Chapter 85
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Chaos in Kongori
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Kongori was bustling with people, just like when Kang Seol first transferred in. And he knew full well that this wasn't a positive situation at all.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"Oh, come on, it's true, I swear. Word's already spreading far and wide that Nevenia's staying silent on this whole mess."
"Even so, two cities got torched! What about all the dead? And the people who got dragged off?"
"Do nations run on feelings? They run on cold, hard reality. What can you do when the Nevenia royals made their call!"
"Hey, keep it down. Someone might hear you."
"Hear me? In Kongori right now, is there anyone not cursing the royals?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
What the hell was this about?
Kang Seol headed straight for the information guild, but for some reason, it wasn't operating properly.
'Damn it... this is a problem.'
With no other choice, he made for his second option: the Adventurer Association. If he dug around carefully here, there'd be some useful intel.
Finally Locked Down a Spot in Novira and WTF Is This?
Overnight, I'm back to being a worthless duck egg in the Nakdong River... Is the Han River water nice and warm right now?
Says you're in the Nakdong, so stay there.
It's warm, but I can't get to the Han River.
Wanna go to the Han River lol, pitch a tent and chill.
Ramen tastes great there too.
Get your heads straight, idiots. Is this the time for that crap?
Then what do we do?
Recommend Other Cities for Relocation.
No Kongori. Fuck, no telling when this place'll get blown up too.
Gonna head further south.
Will they even take us?
You'll eat salty kimchi if you go there.
Oh, that's no good.
Is Novira really supposed to blow up like that?
These Small Fries Acting Tough? Can't Let That Slide.
Gotta call in Anonymous Bro. Anonymous Bro? You there? Please respond... Novira got wrecked.
Anonymous flashing pants again lololol.
Why would Anonymous dip into this mess?
Not big enough for a Transferee to bother.
Call Han Yeo-myeong! Dude's badass, right?
Bullshit. Situation's seriously fucked right now.
Take in the Refugees!
Real Novira refugees here...
Refugees gotta ditch affiliations and show their panties.
Living long enough to see this lolol.
Going insane... How much did I sink into Novira...
That Real?
Nevenia scum pretending not to know about the abducted? For real fr? Why?
They're beefing up border defense so trolls can't get in anymore lololol Regeno style.
Locking the barn after losing the cow, changing password after hack... Sick of it lolol.
What happens to us now?
What happens? We just keep living.
Kang Seol could sense that the posts were full of nothing but blame for the current situation and self-deprecating remarks.
'They're no better than stragglers...'
He could only guess the scale of the raid from their words, but the lack of any mention of fierce fighting suggested it wasn't a proper battle—it was a one-sided massacre.
Soldiers defeated in war without achieving anything.
That was the state of the transferees and Novira residents who had fled to Kongori.
Why Nevenia Can't Respond.
Enemies on all sides.
As you know, they've got a big chunk of land but jack squat in power. So tons of eyes on it. Take Setena sharing borders east and north—they openly provoke Nevenia.
Nevenia's forces end up focused on Setena, leaving the northwest border weak, and that's how the trolls broke through.
So what's the plan?
None. Looks like that's what Setena's aiming for.
Eh?
Have to accept some non-aggression pact or whatever, but Setena's playing vague. Rumor has it Setena and the troll tribes allied up to swallow Nevenia, their common enemy.
You a troll or something?
The fuck you say?
You know way too much.
Nevenia Abandoned Its People.
Nevenia bastards playing dumb even though Novira folks and relic hunters got carted off in cages lolol. Gotta bail on this country ASAP.
Makes me wanna hurl fr.
Top brass is incompetent, so no countermeasures even for this.
Heard Nevenia military's not just powerless but corrupt as hell.
Going for the hat trick? Mastering all the bad shit.
Forbes ranks Nevenia #1 most hated monarchy by Koreans, causing a stir...
Why's Forbes ranking that lolol.
But What About Them?
Those guys who went on the revenge adventure. Yumira and her crew.
Relic hunters? Thought the transferees all bailed.
Most did. But a few who came back after Kibo got nabbed chased after with Yumira leading.
Real loyalty. Couldn't do it myself.
Yeah, me neither.
Kibo and Yumira were openly tight.
Being friends doesn't mean charging into hell.
Can they even rescue 'em? Insane move.
Just went to die...
Impressive. If they come back alive, I'll bow to Yumira and join her crew.
I'll apply as Yumira's house robot vacuum.
That's even more impressive.
'Yumira chased the trolls?'
This was pretty shocking.
He'd figured she'd evacuate based on the situation, but Kibo got captured by trolls, and Yumira was pursuing them.
As these thoughts swirled in his head, Kang Seol covered his mouth with his hand, focusing on piecing together the situation.
That was when it happened.
Screeech...
"Oh, it's Oh Yeon-hee."
"Jin Jeong-tak's with her too. What's going on?"
"Yeah. What are the league execs doing here..."
They kept walking into the association. Even then, Kang Seol was still scanning other posts for info.
Swish.
Karen, cloaked in her robe, slipped behind Kang Seol, concealing her presence. She spoke toward the approaching group.
"That's far enough."
She meant don't come any closer to Kang Seol.
The sudden appearance of this mysterious woman interrupting them made the newcomers frown.
"...Who are you?"
"Don't recognize her..."
"Anyone heard of him traveling with a woman?"
"No one's mentioned that..."
As they started a lengthy debate among themselves, Kang Seol spoke without turning around.
"What is it?"
"...So you are here. Han Yeo-myeong's looking for you."
"Han Yeo-myeong?"
"Yes. He wants to talk."
The unexpected mention of Han Yeo-myeong's name from a Kongori league executive had the surrounding transferees murmuring.
"Han Yeo-myeong? Did he just say Han Yeo-myeong?"
"Why's Han Yeo-myeong looking for him? They know each other?"
"Trying to recruit him? First time seeing the guy?"
"But who's that woman?"
"Yo... isn't that...?"
"Nah... no way."
Already drawing attention, there was no way he'd stay low even if he turned down their offer here.
Kang Seol turned around.
"Lead the way."
Kang Seol was escorted by quite the entourage drawing heavy stares to a building visible from anywhere in Kongori.
There hadn't been such a building when he left Kongori, so it must be a brand-new construction.
"Go on in."
Kang Seol's footsteps echoed through the first-floor lobby.
It seemed like a shared space for many guilds, filled with people in all sorts of attire.
They paid him little mind.
"Yeon-hee! Busy?"
"Yeah, busy."
"Come on, looks like you're slacking."
"Can't you see I'm working?"
"Hm? Who's that with you? Part of the job?"
"You'll get hurt if you know."
"I always come back hurt? You really won't spill?"
"Sigh! Don't talk to me!"
"Tch... with a temper like that..."
"Uncle, come down here."
The lighthearted middle-aged man chatting with Oh Yeon-hee grinned.
"Yeah, uncle's transferring out soon."
"Damn... figures."
"See you after!"
"Do what you want."
Kongori, rid of Predator and Justice, seemed to be faring better than expected. Like water looking clear for a while after skimming off the murkiest part.
Knock, knock.
Oh Yeon-hee rapped on the door.
"Brought him."
"Thanks!"
A familiar voice came from inside.
Screeech...
"Bro!"
"Han Yeo-myeong."
Han Yeo-myeong and Han No-eul were there, along with a few others who seemed like big shots here.
Not knights of the round table, yet they rose from a circular table, staring at Kang Seol.
"That's the anonymous donor dude?"
"You missed it 'cause of that adventure? Man, it was chaos. In that building, arms and legs flying... ugh."
"Shh, quiet. Don't blab."
"So naggy..."
"Pardon?"
"Hot weather, haha."
"It's almost winter..."
"He's got that internal heat thing."
"...Slippery as an eel."
Han Yeo-myeong approached Kang Seol with his sister.
"Heard you were looking for me. How'd you know I was here, though?"
"Tracking the rankings nonstop, and you're the only one around with that score bracket as far as I know."
"Knew I'd head to the association?"
"Yeah. Sent people elsewhere too, but highest odds there."
"You've gotten meticulous since we last met."
- Nearby (X) Whole World (O)
- Ground not shaking when elephant passes? Suspicious lol
Oh Yeon-hee approached beside Han Yeo-myeong.
She addressed Kang Seol.
"Han Yeo-myeong, we're here too—introduce us?"
"Oh, sorry. Bro, these are league folks, so one by one..."
"No time for that. Situation's critical; need to hear the pitch and move."
"Ah... r-right? But is that woman your companion?"
Karen flipped back her stuffy hood.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Karen."
"F-Fairy!"
"Fairy?"
"Whoa... first time seeing one."
Childlike reactions erupted here and there, and Han Yeo-myeong guided Kang Seol and Karen to seats.
Kang Seol gave Han Yeo-myeong a look, and he started the talk.
"Tracked you down over the Novira thing."
"Hm..."
"You know what happened in Novira, right?"
"I do."
"Interested in that?"
"Not the event itself. The people caught up in it."
"Oh, someone you know got kidnapped?"
Kang Seol nodded.
Added,
"Not sure if kidnapped or not, exactly."
"Ah, we've got lists of the dead and missing."
"Really?"
"Yeah, can look it up if you want."
No one in Novira knew Cháo, so Kang Seol asked to check only Ha-mun's status.
Soon, someone who looked like a league member came up.
"Someone saw Ha-mun get abducted."
"Eyewitness?"
"One of the relic hunters who escaped knew Ha-mun by sight."
Kang Seol's expression hardened coldly.
"Ugh..."
A few flinched at his sharpened glare.
"Damn it, he got dragged in after all."
"Bro?"
"Anyway, what's the point?"
"Uh... well..."
Han Yeo-myeong hesitated, glancing at the others.
Oh Yeon-hee stepped up, fed up.
A confident woman full of conviction.
"Join up with Kongori's side."
"What're you talking about?"
"Nevenia's not putting out any real countermeasures for the next raid, so only the transferees and local guards can protect Kongori."
"And?"
"No telling when the trolls that wiped Novira hit here. We band together to stop 'em."
"Want my help with that?"
"Yes."
They figured this pitch was a win-win for Kang Seol too.
With trolls smashing bases left and right, if he hadn't settled anywhere yet, growing under the league's solid umbrella was way better.
But their proposal only brought intense insult to Kang Seol.
"Defend Kongori at all costs? That's why you called me?"
"Bad pitch?"
"...You're not just adapting—you're getting absorbed."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Me, comrades, home, village, city, nation, race. Is that the values you hold dear?"
Oh Yeon-hee flinched at Kang Seol's icy voice.
Asked,
"Then... Snowman isn't?"
"Not me."
Scrape...
Kang Seol and Karen stood.
"I move only for myself."
"...Turning down the offer?"
"Yes."
"You're abandoning Kongori."
"Never had it."
"Ha... you'll end up with nowhere to go."
"Don't care. I only need mine."
"Running away?"
Kang Seol looked around puzzled.
"Running?"
"...You're leaving Kongori."
"That's right."
"What else is that but running!"
Karen, who'd been listening, snickered.
"What's so funny!"
"Ah! Sorry, sorry."
Kang Seol stared straight into Oh Yeon-hee's eyes.
"I'm going to get Ha-mun back."