## Chapter 25 – 25. 무협(2)
#25. Martial Arts (2)
“Hah, hah, huff!!”
“I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you.”
I ran like a madman through the forest surrounded by trees.
Even as I pushed through the obstacles of various bushes and branches, my speed, enhanced by magic, approached 40 km/h.
However, the pressure of the terrifying murderous intent aimed at the back of my neck did not diminish in the slightest. Rather, it was gradually getting closer.
“No! I didn’t intentionally peek!”
“Shut up, you adulterous bastard.”
There’s no reasoning with her.
Her voice was so endlessly cold that I even had the illusion that my neck had already been cut.
‘Should I subdue her?’
It wasn’t certain, but the difference in skill between that woman and me shouldn’t be that great.
If we were evenly matched, I had the advantage with magic as my hidden card. Besides, I knew several spells for restraint, so I was a match I could subdue if I wanted to.
But the job listed in her profile bothered me.
[Name: Cheon Yeo-hwa
Age: 20 years old
Affiliation: AXZ-174
Job: Second Young Lady of the Demonic Cult
Disposition: ??]
‘What the hell is the Demonic Cult!’
As you can see from her profile, that woman’s identity was none other than the Second Young Lady of the Demonic Cult.
That meant this was a world within a martial arts story.
If I were to peek at the Demonic Cult’s young lady’s naked body and even subdue her?
‘That’s him! Kill that lecherous bastard!’
‘It’s the Lord’s command! Tear that bastard limb from limb and throw him to the dogs for the sake of the Young Lady’s honor!!’
‘Kkyaaaaak!!’
Just thinking about it sent chills down my spine.
If the opponent was from the orthodox faction, there would have been a chance for some kind of excuse, but the thought of having a chance to explain myself to the crazy Demonic Cult bastards was a naive notion.
‘Why did my match have to be the daughter of a nationwide gang boss!!’
It’s so unfair.
Is it my fault? Is the app maliciously screwing with the summoning location since last time?
“Just listen to what I have to say!”
She doesn’t even answer anymore.
She’s just running at me like a serial killer, trying to slash my neck.
‘I’m going crazy, really.’
There was no end if I just kept running away like this.
But to subdue her? That was just a bad move, turning away from the immediate problem.
“Kyaaak?!”
“?!”
As I continued to run mindlessly without a proper solution, I suddenly stopped at the scream of Cheon Yeo-hwa from behind.
For a moment, I wondered if this was a trap, but Cheon Yeo-hwa, who had been following me with the intent to kill… no, with the real intention to kill, was collapsed under some strange net.
‘What is that?’
Then someone appeared from the nearby bushes.
“Kahaha! I finally caught her!”
“Kiya, I thought she was crazy beautiful when I saw her from afar, but she’s even more stunning up close?”
“Wow, if we had tried to catch her head-on, some of us would have died, right? How much is this steel net worth? She’s already trying to get out.”
“We got lucky. Who would have thought we’d find such a high-quality item on the way back to the hideout?”
I was momentarily stunned by the unexpected situation, but soon several men appeared with visuals that screamed, “We’re bandits!”
Roughly fifteen of them, maybe?
“You trash-like bastards!!”
Wait… it’s obvious those guys threw the net, so why are you swearing at me?
Is this another unfair thing I have to endure?
“Boss, look at this woman’s skin. She looks like a rich family’s daughter. Is it okay to mess with her?”
“You idiot.”
“Ack?!”
“Why even be a bandit if you’re scared of something like that? We’re not the Green Forest Bandits. We’ll just take our turns with her and move the hideout. Who’s going to know?”
Well, he’s got a huge voice for such an ugly guy.
Thanks to that, I could hear everything he was saying without missing a word.
So, those guys discovered me and Cheon Yeo-hwa having a chase in the forest? They were captivated by Cheon Yeo-hwa’s appearance and tried to kidnap her, and they succeeded?
‘Those guys don’t even know if the apple they’re about to eat is poisoned.’
If the Demonic Cult I know from stories is right, they’ll try to kill them even if they have to burn down several mountains, even if they move their hideout.
Of course, I’m a kind man who loves nature, so I’m going to make sure that kind of situation doesn’t happen.
“Hey.”
The bandits’ gazes all turn to me at once.
They’re saying something, but I don’t really want to listen.
“Um, well… I don’t really have anything to say.”
I take out the wand from my inventory and point it at the guys.
“Die.”
[Chain Flame Circle]
A streak of flame fired from the magic circle at the speed of light pierces through the guys’ bodies.
“Kkeuaaaak!?!!”
“Euaaaak!!!”
“H, hot!!!?”
The screams of the bandits, suddenly burned by the fire, echoed throughout the forest.
The guys with their whole bodies on fire rolled on the ground, running around trying to put out the fire, but once the fire started, it only burned more fiercely, using their bodies as firewood.
Before long, the bandits were roasted whole and sprawled on the ground like trash.
They lasted quite a while for bandits.
And strangely enough, they were still alive.
“Ugh, ugh…”
“T, thaa…”
“Kkeueueue…”
Their whole bodies were burned black, turning into charcoal, but they’re still alive. Is this the mystery of the human body?
I lowered the power in case Cheon Yeo-hwa got hit, so maybe that’s why.
I turned my gaze away from the guys who had become mysterious. If they suffer in that state for a while and then die, that should be enough to soothe the spirits of the victims who have been harmed by those guys until now.
It was a bit of a dirty voice to listen to, but it was bearable.
“Just wait a little, I’ll release you soon.”
I carefully released Cheon Yeo-hwa from the steel net so she wouldn’t get hurt.
I thought it would be cheap since the bandits were using it, but I was surprised that it was heavier than I expected.
Even if I got caught here, I don’t think I could have gotten out easily.
“Are you okay?”
Cheon Yeo-hwa, who had escaped from the steel net, was looking at me with a strange expression.
Sigh, she knows I’m handsome.
“…Why.”
“Um?”
“Why did you save me?”
“Do you want to go back in?”
When I pretended to lift the steel net, she took a step back, and I sighed.
I was already upset that I almost got stabbed, but now she’s asking me why I saved her.
“Then should I have just watched a woman get dragged away by bandits and raped?”
“…I see, you didn’t want someone else to take what you had your eye on. How lecherous of you.”
“No, you c…!”
This woman, there’s no reasoning with her.
“Why am I a lecher!”
“Didn’t you peek at a woman’s naked body?”
“That was a misunderstanding! I have a girlfriend who’s prettier than you! Why would I risk my life to peek at a woman with a sword taking a bath!”
“Ho? That’s not something I can easily overlook.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa suddenly swept back her wet bangs and gave me a provocative smile.
“There’s no way there’s a woman more beautiful than I in this world. It’s laughable that you’re trying to boost your petty male ego.”
“…”
If you only looked at her transparent skin, her ruby-like red eyes, and her body clinging to her due to the water, she was definitely a great beauty comparable to Iris.
And her chest too.
‘It was amazing earlier.’
Not as big as Iris’s, but almost as big.
“Judging by your inability to answer, it seems it was just empty bravado.”
Her strangely triumphant voice was annoying.
I admit that Cheon Yeo-hwa is as pretty as Iris, but she’s not prettier than Iris.
I wanted to say, ‘What nonsense, of course my girlfriend is prettier,’ but the situation wasn’t right.
I’m scared of the Demonic Cult.
“Anyway, I’m sorry for peeking, but it wasn’t intentional, okay? It was an unwanted accident, so how about we just let it go?”
“Unacceptable. How can you try to get away with peeking at the naked body of a maiden who hasn’t even married yet?”
“…What do you want.”
It’s a miserable and pathetic moment where the gap between the powerful and the weak is clearly divided.
No, isn’t it the app’s fault for summoning me to a strange place? Is this my fault?
Honestly, if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s the young lady of the Demonic Cult and my match, I would have just subdued her, apologized, and then either traveled with her or ran away, but I’m so frustrated that I can’t do that.
“How strange.”
“…What is.”
I feel more anxious at her voice mixed with a strange smile.
“You wish to beg for mercy from me and save your life, do you not? Then it is also your duty to decide what to offer as the price for your life. How shameless of you for a lecher?”
Wow…
How strange? I’ve only met her for a short time and haven’t even exchanged many words, but I feel like I roughly know how nasty that woman’s personality is.
Is this mind-reading?
“Then can I give you anything?”
“Of course, but it will be my decision whether to grant mercy in exchange for a price or to offer a blade.”
Why are you suddenly polishing your sword?
‘Sigh…’
I sighed inwardly while recalling what I had in my inventory on one hand and what I had packed in my bag on the other.
What do I have that a woman would be tempted by?
It’s not enough to just gloss over it with something appropriate. The opponent is the daughter of the leader of a crazy cult that, in most stories, is set to be able to stand against the entire orthodox martial arts world alone.
I don’t know why such a woman was bathing in this forest, but I have to give her something that a rich family’s daughter would like, which is making me indecisive.
‘…Would this work?’
Most of the food I brought as provisions is relatively high in calories. Of course, I could end the match if I run out of food, but what if a situation arises where I can’t?
I hope that doesn’t happen, but it’s good to be prepared in advance, so I prepared mainly emergency rations.
And chocolate is a great emergency ration because it’s relatively nutritious among snacks and contains a lot of fat.
“Here.”
“This is…?”
What I handed her was chocolate I bought at a convenience store.
The most ordinary chocolate with no particular characteristics.
“It looks strangely shaped… It doesn’t seem to be a jewel… The rustling packaging is fascinating? I’ve certainly never seen anything like this before. Is it from the barbarians?”
Hey, lady. You shouldn’t treat other people’s ancestors as barbarians…
Of course, the origin of cacao isn’t Korean, but this was made in Korea.
I was stunned by the sudden ancestor attack.
“Not barbarians, but Haedong.”
“Haedong? Ah, you mean that country in the eastern sea. Then aren’t they barbarians?”
“You…!”
I’m not a particularly patriotic guy, but I can’t tolerate my roots being treated as barbarians.
I don’t care if you insult Korea.
But I can’t stand being called a descendant of barbarians.
“Hehe, even though you’re a lecher, you cherish your homeland, it seems.”
“What does that… Ha, don’t talk nonsense and just eat it.”
“Eat it? You mean this black lump is food?”
“Then would it be a divine medicine?”
I don’t have any divine medicine to eat either.
Actually, I wanted to eat divine medicine first if I saved up money. But it costs so much that I can’t even think about buying it.
‘…Wait a minute? If it’s martial arts, then there’s divine medicine.’
Suddenly, I felt a desire to become a god and make my name known throughout this Central Plains.
It might be easier than I thought if there are no CCTVs or psychometry users in this world.
‘How much money would I get if I took the divine medicine I don’t need and sold it at an auction??’
I could see myself in the future, opening a (very expensive) wine in a penthouse.
“Haa…”
What woke me up from fantasizing about a bright future was a strange moan.
In Cheon Yeo-hwa’s hand was a neatly folded chocolate wrapper that was already empty.
“This black, pill-like food you gave me, although the appearance was a bit off-putting, the taste is excellent. It’s sweeter and more intense than any other confectionery I’ve ever eaten.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa’s face after eating the chocolate was dangerous.
The combination of her slightly loosened eyes and reddish blush on her fair skin elevated her appearance by several levels.
Why is she eating convenience store chocolate like it’s a 19+ pictorial?
“But you called me a lecher. Is it okay to just eat something a lecher gives you?”
“I’m sorry if you were expecting something, but poison doesn’t work on me. Besides, I welcome such sweet aphrodisiacs or love drugs anytime.”
Wait, what… Is the Demonic Cult’s young lady immune to all poisons?
“So, do you have more?”
“What?”
“You can’t possibly be trying to atone for the great sin of peeking at my naked body with just one, can you?”
How can she be so shameless??
But she’s so pretty that I can forgive her.
Still, I didn’t want to just give it to her because I was resentful that she had falsely accused an innocent model citizen of being a peeping tom.
“I don’t have any?”
“That’s a lie. How many cunning people do you think I’ve met? At least they try to hide their intentions. But you don’t even make an effort to do that.”
“It’s not a lie.”
“Could it be that you’re sulking because I called you a lecher? Hehe, you’re a narrow-minded man.”
“…”
Can’t you just change my match?
[Tip. Fate is precious and cannot be exchanged for anything]
Crap…
