Chapter 16

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 16

Chapter Title: 15. Frog Villain Kim Seung-jun

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Something was seriously off, at least from where I was standing.

Common sense dictated as much, right? Could girls really get this worked up just from a little shoulder grab?

Things were looking bleak again, so I lit up a cigarette.

Kim Seung-jun wasn't the issue. Even Han Su-ji was manageable somehow. But Reina? It all boiled down to Choi Si-woo in the end. That cliché hero with the most generic name of all time—his love for her amps up her power even more.

"No way. That's just not plausible."

No matter how I sliced it, it lacked any logic. So what about that Bbeom-mi girl?

Actually, Bbeom-mi's brain operated on a fourth-dimensional level, so I could brush it off as "yeah, figures." But Reina...

Was it because I spanked her ass? Was spanking the trigger?

Did smacking her butt awaken some lewd side in that crazy Xuanwu Arrow eared freak?

"What've you been muttering about?"

"Shut up, you bitch."

"Huh? Bitch?"

Slap!

I gave the flame spear slut Han Su-ji a good smackdown, then turned and walloped Reina's ass.

"Heeeng."

"Nice and plump."

No matter how many times I hit her, Reina's reaction stayed the same.

Yeah, Reina was definitely a perv. If she kept this up here, wouldn't our ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠firepower tank when we faced the Sins later?

Choi Si-woo... Should I push that guy to spank her? If he didn't shape her up somehow, we were in real trouble.

If this eared girl turned full lesbian, the world would be doomed.

What kind of bullshit rule was this?

Should I get her drunk and lock her in a room with Choi Si-woo? Nah, that might backfire spectacularly.

What about Bbeom-mi, then?

"Bbeom-mi Jang. You like me?"

"Hawawa! That's so embarrassing! The silver-haired beauty is the ideal woman I've always dreamed of!"

Calling a woman like me ideal? This girl was totally unhinged.

At least she wasn't a lesbian. Small mercies.

Honestly, a girl with that speech pattern crushing on me made my head spin.

Hawawa! Silver hair! I love her! Marry me-nyan!

Ugh. Couldn't even imagine it. At least with her, since she wasn't a heroine, there was no risk of wrecking the original story.

Anyway, while they chattered away, I'd taken out a dozen or so goblins whose specialty was eye-raping stares.

But that bastard Kim Seung-jun still hadn't shown his face.

"What do we do? This guy's not showing up. If he ambushes us from the woods, we're screwed."

"Leave that to me-nyan!"

"Bbeom-mi Jang. What's your plan?"

"Trees hate fire-nyan! So a forest party of trees hates fire too-nyan!"

Forest as a "tree party"? Sounded ridiculous, but a chill crept up my spine anyway.

"...And?"

Dread washed over me, but I had to hear her out. Not listening might leave me no time to prepare.

"Burn it all! Bbeom-mi! Meteor Collision!"

"Fuck?"

This was a labyrinth, but massive meteors spawned from the ceiling and rained down on the forest.

Boom! Kwaboom! Crash!

It scorched the woods perfectly around us, like Mongol scorched-earth tactics on steroids.

Worse than post-Cataclysm Seoul with all its broken functions.

I'd been so focused on the heroines that I'd underrated Bbeom-mi Jang. Who knew a flat-chested girl like her could unleash such barbaric magic?

More destructive than Reina's prized Spirit Arrows.

I couldn't redirect those with Acceleration. No way a woman's strength could reverse giant meteors.

"Where the hell did you befriend a monster like her?"

"...Beats me-nyan."

Felt like her flatness was contagious.

The scorched forest turned into a clearing.

Piles of ash were probably the eye-raping goblins' remains.

Could've gotten small cores if we'd killed them cleanly. This was a problem.

"Hawawa! Don't praise me so embarrassingly! Using this skill means I can't cast attack magic for six hours-nyan!"

What? So she was dead weight now?

"Fuck. Praying Kim Seung-jun croaked."

Taking baggage into a 3v1 against him? Tempting.

He was a monster now, off-script. Choi Si-woo survived with his Divine Sword countering it via protagonist buff.

Ah, shit. I'd done something stupid. Now that Bbeom-mi Jang was useless here, cold feet hit me.

Were we just teeing it up for Kim Seung-jun?

"Got a question."

"What?"

"What if I stab a guy's crotch 9,999 times with a knife super fast?"

We'd hit him once already; twice or thrice wasn't off the table.

"Wouldn't a forced sex change op be easier?"

"Depends on the situation?"

In the original, Kim Seung-jun doesn't survive.

Choi Si-woo, true to his heroic nature, spares him to live a better life. But Black God Cult doctrine has him killed and core harvested.

If he's doomed anyway, why not us?

If we can't subdue him cleanly, better to end it.

"Urk!"

"Why puke out of nowhere? Gross."

We were walking when Reina suddenly hurled.

No way she was morning sick.

"How's there so much demonic energy here? This is just a training dungeon, right? Urp!"

Demonic energy flowed in dungeons and gates. During the Cataclysm, it leaked out globally, putting the world at risk.

It messed with human mana manipulation; prolonged exposure could turn people into monsters.

Normal humans got skin tingles, headaches, breathing issues. Nowadays, dungeons with that much were rare.

Only old, broken ones from the Cataclysm.

So this shouldn't have any.

Original story didn't either. Confirmed.

"Ugh... So gross-nyan."

"Lucky I wore my Demonic Energy Absorption suit just in case. But Yoo Eun-ha, why are you fine?"

"Me? Innate ability."

Affinity, right? Real honey.

Meant I could handle extreme cold or heat. Overflowing demonic energy? No sweat.

"How many innate abilities do you have?"

"Reina, that Reflection thing I used on you? Fake. Just environmental adaptation or whatever."

"You tricked me?"

Reina furrowed her brow in disappointment.

I gave an awkward smile and shook my head.

"Fool's the one who falls for it."

"Not the time for chit-chat-nyan. This much ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠demonic energy means unknown monsters-nyan."

Yeah. Overflow meant high-level beasts maybe.

If too strong, best bolt.

"Should've stopped Bbeom-mi Jang from Meteor Collision, killed the goblins ourselves, and pushed forward."

"You didn't say, so oh well."

Area was wrecked, but if I'd known about the demonic energy, I'd have saved it for here.

My X-ray Vision spotted it visibly. Problem was Reina and Han Su-ji freaking out.

"Oh, something at the demonic energy core."

"Yeah. Looks like Kim Seung-jun."

Now describing him: classic anchovy build, glasses, typical sports-head extra face. Perfect early villain.

Why explain? The thing in the demonic haze wasn't anchovy-thin anymore.

Full Body Enhancement? Demonic energy poured from his bulkier form.

"Wait, something's off."

"Gr... grrr..."

"Eww, nightmare fuel."

Kim Seung-jun had goblin-morphed in the haze.

His face was goblin-ish originally? Yeah, goblin-relative vibes.

Face like a goblin, body like an anchovy, shitty personality obsessed with Divine Sword and weird worship. I'd avoid him too.

He emerged slowly, showing his ugly mug.

"Choi Si-woo. Yoo. Eun. Ha. I'll never forgive you."

Long exposure in the goblin labyrinth? Nose and jaw protruded, eyes bulged toad-like.

Just creepy.

What unholy hybrid was that? What karma did his parents rack up?

Right, novel dream. Duh.

His obsessive glare was pathetic.

"Why the fuck are you so obsessed with the Divine Sword?"

"My late father was a candidate user, so that hero spot's mine by right! Do you or Choi Si-woo get that?!"

Total bullshit logic.

Irredeemable. Time to send him off.

"Yoo Eun-ha personally sends you to your daddy."

Raged, he charged.

"Bbeom-mi Jang, hang back! Reina, Spirit Arrows support! Frontline: me and Han Su-ji take him!"

Bbeom-mi scurried rear; Reina nocked arrow; Han Su-ji drew Flame Spear.

I hefted my heavy sword at him.

Acceleration? Body Enhancement? No. Unsure win, so pure skill. Body Enhancement only.

He frog-jumped, slashing huge claws at us.

Clang!

No joke. Over 100kg body weight crushed down.

My flinch? His grotesque face twisted; claws pressed harder.

"Don't forget me!"

Han Su-ji timed a Flame Spear thrust—grazed only. He frog-hopped back.

"Kekeke. Han Su-ji first. Guweeeek!"

Retreating from her ambush, he spewed bile at her.

She dodged; it was oil—Flame Spear ignited on contact.

"Damn. No fire."

"Can't control it?"

"Sorry. Not that skilled yet. I'm fine, but team-kill risk."

No choice. Improvise.

Reina's Spirit Arrows gave us numbers edge.

Acceleration and Parallel Circuits?

"Bbeom-mi Jang. Any traits on this sword?"

"Hawawa. Magic immunity-nyan."

"Mana?"

Right, Kim Seung-jun had phase 2.

Phase 1 frog-thing; phase 2 goblin proper. Phase 1 was goblin-relative; 2 full goblin.

Phase 1 tough enough; 2?

I knew him best. No reckless attacks letting him win.

Original: no demonic energy here.

Blame Kim Seung-jun.

Could kill Reina, Bbeom-mi Jang, Han Su-ji.

Can't let future heroines die here.

Few clashes showed: too realistic. Dream-novel mirroring reality.

"This won't do."

No solid hits on him.

Reina arrow-only, melee weak. Han Su-ji barely covers; can't unleash Flame Spear fully. Brutal.

"What?"

"Reina, Han Su-ji—fall back. I'll handle him."

Solo best.

"How?"

"Can't risk you getting hurt. Better alone."

Stronger body, still dumb.

Exploit that, maybe win.

"Come at me, you eunuch fuck."

Instantly, my mind flooded with text.

Revulsion filled my body.

Like I'd been through this before—my body recoiled from it.

That wasn't a monster human. Just a beast. Couldn't let it live.

Gripped my sword tighter, charged the dazed frog, slashed down.

No wound. Tough frog. But hit it.

Visceral frog loathing hit. Beat it, beat it, beat it again.

Frog couldn't resist properly.

No way it kept my speed.

"You... damn bitch!"

Its claw grazed me; I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tilted, smashed its side.

Clang! Clang! Kang!

Body went berserk, pounding the frog relentlessly.

Cracks formed on it.

Yes. Kill quick. Must kill. Or I suffer.

Frog guarded hit spot with forelimb; I ducked, smashed lower body.

Body itched. End it fast. Or disgust kills me.

Kwachik!

Cracked frog body shattered.

Body Enhancement had limits.

Two-handed sword to its head.

"W-Wait! S-Stop! No!"

Kwajik!