episode_0006

“Hurry and find her! Before the leader comes here, we need to tear that woman’s limbs apart if we want to survive!”

“I’ll search as quickly as possible. But I just can’t sense any trace of her…”

“They should have thoroughly searched around the dead bastard earlier! Useless idiots.”

A muscular man with a sword strapped to his back began to scold his subordinates irritably. He was anxious. Until the leader, referred to as the chief and commander of the marauders, arrived, they had to find at least one assassin hiding here by any means necessary.

Initially, they had underestimated her as a woman during the pursuit and handled it carelessly, resulting in the loss of more than five colleagues. While new marauders could easily be recruited, considering the time it would take to train and educate them, it was a devastating loss.

“Just five people searching for a mere woman? Damn… How am I supposed to report this?”

A woman who had killed the chief’s son and even managed to kill five other marauders was hiding here. They couldn’t leave until they found and killed her. It wasn’t a matter of choice. If they left her and went back, they would be killed by the chief.

To die at the hands of the chief or to find and tear the woman apart. In a situation of either/or, choosing the latter was undoubtedly rational. Whether it took a week or a month, they wouldn’t leave this place until they personally confirmed her death.

“Search every inch! If there’s anywhere she could be hiding in the cave, even in the water, search it!”

…

A girl checking the floating community. She pondered while looking at her nickname, “killer.” From a distance, she could hear the noisy search sounds of the men, and her heart started pounding wildly.

She briefly left a message on the community. There was no time to write a detailed story. Just a word of thanks to the administrator. And bidding farewell to the community friends who had comforted her.

[Intermediate]

While being chased by a group of raiders of a considerable scale, what sustained her during the time she fervently prayed for their departure was the community. Whenever she felt hunger, boredom, fear, regret, frustration, despair, and various emotions, she poured out her feelings in the community. And that strategy proved quite effective. Not only did it help her endure for five days in this cramped, desolate space, but she also luckily managed to contact an administrator and even consumed an elixir.

It was luck. No, it wasn’t just luck; it made her wonder if something more miraculous could happen. Since being trapped in this place for over a year, Choi Ye-bin had not received proper assistance even once. Surviving for so long was due to her ability to discern the truth of others’ words, but it wasn’t because of gaining abilities like “Gyeon” or obtaining Hidden Pieces.

She acted like a dog to survive. She killed people because she didn’t want to die. The guilt dulled over time, leaving only the instinct to survive.

“Why did I have to be stuck in a place like this?”

She resented hundreds, thousands of times a day. No one would know how much effort she put into surviving for over a year in this world where raiders roamed in a woman’s body. Or maybe some in the community might know. She had written quite a lot about her own story.

But lamenting her fate was only temporary. She organized the number of memorized items she possessed.

Six poisoned darts, three repair knives, three daggers, and various other small weapons. It wasn’t a large quantity, but it was suitable, no, rather, it was a good number. Having many memorized items provided an advantage in long-range combat, but on the other hand, it also restricted movement and combat due to increased weight. Storing memorized items in the body inevitably caused subtle differences in movement.

She selected unnecessary weapons. Traditional weapons, like poisoned spikes, are placed where enemies are expected to approach, not to target their feet. After all, shoes would protect against something like that. The goal is for them to fall to the ground during battle.

It doesn’t matter if they fall on their palms, backs, thighs, legs, or anywhere else. If she can induce a stabbing, the strategically placed spikes will serve as highly efficient weapons in relation to their volume.

“This should do.”

She selects her position. All available traps have been set. Now, only the battle remains. The wait isn’t long.

Thud!

The sound of someone approaching, along with the sound of stepping on stagnant water in the cave, was heard. The option of waiting until the enemies left was discarded immediately. These lunatics have been camping here for five days. This reconnaissance won’t end until either they’re killed or she is. If she has to fight, now, while her body is intact thanks to the elixir, is the right time.

With that thought, she immediately lunges and plunges her dagger straight into the face of the man who just turned the corner.

Thunk!

With a chilling sound, the man collapses to the ground. But immediately, an eerie sound reverberates.

Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep!

Like a siren. Looking at the man’s hand, it seemed as though he had pressed some kind of special device just before dying. Choi Ye-bin promptly pulls out and destroys the device from the man’s hand. But it’s too late. Numerous footsteps are rushing toward this location.

Taking a deep breath, she hurriedly drags the body inward. A human body can be an excellent shield. Not only can it block thin arrows, but even simple daggers and even long swords can be stopped by a person’s body. Especially in situations without cover, there’s nothing better than a person to fend off long-range attacks.

“We’ve located the position, so kill her right away! Capture her, tear her apart, and bring her to me!”

Along with the command from the man, the voices and footsteps of numerous people entering deep into the cave echo.

“Cough!”

As soon as a man approaches, he immediately throws a dagger. He has two daggers left. Now, he needs to refrain from long-range throwing.

“This… you bastard!”

Another excited man starts to rush forward. It was fortunate. For her, an opponent who pushes in alone before sufficient support arrives is nothing more than a moving scarecrow.

Thud!

She thrusts the dagger and pushes forward. She topples the body of the man following behind.

“Ah… aaaaah!”

The man falls, his hand pierced by a deadly trap on the ground. Soon, his whole body pales, and he dies.

The battle continues. With restrained movements, she kills quite a few men, and the traps only manage to kill about two, much less effective than expected. The problem is not only that she threw one of the two daggers in an emergency but also that the enemies no longer come in close range.

They start surrounding Choi Ye-bin at a distance of about 20 meters. They’ve realized it too. Even if there might be dangers in the space ahead, they can’t engage in one-on-one combat with the girl right in front of them. Yet, they don’t rush in all at once.

Seeing over ten bodies on the ground, they instinctively feel that those who push in first will die.

There are no looters willing to sacrifice individuals for the sake of the group. Those who steal to make a living wouldn’t have any sense of honor. Thanks to that, her position became ambiguous. Over twenty men gather around, forming a blockade against Choi Ye-bin. The cave isn’t spacious enough for a complete siege, so they continue an uncomfortable standoff. Occasionally, some throw swords from a distance, but Choi Ye-bin uses their weapons against them, overwhelming them with speed and accuracy, causing two deaths. After that, they refrain from throwing weapons altogether.

“Surrender! Our victory is certain in the upcoming confrontation! Our leader can use magic. Once our leader arrives, no matter how skilled you are, you won’t be able to do anything and will be humiliated to death. It’s better to surrender now and be cleanly killed.”

The worst-case scenario. Even a magician who wasn’t present at the scene was about to join the fray.

‘Should I approach? No, it’s impossible… No matter who I am, it’s impossible to charge in so honestly and kill over 20 people.’

Ultimately, the confrontation led to a protracted battle, and soon, from behind, the snickering of a man could be heard. The man held a staff with a skull motif and was dressed in a splendid robe.

“Leader!”

A man who seemed to hold authority cheerfully greeted the leader. However, the person referred to as the leader did not seem pleased. He just smiled.

“L-Leader, why?”

Thud!

A mass of magical energy flew and struck the man’s head. Like bidding farewell to a chilling corpse, the leader signaled.

“I told you to tear yourselves apart before I arrived, but you’re still foolishly confronting us?”

[Note: The scale of the looter leader’s pillaging gaze fell on others one by one.]

“If it weren’t for this month’s collection, I’d kill all these useless bastards. Useless scum.”

Soon, the man stepped forward and began chanting a spell.

Swoosh!

Choi Ye-bin immediately threw a memorized spell, but with a clinking sound, the spell was deflected.

Checkmate.

With over 20 men guarding the leader, a mage, and long-range attacks being ineffective, and the enemy casting a spell of tremendous intensity, it was over.

There was no way out.

Her endless struggle for life would end with around 15 corpses and a considerable amount of blood scattered on the ground. Judging by the furious expression of the leader, she wouldn’t die gracefully.

Nevertheless, despite everything, the girl did not give up her fight.

Even as a massive ice chunk formed in the air, the girl raised her dagger. When the ice magic was unleashed, it was to deflect it with her own dagger.

“You foolish woman.”

Upon seeing that figure, the leader of the marauders didn’t say much and simply unleashed a spell. A sharply edged massive chunk of ice hurtled toward the girl. She attempted to deflect it with her dagger, but the blade shattered upon impact, and just as the ice approached her eyes, she foresaw her end.

“I’ll die cleanly.”

She would meet her end cleanly, without being tortured by the enemy, without being humiliated. It might even be called an honorable death. Just before the thread of her life was about to snap.

“What’s this…?”

The ice stopped in midair. It completely halted just before reaching her. Then, the sound of footsteps and a sigh reached her ears simultaneously.

“Haah…”

Turning her head, she saw the administrator pressing his head as if he had a headache.

“Why are you here…?”

When the girl asked, the administrator replied, “The great archmage! Mac Doulas does not ignore a girl in distress.”

“Weren’t you saying earlier that you’d live alone and discard me?”

“Hmm…”

The man seemed about to argue but decided against it. Well, there was no point in lying here; he could be found out right away. Instead, he briefly explained, “I’ve had a change of heart. Thanks to your endurance, I’ve gathered enough mana and have some leeway.”

As the administrator spoke, the marauders’ leader, who had been watching, shouted angrily, grinding his teeth.

“Get lost immediately. Otherwise, I’ll tear you apart along with that girl.”

Immediately, the administrator retorted with a sneer, “You? With your pitiful magical skills? Your magic isn’t a problem because of its size and power; it’s just crude. It’s so trashy that it’s unbearable to watch, even with my eyes wide open. The formula is so simple that it doesn’t even require calculation.”

Having received the worst insult from the sorcerer, the marauders’ leader immediately placed his hand on one of his subordinates, absorbing his life force to the fullest.

“Gh…gh…!”

In an instant, the man’s body contorted and withered until he died. Then, that energy transferred entirely into the leader’s body.

“Try saying that again. What’s wrong with my magical skills?”

“Black magic, huh? It’s a method for those with inherently poor abilities to find ways beyond their limits.”

“Until you beg for death, I will torture you and then kill you.”

In an instant, a massive amount of mana began to gather from the staff of the bandit leader. However…

“Cancel.”

Clang!

At the administrator’s single word, the man’s calculations were instantly shattered.

Approaching the bewildered bandit leader, the administrator spoke slowly.

“Say it again. Who’s going to kill whom? You? Or me?”

Gradually, an immense amount of mana began to surge from the administrator’s hand.