episode_0294

Aldaine and Vlad stood on the roof of the building, watching Yoo-shin Jung leave.

“He’s winning this.”

Aldaine sat down on the makeshift chair with a dispirited smile.

He had waited for over 5 hours, so he ordered his subordinates to bring a chair.

Vlad stroked his chin. The vampire’s red eyes flashed.

“He’s a truly terrifying guy. Just how many schemes did he come up with? Besides, he even achieved linked imprints.”

“Death Dance. I thought he had no sense when it came to naming things, but he came up with something decent.”

Aldaine nodded and muttered.

Vlad went even further, imitating the posture Yoo-shin Jung took when he wielded his sword, and exclaimed in admiration.

“Amazing! What is that mental strength? He was clearly stabbed in the heart and died, but at that moment, he became explosively faster? The trajectory of his sword didn’t waver at all. He’s a very tough guy.”

“It could be an imprint that delays death, or even an imprint that denies death altogether.”

“It could be an imprint linked to Revenger.”

“There might also be an imprint that gets stronger the closer you get to death.”

The two men instantly deduced Yoo-shin Jung’s imprint.

Vlad crossed his arms and looked around.

The superhumans hiding in the city were still watching Yoo-shin Jung’s back without leaving.

‘Beautiful.’

Perhaps others were thinking similarly to him.

He wasn’t just some mediocre guy who relied on linked imprints.

Deep calculation, unwavering resolve even in the face of death, and a linked imprint hidden like a dagger at the end.

All of that came together as one.

He won against an opponent he couldn’t beat.

That’s the reason so many superhumans gathered.

“Aldaine, shouldn’t you accept a successor soon?”

“I was going to bring it up before the duel.”

“You were?”

“I was rejected before I could even bring it up. He said he had a way to win.”

“Hoo-ooo.”

Vlad felt his breath getting hot.

‘Unbelievable.’

Did he establish a plan immediately after meeting Zern and confirming his abilities?

He’s an existence you can’t help but fall for.

“I’m certain. That guy absolutely has to join Pandemonium.”

“He doesn’t seem to have any intention of doing so, though?”

Aldaine gave a bitter smile.

If he was exhausted from the darkness of the labyrinth and came into the shadow of Pandemonium, he thought it would be the best choice.

That was the plan.

However.

Watching him receive help but still overcome things with his own strength in crucial moments, he wondered if it might be okay to leave him as he is.

Aldaine looked up at the sky and stood up from his seat.

“I need to get some sleep. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve stayed up all night waiting for something.”

Along with Aldaine’s words, the presence of the superhumans disappearing one by one.

“Keu-heu-heu. Everyone’s been hooked.”

Vlad also chuckled and turned around.

* * *

“S-Scar? Did you achieve linked imprints?”

“Yes.”

“Heo-eo-eo. S-since when?”

“Stop asking and go analyze that magical tool. No, let’s go together. I’m too anxious to be alone.”

“A-alright.”

Yoo-shin Jung dragged Matthias along to the Magic Tower branch in the central district.

After passing the magic tool shop street and going a little deeper, a tower stood tall.

‘Is this the Magic Tower branch?’

When Yoo-shin Jung and Matthias entered the Magic Tower together, the people who appeared to be magicians were horrified.

The reason being, a black-haired young man in tattered shirt holding a gleaming longsword was shoulder-to-shoulder with Matthias.

“C-chief!”

“Is the chief being held hostage?!”

Matthias hurriedly waved his hands.

“N-no!!!”

Yoo-shin Jung patted Matthias on the shoulder.

“Matthias, is there anyone here who’s bothering you? Just say the word. I’ll just take care of them.”

“…!”

The magicians shuddered.

“N-no one is bothering me! Did you forget?! I’m a Magic Tower elder!”

“Is that so? Anyway, quickly finish analyzing this magical tool. You don’t do anything properly.”

“…”

Matthias was silent. Even if he had ten mouths, he had nothing to say.

He released people to find the whereabouts of the magical tool, but the person who brought information about the magical tool was Scar himself.

“Stop disappointing me. If you think what you said to the Pantheon Clan only applies to the eastern district’s underworld, I want to tell you that you’re greatly mistaken.”

Chills.

Matthias trembled.

Goosebumps ran down his spine.

“A-alright! I-I swear on the honor of the Magic Tower that I will quickly finish analyzing the magical tool!”

“I’ll believe you. Just this once.”

Yoo-shin Jung patted Matthias on the shoulder to encourage him and left the Magic Tower branch.

Yoo-shin Jung walked down the street, fiddling with his torn shirt.

The blue flash pulled out from Zern’s scabbard.

The electric-charged strike flickered before his eyes.

Zern’s sword.

It was faster than the Gale Sword made with Sacred Weapon trait infusion.

Although the nature was slightly different.

The Gale Sword was fast, but its main purpose was quick movement.

It wasn’t for the purpose of quick strikes like in the duel just now.

A strange inspiration swirled in his head.

‘Should I make one?’

Yoo-shin Jung shook his head.

He should take it easy.

When he trudged back to the inn, Karin and Cyan greeted him.

“Scar!”

“Where have you been since dawn?!”

“I went and cleaned up some trash in the eastern district.”

The two women rushed over and touched Yoo-shin Jung’s body here and there.

“Eh?! I-is your body okay?! Are you hurt?!”

“I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine.”

“Your shirt is cut?”

“The guy who cut my shirt is dead.”

“Are you really okay? Please tell us if something happens. We’ll go with you!”

Despite Karin’s earnest request, Yoo-shin Jung shook his head.

“He was nobody special. It wouldn’t be fitting for you to step in.”

“Really…? But if he cut your shirt, wouldn’t he be quite skilled? Who was it?”

“He’s a guy whose name I don’t even remember.”

Yoo-shin Jung mumbled and stroked Karin’s head.

Karin puffed out her cheeks with a dissatisfied expression, but her face immediately softened with the gentle touch.

“Mmm-hm.”

“Squeak!”

Lynn, who was riding on Karin’s shoulder, crawled up and pushed her head forward.

A sign to be petted.

Yoo-shin Jung smiled and grabbed the back of Lynn’s neck.

“Lynn, how has Ingrid been lately?”

“···Squeak?”

Lynn shrugged her shoulders and turned her head away.

“What are you pretending not to know?”

Yoo-shin Jung smiled and poked Lynn’s soft belly.

“Squeak-squeak!”

Lynn hurriedly covered her belly and struggled.

After tormenting Lynn’s belly for a while, he handed the exhausted Lynn back to Karin.

“Squeak···.”

Lynn, who had instantly melted like well-ripened cheese, breathed heavily on Karin’s hand.

“Ugh. She just melted like porridge? Scar, didn’t your massage skills improve even more?”

“I had a lot of practical opportunities.”

Cyan blushed and twisted her golden hair.

Yoo-shin Jung stroked his chin and smiled.

“With this much skill, would I be able to make a living as a masseuse on the side?”

““N-no way!!!””

The two women shouted in unison.

Yoo-shin Jung tilted his head.

Not good enough to make a business out of it?

“Anyway, I’ve finished everything I need to do. Shall we see Karin’s skills?”

Karin nodded with a confident smile.

“Okay! Where shall we do it?”

“Let’s do it in the backyard. Bring your weapon.”

“Wait a minute!”

“Squeak!”

Karin and Lynn quickly ran up to the second floor.

Cyan watched Karin’s back with a gentle smile before blushing and lowering her head.

Squeeze-ee-ee.

Yoo-shin Jung’s fingers gently squished the plump flesh of Cyan’s butt.

Cyan gradually went up on her tiptoes.

“Cyan.”

A beastly voice in her ear.

“Your body has been stiff lately, right?”

“Y-yes, yes.”

“I’ll give you a massage tonight. Instead, report in detail what happened at the Soft and Fluffy Clan during the day.”

Nod.

Cyan slowly moved her head up and down.

* * *

Spring came quickly.

As the weather warmed, the crowd lined up in front of the Labyrinth City gate grew larger.

Smiles appeared on the faces of the merchants in the southern district.

This was because sales increased with more people.

There were so many unfamiliar faces that the inns were packed.

Items that had been gathering dust in general stores began to sell like hotcakes.

The blacksmith received many new orders, and the sound of hammers rang out late into the night.

Luna’s pharmacy, too, was busy with the influx of people.

Whether the strategies Yoo-shin Jung had implemented were effective, quite a few novice explorers had already formed good relationships with small and medium-sized clans.

Was this the vitality of spring?

Mion and Vivian also visited often.

Cyan and Karin didn’t show any signs of dislike and welcomed them well.

Rather.

The four women got along well with each other.

He even tried to join in, wondering if they had some kind of close bond, but they all blushed and stopped him.

Today, too, the four women gathered in the evening to chat.

Was that all?

Each of the small and medium-sized clan leaders also came to the inn with gifts to express their gratitude, sharing drinks and asking about each other’s well-being, chatting cheerfully.

The inn was full of people.

“This is nice.”

Yoo-shin Jung sat on a chair at the counter and murmured softly, watching his acquaintances chattering away.

They weren’t connected by blood, but they were like family.

Seeing them caring for each other warmed a corner of his heart.

‘Darmong.’

He suddenly missed the innkeeper.

Would he be able to see his face this spring?

Lost in various thoughts, he was sitting on the counter chair.

Creak.

Matthias, Radamund, and Malakai walked into the inn.

Yoo-shin Jung jumped up from his seat.

The three men looked around the bustling inn with blank faces before slowly approaching the counter.

Yoo-shin Jung felt his heart pounding.

He wasn’t this nervous even when he killed that Zern guy.

“D-did you finish interpreting the magical tool?”

“That’s right.”

Matthias nodded with a confident face in response to Yoo-shin Jung’s question.

“G-give it to me.”

Matthias rummaged through his coat and handed over a compass.

“…”

Yoo-shin Jung took the compass in his hands and gently stroked it.

Matthias sat down across from the counter.

“It’s a limited-use, rechargeable, dimension-traveling magical tool. It was my first time interpreting such a rare magical tool, so I had a hard time, but it was still finished ‘quickly’.”

Yoo-shin Jung raised his head and looked at Matthias.

“H-how does it work?”

Can he go?

He wanted to see his family’s faces.

It had been over a year since he went missing. What parent wouldn’t worry about their lost child?

He wanted to at least say a word to let them know he was doing well.

Matthias thumped his chest.

“It’s simple! It’s structured so that a dimensional gate opens when you imagine the place you should be. If you think about it, it’s no different from a space-movement magical tool. Isn’t it amazing?”

Yoo-shin Jung froze.

“What?!”

“What’s wrong?”

Yoo-shin Jung’s eyebrows twitched.

“N-no, it’s nothing.”

I just imagined it now, didn’t I?

The place where I should be.

At that moment.

Blue light began to flash from the compass. The light was so strong that everyone in the inn turned their attention to it.

“W-what?!

“Master Scar?!”

Not only the small and medium-sized clan leaders but also the four women jumped up from their seats and looked at Yoo-shin Jung.

The light grew stronger and stronger.

“What?! Ah, wait a minute!!!”

Yoo-shin Jung covered his eyes with one hand and shouted.

Is he really going like this?!

A flash of light erupted from the compass in Yoo-shin Jung’s grasp.

Flash!!!

The blinding light swallowed the inn.

Yoo-shin Jung closed his eyes.

And then came the silence.

“…”

It was quiet.

Yoo-shin Jung opened his closed eyes and looked around.

“Heh.”

Still the same inn.

There was no dimensional movement whatsoever.

His disappointment and relief were fleeting.

Yoo-shin Jung widened his eyes.

Unfamiliar figures were standing in the center of the inn’s hall.

A middle-aged man in a basic coat with a greatsword on his back.

A beautiful woman with a sharp impression wearing a single-edged sword on her waist.

A male wolf beastkin covered in shaggy fur.

A young man in a long robe with lasciviously flashing red eyes.

And.

A small rat.

Four people and one animal.

“W-what?”

A trembling voice flowed from Yoo-shin Jung’s mouth.

Their appearances were all different, but they had one thing in common.

That was.

All of them had black hair or fur.

The middle-aged man with some gray hair stroked his chin.

“Hmm? Where is this…?”

A soft and profound voice flowed out.

The beautiful woman with a sharp impression crossed her arms, causing her heavy breasts to bulge out.

“What’s this now?”

A husky, charming voice flowed from the woman’s mouth.

The wolf beastkin sniffed and looked around.

“Something’s weird? Suddenly a space movement.”

The lascivious young man scratched his head without saying a word.

“…”

The black rat looked around before lying down on its back.

“Squeak.”

“…”

The people gathered at the inn all dropped their jaws and stared at the four people and one animal before quickly turning their eyes to Yoo-shin Jung.

“M-Master Scar?! Just what is going on?!”

One of the clan leaders asked, stuttering.

The middle-aged man smiled and answered instead.

“Scar is my name, though?”

The woman shrugged.

“Mine too.”

“Hmm.”

“Me too.”

“Squeak.”

The wolf beastkin, the lascivious young man, and finally the rat answered in turn.

“…”

The inn fell into silence.

Yoo-shin Jung’s lips trembled.

“W-what on earth…?!”