Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Reader-nim's Third Museum Event Recommendation: New Suicide Method
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I stared at the baseball bat in surprise.
A mysterious blue energy poured out from its entire surface.
'No way, did it really...?'
I hurriedly pulled up the item information.
▶ Name:Pharsa's Baseball Bat
▶ Type:Bat
▶ Grade:B
▶ Effect:'Soul Strike' usable
▶ Description:A baseball bat infused with a mysterious spirit. Imbued with tiger energy, it can strike souls as well. The serendipitously absorbed mystical energy makes this weapon even more powerful.
Soul Strike
- A powerful strike infused with the power of the soul. Its might scales with the user's mental strength and soul size.
Mana Cost: 50
'Whoa, I ended up with an upgrade I never even dreamed of.'
Of course, it wasn't on the level of the S-rank Death Sentence Sword.
But this was jackpot enough.
A D-grade weapon jumping straight to B-grade.
It was only one rank below Yoo-ri's sword now.
'Pharsa's ability might not see much use, but having it isn't bad. Overall, a solid enhancement.'
And then there was the new equipment skill, 'Soul Strike.'
This one scaled with the user's soul and power.
Meaning, as I grew stronger, so would the skill.
It was a growth-type item.
I might switch weapons someday.
But this one would serve me well for a good while.
In a world on the brink of doom, could there be a better effect?
"Now, let's see what the other items are like."
And this wasn't even the end.
I still hadn't checked the items left by the boss monster.
The moment I turned to them with anticipation...
"Lee Ji-hoon!"
The door burst open with a bang.
Turning around, there stood a woman who had kicked it down.
"Lee Yoo-ri?"
"You okay? Anywhere hurt?"
Yoo-ri rushed over and scanned my body up and down.
Of course, I was perfectly fine.
My arm had burned once and I'd died...
But the essence and level-up had restored everything.
"I'm good. Totally fine."
"Good. Phew!"
Yoo-ri looked genuinely relieved.
Her worrying about me this much...
It was kinda touching.
"Almost parted ways without settling that debt."
"Debt? What're you talking about?"
"Ji-hoon!"
As I asked, another familiar woman's voice rang out.
This time, it was Hye-na.
She must not have kept up with Yoo-ri's speed.
Han So-young's followers were pouring in behind her.
"You okay? Hurt anywhere?"
"......"
I got the same body check from Hye-na.
I even had to comfort her as she teared up, insisting I was healthy.
"So how'd you get here?"
"The room was open, so we could enter the maze too. Probably 'cause you cleared it."
"But we couldn't get into the hidden dungeon no matter what... This just suddenly opened, so we rushed over."
Hmm, the hidden dungeon must've been sealed originally.
It opened when I took down the boss.
"We're the ones who wanna ask. What the hell happened?"
"Nothing... happened...!"
"Don't joke around in a situation like this!"
Hye-na scolded me with a stern face.
Tsk, in web novel terms, this was a solid punchline at chapter 25.
"Anyway, Han So-young and I made it through the maze safely."
I slowly started recounting everything that had happened.
How I'd ended up here.
The Death Sentence Sword I'd picked up along the way.
The hidden boss mummy that appeared after.
And how I'd taken it down.
"So, to sum it up..."
Yoo-ri, who'd listened quietly, replied.
"That crazy bitch tried to kill the guy I swore to protect?"
That was her conclusion after the long story?
Her hand was already drifting toward her sword hilt.
Cold killing intent rose in her eyes.
"Calm down first."
I considered handling it myself...
But Han So-young still had a role to play.
"Ugh... My head..."
Then Han So-young stirred, helped up by the men.
She looked around, grasping the situation.
"Boys, grab 'em."
At her words, one man pulled a knife from his pocket.
He lunged straight at her throat.
Targeting Yoo-ri.
"Hm?"
Yoo-ri just stood there calmly.
Of course. The protagonist who'd sliced through dozens of zombies solo—what was there to fear?
I wouldn't even blink if the knife snapped on her.
"......You didn't fight anything on the way here?"
"Uh, yeah. No monsters showed up."
That explained why they didn't know how scary she was.
I'd thought it was a new suicide method.
"Can't even speak from the shock, huh."
Misreading our reactions, Han So-young smirked arrogantly.
"You get it, right? Stay put if you don't want your friend hurt. These boys kill without hesitation at my word."
She chuckled mockingly.
Her heels clicked as she approached me.
"Ahem! You dared slap my cheek—that costs big."
"......"
"I'll tie you up and train you nice and slow. Oh, don't worry. I'll let you go once you're begging to lick my shoes."
So how should I cook this one up?
The moment Han So-young reached for my cheek...
"Hey, hold on."
Yoo-ri, who'd been quiet, spoke up.
"So, you're all trying to kill us right now?"
Her cold, crisp voice echoed in the dark space.
Han So-young snorted.
"Ha! Grew up pretty like you look, huh? You think this is some ga—"
"Nah, that's enough."
Yoo-ri drew her sword.
I thought I'd gotten pretty strong myself.
But I still couldn't follow the blade's movement with my eyes.
-Slash!
By the time I snapped to...
Yoo-ri had swung.
And the men were collapsing in sprays of blood.
".......Huh?"
Han So-young mumbled blankly.
Not so much shocked...
As if the surreal scene hadn't sunk in yet.
"Wha... They're all... dead...?"
Including the one who'd aimed his weapon at Yoo-ri.
The slashed men writhed on the floor.
"N-No way... How...?"
Han So-young crumpled to the ground.
Even seeing it now, she couldn't believe it.
"Not even satisfying to cut."
Yoo-ri flicked the blood off her blade.
How could someone so pretty kill so ruthlessly?
"Sorry, making you handle everything again."
"It's fine. My heart and mind aren't as broad or deep as yours."
High praise there.
She really was sword-sharp in moments like this.
A true apotheosis protagonist demanded this kind of catharsis.
"Aaaagh!"
Suddenly, a scream.
Han So-young lunged at me and snatched something from her back pocket.
"Hah! Pant! Th-this... super important, right?"
She held it up, trembling.
It was the 'Mad Hatter's Letter' I'd stashed earlier.
"You came all this way for it! Has to be something huge. Right? Say yes!"
I just sighed at her.
'How does she never deviate from expectations.'
Even in the original, when she stole the Death Sentence Sword...
I'd baited her toward this, but...
Didn't expect it to play out this perfectly.
I signaled Yoo-ri with one hand.
To hold off slicing Han So-young too soon.
D-don't move! I don't even know what I might do!"
Maybe because her men were gone.
Or she'd realized she'd die here.
Han So-young was losing it.
Her shaky eyes and head looked downright psychotic.
"What're you gonna do with that? Think we'll back off just 'cause of it?"
"Sh-shut up! I'm handling the talking! Zip it!"
She'd snatched it on reflex.
But hadn't thought through what next.
Her frantic hands tore open the envelope.
She gripped the small white paper with both.
"St-stay still... Move even a bit, and I'll rip it to shreds and eat it."
Half-sobbing, Han So-young backed away.
The moment I stepped forward...
"Eek! I said don't move!"
-Rip!
She savagely tore the letter.
The anomaly hit right then.
[You have damaged an item that must not be damaged!]
[The perpetrator will be dragged to the netherworld as penalty!]
[Perpetrator: Han So-young]
"Wha? Wha? What, what is it? No! Get away!"
Suddenly, a dark void opened under Han So-young's feet.
Black hands shot out from it.
"L-let go! Let me go! What's the netherworld?!"
They grabbed her.
And started dragging her down.
"Waaah! No! I don't wanna die! I'm sorry! Please! I'll be good! Just this once forg......"
Han So-young vanished into the darkness.
Only the torn letter remained on the floor.
"Wh-what just happened?"
"She paid the price for breaking the rules."
Yoo-ri answered calmly as trembling Hye-na spoke.
"Doom allows anything within the rules. But it doesn't tolerate some things."
"Was tearing the letter that big a deal?"
"The shop owner went out of his way to request it. Not your average item."
I slowly turned to the letter.
"Hmm, the envelope's open, and even the paper's torn in half. We had no intention of opening it, but it 'accidentally' got opened."
This should count.
As not opening it 'on purpose.'
"Looks like we'll have to 'unavoidably' read the letter while taking it."
Yoo-ri smirked and shrugged.
Even the reincarnator saw no issue.
I examined the letter, venting my pent-up frustration.
'.......What the hell is this?'
The paper was filled with neat handwriting.
"......This a love letter, right?"
Hye-na, reading it beside me, spoke first.
Yoo-ri nodded in agreement.
"Absurd, but yeah, seems like it."
......The Mad Hatter, huh.
Wondered what was worth 10,000 coins to fetch.
Turns out it was his love letter?