Why So Many Questions?
"I'll take you bastards to hell with me today!"
Realizing there was no escape, the woman lunged at a nearby adventurer, colliding with him with all her might. However, she was already severely weakened, her body covered in a patchwork of wounds. When the other adventurers struck back, she couldn't hold out for long and collapsed onto the hard ground.
A look of surprise crossed Bukjin’s face. The tall woman who had burst out of the building was none other than Mu-hong, the female swordsman from the Fire Rose Adventurer Team.
Wait, weren't all the women from the Fire Rose team sold off? Why is Mu-hong here? Is it because she’s too tall and muscular to be profitable?
Intrigued, Bukjin turned and approached the building.
"Stop right there! Who are you?"
A sinister-looking adventurer guarding the entrance reached out to block Bukjin’s path. He scanned Bukjin from head to toe before speaking.
"You can't enter the Beast Garden without paying. It’s one silver coin per entry. Pay up."
"Money my foot!"
Bukjin raised his hand and delivered a stinging slap to both of the adventurer's cheeks.
"Who’s causing a ruckus?!"
"Bring that brat to me!"
The other adventurers nearby shouted in anger. A few of the men who had been pinning Mu-hong down drew their swords and charged at Bukjin with ferocious roars.
Bukjin didn't retreat or advance. Instead, he reached into his robes, pulled out the Command Token of the Fourth Leader, Mandok-nojo, and spoke in a chilling voice.
"I am a disciple of Mandok-nojo. How dare you act so insolently in my presence!"
The token was something Bukjin had looted from Mandok-nojo’s corpse. The Alliance of Evil Adventurers was a loosely structured organization—a fact Bukjin had realized early on. The very name 'Alliance' hinted at it. Each of the leaders possessed their own unique token, and the authority those tokens carried was immense.
The adventurers charging at Bukjin skidded to a halt, their faces pale with shock.
"What just happened here?" Bukjin asked, glaring at them with an arrogant sneer.
His words carried a heavy weight of implied threat. One scrawny adventurer hesitated before answering.
"A lowly wench tried to escape from the Beast Garden..."
Slap!
Bukjin stepped forward and struck the man's cheek so hard his head whipped to the side. Bukjin shouted in a voice thick with feigned rage.
"Do you think I'm blind?! I saw that much with my own eyes! Isn't that woman from the Fire Rose? Why hasn't she been sold yet?"
Teeth rattled and fell from the mouth of the adventurer who had been slapped. Another man standing beside him quickly stepped in to explain.
"That woman... she’s built like a giant bear. She doesn't feel like a woman at all. None of the customers would pick her, so she was left behind. Eventually, she was sent here to the Beast Garden. Today was supposed to be her debut match. Who could have known she’d tear two Ice Wolves apart with her bare hands and try to bolt..."
"I need to see this woman for myself," Bukjin declared.
The adventurers didn't dare to resist. They hurried to lead Bukjin inside the Beast Garden. The place was reminiscent of the Roman Colosseum Bukjin had seen in movies back on Earth, though on a much smaller scale. It was about sixty feet in diameter, surrounded by walls twelve feet high. The spectator seats were arranged in tiers, and four gates lined the arena floor.
The gates were sealed with iron bars, behind which various beasts waited in the shadows.
"Hahaha! Shackle that bitch and throw her back into the pit!"
A cruel laugh echoed from atop the western wall. Bukjin looked up to see a massive man with thick, coarse hair covering his body sitting in a large, ornate chair. He clearly held a position of high authority. He wore a unique set of green armor, and his face was etched with cruelty and violence.
Following his command, a subordinate pinned Mu-hong down and snapped shackles around her ankles. With those weights dragging her down, no matter how great her Lightfoot technique was, escape was now impossible.
"Come on, everyone! Place your bets! Bet on how long this vulgar wench can last!"
An incredibly obese adventurer banged a gong and shouted at the top of his lungs. The Beast Garden wasn't just for spectating; it was a thriving gambling den. Operating these arenas was one of the primary sources of income for the Fifth Leader.
Bukjin’s eyes fell upon the corpses scattered haphazardly across the arena floor. They were drenched in blood, many of them torn limb from limb. It was obvious at a glance that these weren't the bodies of evil adventurers. They were innocent people who had been captured and dragged here.
Thud!
Mu-hong was tossed back into the arena.
"Give that lowly wench a companion to die with! Hahaha!"
The giant in the green armor sneered. A small boy, appearing to be no more than eight years old, was dragged out of a small wooden cage. He was scrawny with sun-darkened skin, and he too was thrown into the pit.
Bukjin noticed a row of wooden cages beside the man in green armor, all filled with people who looked like slaves.
"N-no! Please let me go! My grandfather is blind! He’s waiting for me to bring him medicine! If I’m not there, he’ll... please... sirs, please let me go!"
The boy’s face was smeared with blood from the fall. He scrambled to his feet and pleaded desperately. His family was destitute, and they had no money for medicine. To save his blind grandfather, the boy had squeezed out every ounce of courage to join an adventurer group and enter Bukhwang Mountain to find herbs. But half of his group had been killed or captured, and he had ended up here.
No matter how much the boy begged, the evil adventurers showed not a shred of sympathy. Instead, they laughed harder, urging the start of the match against the beasts.
Mu-hong, her feet shackled, limped over to the boy and pulled him close.
"Stay behind me," she said firmly.
Her entire body was a map of scars and fresh wounds from her previous struggle. Deep gashes from Ice Wolf claws marred her thighs and waist. Even with her strength nearly depleted, she was determined to protect the child.
Creak!
The iron gate to the west slowly ground upward.
Awoooo!
The chilling howls of Ice Wolves filled the air. Four hungry wolves lunged into the arena with lightning speed, charging straight for Mu-hong. With a look of grim fury, Mu-hong crouched low, bracing herself to face the pack.
Right then.
Whish! Whish! Whish! Whish!
Four streaks of silver light flashed through the air. The four Ice Wolves let out pathetic whimpers and collapsed, their limbs twitching for a moment before they went still. They were dead instantly.
It was a scene no one had expected.
"Who is it?!"
The hairy giant in green armor bolted upright, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
"What kind of mongrel dares to interfere with my arena?! You must have a death wish!"
Bukjin was slowly lowering his arm. Naturally, he was the one who had struck. Although he had been tricked once by So-ryeong of the Fire Rose, this was no trap. Seeing Mu-hong risk her life to protect the boy had moved him.
Someone with that kind of character deserves to be saved.
Bukjin’s figure blurred, and he reappeared inside the arena. He held up Mandok-nojo’s token and shouted at the giant in green armor.
"I bring word from my master, Mandok-nojo! He requires this woman named Mu-hong as a test subject. I am to bring her to the Cave of Ten Thousand Poisons immediately!"
"The Fourth Brother's man?"
Boom!
The giant in green armor leaped from his seat and landed in the arena. The ground shook as if a massive iron tower had fallen.
"The Fourth Brother didn't say a word about this during the last Leaders' Meeting," the giant growled, glaring at Bukjin.
Fourth Brother? Is this oversized oaf a Leader too?
Bukjin had only intended to find out what happened to Mu-hong; he hadn't expected to run into one of the actual Leaders of the alliance here.
"It’s because the academy teacher he was using for experiments died. The first trial failed, and he needs new materials. This woman’s body is quite resilient, so Master ordered her brought in," Bukjin replied smoothly.
He thought his lie was quite logical. However, the giant let out a cold sneer.
"Since when did the Fourth Brother have an expert like you in the Cave of Ten Thousand Poisons? And with such incredible skill in hidden weapons?"
Bukjin thought for a moment before answering, "I am a newly initiated disciple."
The giant’s sneer deepened. "Whenever the Fourth Brother takes a disciple, he holds an initiation ceremony and makes a formal announcement. I haven't heard a peep about him taking anyone lately. Tell me... who the hell are you?"
Bukjin was starting to find the explanations tedious.
"Why do you have so many questions?"
The giant looked taken aback.
"You talk too much for someone about to die," Bukjin added.
The enraged giant prepared to strike, but suddenly, the strength drained from his limbs. His Hyeongi refused to obey his will. A numbing ache spread through his joints, as if he had suddenly been struck by a terminal illness.
A potent neurotoxin that paralyzes the joints and disrupts the flow of Mystic Energy.
"Three Smiles of Heavenly Fragrance...? You...!"
The giant was as shocked as he was furious. Bukjin immediately summoned the Doran Sword and slashed at him. Realizing he could no longer hide his identity, Bukjin shed his disguise and began to act with bold decisiveness.
With his arms and legs failing him, the giant couldn't dodge Bukjin’s blade. But then, the green armor he wore vibrated violently, transforming into a bolt of green lightning that shot toward Bukjin.
Sshhhk!
Bukjin’s sword light split the green lightning in two. However, the severed lightning surged forward again with renewed ferocity, sinking its teeth into Bukjin’s left shoulder.