Chapter 108
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Unpredictable (3)
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I was going over my paperwork.
Ever since returning from the royal palace, there hadn't been any unusual incidents, and the workload wasn't particularly heavy.
Lee Yun-seong and Ho-yeon were out, but since their destination wasn't far from Lund, I wasn't too worried.
'...Thank goodness Yun-seong didn't find out.'
The day I'd had drinks with Yun-seong in the capital—he'd gotten so wasted he passed out, which had been a relief.
Just thinking about it still made my lips curl up to my ears.
It had been fun enough spending the day on a date with just the two of us, but when he collapsed from the alcohol and fell asleep...
Thud!
"Y-Yu-ju sis!"
'Huh?'
Hyun-jin burst into the office, his face pale and frantic, right as I was lost in those pleasant memories and feeling upbeat.
"Y-Yu-ju sis! Th-this is bad... Wh-what do we do? Right now..."
"What's wrong, Hyun-jin? What happened...?"
The moment I sensed something off from his expression and trembling voice, another unsteady figure staggered into the office.
"...Ho-yeon?! What... what's going on? What are those wounds?"
Thud.
"Hah... ha... Mas... ter..."
My heart started pounding the instant Wi Ho-yeon, covered in blood, collapsed halfway into the room and forced out those words.
"What... what happened? Tell me..."
I knew instinctively. Yun-seong hadn't returned with him. Wi Ho-yeon coming back alone was the source of my growing dread.
"Lee Yun-seong-ssi was..."
"......"
'No... please... please no!'
"ambushed... by outlaws..."
Thump!
It felt like my heart plummeted.
"What... what are you saying? Ambushed? By outlaws?"
"Yes... It happened suddenly... while we were traveling by carriage..."
Frustration boiled over at the sight of Wi Ho-yeon struggling to speak through his ragged breaths. I couldn't help but shout.
"What exactly do you mean? Tell me everything! Please!"
The news that Yun-seong had been ambushed shattered my composure.
"...Lee Yun-seong-ssi and I were ambushed by outlaws while traveling by carriage. They seem to have targeted him deliberately. There were about twenty of them, and given the numbers, I suspect they were sent directly by the Execution Church or hired as subcontractors."
"Deliberately...?"
"They said they were there to capture Lee Yun-seong-ssi alive."
The mention of the Execution Church made my already spiraling emotions impossible to control.
From my experience in the first timeline, if they'd taken Yun-seong, it was the worst-case scenario.
"We have to... we have to rescue him right now. Hy-Hyun-jin, gather all the clan members immediately! Tell them it's an emergency! Time... we don't have time."
If they took him across to the Eastern Alliance or another country, we'd have no way to track him down.
We had to find him before they got too far.
"Y-yes...!"
"Ho-yeon, you have to join the rescue too. I-I know you're hurt, but we need someone who knows the ambush site. Your injuries..."
"...Of course. I'll join. The wounds are fine. And I'm sorry... I was supposed to protect him, but I... I was the only one who escaped..."
"We'll... we'll deal with the blame later. I'm not letting this slide either. Y-you'll have to take responsibility for this... But first, rescue comes first. We'll talk about the rest after."
My head spun, and breathing felt labored.
Even as the words left my mouth, they felt detached, unreal.
It was just like that time when Yun-seong died—when I'd abandoned him and left.
Riiip!
"Guh... urk! Hng...!"
"What, is this about right?"
'Fuck... fuck!'
I'd suspected it, but I hadn't expected the violence to start immediately.
The pain in my gut was so bad I was puking up everything from yesterday.
At least they weren't torturing me yet. That was a small mercy.
No questions, just straight-up punches—it was absurd, but this level of pain was bearable.
"Cough... Misunderstanding... it's a misunderstanding."
"What?"
"I don't know why you're doing this, but it's a misunderstand—"
Crack!
"Grk...!"
Suddenly, the woman stomped on my head with her boot.
"Misunderstanding my ass. Do we look like idiots? We went through hell planting a spy, and you ruined it all, you little shit."
'Fuck...'
Trying to talk my way out was pointless; it wasn't working.
"You think we don't know you holed up in the Myth Clan house for weeks? We already knew Yun Yeon had a special connection with you."
'Damn it... How did they figure it out?'
"Curious how we knew? Want me to tell you? Rare item prices tanked, and two groups profited: your Eternity Clan and the Myth Clan."
Her words hit home. After my trip to the Library of Records, I'd advised Yun Yeon to sell off rare items, so both our clans avoided losses and made a killing.
'Anyone with half a brain could figure that out... Fuck...'
The outlaws must have pegged me as connected to Yun Yeon because of that.
Then I stayed at the Myth Clan house, and their spy got exposed. No wonder my tail got caught.
'I figured it'd happen eventually, but not before Eternity and I could really grow.'
"......"
"Anyway, you got too cocky. You tried hiding it, but a chick like you can only think so deep."
"Fuck..."
I gave up explaining and resigned myself. The woman smirked viciously.
"But... hearing about you is one thing, seeing you up close? Decent face. How about it? Be my slave?"
"What...?"
"Lighten up, punk. Why? Don't like it? This is your chance. I'm into normal types, but the others? Total psychos. You'll regret it after they drag you off."
'Psychos...!'
Mid-sentence, the guys who'd chased Wi Ho-yeon returned.
"Sis, sorry. We lost him..."
I breathed a sigh of relief. Wi Ho-yeon had gotten away somehow.
"Hah, lost him and you're bragging? What the hell? And why are two missing?"
"Th-they got done in by the Sword Master."
Looked like two got counter-killed chasing him.
"Hah, you idiots. Whatever, mission accomplished anyway."
"So..."
"Time to head back. This punk comes too, of course."
They were probably planning to drag me to their base or somewhere else.
If they moved me with them, even if my clan came to rescue, it'd be pointless.
They couldn't pinpoint my location.
That's why Wi Ho-yeon had resisted my order to run alone.
But like I said, I had a plan.
I'm no self-sacrificing hero. No intention of dying here.
I'd at least prepared a way to signal my position.
'Problem is, the clan has to notice...'
I figured they would.
"Ugh...!"
The woman grabbed my hair and yelled.
"Everyone, move out!"
******
Two days passed like that.
I had no idea where they were headed, but we were still in neutral territory.
'Damn... how far did they take me?'
The problem was we were far from the ambush site.
Two days later, impatience was inevitable.
'Fuck... Yu-ju noona, you're coming to save me, right? Yeah?'
I'd left traces with chimeras along the way.
Invisible and stealthy, so the outlaws never noticed.
'Did they miss the traces? Or did Wi Ho-yeon collapse on his way back to the clan house...?'
Every worst-case scenario ran through my mind.
If we left neutral territory, it was game over. No wonder I was on edge.
"Hey."
"......"
"This fucker's ignoring us? Piece of shit!"
Smack!
"Aak!"
Two days of their beatings.
No priest, maybe that's why, but they didn't stab me with swords. Just fists and feet.
"Hng...".
Honestly, I was reaching my limit.
No stabs didn't mean less pain.
They'd beat me whenever they got bored—not just once or twice.
"Heh... loser."
"Hey, ease up. This guy's scrawny; if you kill him by accident, we're screwed."
"Psh, who you think I am? I'm pacing it."
"Don't kill him. Orders were capture alive. He dies, we're fucked."
"Got it, got it."
'You guys... I remember your faces. Fucking bastards...'
The one who'd been beating me nonstop spoke up.
"...But as long as he doesn't die, right?"
'What...?'
"We can just mess up his face, yeah?"
Without warning, he grabbed my head and smashed it into the ground.
Bam!
"Grk...!"
'Crazy bastard!'
My face was about to get ruined.
"W-wait...!"
I tried to shout desperately.
"What the hell are you punks?"
Another woman's voice cut in suddenly.
Everyone whipped their heads toward the sound, stunned by the unfamiliar voice.
I strained to look from my face-down position. A woman stood there.
Eyepatch over one eye, tattoos on her body.
"You... who are you? How'd you get here?"
Panic set in for all of them.
"Who the fuck are you!"
The man bellowed. The eyepatched woman scowled.
"Ah, fuck. Shouting like that hurts my ears."
The leader woman hardened her expression at the intruder's nonchalance.
"Who are you? Here to rescue this guy?"
The eyepatched woman glanced at me, face in the dirt.
"What're you on about? No idea who he is. Just passing by."
"...You expect us to buy that?"
"Hah, bitch, believe it or not, I don't give a shit. I answered your damn question."
"What? You crazy bitch...!"
The leader reached for her waist. A pale-faced man next to her grabbed her arm.
"S-sis! Wait!"
"What the fuck!"
"Th-that woman... she's Yanagiya Riki! A Ranker! Just...!"
"...What?"
Ranker.
The term for the world's top 10 strongest players.
The now-deceased masters of the three great clans had held it.
Currently, in neutral lands, Yun Yeon and Ha Yu-ri had it too.
The leader wasn't the only one shocked—I was too.
'That's Yanagiya Riki?'
The eyepatch and tattoos gave her a decadent beauty vibe.
Her eyes held a feral glint.
I hadn't recognized her at first, but it matched the infamous Yanagiya Riki perfectly.
I pulled up her status window.
Absolute Heaven Rakshasa (Legendary Grade) - Absolute Heaven Rakshasa refers to a demon that severs the heavens. Temporarily enter a Rakshasa state.
Man-Sword Unity (Legendary Grade) - Comprehension of swordsmanship greatly increases.
Martial Arts Master (Heroic Grade) - Comprehension of martial arts significantly increases.
Stats on par with Yun Yeon.
'What the hell is going on here?!'
The outlaws were headache enough, and now this woman shows up? Unbelievable.
I had no clue what was happening anymore.
Someone gulped and muttered softly.
"Yanagiya Riki..."
"What an honor. No idea what you punks are, but a neutral-lander knowing my name."