Chapter 6: The Lich Makes a Genius into an Ordinary Person #3

Chapter 6: The Lich Makes a Genius into an Ordinary Person #3

These guys are definitely bandits.

Border regions of kingdoms where law enforcement can’t reach are usually teeming with such outlaws.

Still, it’s a relief.

‘They don’t seem to be human hunters.’

In ‘Nine Stars,’ there are professional killers who are incomparable to these petty robbers.

Known as ‘Human Hunters,’ their trademark is bizarre masks that hide their identities.

If I had run into them, there would have been no hope.

No matter how much of a veteran player I’m, I honestly have no idea what I would do if I encountered Human Hunters at this point.

But these men who are taking me somewhere aren’t wearing masks.

And their appearance reeks of common mobsters.

This means it’s definitely winnable.

“See that cabin over there?”

One of the bandits placed a hand on my shoulder and pointed ahead with his finger.

Ugh, damn.

Can you take your hand off?

I feel like I’m going to throw up.

A shiver of disgust ran down my spine. I barely suppressed the urge to shake him off immediately.

“I think it would be better to rest here for a bit before heading to the village. What do you say?”

I could feel his gaze scanning me up and down.

He was particularly ogling my bare white legs revealed beneath the cloak.

I feel utterly disgusted.

“Well, what should we do about it…”

I deliberately paused, feigning ignorance.

I’ve been wondering about something since earlier.

Why didn’t they reveal their true intentions as soon as they saw me in the forest?

It’s not like they were wary of me fighting back because I looked weak.

‘They probably wanted to bring me back alive. It would be a hassle if I resisted and caused a scene.’

This cabin must be their hideout.

The conclusion is obvious.

‘They don’t intend to kill me right away.’

Bandits don’t just commit robbery.

These are people whose morals have already hit rock bottom.

They are capable of committing other terrible acts besides robbery.

This is not good news for me.

If it were just a matter of dying once, I could accept it, but there’s a high probability of experiencing the ‘dirty experience’ I’ve been dreading.

The bandits and I approached the cabin.

The cabin itself was also suspicious.

The windows were boarded up haphazardly with planks.

The door, the only entrance, had a thick iron chain wrapped around the handle.

Hey, you guys.

Shouldn’t you at least put in some effort?

It’s hard not to be suspicious, even if I’m trying to act like an ordinary girl.

Anyway.

My course of action is decided.

“Excuse me.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Thank you so much for helping me. But, perhaps…”

An ominous shadow fell over the bandits’ eyes.

If I were to say something like, ‘I’ll just go back alone,’ these guys would immediately reveal their true colors.

“Perhaps what.”

Their gazes quickly turned hostile as they looked at me.

“Can I bring my sister?”

“Sister? You have a sister?”

“She’s my younger sister. She was complaining that her legs were tired from walking so much, so I told her to wait here while I looked for the way alone… She must be very worried by now.”

The bandits exchanged glances.

“Of course, you should bring her.”

Their greedy desires were evident on their sallow faces.

These bastards. Look at their expressions change when they heard the word ‘sister.’

I felt a surge of nausea.

“Let’s hurry. Where is she?”

One of them, impatient, even snorted and urged me on.

I let out a silent sigh and took the lead.

***

I need to change my route slightly.

It’ll deviate from the original plan of heading to the village via the shortest route.

“Huh? Why are you smiling?”

The bandit next to me glanced at me and spoke.

My thoughts must have shown on my face.

“No. It’s just… I think it’s a stroke of luck.”

“Ah- yes, it’s lucky. It’s not common to meet good people like us in the middle of the forest.”

The bandit grinned broadly.

I smiled back, pretending not to know.

Estel Frostwind. This girl’s body is weak, but perhaps it’s easy to gain people’s favor.

Or maybe it’s easy to make them complacent.

In any case, this situation is a bit interesting.

A situation where we both hide our intentions and try to deceive each other.

Of course, I’m the only one succeeding in deceiving them.

These bandit bastards are just under the illusion that they’re deceiving me.

‘Park Se-hyun.’

I repeated my original name in my mind.

From now on, I’m going to do something that Park Se-hyun, a twenty-six-year-old ordinary office worker, would never do.

‘No matter when, I’ll eventually have to do it. Are you ready?’

Murder.

It’s my job to lead three humans to their execution.

Of course, they won’t run to a cliff on their own like Golden Horn.

I’ve already considered that.

There are traps for beasts, and traps for humans.

‘How fortunate.’

As I live in the world of ‘Nine Stars,’ countless enemies will block my path.

Can I avoid harming anyone?

Not at all.

There is no non-violence ending in this game.

Ultimately, if I want to survive and achieve a happy ending, I have no choice but to advance through a mountain of corpses.

Hesitating to do what I must due to misplaced pity will come with a hefty price.

In that regard, I’m lucky.

Even if I understood it intellectually, the first murder would have been difficult to overcome,

but I’m grateful that the first one is against these scumbags.

‘I don’t think I’ll feel even a speck of guilt killing you.’

I looked up at the sky.

The sun was setting, and night was approaching.

***

-Awoo.

-Awooo…

The howling of wolves could be heard from somewhere in the forest. The howls continued as if they were conversing with each other.

‘This is why I can’t quit this.’

After a long time, a valuable prey has come into my hands.

Perhaps she’s the best woman I’ve seen so far.

The man with a long scar etched across his face thought.

It was a good thing I ran into the forest.

Indeed, one must live in harmony with nature. The words of the ancient sages are a hundred times true.

What would have happened if I hadn’t deserted and had remained a low-ranking soldier in the imperial army?

‘I would have been dragged to the battlefield and died a dog’s death.’

I had to abandon my name and status, but I have no regrets.

Who cares about what happens later?

Whatever happens, happens.

I just have to live as my heart dictates, as things unfold.

‘And then, treasures like this fall into my lap.’

The man glanced at Estel’s slender back.

Where did this girl come from?

A young lady wandering barefoot, wearing only a cloak out of nowhere. It’s so surprising, it feels almost mystical.

And her outstanding beauty, enough to believe she stepped out of a fairy tale book.

The man had never seen such a pale, doll-like girl in his life.

Moreover, her apparent indifference to her own beauty only added to her charm.

‘This time, I’m going first. No matter what.’

The man subtly glanced at his companions.

He had to be the first to taste this precious treasure.

Although he’d been robbing with these guys for over a year or two…

He had no intention of yielding.

If necessary, he wouldn’t hesitate to draw his knife.

‘And her sister, too.’

The man pursed his lips and suppressed a smile.

If the older sister is this beautiful, the younger sister must be no less.

It was worth enduring the harsh living conditions and hiding in the forest.

If you endure and wait, nature will take pity and bestow gifts like this.

“Are we there yet?”

“We’re almost there.”

The girl spoke in a nonchalant tone, glancing around.

“This should be about it.”

“About it?”

The nuance of her words bothered him, but the man just tilted his head and didn’t pry further.

The terrain, surrounded by hills.

Is her sister waiting in a place like this? Perhaps she was seeking shelter from the wind.

The man’s gaze suddenly fell to beneath Estel’s cloak.

“Are you okay? There’s blood on your leg.”

The girl glanced down at her leg.

“So there is.”

“Are you… on your period? Don’t worry about it, we don’t mind.”

One of them chuckled, making what he thought was a joke.

That idiot.

The man cursed him inwardly.

Well, even if the girl noticed something strange, there’s nothing she can do now.

No matter how much she tries to escape, she can’t possibly outrun three strong men.

“This is inconvenient. I must have been bleeding all the way here without realizing it.”

The girl pointed behind her, and the men’s gazes followed her finger.

Dotted along the path they had taken were drops of blood, as if following them.

One drop, then another…

The man recalled a story from a children’s book he read when he was young.

It was about children who were chased into the forest by a wicked stepmother, scattering breadcrumbs to mark their way.

I didn’t know it then.

That the child who read the fairy tale with a naive face would grow up to be such a terrifying bandit.

“Do you know, sirs?”

The girl continued as if nothing had happened.

“They say wolves come out in this forest at night.”

“You know that too. But you don’t need to be scared since we’re together.”

“Is that so?”

For a moment, I thought I saw a faint smile on the girl’s lips.

“Night Wolf.”

“…What?”

“They are the most dangerous monsters in this forest. They are strong individually, but they move in packs. Your daggers, the ones you carry, probably won’t even pierce their hides.”

The men were momentarily speechless.

Something felt off.

It felt as if the invisible mask the girl wore was slowly coming off.

“The reason Night Wolves are scary is also this: they enjoy tearing their prey apart while it’s still alive. Do you know why? They say it’s because the taste deteriorates if they die. Or some say it’s because they particularly enjoy the screams of their victims being torn apart.”

“…”

“That’s why their nickname is ‘Forest Torturers.’ Because they don’t kill their prey for at least two hours until they finish their meal, even if the victim wants to die.”

The girl reached into her cloak.

A moment later, she pulled out her hand, which was stained with blood.

“Wh-what is that-“

“Have you heard of Golden Horn’s blood?”

“…Golden Horn?”

“There’s a deer called Golden Horn. They say it’s a sacred beast favored by the gods. Honestly, I don’t understand it at all.”

The girl waved her hand casually.

Splat-

Red blood splattered onto the ground.

“Whoever takes that blood incurs the wrath of the forest beasts. They will chase you no matter where you are in the forest. And…”

The girl’s face, which had been like a docile doll, turned chillingly cold, revealing her true nature.

“Night Wolves can smell blood particularly well.”

-Awoooooo.

The wolves’ howls grew closer.

I can hear them. Now, right nearby.

“What the hell are you doing, you bitch…!”

“Hey, wait!”

The next moment, the girl lunged at the man.

Is she trying to snatch his weapon?

Instinctively, the man swung his dagger.

Slice.

I felt the distinct sensation of flesh being torn at my fingertips.

The girl clutched her neck and collapsed limply in place.

“Why did you kill her, damn it! I haven’t even had a chance yet!”

“You suddenly attacked-“

The men, veins bulging in their necks, snarled at each other.

The robbery wasn’t going as planned.

The girl’s impulsive action was practically suicide.

The wolves’ howls, surrounding them, never ceased.

The opportunity for calm thought vanished, replaced by excitement, anxiety, and fear.

Without a word, the men began to back away. Their backs bumped into each other.

We have to run. The Night Wolves will attack soon.

But where to?

Did this witch-like girl lure us here knowing this would happen from the start?

“Ahaha…”

The girl, her face pale, giggled.

“…I’ll die first. See you later.”