“Even after being marked by Miss Yeo Il-ye, I hear you pulled an all-nighter gambling.”
“I’ve known Senior Ho was amazing, but really…”
“Ugh, I need to quit gambling too. Seeing you, I feel so scared.”
The legend of Ho Cheon-an at the Outcast Inn has been renewed. From now on, I’ll be known as the idiot who dares to gamble through life-threatening situations. Usually, my two friends would come over to tease me or worry about me, but they took one look at me and ran off, avoiding my gaze as if I were truly embarrassing.
I could care less about my reputation being demolished again.
“Haaa…”
I’m losing my mind.
I sighed heavily as I shoved noodles into my mouth.
That idiot gambler, Dogwi, didn’t fall for my trick after all. Naturally, I thought a gambler of his level would be able to read the dice eyes of the opposing side.
I didn’t expect to read every single case flawlessly, but I figured I’d have a chance to guess the dice at some point.
Why was that so hard? I should’ve been able to get at least half right, right?
If I hadn’t pulled out fifteen jars, it wouldn’t have been so chaotic. I thought that was a sign of confidence in my skills.
It was the first time I had met a gambler who gave as much experience as Dogwi did, so I was misled about his level.
While I tried to bring the flow into my favor by losing money to Dogwi, I couldn’t tell if my instincts were going wild or if Dogwi had just become brain-dead; it turned into a pure luck battle.
I might’ve overplayed the psychological game and completely lost to Dogwi.
Thanks to that, I couldn’t manipulate his psychology at all, and I stayed up all night without understanding his mind.
In the end, until dawn, neither my stake nor Dogwi’s changed much, and after announcing I’d place all my money as collateral in the gambling house and continue the duel the next day, I left the gambling den.
[Instinct Mastery 98.84%]
That was the result of last night. My mastery had increased by about 1.8% compared to yesterday. Considering I’d spent over three months just to improve my instincts, that growth was significant.
The problem was that what I wanted was the [Trait] that came from mastering all gambling techniques.
That trait was precisely the reason I risked my life to sneak out of the Outcast Inn to pull an all-nighter gambling.
“Ehh.”
Regardless of last night, by now, Yeo Il-ye must have completed her realization. No one knows what actions she will take from now on.
She might brush off the whole thing about me as a trivial matter and return to her base, or she might get furious over the fact that she gained life realizations from an outcast and make it her top priority to hunt me down.
So, heading to the gambling den tonight would be way more dangerous than yesterday.
But it can’t be helped. My only hill to lean on now is that trait, so I have no choice but to risk it.
While I thought that and downed the remaining broth…
I suddenly locked eyes with Yeo Il-ye as she entered the Outcast Inn.
“Yeo Il-ye! What are you doing here?!”
“You!”
Chachacha!
The Outcasts surrounded Yeo Il-ye, but she simply glanced at them before striding toward me. I reflexively drew my sword, but attacking a representative master of the Jeomchang Faction at the Outcast Inn would be one of the biggest deals ever.
Even if the entire will of the Outcasts was reflected, it would be difficult to attack her in a situation like this where something so sudden occurred without thinking.
Is this the effect of an ambush?
Before the confusion among the Outcasts could settle, before concrete actions were taken, Yeo Il-ye was already standing in front of me.
Of course, I was ready to flee at any moment, having already pulled my butt back.
“Honorable Person.”
…What?
While I was stunned, Yeo Il-ye bowed her head and saluted me.
“Thanks to the wisdom you imparted yesterday, this humble one has gained a great realization.”
This was completely unexpected.
There was a child whose family was slaughtered by the Outcasts in her childhood, who later joined the Jeomchang Faction through a connection. As you might guess, that child was Yeo Il-ye, and I already knew from the game that she became the Outcast Crusher because her family was destroyed by the Outcasts during her youth, so I never thought something like this would happen.
Given Yeo Il-ye’s background and personality, it seemed impossible that she would bow to an Outcast; if she were to die, she would bite her tongue instead. And yet, this was happening right in front of me, leaving me utterly speechless.
“When I heard the rumors of the Great Hero, I judged there was no one worthy to bow to an Outcast.”
Sure, I’d like to slice any Outcast I see, but I cleverly refrained from saying that. Yet Yeo Il-ye quietly shook her head.
“You are not an Outcast.”
It seems she’s under some spell. I slowly prepared to pull back even further. There are times when people can’t handle realizations and get caught in a mental confusion, and the way she was acting made it apparent she was not in her right mind.
“You are merely an honorable person.”
…Is this Yeo Il-ye’s form of psychological compromise? Anyway, I returned my butt to its original spot.
“This is an Honorable Person’s Gratitude Plaque. And, even though it might be shameless of me to say this, the Sect’s affairs are the Sect’s affairs. Could you please remain silent about what happened yesterday?”
“I understand.”
The fact that the Gwangyang Sect and Jeomchang Faction joined forces was pretty juicy intel, but it was just a pie in the sky. The Jeomchang Faction knew I had this information, so what if rumors spread about the relationship between the Gwangyang Sect and Jeomchang? They’d immediately figure out I was the one who spilled the beans.
Even without all that calculation, getting involved in such a big matter would affect my reputation in some way. I’d just be caught in the crossfire between a big sect and a minor sect.
There was no reason for me to speak up.
“Since the time and place are not favorable, please forgive me for retreating like this in front of an Honorable Person… I look forward to the day you visit our base.”
Yeo Il-ye respectfully took her leave.
“Stop.”
She was about to leave.
Yeo Il-ye clearly maintained a rational attitude toward me. Giving me the Gratitude Plaque was an official declaration of our relationship as honorable persons. So whatever demands I made, unless they were utterly unreasonable, she had publicly declared she would fulfill them.
She definitely came to the Outcast Inn maintaining a rational stance.
But what about all the grudges built up against the Outcasts till now?
It was hardly surprising to see people harboring those resentments in the Outcast Inn.
The three Outcasts blocking Yeo Il-ye’s path were exactly that kind of people.
If they attacked Yeo Il-ye, the disciple of the Jeomchang Faction, it would become a matter of justice in the Martial World. Even knowing that, these people were hardened with vengeance.
However, before they could even voice their grudges…
Swiik!
A beam of light sliced through the air.
Thud!
The Outcasts gasped in shock. The Outcast who was split in two could only drop his jaw in disbelief.
The radiant beam encasing the sword.
Sword Momentum!
Most of the Outcasts, including myself, witnessed Sword Momentum for the first time. It was completely different from just hearing about it; it enveloped me with an undeniable reality. Just like seeing a tiger in person versus seeing it in pictures—one is visceral and one is a mere image. I couldn’t take my eyes off that embodiment of destruction that resonated through my spine and shook my soul.
Yeo Il-ye was truly Yeo Il-ye.
If anyone dared to block her path again, it wouldn’t end well, and that was evident just from the aura she exuded.
“Don’t dirty my ears with your trifling resentments.”
The Outcasts gradually retreated from that formidable presence.
“Look at what you’re doing in the Sacheon Martial World. Did anyone force you to act like this? You’ve covered yourselves in blood and filth and dare to discuss honorable relations and allegiance!”
Yeo Il-ye’s roar was akin to a shockwave. The Outcast Inn trembled, causing dust from the beams to rain down.
“The only reason I maintain civility here today is for the sake of the Honorable Person. You filthy people, get lost.”
She strode forward unabashedly. The Outcasts drew their weapons, but they withdrew in confusion.
There was no one aiming for Yeo Il-ye’s back.
The radiant Sword Momentum was a secondary concern. The Peak Stage, in its own regard. The swirling momentum, colossal enough for everyone to feel, was something I could hardly imagine at my current level. It pressed down on me like deep waters, crushing my meager internal energy, erasing any notion of success from the minds of the Outcasts who managed to think of ambush.
Yeo Il-ye subtly exchanged a glance with me before vanishing.
And then…
All that remained were the stares of the Outcasts directed at me.
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