The Ninja's Social Assassination
“Huh?”
“……Who’s that?”
It wasn’t even enough to call it out of the blue.
The sudden appearance of the stunning white beauty had everyone—classmates, juniors, the whole crowd—frozen in confusion.
No wonder, really. Even Jeonghun himself was so flustered he could barely get a word out.
In that chaos, the first to snap out of it was Jeong Jinsu.
“Um, excuse me—are you a friend of Jeonghun’s……?”
Even in his bewilderment, he managed a perfectly normal question.
But her calm reply only made things spiral deeper into absurdity.
“Simply calling it a friendship would be insufficient. ‘Tis a far deeper bond.”
“Whoa! Whoa!”
“Did you hear that? A deep bond.”
“Impressive. Respect.”
Jeong Jinsu shot Jeonghun a look that screamed, What the hell is going on here?
……Honestly, he was the one dying to ask.
“Indeed. My tie with the War God spans from a past life……”
Classic ninja move.
Who’d have thought she’d attempt a “social assassination”? And it was a critical hit.
If he let this slide, his social life was toast. Jeonghun hurriedly cut her off.
“A-anyway, I gotta go. Sorry! Let’s catch up next time!”
He grabbed Hanjo and bolted from the clock tower.
A desperate struggle to avoid total social annihilation!
Watching them flee, Shin Jia turned to Jinsu.
“Sunbae.”
“Yeah?”
“What exactly is a ‘deep bond’?”
“Uh, well, I don’t really know that much……”
“Hmm. A deep bond. So deep……”
“R-right! It’s hot out, yeah? Let’s grab coffee at a café. My treat!”
Jinsu could only stammer through the sweat beading on his brow.
“Haa.”
Jeonghun slumped into a chair at a nearby café after placing his order.
It hadn’t even been 30 minutes since Hanjo showed up…… but he already felt 30 years older.
She sat across from him, staring intensely—borderline uncomfortably—before speaking.
“My apologies for the abruptness. We haven’t even properly introduced ourselves. I am Reina Castle.”
“……Kang Jeonghun. Mind if I ask one thing?”
“Oh ho. At last, curiosity about moi? Ask away.”
“The speech. Is that your natural style?”
He’d chalked it up to roleplay in-game, but real life too?
“Hmm. Doth it seem too strange? I’ve tried to refine it, yet it feels awkward still.”
“……That’s the ‘refined’ version?”
What the hell was the original like?
She flushed slightly under his incredulous stare.
“I first learned Korean through historical dramas, so it stuck to my tongue unbidden.”
“Ah.”
It was like those folks who pick up Japanese from anime and end up talking like characters straight out of one.
Hanjo had been obsessed with Eastern culture and history since childhood—anime, games, dramas, historical epics, you name it. That’s how she ended up like this.
“For the record, my favorites are Korean sageuk and Chinese wuxia dramas. Japan’s Warring States era fascinates me too. East Asian culture and history are truly Earth’s treasures.”
“…….”
Standing in the heart of Gangnam, Seoul, listening to a blonde American woman rave about Eastern culture—it felt utterly surreal.
“Come to think of it, I’ve clung to the Hanjo role a touch too long. Time for a change. Hmm. Before, I was the Sword Emperor…… This time, a Korean figure. Yes—Cheok Jun-gyeong! The epitome of a true warrior! What say you, War God?”
“…….”
No words could come when she gazed at him expectantly for approval.
“Why hath Korea no sageuk on Cheok Jun-gyeong? A tragic oversight.”
“Oh, uh, probably ‘cause of his best friend’s name……”
“Best friend? General Cheok’s bosom companion?”
He couldn’t answer her puzzled follow-up.
That name wasn’t something to blurt out in public……
“Wan…… Never mind, that’s not the point. If it’s stuck in your mouth, just switch to English? I can follow the basics.”
“Nay. When in a foreign land, one must strive to speak its tongue. No compromises.”
“……You’re oddly sensible here.”
It hit harder coming from someone so utterly unconventional.
“I wish the world embraced sageuk speech as mainstream.”
“That day’ll never come, not even in death.”
So please change yourself instead of the world.
“Just swap the endings to ‘ge’ or ‘ya’ and it’d be way better.”
“I shall endeavor…… ge.”
“……In that context, it works.”
“I shall endeavor to.”
“Good. Excellent.”
“Haha. Praise from the War God leaves me bashful…… ge? Or ya?”
“…….”
She still needed more time.
“I’m home.”
-Oh, back already? Had your fun on that date…… Why do you look so wiped?
“Hyung, turns out leaving the house is a grind. RaSe is the best.”
-……What kinda ordeal turns a guy who solos raids with a grin into a marathon wreck?
“Not that bad.”
The real estate tour with Hanjo wasn’t as tough as expected.
No one’s dumb enough to scam on a jeonse contract these days.
They just double-checked the contract’s key clauses, visited the place to test the water pressure and drainage—standard move-in stuff.
The exhaustion? Just from a shut-in gamer like him socializing after forever.
-……You total basement-dwelling game addict. Live a little in reality. Don’t treat it like occasional logins from RaSe.
“Says the guy whose soul got taxidermied in RaSe. Anyway, not a bad outing. Tiring, but worth it.”
Especially touring Hanjo’s jeonse spot.
She snapped up a way fancier full-option officetel than he’d imagined—prime motivation.
-She was a former top ranker. Jeonse deposit’s pocket change for her.
“Watching her made me jealous as hell. I want my own place too. Think I can swing it?”
-You kidding? Give it five years. You’ll be building skyscrapers in Gangnam, not just officetels.
“Sounds overkill, but nice to hear.”
-Overkill? Feels that way now, huh? Wait and see.
“Then for my future landlord dreams, time to grind some game.”
Carpe headed to the Ramark castle training grounds.
Gillian and Drek were waiting, as if on cue.
“Oh? You’re here.”
“Welcome, Heir of the Magic King.”
“Yeah. Hey. Everything good?”
“It’s been a day since we parted— what trouble could we have? You’re the one with issues.”
Gillian grimaced as he spoke.
It was about the king’s quest from right before they split yesterday.
“So damn demanding. Irks me. And all impossible nonsense…… Tch. I’d love to chew him out more.”
But Gillian held back.
Even as the nation’s top elder, pushing further would undermine the king’s authority.
“No helping allowed, so cheers are all I’ve got left.”
“You’ve helped plenty. Lightened my load a ton. Thanks.”
Carpe pulled up the quest window.
[Ramark King's Trials]
To advance to your second job change, complete the three trials assigned by the king.
Originally twelve trials, but Gillian’s roar slashed it to three.
The tasks:
[Acquire hide of the ‘White Nightmare’]
[Exterminate the ‘Black Plague’]
[Slay the centaur in the underground labyrinth]
All hunts—right up Carpe’s alley.
“White Nightmare and Black Plague? Legends from tales.”
But there was a catch.
The targets’ locations were vague.
The labyrinth centaur had a clear spot, but the others were mythical beasts from Ramark lore.
“This screams the king’s dodging you. Unacceptable. I’ll confront him myse— ”
“General, restrain yourself. The ministers already eye you warily.”
“Hah! Since when do I care? If they’ve got gripes, say it to my face!”
“Act your age. Please……”
“It’s fine. I’ll handle it.”
A proper quest listing meant it wasn’t impossible.
Clues existed somewhere; follow them to clear.
“……You’re remarkable!”
Taking on impossible tasks without complaint—pure hero vibes!
An epic journey of trials awaited, forging a legend!
Gillian’s chest swelled at witnessing a hero saga’s dawn.
“Drek, you were right. Carpe’s definitely the heir.”
“Heh heh. As I said—he’ll save Arkram.”
“Aye, no doubt.”
Ramark’s elders hailed Carpe’s stoic resolve as heroic.
But Carpe was chill.
Cheonma Navi open! Search White Nightmare and Black Plague!
Beep-beep-boop! ‘White Nightmare’ refers to the ‘White Tiger’ boss in the King’s Forest. ‘Black Plague’ is the ‘Elder Snake.’ Both are boss monsters not far from Ramark.
Hmm. Top-tier navigation.
Legends too obscure to find?
Cheonma Navi’s vast database laughed at that.
“Oh, right—got something for you.”
Gillian approached, handing over an item.
“Payment for sparring with me. Not ‘help’ for the trials—just fair recompense. The king can’t complain. Fair. Got it?”
He hammered “fair” like a mantra, sneaking in one last aid.
◈ Contains skills from 4-star to 8-star max.
The 10-Star Player Strengthened by Draws