Chapter 315: Game
Chapter 315: Game
We were walking along a path when a cool breeze suddenly tickled the tip of my nose. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, the refreshing air flooding my senses like a rising tide. It was a cold, gentle wind that cleared my stuffy chest and sent a chill straight to my bones.
When I opened my eyes again, a vast, endless plain stretched out before me. I could see grass grown long enough to reach my knees and sloped hills rising here and there. It was hard to say the land had been touched by human hands, but traces of passage remained scattered about.
“I think we’re about halfway there, don’t you?”
“We’re more than halfway.”
“Are we? In any case, we’ll have to change direction today or tomorrow… It’s a bit tricky. Soohyun, what’s the plan?”
I stopped walking and turned halfway around. Ko Yeonju was looking around as if searching for the path before her eyes settled on me. Perhaps it was the morning sun, but her eyes shimmered with a golden light. I glanced at her slightly pursed lips before turning back to the group and speaking.
“We need to check our direction for a moment. Does anyone here have detailed knowledge of this area’s geography?”
“…”
“…We’ll set out again in ten minutes. Keep a close watch on the Vagabonds and take a short break.”
I had asked just in case, but no one knew. They all just stared at me blankly. I’d held out a sliver of hope for the young assassin who first found us, but the moment I announced a break, she immediately pounced on Ahn Sol.
“Hyah, hyah.”
“Ah, huh? D-don’t… Why do you keep bothering me…?”
Then again, the archers hadn’t stepped up, and even Ko Yeonju, who was also an assassin, was unsure. It was probably wishful thinking to expect anything in the first place.
After watching the two play for a moment, I started walking forward again. I could feel Ko Yeonju’s presence following behind me.
We had left the forest where we’d fought the fierce battle with the Vagabonds far behind us. The next area we entered was this plain, the very one we were now crossing. Its only distinguishing feature was its name, the Cloud Plains; otherwise, it was just an unremarkable grassland. Aside from the four battles we’d had with monsters since entering, it had been a dreadfully boring region.
It wasn’t a chaotic tangle of bushes like the forest, but the problem was its sheer size. It was just too vast. On top of that, the terrain was so repetitive that it was difficult to tell where we should turn.
“As for our direction… based on our current path, we plan to turn west.”
“West, you say. So you’re heading to Eden after all?”
“Yes. But I don’t have a good sense of the exact point where we need to turn to reach it.”
“Hoho. So there’s something our Clan Lord doesn’t know?”
Ko Yeonju teased in a mischievous voice. I answered with a soft sigh.
“The first thing I learned when I came to the Hall Plain was the map. But looking at a map and walking the path yourself are two completely different things.”
“I see~. I just thought you were Mr. Know-it-all, since you always handle everything so perfectly on your own.”
“I’m a Year 0 User.”
“Oh my? Not a 10-year? Kekeke.”
Judging by her peals of laughter, it was clearly a joke, but I can’t deny the pang of guilt I felt. I barely managed to maintain a calm expression. I wiggled a finger at Ko Yeonju, a signal for her to come closer. She eagerly leaned in, her eyes wide as she playfully tilted her head from side to side. I flicked her elegant nose with my finger.
“Ouch. Hey, that hurts. You’re so mean.”
“Stop being a baby and quit fooling around.”
“Alright, alright~. You just seemed so frustrated, so I thought I’d play around a bit. Don’t worry too much. We don’t have to get it exactly right before we go. Right?”
“…”
Ko Yeonju was suggesting we just head in the opposite direction and figure out the path as we went. Watching her sit down and pat the ground, I slowly nodded. The Vagabonds’ attack must have made me more anxious than I realized.
Of course, taking the shortest route would be ideal, but when my memory was this hazy, agonizing over it alone was pointless. We might come across a familiar area as we walked, so as Ko Yeonju said, it seemed better to take things a little more slowly.
“How are you feeling? Will you be able to use Eyes of Temptation tonight…?”
I asked, feigning defeat as I sat down next to her. The grass, which had been standing tall, was now completely flattened from her patting.
“Yes. I’m fine. I think I can use it once today as well.”
Ko Yeonju replied without looking at me, her gaze fixed on the spot where the Users were gathered.
After the battle with the Vagabonds, we had managed to capture a total of eleven prisoners. Of those, only nine remained. One had been killed as an example after attempting to escape at dawn, and another had committed suicide. Using Ko Yeonju’s unique ability, Eyes of Temptation, we had been interrogating the remaining nine every night to extract information.
Thanks to that, we had a general idea of the situation, but it was only a fraction of the whole story. I still hadn’t obtained the high-level intelligence I wanted. There was a reason for that: the limitations on Eyes of Temptation.
According to Ko Yeonju, her ability had several restrictions.
First, it could only be used once a day. Second, the probability of success was relatively high when used on a target of the opposite sex. (She mentioned it could be used on the same sex, but unless the target was a lesbian, it almost always failed.) Third, even with the opposite sex, success wasn’t guaranteed; the stronger the target’s mental fortitude, the higher the chance of failure. And finally, the fourth restriction: if the target’s mind was broken, the ability had a very high probability of success, regardless of gender.
The limitations were a bit disappointing in our current situation, but I could understand them when I recalled the time I resisted her Eyes of Temptation. If those restrictions didn’t exist, it would be an absurdly overpowered ability.
In any case, what I wanted was high-level intelligence. Not just scattered bits of information, but secrets known only to the leadership. And among the Vagabonds, the only one who would possess such information was, without a doubt, Baek Seoyeon.
That means I have to break Baek Seoyeon, one way or another…
“Soohyun. Look over there.”
“Hm?”
Lost in thought, I looked up when I felt a sudden tug on my arm. Ko Yeonju still wasn’t looking at me. Her gaze remained fixed on the group of Users, as if she were watching something.
To be precise, she was looking at the Users assigned to guard the Vagabonds. The prisoners’ arms were bound with all sorts of bizarre materials, like torn leather and scraps of cloth. The female Vagabonds were in a slightly better state, at least having been given a piece of cloth or a hood to cover themselves.
It was like looking at slaves. Without exception, all the Vagabonds were on their knees, enduring the humiliation dished out by the Users.
I immediately focused magic into my eyes and ears.
“You said you were thirsty. So I gave you water. Huh? Why aren’t you drinking?”
“…”
“Not enough water? You should’ve said so. Here, I’ll give you more. Ptui!”
“Ghk…!”
The one-armed User spat precisely on the ground in front of the Vagabond’s face. He looked down at the man with a mocking grin, which soon twisted into a vicious scowl.
“Why aren’t you drinking? Are you ignoring my generosity? Lick it up, you bastard!”
The one-armed User then lifted his foot and stomped down hard on the Vagabond’s head. The man’s face was slammed helplessly into the spit-soaked dirt. The surrounding Users cackled as they watched the scene unfold.
“I can sort of understand it, but it’s frightening what people are capable of.”
Ko Yeonju said with a shrug, her voice as casual as ever. I watched the scene a little longer before replying quietly.
“…I agree.”
It wasn’t just the one-armed User. Three female Users had also gathered around Baek Seoyeon and were doing something similar. Two of them were forcibly holding her face and body, while the third was slapping her cheeks relentlessly, spewing curses.
These were the same Users who, until just a short while ago, would tremble at the mere mention of the Vagabonds. But after realizing the Vagabonds had lost their power, and after personally guarding and dragging them along, they seemed to have shed their fear. Now that the fear that had suppressed their resentment was gone, it was only natural for them to unleash their anger.
“Well, as a woman, I can kind of see where they’re coming from. See that priest over there, swinging her hand so enthusiastically?”
“Yes. I see her.”
“I wondered who it was, but it’s the woman who was being raped by the Vagabonds back then. Oh, that last one was a bit hard. Baek Seoyeon’s cheek is bright red, isn’t it?”
“…”
I was about to get up and announce our departure, but I decided to wait a little longer. Things were just getting heated up, so I figured I could pretend not to see. Instead, I watched with a fond heart as Ahn Sol and the young assassin placed headbands made of grass on each other’s heads.
“Oh my! She’s forcing her chin up? Soohyun, are you just going to watch?”
“Just leave them be. It’s not the first time this has happened.”
“But it seems worse than usual today… Someone’s going to die at this rate. And we still have a lot to get out of those girls…”
“Haha. I doubt they’ll kill them. And the intensity will only increase from here. The Users may have lost comrades, friends, family, lovers. Perhaps even their own lives were at stake. Let’s just think of it as them getting what they deserve.”
“Hmph?”
Ko Yeonju narrowed her eyes and finally turned her head toward me. A knowing stare. I instinctively looked away and gazed at a distant mountain. But there was no mountain to be seen.
“Hmmmm?”
Ko Yeonju made a nasal, humming sound and pressed herself against my arm. When I turned my head, I saw her resting her head on my shoulder, rubbing it back and forth slightly.
“What is it? All of a sudden?”
“What do you mean, ‘all of a sudden’? What is it? Tell me.”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t play dumb. You think I haven’t seen you like this before? Stop it and just tell me. You were so fired up during the battle, but ever since you destroyed their magic circuits, you’ve barely touched them. What on earth are you plotting?”
“I’m not plotting anything…”
I deliberately avoided her gaze and feigned ignorance. I could feel something soft and squishy rubbing against my arm, but I remained completely unfazed.
“Really, you’re going to be like this?”
“The time isn’t right yet.”
“The time for what?”
“Hehe. I just need a little more time. Not yet.”
I deliberately gave a roundabout answer and then stood up.
I knew the Vagabonds’ nature. I knew all too well what kind of person Baek Seoyeon was. And my final target was her, Baek Seoyeon. Ordinary threats would never be enough to break her spirit.
Therefore, I had to wear her down slowly, very slowly. And to do that, I needed to push the Vagabonds around her to their absolute limit.
I gave a gentle smile to Ko Yeonju, who was puffing out her cheeks.
“Stop pouting. I’m planning a very interesting game soon.”
“A game?”
“Yes. And when the time comes, I’ll be sure to invite you, Yeonju.”
“…?”
Ko Yeonju just tilted her head, her face a mask of confusion.
*
“So. They haven’t been found, and they haven’t returned.”
“Yes. Park Dongsu, one of Baek Seoyeon’s subordinates, is searching diligently, but…”
“Hah. This is driving me insane.”
Hyeon pressed a hand to his forehead, a look of genuine pain on his face. The man standing before him watched Hyeon for a moment before speaking cautiously.
“Sir… It’s already been two weeks.”
“And?”
“Commander. At this point, wouldn’t it be right to assume the pursuit team has been taken down?”
Hyeon didn’t reply. Instead, he removed the hand from his forehead and let out a deep sigh.
“I don’t get it. It wasn’t just Baek Seoyeon who went. There was the mist user, Kim Dahye. The archer, Lee Haein. And… who was the mage again? The one who’s always spacing out…”
“Do you mean Miss Lee Gain?”
“Right. That Rare Class. A pursuit team including Users of that caliber was defeated? Does that even make sense?”
“…”
This time, it was the man who fell silent. But they both knew. What the man said was the most likely possibility. The idea of Baek Seoyeon betraying them was just as hard to imagine, and it was something that must not happen. Hyeon looked up at the man, licking his lips with a troubled expression.
“If Baek Seoyeon is dead, then that’s… that’s manageable. But if she was captured…”
“We’ll have to hope she kills herself.”
“…Let’s prepare for the worst, just in case. Is the Warp Gate restoration complete?”
“Yes. We’ve already established a connection with Dorothy and Bess. We should be able to connect to Halo by next week as well.”
Hyeon shook his head at the man’s words.
“We’ll see about that. Anyway, tell them to stop dallying with the Users. Starting today, we’re thoroughly strengthening patrols and surveillance in the surrounding area.”
“Understood.”
“That goes for you, too. There are no exceptions for the executives. It’s not a complete ban, but… I’ll be managing it personally, so you’d all better know your limits.”
“Sir?”
At the man’s question, Hyeon snorted.
“That User from the other day, the one you said was your type.”
“Ah… You don’t need to worry about that.”
Whatever had happened, the man replied with a bitter smile.
Hyeon gave a slight nod, and the man turned to walk away. Strangely, his gait was oddly unnatural.