The Bonds of Fate

Yagwi City. A massive fortress city populated by all manner of monsters and dokkaebi. If you were to look down on it from above, you would see a spectacular sight: an area as vast as any major metropolis, entirely enclosed by towering, thick stone walls.

It was a miracle made possible only by the all-powerful force of magic, something even modern machinery could never achieve. When I first heard the approximate size of Yagwi City, I thought people were out of their minds. I didn't know if Yagwi City was just an anomaly, but the sheer scale of the fortress made it obvious that monsters swarmed here in droves. The population was roughly five hundred thousand.

Considering that the capital of ancient China had a population of around a million, maybe five hundred thousand wasn't an earth-shattering number. But then again, comparing any population to China was a bit unfair. Those guys had so many people it made you wonder if they harvested them from cabbage patches like some kind of Soviet assembly line.

Anyway, to briefly explain the power dynamics of Yagwi City... Uh, what was it again?

"The Kang Family, Snow Demon Valley, and the Wave Gate."

"Thanks for the reminder."

Currently, Yagwi City was ruled by a triumvirate of these three factions. Each faction served as a deputy lord, taking turns to act as the temporary city lord every fifty years. It really showed the sheer power of the Kang Family. I hadn't jumped at their offer for nothing. Living under the shadow of such a colossal clan was bound to be comfortable.

Naturally, with great power came an absurd number of daily incidents and accidents. They had to govern a third of the city while keeping the other two factions in check. Like I said, when multiple factions are locked in a chaotic struggle, that's the perfect time for a guy like me to slip in and carve out a piece of the pie.

"So, what are you actually planning to do?"

"So-wol, how many times have you asked me that now?"

"Well..."

I lightly patted So-wol's twitching, anxious butt.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it. Leave everything to me. Just let me play with your tits and ass every now and then, and keep that beautiful smile on your face."

"...Yes."

So-wol's eyes went dazed and unfocused. Wait, was there something touching in what I just said? Deciding she definitely wasn't playing with a full deck, I headed toward Heokgak Palace, one of the five major fortresses of the Kang Family.

Soon, we reached a massive, pitch-black gate built in the traditional Chinese style. A pair of muscular, double-horned dokkaebi guards stood there, idly stroking their massive guandaos.

"A face we haven't seen before."

"Are you a new disciple? Present your token."

"Of course."

Naturally, I had been given a token. As I held out the polished gray identification plaque, a spark of interest flickered in their otherwise drowsy eyes.

"Hmm."

"It's been a while since we've seen one of these."

A gray token, reserved only for prospective clan members undergoing their trials. But what caught my attention more was their comment about it being "a while."

"Do you know of other seniors who had these before me?"

"We are the gatekeepers."

"It would be harder to find a face in the Kang Family that we don't know."

It was obvious. I wasn't the first child Kang Baek-jin had taken in, and I certainly wouldn't be the last. Countless seniors before me had either passed or failed the trials set by the elders and Kang Baek-jin. Just finding out what paths they took and analyzing them would be a massive advantage for me.

"As expected of men of your worldly experience. I'm curious, how did the other candidates fare..."

"We're busy."

"Move along."

"I'll see you guys later then. And I'll make sure my hands are full of good food next time."

They waved me off like I was a nuisance, but I knew better. Once I returned with gifts, they'd spill everything they knew. In all my life, I had never met a guard who hated bribes.

"Let's go."

"Yes, Master."

Stepping inside Heokgak Palace, we were greeted by a sprawling array of towering spires and grand pavilions. The scale was less like the interior of a palace and more like an entire town had been transplanted inside. Heokgak Palace was where all the disciples of the Kang Family lived, ate, and trained.

"Hey! I picked that one first!"

"Bullshit. Blame your slow hands."

"Don't push me! Do you know who I am?"

"If you've got a problem, let's fight."

It was also their workplace. I nodded as I watched the sea of monsters brawling over bamboo scrolls pinned to a massive stone wall.

"Looks like we're in the right place."

"Yes. The clan's missions are posted over there. We should grab a good one before someone else takes it..."

"Hold on."

I grabbed the scruff of So-wol's neck just as she was about to dive into the chaotic fray. Suspended in midair, she flailed her legs helplessly.

"Please put me down."

"I'm seriously considering just carrying you on my back. I'm worried you'll bounce off on your own and get lost."

When we first met, she was a calm, cold, secretary-type beauty. How did she end up like this? Was she just a normal girl her age after all? But then again, do normal girls her age get addicted to gambling and debt? Let's just assume she's a special case. Holding her hand tightly so she wouldn't wander off, I began to explain things step-by-step.

"So-wol."

"Yes?"

"I've learned a few things in life. And one of them is that you can't get easy, high-paying work for free."

Thanks to my highly enhanced vision as a Late Stage Core Condensation cultivator, I easily read the bamboo scrolls plastered all over the stone wall.

"Managing the herb garden: 20 contribution points for a year's work. Retrieving the core of a Snow-Nosed Beast: 40 contribution points. Refining ten Core Condensation-grade puppets: 20 contribution points. Assisting at the forge: 5 contribution points per month."

"Ah."

"Do you see the difference?"

"I don't."

"......"

Well, she was pretty and cute, so I guess that was enough. Channeling my inner kind-hearted teacher, I patiently began to cram some knowledge into this airhead's brain.

"Jobs that offer quick or high contribution points are either highly specialized or dangerous. Hunting, for instance—putting the danger aside, you might end up empty-handed. The other tasks require too much time and labor. The return on investment is terrible."

This was true whether on Earth or in another world. Simple, easy jobs paid next to nothing, while high-paying ones always required expertise. Completing missions earned you contribution points, which could then be exchanged at the clan's store for pills or items. It was a currency with limited utility—a primitive, closed economy operating strictly within the clan.

"Actually, you can buy most mediocre items with ordinary spirit stones."

Spirit stones were the most common currency among monsters, and indeed, the entire world. Gold and jewels were traded too, but they didn't fetch the high prices they did on Earth. To monsters, gold and gems were just pretty pebbles. Useful, glowing spirit stones were far more beautiful and valuable. Most monsters viewed gold as nothing more than a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stone that didn't rust.

"Then what are we looking for?"

"...What do you think I came all this way for?"

"If your concubine may venture a guess... pills?"

"Exactly."

I ruffled So-wol's hair to praise her for being so smart.

"Hehehe."

"Pills like the Qi Circulation Pill are hard to come by. They occasionally pop up in market auctions, but the supply is too inconsistent. Since we don't know when they'll be available, we need contribution points to guarantee a transaction."

"But how do you know all this, Master?"

"I didn't just sit around twiddling my thumbs until I became an adult."

At least in my neighborhood, I was pretty well-known—for better or worse. Honestly, my original plan was to scrape together every last bit of my family's miserable wealth and run away the moment I came of age. I just hadn't expected my old man to be crazy enough to pick a fight with Kang Baek-jin.

As I was explaining this while scanning the stone wall covered in fluttering bamboo scrolls, So-wol's eyes suddenly lit up. With the speed of a housewife spotting a half-price meat sale, she snatched a scroll.

"Master, how about this one?"

"What is it...? '30 contribution points to whoever brings delicious liquor'? They actually post stuff like this?"

I had only heard rumors about the contribution systems of major factions, but this was my first time seeing it in action. To put up something like this as an official mission... whoever posted it must be a filthy rich noble with money to burn.

"Master, if we play our cards right, we can get a ton of points for free...!"

"So-wol."

"Yes?"

"There's no such thing as a free lunch."

If you want to take what belongs to someone else, you have to prep them first. You scale them, trap them so they can't resist, and boil them alive. Only then can you feast on their plump flesh and fat without any nasty side effects.

I pinned the scroll back onto the wall and noticed another stone wall further away.

"Over there..."

The aura of the crowd gathered there was unusual. Not a single one of them was weaker than me. In fact, most were a step above. In other words, every single one of those bastards was in the Qi Circulation realm. Was this the true power of a great clan? Though, watching them squabble over scrolls from afar like Core Condensation disciples made them look like overgrown toddlers. I guess physical power and mental maturity really were two different things.

"Shall we check that side out too?"

"Huh? B-but those are the clan's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠warriors..."

"So what? There are a few Late Core Condensation disciples over there too."

As I slipped into the crowd near the more premium stone wall, I felt several gazes lock onto me. Specifically, it was a very distinct look of superiority: 'A mere Core Condensation brat dares to come here? Ah, wait, he's at the Late stage. Hmph, I suppose he has the bare minimum qualification.' Watching their expressions shift from contempt and ridicule to begrudging acceptance was quite a show. Since I was at a stage where I could break through to Qi Circulation at any moment, they looked at me like I was a slightly dim-witted, disabled cousin. Man, the superiority complexes of the people here were really something else.

As expected of a different league, the rewards were generous.

"...."

But I had no idea what any of this meant. Was a Blue Thread Spider some kind of spider monster? What the hell was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an Illusionary Array, and what was a Triple-Ring Spear? It felt like they had their own world and knowledge base, and I was completely in the dark. My lack of experience and information was really holding me back here.

That was when a mission perfectly suited to my tastes caught my eye. *Snip.* I cut the cord holding the bamboo scroll to the stone wall and pulled it down. So-wol stood on her tiptoes, peering over my shoulder to read the contents. She was probably curious about what kind of request could satisfy someone as picky as me.

"Eliminate Jeon Gu-seok, a martial artist of Late Core Condensation stage or higher in Heorang Village of the 23rd District. Reward: 50 points? Is this the one?"

Doubt flickered in her eyes. Killing a martial artist of the same realm was never a guarantee, and a clash between two people of similar strength would inevitably result in injuries.

But I nodded.

"Yes, this is the one."

It was exactly the kind of mission I wanted. Even if the task itself seemed simple, there was always such a thing as a chain quest. Most of all, if I played my cards right, this could turn out to be much easier than expected. Though, I was still curious about who had posted such an interesting request. I wonder who it could be.

I tore off the scroll and officially registered the mission with the administrator. The time limit was one month. Naturally, I had no intention of dragging this out for a whole month.

"Let's wrap this up quickly."

I had too much on my plate to waste time on a nobody like Jeon Gu-seok.

*Rumble, rattle.* The carriage jolted along the dirt road. This was nothing like the paved streets around the Kang Family's palace. There was no maintenance, no pavement—just a raw dirt path. Aside from a few jagged spires and pavilions, the buildings were eyesores. In every way, it screamed "backwater countryside."

"The air is... not very nice."

Charmed by the lush greenery, So-wol had poked her head out the window, only to slam it shut in horror at the pungent stench of feces. It wasn't the smell of manure like cow dung, either. This was the unmistakable stench of human waste from uncivilized savages who chose to shit in the streets instead of using a proper toilet.

"Ugh, gross."

Hearing my explanation, So-wol pinched her nose, looking even more disgusted.

"This is why I hate people from the outskirts. They're so barbaric and filthy."

Even a former maid turned her nose up at this filth. Just what kind of place was the outer city? It was a miracle I had survived living in a dump like this, even briefly. Ah, right, that's why I wanted to run away the moment I became an adult.

"Pardon? You mean this was your hometown, Master?"

"Yeah."

If you defined "hometown" as the place where you were born and raised, then yes. But the true home of my heart would always be Earth, where a single bill could buy me cola, fried chicken, and all the wonders of modern civilization. While this world's hygiene and civilization were slightly more advanced than the medieval era, it still couldn't hold a candle to Earth.

"Now that I look closer, it actually has a certain rustic charm."

"Finding charm in a backwater village that reeks of piss and shit... well, I'll respect your tastes."

"...."

Just being back here made me miss the cozy bed of my new home.

"Ugh, I really hate this."

Grumbling, I slid my hand over So-wol's breast. *Slip.* I reached straight inside her clothes, squeezing her soft, naked breast. She wasn't wearing an undergarment underneath, leaving her plump flesh completely bare to my touch.

"Mnh..."

"Give me some love too."

A moving carriage, traveling through a countryside that reeked the moment you opened the window. In a place like this, inside a moving carriage, this was the only entertainment available. So-wol's long, pale fingers unbuttoned my pants and wrapped around my rock-hard, erect cock.

"...It's so hot."

"Your breasts are warm too."

*Stroke, stroke.* Her hand gently pumped my shaft.

"Fuuu..."

A low ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠groan escaped my lips as her soft, warm hand stroked my length. There was nothing quite like getting a handjob while squeezing her breasts and staring into her eyes. Looking at her gorgeous face and voluptuous body while she serviced me filled me with an intense sense of satisfaction. I couldn't hold back.

"What's wr—Mmph."

*Suck.*

I grabbed So-wol's chin as she focused on the twitching cock in her hand and pulled her into a deep kiss. The countryside air was filthy, but So-wol was the only thing that smelled sweet.

"Mmm..."

*Stroke, stroke, stroke.* Her hand, which had slowed down during the kiss, began to pump my cock with excited speed. She hit the perfect rhythm and pressure. She really was a natural at this.

"I'm coming. Catch it with your hands."

A moment later, I used So-wol's cupped hands as a substitute for tissues, letting loose a thick, heavy load.