Chapter 75: If I’m Not Careful, I Might Not Be Able to Clear This Gate
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 75: If I’m Not Careful, I Might Not Be Able to Clear This Gate
"My lord, you mustn't do this. People are watching..."
"Are you saying other people are more important to you than I am?"
Slap!
Chun-hyang’s head snapped to the side the moment she opened her mouth.
The pedestrians nearby didn't even spare a glance at the woman being slapped in broad daylight, nor at the pained cry she let out.
No, it would be more accurate to say they couldn't look.
'Am I really that scary?'
One would expect at least a stray glance, but they were actively avoiding me and Chun-hyang with stiff, hurried steps.
Just what kind of atrocities had this character committed in the past for people to react like this?
I felt like I’d been possessed by some spoiled brat of a noble, a common trope in webnovels.
'I’m possessed into a novel, and then possessed into a novel-like Gate within that novel...'
I felt like a Matryoshka doll.
'Are there no other nobles around?'
I scanned the surroundings, my eyes darting back and forth.
If there was someone of higher status nearby, I had to avoid causing friction.
Or perhaps they simply hadn't appeared yet for the sake of the plot?
'That seems plausible.'
Since this was inside a story, there were bound to be elements detached from reality.
This would be especially true when it came to anything involving a 'Champion of Justice.'
Because of the law that 'The protagonist must be the one to defeat the villain,' it actually made it easier for me to run wild.
It was ironic, but that was the cliché of a 'Good Rewarded, Evil Punished' novel.
Who else but the protagonist would take down a pimp brutally beating a woman in the street?
Unless someone like Hong Gil-dong suddenly appeared, it was an absolute impossibility.
'But the protagonist isn't doing anything right now.'
Lee Mong-ryong was in a time period where he was powerless, and Kim Min-su was staying still because he didn't know anything.
The 'exquisite' harmony between these two had birthed the bizarre result of a pimp thriving instead.
"I wonder why the heavens don't strike down a man like that..."
"Why? Hey, you want to die?"
Thwack!
"Aigo! He's killing me!"
"That's right, you bastard. I'm your Grim Reaper."
Just in case, I even struck the face of a passerby who had muttered under his breath.
I played along with the trite, forced dialogue and committed my outrages, yet no one appeared.
Normally, a constable should have shown up by now, but I didn't see a single one, let alone anyone resembling an officer of the law.
"That... plea... haang... we're in the street. My lo-ah... you mustn't touch me there..."
I laughed deeply as I kneaded Chun-hyang’s breast like a piece of dough.
At least for now, this world was entirely mine.
The biggest flaw in Chubby Ahn’s plan was that he didn't consider me a variable.
He ruined everything with his misplaced faith that Kim Min-su would be able to keep me in check.
The time for [Lee Mong-ryong] to shine is after he passes the Civil Service Examination.
Until then, he spends his youth with zero power or authority—a very classic cliché.
'Chubby Ahn probably had something like Na-uto or One P-ece in mind.'
It was obvious he’d actively sought out a story where the lead returns stronger after a few years.
He likely planned to let the character grow within the story, clear the Gate, and then hog all the rewards.
But my intervention had tangled everything up.
"Stop talking nonsense and lead the way. Where did you say that brat's house was?"
"The young master's house is that way..."
This girl was something else, too.
A pimp roughly groping her while asking for the location of her fiancé's house.
Even if she couldn't guess exactly what I was planning, she had to have an ominous feeling.
Yet, Chun-hyang only blushed in my arms, offering nothing but the slightest resistance.
And by resistance, I mean she only 'pretended' to push my hand away by tensing her body slightly.
I wasn't even groping her over her clothes; I was touching her underneath, leaving her skin exposed.
Despite her mouth saying no, her body was faithfully responding, as if she found excitement even in this situation.
"If you give me the wrong directions, I'll beat you within an inch of your life. Got it?"
"Ah... no..."
Oops.
I realized I’d made a slip of the tongue there.
Because of what I just said, her internal compass was suddenly trying to shift directions.
Her desire to be beaten half to death was manifesting as an urge to give me the wrong answer on purpose.
To think there was a woman with such extreme masochistic tendencies.
I decided to give her a 'preventative shot' in advance.
[Smite activated! A powerful force dwells in your left fist!]
Boom!
"Oof!"
"Your finger wavered just now, didn't it? You think I don't know you're trying to get it wrong on purpose? Guide me properly."
Chun-hyang was indeed a boss-class monster masquerading as a fragile woman.
Just now, I had pivoted my foot and rotated my hips to deliver a perfect blow.
On top of that, I’d activated the Smite skill; if she were a normal monster, her body should have exploded.
Even if she survived that, a liver shot should have naturally sent her collapsing to the ground.
"Yes... huff... yes... ugh..."
She clutched the spot where she’d been hit and groaned in pain for a moment, but then immediately continued speaking and leading the way.
'I only tried it because I wasn't sure...'
My neck felt cold, perhaps because I’d taken such a huge gamble.
In the worst-case scenario, if Chun-hyang died from the Smite, I wouldn't be able to meet the clear conditions.
If that happened, the Gate raid would naturally fail, and I wouldn't get any rewards.
What I feared most was the penalty that hadn't been revealed yet.
I didn't know if it wasn't showing up because 'death' was already a given, or if there was some other reason.
Regardless, I had to avoid the penalty at all costs.
'Thank goodness.'
My actions had been based on two pieces of evidence.
First, the fact that she had used a skill.
When the snare was around my neck, I couldn't stop the skill from activating, nor could I even sense the precursor to it.
If it weren't for Virgin Bomber, I might have been caught in the snare and turned into a slave.
Second, she was a very important character.
In the [Chunhyangjeon], no character is more important than 'Seong Chun-hyang.'
Therefore, I figured the structure of the story would naturally concentrate a significant amount of weight and power into her.
Based on that conclusion, I’d delivered a liver shot with Smite, and I’d gained quite a bit of information.
'She's tougher and stronger than Don Quixote.'
I felt a resistance I hadn't felt when performing sexual punishment or general acts of violence.
If I didn't have multiple physical enhancement skills, my fist might have shattered.
'Does she react immediately if I strike with intent to kill?'
To think there was such a clear distinction between dealing with [Seong Chun-hyang] and [Boss Monster - Seong Chun-hyang].
She was more formidable than I thought.
Right now, she was just pretending to be in pain.
I couldn't predict how she might change as the story progressed.
To be stuck with a masochistic boss monster who wouldn't die no matter how much I hit her...
What a dog's life.
"It's... it's that way."
"Yeah, I can tell just by looking at the gate."
Following the tip of Chun-hyang’s finger, I saw an incredibly large tiled-roof house.
It was flashy to the point of excess, completely ignoring any historical accuracy.
Perhaps because it was the house where Min-su lived, it had the strong feel of a modern-style hanok.
Just how much did they cherish the protagonist to provide this kind of welfare even inside a Gate?
The Flower Butterfly Gibang where Chun-hyang lived was quite extravagant, but it was nothing compared to this.
"Does the toilet have a bidet too?"
"Pardon? What is that, my lord?"
"Nothing. Never mind."
Shaking off the idle thoughts, I strode toward the main gate.
I spotted a servant sweeping the yard in front of the door.
It was time to make my move in earnest.
"Wh... who are you?"
"Hah, look at this guy. You know who I am, yet you're asking."
You know what I'm here for, right?
At my follow-up, the servant nodded and scrambled inside the house.
He was a quick-witted fellow, which made things easy.
If Kim Min-su were even half as sharp as that guy, the NTL Quest would have been impossible to clear.
I realized once again just how much of a passive, 'cool-loser' light novel protagonist Kim Min-su had been set up to be.
"Uhehehehehe..."
Hearing a bizarre laugh from beyond the gate, it was definitely Min-su.
Then the sound suddenly died down; the servant had likely mentioned me.
'Is he having a PTSD moment?'
The happy atmosphere cooling down as if doused with cold water made it obvious.
There's a world of difference between experiencing something for the first time and the second time.
They say amusement park rides are scarier the second time you ride them.
Of course, this wasn't a ride Min-su had volunteered for.
Creeeeeeak—
Through the gap in the gate, I saw Min-su, his face pale and his lips trembling with anxiety.
It was almost cute to see him shivering with fear already.
And I hadn't even started yet.
"Did you know how firm Chun-hyang’s breasts are, Young Master?"
"Aaaang... Young... Master... you mustn't... look... ooooh..."
Chun-hyang was a crazy masochist with not a shred of 'pure love' in her.
She was a pervert blindly devoted to anyone who pushed her as if they were going to beat her to death.
Kim Min-su had absolutely no idea about the true nature of this Seong Chun-hyang.
Be kind to women no matter what; the nice guy wins in the end.
Bad boys eventually go out of style, and hurting someone like that isn't right.
Our 'Sweet Cadet' Min-su, who held such thoughts, wouldn't be able to understand this situation.
"Wh... what do you think you're doing, you pimp! You scoundreeeeeel!!!"
The man who appeared to be Kim Min-su’s servant was currently watching my reaction, not Min-su's.
Since there were no elders in the house, he naturally looked to the next strongest person.
In other words, there was no one in the house right now besides Min-su.
"You haven't even 'done the deed' yet, have you? Women don't like men who just blabber with their mouths, Young Master."
Right? Isn't that so?
As I spat those words out, I yanked open Chun-hyang’s jeogori.
With a rustling sound, her front was exposed, and her breasts spilled out.
I hadn't realized it when I was kneading them, but seeing them fully exposed like this, her chest was no ordinary size.
I even suspected this was a preview of the 'busty saintess' who would appear later.
"You... you're doing that to my Chun-hyang...!"
"No, like I said, you haven't 'done the deed' yet."
Min-su was furrowing his brow as if he were getting a headache from the déjà vu.
Moreover, even if he hadn't realized my true identity, was it because my actions felt familiar?
He talked back, yet he kept taking steps backward.
'Good. I'm in.'
It wasn't natural, but I’d finally made it inside the house.
As I squeezed Chun-hyang’s breast tightly, the flesh bulged between my fingers as if it were about to burst.
Her flushed breasts told the story of just how excited she was.
"She hates it! Let her go this instant!"
Of course, since Min-su was a virgin, he had no way of knowing that.
It was the 'sweet virgin' way of thinking to interpret a woman's grimace and pained moans as pure rejection.
"Aang... my lord... Young... Master... you mustn't look..."
"Oh, Chun-hyang! I will save you right now!"
Seong Chun-hyang, moaning as if she were about to die of pleasure, and Kim Min-su, telling me to stop because she hated it.
What a fantastic combination.
'I'll break Kim Min-su’s mental state like this and perfectly tame Chun-hyang.'
If I did that, I could naturally achieve the clear conditions.
Of course, I still had to perform the role of [Magistrate Byun], but if I finished things before then, it would be even easier.
However, those thoughts vanished instantly at Kim Min-su’s next words.
"Once I've properly learned Hanja and pass the Civil Service Exam with top honors! I will definitely!!! Just wait until then, Chun-hyang!"
"What?"
After properly learning Hanja?
The guy who needs to pass the Civil Service Exam hasn't even learned the characters yet?
If I'm not careful, does this mean Kim Min-su might not be able to become the Secret Royal Inspector by the time I take on the role of [Magistrate Byun]?
And then the story won't progress?
'...If I'm not careful, I might not be able to clear this Gate.'
A variable I hadn't even considered had popped up.
If Kim Min-su fails to pass the exam.
No, if [Lee Mong-ryong] fails to pass the exam and doesn't become the Secret Royal Inspector.
The [Chunhyangjeon] will not be completed.
In an incomplete story, the [Villain] can never finish his tale.
Especially if it's the [Chunhyangjeon], one of the quintessential 'Good Rewarded, Evil Punished' clichés.
"Aaaang... my lord... a little harder... no... your strength is... so good... aaang..."
In the heavy atmosphere, only Chun-hyang’s moans filled the silence.