Chapter 170
Chapter 170: Lawless City (1)
'The threads of evil entangled with Jeon Ra-hwa.'
On the way here, he'd had various conversations with Jeon Ra-hwa. She'd briefly recited her past, thinking it might help restore Dong Bong-soo's memories.
Though there wasn't particularly nutritious information, there was a core.
These three categories of evil entanglements were estimated to exist.
Perhaps there could be more, but for now, with the information given, it wouldn't deviate greatly from these three classifications.
Which meant what Dong Bong-soo himself needed to do was also narrowed down.
'Simple.'
Having lightly organized his first Main Quest, Dong Bong-soo examined the next section.
◆ Fame: 0 ◆ Infamy: 0
Two stats lined up in the Hero metrics.
Fame and Infamy.
Their one-dimensional meanings were very clear.
Name value in a positive sense, name value in a negative sense.
He'd observed them for a while, but at the stage where both were at 0, there was nothing to know.
Let's watch this part a bit longer.
Then next.
▣ Trust Relationships ◈ Jeon Ra-hwa Trust Level: Slightly Friendly Relationship: Companion Status: [Anxious], [Expectant]
'Anxious and expectant.'
That made sense.
Suddenly acquired freedom. But anxiety about whether she could survive alone as a woman in this lawless land.
Nevertheless, anticipation toward the suddenly acquired powerful companion.
He contemplated quietly, but for now, it wasn't a particularly important part.
He just vaguely determined the direction—wouldn't it work to reduce anxiety and increase expectation?
Clack.
Having finished grasping the current situation to some degree, Dong Bong-soo closed all open windows.
Now it was time to check something else.
He rose from his seat.
Already the Hour of the Dog (around 9 PM).
Even with the world changed, there were unchanging truths.
At times like this, it was far too good for people like him to operate in darkness.
***
Stepping outside the room, crossing the landing, he exited the inn.
The beautiful atmosphere of this world overflowing with energy greeted him.
However, that was purely from a martial artist's perspective.
From a human perspective, a gloomy energy pressed down on the entire city. Though from Dong Bong-soo's standpoint, this side might be more human.
Clack.
With a mechanical sound only audible to him, the minimap activated.
A small square hologram box fixed in the upper right of his vision.
One red dot and one blue dot were blinking intermittently.
The red dot was himself, the blue dot was Jeon Ra-hwa.
It was a ruthlessly simplified notation system, but this was sufficient.
He lightly scanned various parts of the inn. The innkeeper couple, lodgers, structure—everything was grasped at a glance.
Elements that weren't friendly but weren't dangerous either.
He could leave without worry.
Tap-tap.
Dong Bong-soo moved his feet toward the western main road he'd briefly confirmed during the day.
As he left the Central Great Road and entered the western main road, the air quality changed. Though it had originally been a commercial district with a sticky, decadent feeling, once night fell, it revealed its true colors even more.
Red lanterns of the entertainment district flickering as if dyed in blood.
At every brothel, half-naked women sat draped over second-floor railings, waving handkerchiefs, breasts, and buttocks at men passing below.
"Come here, milord."
"Tonight I'll give you a special half-price deal."
One woman deliberately revealed more cleavage and shook her body, while another woman subtly revealed the black valley between her thighs through her thin silk skirt in temptation.
At every alley entrance, old retired courtesans in flashy attire pulled in drunks. Some women forcibly grabbed arms and dragged them, while others whispered obscenities in their ears.
"If you taste it just once, you'll never forget it for life."
In the alley beside them, men from male brothels struck even more explicit poses. Apparently, homosexuality itself wasn't particularly problematic in this society.
In the middle of that street, two drunk martial artists were having a knife fight.
"You fucking bastard! You touched my woman?"
"Your woman? The whore I bought with my money, how is she your woman? She's my woman!"
Clang! Cla-clang!
Swords and sabers clashed, sparks flying.
One bastard's arm was severed, blood spurting like a fountain. Soon the bastard's head was cut off even more cleanly than the arm, dirtying the ground.
A nearby whore got splattered with blood and screamed. But then she slyly gauged the killer's reaction before immediately searching the fallen martial artist's belongings and pocketing his money pouch.
The killer didn't pay much attention and wrapped his arm around the whore's waist, then entered a red house under her guidance. The recently deceased's entire fortune had become her fee.
Dong Bong-soo watched the two for a moment before moving on again.
Women and men clung to him in droves, but he gave them not a glance and went deeper inside.
Beyond the red house street, a gambling street stretched out.
"Cheating! This bastard cheated!"
"Got proof? Proof?"
Through the wide-open door, the inside of the gambling den was clearly visible.
Tables overturned and cards flew around. He could see a scene where someone's eyeball was pierced and burst by a gambling knife. Bodily fluids flowing from the burst eye dripped onto the gambling table.
Yet other gamblers nonchalantly picked up and pocketed blood-stained coins.
Such scenes were unfolding in every nook and cranny inside the western main road.
Government soldiers? They were pretending not to see while drinking free liquor in taverns.
Even searching Kim Rae-won's memories, there were few cities as severe as this Gangdo, but similar places were scattered throughout this world.
This was also why Kim Rae-won couldn't adapt to this world and wandered aimlessly.
Of course, to Dong Bong-soo, it was neither an important problem nor something to worry about at all.
He went inside, deeper inside. The 'Antique Shop' he'd spotted when on the walls during the day was near the very end of this street.
Tap-tap tap-tap.
Dong Bong-soo passed by all sorts of lawless city scenes.
As he was almost reaching his destination.
He witnessed one more such scene in a back alley.
Thud, thu-thud—
Three warriors were cornering a middle-aged man.
"Is this month's protection fee still outstanding?"
"I, I paid it last week......"
"That was for last month."
On the left shoulder of each of the three warriors, the character 'Iron' was embroidered in black. In other words, warriors of the Iron God Society.
The middle-aged man must be a merchant doing business nearby.
Thud.
A spiked club struck the merchant's knee.
The sound of breaking bone was distinct.
"Uuugh."
"If you don't have money, sell your daughter at least."
"Sh-she's only, only twelve years old, milord."
Dong Bong-soo passed by all this scenery expressionlessly.
No, he tried to.
"Twelve? Perfect."
"......What?"
"That's why she'll sell for more, you bastard."
A hook-nosed Iron God Society warrior standing beside the merchant added one more interjection.
"If you really want, if you bring your head to me tonight, I'll cut the protection fee in half."
"My, my daughter isn't a, a courtesan......"
"Just start from today then? If you start selling from now, that makes her a courtesan and whore. Right?"
The Iron God Society warrior grabbed the merchant's hair and slammed it into the ground.
Thwack! Thw, thwack!
"Uugh......"
"If you really want, sell your wife. But the price is full price."
Full price, my ass. Even half of half price would be a waste, they said.
Other warriors nearby giggled.
Then the hook-nosed one raised the spike-studded club again to strike the merchant.
Just then.
Snap.
A hand caught the club.
When the hook-nosed one turned his head, a young man was the owner of that hand.
"What are you?"
"Your pimp."
Then Dong Bong-soo lifted the hook-nosed one along with the club and drove him straight into the ground.
Crunch!
His flesh crushed beyond recognition. Yet even so, only the downward-curved nose like a hook accurately revealed his identity.
"Eeeeek!"
"A, a master!"
The two who let out warning cries didn't care about their dead comrade and turned their bodies to flee. But it wasn't a meaningful action.
After all, those two had to die for the 'Quest' to end.
Thwmp, one in the throat.
Thwmp, one in the rear.
The spiked clubs were driven in.
Thus in an instant, the lives of three Iron God Society members were cut off.
【Sub】Wronged Merchant 【Sudden】 : The world is always overflowing with wronged people. If you help them, you can always gain their trust. ․ Save the merchant from the Iron God Society thugs. ├─ Progress: 100% └─ Reward: Hero History +0.01
Tiring.
[You did not ignore helping the wronged. A reward is given.]
[+0.01]
[Though small, the world has become more beautiful.]
It was as small a reward as Lumina's explanation, but what use is becoming a hero if you ignore the world's difficulties?
Kim Rae-won had skipped all these trivial quests.
The guy's catchphrase clearly imprinted even in his sparse remaining memories.
— Big incident. Big villain. Big reward. This is the shortcut to getting stronger.
That failed.
Needless to say, what that meant was:
That wasn't Dong Bong-soo's path.
Small incident. Small trash. Small reward.
"Th-thank you, Great Hero."
"It's fine."
"But...... these are Iron God Society thugs."
Dung-
A light mechanical sound resembling a drum.
"The Iron God Society might hold a grudge and attack Great Hero."
【Sub】Wronged Merchant 【Chain】 : As you help the wronged, you may sometimes encounter unexpected difficulties. I pray you overcome those difficulties well. Please. ․ A grudge relationship with the Iron God Society has been formed. ․ Disband the Iron God Society. ├─ Progress: 0% └─ Reward: Hero History +5
Tch.
Dong Bong-soo smiled freshly at the merchant.
"That's exactly the grudge I wanted."
Dust gathers to make a mountain.
Despite being from Korea, Kim Rae-won was far too ignorant of this proverb.
Because among the crumbs, there can be gold dust and there can be jewels.