Chapter 183
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: Honey Trap (5)
Inside the rattling carriage, there were five people including myself.
First off, me and my guard, Wi Ho-yeon.
Then Hyun-jin and Uncle Ho-won.
And finally, Woo Seo-hyun.
There was a specific reason I'd assembled the group this way.
Uncle Ho-won was a solid tank to bring along, but more importantly, he didn't have much to talk about with Woo Seo-hyun.
Wi Ho-yeon naturally wouldn't have much to say to her either.
As for Hyun-jin, after what happened last time, I wanted to keep a close eye on his condition, so I'd brought him along.
'And it'd annoy Woo Seo-hyun too.'
In other words, out of this group, the only ones Woo Seo-hyun could really hold a conversation with were me and Hyun-jin.
Regardless of whether she was trying to seduce me or not, in this setup, she'd have no choice but to talk to me.
The awkward atmosphere was broken when Hyun-jin spoke up to Woo Seo-hyun first.
"Um, Seo-hyun sis. You don't need to be so tense. They say the dungeon's an easy one, and everyone's here super nice!"
'Hyun-jin, she's got more years under her belt than you, you think a dungeon like this would make her nervous?'
"Ahaha... Thanks."
Woo Seo-hyun gave Hyun-jin a vague reply before turning to me.
"Yun-seong, more than that, I was really surprised. You suddenly suggested we go on a dungeon run..."
"Haha, sorry if it put you out. It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment surprise plan, honestly."
'Of course it was. Couldn't give her time to prepare.'
If I'd announced the dungeon run ahead of time, who knows what she might've cooked up.
Instead, I'd notified her on the spot and left immediately, so she probably hadn't even had a chance to contact the Execution Church.
The reason for the dungeon run was to see Woo Seo-hyun's abilities in action. Sure, from her perspective, she'd only use her standard priest skills...
'But things don't always go according to plan.'
I had plenty of ways to force her hand. Like the Ruska and Acacia Clans, or Ha Yu-ri and the Madan Clan.
Today, Woo Seo-hyun would have no choice but to reveal her true abilities in front of us. I'd make sure of it.
'First step: tarnish Woo Seo-hyun's reputation.'
At the very least, I needed to plant a seed of suspicion among the clan members.
It wasn't unusual to hide your job or skills to some extent—no rule said you had to disclose everything to your clan.
But Woo Seo-hyun was hiding way too much.
'Especially while playing the benevolent priest. What if her real job turns out to be something ugly?'
The other clan members would naturally find it suspicious.
It wouldn't spark a witch hunt over just a job reveal, but doubts would creep in.
"I figured since you've settled into Eternity pretty well, it'd be fun to tackle a dungeon together, so I planned this."
"Ah... I see. Thank you."
'Thank me? She's probably cursing me out inside.'
Being a spy or infiltrator was a high-stress gig.
For someone in her position, an unexpected curveball like this was the worst.
"Bro, what kind of dungeon are we heading to anyway? I heard it's easy..."
"No need to worry. It's a really straightforward one."
The dungeon wasn't high-level. Honestly, it was more like a casual outing.
"I'm still nervous. I wonder if I can pull off the priest role properly... What if dangerous monsters show up..."
'Look at her acting. What does a three-year vet have to be nervous about?'
She glanced at me while putting on the performance, clearly trying to trigger some protective instinct.
I had to admire her commitment to the honey trap even now.
'Not even a pro, and she's this dedicated.'
"Seo-hyun sis, don't worry! If anything dangerous happens, I'll protect you!"
'Who’s protecting who? She's way stronger than you, dude.'
From Woo Seo-hyun's perspective, she probably found that hilarious. Everyone except Wi Ho-yeon must seem like small fry to her.
Since I'd been her real target but Hyun-jin jumped in instead, her face twisted for a split second.
"...You're so reliable. Thanks, Hyun-jin."
"Aw, no biggie. Just leave it to me!"
Hyun-jin's face lit up at the praise, grinning ear to ear.
Normally I'd signal him to pipe down, but surprisingly, having him chat her up like this wasn't half bad, so I let it slide.
'Must be annoying as hell for Woo Seo-hyun.'
Her interest was in me.
I was the one she was seducing, but with the wrong guy responding, it had to be driving her nuts.
'Pretty frustrating situation, huh?'
A few times, Woo Seo-hyun tried talking to me, but I deftly steered the conversations so she ended up chatting with Hyun-jin instead.
Hyun-jin, thinking I was setting him up with her, looked at me with starry eyes.
'That's not it, you idiot.'
Clunk!
...The carriage came to a stop. We'd arrived.
"Hup!"
Slash—
Thud!
'Smooth.'
They'd definitely grown a lot since before.
Proof of that: Wi Ho-yeon hadn't even needed to step in—Hyun-jin and Uncle Ho-won were handling things just fine on their own.
Apart from the occasional spell I tossed out, it was basically just the two of them clearing the dungeon.
Of course, they took some hits, so Woo Seo-hyun was healing them here and there as a priest.
"Sis, thanks! I'm all good now."
"Yeah, glad to hear it."
"We'd be in real trouble without you, Seo-hyun sis. The wounds would've piled up and worn us down."
'You're laying it on thick. And if we hadn't brought her, we'd have taken Yu-hyeon instead, punk.'
This was straight-up flirting.
"Thanks, I'm glad to hear that."
I caught the brief twitch of Woo Seo-hyun's eyebrow.
'Well, that's that...'
"Ho-yeon, what do you think?"
"Pardon?"
"About Hyun-jin. He trains with the sword like you do."
"Ah... I see. Hmm..."
I was curious about Wi Ho-yeon's take on Hyun-jin's swordsmanship.
They were both swordsmen, and she was the senior.
"...He's definitely improved a lot. Faster than the average player, at least."
"I see."
"......"
"Ho-yeon, were you about to say more?"
"Ah... well..."
She seemed hesitant.
"Feel free to be honest. He's too far to hear us, and I won't go blabbing whatever you say."
I hadn't expected only glowing praise.
Wi Ho-yeon was top-tier, and while Hyun-jin's growth outpaced average, it wouldn't impress her.
"...To be blunt, that's it. Of course, it's better than average. Plenty of first-years in Eras are worse off than him."
"......"
"But given Eternity's direction, Hyun-jin will hit a wall eventually. Realistically, for a first-year, he's mid-to-upper tier. He's working hard and better than before, sure, but..."
"I get the gist."
I understood what Wi Ho-yeon meant.
Eras was a brutal continent.
Talent mattered here—you couldn't just effort your way out of lacking it.
As a first-year, the gap wasn't huge yet, but it would widen over time between the gifted and the rest.
Take Kang I-seo and Hyun-jin, for example.
Even now, she outshone him in feats and skill, but not by a mile.
'That gap will grow massive with time.'
The other clanmates were fine—they wouldn't ditch Hyun-jin for lagging.
But he'd struggle to keep up, constantly comparing himself to everyone.
'Right now, in terms of combat power, the ones lagging in Eternity are me, Hyun-jin, and Yu-rim.'
Thanks to Mutant Devourer, I'd patched up my issue somewhat.
Though compared to the others, I was still chump change.
'Hyun-jin and Yu-rim are the problems.'
Just look at the Marsh of Oblivion opening—Yu-rim nearly died.
'Solutions: pull them from combat roles like Seo Yu-ju tried with me, or make them stronger.'
For Yu-rim, no clear fix yet. But Hyun-jin had options.
'Having a great master versus none is night and day.'
And right beside me was the dream mentor for any swordsman.
"Ho-yeon, mind if I ask a personal favor?"
"Of course, Yun-seong. I'll follow any order."
'Order? Come on...'
Hyun-jin was precious to me, but I wouldn't force Wi Ho-yeon.
"...Not an order—a request. One that might feel like a hassle to you."
Wi Ho-yeon smiled faintly.
"Yun-seong, hassle or not doesn't matter to me. What matters is that you want it."
"......"
"I'm fine—just tell me. Anything."
"...Sorry to ask, but could you train Hyun-jin whenever you have time?"
Asking for training from a clanmate was usually rude.
Like on Earth, artisans and chefs didn't share secrets freely here either.
Top players could open dojos post-retirement and thrive.
Wi Ho-yeon could charge top dollar and still have a waiting list.
'The Sword Empress opening a dojo? Spots would fill instantly.'
I wasn't even asking for myself—it was for Hyun-jin.
She could've taken offense.
But her response showed no displeasure.
"Of course. I can train him during my sessions. Should be fun—teaching martial arts is a joy."
"...Thank you."
As she said, she'd naturally enjoy teaching.
But anyone could tell she was downplaying it to ease my guilt.
"I'm honored to help you, Yun-seong. Knowing anything I have is useful to you is more than I deserve."
Her words left me feeling awkward.
'How does she say that so casually? Impressive.'
"Ahem... Is there nothing you want from me, Ho-yeon?"
She'd granted my request, so I genuinely wanted to return the favor.
"...Then demand more of me."
"Haha..."
Her "demand" matched what I'd suspected.
I steered my thoughts elsewhere.
'...Where was that promised spot again?'
The moment for Woo Seo-hyun's abilities to be exposed was drawing near.