Truth and Lies

The first to appear was Lee Sera.

The 150-centimeter-tall brat clung tightly to my back, rubbing her flat chest against me as she ground her crotch against my thigh.

"Mmm! Oppa's scent! My nipples are tingling. Oppa, did you wait long for me?"

"……."

Judging from what I'd observed, she wasn't the type to start moving early because she had an appointment; she had simply come out early because she wanted to see me sooner.

After all, there didn't seem to be any other reason for her to rub her crotch against my thigh in the middle of the street like a pervert.

While Lee Sera clung to my lower back, asking me to carry her on my shoulders, the next person appeared.

"Hmm? You were already here. But who's behind you?"

Han Sohee arrived exactly on time.

Somehow, it suited the image of a young lady from a chaebol family.

Instead of a hoodie, she had come out wearing a stylish suit that showed off her figure quite nicely.

"I'll introduce everyone at once when they're all here."

"Understood."

Next came the Saintess. The Saintess brushed back her hair as her enormous breasts bounced up and down.

"S-sorry. I accidentally dozed off for a bit."

"Haha, it's all right. I've only been waiting for a minute."

Finally, Shin Seoyeon appeared. The Crimson Flame Witch revealed herself, then approached hesitantly.

"Welcome."

"Yeah, Minjun, I'm here."

I opened my eyes wide.

"What got into you, calling me by my name?"

"It's just…. I'm going to try acting a little more ladylike from now on."

As she said that, Shin Seoyeon glanced at the Saintess and Han Sohee. I replied, asking what kind of ridiculous nonsense that was.

"Just act like you normally do. It's creepy seeing you act unlike yourself."

"…Shut up. Are you complaining because I called you by your name for once?"

"I wouldn't say that."

Shin Seoyeon joined us, shaking the damp strands of hair from her head. A fresh fragrance wafted from her as she approached.

'In any case, everyone smells nice because they washed up.'

They smelled good, and their skin was smooth and radiant. It had been worth bringing them things from Earth.

I hadn't given Han Sohee anything separately, but she must have recovered her cosmetics while retrieving her backpack from the boss room, because her skin was glowing too.

'Compared to the other women on the street, the difference is like night and day.'

Their natural looks were already worlds apart, and now they had put on makeup too…. It was practically like comparing a pitch-black country girl to an idol.

Having women like that around me was pleasing to look at and made me puff out my chest, but it wasn't something I could simply enjoy without a care.

"Hey, look over there."

"Damn, she's smoking hot. That figure is a work of art."

Passersby glanced at them, and eventually several men approached greedily and struck up conversations.

"Ladies, would you perhaps like to join our party? We have five reliable, capable men here, so trials will be no problem at all."

"Ahem. Why don't you come with us instead?"

'Damn, so it ends up like this after all.'

The women looked at them. Once the vanguard had succeeded in attracting attention, other men who saw it came over competitively and started talking to them as well.

"Are you perhaps without a party?"

"If so, then why don't you join us…."

They went wild like fish that had found water. Just a moment ago, an ominous atmosphere had filled the street, but the moment four beautiful women appeared, the mood changed completely.

The men who had been busy keeping their distance from one another and staying on guard now ignored all that, brawled their way forward, and competed to recruit them.

'It's human nature to want to possess anything that sparkles, looks beautiful, and is pretty.'

Fortunately, my women reacted indifferently.

"S-sorry, excuse me…."

The Saintess mumbled a hesitant refusal in a tiny voice and pressed tightly against my side,

"Enough. I'm already part of a party, so go on your way."

while Han Sohee politely turned them down,

"Mmm. Oppa, I'm hungry."

Lee Sera didn't even pretend to hear them.

As for Shin Seoyeon, who had drawn the largest crowd, she glanced at me, then waved her hand at the other men as if they were a nuisance.

"I'm not interested, so get lost, all of you."

She then tried to approach me, but people tainted by greed were persistent. The men surrounded Shin Seoyeon and refused to let her go, continuing to tempt her with flattering words and sugary promises.

"Now, now. Don't be so cold. Why don't we go over to that shop, have a cup of coffee, and talk? We'll make sure you have nothing to complain about."

"We'll welcome you with terms more generous than anything you've ever seen."

Several obsequious remarks poured out. They were exactly the sort of lines Shin Seoyeon would have liked in the past.

Whenever men showed Shin Seoyeon that kind of goodwill, she would often respond coyly and suck them dry of all their benefits.

Yes, that's what she would have done.

"……."

But her reaction today was different from usual.

She was indifferent.

She kept sneaking glances at me, and whenever the men came within an uncomfortable distance, she fiercely furrowed her brow.

"Damn, do these bastards really think everyone is a sucker? Generous terms? Why? So you can take us to a trial zone and gang-rape us after dragging us away?"

They flinched.

"Haha, surely not."

"You've misunderstood! Who would do something so barbaric…."

"Then are you planning to use us as fleshlight pouches before selling us off?"

"……."

Her blunt language and vicious insults, combined with her fierce momentum, made all the men hesitate.

Perhaps they instinctively realized that Shin Seoyeon was dangerous when she showed no fear at all despite being surrounded by dozens of men.

Maybe they had even recognized the murderous intent in Shin Seoyeon's eyes, since she had experienced every kind of thing during the first trial.

"H-haha. W-well, take care."

The men backed away hesitantly. But there was no time to breathe a sigh of relief. This was only the beginning….

"Hey, buddy. Looks like you're having some fun surrounded by pretty women."

As soon as the men who had made polite party offers withdrew, lower-class thugs immediately approached and picked a fight.

From their gait to the words they spat out, it was obvious they were people no one should get involved with. Some of them even openly pulled out erect penises.

"Why don't you share them with us too? Huh? Let's share the good stuff. We'll train them well and send them back around."

"Sis, forget that scrawny bastard and play with us. I'll make you squirt all night tonight."

Some openly provoked us like gangsters, while others made crude advances.

A few even drew their weapons and steered things toward a threatening atmosphere.

They meant to scare us into giving them the answer they wanted.

'I didn't intend this, but by now they should all understand why no one should walk around the streets alone.'

"M-Mr. Minjun, what should we do?"

The Saintess tightly gripped my clothes, her face frightened. By then, thirty-two people had gathered around us with weapons in their hands.

It would have been nice if the men had competed with one another and destroyed themselves, but when it came to things like this, they were strangely good at uniting.

They must have agreed to join forces temporarily until they achieved their goal.

"Ladies over there, why don't you leave while we're asking nicely? Wouldn't it be better for everyone if we worked things out so no one got hurt? Let's blow off some steam together."

Words that could not be called either an offer or a demand came flying out.

Thanks to that, my patience was gradually running out.

Even so, I did not move.

"M-Mr. Minjun."

There was no need for me to step forward.

"You fucking bastards. I've been hearing this long enough. Have you all gone insane?"

Because someone with a shorter fuse than mine, who had caused trouble throughout the entirety of my first run, was standing beside me.

Whoosh!

Shin Seoyeon, who had been talking about acting ladylike, finally lost patience with their advances and raised flames in both hands. The red flames soon climbed up both her arms and wrapped around her entire body.

She looked as if an incarnation of fire had descended, and it was a technique I had improvised during the boss fight.

Since she had succeeded on her first attempt, she must have practiced it separately at the lodging for six hours.

"Huh? Wh-what?"

The people were startled and backed away hesitantly.

The technique obviously wasn't ordinary, and it was so hot that they couldn't even approach her no matter what they tried.

"You want something hot? Fine, I'll heat things up for you—real hot."

Shin Seoyeon created a ball of fire in her palm and threw it.

KABOOM!

The main street was instantly reduced to a wasteland, and clouds of dust flew everywhere.

"Eek!"

"R-run!"

The people who saw its destructive power immediately abandoned their desires and fled with their tails between their legs. They ran almost like startled cats sprinting at full speed.

No matter how strong greed was, it was weaker than fear.

However, there were also some despicable people who took advantage of the opening.

Swish.

As the street fell into chaos amid the erupting flames, several people quickly approached us.

They had given up on Shin Seoyeon because she was too dangerous, and intended to use the confusion to ambush another woman and take her hostage.

'The Second Shelter really is a complete mess.'

There were neither rules nor order, so killing, raping, and abducting people in the middle of the main street was no problem at all.

It was a period of utter chaos, before even the concept of [Human Hunters] had been established, when horrific murderers openly mingled with ordinary people on the streets.

In short, a shelter was absolutely not safe.

'The small fry are all gone. Are these seven the real deal?'

At the moment of the explosion, seven men drew their weapons and rapidly approached us.

I put my hand on my sword hilt, but stayed still, wanting to see how well my comrades could fight.

Whoosh.

Han Sohee and Lee Sera moved.

"Ha, you pathetic bitch! Do you really think you can take us on by yourself?"

They focused on Han Sohee's sword and raised their weapons. Their movements were meant to threaten her into dropping her weapon and subduing her.

But when Han Sohee approached right in front of them in an instant, leaving an afterimage behind, they were startled and cried out in confusion.

"Huh? Wh-what?"

Perhaps because of that, the enemies' movements, which had only intended to threaten her, reflexively turned into fierce attacks. Feeling threatened and trying to protect themselves, they put force into their weapons and swung them rapidly.

Whoom!

Seven blades flew toward her all at once. But even that changed nothing.

Shing.

The sword sheathed at Han Sohee's side flashed out. Rising in an arc, the blade whirled around their attacks and sent their weapons flying high into the sky.

"Wh-what?!"

That was the strength of a perfected ability like [Sword Master].

Those who possessed such abilities could accomplish in reality the feats one saw only in martial-arts novels.

At least as long as our chaebol heiress held a sword, it meant that defeating her through close combat alone would be difficult.

'You should have used your abilities and attacked with all your strength from the start. Trying to take hostages was a poor choice.'

"What the hell is this… urgh."

"Ghk."

Merciless punishment descended upon those who stood dazed after having their weapons forcibly dismantled.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Lee Sera, who had hidden herself with stealth, instantly approached them and struck the backs of their heads. Han Sohee did not miss the opening that created.

Swish—

The sword moved in an instant, and the necks of the seven men rushing toward us flew into the air.

'Clean.'

She had shown no mercy.

Honestly, Lee Sera hadn't been able to kill even in my first run, and the Saintess was out of the question…. So I had thought that fighting people would be difficult for anyone but Shin Seoyeon or me.

"……."

But our chaebol heiress, whatever she had experienced during the trials, did not hesitate to cut people down.

Or perhaps that was simply her personality.

She lightly flicked the blood from her sword onto the ground, then quietly sheathed it.

'Even the moment she kills someone, she's elegant and beautiful. What truly refined bearing.'

And so, the whole incident was resolved. The men who had approached us either died or fled, and no one else came asking to join us.

Yes, it was just when I thought that.

Clap, clap, clap.

Someone approached us while applauding.

"?"

I wondered what kind of lunatic would still attack us after people had been killed—what sort of fool was so brazen that he hadn't fled yet—and found an unexpected person.

"Amazing. Such incredible skill. I couldn't help but admire you while watching."

Lee Jongcheol, the Black Wolf Guild Master, approached with his party members. Apparently, the fight a moment ago had piqued his interest as well.

He politely bowed to Han Sohee and Shin Seoyeon.

"It's obvious that you'll achieve great things in the future… Would you give us a chance as well?"

"A chance?"

"Ah, to avoid any misunderstanding, let me say in advance that this isn't a party proposal. You would maintain your own party; we simply mean that we could clear the next trial zone together and get acquainted."

Lee Jongcheol continued speaking with a slick smile.

"We may not be on your level, but we're no slouches either."

That was probably true. To become the guild master of a guild representing Korea, one would need considerably more than ordinary abilities.

"I may not be much, but I have a Mythic-grade ability myself."

Nod. As far as I knew, Lee Jongcheol was a Mythic-grade ability user as well.

With a population of two billion, Mythic-grade abilities were fairly common, but he was a man who had survived for a long time and made a name for himself as the lord of a guild.

No further verification was necessary.

<Unique Ability>

Name: Halo of Valor

Grade: Epic

Description: Emits a special aura that increases the stats of the user and nearby allies. The increase is equal to 10% of the aura owner's stats.

'Huh?'

However, after peeking at his ability with [Third Eye], I blinked for a moment.

What was this? Had I seen it wrong? I clearly remembered Lee Jongcheol having a Mythic-grade ability.

The skill information before my eyes matched the ability I'd heard about him in my first run.

'Then why is it Epic?'

Two possibilities flashed through my mind. Wondering if it might be the [Star of Destiny] trait, I checked.

It wasn't. He had no trait at all. At least that route was not the answer.

Then there was only one possibility.

'So he lied.'

In short, he had been running his mouth to conceal his qualifications as a lord.

'In the Selection Process, you can't see other people's information.'

That was why scams and crimes exploiting that fact were so common.

Of course, I possessed an ability that let me peek, but it wasn't omnipotent.

The great lords—Black Wolf, Sea God, Golden City, and the others—hid and protected their abilities with special items, because that information was directly tied to the safety of their organizations.

'Even if that weren't the case, people who peek at others' abilities are constantly targeted for assassination.'

Most players explained what abilities they had for party matching, but those who wanted to hide everything thoroughly kept deceiving others or concealing their abilities until the very end of a trial.

So in my first run, Lee Jongcheol must have been able to keep his secret hidden without much difficulty.

'Still, I never imagined he would be Epic-grade.'

While I was stunned by this rather shocking truth, Lee Jongcheol continued trying his smooth talk on my women.

"So, what do you say to joining us?"

But the women reacted indifferently. Shin Seoyeon answered as if he were a nuisance.

"Maybe. It's not like we're a volunteer group, so why would we travel with people worse than us? To be blunt, you'd only hold us back and get in our way."

"H-haha. I-is that so?"

Her words were such a brutal reality check that Lee Jongcheol seemed momentarily speechless and laughed awkwardly, but he soon changed tactics.

"Even so, it won't be an entirely bad offer."

As he spoke, he pointed toward where his party members were gathered. Nearly thirty people had assembled by then.

"We have many noncombat ability users as well as fighters, so we have healers, buffers, tanks, and even cooks. Hunting will be much safer with us, you'll get delicious meals every time, and you won't have to stand night watch for hours on end."

At that, the women showed a little interest.

After all, eating good food and spending less time on night watch could drastically improve their quality of life in a trial zone.

Han Sohee stroked her chin.

"That sounds sufficiently reasonable."

"Haha, doesn't it?"

Lee Jongcheol smiled, apparently pleased that the negotiations were finally progressing.

"It will be a rather good offer for you as well. Now, the person in the suit seems positive. What about the others?"

"Hmm."

"And you, fiery young lady?"

He excitedly drew another woman into the negotiating arena. His and his party members' eyes gleamed with expectation.

Regardless of their beauty, Shin Seoyeon and Han Sohee were both experts anyone would covet.

They were combat ability users with abilities of at least Mythic grade.

They were so outstanding that even I would be willing to spend my entire fortune recruiting them.

"Wait."

But at that moment, Han Sohee raised a hand and stopped the flow.

"There's a misunderstanding."

"Pardon?"

"Actually, there's no point in hearing our opinions. Our party's decisions are made solely by one person."

"Who is that?"

People looked at her, wondering if she meant Shin Seoyeon. But Shin Seoyeon turned to look at me. Only then did everyone's gaze gather on me, their expressions filled with surprise.

"That man was the leader?"

"What the hell? That guy was the one who tried to join our party earlier."

A slender man in his twenties, wearing unremarkable clothes and carrying nothing but a single sword.

He had even spent all this time quietly hiding behind the women, so they had probably mistaken him for someone who needed protection rather than a leader—or perhaps for Shin Seoyeon or Han Sohee's younger brother.

"Haha, I was rude because I failed to recognize the party leader. My apologies. My name is Lee Jongcheol. I heard you tried to join our party?"

With a genial expression, Lee Jongcheol approached and extended his hand. I stared at it quietly.

"……."

"Um. Are you listening?"

When I only stared at him, one of the party members who had been following behind Lee Jongcheol frowned slightly and spoke.

"Hey, if someone politely offers a greeting, you ought to answer, don't you think? At the very least, pretend you heard him. You're making him look foolish."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I appreciate the offer, but I must decline."

"Why?"

"I don't want to pay 200 points to join your party."

Huh? My companions opened their eyes wide.

"200 points? You have to pay 200 points to join that party?"

"That's insane. Aren't those guys complete thugs?"

Lee Jongcheol looked slightly flustered and hurriedly corrected himself.

"Haha, I-I think there must have been some misunderstanding. If something so absurd happened, why didn't you tell me? I could have taken care of it properly."

"Yes, I tried to talk to you, but you ignored me."

Ignored him? Anger rose on my companions' faces in an instant.

"D-did I? Ahaha. Ah, anyway, it seems one of our lower-ranking members made a mistake…. I'll give him a stern reprimand over it. We really aren't such bad people. So don't misunderstand us and come along with us. Let's join forces and overcome the next trial together."

The Black Wolf Guild Master was trying to pull me in somehow and build a good relationship with our group. I shrugged.

Honestly, even twenty minutes earlier, I had been willing to get acquainted with him.

Although I'd kept my distance because of Shin Seoyeon in my first run, one way or another, he had been a comrade who fought alongside us to defeat the Destroyer Dragon, the final trial.

But now he rubbed me the wrong way.

The good rumors I'd heard about him differed far too much from the reality I'd witnessed with my own eyes.

-They say the Black Wolf Guild Master is such a decent person. Didn't he clear trials alongside noncombat ability users for a pittance in the early days?

-No matter how bothersome it is, he answers every question and even greets low-ranking guild members like us individually. He's a truly kind-hearted person.

Well, rumors could be like that.

Lying about an Epic ability and passing it off as Mythic could be like that too.

Everyone did that, after all.

'Still, he shouldn't ignore someone all the way through when they're talking to him.'

Even I answered whenever someone approached me with proper courtesy, no matter how insignificant they seemed. That was basic manners.

But people who lacked even the basics had an abyss at the bottom of their character that ran very deep. It was better not to get involved with such people. I spoke from experience.

"Then take care."

"No, don't reject us so firmly. Please…."

The Black Wolf Guild Master seemed determined to make some kind of connection with us and build a good relationship, but at least I had no such intention.

And apparently neither did my companions.

"Tsk, what rude bastards."

"It's nice we're on the same page for once. Hey, get lost. Unless you want to die."

Fwoosh!

When Shin Seoyeon created a ball of fire in her hand, they laughed awkwardly and fled into the distance with their tails between their legs.

Compared to the Black Wolf Guild Master I'd known from my first run, he looked utterly pathetic.

'Tsk. I saw an unpleasant truth for no reason, and now I just feel unsettled. Well, the future hasn't really changed, so he'll probably pull his weight during the final trial.'

Even so, it gave me a lot to think about. Was that really just a problem with the Black Wolf Guild? Perhaps the other lords' situations weren't much different either.

Since I'd come from the bottom in my first run, perhaps I had possessed incorrect information based solely on the public opinion they had manipulated.

'Maybe it would be better to establish my own guild separately this time.'

That left only us in the wrecked street. I looked around and spoke, sounding surprised.

"By the way, Seoyeon, what got into you? You didn't kill a single person."

I'd expected many deaths, but the seven men Lee Sera and Han Sohee had killed together were the only ones. Shin Seoyeon abruptly extinguished her flames, brushed off her hands, and snorted.

"It was before we ate. The smell of cooked flesh would have ruined my appetite."

"……."

That was an explanation worthy of her. I'd thought she had developed some love for humanity, but she was completely self-centered.

Still, the result was good.

We had driven away all the troublesome people, and after seeing our power just now, no one else would bother us.

"Then let's go get something to eat."

That was when we started walking.

"But what's with this short-stuff hobbit?"

The Crimson Flame Witch had approached to claim the spot beside me, but frowned when she saw the unwelcome guest occupying it.

"…Short-stuff hobbit?"

The Reaper also lifted her gaze and glared at Shin Seoyeon.

'Come to think of it, I haven't introduced Lee Sera yet.'

But why did the atmosphere between the two of them seem so ominous?

Not just a little—it was extremely ominous.