episode_0113

Chunshik’s ride quality was quite something. To what extent? ‘I should use him as my personal vehicle later.’ It might even make the news, but he was so good that I wanted to ride him again later.

Anyway, after riding Chunshik quickly for a while, “Chunshik, you can drop me off over there now.” “Roar!” Thanks to Chunshik’s speed, I safely arrived at the villain’s location.

“Chunshik. Later, if a girl comes up, can you give her a ride to the mountain entrance?” I dismounted from Chunshik’s back, gave him another piece of food, and then asked him. At my words, Chunshik rumbled and nodded his head. I patted him before looking around.

‘It looks exactly like it did in the game.’ The villain’s location was exactly as described in the game. It was filled with a desolate atmosphere, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that a lot of money had been spent here and there.

‘Although the detailed background wasn’t revealed, this place definitely wasn’t built by that abductor scum.’ In that sense, it definitely didn’t seem like Tsutomu built this place. There was no specific background mention of Tsutomu in the game, but he certainly didn’t appear wealthy. Rather, he had the look of a societal loser.

Of course, I wasn’t a physiognomist, and I couldn’t discern a person’s character from their face, but I felt he wasn’t capable of building a structure like this. Thinking about Tsutomu, I entered the building and slowly looked around. Soon, based on my memories of the strategy guide I’d seen in the game community (the game was gone, but the guide lived on), I found the entrance.

After searching for the entrance for a moment, I soon— *Creaaak.* “Found it.” I found the door leading down to the basement.

Takuya looked at the long staircase illuminated by his flashlight and began equipping his gear. What kind of gear, you ask?

“I prepared thoroughly for times like these.” If I fought like I did when I battled the P.E. teacher to establish Haru last time, my body wouldn’t be left intact, so I had prepared accordingly. It was a survival set, equipped with various auxiliary tools, including an iron plate to protect my abdomen. Unfortunately, I had tried to buy military-grade equipment, but gun control in Japan was strict, and I didn’t have much connection with the Yakuza, so it failed. Anyway, fully armed, Takuya headed into the basement.

***

On the way to the basement. The entrance was clearly a narrow, submarine-like corridor, but as I descended, it widened, eventually becoming a staircase wide enough for five people to pass comfortably. Thanks to this, the descent was smooth. Additionally, during the process, I discovered a new function of this villain detection watch.

‘When I zoom in, a detailed map appears.’ Admiring its capabilities, I continued heading into the basement. Upon reaching the basement, the first feeling I had was:

‘It’s not entirely familiar, but I generally know the way.’ I roughly understood the layout. Thanks to the strategy guide I’d seen a few times for fun in the community (sometimes detailed guides for games like this would be posted), the path wasn’t entirely unfamiliar. With a map in hand, it felt more like exploring a map. Of course, that was just how I felt; my body was already filled with killing intent.

‘When I meet him, I need to subdue him first.’ It wasn’t because I adhered to the rule of law or was a moral person. I was a supporter of vigilantism, not particularly against it. In fact, deep down, I wanted to tear him limb from limb the moment I met him.

But the reason I didn’t was that, if my memory served me right, this Tsutomu character had likely already murdered several other people. Given his archetype, it was only natural for me to suspect this.

‘I’ll have to interrogate him and find out.’ Thinking that, Takuya quickly searched the basement and soon arrived in front of the room where, according to his strategy guide memories, Mi-ttang first woke up.

Upon arriving, Takuya looked at the door. The door had a padlock with a password, and I— *Click.* *Clunk.* —unlocked it with surprising ease. How? It was the lock-picking method seen in anime and manga, simply put, the art of lock picking.

‘Before my transmigration, this much was basic knowledge for a soldier.’ Just kidding, I actually learned it from a guy in my unit who had this kind of talent for picking locks. Anyway, after unlocking the door, I saw a solitary desk, what appeared to be a dining table, and on a small bed, there was—

“Momiji!” Hearing my voice, Momiji’s eyes widened, and tears streamed down her face as she rushed towards me.

“Takuya! Takuyaaa!! I was scared!” “It’s okay. It’s okay.” I held Momiji in my arms, comforted her for a moment, and then said,

“Let’s go up first. I’ve prepared a ride for you up there.” “Really?!” At my words, Momiji rejoiced and urged me to go up quickly.

Just as everything seemed to be going well, “You, you, you, you!” Someone’s voice began to be heard from behind.

And that someone was, “So you’ve finally shown up.” “How dare you touch my Mi-ttang!” It was, of course, the mastermind and villain of this incident.

“Tsutomu?” “I won’t forgive you!” It was Tsutomu.

As he watched Momiji and I embrace, he seemed to lose his sanity and began to rush towards us like a madman. Seeing this, I quickly pulled Momiji towards me and dodged Tsutomu’s charging attack. Then, I spoke to Momiji, who was held in my arms.

‘Once you go upstairs, there’s a bear there. Ride on its back to go up.’ At my words, Momiji said with a surprised expression, ‘A bear?! No, more importantly, what about Takuya!’

Me? Of course, I would— “Graaah!” Takuya turned his head and looked at the villain, who was roaring like a madman. “I have to deal with him.”

With those words, I gently pushed Momiji away, put the watch in her hand, and said, “Take this and go quickly! If you ride the bear, someone I called will be at the mountain entrance, so don’t worry!”

At my words, Momiji seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then she saw my expression, nodded, and began to flee. “Takuya, you have to come back safely too!” I nodded at her words, and at the same time— *Whoosh!* Tsutomu, who hadn’t been idle while we talked, lunged at me. He swung his arms as if he were some kind of beast, intending to hit me, but I nimbly dodged his movements.

No. Even though I currently have barely any strength or stamina, did he really think I’d get thrashed by someone who’d never fought before?

‘Who’s making light of my military service?’ Thinking that, Takuya nimbly dodged Tsutomu’s attacks while waiting for the right moment to take him down in one blow.

After Takuya dodged Tsutomu’s attacks for a while, He couldn’t help but frown as he dodged another attack. And rightly so.

‘There are so many openings, but my instincts are telling me I’ll be screwed if I go in. It’s frustrating.’ Strangely, whenever I tried to find an opening and move in, my instincts warned me. Don’t get close to that guy. What on earth could that mean?

Takuya didn’t dare to confirm it with his body, so he waited for Tsutomu’s stamina to drain somewhat. But strangely, far from decreasing, Tsutomu’s movements began to get faster. Takuya felt something was off at the sight of him, as if he were overflowing with power, and dodged another attack.

‘Seriously. How does he have so much stamina?’ Takuya was stunned, but dodging wasn’t too difficult. After dodging attacks for a while,

“My Mi-ttang! How dare you try to take her from me?” Tsutomu said to me, his voice full of anger. At his words, I looked at Tsutomu with an incredulous expression and replied,

“Why is Momiji yours? You crazy bastard.” At my words, Tsutomu seemed enraged and shouted,

“Of course Mi-ttang is mine! I bought her directly from her parents!”

At those words, I felt my thoughts freeze for a moment. What? Who bought whom? At my reaction, that Tsutomu began to explain the situation in detail, with a triumphant expression.

“Haha! You didn’t know this, did you?! Mi-ttang’s parents sold Mi-ttang to me!” “Momiji isn’t an object, though?”

“What nonsense! They sold a child who was useless and only needed protection, so now Mi-ttang is mine!” His absurd logic made me let out a hollow laugh.

“Haha. Wow—I’m speechless.” What kind of person is this? Does he think this is the Middle Ages? No. For that matter, the parents who sold her weren’t sane either. No one else but their own daughter?

I wondered if perhaps they had been offered an irresistible sum, so I asked again. “Hey. How much did you pay for Momiji?”

“Two million yen!” At his proudly spoken words, the excitement that had filled my mind seemed to vanish. Instead, my head felt chillingly cold.

“Only 20 million won?” “It’s two million yen.” Momiji’s life had been decided by a sum that was less than 20 million won [approximately two million yen].

The very people who should have loved Momiji the most had shattered her life for a mere 20 million won. Along with intense disgust at that fact, I— “Gah, gasp!” —felt true killing intent.

Exuding such intense killing intent, I charged at Tsutomu. I was busy; I didn’t want to waste any more time.

‘There’s too much trash in this world.’ Because there was still so much trash to deal with.