Chapter 33: Choi Seulgi
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: Choi Seulgi
“Oppa, are we really going today?”
“Of course. It’s not a great spot, but the pay should be decent. By the way… two more people are going to join us. Is that okay?”
“What?!”
Choi Seulgi’s expression was one of clear surprise. It seemed she wasn’t too pleased about two unexpected people joining them. He couldn't let a done deal fall through now, so it was only natural for Park Youngwhan's expression to grow anxious. Kim Pansuk glanced at Park Youngwhan and frowned slightly. Despite his confident assurances, Choi Seulgi was showing a fair bit of wariness.
“W-well, normally, three people would be fine… but Seulgi, you know how things are outside the city these days… With that guy they call the Weapon Merchant and the monster known as the Green Flower, I figured three people wouldn't be enough. They're all good guys.”
“But…”
“Didn't you say it's been a while since you went on an expedition? We don't know when those bastards will start causing trouble again, so now is the best time to go. Besides, this is our regular party. If you do well today, you can join us for good, Seulgi. I recommended you.”
Even Kim Pansuk had to admit it was a pretty good excuse. It was true that now, with the Green Goblin Clan and the Weapon Merchant quiet, was the best time to make a move.
They were quiet now, but there was no telling when they'd stir up trouble again. He was constantly reminding her that if not today, there might not be another chance. Of course, Choi Seulgi's pockets weren't exactly full either. The support funds, copper, and silver coins she'd received when she was first thrown out here were probably all gone by now.
And a regular party, at that. For a thief living hand-to-mouth like her, it was an offer that was practically impossible to refuse.
“Yes! I guess I have no choice.”
Stupid bitch.
Kim Pansuk nodded. She showed a little caution, but she was still a rookie with less than a year under her belt. The most common mistake newcomers made after first arriving here was trusting people too easily. It was thanks to idiots like her that people who ran ‘this kind of business’ could make a living, but that didn't change the fact that he thought she was a fool.
“So, when are we leaving?”
“We'll leave as soon as the other two get here.”
“Ah…”
The two of them started loitering near the bulletin board with Choi Seulgi. Kim Pansuk grew needlessly anxious. Kim Changshik and Lee Daejoon were a little late, and he worried that Choi Seulgi might run off. Of course, she was in a desperate situation herself, so that was unlikely, but still, whenever he was on a job, he couldn't help but feel rushed until he got the target outside the city.
After waiting a little longer, he finally saw Kim Changshik and Lee Daejoon slowly approaching. Normally, he would have cursed them out for being so late, but it was too risky to show that side of himself in front of Choi Seulgi, so he just raised a hand in greeting.
“What took you so long?”
“Ah, sorry. Had to take care of something. Ah! Is this the thief you said was joining us?”
The magician, Kim Changshik. There was a reason Kim Pansuk and Park Youngwhan had called him. His skills were barely above third-rate, but his cowardly nature had awakened a unique trait, ‘Intuition,’ which would sometimes warn him of danger or ominous events.
“Ah! Yes. I'm Choi Seulgi, a thief with just a year of experience. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
“Yes, a pleasure. I'm Kim Changshik, an Intermediate Magician.”
“Hello. I'm Lee Daejoon, an Intermediate Archer. Nice to meet you.”
Seeing the two of them with their friendly smiles, Kim Pansuk laughed inwardly. He and Park Youngwhan were scum, but those two were no better.
“I-I was a little worried, but it's reassuring to have more people. Everyone is so kind, hehe…”
“People who've been dropped in a strange place like this have to help each other out. And what are Koreans known for if not jeong? Jeong.”
“Can I join you next time, too?”
“Yes, of course. If you do well today.”
If there is a next time. Of course, he'd want her to come along. Among the women they'd ‘worked on,’ Choi Seulgi was a rare, top-grade catch.
And so, the party started heading outside. After talking with the gate guards and checking out their numbers, they entered the deep forest—a completely lawless zone.
Just as he was thinking they needed to go a little deeper, Kim Changshik suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“What is it? What's wrong?”
“Nngh… It's dangerous…”
“Again?”
Kim Pansuk stared at Kim Changshik. The guy's ‘Intuition’ had activated. It was a unique ability that didn't explain what kind of danger was lurking or how severe it was.
“Last time you said it was dangerous, all that happened was you tripped and fell, right? The Weapon Merchant hasn't been active for days. You think he's going to show up now?”
Worried he might try to back out from fear, Kim Pansuk desperately tried to persuade him. Kim Changshik's unique ability was certainly ‘useful,’ but it was also excessive. It was fine for avoiding traps inside a dungeon since it screamed danger at every turn, but it also made them overly cautious. On days when he was particularly scared, it would raise the alarm over every little thing, which was exhausting for the rest of them. Kim Pansuk figured something trivial must have happened this morning, though he didn't know what, and continued speaking.
Kim Pansuk glanced back. As expected, Choi Seulgi's expression was completely distorted with fear. She smiled again when their eyes met, but she couldn't seem to hide her anxiety.
Just as he'd thought, she was frightened by Kim Changshik's talk of danger. Thanks to that, the expression of Park Youngwhan, the team's de facto leader, soured even more.
“We can't just ignore it… but it'll be fine. We just have to move to the least dangerous area. Right, Changshik?”
“Uh… yeah.”
The strongest among them was Park Youngwhan. As expected, once Park Youngwhan spoke, Kim Changshik nodded in agreement.
At Park Youngwhan's words, Kim Changshik raised a hand and pointed north.
“That direction seems to be the safest, but…”
“Then we'll head that way. It's where the undead are, so it should be fine. The monsters around here instinctively avoid the undead anyway.”
Once Park Youngwhan made a decision, it was as good as settled. Normally, Park Youngwhan might have given it a second thought, but Choi Seulgi's worried expression and the fact that they hadn't been able to go out for the past few days because of the Weapon Merchant had made him impatient.
He figured that narrow-minded pig from the Red Cross Clan must have been nagging him relentlessly.
“It'll probably be nothing, Seulgi. He's just a coward, so he gets like this sometimes.”
“Really? Are you sure it's okay?”
“Of course. Just trust your oppa.”
“Okay!”
Once again, the party set off. In preparation for a possible attack from the likes of the Weapon Merchant or the Green Goblin Clan, they had left behind as many ‘shiny things’ and ‘useful weapons’ as possible. As if that wasn't enough, they had even brought along Lee Daejoon, an archer who specialized in tracking.
“I don't see any tracks from orcs or goblins.”
“See…”
“I told you, Changshik. It's nothing. Seulgi, you feel better now, right?”
“Yes!”
Reassured by Lee Daejoon's words, Kim Changshik's expression began to relax. As his tension eased, he started sneaking glances at Choi Seulgi, and Kim Pansuk could tell the guy was thinking the same thing he was.
Pervert.
But I was going first. I'd already gotten Park Youngwhan's permission. The way Choi Seulgi kept looking around nervously was almost cute. She was clutching her dagger tightly, probably determined to pull her weight today and become a permanent member of the party. But this wasn't an officially sanctioned guild party, and they had no intention of ever making her a regular.
They still had to walk for about half a day to reach the undead territory, so Kim Pansuk kept suppressing his rising lust. The job had to be done in the deepest part, where no one could see. Until then, they would act like a normal party.
“Looks like the rumor that monsters hate the undead is true. There are no goblin tracks at all. If we go in and kill a few ghouls, we could make some good money.”
“How much do you think we can make?”
“At least 5 silver per person, Ms. Seulgi. Haha.”
“Actually, Ms. Seulgi, you won't have much to do. It might be a little hard on your ‘body,’ but I'm sure you can handle it. As you know, our party doesn't have a thief. We needed one, so this worked out perfectly.”
His words flowed like water. But looking at his expression, he was definitely thinking of something else. The party ventured deeper into the undead territory. As they walked, they kept muttering that there were no signs of goblins or orcs, likely to keep Choi Seulgi at ease. After half a day of talking about the regular party, Choi Seulgi seemed to be filled with enthusiasm, constantly glancing down at her dagger.
Finally, as they neared the undead zone, Park Youngwhan slowly gave the signal. It meant: Find a suitable spot. It's time to start the job.
But first, they had to clear out the nearby monsters. As expected, there were other people hunting, taking advantage of the lull from the ‘Weapon Merchant’ and the ‘Green Flower.’
So the party began to clear the area.
“Fireball.”
A small ball of fire shot from Kim Changshik's hand with a loud bang. It was his and Park Youngwhan's job to finish off the scorched creature. He glanced over and saw Choi Seulgi, her face contorted, thrusting her dagger at the monster.
“You're all so strong.”
“Right? I'm in top form today. We can go a little deeper, don't you think?”
“Yes, I think so.”
He'd been worried she might be a coward, but she seemed to have some nerve, so Kim Pansuk nodded. Then again, if she were a coward, she wouldn't have followed them in the first place. When the other hunting parties were no longer in sight, the four of them slowly began to move.
The easiest way would be to knock her out from behind, but no one here wanted to finish the job while she was unconscious. They much preferred it when she resisted, begging them to stop. The group had already moved into a more secluded area.
And when the party reached their destination, Park Youngwhan was the first to speak.
“Stupid bitch…”
“Hm? What did you say, Oppa?”
“I said, you're a stupid bitch. I'm going to teach you a big lesson today. On this continent, you don't trust anyone. Fucking bitch, I thought I was going to lose my mind every time you walked, swaying that ass. Looks like I finally get to hit it today.”
Unless she was an idiot, she would have a rough idea of what was happening. It was only natural for Choi Seulgi's expression to twist in horror. Terrified, she began to tremble.
“W-why are you doing this, Oppa?”
“You don't need to know. Just stay quiet, and I'll make it as gentle as possible. You don't like pain, do you?”
Even after Park Youngwhan finished speaking, Choi Seulgi tightened her grip on her dagger. She even leaned forward slightly, as if she planned to break through them and escape. But her back was blocked, and she was surrounded. It would be much easier to work if they broke her wrists and ankles first. At a nod from Park Youngwhan, Kim Pansuk rushed forward. Since he'd been promised the first turn, the job of subduing the rookie had been left to him.
“Kyaaaaaaak!”
Choi Seulgi screamed and threw her dagger. It was an impressive move for a rookie, but not something he couldn't block. Kim Pansuk smiled and casually deflected the dagger with his sword.
“Aaaargh! Fuck… Fuck… FUCK! I knew this would happen…”
Unexpectedly, the dagger Kim Pansuk had deflected struck Kim Changshik. It was embedded in his chest, but they had potions, so he'd recover. If anything, it was a relief to think that this was what Kim Changshik's ‘Intuition’ had been warning him about. The Weapon Merchant and the Green Goblins were nowhere to be found.
Kim Pansuk quickly looked away from Kim Changshik and, with a sinister smile, began to approach Choi Seulgi.
It was then.
“Fuck… things just got complicated… Prepare for battle.”
Park Youngwhan's low murmur struck Kim Pansuk's ears.