Episode 9
Thug? Loafer? Swindler?
Iun had defined the human being named Gim Chihun.
Clearly, he was one of those three, or a single organism combining all three.
"Why a boyfriend?"
When Cha Suyeon glared and asked, Gim Chihun answered with a sly expression, as if it were obvious.
"It's because I'm interested in you. You're a doctor? You'd suit me well."
He looked her up and down as if appraising the woman named Cha Suyeon and continued speaking.
"I'm a director at Taeyang Electronics. Hahaha! My father is Chairman Gim Geonu. You know it? Taeyang Electronics?"
So that was it.
His confidence in his money and status was overflowing, no, pouring out.
He seemed to have met quite a few women who fell for his circumstances.
"You must have lured empty-headed girls with money. Buzz off."
But Cha Suyeon was different from those women.
"Hahaha! Playing hard to get. This should be fun."
Despite her prickly reaction, Gim Chihun showed a relaxed smile.
Iun couldn't tell what was so fun about it, but he needed to slightly change the quest's course.
From persuasion to coercion.
Thwack!
"Guh... wh-what... what is this?"
Iun's fist ruthlessly struck Gim Chihun's abdomen, and his two knees hit the ground.
"Listen well. Will you become my subordinate, or will you die?"
A subordinate was also a comrade, strictly speaking.
Judging by the looks of it, this guy seemed like the type who needed to be handled roughly rather than treated like a human being.
"Suddenly a sub... subordinate? Aren't you someone my father sent?"
Holding his stomach and collapsed, he argued with Iun.
"Yeah. No. I only called you out because I needed to meet you."
"What do you mean... Ah! H-hey, stop hitting me for a second!"
When Iun grabbed him by the collar, lifted him up, and raised his fist, he waved his hands and shouted urgently.
"Choose one of the two. Either become my subordinate, or get beaten until you become my subordinate."
"Damn it! There's only one choice!"
"If you know, choose quickly."
At Iun's threat, Gim Chihun thought. A wolf merely bearing the name of king was still just a wolf...
'What changes just because I become a subordinate? I can just run away when I get the chance.'
It didn't look like a big problem. Saying a few words wasn't a difficult task.
"I'll become your subordinate! So let me go!"
"Confirmed."
When he released his collar.
[You have completed the quest.]
[You have acquired a large amount of experience.]
A level up at the same time.
'It really is a large amount?'
He had become level 7, no less.
'It's Agility again.'
Now what remained was Gim Chihun's trait he had been curious about.
What on earth could it be, for the quest to tell him to make this guy a comrade?
'If it's nothing special, there's no need to drag him around.'
There was no lingering attachment since he had already received the quest reward.
"What's your trait?"
"What are you going to do with my trait?"
"A boss needs to know his subordinate's trait, right?"
"Really? Then I'll show you, I guess."
He'd show his trait?
Was he going to attack or something?
For a moment, Iun prepared to fight in case of an unexpected situation, but.
Whiiiiiii~
Gim Chihun was whistling.
"What are you doing?"
"This is the skill my trait has."
"Whistling?"
"Yeah. But I wonder to what extent? It's my first time using it, you see. Hehehe."
Why was he smiling?
And why was the guy looking behind Iun instead of at him?
He soon found out the reason.
"Kieeeek!"
"Kikikik!"
"Kieeeek!"
The sounds of goblins coming from all directions.
"So this was your skill?"
An enormous number of goblins were swarming in.
"It calls monsters?"
"That's right, you bastard! You dare hit me? Even my father never hit me! Let's die together!"
He looked quite ruthless, but.
"Your hands are shaking. Bastard."
His hands were trembling like crazy.
"Yeah! Fuck! I'm sorry! I didn't know this many would come!"
What kind of character was this?
"I was just trying to scare you! Let's hurry and run home now! Follow me!"
'He's an interesting guy.'
It seemed they had to get away from this place for now, as he said.
At a glance, there were around fifty.
Even at level 7, a frontal fight was impossible.
"Take the lead."
"Got it! Hurry and follow!"
They hurriedly followed Gim Chihun up the stairs.
His home was on the 12th floor.
The moment they arrived, they hurried inside.
"Hah... hah... So damn many are coming..."
Gim Chihun sat down on the sofa, gasping for breath, when:
Thud! Thud! Thud!
At the same time, the door was shaking like crazy.
It seemed to be the goblins that had been chasing them.
"That skill sure works."
"Right? Who gave me such a skill! Anyway, don't worry, it's safe here!"
As he said, it was impossible for goblins to tear off an iron door with their strength.
But.
"We're safe. You probably aren't, though?"
"Huh?"
Thud!
Iun's foot stomped on Gim Chihun's chest as he sat on the sofa.
"Kuh... I'm telling you I'm sorry... I didn't know so many would come..."
Honestly, there was no need to go this far, but he had to show him.
'That I'm a ruthless bastard.'
Only then would there be no problem keeping this guy around.
He was like a bouncing ball, unpredictable.
'Just as the quest said, that trait is absolutely necessary for me.'
"Listen well. I won't just recklessly tell you to become my subordinate."
"What does that mean..."
"It means I'll make it so you have no choice but to follow me."
That was why Iun intended to show him.
How much he was worth in this mad world.
Iun lifted his foot from Gim Chihun and headed for the door.
"Hey! Why are you grabbing the handle! You crazy bastard!"
Iun grabbed the handle just as Gim Chihun shouted.
Click.
He opened the door without hesitation.
There were five goblins.
"Crazy bastard!"
Along with Gim Chihun's curses, Iun moved.
First, he activated 'Hoan,' stiffening the one in front and plunging his shortsword into its heart.
"Kieeeek!"
"Keek!"
Then he threw the body at the goblin behind, obscuring its vision.
Stab! Squelch!
He swung his shortsword like lightning.
It was astonishing.
'To think it was to this extent.'
Having become level 7 and invested 9 more stat points into Agility, Iun's movements were tremendous.
Furthermore, the goblins' attacks were simple.
They were only stabs, so he quickly dodged and countered.
Squelch!
In that manner, the five goblins were taken care of in an instant, but:
"Kieeeek!"
"Kieeeek!"
They were endlessly coming up the stairs.
'There are at most two at a time anyway.'
It was a narrow staircase, so their movements were restricted.
"Come. Let's raise my level."
***
Twenty minutes? Thirty? He didn't know how much time had passed.
He had started just to show Gim Chihun how strong he was, but:
'I can't control myself.'
He hadn't known he had this side to him.
To feel ecstasy instead of fear toward goblins that kept coming no matter how many he killed?
'I want to fight endlessly.'
It was truly a state of trance.
The moment he gripped his shortsword tighter and tried to keep killing the goblins before him.
Slap!
"Oppa! Get a hold of yourself!"
Cha Suyeon slapped the back of his head with her palm.
Iun's body spun around in an instant.
Tap!
The tip of his shortsword slightly touched her neck.
It was a situation where she could have died had it gone in slightly deeper.
Her eyes didn't waver.
As expected, her guts were truly something else.
"Look at your own body!"
Iun lowered his head.
"When did it get like this..."
His top was completely torn, and his whole body was wounded by shortswords, truly a tattered mess.
Even after investing so much in Agility, it seemed impossible to dodge everything.
"Stop now and come in. They're too scared to come up anymore."
Indeed, they seemed frightened by Iun's appearance, and their climbing speed had slowed.
"Understood. And sorry."
"If you're sorry, don't ever do this again. My life is tied to you too, Oppa."
Iun nodded briefly and followed her back inside.
Fighting in this body, he couldn't know when he would collapse.
"The hell are you?"
The moment they entered, Gim Chihun was staring at Iun with astonished eyes.
A man who suddenly opened the door and fought over thirty goblins with just a single shortsword.
He didn't even seem to have used any particular skills.
Gim Chihun thought this wasn't merely a crazy man, but a fearsome, awe-inspiring one.
"What am I? Your boss, of course. What do you think? Doesn't seem bad to stick with me?"
Gim Chihun wasn't an idiot.
Just by following Iun's words, he realized that Iun's strength was absolutely necessary in this world, while he himself had none.
The world that needed money seemed to have ended now.
Then, to survive, one naturally had to serve under someone.
'He seems better than a father whose whereabouts I don't even know.'
"Boss! Are you okay? Wait! I'll go get some bandages and medicine! The housekeeper said she put them somewhere!"
He was quick to adapt.
He went around the house and brought first-aid supplies.
"Suyeon can do it, right? She's a doctor."
And he naturally handed them to Cha Suyeon.
"How do you know my name?"
"It's written there. Cha Suyeon."
Gim Chihun was looking at Cha Suyeon's doctor's gown.
"Let's get along from now on. You seem to be the boss's woman, so I'll give up. I do have some loyalty, after all."
"Don't use the word loyalty for something like that. And I'm not Iun Oppa's woman."
"Huh? Really? Hahaha! Still, I'm not into romance with guys, so I'll hold back."
"I wasn't even thinking of such a thing? And why are you speaking informally to me?"
If left alone, those two seemed like they'd argue all day.
"Um? The blood keeps flowing, could you take a look?"
At Iun's words, Cha Suyeon glared at Gim Chihun once, then turned her head.
"Take off your top."
"Okay."
Cha Suyeon's treatment began as he took off his top.
It was certainly nice to have a doctor.
"Boss. Then you going to Bibong Middle School was a lie, right?"
"Yeah. I told you it was a lie."
"Well, with the boss's skills, there's no reason to serve under someone. So what's your trait, Boss?"
"I'll tell you later when you become trustworthy. Your trust score is 10 right now."
"Trust score? Interesting. So you'll tell me if I make it 100?"
"Yeah. That's right."
"Got it. Honestly, I wouldn't tell either if it were me. Hahaha!"
Iun couldn't tell if he was easygoing or just brainless.
"So what's your trait name?"
"My trait? It's 'Pied Piper.' The skill is 'Call.'"
Even though Iun hadn't told him his trait, Gim Chihun answered immediately.
'So he's just a thoughtless guy.'
Iun reached that conclusion.
"It suits you."
"It does, but it's totally useless. Come to think of it, why did you make me your subordinate?"
To Gim Chihun's objective self-assessment, Iun answered with a slight smile on his lips.
"I'm going to use your skill to call monsters and keep hunting. I quite need it."
"Huh?"
Settling in a spot first and digging a trap to hunt.
It was quite an appealing way to level up.
"Not bad? I leveled up too because the boss killed goblins earlier. I'm level 2 now."
It seemed luring the goblins included contribution points.
"Where should I put my stats? I don't want to fight."
Gim Chihun fell into thought, looking at his status window.
"Then invest in Stamina."
"Stamina?"
"That way you won't die and can endure."
"Right! Okay! All-in on Stamina!"
Without hesitation, Gim Chihun invested his stats into Stamina, when:
"Kieeeeeek!"
"Ugh! What's that sound!"
A huge goblin roar echoed throughout the apartment, as if on cue.
Gim Chihun frowned at the sound he was hearing for the first time, but:
"No way?"
"It can't be, Oppa?"
Iun and Cha Suyeon were different.
The two stopped treating and hurried to the window.
"What's with you two?"
At their sudden actions, Gim Chihun followed and looked out the window.
"What is that big guy?"
A large goblin holding a shield and sword, unlike the others, was standing in the center of the apartment complex.
"Damn it. Keep your head down quietly."
It was a Goblin General.
Whether it had come because of Gim Chihun's 'Call' or the goblin soldiers had brought it, they didn't know.
'This place isn't safe.'
They had to get out.
"What's wrong? It can't even open the apartment door anyway? It doesn't know the passcode."
That was uncertain.
It might have that much strength.
And.
'It was waiting on the rooftop back then.'
Which meant.
Unlike other goblins, it could jump that high.
"Kieeeek!"
With a shriek, the Goblin General climbed onto the 2nd-floor balcony window.
"Wh-what is that. It's climbing up?"
Just as Gim Chihun said, it smashed the balcony windows and used them as footholds to climb.
2nd floor... 3rd floor... 5th floor... 7th floor...
It was clear.
It was targeting them on the 12th floor exactly.
"Don't you know anyone in the apartment building?"
"Why?"
"To hide there."
"Should I open it?"
"Well, right?"
Hiding in another house might buy them some time, but:
'It'll kill everyone anyway.'
If it was going to climb the balconies and enter homes like that, there were no safe places.
But they couldn't go outside either.
Because there were still quite a few goblins down there.
"Let's go."
There was only one place to go.
"Where to?"
"The rooftop."
"What changes by going there?"
"We'll think as we run. If there's no way to kill that thing."
It couldn't be helped.
Facing it in this narrow place with no preparation was difficult.
"Move quickly. It won't be able to find us right away if we go up the stairs."
The three hurriedly opened the door and went outside, but:
"What are you doing! Boss!"
Iun was holding the door without closing it.
"You guys go up first. It looks like the goblin soldiers all went down anyway."
And finally, the Goblin General reached the 12th floor.
Crash!
It smashed through the balcony window and entered.
An overwhelming pressure that made one's skin tingle.
Seeing it up close, it was no joke.
"Hey. Did you come here to kill me?"
But Iun wasn't someone to be scared by that.
"Keek?"
The Goblin General tilted its head, dumbfounded by Iun's gaze and tone, having chosen provocation over flight.
"Are you trying to act cute? You half-formed thing."
As if it had understood the following words, it charged at Iun like crazy.
Boom!
Then Iun closed the door as if he had been waiting.
It might seem meaningless, but Iun had a plan.
'I have to tire it out, even a little.'
Bang! Bang!
A goblin's cunning came from instinct, not its head.
Iun calculated that the Goblin General, excited by the provocation of prey that was merely Iun, would continue banging on the door that wouldn't open.
Iun hurriedly chased after the two who had gone up first.
"Boss! You can beat that monster, right?"
The moment Iun caught up from behind, Gim Chihun asked.
"We're running because we can't beat it."
"Damn it. Why did you seek me out. Huh? Wait, Boss. How did you know about me and call me out?"
Because the unexpected situation was unfolding so quickly, he had forgotten the most important fact.
How Iun knew about him.
"It's a secret."
"Huh? I see..."
Gim Chihun nodded as if accepting the answer.
"Did you think I'd say that! You bastard! What are you! Why did you come to me and cause all this!"
He suddenly started shouting like a lunatic.
It was understandable that he felt wronged in this life-or-death crisis.
"Do you want to die by my hand before dying to the monster?"
But Iun had no intention of comforting or reasoning with him.
"That's not it!"
The moment Iun glared at him, Gim Chihun immediately shrank back.
"Stop whining and try thinking about how to kill the General!"
Cha Suyeon shouted, seeming frustrated.
Because she didn't want to die like this either.
And finally, they arrived at the rooftop.
'It's hopeless.'
Honestly, no proper method came to mind.
"What are we going to do now! Boss!"
"Shut up for a second! Iun Oppa will find a way!"
With these guys in tow...