Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: With No Great Power, No Great Responsibility
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Coming all the way to chapter 35, I feel a bit sorry for the readers.
I wrapped up the battle between chapter turns.
Anyway, we safely hunted the monsters in the fog.
And the number of deaths during it? Zero.
Considering that usually only half made it back, that was an impressive feat.
"I was expecting something pricey, but it's just canned goods and hardtack? Talk about exploitation."
Yoo-ri tossed the canned food she received up and down like a baseball.
The reward was ridiculously low compared to the risk.
Of course, we only went for the coin farm anyway, so it didn't matter to us.
"Still, we made a solid haul of coins at least."
"Yeah! Plus we got to help some other people too."
Normally, coins from taking down a monster get split among the group.
But no one dared fight alongside us,
so we ended up monopolizing them all.
"Those guys over there?"
"They're incredible... I knew they had a different vibe from the start."
"And they all look so young."
The gazes directed at us had shifted too.
Before, they were indifferent or wary.
Now, there was a hint of awe in their expressions.
'Well, yeah. Returning with everyone alive is big news in itself.'
Rumors like this spread fast in a cramped space full of people.
Even Kim Min-su's chatty underling who had been yapping next to us went quiet at some point.
Instead, the moment his scouting was done, he bolted upstairs in a hurry.
Probably to report to his boss.
'Doesn't matter to me, as long as they don't cause trouble.'
At this point, it was clear Kim Min-su was a villain even in the original story.
There wasn't much merit in allying with him to begin with.
Now, there was zero reason to join hands.
But the offer came from an unexpected source.
"Please lead us and drive out Kim Min-su!"
What now?
We were checking our earned coins and resting when
five men approached and started pleading their case.
We all exchanged glances without anyone taking the lead.
"What's this all of a sudden?"
When I asked, the man who stepped forward as representative replied like a vassal begging the king.
"Right now, dozens of survivors here are being exploited by Kim Min-su! If you'll just lead us..."
"Ah, that's a problem."
I cut him off before he could finish.
"Pardon?"
"We're declining your offer."
So basically,
they had zero interest until they saw the protagonist's strength and now wanted to use us.
No need to even hear them out fully.
The readers would hate it for dragging the scroll anyway.
"Ah, no, that's not..."
They looked flustered, like they hadn't expected this reaction.
Did they think I'd just agree right away?
"At least hear us out..."
"No need. Kim Min-su's hoarding food unfairly. Kill him and take it. That's the pitch, right?"
"It's not about taking it! We just want fair distribution—"
"Either way, you want us to fight for you?"
The man's mouth clamped shut.
He couldn't deny it.
"Yes, we'll admit it. We need strong fighters and a focal point. Heroes like you, specifically."
Judging his excuses useless, he went straight to the point this time.
"Kim Min-su keeps hoarding food and uses it to drive people to their deaths. Please help us!"
"And what do we get out of it?"
"Pretty much every survivor here resents Kim Min-su. They'll all support you."
"Ah, hmm."
I figured they'd at least offer some pooled coins.
'Support' as the only condition? Really?
'No, even Kim Min-su offered food. What are these guys on?'
We're heading to the Doom Hotel once this quest ends anyway.
Whoever it is, they're people we'll part ways with here.
What good is their support?
'Above all, asking us to commit murder for them is where conscience snaps.'
I get their desperation, sure.
I don't like Kim Min-su's way of sacrificing others to rule either.
But we're not volunteers.
There was no reason for us to fight for free on their behalf.
"Sorry, but pretend we didn't hear that—"
"Please, we beg you! You're our only hope!"
I was trying to brush them off without making enemies,
but the men clung desperately.
"If you walk away like this, you're killing us! What makes you different from Kim Min-su then?!"
"Shut your mouths, you bastards."
They were crossing the line more with each word, and just as I was about to say something,
someone else stepped up first.
Yoo-ri had had enough and drawn her sword.
A menacing killing intent poured from her back, strong enough even for me to feel.
"I stayed quiet because my friends are soft-hearted unlike me, but you're really overstepping now."
Huh? Who's soft-hearted? Me?
Maybe Hye-na, but not me.
"Anyone who fought the zone boss risking their life can't be out of coins now. And anyone who didn't kill during the human hunt couldn't have survived this long."
Yoo-ri's icy gaze fixed on the men.
They gulped, unable to retort.
One wrong word, and she might cut them down here.
Their instincts screamed it before their heads could.
"You've all sacrificed others to survive too. But now that it's your turn, it's suddenly not right?"
I chuckled inwardly watching Yoo-ri speak without hesitation.
'So this is what webnovel protagonists do.'
Everyone here was a murderer, just as Yoo-ri said.
Differences in degree, sure.
But the fact remained.
"If you want to ask us for something, bring proper compensation. Otherwise, scram. Anyone else with words to say, I'll rip out that tongue myself."
The men just gaped, glancing around nervously.
Eventually, they slunk away dejectedly.
Only then did Yoo-ri sheathe her sword and retract her killing intent.
"Phew! Jerks like that pop up everywhere."
"Happened in your previous life too?"
"Yeah. And it never ended well."
Yoo-ri's face turned bitter as she spoke.
I didn't pry further.
From what I knew, Yoo-ri was a knight in her past life.
For her to change this much, it must've been no small ordeal.
'Hmm, I'd like to hear more details about her past life sometime.'
Honestly, she felt a bit intimidating to approach about it.
I was hiding things from her and Hye-na too, after all.
And Yoo-ri probably didn't love reliving her past either.
"Even without our help, do you think those guys would fight?"
Hye-na suddenly asked that.
Yoo-ri and I exchanged looks, then shook our heads in unison.
"Nah. The situation doesn't allow it."
The power gap between Kim Min-su's gang and the survivors was clear.
Even if they tried, they'd get crushed quick.
Weapons and resources were on a whole different level to begin with.
That's why they came begging in a panic.
"Kim Min-su will probably approach us first, before them."
My words turned real soon enough.
Kim Chun-sik, staying at the Doom Hotel,
frowned at the report coming through the phone.
"That guy you mentioned before was hiding his strength?"
-Yes, yes! It's causing some trouble here!
Trouble? More like an annoyance.
To think he'd have to worry about a hidden quest at this timing,
and some punk had wormed his way in.
-What if he guns for my spot and stages a coup? I'm going crazy with worry!
As if.
Fools like Kim Min-su might covet that position.
To the real deal, it was just dead weight.
A group of truly strong ability users would be different,
but those guys, Kim Min-su included, were all trash.
'But if that guy clears the hidden quest, things could get messy.'
Originally, Kim Min-su was supposed to clear it,
and Kim Chun-sik planned to swallow the skill whole.
A strong rival changed everything.
'...Maybe focus on sabotaging instead?'
He hadn't expected much from Kim Min-su anyway.
The guy's status screamed pointless flailing.
If he couldn't get the skill himself,
better no one did.
"Listen up, Kim Min-su."
-Yes, boss! I'm listening!
"Hit that guy you mentioned as fast as possible. Even if it costs all your underlings."
-What? B-Boss! Even so, that's impossible!
Kim Min-su dared to argue back cockily.
-He one-shots monsters. Even if we swarm him, I doubt we...
"You defying me?"
There was silence on the other end for a moment.
But soon, the answer he wanted came.
-Yes, understood! I'll take all my men and beat him to death!
"If you can, lure him into the fog to fight. It'll draw monsters and buy a little time."
-Got it!
The call ended there.
Kim Chun-sik leaned back on the plush sofa.
'Hope it at least disrupts him a bit.'
He didn't think Kim Min-su would win.
Buying time was enough.
The first main quest was ending soon anyway.
As long as the hidden quest didn't get cleared in the meantime.
"If he clears it despite this, he'd be one hell of a guy."
Of course, the odds were low.
Unless he could see the future or had insane luck.
Kim Chun-sik shook off needless worries and sipped his wine.
Never imagining someone had already cleared the hidden quest he'd been eyeing.