Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: What Can You Do? (2)
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‘Th-that thing!’
The Fox of Bireung Mountain’s legs were frozen solid. He couldn’t budge an inch.
The bear-like, rock-solid warden was collapsing. The old woman’s single punch had sent him crumpling without so much as a scream.
‘Gulp!’
The Fox of Bireung Mountain swallowed hard.
He had to think straight. Act smart. One slip here, and it was a one-way ticket to the afterlife.
Run? Hide?
Running was a lost cause from the start. The old woman who’d dropped the warden in one hit was right there in front of him. A master with senses honed to perfection, every instinct on high alert.
The instant he bolted, she’d spot him.
Could he shake her off and escape? Fat chance!
Ssshh!
The Fox of Bireung Mountain slipped quietly behind a boulder. He cracked his eyelids just a sliver.
Hold his breath.
He had to hide perfectly. No move that might catch her eye. No sound whatsoever. Not even a pin dropping.
Thud!
Something stick-like prodded his ankle.
The Fox of Bireung Mountain flinched. But he played dumb and stayed stock-still.
Thud!
Again, the stick-like thing nudged his ankle.
He pried his eyes half-open and glanced at his feet.
The old woman! She stood there, grinning ear to ear.
‘Damn it all!’
The Fox of Bireung Mountain grasped the situation in a flash. And knew exactly how to play it.
‘Don’t let on that I know her! Never! Play clueless no matter what!’
“Who’re you?”
He mumbled with the groggy look of someone half-asleep.
“Tch! Faking sleep... You reek of sweat from head to toe.”
“Aw, quit hassling me and be on your way. I’m dead tired... Yawwwn!”
The Fox of Bireung Mountain stretched out a massive yawn and rolled to face the rock.
He showed the old woman his back. No choice if he wanted to avoid her eyes. The rest... whatever.
A chill voice drifted from behind.
“You’re One, aren’t you?”
‘Gah!’
The Fox of Bireung Mountain jolted again.
The old woman even knew about One. She’d known who the warden was, why he was there, and flipped him anyway.
In other words! Admit he was with Vanguard’s crew, and he was toast.
‘Deny till the bitter end. Get hooked, and it’s game over.’
“One? What’s that supposed to be?”
“Heh heh! Slick one, aren’t you.”
“Ah! Was just trying to catch some shut-eye, but no dice. Marched all night, beat to hell. Yawwwn!”
The Fox of Bireung Mountain dragged out another yawn and sat up.
He looked genuinely wiped out. Propped up on his elbows, he nodded off against the rock for a moment. Then shook his head sharp like he’d snapped awake and eyed the old woman. But!
“Huh!”
The Fox of Bireung Mountain whipped his head around in shock.
The old woman was gone!
He crept... up the mountain.
Not a glance toward the village. Heart hammering lest the old woman burst from the brush, he inched toward the summit.
No rushing. Ever.
Excuses like herb-picking or hunting wouldn’t wash. His getup screamed neither. Traveler it was, then.
On a long haul.
‘I’m on a long journey. Urgent business too. Conserve strength, but make haste.’
The Fox of Bireung Mountain drilled it into himself until it showed on his face.
Long journey. Long journey.
By good fortune, he crested the summit without another old-woman sighting.
She’d veered off somewhere.
That spot hadn’t just held the warden. Vanguard had been there. Hanbi and Jaja too.
The old woman iced Four Thousand Four. Then barreled straight to where the group was holed up.
Warden never should’ve tangled. Should’ve bolted.
Even to him, she wasn’t your average powerhouse. Vanguard stepping up personally offered no guarantees. Rushing her sans martial arts? Suicide.
Warden was a real blockhead.
She’d chased the rest. Sniffed out Vanguard’s trail, no doubt.
Yeah. She was gunning for Vanguard.
Vanguard’s bunch hadn’t descended. Nor scaled the peak. Circling the slope fleeing, he’d spotted them looping the mountainside.
Old woman chasing Vanguard let him summit unscathed.
“Phew! Cut it close.”
An hour back, he’d reconned the peak. Factoring pursuit from the village, escape routes checked. Verdict: no go.
Summit view laid it all bare.
No fleeing from here. Fast as he ran, visible path meant interception. They knew the lay better anyway.
Hide here.
He’d found the spot. Skirt the summit a touch, a dim recess appeared. Big rock blockade—no spotting unless you hugged the nasty cliffs on purpose.
He hadn’t figured on a hidey-hole summit-side either.
Village view hinted at shadows up top.
Checked on a hunch. Shadows got reasons.
Landed the prime nook.
Food stocked, seven days easy.
The Fox of Bireung Mountain tiptoed to his pre-scouted haven.
No footprints. Nothing to tip anyone to his shady retreat. Zero suspicion...
He halted short of rounding the rock.
- Scout to your utmost for the One Probe mission!
Absolute command. Divine decree till your last breath.
“Heh heh! Heh!”
The Fox of Bireung Mountain snickered despite himself.
Save a skin? Doable. But his gig... wasn’t self-preservation. Guide Vanguard’s crew.
No freedom for him.
Leashed dog: owner says bark, you bark. Bite, you bite. Die... you die for real.
No fleeing this way. No holing up like this.
Couldn’t bolt. Couldn’t ditch Vanguard. Death be damned.
The letter... that godforsaken letter...
“Goddamn it! Heh heh!”
The Fox of Bireung Mountain laughed hollow and spun. But!
“Wha—...!”
Frozen, eyes blinking only.
Old woman dead ahead.
Eyes locked. She stared; no dodging.
‘Sly old bat!’
Tailed him she had. Caution be damned climbing, shook her not. If she set to stalk...
“H-how’d you...?”
“Hee hee! Tailed ya.”
“You’re One, right?”
“Sheesh! Said no, but you push. What’s One? You harp on it—got history.”
“Hee hee hee!”
The old woman cackled, boring into him.
Busted. She knew it all. From jump. Let him loose figuring tail leads to Vanguard.
Clean surrender time. Fox held out.
Creed: alive till final gasp. Motto: sky falls, hole rises.
‘ Knows, tailed me. Lame excuses flop...’
“Alright. Full disclosure.”
“Smart lad. Out with it.”
“But overkill much? Chasing blind, panic-run when sour... why cling so?”
“Hah! Your mess, not mine. You picked the dying side—reap it.”
“Dying side? You threatened kill if no chase... guts twisted. Ask away. Spill what I know.”
“Simple start? One confirmed?”
“Persistent. Fine, yes. If One’s guide, spot-on. Issue? Pennies for guiding.”
“Summited morn?”
“Hah! Sharp.”
“Scouted escape—where?”
“Well... not escape, path-check... this way decent for descent later...”
Pointed beast-trail narrow.
“Not hiding aft here?”
Old woman tapped boulder.
“Hide? Huh?”
“Hee hee! Fine, fine. Honest now, I’ll cut loose. Vanguard—where?”
That instant, Fox despaired.
No sparing him. Vanguard’s whole troop—slaughter planned.
Fox instinct screamed it.
Old woman oozed cool kill-aura.
No waver. Ironclad death warrant.
Can’t share sky with Vanguard, her vibe.
He hadn’t banked on mercy. Chatted, scanned gaps. Strike points, chances.
Zero gaps.
Wide open, yet untouchable.
Despair fuel.
Still... shot at life. Fifty-fifty, truth be told.
“Vanguard whereabouts, then spared?”
“Hee hee! Word’s bond. Trust, spill. Vanguard—where to?”
“Vanguard...”
Midword, Fox hurled back. Slope surrender.
Steep drop. Roll starts, no halt sans snag. Endless plunge.
Life bet there. Split-second,
“Hee hee!”
Laugh grazed ear. Nay, sky-bolt gut-speared.
Thwack!
No cry, jaws gaping, eyes popped skyward glare.
World’s final frame.
Old woman rounded rock.
“Neat nook. Hidden here, fooled even me.”
Fox’s find: sly genius.
Ascenders, descenders see lone boulder summit-near. Recess behind? Unthought.
Plus, village panorama.
Hide-scout HQ prime.
Fox nailed it.
“Prime spot. Prime.”
Old woman claimed Fox’s shade. Gazed village-ward. A spell.