An Alliance of Hate

We abandoned the dungeon clear for the day and returned to the village. Dungeons reset once every twenty-four hours; since Baek Hee-do had headed up first—and his success was a foregone conclusion—we decided to wait until the next morning to make our run.

I holed up in my room at the inn and pulled out the notebook tucked inside my shirt.

[Caution: Y.S.R.] [3. Baek Hee-do]

I wrote down the three syllables of his name while thinking of his face. It was a strange sensation. Just writing it made my chest feel tight and heavy.

Shake, shake.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the lingering thoughts of him. Instead, I underlined the “Lightning Spirit Sword Incident” and brainstormed how I could use Baek Hee-do for my plan.

Yoo Se-rim had cultivated his public image so meticulously that practically no one disliked him. Therefore, if there was even one person who hated him as much as I did, it would be foolish not to keep them close.

‘Why didn’t I think of this sooner?’ Baek Hee-do would lung at Yoo Se-rim with murderous intent whenever they crossed paths. I hadn’t understood the reason back then, but now, I felt like I finally grasped that sentiment.

In the past, Baek Hee-do wouldn’t have lost his life if he hadn’t become embroiled in the Lightning Spirit Sword incident. Since that tragedy was scheduled to occur about three months from now, saving him meant either persuading him beforehand or ensuring he never went near the sword at all.

‘Besides, that whole story about the Lightning Spirit Sword artifact was a total lie.’

Dozens, even hundreds of people had died in a frenzy to claim it, and Yoo Se-rim never once revealed it was a fake. I knew, however, that the bastard had a knack for locating artifacts. The fact that Yoo Se-rim hadn’t bothered to seek it out was proof enough that it wasn’t the real deal.

Of course, those lacking Yoo Se-rim’s discernment were destined to be blinded by the rumors that the sword could elevate one’s rank. Even I had been desperate to have it when I first heard the rumors.

What if I told Baek Hee-do the sword was a fake, formed an alliance with him, and asked for his cooperation in taking Yoo Se-rim down?

‘Could it work?’

And if Yoo Se-rim and Baek Hee-do ever fought, I could cast a curse on Yoo Se-rim to tip the scales in Hee-do’s favor. Since Yoo Se-rim himself admitted they “didn’t get along” despite sharing a master, instigating a fight shouldn’t be too difficult.

‘…Huh?’

As I gazed out the window, lost in thought, I spotted a tall man in a deep hood slowly descending into the village under the fading sunset. Based on the gait and the aura, it was undeniably Baek Hee-do.

‘He cleared the Temple of Bitter Cold by himself in half a day…’

I marvelled at his overwhelming martial prowess. Once I identified which inn he was staying at and pinpointed his room when the lights flickered on, I began to pace my room in an anxious sweat. Tonight might be my only chance to meet him.

‘Fine. I’m meeting him at dawn.’

Having made up my mind, I grabbed my coin purse.

At dawn, I crept out of my lodgings, stepping as lightly as possible. I didn’t even dare to breathe as I passed Yoo Se-rim’s door, but the old wooden floorboards let out long, ominous creaks. Fortunately, he didn’t emerge.

“Phew…”

Exhaling a sigh of relief, I rushed to Baek Hee-do’s inn. Earlier that evening, I had paid the innkeeper to deliver a note to him. If the bribe worked and the offer piqued his interest, he would show.

Creeeeeak—

The bar was deserted in the pre-dawn hours. The innkeeper looked at me with a pitying expression.

“Well, the thing is… that gentleman read the note, tore it into pieces with a terrifying look on his face, and threw it away. I… I didn’t dare say another word to him.”

“……I see.”

Overwhelmed by disappointment, I turned to leave—and nearly had a heart attack. Baek Hee-do was already standing right there, his massive frame looming over me with his arms crossed.

“Hiiiieek!”

The innkeeper let out a strange yelp and fell off his chair, startled by the man who had appeared without a sound.

“Whoa!”

I stumbled back in shock. Baek Hee-do lunged forward and grabbed me by the collar. He pulled my face close to his lips and spoke.

“You aren’t even drunk. Yet you wrote all this gibberish with such confidence.”

He was close enough to sniff for alcohol on my breath. I swallowed hard, feeling a mix of terror and a strange, subtle tension. But I couldn’t back down now. He wouldn’t have come down here unless something in that note had nagged at him.

“……Everything I wrote is the truth, and my desire to help you is just as sincere.”

“Coming from a guy wearing that outfit?”

He glanced at my Yoo Se-rim party uniform and sneered. I took that moment to stare directly into his dark eyes. It was more of a glare; his gaze was so heavy I had to exert effort just to keep from looking away.

“Believe me. Because… I want to kill Yoo Se-rim.“

I mouthed the last part without making a sound, but he understood perfectly.

Baek Hee-do’s expression shifted. He tossed me aside like a piece of luggage and burst into a fit of mocking laughter.

“Haha! You’re completely insane. A guy who wants him dead is part of his personal party? Why? I’m genuinely curious about the logic behind that.”

“……I can’t tell you everything until you agree to cooperate.”

“Did he betray you or something?”

“……!”

Seeing my face turn pale, Baek Hee-do cackled.

“No way. You sent me a note and came all this way just to whine ‘Please kill Yoo Se-rim for me’ over something like that? Sigh. This is why I hate talking to low-rankers.”

“W-what did you say?”

“It’s obvious what’s going on in that tiny head of yours. You aren’t strong enough to do it yourself, so you want to use me as your sword. But listen, I’m expensive. You couldn’t pay my usage fee if you spent a lifetime trying.”

“…….”

“So, forget about revenge. Just live your life picking up the crumbs that fall from his table. Live according to your rank.”

My hands shook at his verbal abuse. I had been mistaken. I thought an enemy of Yoo Se-rim’s could be a friend of mine. But I was wrong. These R-ranks were all the same… except for my brother.

‘These bastards…!’

They were all devoid of basic humanity.

I clenched my fists so hard the bones protruded through my skin. After taking several deep breaths to steady myself, I looked back at Baek Hee-do, who was still watching me with a smug, leisurely posture.

Fine, you pretty-faced, foul-mouthed prick. Let’s see how you like a taste of your own medicine.

“Listen carefully, Baek Hee-do. I’m only saying this once.”

“Ho-oh.”

“You are destined to die a dog’s death while searching for that ‘Lightning Spirit Sword’ or whatever it is.”

“……What?”

His expression turned icy in an instant.

He was a man destined to die in three months. By now, the rumors of the sword were likely spreading through backchannels. I realized I was right when I saw his reaction—he truly coveted that blade.

“You… where did you hear that rumor?”

“None of your business.”

“Ha… Do you think I’m playing games with you just because I’ve humored you for a few minutes?”

“No. But what I said is the truth. You’ll drop dead before you even get near the sword, and all your effort will just benefit someone else. There is at least one person—no, two—who would be thrilled to see your head roll.”

“…….”

He gave a short, cynical laugh before blurring toward me with lightning speed, gripping my throat. Even in that simple movement, I felt the staggering gap in our power. But since he didn’t squeeze or snap my neck, I kept speaking. I knew he might actually kill me once I finished, but I didn’t stop.

“Baek Hee-do. If you have a brain, think about whether that sword is even real. And if it is real, think about why ‘we’ haven’t made a move for it yet.”