an unfortunate change in genre

Part 28

Choi Han had a problem.

Choi Han had a lot of problems actually, listing out all of them would become more tiresome than just solving the lot of them. And frankly speaking he didn't have the time for either.

His very chaotic and not at all calm week had started out so optimistically.

Raon finally had a name and he was over the moon about the choice. Choi Han was pleased with the name too.

Raon Miru.

Joyful Dragon.

Choi Han clenched a fist, crouched in the shadows and watched the coming and going of the cloaked individuals on Hais Island 5.

His entire body practically vibrated with the need to cut down the lot of them. The murderous intent that rolled off of his partner for this particular mission, Ron Molan, let Choi Han know that the elderly man felt very much the same.

Unfortunately today's mission was about information above all else. Clipping off a branch to Arm was meaningless.

They needed to dig out the root and burn down the remains.

It was a mission that required intelligence, guile, and concentration.

It was a shame then that Choi Han's thoughts were chaotic. They'd been chaotic for roughly a week now.

Joyful Dragon.

The name that Roksu had chosen for Raon was 'Joyful Dragon' in Korean. They weren't commonly used words and Choi Han might have been able to dismiss it as a coincidence had he not already been dismissing a lot as a coincidence.

Choi Han wasn't a foolish person. Sometimes he wants quick on the uptake or he let his sensibilities block him from thinking up the impossible, but he was actually quite intelligent and intuitive.

He'd known they were similar from the very beginning.

He dismissed every coincidental similarity though. Pretended not to see the answer right in front of him.

He could still see the steel in Roksu Henituse's expression when the hotel was attacked. The chilling way he'd immediately taken action. The strangely familiar tactics that flowed from his lips.

Choi Han hadn't had the time to think about it.

That bastard had been trying to burn Roksu-nim alive.

There wasn't a lot that Choi Han could do in response to such a slight other than murder the bastard. Unfortunately, he'd missed and only taken off a hand. Choi Han still felt quite a bit of remorseful resentment that he hadn't been able to slice the bastard in twain.

Choi Han wasn't normally a murderous person. In fact, he'd really been able to conduct most of his missions without even murdering the worst of people. Detaining them and leaving them to the law or interrogation.

But he wasn't naive enough to think that he wouldn't need to bloody his sword. Not with the atrocities lined up in front of him, one after the other.

And his mind was mad with thoughts.

"Excuse me, Roksu-nim."

The chilly night air surrounded the pair as Raon circled the plaza, searching for signs of mana bombs. Roksu had asked Choi Han to join him but both Raon and Choi Han had soundly refused.

They hardly wanted him out in the open like this, even if he was in disguise with his hair dyed with Raon's magic and a plain black outfit that didn't stick out. There was no possible way they'd leave him without a guard at his side.