TNAAS Ch 2

Episode 2

Ivant…? Could it really be that Ivant?

The “Ivant” Yeonwoo knew was the strongest guild in the game’s world. Its size was on par with other alliances, but it was run according to the Guild Master’s conviction that he wanted no part in the “Alliance Regulations.”

That one man’s conviction was so deeply reflected in the guild because every member trusted him completely, and their unity was unmatched. Perhaps for that reason, they were famous for not recruiting additional members. Most players joined alliances to live their in-game lives, only working for Ivant as mercenaries when there was pocket money to earn or a special quest to complete.

And yet, for such a place to be running a hotel in this little village…

Startled, Yeonwoo widened his eyes, glancing between Madam Mago and the hotel.

“Why is Ivant here? No, wait. Why would a guild like Ivant bother running a hotel?”

This wasn’t even something that existed in the game’s lore. Even though Yeonwoo didn’t know much about Ivant due to living as a mercenary for so long, he at least knew that their main focus was monster subjugation and mid-tier boss raids.

That made it all the more puzzling. A hotel of this size couldn’t have escaped his notice while playing the game.

“I heard it’s a resting place for mercenaries who take requests. I don’t know if they take outsiders who aren’t mercenaries, but surely they wouldn’t throw you out?”

Madam Mago laughed heartily, amused as if she were talking about someone else’s business. Well, it was someone else’s business, but Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes, wondering what hidden intent lay in her recommending such a place. Then the word “mercenary” sparked a thought.

“Then I just need to become a mercenary, right?”

“Can you do that? You look so delicate, it doesn’t seem like you could handle rough work.”

Right now, Yeonwoo needed money to strengthen his items, and he needed a place to stay. Since there was somewhere that could provide both, there was no reason to refuse. What’s more, mercenaries could choose their jobs, and mid-boss subjugations meant not only a decent amount of money but also fairly rewarding items.

To NPCs, those items might look like nothing more than old junk, but to players who could see their stats, they could be worthless trash or precious gold. Normally, he would have sold them at the auction house to other players for a higher price, but now that the game had become reality, he had no choice but to sell them to shops, even if it was for less.

For Yeonwoo, who only ever sought profit, it was a painful sacrifice, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and endure. While at it, he decided he should also investigate that hotel.

“It’s fine. I’m useful in my own way, so I’ll have plenty I can do. Thank you for worrying about me.”

“Well, if that’s the case, that’s a relief…”

Though Madam Mago was still not completely convinced, Yeonwoo ended the conversation with a bright smile. After bidding her farewell, he bought a few bottles of potion, downed them in one go, and set out.

Since the village had a simple structure, Yeonwoo, already familiar with its geography, took a shortcut to reach the hotel more quickly. The path passed through the “Back Alley of Firenze,” where some unsavory guilds were located, but NPCs couldn’t harm players, so Yeonwoo walked on without much thought, just as he always had.

As he neared the hotel and was about to turn the last corner, a voice came from the shadows deeper inside the alley.

“Hey, you look like you’ve got some money on you.”

It was the kind of cliché line that felt like something out of the 1980s. Considering the game’s release date was in the 2000s, it was somewhat understandable, but it still made him cringe no matter when he heard it.

Turning toward the direction of the voice with a look of disdain, Yeonwoo saw three hulking figures standing there. He remembered they were the ringleaders of this alley, though their names escaped him. Their rugged faces were the sort you could find anywhere, and each one clutched a blade in hand.

With all three crowding the narrow alley, it felt like there was barely any space left.

“This is a hassle, so I’ll take the quest next time. I’m really busy right now.”

Because those words usually signaled the start of a quest, Yeonwoo ignored them and kept walking. But then one of the thugs grabbed his shoulder. Normally, refusing a quest would have been the end of it, so this action caught him completely off guard.

Startled, Yeonwoo looked up at the man towering over him and stammered.

“H-how are you able to touch my body? Is this a bug?”

“What’s this bastard saying? You’re not done here. Where do you think you’re going?”

I’m screwed. Yeonwoo had forgotten that he wasn’t a player anymore but a person trapped in this world. He hadn’t expected NPCs to pick a fight first, and now it was a problem. The three, their rough faces twisted with menace, surrounded him with threatening gestures.

In truth, they were low-level NPCs with poor combat skills, but Yeonwoo had no means to deal with them. Right now, he was a buffer character.

The “Spirit Master” Yeonwoo possessed had such abysmal attack power it was practically nonexistent. He was so weak he couldn’t even take down something as easy as a slime on his own. Instead, his buffing ability was exceptional, but none of those buffs applied to himself. At best, he could reduce the damage he took slightly.

“Uh… I think I misspoke just now. What was it you said you needed?”

Left with no choice, Yeonwoo forced a servile smile, unlike before. If there was any chance he could be shaken down for less, or beaten less, he was willing to abase himself further. After all, if he died here, who knew what would become of his future.

Thinking their intimidation had finally worked, the thugs puffed out their chests and snarled arrogantly.

“Originally, we were going to let you go if you just handed over ten thousand gold. But looking at that attitude of yours, that won’t do. Hand over fifty thousand gold.”

Good heavens. Such angels existed? To let him go for fifty thousand gold? With 34.6 billion in his possession, Yeonwoo was beyond grateful. That much he could easily cover by selling a few potions from his inventory.

Overjoyed, Yeonwoo flashed a radiant smile and exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, as if ready to give everything away.

“Of course. Take it all! I’ll hand over fifty thousand gold right away!”

Perhaps caught off guard by his unexpected reaction, the thugs hesitated, exchanged glances, then smirked knowingly.

“Well, well. This one’s got a pretty face. And it looks like he’s got money too.”

“Yeah. If we sell him to a merchant, we’ll fetch a good price.”

A flood of question marks filled Yeonwoo’s head. Sell him to a merchant? For a high price? True, he had invested heavily in his appearance, so he did look delicate and handsome now, but what could that possibly have to do with merchants?

One of the thugs suddenly reached out and grabbed Yeonwoo’s cheek roughly. His clammy, sweat-drenched touch was disgusting, and his eyes gleamed like a predator sizing up prey. When the man flicked his tongue across his lips, Yeonwoo realized.

Ah. I’m being sold off. To who knows where.

Because the game’s rating wasn’t for older players, he had never even considered such a scenario. But now, it felt like he was staring into the darker, hidden depths of this world. His hand trembling, Yeonwoo pushed the thug’s hand away and staggered back, frantically thinking of a way to escape.

Should I try using Fog Magic? But wait, with those guys blocking up the whole alley, is it even possible to get out?

Panicked by this first-time encounter with such a story event, Yeonwoo decided to try persuasion first.

“L-look, I’m not as healthy as I look, and I’m completely useless. Also… my body’s covered in scars, so you won’t get a good price for me!”

It was truly pitiful. Not knowing what would happen if he died while stuck inside the game, all he could do was spout lines he remembered from television dramas. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t work. The thugs only closed in tighter around him.

“Heh, that doesn’t matter. In fact, there are plenty of perverts who like that sort of thing even more.”

As the men advanced and stretched out their hands toward the pale, terrified Yeonwoo—

“Isn’t doing something like this in front of someone else’s business against basic decency?”

It wasn’t a booming baritone like an echoing cave, but a peculiar mid-tone, clear and resonant, that split the air. Everyone turned their heads toward the sound.

At the entrance to the path Yeonwoo had been heading for stood a man wearing a black crow mask.

He was tall, strikingly so, and his hooded robe hid his build, though the shape beneath suggested a solid frame.

The man stepped toward them slowly, one step at a time. With the light behind him, he seemed to radiate an overwhelming aura. An ordinary person might have swooned at the sight, but Yeonwoo did not. His trembling body stilled for a moment.

That crow mask…

There was only one man in this world who would wear a mask like that.

The Guild Master of Ivant. The man described in the lore as being even stronger than the so-called heroes of the Alliance. That man was Rai.  

Why is he here?

Rai rarely showed his face, so few even knew he wore the crow mask. And for someone of his stature to be in such a small village was unthinkable. Yeonwoo could do nothing but stand there, frozen stiff.

Completely unaware of the weight of the situation, the thugs only frowned and scowled at the interruption, annoyed that someone had interfered with their business.

“What the hell! Get lost already!”

“Do you even know who we are, to be acting cocky?!”

They glared fiercely, but it was pointless. Ignoring them, the masked man approached at a steady pace, his eyes fixed on Yeonwoo’s condition.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

His courteous tone and gentle, measured voice might have made him seem like a truly kind person—if heard in isolation. But Yeonwoo’s thoughts went elsewhere. Quite…

“Ugh, this is so cringey.”

Thinking only that the situation was unbearably cliché, Yeonwoo shuddered for an entirely different reason.