Chapter 105 In Cheollihyang Village - 3
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"Doesn't it feel more like we're in a chase rather than on a training trip?"
It was strange enough to hastily embark on a training trip as soon as the school closure order was issued, but by the time the third week of the trip was drawing to a close, Im Hyuk and Do Jae-won were certain of their suspicions.
This wasn't a simple training trip.
The guild master's daughter, Han-na, was engaged in a pursuit under the guise of a trip.
It had to be.
Even after planting their flag at their original destination, the Taebaek Mountains, she had extended the schedule, claiming her training was insufficient.
Since the reason and justification were unconvincing, the two, sitting in a shabby satellite town restaurant, muttered as they looked at Han-na's empty chair, who had left to use the restroom.
"It does seem that way. No matter how I think about it, there's no reason to fill our stomachs with this disgusting food in this shabby town when Andamiro City is just a short walk away."
"There isn't even a mana glider station here. Tsk, I was hoping to stop by Andamiro to download some new stuff since I've run out of things to watch."
"Well, if a problem arises, won't Lady Han-na take responsibility?"
"That's true, but honestly, I don't get it. I'm not even sure if her skills have improved much from this training trip."
"Perhaps she has another objective."
Do Jae-won nodded at Im Hyuk's question.
"It seems our path has been overlapping with Cadet Han Tae-jin's group for a while now. I saw them today, too. They went into a different restaurant."
"Ah, I saw them too. Come to think of it… it's strange. Aren't Hunter Park Na-yeon and Holder Kim Hye-seo in their group? Why would those rich folks bother with a place like this?"
Im Hyuk clicked his tongue, venting his displeasure before draining his beer glass.
Thud!
The bottom of the empty glass hit the wooden table with a rough sound.
"Tsk, anyway, it looks like getting a good night's sleep is out of the question today. It's not like this dump would have a brothel. I need to relieve some stress."
"Pfft, you too, Mr. Im Hyuk? Ah~ It's been three weeks since I've properly relieved myself, I'm going crazy with horniness."
Even if the beer tasted bad, after drinking for the first time in a while, a flush of something more than just drunkenness bloomed on their faces.
Do Jae-won glanced toward the entrance and whispered lowly,
"No, but honestly, if we're escorting her, shouldn't A-rank top hunters at least get a handjob once in a while?"
There are those who, when drunk, naturally turn to lewd talk.
As if it were the most normal thing in the world.
The two of them were exactly that type.
"Puhaha, oh man, for real. If she's going to keep us from even jacking off for three weeks, she should at least allow us the upper hole, not just a handjob."
"Hahaha-! Then Mr. Im Hyuk, you can take the upper hole, and I'll take the lower one."
Im Hyuk nodded as if it were a matter of course.
"Of course, isn't it a matter of seniority? The elder should eat first."
"Kehaha! Okay, I'll go first and write you a review."
After a hearty laugh, Im Hyuk and Do Jae-won glanced at the entrance again and toasted.
Like the beer frothing over their glasses, their lewd talk crossed the line.
"Ha~ fuck. I'm already horny as it is, but whenever I see Han-na's ass, I feel like I'm going to lose it."
"It's been three weeks for me."
"Puhahak! As expected, you're fast. I concede, my friend."
"Ah, seriously, if I could just knock up a girl like that, my life would be set."
"Haven't you already succeeded in life?"
"If I become the son-in-law of the best guild in Korea, I could live in luxury for the rest of my life without having to go on these shitty raids, couldn't I?"
"Ah, right. Wouldn't it be great if our country also implemented a polyandry system like the Utanisk Duchy? Then I could be the second… mhehehe."
The two were drinking the kimchi soup by the bowlful before it was even made.
It was lewd talk and character assassination that would have earned them pointed fingers from anyone who overheard.
Their ancestors said that words reflect one's character, so their character was worse than a butcher's.
Clink!
"By the way, it's been almost forty-five minutes since she said she was going to the restroom, hasn't it?"
At Im Hyuk's words, Do Jae-won looked at the wall clock.
It had been over fifty minutes, to be exact.
"…Constipated?"
"Still, this is a bit much."
"It is. I should contact…"
Do Jae-won was about to turn on his phone but clicked his tongue in irritation when he remembered this shabby town was a no-signal zone.
"Tsk, this fucking shithole of a town."
"I'll go check. You stay here, my friend."
Im Hyuk stood up from his seat.
Even if he spewed filth behind her back, he still had to ensure her safety.
Otherwise, who knew what kind of severe reprimand he would receive from the guild.
Standing up, Im Hyuk chugged his beer and looked down at Do Jae-won with a sinister smile.
"If I don't come back either, just assume your junior is having some happy time first."
A ridiculous bluff spoken with confidence.
But Do Jae-won made a gesture of concession as if that happy time had already come to pass.
It was a festival of trash.
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Thud!
Do Jae-won put down his beer glass.
The already tasteless food was now starting to harden, not just cool.
He looked at the clock.
It had been twenty minutes since Im Hyuk left.
"Don't tell me, a real happy time?"
That was ridiculous nonsense.
But since it had been well over an hour since Han-na had left, that nonsense was starting to feel strangely plausible.
"Tsk, what the hell is going on."
Finally, Do Jae-won clicked his tongue and stood up from his seat.
He irritably pushed his chair back, went outside the shop, and lit a cigarette.
Huuu~, the smoke that escaped his mouth like a sigh was swallowed by the darkness.
"Fuck. Why isn't anyone coming back?"
Muttering complaints with every step, he looked around the now-desolate street.
The already sparsely populated street was now like a road to the underworld as darkness fell.
"I'm telling you, it's a fucking shithole. And the goddamn restroom is so far away."
The restroom was located in a secluded alley in the middle of the street.
He looked around to see if they were resting somewhere else, but the street was dead silent.
So much so that it felt like death itself had descended.
Only the restaurant that Han Tae-jin's group had entered a couple of hours ago cast a faint light on the street.
"Hmm."
In the gloomy street, Do Jae-won focused his eyes.
Honestly, it was the kind of street where someone could die and not a single speck of dust would be disturbed.
For a moment, an unsettling thought pierced his mind.
"Don't tell me."
Do Jae-won took a deep drag of his cigarette, flicked the ash, and tossed the butt away.
Then, he headed towards the alley where the restroom was.
His pace gradually quickened.
Maybe because the night air was cold, his mind was slowly waking up.
A moment later.
"Kyaaaak-!"
A sudden, eardrum-shattering scream erupted, and at the same time, Do Jae-won began to draw up his mana.
It was Han-na's scream.
"F-fuck-!? What the hell!! Lady Han-na-!!"
Shing!
Do Jae-won drew the sword from his waist and dashed towards the alley where the scream came from.
Hoping he wasn't too late.
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"Kyaaak-!"
A second scream burst from Han-na's mouth.
The first had been when a rough hand clamped over her mouth as she left the restroom.
She had screamed, but the sound couldn't escape.
But the second was different.
With her hands and feet bound, she had witnessed the eyes of her guards, who had been with her for three weeks, being gouged out right before her.
The disgusting realization of how long the optic nerves were, that one could still move for a moment even after their eyes were gouged out, came with a scream.
And that second scream was enough to drive away the descending darkness.
"Kugh…."
Do Jae-won collapsed powerlessly.
Next to him lay Im Hyuk, his eyes were also gouged out.
Immediately after, a single figure appeared from the darkness.
A single red eye, emitting an eerie light.
And his skin, torn in every direction, revealed a crimson flame between the cracks.
It was Choi Do-han, who had become a vengeful spirit.
"Hmm."
The man popped the extracted eyeball into one of his own eyes.
Just like he did in the cave.
"Kekeke. I was right to follow you. If you had opened your mouth, you could have saved an innocent life, couldn't you?"
Through the eyeball, Choi Do-han confirmed that Han Tae-jin's group was in a nearby restaurant and smiled viciously.
Crack!
The man plucked the eyeball out again, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it.
Han-na trembled, her face a mess of tears.
The man approached her and grabbed her chin.
"If you had just told me where that bastard was, this wouldn't have happened. How could I gouge out these beautiful eyes? I'd rather pass on such a gruesome act, kekeke."
"D-Do-han… stop… please, stop…"
The man's eyes widened as he grabbed Han-na's neck with one hand.
At the same time, Han-na had to struggle against the searing pain in her throat.
"Kgggh…! P-pleaase…!"
"Kekeke, what a sight. After sticking to that bastard Han Tae-jin, have you forgotten the time we spent together?"
"Th-that's not it…! Who said I was sticking to him…!"
"Then why the fuck didn't you tell me where that bastard Han Tae-jin was? An innocent life was lost because of it, wasn't it?"
"It hurts…! S-save me…."
"Kekeke, well. It was a life that was going to die anyway."
Whack!
Choi Do-han roughly let go of Han-na's neck and stood up.
Then he ran a hand through his messy hair and let out a long breath.
"Haaa- I won't kill you for old times' sake, but there's something you have to do for me. You can do it, right?"
"Gasp…! Gasp…! Don't do this… please…!"
"Kekeke, it's not difficult, so don't worry. You just have to scream once. I need a more useful hostage than you."
"Why are you doing this…! You're already dead!"
Han-na's eyes shot open as she shouted.
The man bent down again and grabbed her neck.
"Ha…. I'm trying to resist the urge to gouge out those pretty eyes. Don't push it."
But Han-na's tear-soaked eyes remained wide open.
And she stared straight at the man.
Then, she spat at him.
"Ptui! You crazy bastard! What does this change!?"
Sizzle!
A burning sound came from the man's skin, which was cracked like the bark of an old tree.
At the same time, a murderous rage filled one of his eyes.
"If you're going to fuck up someone else's life, you should know that your own life can get fucked up too. Fuck, I was the protagonist meant to save this world-!! But because of that bastard Han Tae-jin, it all went to shit. I died like a moron. But you know what? I realized something after I died. That bastard possessed someone else's world without permission and was stealing and eating what was theirs. Then shouldn't he know how to fucking puke it out? If he doesn't want to puke, isn't it obvious that I should shove my fingers down his throat?"
"What kind of bullshit is that. You crazy bastard, you're just a crazy bastard!"
"Ha, it seems you don't know who's holding your lifeline."
Choi Do-han raised his right hand.
His palm was engulfed in a blazing flame, as if molten lava were flowing over it.
However, the flame soon died down.
"Ah, she's coming."
Renia, heading to the restroom, had entered his field of vision.
"Kekeke, the hostage is coming on her own. Now it's your turn. Scream."
The man's hand, gripping Han-na's neck, began to glow with intense heat.
It was a heat that would have melted the skin of an ordinary person instantly.
"Kgggh…! N-no…!"
"They say there's a fine line between stubbornness and recklessness. And the moment stubbornness becomes recklessness, you die. Ditch that petty sense of superiority and scream already."
The heat flared up even more intensely.
Even with the searing pain in her throat, she tried to swallow her scream, but the moment the heat traveled down her esophagus and ignited the mana in her core,
Han-na let out a scream of pure agony.
"Kyaaaak-!!"
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[T/N: Touch Renia and the MC will kill you—again, loser.]
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