On the tenth floor of the dungeon, in a secluded corner, a petite figure was surrounded by three burly adventurers. Without mercy, they kept kicking her, their boots landing with sickening force.
"Urgh…"
Liliruca groaned, her body curling instinctively as one brutal kick struck her square in the stomach. The pain surged so violently that she felt nauseated, but nothing came out. Before she could catch her breath, another blow followed.
Bang!
A powerful kick sent her flying, her small frame slamming hard against the dungeon wall. A pained cry escaped her lips. She was certain something inside had cracked—perhaps even broken. Yet, the adventurers showed no signs of letting up.
"Hey, stubborn little thing, aren't you ready to talk yet?"
One of them, a fellow follower of the God of Wine just like her, sneered at her with undisguised malice. His intentions were crystal clear.
"You lied to me last time, said you were broke. But I saw it with my own eyes—you're carrying a magic sword, aren't you?"
"That kind of weapon doesn't come cheap. Clearly, you've made quite a profit."
"So, what do you say? Can't share some of that wealth with your dear familia comrade?"
The sword he mentioned was no longer with Liliruca. It now hung at his own waist, already claimed as his spoils. But that wasn't enough for him. He believed the little Pallum girl was still hiding something more—money, valuables, maybe more gear. Through the pain coursing through her battered body, Liliruca shook her head resolutely.
"No more… I spent everything I had on that sword! I don't have a single val left!"
"Tch, still being so tight-lipped…"
The man gave a disappointed sigh. "You know, being greedy won't get you far. What's the point of having money if you're dead before you can spend it?"
He slowly raised a gleaming blade, stepping toward her in a deliberate show of intimidation. The sharp steel reflected the dim light of the dungeon, and Liliruca flinched. She could feel the cold breath of death pressing against her. Her hesitation showed, and the man didn't miss it. His eyes lit up triumphantly.
"Knew it! You're definitely still hiding something!"
"Come on, just spit it out already!" As he spoke, he planted his boot atop Liliruca's head and pressed down—hard. The skull is one of the most important and vulnerable parts of the human body. The same was true for a Pallum. Though her bones were sturdy for her kind, the brute strength of a fully-grown adventurer was more than enough to crush them.
As pressure mounted, Liliruca finally cracked.
"O-Okay, I'll talk…"
"My money… I've hidden it all—"
The other adventurers immediately fell silent, their eyes gleaming with greed. Just as she was about to reveal the location of her stash, a voice rang out from behind them.
"You guys seem to be having a fun little chat. Mind if I join in?"
Startled, the three adventurers turned around, their expressions shifting to alarm and irritation. Liliruca, on the other hand, felt a flicker of hope spark in her chest. If someone had come to help her—maybe, just maybe…
But when she saw who it was, that fragile hope was immediately extinguished.
I-It's him?!
—She was doomed.
Su Mo, meanwhile, had entered the scene just in time to overhear the unfiltered conversation. Judging from how relaxed and careless the men were, they clearly thought this was a safe place—either no one was around, or even if someone was, they wouldn't dare intervene. Their attitudes were shameless, and their intentions even worse.
Su Mo, however, didn't act immediately. He simply stepped forward. The three men turned, visibly relaxing when they saw it was just a lone newcomer—an adventurer without even a weapon or armor. They exchanged looks, their expressions darkening with cruelty.
"Hey, haven't your fellow familia members taught you not to poke your nose where it doesn't belong?" the leader growled, still cautious.
Su Mo responded truthfully, "I don't have any. I'm the only member of my familia. We're newly established."
"So, I don't really understand all these 'adventurer rules' and whatnot."
He wasn't lying. Since awakening his power and becoming strong, he'd never mingled with the other adventurers. The unspoken rules of the dungeon were a mystery to him. But to the three thugs, his words meant something very different.
A one-man familia meant no one would come to avenge him if he died. Not knowing the dungeon's rules implied he had no friends or connections. Most likely, he was one of those rare loners who climbed down to the tenth floor alone. And adventurers like that… were the easiest prey.
"So, it's just a newbie, huh? You scared me for a second," the burly leader said, resuming his crude tone. He then gestured to his two companions.
"You two, go cut him off. We've already robbed one today—might as well clean up this one too."
Though they didn't usually target fellow adventurers, a loner with no backing and no witnesses? That was practically an invitation. And this one had overheard too much already. Their minds made up, they planned to strip Su Mo clean—just like Liliruca. But Su Mo could sense the killing intent thick in the air. He let out a soft sigh.
"I was hoping to get some information… but I guess an interrogation will be quicker."
"What the hell are you talking about, you crazy—"
The leader scowled, a vague sense of unease creeping in. But his temper flared before his instincts could stop him. With a snarl, he drew his weapon and lunged toward Su Mo.
Boom!
A dull, thunderous sound echoed through the dungeon corridor. The next instant, all three adventurers were face-down on the ground, slammed violently into the dust-covered floor.
Crack!
An overwhelming force pressed down on their backs like a mountain, pinning them flat. No matter how they struggled, they couldn't get up. Even in their prone position, they felt their bones creaking—some even beginning to fracture.
"AAAGHHH!"
"My bones! My bones are breaking!"
The cries of agony pierced the air. These weren't hardened warriors anymore—they were broken, sobbing wrecks. They realized, far too late, that they'd picked the worst possible target.
"Mercy! Please, have mercy!"
"She's yours! Take the girl!"
"…!"
Desperate to survive, they all began pleading, their voices overlapping in a frantic mess. At that, Su Mo cast a slightly disdainful glance at the three groaning adventurers.
"Shut up."
As his words fell, the Youth incarnation of Verethragna's authority—[Eastern War God]—was invoked. While this form allowed him to bestow blessings upon followers, its true nature lay in issuing commands and offering divine protection to humans. In other words, when using this incarnation, Su Mo's words carried the weight of a god's command—one that humans could not defy.
He rarely used this ability. But in moments like this, it proved exceptionally useful. The moment Su Mo gave the order, the three adventurers fell completely silent—as though invisible hands had sealed their mouths shut. Judging from the terrified look in their eyes, this silence was clearly not voluntary. Only then did Su Mo shift his gaze to the one they had been beating—Liliruca Arde.
"This would be the second time we've met, wouldn't it?"
He recognized her immediately—an important supporting character from the original story. But his tone remained casual, with no sign of favor or affection. Hearing his voice, the three adventurers exchanged uneasy glances. Did this terrifying man know the girl? Was she under his protection?
But unknown to them, Liliruca herself was just as terrified. If it had been any other adventurer showing up in that moment, she might have been relieved—grateful even—and would have immediately begged for rescue. But Su Mo… he was the last person she wanted to see.
She still remembered how, not long ago, she had set her sights on Su Mo—planning to deceive him. But before she could even act, he saw right through her. It was as if he could read her mind.
Whether it was some sort of telepathy or intuition, he had seen straight through her deceit. Her disguises, her acting, even her transformation abilities were useless before him. Ever since then, she had always kept her distance, hoping to never meet him again. And yet… here they were.
After a long moment of awkward silence, Liliruca forced a smile and replied nervously, "G-Greetings… I didn't expect you to remember me."
"Not many people have dared to target my wallet. Of course I remember you," Su Mo said with a faint smile.
"..."
Liliruca's smile froze. She had just escaped one crisis, only to find herself in another.
"So, what happened here? Tell me everything—truthfully," Su Mo commanded.
This time, he didn't invoke the Youth incarnation's power, but Liliruca—still convinced that Su Mo could read minds—didn't dare lie. She obediently recounted her entire ordeal. Once she finished, Su Mo turned to the adventurers and made them explain their side as well. Their stories more or less aligned.
"So basically," Su Mo concluded, "you saw Liliruca with a magic sword, assumed she had money, and decided to rob and kill her. That's it?" He looked almost disappointed at how simple and petty the reason was.
Liliruca, still trembling, couldn't believe what she was hearing.
How is that simple?! It's attempted murder!
She screamed silently in her heart, but didn't dare say anything out loud. Su Mo, however, seemed to sense her thoughts. He glanced at her with a cryptic look.
"I actually thought this might be a revenge case. That someone you conned in the past came back to settle the score. I was seriously considering whether or not I should help you." At that, Liliruca completely deflated.
Su Mo wasn't the kind to show leniency just because she was a girl. If the ones attacking her had turned out to be victims of her past cons seeking revenge, Su Mo would've stayed out of it entirely.