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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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Broken wagon parts and fake cargo stuffed with useless junk were scattered mercilessly across the ground, disguised as luggage.
"Ugh..."
"I won't... I won't let that bastard get away with this..."
Baek Sang-gyu and Seo Jin-cheol, who had luckily survived according to the original scenario.
However, whether their brains just didn't spin fast enough even in a crisis, they still hadn't managed to extricate themselves from the wreckage.
If they had only honed their basic skills a little, they could have escaped this situation without much trouble.
Thud thud thud...
The sound of horse hooves echoed from the distance.
"Damn it... Damn it... We have to get out of here!"
"Body! Move, damn it!"
They were deluded.
Thinking they were superior to the ordinary people who had struggled against death. Thinking they were stronger humans who had instilled fear or terror in those people.
"Goddamn it! Goddamn it!"
But was that really true?
The horse hooves grew steadily closer.
Soon, human voices could be heard as well.
"Ha! Ha!"
"...we've arrived!"
The chaotic clamor of what must have been dozens came through clearly. The dust cloud kicked up by the horses was visible even to Baek Sang-gyu and Seo Jin-cheol.
The group arrived at the scene in the blink of an eye.
All of them bore tattoos like KuJo's on their faces.
"Hmm... Looks like trouble."
"..."
Swish.
As the man who appeared to be their leader dismounted, the others followed suit without hesitation.
The man glanced around the site and muttered quietly.
"Find KuJo."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Search! It's Borgo's orders! Drag out KuJo's corpse if you have to."
They scattered with disciplined precision to scour the wreckage.
Pffft.
"Gah..."
They checked the corpses' faces, shoving aside any without tattoos or that didn't resemble KuJo at all, and if there was even a hint of life left, they slit their throats on the spot.
Baek Sang-gyu and Seo Jin-cheol trembled, praying desperately that nothing would happen to them.
"Over here! Found him!"
"Is it KuJo?"
"Yes! Definitely!"
"I'm coming."
The group surged forward whenever Borgo moved.
Finally, he reached KuJo's corpse.
Clack!
He lifted it effortlessly with one hand.
KuJo's bulk was far from small, yet it was an astonishing display of strength.
Instead of his bulging, vein-popping arm, he used the other to search KuJo's body.
Then he tossed the corpse to the ground.
Crack.
Something snapped.
But the people feared Borgo's changed expression more than the sight.
"Heh... heh heh heh..."
He seemed furious, yet he was laughing.
No one dared laugh along foolishly.
Borgo was a laughing demon.
When angry, he laughed instead.
And throughout his life, anyone who laughed with him when he did had been killed. That was why no one joined in.
Borgo's laughter cut off abruptly, his face returning to an emotionless mask as he spoke.
"It's gone."
"...Damn."
"No map. No translation either."
"W-what happened?"
"That's what we're going to find out."
With those words, Borgo whipped his head around!
"Eep..."
His terrifying gaze fixed precisely on where Baek Sang-gyu and Seo Jin-cheol hid. Seo Jin-cheol swallowed in shock because of it.
Step.
Step.
Borgo approached them.
"You're alive. In one piece."
Now, all that remained for Seo Jin-cheol and Baek Sang-gyu was talk. They had to prove their usefulness without offending Borgo.
"D-don't kill us!"
"Spare us! We'll tell you everything!"
These were men who wielded knives casually. They were undoubtedly killers.
"Do you know where the map is?"
"M-map?"
"...You don't?"
"It's... we don't kn—"
Crack!
Baek Sang-gyu's head flew off in an instant.
Blood stained Borgo's hand axe, confirming he'd done it, but it had been too fast to be sure.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
This guy was a monster.
That's what Seo Jin-cheol thought.
"You?"
"Ugh... I-I don't know the map, but I can guess who took it."
"Oh..."
"There was a guy called Snowman on the wagon with us! H-he wearing a glowing blue staff and neat robes! Any sign of his corpse?"
"No. None."
"Then he must've stolen it!"
A bald man attending Borgo relayed what he'd heard from a subordinate.
"Borgo, they say one escaped from the wagon group earlier."
"...And?"
"We sent two in pursuit, but they were both crushed to death by something."
"...And?"
"It's... probably him."
Borgo pondered, chin in hand, then asked Seo Jin-cheol.
"More."
"Huh?"
"Nothing else?"
"A-and... the guy's a summoner?"
"A summoner... Interesting."
"Th-then I—"
Crack!
The head with dilated pupils rolled across the ground.
The Predator Guild's Murderer Four could no longer continue their next adventure.
Borgo mounted his horse and said.
"Chase him."
* * *
Kang Seol had fled long before Borgo's group arrived.
Of course, he hadn't just bolted stupidly.
He'd selected the least damaged horse from the raiders and climbed into the saddle.
- Huh? Can't ride a horse and you hop on one?
- Don't you need to pick a talent for that?
- Nah, everyday life talents awaken naturally.
Kang Seol fumbled with his posture awkwardly at first, but suddenly grew accustomed to the horse's movements.
Then, a message appeared.
[Unexpected talent! Awakening Riding 1.]
[You can now draw out the horse's maximum speed.]
- See, like this.
- Pretty easy, huh?
- Lol not everyone gets it like that.
- No idea. Hardly anyone's tried lol.
- What kinda game bends to my every whim? If my bro played this, he'd be better than you?
- Reality: Gong Seok-jin disqualified. Gong Seok-jin disqualified. Race start.
Kang Seol unfolded the map he'd taken from KuJo.
'The ruins aren't far.'
As he'd predicted, pursuit would come soon. And with a large group on horseback.
'They'll be faster than me. But if I enter the ruins first, it's fine.'
Once inside the ruins, their mobility would be useless.
That was his aim.
And one more thing.
'Inside the ruins, their numbers don't matter.'
Kang Seol took in the distant, dense forest.
"That's the Great Forest..."
Several major early-game adventures in the south took place there. The Great Forest occupied a vast area in the south and was a mysterious place that didn't easily reveal its secrets.
Seeing it in person stirred a strange excitement in Kang Seol's heart.
Thud thud thud...!
The horse picked up speed.
He entrusted himself to it and charged toward the forest.
Soon after, a group passed the same path he'd taken.
"Ha! Ha!"
"Tracks here and there! He's definitely heading into the Great Forest."
"He's after the ruins for sure, Borgo."
"...Interesting. Daring to go after my prize."
Borgo was usually the plunderer, rarely the plundered. And when plundered, he always exacted revenge.
Their chase turned serious as Kang Seol entered the Great Forest.
"Leaves are covering his tracks! Don't lose them!"
"The deeper into the forest, the easier it'll be for him to hide! No gaps!"
Psssh!
Most arrows from the pursuers were wasted uselessly.
Occasionally, Kang Seol heard the sound of one piercing something, but it seemed coincidental, not aimed at his exact position.
Neigh...
'Almost there.'
The mud made it hard for the horse to advance, but luckily, the ruins were right ahead.
'There!'
Three large boulders clustered together.
'Three big rocks... Good, didn't get lost.'
Next, there should be a statue in front.
Despite the pursuers, Kang Seol stayed calm.
"Statue... Found it."
Buried under leaves, it took a moment, but not much time.
Kang Seol vividly recalled the game's text.
"Turn the statue clockwise."
He gripped it and rotated clockwise.
Grrrind...
Grriiind...
Friction sounds briefly, then—
Click!
Something activated.
"Done."
Rumble rumble rumble...
The change was sudden.
The three boulders rolled apart in different directions.
Grrrrumble.
- Ruins maker: (satisfied)
- Awesome lol I love this stuff.
- If only for those scary guys chasing him...
That's when it happened.
[Borgo uses Iron Shoulder.]
[Borgo uses Rough Estimate.]
[Borgo uses Obstacle Breaker.]
Skreee...
A brief noise from afar.
Kang Seol sensed ill omen and tried to twist away.
But the enemy arrived first.
An arrow.
Piercing through several massive trees.
"Hup!"
By chance or not, it aimed straight for Kang Seol's head.
Even if it missed his skull by a hair, his ear would be torn off.
Then.
Kaaang!
Kagagagang!
Jamad caught the incoming arrow precisely with Mountain Fist. He slid back from the recoil, but the arrow stopped too.
"Hmph!"
"..."
"Let's go. The pursuers will arrive soon."
'Malicious Shippers' Fan' has sponsored 200 Madness!
[My heart hurts. Is this love?]
- Omg!
- Get rid of all the toxic shippers...
- ???: I-I didn't catch that arrow for you or anything!
- Zeeeeeeeeen! I believed in you, Jamad! ㅠㅠ
Kang Seol nodded and entered the ruins.
Simultaneously, light enveloped his body, teleporting him somewhere.
[Successfully survived the raid.]
[Rewards are being tallied.]
[Linked adventure continues.]
[Rewards available after all adventures end.]
Ziiing—
Kang Seol realized the third adventure had ended and hurriedly prepared for the next.
[Starting next adventure.]
[Adventure 4 begins.]
[Adventure 4. Hall of Temperance]
Adventure 4. 'Hall of Temperance'
You were hired to escort a merchant wagon, only to get caught in a massive incident. Aden, who hired you, wasn't a merchant—his name was fake too.
You survived the attack through quick wits and luckily obtained the item the mysterious group was after.
But your greed drew pursuers. You shook them off for now, but can't relax yet.
According to the translation, this is an ancient ruin called the Hall of Temperance. Shake off the pursuers here and survive.
Goal: Evade pursuers and escape the Hall of Temperance, or eliminate them all.
Remaining time 「23:59」
- Uh... so... the raiders are ruin hunters?
- So unhelpful! Took forever to figure out.
- Between a rock and a hard place lol Ruins take time to clear, and if they push from behind, you're caught?
- Don't worry~ Your opponent is Snowman.
- Then it's worth watching lol
Kang Seol approached the hall's entrance without preamble.
A dust-covered place.
Walls etched with indecipherable languages everywhere.
Kang Seol first pulled out the translation to check how to pass the initial gate.
"Five innocent bloods required..."
Reading down the translation, he scratched his temple.
Soon, choices appeared before him.
[You stand before the Hall of Temperance's door. What will you do?]
1. Check for gaps.
2. Look for another entrance.
3. Interpret the writing on the door.
4. [Requires: Translation, 5 Sacrifices] Offer five lives as the translation says.
5. [Requires: Stealth or Rogue] Hide before pursuers arrive.
6. [Requires: Archeology or Sorcerer] The translation seems partly wrong. Reinterpret.
...
Kang Seol reviewed the entire translation, cross-checking with his memory.
The result only confirmed his old memories were correct.
He held the self-interpreted translation in one hand.
Riiip— Riiip—!
And tore it to shreds.
- What?
- He's lost it lol How's he gonna get in now?
- He went through hell for that!
Kang Seol ignored the fluttering scraps on the floor and pressed close to the door.
Swish...
He drew the dagger from his bosom, slicing his hand to draw blood.
- Needs 5 people's blood!
- 5 people's worth and you'll bleed out, man!
Contrary to the viewers' worries, not even five drops fell before the door shook.
Rumble rumble grrr—
[Passed the first gate of the Hall of Temperance.]
The door opened.
Kang Seol smirked, walking inside slowly with Jamad.
"I was right."
He never doubted himself.