Chapter 109

“This is an honor. I don’t know who you guys are, but someone from a neutral country knows my name.”

These guys stopped by the neutral country to catch me, but Yanagiya Riki doesn’t know that, so she seems to think they’re players from the neutral country.

“…I get that you’re Yanagiya Riki. So, what brings someone from the Eastern Alliance here?”

“I told you earlier. Just passing through. Well… not alone.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a man appeared from behind.

“Big sis, you’re too fast. Slow down a bit…!”

“You’re just slow, kid.”

‘…What the hell is going on?’

While being dragged away by outlaws, Yanagiya Riki and her subordinate showed up.

Even coincidences don’t stack up like this.

The man who seemed to be Riki’s subordinate looked at the leader of the outlaw group, widened his eyes, and spoke.

“Huh? Jeon Ji-hee?”

Yanagiya Riki questioned the man’s reaction.

“What? You know her?”

“…You don’t know? That woman, though she’s a minor figure, was an executive member of the Execution Society.”

“What, these bastards are outlaws?”

“……”

“Well, I did think something was off. Dragging a guy around like that was weird, but they’re outlaws?”

“…So? You’re saying you’re all fired up with justice because we’re outlaws?”

Yanagiya Riki chuckled at the woman’s words.

“No? Do whatever. I’m here to do the same thing as you guys. I have someone to take too.”

Hearing her words, I suddenly felt uneasy.

‘Shit… no way, no way… she’s not talking about me, right?’

If that’s the case, both the outlaws and Yanagiya Riki are after me.

‘That can’t be… no way…’

“Anyway, I don’t care what you do. I won’t interfere, so don’t worry.”

But Yanagiya Riki’s next words betrayed my expectations.

“Instead, I have a question. I’m looking for a guy named Lee Yun-seong from the Eternity Clan. Do you know which way to go to get to the city of Runde?”

The outlaws were taken aback by Yanagiya Riki’s question.

From their perspective, it was a natural reaction. After all, they were dragging me along.

Of course, some of them couldn’t hide their glances, and seeing them panic and glance at me, Yanagiya Riki also looked at me.

“……”

“……”

Suddenly, silence fell over the area.

The awkward silence was probably uncomfortable for everyone.

If Yanagiya Riki wasn’t clueless, she’d have to notice something.

Sure enough, she asked for my name.

“…Hey, what’s your name?”

‘Shit, shit!’

“…Uh, not me. It’s a misunderstanding.”

“…Hah.”

The situation took a weird turn. I mean, there’s only one of me, and two groups trying to take me.

“…What are you doing? You said you were leaving? We won’t interfere, so just go.”

The leader spoke, but his face looked anxious.

“No, no… that’s not possible. It seems my business is here.”

“What? Are you kidding me?! That’s not what you said earlier!”

At the woman’s curse, Yanagiya Riki frowned and spoke menacingly.

“…Hey, why is your mouth so damn foul?”

Suddenly, an invisible pressure filled the air, making everyone feel suffocated.

Jeon Ji-hee seemed to be in a slightly better position, but even she couldn’t hide the tension in her eyes.

Someone muttered in fear.

“This… ranker… ranker…”

“Hand over that guy. Then I’ll let you go.”

“…I can’t do that. Our orders are to bring this guy.”

“Really? Then the answer is clear.”

After saying that, Yanagiya Riki started drawing her sword.

It was truly a moment on the edge.

Jeon Ji-hee bit her lip and shouted.

“Damn it, everyone attack! There are only two of them! Use whatever means necessary to complete the mission!”

“..Yes!”

“Two? What are you talking about? Hey, you stay out of it. I can handle this alone.”

“Yes, big sis.”

And so, a 1 vs 20 battle began.

Whoosh—

“Die!”

One guy swung a bludgeon, but Yanagiya Riki didn’t even block it with her sword, just dodged with minimal movement.

“Hey! Don’t rush in…!”

A comrade warned, but it was too late.

Crunch—

“Gah…!”

I don’t know what she did, but the guy who swung the bludgeon had his abdomen completely gone.

Behind Yanagiya Riki, something resembling a demon was flickering.

‘…She’s strong.’

As expected of a ranker.

Her ability to instantly kill an average player proved just how strong she was.

With one subordinate dead in an instant, Jeon Ji-hee’s face twisted into a grimace as she spoke.

“…Form a battle formation. I’ll fight Yanagiya Riki, you guys support.”

The ensuing battle was a spectacle.

The sight of over ten people ganging up on one person was enough to make even someone as weak as me swallow hard.

Like tightening a noose, over ten people pressed Yanagiya Riki.

Yanagiya Riki also shifted from an offensive stance to a defensive one.

As the clash of weapons went from a few exchanges to dozens, two outlaws fell, and Yanagiya Riki started accumulating minor wounds.

“How’s that?! What are you gonna do as a ranker?! How are you gonna get out of here?! Huh?! Tell me!”

“…..”

“Where’d all that bravado go?! We’re gonna catch you and feed you to the monsters! You damn bitch!”

Jeon Ji-hee taunted Yanagiya Riki, but she didn’t respond.

Instead, she calmly blocked attacks, her eyes steady.

‘Is she analyzing the situation?’

I don’t have much experience in combat, so I can only guess.





I might be wrong, but I got the feeling that Yanagiya Riki was analyzing the formation.

“Act cocky like before! If you think I’ll be scared just because you’re relying on your name…”

“Now I get it.”

Yanagiya Riki, who had been desperately defending, thrust her sword between the weapons of the attackers.

*Clang*

“Huh?”

My eyes and brain couldn’t comprehend it, but it seemed like there was something only a master could see.

Right after she thrust her sword, discord erupted among those who had been maintaining the formation.

‘…How did she do that?’

It felt like watching dominoes fall.

The once-solid formation, like an iron fortress, crumbled like dominoes due to Yanagiya Riki’s seemingly insignificant action.

“Huh?!”

“What the hell, why aren’t your steps aligned?!”

The attackers, who had been perfectly synchronized, suddenly lost their timing, and their movements became disjointed.

The once-fierce attacks now looked like the clumsy strikes of amateurs.

Even I, who was watching this scene, was baffled. For them, it must have been utterly humiliating.

“What… what did you do… what the hell is this…?”

“Do what? Did you really think that sloppy formation would work on me?”

“…What?”

“Stupid girl, even the real martial artists among the indigenous people spend decades practicing together to perfect a formation. Did you really think you could pull off a proper formation after just a few years of practice?”

“What…?”

“It means you’re full of openings, you idiot.”

“Damn it…!”

“Let me give you some advice: when you meet a strong opponent, there’s no chance of winning with such half-baked techniques. Well, not that it matters since you’re about to die anyway.”

“Everyone, snap out of it! Reform the formation!”

“Ha, you idiot, I told you it won’t work.”

The outlaws immediately tried to reform the formation, but it was dismantled even faster than before.

“Hopeless. No matter how many times you try, that formation is useless.”

*Thud*

“Ah! Let go of this!”

Jeon Ji-hee’s weapon was already lying in a corner.

I saw her being grabbed by the hair by Yanagiya Riki.

As she screamed to be let go, Yanagiya Riki smiled eerily and spoke.

“Let go? You have to pay the price for being so cocky with me, right? What was it you said? That you’d feed me to the monsters?”

“Let go, damn it!”

The remaining outlaws were hesitating, clearly scared.

With their leader captured, they had lost the will to fight.

Yanagiya Riki was clearly exhausted and looked tired, but there was no guarantee they could win even if they all rushed her.

Besides, they had already lost two members to Wi Ho-yeon before even facing Yanagiya Riki.

“First, an arm.”

*Slash*

“Ahhhh! My arm! My aaaarm!”

Everyone, including me, felt a wave of terror at the sight of a human arm being casually severed.

Sure, the outlaws had probably done far worse, but now they were the prey, and Yanagiya Riki was the predator. It was only natural to feel fear.

“Ah, why so noisy? Hold it in, you bitch. You’re lucky. If this were the Eastern Alliance, it wouldn’t end so easily for you.”

The sight of her laughing while cutting off an arm was truly demonic.

“Stop! Stop! My arm! My aaaarm… Ugh! Ahhh!”

“Stop what, you stupid bitch? You gonna keep acting like a rookie? The winner takes all, that’s the basic rule of Eras, isn’t it?”

*Slash*

“Ahhhh!”

I had done some research on Yanagiya Riki before and knew she was cruel, but seeing it firsthand made it all too real.

Watching the woman writhe on the ground with both arms severed, I couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.

After all, there was no guarantee I wouldn’t end up like that.

“Save me… save…”

The woman continued to scream with both arms severed, but after a while, she stopped breathing.

‘Crazy…’

She wasn’t on Wi Ho-yeon’s level, but she was still a strong fighter, easily in the upper ranks.

She could hold her own against Yanagiya Riki, but Yanagiya Riki didn’t seem to have any major injuries.

*Swipe*

Yanagiya Riki flicked the blood off her sword and spoke.

“So, your leader’s dead. You still want to keep going?”

“N-no! W-we won’t interfere!”

The remaining outlaws quickly answered, clearly wanting to avoid any conflict with her.

Their heads bobbed up and down as they spoke, showing just how scared they were.

“Good. Then step aside. I’m taking that man with me.”

They all immediately cleared the way.

*Step step*

‘Shit, shit!’

I didn’t dare think of resisting her. Every time I heard her footsteps approaching, I broke out in a cold sweat.

‘For now… for now, I just have to play along.’

If I resisted or said the wrong thing, I’d likely end up like that corpse.

“Hey, come along nicely while I’m being polite.”

“Yes! Understood!”

I jumped up and bowed deeply, which seemed to momentarily confuse her. She quickly regained her composure and continued.

“Good. If you resist or do anything stupid, you’re dead. Just follow quietly.”

As I followed Yanagiya Riki, I couldn’t help but scream internally.

‘Shit! When are they coming to save me?! I’m so screwed…!’

Please, someone save me.