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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: The Black and White Twin Fiends
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A fortnight flew by in the blink of an eye. In that time, Bong-gu had made enough progress to feel the difference himself.
“Hoo…”
Exhaling a long breath, Bong-gu slowly scanned his surroundings from left to right, assessing the situation.
No less than five orcs had surrounded him, closing in from all sides.
If this had been him just a short while ago, he wouldn't have even dared to think of fighting back, but…
“I can do this.”
Bong-gu muttered quietly, as if to encourage himself, and tightened his grip on the sword in his hand.
‘If you learn even a little bit of hand-to-hand combat, you won’t lose the upper hand to an opponent who closes the distance. And if you have a weapon you can handle skillfully, it’ll be even more helpful.’
Following Kang-jun’s teachings, Bong-gu had resolved to learn both martial arts and a weapon style simultaneously…
‘If possible, it would be best to choose a weapon light enough to be wielded with just your left hand without much difficulty. For example, a short sword…’
‘Hmm, why is that?’
‘Think about it. When you cast spells, you unconsciously tend to use your right hand, don't you? Most right-handed people cast magic with their right hand.’
‘Oh, you’re right!’
‘Since you’ll need your right hand to cast spells, I’m telling you to choose a light weapon that you can handle easily with just your left hand.’
His master had told him that magic was his primary means of attack, while swordsmanship and martial arts were merely supplementary or defensive tools.
For that reason, Bong-gu chose a ‘short sword,’ designed to be light enough for him to wield with only his left hand without difficulty.
*Thwack-!*
Bong-gu immediately kicked off the ground and charged toward the nearest orc, gathering mana in his empty right hand.
*Crackle…*
For a moment, bluish sparks flashed continuously over his right hand, as if an electric current were flowing through it.
As Bong-gu brought his right hand to the abdomen of his target, the orc’s eyes shot wide open, and its entire body began to tremble.
Lightning Bolt.
It was a fundamental elemental spell that converted one’s mana into the ‘electric’ attribute to electrocute an enemy and briefly stun them.
It was useful for holding an enemy in place for a moment, but it was by no means powerful enough to kill an orc…
*Stab-!*
Without a moment’s hesitation, Bong-gu plunged the tip of his short sword deep into the orc’s neck, then twisted and pulled it out.
‘Four left…’
The remaining orcs let out enraged roars and charged at him with even greater ferocity, wildly swinging the axes in their hands.
*Clang-!*
*Clang-!*
*Clang-!*
Bong-gu, on the other hand, remained unfazed by the numerical disadvantage, parrying every attack with just a swing of his short sword.
He didn't miss the openings that appeared in between, using a combination of his sword (劍), fists (拳), and kicks (脚) to counterattack.
His movements were truly aggressive and relentless, reminiscent of a wolf let loose among a flock of gentle sheep.
‘In my experience, the mages who stubbornly stick to one path, burying themselves in magic alone, are the ones who die the fastest.’
‘Is that so?’
‘In a game, you might be treated as a hybrid build or a failed character for learning a bit of everything, but this is reality, isn't it?’
What did he say after that?
‘If you want to survive, you need to learn one more thing instead of making excuses. Otherwise, that one well you dug so hard to master will become your grave.’
‘Ah…’
‘It’ll be tough, but try to endure it with as much patience as you can. The more sweat you shed in training, the less blood you’ll shed later.’
From the moment he realized the teachings he was receiving were immeasurably valuable, he trained with all his might, refusing to cut any more corners.
*Slash-!*
*Swish-!*
*Slice-!*
*Stab-!*
In the fierce exchange of blows that sent sparks flying, Bong-gu couldn’t avoid sustaining both shallow and deep stab wounds…
But paying no mind to such injuries, Bong-gu fell into a trance-like state, charging forward with even greater ferocity.
‘Sir, is there any secret to getting strong quickly?’
It was a question born of exhaustion.
‘Hmm, well, I’ve been crazy strong from the start, so I’ve never really thought about it deeply, but…’
After a moment of thought, his mentor answered.
‘The secret is probably not thinking about getting strong quickly.’
Snapping out of his reverie, Bong-gu barely managed to regain his focus and began to slowly survey the scene before him.
He had survived.
The four orcs that had charged him lay on the ground, and the last one already had a sword embedded in its neck.
The creature, kneeling and glaring at him as if to kill him, coughed up mouthfuls of blood, its body trembling faintly for a moment.
*Thud-!*
Finally, the last remaining orc clutched the wound with both hands and collapsed forward lifelessly.
“Hah, hah…”
Panting heavily, Bong-gu didn't even bother to pull his sword from the orc’s neck and simply fell flat on his back.
His head was spinning, his stomach was in knots, and he was so out of breath that his vision was blurring.
As he struggled to catch his breath, Bong-gu suddenly began to chuckle like a madman.
“Heheh, heheheh, khahahaha…”
Before, he would have struggled against a single orc, let alone five.
But now, he could fight five at once and win without any major injuries.
“Status Window.”
A translucent screen, with various pieces of information neatly organized, appeared before Bong-gu’s eyes.
[ Player Name: Kim Bong-gu ]
[ Class: Mage ]
[ Level: 22 ]
[ Title: The Striving Dunce (D-Rank) ]
[ Strength: 17 ]
[ Agility: 16 ]
[ Stamina: 18 ]
[ Magic: 20 ]
[ Unassigned Points: 0 ]
[ Special Note: If you continue to wield a sword, you may be able to change to a ‘Hidden Class.’ ]
Just looking at the Status Window alone, every single stat had changed so drastically that it was incomparable to before he started training.
First, his level had increased by a whole ten levels, and he had acquired a ‘Title.’
‘The Striving Dunce…’
Although it was only D-rank, it was a rather beneficial title that provided a dramatic increase in experience points gained.
Moreover, a few days ago, a ‘Special Note’ section had suddenly appeared, hinting at a job change to a new class.
“Good…”
If he spent all the remaining days before the scheduled ‘Promotion Test’ as diligently and sincerely as he had been…
He felt that far from being humiliated, he might even achieve quite an impressive result.
Just as he was grinning and catching his breath, Kang-jun asked in a displeased tone.
“Hey, what are you laughing at like a lunatic?”
“I just feel proud…”
“Well, I think it’s about a hundred years too early to be feeling ‘proud.’”
After speaking, Kang-jun added in a low voice.
“Recite the slogans.”
“Now?”
“Recite the slogans.”
“But I already…”
“Recite the slogans.”
Muttering, “Ah, hell…,” Bong-gu strained the veins in his neck and shouted loudly.
“I am just a carbon dioxide emitter wasting oxygen!”
“That’s right!”
“I am nothing more than a machine that produces pathetic turds!”
“Correct!”
“I am just a potato that knows how to talk!”
“Hooray!”
Only then did Kang-jun nod a few times in satisfaction and add in a flat tone.
“Right. Always maintain a humble attitude.”
“Yes, sir…”
“Let’s start gathering anything valuable and head back.”
The two began to process the monster corpses, collecting magic stones and other byproducts that would fetch a good price.
Just then.
Letting out a soft “Hmm,” Bong-gu turned his head slightly to look at Kang-jun and asked cautiously.
“Sir, I know it’s a hassle, but I think we should stop by the Market today to sell off some of our things.”
“Today?”
“We haven’t been once in a fortnight, and the van is piled high with stuff we need to sell, right?”
“True…”
Come to think of it, the large van was so packed with magic stones and other byproducts that there was hardly any room to stand.
‘There’s something I need to check, too…’
He had been meaning to find out if the place called the Market had a ‘safe deposit box’ run by the goblin race.
“Alright, let’s go.”
* * *
The Market, centered around the Insadong area, was essentially a ‘large-scale commercial district’ composed of shops that handled goods from beyond the Gate.
The most actively traded items were, by far, magic stones, but weapons, elixirs, alchemical ingredients, and souvenirs were also bought and sold.
There were even a few shops that sold merchandise like figurines and posters of famous Hunters.
As he followed behind Bong-gu, looking around, Kang-jun let out an “Oh” in admiration.
“This brings back memories.”
It was said that most of the ‘non-human races’ who had immigrated to Earth from beyond the Gate had settled near the Market, making a living through commerce…
Everywhere he looked, there were exotic signs.
For instance, an otherworldly cuisine tavern run by an elf, or a weapon forge run by a dwarf—shops with unique characteristics.
He felt as if he were strolling through the bustling streets of another dimension where various races lived in harmony, rather than on Earth.
“Bong-gu, Bong-gu.”
At Kang-jun’s call, Bong-gu, who was a few steps ahead, turned around and answered, “Yes, sir.”
“By any chance, is there a safe deposit box run by goblins here?”
At that, Bong-gu nodded once and replied.
“Although I’ve never used it myself, I think there was one right near the ‘regular appraisal shop’ I always go to.”
“Then let’s stop by the ‘Goblin Safe Deposit Box’ first. I’m not entirely sure, but I think I might have some money I deposited a long time ago.”
Bong-gu nodded readily and answered.
“Then shall we take our time and look around while we’re at it?”
“Do as you please.”
“It’s past mealtime, so we can grab a bite and have a drink…”
“Know any good places?”
“There’s a place deep inside the Market that’s really delicious but has no customers.”
Just then, Kang-jun whipped his head around and looked behind them.
“Sir, what’s wrong?”
“We’ve got a tail.”
At his words, Bong-gu took a sharp breath and replied.
“I think we should be careful. It’s probably some wolves who smelled money.”
“Hmm…”
“Since this is where all sorts of valuable items gather, crime is a common occurrence.”
To that, Kang-jun replied curtly.
“Is there any place secluded enough that no one would notice if someone was killed?”
After muttering, “Well…,” Bong-gu snapped his fingers as if remembering something and answered.
“There’s a place inside the Market called the ‘Abandoned Alley.’ It’s actually where crimes like murder and robbery usually happen…”
Kang-jun nodded once and replied.
“Then lead the way.”
“Sir?”
“You want to go shopping with a tail?”
“Ah.”
Bong-gu had described their pursuer as a ‘wolf who smelled money,’ but Kang-jun’s thoughts were quite different.
Judging by their considerable skill in concealing their presence, they were clearly well-trained ‘assassins.’
‘It must be those guys from back then.’
Kang-jun was certain that the pursuers belonged to the same group as the ones who had attacked the convention hall during the medal ceremony.
They had likely been watching for an opportunity to kidnap Bong-gu ever since, and had decided today was the day to make their move.
“What are you doing?”
Swallowing hard, Bong-gu, with a tense expression, took the lead and began walking towards the ‘Abandoned Alley.’
With each corner they turned, the scenery before them began to change dramatically.
The desolate street was lined with dilapidated buildings that looked as if they could collapse at any moment.
In the narrow gaps between the buildings, non-humans who had failed to settle in were frantically rummaging through trash cans, searching for food.
The cracked walls of the buildings were plastered with wanted posters for heinous criminals and warning signs to turn back immediately.
People high on drugs or alcohol lay sprawled on the streets, while others in ragged clothes silently held out their hands, begging for a few coins of mercy.
Yet the two men never once stopped, their sole focus on walking silently and endlessly deeper into the area.
“This is it.”
At last, the two stopped at a dead end.
At that moment.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps, *step, step,* echoed from the entrance of the alley.
“The Filial Son, Kim Bong-gu.”
The pursuers who abruptly appeared were two old men, each dressed in black and white robes.
“I wondered why that person was so eager to have you, but seeing as you noticed our pursuit, I think I understand a little.”
One had long white hair and a white robe, while the other, as if a color-inverted image, had long black hair and a black robe.
Just then.
Bong-gu, who had been carefully observing the two old men’s faces, went pale as he realized their identities.
They were key executives who formed the axis of the large-scale criminal organization, the Anti-Bureau Alliance, and their infamy was not just widespread but sky-high…
“The Black and White Twin Fiends…”
They were the Black and White Twin Fiends brothers.
“Are they famous?”
Kang-jun asked abruptly.
“Yes, very…”
“Are they strong?”
“Probably…”
Kang-jun muttered in a puzzled tone.
“If they were just holding a bamboo flute, they’d look exactly like my high school history teacher…”
“Sir?”
“I got hit by that teacher so many times that I still remember his name, even though it’s been at least three hundred years.”
Muttering softly, “Mr. Hyeon Seung-uk,” Kang-jun took a step forward and added in a chilling tone.
“It seems their crimes are quite heinous.”
At his words, the brows of the Black and White Twin Fiends furrowed slightly.
“First, the crime of resembling a teacher I’d rather not remember.”
“Second, the crime of favoring modernized hanboks in the 21st century.”
As everyone but Kang-jun was wrapped in the question of ‘Can those really be considered crimes?’, he continued.
“Therefore, I sentence you to death.”
As he finished speaking, Kang-jun’s form vanished in an instant.
