episode_0044

“Where on earth are you taking me?”

“I have a place in mind. A very nice one.”

I was surrounded by burly men and dragged into an alley.

The man snatched my bag and slung it over his shoulder.

“This is something a man should carry for you.”

He rummaged through my bag, took out my phone, turned it off, and tossed it into the sewer.

“Don’t worry. I’ll buy you a better one soon.”

Amidst the tall men, a sharp scent of spices wafted through the air.

The scent made me dizzy.

As we walked between tall buildings, the sky was obscured to the point where I had to crane my neck to see it.

After about 10 minutes down that dark path, a street entirely bathed in red revealed itself.

Lanterns hung in the air between buildings, and the sharp spice scent had transformed into a floral fragrance.

I soon realized what that fragrance signified.

And at that moment of realization, I saw women waving to the men in front of the building.

Clad in tight cheongsams, they giggled and greeted the gangsters.

The men, seeming familiar with them, chuckled and waved back.

“Boss, when will you visit our establishment? You’ve been absent lately.”

“That’s right. Please come by!”

In response to their mixed voices, the balding man smiled.

Pointing elsewhere with his finger, he seemed to indicate that today was not the day.

The women’s expressions darkened as they noticed me surrounded by his henchmen.

They glared jealously, lips trembling.

Feeling their menacing vibe, I swallowed hard and lowered my head.

Suddenly, the balding man casually placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be treated completely differently from those cheap prostitutes.”

“I’m really not that kind of person. I’m just a bartender!”

“A bartender? Ah, those women who pour drinks? Don’t worry, the work here won’t be much different.”

I sighed at his incomprehensible demeanor.

How could I possibly escape from these thugs?

The man wasn’t just dragging me along; he was constantly watching me intently.

At the slightest hint of escape, he seemed ready to unleash a massive fist.

However, I realized he wasn’t monitoring me out of fear of my escape.

He was devising a more chilling plan.

“But, you know, your gait and movements seem so awkward?”

“…?”

His unexpected words furrowed my brow involuntarily.

I looked up at him with a vacant expression.

“I guess I need some training at my establishment first before accepting a man like you.”

He breathed out a damp breath like a snake.

His eyes buried in flesh smirked ominously at me.

Damn it.

I needed to retrieve my bag at least.

There must be an emergency Molotov cocktail inside.

Grade: ★☆

Effect: Reduces the user’s health by 50%.

In return, all physical damage dealt is doubled.

Information: Widely used as an incendiary bomb but can also be ingested.

Drinking two bottles reduces health by 99% and enhances all physical abilities tenfold for one minute.

I glanced fleetingly at the crossbody bag firmly secured under his thick armpit.

Meanwhile, the man’s group arrived in front of a certain establishment.

“Hongjeopru.”

“How do you like it? Isn’t it impressive? It’s the largest of my establishments. There probably isn’t a bigger bar in Seoul.”

My face flushed.

It was due to the neon lights pouring out of the establishment.

A massive gate towering twice my height.

And the elaborate Chinese-style roof above it.

I had never seen such a large entertainment bar in my life.

Under the towering building that rose up to five stories, I felt dwarfed.

Unlike other establishments, there were no hostesses in this one.

The reason why it’s the ‘top in the industry’ is because they make customers hang on to them, not the other way around.

The man opened the door with all his might as the owner of the establishment.

Upon doing so, an uncomfortably artificial floral scent pricked at his nostrils.

The interior was even more extravagant.

Chinese-style ornate chandeliers and carpets.

Even a nameless opera performance.

It’s hard to believe this place is in Korea.

But what was even more unbelievable was the woman walking out from behind the counter.

Approaching the man with a tight cheongsam clinging to her body, she swayed over.

The fabric was so thin that her body was clearly visible underneath.

Moreover, from the hips down, the dress split open generously, revealing her thighs suggestively.

One wrong move and her underwear could be seen.

“Have you arrived?”

“Yes, Sunhwa. The 5th floor should be vacant, right?”

“Of course. Who shall we send up for the kids?”

Sunhwa, with heavy makeup, smiles brightly.

In response, the man shakes his head, indicating that there’s no need for the kids.

And abruptly pushes me towards her.

“Today, you’ll be with her.”

I was pushed without any strength.

Without even receiving my bag.

Sunhwa effortlessly catches me and pats my head.

She asks the owner, “Is this the first time seeing her?”

“Yeah, I caught her trying to attract her first customer on the street. We should scout her for our establishment.”

“But it seems like she hasn’t received any training at all.”

When Sunhwa looks down at me with concern, the owner speaks with a sinister look in his eyes.

“That’s why we leave her to our madam, right? Give her a day and make sure she’s properly trained.”

“I’ll do my best.”

As if believing in her skills, the man goes up the elevator.

Following him, several sturdy men ascend noisily.

Their loud laughter gradually fades away.

Soon, only the madam and I are left in the hall.

I am extremely flustered.

It feels like I’ve barely come out of Anna’s shelter, and now I’m being sent to a place like this.

What should I do now…

At this anxious moment, the madam gazes sharply at me.

She is as tall as Anna.

The madam greets me with a soft voice, “Hello, pretty one.”

“Yes, yes…?”

“It must have been tough coming here. Let’s go.”

Sunhwa pinches my cheek.

Then, she gently wraps my shoulder and leads me into the elevator.

A strong floral scent emanates from her.

Unlike the men, the madam is delicate and kind.

Perhaps this woman can help me?

“4th floor.”

The elevator stops at the 4th floor.

As the doors open, a long Chinese-style corridor stretches endlessly.

The whole world is red.

“Sister, you’re here?”

“Sister… I don’t feel like working today…”

Numerous girls approach the madam, each dressed in traditional attire with cheongsams.

They resemble kittens looking for their mother.

Soon, they notice me standing next to the madam.

With the man gone, my lips, which had been tightly sealed, now tremble.

I need to ask for help now.

Surely, these people will understand me.

“Excuse me…!”

As I urgently speak, everyone, from the children to Sunhwa, looks at me.

“I’ve been kidnapped here. I’m not a performer or a prostitute.”

“So?”

Sunhwa’s cold face stares at me.

Even after hearing my words, she shows no change in expression.

Her resolute demeanor leaves me increasingly bewildered and scared.

“So what? Please let me go.”

“But you followed us here just fine, didn’t you? Weren’t you interested as well?”

“How could you say that! I’ve said it so many times, that pig-like man just…”

Frustrated, I shout loudly, causing Sunhwa’s expression to contort.

She’s not the only one.

All the girls listening looked at me with very surprised faces.

The madam promptly silences me.

“Did you just call Lord Weicheongsan a pig…?”

Her gentle voice turned dark.

Seonhwa placed her finger on my lips as a warning.

“Once you step in here, any woman belongs to Lord Weicheongsan.”

A strong scent emanated from her finger.

I soon realized that the smell coming from her was not floral.

It was a dense, earthy scent like damp grass.

Feeling repulsed, I roughly pushed her hand away.

“What nonsense is this? Anyway, I should leave. You can just secretly let me out, right?”

None of the girls in this place were normal.

It was evident that they were all associated with the boss.

I looked up at her with a deeply angered expression.

“That’s not happening…”

At that, Seonhwa let out a deep sigh.

She shook her head, as if it couldn’t be helped.

“Why would a girl resist so much… Could it be because she hasn’t received enough affection yet?”

Madam grabbed her neatly arranged hair.

Then, she firmly secured it with a ribbon adorned with butterflies.

“It seems like some training is necessary, as that person suggested.”

Madam snapped her fingers.

Immediately, the girls approached me in unison like well-trained soldiers.

Appearing barely eighteen, they seemed hardened as if they had undergone rigorous training.

Their unfamiliarity left a chilling impression on me.

Escape.

Since there were no men around, it should be easy to flee.

I spotted stairs at the end of the corridor.

Despite girls sitting around applying makeup, I could push past them and escape.

After all, they were just kids.

I’m from a search and rescue unit.

Carrying a 30kg military backpack, I roamed the mountains…

I was calculating in my head.

But at that moment,

The two girls who responded to Seonhwa’s call vanished in an instant.

They landed behind me at lightning speed, like hunters.

“—!”

Each of them grabbed my shoulders with one hand.

Overpowered by their strength, I knelt down.

These girls are insane, how can they be so strong…!

“Do you think we were kidnapped here?”

Seonhwa slowly approached me.

Then, she tickled my chin as if handling a pet.

“Not at all. All the kids here are hunters of B-rank or higher. Some are even elites who have attended academies.”

What…?

Why would wealthy and exceptional individuals come to a place like this…

“We chose to stay here ourselves. If chosen by him, you’ll truly… have an ecstatic experience.”

Madam’s eyes lost focus.

Like a madwoman, only madness flickered in her pupils.

“You are a blessed woman personally selected by him.”

Her finger soon traced from my chin to my lips.

“But dare you make such a displeased expression? I might need to teach you how to control your face before meeting him.”

Her long finger slid between my lips.

Trying my best to keep my mouth shut, I struggled.

However, the girls holding my shoulders forcibly pried open my mouth.

Madam took out a pill from her bosom.

And she shoved it into my mouth, making me swallow it forcefully.

I tried to regurgitate the pill by putting my fingers in my mouth.

But other girls twisted my wrists and bound them.

Thanks to them, the pill eventually went down my throat.

“What did you give me to eat?”

“It’s nothing special. Occasionally, a child like you tries to escape from here.”

Madam smiled thinly at me.

As if indicating that restraints were no longer necessary, she gestured to the girls.

“It’s a drug to calm those kinds of children.”

The moment I heard that, a strange ringing started in my ears.

Madam’s voice sounded distorted, as if submerged in water.

“Well, shall we start the education? Let’s begin with imitating that man’s vulgar voice and clumsy steps.”

“Like a guy… I’m a man from the start!”

I shout in defiance against her sensual voice.

Upon hearing those words, the women are taken aback, mouths agape in shock.

“Wait… Are you saying you’re a ‘man’ now?”

Madam shudders as if she can’t comprehend.

To confront reality, she lifts my chin with force.

“Then what’s with this ecstatic expression? This peculiar face makes you a guy?”

The girls murmur amongst themselves.

With half-closed eyes, I mutter softly,

“That’s because you… drugged me…”

The pill sliding down my throat gradually heats up my body.

I take deep breaths to stay conscious.

But with each inhale, it feels like the drug spreads further throughout my entire being.

Looking down at me on that day, Madam speaks earnestly,

“We need to start with some mental reconditioning.”

Someone approaches from behind.

Something wraps around my neck and clicks shut.

It was a choker adorned with jewels.