Chapter 81 – Imprisoned Women

Gwak Seon-yeong and Kim Ye-seul followed Min Do-jun, who had transformed into Lord Heaven, up the stairs.

At the top, they encountered a blocked wall.

“This is it. No matter how much we looked, we couldn’t find the exit button.”

“Hmm.”

Min Do-jun also searched likely places for a button but couldn’t find one.

‘Maybe?’

Feeling around near the stairs rather than the wall, he found a small button on the railing.

*Slide*

“Ah… it was there.”

Exiting, they saw the study room they’d seen when entering.

“From now on, you need to act like you’re captured. Don’t overact, just maintain frightened expressions. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“Got it.”

“Then I’ll have to act like Lord Heaven too, so excuse me.”

Min Do-jun put his arms around the women’s shoulders and pulled them close.

Though the women flinched in surprise at his action, they quickly understood.

After all, Lord Heaven, who treated women as playthings, would naturally act this way.

‘Now I just need to find a nearby attendant and ask.’

[Distance to nearest target: 72m]

Seeing the message, Min Do-jun walked with the women on either side, guided by the ghost wolf.

Leaving the temple and walking along the forest path, they saw a man smoking.

The man, leisurely exhaling smoke, jumped as if burned when he spotted Min Do-jun.

“L-Lord Heaven!”

The attendant hurriedly stubbed out his cigarette and ran over.

“W-what brings you here?”

“Am I somewhere I shouldn’t be?”

Min Do-jun tried his best to imitate Lord Heaven’s way of speaking.

Though he couldn’t change his voice.

The attendant showed a puzzled expression, noticing this, but-

‘Gulp.’

It quickly disappeared upon seeing Lord Heaven’s angry face.

After all, the face was undoubtedly Lord Heaven’s.

“I asked if I’m somewhere I shouldn’t be.”

“N-no, not at all. I was just surprised to see Lord Heaven at this hour…”

The attendant, rambling excuses, looked at the women beside Lord Heaven.

He saw them flinching and trembling fearfully at his gaze.

“And these ones…”

His use of “these” showed how lowly even the attendant regarded the women.

“Caught them trying to escape.”

“Ah, is that so? I thought I heard some commotion underground…”

It seems he had heard some of the battle noise.

“Hand them over. I’ll take them to the prison.”

“Very well.”

Min Do-jun readily handed over the women.

Gwak Seon-yeong and Kim Ye-seul looked at him with surprised eyes, but their expressions changed at his next words.

“I’ll come along to check on the other playthings. Lead the way to the prison.”

“What? Ah, understood.”

Realizing this was Min Do-jun’s plan to discover the prison’s location, the women obediently followed the man’s lead.

“Why so slow? Hurry up, you wenches!”

As the man treated the women roughly, Min Do-jun spoke with a deliberately fierce glare.

“They’re merchandise to be handed over to the Black Sea Guild. Handle them carefully.”

“Ah, i-is that so? My apologies.”

The man led the women more carefully than before.

There was no need to worry about the act being discovered.

Being genuinely tense, the women portrayed frightened expressions well.

‘Hm?’

The place the man guided them to was a cave hidden by undergrowth.

It resembled a military bunker, with its iron door wrapped in thick chains.

“L-Lord Heaven?”

The attendant guarding the door quickly bowed upon seeing Min Do-jun.

“Open the door.”

*Rattle*

The attendant unlocked the iron door and swiftly unwound the chains.

*Creak*

Entering through the door revealed a passage lit by electric lights.

*Thud thud*

Following the man inside, they came upon cells made of iron bars.

‘To think a place like this existed.’

The prison conditions were poor, like an old prisoner detention facility.

Women wearing only robes over their naked bodies were imprisoned throughout, shivering from cold.

“Eek!”

A woman who spotted Min Do-jun backed away with a hysterical cry.

She kept pushing against the floor trying to retreat, though there was nowhere left to go.

“You bitch! How dare you show such attitude before Lord Heaven!”

The guiding attendant kicked the iron bars to intimidate her, making her cower.

“Enough, stop.”

“But Lord Heaven! This wench dared to…”

The man couldn’t finish his sentence.

Because Min Do-jun grabbed his throat to silence him.

“If you question my words once more, I’ll rip out your tongue. Understood?”

Released, the man finally answered while gasping.

“Kuhk, kek… Yes, I’m sorry.”

Having personally experienced a hunter’s strength, the attendant led the women with fearful eyes.

As they passed the cells, Min Do-jun had to endure the terrified gazes of all the women.

‘Somehow feels like I’ve become the villain.’

It showed just how much Kim Peter had tormented them.

‘About twenty people?’

Even Min Do-jun hadn’t known so many women were imprisoned here.

Walking along, they finally reached the end of the prison.

*Clank clank*

The man opened the iron bars of the last cell and pushed Gwak Seon-yeong and Kim Ye-seul inside.

Then locked the door again.

The two women looked at Min Do-jun with eyes mixing fear and confusion.

‘Trust me and stay still.’

Understanding Min Do-jun’s eye signal, the women lowered their heads and continued acting.

“Are these all the women here?”

“What? Y-yes.”

“Seems like some are missing though.”

“Ah… some might have been taken elsewhere for… entertainment.”

“What?”

He had probed on a hunch, and it seems there were more women.

The man flinched at his angry voice.

“Y-you said we could play with them when bored…”

“Tell them to stop immediately and bring the women here. Tell them they won’t escape death otherwise.”

“Y-yes!”

“And tell everyone here to gather in the temple’s central hall. I have something to say.”

“What? Everyone?”

“Yes. Everyone without exception must gather.”

“Should I call the elders too?”

“Call them. Tell them to bring the sacred relic without fail.”

“Yes, I’ll deliver your orders!”

After the attendant disappeared, Min Do-jun glanced at Gwak Seon-yeong and Kim Ye-seul in the cell.

Then spoke in a quiet voice.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll rescue you soon.”

After seeing the women nod, he left the cave.

Walking the forest path, he returned to the temple.

People were gathering in the spacious central hall inside.

After waiting 10 minutes seated in the chair on the platform.

The instructed attendant came running breathlessly.

“Did you call everyone?”

“Yes! As ordered, everyone except… somehow we can’t find the underground personnel…”

“Just those above ground is fine. The elders?”

“Called them, they should be here soon.”

After waving acknowledgment and waiting, two old men in elder robes appeared.

The old men bowed respectfully.

“Lord Heaven.”

“Elder Kim, Elder Lee.”

The elders raised their heads noticing it wasn’t Lord Heaven’s voice, but their doubts quickly vanished.

Looking again, the face was unmistakably Lord Heaven’s, and he even knew their names.

“Have you been well?”

“Did you bring the sacred relic?”

The elders dismissed their doubts, thinking this must be the Lord Heaven they knew, ignoring greetings and checking for the sacred relic first.

“Bring it.”

At the elder’s command, an attendant brought a cart.

On the cart was a square glass case containing a square object emitting a blue light.

‘So this is the sacred relic I’ve only heard about?’

Min Do-jun could easily identify the sacred relic.

It was a famous S-rank item even before his regression.

‘This is a Mana Core, isn’t it?’

An item that drops with low probability from S-rank bosses.

Though he’d never held one, he had seen a party member obtain one.

‘Judging by this unusual mana feeling, it’s definitely a Mana Core.’

To think that rare Mana Core would be here.

He tried to get closer to check its information, but couldn’t touch it because of the glass case.

He applied some force, but surprisingly it didn’t break.

‘Judging by its strength, it’s made of special glass that ordinary people can’t break.’

No ordinary person could break the glass no matter what tools they used.

In other words, only hunters could touch the sacred relic.

‘Though I don’t know why a Mana Core is disguised as a sacred relic, this is an unexpected harvest.’

As Min Do-jun smiled with satisfaction, an elder asked.

“Lord Heaven. Why did you call us?”

Min Do-jun raised his head at those words.

About twenty people including the elders were focused on him in the temple.

They must be curious why he called them.

“I called you to make an announcement.”

People showed puzzled expressions at the word “announcement.”

“What announcement…”

“As of this moment, I’m releasing the women imprisoned in the jail.”

“…!”

The crowd stirred at those words.

Lord Heaven’s words were that shocking.

“W-why are you releasing them?”

“Do you have other plans?”

“No such thing. I’m just releasing them because I pity them.”

“If this gets out to the public…!”

“The order could collapse!”

Min Do-jun chuckled at this.

“Seeing your fear of public exposure, you seem to know you’ve done wrong.”

“Why are you suddenly doing this?”

“We can’t release those women now!”

As the elders protested, Min Do-jun approached them.

“Elder Kim, Elder Lee.”

“Yes.”

“You had fun with the women thanks to me, right?”

“W-well, yes…”

“Everyone here has touched the women at least once, right?”

Nearly twenty attendants maintained silence.

Judging by their lack of indignant expressions, they all seemed to acknowledge it.

“Don’t you pity these women being raped by strange men and kept like animals?”

“Why are you doing this now? Wasn’t it all your will, Lord Heaven?”

“I really don’t understand why you suddenly pity those mere women.”

The elders’ eyes showed firm resolve to never release them no matter what.

Min Do-jun chuckled.

“Let’s drop the act now.”

“…?”

His face distorted and returned to that of a young man.

“Ah, what?”

“H-he wasn’t Lord Heaven?”

Their surprise was brief.

*Slash*

With his suddenly drawn sword, Min Do-jun simultaneously beheaded the elders.

*Thud thud*

The attendants, staring unbelievingly at the fallen heads, looked back at Lord Heaven.

No, he was no longer the Lord Heaven they knew.

A young man holding a sword was smiling like an evil spirit.

“You have all committed sins.”

Min Do-jun spoke while cutting down a nearby man.

“Therefore, not a single one of you will leave this place alive.”