LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 15
Chapter 15
“Ughhh! I’m so tired I could die, for real.”
“You’ve been working really hard lately, huh?”
Ji-woo, having put down her game console, lay sprawled on the sofa, completely drained of energy.
To quickly clear out the accumulated call rejection stack,
She had been running around diligently for the past few days without properly playing a single game.
“Since tomorrow is April… I guess I won’t have to do this anymore, right?”
“Still, you should visit often. Or you’ll end up like this month again, right?”
“Okay…, ughhh….”
If she had refused even one of the three dispatches today,
Ji-woo might have been demoted to a B-grade hero or had her salary cut by more than half.
No matter how important her rank in the game or her game character’s specs were,
Ji-woo was fully aware that she was also a hero protecting the city and its citizens.
Of course, initially, she started this job thinking it would be an easy way to make money with her abilities,
but the satisfaction of doing something she could be recognized for grew even larger.
Ji-woo, who had grown up quietly tinkering with computers and game consoles since childhood.
No matter how excellent her gaming skills were, there was no one around to acknowledge her, but
doing hero work, she received recognition and could comfortably enjoy gaming, which she considered killing two birds with one stone.
“Si-yoon oppa said it’s okay if he comes over tomorrow or the day after. How about it?”
“Oh! Really?”
When Do-hwa casually mentioned that Si-yoon had invited her to his place,
Ji-woo’s eyes lit up, and she sprang up.
“He said there aren’t many customers on Mondays or Tuesdays, so they usually don’t open.
So he told me to come tomorrow or the day after.”
Of course, the place Do-hwa intended to take Ji-woo was not Si-yoon’s shop but his hideout.
It was Si-yoon’s command, who had succeeded in imprinting on Ji-woo.
“But what kind of place is the shop Si-yoon oppa runs?”
“Oh! I think it’s a bar. You know, like a cocktail bar?”
Ji-woo, who wasn’t particularly interested in alcohol.
She looked somewhat disappointed.
“He said there are lots of tasty snacks there. They even serve steak, right?”
“Steak? Beef?”
Noticing Ji-woo’s disappointed expression, Do-hwa quickly added there would be steak,
making up stories to change Ji-woo’s mind.
“Meet at the front gate of Seongnam University at 7 tomorrow. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Ji-woo nodded and put her headphones back on, grabbing her game controller.
“Weren’t you not playing games today?”
“No way. I haven’t been able to raid for days. I’ll get kicked out of the guild.”
—
On the day of the promised visit to Si-yoon’s shop.
Ji-woo arrived 10 minutes early, waiting for Si-yoon and Do-hwa.
“Hehe! Eating beef again today!”
Ji-woo was excited at the thought of eating beef steak.
She nodded her head, waiting for the two to arrive quickly.
“Ji-woo!”
“You’ve come properly today. Thankfully, no emergency dispatch.”
Do-hwa arrived at the meeting place with an equally excited face.
“Sister, but why are your clothes like this?”
“Huh? What’s wrong with my clothes?”
A sheer tank top through which her black underwear was visible and ultra-mini hot pants that looked like they might expose her groin.
It was a fashion that wouldn’t be out of place for a party girl or, to exaggerate, even a call girl.
Ji-woo, taken aback by Do-hwa’s provocative outfit, stepped back.
“Is this the first time you’ve seen me in something like this?”
“No… It’s not like we’re going to a club. What’s with this?”
Compared to Do-hwa, Ji-woo’s appearance in a hoodie and loose shorts was quite ordinary.
In fact, if asked which was more unusual or out of character, Ji-woo would be right.
A baseball cap to hold up her long hair,
and an oversized T-shirt with jeans or leggings was Do-hwa’s usual preferred fashion.
Ji-woo, feeling uncomfortable with Do-hwa’s bold attire, turned her head away.
“Hey! Oppa!”
“Do-hwa, you’ve dressed up nicely today?”
As the two were bickering, Si-yoon appeared, complimenting Do-hwa’s fashion.
“Hello, Ji-woo… too.”
“You can drop the formalities.”
Si-yoon greeted Ji-woo with an awkward tone still, to which Ji-woo smiled and said he could speak casually.
“Haha. Then… I’ll call you Ji-woo from now on. Shall we go?”
—
After walking for about 5 minutes from the meeting spot, they arrived at the building where Si-yoon’s hideout was located.
From the outside, it didn’t look much different from other commercial buildings.
However, once you descend the stairs into the basement,
The closed-off yet quiet and quite impressive atmosphere of the interior delights the eyes.
“Here we are. Since it’s a day we’re not open, it’s a bit messy.”
“Wow…”
The black floor and walls as a backdrop, enhanced by subtle lighting and classical interior.
For Ji-woo, who always stayed in the headquarters dorm, it felt quite unique and special.
– Squeak… Thud –
The sound of the trap’s breathing hole shutting on the prey that had walked in with pure intentions.
The door to the hideout of Utopia, a villain organization with only two members at the moment, was locked.
But Ji-woo didn’t even hear the door locking,
She was too busy curiously touching the bar table while sitting in a chair.
“Hehe… I like how innocent our Ji-woo is.”
“Huh? Why! I’ve been to places like this before.”
Ji-woo grumbled, saying she had experienced such places, while Do-hwa chuckled at her naive behavior.
But what Do-hwa meant was slightly different.
“Hey, Ji-woo. Have you ever heard this saying?”
And then, Si-yoon, as he moved ice into a glass and poured whiskey,
placed it in front of Ji-woo and continued,
“There’s a saying to be cautious of people who offer you beef. Do you know why?”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
Ji-woo asked, sipping the whiskey from the glass.
“With pork or chicken, they’re often given out of simple kindness because they’re cheap…
But beef, since it’s expensive, usually comes with some expectation or favor in return.”
In fact, this topic spread widely online a few years ago through a photo of a banner in a meat restaurant,
and it became a topic where many shared their personal experiences in various communities.
“So, it means you should be suspicious of someone who buys you expensive things without a second thought.”
“Th-then, do I have to pay something…?”
Flustered, Ji-woo put down her glass and bowed her head, feeling as if she might have done something wrong.
“There’s no need for that.”
Si-yoon, sitting next to Ji-woo across the table.
“What Do-hwa and I are trying to say isn’t that you’ve done anything wrong.”
“So… then…?”
“There’s no one who would buy something that expensive without expecting something in return.
Actually, I’m someone so suspicious and scary that you couldn’t even imagine, Ji-woo.”
Si-yoon lifted Ji-woo’s chin with his finger to meet her eyes, tickling her chin as if teasing a dog.
“Hehe…♥ Dominator, you promised a reward for bringing Ji-woo here…♥”
Do-hwa, whose attitude had completely changed, clung to Si-yoon, calling him Dominator, and cooed for her reward for bringing Ji-woo.
“Sis? What are you doing right now?”
“Huh? Why? The master said he’d give me a reward for bringing you here…♥”
“What does that even mean!”
“Ahaha! What do you mean…♥ You’ve been tricked by me, Ji-woo.”
Do-hwa, with an excited look, touched Ji-woo’s chin mockingly.
Shocked, Ji-woo jumped up from her chair and stepped back.
‘I thought something was off with Do-hwa lately…’
Ji-woo stepped back and tried to activate her ability
– Swoosh –
For a moment, blue light swirled around her hands, but what appeared were the sleek pistols her game character uses.
“Ahah♥ That’s Ji-woo’s ability… The power to manifest her game character’s weapons♥”
“A power to manifest game character’s weapons. Quite simple yet unique.”
Do-hwa, now kneeling beside Si-yoon, having thrown off her cardigan.
And Si-yoon, gently stroking Do-hwa’s head while watching Ji-woo.
‘What’s going on…? Why has she become like this…?’
Ji-woo gritted her teeth, looking at the changed Do-hwa.
“Sis! Snap out of it! You’re a hero protecting the city!”
And she shouted desperately at Do-hwa.
“A hero? Right! I’m Ignition, an A-grade hero protecting the city.
But now… I’m the great Dominator’s subordinate and… his sex slave♥”
However, her cries did not reach Do-hwa, who had already gone too far due to cognitive manipulation.
“Si-yoon oppa… I thought you were a good person, but you’re a villain.”
“Whoa, whoa! You can’t just point guns at people like that!”
Si-yoon raised his hands as if confronting a robber, but his face was full of mockery like Do-hwa’s.
Go ahead, shoot if you can.
That’s what his expression seemed to say.
‘Sis… how did you end up like this…?’
Ji-woo blamed herself for not noticing this sooner, for naively enjoying meals,
while promising to save her sister from this man and return to their daily life as soon as possible, she pulled the trigger.
– Swoosh…
“What… what? Why… Why did the gun disappear?”
But just as her cries didn’t reach Do-hwa, her ability
[Applying ability nullification to target: ‘Player’ Yeon Ji-woo.]
[Status: Imprint Stage 1 (Corrosion Rate 10%)]