Chapter 258

“Ha ha! Miss Kang I-seo, drop your bow and come closer. Otherwise, I’ll kill Mr. Ho-won.”

Kang I-seo trembled with anger at Ahn Tae-woo’s actions.

Holding someone else’s precious person hostage and threatening them—such trashy behavior.

Her fists clenched tightly in frustration, but she had no intention of resisting Ahn Tae-woo’s demands.

“…You cowardly bastard.”

“Yes, yes, I get it. Just come closer.”

‘Damn it… I have no choice.’

She didn’t know what would happen if she surrendered by dropping her weapon, but she couldn’t let the old man die.

But if she shot her bow? If he used the old man as a shield, she wouldn’t be able to do anything.

In the end, she closed her eyes tightly, bit her lip until it bled, and threw her bow to the ground.

“Good. Now walk towards me. If you try anything funny, Mr. Ho-won will have a hole in his neck.”

‘Since it’s come to this…’

She started walking towards Ahn Tae-woo as he instructed, raising her hands as if to show she had no intention of resisting.

‘…Hold on.’

Not at this distance. Not yet…

Step by step.

She only had one chance. Even if she surrendered and got captured, a tragic ending was inevitable.

‘Just a bit more…’

The moment she got close enough to Ahn Tae-woo.

‘You bastard!’

She swung her fist at him in an instant. At this distance, it should be enough…

Crack!

“Ahhh!”

She couldn’t help but scream from the shock she felt in her upper body.

“Ha, I knew it. I never thought you’d give up so easily.”

‘No, no…’

“Ugh… Ah…!”

She felt the pain from the rough hand gripping her hair.

“You bitch. Huh? Still think I’m a pushover? Huh?”

“You… bastard… I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you…”

“Ha ha, you crazy bitch. I’ve been waiting for this. What did you say to me last time? Stop whining?”

“You… bastard…”

“Keh, did you think you could beat me in close combat? Well, I guess all you have in your head is the old me. The me with no talent whatsoever.”

As Ahn Tae-woo said, she had planned to drop her weapon, approach him, catch him off guard, and then strike.

After all, the Ahn Tae-woo she knew wasn’t particularly strong in combat.

Of course, the chances of success weren’t high, but she had no other choice.

“Kyaaah!”

Ahn Tae-woo shook Kang I-seo by her hair as he spoke.

“What did you think I meant? I survived that damn arena. I’m not like you, a greenhouse flower, huh?”

“Ugh…”

“Of course, at long range, our perfect archer would win. But hey, even if I’m trash, I’m not gonna lose to an archer in close combat.”

“Let go…!”

“Ha ha, let go? Sure. But can I kill that guy lying over there instead?”

“Damn it… don’t. Please…”

“Hmm? What do you think? If I step on that bastard’s neck right now, his neck will break and he’ll die, right? Should I try?”

Kang I-seo’s anger surged to the point of tears, but she held them back.

At the very least, she didn’t want to cry in front of this bastard.

“……”

“Look at you, suddenly so polite. You bitch, it would’ve been so much better if you’d done this earlier.”

The look of superiority in Ahn Tae-woo’s eyes was directed at her, but she didn’t resist. There was only one thought in Kang I-seo’s mind.

‘…Please.’

While gauging Ahn Tae-woo’s mood, her eyes kept glancing to one side.

“…That’s enough. I was wrong. So…”

“No, no, your apology isn’t sincere. Is that what you call an apology?”

“…What do you want? What do you want from me?”

“What do I want? I just want you to feel the same pain as me.”

‘You crazy bastard…’

She couldn’t understand his kind.

She had felt it since the tutorial, but she had always sensed something off about this man.

Of course, she never showed it, but she knew right away that they weren’t compatible as people.

“I’ve heard rumors about you guys. What was it again… Ah, right. The genius newcomers who revived the fallen Eternity… stuff like that.”

The expression on Ahn Tae-woo’s face as he continued to talk… didn’t look very pleasant.

“Ha, and that’s not all. The clan that took down the drug-dealing clan, and the clan that dismantled the outlaw group.”

“……”

“It pissed me off to hear about it. Some people went through all sorts of things, while you guys, who abandoned me, thrived.”

“…I’m sorry you went through that. But I, no, we didn’t do anything to you.”

“No, you guys abandoned me. You all joined Eternity without me, didn’t you? Right?”

“Stop talking nonsense… You just think you were abandoned!”

Ahn Tae-woo’s face stiffened, but Kang I-seo didn’t stop talking.

“You pathetic bastard! You’re just delusional! Of course you are! You abandoned your comrades, and now you’re trying to justify what you’re doing!”

“…..”

As if hit where it hurt, Ahn Tae-woo’s lips twitched and trembled.

Seeing Ahn Tae-woo like that, Kang I-seo continued with a look of disgust.

“People like you… I despise them. People who paint themselves as victims to justify harming others… I despise them.”

“…Shut up.”

“Why? Damn, did I hit a nerve?”

“What do you know about me, you bitch? You, who lived comfortably just because you had talent, how dare you talk like you know anything…”

“You keep talking about talent, but are you the only one without talent? Do all talentless people act like you? Stop talking nonsense. You’re just that kind of person by nature.”

“Shut your mouth!”

Slap!

“Kyaaah!”

Slap!

“Ugh!”

After slapping Kang I-seo twice, Ahn Tae-woo sneered and spoke.

“Ha, fine, let’s say I’m that kind of person, you bitch. So what can you do in this situation?”

“…You bastard.”

“Huh? Damn bitch, what can you do, huh?”

“…”





Pathetic bastard. Live like that for the rest of your life. No one will ever like someone like you.

“What?”

Kang I-seo, with blood dripping from the corner of her mouth, chuckled softly and spoke.

“Why? Did you think I wouldn’t know? You were interested in Yoo Ju, weren’t you?”

“…..”

“Pfft, but deep down, you knew it too, right? She never had any interest in you.”

“…What did you say?”

“Of course. Who would like someone like you? Betraying your comrades, sneaking around to look for a clan on your own at the training facility, and now causing this mess.”

“…..”

*Crack.*

Ahn Tae-woo’s eyelids trembled, and he spoke in a boiling voice.

“…You, you’re done for. I was originally just going to kill you, but now I’ll show you hell.”

“…Bullshit.”

“Yeah, keep acting like that. You know what? The beastmen who came with me not only kill their prey but also enjoy playing with them.”

“…..”

“I won’t kill that old guy you care about. Instead, I’ll take him hostage and see how far you’ll go to humiliate yourself.”

“…You filthy bastard.”

“Huh, it’ll be quite a show, won’t it? You won’t even be treated like a human, worse than a slave. I can’t wait to see you on your knees, begging for mercy.”

“……”

“What? Scared? Suddenly you’re keeping your mouth shut. Keep yapping like you were earlier.”

“…Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not scared of someone like you.”

“Tch, all talk. Oh, by the way, there’s something I want to ask.”

“…You think I’ll answer?”

“Then I’ll have to mess with that old guy. I’ll take him and make him suffer all kinds of humiliation.”

“…You son of a bitch.”

“Go ahead, curse all you want. That’s all you can do right now. Someone once said, cursing is what you do when you have nothing else to do.”

“…What the hell do you want to ask?”

“Where’s Lee Yun-seong? I really want to see him.”

“What?”

“He must have come with you, right? Where is he? I just want to see his face after so long.”

“…..”

Seeing Kang I-seo keeping her mouth shut, Ahn Tae-woo spat on the ground and asked again.

“Hey, don’t make me repeat myself. Where is that bastard? Do I have to kill that old man you care about to make you talk?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Where are you scheming…”

“I really don’t know! Everyone’s position was forcibly moved, how would I know?”

“Ha, really? Then should I play with you here for a while? And then show it to Lee Yun-seong, how about that?”

“…You lowlife.”

At least the Ahn Tae-woo she knew wasn’t this twisted, but the man in front of her now was a completely different person.

Fearing what would happen to her next, Kang I-seo bit her lip and tightly closed her eyes.

“Then now…”

Just as Ahn Tae-woo was about to lay his hands on Kang I-seo again.

*Crash!*

“What… hey?”

Something massive broke through the wall and appeared.

“Grrrr…”

“A, a monster?”

Ahn Tae-woo, his face pale without realizing it, raised his spear.

The monster lunged at Ahn Tae-woo in an instant.

*Thud!*

“Ugh…!”

The monster’s body collided with Ahn Tae-woo, sending him rolling on the ground.

The sight of him vomiting blood proved that the impact was far from light.

From the collapsed wall the monster had broken through, a figure emerged amidst the dust, catching Kang I-seo’s eye.

“Ah…”

******

‘Ha, this is so fucked up.’

Quiet anger was consuming him over this situation.

The clan members being attacked in the dungeon, Lee Jae-hyo’s death.

And now, seeing Kang I-seo in a mess, sitting helplessly in front of him.

‘Honestly, I didn’t expect this.’

Just someone from the past. Not even worth calling a bad relationship, just a fleeting, meaningless connection.

That’s all I thought he was.

I never imagined that guy would become such a hindrance.

‘Is it my mistake?’

If it’s a mistake, then it is. But if there’s one thing I want to say, it’s that I don’t understand why he did this.

‘Whatever, that’s not important now.’

I don’t care why Ahn Tae-woo did this.

What’s important now is that Ahn Tae-woo messed with Eternity, resulting in Lee Jae-hyo’s death and Kang I-seo crying while looking at me.

Turning my gaze away from the guy groaning on the ground, I approached Kang I-seo.

She, who had been staring at me blankly, rubbed her eyes as if she didn’t want to show her tears and spoke.

“Lee, Lee Yun-seong.”

“…Hey, what the hell happened to you?”

“Fuck, you damn bastard… can’t you tell? I, I got a little hurt.”

‘Ha…’

She was trying to act tough, but with her lips split from being hit multiple times and her hair a mess, I could tell what had happened without even asking.

‘No, I saw it anyway.’

Not from the beginning, but through the shadow spirit’s eyes, I could see Kang I-seo being held by Ahn Tae-woo.

“…Han-sol, take care of Kang I-seo and Ho-won.”

“…Okay.”

Leaving Shin Han-sol and Kang I-seo behind, I slowly approached the guy who was barely standing, his eyes wide open.

“You…!”

“…Long time no see, Ahn Tae-woo.”