"Do you still want to kill me?" Her words brushed against my ears, gently stirring my heart. I closed my eyes for a moment, mulling over her question. Did I truly want to kill Go Yeon-Joo?
"…"
No. Or rather, I could say I didn't. Strictly speaking, I didn't blindly want to kill her. It was simply a matter of necessity. The answer came quickly, but I hesitated to voice it. What should I say? How should I explain? As my thoughts tangled, I opened my eyes again.
Go Yeon-Joo didn't press further. She just gazed at me with a calm face and steady eyes. Meeting her stare, I steadied my wavering heart. As the Shadow Queen had implied, rather than hiding behind flimsy excuses or eloquent words, revealing my true intentions would be better for both of us.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a cigarette but didn't light it right away.
"No. I don't want to kill you."
"Don't lie. Even now, there's a subtle killing intent in your eyes and tone."
"I won't deny it. But it's true that I don't want to kill you. However…"
Scritch. Hiss.
I paused, placing the cigarette between my lips. Taking a deep drag, I exhaled the smoke smoothly into the air.
"I feel it's necessary to kill you."
I stopped there, holding back further words. I tried to read her expression, but it was unreadable. Even after burning through half the cigarette, she remained silent. Feeling a more detailed explanation was needed, I decided to break the heavy silence that had settled around us.
"When we were with player Jung Ha-Yeong, you said something. That you wanted to kill me. That I was nitpicking in Hall Plain."
"Yes, I did."
"I'm similar. It might sound a bit unfair, but as you said, in the grand plan I'm drawing, player Go Yeon-Joo is a massive, unpredictable, and dangerous variable."
"A variable. Nothing unfair about that. Hall Plain is that kind of world. So, to prevent an unpredictable variable from causing trouble later, you want to eliminate it now. Is that why you want to kill me?"
I nodded once in response. Accepting my gesture, her lips parted slightly, and her voice flowed out, carrying a strange tremor.
"Can you be certain that I, player Go Yeon-Joo, am a dangerous variable? I don't harbor ill feelings toward you or your group. Couldn't I be beneficial to you in the future?"
"That's possible. But in Hall Plain, yesterday's ally can become today's enemy. No one knows what the future holds. Rather than letting you go and regretting it later, I think it's cleaner to settle things here."
"There's a peculiar certainty in your words."
"Call it a gut feeling born from experience, or maybe a man's intuition."
Throwing her own words back at her, she momentarily faltered, her mouth opening wordlessly. I sensed it was time to play my trump card. I'd said all I needed to. Spitting out the now-burned-out cigarette, I spoke calmly.
"Leaving you behind and walking away would leave me uneasy. You're a player any clan lord would covet. If I can't have you, if I can't bring you into my fold, I believe killing you here is the right call, personally. So…"
"…"
"Now, I'd like to hear player Go Yeon-Joo's answer."
The moment I laid bare my true intentions, I saw an expression flicker across Go Yeon-Joo's face for the first time. But it was still hard to read. It seemed joyful yet sorrowful, excited yet overwhelmed.
Then, Go Yeon-Joo let out a deep sigh. She took a few deep breaths, as if steadying herself, before sweeping her hair back with both hands and speaking.
"You want me that badly? So much that if you can't have me, you'd rather kill me?"
It might have been my imagination, but a faint flush seemed to color her face as she spoke. I tilted my head briefly but, since her words weren't exactly wrong, I answered, "Yes."
"Are you serious? Really?"
"I am."
At her repeated question, I replied with conviction. Hearing my firm confirmation, she smiled brightly and continued.
"Alright. I've made up my mind. I'll give you my answer now."
With that, she raised her right hand, holding a dagger glinting with sharp light.
"…"
The moment she lifted the dagger, a hollow emptiness surged in my chest, but the orb from Horrence in my pocket quickly filled the void. I clicked my tongue and gripped the hilt of the sword at my waist.
"Player Go Yeon-Joo, may I take this action as your answer?"
"Yes, player Kim Su-Hyeon. The Shadow Queen will join your clan."
I froze, my hand halting mid-draw. What did this woman just say? Her words were so off the mark that I felt bewildered for a moment. I quickly shifted my gaze to her face. Go Yeon-Joo's expression was calm, but her eyes burned with an unreadable fervor. She tossed and caught the dagger a few times before speaking clearly.
"Ho ho. You said you wanted me. So why are you looking at me like that?"
"…May I ask why?"
"It's not a big deal, just cliché reasons. I don't want to die, and I want to live. And above all… I want to place my bets on you, player Kim Su-Hyeon."
"I meant why you raised the dagger. I almost misunderstood."
"It's not a misunderstanding."
Go Yeon-Joo shot me a playful glare, swiftly snatching the dagger from the air. Pointing it directly at me, she continued.
"I heard your answer clearly. I understand the source of my unease. But while that unease has surfaced, it hasn't been resolved."
"You're more cautious than you seem."
"Don't be ridiculous. Resolving my unease isn't my job—it's yours."
"…Sounds like it'll be a rough resolution."
I sighed heavily and drew my sword. The thought of the Nil Sword stored in my inventory briefly crossed my mind. I'd planned to retrieve it after this, pretending it came from the Chaos Mimic, but its absence now was deeply regrettable. Not that I thought I'd lose. I felt a bit sorry for Go Yeon-Joo, but I'd thoroughly analyzed her abilities and techniques from the first life.
"Let me warn you, if you think what I showed in that cave was my full strength, you're in for trouble."
"I'd expect no less."
"Ho ho. Did you think recruiting a player like me would be easy?"
Sure, sure. I nodded internally and assumed a stance. Despite my advantages, Go Yeon-Joo was a Top 10 player. Underestimating her could lead to more than a bruised ego—I could actually lose. She flashed a sly smile, crouching slightly, and spoke with an excited tone.
"From now on, I'm coming at you for real, with the intent to kill you, year 0 player Kim Su-Hyeon. So you…"
As she spoke, dozens of shadows began splitting around her. This was the Shadow Queen's special ability, Abyss Crowd, ranked S+, if I recall correctly. Realizing she was going all out from the start, I swallowed hard.
Countless shadows multiplied, and Go Yeon-Joo flicked her tongue, lightly licking her lips. With a delicate arc in her eyes, she concluded.
"…better crush me so thoroughly that you blow this unease away in one go. Make me, the Shadow Queen, who's coming at you with the intent to kill, completely submit."
"Gladly."
The word completely struck a chord. She wasn't asking for a narrow or barely-won victory—she wanted me to overpower her flawlessly, without any shortcomings. I answered with confidence. As I did, the shadows swirling around her transformed into dozens of streaks, rushing toward me like lightning.
*
When I slowly opened my eyes, warm sunlight streamed through the window. I'd come to the inn at dawn but slept longer than usual. After my habitual morning meditation, I stepped out of my room.
Descending to the first floor, I saw the group gathered around a single table, chattering away. Sensing me coming, they turned toward the stairs. A cute player in a priest's robe waved enthusiastically at me.
"Oh! Oppa!"
"Hey, Hyung. What's up with you sleeping in today?"
"Yeah, I think this is the first time Oppa's come down later than us."
Brushing past the kids who swarmed me like fish to water, I slumped into a nearby chair. Normally, sleep leaves you refreshed, but today my body felt oddly stiff.
"Su-Hyeon, what were you up to yesterday? We waited forever, but you didn't show, so I crashed," Vivienne said.
"Vivienne, don't lie. Who was the one whining about being sleepy and bolting to their room the moment we got to the inn?" Ha-Yeong teased.
"Ugh!" Vivienne pouted, her lips jutting out as Ha-Yeong called her out.
Chuckling softly, I glanced around before speaking quietly.
"Has player Go Yeon-Joo not come down yet?"
"W-Well, yes. It's odd that both of you, usually so diligent, are late today. Did something happen last night?" Shin Sang-Yong chimed in.
Just as the mood began to cool, the tightly shut inn door burst open. A group of three or four players stepped inside. They were unfamiliar faces in Mule, all women.
A long-haired woman scanned the inn, speaking in a puzzled tone.
"Huh? Wasn't this place closed until yesterday?"
"Yeah. Did they reopen? Lucky us! I'm exhausted—this is perfect. Doesn't seem too crowded either. Let's grab a good room before others show up."
"Right, right. Excuse me! Are you players staying at this inn?"
A woman with a sword at her belt addressed us. The group stared blankly, then turned to me. The new players followed suit, leaving me no choice but to respond.
"Yes, we're currently staying here."
"Oh, great. Do you know where the innkeeper is?"
"Over there."
I pointed toward the kitchen, and the women's eyes widened as they followed my gesture. There, emerging from the kitchen with a disheveled look, was Go Yeon-Joo.
She was quite a sight. Her clothes were torn in places, revealing patches of reddened, scratched skin. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were half-lidded. To a stranger, she'd be startling. It seemed she'd collapsed into bed right after returning last night. Hmm. Did I go too hard on her?
The women whispered among themselves before addressing her cautiously.
"Um, excuse me. Do you have any rooms…?"
"Nope."
"W-What? But these people—"
"This isn't an inn. Try somewhere else."
Go Yeon-Joo cut them off mid-sentence, waving her hand dismissively with an annoyed expression. The long-haired woman, flustered by her appearance and response, darted outside and looked up, likely at the sign.
"But there's clearly an inn sign! We were recommended by some players…"
"God, you're so fucking annoying. Can't you take a hint?"
Go Yeon-Joo's patience snapped, and she scowled. She trudged outside after the woman, glancing up at the sign herself.
"Look, it says Modest Lady right—"
Before the woman could finish, Go Yeon-Joo silently raised her hand. Twisting it back, she slammed it against the inn's wall with full force.
Boom! Crack! Thud!
"…"
"There. It's not an inn anymore. You must've heard wrong."
Go Yeon-Joo spat out the words, then began picking up the broken sign pieces. A quick-witted player grabbed her companion's arm, whispering.
"Yerim, let's go. We must've come to the wrong place."
"Uh, okay, Unnie."
They dragged the still-stammering third player away, disappearing into the distance.
The departing women weren't the only ones stunned. The group stared at Go Yeon-Joo with bewildered expressions. Unfazed by their gazes, she reentered the inn.
"Sorry. Got a bit too roughed up at dawn, so I passed out hard. You hungry, little one?"
"N-No… I'm fine… Wait, roughed up?"
When Go Yeon-Joo spoke to Sol, the girl, who'd initially waved her off, froze in shock at her latter words. Was it the 'roughed up' part or being called 'little one' that startled her? Go Yeon-Joo didn't elaborate. Annoyed by her messy hair, she kept brushing it back, then grabbed a tattered piece of her collar and ripped it off.
Biting the torn fabric, she deftly tied her hair up and strode back to the kitchen. Sol, who'd been staring blankly at her retreating figure, hurriedly turned to me. It was probably the former.
And so, the first morning after the expedition began with a sigh.
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