Chapter 184: The Downfall of Golden Lion
Chapter 184: The Downfall of Golden Lion
“It’s been a while, User Kim Soohyun-ssi.”
“……”
“I heard you recently founded a new clan. Congratulations.”
Yoo Hyuna spoke to me in a composed voice. But seeing as she’d fixed her expression on the way over, it was clear she was forcing her composure. I had no idea what scraps she thought she could pick up by crawling in here, but her congratulations stirred nothing in me.
“We founded the clan around noon today. Your information is impressively fast.”
“Should I take that as a compliment?”
“That depends on how you choose to hear it.”
“Because to my ears, it sounded like sarcasm. You make it sound as if I’ve been deliberately digging into your affairs.”
“There’s a saying: a guilty conscience needs no accuser. I’m just glad to see you don’t have a hearing problem.”
My blunt, harsh retort made Yoo Hyuna’s expression twist. At the same time, the faces of the two people standing behind her changed as well. I’d seen Cha Seunghyun before, and when I glanced to the side, I saw a woman watching me with great interest.
Unusually, her hair and eyes weren’t black. Her deep red hair was tied back tightly, revealing the slim line of her face. Beneath her double eyelids, violet eyes looked down at me with a strange gaze. Seeing the thick robe she wore, I knew she had to be the “Madwoman,” Ban Dahee.
She soon turned her head slightly toward Cha Seunghyun, giggled, and opened her mouth.
“Brother~? Is that the bastard Unni was talking about? What did he just say? What a complete asshole.”
“Ban Dahee. Shut your mouth.”
Cha Seunghyun immediately warned her, but the words were already out. Moreover, she had deliberately raised her voice as if to make sure I heard, and my clan members’ expressions instantly hardened. As the atmosphere grew tense right from the start, Yoo Hyuna finally turned around with a flustered look. But Ban Dahee just shrugged once and snorted with a sneer.
“Whew. There’s something I’d like to discuss for a moment.”
“I have no desire to hear it.”
“Please, just give me a moment. I just received some extremely urgent news.”
“Urgent news?”
The words “urgent news” made my eyes fly open. Could it be about the Steel Mountains expedition? Without a second thought, I settled back into the chair I was about to get out of and stared intently at Yoo Hyuna’s face. She cautiously studied my reaction, then opened her mouth, her voice trembling slightly.
“A communication just came in about the Steel Mountains expedition.”
“Hm. Congratulations. It seems the expedition ended earlier than expected. I suppose Mule can finally move beyond being a pioneer city.”
“……”
I watched Yoo Hyuna’s reaction as I spoke words I didn’t mean. As expected, she just fidgeted with her pale pink lips. While I was at it, I decided to press my advantage.
“Even so, I must refuse the Mercenary Clan’s offer to join Beech Tree. We have our own goals, and they cannot be achieved in Mule.”
“W-wait a moment. That’s not what I meant.”
“Oh? I’m quite sure you guaranteed its success last time.”
“I think you’ve misunderstood. Ah, no, I misspoke. The Steel Mountains expedition… it failed.”
Just as I thought. The moment they entered the Steel Mountains, all communication would have been cut off by a powerful magic wave. The fact that a message got through meant that a few lucky Users had managed to escape the mountains by now. And a magic User capable of communication magic must have sent out a request for rescue.
“That’s truly unfortunate.”
“Y-yes. It was an emergency report, so I don’t know the full details, but…”
“Ah, I see. So, what is your reason for telling us this information?”
At my question, Yoo Hyuna bit her lip, at a loss for words. Of course she was. She had boasted that once the Steel Mountains expedition succeeded, Mule would finally have some breathing room, but the reality was the exact opposite. Far from having any leeway, they were now in a situation where they couldn't see an inch ahead. Besides, I had already made it clear we would be leaving even if they had succeeded, so her excuses would sound even more pathetic.
“If you have nothing else to say, we’ll be on our way. We’re a bit busy. Ahn Hyun, Ahn Sol, Lee Yoojung. Grab one bag each. The other clan members can divide what’s left.”
“Y-yes, Hyung.”
“Okay. Yes.”
The kids glanced back and forth between me and Yoo Hyuna but quickly got to their feet. Watching the scene, I could see Yoo Hyuna bite her lip even harder. Just as I was about to stand up myself, watching the kids slowly walk toward the luggage…
“Hey, you three~. Stop~!”
Ban Dahee, who had been watching with her arms crossed, stepped forward.
“Grab the bags. Don’t dawdle.”
I urged them on in a stern voice. After a brief hesitation, the kids nodded with reluctant faces.
“Hmph~. So full of hot air. Acting like he’s someone important. Just a piddling Year 0 User.”
As they started moving again, Ban Dahee, who was watching, let out a deep sigh. Then, she uncrossed her arms and stretched both hands out in front of her. A reddish orb of light began to gather in her palms. And before Yoo Hyuna and Cha Seunghyun could even stop her, she smiled brightly and let out a cloying voice.
“Oppa~. Unni~. Too late~!”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The moment Ban Dahee slammed her arms down, a powerful shockwave shot across the inn floor with a deafening roar. The shockwave cut a precise path between the kids and the luggage, and soon we could see the floorboards, which were now so deeply gouged that a hole was visible. She burst out laughing as she looked at the splintered and shattered pieces of wood.
“Ban Dahee! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“You promised you’d stay quiet…”
“Hahaha! Unni, you’re being so frustrating. And his attitude was pissing me off. Ahhh, that felt good! Oh. I feel a little bad for the innkeeper, though. Hehe.”
After a stunt like this, even a representative clan would have nothing to say. I glanced at my waist and saw Formless Sword and the Sun and Moon Divine Sword neatly tucked inside the Glory of the Sun. As I was debating which to use, I sensed someone rising to their feet. I turned my gaze and saw Ko Yeonju, a subtle smile on her face as she wiggled her fingers.
“And I happen to be the innkeeper.”
“Oh? You’re the innkeeper? Come to think of it, weren’t you called Ko Yeonju, the Shadow Queen of the Ten Strong? Perfect. I’ve been wanting to have a go with you. By the way, Shadow Queen-ssi, I have a question. Do the Ten Strong run inns these days? Is it that hard to make a living? Ahahaha!”
“Hoho. You really are a madwoman, aren’t you?”
“Yup! How’d you know? My nickname is ‘Madwoman.’ I’ll own it, I’ll own it!”
Ban Dahee giggled, continuing to provoke Ko Yeonju. Yoo Hyuna had her face in her hands, and Cha Seunghyun was trying to restrain her, not knowing what else to do. In a way, Ban Dahee had a personality similar to Lee Yoojung in the early days. The difference was that Lee Yoojung’s personality had gradually changed under my control, whereas in Ban Dahee’s case, Yoo Hyuna had failed to control her. That’s why she was running wild like this.
Thinking this was a good opportunity, I quickly activated Third Eye. Since she would later claim a spot among the Ten Strong, I was quite curious about her current stats.
Player Status
1. Name: Ban Dahee (Year 3 User)
2. Class: Warrior (Normal, Warrior, Expert)
3. Nation: Barbara
4. Clan: Beech Tree
5. True Name · Nationality: The Mentally Unstable, One with a Disturbed Mind · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Female (22)
7. Height · Weight: 167.2cm · 54.2kg
8. Alignment: Barbarism · Desire
Stats
1. [Strength 94] [Durability 87] [Agility 81] [Stamina 88] [Magic Power 79] [Luck 53]
Stat Comparison
1. Kim Soohyun: 544 / 600~
(12 stat points remaining.)
[Strength 96(+2)] [Durability 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 72] [Magic Power 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
2. Ko Yeonju: 536 / 600~
(No stat points remaining.)
[Strength 89] [Durability 90] [Agility 97] [Stamina 85] [Magic Power 93] [Luck 82]
3. Ban Dahee: 484 / 600~
[Strength 94] [Durability 87] [Agility 81] [Stamina 88] [Magic Power 79] [Luck 55]
Look at her. Of course, her stats were nothing compared to the Ten Strong. But considering she would later hold a position among them alongside Cha Seunghyun, it meant she still had room to grow. Based on her stats alone, she was qualified to be an executive in a large clan. I was inwardly a little impressed.
The atmosphere had grown chillingly quiet. Ko Yeonju reached for her thigh and produced a single, silver-shining dagger. Seeing this, Ban Dahee grinned and took a stance. It was a touch-and-go situation. But…
“Phew.”
Ko Yeonju soon let out a light sigh and lowered the hand holding the dagger. Ban Dahee, who had been licking her lips with an excited expression, pouted as if the fun had been spoiled. Then she clicked her tongue and spoke in a disappointed voice.
“What the~. Don’t tell me one of the Ten Strong is tucking her tail between her legs? Wow. What a letdown…”
It was then. While Ban Dahee was shaking her head and talking, an ink-black shadow swiftly swept across her face.
Smack!
“Wha…?!”
With the crisp sound of a slap, Ban Dahee’s head snapped violently to the right. Yoo Hyuna, Cha Seunghyun, and even my companions, who had just been watching, all stared at her with shocked faces. No one had moved, yet Ban Dahee’s head had turned on its own. And with the sound of a slap, no less. I watched Ko Yeonju with a relaxed expression. She was still standing at a distance from Ban Dahee, her hands lowered. Of course, that was only how it appeared on the surface.
Smack!
“Ack!”
Once again, the crisp sound echoed, and this time, Ban Dahee’s head snapped sharply to the left. She tried to regain her footing with a furious expression, but Ko Yeonju’s shadow slaps weren’t finished.
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Each time the inky shadow grazed her cheek, a satisfying slapping sound rang out as Ban Dahee’s head was thrown about mercilessly. The blows were so powerful that eventually, not just her face but her entire body was being dragged around.
But Ko Yeonju didn’t let her collapse. Forcibly keeping Ban Dahee balanced, she delivered a relentless, continuous stream of slaps. She looked like she was getting pummeled by a Dempsey Roll.
“This fucking bitch…”
After being thoroughly beaten for a while, Ban Dahee staggered back a few steps as Ko Yeonju stopped her shadow play. Red handprints covered both of her cheeks. Her face was filled with rage, so much so that her eyes blazed with the intent to tear her opponent to shreds.
“Ptui. I’m going to fucking kill you.”
“Ban Dahee! Stop it!”
“Get out of my way!”
Cha Seunghyun tried to stop her from the side, but before he could even get close, Ban Dahee lunged forward. Closing the distance in an instant with the agility of a fierce tiger, she threw a punch at Ko Yeonju with all her might.
CRASH! CRUNCH!
A harsh noise echoed through the first floor of the inn. Where Ban Dahee had thrown her punch, there was only a large, shattered crater in the unfortunate inn floor. Realizing she had missed her target, she growled in a furious voice and whipped her head around.
“What the fuck? Where’d she go?”
“I’m right here.”
The Shadow Queen had already moved to stand right beside Ban Dahee. Hearing her voice, Ban Dahee quickly turned, but Ko Yeonju was already fully prepared to crush her. In a motion like a rhythmic gymnast, she stretched her right leg straight up toward the sky. Through the gap between her opened legs, her light-blue underwear… No. Anyway, Ko Yeonju gave a faint smile to Ban Dahee, who was staring up at her with a dazed look.
And then, she brought her leg straight down on Ban Dahee’s head.
WHAM!
“Gack!”
As a brief aside, the entire exchange between Ko Yeonju and Ban Dahee took less than four seconds. As the dust kicked up by the fierce impact settled, Ban Dahee could be seen with her head slammed into the floor. Ko Yeonju’s heel was planted demurely on the back of her head.
From that position, Ko Yeonju wiggled her foot slightly, tapping her on the head.
“This is for recklessly damaging my inn.”
“U-User Ko Yeonju!”
“This is for speaking to me so rudely.”
Yoo Hyuna’s urgent voice could be heard, but Ko Yeonju paid her no mind and continued to play with her heel. Oh, that one was a little stronger. As her foot moved, Ban Dahee’s head bounced back and forth like a spring with a thud. She was sprawled out on the floor, looking like a dead frog. From the occasional twitching, it seemed she was still alive.
“And this is…”
This time, Ko Yeonju glanced at me and winked. I shrugged back as if to say, do as you please.
Once again, Ko Yeonju’s foot shot high into the air. Ban Dahee’s face twitched as she barely managed to lift her head. But just as she raised it, Ko Yeonju brought her raised leg down as if to split the heavens.
SLAM!
“For speaking so rudely to our Soohyun-ssi~.”
The head she had just managed to lift was slammed back down with a powerful impact. Only then did Ko Yeonju smile sweetly, a deep grin spreading across her lips as she looked down. I followed her gaze and saw Ban Dahee’s limbs trembling uncontrollably.