The plan was simple. Attack the Cheon-sa from behind, claim the real reward, and get out before she could retaliate.
As if sensing his thoughts, or perhaps a sudden chill on the back of her neck, the Cheon-sa turned.
“Why are you lagging so far behind? Can’t you keep up?”
Park Jin-ho quickened his pace to close the distance, but the Cheon-sa’s expression remained soured with displeasure.
‘Humans,’ she scoffed internally. ‘You have to scream just to get the simplest things through their thick skulls. Tsk.’
And worse, they were all so greedy. A race that could drink the ocean dry and still thirst for more.
‘If you want to be treated like a pig, then you’ll get what you deserve. Oh yes, I’ll show you the price of that greed.’ The thought was so amusing Seo-rin almost laughed aloud. Kuehehe.
She’d never had any intention of exchanging the reward for Park Jin-ho.
She didn’t even have the ability to.
‘How could I possibly change a reward predetermined by the system?’
She had only lured him on with sweet words. Lured him to a place with no witnesses, where she could kill the human who had slighted her.
‘There’s no rule that says I can’t kill a player.’
She’d already killed one at the very beginning, of course, but that had been a special circumstance, something she couldn’t repeat. Not openly, at least. There was no explicit rule forbidding her from killing a player, but there wasn't one permitting it, either.
It would be a huge problem if she were caught killing a player for personal reasons.
What if the other players rebelled, claiming unfairness?
She would single-handedly ruin the game they had all worked so hard to build.
At that point, Seo-rin would not be able to escape responsibility.
So, the cleanest method was to kill him without leaving a single witness.
Seo-rin couldn't stand the sight of the man who had wounded her pride. To simply let it go would be an affront to her dignity. Other humans cowered and obeyed, but this upstart, this number one ranked player, had the audacity to haggle with her.
They were all the same. The second they clawed their way to the top, they became consumed by greed.
‘What a stupid bastard. He could have just taken what he was given, but he had to run his mouth.’
The more she thought about it, the deeper her disgust grew.
‘As soon as we’re past this area, I’ll kill him.’
Having put enough distance between them that none of the other players could see her, the Cheon-sa suddenly stopped walking.
This was the perfect place to get the job done.
“Well, you want a better reward, don’t you? What kind of reward do you—”
Seo-rin’s words cut off as she turned, her eyes widening at the fist that met her face.
She staggered back and fell, clutching her cheek not from the pain, but from the sheer shock of it.
‘What’s happening? Did that human… hit me?’
As the reality of the situation sank in, her smooth forehead creased in a furious scowl.
She whipped her head around, but the human was gone from in front of her. It was easy to tell where he’d gone, though. She could feel his presence directly behind her.
Park Jin-ho was gripping his new dagger tightly.
“Hey, wait a minute! What are you trying to do!”
The sound that ripped from her was a chilling, horrified shriek.
Park Jin-ho ignored her, brushing aside one drooping wing to grab the other. He was determined to break them both, to ensure she couldn't escape.
As the Cheon-sa screamed, Park Jin-ho shouted back, his voice dripping with disbelief.
“It's amazing, isn't it? This screaming is a far cry from the tough act you put on earlier. Laughing while people were dying… what was it again? Kuehehe?!”
[Are you insane, human? What are you saying!]
“You were going to kill me, weren’t you? With that dagger you have hidden in your wings.”
Seeing the Cheon-sa’s stunned expression, Park Jin-ho smiled.
[Killing you?! I never even thought of—]
“You don’t have to lie. It’s written all over your face. Seo-rin.”
[How could a human like you…?]
“I wouldn’t know.”
Park Jin-ho raised his hand, revealing the weapon he had selected as his prize: a slim, sharp stiletto.
[What are you doing with that weapon all of a sudden?]
The piercing look in Park Jin-ho’s eyes silenced Seo-rin.
He didn't say another word, but she knew with cold certainty that she was about to die here.
Though fear crept into her heart, Seo-rin’s pride remained unbroken.
[Are you mad, human? Has your brain finally burst?]
“Nope. But you can’t use that excuse anymore.”
Her weakness exposed, Seo-rin was speechless.
The Cheon-sa’s voice trembled with confusion.
[Do you really think you can survive after doing this? My colleagues won’t just stand by and watch!]
[What colleagues?] Park Jin-ho tightened his grip on the stiletto. [Don’t you know that angels are selfish beings, uninterested in anyone but themselves? Whether you live or die, not a single one of them will care.]
Desperation finally broke through the Cheon-sa’s facade.
[Wait! There’s nothing to gain by killing me!] Seo-rin pleaded.
“There is. You just don’t know it,” Park Jin-ho replied with a smirk.
[If you kill me, you’ll regret it! You’ll never be able to go home!] the Cheon-sa shrieked, a last-ditch effort to save herself.
“We can go home. The system will send us back automatically after a set period of time,” Park Jin-ho said dismissively.
[How do you know that? What else do you know?] the Cheon-sa demanded, grasping at straws.
“Why does it matter?” Park Jin-ho said, before plunging the stiletto into the Cheon-sa’s heart. “You’re already dead.”
Seo-rin’s eyes went wide as the dagger pierced her chest.
“Gaaah!” she screamed. Her body convulsed, and she collapsed to the ground as golden blood began to well from the torn fabric of her robes.
Park Jin-ho didn’t spare her a second glance. His attention was already fixed on the message that had just appeared in his vision. A message about a hidden reward.