The Cheonma bypassed the perfectly fine entrance door and smashed through the wall right next to it.
Then, seeing us, he feigned surprise as if he didn’t expect to meet here.
“Long time no see, Cheonma.”
But instead of responding to my greeting, the Cheonma raised his right index finger, beginning to condense his magical power.
Soon after, Cheonma’s Death Beam was about to take off.
‘Seriously, do these idiots just shoot Death Beams instead of saying hello?’
[My friend! You must evade!]
But when I saw the predicted trajectory of the Death Beam, I panicked.
Because it wasn’t aimed at me.
It was aimed directly at Hyeji.
‘Why the hell is he shooting at Hyeji!’
[My friend! If Hyeji gets hit, a catastrophe will unfold!]
The other martial artists had long since hidden themselves away.
Even the receptionist had naturally slipped under the counter.
Without saying a word, her calm demeanor made it seem as natural as breathing.
However, my party didn’t notice any of this.
I quickly dashed in front of Hyeji, stepping into the path of the Death Beam.
“Don’t touch Hyeji!”
I rapidly circulated my magical power, condensing it in the palm of my right hand.
In response, heat shimmered from my palm.
I immediately thrust my arm forward.
– Pufurbung!!!
The condensed magical power in my palm clashed with the Death Beam, creating an explosion.
The resulting gust of wind was now wreaking havoc inside the guild.
As all sorts of odds and ends and paper flew around the guild, I glared at the Cheonma.
“You crazy bastard!!! This is dangerous!!!”
The Cheonma, perhaps not expecting such a situation, slowly lowered his hand with a dazed expression.
Looks like he miscalibrated his aim.
Before the Cheonma could say anything, Hyeji started speaking to me.
“Shinwoo! Were you worried about me? Thank you so much!”
“Looks like you didn’t get hit. Thank goodness.”
“I’m fine! It’s not like I’d die from being hit by something like that!”
Hyeji looked at me with slightly teary eyes, as if touched.
I grabbed her shoulders and sighed in relief.
“If you got hit, Cheonma would be in danger.”
[That was a close one.]
‘A guild could have been wiped out.’
Touching a non-standard existence in neutral status?
If someone dies because of that, we usually call it a natural death.
At that moment, someone suddenly grabbed my hands with both of theirs.
It was none other than the Cheonma.
“Shinwoo! Thank you so much! That was close!”
“Please be careful next time. I just saved you today, right?”
“Thank you! Really, thank you! I won’t forget this favor.”
The Cheonma kept bowing his head and thanking me repeatedly.
Anyway, thank goodness.
No war broke out, and the Cheonma didn’t meet a natural end.
In that moment, a chilling aura began to creep into our friendly atmosphere.
As the Cheonma and I turned toward the source of the killing intent, there was Hyeji, staring at us.
Fully armed.
Hyeji’s face was devoid of any of the earlier emotions.
Instead, a spine-chilling smile had taken over.
“……You two finished what you wanted to say?”
“Hyeji! I’m really sorry! I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again!”
“Hyeji, the Cheonma is apologizing like this, so please forgive him just this once.”
“Your last words shall end here.”
Before we knew it, a multitude of Gatling guns manifested by Hyeji were aimed at us.
At the same time, Hyeji aimed a machine gun at our direction.
The mechanical sounds of click resonated ominously today.
“Dinner will be eaten in hell.”
That phrase acted as a signal, leading to a spectacular eruption of colorful fireworks from all the guns.
The resulting force created a typhoon.
One that dwarfed the gusts Cheonma and I had created earlier.
*
Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries from Hyeji’s attack.
The others had already fled, and Jeong Ahyeon had quietly stayed behind Hyeji without causing any trouble.
As for me, thanks to the “Cheonma Shield,” I could minimize the damage.
“Are you out of your mind using the Cheonma as a shield?!”
“It doesn’t matter as long as we both didn’t die.”
“I almost died, you know!!”
[My friend, what would you have done if you truly died?]
‘Since this is a comedy genre, major characters don’t die.’
Currently, the others were busy repairing the interior of the guild.
There were no human casualties, but the property damage was severe.
Bullets ricocheted off the Cheonma Shield, leaving scars everywhere.
The martial artists inside the guild naturally began to repair the damages.
It was clear they weren’t noobs at this.
I heard the Cheonma breaks walls every time he enters the guild.
Thus, knowing how to repair walls was a basic requirement for joining this guild.
However, Cheonma and I were excluded from the repair work.
Because.
“Hands up, you little shits.”
“We’re sorry.”
“Apologies…”
We were on our knees in a corner of the guild with both hands raised.
And in front of us, Hyeji glared at us with her eyes wide open.
The reason we were being punished was for property damage within the guild.
‘…If we think about it, the property damage was caused by Hyeji.
[If you’re confident, speak it aloud. I’ll make sure Kim Shinwoo becomes Kim/Shin/Woo.]
“Hyeji.”
“Say it.”
“Even so, the property damage was caused by you, so it’s strange that I’m getting punished, right?”
“Did you blab about it?”
Hyeji aimed the gun at me.
“- That’s what the Cheonma said, right?”
“No! When did I—”
– Tatata!!
And Hyeji’s gun was once again aimed at the Cheonma.
Before Cheonma could argue, Hyeji had already pulled the trigger.
With the rifle pressed against Cheonma’s left thigh.
Cheonma groaned and glared at me with resentful eyes.
“This bastard is real!”
“Whoops! Hands up!”
Fearing that he might accidentally lower his hands, the Cheonma raised them upright again.
At the same time, a small change appeared in his eyes.
From resentment to hatred.
In that moment, a number appeared above the Cheonma’s head.
Then, the Cheonma forced a serious expression and turned his gaze towards Hyeji, starting to speak.
“Hyeji, last time Shinwoo said your chest couldn’t be remedied even with special healing.”
“You little bastard! I never said that!”
“Shinwoo, tell me. Do you think it would be impossible even with special healing?”
Hyeji’s dead eyes started piercing through me sharply.
Saying the wrong thing here would mean death.
I needed to speak carefully to survive.
“Hyeji, special healing means adding drainage to your current chest, right?”
“Go on.”
“You’re good at math. What’s zero multiplied by two?”
“Zero.”
“……I’m sorry.”
– Bang! Bang!
Hyeji calmly shot each of my thighs with precision.
As a result, blood gushed out, and I could no longer maintain my stance.
[My friend, are you okay?]
‘At least I won’t have to stand in punishment now. That’s a win for me.’
Suddenly, the receptionist rushed over and began pouring potions onto my wound.
The holes made by the bullets closed up rapidly.
Leaving behind only a slight scar.
“…What the hell, f*ck.”
“The punishment isn’t over yet~.”
As I watched my wounds completely heal, the receptionist grinned and returned to the front desk.
Just as I was about to shoot her a disapproving glance, Hyeji tapped the ground with her rifle, suggesting it was time to quickly finish the punishment.
“Eyes, back to position.”
“Yes.”
While Hyeji turned her eyes elsewhere for a moment.
Jeong Ahyeon, who had been helping with the repairs, cautiously approached me.
She seemed to have brought a snack, given the black bag she was holding.
“Master Kim Shinwoo. Are you alright?”
“I’m a bit tired, but I can manage.”
“Is that so? Then please close your eyes and wait for a moment.”
‘At least you’re the only one looking out for me.’
[Add one loyalty point for Jeong Ahyeon.]
With great anticipation, I closed my eyes and waited as I heard the sound of her rummaging through the plastic bag.
Soon, I felt an overwhelming heaviness resting on my thigh.
Curious about what kind of snack it was, I opened my eyes.
“Um, it’s done.”
“…….What the hell is this?”
“It was sent by a guest over there.”
It was a piece of rebar, partially cut.
Jeong Ahyeon was munching something delicious, pointing toward the center of the guild with her hand.
What I saw there was a skinny old man in a martial arts uniform.
However, his uniform seemed more luxurious compared to others, and people passing by were bowing to him.
“The guild master asked to place this on the master’s knee.”
“Why would I listen to someone whose life is about to end?”
“The apprentice should have shown more respect, but instead, two disasters are being brought in, making everything awkward!!!!!!”
Jeong Ahyeon expressed her anger by slamming her hands down on the rebar resting on my thigh.
Of course, it hurt.
“F*ck, that hurts, stop it.”
[They say pain is youth.]
‘If it hurts, you’re a sick person, you bastard.’
I pointed my chin at the plastic bag and asked.
“What’s the plastic bag for? Not a snack?”
“That’s right. However, that’s for me to eat.”
“What about mine?”
“Why should I feed you a snack when you’re not even cute to the master!!!”
[……Is this really a heroine?]
‘What loyalty! I want to throw her in a hospital room, you little sh*t.’
And Jeong Ahyeon turned around and walked away from me.
Of course, after hitting me with the rebar a few more times.
Chuckling, the Cheonma watched me suffer.
Though the problem was that his laughter was too loud.
Only after he drew Hyeji’s ire and got shot in the thigh three times did the Cheonma finally keep quiet.
And thus, our punishment continued until the repairs of the guild’s interior were completed.
