Game 00315 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was walking along the path when a cool breeze suddenly tickled my nose. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting the refreshing air flood my senses like a rising tide. It was a crisp, invigorating breeze that cleared my mind and refreshed me to the core.
When I opened my eyes again, an endless expanse of grassland stretched out before me. Tall grasses reached up to my knees, and gentle hills rose sporadically across the landscape. It was untouched by human hands, yet traces of passage were scattered here and there.
“We must be about halfway there, right?”
“We’ve passed the halfway point.”
“Really? Well, either today or tomorrow, we should probably change direction… It’s a bit tricky. Suhyeon, what do you think?”
I stopped and turned halfway around. Go Yeonju was scanning the area, trying to get her bearings, before fixing her gaze on me. Her eyes glinted with a golden hue, perhaps reflecting the morning sun. I glanced at her slightly pursed lips, then turned back to face the way we had come.
“We should check our direction. Does anyone here know the geography of this area well?”
”…”
”…We’ll set off again in ten minutes. Keep an eye on the vagrants and take a short break.”
I asked just in case, but no one responded. They all just stared at me blankly. I had hoped the young assassin girl who first spotted us might know something, but she immediately ran over to Ansol as soon as I announced the break.
“Hiya, hiya.”
“Uh, huh? Stop it… Why do you keep bothering me…?”
Even the archers didn’t step up, and Go Yeonju, another assassin, seemed uncertain. Expecting anything was probably a lost cause.
Watching the two play, I moved forward. I could sense Go Yeonju following behind me.
We had long since left the forest where we battled the vagrants. The next area we encountered was this grassland, which we were currently traversing. Apart from being called the Cloud Meadow, it was an unremarkable expanse. Since entering, aside from four skirmishes with monsters, it had been a rather uneventful region.
Unlike the tangled underbrush of the forest, the problem here was its vastness. The terrain was so similar that it was hard to decide which direction to take.
“We plan to turn west from our current direction.”
“West, huh. So, you’re heading to Eden after all?”
“Yes. But I’m not sure exactly where to turn to reach Eden.”
“Oh my, our clan leader doesn’t know something?”
Go Yeonju teased in a playful voice. I sighed lightly and replied.
“The first thing I learned upon entering the Hall Plain was the map. But reading a map and walking the terrain are two very different things.”
“I see~. I thought you were a know-it-all since you always seemed to handle everything on your own.”
“I’m a zero-year veteran.”
“Oh my? Not a ten-year veteran? Haha.”
Though her laughter was clearly a joke, it stung more than I’d like to admit. I maintained a calm demeanor and beckoned Go Yeonju closer with a finger. She leaned in, eyes wide, playfully tilting her head side to side. I flicked her nose lightly.
“Ouch. That hurt.”
“Stop whining and quit fooling around.”
“Okay, okay~. I was just trying to lighten the mood since you seemed so tense. Don’t worry too much. We don’t have to get it right on the first try, do we?”
”…”
Go Yeonju’s suggestion was to find our way by trial and error. Watching her pat the ground as she sat, I nodded slowly. The vagrants’ attack had made me anxious without realizing it.
Of course, taking the shortest route would be ideal, but when my memory was this hazy, worrying alone was pointless. As Go Yeonju suggested, it might be better to take things a bit more leisurely.
“How are you feeling? Will you be able to use your ‘Eyes of Temptation’ tonight?”
I asked as I sat down beside Go Yeonju, who had flattened the grass with her persistent patting.
“Yes, I’m fine. I think I can use it once tonight.”
Go Yeonju replied, her gaze fixed on the group of users rather than me.
After the battle with the vagrants, we had captured a total of eleven prisoners. Nine remained. One had tried to escape at dawn and was executed as an example, and another had committed suicide. Using Go Yeonju’s unique ability, the Eyes of Temptation, we had been extracting information from the remaining nine each night.
We had learned some general details, but the high-level information I sought was still out of reach. The limitation lay in the restrictions of Go Yeonju’s ability.
According to her, her ability had several limitations.
First, it could only be used once a day. Second, it was more likely to succeed on the opposite gender (though it could be used on the same gender, it almost always failed unless the target was homosexual). Third, even with the opposite gender, success wasn’t guaranteed; the stronger the target’s mental fortitude, the higher the chance of failure. Lastly, if the target’s mind was already broken, it had a very high success rate regardless of gender.
These limitations were somewhat frustrating, but recalling my own resistance to her Eyes of Temptation, I understood. Without such restrictions, it would be an overwhelmingly powerful ability.
What I needed was high-level information. Not just scattered details, but the kind of information known only to the leadership. And among the vagrants, the only one likely to have such information was Baek Seoyeon.
‘So, I need to break Baek Seoyeon somehow…’
“Suhyeon, look over there.”
“Yes?”
Lost in thought, I was startled by a sudden tug on my arm. Go Yeonju still wasn’t looking at me. Her gaze was fixed on the group of users, as if watching something unfold.
Specifically, it was the users assigned to guard the vagrants. The vagrants were bound with torn leather and cloth, their arms tied in bizarre ways. The female vagrants were slightly better off, at least given some cloth or a hood to cover themselves.
It was like watching slaves. The vagrants knelt, enduring the humiliation inflicted by the users.
I enhanced my vision and hearing with magic.
“You said you were thirsty, right? So I gave you water. Why aren’t you drinking?”
”…”
“Is it not enough? You should have said so. Here, have some more. Spit!”
“Ugh…!”
The one-armed user spat directly onto the vagrant’s face. He looked down at the man with a mocking grin, then twisted his expression into a snarl.
“Why aren’t you drinking? Are you ignoring my generosity? Lick it up, you bastard!”
The one-armed user kicked the vagrant’s head, forcing it into the dirt where the spit had landed. The surrounding users laughed and watched the scene unfold.
“People can be terrifying, can’t they?”
Go Yeonju remarked in her usual tone, shrugging her shoulders. I watched a bit longer before replying quietly.
”…I agree.”
It wasn’t just the one-armed user. Around Baek Seoyeon, three female users were doing similar things. Two held her face and body, while the third slapped her repeatedly, hurling insults.
These were the same users who had once trembled at the mere mention of vagrants. But once they realized the vagrants were powerless, and after dragging them along, their fear seemed to dissipate. With their fear gone, the anger they had suppressed was now being unleashed.
“From a woman’s perspective, I can somewhat understand. See that priest over there, swinging her hand with such enthusiasm?”
“Yes, I see her.”
“Turns out she was the one being assaulted by a vagrant back then. Oh, she just hit a bit harder. Baek Seoyeon’s cheek is really red now.”
”…”
I was about to suggest we move on, but decided to wait a bit longer. They were in the heat of the moment, and I chose to turn a blind eye. Instead, I watched Ansol and the young assassin girl make grass headbands for each other with a warm heart.
“Oh my! Are they going to hit her on the chin next? Suhyeon, are you just going to watch?”
“Just let it be. It’s not the first time, is it?”
“But it seems worse today… Someone might die at this rate. We still have a lot to extract from the women…”
“Haha. I doubt they’ll kill anyone. And the intensity will only increase. The users might have lost comrades, friends, family, lovers, or even their own lives. Let’s call it karma.”
“Hmm?”
Go Yeonju squinted at me, finally turning her head to look directly at me. Her gaze was piercing. I instinctively looked away, staring at the distant mountains. But there were no mountains in sight.
“Hmm~?”
Go Yeon-ju’s voice was nasally as she suddenly clung to my arm. When I turned my head, I saw her resting her head on my shoulder, rubbing it gently against me.
“What’s this all about? Why so sudden?”
“Sudden? What do you mean? Tell me.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. It’s not the first time I’ve seen you act like this, Su-hyeon. Just spill it. You were so lively during the battle, but ever since you destroyed the magic circuit, you’ve been oddly quiet. What are you plotting?”
“I’m not plotting anything…”
I deliberately avoided her gaze, feigning disinterest. I could feel something soft pressing against my arm, but I remained unfazed.
“Really, is this how it’s going to be?”
“It’s not the right time yet.”
“The right time?”
“Heh. I need a bit more time. It’s not yet.”
I gently deflected the conversation and stood up.
I knew the nature of the vagrants. I knew all too well who Baek Seo-yeon was. And my ultimate goal was her, Baek Seo-yeon. No ordinary threat would break her spirit.
So, I had to shake things up slowly, very slowly. And for that, I needed to push the surrounding vagrants to their limits.
I looked at Go Yeon-ju, her cheeks puffed out, and smiled softly.
“Let the air out of your cheeks. I’m planning a very interesting game soon.”
“A game?”
“Yes. I’ll make sure to invite you, Go Yeon-ju.”
”…?”
Go Yeon-ju just tilted her head, looking puzzled.
“So, you still haven’t found them, and they haven’t returned.”
“Yes. Park Dong-soo under Baek Seo-yeon is diligently searching, but…”
“Sigh. This is driving me insane.”
Hyun rubbed his forehead, genuinely looking pained. The man standing before him hesitated, then spoke cautiously.
“Um… it’s already been two weeks.”
“And?”
“Boss, at this point, isn’t it safe to assume the tracking team was compromised?”
Hyun didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he released a deep sigh, removing his hand from his forehead.
“It doesn’t make sense. It wasn’t just Baek Seo-yeon. There was Kim Da-hye, the mist manipulator, Lee Hae-in, the archer, and… who was the mage again? The one always spaced out…”
“Are you referring to Lee Ga-in?”
“Right. That rare class. A tracking team with such skilled individuals got taken down? Does that even make sense?”
”…”
The man fell silent, but both knew the likelihood of his words being true. The idea of Baek Seo-yeon betraying them was hard to fathom and something that shouldn’t happen. Hyun clicked his tongue in frustration and looked up at the man.
“If Baek Seo-yeon is dead, that’s one thing. But if she’s captured…”
“We should hope she takes her own life.”
”…Let’s prepare for the worst. Is the warp gate restoration complete?”
“Yes. We’ve already established connections with Dorothy and Beth. We should be able to connect with Halo by next week.”
Hyun shook his head.
“That’s something to keep an eye on. Anyway, tell everyone to stop mingling with the users. We’re tightening security and search efforts starting today.”
“Understood.”
“The same goes for you. Being an officer doesn’t exempt you. It’s not a complete ban, but… I’ll be overseeing it personally, so keep it in check.”
“Excuse me?”
Hyun snorted at the man’s question.
“Remember that user you said was your type?”
“Oh… you don’t need to worry about that.”
Whatever had happened, the man replied with a wry smile.
As Hyun nodded slightly, the man turned and began to walk away. Strangely, his steps seemed oddly unnatural.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Dear readers, I wasn’t planning to mention this, but since some of you requested a warning, I’ll address it here in the afterword. (There won’t be a warning at the start of the next chapter.) The next chapter contains some content in the early to mid-sections that might be unsettling for sensitive readers. (It’s not sexual content.) If you find such content uncomfortable, please feel free to skip those parts and just read the final reunion section. Thank you. (__)
PS. I apologize for failing to manage the length of the reunion part in the next chapter.
『 Reader Comments 』
Kanesada: Congratulations on being first! :) With Miwolya’s retirement, will Kanesada rise as the new champion? Haha.
Merliwi: Haha. Though currently on a sage’s journey, I believe they’ll find a partner someday. :)
Mune: Thank you for always leaving comments. I hope you enjoyed reading. (__)
podytop: The next chapter focuses on persuasion and games. :) I think it will highlight Su-hyeon’s character well.
CemeteryGates: That sounds interesting. Will it end with Baek Han-gyeol succeeding as a rocker after returning to reality? :D
Flute: I’m still considering it. Even if I write it, it’ll be soft and cute, won’t it?
MonguHunter: Already completely absorbed in Mule. :)
LOVEAutumn: The wish may sound grand, but it’s quite a useless ability. There are many limitations. Haha.
DarkSide: There’s a rumor that the love potion is actually a personal item… Just kidding!
Geodeung: I hope to write the ending soon too. Haha. I’m looking forward to the readers’ reactions.
Thank you for always reading. Your recommendations and comments are a great encouragement.
I hope you always read with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.