down hood, a sharp glint flashed.

“Aren’t you the one who needs me? I’m not lacking for anything. There are countless guys in this district who’d kill for a private meeting with this old man.”

“Then go ahead and sift through all those common pebbles who can’t even pull strings or stand out, and try to pick out your gems.”

“Hmm.”

Guzen’s frown eased.

“They said you weren’t a pushover. Just like Roichi told me.”

The cigar returned to his lips. He blew the smoke upward and grinned.

“Yuri. Should I call you by your name? Or should I call you Thundercloud?”

Yuri didn’t remove his hood. He simply stared back at Guzen with a bored expression, brushing away the approaching smoke with his hand.

“Call me Thundercloud.”

“Mm, I thought so too. Yuri’s not a bad name, but it sounds a bit weak.”

Guzen laughed loudly and rested the cigar on the ashtray.

“Alright, let’s get straight to business. No need to tense up—it’s simple. We should be clear on what each of us wants, right? Thundercloud, you know what kind of place this is before coming here, don’t you?”

“I do.”

This was Panteleon.

The great metropolis ruled by the Orsia family, the heads of the cartel.

Among the many large cities, it was the largest of them all—large enough in area and population to rival a small nation.

“Panteleon.”

Grinning, Guzen opened the window.

“Aaahhh—!”

A scream drifted in at that very moment. Guzen closed his eyes as if savoring it, then nodded.

“You probably saw plenty coming here too, but once you leave the center and pass Zone 3, screams are everyday life. Still, screams are the better outcome. Around here, most problems end with just a scream.”

The central district—where the Orsia family, the Selvis Magic Tower, and even a Orthodox Heaven Alliance branch were located—looked completely different from the other zones. Zones 1 and 2 at least had decent security, but like Guzen said, once you crossed into Zone 3, public order was a complete mess.

The Orsia family had ruled for generations as the heads of the cartel.

Nobles among nobles.

They ruled this city based on outright aristocracy.

To them, Panteleon’s “citizens” meant only those living in the central and Zone 2 districts.

Citizenship was only issued up to Zone 2—and even that was graded lower than central citizenship.

There was a reason the Orsia family couldn’t simply be criticized for this.

Fifty years ago, only the central district existed. That alone was Panteleon.

It hadn’t even been a great city—just an ordinary one.

Fifty years ago, a Rift opened in the nearby metropolis of Lanalsa.

The suddenly appearing Rift spawned monsters that should never exist in a city. Even small animals like sewer rats, and even buildings, were affected and turned into monsters.

And that wasn’t the end of it.

The monsters’ ranks were determined by how much divine power of an evil god pooled in the Rift.

The Rift in Lanalsa held far more power than anything in Lagos.

That divine power even defied death itself.

Anyone who died in that Rift became a living corpse—an undead.

It was only fifty years ago that Rifts first began appearing in the world.

Lanalsa wasn’t the first, but people still weren’t accustomed to Rifts, nor did they know how to deal with them.

In the end, the great city of Lanalsa fell overnight.

The Orsia family and Selvis Magic Tower barely contained the outbreak, but millions of refugees were created.

Those refugees sought migration to Panteleon.

The Orsia family initially refused. Taking in that many people wasn’t a decision to make lightly.

Despite the refusal, many refugees occupied the land outside Panteleon’s walls.

A refugee settlement formed.

That settlement became today’s Zone 1.

‘In the game, Zone 3 was the end.’

Now Panteleon had up to Zone 5.

If it had stopped at just the refugees fifty years ago, it would’ve been fine. But many others wanted the benefits of Panteleon, the so-called city of nobles. People flooded in pretending to be refugees and slipped into Zone 1. The zones gradually expanded.

Now only up to Zone 2 were treated as “citizens.” Beyond that, the Orsia family had effectively given up control.

Yet the zones kept expanding.

High birthrates in the lower zones.

Fools dreaming they might someday enter the center.

And many drawn by the appeal of a lawless zone.

“As for me, I don’t get why you’d want Zone 4 instead of the relatively livable Zone 3, but hey—if you want it, I’ll send you.”

Guzen grinned.

“But I can’t get you a pass for free.”

“Figured.”

“If you solve a few small problems, I’ll arrange a pass.”

“You can really get one?”

Guzen’s smile deepened.

“I’m Dogger Badger Guzen. One of the Hao Gate’s Zone 3 branch heads. Five. How’s that?”

“Five?”

“The little problems you’ll solve. Fix five and I’ll cleanly get you the pass.”

“You’re insane.”

“W-what?”

“I’m not cleaning up your shit five times. Three.”

“You think you can bargain me down with guts? Hah. Thundercloud, you’re looking down on a Hao Gate branch head too much. I’m no pushover—but I like your spirit, so I’ll concede a little. Four.”

“Three.”

“Four!”

“Three.”

“Zero.”

The sudden voice cut in.

Guzen’s eyes widened.

Yuri made a similar face.

Tilting his head, he suddenly flinched and reached for his waist.

“…?”

Guzen blinked, then glared at Yuri.

He was a 4th Rank martial artist himself. He felt a presence by the window.

Realizing it only *now* sent chills down his spine.

The voice had spoken deliberately, revealing its presence.

They must have been hiding there all along—and he hadn’t noticed.

Which meant—

a high-level assassin.

“…Thundercloud, you bastard… did you come here to kill me?”

“You’re misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding? Then what the hell is it? If you don’t call off the assassin by the window right now, the Hao Gate—”

“No, seriously, it’s a misunderstanding.”

“Then why does your face look like that?!”

Finally unable to hold back, Guzen shouted.

His reaction was natural.

A voice suddenly came from the window, a presence revealed itself—

yet Yuri’s face showed almost no surprise at all.

“I’m Dogger Badger! I don’t die easily!”

With a roar, Guzen grabbed the sword at his feet and swung it at Yuri. It was a rushed draw, but blade energy formed in time and coated the edge.

Watching the sword trace a clean arc toward his neck, Yuri let out a deep sigh.

At the same time, the inner energy rising from his dantian spread outward like lightning.

Crackle!

With the sound of electricity snapping, Yuri’s fist moved.

The hooked punch crushed the blade energy and struck the blade directly.

Claaang!

The sword shattered into two pieces under the blow. One half grazed Guzen’s cheek and embedded itself in the wall.

“Hhk—?!”

Lightning energy traveled down the blade into the hilt, numbing Guzen’s hand. Startled, he had no choice but to let go.

‘W-what was that?’

He had heard about Thundercloud from Roichi. Estimated 4th Rank. A martial fighter who used lightning-attribute techniques.

Guzen himself was 4th Rank.

Yet in a single clash, his blade energy had been crushed like tofu, and the sword split in two.

And the lightning energy that robbed his hand of sensation.

It wasn’t impossible for a 4th Rank fighter—but the fact that it was delivered casually, without preparation, was horrifying.

Knock, knock.

Just as Guzen stiffened and tried to step back, a soft knocking sound reached his ears.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t his subordinates outside.

It came from the window he still hadn’t turned toward.

“Are you done? Can I come in now?”

Only then did Guzen turn his head.

A short-haired woman with her mouth covered by a black mask was staring straight at him.

“…”

He couldn’t even begin to guess who she was.

“You can come in.”

Yuri sighed deeply and answered.

The window opened.

Without lowering her mask, Haryeong lightly vaulted over the frame and stepped inside. She ignored Guzen’s wary glances and waved her hand lazily at Yuri.

“Yuri, big sis is here.”

“….”

“Long time no see. I’m happy and excited and everything, you know. Or am I the only one excited?”

“….”

“I’m so excited I started humming, but our Yuri looks pretty dull. Yuri? Big sis’s rhythm’s insane.”

“Are you actually insane?”

At their back-and-forth, Guzen’s face twisted.

“Hey, you bastard—you said it was a misunderstanding!”

“It is, so stop swearing.”

“Doesn’t look like one! She just called herself your big sister!”

“She might be.”

“Then what’s the misunder—”

Smack!

A hand suddenly flew out and slapped his cheek.

It wasn’t overwhelmingly painful, but it was sharp and biting. Clutching his cheek, Guzen stared at Yuri in shock.

“I’m the one who’s confused and overwhelmed right now, so shut up.”

“Y-you—”

Smack!

Another slap snapped his head sideways again.

As he was hit, a thought crossed his mind.

Is this guy really 4th Rank?

It didn’t feel like it.

It was just a slap, yet he couldn’t even see it properly.

Sure, a 4th Rank fighter’s fists were fast, and lightning techniques made them faster—but this was absurdly fast.

“If you say one more word, I’ll just—”

He’d already been slapped twice. His beloved sword was broken. There was clearly an assassin in the room who looked ready to kill him. And this was the Hao Gate’s own building. Even if their combat power wasn’t top-tier, they were still one of the Six Dark Sects. Yet here he was—the branch head—being bullied and nearly killed in his own headquarters…

All of it made Dogger Badger Guzen feel utterly miserable.

Not wanting to be slapped again, he clamped his mouth shut, though his shoulders trembled as he glared at Yuri.

But Yuri couldn’t spare attention for him.

Like he’d said—right now Yuri felt confused, shaken, complicated.

He sighed deeply and looked at Haryeong.

“Since when are you my ‘big sister’?”

“Calling you ‘oppa’ feels weird.”

“Just call me like before.”

“Guess two years really is a long time.”

Haryeong clapped lightly toward the blade still stuck in the wall.

Instead of answering, Yuri stared at her with narrowed eyes. Even under that blatant gaze, her expression didn’t change.

“I’d like to catch up, but we should move first. There’s a saying that birds hear words spoken by day and rats hear words spoken by night. If we talk here, it won’t be birds or rats listening—it’ll be raccoons.”

With that, she spun around.

She strode over to Guzen, pulled out a dagger from her waist, and held it before his eyes.

“…!”

Guzen recognized the emblem engraved on it.

A snake and a scorpion.

The symbol of the Tang Family, who ruled over the Salho Gate.

The Hao Gate and the Salho Gate were both among the Six Dark Sects—but their levels were different.

Unlike the Hao Gate, which handled intelligence, the Salho Gate dealt purely in killing.

The Tang Family controlled that terrifying organization.

The *Tang* Family was the Salho Gate, and the Salho Gate was the *Tang* Family.

In all its history, no one outside the Tang Family had ever become its leader.

‘The Snake-Scorpion dagger… only direct-line members of the Tang main house carry those…’

Gulp.

Guzen swallowed, chilled to the bone.

Someone like him—a mere branch head—could never oppose the Tang Family.

[Take what happened today to the grave.]

Instead of answering, he swallowed again.

[Zero.]

“…?”

[I’ll come tomorrow. Prepare two passes.]

At those words, Guzen hurriedly looked at Haryeong, but she had no intention of talking to him anymore.

“Let’s go.”

They had entered through the window—

but left proudly through the door.

Yuri still felt confused and unsettled, but for now, he simply followed Haryeong outside.

—