Just as Neul Seol-yeong had said, the hostages were each about a kilometer away in the four cardinal directions.
They were all collapsed, poisoned.
As expected, we couldn’t rescue all four.
Starting from the east and moving counterclockwise, I was able to safely retrieve An Hyun and An Sol.
When we found the Golden Pyo-guk Road unconscious in the west, it was touch and go.
The poison had spread throughout his body, and antidotes were useless, so I had to use Hwa-jeong to purge the venom.
At least he was still alive.
But the last Golden Pyo-guk clan member, found in the south, was already blue and discolored all over.
He was dead—there was nothing we could do.
I rushed as fast as I could, but through my third eye, I saw that unlike the others, a lethal dose of poison had been injected.
A petty, cowardly revenge, perhaps.
Maybe it was someone connected to Neul Seol-yeong’s grudge?
Otherwise, there’s no way Salmun would have made such a mistake.
In the end, I hoisted the unconscious Golden Pyo-guk Road onto my back and turned back.
“Ughhh…”
“Sniff… hic… sob… ugh…”
I said nothing on the way back.
The kids were silent too, but it seemed they dared not speak.
Only the sound of their quiet sobbing filled the air.
An Hyun kept his eyes fixed on the ground, gritting his teeth, while An Sol’s swollen eyes dripped tears like chicken droppings.
Even Monica, who arrived at the clan house, couldn’t stop crying, so I paused briefly at the front gate.
“Are you both okay? Your bodies, I mean.”
Maybe it was the sudden question, but the siblings flinched and looked at me cautiously.
“Your stomach and sides. Are you hurt?”
I had checked earlier, but I asked out of courtesy.
Their reactions were something else.
An Hyun scrunched his face and suddenly burst into loud sobs, while An Sol, who had been pursing her lips, broke down completely, wailing.
Seeing their faces drenched in tears and snot in real time was unbearable.
“No. Why are you crying?”
I was the one who wanted to cry.
“B-but… O-older brother…! It’s because of us…”
Her words were punctuated by hiccups, but I understood.
They had been watching me get helplessly beaten by Neul Seol-yeong.
Maybe they felt overwhelming guilt as hostages.
I sighed and nodded toward the front gate.
“Stop crying. Go inside first.”
“Y-yes…?”
“Go in and rest. Get your wounds treated, just in case.”
“B-but, o-older…”
“We’ll talk later.”
“……”
I cut her off sharply, and An Sol fell silent.
After glancing around nervously a few times, she hesitantly stepped through the gate.
Then, moments later—
Smack!
A sharp slap echoed from inside the gate.
An Hyun looked startled, but I ignored it and spoke.
“An Hyun.”
“Y-yes!”
“To be honest, I was a little worried.”
“……?”
An Hyun straightened up and blinked.
“When we signed the contract for this mission, I had a strange feeling of unease. That’s why I added Ko Yeon-ju and Heo Jun-young, and excluded Lee Yoo-jung. The goal was to increase our strength and eliminate unexpected variables.”
My ominous prediction had come true, but I still think we handled it well.
The problem was—
“But I never imagined that you… of all people… would be the unexpected variable I was worried about.”
Even I could hear the disappointment in my voice.
“Is it unfair? You’re the only one I’m scolding, not An Sol.”
“N-no!”
“An Sol’s behavior was due to lack of experience. That doesn’t mean it was right—she definitely made mistakes. But there’s a big difference between her and you. You disobeyed orders.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Ko Yeon-ju had clearly ordered us to hold position and set up defenses before Salmun’s attack.
But during the fight, An Hyun got caught in the enemy’s trap and ran off on his own.
That was a clear mistake no one could excuse.
This wasn’t a matter of inexperience or a simple slip-up.
An Hyun opened his mouth abruptly, then twisted his face and bowed his head.
Yeah, even he knew there was nothing to say.
Silence stretched on for a long while.
Should I end it here?
There’s still work to do.
“……”
“You’re grounded for three months. Do nothing and reflect quietly.”
“…Y-yes…?”
“An Hyun.”
I stepped closer, and his trembling, conflicted eyes barely met mine.
“This is it.”
“Uh…”
“Just this once. If you do the same thing again… I’ll take it as you quitting the mercenary clan. You understand?”
“Ah…”
“Don’t ever do this again. Ever.”
“…I’ll remember, hyung.”
It might have been harsh.
But it was necessary.
Because this incident reminded me of a past event I caused.
And what that led to.
My brother’s death…
“Go on inside first. I’ll stop by Golden Pyo-guk and come back.”
I turned, carrying the limp man on my back.
An Hyun bowed deeply at the waist and disappeared with weak steps.
Not even ten paces later, a loud slap rang out again.
A crashing sound followed.
“……”
I didn’t want to get involved.
I quickened my pace and left the area.
Kim Soo-hyun returned to the clan house just as the dawn air turned sharply cold.
Jo Seung-woo, who had come back later and had been anxiously waiting, jumped up and rushed out.
“Road. You’re back.”
“Ah… yes. When did you get here?”
“I’ve been back for a while.”
“I see. It took some time explaining the situation at Golden Pyo-guk…”
Kim Soo-hyun exhaled sharply and pressed his temple.
Then he glanced around as if searching for someone.
“How is it?”
“Well… this time, it seemed they weren’t going to let it slide. They really gave them a harsh scolding. It was painful to watch.”
Jo Seung-woo interpreted the question on his own and gave a bitter smile.
The atmosphere at the clan house was no joke.
An Sol’s cheeks were swollen as if slapped multiple times, and An Hyun’s injuries were worse.
Though treated, bruises covered his entire body, including his stomach.
No one could stop Ko Yeon-ju’s cold glare.
Because this wasn’t a drill—it happened in real combat.
“No, not that.”
But Kim Soo-hyun shook his head as if he already knew.
“What about Ko Yeon-ju?”
“Oh, she left a message. She said she’ll take full responsibility for this, so don’t worry. And to trust her.”
Meaning she intended to act alone.
“She seemed to have a plan. Probably tearing through Koran’s place by now…”
A clicking tongue interrupted, and Jo Seung-woo trailed off.
The reason they didn’t stop Ko Yeon-ju’s unilateral action was because there was almost no solution at this point.
It hadn’t even been a full day since the incident.
The rumors would spread like wildfire by tomorrow.
Jo Seung-woo had only two ideas.
One was to uncover the mastermind behind this and appeal to the central governing body.
A moderate approach that would cover up the incident, but the fact that they were attacked wouldn’t change.
The mercenary clan’s undefeated legend would be shattered.
The other was to retaliate against Salmun, who led the assault.
Since Salmun wasn’t just any clan, this was the best option.
There’s a saying: crisis is opportunity.
If they dared to mess with the mercenaries, it would serve as a warning—and boost their reputation.
Because Salmun was the worst assassin group feared by every clan in the Northern Continent, even by the outlaws.
Yeah, if only we could crush them completely…
So Jo Seung-woo was filled with worry, but also a spark of interest.
Maintaining composure despite a major incident was good.
If the Road wavered, the whole clan would.
Now, the key was how and by what means to find a breakthrough.
With time running out, what choice would this man make?
Then Kim Soo-hyun said something unexpected.
“Hmm… Can you get me a set of black clothes that fit from a nearby shop? Right now.”
“Uh, if you mean simple black clothes, we should have some in the warehouse.”
“Good. Then bring those, the Chaos Mimic, and also get the Sku-rep from Lee Yoo-jung.”
“Oh, now that you mention it…”
I wondered why he was only wearing basic clothes, but instead of questioning, I followed orders.
Given the situation, Lee Yoo-jung handed over the Sku-rep surprisingly willingly.
Not long after, Jo Seung-woo returned, watching Kim Soo-hyun quietly as he put on the black clothes.
“Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you wear something like that.”
“Huh?”
“No, nothing.”
“……?”
Did I imagine it, or was there a faint humming?
“Um… Road.”
“User Jo Seung-woo.”
“Yes?”
“There are many ways a person can commit suicide.”
Out of nowhere, Kim Soo-hyun, fully dressed, gripped the blood-red, gleaming dagger tightly.
Kiiiiiiing!
Suddenly, the Sku-rep howled.
A terrifying sensation ripped through my entire body, as if being torn apart.
My flesh tingled, and my breath caught.
“You say you want to die like that…”
Jo Seung-woo instinctively stepped back and swallowed hard.
The dagger in the man’s hand before me radiated a crimson aura over a foot long.
It was completely different from when Lee Yoo-jung held it.
Calling it mere murderous intent or a curse wouldn’t do justice—the sheer malice coursing through it was overwhelming.
Amid that, Kim Soo-hyun let out a quiet chuckle.
“…Heh!”
His mouth opened, revealing teeth that gleamed blood-red in the light.
“Heh heh, heh heh…”
A low, growling laugh, like that of a wolf.
His wide-open eyes brimmed with unhidden madness and satisfaction.
It was almost as if I was looking at a different person.
In fact, it felt like he was thoroughly enjoying this.
“Favor is repaid like the ocean.
Revenge is repaid like a blade.”
Kim Soo-hyun’s favorite saying.
“I’ll be back by morning.”
With just those words, he turned and walked away.
Jo Seung-woo could only watch the man’s retreating back in silence.
…Indeed, Salmun’s work was as flawless as his reputation claimed.
That much was undeniable.
But there was one thing Jo Seung-woo didn’t know.
One thing the Salmun Road couldn’t overlook.
Back in the first round, Kim Soo-hyun’s main stage was the shadows.
He was a user who survived there with a mere 48-point magic power stat.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
As I mentioned yesterday, I’m returning to daily updates starting today.
I need to work diligently to finish the Ansol Eung-eung Omnibus, the Vivian Slap-Slap Omnibus, the Kim Soo-hyun Parallel World Omnibus, and the returning side story epilogue.
At least Ansol and Vivian have shorter volumes, so I think I can manage those somehow…
Busy, busy. @[email protected]
By the way, why does it say “Too many users online, connection unstable” every time I try to update? Scary.