The Fighting Dog of a Ruined Organization

“Do you know how hard I worked to get this?”

The title of ‘Unrelated to Any Organization’.

Actually, the condition to acquire this title isn’t that difficult. You just need to be unrelated to any organization.

However, for me, that was difficult.

“I grew this tall three years ago. At that time, Murim Alliance offered to recruit me.”

“Mu-Murim Alliance?”

Eris asked in surprise.

Of course, she’d be surprised. Murim Alliance is known as the strongest among the top 3 organizations right now.

“Yes, Murim Alliance. But I refused. Do you know why I refused?”

“Wh-why…?”

“Because I need to protect the person I love.”

“What do you mean? If you join Murim Alliance and learn how to use inner energy, you can really protect with that.”

As expected, I knew she wouldn’t understand.

Even though it’s a ruined organization, she’s still part of an organization, so she can’t understand.

But now I have an example that can make her understand easily. If not others, at least Eris should be able to understand.

“That’s not really protecting. The best thing is for dangerous situations not to happen in the first place. Do you know how scared I was last night because of Chunsik?”

“Ah…”

Eris sighed as soon as she heard Chunsik’s name.

Of course. Because of her, a weird guy almost turned the PC bang upside down.

“I-I’m sorry. I caused you trouble.”

“If you understand, then stop talking nonsense and leave. I don’t want to be related to any organization.”

If an organization gets involved, I don’t know what kind of trouble my beloved mom might face. I don’t want to be associated with organizations because I want to live peacefully, but I also don’t want mom to be in danger.

I wonder if she understood what I meant. Eris lowered her head deeply.

“I’m really sorry. Such a thing happened because of me, and I shamelessly asked for help… I must have been crazy.”

Eris spoke in a weak voice. Maybe because she always showed an energetic appearance despite her sickly body, seeing her discouraged appearance somehow makes my heart ache.

But just because my heart aches doesn’t mean there’s anything I can do. Helping half-heartedly would be hypocritical and not right. So I didn’t say anything to Eris’s back as she trudged home. I didn’t try to stop her either.

And at that time, I didn’t know.

That Eris wouldn’t come to the PC bang after that,

And that a shitty hologram window would pop up in front of me once a day.

『Eris needs help… The ruined organization has no strong combatants… Eris wants a strong fighting dog to fight for her. Click to become the Fighting Dog of Fantasia (Ruined)』

“This bullshit again, fuck.”

I sighed and closed the hologram window.

A month has passed since Eris left the PC bang. And this shitty hologram window has been appearing every single day for a month without fail.

Eris herself apologized and left, so why is this damn system doing this?

“Son, why do you look so unhappy? Are you sick?”

Mom looked at me with worried eyes. My face is twisted with anger, but she’s worried I might be sick. As expected, mom is mom.

“No. I’m not sick.”

“That’s good then… You can’t be sick today. We’re going to visit your birth parents today.”

Right.

It’s nighttime now. Usually, it would be my shift, but I’m not working today. Mom gave me a day off for tomorrow.

“That’s right. I shouldn’t be sick.”

Tomorrow is the death anniversary of this body’s birth mother and father. From my perspective, they passed away as soon as I was possessed, and officially, I’ve lost my memories so I don’t have any sad emotions, but…

Mom sends me to the columbarium every death anniversary. It means I should spend the whole day at the columbarium with my birth parents.

It’s just a waste of time since I have no memories, but I can’t refuse mom’s sincere concern for me.

“Then mom, I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Okay, it’s supposed to rain tomorrow, so make sure to bring an umbrella.”

Just as she said.

It was sunny when I woke up, but it started raining when I arrived at the columbarium. It’s raining harder than I expected, so I might get wet even with an umbrella. Still, I’m glad I brought an umbrella as mom said.

Shaaaaa… I stood in front of the columbarium with my umbrella open in the heavily falling rain. I could see the smiling photos of my birth parents. It’s strange to see them smiling brightly, not knowing they would die.

But I’m sorry to say, I don’t feel any emotion even looking at those photos. It’s not like I actually lost my memories.

If I had to say, what would it be? Right, I’m in a possessed position, so let me explain it that way.

The photos of my birth parents are just images of characters I’m not interested in at all. There’s no reason for my emotions to be swayed by the life or death of characters I don’t even know.

Authors carefully build up characters to plant them in readers’ hearts. They call it build-up. Characters that don’t get this treatment don’t evoke much feeling even when they die. That’s the reality.

Just, oh that’s sad, at most.

That’s all the emotion I feel towards my birth parents and the original owner of this body.

Just, just that it’s sad.

Maybe that’s why.

I don’t really feel like this world I’m living in is the real world. This world isn’t the real world, and the people I meet in this world are just creations of someone else.

Maybe I fell into such mannerism.

Being indifferent to my friend who disappeared after getting involved with an organization.

And ignoring Eris’s desperate look for help.

“Excuse me, aren’t you Woo Hyeon-woo? It’s nice to see you after a long time. Has it been 3 years since you rejected my third recruitment attempt?”

As I was thinking about leaving early because it was raining harder than expected, even though it was the death anniversary, I heard a voice.

It was a voice I had heard so many times before, so I turned my head slightly. Then I saw the face of a woman I had seen countless times.

“You seem to have grown even taller than before. It’s a shame every time I see you because you’re so handsome.”

She was a woman who looked as if she was covered in snow alone in the rainy June. Her hair, eyes, and even skin color were pure white.

On the other hand, she was wearing a red martial arts uniform, making her look like a blood flower (血花) blooming in a snowy field, which was also eerie.

Well, the eeriest thing would be the title visible above her head.

『Master of the North Sea Ice Palace』

– 

Title: Master of the North Sea Ice Palace

Rarity: EX

Description: This is a title that only the master of the North Sea Ice Palace, one of the 5 major sects of Murim Alliance, can obtain.

– 

One of the 5 major sects?

The description has changed since I saw it 3 years ago. 3 years ago, it would have said ‘Outer Murim’ instead of 5 major sects.

“Yes, hello. It’s been a long time.”

But I greeted her stiffly, pretending not to know anything. Nobody knows that I can see other people’s titles.

“Right? Even though it’s been a long time, your businesslike attitude is still the same. My circumstances have changed since then too. Now I wouldn’t accept you even if you asked to join.”

Hmm, I guess it might be because they’ve been promoted from Outer Murim to one of the 5 major sects at the center of Murim Alliance.

There would be a big difference between central organizations and those that aren’t. She’s probably saying they won’t recruit ignorant people like me anymore.

“I see.”

“You’re really no fun. Well then, I came to say a final farewell since we happened to meet by chance.”

I know exactly what kind of reaction you want from me, but do you think I’ll give it to you?

If I had joined North Sea Ice Palace during its Outer Murim days, I could now boast about being a member of one of Murim Alliance’s 5 major sects. But unfortunately, I hate getting involved with organizations.

“Is that so. Then, goodbye.”

“…Well, I guess it’s natural for you to react like that. I did harass you quite a lot. I’m sorry about that.”

It seems she at least knows what she did wrong.

Hwa Seolhwa, thinking about how much this snow-white woman stalked me to recruit me makes me shudder.

I was so scared that I might get a title related to Murim Alliance.

“Palace Master, are you done chatting?”

Hwa Seolhwa left me and joined a group. The titles floating above their heads all symbolized Murim Alliance.

Among them, the woman who called Hwa Seolhwa ‘Palace Master’ and asked the question had plain black hair and eyes, and even her clothes were a black martial arts uniform. Her hairstyle was also simple, tied back in what looked like a ponytail.

Instead, her strong gaze and the cross-shaped scar on her cheek gave off an unusual aura.

Forget all that, the title above her head was the most unusual.

『Leader of Murim Alliance』

Leader of Murim Alliance, she could probably make everyone tremble and kneel just by revealing that title anywhere.

Could that woman be Nam Gung Cho-pung, the leader of Murim Alliance?

The leader of Murim Alliance doesn’t appear on TV much, so this is the first time I’ve seen her face. She looks ordinary, but the aura flowing around her is undoubtedly extraordinary.

“Yes, I’m done, Alliance Leader.”

“Then, let’s all pray together, hoping for the return of Tushin.”

What’s Tushin now?

I don’t know what it is, but it must be something. I don’t want to get involved by standing nearby while a terrifying organization like Murim Alliance is praying. It’s raining heavily and my clothes are wet too.

I should head back now.

I turned my steps to leave the columbarium. I hadn’t taken more than a few steps when my phone rang, and I answered with the hand not holding the umbrella.

It was mom.

Why?

“Yes, mom, what’s the matter? You’re calling on the death anniversary.”

She doesn’t call on death anniversaries, saying she won’t disturb me. It’s strange that she’s calling now.

“Ah, son… Can you come back quickly?”

Mom’s voice was trembling as if she was terrified. This is the first time I’ve heard mom speak like this. An ominous feeling ran down my spine.

“A person named Chunsik came… He asked me to cook ramen, so I did, but he said it wasn’t delicious…”

Chunsik.

The moment I heard that name, my head started spinning.

Why the hell is that bastard…?

I thought even if he showed up to cause trouble, it would be at night. Most gangsters do that. When they cause problems, they do it at night.

“…Ah.”

Right, it was a big misconception.

That bastard is a madman even acknowledged by other gangsters.

I shouldn’t have naively thought he would only appear at night.

“He just pulled out a gun, saying he’s going to kill people, if I don’t bring the ramen he ate last time, he’ll kill the customers… Son, I think you need to come quickly and cook ramen…”

Mom’s words hadn’t even finished.

Bang.

The rain was too loud, and it came through the phone, so the sound wasn’t that loud, but I clearly heard it.

It was a gunshot.

─────!!!

Mom’s scream pierced my ears loudly. It made my ears hurt and ring, but my head was calmly continuing its thoughts.

Mom isn’t dead yet.

What died is just a creation. I shouldn’t panic. If I panic, I’ll be late.

So stay calm.
And hurry.

I threw away my umbrella and ran frantically.

Because if I’m even a little late, mom might get shot and die too.

And when I frantically ran and entered the PC bang…

“What’s this? Why are you here now? It’s pouring rain, so I wanted to eat a bowl of ramen.”

There was that bastard laughing while being held by the police, and mom staring at the corpses with empty eyes.

It was a bloody, rainy summer.