Chapter 101
Chapter 101
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Simultaneous Incidents (16)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Then bark for starters."
"...What?"
Kali blinked, momentarily failing to process the words. Ahn Su-ho repeated himself with a blatant sneer.
"I said bark like a dog. Woof woof, act all cute and beg. Plead for your life. Swear you'll never come at me again. Admit you were wrong. Beg hard enough, and who knows? I might even feel sorry for you and let you live."
"You... what the..."
It was a truly sadistic demand. Ahn Su-ho wasn't the type to make such requests normally. But with the battle over and Kali's life in his hands, long-buried rage and murderous intent resurfaced.
Ahn Su-ho glanced at Kang Haneul, lying neatly in the distance. A swirl of complex emotions flooded his mind.
First came relief.
The deep relief of having rescued her unharmed, of averting the crisis that had loomed over her, filled his thoughts.
Next was self-loathing.
Despite vowing to protect her, he'd allowed the kidnapping. Worse, he'd been oblivious to the switch between her and Stephanie, focusing solely on dungeon raids. Self-reproach, regret, and remorse stabbed at his heart.
Then came anger.
Fury at those who'd kidnapped Kang Haneul and put her in danger—especially the one right in front of him, Kali. He wanted to punch her more, slash her again, grind her face into the dirt, and snap her neck.
And from that anger stemmed sadism.
That was the core of what Ahn Su-ho felt now.
"What, don't wanna?"
With victory decided, he could kill her in an instant if he wished. But rather than end it quickly, he craved torment. It changed nothing—just a sideshow to sate his sadism.
"...W-woof."
He wanted to see the fool who'd dared attack him and threaten Kang Haneul reduced to this: pride shattered, pathetically obeying and begging to survive.
"Woof. Woof! Woof...! W-woof!"
And so, when Kali finally barked from her mouth...
"...Hah."
Ahn Su-ho shuddered with an inexplicable thrill bubbling up from deep in his spine.
He'd never understood characters in novels who made such sadistic demands of others.
What was so great about it? What fun was there in tormenting someone like that?
But now he got it. It wasn't the act itself. It was the omnipotence of arbitrarily dominating another human—someone with the same emotions, thoughts, and intact sense of self—with mere words.
That was the essence.
"Fucking idiot. You actually did it? No pride at all? If it were me, I'd bite my tongue and die before groveling like that!"
For the first time, this unfamiliar satisfaction energized him, and he taunted her gleefully. Each jab twisted Kali's face further in agony.
"Hey, ease up that face. Smile. Smile."
But he wouldn't even allow her a scowl. When she forced a grin, his own smile deepened.
"Come here. Don't walk. Crawl on all fours."
She probably couldn't walk properly anyway.
As instructed, Kali crawled toward him slowly—on all fours, just like a dog.
Finally reaching him, she collapsed. Ahn Su-ho pressed the sword in his hand against her calf.
"Kyaaak?!"
"Beg. Apologize for what you did wrong."
"Kuh... kuhuk! Uh, ugh...!"
Kali ground her teeth.
Humiliating.
Degrading.
She wanted to leap up and rip that smug face apart. But she couldn't. It'd mean death.
"S-sorry..."
In the end, she bowed her head and recited apologies as ordered.
"S-sorry for kidnapping Kang Haneul. Sorry for running my mouth so arrogantly. S-sorry for daring to attack you without knowing anything..."
The formal apologies devolved into gibberish, soon repeating "sorry" like a broken machine.
Kali trembled like a leaf. Every nerve focused on the cold blade in her calf.
A sudden thought struck her.
What if he pulls it out and I die?
What if he tires of tormenting me and yanks it free?
So she apologized and apologized. Until his next command, begging to fully sate his sadism.
"That's enough. I can really feel the sincerity now. Next up..."
What to make her do? He stared silently at her cowering form, her feet in view.
Yeah.
"Hey."
"Y-yes!"
Her speech had shifted to polite honorifics. Satisfied, Ahn Su-ho lifted his foot slightly.
"Lick."
"...!"
Kali looked up, incredulous. Even broken pride couldn't stomach licking an enemy's foot.
"What, can't?"
His icy words snapped her pride again.
"Ugh...! Kuhuk...!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks. The old Ahn Su-ho might have pitied her. But now, it only fueled his sadism.
"I'm asking. Can't you?"
"...I-I can."
She bowed again, inching forward to press her lips to his instep.
"Did I say just press your lips?"
He couldn't feel if she was licking or not through his shoe. He guessed anyway—and hit the mark by chance.
Caught off-guard, Kali flinched. She squeezed her eyes shut, parted her lips, and slowly licked his instep with her pink tongue.
As she performed this undetectable service, Ahn Su-ho lifted his foot to her chin, forcing eye contact.
"... ."
Her expression was priceless—at least to him.
Rage, shame, despair, embarrassment, and sorrow blended perfectly, diluting his own anger and killing intent.
But then.
-Drip.
A trickle of nosebleed from his own nose made him stomp her head down hastily.
"Kehuk!"
Kali groaned. But his focus was elsewhere. He wiped the blood from his nose with his hand.
From the earlier wound? Or the talisman's backlash?
Unclear, but that single drop snapped him back to reality.
...What the hell am I doing?
Was this the time? He needed to get Kang Haneul to a hospital ASAP. And he wasn't unscathed—his wounds were frozen temporarily, but untreated, they could kill.
Yet here he was, arrogantly toying with the enemy.
Regaining reason, he looked down at the trembling Kali.
Capture her alive?
But who handles cleanup? Min Chae-ryeong? Stephanie was already with her for intel. Handing Kali over could yield info via interrogation.
"... ."
Too risky, though—not logistics, but her ability.
Copy power.
As he recalled, Kali copied abilities by touch. No limit on uses, but only one at a time. She'd blindly copied his Black Smoke and lost badly.
But defeat didn't erase its cheat-like nature. In Min Chae-ryeong's hands, she'd exploit it at 120% efficiency.
Would that benefit him—or harm?
No dilemma. It'd just be trouble.
Kill her.
No choice. Couldn't hand her to police either—just kill.
Since bonding deeply with Ji Ye-won and Kang Haneul, he no longer saw this world as a mere novel, its people as characters. To him, they were all real humans now—Ji Ye-won, Kang Haneul, even Kali groveling before him.
But killing someone who'd tried to kill him was different. No resistance there.
-Swish.
Gripping the hilt, Kali flinched.
That moment.
"Hey, bro. You're a real jerk."
A mysterious voice from the woods made him kick off the ground.
-Whoosh!
Drawing his sword, he dashed to Kang Haneul, lifting her with one arm while aiming the blade toward the voice.
"You...!"
His face twisted in shock.
"Seriously! If you hit the distress signal, stay put! How am I supposed to find you deep in these mountains? Signal barely works here—you have no idea the hassle!"
Emerging from the trees was a petite girl, out of place here.
Maybe ten years old. Black twintails framed an innocent face radiating eerie intellect. She sucked on a lollipop with a black stick—unusual.
He'd never seen her. But her traits gave it away easily.
"...Na Eun-ju?"
"Huh?"
Na Ju-yong's daughter, the lab director behind Kang Haneul's kidnapping. Na Eun-ju.
That was the girl's identity.
"Weird. How'd you know my name?"
"... ."
"Hey, bro, what's your name?"
Ahn Su-ho stayed silent. He knew he mustn't answer.
Say it, and I'm mind-controlled.
She was a superhuman like him. Her power: mental manipulation, the pinnacle of mind abilities in fiction.
Normally, just light suggestions or nudges—nothing special. But consuming her lollipop enhancer supercharged it artificially.
Output surged dozens of times.
Enough to fully dominate one mind.
"Bro? Name?"
Two weaknesses: massive bodily strain from the enhancer. And needing the target's exact name.
The second was key here.
Don't say my name, and I'm safe. She's a superhuman, but physically weak.
So he thought—until Na Eun-ju grinned at his wary gaze.
"Heehee. You don't have to say it. I already know. You're Ahn Su-ho, right?"
"!!"
"Dad showed me your pic and name! Said to watch out for you—memorize the face!"
She pointed at him energetically.
Oh shit!
Recognizing the gesture, he flinched.
But.
"...Huh?"
Na Eun-ju tilted her head at her finger. Ahn Su-ho was equally baffled.
"Why isn't it working? Ugh! Agh! Aaaagh!"
She strained cutely, but his mind remained unchanged.
The reason: her power's condition.
It required the target's true name—not legal, but the mental symbol of self-identity.
Most define themselves by their name. Ahn Su-ho did too.
But unlike most...
"What? Why not?! Your name isn't Ahn Su-ho?"
He wasn't ordinary—he was a possessor. He had his original name from his old world. He wouldn't define himself as 'Ahn Su-ho'.
"Ha. Haha..."
Unaware of this, he sighed in relief at her power failing.
Get out now. No guarantee she's alone. Lingering risks reinforcements—hard to escape then.
Carrying Kang Haneul, he backed away slowly. Killing her crossed his mind, but murdering a child, even an enemy, felt wrong.
"Tch. Whatever the issue, oh well."
But in hindsight...
he should've killed Na Eun-ju on the spot. At least subdued her.
"Guess not bro—sis it is!"
"Sis?"
Ahn Su-ho whipped toward Kali. She was still slumped, nursing wounds.
"...Ah."
A soft gasp escaped from his arms.
"Huh?"
He looked down. Kang Haneul stared up, eyes open.
Her hair dyed clear sky-blue.
"Haneul. How..."
"Oppa."
Gazing up anxiously, she urged.
"Get away... from me."
"What?"
Unease flooded him.
-Crack!
Her fist slammed mercilessly into his chest.
"Kuhk?!"
He recoiled in pain, looking up in dismay. Kang Haneul stood steadily now, staring shocked at her fist.
"Oppa..."
Her voice quivered.
She clutched her arm, trembling. Tears welled in eyes flashing red like warning lights.
She resisted the unknown sensation dominating her body. But resistance waned over time. Submission was inevitable.
Why did Na Eun-ju's power fail him but work on Kang Haneul? Simple: his original name wasn't Ahn Su-ho; hers was Kang Haneul in both worlds. A coincidental match.
That tiny coincidence birthed tragedy.
-Drip.
Her desperate resistance broke. Her body slumped like a puppet with cut strings.
"Kang Haneul!"
No response to his cry. Then her body moved, assuming a clear battle stance.
"Damn it all..."
Ahn Su-ho muttered inwardly.
You bastard Pleasure Heavenly Demon.
This is too much, even for you.
Swallowing bitter resentment, he bowed his head in anguish.
Indifferent to his pain.
-Taat!
Kang Haneul kicked off, charging like an arrow.