[Dawn Department Store (3)]
It happened without any foreshadowing.
As if it had been there all along.
When I look up, mana was everywhere.
«What the…, what happened?»
Julieta, who had been excitedly picking out clothes just a moment ago, spoke up in a very serious voice.
A red dress with a soft fabric and a green dress with a rough texture.
She dropped the clothes she was holding to the floor.
«Unnie Julieta, what…, is mana omnipresent?»
Euna tensed when she heard the scream from far away, but she calmly deployed her mana detection network.
Her detection network was sloppy. Even though she had memorized the principle of a detection network, she still lacked the experience and understanding to design it in the way she knew.
But even if it was sloppy, it didn’t mean she couldn’t catch the monsters as they ran around openly exposing their mana.
«…Six.»
Six monsters on the fifth floor alone.
None of them were close.
I thought there were none.
«─Ah!!!»
One of them suddenly started to run.
It had caught her with the detection net.
It was the first time she had ever deployed a detection net against a monster.
Not expecting to be tracked back, Euna panicked and didn’t know what to do.
«It’s okay.»
If it wasn’t for Julieta’s reassurance, Euna might have been caught in the middle of a monster that was closing the distance.
«Run!»
Julieta shouted, and Euna drew on her reserves of mana. She was used to raising her mana to activate every part of her body.
Julieta followed, matching her pace and moving her hands.
Her hands clenched and unclenched, unfurling the sensing net.
The ripples of mana spread out, interrupted only by a few.
She clicked her tongue as the number of monsters in pursuit increased.
«Unnie, there’s an escalator over there!»
«Euna, you can’t go that way.»
Euna pointed to the escalator going down to the fourth floor.
Glancing at the crowded escalator, Julieta shook her head.
That was wrong.
The omnipresence around them was being created by the mana they shed as their emotional lines became unstable.
And the monsters had picked up the scent and were gathering downstairs.
No wonder there was going to be a monster massacre.
She decided to find another way out.
«Uh-!?»
«No! Euna, get back!»
A Hound boldly jumped down from the upper floors.
Euna, who was only looking out for the fifth floor, didn’t expect a monster to fall on her head.
Still, she thought the monster in front of her wasn’t as scary as she thought.
In fact, she even thought it looked weak.
In retrospect, it was nothing compared to the Kraken two years ago, which had left her feeling helpless and afraid of death.
«One, two!»
«Euna!»
Euna did not back away as Julieta shouted.
She could do it. It didn’t seem like she couldn’t.
Leaping higher than the charging hound, she stomped on its head and propelled herself forward.
She felt the cushion as she fell.
Unaccustomed to falling, she released mana into the soles of her feet to cushion the impact.
«You scared the crap out of me, Euna, are you hurt?»
«Hehe. Sorry, Unnie.»
She’s better than I thought.
Julieta thought as she watched Euna run away from the monster.
Out of respect for her, she thought she could push herself a little harder.
The problem is, once a hound has a shot, it stalks its prey until it dies.
The one she’d missed in front of her, the one she hadn’t realized she’d missed, was chasing after her.
«…Annoying.»
Julieta, even if she excelled at controlling her mana, she didn’t have the power to destroy monsters without a player device.
Compared to Bruno, she was just an ordinary player.
That didn’t mean she was going to be chased down by the growing numbers.
«If you can’t kill them, throw them away!»
It was a simple solution.
Luckily, there was a weapon right in front of her.
Julieta leaped the remaining distance and tugged on the arm of the mannequin in front of the store.
To her surprise, the mannequin didn’t fall off and followed her.
But with her mana enhancing her physical abilities, she managed to lift it up without losing her balance and tipping over.
Then she braked sharply with her heels. She spun around and lunged at the hound that was chasing her.
Thud?
The hound was dumbfounded by Julieta’s change of direction.
He was going to eat her, and she was going to eat him.
As he was salivating at the thought of chewing on her immaculate flesh─.
«─Go to hell!»
Julieta slapped the mannequin.
The body rose into the air.
Only the mannequin’s arm remained in her hand.
Huh?
Unable to comprehend what had happened in front of him, the hound looked at her and fell back downstairs.
«Phew.»
«Wow, unnie!»
Euna watched as Julieta swung at a nearby mannequin, sending the hound flying.
It was like hitting a home run, and she felt her heart explode in her chest.
«Woo-hoo, you’re always so good!»
Now there was time for small talk.
The two were more relaxed than before.
They hadn’t realized that it had caught them off guard.
«─Oh~ Isn’t this a beautiful lady?»
«Wow, a foreigner. Is this for real?»
A woman is being dragged by a man who has unbuttoned her shirt and is wearing a piece of cloth that has been cut with a knife.
Another man wore a red beanie, and when he saw Euna, he stuck out his long, snake-like tongue.
«Even a little girl…, she’s quite pretty.»
«You crazy bastard, that’s a crime.»
«Why. I say she’s pretty because she’s pretty. You deserve to be thanked for it, don’t you think, kid?»
Something flashed in their eyes.
It was a light-hearted remark, but it contained a nuance that could not be taken lightly.
«Euna, come here.»
«Unnie….»
Euna avoided the men’s stares and clung to Julieta.
She was uncomfortable with their unexpected appearance.
She felt as if something was groping her from head to toe.
It was impossible for Julieta not to recognize the emotion in the men’s eyes.
Even if they weren’t, they had a strange air about them.
Hiding Euna behind her back, she steadied her mana so that she could move at a moment’s notice.
«And who are you?»
They were players, and they, too, were wary of her, building up their mana.
But she couldn’t understand why the men were leisurely strolling through the department store, not hunting the monsters that haunted it.
Or why they were dragging their fellow players around in such a miserable state.
In her eyes, they were nothing more than trash, not real players.
«Oh, this?»
Sensing her gaze, the man pointed to the woman he was dragging.
«This is the player who was guarding this department store.»
«…But why….»
For what reason?
She tried to get the last word out.
The man in the beanie chuckled with his hands in his pockets.
«Why, because she tried to interfere with our work, so we punished her.»
«I did it in a fit of anger… But there won’t be any serious consequences, right?»
The man with the woman looked uneasy.
The man in the beanie shot him an incredulous glance, then looked down at the squirming woman and snorted.
«Alright, I messed up. I messed up. I messed up. Please forgive me…»
«Is it because this bitch has connections with Silla? If she becomes a problem… just kill her, right? What’s the big deal?» (1)
The man in the beanie pulled a folding knife out of his pocket.
The face of the female player, who was begging for forgiveness with unfocused eyes, came alive.
Realizing what was about to happen, she clung to the man’s leg, not caring that the piece of fabric she was wearing was falling off.
«I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll tell you everything I know, I’m begging you, please, please let me live…ple-….»
«You’ve caused enough trouble, you bitch. So who’s backing you up? Huh? Just die gracefully. Why do things like this among players?»
«Save me… please…»
«Damn, she’s stubborn.»
The man with the beanie angrily looked down at the woman who was collapsing while he held her by the collar.
He stomped his foot to shake her off, then kicked her again and again in the side as she gasped for air and coughed up blood.
«Unnie….»
«…Don’t look.»
The woman’s breathing had been broken for some time.
Euna called out to Julieta, who was watching her death with a frown.
Only then did Julieta realize that Euna had been watching.
It was a cruel sight for a child to see.
Julieta realized her mistake in hindsight.
Luckily, Euna, though tense, didn’t seem to lose her cool.
«Oh? Surprisingly, you’re not scared. Looks like you’re stronger than you appear?»
«Ohhh, strong sister~! Girl Crush!»
Strong?
Julieta couldn’t believe it.
Perhaps the men thought that showing a scene of killing would frighten her, but to her, it was a scene that had been part of her daily life.
In Sicily, the smell of blood never went away.
«Hey. But shouldn’t we get out of here?»
«You were the one who said we should enjoy it a little longer.»
«Yeah, but the Silla guys will be here soon, and we need to get out of the way before then.»
«Before that-«
The beanie-wearing man looked at Julieta and cleared his throat.
«─Don’t you want to taste what a foreigner tastes like?»
The corners of his mouth tilted up as he took in the sight of her in her green dress.
Her sweaty, exposed body was very sensual.
Going in where there’s a way to go in, coming out where there’s a way to come out, her body.
How smooth would it be?
What sound would it make?
Just imagining it made his pants feel tight.
«…Merda.» (2)
Julieta glared at the man with disdain.
She had been anticipating the possibility of this happening ever since they met.
«Euna, where should you hide? After it’s over, I’ll come find you.»
She was well aware of her own abilities. It was a challenge for her to face even one of them, let alone two.
Moreover, she had no room to fight while protecting Euna.
That’s why she planned to send Euna away and face the two players. She thought she could manage to escape if she found the right opportunity.
«I don’t want to! I want to stay together too!»
But Euna insisted stubbornly.
She didn’t think of herself as someone who could look down on those men. She knew what Julietta was worried about, but she didn’t think she would be a hindrance.
Above all, she didn’t want to run away.
Two years ago, since the day Euna bravely confronted the Kraken, she didn’t want to passively watch and be protected by someone else.
«Unnie! I can do it too! Don’t worry!»
Euna believed in herself. She had received training from Eunha for several years and believed she could face the players.
Didn’t she just shake off the monsters a while ago?
«…No. It’s too dangerous.»
Julietta shook her head.
Players and monsters are different. There were times when humans could be scarier than monsters.
It was too risky to leave Euna here.
«Wait. Stop.»
At that moment, the man wearing a beanie interrupted.
Notes!
(1) Silla (clan): was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. It achieved the unification of the Korean Peninsula in 676 CE, establishing the Unified Silla Kingdom. Silla was known for its strong centralized government, cultural achievements, and artistic prowess in pottery and metalwork. The kingdom’s influence shaped Korean history and laid the foundation for future dynasties. But its translation also could be just ‘Sinra Clan’. This solely depends on the author’s intentions but I’ll keep it with Silla for the meaningful meaning behind it.
(2) Merda: is an Italian word that translates to «shit» or «crap» in English.
E/N: Merda. Translating those thoughts was UGH. But I think we should get used to it, compared to the manhwa, the novel is way more explicit on the dark side of the player world.
[Dawn Department Store (3)]
It happened without any foreshadowing.
As if it had been there all along.
When I look up, mana was everywhere.
«What the…, what happened?»
Julieta, who had been excitedly picking out clothes just a moment ago, spoke up in a very serious voice.
A red dress with a soft fabric and a green dress with a rough texture.
She dropped the clothes she was holding to the floor.
«Unnie Julieta, what…, is mana omnipresent?»
Euna tensed when she heard the scream from far away, but she calmly deployed her mana detection network.
Her detection network was sloppy. Even though she had memorized the principle of a detection network, she still lacked the experience and understanding to design it in the way she knew.
But even if it was sloppy, it didn’t mean she couldn’t catch the monsters as they ran around openly exposing their mana.
«…Six.»
Six monsters on the fifth floor alone.
None of them were close.
I thought there were none.
«─Ah!!!»
One of them suddenly started to run.
It had caught her with the detection net.
It was the first time she had ever deployed a detection net against a monster.
Not expecting to be tracked back, Euna panicked and didn’t know what to do.
«It’s okay.»
If it wasn’t for Julieta’s reassurance, Euna might have been caught in the middle of a monster that was closing the distance.
«Run!»
Julieta shouted, and Euna drew on her reserves of mana. She was used to raising her mana to activate every part of her body.
Julieta followed, matching her pace and moving her hands.
Her hands clenched and unclenched, unfurling the sensing net.
The ripples of mana spread out, interrupted only by a few.
She clicked her tongue as the number of monsters in pursuit increased.
«Unnie, there’s an escalator over there!»
«Euna, you can’t go that way.»
Euna pointed to the escalator going down to the fourth floor.
Glancing at the crowded escalator, Julieta shook her head.
That was wrong.
The omnipresence around them was being created by the mana they shed as their emotional lines became unstable.
And the monsters had picked up the scent and were gathering downstairs.
No wonder there was going to be a monster massacre.
She decided to find another way out.
«Uh-!?»
«No! Euna, get back!»
A Hound boldly jumped down from the upper floors.
Euna, who was only looking out for the fifth floor, didn’t expect a monster to fall on her head.
Still, she thought the monster in front of her wasn’t as scary as she thought.
In fact, she even thought it looked weak.
In retrospect, it was nothing compared to the Kraken two years ago, which had left her feeling helpless and afraid of death.
«One, two!»
«Euna!»
Euna did not back away as Julieta shouted.
She could do it. It didn’t seem like she couldn’t.
Leaping higher than the charging hound, she stomped on its head and propelled herself forward.
She felt the cushion as she fell.
Unaccustomed to falling, she released mana into the soles of her feet to cushion the impact.
«You scared the crap out of me, Euna, are you hurt?»
«Hehe. Sorry, Unnie.»
She’s better than I thought.
Julieta thought as she watched Euna run away from the monster.
Out of respect for her, she thought she could push herself a little harder.
The problem is, once a hound has a shot, it stalks its prey until it dies.
The one she’d missed in front of her, the one she hadn’t realized she’d missed, was chasing after her.
«…Annoying.»
Julieta, even if she excelled at controlling her mana, she didn’t have the power to destroy monsters without a player device.
Compared to Bruno, she was just an ordinary player.
That didn’t mean she was going to be chased down by the growing numbers.
«If you can’t kill them, throw them away!»
It was a simple solution.
Luckily, there was a weapon right in front of her.
Julieta leaped the remaining distance and tugged on the arm of the mannequin in front of the store.
To her surprise, the mannequin didn’t fall off and followed her.
But with her mana enhancing her physical abilities, she managed to lift it up without losing her balance and tipping over.
Then she braked sharply with her heels. She spun around and lunged at the hound that was chasing her.
Thud?
The hound was dumbfounded by Julieta’s change of direction.
He was going to eat her, and she was going to eat him.
As he was salivating at the thought of chewing on her immaculate flesh─.
«─Go to hell!»
Julieta slapped the mannequin.
The body rose into the air.
Only the mannequin’s arm remained in her hand.
Huh?
Unable to comprehend what had happened in front of him, the hound looked at her and fell back downstairs.
«Phew.»
«Wow, unnie!»
Euna watched as Julieta swung at a nearby mannequin, sending the hound flying.
It was like hitting a home run, and she felt her heart explode in her chest.
«Woo-hoo, you’re always so good!»
Now there was time for small talk.
The two were more relaxed than before.
They hadn’t realized that it had caught them off guard.
«─Oh~ Isn’t this a beautiful lady?»
«Wow, a foreigner. Is this for real?»
A woman is being dragged by a man who has unbuttoned her shirt and is wearing a piece of cloth that has been cut with a knife.
Another man wore a red beanie, and when he saw Euna, he stuck out his long, snake-like tongue.
«Even a little girl…, she’s quite pretty.»
«You crazy bastard, that’s a crime.»
«Why. I say she’s pretty because she’s pretty. You deserve to be thanked for it, don’t you think, kid?»
Something flashed in their eyes.
It was a light-hearted remark, but it contained a nuance that could not be taken lightly.
«Euna, come here.»
«Unnie….»
Euna avoided the men’s stares and clung to Julieta.
She was uncomfortable with their unexpected appearance.
She felt as if something was groping her from head to toe.
It was impossible for Julieta not to recognize the emotion in the men’s eyes.
Even if they weren’t, they had a strange air about them.
Hiding Euna behind her back, she steadied her mana so that she could move at a moment’s notice.
«And who are you?»
They were players, and they, too, were wary of her, building up their mana.
But she couldn’t understand why the men were leisurely strolling through the department store, not hunting the monsters that haunted it.
Or why they were dragging their fellow players around in such a miserable state.
In her eyes, they were nothing more than trash, not real players.
«Oh, this?»
Sensing her gaze, the man pointed to the woman he was dragging.
«This is the player who was guarding this department store.»
«…But why….»
For what reason?
She tried to get the last word out.
The man in the beanie chuckled with his hands in his pockets.
«Why, because she tried to interfere with our work, so we punished her.»
«I did it in a fit of anger… But there won’t be any serious consequences, right?»
The man with the woman looked uneasy.
The man in the beanie shot him an incredulous glance, then looked down at the squirming woman and snorted.
«Alright, I messed up. I messed up. I messed up. Please forgive me…»
«Is it because this bitch has connections with Silla? If she becomes a problem… just kill her, right? What’s the big deal?» (1)
The man in the beanie pulled a folding knife out of his pocket.
The face of the female player, who was begging for forgiveness with unfocused eyes, came alive.
Realizing what was about to happen, she clung to the man’s leg, not caring that the piece of fabric she was wearing was falling off.
«I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll tell you everything I know, I’m begging you, please, please let me live…ple-….»
«You’ve caused enough trouble, you bitch. So who’s backing you up? Huh? Just die gracefully. Why do things like this among players?»
«Save me… please…»
«Damn, she’s stubborn.»
The man with the beanie angrily looked down at the woman who was collapsing while he held her by the collar.
He stomped his foot to shake her off, then kicked her again and again in the side as she gasped for air and coughed up blood.
«Unnie….»
«…Don’t look.»
The woman’s breathing had been broken for some time.
Euna called out to Julieta, who was watching her death with a frown.
Only then did Julieta realize that Euna had been watching.
It was a cruel sight for a child to see.
Julieta realized her mistake in hindsight.
Luckily, Euna, though tense, didn’t seem to lose her cool.
«Oh? Surprisingly, you’re not scared. Looks like you’re stronger than you appear?»
«Ohhh, strong sister~! Girl Crush!»
Strong?
Julieta couldn’t believe it.
Perhaps the men thought that showing a scene of killing would frighten her, but to her, it was a scene that had been part of her daily life.
In Sicily, the smell of blood never went away.
«Hey. But shouldn’t we get out of here?»
«You were the one who said we should enjoy it a little longer.»
«Yeah, but the Silla guys will be here soon, and we need to get out of the way before then.»
«Before that-«
The beanie-wearing man looked at Julieta and cleared his throat.
«─Don’t you want to taste what a foreigner tastes like?»
The corners of his mouth tilted up as he took in the sight of her in her green dress.
Her sweaty, exposed body was very sensual.
Going in where there’s a way to go in, coming out where there’s a way to come out, her body.
How smooth would it be?
What sound would it make?
Just imagining it made his pants feel tight.
«…Merda.» (2)
Julieta glared at the man with disdain.
She had been anticipating the possibility of this happening ever since they met.
«Euna, where should you hide? After it’s over, I’ll come find you.»
She was well aware of her own abilities. It was a challenge for her to face even one of them, let alone two.
Moreover, she had no room to fight while protecting Euna.
That’s why she planned to send Euna away and face the two players. She thought she could manage to escape if she found the right opportunity.
«I don’t want to! I want to stay together too!»
But Euna insisted stubbornly.
She didn’t think of herself as someone who could look down on those men. She knew what Julietta was worried about, but she didn’t think she would be a hindrance.
Above all, she didn’t want to run away.
Two years ago, since the day Euna bravely confronted the Kraken, she didn’t want to passively watch and be protected by someone else.
«Unnie! I can do it too! Don’t worry!»
Euna believed in herself. She had received training from Eunha for several years and believed she could face the players.
Didn’t she just shake off the monsters a while ago?
«…No. It’s too dangerous.»
Julietta shook her head.
Players and monsters are different. There were times when humans could be scarier than monsters.
It was too risky to leave Euna here.
«Wait. Stop.»
At that moment, the man wearing a beanie interrupted.
Notes!
(1) Silla (clan): was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. It achieved the unification of the Korean Peninsula in 676 CE, establishing the Unified Silla Kingdom. Silla was known for its strong centralized government, cultural achievements, and artistic prowess in pottery and metalwork. The kingdom’s influence shaped Korean history and laid the foundation for future dynasties. But its translation also could be just ‘Sinra Clan’. This solely depends on the author’s intentions but I’ll keep it with Silla for the meaningful meaning behind it.
(2) Merda: is an Italian word that translates to «shit» or «crap» in English.
E/N: Merda. Translating those thoughts was UGH. But I think we should get used to it, compared to the manhwa, the novel is way more explicit on the dark side of the player world.
