Chapter 6 - Manju

Avery instinctively realized.

There was a connection between 'the Cleaner' and Manju.

He didn't know exactly what it was yet, but one thing was certain—

It was worth digging into.

He lowered his body

And blended seamlessly into the darkness.

As if he had always been a part of the shadows.

Tracking the Manju Gang wasn't difficult.

In this district, all he had to do was follow one of the more notorious thugs,

And eventually, it would lead him straight to their den.

Tonight, Avery decided to put his assassination skills to the test.

The problem was…

His current body wasn't perfect.

His muscles didn't react as sharply as before,

And his reflexes were slightly duller.

If he had a few weeks to train and adjust, that would have been ideal,

But in this situation, he had no choice.

He had to make do with what he had.

He slid toward the back of an old abandoned building.

Complete darkness.

It was both his shield and his weapon.

Through the rusted window frame, he found a small gap.

Lowering his body silently, he peeked inside.

Clear line of sight.

Inside the building, a man was pacing back and forth, restless.

A distinct face with sideburns, a mustache, and a beard all connected.

—Manju.

Avery was certain.

His eyes were weary, showing deep exhaustion,

Yet at the same time, they darted around sharply, filled with paranoia.

He moved like someone who was expecting danger to strike at any moment.

"Stay sharp."

Manju snapped.

"The guest will be here soon."

At his words,

A man lounging nearby with a slim build and a mocking smirk looked up.

"Boss, why are you making such a big deal over one Cleaner?"

The subordinate's mocking murmur lightly echoed through the room.

At that moment—

Bang!

Manju's hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the subordinate by the collar in a firm grip.

His face was yanked close.

"Watch your mouth."

Manju spat in a low, sharp tone.

Then, his eyes swept across the room.

As if—

There were "ears" hidden somewhere.

"Did you already forget last week's mistake?"

"Don't even speak of it."

At those words,

The subordinate's expression instantly stiffened.

The smirk that had been on his face vanished in an instant,

Replaced by eyes filled with fear.

"S-Sorry, boss."

He quickly raised his hands in apology.

Manju slowly let go of him, adjusting his clothes as he spoke in a calm voice.

"Remember this. This Cleaner is a guest. If you mess with them and cut off our funding, No amount of regret will save you."

"U-Understood…!"

The subordinate nodded quickly, rubbing his neck where Manju had grabbed him.

Only now did he seem to realize—

One wrong word here could get him killed.

Avery, who had been listening in,

Focused even more.

But—

There still wasn't enough solid information.

"Funding?"

Manju was receiving money in relation to the Cleaner.

But what exactly was the deal?

At that moment,

After giving quick orders to his men,

Manju disappeared into a hidden, makeshift room.

A space completely hidden from outside view.

Avery scanned the surroundings.

His gaze caught onto an old, discarded T-shirt lying in the corner.

Without hesitation, he picked it up

and quickly fashioned it into a makeshift mask to cover his face.

He took a slow, steady breath, before melting into the shadows.

And then—

With a serpent's grace and swiftness, he slid through the window, entering the room silently.

Sssk—

When he slipped inside,

Manju still hadn't noticed the intrusion.

But that would only last one second.

A single second—

That was the only window of opportunity.

Avery moved without hesitation.

Closing in instantly, he shot out his hand like lightning and twisted Manju's arm.

Crunch!

Immediately after, his nimble fingers latched onto Manju's nape.

And then—

Something pressed tightly against his neck.

A pen.

But—

Its tip…

Held a threat as sharp as a dagger.

"Move, and you won't even get the chance to take your last breath."

Avery's voice was cold.

Not a single tremor in his tone.

At that moment,

Manju realized instinctively.

This man was the real deal.

He had survived in the ruthless depths of Third Street for years,

encountering all kinds of dangerous people—

But this?

This was on an entirely different level.

The figure standing before him was not just a man.

He was killing intent itself, wearing human skin.

Any thought of resisting— vanished from Manju's mind.

Manju slowly nodded.

If he made a wrong move here… he'd really die.

"What's your connection to the Cleaner?"

Avery asked in a low voice.

"…What are you talking about?"

Manju muttered, avoiding his gaze.

But—

Crack.

"AARGH!"

His finger snapped.

His bone twisted in an instant, and a scream climbed up his throat—

But the tip of the pen pressing against his neck was far more terrifying.

Swallowing hard, Manju forced himself to stay silent.

"I heard the conversation you had with your men earlier."

Avery said calmly.

"And yet, this is a completely different answer."

"…Damn it."

Manju gritted his teeth.

Then, with a voice laced with anger, he spat out—

"If you already know, why the hell are you asking?"

"Just testing your honesty."

Avery replied without expression.

"Pain has a way of teaching people the value of truth, don't you think?"

Manju gulped.

Looking into this man's eyes,

it felt as if death itself had taken human form.

Those eyes were a bottomless abyss.

Once you fell in, there was no crawling back out.

A black void that would swallow you whole.

Manju feared the Cleaner.

But more than that—

He valued his own life.

What use was money?

If he couldn't stay alive to spend it.

At that moment,

Avery spoke in a cold, merciless voice.

"You've still got nine fingers left."

"If that's not enough, should we move on to toes?"

"Then hands, arms, legs… You'd be surprised how many bones a human body has."

And as soon as those words fell—

Manju surrendered immediately.

"O-Okay! I'll tell you everything!"

His voice was filled with fear.

"Good."

Avery gave a slight nod.

"Then, what's your connection to the Cleaner?"

"And why are you getting paid?"

A brief silence.

Then—

"…Because of the list!"

Manju blurted out.

"List?"

Avery's eyes narrowed.

Manju jerked his chin, pointing at a folder on the table.

Avery carefully picked it up and opened it.

Dozens of documents.

Each page contained information on residents of Third Street.

He flipped through the pages, scanning the contents.

And then—

He found Billy's profile.

Beside it, a word written in red ink.

[Assigned]

Avery's hand froze.

Assigned.

That meant…

"What does 'Assigned' mean?"

He asked in a cold voice.

"It's the Cleaner's 'mark.'"

Manju muttered nervously.

"We don't ask for reasons or motives.*

"We just hand over the list, and once he picks a target, we mark them as 'Assigned.'"

Avery's gaze turned icy.

"Is Billy the first target?"

Manju shook his head.

"No… he's the fifth."

At that moment,

Avery's fingers tightened slightly.

The fifth.

"Then what about the first four?"

His voice sank, low and cold.

Manju swallowed hard.

"…I don't know. The only thing I'm sure of—They don't exist on Third Street anymore."

At that moment,

Avery's expression darkened even further.

The puzzle pieces in his mind began to fit together.

"So that means… they're no longer in this world. I see. So this is how they 'collect targets.'"

He muttered under his breath.

"But only five?"

There was no way that was everything.

"They're definitely operating the same way in other areas."

And then—

The image of Theodore flashed through his mind.

"Is that why he was so wary of me?"

"Is he a Cleaner, too?"

"Or… is he another 'artist' in the Night Gallery?"

His thoughts began to tangle together.

Avery refocused his gaze.

"When is the Cleaner coming back?"

"I don't know…!"

Manju took a shaky breath.

"He only left one message."

"'After this cycle ends.'"

"We don't even know exactly when that is."

Avery repeated the ominous word in his mind.

"Cycle?"

"Yeah…"

Manju flinched and gave a weak nod.

His body was trembling slightly.

Manju was nothing more than a disposable pawn.

Avery realized that there was little chance of getting any more useful information.

In that case—

Should he end this here?

A brief moment of hesitation.

If he let Manju live, there was a chance he'd start talking.

But killing him wouldn't solve anything either.

A guy like this had plenty of enemies.

A man who could die at any time, and no one would be surprised.

Avery tightened his grip on the pen in his hand.

With just a little more pressure, this man would stop breathing forever.

But—

"Haah…"

Avery let out a short sigh and loosened his grip.

There wasn't enough justification for this kill.

He quietly turned his body, intending to leave.

However.

—Shhk—

In that instant,

Manju's hand shot toward his ankle like lightning.

"Die, you bastard!"

Flash!

A sharp glint flickered in the dim light.

A dagger hidden by Manju flashed toward him.

—Clang!—

But—

Before Manju could even swing properly,

Avery was already reacting.

Footsteps.

Irregular breathing.

The subtle movements of his upper body muscles.

He sensed everything.

In an instant, he twisted his body and dodged the attack.

And then—

—Squelch.—

The tip of the pen in his hand sank deep into Manju's throat.

"…Khngh."

Manju's eyes rolled back.

His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Blood rapidly filled his throat, and his body collapsed helplessly.

—Thud.—

Manju's breathing slowly faded.

Avery lowered his gaze for a brief moment.

He stared down at him with a blank expression.

And then—

He silently disappeared into the darkness.