The door burst open.
A fierce wind was blowing outside. The snow mixed with the northern wind was sharp enough to cut even flesh if one did not guard against it properly. The man who opened the door was wearing thick robes on his body, perhaps as a countermeasure against the wind.
“Welcome.”
There were no guests at the inn. The innkeeper, who was sitting on a chair in front of the fireplace, quickly raised his head. He rubbed his eyes with his right hand and wrapped his left around himself, shivering.
“How about closing the door first?”
The door that he came in through was swaying in the outside wind. Lee Sungmin raised his hand and closed the door. The innkeeper’s eyebrows shot up when he saw the door being pushed with one hand only.
“You must not be a hunter.”
The innkeeper murmured. Lee Sungmin took off the hood of the robes. The innkeeper asked as he looked at Lee Sungmin’s face, which had turned white from the wind.
“Would you like coffee? Or hot water? Milk? There is also soup.”
“Soup, please.”
“I would prefer milk.”
Rubia, who was hiding behind Lee Sungmin, poked her head out and ordered. The innkeeper opened his eyes wider when he saw the cat ears rising above Rubia’s head.
“A beastkin. Those are rare around here. Are you a Slave Merchant?”
“No.”
Lee Sungmin replied expressionlessly. Rubia seemed a little offended by the innkeeper’s words but did not make a fuss. Beastkin were no great existence. Elves were very rare, and they lived for a long time. They were loved by spirits and attracted mana. All elves were excellent spirits, mages, and archers. Every rich man dreamed of enslaving an elf, but enslaving elves was not an easy task.
Beastkin were different. They were weaker but more numerous than elves. They were also relatively easy to enslave and tame them, with ‘relatively easy’ meaning that they would be forced into obedience through sadistic violence.
“For now, please take a seat.”
The innkeeper placed two chairs in front of the fireplace.
“Hot soup and milk. I’ll bring them to you soon, so please wait for a little while.”
The innkeeper turned around and went into the kitchen. Rubia approached the fireplace and sat down in the chair. She took off her cloak and exhaled.
“You can tell I’m not a beastkin at one glace.”
Rubia grumbled as she threw the robes behind her. Lee Sungmin took a seat beside her. Rubia was a familiar created by Envirus. She looked like a beastkin, but that was only because of Envirus’s taste.
“I wonder whether it was necessary to come to this inn.”
“But you see, the wind got stronger all of a sudden.”
“You don’t feel cold, and neither do I.”
“I don’t want to be homeless in such weather.”
Lee Sungmin did not feel cold because he had already acquired immunity to it. So he didn’t feel the need to stop by the inn, but he came there anyways because of Rubia’s persistent complaints.
“We’ll be arriving in Travia soon. Travia used to be under the Sama Order, and Black Mages control before Bloody Heavenly Demon came to power. Honestly, it’s a place where I really don’t want to go.”
“I don’t have a choice,” Lee Sungmin said as he took off his robes, “I know the situation in the north isn’t great. The Bloody Heavenly Sect lost its power, and the powerful figures there chose to escape rather than control the situation. Thanks to this, Travia’s situation is a mess.”
On the way there, Neville continued to update him on Travia’s situation. Things were better when Bloody Heavenly Demon used to reign Travia. At least he knew to exercise restraint.
However, things changed after Bloody Heavenly Demon was defeated by Wijihoyeon.
The loss of an arm was fatal for a warrior. Bloody Heavenly Demon was a force to be reckoned with in the prime of his reign in Travia, but after his arm was cut off, the Bloody Heavenly sect collapsed. What was clear was that the current Travia was a lawless place. He heard that even the City Lord had given up on ruling over Travia and left to take refuge in a villa outside the city. Travia was full of crimes with no one to secure it.
“Since the situation has developed in this way, the Murim are also watching them.”
“… You said it was a Divine Spirit, right? In the north, where ice caps do not melt. If fate allows it, you will meet a person who is both human and monster. When the freezing winter is at its coldest.”
Rubia pouted as she grumbled.
“Such vague words. I can’t believe you came all the way to this remote and dangerous place, following a vague remark which could turn out to be false.”
[It’s not vague.]
Heoju muttered toward Rubia from inside the armor.
[I don’t know what that Divine Spirit is planning to do. But one thing is certain. If they say that it will happen, it will definitely happen.]
“Even those words are so vague.”
[Those bastards are originally like that. They can… glimpse at fate. If you hadn’t come to the north at all, I don’t know what would happen, but as long as you have come to the north, the ‘meeting’ that the Divine Spirit predicted will definitely happen.]
In fact, Lee Sungmin was also a little confused as he came all this way. There were not just one or two places where the ice caps do not melt in the north, and there’s no way to say when winter is at the most frozen. A long time before he came here, Rubia had asked him why he was going to Travia, and Heoju had hurriedly said, ‘You just need to go.’ So he journeyed all this way based on that remark.
“Where are you headed?”
Asked the innkeeper who came back with two large mugs. Rubia received a mug with both hands and drank the milk while blowing on it.
“I’m going to Travia.”
“Oh my.”
In response to Lee Sungmin’s answer, the innkeeper exclaimed.
“You are going to a dangerous place. Why? Do you want to make a name there?”
“That’s not it.”
“Well, I’m not in a position to be nosy. But, please do be careful. Especially that Beastkin lady over there.”
The innkeeper pointed his chin toward Rubia.
“Travia is a lawless place. There are a lot of mages and shamans who offer human sacrifices. Once you go inside the city, there may be a lot of danger.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
Rubia said with a smile. Lee Sungmin tasted the soup and opened his mouth after a while.
“Why are you acting so kind when it doesn’t suit you?”
“Huh?”
“I’m talking about your poisoned soup. It’s hypocrisy. Or should I call it deception?”
Lee Sungmin grumbled and threw the mug he was holding into the flames of the fireplace. The innkeeper’s expression changed as he heard those words.
“… This… I….”
The innkeeper stuttered. He had not achieved 10,000 Poison Immunity yet. Still, this kind of crude poison could not harm Lee Sungmin’s body. However, he couldn’t help being disgusted by the dirty taste, so he spat it out.
“Po-poison?”
Rubia was startled and tried to get up from the chair. However, she flopped back into her seat as if there were no strength in her legs.
“I don’t think it’s a deadly poison. At least not what you drank.”
Beastkin can be sold as products and have value. The innkeeper looked at Lee Sungmin with an expression that looked like he’d eaten shit. Then he sighed and dragged a chair to take a seat.
“I have my reasons.”
“What are those reasons… !”
Rubia spat out with a distorted expression. As Lee Sungmin said, what Rubia had consumed was not a deadly poison. It was simply a poison that paralyzed her body. That didn’t mean that it did not cause any pain. Lee Sungmin glanced at the gasping Rubia and reached out to the innkeeper.
“Is there any antidote?”
“If I give it to you, will you spare my life?”
“Don’t try to trade. It’s not that hard to kill you and search your body for the antidote, and I also have a way to get it right now.”
He could summon Erebrisa’s Neville and purchase an antidote. It was not a deadly poison, so there was no need to rush.
“… In that case.”
The innkeeper quickly gave up. He had poisoned their drink, and now that it had failed, he might as well have handed them a butcher’s knife.
“I thought I had seen a lot while doing this work, but it looks like that’s not the case.”
The innkeeper grumbled as he reached into his sleeves. After searching inside, he took out a small glass bottle and held it out toward Lee Sungmin.
“Don’t worry. Now that things have come to this, I’m not giving you poison with ill intent again.”
However, Lee Sungmin did not use the antidote. Instead, he sat down on the chair again. Rubia, who was sitting on the floor, looked at Lee Sungmin and stuttered.
“What-what are you doing? Why the medicine… ”
“I can’t let you consume such a sketchy sort of medicine.”
“It’s the real antidote… ”
“You can’t simply believe it like that. And it was you who brought me to this inn, even though I didn’t want to come. It’s not a life-threatening poison, so just sit down quietly for a moment.”
“You bastard… !”
Rubia cussed him out, but Lee Sungmin did not listen. He asked while looking up at the innkeeper.
“Why did you do this?”
“… Beastkin fetch good money.”
“Is that all?”
“… This area is under the Gui Ran Sect. I have to pay a monthly protection fee, and as you know, there are no customers coming now that Travia is in such a shape.”
“So, you tried to sell a beastkin to make money?”
“Please understand. Desperate times call for desperate measures…”
“You tried to protect yourself by harming an innocent person. And you want me to understand that? What a selfish man you are.”
Lee Sungmin shook his head with a laugh. The innkeeper’s face stiffened up, looking at such a Lee Sungmin.
“How many people did you capture this way?”
“This is the first time… ”
“That’s a lie.”
The innkeeper shut up at that. The moment he tried to make an excuse, death came to him in an instant. Puk! The innkeeper’s head burst. Lee Sungmin got up while supporting Rubia without sparing a glance at the fallen body.
“Now you come and pretend to help me…!”
“Didn’t I tell you, you’ve been poisoned?”
“No need! I don’t want your help.”
Rubia spat out such words and tried to push him away. Lee Sungmin laughed as he watched her struggling in his hold. He dragged a chair closer and sat her down on it.
[I can sense a presence up ahead.]
Heoju said.
[I don’t think it’s a customer. Looks like it’s the family of the man you killed.]
“Since he’s that old, it’s expected that he’s married and has children.”
[You don’t seem to feel any guilt.]
“It’s not something I should feel. If I had been poisoned, I would have died, and Rubia would have been sold into a brothel or become a sacrifice for some dark arts.”
“Don’t say such wretched things.”
Rubia retorted. Lee Sungmin shrugged and looked up at the ceiling. He could also feel that presence. But he did not go to check.
[He had unavoidable circumstances. He couldn’t help it and did it to protect his family.]
“You mean I should have shown mercy? Would he change if I forgave him? What if he and his family continued to poison others in the future?”
[Who knows. He might have changed.]
“The probability of a coin flip isn’t enough reason for me to show mercy.”
[Killing the man here to prevent him from doing such a thing in the future, is that your kind of justice?]
“What justice? I didn’t even think of such great things. I just didn’t feel the need to show mercy. you… What the hell do you want to say? Did you get blinded by compassion all of a sudden?”
[Hahahaha! No way. I was just curious. About the kind of person you are. What about that guy up there? Isn’t he also conspiring with him?]
“He didn’t hurt me. There is no reason for me to go and kill him.”
Lee Sungmin looked at Rubia and grumbled. Rubia pouted her lips, but she no longer complained. After a while, her legs were relieved of the paralysis poison, and she got up.
“I can’t hide my cat’s ears.”
“First, hide your body. I think more annoying things are going to happen.”
“… It isn’t that easy. Do you know how much mana it consumes?”
“It’s not like you don’t have any mana.”
At that remark, Rubia sighed and turned into a sphere of light. Lee Sungmin placed the robes that Rubia took off into his interdimensional pocket and put on his robes. Footsteps could be heard from above. He didn’t want to make his face known, so he left the inn swiftly.
“I shouldn’t have come to this town.”
[Sorry about that. This wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t ask you to come here!]
“Now that you know, be careful in the future.”
Rubia trembled at Lee Sungmin’s answer. The wind had warmed up considerably since they entered the inn. Lee Sungmin pulled on the hood of his robes and went forward.
“Aaaaargh!”
He heard a bloodcurdling scream beyond the wind.
“Father!”
Lee Sungmin looked behind him. Running out through the door was a young boy who had yet to take off his old robes. The boy stared at Lee Sungmin with eyes wide open.
The boy was holding a kitchen knife. It looked like he had grabbed it on the way. He yelled and charged forward at Lee Sungmin. The boy, however, was unable to fight properly and lost his balance amidst the strong wind. He slipped and fell on the spot.
[Tsk-tsk]
Heoju clucked his tongue. The boy tried to get back on his feet with a roaring cry, but a middle-aged woman came out through the door behind him and held him back at the waist. It seemed like she was the wife of the man he killed and the mother of that boy. She desperately shook her head and did not look at Lee Sungmin properly.
“I’ll kill you!”
Ignoring the boy’s bitter cry, Lee Sungmin turned back. He crossed past the town. He could feel a gaze on him. There was someone looking at him through a gap in the curtains of a closed window. Beyond the sound of the wind, he could hear a long wolf’s cry. Lee Sungmin shook his head with a sigh.
He took a few more steps forward.
The wolf’s cry was getting closer with each step he took.
“This is just-”
Lee Sungmin grumbled in a small voice. The snow blowing with the wind made it difficult to see far ahead. The stench of the beast had mixed in with the wind. Immediately, Lee Sungmin reached into his interdimensional pocket. He grabbed the spear and pushed it forward instantly. jjoong! There was a loud sound, but Lee Sungmin was not pushed back. Rather, it was the one who launched the surprise attack that got pushed back.
“You’re an expert, I see!”
The man somersaulted backwards and landed on the ground with both hands. The eyes of the man crouched on the ground with both hands did not look human. Lee Sungmin sniffed a little and muttered.
“What is this dog’s smell…”
[Lycanthrope.]
Heoju murmured. As he said ‘dog’s smell’, the man’s eyes turned over.
“I’m a wolf!”
His body began to swell, following the cry. His muscles grew big and hairy throughout his body. Lee Sungmin looked at him and moved his hand holding the spear. Puk! The spearhead stretched forward, instantly piercing through the man’s chest.
“Keuheuk!”
“If you wanted to fight, you should have just transformed in the beginning.”
Lee Sungmin muttered as he breathed inner force into the spear. The spear made of Orichalcum reacted to the inner force and amplified its strength. Before the man could say anything, his body was pierced through, and he burst.
“He’s not even an idiot and yet.”
Lee Sungmin strapped the spear across his back and continued walking forward.