Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: The Best Defense - 3
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The next day.
Those guys who had taken the supplies while scratching at us came back.
Grinning like idiots.
Hyung-jun hyung and Hyun-woo said they felt their blood pressure spiking just looking at them, so they didn't come out at all.
I watched nonchalantly as they took the supplies.
I couldn't scratch at the scab needlessly or be overly friendly.
Treating them plainly, a bit curtly, made smiles creep onto their lips.
"We're just saying let's share and survive together. Loosen up that frown a bit."
"That Kim lieutenant was a decent guy. Why are you so prickly, old man?"
...If hyung were here, he might not have held back and thrown a punch.
I exercised maximum patience and sent them off.
But I couldn't help the rage boiling inside me.
"I'll make sure they never pull that shit again."
The plan was already in place.
Yu-hyun's paper doll was attached to the boxes they took.
Once I confirmed the location, preparations were complete.
I'll teach these psychos what happens when you mess with the wrong guy—you stretch out both legs and never wake up.
Back at the lodging, Yu-hyun came running up in a fluster.
"Hyung, what are you planning?"
"Gotta find out where they live."
"And after that?"
"Just finding out, that's all."
"Not like before..."
"Like what before?"
Yu-hyun turned his head away and played innocent.
Anyone not an idiot would know what I'd done staying behind in the studio apartments.
But he knew it was easier to pretend not to know.
He mumbled.
"Sometimes... I get scared... that you might turn against us... The kobold hunt too... You're on a whole different level from us..."
I paused packing my backpack and patted his back.
"As long as you don't betray me first, that'll never happen."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'm not smart, and my temper's shit, but I'm not the type to abandon people I know."
"...What about the food when we came to the studio apartments..."
"That was already there. Right?"
I grinned at him, and he gave an awkward smile back.
Yeah.
Acting like a moderate idiot makes everyone comfortable.
I finished packing, and Yu-hyun focused his mind.
"Looks like they've arrived. Should I come out?"
"Yeah. Tell me what's around."
"A school... I see a school. Three of them lined up side by side..."
"Sam-an-dong."
I marked their location on the map.
Now it was time to act.
"Just in case, move the women's lodging before nightfall. Got it?"
"Something happen?"
"Those guys were eyeing Su-yeon and Mi-kyung weirdly yesterday. Who knows what they'll try."
"O-okay."
"If anyone asks for me, say I went out on recon for a bit. You know the drill?"
He nodded vigorously.
I called Dingo, who was playing in the parade ground as I headed out.
Time to stir up some chaos.
Their hideout was the villa complex in front of the school.
I hung around nearby for a while, surveilling as they came and went.
"Three guys..."
GH2 had three members, right?
They were diligently farming, dodging the zombies around.
All guys, so maybe that's why they were drooling over Su-yeon and Mi-kyung.
Yu-hyun's paper airplane flew in through the window.
They'd put some thought into security.
That made four including the one opening from inside.
I tapped the paper airplane twice to signal it was fine.
After it flew off, I scoped their villa with binoculars.
One guy was peering out the window.
I needed to lure that one out to get in myself.
"What would make a good bait..."
Timing was key here.
I sat on the stairs observing the villa.
How much time passed?
The guy peered out the window again.
Was it every 30 minutes?
"If something tasty-looking passes by when he looks, he won't hold back."
A golden goblin fit the bill perfectly.
With its big sack, most survivors knew about it.
Except it was usually surrounded by hobgoblins, making it hard to spot.
"How much paralyzing poison do I have left..."
I'd used most breaching the bunker, and hadn't restocked much.
Keep prodding the poison frogs for more, and they get stressed and die.
"Enough for two shots."
This time the sacrifice was a goblin, not human.
I found three wandering the alley.
Killed two, paralyzed one with a stinger.
Now to disguise it as a golden goblin.
"These things are so damn greedy."
Even if a sack suddenly appears tied to them, if they like it, they take it.
Greed overrides any suspicion.
Just dumb and greedy enough to exploit like this.
Golden goblins didn't look much different from regulars anyway.
"Just hand it a big sack, and done."
I tied a sack of junk to the downed goblin's neck.
Threw in some tempting stuff so it wouldn't ditch it.
Waiting a bit, it twitched.
"Paralysis time's similar to humans."
Size didn't matter much.
Anyway, it writhed all over then popped up, pawing the sack.
Kieek!
It freaked at first but lit up touching the potatoes.
Hey, goblin buddy.
More good stuff outside the alley?
Sure enough, lured by the candies I'd tossed, it exited the alley.
"Timing..."
Close, but off by 1-2 minutes.
Please let the guy come out now.
Whether he heard my desperate wish or not, the guy opened the window and looked out.
"A lone golden goblin. Wanna kill it?"
He glanced around, fully opened the window, and loosed an arrow.
First missed, but the second pierced the goblin's back.
He silently cheered and vanished from the window.
My turn to go up.
I watched the villa entrance.
Guess he had stealth.
After sounds fully stopped, I cautiously climbed to the second floor.
"..."
Somewhere they'd gather.
Here it was.
I opened a dimension gate beside the window on the wall and hid inside.
Transparent and flush against the wall—no one would notice.
Shortly, the guy who'd gone down came back up grumbling.
"Fuck, what's with this golden goblin?"
'Cause it wasn't one.
I waited until the others returned.
"Is it the apocalypse...?"
Or did they always harbor such base desires?
Before evening, the men who came in spouted vulgar obscenities and giggled.
The targets were, of course, Su-yeon and Mi-kyung.
If the women heard, their heads would've exploded.
"I'll handle it before that."
But only after getting useful info.
At minimum, Help Me and Kim Hyo-jong's location.
Endured the disgusting bullshit, barely holding back irritation.
Then mealtime.
Finally, they started blabbing.
"Some guy came from Clan Leader's side earlier... Said the Clan Leader's going himself."
"He's hot for it. Takes time from Naewoe-dong."
"Should've said she's decently pretty, not fucking gorgeous. Now Clan's pissed."
"Grab a feel of those tits tonight?"
"Squeeze too hard and she'll wake. Go easy, dumbass."
The bastards laughed like it was hilarious.
Annoying pricks.
I waited more and learned Clan Leader's hideout too.
Near Naewoe-dong park—check there.
Anyway...
"You all die here."
I pulled out a plastic whistle, peeked it out the dimension gate, and blew.
Whheeeee―
Conversation cut off abruptly.
One guy came to the living room, looking around.
"...What was that whistle just now."
"No one blew anything."
"Then what the fuck was it, dumbass? What'd you do today? Holed up—what?"
"N-nothing! Just guarded the house..."
He'd gone loot the golden goblin, but admitting that meant getting fleeced.
"Then who blew it, fuck? Yo, search everywhere. Sink, bathroom, ceiling—find it."
The four men started ransacking the house.
I slipped out during the gap, parted the blackout curtain, lit a firecracker, and set it down.
Pffft-pop-pop!
Brilliant sparks bloomed inside.
Getting dark, so it'd be visible outside too.
Men freaked and rushed over.
"Fuck, what's this!"
"Put it out! Hurry!"
As they panicked, I quietly tossed a few chili bombs.
Room chaotic with flames and smoke—they wouldn't notice.
"Ah, fuck!"
*Cough cough!*
Men who first scowled pinched noses, hacking violently.
Stuff that downed even werewolves—normies couldn't handle it.
All four collapsed, writhing.
One screamed as sparks singed him.
"Hot!"
"Sh-shut... up... dumbass... Gwehk!"
The more they breathed, the more they opened mouths, the worse the mucosal burn—driven mad.
I knew from experience.
Pfpfpf!
Meantime, house was a screaming, flaming, smoky mess.
No monster would miss this chaos.
Entrance noisy, zombies climbed stairs.
Grrraaah―
Not the old shambling ones.
Not quite ghouls, but strong and agile.
Door banged, noise loud.
As zombies pushed, something splintered with a crash.
"Z-zombies!"
"Wheek!"
Men knew danger but couldn't think straight.
Probably just wanted death now.
I tossed the last chili bomb at the entrance, closed the dimension gate.
Even if they fled zombies out the window, goblin pack awaited.
Stumbling escape? No dodging paralysis stingers.
Stroked Dingo's belly, waited 10 minutes, reopened gate—chaos over.
Acrid smoke thick; two men sprawled pathetically.
Zombies chomped them like food.
"Two escaped."
I used firecrackers to lure zombies, smashed window, jumped from second floor.
Stats high—no big deal.
Far off, goblins dragged someone.
Clothes said unfamiliar guy.
Jumped out frantically, got nabbed by goblins—obvious.
"Where's the other?"
Then alley rustle.
Invisible—stealth guy.
He didn't dare attack, vanished quietly.
Dangerous.
Life Tracker skill and Combat Instinct activated; vision tinted red.
Hiding's useless.
Death Mark will find you.
I lightly kicked off the ground.
Kim Hyo-jong.
Lately, a smile never left his lips.
Finally, possibility emerged.
Chance to skewer a girlfriend on his side.
When Busan's Kwon boasted two, he'd thought of kidnapping one.
'Just go get 'em.'
Other branches reported two women at Kimhae Battalion.
Informants stunned by their beauty.
Figures so hot they drooled.
Clan had women, but none for Hyo-jong.
Managing branches—needed looks.
New guys at Kimhae Battalion? Ignore.
Tried needling over supplies—no pushback.
'Total losers.'
Lose supplies, women, whine and die.
Hyo-jong lived for scamming thrills.
Voice phishing boss domestically; in Survival Life, built clan, massacred newbies.
Lured with videos, swindled millions—still thrilling.
Of course, underlings clueless.
No one'd follow a phishing scammer.
As Hyo-jong stood, an underling entered the villa.
"Boss, some bastard shot this arrow."
"What?"
Puzzled, he untied the letter from the arrow with chopsticks, back turned.
Didn't trust the contents.
But danger was the message.
Hyo-jong's eyes bulged.
"..."
He hurriedly covered the letter with his hand.
How does some bastard know my ID and name?
Did someone else see?
He checked the folded edge hastily.
Looser than a single fold-unfold.
Hyo-jong's voice dropped naturally.
"...You see this?"
"Pardon? No."
But suspicion lingered.
He was known as Park Ho-jun to others.
Kim Hyo-jong too infamous in Awakener communities—had to use alias.
If this leaked...
Heart pounded.
What if these fuckers conspired to corner me?
Hyo-jong started doubting his underling.