Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Traces of the Past (2)
It was my first time wearing a swimsuit. It felt somewhat empty, like I was only wearing underwear, but I quickly adapted.
"Let me tell you in advance, I haven't touched any of the women here. They're all from important families, so touching them would be a headache."
I sat on a chair inside the pool with Kim Mu-jin and ordered some simple tea.
"Just watching is splendid enough."
"This is just the preliminary skirmish. After a cup of tea, we'll go somewhere even better."
While the two of us were having a constructive conversation, someone approached.
It was a woman in her mid-twenties with a towel draped over her swimsuit.
She was a beauty with haughty eyes, and her slender figure looked even more attractive, soaked with water.
"Long time no see."
"Indeed. Sorry, but I have a guest today."
"A guest?"
Despite Kim Mu-jin clearly drawing the line, the woman paid no mind and looked me over.
"Who?"
Her words were curt. It must be because I looked young.
"I told you he's my guest."
Kim Mu-jin spoke kindly once more.
But the woman crossed her arms in front of her chest and tilted her head. That action made her voluptuous chest stand out even more.
"Hello."
A short greeting.
Kim Mu-jin was about to say something, but I answered first.
"Your life will be short."
"What?"
Because of my youthful appearance, she must have thought I was easy, as an aggressive reaction immediately burst out.
"I can read faces a bit, and you won't live long. You have no luck with men either, so even if you marry, you'll be alone in an empty room, and since your innate sensuality has no outlet, the probability of you having an affair is high too. Tsk tsk."
"What is this bastard saying? Who are you?"
I glanced at Kim Mu-jin. The guy's face had turned red trying to hold back his laughter.
"No manners and no discipline. What a waste. Your body is splendid, but you lack refinement and culture, so you're not even worth embracing. Now go away."
"Kik!"
Laughter finally leaked from Kim Mu-jin's mouth, unable to hold it in.
"Oppa! Who is this bastard? This young punk, does he know who I am!"
"Who are you then?"
At my question, the woman spoke forcefully as if making sure I heard.
"My father is the Chief Prosecutor of Seoul District Prosecutors' Office!"
"Not your father, who are you?"
"What?"
"You said you'd tell me who you are, so why are you telling me who your father is? Tell me who you are."
The woman, having nothing to say, just looked down at me with an expression of disbelief.
"From now on, don't talk if you can help it. Just showing your body and face is splendid enough. I'm serious about this."
"This bastard!"
The woman grabbed the towel and threw it at me.
But Kim Mu-jin caught the flying towel first.
Seemingly dumbfounded by that sight, the woman glared at Kim Mu-jin.
"Oppa, what are you doing right now?"
"Saving you."
"What?"
"If I hadn't blocked that, you'd be dead. This person holds even my lifeline."
When I didn't refute this and stayed quiet, the woman's expression became strange.
Seeing that, I asked Kim Mu-jin.
"She said Chief Prosecutor of Seoul District, right?"
"Yes. She's his only daughter."
"Shall I go meet that prosecutor right now?"
"If you wish, I'll prepare it, but is there a need to go that far? It's a bit of a waste of time. Since she made a mistake out of ignorance, I think it would be fine to let it go."
Hearing the tone Kim Mu-jin used toward me, the woman seemed to finally grasp the situation.
"Um, excuse me, I'm sorry."
I pretended not to hear her apology.
"Anger must be released. If you keep it, it becomes an illness."
"Ah, what should I do? Still, she's someone I have some friendship with."
Kim Mu-jin seemed to ponder, then whispered to the woman with an expression that said he had a good idea.
The woman quickly nodded and ran toward the women's changing room.
"What did you say?"
"You'll know if you just watch."
A moment later.
The woman appeared wearing a bikini unsuitable for an indoor pool. With only the main areas barely covered, my pupils dilated involuntarily.
"How is it?"
"Splendid. I'll accept the apology."
"Just watch for 10 minutes."
"Was this what you wanted to see?"
"I wanted to see it together."
Not killing Kim Mu-jin was truly a good decision. It seems like the best thing I've done in this life.
11 PM.
I went to a place called a club.
We stopped by a hotel restaurant, but the taste wasn't as splendid as I thought.
—The food is pretty. The taste is ordinary, though.
It didn't really suit my palate.
"Now for the highlight. It's a place where youth explodes. This is where we'll transform the soul."
Though I was a minor, Kim Mu-jin's face allowed everything to pass. This is why power and money are good.
The club was packed with so many people that there was barely room to stand. At least the place we were guided to was on the second floor, where we could look down at all the dancing people, so it didn't feel cramped.
The first impression was noisy and dizzying. I was doubtful whether I'd adapt, but Kim Mu-jin shared his know-how.
"Just look at the women. Then at some point, you'll become accustomed to it. The key points are the buttocks and breasts."
"That's your taste."
I stayed a bit longer, but unfortunately, it wasn't to my taste.
At first, I was interested in watching women, but once I got used to it, I quickly grew bored.
Several women approached while dancing, but even they were all heavily drunk, so they were no style I wanted to be with.
"Let's go."
As I was about to get up, once again, someone who recognized Kim Mu-jin approached.
It was a man around Kim Mu-jin's age.
The heavily drunk guy placed his hand on Kim Mu-jin's shoulder and tilted his head askew as he spoke.
"The successful successor of Hanjeong Group has arrived."
Kim Mu-jin swatted away his hand.
The man then laughed as if dumbfounded and pushed Kim Mu-jin's shoulder.
There was no way Kim Mu-jin would be pushed by that touch. Rather, the drunk guy was pushed back.
"Huh! Look at this bastard."
As the guy turned his head, our eyes met.
"What's this bastard? Your lover? Are you bored with women now, so you changed your taste to young men?"
This too is a talent.
Without even a greeting, he crosses a line that shouldn't be crossed in one shot.
I stood up from my seat.
"Let's go."
Hearing my words, Kim Mu-jin turned his body.
The drunk guy was spouting something as if he had won.
"Who is that guy?"
"The son of Myeongseong Group's chairman."
A name no Korean could be unfamiliar with. The number one conglomerate in the business world.
"There are many people around you who should lose their tongues."
"Indeed."
I opened my palm. And lightly flicked it toward the back.
"Eok!"
The guy, whose jaw was completely shattered, collapsed while spurting blood.
"Now he won't be able to talk for the rest of his life."
"You're bold."
"That's how I am."
When we left the club, it was already past midnight.
"Let's go to the next course. The real thing is still left."
"What's the real thing?"
"There's a place enclosed on all sides with alcohol and women. Entertainment is also included."
Like describing a splendid piece of pottery, Kim Mu-jin eloquently moved his tongue.
When I didn't answer immediately, Kim Mu-jin asked with a cautious expression.
"What are you thinking? Did we go too many places?"
"No. I'm the type who originally goes all the way."
"Then let's go."
Having not drunk alcohol, we got on the bike again.
Just as I was about to start the bike, suddenly a chill spread through my body.
'The ring.'
The ring's color was changing.
"What's wrong?"
"Let's stop here for today."
I went to a corner of the parking lot and took off the ring. The ring was rapidly turning red.
The place I arrived at via Teleport was a desert.
'What?'
A sea of fire spread across the sand.
The Witch was barely holding on with trembling legs, and a female mage in black clothing was floating in the sky.
With the female mage's body as the center, fireballs continuously formed and fell like bombardment above the Witch's head.
The fireballs were blocked by the Witch's shield, deflecting and covering the desert with fire.
The problem wasn't the mage floating in the air.
'A coordinated attack.'
There were four martial artists attacking the Witch. They were quite skilled, and most of the Witch's wounds were caused by the martial artists.
Even now, the martial artists rushed at once toward the Witch, who barely deployed a shield.
Attacked from four directions, the Witch disappeared through Blink, but unlike usual, faint traces remained.
This too was a trace left by the opposing mage, and the martial artists pursued persistently.
'Yongcheon.'
I, too, flew toward the Witch.
Just before the four martial artists caught the Witch, I blocked their path.
Fire Dragon Hand.
I deflected all the approaching fists and feet.
"Are you embarrassed to be getting beaten up?"
"Keok!"
The Witch, who was getting up, coughed up a handful of blood.
'Her insides are twisted.'
A dangerous situation.
"Let's go back for now."
In this state, the Witch is in danger.
"I'm going to kill them."
The surroundings became chilly from her killing intent alone, not her magic.
But this was a moment requiring rational thinking.
"Yuna is whining without you. Our parents are lonely too without you."
When I mentioned family, the killing intent became considerably lighter.
"I'll block them, so prepare."
Leaving those words, I rushed at the martial artists.
The martial artists distanced themselves as if they were one body, then approached me, surrounding me from four directions in an instant.
'Something's strange.'
Their eyes were black with no pupils.
Bang! Bang!
I stretched out both hands to block two attacks and lifted my body to block the rest with both feet.
As impacts came in from four directions almost simultaneously, shock was transmitted even to my body.
'They're stronger than I thought.'
It wasn't simple internal energy but mixed with a hot energy.
Meanwhile, fireballs flew toward the Witch again from the sky.
'Let's end this quickly.'
Wind Dragon Palm.
When the attack failed, I shot Wind Dragon Palm at those who retreated again. The opponent who felt the strong force tried to avoid it, and I ran toward him.
Bang!
I planted my foot right on his crown.
Though he crossed both arms to block, I planted Falling Dragon Fist on top of the opponent, who collapsed on the ground.
Puk!
An unexpected sound was heard.
The guy hit by Falling Dragon Fist crumbled into black smoke, then gathered again elsewhere. And returned to the appearance of a perfectly fine human.
"This is why I hate magic."
The martial artists rushed at me again.
'The method of dealing with magic is simple.'
I kicked off the ground and leaped up.
'Kill the mage.'
The target was the mage floating in the air.
"Witch!"
I called the Witch.
At this, the Witch caught on and created a giant ice pillar beneath my feet.
Stepping on the ice pillar and leaping once more, the mage's gaze turned toward me.
The mage was surrounded by layers of black shields.
I drew out all my internal energy and threw my fist at the black shield.
Jjeong!
With the sound of air compressing, the shields shattered into pieces. But one final layer of shield blocked my fist.
Ttuk.
Blood flowed from the mage's shoulder.
Gangwon.
Though the shield didn't break, the Gangwon extending from my fist pierced the mage's shoulder beyond the shield.
'Tsk.'
I aimed for the neck but couldn't aim properly because it was covered in black.
The mage's body trembled for a moment, then flames arose around the body.
At that moment, an ice storm swept down from the sky.
While the fireballs were briefly calm, the ice storm enveloped the mage, and I was able to distance myself from the mage in that time.
Already on the ground, the Witch was completing a magic circle.
The Witch raised the wind to adjust where I would land.
"Let's go."
As soon as I landed safely on the magic circle, both the Witch's and my body shattered into light.
The place we arrived at was the Witch's laboratory.
"There won't be any tracking here."
It seemed Teleport could be tracked, too. I didn't know that fact.
"Treat yourself first."
The Witch created an ice coffin herself and entered it. At the eerie feeling, I involuntarily frowned.
"What happened? Were they Hunters?"
"No. When I arrived, that bastard had already destroyed the branch. They dug a trap and were waiting for me."
"That mage, do you know them?"
Unlike usual, the Witch didn't answer immediately. Instead, she was angry enough to make the ice coffin tremble.
"The first human I killed."
It seems the Witch's life was quite complicated, too.
"Fine. Let's talk about it later, rest for now."
As if agreeing, the Witch suppressed her anger and closed her eyes. Then white frost rose inside the coffin.
"Is this a refrigerator?"
My inner thoughts came out of my mouth.
"I've repaid the debt. I gave up something really huge and came to rescue you."
The Witch's coffin wriggled. It looked like she'd burst out at any moment.
"Then rest."
I quickly left that spot.