Chapter 76: Don’t Think About Dying Gracefully

Shut up and lead the way.

Choi Juwon spoke with a voice full of killing intent.
Im Dochun didn’t even dare to think of resisting, limping forward while trying to staunch the bleeding from his severed hand with the other.

– Squeak.

With each step towards the basement, another door appeared.
Choi Juwon spoke.

“Were you guys the only forces guarding this place?”

“That…”

Im Dochun started to say something but hesitated, seemingly sensing Choi Juwon’s mood.

“Answer.”
“Didn’t I say I’d kill you if you hesitated in your answer?”

“S… Sorry-!”

He bowed his head, apologizing frantically, and then spoke.

“It’s not… just 10 people….”

“What do you mean?”

“Be… because you’re so strong, you might think it was only 10 people, but the personnel stationed here as guards were by no means weak.”
“Rather, we thought stationing 10 people here was already an excessive investment of manpower.”
“Because hardly anyone ever comes here anyway, and even if someone did, we thought… our level of force would be enough to handle them.”

Hearing Im Dochun’s words, Choi Juwon inwardly agreed with his assessment.

It was unlikely anyone would ever find this abandoned building deep in the forest, and even if they did, about 10 handpicked members from a high-ranking guild would have likely killed any ordinary mage or swordsman without leaving a trace.
There was no reason to invest excessive manpower here needlessly.

‘Even I wouldn’t have gotten the information if it weren’t for the Hunter Association President.’

Even Choi Juwon himself hadn’t known the location of the Daepeld Guild’s secret hideout immediately.
Even the Hunter Association President had only managed to obtain it by offering a reward close to a blank check.

‘Strange. Why hide a mere hideout so thoroughly?’

Choi Juwon continued to feel a sense of dissonance about the current situation.
The hideout and the standby forces seemed excessively large just to hide Seo Hohyuk.

This was a huge hideout, and the torture chamber was just a small part of it.
A place whose usual purpose was hard to grasp.

‘Something’s fishy. It smells foul.’

An unsettling scent permeated the entire building.
It wasn’t just because the torture chamber was in this building.
Something dirty, yet incongruous, filled the entire structure.

“This building…”

Just as Choi Juwon was about to say something.

– Squeak.

“We’ve arrived.”

They reached the door on the second basement floor.

‘First, I need to confirm Mr. Seo Hohyuk’s survival status.’

Seo Hohyuk.
The middle-aged man who ran the magic sparring ground.
He was someone who worked hard to raise his daughter despite suffering from a chronic illness.

Choi Juwon had seen him at the magic sparring ground he happened to visit, coughing while cleaning the dusty place after putting his daughter to sleep.
Even if there were no customers, he came to the shop every day and cleaned diligently.
When there were no customers, he didn’t despair but earned money through cottage industry work to feed his daughter.

Was it because he was moved by the sight of him struggling to live despite his ailing body?
Choi Juwon started supporting him.
At first, it wasn’t a large amount of money.

– [This is 1 million won. I always see you when passing by, and I worry about your young daughter. Please buy your daughter something delicious.]

Seo Hohyuk’s daughter seemed to have just entered middle school.
He thought she might be younger because she was particularly small.
Seo Hohyuk’s daughter was always sleeping in a corner of the magic sparring ground, looking tired.
He thought it was pitiful that she lived on such a cold floor without a proper home.
That’s why he decided to support them.

– Ah… Oh my… I cannot accept such a large sum of money. I’m sorry, but I must refuse.

Seo Hohyuk refused.
Choi Juwon couldn’t understand.
If you don’t have money, isn’t there no need to refuse someone’s goodwill?

– Please accept it. For your daughter’s sake.

Every time the word ‘daughter’ was mentioned, Seo Hohyuk’s expression flinched.

– Shhk.

Seo Hohyuk reached out with both hands to take the money, tears streaming down his face as he spoke to Choi Juwon.

– Although I am receiving help from such a benefactor now, if the magic sparring ground business succeeds, I will repay this kindness somehow. And I will definitely use the money you gave me only for my daughter. I promise. Also, if you ever need to use the magic sparring ground, please come anytime. I will always open it for you free of charge. Anytime, just let me know when you need it.

Seo Hohyuk, sobbing yet speaking with a determined voice, didn’t seem bad.

Sometime later, he visited the magic sparring ground again.

– This is 2 million won.

– Sir… You really shouldn’t do this. We can’t accept such large sums….

Seo Hohyuk refused again.
Just then, his daughter spoke up from the side.

– Mister! Thank you so much.

Seo Hohyuk’s daughter, Seo Rina, bowed her head in greeting and snatched the money.

– Rina! You shouldn’t do that. Accepting such a large sum so casually….

– But, with this money, Dad can go to the hospital.

Instantly, silence filled the room.
The silence was broken by Seo Hohyuk’s flustered voice.

– Dad isn’t sick, Rina.

– Stop lying! I saw you vomiting blood every evening-!

Choi Juwon looked at them gently, then smiled and said.

– … Please accept it. And if you are sick, please get treatment.

After that, Choi Juwon continued to visit the magic sparring ground, occasionally providing support and chatting with them.

– Oppa, thank you again today. Thanks to you, my dad has recovered a lot of his health. I nagged him a lot to go to the hospital.

Seo Rina chattered away every time he visited.
Her happy expression, and Seo Hohyuk watching her kindly.
He liked seeing them like that.

When he looked at them, someone else’s image overlapped.

I liked this father and daughter who had warm hearts despite having nothing.
Because seeing them reminded me of the family I left behind.

My father, and my only younger sister.
In Seo Hohyuk and Seo Rina, I saw my family superimposed.

– Squeak.

As the locked door on the second basement floor opened and they entered, the sound of someone groaning in pain could be heard.

“Kk… Huuuuh….”

“Boss, this bastard looks like he’s about to die?”

“Sh*t… Why is he so weak? He hasn’t said anything properly yet. We’ve already skinned him and poked holes with a knife, so I guess we’ll burn him this time.”

– Chiiiiik-!

“Kuaaaaaaahk-!”

The torture room.
The smell of burning flesh spread everywhere.
The smell of burning squid.
Overpowering the sharp scent of blood was the smell of burning squid.
The smell of human flesh cooking was more nauseating than expected.

“H… uh… I… know… nothing….”

“Haa… Sh*t, this bastard keeps repeating the same thing. Hey, do you think that bastard Choi Juwon will thank you for being loyal like this? No, you idiot. It only hurts you, you know? Isn’t it better for you to just talk quickly and get comfortable? Why are you doing this?”

“I… I… know nothing….”

“This sh*t-!”

– Kwaang-!

The man kicked the chair Seo Hohyuk was sitting in and shouted.

“Sht-! Just tell us anything related to Choi Juwon, you fcking idiot!”

“Don’t… know….”

Seo Hohyuk insisted until the end that he knew nothing about Choi Juwon.
He actually didn’t know much about Choi Juwon.
However, that didn’t mean he knew absolutely no information.
And it certainly wasn’t information that could help locate Choi Juwon.

The reason Seo Hohyuk kept his mouth shut was simple.
He was worried that any information he gave might harm Choi Juwon.
Even trivial information, even a casual remark, if it harmed Choi Juwon who had supported him for so long, he felt he would regret it even after death.

“Hoo… Sh*t, let’s just kill this bastard.”

“Boss, if we kill him without hearing anything, the Guild Leader will be furious….”

“Just say he died from excessive blood loss, f*ck. What more can we get out of a bastard who holds out this long? At this point, isn’t it possible he really doesn’t know anything, you crazy bastard! How much longer should we do this? We’ve been torturing him continuously for almost a whole day now. What more can we do? Let’s just kill him.”

“…B-but….”

“Enough, you coward. If you can’t do it, I will.”

– Shhk.

Below the Daepeld Guild Leader, there was a Vice-leader, and below them, Team Leaders who commanded the guild members.
One of the men here was Do Geonho, a Team Leader of the Daepeld Guild.
And next to Do Geonho was a regular Daepeld guild member.

Do Geonho pulled out a knife and thrust it at Seo Hohyuk.

“This is your last warning. If you don’t talk this time, I will surely kill you. You insect-like bastard, do you think that guy will even acknowledge you for keeping your mouth shut like this? Don’t be foolish, just talk.”

“I… don’t… know….”

“Haa… Just die then.”

– Whoooosh.

Do Geonho swiftly swung the dagger towards Seo Hohyuk’s neck.

– Grab.

However, the dagger stopped before reaching Seo Hohyuk’s neck.

Because Choi Juwon had teleported in front of Do Geonho and caught his dagger.

Choi Juwon’s eyes, looking at Do Geonho, were filled with intense killing intent.
Staring as if he would tear him apart at any moment, Choi Juwon spoke coldly.

“Don’t even think about dying peacefully.”
“I’ll make you suffer so much that you’ll cry and beg me to kill you instead.”