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He figured the bathroom would be filled with lots and lots of people nervous about the war, but no. Much to his relief, this place was empty. Then again, Nobuo deliberately seeking out a toilet located in the remotest corner of the ship probably played a large role in that.

‘Let’s go deeper.’

Nobuo unhesitantly walked inside the furthest cubicle and locked the door behind him. Such a flimsy door meant nothing in a ship full of martial art experts, but he still felt a little more relaxed with his view blocked off like this.

Nobuo looked at his phone.

He couldn’t understand why he was doing this. Why was he going this far and taking on all this risk when Korea didn’t mean anything to him?

Besides, this problem didn’t just concern South Korea here. Nobuo would still be in danger even if he let the Koreans know of the incoming invasion.

After all, Nobuo was definitely a part of the Japanese expeditionary forces. Unless he jumped overboard and swam back to Japan right now… There was no way for him to escape from the war.

This ship’s destination was South Korea. An enemy nation. If this expedition ended in a total failure, Nobuo would be buried in that land, too.

‘Damn it. Have I lost my mind?’

Would the Koreans consider his circumstances? Nobuo didn’t think they would.

Even if you were a non-threatening regular Korean-Japanese and not a martial artist, those people still mocked and jeered you for being a halfling. That was what the Koreans were like.

But now, Nobuo must cross his fingers and hope that they would take pity on him and spare his hide?

What a joke that was! It\'d be a miracle if the Koreans didn\'t treat him even more cruelly than before.

Nobuo knew he must not do this crazy thing if saving his neck was his number one priority. For that purpose, it’d be better to pretend to be a loyal fighter doing his thing out in front, then sneakily back out when the time was just right.

If the expedition proved successful, and Nobuo was one of the few survivors at the end, the life he\'d been dreaming of could finally be his. A life where he was acknowledged as a real Japanese. A life where he was no longer discriminated against for his Korean heritage!

Wasn’t that the life Nobuo longed for all this time? So why…?

“Kuk!”

Nobuo chuckled quietly. How laughable this situation was.

He thirsted for this moment, yet when the opportunity was finally given, Nobuo decided to go the other way.

Maybe this situation he now found himself in wasn\'t because of his heritage as a Korean-Japanese.

No, it was because Nobuo was that kind of a person. That kind of man who failed to make the right call and willingly threw away the chance to change his life.

A man who was always filled with dissatisfaction but too scared to gamble everything away to overcome his reality. That was Nobuo.

No, maybe the truth was that he was simply a…

‘A rebel, eh?’

Nobuo chuckled quietly again.

Certain rules were responsible for keeping the world spinning around and around. However, some people were bound to get uncomfortable with those rules. Like Nobuo, for instance.

Was there a need for him to overthink this situation? Not really.

Patriotism? That could be fed to the damn dogs for all Nobuo cared. After all, Korea didn’t give him anything. Not even a single helping hand.

In that case, Nobuo shouldn’t think of what he was doing as a favor for that stupid country. No, he was doing it simply because of his desire to screw over the bastards on this ship.

Scars from contempt and mockery ran much deeper than ones from disinterest and cold shoulders, after all!

‘Yes, this is an opportunity. Definitely an opportunity!’

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Nobuo would never enjoy ever again!

‘In both senses of the word, that is.’

This opportunity could turn his life around for the better, but it could also be one to screw over these hateful bastards. Such a valuable opportunity would indeed be a one-time deal, never to be repeated again.

Nobuo sighed softly, then pushed his perception to the max to scan his surroundings.

Even he would\'ve been stunned by how his face looked right this moment. The way he scanned his surroundings with bloodshot eyes was totally reminiscent of a junkie craving for the next hit.

‘There’s no one here.’

Nobuo confirmed that he was alone in this bathroom, then stared at his phone again.

‘A voice call is out of the question, so..’

They were on a ship, so talking to someone on the phone should be impossible. Not because the call wouldn\'t get through, though. The ship was still relatively close to the shore, so the connection should still be fine. However, making a voice call on a ship teeming with martial art experts was pushing his luck too far.

Someone passing by might overhear his conversation, after all!

‘…! Right! Wi-Fi!’

There must be a working Wi-Fi connection on this ship. Thankfully, the expedition leaders didn’t get a cargo ship but a passenger ship instead. Which meant this thing should have a fairly-robust internet connection for its passengers…

‘There is it!’

Nobuo confirmed the list of available Wi-Fi connections appearing on his phone’s screen, then crossed his fingers while connecting to the ship’s Wi-Fi.

‘Please, please…!’

This Wi-Fi had to work. It simply had to! That was the only way to…

“It’s working!”

Nobuo inadvertently blurted that out. He hurriedly sucked in a deep breath after confirming one more time that his phone was now connected to the internet.

This was the point of no return. Once he sent the message, it could not be undone.

Nobuo leaned against the cubicle wall, his phone hanging by his side. He could feel the coldness through his back. He remained motionless for a while before his eyes flipped open.

Anxiety in his expression was gone by now, replaced by determination. Nobuo raised the phone and began typing something away. After he finished typing a fairly-lengthy message, his trembling finger tapped on the ‘Send’ icon.

The screen said “loading.”

Looking at the digital circle spinning around and around on his device also made his head spin.

Wouldn’t it be better to cancel the transmission now? Why was he doing something like this, anyway? Why?

Was it really to screw these people over?

‘Bullsh*t!’

Didn’t Nobuo already know the truth? That he’d also be screwed over by doing this crap?

His fate was tied to this expedition. Even if he alerted the Koreans of the incoming invasion, would they be generous enough to single him out and spare his life? No!

This was undoubtedly a suicide! Nobuo hurriedly grabbed at his phone.

‘I, I gotta stop this!’

This was wrong. He must cancel the…

Unfortunately, the message went through just before he could tap away on any of the icons on the screen. Nobuo could only dazedly stare at the phone busy informing him that the message had been sent. With that… He really was past the point of no return.

His message could not be canceled, and the figurative ball was now in South Korea’s court.

“Huh…”

The powerful waves of emptiness and enervation washed over Nobuo when he realized it was over.

‘You… You f*cking idiot!’

He must’ve been mad for doing something this insane. Just what obligations did he have toward Korea, anyway!

Despite acting like the smartest bastard in the room, Nobuo still did something monumentally stupid during the decisive moment. Search through the whole of the Japanese archipelago, and Nobuo would still emerge as the dumbest bastard in all of Japan!

Nobuo reflexively grabbed his face.

“Huff, huff…!”

His breathing grew faster and shallower. Only now did he realize the enormous implication of what he had done.

However, what could he do about it now? That ship had already set sail, after all!

‘I… Dammit. Let’s just go back.’

Nobuo realized he must return before others started suspecting him. He lifelessly shoved the phone into his pocket, then flushed the toilet.

‘Don’t get tense. Don’t get tense…!’

Nobuo tried to relax his expression. If he returned with a tense scowl on his face, well… Only an idiot would not suspect something weird was going on with him. So, for now at least, he must return to Eihana-kai\'s cabin as if nothing had happened to him.

Since Motobe hit him, should he pretend to be a little pissed off about it? If not…

While mulling over his options, Nobuo opened the cubicle door and stepped outside… Only to freeze on the spot.

“Oh, hello there,” said Nakata Yuji as he walked inside the toilet. “It seems we keep running into each other.”

“S-sorry? …A-ah, yes, sir!”

That smile plastered on Nakata Yuji’s face tried to say he was a good, kind-hearted man. However, when Nobuo saw that creepy smile, his back was instantly soaked in cold sweat.

‘Why is he here?’

How long had it been? How long had Nakata Yuji been standing there?

‘No, it can’t be. It can’t be!’

Nobuo squeezed his fists tightly. If Nakata Yuji had been here since the beginning and suspected Nobuo of any duplicity, he wouldn’t have waited until the message was sent. No, he’d have charged inside the toilet and killed Nobuo on the spot.

That could only mean Nobuo exited his cubicle just as Nakata Yuji coincidentally entered the bathroom. And the latter had no idea what happened inside this place.

In that case, all Nobuo had to do was pretend nothing of note happened.

Nakata Yuji peered closely at Nobuo’s face. “Huh. You don’t look so good, fella.”

“Oh, uh…”

What should he say in this situation? What?

“I, uh, got seasick, sir.”

“Really? A martial artist getting seasick? Now that’s a funny notion.”

“M-my apologies, sir.”

“No need to apologize, fella. I was only joking, you see? Don’t take it too seriously.”

“Oh…”

Nakata Yuji grinned, forcing Nobuo to smile back as well. It felt like Nobuo’s facial muscles were distorting hideously, but he still succeeded in his attempt to smile.

Even if his smile looked awkward and fake, Nakata Yuji should see it as the result of Nobuo’s nervousness.

“Well, then. Please excuse me.” Nobuo bowed briefly. Before he could leave, though…

“Fella, wait.”

“...Sir?”

“You used the bathroom, so aren\'t you going to wash your hands? Doesn\'t Eihana-kai teach its members something as basic as that?”

“Oh…!”

Nobuo hurriedly walked over to a basin and turned on the water. He quickly shoved his sweaty hands under the tap. It felt like his head cleared up in an instant as his skin came in contact with the cold water.

He tried his absolute best not to look harried while washing his hands, then even splashed some water on his face next. As the water dripped from his face, Nobuo sneaked a glance at the mirror and saw Nakata Yuji leisurely relieving his bladder by one of the urinals.

That sight calmed Nobuo to some degree. His nervousness eased somewhat just then.

‘That’s good.’

It seemed Nakata Yuji didn’t suspect anything. In that case, Nobuo should distance himself from that creepy bastard as soon as possible!

“Well, then. Please excuse me.” Nobuo bowed his head again. Unfortunately for him, though…

Nakata Yuji seemed to have other ideas.

“Ah, deary me. I forgot to say this just now.”

“Sir?”

“Fella, you said you’re a Korean-Japanese, didn’t you?”

“...Yes, sir.”

“I know I said those things back then, but… Well, life doesn\'t always unfold as we\'ve planned, now does it? That\'s why I issued a new directive, you see?”

“A… new directive, sir?”

“That’s right. And that is to confiscate the phones of every Korean-Japanese on this ship. Just in case.”

“…!”

The cogs in Nobuo’s head instantly kicked into a higher gear.

‘There’s the unlock pattern, right? And I can always erase the message before handing the phone over.’

In that case, he shouldn’t make this complicated.

Nobuo nodded quickly. “T-then, I will hand it in. But, uh, who should I give it to, sir?”

“No need to go out of your way like that, fella. Give it to me. I’ll take care of it.”

“...Sorry?”

“What\'s wrong? It\'s not that hard, isn\'t it?”

“O-of course, sir. I…”

Before Nobuo could say something, Nakata Yuji suddenly smirked. That smirk was noticeably different than his previous smile. It was as creepy and bone-chilling as a smirk could get.

It was a smirk of a predator staring at a juicy prey!

“Since it’s not difficult, hand it over. That phone in your pocket that you’ve been trying to hide from my line of sight since the beginning.”

“…!”

Nakata Yuji leisurely closed the distance toward Nobuo while cracking his neck this way and that. “I sincerely pray that the phone can be unlocked via your fingerprint. If it\'s iris recognition, I gotta pull out your eyeball, you know? But I only have to cut your finger off in case of a fingerprint scanner. So, which one is it? I hope you are not an early adopter, fella.”[1]

Despair quickly filled up Nobuo’s expression.

***

Flip…

Kang Jin-Ho closed the cover of a book and put it down.

‘Hmm…’

Despite going through so many books, he had a hunch that this would not be enough. And he\'d be right in his assertion.

At the end of the day, knowledge was just that, knowledge. If knowledge was all it took to run the world, the world’s most successful business people would’ve been university professors. However, that wasn’t the case in reality.

What mattered the most was how one applied the knowledge. And Kang Jin-Ho was currently building the knowledge base he’d apply practically later.

‘It’s not easy, though.’

This was something Kang Jin-Ho must do, even if it was challenging to a fault. Even so, all these hard work would eventually accumulate toward a better future.

The Martial Assembly was rapidly growing and evolving. However, this march toward a better future wouldn’t last forever. After all, the Crimson King’s faction and other groups wouldn’t sit idly by and watch that happen.

This was a race against time. Could the Martial Assembly grow stronger faster? Or would the enemies invade this place before that happened?

For him to be relieved about buying a little bit of time, it was not…

Just as Kang Jin-Ho’s thoughts reached that far, the door to his office flew open without a knock.

Thunk!

Lee Hyeon-Su and his pale face rushed inside. Kang Jin-Ho only needed one look at that complexion to know something had happened.

“A-Assembly Master, sir!”

“Hold on!” Kang Jin-Ho stopped Lee Hyeon-Su while getting up. “Convene a meeting first. I can already tell you won\'t have enough time to explain the same thing twice.”

“Understood!”

After Lee Hyeon-Su hurriedly rushed outside, Kang Jin-Ho silently turned his head to stare outside the windows. The dark night sky seemed ominous for some reason.

‘Is it… Another battle?’

Kang Jin-Ho’s tongue slithered out on its own and began licking his lips.

Why did it feel like he could smell the stench of blood already? The corners of Kang Jin-Ho’s lips curled up after his senses picked up the hints of clouds of war gathering overhead.

Unlike his mind, Kang Jin-Ho’s body was definitely looking forward to the incoming bloodbath.

1. Well, there you have it. This novel is positively ancient, then. This line is straight from the raw. ☜