Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Shin Gangnam Ace
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“Ughkuaaaaaagh!”
“Cut out the tongue, so no more tricks from you now. Heave-ho.”
Without so much as a blink, the guy yanked out Jin Dohee’s tongue and sliced it off with a dagger.
He bound her together with Bang Junsik and Choi Seokpil, then applied a bit of potion to the stumps of their severed limbs to staunch the bleeding.
His movements were those of someone who’d done this plenty of times before.
Just who the hell is this guy?
“Um, excuse me… who exactly… are you?”
To figure out his identity, I decided to start by learning his background.
He’d ambushed and subdued three scavengers—estimated at least C-rank—in the blink of an eye, which was proof enough that he wasn’t your average joe. So I asked politely.
“No need for trash like you to know. If you don’t wanna die, just sit tight and keep an eye on these guys to make sure they don’t pull anything. I’ll handle the boss monster.”
What kind of lunatic is this?
He didn’t seem like your run-of-the-mill crazy either, but there was no need to clash unnecessarily, and no real reason to fight. So I backed off and stewed.
“H-Hey! Bro! Seongwon bro! Help us out here! Please! If this psycho ambushed us out of nowhere, you know he’s the bad guy… Guhk!”
“Shut it.”
Bang Junsik, tied up, screamed toward me for help, but he was instantly kicked in the gut by Bae Younghoon(?) and silenced.
Then Bae Younghoon glared at me with terrifying eyes, but luckily, I wasn’t dumb enough to spit out a stupid response.
“Ah… so you sensed those three were scavengers, huh? Yeah. Let’s just do as he says.”
“You know your place. Good. These three are the infamous scavenger trio. Around a thousand victims. Factor in families and relatives, and it’s thousands more. The worst of the bunch is this bitch—she played the pure priestess to lure people in and stab them in the back. Bounties alone come to over ten billion per head. Heh.”
Whoa, these scavengers were way bigger fish than I thought.
A thousand direct victims? That’s serial killer territory—name in the history books level.
They absolutely needed to be caught, so at least it was a relief they’d been nabbed now.
“I’ll take care of the boss, so you watch these guys. They’re already neutralized, so just make sure they don’t try anything funny. If you let them loose or get greedy for the bounty and come at me, I’ll deal with you the same way.”
‘Half-assed informal speech to the end. But keeping them alive means he’s got some other agenda, right?’
Yeah, better to drag them in, confirm victims, trace slave trafficking routes, recover bodies, put ’em on trial, and send them to the gallows than just kill them outright.
‘Damn, we got completely played. The status info was real—how’d they hide it? Connections in a major guild?’
First time actually running into a scavenger hunter despite hearing about them, so it was a shock.
Their identities and info checked out perfectly… so how the hell did they fake it? Wild.
‘Anyway, no beef with him, but plenty to learn.’
The acting was one thing, but after the ambush, cutting the caster’s tongue to prevent chants, and tying the three together despite their missing limbs in case they tried something—that was textbook.
A masterclass you wouldn’t see anywhere else. I wanted to record it for reference.
‘But something feels off…’
Everything rolled smoothly aside from Bae Younghoon being a rude bounty hunter, but a nagging awkwardness lingered.
What is it? I hadn’t lost anything, yet it felt off.
‘What’s got me so uneasy? Weird.’
I sensed I was missing something, but priority one was watching the scavengers to keep them from trying anything, so I focused on that.
About thirty minutes later, a death scream echoed, and the status window announced the dungeon clear.
[The boss monster has been defeated. The portal opens.]
‘Oh, first party play, didn’t know it worked like this… And no reward since I didn’t join the boss fight? Makes sense, I guess…’
A stark reminder of how rigid the Awakener system was.
And in that instant, it hit me what I’d overlooked.
Yeah, the utterly impartial Awakener system. Gain EXP, level up. Kill monsters, clear dungeons, get rewards.
‘Those scavengers—ten billion bounty per head, big shots, right?’
Yeah, and I’d contributed to catching major villains like them.
So even if I used sneaky means, the damn SSS-rank Knight’s Grace trait rewarded me for nabbing scavengers before. Why no reaction now?
‘They’re clearly fully neutralized right in front of me…’
Even if I’d done wrong, that SSS trait would call me out.
Silence meant the situation wasn’t over yet…
‘Maybe it won’t count till they’re judged in court?’
Possible, but those guys were all but confirmed for a thousand murders and enslavements. Slim chance of any other verdict.
‘Plus, if they only targeted D-rank hunters, no way they’ve got pull in legal circles or top guilds…’
That left one possibility.
This rude bastard was using them for something else.
Whatever it was, my SSS trait wouldn’t approve.
‘Feels like I stumbled on something I shouldn’t have. Hmm…’
Didn’t wanna point it out and fight like an idiot, but ignoring it might bite me later.
Plus, I wanted to know who he was and what he was up to.
‘Guess there’s only one way.’
I eyed the three scavengers still wriggling, trying to escape.
Whatever his goal, he needed them alive to achieve it. Answer was simple.
“Aaaargh! Uuugh!”
“Aaaah!”
“Lucky their tongues are gone.”
“Die quietly, you savage bastards!”
Clang! Clang!
Ears tuned to the boss room fight, I cautiously drew my sword.
“Uuuugh!”
“Aaah!”
“……”
Killing helpless foes usually brings guilt, but these had murdered or enslaved over a thousand—no such qualms.
I swung my drawn sword, severing the necks of the three defenseless men and woman one by one.
[Thou hast splendidly executed wicked evildoers who strayed from human decency. It is regrettable that thou lackest exemplars of chivalry and honor. Yet justice hath been rightly upheld, so I shall grant thee a reward.]
[Reward - Random Equipment Box]
‘Ah… nerfed reward since I didn’t catch them myself? Whatever. The key is…’
[The boss monster has been killed. The exit will open soon.]
Yeah, this.
Soon, Bae Younghoon—who’d killed the boss—would come back for his catches.
Wonder what face he’d make seeing his live prey dead.
“Pattern was such a pain… magic tile-matching? What is this, a variety show? Took longer than expected. Huh? What the—? What the hellllll!”
“Oh, uh… they suddenly started acting up, so… I had to handle them.”
“What? Started acting up? With limbs and tongues cut off? How?”
“I don’t know exactly… But magic circles appeared over their heads, so…”
As expected, he blew up the second he arrived.
Bounty’s receivable even if mangled, so why so pissed?
Some comic-book superhero with ironclad faith in justice and the legal system?
Or a detective needing them as leads to bigger fish?
Or he was gonna do something shady with them.
‘Three options… but really just one?’
“You messing with me right now?”
Bloodshot eyes, murderous glare.
The rage and hatred there wasn’t from noble plans gone awry.
Sure, slim chance they linked to a huge evil and he needed to interrogate them—but…
‘If so, the Knight trait would’ve stamped mission complete and rewarded me already. Ah…!’
“Fuck, this pisses me off.”
Bam!
I saw his fist coming but took it, rolling on the ground.
Could’ve countered, but goal was letting him rant to fish for info.
“Damn it! Fine, fine! My fault for trusting an ‘outsider’ worm. Could’ve just reported them killed by scavengers and called it a day! Boss said ‘good worms’ pave the way for us to live easy—ruined it all.”
‘…Outsider? Ah…!’
“No choice now but to take you instead.”
My realization hit as his axe blade gleamed, swinging at me.
No more hiding my fangs. I dodged, pulled the sword I’d bought with the Titan stakes, and aimed it at him.
“Huh? Dodged it? Not just any worm, then.”
“Just clicked. Rumor of a hunter unit in Seoul guilds solely for protecting Shin Gangnam. Only accepts natives from Shin Gangnam’s three districts, fights only to defend the fortress and surrounds.”
“How’s a lowly worm know that?”
“Let’s see… heard it from traders, similar name? Shin Gangnam Ace, was it?”
Clang!
Naming it triggered him like touching a taboo; he swung his glaive, which I parried.
His fury-filled eyes now burned with killing intent.
If “Shin Gangnam Ace” bugs you that much, your ancestors shouldn’t have named it like a red-light district term!
“I’ll rip that mouth off.”
“You guys’ forebears picked a name confusing it with sleazy trade lingo—why bitch at me? Why? Real working girls in there? Or maybe you’re the late bloomer…?”
“Grrraaaah!”
Stepped on a landmine? Good.
Easier fighting a rage-blind beast than a cool-headed warrior—lesson from Leg Horn.
Attacks simplify, reactions slow; easy pickings.
‘Post-Leg Horn, feels even simpler.’
“Guhk! Uwaaaagh!”
Seized an opening, drove my knee into his gut, shoved him back, then slashed vertically—severing the arm gripping his glaive.
Snapping out of it post-pain, he clutched his bleeding arm, glaring with humiliated fury.
I wasn’t thrilled either, now knowing his affiliation—bad blood with Shin Gangnam crew.
“Grrr! Damn it! Me, taken down by a worm like you!”
He gripped his gushing wound, activating a skill and chugging potion. Not the chatty type.
Interrogation or torture? Not my hobby, and pointless anyway.
One conclusion.
“Hey… Shin Gangnam gay bar Ace?”
“You worm bastard! You dare, knowing who I am?!”
“I’ll kill you.”