Chapter 177: New Member
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177: New Member
I head toward the prison where Hornet is being held.
They tell me they’ll guide me through a private passage, as the inmates might get rowdy if they see a man.
If the prisoners were to stage a breakout right now, would I end up being gang-raped?
Hmm...
For some reason, I feel like it might not be so bad, but it probably wouldn't live up to expectations.
Maybe it’s because of the game illustrations, but while the average level of beauty is high, not every single person is a masterpiece.
It’s a world where people live, after all; there are overweight people and ugly people too.
The thought of a 200-pound woman grinding her hips on top of me makes my dick shrivel up.
Shaking off the useless thoughts, I follow the prison guard to the Warden’s office.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Warden Park In-hye. I never expected to see the hero Jeong Yeon-woo in a place like this. It’s an honor."
The middle-aged woman greets me warmly.
After some idle small talk over tea that has nothing to do with business, Park In-hye glances at me tentatively and asks for an autograph.
"My niece is a huge fan of yours, Hero Jeong Yeon-woo. Would that be alright?"
"Yes, of course."
She’s someone I need to stay on the good side of, so I can give her as many autographs as she wants.
I take the white paper, sign my name, and ask for the niece's name as I usually do.
"It's Park In-hye."
... ...?
I sneak a glance at the nameplate on her desk.
"... ...I suppose she could... have the same name as her niece. Yes, it’s a lovely name."
"Ahaha, yes, well, that’s right, isn't it?"
Since I play along, the Warden gives an awkward laugh and nods.
If you want an autograph, just say so. Don't sell out your niece.
I hand her the signed paper with her name on it.
Looking at the autograph with a satisfied face, the Warden steals another glance at me.
"Shall we take a photo together to show my niece?"
"Sure! As expected of Hero Jeong Yeon-woo, you have so many fans that you know exactly what the kids want. Ahaha, I hadn't even thought of it."
Liar. You’ve been fiddling with your smartphone this whole time.
After leaning in close for a friendly selfie, I stand up from my seat.
"You can't use this for the 'I'm cheating' challenge, okay?"
Flinch—
Seeing the Warden jump in surprise, I give a small chuckle.
"I’m joking. The photo is yours, Warden, so use it however you like. I’m sure your niece will love it."
"Ahaha, yes, I think she’ll be thrilled."
After parting ways with the somewhat flighty Warden, I head down to the visitation room.
In a room filled with cafeteria tables like something out of a foreign movie, I wait for Hornet while taking photos with the guards, who seem to be hoping for a turn.
While the camera shutters are clicking away, Hornet enters, dressed in a prison uniform.
"What the hell are you doing?"
The moment she sees me taking photos with the guards, her face contorts, and she asks irritably.
Her expression is sour, but her blue eyes and hair are as captivating as ever.
"You look quite demure with your hair down."
"Did you come all this way just to critique my hairstyle?"
Hornet lets out an annoyed huff and trudges over to sit at the table.
The prison seems to be wary of her, as she’s fitted with mana-suppressing handcuffs on both her hands and feet.
Finding the chains cumbersome, she grumbles and shakes her arms several times to get comfortable before staring at me.
"Did you stalk me? How did you know I was here?"
"You're quite famous, so people tend to tell me things even if I stay still."
"Too many bitches with nothing better to do."
Hornet leans forward, sprawling across the table, and looks up at me.
Meeting her confrontational gaze, I sit across from her and smile.
"What happened? Where are the others?"
"If there were no bodies, they probably escaped safely."
"From whom?"
"That squinty-eyed bastard."
... ...Baek Seo-woo again?
When I heard she’d been taken down, I assumed it was the New Human Alliance, but it was The Hero.
As I stare blankly at the unexpected name, Hornet smirks and sneers.
"That damn bastard seems to be quite fond of you, oh great hero."
Feeling like she’s talking about me, I point a finger at myself, and Hornet gives a thuggish nod.
"At first, I thought you sent him."
"Why would I? I like you, Hornet. And you like me too."
"I do not."
"You did before. Moaning about how you lost to me..."
"Shut the fuck up."
Hornet speaks sharply, covering her face with her arm, but she can't hide the fact that her cheeks have turned red.
Even though she loved it, moaning while pinned under me.
As I watch her with a grin, Hornet steals a glance at me and scratches her head roughly in frustration.
"Anyway, that bastard babbled some shit about how my existence is a stain on your life and tried to kill me."
"... ...And why does he get to decide that?"
"How should I know? Ask him yourself."
Hornet tsk-tsks and taps her fingers on the table.
It’s a signal we decided on before the fight with the Madam, just in case.
It’s a military signal familiar to me, but I didn't expect her to still remember it.
"Excuse me, but could you give us a moment to speak privately?"
The guard hesitates for a moment but then nods, telling me to call immediately if anything happens before stepping away.
I naturally block the microphone under the table with my thigh and look at Hornet.
"The Hero wants you."
"You don't know... why, do you?"
"I don't. But it seems they intend to turn you into a symbol."
"I doubt it's in a good way."
"Not for you. Knowing those crazy bitches, they'll probably make you a symbol of resistance or something."
Why do those guys keep bothering me?
Every time I try to live a happy life, some weirdos always get in the way.
After hearing a few things that shouldn't be made public, I move my thigh away from the microphone.
"So, why are you here?"
"Hornet... have you ever thought about becoming a hero?"
"Hah? Me? You want me to be one of those noble, dignified, and oh-so-great heroes?"
She really hates the idea.
Seeing her react with such excessive sensitivity, I deliberate for a moment before pulling out some documents, placing them on the table, and sliding them toward her.
"A rehabilitation program? You want to recruit me into Black Unicorn? You're not in your right mind either."
"Why? You're talented, Hornet. It’s a waste to let you rot in prison."
"I'm not hero material at all. Do you think you can handle me? The moment I get out, I'm going to wreck everything. Black Unicorn will be dragged through the mud by the public."
Watching her snicker, I shift my posture again to block the microphone.
I lean down toward her as she sprawls on the table and speak in a low voice.
"Hornet. You're mine. Who says I can't handle you?"
"... ..."
"Shall I shove my dick into that frigid pussy of yours again? Maybe that'll jog your memory."
As if remembering that time, Hornet flinches.
When I tilt my head to look at her crotch hidden under the table, Hornet subtly tries to cover herself.
"Not hero material? I'll kindly instill it into you, whether from above or below. Don't worry, just follow my lead."
Leaving the silent Hornet behind, I sit back up and open the microphone.
"Well? Isn't it a good offer?"
Looking at my beaming smile, Hornet furrows her fine eyebrows and looks at the documents with a dissatisfied face.
Recruiting through a rehabilitation program comes with many restrictive conditions, so I wait for her to finish reading.
After a long while, Hornet, still hunched over, glares at me and speaks.
"Promise me one more thing."
"What is it?"
"Help me crush The Hero—especially that squinty-eyed bastard—with my own hands."
"Don't worry. Exterminating villains is a hero's job. If you're with me, won't that bastard naturally show up?"
Seeing my smile, Hornet gives a bitter laugh.
"I really don't know what that guy sees in you to call you a hero."
Her mood seemingly improved, Hornet sits up, picks up the pen I gave her, and signs the documents.
Though her handwriting is poor, the name 'Amy' is written down.
"I didn't know you were American."
I thought she looked a bit exotic, but since she didn't look clearly mixed-race, I assumed she was Asian. However, Hornet held American citizenship.
"My dad’s American. He was a male whore, so I don't even know his face. My mom got her Green Card later."
When I remain silent at the difficult-to-answer remark, she gives a short laugh and drops the pen as if throwing it.
"And I hate that name, so if you call me Amy, I'll kill you."
"Understood. Welcome to Black Unicorn."
Hornet is now a member of Black Unicorn.
She’s a reliable long-range attacker with plenty of experience in player-versus-player combat, so she’ll be a huge help.
The nuisance known as The Hero weighs on my mind, but I need to get strong as quickly as possible so they can't touch me.
Since she’s signed, she’ll be transferred to Black Unicorn in a week.
After leaving the prison, I head straight to the Association.
I need to deliver the paperwork, and since I owe them a debt, I have to pay it back.
Arriving at the Association with Woo Jae-hee, the man I saw before guides me.
I guess we're going there again.
Recalling the circular hall decorated like a medieval castle, I follow him to the door.
Just like last time, I hand my coffee to Woo Jae-hee and step inside. The Association executives reveal themselves on the second-floor balcony, looking down at me.
They make quite the cinematic entrance, but come to think of it, weren't they all just standing there waiting for me to arrive?
Thinking about it that way makes the whole show feel ridiculous.
As I look at them, a woman with red hair approaches me on the first floor. Hong Ok... Hong Ok what was it?
Anyway, the red-haired woman who hates me stands before me.
"Hello, executives. It’s been a while."
The red-haired woman scowls as I speak first, but I ignore her and continue.
"Thank you for granting my request this time. As expected, the Association is a wonderful place."
"Heh heh heh, it was quite a task for us to indulge your whims."
I nod at the words of the old woman positioned diagonally from me.
"Yes, thank you for your generous help despite the difficult request. That’s why I’d like to offer a little something to the Association in return."
"Ho—to think there’s still a young man who seeks to repay a favor first. You’ve been raised with excellent manners."
It’s because you guys make unreasonable demands every time that everyone avoids you.
I keep my true thoughts hidden and continue speaking with a smile.
"It’s only natural to repay a debt of gratitude."
"We need more children like you. These days, young people are so full of themselves, thinking they're the only ones who matter."
Yes, yes. Save the boomer talk for another time.
"Very well, what is this gift you’ve prepared? Let me remind you first that we went to great lengths to give Hornet to you."
"Yes, I must repay you as much as you’ve helped. I will hand over several dungeons."
"Oh? You’re giving them to us?"
As the executives look on with interest, I shake my head.
"To be precise, it’s a gift prepared by Square Garden. I’m merely the one delivering it, as I thought it would be polite to do so personally."
"Hahaha, how polite. So, which of the dungeons owned by Square Garden do you intend to give?"
Square Garden has achieved great results in dungeon omen investigations, so they own more dungeons than other clans.
"One A-rank dungeon and three B-rank dungeons."
The executives exchange glances and opinions at the value, which is higher than expected.
If they can be conquered, an A-rank dungeon is no different from a gold mine.
Even if Square Garden cherishes Black Unicorn, it’s difficult to spend this much of the clan's resources for just one member.
That’s why I have to earn it.
Predicting where a dungeon will appear is nearly impossible.
Even in the previous world, they could only say the probability was high; they couldn't pinpoint it exactly. In this world, which has developed around clans, that accuracy is even lower.
However, since this is a game reflecting real-world data, I remember almost all the dungeons that appeared in the previous world or those that appeared as events.
I’ve already finished talking with Lee Ru-da, and we’ve registered several expected sites under Square Garden’s name.
Since I said Square Garden is giving them, if the dungeons don't appear, I’ll be chewed out to death by Lee Ru-da, but I’m not worried.
I haven't interfered since the Break Line because I was afraid of getting too much attention if I pinpointed dungeon locations like a prophet, but I’ve been constantly checking the dungeons that did appear.
They appeared without a single deviation from my memory, so they’ll appear the same way this time too.
"Ho ho... it seems Square Garden cherishes you quite a lot."
"Yes, they indulge my whims quite a bit."
"However, that feels a bit insufficient."
Their greed really knows no bounds.
An A-rank dungeon alone is more than enough, yet they want more?
Aren't they being a bit too shameless?
But I expected this too.
"That’s why I intend to give you one more piece of information."
"Information?"
I answer with a confident smile.
"Yes. Though it’s not about Korea."
Something big is going to happen in Japan, so I’m telling them to find a way to use it to their advantage.