The darkened orb suddenly glowed a deep blue.
Go Yeon-ju, who had half-opened her mouth, glanced sideways.
As the room fell silent, I channeled magic into the orb clenched in my hand.
(Oh, that was quick.)
The moment the communication orb lit up and the woman’s beautiful voice echoed, it happened almost simultaneously.
When I checked the orb, my eyes instinctively narrowed.
The video showed An Hyun and An Sol, both facing forward.
Their eyes were covered with cloth, their mouths gagged, and their bodies tightly bound.
At least, there were no visible wounds—if that could be called a small mercy.
“Th-this…!”
Go Yeon-ju tried to shout, but I motioned for her to be quiet and brought the orb closer to my face.
“I heard there are two more hostages. Where are they?”
(…Surprising. I thought they’d be trembling in fear.)
“Answer me.”
(Oh my, how scary. You never know who’s holding the knife here, do you?)
A soft giggle sounded, and a pair of pale, delicate hands appeared behind An Hyun.
Long fingers slipped over his shoulders, slithered up his neck like a snake, and clamped tightly over his mouth.
Moments later, the left hand holding a small knife traced a slow arc before descending.
Was she trying to threaten him?
Before I could think further—
(Ugh!)
Bright red blood splattered.
A stifled scream burst out as An Hyun’s body twisted.
Everyone watching, silent until then, suddenly swallowed hard.
The hand gripping the knife handle embedded in his abdomen wavered slightly, as if debating whether to twist it further.
“You bitch…”
(Hmm? What kind of bitch?)
“If you lay a hand on him again, you’ll die.”
(Ah, really?)
A growl escaped me involuntarily, but the woman responded with a casual smirk.
She pulled the knife out without hesitation and plunged it deep into An Sol’s side.
(Aaah!)
Without any warning or hesitation, An Sol’s scream rang out raw and unfiltered, trembling like a leaf.
(Oraoni… Oabeori…)
Her sobs, soaked in pain and terror, followed.
“Neul Seol-yeong!”
Go Yeon-ju’s eyes snapped open, radiating a murderous aura that seemed ready to tear the surroundings apart.
Neul Seol-yeong…
(She stabbed them. So, how do you want to kill me?)
I half-expected it, but the threat didn’t work.
I closed my eyes slowly.
“…What do you want?”
(Yes, yes. That’s the spirit. Oh, and don’t worry about the other two—they’re still alive.)
The scene shifted.
The video turned pitch black, showing nothing but darkness.
The woman spoke again.
(I’m sure you want your hostages back safe and sound, right?)
“…And if I do?”
(But as for what I want… well, not much. I just want you to listen carefully to what I say!)
“……”
She chuckled darkly, adding in a sinister tone.
(Of course, there are conditions.)
The first condition set by Neul Seol-yeong was as meticulous as the name “Salmun” suggested.
I was to come alone to the location she specified.
Meanwhile, the communication orb would broadcast to the entire Mercenary Clan, including the Queen of Shadows.
If Go Yeon-ju or even one person in the video disappeared, the hostages would be killed.
No outside help from other clans was allowed.
She made it clear that if any suspicious movement was detected, the hostages would be executed and she would escape immediately.
In the end, I had no choice but to comply with Salmun’s demands.
Even knowing I’d be at their mercy.
The location was the pitch-black forest.
After moving through Mulo and passing the north gate, it wasn’t long before dense woods appeared.
Perhaps because it was late, the atmosphere felt even more oppressive.
As I stepped into the forest’s edge, I had to stop.
Under a towering tree in the distance, a woman waved.
I hadn’t expected anyone to come meet me, so I felt a bit unsettled.
The approaching figure was a woman with eyes glowing a deep blue and a beauty that radiated full maturity.
Tall, with half-lidded eyes that drooped slightly at the outer corners.
A beauty mark just beneath one eye.
Cheeks flushed as if kissed by the evening sun.
Her elegant smile and demure posture contrasted with a slender yet curvaceous figure that exuded a subtle, sweet sensuality.
Is this what a pure femme fatale feels like?
“You’re here. Welcome.”
I activated my third eye.
<Player Information (Player Status)>
Name: Neul Seol-yeong (5 years)
Class: String Mage (Secret, 絃術士, Master)
Nation: -
Clan: Salmun (Killing Gate)
True Name · Nationality: One who weaves thin threads soaked in moonlight · Republic of Korea
Gender: Female (26)
Height · Weight: 173.2 cm · 56.4 kg
Disposition: Belief · Detestation
[Strength 83] [Endurance 86] [Agility 96 (+2)] [Stamina 85] [Magic Power 95 (+4)] [Luck 74]
[Strength 89] [Endurance 90] [Agility 97] [Stamina 87] [Magic Power 93] [Luck 82]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
Total: 538 points
[Strength 83] [Endurance 86] [Agility 96] [Stamina 85] [Magic Power 95] [Luck 74]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
Total: 519 points
Impressive user info.
This woman was the current main force of Salmun, Neul Seol-yeong.
By the way, belief and detestation—opposing traits.
Definitely not normal.
As if confirming my thoughts, her pale hands suddenly extended toward me.
Each clenched fist held a different colored orb.
“Take these. A communication orb and a magic stone.”
“Why…?”
“Listen carefully. This is the second condition. Activate the communication orb and follow me at a distance, keeping me in view at all times. If you try to turn off the video or get closer on your own, I’ll consider it an act of hostility and kill the hostages. As for the magic stone…”
“Hah.”
Neul Seol-yeong started speaking quickly but then smiled slyly.
I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.
The magic stone is the item with the highest magic response.
In other words, I’m not allowed to use magic.
Or rather, if I even show signs of using magic, the hostages will be killed.
That wasn’t all.
She confiscated all my equipment—Mugum, Glory of the Sky, Glory of the Sun, Victoria Earrings, and even the Orosros Long Boots.
Only my underwear and basic clothes remained.
“Oh, you laughed. You just thought, ‘She’s barely past her first year as a user, isn’t this too harsh?’”
She knew me well.
“But what can I do? Our Lord is so worried. This whole operation was planned assuming there were at least two Yeon-jus.”
She shrugged and spun around, disappearing deeper into the forest.
I stared at her retreating figure, then slowly followed.
Of course, I kept to the conditions.
After all, there were at least ten Salmun clan members in this forest.
“Where are the others?”
“I’m adding a condition. If you say anything other than what I ask, I’ll consider it an act of hostility.”
Neul Seol-yeong didn’t even look back.
So, I was just supposed to obey.
I gripped the orb tightly.
Her user info was impressive, but if I wanted, I could kill her right now.
If I used Hwa-jeong and went all out, I could probably snap that deer-like neck in under a minute, maybe thirty seconds.
But that would give the others enough time to be killed.
Because Salmun kills as easily as breathing.
“……”
Maybe.
If An Sol weren’t a hostage, I would have acted already.
Even if An Hyun or someone else died, I could say I did my best but it was unavoidable.
But this situation was beyond words—catastrophic.
An Sol, awakened by Shin Sang-yong’s death, was being held hostage.
I had witnessed An Sol’s power firsthand in battle.
With a single spell, she healed tens of thousands of allies.
The Radiant Priestess was someone who had to be saved at all costs—even if it meant fighting demons.
If anything went wrong, An Sol would die.
That thought held me back.
Neul Seol-yeong must be thinking the same, which is why she’s being so stubborn.
“Do you believe the Mercenary Lord has a fated grudge?”
After what felt like a long silence, Neul Seol-yeong finally spoke.
Her voice was gentle, but oddly raised in pitch.
She wasn’t about to treat me like a clan lord now, was she?
“I believe it. In this universe, even if worlds change, there are threads of fate that can never be severed.”
Still not looking at me, she continued.
“Then aren’t you curious? Why we targeted the Mercenary Clan.”
A new question.
I thought of An Sol once more and listened quietly.
“Maybe Yeon-ju thinks it’s because of what she did…”
Was she referring to the incident after Go Yeon-ju left Salmun?
“Actually, that’s not the whole story. I don’t know about the Mercenary Lord, but it’s also because of the Golden Standard.”
“?”
“Because the Golden Standard is a very, very bad clan.”
“……”
I almost laughed.
Who’s worse, them or you?
You and that guy are two sides of the same coin.
“Didn’t your sister tell you? They may have washed their hands of it now, but you can’t not know what they did in the past.”
Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered hearing something.
‘They were just…’
‘A bad clan.’
Wait, then why bring this up now?
Especially from Salmun.
“Think about it. Yeonju unnie and the Golden Hyoguk are together. It’s the perfect opportunity, isn’t it?”
The tone suggested it was all because of those two.
“Salmun and the Golden Hyoguk have a bitter history. So the Mercenary just got caught up in that grudge?”
Neul Seol-yeong’s footsteps came to a halt.
We were in an empty clearing.
She tilted her head slightly, and the smile on her lips deepened.
“I like smart men.”
Even if she dropped the formal speech, the moment I saw that smile, I knew for sure.
She was mixing lies into the truth.
“You might find it hard to believe, but I do feel a bit sorry. For you, of course.”
That was blatant nonsense.
The Salmun Road I know isn’t the kind to act so lightly.
One of their rules is absolutely no solo actions, and never letting emotions interfere with a mission.
Except for one exception.
When it’s judged to be helpful to the job, the rules don’t apply.
So, the reason she was going on and on like this…
It was probably to hide the clan that commissioned the job.
The real culprit was definitely someone else.
“But if things go on like this, the Mercenary clan’s undefeated legend will be shattered. What will you do~? …Ah, how about this?”
Neul Seol-yeong folded her arms behind her back and stepped closer, pressing her face right up to mine.
Pretending to be considerate, I heard something drop with a soft clink.
A few beads rolled into the bushes.
“There’s a saying: cover one incident with another. Mercenary Road. These record beads clearly document the past misdeeds of the Golden Hyoguk. Some of them involve us. If this gets out, people will think: ‘So that’s why Salmun moved.’ Just like that.”
“……”
“Think about it. Salmun is the strongest and most feared clan secretly acknowledged across the Northern Continent. It’s no shame that they couldn’t stop us. …Well, I think I’ve said enough for you to get the point?”
“……”
I see.
Now it’s clear.
The Golden Hyoguk doesn’t have a grudge against Salmun, but against Neul Seol-yeong personally.
In other words, Neul Seol-yeong is trying to use us for her own revenge.
Pretending to help by offering this evidence to cover up the incident.
So that’s why she called me here.
It’s utterly despicable.
…but I won’t provoke her.
Right now, rescuing Ansol is the priority.
“It feels like giving a disease and then the cure…”
I decided to play along, and she smiled brightly like the sun.
“Consider it a gesture of goodwill? Let’s forget the past because of this. It’d be even better if you think that way.”
“Are you done talking?”
“No, I’m done talking, but there’s still business to attend to.”
“Where are the kids?”
Neul Seol-yeong stood still and pointed in all four directions.
“Based on this spot, one each. Exactly one kilometer east, west, south, and north. They’re probably still poisoned, so use this.”
She tossed four bottles filled with a shimmering white liquid.
Using poison too? That was bold.
“So what’s the business you still have?”
I bent down to gather the bottles, straightening up—
Smack!
Suddenly, a sharp slap hit my face.
Then a brutal kick struck my groin, and I instinctively dropped to my knees.
With the vital spot hit, I had no choice.
“Wow. No magic, not even a groan… You really don’t have the skills your experience should grant.”
“You.”
“Ah, sorry. But I really hate being called a bitch. Not a lie—I truly hate it. You should’ve picked another insult.”
“You guys… can you handle this?”
I barely lifted my head to see Neul Seol-yeong laughing lightly as she turned away.
“Oh, how scary. Do as you please. If you want to be the dog chasing the chicken.”
She waved the equipment she’d taken from me earlier, then slyly curled the corner of her mouth.
“And I’ll be sure to put this to good use.”
With a clear sneer, she vanished in an instant.
I spat on the ground.
I’d suspected it from her user info—there’s no one remotely normal among those with conflicting alignments.
…Anyway, rescuing the hostage comes first.
Clenching my fists until they cracked, I sprinted at full speed.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Ah, I should’ve posted this yesterday—sorry about that.
After the Lunar New Year, I was just exhausted…
And today, for some reason, I just couldn’t get into the writing.
No matter how hard I tried to stay objective, I couldn’t help but empathize with the protagonist.
Several times I was tempted to just skim through parts, but having seen how that wrecked the story during serialization, I stuck to my original plan.
Anyway, the omnibus Yeonju arc should wrap up in about three or four more chapters.
Oh, the next chapter will be posted on Saturday, February 13, 2016.
Starting February 13, I plan to update the side stories daily.
Because, as expected, I want to finish the side stories by the end of February, so I need to work hard. ㅜ.ㅠ
Also, since I’m in my final year of university, there’s a lot on my mind.
Sigh.
Shatien / Now the real destruction of Salmun begins. They proceeded confidently and handled things thoroughly. But they overlooked one thing. What that is will be revealed in the next chapter. :)
thecrazy / I’m still thinking about new works. But I plan to start serializing only when I’m confident. I could start now if I had to… but then I’d run out of material before even two volumes. I’m not ready yet.
sadbadfun / You could say this is a failure for now, but there will be aftercare. Think of it like losing in the first trial but winning on appeal.
AnAlrajum / In my family, everyone works during the holidays, regardless of gender. Of course, being the youngest, I get pushed around a bit. Haha.
Geomjujang / Who is that person? Please tell me. I beg you.
S.A / That’s actually pretty neat… I’m still debating whether to tone it down or not.
AgyaGyagyaGyagya / Whatever you imagine, I promise it’ll be beyond that. (?)
Windoy / Side stories are not included!
creacture / Suhyun is a total doting dad. ( —)
Ikkwe / Starting from the 1st and 13th, I’ll update daily! Sob sob sob…