Emergency Defense (1)

Have you ever heard the saying that a kind person is terrifying when they get angry?

"Jinwoo-ssi, focus."

"Ah, yes…."

I was experiencing that saying in real time. On top of that, my arms were bound behind my back with a rope from who-knows-where, and I was kneeling on the floor.

I already missed the moments just earlier when I'd been resting on Yoo Sangah's lap pillow. Soft, pillowy, warm thighs — I'd been so happy leaning against them….

"Jinwoo-ssi, were we really that unreliable to you?"

"N-no! I trust all of you, always…."

"Then why did you face the monsters alone? That doesn't match what you just said, does it? In the end, it was just empty words, and you didn't actually trust us, right?"

"Th-that's not…."

"What's not? Go on. Explain."

"……Uh."

What the hell, why is she so scary…? This isn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the gentle Sangah-ssi I know….

Yoo Sangah knelt right there with me, staring straight into my eyes as she relentlessly cornered me with her words. The complete opposite of her usual bright, gentle smile — that blank, piercing stare as she spoke was genuinely terrifying.

Jung Heewon, standing beside her, looked down at me and spoke.

"Jinwoo-ssi, just one question. Why did you ask that Yoo Joonghyuk person to stop us from going outside?"

"Uh… because I figured you'd all come to save me, and I didn't want you getting hurt…."

"Ha…! So you're worried about us, but not about yourself?"

Jung Heewon looked down at me with a cold sneer on her lips and an icy gaze. Just like Yoo Sangah, her attitude was so different from usual that it left me completely flustered.

"Um, everyone, I sincerely regret what happened this time. So please, forgive me…."

"Dokja-ssi, what should we do?"

Jung Heewon quietly turned her head and looked at Kim Dokja.

"From where I'm standing, Jinwoo-ssi doesn't seem to have reflected nearly enough. What does everyone else think?"

"I agree with Dokja-ssi."

"Same here."

"Me too."

"I feel the same way."

Yoo Sangah, Jung Heewon, Lee Gilyoung, and Lee Hyunsung answered in turn. Kim Dokja nodded at her companions and spoke.

"Then we'll have to punish him."

"Punish him how?"

"Let's tie him up first and think about it."

"Shall we?"

"How about tying him to a long wooden pole as punishment and hauling him around?"

"In that case, I'll go find a long wooden pole."

I stared at them with an expression of pure disbelief as they openly conspired right in front of the person they were talking about.

"H-hey? I'm right here. Is it okay to say all that out loud? Hello?"

"Jinwoo-ssi."

Kim Dokja crouched down in front of me, meeting my eyes with a small smile. But only her mouth was smiling — her eyes weren't smiling at all.

"Just shut your mouth and take it quietly, okay? Understood?"

"N-no! Everyone, just calm down for a second? Please? I really did mess up! Let's just think about this rationally a little—! Mmph…?"

Mid-sentence, someone shoved something into my mouth from behind. Looking down, I found a pure white handkerchief stuffed between my lips.

Then the person behind me fashioned the white handkerchief into a gag and sealed my mouth completely. I was so startled I just sat there dazed, until Yoo Sangah's voice came from behind me. So she was the culprit who'd stuffed the handkerchief in my mouth.

"Jinwoo-ssi, it's fine. We're only giving you a little punishment, that's all."

"Mmph…? Mmph-mmph…!?"

I twisted my head around to look at Yoo Sangah behind me with panicked eyes, protesting through the gag — but she just stared at me with a blank face before letting out a cold little snicker.

"I've found one."

Lee Hyunsung, who'd gone off somewhere to find a wooden pole, returned. I turned toward his voice. In his hands was a long wooden pole.

Are you kidding me?! Hyunsung-ssi, I trusted you of all people?!

Aside from the young boy Lee Gilyoung, Lee Hyunsung was the only adult male companion among Kim Dokja's party — and at this betrayal-that-wasn't-quite-a-betrayal, I trembled all over.

I have to run. None of them are in their right minds right now…?!

Desperate to escape my companions, who seemed to have completely lost it to rage, I forced strength into legs that had gone thoroughly numb from kneeling too long, managed to get to my feet, and prepared to bolt.

Grab! Grab!

That is, if someone hadn't stopped me.

"Mmph…? Mmph…?"

Two hands clamped hard onto both my shoulders. Wondering who it was, I slowly turned my gaze to check.

Yoo Joonghyuk? Lee Jihye?

There they were — Yoo Joonghyuk and Lee Jihye, each gripping one of my shoulders with one hand.

"Oppa, sorry. But you really screwed up big time, you know?"

"This is your punishment for bothering me."

Oh, come on…!!

Belatedly grasping the situation, I thrashed around trying to break free of their grip, but it was completely useless. After struggling for a while, Kim Dokja took the wooden pole from Lee Hyunsung and approached me.

"…Were you seriously trying to run, Jinwoo-ssi?"

"Mmph…! Mmph-mmph!"

Kim Dokja coldly glared at me standing there awkwardly with both shoulders held, then spoke in a low, settled voice.

"It seems Jinwoo-ssi still hasn't reflected. Who wants to help me tie him up?"

"I'll do it."

"Then let's get him bound. Jihye, Joonghyuk-ah, lay Jinwoo-ssi down on the floor."

"Got it."

"Fine."

At Kim Dokja's request, Lee Jihye and Yoo Joonghyuk answered and simultaneously struck the backs of my knees with their own. I dropped to my knees again, and then the hands gripping my shoulders forced me flat onto the floor. Kim Dokja looked at me with a satisfied smile.

"This is all your own karma, Jinwoo-ssi."

"Jinwoo-ssi, I'm truly sorry…."

"Mmmph! Mmmph!!"

I shook my head rapidly at Kim Dokja and Lee Hyunsung, signaling them to stop — but they completely ignored me and bound my hands and feet to the wooden pole with rope.

"Mmph…."

Shit….

Being tied hand and foot to a wooden pole felt uncannily like being kidnapped as a meal for cannibals or spit-roasted like a whole roast, and the feeling was extremely weird. And extremely humiliating. Because the B2 level where we currently were still had plenty of people who'd survived the Green Zone (Day 3).

"What the hell is that supposed to be?"

"Is he getting kidnapped? By his own teammates?"

"Or maybe that's just his… preference?"

"Come on, no way…."

Under the countless stares, I felt my face burn red and hung my head, desperately trying to hide it.

"Jinwoo-ssi, have you reflected?"

"…………!!"

Kim Dokja looked down at me, thoroughly steeped in shame, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with a concerned expression and asked if I'd reflected. I nodded my head up and down as hard as I could. I thought she was asking so she could untie me. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠That, apparently, was a misunderstanding.

"Hmm? Still not? Well, nothing we can do then. Ah, we've wasted a lot of time. Everyone, let's move down to B4 for a bit. Though someone will need to carry Jinwoo-ssi — any volunteers?"

"Sangah-ssi and I will do it."

"Jinwoo-ssi, we'll move you carefully, okay?"

"………Mmph?!"

Kim Dokja glanced once at me, my face twisted with humiliation, then stepped aside for Yoo Sangah and Jung Heewon. As soon as she moved, Yoo Sangah and Jung Heewon each took one end of the wooden pole and lifted it with both hands.

"Jinwoo-ssi, we'll carry you safely, so just relax, okay?"

"We're a little embarrassed too, but… let's tough it out together, Jinwoo-ssi!"

Jung Heewon and Yoo Sangah looked at me with bright smiles. But contrary to their words, both of them were gripping the wooden pole so hard the veins stood out on their hands.

Then the rest of the party started walking toward B4 first, and Yoo Sangah and Jung Heewon followed behind them, carrying me suspended from the wooden pole.

"Mmph……!!"

And so, hanging from the pole in Jung Heewon and Yoo Sangah's hands, I was transported to B4.

As I was carried down, people looked at me with curiosity, with weird expressions, with contempt — every kind of face and countless stares. The sheer humiliation was so overwhelming that I finally couldn't take it and passed out.

"Oh my? He fainted."

"What a shame… we still had more punishing to do."

Under the countless stares of the people inside Chungmuro Station, Park Jinwoo had finally fainted from sheer humiliation. Jung Heewon and Yoo Sangah looked a little disappointed at the sight of him.

"Huh? Oppa fainted? I was gonna carry him next."

Lee Jihye casually said something that would have made Park Jinwoo jump out of his skin if he'd been conscious. She looked down at him hanging ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from the wooden pole with his head slumped, grumbling in disappointment.

"We're done here. Let's go, Lee Jihye."

"Ah, yes! Master!"

Yoo Joonghyuk glanced once at Park Jinwoo, still bound to the pole and unconscious, then turned and spoke to Lee Jihye. Lee Jihye answered promptly, waved at Kim Dokja's party, and walked off somewhere with Yoo Joonghyuk, quickly disappearing from view.

Kim Dokja watched the direction they'd gone for a moment, then turned back to look down at the unconscious Park Jinwoo.

"That should be enough reflection for Jinwoo-ssi. Let's untie him."

The party nodded at her words and freed Park Jinwoo from the wooden pole.

Jung Heewon glanced at Park Jinwoo, dumped unceremoniously on the floor, then spoke to Kim Dokja.

"We've thoroughly chewed this guy out. What should we do now? Kill time until night like yesterday and just hold out till dawn?"

"No. Today, we're going to completely finish the third scenario."

"What? How?"

Jung Heewon stared at Kim Dokja with a startled expression.

"First, let's go drag out the Landlord."

Kim Dokja said, looking at Lee Hyunsung.

"Hah…!"

I didn't remember the details clearly, but a vivid nightmare thick with extreme terror and humiliation jolted me awake with a sharp gasp. And then — a warm, soft, squishy sensation against my cheek.

Huh? This feels weirdly like déjà vu?

Blinking blankly at the strange sense of familiarity, I shifted my eyes to the side. There was Yoo Sangah, dozing off while giving me a lap pillow.

I should stay lying down a bit longer.

I had a vague feeling that some new black mark had just been added to my personal history, but right now Yoo Sangah's soft, warm, pillowy lap pillow was far more important. I nuzzled my cheek against her gentle thigh for a moment, closed my eyes in a comfortable position — and then a voice suddenly came from beside me.

"Jinwoo-ssi, are you seriously a pervert?"

My eyes snapped open and I turned toward the voice. Jung Heewon was looking down at me with a contemptuous expression that said, What am I supposed to do with this pervert?

"Ahem… a pervert? This is a perfectly natural reaction for any healthy man."

"Ah, right…."

At Jung Heewon's look of pure disbelief, I got up with an awkward expression.

"So where's Dokja-ssi?"

Standing up, I glanced around and realized Kim Dokja was nowhere in sight, so I asked Jung Heewon.

"Dokja-ssi said she had something to take care of and went up to B1."

"Is that so?"

She'd probably gone looking for Lee Jihye. Kim Dokja would come back on her own once enough time passed.

"Ugh… so when did I fall asleep? I can't remember. Heewon-ssi, did anything happen while I was out?"

"…You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Never mind. You don't need to know."

Jung Heewon seemed to be brushing it off with an awkward smile, but there was no need to press. Gut feeling said this was something I shouldn't ask about.

Well then, maybe I should check the system messages for a bit….

I had to kill time until Kim Dokja came back down anyway, so I decided to use the opportunity to go through the backlog of messages.

I burned through over 10,000 coins fighting all night, and including achievement rewards I only made about 3,500 coins?

Still, my skill levels went up a lot, so I should call it less of a loss, right? Think positive…. My skill levels went up, so this is a gain… it has to be a gain.

I was genuinely sad watching the coins I'd worked so hard for vanish in an instant, but I celebrated myself for making the right choice and engaged in some solid mental victory — because at least my skill levels had risen, so it wasn't a total loss.

"Damn…."

It's nice that the skill levels went up, but the messages are flying in like a full-on message terror attack….

Faced with the system messages strung out long like a chain of sausages, I closed the message window with a thoroughly fed-up expression.

Hmm… still no sign of Kim Dokja?

Even after reading through all the system messages, Kim Dokja still hadn't come down.

Then I should check my weapons for a bit.

I'd long since used up all my flashbangs, the Glock 19 was wrecked, and the fire axe had been completely smashed to pieces — so the only weapons I had left were the M107 anti-materiel sniper rifle I hadn't even gotten a chance to use during the Monster Wave, and the bone axe made from a Groll's bones. Technically I'd had other bone weapons too, but those had all run out of durability ages ago and broken long since.

Maybe because it came from a monster of a higher grade than the mole crickets, the Groll bone axe had better durability and quality than the weapons made from mole cricket bones. I looked down at the axe, checking for nicks or cracks, and killed a little more time.