Chapter 189
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 189
Chapter Title: Stepping Into the Minefield
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Han Yeo-myeong froze for a moment, his face blank. The kind of look that said, "Why the hell is this here?"—mouth hanging slightly open.
And then he pulled something from his pocket.
Woooong...
What he drew out was a small statue. The same kind Kang Seol owned.
"It's something that lets us know where the other one is, hyung. Looks like... I won't be sticking around Kongori much longer."
Kang Seol pulled his own statue from his pocket and showed it to Han Yeo-myeong.
Woooong...
Just like Han Yeo-myeong's, Kang Seol's vibrated too. At that, Han Yeo-myeong broke into a wide grin.
"Hyung!"
"...You know this guy?"
"Y-Yeah."
Kang Seol glanced at the group surrounding Han Yeo-myeong.
"What's going on?"
"Well... looks like I've gotten tangled up with some dirty bastards."
"...Need a hand?"
Kang Seol had decided to lend a hand as far as it reached.
The old him might have just said, "I see. Good luck sorting it out," and moved on.
Of course, it wasn't like Kang Seol was stepping up purely out of sympathy for an old acquaintance in a pinch.
'He'll be useful soon.'
Kang Seol needed Han Yeo-myeong, with his ghost hand. He'd had his eye on him ever since they first met.
Pretty soon, he'd need his help.
But Han Yeo-myeong's response was a masterpiece.
"I'm good."
"Hm?"
Kang Seol's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at him.
Han Yeo-myeong beamed innocently, delighted just at startling Kang Seol, and explained.
- I'm not getting stronger to help those who hide behind the mighty, waiting for rescue. Save yourself, Han Yeo-myeong.
"I learned that back then. That I have to save myself."
Kang Seol shrugged, and Han Yeo-myeong turned to glare at the man he'd been arguing with.
"My stance hasn't changed. I've completed the job Marcelo asked for, and now I'm demanding my rightful pay."
"I told you, that's Marcelo's orders now. What, you feel all butt-hurt about getting played?"
"Then I'll take it up with Marcelo myself."
"No way you can meet Marcelo. To even get a shot at him, you gotta have a nice, long chat with us first."
The foreigner stuck out his tongue in mockery.
He was so damn good at it, even the silent Kang Seol felt annoyed.
"Fine. Let's chat now."
Clack.
Han Yeo-myeong rested his hand on the sword sheath at his waist. The blade was sheathed, but the power radiating from it felt eerie.
'Matches his aura perfectly.'
He'd have to see it up close to be sure, but it sure as hell wasn't ordinary.
"Listen, Han Yeo-myeong. Looks like you're cocky off one little trick, misjudging Marcelo... He's not someone you challenge without resolve."
"Resolve?"
"Resolve to bathe in blood. Not some kid's adventure play—this is grown-up history, real shit. Like you'd know."
The man jabbed at Han Yeo-myeong's chest.
The instant he did.
Shwaaaaaack—!
"...Huh?"
The foreigner's right arm severed clean below the shoulder and floated into the air.
In Kang Seol's memory, Han Yeo-myeong had been a simple, somewhat reckless young man.
"Ooh..."
That image cracked just a bit.
Right now, Han Yeo-myeong looked like a razor-sharp sword—one so keen it would slice off fingers just brushing it.
He spoke coldly.
"Don't touch me."
"You son of a bitch! Kill him!"
The fight ignited with Han Yeo-myeong's single stroke.
The cramped space made ranged attacks tricky, so they all drew blades and axes, charging at him.
Thwack—!
A table kicked up high.
Meant for dining once, now it served as a vision-obscuring obstacle.
Thud!
Thunk!
Thud!
Incoming axes buried into the table.
Shing—!
A clean draw, and the table cleaved horizontally in two.
"Gah..."
"Urk..."
Heads on the far side flew free with the table halves.
"Rush him! Don't give him space!"
They had more than Han Yeo-myeong to deal with—the quiet woman beside him leaped into the fray.
Whoosh—!
"Hup!"
Like Han Yeo-myeong, she kicked up a table and slammed her palm into it.
Then.
Kaboooom—!
Creeeak!
The table spun wildly, smashing into enemies ahead and shattering.
"That bitch is with him! K—"
Crack!
She flicked her hand lightly, and the man's neck twisted 180 degrees.
"Gaaah!"
"Die!"
Spluuurt!
Slash—!
Crunch!
Their combat was pure chaos, like a battlefield.
Kang Seol, seated on the terrace side, luckily stayed out of it. He leisurely gauged Han Yeo-myeong and the woman's skills.
'That woman's no slouch either... Who is she?'
Kang Seol didn't pay much mind to others, so even if she'd made waves, he'd likely missed it.
As he watched at his leisure, a voice barked right in his face.
"Bastard! You're with him!"
The foreigner drew his sword, aiming at Kang Seol. From their earlier chat, he'd pegged him as an accomplice.
And that was his fatal mistake.
Pop—!
Something black surged from Kang Seol's shadow, lunging for the man's throat.
Crunch—!
The neck tore out bone and all in one strike.
The culprit? Coco.
Huff... huff...
Coco trotted over for praise.
Kang Seol silently stroked his head.
By then, the place was a wreck.
The rest had fled, leaving one blood-soaked foreigner with a blade to his throat.
"M-Marcelo will make you pay for this. Word's probably reached him already."
"Too bad I let a few slip. Should've thinned the herd sooner..."
"This is insane! You get it? You want war with Marcelo? You know what kind of organization he..."
"Shh... You're wasting time."
Stab—!
Han Yeo-myeong slit his throat cleanly to finish it.
Tsk tsk tsk! Snowman Academy first graduate Han Yeo-myeong!
I owe my place here to Snowman, who watched over me without a word!
Means he didn't say shit lololol
Ahem! We don't speak the obvious!
Whoa, that goody-two-shoes changed this much? Lol
Snowman ruined one more person...
One?
….
"Haa... What now..."
"Whew, Yeo-myeong. You stirred up trouble again."
The woman traveling with Han Yeo-myeong flipped back her hood, revealing strikingly exotic features.
'She's a foreigner too?'
Her nose was so perfectly high it almost seemed unreal.
The two strolled over casually and stopped at Kang Seol's table.
Han Yeo-myeong spoke up.
"Hyung, mind if we sit?"
Kang Seol swept his gaze around the room.
"Have a seat. Looks like this is the only intact table left."
"Thanks."
"You too, miss."
"Thank you for your kindness."
She bowed politely.
"I'm Marie. Marie Bonneir."
"Marie's French. Or... was French?"
"I see."
The moment Marie sat, she shot Han Yeo-myeong a reproachful look.
"Poking at Marcelo was reckless."
Kang Seol asked,
"This Marcelo name keeps coming up. Big shot?"
"You don't know Marcelo?"
"Hyung's been in Nevenia the whole time."
"Ah..."
"Marcelo Machado. Infamous Brazilian thug. Word is he's cartel-born... Anyway, things got messy. Of all people, Marcelo."
"How'd you cross paths?"
"Took a job, and turns out Marcelo was the top dog. He dangled the item I wanted as reward, but... you saw how that went."
"Sounds like you got stiffed."
"You don't have to be so blunt..."
I was foolish, Han Yeo-myeong!
Still the same old you!
Still a total airhead!
Our Yeo-myeong's gotten tougher...
Han Yeo-myeong said to Kang Seol,
"Marcelo probably set that trap just to reel me in."
"Trap?"
"He's weaker than me. But his organization's massive."
"How massive?"
"Not just big. Head southwest from here, and you'll see their cartel scale—it's insane. They've already enslaved and exploited all the natives."
"All Marcelo's turf?"
"Nah, too many vested interests make it messy. Marcelo's just one of the top brass."
"So hitting him risks a chain of blowback... Making it impossible for a lone adventurer to head southwest. That vibe?"
"Spot on. The cartel's expanding nonstop. Spread so far they reached Adel. We could hit Marcelo, then bail back to Nevenia or another country... but those bastards in Adel going forward..."
"Yeo-myeong."
"Y-Yes?"
Kang Seol said calmly,
"How've you been holding up?"
"...Ah."
Han Yeo-myeong realized he'd been rambling and scratched his head.
After Karen crushed him easily, he'd heeded Kang Seol's advice, crossed the border, and left.
Traveled far deliberately, kept pushing west, sought out dangerous quests.
The result? Growth that stunned Kang Seol. Solid choice.
"Thanks to you, hyung."
Sob... Grew up so well.
This is true positive influence...
Place is a bloodbath and you call that positive? Lmao
Axis of evil! Snowman is the axis of evil!
Turned Han into SkullGreymon!
Kang Seol asked,
"What happens if you leave Marcelo be?"
"They'll creep into Nevenia... putting my sister at risk too."
"Could be."
He thought a moment, then said,
"Need help?"
Han Yeo-myeong jumped, eyes wide.
"You'd help if I said yes?"
"Normally? Hell no. Not my business. No reason or need. But..."
He continued,
"That day feels close."
"That day... Oh!"
- Next time, I'll call on you.
"You need to be alive for it."
"So I'm useful to you?"
"Harsh phrasing, but yeah— you'll be useful."
Han Yeo-myeong grinned at that.
"That's comforting... Got it. I'll call if I need you."
Scrape...
Kang Seol wrapped up and stood.
No order thanks to the brawl, so no bill.
"Anyway, hard to eat with all this blood stench. Catch you later."
Han Yeo-myeong bowed toward Kang Seol's retreating back.
Moments later, Marie tapped his shoulder.
"Yeo-myeong, what's with you?"
"Hm? What?"
"Not like you."
"What do you mean?"
Marie pointed at where Kang Seol had sat.
"Why so grovelly? Did you wrong him or something?"
"Grovelly? Just being polite."
"No, it was way over the top. That's how Koreans roll?"
"Well... no. He's my benefactor."
"Benefactor? Oh! Him?"
"Yeah. Saved me and sis from despair. Cold on the outside, warm within."
"Nah? Felt ice-cold."
"......"
"Even for a benefactor, that was much. You're strong now, Yeo-myeong. No need to shrink like that."
Han Yeo-myeong paused, then enunciated carefully.
"He's scary."
"...What?"
Marie finally clocked his state.
Han Yeo-myeong's whole body was rigid with tension.
"Scary as hell."
"...Strong?"
"Just hiding how tense I was took everything."
"So if we clash with Marcelo, think he'd help?"
Han Yeo-myeong said,
"Remember what I said earlier?"
"What?"
"About stepping in shit."
"Oh, yeah. I said, 'I didn't step in shit!' like that."
"If I'm shit..."
He was certain.
"Seol hyung's a landmine."
"Huh?"
"Step in shit, toss the shoe. Step on a mine? You're dead. That's the difference."