Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: How to Steal the Protagonist's Woman
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After seeing Han Bom enter the tent, I eyed Yang Ji-hyun's tent on the other side.
'Ah! Let's Dream Intrusion that woman too.'
Thinking about it, Yang Ji-hyun was the most dangerous person here right now.
Not a Red Summoner herself, but if she controlled them like limbs, I needed even the smallest clue.
I confirmed her position, entered my tent, and immediately cast Dream Intrusion.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Fortunately, I slipped into her dream easily.
'Even with that assassin vibe, she sleeps like a baby.'
Thinking that inwardly, I looked around.
It was a place I recognized.
Primum Village.
'Since Yang Ji-hyun was sleeping alone, probably not the wrong dream... let's find her.'
I wandered around looking for Yang Ji-hyun.
One thing was clear: this Primum Village was different from the current one in time.
People fresh from Zephyrum Village were clustering together in panic, rookies stumbling everywhere.
As I walked, I spotted Yang Ji-hyun entering an alley with someone far off.
'Jackpot!'
I inwardly cheered and followed them quickly.
The two entered the alley and started talking quietly so others wouldn't hear. I hid nearby and eavesdropped.
"As you know, our organization's current state is..."
The man she was with started, and Yang Ji-hyun stood rigidly, listening intently.
From the vibe, he reeked of higher-up.
'That boss guy?'
He looked mid-40s, giving off sleazy middle-aged vibes.
"Our organization sorely lacks supporters like healers right now. So even if it's inconvenient for you, I want you to stay here and recruit talent to our side."
"Understood. But... can I execute the plan you mentioned alone...?"
Even a talented person couldn't conquer a village solo.
"Don't worry. I've heard that war will break out in Midgard soon."
"War... you say?"
What kind of organization had intel like that and turned this place into this mess?
"Yes. When that happens, we'll send people steadily to the 1st floor. You'll lead them and take control of the 1st floor."
"And once we do..."
"Yes, pull any new summoners with support skills to our side, by any means. That's your mission."
"Yes, understood."
Their conversation continued after that.
'So Han Bom isn't the only target.'
I didn't know what the organization was, but they needed talents like healers and had seized the village to turn them into Red Summoners.
But why Red Summoners specifically...
As I pondered, an intriguing part of the conversation caught my ear.
"Sorry. It's my failure that forced you out here."
"Not at all! There is no leader more suited for our Red Crescent than Ryosuke-nim!"
Red Crescent? Was that the name of the organization?
Furthermore, hearing the man's name, I wondered if he was Japanese.
Well, that troll vibe was Western too, right?
People come from other dimensions like my world, so all races are here...
"No. If Sota were here, he'd cut my head off seeing the organization's state."
Who's Sota...?
"Sota? You don't mean... the former leader...?"
"Takeichi Sota. The first leader, called Shadow of Dawn."
"May I hear his real name...?"
"It's fine. He's long gone, and if you ever meet him, knowing his real name would be better for you."
Ryosuke kept explaining about this Shadow of Dawn.
"He viewed lower-ranking members who did not know his real name as nothing more than pawns. If you stood before him knowing only his alias, he would kill you without hesitation, even if you were in the same organization."
"..."
"I'm telling you everything because I want you to live. Of course, we don't know if he's alive, and even if he is, he wouldn't be in a place like this..."
Yang Ji-hyun swallowed hard.
From what I could gather...
Yang Ji-hyeon is a member of an organization composed of Red Summoners.. Not a regular member—more like an executive.
Her long stay and takeover of the inn was to recruit new members.
She's targeting Han Bom now.
And... Ryosuke... Takeichi Sota... Red Crescent... All memorized.
'Hmm... wish I could see more.'
Just as I was beginning to feel a lack of mana and was about to leave the dream,
"Using the Face Mask nonstop will be uncomfortable, but never take it off."
"Understood."
"Even if you can't hide your name in crowds, with the Face Mask on, your identity stays safe."
"Thank you for your consideration!"
Yang Ji-hyun bowed with a restrained tone that wouldn't echo.
With that final reply, I exited her dream.
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Lying down, I detailed everything I'd heard in the dream to Armonia.
'So... all the Red Summoners around the village are from that Red Crescent thing.'
[And if she is at a level where she can direct them, it seems Yang Ji-hyeon is no ordinary person.]
Apparently, Yang Ji-hyun was wearing an item called a Face Mask.
Is that expensive?
Out of curiosity before sleeping, I asked Gay Peepee via the channel chat.
"Do you know what a human skin mask is?"
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
What? Weren't you sleeping?
"Ah, I just had my eyes closed. But I should be the one asking—aren't you sleeping?"
Come to think of it, I wondered if that guy ever slept.
Gay Peepee responded to my concern with sexual harassment.
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
I stayed up because it's the perfect time to admire your bulge.
"You psycho..."
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
Lmao, just kidding, just kidding. We just don't need sleep, so we don't. By the way, why the sudden question about skin masks?
"Ah... I was just curious. I thought something like that might exist in a world like this."
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
They exist, but they aren't easy to get. And if it's a well-made one, you can't just buy it with money.
He explained that since it's an item made from the facial skin of a dead person, it isn't something sold in common shops.
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
If you want to make one, your leatherworking level has to be high. Plus, you have to skin them immediately after death to make a top-grade one.
That meant crafting one was even harder.
However, he explained that a truly exquisitely crafted human skin mask was so perfect that even the highest-ranking NPCs in Midgard wouldn't notice.
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
Actually, I've never seen one myself. I just heard about it.
"That's enough for me. Thanks."
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
I see it every time you're shagging Min Ha-yeon, but damn, your gear is huge. That bulge is no joke...
"Go to sleep..."
I ignored the chat and immediately went to bed.
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After waking up, we filled our stomachs with the food we had brought and resumed our exploration of the waterway.
The monsters appearing in the waterway were no different from yesterday, and the behavior of the members, including Yang Ji-hyeon, remained the same.
If anything had changed, it was Han Bom's condition.
Just as she had the night before, she was sweating and fanning herself vigorously with her hand.
Min Ha-yeon fanned Han Bom's face along with her, looking concerned.
"Bom-ah, are you okay? Is it too hot?"
"Huh? Ah, no... it's just humid..."
-[Vulnerable to Heat]-
I knew it was in her Traits, but I couldn't quite understand it.
How could someone with such a thin frame be so sensitive to the heat?
I thought most women were usually more sensitive to the cold.
'Is it really that hot?'
[Due to the enclosed space and the nature of the waterway, the humidity seems to be the cause.]
Armonia explained that for someone highly sensitive to heat, simply being in a humid, enclosed space could cause them to sweat profusely.
'Wasn't she okay yesterday?'
[Since sweating is not something one can control at will, it seems that once it starts, it is difficult to stop.]
In an ordinary dungeon, it might not have been a big problem, but this place was completely sealed off from the outside.
Smelly water flowed continuously through the waterway, and the plaster walls were covered in a sticky moss that I didn't even want to touch.
With not a single breath of wind, this was the worst possible place for Han Bom.
As she walked, Han Bom exhaled as quietly as possible so others wouldn't notice, while continuing to fan herself.
"Huu... huu..."
Since she wasn't hunting dynamically like the others, it didn't seem to be a critical problem yet.
However, while she looked energetic for now, proceeding through the dungeon like that would inevitably cause her to tire out faster than everyone else.
'Should I help her a bit?'
I muttered to myself and generated a magic circle.
And at that moment.
"Hyaaaak!"
"Whoa! What? W-what happened!?"
Everyone looked at her, startled by Han Bom's strange shriek, and Min Ha-yeon, who was right beside her, jumped in surprise.
Flustered, Han Bom waved her hands and spoke.
"Ah... I, I suddenly got a chill... I'm sorry."
"Whew... you scared me..."
Everyone sighed in relief and began walking deeper into the waterway again.
Once the others' attention shifted away, Han Bom immediately looked at me.
Her expression was one of 'Could it be?'
I smiled and nodded, and Han Bom gave a small smirk and bowed her head in thanks.
'The advantage of Wind attribute... can be used as a substitute for an electric fan... Note...'
[You should still be cautious. Considering situations where you might need to use mana urgently, I recommend using it in moderation.]
'Yeah, I know.'
I continued to cool Han Bom's sweat as I followed behind the party members.
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After walking for about an hour, we took a short break.
It wasn't a break we took because we wanted to.
While exploring the waterway, we had come upon a three-way fork and were discussing how to proceed.
"What should we do..."
While the path we had taken so far was a large waterway over 30 meters high, the three branching paths ahead were passages only about 5 meters high.
The problem was the three directions.
"Hmm... No matter how I think about it, I believe we should split our numbers to proceed."
The suggestion came from Yang Ji-hyeon.
She argued that they should split up in case one of the paths was blocked.
The others seemed to agree with her.
It seemed impractical for the entire party to enter a waterway that was only 5 meters in circumference.
While everyone was contemplating how to divide the groups, Gay Peepee sent a message.
-Guardian of the Gay Like Dick
Hey.
"Yes?"
-Guardian of the Gay Like Dick
It's obvious that bitch is going to pull something. Aren't you following her too obediently?
The 'bitch' Gay Peepee was referring to was Yang Ji-hyeon.
Even if external intrusion was impossible and the monsters inside the dungeon were weak, acting together while knowing there was an enemy within the party was a dangerous act.
While I was listening to Gay Peepee's advice, Yang Ji-hyeon wrote something on a piece of paper and showed it to us.
"For now, I believe it would be best to organize the groups like this."
Group 1: Park Seon-hee, Son Hye-eun, Park Jin-hee
Group 2: Min Ha-yeon, Han Bom, Han Yeo-reum
And Group 3...
"I believe it would be best for Seong Su-ho-ssi and me to go together in Group 3."
My name and Yang Ji-hyeon's name were written there.
..
..
Yang Ji-hyeon and I became a team and explored the waterway.
Min Ha-yeon expressed dissatisfaction with Yang Ji-hyeon's suggestion, but on the other hand, it was an inevitable choice.
First, it was reasonable for the three beauties to be in one group.
Thanks to the party play that had continued since Zephyrum Village, the three of them had great chemistry despite their differing personalities.
The problem was the remaining members.
If Min Ha-yeon and I teamed up, Han Yeo-reum, Han Bom, and Yang Ji-hyeon would naturally form one group.
Currently, Yang Ji-hyeon was hiding her skills, and Han Yeo-reum was providing absolutely no help.
He was trying his best to do something, but it was essentially at the level of being a hindrance.
Han Bom, being a healer, was not helpful in combat.
Ultimately, Min Ha-yeon had no choice but to accept Yang Ji-hyeon's proposal.
Yang Ji-hyeon and I proceeded through the waterway as a team.
After easily slaughtering a group of monsters we encountered, we took a short break.
"Let's rest for a moment."
"...."
I didn't answer; I just stared intently at Yang Ji-hyeon.
I was curious.
I wondered what kind of face was hidden beneath that human skin mask.
Yang Ji-hyeon immediately noticed that my aura had changed from before and asked with an awkward smile.
"Are you perhaps disappointed that you couldn't go with your girlfriend?"
"...No."
"I'm sorry. But considering the danger of the dungeon, it was an inevitable choice."
It was just as she closed her eyes and began to speak as if lecturing me.
"So please understand...! W-what are you doing...!"
When she opened her eyes and looked at me, I already had an arrow aimed at her.
In that state, I stepped closer to her.
Yang Ji-hyeon, who had been speaking calmly until then, was flustered by my appearance and opened her mouth.
"S-surely you aren't angry over that?"
"Do I look that petty to you?"
"T-then why..."
I spoke to the flustered Yang Ji-hyeon in a voice laced with coldness.
"I'm just curious about what kind of face is inside that human skin mask."
"!!"
Beyond mere fluster, Yang Ji-hyeon looked at me with a face of sheer horror.
I tapped the human skin mask covering her face with my arrow and spoke.
"Should I peel it off for you? Or will you take it off yourself? If I peel it, it'll be hard to use it again..."
"...."
Yang Ji-hyeon bit her lip and carefully began to remove the human skin mask.
Since it was said to be an expensive item, she likely wanted to prevent any damage as much as possible.
Inside the human skin mask Yang Ji-hyeon had been wearing...
'...Jackpot.'
A beauty, the kind that would be impossible for me to ignore, was breathing right there.