Chapter 28

Chapter 27. New Combat Style (2)

[Status, Values]

Health: 22,999/22,999

Internal Energy: 21,000/21,000

Combat Power: 80,000

These values are lower than when I met her in my previous life.

Upon reflection, it's not hard to understand.

At that time, she had just taken the three exams in Yun, Seo, and Pan, and met me in her body, so it makes more sense that her values would be different.

"Is anyone inside?"

"She has gone to the Yuwon Palace."

Duhong, bowing his head, replied, and Xiaoling nodded.

Then, she turned her gaze to Seohui and asked again.

"I don't recognize this person..."

"He is from the lowest rank of the Taihuang Hall and is now in charge of the underground warehouse management."

"Oh, is that so?"

Seohui stood there, dazed.

It was the same back then.

Just looking at her made his heart feel like it was about to stop.

"You're not worth paying attention to."

"That's right. He's a nobody, even a bit of attention is too much for him."

Duhong added, and Libi echoed him.

The blatant mockery from the two old men wasn't just a feeling.

"Oh, is that so?"

Xiaoling nodded as if she understood.

Then, she turned her gaze and gave Seohui a subtle look.

'She's smiling.'

Xiaoling suddenly smiled, revealing her white, even teeth.

'...Ah!'

Seohui involuntarily let out a moan at the sight.

How could it be that just looking at her gave him such a blissful sensation?

"It's interesting."

Seohui snapped back to reality at her words.

Duhong and Libi were already glaring at him.

"What's your name?"

Xiaoling, who seemed about to turn away, asked him.

"Seohui."

"Seohui. It's a good name. I don't know how you ended up in the underground warehouse... hmm."

Midway through her sentence, Xiaoling pinched her nose.

She must have smelled it.

No matter how much he washed, the intense smell of feces wouldn't easily go away.

'Because of those two dogs.'

This was another reason to want to kill Duhong and Libi.

"There must be a reason. Of course, there is."

Though somewhat ambiguous, Duhong and Libi's gazes turned to Xiaoling.

But she didn't answer further.

And in that, she was the same as Seohui.

'This woman. She's figured out my abilities.'

Seohui felt it intuitively.

Xiaoling.

Her eyes and gaze seemed to see through everything.

"See you again."

When Xiaoling gestured, Seohui involuntarily raised his hand.

He was startled.

It wasn't just because Duhong and Libi were glaring at him.

<Choose from the following text.>

Time stopped.

Because this appeared.

▶ Will you meet me once?

It was the first text that appeared out of nowhere.

▶ Will you spend a hot night with me?

An absurd text was also added.

▶ My abs. Will you touch them?

The last text was outrageous.

'Why is the text like this!'

Seohui protested inwardly, but there was no one to answer.

The unchanging truth was:

▶ Will you meet me once?

▷ Will you spend a hot night with me?

▷ My abs. Will you touch them?

8... 7...

Time was cruelly passing, and

You had to choose one, no matter what.

'It's not just a simple phenomenon.'

It was always like this.

Though the text appeared out of nowhere, most of the choices affected future events.

They would put him in danger and give him a reward.

Sometimes, it even affected the choices in his next life.

4... 3...

'Whatever.'

<You have chosen 'Will you meet me once?'>

As soon as the message appeared, Seohui watched for a reaction, holding his breath.

He ignored the ridiculous expressions of the two old men.

"......Huh."

'She's smiling again.'

Xiaoling was grinning.

Even after hearing such an impolite request, she didn't seem particularly hostile.

At least, not yet.

▶ Will you spend a hot night with me?

▷ My abs. Will you touch them?

'Wow... She's going to flip out.'

Unfortunately, the text choices that disappeared were the ones he had to face the consequences of.

'Maybe, it's not that simple?'

Seohui had a doubt.

He always chose the lesser of two evils.

But the lesser evil often turned into the worst, and the worst choice became the best.

What if, this time, he chose what seemed to be the worst option?

Would something good happen?

Assuming he had to choose all the texts.

<You have chosen 'Will you spend a hot night with me?'>

As soon as he chose, Xiaoling's face hardened instantly.

Well, anyone would think he was crazy.

Why did the two old men's faces, red like radishes, make him want to push them away?

"I know. This isn't normal."

He didn't know why he was making such an excuse to her.

Still, he wanted to say something, anything.

Actually, though the expression was ridiculous, it wasn't entirely false.

"I struggle every day to improve, but as you can see, I'm in this state. I couldn't even respond when I was drenched in feces."

Seohui tried to calm her down by sharing his inner thoughts, but he didn't expect to reveal so much.

Probably, it was because of the frustration.

In a life where he repeatedly died and came back, his goal was just to please Guma.

"......So, even though I know it won't work, I say it bluntly. I want to create a reason to live. It might be a great insult to you, but I consider meeting you a great fortune."

Seohui didn't even know what he was babbling about.

It was just a vent.

He was sharing the inner thoughts he had kept to himself all this time.

But did it work on her?

"I wasn't offended."

"......What?"

Seohui doubted his ears at the unexpected answer.

Not offended by such a statement?

Was she really being sincere?

Her voice reached his ears again, surprising him.

"I just thought you were too honest."

"......!"

It was a scene to doubt even with your eyes.

That this beautiful woman could calmly handle such an impolite request.

She, who was standing halfway in the doorway, slowly moved.

Thump, thump, thump.

His heart felt like it was about to burst.

Suddenly, Xiaoling was approaching him.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

The sound of her footsteps matched the rhythm of his heartbeat.

She came so close that her face was almost touching his.

'When...?'

Seohui's gaze shifted to the side.

When did she do it? Duhong and Libi were lying on the ground.

"Get as strong as you aim to be. So that..."

She slowly brought her face to Seohui's ear.

And in a small voice that only he could hear, she whispered.

"Let's escape this hell together."

"......!"

Seohui's eyes widened.

Hell?

That a member of the main school would express it like that.

But the words were another shock to Seohui.

It felt like he had found a reason to get stronger again.

"I'll see you again if the opportunity arises."

Xiaoling turned and left with those words.

"......"

Life is the sum of countless choices.

And the sum of those choices becomes fate.

Though fate is often said to be unchangeable, Seohui intuitively felt that this choice had changed the future of his past and present lives.

A phrase that never existed before, not even a moment ago.

Something that had never appeared before.

<Love + 3>

It was floating above the head of Xiaoling, who had just turned away.

* * *

"Damn. I got beaten up again."

Seohui, who had come out the back door of Cheonil Hall, was washing his swollen face.

Or rather, after Xiaoling left, he had to endure the punches from the two old men.

They hit him so hard with their fists and feet that his jaw still felt numb.

Thud! Thud!

After washing all his clothes, Seohui hung them on the clothesline in front.

Once he finished, he opened the tool box and smiled.

"Damn old men. You were hogging such a good thing all to yourselves?"

○ Mingwang Zhanbu (明王戰布)

Description: A high-class protective gear, a combat uniform made by the royal military tailor, Haoguo.

Effect: Defense significantly increases.

The clothes he stole while helping the old men with their bath.

It was a combat uniform he stole from a storage cabinet at the edge of the room.

○ Baigun Dan (白魂彈)

Description: A bomb made by mixing dye with the explosive Bileitan, passed down orally in the Huang family.

Effect: Using this will temporarily confuse enemies within 3 meters.

This was under the bed.

He didn't know it was there, but when he felt around, it ended up in the tool box.

○ Understanding of Swordsmanship

Description: A book said to have