Chapter 81 – LV.Ten Paladin William – [Five]

“What the fuck…”

As Park Taeyang fumed, having been ignored several times, Oh Haengbok suddenly asked,

“My Spirit is 1 point lower than hers. You’re not saying that for my benefit, are you?”

Kim Rayeon immediately shook her head.

“Of course not. She’s a Priest, so she can’t afford to have low Spirit, but you’re not a Priest, right? Her low Spirit makes her a failure as a Priest, but you’re still a top-tier Warrior.”

“Really? Well, in that case…”

Was it because he was lenient toward pretty girls? Oh Haengbok chuckled for some reason, while Park Taeyang looked like he was about to explode, upset that his own adoptive father wasn’t taking his side.

In the end, Kim Rayeon only apologized after Seong Juri couldn’t take it anymore and snapped at her.

“Cut it out, you bitch!”

And Kim Rayeon nodded.

“Maybe you’re right. Sorry, Park Taeyang.”

She listened to Seong Juri right away. Why was that? It couldn’t be because of Level—both Kim Rayeon and Seong Juri were Level 4.

‘Judging by how she keeps going on about Ability Scores…’

Seo Yun guessed that Seong Juri was being respected because her Race had changed to Dwarf, putting her Ability Scores relatively high. Conversely, Park Taeyang and Jeon Sangguk were being ignored because their Ability Scores were among the lowest among the Players.

So, in Kim Rayeon’s mind, people were classified into S-rank, A-rank, B-rank, C-rank, etc., based on their Ability Scores, and treated accordingly.

Considering this was reality, it was nothing short of the behavior of a lunatic. Treating real people like game characters with clear performance differences.

“Rayeon, we’re going to be fighting for our lives together from now on. If something bothers you, talk to me first…”

“I will.”

In this situation, Kim Ak, as the leader, tried to admonish Kim Rayeon, but she only gave a perfunctory reply. It was likely that in Kim Rayeon’s mind, Kim Ak was classified as an ambiguous character between B-rank and C-rank—not entirely ignored, but not respected either.

And Kim Ak found it difficult to get angry because this was supposed to be a celebration. He seemed to struggle with whether or not to lose his temper before finally approaching with a resigned expression, almost as if he were complaining.

“Seo Yun, I really miss you…”

“Hang in there.”

As Seo Yun comforted him and poured him some makgeolli, Kim Ak took a sip.

Only then did Kim Ak calm down a little and mutter,

“With you gone, someone like that had to join. It’s driving me crazy. Seo Yun, won’t you come back to our Party…?”

“No! Why are you trying to steal our Priest?”

Gaeulbi shouted from beside them, and Kim Ak blinked before laughing awkwardly.

“Just kidding. We can’t even hunt together anymore because of the Level difference, right? By the way, when did you get to be more than twice my Level? The Angel Race should have an Experience Points penalty, so how did this happen… I’ve been through a lot, but you…”

Seo Yun nodded with a solemn expression.

“That’s how it turned out. From now on, you should respectfully call me Senior Seo Yun, former Team Leader.”

Perhaps the alcohol was starting to take effect, as Kim Ak giggled.

“Now she’s even joking? Honestly, she wasn’t like this when she was in our Party.”

Seo Yun thought to herself: It’s not a joke.

“What was Seo Yun like when she was in your Party, Mister?”

At Gaeulbi’s question, Kim Ak replied,

“Hmm, I owe her a lot. Even though I couldn’t act my age and was flustered, I could feel Seo Yun quietly covering for me. I was amazed that someone so young could be so mature…”

Beside them, Han Siwoo muttered,

“She acts incredibly childish all the time.”

As Seo Yun glared at him, Kim Ak giggled again.

“That’s actually a good thing. It means she feels comfortable enough to act that way with you. Honestly, even from a distance, you two look like you’re having a great time together… Well, as your former Party Leader, I have a request for both of you: take good care of Seo Yun, okay?”

Just as he said that and was about to return to his seat, Kim Rayeon looked at him. Despite having ignored him until now, she suddenly spoke up.

“You were just talking about Seo Yun, right? About when she was in this Party.”

“Huh? Yeah.”

“Can you tell me more about her?”

As Kim Ak was taken aback, Seo Yun was also bewildered. Why on earth was that girl so interested in her? It was so absurd that she couldn’t help but think:

‘Does she like me? Has this appearance finally charmed even girls?’

In the end, after the Party disbanded, Seo Yun was worried that Kim Rayeon might latch onto her again. As she hurried back to her tent, Oh Haengun appeared.

From behind, Oh Haengun’s voice called out.

“Park Taeyang? Come here for a moment. I have something for you to do.”

Evening had arrived. In the old days, it would have been time to watch TV, but not anymore. Since it was already dark, the villagers had to retreat to their tents.

But today, for some reason, there was a commotion coming from one area. Wondering what was going on, Seo Yun headed in that direction.

Finding the source of the commotion wasn’t difficult at all. Above the noisy spot, the Sun Priest’s Spell, Small Sun, was floating, illuminating the surroundings.

Under the Small Sun, a crowd had gathered. They seemed to be surrounding something and watching.

As Seo Yun approached, she was shocked.

“William?”

Under the bright, hot light, William was trapped in an iron cage. He was crouched down, wearing tattered clothes, with his head bowed deeply. In front of the iron cage, a sign read:

‘NPC. Do not feed.’

‘May bite. Do not put hands inside the cage.’

What on earth was this? Seo Yun’s eyes widened as she demanded an explanation from the people around her.

One of the aunties watching William spoke up.

“The Chief ordered this.”

“Uncle Haengun? Why?”

“Who knows? Well, since he’s an NPC created by the Meteorite and not a real person, I came out of curiosity to take a look…”

Seo Yun immediately went to find Oh Haengun. He explained,

“It’s to humiliate him. That way, he’ll break down mentally and become more obedient.”

Seo Yun was speechless.

“Wait, didn’t you say he hasn’t eaten for days?”

“That’s right.”

“But in a situation where everyone’s watching, he can’t eat or drink anything. You’re starving him to death before you even get to humiliate him mentally.”Seo Yun readily accepted Oh Haengun’s claim.

“Yeah, I did have some personal ill will.”

“Then can we send him back to the original prison right away?”

“Do as you wish. Hmm… Come to think of it, the good cop bad cop strategy might work well. I’ll play the bad cop, so Seo Yun, can you be the good cop? While I give him a hard time, you can treat him well and try to win him over.”

“Do we really need to win him over?”

“Yes. There’s information we need to get from him.”

Taking the opportunity, Oh Haengun asked Seo Yun, as the good cop, to bring food to that NPC, and Seo Yun agreed.

She went to the earlier location and spoke to the people watching the NPC.

“Everyone, disperse.”

To those who hesitated and didn’t leave immediately, she threatened them like this:

“Hurry up and disperse! If I become a Goddess, I’ll send you all straight to Hell.”

After everyone finally retreated, Seo Yun cast a spell on William in front of the iron bars. A Weakening Spell. It was a spell with such a low success rate that it only took effect on the third attempt.

“Come out.”

Supporting the weakened William, she took him to the prison. After placing William inside the dim brick building, he collapsed weakly.

Even by the time Seo Yun returned, the NPC was still lying there like that. Holding out the porridge she had brought, she untied the restraints on his wrists and said:

“You said you haven’t eaten for days. Eat.”

When William didn’t eat, Seo Yun continued:

“You need strength to escape or do anything else, don’t you?”

Only then did William look this way.

“Do you intend to help me escape?”

“No.”

“Then, I won’t eat.”

Seo Yun kept urging him to eat, but William refused to the end. If she wasn’t going to free him, she should just leave him to starve to death.

And Seo Yun felt uneasy about leaving him like that. After all, wasn’t he in this state because he tried to save her? Whether that attempt was appreciated or not, she felt a sense of responsibility.

“I said eat.”

“Take it away. Who would eat food given by a Vampire village…”

From those words, Seo Yun sensed wounded pride. And she thought:

It seems he’s being stubborn not because he really doesn’t want to eat, but because he doesn’t want to submit. In that case, consideration would be needed to make him eat.

Seo Yun turned on her Spiritual Switch.

At that moment, a red light appeared in the dark prison, illuminating the surroundings. Reacting to the sudden light, William looked this way.

With her Halo activated, Seo Yun chanted a Mind Control Spell loudly enough for him to hear, then declared:

“The Angel commands you, eat now. Human.”

And the spell’s effect enveloped William’s body. With a dazed expression, William looked at the food, picked up the spoon, and began to eat.

William put down the spoon just as the Halo’s duration ended and the light vanished. Along with it, the power of the Mind Control Spell seemed to weaken. Seeming confused by the situation, William alternately glanced at the porridge and Seo Yun.

Seo Yun said:

“Keep eating. I’ll report that I forced you to eat using Mind Control when I go back.”

It was consideration to protect that Paladin’s pride. Creating a situation where he was forced to eat, rather than succumbing to hunger and eating.

Eventually, William, as if gauging her reaction, moved the spoon again.

He must have been terribly hungry, of course. It seemed like he was eating now that he had a reason to.

‘This is really…’

Seo Yun felt anew that this NPC was human-like. Wasn’t the petty psychology of humans well implemented?

Perhaps Meteorite might have created this NPC by tinkering with the memories and bodies of real humans.

So maybe he was originally a real person.

Of course, that fact wouldn’t be a reason for the villagers to treat this NPC differently. Isn’t this a world where even the human rights of real humans are hard to properly protect? Arguing to protect the rights of an NPC whose humanity is ambiguous in this situation would be considered on par with arguing to feed stray cats while people are starving to death.

On the other hand, after finishing the meal, William seemed to have noticed her consideration. He muttered softly in a barely audible voice:

“Thank you.”

“Thank you, my foot.”

Seo Yun cleared the dishes and subtly asked:

“But Oh Haengun, I mean, that Mage Mister. He said there’s information he needs to find out from you, William.”

“He asked what should be done to help the Vampire who’s the leader of this village.”

“Why didn’t you answer properly? Is it some Paladin secret or something?”

At that question, William sighed.

“I was quite dismissive then, but what I said is true. That Orc Vampire must die.”

“Why? Because Vampires must be killed unconditionally? Let me say again, I don’t agree with that. That’s Sun God doctrine, not Hearth Goddess doctrine, right?”

When Seo Yun said that according to her setting, William explained:

“Actually, there’s a more practical reason than that.”

“What practical reason could there be to kill the leader just because he’s a Vampire?”

“That Orc said he became a Vampire while fighting a Centaur Vampire, right? If that’s not a lie, he must be a Vampire of the Blood Mist lineage. Correct?”

Seo Yun recalled Oh Haengbok turning into red mist to evade the rocket.

“Probably correct.”

“Then, in effect, this place is practically part of the Centaur Empire. If the Great Khan sends a higher Vampire with orders, that Orc Vampire would have no choice but to obey.”

William elaborated that there is a hierarchy among Vampires. The purer the blood, the higher the rank, and the commands of a higher Vampire impose compulsion on lower Vampires. He said it would be absolutely impossible for an Orc Vampire, whose Spirit is weaker than anyone else’s, to refuse such commands.

She reported what she heard to Oh Haengun upon returning. Oh Haengun shook his head with a serious expression.

“As expected, our pretty Angel is the best? Getting the information right away, well done.”

“It doesn’t seem like very helpful information.”

“No. It’s incredibly helpful. If the Centaurs invade again, we can tell the Chief not to intervene…”

Oh Haengun seemed to have mixed feelings, muttering to himself.

Suddenly remembering something, Seo Yun asked:

“But, by any chance, are there items that allow you to use Detection Spells?”

“There are Detection Spell wands.”

“What about more everyday items? Like rings or glasses, for example.””Wouldn’t such an item be unable to have a detection spell placed on it? If it were possible, I would have enchanted something like glasses with magic long ago and had others identify the kids who changed classes instead of me. But why do you ask?”

“It’s because Kim Rayeon keeps going around looking at people’s ability scores. I wondered if she might be doing it with some magic item.”

Oh Haengun seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.

“It’s probably not a magic item.”

“Then what?”

“There are races that can inherently use detection spells a certain number of times per day. For example, doppelgangers…”