Chapter 135
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Swamp of Oblivion (4)
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‘From here on, it’s the Swamp of Oblivion.’
The pioneering team entered the Swamp of Oblivion under Ha Yu-ri’s command.
‘I thought the Swamp of Oblivion would be some kind of swampy marshland because of the name, but it’s nothing like that.’
It wasn’t a marshland as the name suggested, but the landscape wasn’t ordinary either.
For that reason, the team members couldn’t help but murmur among themselves.
“What is this? Could it be… snow…?”
“... I don’t know. It’s not cold, though.”
It was all white. Not that the ground itself was white, but it looked like it was blanketed in snow.
But it wasn’t snow. The temperature wasn’t cold.
Something white was drifting around like frost in the air, but it didn’t feel chilly.
‘This is a thoroughly unnatural sight.’
It felt completely different from the dungeons they’d cleared so far.
‘This place isn’t really a dungeon to begin with…’
As they continued moving, someone from the vanguard approached Ha Yu-ri.
“Um, Ha Yu-ri-ssi. We’re facing some kind of monster up front that we’ve never seen before.”
“... What does the monster look like?”
“Well… Its basic shape is humanoid, but it’s entirely white, and its face only has a mouth. No hair or anything.”
Ha Yu-ri gave an immediate answer after hearing the man’s description.
“It’s a Shape.”
“... Pardon? You know what it is?”
“Yes. We encountered it three years ago. That’s when we named it Shape.”
Shape. It meant form or figure.
She’d probably named it that because it was just something vaguely humanoid.
“Shapes are monsters that the residents of the Swamp of Oblivion turn into after losing all their memories. They’re not strong, so they shouldn’t be much of a variable. Let’s keep moving.”
‘The residents of the Swamp of Oblivion turn into those…’
He’d have to meet these so-called residents to find out what they were.
As they pressed on, the monsters called Shapes began appearing from the sides.
I could see one of the Shapes with my own eyes.
But the live one in my view only lasted a moment.
Seo Yu-ju swung her spear a few times, and its limbs came apart, tumbling to the ground.
It writhed on the ground, making sounds like its lungs were collapsing, before dying.
Looking at the others, everyone had dispatched their monsters without issue.
I could see just how much they’d all grown.
‘The Madan Clan…’
The Madan Clan hadn’t cast any spells. There was no need to waste mana on trash like this, so it was the right call.
“Let’s keep moving.”
Once we started advancing again, I approached Ha Yu-ri.
“... No one’s lost their senses yet, but what about memories?”
“... The section where senses start fading comes after we pass the residents’ area. And… even if memories are lost, people usually don’t realize it themselves. It doesn’t mean much. You wouldn’t notice right away anyway.”
“Hm… So I might have already lost some memories?”
“That’s right. We’re definitely inside the Swamp of Oblivion now.”
“I see. But why didn’t you mention the monster info beforehand?”
That was what I was most curious about.
If she knew about Shapes, she could’ve just said so in advance.
“There was no need. They don’t have any special traits. And they’re pretty much the only monsters I know about here.”
“.... Really?”
“Why would I lie?”
“It’s an order. Is that really the reason?”
At the word “order,” the slave seal below her navel glowed, enforcing compulsion.
“Hng…! Yes, really, really.”
“.....”
I’d suspected some ulterior motive, but it seemed my suspicion was unfounded.
Ha Yu-ri shot me a dissatisfied look.
“... Doubting me like that. You’re a terrible master.”
“Ahem, ahem… No… Well… Sorry.”
“.... Whatever.”
I scratched my head and returned to where the clan members were, only for Seo Yu-ju to give me a dissatisfied look as well.
“Yun-seong-ssi, you seem awfully close with the Madan Clan Master lately.”
“Ah…”
‘... How do I talk my way out of this?’
I couldn’t exactly say we were master and slave, so I had no idea what to say.
“Just… We cleared up a misunderstanding from before.”
“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding, Yun-seong-ssi? Ha Yu-ri-ssi treated you so badly…”
‘I know, I know. Yu-ju noona.’
“She deserves punishment, not forgiveness. Yun-seong-ssi…”
‘I’ve punished her plenty. She even barked like a dog in front of me, Yu-ju noona. You’d be shocked if you saw.’
“That said, Ha Yu-ri-ssi has been reflecting on her actions a lot.”
“... You’re too nice, Yun-seong-ssi. That’s your problem.”
She said it so casually, it would’ve made Ha Yu-ri faint from disbelief if she’d heard.
“Haha… Anyway, please don’t hate Ha Yu-ri-ssi too much. She’s paying for it in her own way.”
It was overkill to even call it punishment. I had full control over her life and death, after all.
“Her attitude’s been weird ever since the meeting hall. Did you two reconcile privately or something?”
Seo Yu-ju wasn’t stupid; she’d surely noticed Ha Yu-ri’s odd behavior lately.
“Yun-seong-ssi, just so you know.”
“Yes? What?”
“... You don’t like Ha Yu-ri, do you?”
Seo Yu-ju suddenly linked arms with me, leaving me flustered.
‘What’s this? Why the sudden skinship…’
“No way. As if.”
“Hehe, right?”
‘... She’s always been like this, but she doesn’t even try to hide her feelings.’
It felt like something important would happen between us soon.
But her next words made my blood run cold, freezing me in place.
“Then why did you go to Ha Yu-ri-ssi’s tent in the middle of the night?”
“Pardon?”
My brain short-circuited for a second.
“What did you two do at night? Don’t tell me it was what I’m thinking?”
I met Seo Yu-ju’s eyes, but I was like a mouse before a snake—unable to speak or move.
“Ah…”
“Yun-seong-ssi.”
‘How… did she know?’
Our tents were definitely far apart.
With multiple clans moving together, we couldn’t place our tents wherever we wanted.
Sure, same clan meant they were relatively close, but still at a decent distance.
“... I heard a moan from Ha Yu-ri-ssi’s tent for a moment. What was that? Hm?”
‘Damn… when I used the compulsion…’
Ha Yu-ri had let out a sound from the slave seal’s pain, and somehow Seo Yu-ju had heard it.
The noise must’ve sounded suspicious, leading to this misunderstanding.
“Please… just answer me…”
“N-No. It’s just that Ha Yu-ri-ssi… bumped into the edge of something…”
Even I thought it sounded idiotic.
Seo Yu-ju brought her face right up to mine.
“Really? Then why did Ha Yu-ri-ssi call you ‘Master’…?”
‘Sh-Shit…’
“......”
‘Damn it, how much did she hear?’
My vision started going dark.
‘... Does she know about the slave contract with Ha Yu-ri?’
I thought as fast as I could. No time for slow deliberation now.
‘No, if she knew that, she wouldn’t ask why Ha Yu-ri called me Master. So…’
My mind spun faster than in any crisis before.
Even as a top-three-clan master, Seo Yu-ju couldn’t have eavesdropped perfectly if Ha Yu-ri hadn’t noticed her presence.
‘She probably only caught the moan and the word “Master.”’
I pieced it together in three seconds. Impressive, even for me.
I answered Seo Yu-ju right away, of course.
“I-It’s a misunderstanding. Ha Yu-ri-ssi came to apologize for ignoring me before… and it just slipped out somehow.”
Pure nonsense, even to me. But it was all I had.
“You expect me to believe that? Yun-seong-ssi, ho, perhaps…”
“Yes?”
“You’re into that kind of… play?”
I was stunned by her words.
‘Why’d she jump to that conclusion…’
“No, wait… Why would you think that? I’m not into weird… play like that.”
“... Then what was it? Why was Ha Yu-ri-ssi moaning, and why call you Master?!”
“Ah… Well…”
“Ha, hold on.”
“Wait! Y-Yu-ju-ssi, where are you going?”
Seo Yu-ju ignored me, left, and soon returned dragging Ha Yu-ri with her.
“Seo Yu-ju-ssi, what… Why’d you bring me here? Right now…”
Ha Yu-ri looked clueless about why she’d been dragged over.
She spotted me and immediately shut her mouth.
‘Shit, what’s with this sudden three-way confrontation?’
“Tell me. Ha Yu-ri-ssi, what did you and Yun-seong-ssi do in the tent last night?”
“.... Pardon?”
Ha Yu-ri looked flustered, her gaze shifting from Seo Yu-ju to me.
Her eyes seemed to ask what was going on, but Seo Yu-ju wouldn’t miss that glance.
“What is it… What… What’s your relationship? Why moan and call Yun-seong-ssi Master!”
Tears welled up in Seo Yu-ju’s eyes as she yelled at Ha Yu-ri.
Ha Yu-ri seemed to grasp the situation from Seo Yu-ju’s demeanor.
‘Shit, please… Save me just this once.’
I desperately signaled Ha Yu-ri with my eyes, but she betrayed my expectations.
Instead, she smirked like I had it coming, then dropped a bombshell.
“What relationship? Haven’t you heard? At night, Yun-seong-ssi is my Master, and I’m his slave. The kind that obeys every command without question.”
‘You bitch…!’
I wanted to scream. But Ha Yu-ri didn’t stop there; she doubled down.
“To please my Master, no matter how humiliating the order… I have to obey. Good obedience gets me ecstatic rewards.”
Seo Yu-ju looked like her world had ended, her voice trembling.
“Wh-What… rewards…?”
“Yes, after that, my Master spoils me like a puppy until morning.”
Her acting—writhing in ecstasy—was Oscar-worthy back on Earth.
‘You goddamn bitch!’
I’d shown her mercy, and this was how she repaid me? My head throbbed.
‘Just you wait. I really, really won’t go easy next time.’
What pissed me off most was that she said her piece and vanished like an assassin.
While Seo Yu-ju raged at me, Ha Yu-ri was gone.
“Y-Yun-seong-ssi. Why… Why with Ha Yu-ri… Instead of that bitch, I-I’m here…!”
Nothing I said would get through to Seo Yu-ju in this state.
Best to let her calm down first, then explain step by step. Less mental drain that way.
But her next words were weird.
“If… If you need someone for that role, call me. I can do it all!”
Her tearful pleading could melt any man’s heart.
“Yes? I’ll match any taste you have. Please…”
‘That’s not it…’
It took some time before Seo Yu-ju realized Ha Yu-ri’s words were a lie.