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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Jang Seok-hyun
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Jang Seok-hyun was a piece of trash with a record of twelve prior convictions.
Most were minor offenses like theft or sexual harassment, but there were also major crimes like rape and murder.
'Still, all it takes is a couple of years slogging through it in prison, and that's that.'
He said slogging, but prison life wasn't actually that hard.
There were even times he missed prison food.
Whenever he struggled financially, he had thought more than a dozen times about just committing a crime and getting himself thrown back in jail.
'This country is a great place for guys like me, isn't it? Drink some alcohol, and you get a reduced sentence. Heh heh.'
You get a lighter sentence, and they even protect criminals' human rights.
In prison, they feed you three square meals a day with the taxpayers' money.
It's even better if you're young.
In middle school, he had beaten a bullied classmate to death.
He had completely ruined someone's life, but…
'Just because I was young, I only served two years before getting out.'
Of course, now at twenty-nine, he was a full-grown man and couldn't pull the same childish stunts.
'Still, it's a great setup for committing petty crimes like theft or sexual assault, isn't it?'
It had gotten even better this year.
All because he had become a so-called Player who could wield special abilities.
'Back in the first round, fighting for my life against those goblins, I thought, what kind of fucked-up situation is this…'
But now, his thinking had changed.
He was actually grateful to God.
'Because I can use my powers to commit crimes more easily, hehehe.'
The Rune of Blinding Light.
It was a rune Jang Seok-hyun had obtained early on.
It made his body emit a blinding flash of light, temporarily blinding his opponent.
'The perfect rune for committing crimes.'
If he blinded someone with the Rune of Blinding Light and then sexually harassed them, they couldn't even report him.
It had a cooldown, but it was only ten seconds, making it great for avoiding CCTV cameras.
'This is amazing. I love this situation where I can run wild as I please. Hehe!'
It felt like a gift prepared just for him by God himself.
'Life used to be so boring I wouldn't have cared if I died at any moment…'
But things were different now.
He would survive, and survive again, to enjoy his powers to the fullest.
'Well, I've somehow managed to survive up to the third round.'
He was still only level 9 and hadn't chosen a class, but that didn't matter.
He had the Rune of Blinding Light.
'The rune is all I need. With the rune, I can enjoy this heavenly life as much as I want.'
He was worried about whether he could survive the next round, but what did it matter?
'With the Rune of Blinding Light, I'll manage somehow.'
Still, the anxiety was real, so Jang Seok-hyun decided to live in the present.
Life was uncertain; you never knew when you might die.
Shouldn't he live at least one day just the way he wanted?
'Now, which bitch should I pick today?'
Jang Seok-hyun walked the streets like a hyena searching for prey.
He was exhausted from fending off the monster wave in the third round and needed to blow off some steam.
'A woman would melt all this fatigue away. Hehehe.'
Jang Seok-hyun enjoyed wandering the streets like this, picking his targets on a whim.
If he found a woman he liked, he would follow her, grab her ass or grope her breasts, and then run away.
He could do that dozens of times a day and never get caught.
'It's all thanks to the Rune of Blinding Light.'
But today, simple harassment like that wouldn't satisfy his pent-up desires.
He felt like he wouldn't be able to sleep without getting off.
'Maybe I should wet my throat first.'
Craving a cold Iced Americano, Jang Seok-hyun headed to his usual café.
"Welcome."
'Huh?'
There was a woman with an unfamiliar face at the counter.
'Damn, she's gorgeous.'
A smirk tugged at his lips before he composed his expression and approached.
"One Venti-sized Iced Americano, please."
"For here or to go?"
"For here."
"That'll be 5,100 won."
Jang Seok-hyun pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and asked.
"By the way, did the part-timer change?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm a regular here, and I don't see the usual person."
"Oh! You're a regular. I'm sorry for not recognizing you. The part-timers all quit for personal reasons. You know how strange the world has become lately."
Jang Seok-hyun nodded.
He understood what she meant.
With the world changing so drastically, it was unlikely that any part-timers who became Players would stick around.
Some of them might even be dead.
"Are you the owner, by any chance?"
"Ah, yes!"
"How old are you? You look very young."
"Ah… I'm thirty-two."
"Oh, so you're not a Player?"
"No. Which is a relief for me."
"Can I get your number? I'm interested in you."
"Excuse me?"
The owner looked flustered by Jang Seok-hyun's directness.
"Haha, just kidding. Kidding."
Jang Seok-hyun gave a greasy smile as he looked her up and down.
'A female café owner…'
Her face and figure were both excellent.
He grinned, but for some reason, the owner was frowning.
"What's wrong?"
"Pardon?"
"Why are you scowling?"
"Ah, it's just…"
"Is my face disgusting you?"
"What?"
"Fuck, you got a problem with a few pockmarks on my face? Suddenly I'm in a fucking mood."
Jang Seok-hyun's displeasure was plain as he glared at her.
"I don't want the coffee. Give me my money back. This is disgusting."
"O-Okay, I-I'll process your r-refund."
Startled by the sudden turn of events, the owner held out the bills with a trembling hand.
Jang Seok-hyun snatched the money and left without a backward glance.
'Fucking bitches. Just because they have a pretty face, they think they can look down on people based on their appearance.'
Genuinely enraged, Jang Seok-hyun had chosen his prey.
'I'll make you pay the price for looking down on me like that.'
He would rape her until she was crying and begging him.
'But it can't be today…'
He set the date for three days later, Friday, March 4th.
He needed to check the locations of CCTVs and the owner's work schedule.
He also had to find a suitable place to commit the crime.
'I'm not ready to go back to prison just yet.'
Jang Seok-hyun's twisted smile grew wider.
* * *
Three days later, the day of the plan.
Jang Seok-hyun's plan had worked.
Thump, thump, thump, thump—
The proof was the female owner, trapped in the trunk and banging on the lid.
'Hehe, good thing I brought the car. It's a rental, so it won't be a problem.'
Nothing beat a car for a kidnapping.
It was easy to transport the target, and he didn't have to worry about prying eyes.
'Too easy. I didn't even need to use my ability.'
He had hidden in an alley she would pass through, knocked her out from behind as she walked by.
Then, he had simply shoved her into the trunk of the car he had waiting.
It was a good thing he had tailed her beforehand to learn her route home.
Thump, thump, thump, thump—
"Hey, stop rushing me. We're almost there."
Jang Seok-hyun drove to a deserted, abandoned factory.
'This place is perfect for the job.'
No one came here at night, and there wasn't a single CCTV camera around.
'Where should I do the deed… ah! That spot looks good.'
He parked in a suitable spot and opened the trunk.
Clank—!
"Mmph, mmph!"
He could see the owner, bound with duct tape, flailing like a fish.
Her eye makeup was smudged from how much she had cried in the dark.
He couldn't care less.
"Heave-ho!"
Jang Seok-hyun effortlessly slung her over his shoulder.
With stats, even heavy lifting was easy.
Clang! Screeeech—
He opened the door to the dark, abandoned factory and went inside.
Click, click—
There was a switch on the side, but it didn't work.
"Well, that's fine. Dark isn't so bad."
He could have used his Blinding Light, but that might permanently blind the owner.
Sex with a blind partner wasn't fun.
"I'm going to untie you, so don't scream. Got it?"
The owner nodded, and he ripped off the duct tape.
Riiip—
"Haa, haa. P-Please, save me. Save m…"
"Fuck, is that the first thing you say after I let you speak?"
The cliché line instantly killed Jang Seok-hyun's excitement.
"Say something different. Not that boring crap like 'save me,' or 'I have kids at home,' or 'I'll give you money.'"
"I-I'm sorry…"
At the woman's apology, Jang Seok-hyun's expression changed.
"What are you sorry for?"
"I-It's because I gave you a nasty look the other day, r-right? I-I'm sorry…"
Was it because he had heard a sincere apology?
His excitement now cooled, Jang Seok-hyun let out a long sigh.
"Hoo… Then why did you do something you'd have to be sorry for?"
"I'm sorry…"
"You shouldn't look down on people just because of their appearance. Understand?"
"…I-I understand. I won't do it again."
"…"
The owner apologized, but Jang Seok-hyun just stared at her without a word.
"This won't do."
"What?"
"I don't feel your sincerity."
Jang Seok-hyun roughly pushed the owner onto the floor.
"Did you think I wouldn't know? You're just pretending to be sorry to get out of this situation."
"P-Please, l-let go of…"
"You said you were sorry, right? If you're sorry, you have to pay the price."
A smile played on his lips, and desire once again flickered in Jang Seok-hyun's eyes.
He began to forcibly strip the woman's clothes.
"D-Don't do this. Please!"
The woman tried to resist, but she was no match for a Player's strength.
"I was wrong! I was wrong!"
She pleaded repeatedly, but there was no way the aroused Jang Seok-hyun would hear her.
Or rather, he heard her, but the words went in one ear and out the other.
'I've come this far. I can't back down now.'
He had already crossed a river of no return.
"I was wrong, so p-please stop…!"
"Exactly. Since you know you were wrong, just lie still. Hehe!"
"How about you lie still instead?"
In that instant, Jang Seok-hyun's movements froze as if he were a statue.
'What the fuck?'
He had just heard a third person's voice.
A man's voice, at that.
'I thought no one was here…!'
A cold sweat broke out on Jang Seok-hyun's back.
Could a detective have followed him?
He pulled up his pants and got to his feet.
"Who the fuck was that?"
"Let's not use that language."
Jang Seok-hyun turned his head toward the source of the voice.
"You'll be doing plenty of it later, anyway."
The speaker emerged from the darkness.
The first thing that caught Jang Seok-hyun's eye was a massive scythe.
'Wh-What? What's with that ridiculously huge scythe?'
The next thing he saw was the white mask the person was wearing.
His outfit looked like some kind of cosplay.
A sneer escaped Jang Seok-hyun's lips.
"You crazy bastard. You think this is some costume party? Halloween is a long way off, you know."
"You don't seem to grasp the situation. Does this look like a toy to you?"
Ryu Min swung the scythe in a half-moon arc.
The *swish* it made was quite menacing.
'W-Wait. It's not a toy?'
Only then did a flicker of caution appear in Jang Seok-hyun's eyes.
"Are you a Player?"
"Don't be stupid. Is that even a question?"
Letting out a sigh from behind his mask, Ryu Min looked at the woman behind Jang Seok-hyun and said.
"Go. Ma'am. This is your only chance."
"What? Who says you can…"
Was he feeling secure because of the distance between them?
The moment Jang Seok-hyun turned his head toward the woman.
Fwsh—!
Ryu Min closed the distance.
Holding the scythe upside down, he struck a vital point with the shaft.
Thwack—!
"Guuuhk…!"
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
He hadn't even seen when the man moved.
Struck in a very bad place, Jang Seok-hyun bent over, his rear sticking out, and collapsed.
A moment later, an indescribable pain washed over him.
"Fuuuuck!!! Fuuuuuuuuck!!!"
"I told you, didn't I? That you'd be doing plenty of swearing."
Ryu Min kicked Jang Seok-hyun's backside, pushing him away from the woman.
"Hurry and go. Leave the rest to me."
"Y-Yes? Th-Thank you."
As the owner scrambled away, only the two of them remained in the abandoned factory.
Behind his mask, Ryu Min smiled.
"Now then, shall we begin the main event?"
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