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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Truth and Lies
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The first to show up was Isera.
The pint-sized 150cm girl plastered herself against my back, rubbing her flat chest against me while grinding her crotch on my thigh.
"Mmm! Oppa smell! My nipples are tingling. Oppa, did you wait long for me?"
"..."
From what I'd observed so far, she wasn't the type to move early for a promised time. She just wanted to see me ASAP and came ahead of schedule.
Not that there seemed to be any other reason, especially since she was acting like a total perv right in the middle of the street, grinding her crotch on my thigh.
As Isera draped herself over my lower back, begging to be carried piggyback-style on my shoulders, the next person arrived.
"Hm? You're already here. But who's that clinging to your back?"
Han So-hee showed up right on the dot at the appointed time.
It somehow fit the image of a chaebol heiress—punctual to a fault.
She'd traded her hoodie for a sharp suit that accentuated her figure nicely.
"I'll introduce everyone once they're all here."
"Got it."
Next came the Saintess, her massive breasts bouncing up and down as she swept her hair back.
"S-Sorry I'm late. I just dozed off and lost track of time."
"Haha, no worries. I've only been waiting a minute."
And last but not least, Shin Seo-yeon made her entrance as the Crimson Flame Witch. She shuffled over hesitantly.
"Welcome."
"Y-Yeah, Min-jun. I'm here."
I widened my eyes in surprise.
"What's with calling me by name all of a sudden?"
"Just... figured I'd try acting a bit more ladylike from now on."
She glanced furtively at the Saintess and Han So-hee as she said it. I shot back like it was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard.
"Just be yourself. This prim-and-proper act is kinda creepy."
"...Shut up. I'm calling you by name for once, and you've got complaints?"
"Not really."
Shin Seo-yeon shook out her damp hair and joined us. A fresh, clean scent wafted from her as she approached.
Man, they all smell great—probably because they showered before coming.
Their skin gleamed smoothly, a far cry from before. Bringing those Earth products had paid off big time.
I hadn't given Han So-hee anything extra, but she'd recovered her backpack from the boss room, including her cosmetics—her skin had that healthy glow to prove it.
Compared to the other women on the street, it's night and day.
They were already a cut above, and now with makeup? It was like comparing a dirt-poor country girl to an idol star.
Having beauties like that around me was easy on the eyes and did wonders for my ego, but it wasn't all upside.
"Hey, check those girls out."
"Damn, they're smoking hot. That body's a work of art."
Passersby started stealing glances. Before long, a few approached with naked greed in their eyes.
"Ladies, care to party up with us? We've got five solid guys here—trials are no sweat."
"Ahem. Why not join our group instead?"
Ugh, so this is how it goes.
The women eyed them. The scouts had drawn attention, and now other guys piled on competitively.
"No party? How about ours..."
"Then ours..."
They swarmed like fish in water. The street had been tense and wary moments ago, but the moment four stunners appeared, the vibe flipped completely.
Men who'd been eyeing each other warily now shoved and jostled, all vying to recruit us.
Shiny, beautiful, pretty—humans just wanna claim it. Basic instinct.
Luckily, my girls seemed unimpressed.
"U-Um, sorry..."
The Saintess mumbled a feeble refusal and scooted right up against me.
"No thank you. I already have a party, so you're free to be on your way."
Han So-hee politely declined.
"Mmm. Oppa, I'm hungry."
Isera ignored them outright.
And Shin Seo-yeon, drawing the biggest crowd, shot me a glance before waving them off irritably.
"Not interested. Scram."
She tried to head my way, but the greedy ones were persistent. They surrounded her, refusing to let go, showering her with sweet talk.
"Come on, don't be so cold. How about coffee at that shop over there? We'll treat you right."
"We've got offers you won't find anywhere else."
Flattery poured out—lines she would've eaten up in the old days.
She used to play coy and milk them for all they were worth.
Yeah, back then.
"..."
But today? Stone cold.
She kept glancing my way, frowning hard as they crowded too close.
"God, do these idiots think we're suckers? Generous offers? Yeah right—what, drag us off and gang-rape us in some trial zone?"
They flinched.
"Haha, as if."
"Misunderstanding! Who'd do something that barbaric..."
"Or use us as onaholes then sell us off?"
"..."
Her blunt insults and vicious aura made them all hesitate.
Even outnumbered, she didn't flinch—instinct told them she was dangerous.
Maybe her eyes, filled with killing intent from all the hell she'd survived in her first trial, tipped them off.
"H-Haha. Well, carry on then."
They backed off awkwardly. But no time to breathe—this was just the opener.
"Hey, buddy. Having fun sandwiched by all those hotties?"
The polite recruiters slunk away, replaced by lowlifes picking fights.
Obvious thugs from their swagger and trash talk—no way getting tangled with them ended well. Some even whipped out their hard-ons blatantly.
"Share the wealth, huh? We'll train 'em good and send 'em back."
"Babe, ditch the shrimp dick and party with us. We'll make you squirt all night."
Open thug provocations mixed with crude come-ons. Some drew weapons, ramping up the intimidation.
Scare us into submission, that was the play.
Not what I planned, but this drives home why they can't wander alone.
"M-Min-jun, what do we do?"
The Saintess clutched my clothes, face pale with fear. Thirty-two armed men now encircled us.
They'd never self-destruct in infighting—not with a prize like this. Probably agreed to team up till they got what they wanted.
"Ladies, be smart and come quietly? Nobody gets hurt, we all win. Let's blow off some steam."
Part suggestion, part threat.
My patience was wearing thin.
Still, I held back.
"M-Min-jun."
No need for me to step in.
"These fucking assholes—have they lost their goddamn minds?"
Someone with even less patience than me—the one who'd caused nonstop trouble in Round 1—was right there.
Whoosh!
Shin Seo-yeon, done pretending to be prim, ignited flames in both hands. Crimson fire raced up her arms, enveloping her body.
Like the incarnation of fire itself—a technique I'd improvised in the boss fight.
She'd nailed it on the first try, so she'd clearly practiced solo for those six hours back at the shelter.
"Wh-What?!"
The crowd recoiled in panic.
That power screamed danger, and the blistering heat kept anyone from closing in.
"You want hot? I'll melt you down."
Shin Seo-yeon conjured a fireball and hurled it.
Boom!
The main street erupted in flames and dust.
"Eek!"
"R-Run!"
They dropped their lust and bolted like startled cats.
Greed bows to fear, always.
But some sleazebags saw the chaos as opportunity.
Swoosh.
As flames soared and pandemonium reigned, a few darted toward us.
Skip the dangerous one, snatch another as hostage in the confusion—that was the plan.
Second shelter's a total shitshow.
No rules, no order. Murder, rape, kidnapping in broad daylight? Par for the course.
No such thing as [Human Hunter] yet—psychos blended seamlessly with civilians in this age of anarchy.
Bottom line: shelters weren't safe havens.
The small fry scattered. These seven must be the real deal.
Seven men drew weapons amid the blast, closing in fast.
I gripped my sword hilt but held off to see my team's skills.
Swoosh.
Han So-hee and Isera moved first.
"Pathetic bitch! You think you can take us alone?!"
They fixated on Han So-hee's sword, raising theirs in a show of force—aiming to disarm and subdue.
But she blurred with afterimages, closing the gap in a flash. They yelped in shock.
"Wh-What?!"
Feints turned to desperate swings, fueled by self-preservation.
Whoosh!
Seven blades converged. But it changed nothing.
Shing.
Her sheathed sword flashed out, arcing gracefully. It swept their strikes, launching their weapons sky-high.
"Wh-What?!"
The perk of a perfected ability like [Sword Mastery].
Its user could pull off wuxia feats for real.
Long as our chaebol heiress wielded that blade, melee couldn't touch her.
Should've gone all-out with abilities from the start. Hostages? Bad call.
"How is this... Gahk."
"Gurk."
Weaponless and stunned, they ate merciless payback.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Isera, cloaked in stealth, snuck up and cracked their skulls from behind. Han So-hee exploited the openings flawlessly.
Slash—
Her sword flickered, and seven heads sailed into the air.
Clean work.
No mercy.
Honestly, I figured Isera couldn't kill back in Round 1, Saintess goes without saying... So only Shin Seo-yeon or I could handle people easily.
"..."
But our chaebol girl? Whatever she'd been through in the trials, she cut humans without hesitation.
Or maybe that was just her personality.
She casually flicked blood from her blade onto the ground, then smoothly sheathed it.
Even killing looks elegant and beautiful. True class.
The mess wrapped up. Approachers were dead or fled—no more join-up pitches.
That was the thought—
Clap clap clap.
—when someone applauded, approaching us.
"?"
Still coming after seeing bodies drop? What ballsy psycho hadn't run?
Turned out to be someone unexpected.
"Impressive. That skill—couldn't help but admire from afar."
Black Wolf Guildmaster Lee Jong-chul arrived with his crew. He'd watched the fight and got curious.
He bowed deeply to Han So-hee and Shin Seo-yeon.
"Your futures are bright as day... Mind giving us a shot?"
"A shot?"
"Not a party invite, to clarify. Keep your group, just team up for the next trial to build rapport."
Lee Jong-chul grinned slyly.
"We're no slouches ourselves."
Fair enough. Korea's top guildmaster? Had to be exceptional.
"I'm no slouch either—Mythic ability, even."
I nodded. Yeah, he was Mythic-grade, as far as I knew.
With 2 billion people, Mythics weren't rare, but he'd survived long and ruled his guild.
No need to verify.
[Full Appraisal]
[Unique Ability]
Name: Halo of Valor
Grade: Saga
Description: Emits a special aura boosting self and nearby allies' stats by 10% of the aura owner's.
Huh?
I blinked at his ability via [Full Appraisal].
What? Did I misread? He was supposed to be Mythic.
The description matched what I'd heard from Round 1, at least.
So why Saga-grade?
Two possibilities flashed. [Stars of Fate] trait? Checked—nope, no trait.
One option left.
The bastard lied.
Hiding his lordly potential behind a fake mouth.
Can't view others' info in selection.
Exploited for scams and crimes galore.
My peeking ability wasn't foolproof.
Big shots like Black Wolf, Sea God, Golden Castle used special items to mask abilities—guild security depended on it.
Even without that, appraisers get assassinated nonstop.
Most players disclose abilities for party-matching, but the secretive hide till the end.
Lee Jong-chul easily kept his secret in Round 1.
Never dreamed it'd be Saga-grade, though.
Stunned by the revelation, I zoned out while he kept schmoozing my girls.
"So, team up with us?"
They weren't biting. Shin Seo-yeon shrugged irritably.
"Eh. We're not volunteers. Why drag around deadweight that'd just slow us and get in the way?"
"H-Haha. I see."
Her brutal truthbomb left him speechless, chuckling awkwardly. He pivoted.
"Still, not a bad deal."
He gestured to his group—nearly thirty strong.
"We've got more than fighters: healers, buffers, tanks, even cooks. Safer hunts, gourmet meals every time, no grueling night watches."
The women perked up a bit.
Good food and less guard duty? Life-changer in trials.
Han So-hee stroked her chin.
"Reasonable pitch."
"Haha, right?"
Lee Jong-chul beamed, sensing progress.
"Great for you too. Suit lady seems on board—what about the rest?"
"Hm."
"Flame girl?"
He roped in the others excitedly. His crew's eyes gleamed with hope.
Shin Seo-yeon and Han So-hee? Prime talent anyone would kill for.
Mythic-plus 'combat specialists.'
I'd empty my coffers for them too.
"Hold up."
Han So-hee raised a hand, halting it.
"Misunderstanding."
"Pardon?"
"Our input doesn't matter. One person decides for our party."
"Who?"
They eyed Shin Seo-yeon. She looked back at me. Eyes shifted, faces surprised.
"That guy's the leader?"
"Wait, the punk who tried joining us earlier?"
Skinny twenty-something in plain clothes, lone sword at hip.
Lurking silently behind the girls till now? Looked more like baggage—or maybe a little brother.
"Haha, my bad—didn't spot the leader. Apologies. Lee Jong-chul here. Heard you wanted in our party?"
Grinning friendly-like, he offered a handshake. I eyed his hand.
"..."
"Hey. You listening?"
One of his followers scowled.
"Dude's being polite, shaking hands—you could at least respond. Fake it if you have to. Don't embarrass him."
"Sorry. Appreciate the offer, but no thanks."
"Why not?"
"Not dropping 200 points to join you."
Eh? My crew's eyes bugged out.
"200 points? To join them?"
"Crazy. Total thugs."
Lee Jong-chul panicked, backpedaling.
"Haha, must be a mix-up. If someone said that, tell me—I'd fix it."
"Told you, you ignored us."
Ignored? Fury flickered on my team's faces.
"D-Did we? Aha. Well, some underling messed up... I'll chew him out. We're not bad guys. Forget it, join us anyway. Team up for the next trial."
Desperate to reel me in and snag my group. I shrugged.
Twenty minutes ago, I'd have been open to connecting.
Round 1, we were uneasy thanks to Shin Seo-yeon, but comrades who'd felled the Destruction Dragon together.
Now? Irritating.
The glowing rep didn't match reality.
—Black Wolf Guildmaster's such a stand-up guy. Took non-combatants through early trials for pennies.
—Answers every question, greets grunts like us personally. Real character.
Rumors can be off.
Faking Saga as Mythic? Plausible.
Everyone does it.
But ignoring a polite approach? Nah.
I always respond to courtesy, no matter how nobody they seem. Basic decency.
People lacking basics? Bottomless pits of rot. Steer clear. Lesson learned.
"Best of luck."
"No, don't shut us down cold..."
He wanted ties, good relations. Not me.
Not my team either.
"Tch. Rude bunch."
"Finally agree. Scram unless you wanna die."
Whoosh!
Shin Seo-yeon sparked a fireball; they chuckled nervously and hightailed it.
Nothing like the Round 1 Black Wolf Guildmaster I'd known.
Tch. Unearthed an uncomfortable truth. Kinda ruins the vibe. Future's unchanged, so he'll pull his weight in the finale.
Still, it nagged. Black Wolf only? Or all lords rotten?
Round 1, as a nobody, maybe I'd swallowed manipulated PR hook, line, sinker.
Might be best to form my own guild this round.
The trashed street cleared, leaving just us. I glanced around, then remarked in surprise.
"Seo-yeon, weird—you didn't kill a single one."
Expected a body count, but only the seven from Isera and Han So-hee's combo. Shin Seo-yeon extinguished her flames, brushed her hands, and snorted.
"Before dinner. Ruins my appetite if meat starts smelling cooked."
"..."
Classic her. Thought she'd grown a heart—nope, all self-interest.
Still, good outcome.
Pests cleared, display of power scared off the rest.
"Alright, let's grab food."
As we turned to go—
"And who's this pint-sized hobbit?"
The Crimson Flame Witch, pushing for her spot beside me, scowled at the intruder.
"...Pint-sized hobbit?"
The Death God glared back, eyes narrowed.
Oh right, haven't introduced Isera yet.
And damn, the vibe between them was hostile.
Understatement of the year.
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