45. How Jeong Yoo shin Survives in Labyrinth City
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: How Jeong Yoo-shin Survives in Labyrinth City
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The cool early summer night air brushed against Jeong Yoo-shin’s face.
The streets of the slums were dark.
So was his heart.
The boar beast-person approached him.
Snout, was it?
“Skar-nim.”
Snout respectfully handed him a towel and a new coat.
He took off his blood-soaked coat and wiped himself down with the towel. The stench of blood was overwhelming.
“Is that all?”
He handed the towel back to Snout.
“Yes.”
“Why were you waiting for me?”
“Aldein-nim told me to wait outside and confirm you were still alive.”
“Is that so?”
Snout looked at him, then quickly lowered his gaze. His eyes were darker and more intense than before.
“I’ll escort you back.”
“Alright.”
They left the slum area, walking through dark alleyways, then through the brightly lit streets, and eventually passing through the eastern gate.
The guard glanced at Jeong Yoo-shin but didn’t say anything.
When they reached the central district, Jeong Yoo-shin spoke.
“Go ahead. I need to buy a weapon.”
“At this hour?”
“Yes.”
He wondered if Einhorfer would be there.
He wasn’t sure, but he decided to check the western blacksmith district anyway.
“I’ll wait for you then.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ll wait for you at the monster dismantling shop.”
“Alright.”
He watched the boar beast-person leave, then he continued on his way.
He reached the blacksmith district. Most of the shops were dark, their lights off.
Except for one.
Boron’s blacksmith shop.
He was still awake?
He walked towards the shop, drawn by the light.
He opened the door and entered. Boron was sitting on a chair, his head bandaged.
“What?! What are you doing here so late?”
Boron asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
“I’m here to buy a sword.”
He had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to sleep without a weapon tonight.
Clang! Bang!
The sounds of hammering echoed from behind a wooden door in the back of the shop.
“Einhorfer?”
“Yes. That stubborn bastard.”
Boron crossed his arms and clicked his tongue.
“He won’t eat or sleep. Just keeps hammering away at metal. He’s going to kill himself at this rate. Sigh. Why did I take him in?”
“Can I watch him work?”
“Go ahead. But be careful. He has the hand tremors imprint, so he sometimes drops his hammer.”
“Alright.”
He walked towards the source of the hammering.
Creak.
He opened the door and was hit by a wave of heat.
The heat and light from the forge filled the room.
Einhorfer stood before the anvil as he swung a hammer.
The hammer struck a red-hot sword.
Sparks flew.
He approached slowly and sat down a short distance away from Einhorfer.
Einhorfer’s face was drenched in sweat.
Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, past his eyes, and down his cheeks.
He looked like he was crying.
He looked down.
The hammer struck the sword, but it sometimes glanced off and struck the anvil instead.
Clang! Bang! Clang!
The force of the blows weren’t consistent, so the sword was warped and misshapen.
Like his own twisted fate. And like Einhorfer’s.
One was tormented by the madness of the labyrinth’s “darkness.”
And the other was struggling with a negative imprint that made a normal life impossible.
He watched Einhorfer as he thought about the thirty-one men he had killed, and the one he had almost killed.
Those thirty-one men were irredeemable, they deserved to die. He had no regrets in killing them.
But Tarman was different.
He had hesitated, conflicted about whether to kill him or not.
The madness had gripped his heart and mind back then.
Clang! Bang!
The sound of Einhorfer’s hammer calmed his racing thoughts.
More sparks flew.
Einhorfer was crying. But he didn’t stop. He didn’t give up.
A man who wept in the face of adversity, but refused to be broken.
A man who clung to the righteous path, despite the temptation of illicit activities. A man who was perhaps a little crazy.
Clang! Bang! Clang!
As he watched Einhorfer’s relentless hammering, a small light flickered within the darkness of his heart.
Dalmong’s way of surviving in the Labyrinth City.
Aldein’s way.
Einhorfer’s way.
Each had their own method.
He closed his eyes.
He combined Dalmong’s kindness, Aldein’s ruthlessness, and Einhorfer’s stubbornness.
And…
He added his own resolve to the mix.
He focused on the rhythm of Einhorfer’s hammering, using it to anchor himself against the surging madness.
Clang! Clang! Bang!
He slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze, a mixture of clarity and darkness, flickered in the light of the forge.
‘Ah.’
Einhorfer dropped his hammer. It flew towards him.
He reached out and caught it.
“…Skar.”
Einhorfer stared at him blankly.
He handed the hammer back to Einhorfer.
“Make me a sword sometime.”
“…Can I… make a sword for you?”
Einhorfer’s voice trembled.
“Of course. I believe in you.”
Einhorfer’s lips twitched.
They stared at each other in silence for a long moment.
He stood up.
“I’ll visit you again.”
“…Alright.”
He opened the door and saw Boron standing there.
“I need a long sword.”
He said.
Boron glanced at the sword in his hand.
“Isn’t that an elven single-edged sword? Why do you need another one?”
“I’m not going to use this.”
“…Alright.”
Boron went to the weapon rack and retrieved a long sword.
“Here.”
“How much?”
“Ten silver coins. What happened to your light armor?”
“It’s broken.”
“Bring it in for repairs later. And bring the money then.”
“Sure.”
He strapped the long sword to his waist and left the blacksmith shop.
Dawn was approaching.
He walked slowly to the monster dismantling shop.
A bonfire burned in the courtyard. The familiar spot where he used to grill meat with his coworkers after work.
Aldein was sitting there.
Snout was nowhere to be seen.
Aldein didn’t react to his approach, his gaze fixed on the flames.
“Why did you spare one of them?”
Aldein asked.
Instead of answering, he offered him the sword.
“Take this.”
Aldein glanced at the sword, then back at the fire.
“No.”
“Why?”
“It reeks of blood.”
Aldein thought for a moment, then took the sword.
“Visit me some time. And help us with some work.”
“I will.”
“Come closer.”
He approached Aldein, who looked up at him.
“You have annoying eyes. Keep the coat. It suits you.”
He turned around and left the monster dismantling shop.
As he disappeared from view, Snout approached Aldein and stood silently behind him.
“That barbarian… he didn’t even ask what we do. Isn’t he curious?”
Aldein muttered.
“Would you have told him if he asked?”
“No.”
“He probably knew that.”
Aldein turned to Snout.
“Why do you keep addressing Skar with honorifics?”
“It’s… difficult to explain. He has a certain… presence. A dangerous aura… I don’t know. It’s difficult to meet his gaze. That’s why I can’t help but use honorifics.”
Snout tilted their head.
“Forget that. How did he fight?”
Aldein asked.
“Well…”
“What?”
“It was… brutal.”
“Tell me everything.”
Snout hesitantly recounted the fight in the tavern.
After what felt like enough time for a cup of tea…
“He bit someone’s neck off? Are you sure?”
Aldein scratched his head in disbelief.
“Yes. He bit the man’s neck, chewed on the flesh and bone, and then spat it out.”
“Huh.”
Aldein let out a strange sound.
“And? How did he kill the leader?”
“The leader stabbed him in the stomach…”
“Stabbed him? And then? Hurry up and tell me.”
Aldein urged him.
“He didn’t even flinch… he used his… imprint ability.”
The boar beast-person stood in front of Aldein, and mimicked Jeong Yoo-shin’s movements.
“He plunged a golden dagger into the leader’s stomach. Like this. Pierce.”
“…”
“And then…”
“There’s more?”
“Yes. He walked over to the leader, grabbed his jaw, and ripped his mouth open.”
“Ripped it open? With his bare hands?”
“Yes.”
“Huh… He got stabbed in the stomach, and then he walked over and ripped the leader’s mouth open? He’s a complete lunatic. I didn’t know he could fight like that, being so young and being a mixed-blood. It seems like he's a true barbarian. Are you sure you didn’t help him?”
Aldein glared at Snout.
“Yes, I just watched. What should we do about the remaining slave hunters?”
Snout asked.
“Leave them. They’ll scatter soon enough. They’re just a bunch of money-grubbers. Business is slow these days, so they’re trying to gain a foothold in the Labyrinth City, but it won’t be so easy for them.”
“They might try something else after this. They might try to exert their influence indirectly instead of directly intervening.”
“They’re just pebbles in a city full of demons. They’ll be crushed sooner or later. We’ll deal with them when it happens. You’re dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.”
Snout bowed deeply and left the bonfire.
Aldein stroked the red, single-edged sword.
“How was it?”
The sword trembled slightly.
“You liked him that much? You’ve finally found your soulmate, it seems.”
Aldein said in surprise.
“…You want to stay with him? Let’s wait a little longer. We’ll meet him again soon.”
The news of this fight would spread throughout the eastern district.
It would reach the ears of the demons lurking in the shadows of the Labyrinth City. And when Skar, tired of the city’s darkness, sought refuge, he would come to him.
“Little brother.”
Aldein muttered as he stroked the sword.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
He walked alone under the starry sky.
He arrived at Dalmong’s inn.
Someone was kneeling in front of the inn.
His head was shaved unevenly.
It was Tarman.
He approached Tarman.
“…I told you to leave.”
“I have nowhere else to go.”
“Do you want to die?”
“Where would I go after abandoning my friends from the village? Please, take me in.”
Tarman looked up.
The trembling, cowardly man from the tavern was gone.
No.
There was still fear in his eyes.
But he also saw his love for his friends.
He couldn’t abandon them.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked up at the sky.
The cool night breeze brushed against his face.
‘Dalmong.’
He remembered Dalmong rushing off to his village after receiving the news of his wife’s infidelity.
He slowly spoke.
“Do you still have your explorer tag?”
“Yes.”
“Give it to me.”
“What?”
“Hand over your tag.”
Tarman fumbled through his clothes and took out his metal tag.
He took the tag and put it in his pocket.
“I won’t ask how you got here. You can work here.”
Aldein must have sent him. Perhaps he wanted to keep him as a contact?
It didn’t matter.
“Yes.”
“If you ever betray me again, one of us will die. Understood?”
The color drained from Tarman’s face at his warning.
“…Yes.”
He replied weakly.
“Can you cook?”
“A little.”
“Alright. And shave your head properly. Whoever did that did a terrible job.”
“Alright.”
“Good. It’s good to see you trying to redeem yourself.”
“Thank you.”
He tilted his head slightly at Tarman’s reply.
“…Actually, I’m still a bit pissed off. Stay outside for a while before coming in.”
“…”
He patted Tarman on the shoulder and entered Dalmong’s inn.
The first rays of dawn illuminated the dark street.
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T/N - Always nice to read about a character’s growth. With system stories being so prevalent in web novels, this way of storytelling has become pretty rare in favor of the easier numbers go up method favored by system stories. While I do like me some good system novels, I still prefer this way of storytelling as you tend to feel the character’s growth and become attached to them in the process when done well.