The bat flitted just out of reach, maintaining a tantalizing distance. I swung my sword with utmost caution, determined not to get hurt again. This absurd chase ended abruptly when the bat vanished into the sky. I stared after it, feeling a bit foolish.
With the bat gone, it was clear I had stumbled into the enemy’s territory. Should I charge in? Was there a trap waiting? Or perhaps another plan was in motion? I waited eagerly for them to show themselves.
“…….”
The wind rustled through the leaves, but no one appeared. I resisted the urge to use my magic detection or third eye, though it was tempting. Just as I was about to frown in frustration, I heard it.
“……!”
“Haah… haah…”
A strange moan carried on the wind, a mix of desperation and excitement. The sound of labored breathing drew me forward. Pushing through the dense foliage, I found a small clearing.
The clearing was surrounded by large rocks and tall trees. I took in the terrain, noting that while their tactics were crude, they had some basic knowledge of ambushes. I took a deep breath and moved closer. What I saw next left me speechless.
“No! Please, stop!”
“Haah, haah, haah!”
“Please… forgive me… stop!”
“Shut up! Haah, haah!”
I was stunned by the scene before me. A man was assaulting a woman, her cries for mercy ignored as he continued his brutal act.
The woman was on all fours, her head pulled back by her hair. Tears streamed down her face as she begged for forgiveness, but the man showed no mercy, his movements relentless.
“No! Stop! Please!”
The obscene sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the clearing. The man, irritated by her cries, clamped a hand over her mouth and continued his assault. Her muffled screams seeped through his fingers.
After a while, the man seemed to reach his limit, pressing himself against her as his body shuddered.
“Ah… that was good.”
“Ugh… ugh…”
With each tremor of his body, hers twitched involuntarily. When he finally released her hair and stood, she collapsed to the ground. Between her legs, the evidence of his violation was visible, a pitiful sight.
I stepped forward, unable to watch any longer.
“Who’s there?”
The man, grinning, turned sharply at my deliberate noise. I activated my third eye without hesitation.
Name: Kim Seung-beom (4th Year)
Class: Normal Sword Expert
Nation: Babara
Clan: Middle Path
True Name · Nationality: A Man Without a Place · South Korea
Sex: Male (27)
Height · Weight: 175.2cm · 67.7kg
Alignment: Chaos · Evil
[Strength 86] [Endurance 64] [Agility 76] [Stamina 68] [Magic 52] [Luck 30]
Name: Choi Joo-hyun (3rd Year)
Class: Normal Sword Runner
Nation: Babara
Clan: Middle Path
True Name · Nationality: A Path to Ruin · South Korea
Sex: Female (22)
Height · Weight: 161.2cm · 47.3kg
Alignment: Chance · Chaos
[Strength 60] [Endurance 55] [Agility 84] [Stamina 58] [Magic 63] [Luck 68]
“How long have you been there?”
“Long enough. And this situation…”
I scanned their information quickly and raised my sword. Kim Seung-beom raised his hands, shaking his head.
“Whoa, whoa. Calm down, friend. Hear me out. Put the sword down first.”
“I have nothing to say to a rapist.”
“Come on, it’s a misunderstanding. Here’s what happened…”
“Run! This man is a vagrant!”
As Kim Seung-beom tried to explain, Choi Joo-hyun shouted, her voice urgent.
“Don’t listen to him! He’s not alone! His comrades are nearby… ahh!”
“You crazy bitch. Shut up!”
Kim Seung-beom kicked her, and she cried out, clutching her face. He growled at her, his voice low and threatening.
“Damn it… this is a mess.”
I was curious what would happen if I just turned and left, but I couldn’t. I tightened my grip on my sword, my expression tense.
“So, you’re vagrants. Despicable.”
“Fine, I admit it. But I don’t want to fight you.”
“What do you mean?”
I narrowed my eyes, and he swallowed nervously. Let’s see what he has to say.
“Are you one of the users who left Mule a few days ago?”
“How do you know that?”
Feigning surprise, I watched as he tapped his foot on Choi Joo-hyun.
“Long story short, you were being tailed. By this woman’s group.”
“Tailed?”
“Yes. Eight users formed a caravan and followed you. We followed them instead. You know why they were after you, right? In a way, we saved you.”
“So, the woman’s caravan was planning to attack us?”
“Possibly, or they might have waited to ambush you after you found something valuable.”
I looked at the woman, disbelief in my eyes. She avoided my gaze, biting her lip. Kim Seung-beom continued, his voice smooth.
“I’m not asking for gratitude. But let’s avoid unnecessary conflict. We’ve both achieved our goals. We caught them, and you’re safe. If you want to fight, I won’t stop you. But isn’t it better for both of us to walk away?”
“Hmm.”
I lowered my sword slightly, and Kim Seung-beom grinned. Choi Joo-hyun looked at me, her eyes conflicted. Slowly, she opened her mouth.
“Don’t be fooled! His comrades aren’t badly hurt. Only one or two at most. They took us down almost instantly. Don’t let your guard down… ugh!”
Kim Seung-beom kicked her again, and she curled up, whimpering. Watching her, I decided it was time to end this charade.
“Enough, vagrant.”
Clang!
I raised my sword again, pointing it at him. Kim Seung-beom, who had been kicking her with glee, turned to me, his eyes hollow.
“What’s with the sword? I thought we agreed to settle this peacefully.”
“The Academy taught us never to negotiate with vagrants.”
“Ha. That’s why rookies are hopeless. No flexibility.”
A slip of the tongue. He shouldn’t have mentioned rookies. With that, any lingering doubts I had vanished. There was nothing left to hold me back.
“I don’t exactly have a soft spot for that user, as you said. But regardless… you are definitely an
“Well, if you’re determined to drink the punishment brew, I won’t stop you. Just don’t regret it… Ugh?!”
Kim Seung-beom shrugged his shoulders and bent down, seemingly to gather his scattered clothes and gear. Just as his hand was about to touch the slender sword, his body wobbled.
“You little…!”
The moment I confirmed he was reaching for the sword again, Choi Joo-hyun swiftly lunged forward, grabbing Kim Seung-beom’s legs. He fell with an exaggerated crash, and she seized the opportunity to snatch the weapon and scatter his equipment.
”…Sigh.”
I let out a quiet sigh. It was almost comical how he fell so dramatically from just having his legs grabbed, and how the sword she picked up was unusually thin for a male user’s weapon. It seemed best not to overthink it.
Choi Joo-hyun staggered but stood firm, and I slowly closed the distance between us. Kim Seung-beom quickly got to his feet and leapt backward, his exposed state an unpleasant sight.
A tense silence hung between us—me, Choi Joo-hyun, and Kim Seung-beom. I held a weapon, while he stood there, unarmed and naked. Finally, he gritted his teeth and spat out the cliché, “Damn it. Just you wait!” before disappearing into the bushes. As I prepared to chase after him, I felt a hand clutch my collar.
“Don’t go! It could be a trap. He probably ran to where his allies are.”
”…Hmm.”
Her urgent plea made me pause, and I relaxed my stance. Charging in would likely play right into their hands, but why did she stop me? Sensing something else at play, I cautiously turned to face her. Choi Joo-hyun, looking anxious and covering herself, met my gaze.
“Tsk, tsk. You must be quite upset. Why did you even follow me…?”
I gave her a pointed look, and she opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. Her expression turned genuinely regretful, and tears began to fall.
“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…”
She nearly collapsed, repeatedly apologizing, covering her mouth with one hand as she sobbed. Without prompting, she started to recount everything she’d done from the beginning. Her demeanor was oddly fitting for someone who had just been assaulted.
A life of daily hardship. She had seen the new user in the guild and, tempted by the ever-improving gear, had harbored ill intentions. While secretly trailing us, they were ambushed by a group of vagrants, and all her companions were killed, leaving her as a tool for the vagrants’ desires.
Listening to her story, I couldn’t help but be impressed. It was clear that the one who lured me here and the one who devised this plan were different people. I was certain of it. Otherwise, the plan wouldn’t have been so well-crafted.
As Go Yeon-joo had said, there seemed to be a cautious one among them. They weren’t just attacking us outright; they seemed to be eyeing potential gains, like ruins or treasures. That’s why they likely slipped Choi Joo-hyun into the mix. Of course, they could abandon her, but that would be akin to a death sentence. They were banking on the compassion of a first-year user. If I left her behind, I’d surely be ambushed on my way back.
They mixed truth with lies and lies with truth. The script was well-written, but they overlooked a few things. Namely, that their opponent was me and that their actors’ performances were lacking. It was a mistake.
I’ve been through all kinds of battles—land, sea, air, and urban warfare. Having operated in the shadows, I could spot most tricks at a glance. But if I were truly a first-year user, or if it were someone else in my place, who knows what might have happened.
“Blinded by greed for money and gear… sob. But all my companions are dead, and the remaining gear is… oh…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence, tears streaming down her face. Watching her cry so pitifully, I slowly approached with a softened expression.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to greet you with a healthy body and mind. I’m not completely recovered yet, but I’m almost there. Haha. Just yesterday, I was feeling quite down because of my illness, but today I feel much better. :)
Phew. It seems that writing at a slower pace suits me better. When I try to write quickly, I can’t shake the feeling of dissatisfaction. This means the story progresses slowly, so the solution might be to increase the volume or do consecutive updates.
Yes, with that in mind, I’ll try to post another chapter today, Saturday. I need to wrap up this issue with these guys and head into the cave. Haha.
Thank you to everyone who has left supportive and encouraging comments. Thanks to you, I’ve gained a lot of strength and recovered quickly. I hope this change of seasons passes soon, and I wish all my readers good health.
PS. It’s a fiery Friday + Saturday morning. Yay!
PS2. I’ve received a lot of messages while I was sick. Some are difficult to answer, so it’s taking time to reply. I’m about two-thirds through, so I’ll respond to each one in turn. Please be patient. :)
PS3. Fan art of characters by
『 Reader Comments 』
Kuroshion: Oh, congratulations on being first. You got a new computer! I’m just envious. Hehehe.
HumanLife: Oh dear. Losing 6kg in 5 days is serious. Don’t say being sick is a crime. The most important thing for you now is to follow the doctor’s treatment and rest well. I hope to see you healthy soon. (__)
Self-Proclaimed Innocent: Hello. I’m the self-proclaimed handsome (smack!). Sorry. Haha. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
NeckGrab: And then you’ll grab your neck. Hmm. Haha. Just kidding. :)
OfficeLove19: NO. I haven’t applied. But I might sign an e-book publishing contract soon. :)
pgh21c: Haha. Sorry. I’ll try to do consecutive updates when I have the time. ’~’
Goksd: Hahaha. Goksd, Su-hyun said she was “startled.”
zoara2: What? I’ll pretend I didn’t see your comment, zoara2. I recently had a dream about re-enlisting.
ThousandBloodGod: Questions related to the work are always welcome. :)
WolfOfJirisan: Please don’t. It’s really scary. ㅜ.ㅠ Locking me up to write all the time…
Your recommendations and comments are the driving force for consecutive updates. (This is the truth.)
I always read all the comments repeatedly.
Please don’t be too disappointed if you’re not in the reader comments.
If you’re really curious, send me a message, and I’ll reply!
With that, I’ll take my leave for today.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.