REAPER SCANS
Legendary Returner’s Survival Guide
[Translator – TinTin ]
[Proofreader – Harley ]
Chapter 35
This shouldn't be a surprise, but Shi-hu knew everyone who fell onto Titan—all two hundred. He knew their names, their faces, and for most, even their occupations back on Earth.
They had all come from various nations—South Korea was a given. To name a few, there was Bolivia, Mexico, America, Britain, France, Suriname, and even North Korea.
Dropped into such a strange place, it was only natural for people to gravitate towards familiar faces. For Shi-hu, that meant the other South Koreans.
That was why he knew every single South Korean who fell into Titan: Kim Minjae, Jeong Seong-il, Ma Jinno, Jeong Honam, Lim Kyeongtae, Jeong Hyoju, and Jeong Seongju.
Hyoju and Seongju resided in Seoul, while Honam and Kyeongtae were Busan natives. Meanwhile, Jinno was originally from the Jeolla Province, but he relocated to Busan after the Great Calamity.
Currently, Honam was the General Director of the Home Affairs Bureau at Busan City Hall, while Kyeongtae was the Chief Superintendent General of the Busan Metropolitan Police.
Ten years ago, though not in as high of an office, both were already public officials.
Jinno called the two, receiving the following responses:
Honam replied, “Why do we have to go? It’d be moronic for us to do as he demanded. He’s taking a gamble. He has to worry about public opinion, as he’s the one at a loss if we’re a no-show. I think this would make a pretty good headline: ‘Jin Shi-hu was, in fact, an Awakener. Third-rate author has been pulling the wool over the eyes of the people.’ I can contact a reporter I know and have this be national news by end of day. What do you two think?”
Meanwhile, Kyeongtae answered, “This is definitely a set up, but I think this could be a gamble for us as well. If we kill him ourselves, 'That Person' might reward us with even greater power. With that kind of power boost, we would no longer be called things like the 148th and 167th. We could jump into the top 100, the ranks where we’re presented with a name. This is an opportunity, so I’m going in. We have nothing to lose if we gather up some elites and try to bury him in the gate.”
They were split. However, the three Apostles lived in proximity in Busan. They were close with each other, enough to sway each other when they had differing opinions.
Jinno said, “I'm going.”
“Are you insane?” Honam asked.
“Not at all. I'm going to request backup from the 'Jāti Jarāmaraṇa' in Seoul.”
“…As if the Jāti Jarāmaraṇa would actually show up. They seem fully immersed in their role.”
“Admittedly, the odds are slim. But realistically, do we think he can handle the three of us at full power?”
“You’re doubting the guy who killed ‘Karma’, the 99th Apostle? Seriously?”
“If we three join forces, we can handle more than just Karma. We could take on as high as the 80th Apostle,” Jinno persuaded his friends. “Synergy is more than just a word.”
His reasoning was simple.
Their teamwork was magical. There was a reason the three hung out together.
Each possessed a distinct attribute: fire, wind, and earth, respectively. They wielded these attributes with exceptional mastery, and when they worked together, their powers complimented each other in a synergistic effect.
“I think it’s doable,” Jinno declared.
“......”
“......”
Hearing their silence, Jinno pressed on, “This is our chance. A chance to eliminate him and gain even greater power.”
“What if we fail?” Honam asked.
“There are many insightful expressions in the language of the humans. One of them is 'high risk, high return', which seems particularly apt in this situation.”
Unlike Kyeongtae, who was already on board, Honam weighed his options. However, his deliberation was short.
“The media seems to be catching wind of something. Let me shut that down first before meeting up,” Honam schemed.
Kyeongtae chimed in, “Let's say someone who resembles Shi-hu was swept into the gate, not Shi-hu himself. Manipulating the Busan media and witness statements should be easy enough.”
“I'll handle the area around the gate. Clearing a 100m radius from the gate should be enough, right?” said Honam.
The implication was clear.
“Let's meet at the gate in an hour,” Jinno set the time.
Business got taken care of in the blink of an eye.
The three met at the gate, made their preparations, and stepped through.
And there he was. Shi-hu was squatting down, smoking a cigarette.
From the perspective of the General Director of the City Hall, the Chief Superintendent General of the Police, and a Guild Master that ruled Busan…
He looked like an ordinary punk, resembling a thug smoking in a back alley.
“Oh, you're here? You're a little late,” Shi-hu greeted them, flicking his cigarette.
But it wasn’t just anywhere. Instead, he launched it directly at Jinno.
Smack
The cigarette butt hit Jinno’s face before falling to the ground.
“…You motherfucker,” Jinno scowled.
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – TinTin ]
[Proofreader – Harley ]
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
* * *
Honestly, I hadn't given it much thought.
My plan was simple. ‘Starting today, I will clean up South Korea and be finished by tomorrow.’
That should be sufficient time. Busan today, Seoul tomorrow. After that, there would be no more Apostles in South Korea.
I slowly stood up. Jinno's expression after being hit with the cigarette butt was quite amusing.
That face… it looked the same on Titan.
“Let’s skip the unnecessary stage. Get to your true forms, hop to,” I demanded.
The three men remained silent.
Smiling, I pulled out another cigarette.
“I’ll wait. I’ve waited this long, a little longer won’t hurt. Take your time.”
Flicker.
The end of the cigarette lit up.
I almost forgot to mention, “But only until I finish this.”
Slowly, the three men began to transform.
The forms of the Apostles, like that guy from the Texas gate, or Kim Minjae, were all quite similar.
Roughly two meters tall. Bulging muscles that tore apart their clothes. Horns on their foreheads, which incidentally was a feature that varied the most.
Some had a single straight or spiraled horn, while others had two or three spiraling horns.
The wings on their backs also differed slightly, but it was mostly a difference in size.
I thought back to the 99th Apostle. ‘Hmm…’
“So, you guys look like you’re pretty much done transforming. Can I ask something before we start?”
“A question… Very well. Why don’t we take turns asking each other questions.”
“There’s no need to go that far, but sure. Let’s do it. What was the name of the guy at the Texas gate?”
“Their name is Karma.”
“Ah, so it was Karma. Nice name.”
“Then, it’s our turn to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“What is your ultimate goal?”
My goal…? My goal was simple.
“The guys suffered a lot on Titan. Some would make promises to return to Earth, only to die the next day. Others became servants of the dragons, exploited the remaining humans, and were then discarded. There sure were all types of people. And those are the guys I remember. Not fakes like you,” I answered.
“......”
“Just call it a personal vendetta. Oh, I guess I was being a bit vague. Sorry,” I continued while crushing the cigarette under my foot, “I’m going to kill all the Apostles.”
“…What?”
“Every. Single. One.”
“Even if they’re key political or business figures?”
I laughed.
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“......”
“What does it matter if they’re a president, a minister, or what-the-fuck-ever? They’re not human, they’re doppelgangers playing dress-up. Like I said, this is personal.”
“......”
“Why? Am I not allowed to kill them if they’re the president or some minister?”
“How arrogant for someone about to die here.”
I laughed again. I wondered if these guys were meant to be a three man comedy act.
I took off my coat and shoved it into my sub-dimension.
A thought hit me.
“This is unfair.”
“Are you talking about the three-on-one? Ha! Now you complain? Didn’t you demand yourself that we come here?”
I shook my head.
“Not that. I thought we were supposed to take turns asking and answering. Don’t you think the exchange of information is a bit disproportionate?”
“......”
“Let me ask just one more. Answer me this,” I said while taking a step forward, “Where can I go to meet this 'That Person' you guys keep referring to?”
“You cannot meet them.”
“Why not?”
“Because the moment you do, you will die.”
That was hilarious. My stomach almost hurt from how funny that was.
“Okay, so I can’t meet them. Is it at least possible to talk to them?”
“It is. Some Apostles have a direct line of communication with 'That Person'.”
“Do any of you?”
“We do.”
“Which of you is it?”
I started pointing at them.
“......”
“Is it you?”
“......”
“I see. It’s you. Okay. Let’s begin.”
White Lotus Ki erupted as I launched myself forward.
My fist slammed into Jinno’s face.
SMAAASH—!!
Jinno went flying.
I utilized the momentum to rotate my body and swing my leg. It connected with the side of the head of the guy standing to the left, launching him.
Using the recoil, I kicked the final guy, also sending him airborne.
Blood sprayed through the air as I landed.
I could feel their gazes locked onto me.
There was no point in prolonging this.
I kicked off the ground again.
***
The S Rank gate in Busan occurred near the peak of Jangsan Mountain, on the eastern coast of Yongho Town.
Naturally, the area had been cordoned off since the gate's appearance, restricting access to authorized personnel until it was cleared.
Though it was a restricted area, some people in the world thought rules were made to be broken.
The existence of Awakeners was a global phenomenon, and with it came an obsession with their power, their potential, and even specific individuals.
The Gwangan Beach Madmen Guild was a prime example. They were, in a way, the pride of Busan.
Their Guild Master, Ma Jinno, was a local celebrity. No one in Gwangan Beach didn’t know his name. Globally, however, he was far less known.
The point is that there is a demand for information about Awakeners. That was why there were people who filmed Awakeners clearing gates and posted the videos online.
Streamers, paparazzi, and the like.
There was a reason the Chief Superintendent General and the Director General had ordered the area secured, and why along with the police, the Gwangan Beach Madmen Guild were controlling the perimeter.
Everything had a logical explanation.
And yet…
Despite the increased security, a man with a handheld camera was scaling the mountain, bypassing security.
It was a streamer with 4.5 million subscribers known as 'Busan Guy TV.’ His real name was So Byeong-min.
Byeong-min was an A+ Rank Awakener specializing in Stealth skills.
Even with tight security, an A+ Rank Stealth specialist required at least an S+ Rank Awakener to detect.
Deployed for perimeter control were 40 A+ Rank Awakeners, 80 lower-rank Awakeners, and 150 special police officers.
If Byeong-min was determined, he could break through—and so he did just that.
“See, Chat? Didn’t I tell you? They might as well be scarecrows to me, the great So Byeong-min. And that thing over there is the S Rank gate.”
The gate was right in front of him, barely ten meters away.
Guarding the area were special police officers. Special police were officers that were also Awakeners, but they were irrelevant.
By running like a madman, he could easily reach the gate before being stopped.
Hidden in the bushes, Byeong-min whispered, “I can’t stream from inside, so I’ll turn the stream off for now. I’ll film everything inside and share it all later, so stay tuned. Was it really Jin Song-yi’s younger brother, Jin Shi-hu, who went inside? And why were the Police Chief Superintendent General as well as the General Director of Finance—no, City Planning? Whatever, the General Director of something. Also why are those idiots just on standby? I’ll investigate everything and get back to you. See you later.”
Byeong-min stopped the stream, pressed the record button on his camera, and then sprinted towards the gate.
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
“Stop him!”
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
