Chapter 33
Shin Jun and the others moved quickly and arrived at the nearest pillar of light in a few hours. The sounds and vibrations of battle echoed through the forest, forming a dust cloud.
“From the sounds... it seems like the Fallen Knight is in action and the people are also fighting against one another,” Ho-Geun remarked.
“Must be a mess, then,” Seong-Tae replied.
“But it’s good for us,” Seung-Jun added.
Jun decided, “We’re disadvantaged in number. Nothing good will come from getting caught in their battle, so let’s wait until things die down.”
The others nodded. Teleport Rocks couldn’t be concealed. Whether the Fallen Knight eliminated its enemies or someone gave a live offering to obtain a Teleport Rock, fatigued enemies were much easier to face.
Ideally, five or fewer will remain after their battle, Jun thought.
Teams that reached the final zone were usually in groups of ten because they had no choice but to split up due to the Radanmos.
Now that I think about it... were the Radanmo’s characteristics used to keep things balanced? Did they want us to fight other teams as groups of ten?
It was not far-fetched to interpret the mandatory quest as a chessboard for divine entities and humans as their chess pieces.
It doesn’t matter. Everyone on our team will survive and reach the Mirror World.
Jun said, “Let’s take a quick break until things calm down. We'll strategize our attack once their battle is almost over. Until then, conserve your energy.”
“Haha, no need to worry about me. I’m brimming with energy,” Ho-Geun said.
Seong-Tae snorted, “Hah, says the old man who pants heavily just from swinging his golden rubber mallet.”
“What’d you say? A golden rubber mallet? Why don’t I play some whac-a-mole with it, then? You look just like a mole, so you’re perfect.”
“A mole? I never thought I’d hear that from a hedgehog. Why don’t you shave off that messy beard? I guess it’s true what they say, people think they’re strong when they have a beard.”
“Then why don’t you get me a razor from your useless clutch bag?”
One might think Ho-Geun, whose rough tone was developed from his life on demolition sites, and Seong-Tae, who gave off a terrible first impression with his tattoo sleeves and robust body sculpted in the gym, were fighting. However, it was just how they communicated. Knowing that, Jun did not stop them because their bickering was rather calming. He even wondered if they were doing it on purpose.
“Oppa, I’m gonna go do some business,” Hwa-Yeon said.
“Oh, okay.”
She went past the thicket once she got Jun’s answer.
Come to think of it, Hwa-Yeon is the only girl on our team now, Jun thought.
At least two people went together when doing their business; of course, men went with men and women with women. However, Hwa-Yeon was the only woman on their team now.
“Seung-Jun. Follow Hwa-Yeon, but keep your distance,” Jun said.
Seung-Jun’s eyes seemed to tremble due to the noises and vibrations of battle.
He answered, “Sure, I guess.”
***
Hwa-Yeon stopped after getting far enough from the others. She had indeed come to do some business, but not the physiological phenomenon Jun likely had in mind.
Hwa-Yeon summoned her D Weapon, the compact, and examined it. She opened the white compact’s lid and saw a powder puff and an apricot-colored pressed face powder underneath it. She locked eyes with her reflection in the mirror on the inner surface of the lid.
What the hell am I supposed to do with this?! Why is this my Destiny Weapon? Why did I consider this as my destiny?!
Hwa-Yeon was furious at herself. She had no idea how to use this as a weapon.
Are you telling me that my subconscious desperately wanted something like this? Bullshit! I never wanted this!
However, Hwa-Yeon knew better than anyone else why her D Weapon was a compact. She had used this damn compact to fix her makeup several times a day, having to stare at herself each time.
Hwa-Yeon recalled her conversation with Card when she asked him for advice on what rule to establish.
“You don’t know why that is your D Weapon? That’s impossible. I’m sure you know, don’t you?”
“B-but I never wanted this! If I have to say, I hate this thing!”
“There’s your answer. D Weapons can take the form that can fulfill your wishes or aspirations, but can also appear as your trauma or take a form that you fear.”
“Trauma?”
It made perfect sense. To Hwa-Yeon, this compact was certainly a trauma.
“Then what rule should I establish for it?” Hwa-Yeon asked.
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Because... you know all kinds of things, don’t you?”
“Look. The only person who knows about one’s D Weapon is oneself,” Card said firmly.
No one could establish rules for one’s D Weapon in their place. They needed to find out for themselves.
“What do you think about when you see that? What do you want to become? What memories do you have of it? Think about things like that. It’s easy to come up with any rule, but they’ll only give you shitty abilities. If you want a powerful ability... you’ll have to look into yourself.”
“Into... myself?”
“Well, do your best. Since you seem to be the type who’s willing to die for others, you might come up with an interesting ability.”
“My ability, huh? What could it be? What kind of ability do I have?” Hwa-Yeon wondered as she fell deeper in thought.
She refused to be a burden any more than she already was. She also wanted to help the team.
To do that, I need to make a rule for my D Weapon. But what?
Just then, she heard footsteps from behind her.
***
Hwa-Yeon gripped her spear tightly and stood wary of the rear, her senses heightened to the maximum. The footsteps grew louder, meaning someone was approaching.
“Who’s there?! Come out!” Hwa-Yeon shouted.
“It’s me,” Seung-Jun walked out of the thicket with a playful smile.
“Seung-Jun?” Hwa-Yeon lowered her guard and sighed. She asked, “What’s up?”
“Jun hyung asked me to come get you. He wants to hold a quick strategy meeting.”
“Really?” Hwa-Yeon looked past the nearby trees. She could still hear the noise of the battle and feel the vibrations in the ground, and the large dust cloud remained. “That’s unlike him. Jun oppa’s the type to be as careful as possible until he gets a full picture of the situation.”
Jun only shared his plans with the team when he was sure about it.
What kind of plan does he have in mind? The battle isn’t over yet, Hwa-Yeon thought.
Seung-Jun shrugged and remarked, “I don’t know. I’m not the leader.”
“That’s true. Let’s go,” Hwa-Yeon said as she was about to walk in front, but Seung-Jun stood in her way. She asked, “What?”
“Come to think of it, this is the first time we’ve been alone together, noona.”
Hwa-Yeon scanned Seung-Jun. The air around him seemed different from usual; it felt unsettling.
“Is it?” Hwa-Yeon said as she thought about it.
As Seung-Jun mentioned, they had indeed never been alone together. Although they were on the same team, they each had different people they were closer to. The team had a business relationship when hunting and a private relationship when on break. Humans were bound to have people they felt more comfortable being around.
Jun oppa is close to everyone but is especially close to Ho-Geun ahjussi, since they’ve been together from the beginning. Hee-Gyeong ajumma is often with Do-Hyun and Rin. Min-Jae oppa seems to connect well with Ye-Ji.
Hwa-Yeon’s expression hardened momentarily as she thought about the relationships among her teammates.
Come to think of it... Who is Seung-Jun close to?
Hwa-Yeon thought about Seung-Jun whenever they were on break. He was always alone, sitting against a tree, smiling as he watched the others. She remembered Seung-Jun hunting, his behavior when they faced enemies, or arguing with teammates when their opinions differed. However, she couldn’t remember Seung-Jun ever chatting with anyone during their breaks.
“What are you thinking about, noona?” Seung-Jun asked, noticing her expression slowly hardening.
“Nothing. Let’s go. I’m sure Jun oppa is waiting for us.”
Hwa-Yeon pushed her unsettling thoughts aside and walked past Seung-Jun. She gripped her spear tightly.
“Jun, Jun... that motherfucking Shin Jun. Kek!” Seung-Jun said from behind Hwa-Yeon, his tone much lower than usual.
“What?” Hwa-Yeon flinched and turned around, but Seung-Jun was not there.
Just then, information about Seung-Jun flashed past her head.
He’s the team’s sharp sword. His destructive power falls behind Ho-Geun ahjussi, but he has the highest Dexterity stat in the—
Seung-Jun appeared beside Hwa-Yeon before she could finish her thoughts, and he grabbed her spear. Hwa-Yeon quickly turned to Seung-Jun and saw him smiling widely.
“Kek, what’s wrong? Let’s talk.”
“You—! Let go!”
“Let’s talk about that Shin Jun you love so much,” Seung-Jun ignored her and continued, “I hate Shin Jun. His judgments are too soft. He’s trying to become firmer, but it’s not enough. He’s been like that ever since the District 8 massacre.”
“What do you—”
“He’s too timid and doesn’t know how to take losses. He’s always about the team. The team, the team, the goddamn team!”
Seung-Jun’s eyes turned bloodshot. Hwa-Yeon tried to yank the spear out of his grasp, but it didn’t budge. Seung-Jun stared at her and smiled.
“And what irritates me the most is why he keeps useless trash around.”
“What?” Hwa-Yeon asked, her expression crumpled.
“Kekek, why are you making that face? It’s not like you didn’t know. I’m talking about you. It’s the first correct thing Na Seong-Tae has ever said. You’re a nuisance to the team. You’re useless!”
Seung-Jun punched Hwa-Yeon in the stomach.
“Kurgh!”
It was so fast that Hwa-Yeon did not have time to react. Her grip on the spear loosened. She fell to her knees, clenching her stomach.
Seung-Jun looked down at her and continued, “But you can rejoice, noona. The chance for you to be useful to the team has finally come.”
“Hurgh! Gurgh... you!” Hwa-Yeon looked up at Seung-Jun as she kept herself from vomiting.
His expression was so odd that she couldn’t tell whether he was smiling or frowning.
“What do you think this is?” Seung-Jun asked as he lifted his shirt.
A black dot the size of a fist was on his left chest. Hwa-Yeon looked closer and saw a black flame blazing unsettlingly in silence inside the dot, as if it were the seal of the devil.
“You... that’s—”
“Yup, it’s the Dark Seal. I got it a week ago. Do you understand now?” Seung-Jun asked ecstatically.
He never fit in with the team. Although he was capable, his interpersonal relationships were lacking. However, he didn’t mind since he had been like this even on Earth. Those who were capable tended to be alone, like an elegant swan.
“A week? Then you did the black quests?”
“Of course, I did. They started small, but the scale rose the more I did. The last quest I did was to kill someone after inflicting thirty injuries on them. It gave me a thousand Karma.”
Hwa-Yeon recalled the last group that attacked them. Seung-Jun’s opponent had been covered in blood.
Seung-Jun smiled and said, “A whopping thousand Karma, you know? Isn’t it amazing? Unfortunately, I was going to give up on the next black quest. I had to kill a teammate whom I’d traveled with for at least fifteen days. Keke, I had to kill one person on our team to fulfill the condition, so I had half given up, but... I never thought such a perfect opportunity would be hand-delivered to me!”
He could choose anyone among his nine teammates since they had all been together for at least fifteen days. Jun, Ho-Geun, and Min-Jae were too high hurdles to overcome, and the others were rarely alone. On top of that, Jun’s plan to send five people to the Mirror World first destroyed his chances since it meant the people he had as potential targets would disappear.
“But... I’m so glad you’re an idiot, noona. Hahaha!”
Hwa-Yeon decided to stay, and Min-Jae took her place.
“Namgung Min-Jae was the only one I was worried about. That bowman was especially observant of me... maybe because his Sense stat is so high.”
However, Min-Jae was no longer here. On top of that, the chance to be alone with his target had been served on a platter.
“I’d be an idiot to throw away this opportunity!” Seung-Jun shouted.
“Ahhh!”
Hwa-Yeon sprang up and charged at Seung-Jun. Seung-Jun smiled playfully and thrust the spear he had stolen from Hwa-Yeon.
[Activating Skill: Small Steps.]
Hwa-Yeon dodged the spear with her skill and got even closer to Seung-Jun.
“Die!” she shouted as she thrust a branch she had picked up from the ground while she was on her knees, aiming for Seung-Jun’s eye.
[Activating Skill: Dextrous Hands.]
I got him—
However, the branch pierced nothing but air. Hwa-Yeon’s eyes widened.
“Kekek! I can’t bear to watch this. You can’t kill me with garbage skills like those!”
Seung-Jun punched Hwa-Yeon in the stomach again.
“Kurgh! B-bleghhh!” Hwa-Yeon vomited blood this time, but remained standing. She stumbled backward, glaring at Seung-Jun. “Do you think... you’ll get away... with this?”
“Don’t worry about me. I didn’t kill you. You were killed by unidentified people who were running away from a Fallen Knight.”
“Jun oppa... won’t be... fooled.”
“Haha! So what? Unlike you, I’m crucial to the team. Now that Namgung Min-Jae is gone, they need me to hunt the Fallen Knights.” Seung-Jun leisurely spun the spear as he approached Hwa-Yeon. “Well, worst-case scenario, I can leave the team. I’ll find a live offering to sacrifice and get a Teleport Rock. This team makes me shudder. It’s like a pack of stupid mutts. It’s not right for a wolf like me. Wolves should live like wolves. I have that right.”
Seung-Jun earned a lot of Karma by clearing black quests. He could surely get ahead of others. He didn’t know what kind of place the Mirror World was, but he would stand out above the rest.
Seung-Jun, drunk on euphoria, said firmly, “The strong like me need subordinates, not teammates.”
“Ahahaha!” Hwa-Yeon laughed mockingly, still vomiting blood.
Seung-Jun’s expression crumpled. “What’s so funny?”
“Cough... You’re strong? A wolf? Don’t delude yourself... The truly strong... are people like Card.”
The mysterious man Card was feared, merciless, and brutal, yet his eyes carried certainty as if he knew everything. He felt as unbreakable as steel. Compared to Card, Seung-Jun was but a brat.
“You couldn’t even... stand up to him!” Hwa-Yeon mocked.
“Shut up!” Seung-Jun shouted, kicking her in the stomach.
She flew backward until her back smashed into a tree, and she fell to the ground. She did not even have the strength to speak.
“Urgh... Kurgh!”
“Card! It’s because that motherfucker killed people from the beginning! Now... I’ve caught up to him!”
Seung-Jun thought about Card. He couldn’t even meet Card’s eyes because his gaze felt as if he was looking straight into him. Seung-Jun felt as if he were stripped naked when standing before Card.
“Fuuu, haaa,” Seung-Jun took deep breaths, clenching the spear.
Card had partially influenced his desire to obtain more power and become a lone wolf. Seung-Jun admired Card, who was as immovable as a tree when still, and like a tiger that never missed its prey when moving.
I can become like that, too! I just need more Karma! Seung-Jun thought.
He grabbed the spear and took a stance to throw it.
“Don’t resent me too much. As fellow loners, I’ll send you off painlessly.”
“Urpp!” Hwa-Yeon vomited more blood.
He’s not wrong. I’m... a loner too, she scorned herself.
Thanks to her outgoing personality, she had been close to her teammates, but over time, she kept her distance due to the guilt because she was useless to the team. Thinking back on it now, she regretted doing something so stupid in the first place.
“You wanted to be useful to the team, didn’t you, noona? I’ll make that wish come true. All you have to do is... become my Karma!”
Seung-Jun threw the spear. Hwa-Yeon could see the sharp edge of the spear flying at her head.
I shouldn’t have added points to my Sense stat. I can see my death so clearly.
Her life quickly flashed before her eyes. She closed them and accepted her fate.
I wanted to... start fresh.
Just then, the sound of metal clashing echoed instead of her skull getting pierced by the spear. Hwa-Yeon slowly opened her eyes and saw someone’s large back. The man had a two-block haircut, tattoo sleeves, and was wearing a now-tattered brand-name suit and dress shoes.
Na... Seong-Tae? Hwa-Yeon thought.
The man looked back at Hwa-Yeon. His face was so threatening that anyone would call the police if they came across him in a dark alley.
Yeah, that’s Seong-Tae for sure.
Seong-Tae stared in silence at Hwa-Yeon’s stomach and her mouth covered in blood. The attacks had been to rupture her internal organs; Seung-Jun had likely hit the same area repeatedly. Malicious was the only word that could describe such an act.
Seong-Tae turned back to face the front, gritting his teeth, and screamed, “KIM SEUNG-JUN!”