Just Deserts
And faith—
BOOM!
"Sorry I'm late."
Someone whispered the words as he pulled Han Sora free of the Minotaur's fist, cradling her against his chest—someone who had not betrayed her wish.
"From here on out, leave it to me."
Jeong Hoon had arrived right on time.
It really was a dramatic entrance.
Reaching the subway station itself had been easy enough. Getting down into that maze of tunnels below, though—that had been a nightmare. Finding the lamps mounted on the walls was fine; the problem was what came after. The gaps between them were enormous. Leaving my flashlight behind had been a real mistake.
I'd originally packed plenty of them in the Feather Bag, but just in case, I'd handed every last flashlight and lamp over to Sora.
Still, I ran myself ragged hunting down lamp after lamp, descending deeper and deeper. The moment the tracks came into view, I finally let myself relax.
"Kyaaaaaah!"
The scream put an end to that.
Then people came pouring out from one side of the tracks in a frantic flood. Every last one of them was a survivor from the villa.
"I am glad you are unharmed."
"Ah—J-Jeong Hoon-ssi!"
"Jeong Hoon oppa!"
"Jeong Hoon oppa, Sora's still back there! She stayed till the end!"
One of the survivors who'd lit up at the sight of my face blurted it out in a rush.
I nodded my thanks and was about to sprint down the tracks—
"Hahahahaha! Die, Han Sora!"
—if only a certain someone of an entirely different gender from the rest of the survivors hadn't come charging straight at me.
Thwack!
"Guhhk!?"
I greeted Kim Suhyeok—who was running full tilt with his face twisted back over his shoulder—with a fist straight to the face.
He went out cold on the spot. I handed him off to the survivors and murmured,
"Bind him tight. Make certain he cannot escape."
"Y-Yes!"
"Don't worry!"
The survivors who'd grabbed the emergency rope wasted no time trussing Kim Suhyeok up like a package.
"Noooooooo!"
Oh, shit!
The instant Park Seeun's scream slammed into my ears, I kicked off the ground and ran.
I'd taken too long. The Minotaur looked ready to smash Han Sora flat any second.
Of course, Agility 18 did not betray me.
"O-Oppa..."
"Rest easy, Sora. Park Seeun—I leave Sora in your care."
I passed Sora to Seeun, who was standing nearby, never taking my eyes off the Minotaur a few meters ahead.
Holy hell...! Its level was way higher than even that Skeleton King.
Was this thing a boss too? Some kind of Field Boss that treated the subway tunnels like a labyrinth? And if I killed it, would it expand the Clean Zone?
The second that thought hit me, I was hooked.
If there was even the slightest chance of that... I had to take this thing down.
More than that—once the Clean Zone expired, if a monster like this started rampaging aboveground, the districts that had barely managed to form guilds would get hit with an even bloodier storm. Killing it was the only real option.
So...
"Seeun, Sora... I'm truly sorry, but..."
I made an unreasonable request of the two of them. Both accepted without the slightest hesitation.
"It's fine, oppa! We only gathered it thanks to you anyway!"
"I-If it's for Jeong Hoon oppa... I can give you everything I haaave..."
Sora whispered something far more burdensome than anything I'd said, but still.
"Thank you. Now—hurry to the Clean Zone!"
With their permission secured, nothing held me back anymore.
Without any warning, I kicked off the ground and charged the Minotaur. It was a reckless rush, nothing like the way I'd fought the Skeleton King.
"PWOOOOOOOR!"
The Minotaur swung its fist. A blow meant to pulp my face came flying in.
I didn't slow down. Instead, I swung my own fist right back.
WHAM!
"Kh!"
"Pwurk!?"
We both reeled at each other's raw power.
No—I wasn't reeling from surprise so much as... holy shit that hurt! Fuck! That punch hit as hard as Strength 18—no, if you measured it carefully, it edged me out by a hair!
I staggered under the pain. So did the Minotaur.
Actually, it looked more like it had stepped back in pure bewilderment. It had probably never met a human survivor who could take its punch head-on and throw one right back.
Same went for me. Of every opponent I'd faced so far... after the golem the Skeleton King had built, this was the first thing with this kind of raw power.
And that golem had been a non-living construct of bone. This thing was a living creature.
"PWOOOOOOOR!"
This time the Minotaur charged me. I snapped a hand behind my back and pulled out a baseball bat.
Going bare-handed would wreck my arms in no time. Better to fight with something whose durability I didn't care about shredding!
The Minotaur brought its fist down at my head.
I swung the bat up to meet it.
CRACK! The bat shattered instantly.
The recoil sent both of us stumbling. The Minotaur stared at me again with something like astonishment—that I'd blocked its attack a second time.
Of course, those empty beast's eyes piled a healthy dose of pure menace on top of the surprise.
Even the baseball bat in one hit... this thing is seriously strong!
A strange satisfaction welled up in me. The more I leveled up slaughtering small fry, the more boredom and restlessness had been piling up instead of any real sense of accomplishment. Everything was going well on paper, but some quiet discontent had been festering underneath.
It was Lawful Good's discontent. That alignment wanted a fight against a true powerhouse. Helping people and keeping them safe was still the top priority, sure—but the stronger I got, the more it craved a clash with something that could match me.
Especially a monster like the Minotaur in front of me—something that came at you with nothing but pure, unadulterated brute force.
Yeah. Right now—
"PWOOOOOOOR!"
—that monster charging me again, this time with a body slam.
WHUMP!
"Ghhk...!"
-350 HP
Fuck, that hurts like hell!
Something surged up my throat. The coppery taste said it was blood.
Of course it was—I'd taken that body slam full-on with both arms and my torso, no hesitation. I'd ended up in a one-sided hug with the Minotaur's massive upper body. Completely one-sided!
"Oppa!"
"No, Jeong Hoon oppa!"
Their screams reached me.
Come on, I told you two to run—what are you doing watching from this close? Sora. Seeun.
...More importantly, aren't you worrying a little too much?
I—
"O arrow of flame... fly to my enemy and burn its body to ash!"
—can use magic too, you know! Cheap shot or not!
A flaming arrow materialized right in front of my face and slammed point-blank into the Minotaur's head. BOOM! Fire and light flooded the subway tunnel.
"PWOORK!?"
It had been so fixated on grabbing me and pounding me that my unexpected counterattack made it let go of the "hug" at once, clutching its face in agony.
The second it did, I moved.
Rogue Skill: Stealth S (Night)
It wasn't night... but the darkness of a subway tunnel was close enough to count.
The Minotaur whipped its head around, startled by my sudden disappearance. Recovering from that hit that fast? I clicked my tongue inwardly—this really was a monster among monsters.
Even so... my hand was already pulling the next weapon from the Feather Bag.
Goblin-forged dagger in hand, I carefully circled around behind it.
Time for a Level 9 Rogue's four-times-damage Backstab!
But—
"Pwurk!?"
With monstrous instincts, the Minotaur sensed the ambush and leapt clear in an instant.
Whoosh!
My dagger carved empty air, and for a split second I was wide open. The Minotaur bellowed and stomped forward.
"PWOOOOOOOR!"
Thud, thud, thud! At terrifying speed, it closed right in on my face.
A hair's breadth from death. A truly desperate situation!
That's what anyone would have thought, right?
"O mysterious power, slow the feet of the enemy before me!"
The Level 3 spell Slow took effect the moment the chant ended.
"Pwo—oo—oo—oor!?"
The Minotaur's baffled face appeared in extreme slow motion. Its body moved the same way.
Slow—also known as a deceleration debuff.
In countless RPG games, it was a mage's bread and butter. Eventually I'd probably learn its upgraded form, Time Stop. That was a long way off, though.
Whoops—can't get too deep into the gamer nostalgia! Slow only lasts thirty seconds. And it's not frozen—it's just moving slowly. Get cocky and I'd pay for it!
I dove straight into the Minotaur's reach.
Then I looked up. There it was. The Minotaur's thick, corded neck. Skin that looked like an ordinary blade wouldn't even scratch it.
So I decided to borrow a skill's power once more.
Warrior Skill: Gale Strike
The goblin-forged dagger flashed twice without hesitation, aimed straight at the Minotaur's throat.
CLANG!
"Damn it!"
Goddamn it—the level gap really was too wide!
The goblin-forged dagger didn't pierce the Minotaur's hide at all. It simply shattered and fell apart.
"Pwo—oo—oo—oo!"
In that same moment, the Minotaur's murderous eyes locked onto me, still nestled against its chest.
What now? Dodge? The attack failed and the damage was negligible, so—the hell I would!
I shoved my hand back into the Feather Bag.
What I pulled out this time was something completely different from every weapon I'd used so far—an iron sword with a body so smooth it looked brand new.
10,000 Gold payment complete!
Iron Sword (Common Grade) ×1 has been delivered to your bag!
A shop-bought iron sword, purchased by dumping every last bit of gold I'd borrowed (borrowed!) from Sora and Seeun.
Common Grade
Durability:Permanent
An extra effect that made it crystal clear why the thing cost so much.
Shhk!
Thud.
You have slain the Minotaur!
✦ EXP +5,000
✦ Gold +1,000
At least the EXP was decent—that was the only thought circling in my mouth.
"Farewell, my worthy foe."
Ah, fuck... right. I had the Lawful Good alignment.
"Mmph...!?"
Kim Suhyeok came to.
His whole body felt heavy. Moving his hands and feet was nearly impossible. Even opening his eyes took effort. And everywhere around him was pitch dark.
Only one place held any light—right in front of him.
On one of those benches you see everywhere in subway stations.
Three people were sitting there.
"You're awake."
"..."
"Hmph...!"
Jeong Hoon, Han Sora, and Park Seeun sat side by side on the bench, looking down at him.
Jeong Hoon in the middle, face blank and radiating quiet pressure; Han Sora with a hollow, emotionless gaze; and Park Seeun with her arms crossed, staring at him the way you'd look at something filthy.
Wait—why the fuck were these bastards looking down on him?
That was when Kim Suhyeok finally grasped his situation.
He was bound tight. Hands, feet, his entire body—roped so hard the blood couldn't circulate. And that wasn't all.
"Mmph!? Mmmph!!"
His mouth was sealed with tape. Wound so thoroughly it wrapped all the way around to the hair at the back of his neck.
As the total lockdown sent him into a panic, Jeong Hoon spoke.
"Your subordinates are all dead. Save for one—the single man who defected to us and exposed your plan. You know who that is well enough."
Ah... that son of a bitch!
Even before entering the subway station, Kim Suhyeok had half-noticed. Han Youngsu. That bastard hadn't been anywhere in sight. He'd figured the guy had just run off scared of the dark, but...!
"Mmmphmmph!"
Kim Suhyeok flopped and thrashed right there on his back.
It looked so much like a thrashing chrysalis that Park Seeun let out a short snort of laughter.
The corner of Han Sora's mouth twitched too. Both of them had been working hard to keep their cold personas intact, and Kim Suhyeok's ridiculous flailing had nearly cracked them.
Whether he writhed pathetically or not, Jeong Hoon laid out his business without a flicker of expression.
"Let us get to the point. We have reached the conclusion that we will not kill you with our own hands. Both Han Sora and Park Seeun find the act of taking a life distasteful—even the life of a villain—and neither wishes for that fact to be broadcast as a notification to everyone within a two-kilometer radius."
Kim Suhyeok's ugly thrashing stopped cold. Relief flooded him the moment the threat of death lifted.
At the same time, he sneered inwardly.
What a bunch of soft idiots. Playing house, are we?
In a situation this extreme, picking and choosing who you will and won't kill? What are you, the Supreme Court?
Well. Thanks anyway. They were letting him live.
"However, we have also realized that simply releasing you in circumstances like these would not leave you with a smooth life ahead. So we shall do you a kindness. We will send you to join your subordinates... no. Your friends."
And just as Kim Suhyeok had climbed into heaven, he was dropped straight into hell.
W-Wait! You just said you wouldn't kill me!
Jeong Hoon stood up. He walked over, slipped a hand under the ropes, and hoisted Kim Suhyeok up like he weighed nothing.
"Mmph, mmmph!"
Kim Suhyeok kicked and squirmed, but it was useless. Jeong Hoon carried him in one hand the way you'd carry a guitar case or a violin case, and headed down into the subway tunnels.
Step by step. Lighting the way with a flashlight, Jeong Hoon walked past the edge of the Clean Zone.
After a long stretch of walking, something came into view for both of them.
A subway car. The very same one Han Sora had used to hide her group for a while.
Through the wide-open doors, Jeong Hoon tossed Kim Suhyeok inside. Thud!
"Mmph!"
"I shall send you... to join your friends."
The pain was brief. At Jeong Hoon's sentence, Kim Suhyeok's body went rigid.
Wait—throwing him into a subway car and then... what?
Jeong Hoon vanished from Kim Suhyeok's field of view. And then—
Screeeech...
Something started moving.
"Haaaaah!"
Screeeeeech...!
A shout of effort, and a much louder grinding roar.
Kim Suhyeok understood. Jeong Hoon was going to push the subway car—with him inside it—down the tracks. Push it hard enough that the momentum would carry it along.
And the fact that Jeong Hoon was actually making that absurd feat a reality left Kim Suhyeok stunned.
I-Impossible... what kind of strength is that?!
But he had no time to marvel at Jeong Hoon's power.
Screeeeeeeech...!
With a bone-chilling shriek of metal, the subway car rolled.
It ran along the rails, gradually lost speed, and finally stopped.
"Uwooooorr..."
Step. Step...!
Ah. Aah...!
Only then did Kim Suhyeok grasp Jeong Hoon's true meaning.
I'll send you to join your friends.
His friends had all been slaughtered by the Minotaur.
And humans who died that way mostly...
"Uwooooorr...!"
"Uuuuuuuu...!"
...became zombies, and walked the earth. Or in this case, the underground.
"Mmph, mmmphmmph! Mmmmph!"
He thrashed desperately—and that was his fatal mistake.
The noise, the thrashing, the scent of his body—all of it pricked the zombies' keen hearing and sense of smell.
Step. Step. Step!
In eyes that had adjusted a little to the dark, Kim Suhyeok saw them.
Familiar faces. The guys from the men's dorm he'd ordered around like underlings. A junior from the same department, too.
Every one of them, with empty eyes and bodies broken in places, filing one by one into the subway car to take a taste of Kim Suhyeok.
"Mmmmmmmmmmph!!!"
The desperate noise forced through tape-sealed lips was Kim Suhyeok's final death cry.
Crunch!