Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Faction Currents (1)
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A wound on her face? What are you talking about?
I set down my spoon and stood up.
"They're downstairs?"
"Yes, sir."
As I headed for the boarding house door, Su-hyun followed.
Seeing Su-hyun come along, Ye-eun and So-eun set down their spoons and stood as well.
Then the new bride auntie and Hoon-i ajusshi came bustling after them.
Even Grandmother got up, looking like something was wrong.
...Why is everyone coming?
...Just eat your meal.
I opened the door and stepped out, spotting people from the inline skating club beyond the stone wall.
Three... women?
Where did all the men go?
I went down the stairs and opened the front gate.
There stood the inline skating club leader, Jeong Eun-seo, with two other women.
One side of Jeong Eun-seo's cheek was flushed red, and in the center was a stamped-in wound beading with blood.
...What could cause a mark like that?
"What happened?"
I asked.
Jeong Eun-seo spoke up.
"Oh, Seong-hun. Hello."
She greeted me, but her face was urgent.
"Um, could you help us out? Three of our guys are being held right now in front of the mart."
...Did I hear that wrong?
Held?
"What do you mean? Who's holding them, and why?"
One of the women behind Jeong Eun-seo spoke.
"People are freaking out that there's no food left at the mart. They're demanding we hand over what we've hidden, and some auntie slapped Eun-seo unnie."
An auntie?
...Ah.
A ring.
She got backhanded with a ringed hand, bruising her cheekbone.
That's where the blood came from.
People rioting because the mart's empty.
Su-hyun, listening in, huffed angrily.
"Hey, if the mart's empty, it's empty. Why hit people over it? And why are the men being held there?"
Jeong Eun-seo explained.
"They're asking where we live, demanding we tell them quick. People surrounded us and tried to grab us. They think we've hoarded food for ourselves before anyone else. So the guys blocked them off, and we ran here."
One of the women behind her said desperately.
"Please help us. I heard the sounds of them getting beaten. Save my boyfriend, please."
......What a headache.
The three women from the inline club looked desperate just from their faces.
I glanced to the side.
The boarding house folks' expressions weren't good either.
...This is driving me nuts.
I let out a deep sigh and turned.
"Wait here. I'll grab my sword."
I went up to the rooftop room, strapped on my lifting belt with two swords, and came back down. Grandmother patted my shoulder.
"Aigoo, young man. They said there're a ton of people there. What are you gonna do going alone? Huh? Just stay put."
I chuckled.
"Don't worry."
I looked at Su-hyun and the other women.
"Stay home. I'll be right back."
I patted Hoon-i ajusshi's shoulder.
Ajusshi, you're coming.
Hoon-i ajusshi hesitated with a tense face, then followed behind me.
"Let's go."
The inline women brightened up at my words.
They'd all seen what I did to the human beasts at the mart.
Same for Hoon-i ajusshi.
That's probably why he stepped up to follow me, and the women looked relieved.
But...
...I went on an early morning raid and just got back, so I've only got one Acceleration use left, damn it.
At the end of the raid, my Mental Power was at 2.
After washing up, eating, and all that, it's up to 5 now, but one use? What am I supposed to do with that?
...No.
These are humans I'm dealing with.
Not human beasts.
If I swiftly lop off a few heads, they'll flinch and get scared.
...Tch.
I've butchered so many human beasts that my mind jumps straight there.
I'll see when I get there.
If heads need lopping, they'll get lopped.
As we walked down the alley, footsteps and the rumble of inline skates thudded behind us.
I glanced back and asked.
"Why have people suddenly turned so violent? Your women said the vibe was good until yesterday."
Jeong Eun-seo sighed with an awkward look.
"Some greedy folks must've gone overboard. The meat's gone, veggies are out, and stuff like ramen and toilet paper got swept up ages ago. Things boiled over last night."
One of the women behind her said.
"Latecomers were lamenting why the mart was empty. Then they started begging people nearby, and eventually got mad. We went for relief supplies at dawn and saw the mart bare, so we heard that's what happened."
Hmm.
We did haul back the most.
We've got enough for seven—eight with the baby—for two or three months easy. Baby's still nursing.
"And?"
Jeong Eun-seo said.
"We were stumped too, but from their view, we're the ones who brought ramen and shared it. So they grabbed us, asking if we had more left, begging us to share..."
Another woman sighed.
"Like saying that to us does anything. We were busy grabbing from the mart to share and clearing bodies—no time to stock for ourselves."
The woman beside her added.
"Around sunrise, people started gathering, asking why the mart was empty... They bickered among themselves about who took more first, demanding shares, and it all focused on us. They figured since we shared food, we must have more stashed."
...Jeez...
Tch.
I clicked my tongue.
"So people swarmed you, the men blocked them, and you came to us?"
"Yes, exactly."
I nodded.
"Let's hurry. Can't leave them getting beat."
"Thank you. So grateful."
Tch...
I don't have any duty or reason to save these people.
I cleared the mart while leveling up for our boarding house folks anyway. Honestly, from my view, who takes what doesn't matter much.
I can just Acceleration into any store, stab heads, and grab fridge stuff.
But these people are different from me.
Purely, kindly, altruistically, they gave food to shut-ins and led them outside for sunlight.
Gathering and burning fifty-plus bodies with six people? Sounds simple, but it's no small task.
Weight alone's over 2.5 tons.
They must've been wiped out.
If it was just for themselves, no need to clear bodies that much, share with others, or anything—just split with our house and chill.
Yet they did it for others, and this is the result.
Damn, seriously.
It just pisses me off.
I don't know what I'll do to those people, but I gotta see their faces.
Passing the parking lot, the squid shop came into view.
And there—three men sprawled out.
The inline guys.
...They really got the shit beaten out of them.
"Tae-young!"
"Oppa!"
The inline women rushed over with clattering skates and hugged the men.
Some even cried.
I looked around.
...One exhausted-looking old lady huddled in the corner?
I approached her.
"Where'd everyone go? Weren't they gathered here?"
The old lady looked up at me with a drained face.
Not drained.
I know that look.
She's seen a group beat men like dogs right in front of her.
Mild shock.
The old lady said.
"...The milk depot or whatever... they all went there."
...Tch.
They swarmed to the depot thinking there might be something.
Once they see it's nothing, back to the mart.
I turned to the women and Hoon-i ajusshi.
"Take these guys to the boarding house first. Put them in the rooftop room—plenty of meds I stashed there. Treat them up."
"Y-yes, s-sir."
Hoon-i ajusshi, Jeong Eun-seo, and the women sniffled as they helped the men up.
The men's faces were...
Couldn't even open their eyes properly.
They got absolutely demolished.
"Tch."
Jeong Eun-seo ground her teeth.
"How could they do this? How?!"
"Unnie, let's go first. Okay?"
At the other woman's urging, Jeong Eun-seo squeezed her eyes shut, supported the men's shoulders, and stood.
Men's skates were smashed too.
The women gathered up the busted wheels and such, supporting the men as they walked.
"We'll head out."
I nodded and waved.
Then to the old lady.
"...Why are you still here, ajumma?"
She blinked, then drew a breath.
"Aigoo... I'm done for... now... just..."
She got up shakily.
"My kids... all down in the provinces... kimchi must be gone by now..."
She took a few steps, then bent over.
Urk, ugh—she puked her guts out.
......This is insane.
I grabbed my waist and looked up at the sky.
Sighed.
Went to the old lady and gripped her arm.
"...Let's go."
Leave her, she'll off herself.
Maybe not, but gut feeling.
"...Huh? Where... I need to go home..."
"I know, so come on."
I dragged her by the arm.
No resistance left—she staggered after me soon enough.
...Cold world.
Those humans raiding the milk depot definitely saw this old lady zoning out, collapsed.
Left her anyway.
Don't care if she dies or suicides next to them.
In extreme spots, people prioritize self-preservation first. Human nature, I get it.
But...
...I'm starting to get pissed...
Irritation bubbling up...