Chapter 170

Chapter 170

‘An intricate web of misfortune tied directly to Jeon Rahwa.’

During their journey to this place, Dong Bongsu had shared several conversations with Jeon Rahwa.

Hoping it might stimulate his missing memories, she had offered a brief overview of her upbringing.

While her recollection lacked granular detail, the fundamental realities of her life were entirely clear.

1. She once possessed a family of her own, but they were utterly wiped out.
2. In the aftermath of that tragedy, she was trafficked repeatedly, serving six different masters—not counting a seventh master whom she had never actually set eyes on.
3. Furthermore, there remained the distinct possibility of hostile entanglements involving any surviving blood relatives.

It was highly likely that her outstanding grievances fell squarely within these three domains.

Other complications might exist, but given the current intelligence, the situation would almost certainly conform to these three categories.

Consequently, the objectives laid out before Dong Bongsu became sharply defined.

1. Eliminate every single individual responsible for slaughtering her kin.
2. Utterly destroy the six masters alongside their lineages or respective Murim sects.
3. Verify the existence and whereabouts of any remaining family members and successfully liberate them all.

Naturally, anyone attempting to obstruct these objectives would need to be liquidated along the way.

‘Straightforward enough.’

Having efficiently structured his approach to this primary objective, Dong Bongsu directed his attention to the subsequent metrics.

Fame: 0

Infamy: 0

These two distinct statistics were positioned directly alongside his primary Hero Stats.

Fame and Infamy.

Their core definitions required no elaborate explanation.

One represented a positive reputation, while the other signified a negative one.

He observed the display for a brief period, but with both values sitting at zero, there was little to deduce.

He resolved to monitor this section as things progressed.

Moving onward.

▪ Trust Relationship

Jeon Rahwa

Trust Level: Slightly Favorable

Relationship: Companion

Status: [Anxious], [Expectant]

‘A mix of apprehension and hope.’

It was a perfectly logical state of mind.

She had been granted her liberty without warning.

Yet, a solitary woman navigating this lawless domain would naturally harbor deep anxieties regarding her survival.

Concurrently, she held a strong sense of anticipation toward the formidable ally who had abruptly entered her life.

He pondered this dynamic briefly before concluding it wasn’t a pressing concern at this exact moment.

He merely settled on a basic principle for managing her: shouldn’t his focus be to soothe her worries while reinforcing her confidence in him?

Click.

Satisfied that he had sufficiently analyzed his current circumstances, Dong Bongsu dismissed the floating displays.

There were other matters requiring his immediate attention.

He pushed himself up from where he sat.

Without him noticing, the Hour of the Dog had drawn to a close, marking the approach of nine in the evening.

Even in a drastically altered reality, certain fundamental truths remained absolute.

Such nocturnal hours were ideally suited for an operative of his nature to move undetected in the shadows.

Stepping out from his quarters, he navigated the stairs and departed the establishment.

The magnificent aura of this realm, saturated with vibrant Qi, enveloped him the moment he stepped outside.

Of course, that perception belonged strictly to a practitioner of martial arts.

To an ordinary observer, a suffocating, ominous pressure seemed to weigh heavily across the entire urban landscape.

Though from Dong Bongsu’s personal outlook, this harsher environment felt somewhat more authentic.

Click.

Accompanied by a subtle, metallic chime audible only to himself, a navigation display materialized.

A compact, rectangular holographic interface anchored itself in the upper right quadrant of his field of vision.

Within it, a solitary red indicator and a solitary blue indicator pulsed rhythmically.

The red marker represented his own location, while the blue one tracked Jeon Rahwa.

The presentation was remarkably basic, yet it provided all the necessary utility.

He cast a swift, perceptive glance back at the lodging house.

The proprietors, the current patrons, the architectural layout—everything was cataloged in a single sweep of his eyes.

They were elements that could not be classified as allies, yet they posed no immediate threat either.

He concluded that he could venture out without worrying about her safety.

Step, step.

Dong Bongsu directed his stride toward the western thoroughfare he had briefly observed earlier in the day.

The moment he transitioned from the main avenue onto this western route, the literal atmosphere shifted dramatically.

During the daytime, it functioned as a commercial sector defined by a sordid, decadent undercurrent, but the arrival of nightfall caused it to display its unvarnished reality.

Crimson lanterns illuminating the entertainment houses throbbed with a hue reminiscent of fresh gore.

Outside each establishment, scantily clad courtesans leaned over the upper balconies, gesturing with silken wraps and flaunting their bodies to entice the men traversing the cobblestones below.

“Step inside, honored guest.”

“Allow me to offer you a special discount for this evening.”

One courtesan deliberately altered her garments to display her form, swaying provocatively, while another lured patrons by offering brief glimpses of her legs through a sheer silk attire.

Positioned at every alleyway mouth, heavily painted older women who had retired from the trade actively coerced intoxicated passersby.

Some physically latched onto exposed arms, while others murmured suggestive invitations directly into willing ears.

“A single encounter with me, and no other experience will ever satisfy you again.”

In an adjacent passageway, young men from a male establishment were adopting even more provocative stances.

It was evident that unconventional preferences encountered zero societal friction in this environment.

Right in the center of the path, a pair of intoxicated swordsmen were actively engaged in a lethal dispute.

“You absolute degenerate! How dare you lay a hand on my woman?”

“Your woman? She is a common worker whom I secured with my own coin! That makes her mine, not yours!”

Clang! Clang!

A broadsword and a curved sabre slammed together, throwing brilliant sparks into the dark.

One combatant’s arm was severed cleanly at the joint, causing blood to erupt like a geyser.

Moments later, his skull was detached from his shoulders with even greater precision, tumbling onto the filth of the street.

A nearby working girl, drenched in the sudden spray of crimson, let out a piercing shriek.

Yet, after casting a calculating glance at the victor, she immediately knelt by the deceased swordsman to purloin his coin purse.

The triumphant warrior paid her actions no mind, instead throwing a heavy arm around her waist and letting her guide him into an adjacent crimson pavilion.

The entire earthly wealth of the man who had just perished served as her immediate compensation.

Dong Bongsu observed the transaction for a brief beat before resuming his advance.

A multitude of soliciting men and women promptly attempted to swarm him, but he pressed further into the district without offering them the slightest acknowledgement.

Past the sector of red pavilions, an expansive network of wagering dens materialized.

“Deception! This wretched bastard is manipulating the game!”

“Where is your verification? Show me your proof!”

Through wide-open entryways, the chaotic interiors of the gaming houses were completely exposed.

Gaming tables lay smashed on the floor, and ivory tiles sliced through the air.

He even witnessed an altercation where a specialized gaming blade was driven directly into a patron’s eye socket, rupturing the organ completely.

The vitreous fluid leaking from the destroyed eye splattered onto the wagering felt.

Remarkably, the surrounding players did not flinch, calmly gathering up the coins that had been fouled by the gore.

Incidents of this nature were playing out across every dark corner of the western road.

As for the local garrison troops? They were comfortably ensconced within a nearby tavern, consuming complimentary alcohol and actively looking the other way.

Delving into the inherited recollections of Kim Rae-won, there were few fortified settlements quite as depraved as this River Capital, yet comparable enclaves were distributed throughout the entire continent.

This pervasive brutality was precisely why Kim Rae-won had proven entirely incapable of assimilating into this reality, spending his time lamenting his circumstances.

Naturally, to an individual like Dong Bongsu, such societal decay was neither a significant issue nor a matter worthy of emotional investment.

He simply walked deeper and deeper into the belly of the district.

The specialized business known as the ‘Antique Shop’ that he had identified from atop the outer fortifications earlier that afternoon was situated at the absolute terminus of this path.

Thud, thud.

Dong Bongsu navigated past the myriad horrors of the lawless settlement.

Right at that moment.

Just as he was nearing his intended destination, a specific interaction caught his attention inside a dark side street.

Thwack, thud—.

A trio of combatants had hemmed a middle-aged civilian against a wall.

“The protection quota for this current period remains outstanding.”

“I—I literally surrendered that sum just last week…”

“That transaction accounted for the previous period.”

Embroidered in black thread upon the left shoulder of all three aggressors was the distinct character representing metal.

These individuals were unmistakably enforcement operatives belonging to the Iron God Gang.

The target of their aggression appeared to be a local shopkeeper operating in the vicinity.

Thwack—.

A spiked bludgeon swung forcefully into the merchant’s knee joint.

The wet crack of fracturing bone echoed clearly down the corridor.

“Ughh.”

“If your coin purse is empty, you can always surrender your daughter to settle the balance.”

“S—she has only attained twelve years of age, milords.”

Dong Bongsu moved to pass by this display without showing a hint of emotion.

Or rather, that had been his initial trajectory.

“Twelve years of age? That is absolutely ideal.”

“…What did you say?”

“That youthfulness guarantees she will command a premium price on the market, you fool.”

An Iron God Gang operative possessing a distinct, predatory hooked nose stepped closer to the merchant to weigh in.

“If you desire leniency, permit her to spend her opening night in my bed, and I shall personally reduce your outstanding balance by half.”

“M—my child is not a denizen of the pleasure houses…”

“She can certainly adopt that profession starting tonight, can she not? Consider this: is anyone truly born into the trade? The moment she begins trading her flesh, she becomes a courtesan. Is that statement incorrect?”

The hooked-nosed enforcer from the Iron God Gang seized the merchant by his hair, brutally slamming his face into the dirt.

Thud! Th-thud!

“Ugh…”

“If it pleases you, offer your spouse instead. However, that substitution will require the absolute maximum rate.”

Thump.

The maximum rate? What an absurd proposition.

The accompanying thugs erupted into mocking laughter, remarking that a fraction of that valuation would be overpaying for such a trade.

The leader with the hooked nose then hoisted his spiked mace, aiming the jagged iron points directly at the prone merchant.

In that exact instant.

Thwack.

A solid grip intercepted the weapon mid-swing.

The hooked-nosed thug whipped his head around, discovering that a youthful stranger was the one restraining his strike.

“Who do you think you are?”

“The individual who manages you degenerates.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Dong Bongsu hoisted the hooked-nosed thug entirely into the air by his own weapon, slamming him downward onto the hard ground with immense force.

Crunch!

The criminal’s physical form was utterly shattered by the impact.

Even with his features devastated, the sharp, downward curve of his nasal bone remained highly visible, marking his remains.

“Hiiik!”

“A—a high-level combatant!”

The remaining pair of thugs let out panicked shrieks, completely abandoning their fallen companion as they spun around to sprint away.

Unfortunately for them, flight was an entirely futile endeavor.

The parameters of the operational objective dictated that both targets must be eliminated for completion.

Thwack, a precise strike piercing a throat.

Thwack, a secondary strike driven through the lower torso.

The captured spiked mace was deployed with lethal efficiency.

In a matter of mere heartbeats, the existence of the three operatives from the Iron God Gang was completely terminated.

[Sudden]: The Wronged Merchant

The world remains perpetually populated by individuals enduring severe injustice.

By rendering assistance to them, you can consistently secure their unwavering loyalty.

Deliver the merchant from the clutches of the Iron God Gang operatives.

Progress: 100%

Reward: Hero History +0.01

[You chose not to ignore a victim of severe injustice. A compensation has been issued.]

[+0.01]

[Though the increment is minuscule, the moral fabric of reality has shifted toward beauty.]

The compensation was incredibly minor, precisely as Lumina had previously detailed, but what value lies in achieving the status of a savior if one simply ignores the baseline suffering of the populace?

Kim Rae-won had routinely bypassed these minor operational tasks.

The individual’s personal philosophy remained vividly preserved within the scattered fragments of memory Dong Bongsu possessed.

* High-profile crises. Major adversaries. Monumental compensations.

That represents the true acceleration toward supreme power.

That methodology had ultimately culminated in disaster.

It required no deep analysis to understand the lesson here.

That particular strategy would never be the one Dong Bongsu utilized.

Minor crises.

Minor degenerates.

Minor compensations.

“I—I offer my deepest gratitude, Respected Champion.”

“Do not concern yourself with it.”

“However… those slain individuals belonged to the Iron God Gang.”

Dong—.

A resonant, rhythmic chime echoed, mimicking the strike of a traditional drum.

“The leadership of the Iron God Gang will undoubtedly seek vengeance and launch a retaliation against you, Respected Champion.”

[Linked]: The Wronged Merchant

When you choose to defend the helpless, you will occasionally draw the ire of dangerous forces.

It is hoped that you will navigate these impending trials successfully.

We implore you.

A state of absolute hostility with the Iron God Gang has been established.

Systematically dismantle the Iron God Gang.

Progress: 0%

Reward: Hero History +5

Grin.

Dong Bongsu turned to the merchant, offering a remarkably bright and serene expression.

“That exact retaliation happens to be precisely what I am counting on.”

Grains of sand accumulate to form a massive mountain peak.

Despite his modern origins, Kim Rae-won had remained fundamentally blind to the wisdom contained within that ancient adage.

Even within the smallest remnants of debris, one can discover veins of gold, and occasionally, precious gems.