00727 A Flower Blooming Amidst Blood
“A resident, you say?”
The resident stared at Ha Seung-woo for a long moment, clearly weighing her words. Then she smacked her lips and added, “I did warn you. It was the user who insisted.” She gripped the contract firmly. I smiled inwardly, knowing full well that just by her tone and expression, she probably thought I was lying.
Good. Let her think that. Residents working at the temple are notoriously strict when it comes to contracts involving their own kind, but far more lenient when it comes to users. Especially in a small town temple like this one, always strapped for gold coins, they wouldn’t want to miss out on a rare opportunity like this.
Humming softly, I drifted into thought. Honestly, I hadn’t expected to break through so easily. The only reason I came up with this plan was thanks to Jegal Haesol. Suddenly, last night’s whispered advice flashed through my mind.
“So… it’s simple. Think about the relationship between the clan lord and Vivian.”
“Master and slave. Just do the same this time.”
“Ah, of course, Ha Seung-woo is the user. But…”
“If it’s the clan lord, I feel like they’d know the way.”
Jegal Haesol didn’t give me a perfect answer—he just opened a path for me to accept the clash between me and Ansol. Looking back, that last comment was a bit cryptic. Maybe it was just a throwaway line, or maybe he deduced it himself after asking the angel carefully. Just like I confirmed with the oath in the second round.
Anyway, there was definitely a way. When a deceased user is resurrected by a wish, they come back as a resident no longer protected by the original settings. I exploited that fact: after killing Ha Seung-woo last night, I immediately went to the summoning room and used the wish. It cost me a million gold points, but strangely, I didn’t feel like I’d lost out.
A moment later, a flash of light burst forth as the woman shook the contract clean. Bright motes of light scattered around us.
“The notarization of the contract is complete. However, the terms are quite heavy, so the price of the contract isn’t cheap…”
She pulled out a handful of gems from her pouch, then trailed off, opening her mouth wide in surprise. Though she only took out five gems, each was large and radiated a deep glow. Each gem was worth at least 400 to 500 gold coins. Vivian had cost about 800 gold coins, so this was more than enough.
“Keep the change. Consider it a donation.”
“Ah, ahem.”
The woman cleared her throat awkwardly but quickly swept the gems into her palm. Then, with a much more subdued attitude, she handed me the contract. This is why having plenty of gold coins is so useful. Well then, shall we test the contract’s power?
Grinning, I turned around and saw Ha Seung-woo wearing a lost expression. When our eyes met, he flinched and shrank back. I spoke quietly.
“In the name of this contract… smile.”
“Haha, haha.”
Ha Seung-woo actually smiled. It was proof the contract had taken effect, though it might have been forced. The smile was dry and unamused. To be sure, I decided to test further.
“Smile as exaggeratedly as you can.”
“Uhehehe, uhehehe!”
“Now, cry as sorrowfully as possible.”
“Uhuhuheng!”
“Hmm. Good. How do you feel right now?”
“…like shit.”
Maybe because he’s a replicator, Ha Seung-woo showed the exact expressions I asked for, then finally stiffened his face. Of course, he couldn’t lie, and now that he was a slave, there was no way he’d feel good.
I chuckled and turned away. Business done, it was time to leave. Still, I felt a twinge of regret. If Ha Seung-woo had been a woman, I could have tried all sorts of things.
Outside, the morning sun shone brightly. Maybe because a big problem was solved, my mood felt fresh and light. Humming, I descended the stairs and quietly spoke.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Huh?”
“Since we’ve come all the way to the Northern Continent, why not have a meal before we go?”
“……”
It was a well-intentioned offer, but Ha Seung-woo, following with a deadpan expression, looked at me strangely for a moment.
“Why are you staring like that?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
He averted his gaze, dodging the question. I shook the contract deliberately, making a noise, and his face immediately twisted.
“Damn it! You’re starting to scare me!”
Then, unexpectedly, Ha Seung-woo said something.
“Scared?”
“Yeah. I always thought you were a bit crazy.”
“…Why do you think that?”
“Because you’re unpredictable.”
“……?”
“At first, a strong clan lord. Yesterday, a ruthless killer. Today, a friendly friend. I wonder what you’ll be like tomorrow. Which one is the real you?”
“…You’re not exactly easy to read yourself.”
No. Actually, I knew. From the start, Ha Seung-woo had to act that way according to user info, and I think I understood why he said that. I just felt a sudden pang in my chest and reflexively changed the subject.
Ha Seung-woo glared at me for a while, then sighed and shook his head.
Blue Mountain Range.
Vagrant Assassination Squad.
“We just got a message from the clan. They’ve pinpointed the vagrants’ base.”
“You say they’ve pinpointed the base?”
When Woo Jung-min gathered everyone and spoke, Nam Da-eun asked skeptically.
“If it’s just an estimate, that’s one thing, but how can they be sure?”
“I don’t know the details. I only know that the clan lord and the central management have been discussing how to handle the vagrants.”
When speaking officially, Woo Jung-min spoke casually, but when addressing individuals, his tone changed. The reputation of the ‘Sword Marquis’ was not something to be taken lightly.
Anyway, Woo Jung-min was just relaying what he’d heard and trailed off. Nam Da-eun’s cold expression showed suspicion.
“Who told you this?”
“The Shadow Queen contacted us.”
“Your sister? If it’s from her… hmm. Alright, I understand for now.”
“Yes. Then…”
The mention of the ‘Shadow Queen’ carried undeniable weight. Even the formidable ‘Sword Marquis’ immediately accepted it and stepped back. Woo Jung-min then explained the detailed plan and gave the operation orders.
“Alright, great! This is going to be a piece of cake!”
Vivian, who had overheard some of the talk, giggled and added.
“Wow, this is totally sweet! Am I about to become EX rank soon? Woohoo!”
She laughed and looked around, but her smile quickly faded. She wasn’t wrong—tracking and assassination missions are notoriously difficult, especially against vagrants. The rewards would be huge, but so would the risk of failure. So, it was only natural to be happy that things were going smoothly thanks to unexpected help.
Most of the assassination squad was pleased, but a few had a slightly different mood. Nam Da-eun, Woo Jung-min, Seon Yoo-woon, Won Hye-soo, and Jin Soo-hyun—all five had cold, gleaming eyes, radiating a thick murderous intent. Rather than joy, they looked like killers eagerly awaiting a long-anticipated kill. Vivian, overwhelmed by their intensity, lowered her head without realizing it.
“…Sorry.”
Woo Jung-min shook his head calmly. Before giving the final departure order, he gently tapped Jin Soo-hyun’s shoulder, who was nervously fidgeting with his weapon.
“Jin Soo-hyun. Come talk with me for a moment.”
New Continent, Atlanta.
Mercenary Castle.
“Oppa, oppa! Can you believe it? We’re officially mercenary clan members now, okay?”
Ha Seung-yoon shook his brother’s shoulders excitedly, his face glowing with excitement.
“Once the official registration is done tomorrow, we’ll be able to paint the red emblem on our chests! Are you listening?”
“Y-yeah, I’m listening.”
Even as his body was shaken back and forth, Ha Seung-woo nodded absentmindedly. In truth, he wasn’t really paying attention. Then, gathering himself, he looked at his smiling little sister and sighed inwardly. After the rough night he’d had, it was frustrating that she only talked about herself without worrying about her big brother. Still, seeing her so happy made a faint smile tug at the corner of his mouth.
As he watched Ha Seung-yoon, last night’s events suddenly came back to him. More precisely, the extra question Kim Soo-hyun had thrown at him.
“Have you thought about going back home?”
“Huh? Not really.”
At first, it seemed like a random question. After all the talk about killing and saving, why suddenly ask if he’d thought about returning?
“Then, if by some chance you were given the opportunity to go back, would you?”
“Hmm. No? Not really.”
“…Why not?”
“Because I like this world. Why? It’s clean. Everything is ruled by the logic of power. Compared to the worthless modern world, it’s paradise. Don’t you think so?”
But Ha Seung-woo answered honestly. Or rather, half out of his mind at the time, he just said whatever came to him freely.
“For just that reason?”
“‘Just that much?’ Well, I don’t know what you think, but I don’t really consider myself human anymore. After being active for so long, I feel like I’ve become just another user.”
“……”
“But even if you somehow manage to get back there, do you think you could really adapt? To that cold, empty world? I don’t think so. If you don’t go crazy, that’s already lucky. Ah, but that’s just my personal opinion.”
At that moment, Kim Soo-hyun suddenly wore an expression as if lost in deep thought.
Wondering why he asked that question, why he made that face, Ha Seung-woo slowly replayed the memory in his mind.
The recollection continued.
“…Then what about your younger brother?”
“My brother? Seung-yoon?”
“Your real brother. What did you think when you met him by chance?”
“The first time we met…”
Suddenly, Ha Seung-woo stared straight ahead.
“So, after going through the official procedures, there’s a process to determine our rank, right? And at that point…”
Ha Seung-yoon was still chatting away, his face bright and full of life. Unlike his usual act, this was a genuine, untainted smile. Not the worn-down user who’d been through the wringer, but someone who always smiled brightly and lived energetically—someone who still carried traces of the modern world.
“Honestly, it was a huge shock. It felt like getting hit hard on the head with a hammer. I even forgot I had to hide myself and just ran over, shouting. I still remember it vividly—asking why you were here. Haha…”
“…That sounds a bit different from what you said earlier.”
“Huh? Oh, right. Earlier I spoke from my own perspective, but if I talk from Seung-yoon’s point of view, it has to be different.”
“So, if you get the chance, you want to send your brother back?”
“If possible, yeah. I’m fine with living in this world, even if it means risking my life, but Seung-yoon… not yet, not yet. Above all, he’s terrified. I’m his older brother, you know? Of course, I’d miss him if he left, but I think it’s better than living every day on edge. Besides, he’s good at taking care of himself.”
“…I see.”
Just then—
“Hey, oppa! Are you even listening to me?”
With a loud bang on the desk, Ha Seung-yoon’s face suddenly came close. Startled, Ha Seung-woo blinked rapidly, shaking his head to clear the fog. What was it he was just hearing?
“Oh, right. You were talking about the rank determination, weren’t you?”
“…You were listening?”
Ha Seung-woo barely managed to recall, and Ha Seung-yoon smiled brightly before sitting back down.
“Anyway, no matter how skilled a newbie is, the highest rank they can get is C.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s because their contribution score is low, so there’s no way around it. So when the day comes to decide ranks, I’m going to give it my all to get a C.”
“How?”
It was a casual question, but Ha Seung-yoon gave him a suspicious look. Ha Seung-woo felt a cold sweat break out. Maybe he’d asked the wrong thing.
“How? Didn’t you hear the explanation? The clan leader said you just have to prove your skills. If you pick someone and show your ability, they’ll give you the rank you deserve. If you don’t want that, you just start at F.”
…No way he knew that. After all, he hadn’t even gotten a proper explanation last night—he barely escaped with his neck intact. How could he know?
But Ha Seung-yoon didn’t seem to think it was a big deal and continued.
“But you’re kind of unlucky, oppa. The mercenary mages are no joke.”
“What about you? Mercenaries aren’t exactly weak in close combat either.”
“I’m fine. I already have a target picked out.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know the name, but it’s that user who lost their temper at you in the restaurant.”
“Oh, the one with the red hair? Wow, going for revenge?”
Ha Seung-woo breathed a sigh of relief and playfully joined in. Ha Seung-yoon chuckled lightly.
“Not revenge… more like a perfect match. They’re rare class, but still in the mercenary category like me. Plus, they use dual daggers. We have a lot in common.”
Stretching his interlaced fingers, Ha Seung-yoon’s eyes gleamed sharply. His confidence was unmistakable.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Hmm. I really enjoyed reading your comments. To those who predicted this situation in advance, I want to give you a round of applause. Honestly, I planned this twist from the start and tried to make it as tangled as possible. If you caught on, you must have eagle eyes~.
And—
Elsice / The fact that the novel’s title is starting to appear means the end is near, right? ㅜㅋ
Yes, that’s right. Sharp observation. Actually, I dropped some hints about the ending right after the highlight in this chapter. Haha. Anyway, you can think of this as preparation for the finale. Just like with the vagrant storyline, I hope you can feel that everything is gradually being tied up. :)
Oh, and today is the college entrance exam, isn’t it?
I’m sure many readers are test-takers. Among those who’ve exchanged messages with me, some are attending cram schools for retakes, some are in dormitory academies. I don’t know if my prayers help, but I sincerely hope you get great results on this exam. May Ansol’s luck be with you! :D
P.S. I’m replying to messages little by little. They’ve piled up so much that it’s taking time. (I was sure I had it down to single digits last week, so why are there over 20 again today? ^_ㅠ) Anyway, I promise to respond by the end of this week at the latest, so please bear with me a little longer!