Shun POV:
The blades of grass grew brighter in complexion once the city of Chunhae disappeared beyond the horizon. They were grateful for the care shown to them but preferred environments that lacked industrialisation: a shift of focus from agriculture to manufacturing goods.
“Shun, how many forms does your ability have? I’ve only seen you use Shinobi. Oh, and that Wizard one.”
Katherine walked on ahead, training both Gerard and Aiden with a warm smile. That left me with the chatterbox, Phoebe, who stayed close to my side.
“Four.”
“Then... Can I see a different one, please?”
The vibrance in her amber eyes was different than before. They no longer emitted just care and understanding, but a much deeper emotion that I chose to ignore.
Now that clear intentions had been vocalised between the two sides, Phoebe believed I was comfortable enough for her to be a little more bold. If I had pushed her away the moment she tried to hug me by the waterfall, the distance between us would be double or more than what it was at the moment.
However, that also would have been Phoebe’s decision, not mine. She wasn’t stupid, and her approach toward me proved that. Whether it was conscious or not, her EQ, emotional intelligence, was much higher than those looking in from the outside gave her credit for.
There was a reason she was the leader of the party. Even if that position wasn’t official, the way Aiden and Gerard acted around her showed their immense trust in her decisions.
I avoided Phoebe’s gaze, turning away from the darkening of her cheeks.
“Original: Spy.”
The darker hue of my Ki peeled away. A black suit tailored to perfection. Black sunglasses: optional, but I chose to wear them this time. I lowered the bridge wrapped over my nose and peered down at Phoebe.
“You should definitely use this form more often...”
The strength in her legs faded. Her pupils dilated, welcoming the incoming heat that turned her face into a bright tomato.
I ruffled my hair before resting a black pistol beside Phoebe’s head. Two gunshots went off, and two Bloodborne Orcs crashed to the ground in the far distance.
The cause of death? A pair of holes through their frontal lobes.
“!!!”
Phoebe covered her mouth, exchanging that tomato for a ripe cherry dark enough to make her pink hair stand out.
“...You’re so hot.”
I spun the pistol around my finger; the air supporting its horizontal position as it dematerialised.
“It has its uses, and speed running dungeons isn’t one of them.”
I placed the sunglasses on top of Phoebe’s head, prompting her eyes to narrow. They exuded a seductiveness that dwarfed what I experienced by the waterfall, somehow managing to shorten the distance between us despite Phoebe not moving. The added bite of her bottom lip cemented this new appeal.
“You’re really cool, Shun.”
“...”
I put one hand into my pocket and walked off. I didn’t want that atmosphere to develop any further; there were more important things I needed to focus on.
Phoebe caught up seconds later but kept stealing glances my way. She took the black sunglasses off and examined them for a while before the corners of her mouth rose. Phoebe slipped the frames over her eyes without saying another word.
The scenery changed with time. A wide road cut across the plains, separating it from the arable land. Smaller pathways sectioned off the vast fields, flooded from the rain that fell four days ago.
Paddy fields.
Despite the industrialisation that took place in Chunhae, agriculture was always needed. These crops were crucial in lowering the cost of imported goods and supporting the city’s economic progress.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
A country that couldn’t sustain itself was a country ruled by another. Applying that same analogy here, this was likely the reason why Chunhae was called Chunhae Village, and not Chunhae City.
“Why don’t you use Ki Artifacts?”
Phoebe raised an eyebrow at my question before tilting her sunglasses down.
“Probably for the same reason as you. Aiden and Gerard use them though.”
It wasn’t enough to verify my current hypothesis; I needed more information.
“Do strong people use Ki Artifacts?”
“Nope. It’s not viable or efficient.”
It was as I expected. The reason had to be that. Phoebe’s hand brushed past mine as we continued to walk side by side together.
***
Choga.
They were small cottages, built on a slight elevation near the paddy fields, with straw-thatched roofs and a single floor. These houses were bundled together. They formed interconnected communities through the network of pathways spread across the fields.
This was the Jiyeok.
The housing style reminded me of the kominka my grandparents owned in Shirakawa, Japan. Whenever that conversation was brought up, my grandmother’s youthful face would crumple together. Her reaction was due to the government pleading with her to either give away or sell the Gasshō-zukuri houses in Ogimachi village for the sake of preservation.
The government officials knew my grandmother despised being told what to do, and they also knew that she hated selling what her family had worked hard to possess.
If not for my grandfather’s persuasion, it would have been borderline impossible for the administrative department to acquire her property without getting on her bad side. However, once I heard the story, I became worried about their safety.
No one was untouchable, and punishment came in different forms, but that concern was met with an outburst of laughter. They never liked being the centre of attention and cared even less about what people thought of them.
According to a secretary visiting to give a monthly report, that attitude is what made them so dangerous. She likened it to trying to kill a samurai who not only didn’t fear death but embraced it.
That was why no one dared touch the Kurosawa Clan.
After that incident, my grandmother wanted nothing to do with Shirakawa anymore. They relocated to my grandfather’s shoin-zukuri near the base of Mount Kurama, where they opted to live away from civilisation.
They could afford to do that with the conglomerates they owned.
Despite coming from a family of wealth on both sides, I never experienced it. I also never cared for it. As long as I could read and be with my loved ones, that was enough for me.
“Miss Katherine, is something wrong?”
Katherine’s pace slowed till Phoebe and I caught up with the others. Her lips formed a thin smile before parting.
“We are being followed. Whoever they are, they are not amateurs.”
The faint whistle of the gentle breeze weaved between everyone, probing us to look around and admire the natural environment. We kept moving, but the seriousness of the situation grew with time.
“How many?”
“15.”
My eyebrows fell. Judging by everyone else’s reaction, I wasn’t alone in not being able to sense a damn thing. But I didn’t care about them. What bothered me was that even with my ability active, this was the damn result.
“Their target appears to be you, Shun.”
‘!’
I remained silent.
‘...Has the time come?’
I stared at the worn path beneath my black boots. No matter how hard I clenched my fists, they trembled just the same.
‘I’ll kill her now then.’
The corners of my mouth curved upward, elongating the smile beneath the shadow.
“Go on ahead. I’ll handle this.”
“That may not be wise. There is one among them who is quite dangerous.”
‘Quite?’
That was where Katherine was wrong. Chloe was able to lower her own defence to a level a person without Ki could not only bruise but make her bleed. I knew how difficult that feat was without her admission, since Koli proved incapable of doing the same in Providence. This hinted at a limit to how far defence could be intentionally dropped based on a practitioner’s Ki Stage.
I also placed similar restrictions on myself during dungeon runs. The difficulty alone forced me to abandon my Ki Armour altogether until I was satisfied with the monster’s growth or capability.
It was that demanding, yet Chloe did it under those circumstances without breaking a sweat.
“It doesn’t matter. All of you go.”
Aiden’s eyebrows furrowed while Gerard hesitated to make a move as well.
“Shun...”
Phoebe drew closer to my side, but I was too focused on restraining the bloodlust, trying to leak out from my boiling rage.
She was close, but Chloe was closer.
“As you will, Shun. Let us carry on then.”
Katherine took the lead first, leaving Gerard puzzled at her decision. Aiden chose to examine it with careful consideration before concluding that Katherine would only leave if she was certain I could handle the situation alone.
The faint narrowing of his eyes disappeared, and he shifted his gaze to Phoebe. Once she gave him a slight nod, he left, and after some further deliberation, Gerard did the same.
Phoebe reached for my hand but chose to stop halfway. She took off the black sunglasses and moved in front of me.
“Make sure to take these back, Shun.”
Her soft smile blended into the pink ponytail swaying behind her. I watched them vanish beyond the horizon, leaving me alone.
It was nothing new.
It had been this way since I arrived in this world.
I turned around, ready to put an end to this for good. Fifteen hooded figures flickered into view right on cue while a gun created a horizontal line between my eye and the figure who stepped out from the group.
“I’m ready for you. So COME ON!”
Bloodlust spiralled out around me when two hands rose into the air.
My pupils dilated.
The sound of someone banging against a door rang in my ears.
Cold sweat dowsed the white shirt fastened to my body. It dripped down the nape of my neck, causing the hairs to stand to attention from several shivers.
The hands rested on the hood.
Her movement prompted the smile plastered across my face to widen. It fell to her shoulders, and a voice gripped the tension by the hand, wielding it as she wished.
“I must admit. You do look incredibly sexy in that suit, Dungeon Maniac.”