"It's been a while, Player Kim Su-Hyeon."
"…"
"I heard you recently founded a new clan. Congratulations."
Yoo Hyun-Ah spoke to me in a calm tone. However, judging by how she adjusted her expression on the way here, it seemed she was forcing herself to act composed. I didn't know what she was scheming by crawling back here, but her congratulatory words didn't stir any feelings in me.
"The clan was established around noon today. You're quite well-informed."
"Should I take that as a compliment?"
"That depends on how you choose to hear it."
"It sounds like you're being sarcastic. Like you're implying I was deliberately digging into your business."
"There's a saying: 'A thief's feet go numb.' Good to know you don't have a hearing disability."
As I shot back with sharp words, Yoo Hyun-Ah's expression twisted noticeably. At the same time, the faces of the two people standing behind her also changed. I'd seen Cha Seung-Hyun before, and when I turned my head, I noticed a woman staring at me with curiosity.
Uniquely, her hair and eyes weren't black. Her deep red hair was tied back tightly, revealing a slender jawline. Beneath her thick double eyelids, purple eyes gazed down at me with an odd intensity. Judging by the heavy robe she wore, I could tell she was Ban Da-Hee.
She soon tilted her head slightly toward Cha Seung-Hyun, giggling as she spoke.
"Oppa~? Is this the guy noona was talking about? What did he just say? He's such a rude bastard, isn't he?"
"Ban Da-Hee. Shut your mouth."
Cha Seung-Hyun immediately reprimanded her, but the words were already out. She'd raised her voice deliberately, as if she wanted me to hear, and the clan members' expressions hardened instantly. As the atmosphere turned electric from the get-go, Yoo Hyun-Ah finally turned around with a flustered look. But Ban Da-Hee just shrugged, smirked, and snorted dismissively.
"Phew. I have something I'd like to discuss."
"Not interested."
"Please, just give me a moment. I just received some urgent news."
"Urgent news?"
The mention of urgent news made my eyes light up. Could it be about the Iron Mountain expedition? Without hesitation, I settled back into my chair, fixing my gaze on Yoo Hyun-Ah's face. She observed my reaction cautiously before speaking in a slightly trembling voice.
"We just received information about the Iron Mountain expedition."
"Hmm. Congratulations. It seems the expedition ended earlier than expected. Now Mule can finally move beyond being a frontier city."
"…"
I said something I didn't mean, watching for Yoo Hyun-Ah's reaction. As expected, she just pursed her pale pink lips. Since I'd already taken the lead, I decided to press further.
"Even so, I'll have to decline letting the Mercenary Clan join us under the Beech Tree. We have our own goals, and those goals can't be achieved in Mule."
"W-Wait a second. That's not what I meant."
"Oh? I thought you were confident about its success last time."
"You've misunderstood. No, I mean, I misspoke. The Iron Mountain expedition… it failed."
As expected. The moment you enter the Iron Mountains, powerful magical interference cuts off all communication. The fact that a message got through meant a few lucky players had managed to escape the Iron Mountains by now. And a mage player capable of communication magic must have sent a distress call.
"That's unfortunate."
"Y-Yes, it's sudden news, so I don't know the details yet, but…"
"Oh, I see. So why are you telling us this?"
At my words, Yoo Hyun-Ah bit her lip, her face showing she was at a loss for words. Of course. She had boldly claimed that if the Iron Mountain expedition succeeded, Mule would gain some breathing room, but reality had turned out the opposite. Far from breathing room, the situation was so dire that no one could predict what would happen next. On top of that, I'd already made it clear we'd leave even if they succeeded, so she must be feeling even more cornered.
"If you have nothing else to say, I'll take my leave. I'm a bit busy. Hyun, Sol, Yun-Jung. Grab a bag each. The rest can be split among the other clan members."
"Yes, yes, hyung."
"Uh, okay."
The kids glanced between me and Yoo Hyun-Ah but quickly stood up. Watching this, I saw Yoo Hyun-Ah bite her lip even harder. As the kids started heading toward the luggage, I was about to stand up myself.
"Hey, you three! Stop~!"
At that moment, Ban Da-Hee, who had been watching with her arms crossed, stepped forward.
"Pick up the bags. Don't dawdle."
Urged by her stern voice, the kids hesitated briefly but nodded with reluctant expressions.
"Pfft. All puffed up with hot air. Thinks he's something special. Just a year 0 nobody."
As I started to move again, Ban Da-Hee let out a deep sigh. Then, she uncrossed her arms and stretched both hands forward. A reddish orb began to form above her palms. Before Yoo Hyun-Ah or Cha Seung-Hyun could stop her, she flashed a bright smile and let out a saccharine voice.
"Oppa~! Noona~! Here's a gift~!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
As Ban Da-Hee swung her arms down, a deafening explosion rang out, and a powerful shockwave tore through the inn's floor. The shockwave sliced precisely between the kids and the luggage, leaving a crater deep enough to expose the floor beneath. Watching the splintered wood fragments scatter, she burst into laughter.
"Ban Da-Hee! What the hell are you doing?!"
"You promised to stay quiet…"
"Giggle! You're being way too uptight, noona. And that guy's attitude was pissing me off. Ahh, that felt so good~! Oh, I do feel a bit bad for the innkeeper. Heehee."
With this kind of stunt, even a leading clan would have nothing to say. Glancing at my waist, I saw the Nil Sword and the Sun-Moon Divine Sword neatly tucked into my belt. As I pondered which to use, I sensed someone standing up. Turning my gaze, I saw Go Yeon-Joo, wearing a subtle smile and fidgeting with her hands.
"I'm the innkeeper."
"Oh? You're the innkeeper? Now that I think about it, aren't you Go Yeon-Joo, the Shadow Queen, one of the Top 10? Perfect. I've been wanting to take you on. By the way, Shadow Queen, I'm curious—do even the Top 10 run inns these days? Tough times, huh? Hahaha!"
"Chuckle. You're a total crazy bitch, aren't you?"
"Yup! How'd you know? That's my nickname—Mad Bitch. I own it!"
Ban Da-Hee cackled, continuing to provoke Go Yeon-Joo. Yoo Hyun-Ah was clutching her face with both hands, while Cha Seung-Hyun was desperately trying to rein her in, looking at a loss. In a way, Ban Da-Hee's personality was similar to Yun-Jung's from the early days. The difference was that I had gradually tamed Yun-Jung's behavior under my control, whereas Yoo Hyun-Ah had clearly failed to manage Ban Da-Hee. That's probably why she was running wild like a rabid fish now.
Thinking this was a good opportunity, I quickly activated my Third Eye. Since she would later claim a spot among the Top 10, I was deeply curious about her current stats.
(Player Status)
Name: Ban Da-Hee (Year 3)Class: Normal Warrior ExpertNation: BabaraClan: Beech TreeTrue Name · Nationality: Lunatic, One with a Deranged Mind · South KoreaSex: Female (22)Height · Weight: 167.2 cm · 54.2 kgAlignment: Barbarism · Desire
< Stats >
[Strength 94] [Resistance 87] [Agility 81] [Vitality 88] [Magic 79] [Luck 53]
< Stat Comparison >
Kim Su-Hyeon: 544/600~
(12 stat points remaining)
[Strength 96(+2)] [Resistance 92] [Agility 98] [Vitality 72] [Magic 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
Go Yeon-Joo: 536/600~
(No stat points remaining)
[Strength 89] [Resistance 90] [Agility 97] [Vitality 85] [Magic 93] [Luck 82]
Ban Da-Hee: 484/600~
[Strength 94] [Resistance 87] [Agility 81] [Vitality 88] [Magic 79] [Luck 55]
Look at this. Sure, her stats weren't exactly on par with the Top 10, but considering she'd later join Cha Seung-Hyun as one of them, it meant she still had room to grow. In terms of raw stats, she was already at a level where she could serve as an executive in a major clan without issue. I couldn't help but feel a bit impressed.
By now, the atmosphere had grown icy. Go Yeon-Joo slipped her hand to her thigh and pulled out a gleaming silver dagger. Seeing this, Ban Da-Hee grinned and struck a fighting pose. The situation was on the verge of exploding. However…
"Phew."
Go Yeon-Joo let out a light sigh and lowered the hand holding the dagger. Ban Da-Hee, who had been licking her lips with an excited expression, pouted in disappointment. Clicking her tongue, she spoke in a regretful tone.
"What's this? Did one of the Top 10 just back down? Wow, I'm totally disappointed…"
That's when it happened. As Ban Da-Hee shook her head and spoke, a shadowy blur swiftly grazed her face.
Slap!
"Ugh… Pfft!"
A crisp sound of a slap rang out, and Ban Da-Hee's head jerked sharply to the right. Yoo Hyun-Ah, Cha Seung-Hyun, and the rest of the group stared at her in shock. No one had moved, yet Ban Da-Hee's head had turned on its own—with the sound of a slap. I watched Go Yeon-Joo with a calm expression. She stood still, hands lowered, keeping her distance from Ban Da-Hee. At least, that's how it looked on the surface.
Slap!
"Argh!"
Another sharp sound echoed, and this time Ban Da-Hee's head snapped to the left. She tried to regain her balance with a furious expression, but Go Yeon-Joo's shadow slaps weren't done yet.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!
Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Each time the shadowy blur grazed her cheeks, a lively slapping sound accompanied Ban Da-Hee's head whipping back and forth mercilessly. The blows were so forceful that eventually, not just her face but her entire body was being dragged around.
Yet Go Yeon-Joo didn't let her collapse. Forcing Ban Da-Hee to maintain her balance, she relentlessly delivered continuous slaps, like a Dempsey Roll pummeling its target.
"You fucking bitch…"
After being thoroughly beaten for a while, Ban Da-Hee staggered back a few steps when Go Yeon-Joo finally stopped her shadow play. Her cheeks were covered in red handprints. Her face was filled with rage, her eyes blazing with a murderous intent that seemed ready to tear her opponent apart.
"Ptoo. I'm gonna kill you."
"Ban Da-Hee! Stop it!"
"Get out of my way!"
Cha Seung-Hyun tried to intervene, but before he could approach, Ban Da-Hee lunged forward like a ferocious tiger, closing the distance in an instant and swinging her fist at Go Yeon-Joo with all her might.
Boom! Crash!
A loud crash echoed through the inn's first floor. Where Ban Da-Hee had aimed her fist, only the innocent inn floor was shattered. Realizing she'd missed her target, she growled in a furious voice, whipping her head around.
"What the fuck? Where'd she go?"
"Right here."
By now, the Shadow Queen had moved right beside Ban Da-Hee. Hearing her voice, Ban Da-Hee quickly turned, but Go Yeon-Joo had already prepared to obliterate her. With a movement as graceful as a rhythmic gymnast, she stretched her right leg high into the air. Through the gap of her raised leg, a glimpse of light blue underwear… Ahem. Anyway, Go Yeon-Joo smiled faintly at Ban Da-Hee, who was staring up at her in a daze.
Then, she slammed her leg down toward Ban Da-Hee's head.
Bang!
"Urk!"
As a side note, the exchange between Go Yeon-Joo and Ban Da-Hee lasted less than four seconds. As the dust kicked up by the massive shockwave settled, Ban Da-Hee could be seen with her head planted into the floor. Go Yeon-Joo's heel was delicately embedded in the back of her head.
In that position, Go Yeon-Joo lightly wiggled her foot, tapping Ban Da-Hee's head.
"This is for recklessly damaging my inn."
"P-player Go Yeon-Joo!"
"And this is for speaking to me so rudely."
Yoo Hyun-Ah's desperate voice rang out, but Go Yeon-Joo paid no mind, continuing to play with her heel. Oh, this one's a bit stronger. As her foot moved, a thud sounded, and Ban Da-Hee's head bobbed back and forth like a spring. She lay sprawled out in a spread-eagle position, looking like a dead frog. The occasional twitching of her body suggested she was still alive, though.
"And this is…"
Go Yeon-Joo glanced at me and winked. I shrugged, signaling for her to do as she pleased.
Once again, her foot soared high into the air. Ban Da-Hee's face twitched, barely managing to lift her head. But the moment she raised it, Go Yeon-Joo brought her raised leg down with the force to split the sky.
Bang!
"For speaking rudely to our Su-Hyeon~."
The head she'd barely lifted crashed back down with a loud impact. Finally, Go Yeon-Joo smiled brightly, a deep grin spreading across her face as she looked down. Following her gaze, I saw Ban Da-Hee's limbs trembling all over.
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