NOVEL WEB Episode 84 - Red Sword
“Huff, huff.”
Dodging the bullets skillfully, ‘Marine Victory’ made his way to the vicinity of the enemy’s factory. Fortunately, the bullets seemed to have stopped coming his way for a while now. It seemed like he had shaken them off.
‘These guys, I’ll take them out one by one, slowly. Once I know their positions, I’ll perfectly snipe them with wall shots.’
– Swish –
At that moment, a whistle sound came from the left. ‘Marine Victory’ swiftly aimed in that direction, but he couldn’t see anyone hiding and just blowing whistles.
– Swish –
This time, the whistle sound came from the right. Again, he quickly aimed, but there was no sign of the enemy.
– Swish –
– Swish –
– Swish –
Suddenly, whistle sounds started coming from all directions, making him feel uneasy.
‘What the hell are these guys doing?’
‘Marine Victory’ sprinted with all his might towards the factory behind him.
“Hoo, hoo.”
He entered the factory and caught his breath.
Then, a black shadow loomed over him from above.
It was Yeon-woo, who had been sitting on the steel frame in the center of the factory and now swiftly descended behind ‘Marine Victory’.
Landing softly behind him, Yeon-woo pressed his pistol against his helmet in an instant.
“Don’t move. Hands up.”
The rule of subduing opponents at close range without killing them.
Freeze.
Among survival game clubs, it’s considered the most humiliating defeat.
“Kugh.”
‘Marine Victory’ let go of his gun and raised both hands.
Meanwhile, in the control room the guide watched the CCTV screen installed in the factory and turned on an announcement.
[The last member of the Red Team surrenders. Blue team wins with 5 to 0 survivors.]
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“Phuhuhu.”
Kim Junsoo, who was grilling meat on the barbecue grill, suddenly chuckled.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Oh, it’s just that I remembered that guy running away like his butt was on fire when he heard that whistle sound earlier.”
Upon hearing that, Woo Seong-sik, who was coming out after washing the skewers, made a crying noise.
“Ugh, I couldn’t get one person out!”
“Huh? Did you?”
Come to think of it, except for Yeon-woo, in the first and second rounds, Jin Yu-han and in the second round, Kim Junsoo and Kim Joo-hyung each took out an opponent from the opposing team.
‘I took out all five in the last round. Looks like Seong-sik didn’t get to taste victory.’
At that moment, Jin Yu-han chuckled and said, “Let’s do it again later. It was fun.”
Watching him, Yeon-woo made an intrigued expression. Jin Yu-han seemed to find something enjoyable other than acting? It was quite unusual.
Fortunately, it seemed that hanging out with friends was more enjoyable than he expected. Yeon-woo had been curious about something regarding Jin Yu-han for a while, so he asked him.
“Yu-han, I noticed that you seem to get along quite easily with my friends today, but why are you called ‘The Wall Man’ on set?”
“Huh? Yu-han, ‘The Wall Man’? I never felt that way at all.”
Woo Seong-sik responded to Yeon-woo’s question, and the others nodded in agreement.
Then, Jin Yu-han chuckled.
“Well, it’s just that after seeing a lot of dirty stuff in the entertainment industry, you tend to build walls around you when you meet people at the shooting site.”
As they heard Jin Yu-han’s answer, everyone nodded in understanding. Given that even ordinary people suspect the dirtiness of the entertainment industry, hearing the reason was oddly convincing.
“Alright, let’s eat the meat quickly. ‘The Star Beyond the River’ will start soon.”
Kim Joo-hyung lightened the somewhat heavy atmosphere.
“By the way, isn’t it amazing? We’ll be sitting right next to the main characters.”
“Yeah, it is.”
Kim Junsoo agreed with Woo Seong-sik’s words.
Then, Jin Yu-han looked at Yeon-woo and asked, “Where did today’s episode start from?”
“Hmm, it’s episode 11, so it’s probably scenes shot in the special sets by now. And the last part is that, right? The special cameo.”
“Ah!”
Hearing Yeon-woo’s words, Jin Yu-han chuckled slightly, thinking about how their friends and viewers would react.
After finishing the barbecue party and cleaning up, it was almost time for the live broadcast to start.
“It’s about to start.”
“Oh, then we should prepare before watching.”
As Junsoo spoke, the friends gathered in front of the TV, and Woo Seong-sik took out his smartphone from his pocket, clicking on something busily.
“Watching the live broadcast while checking the reactions in the open chat room is the best.”
“Hmm? It seems like So-hyeon is also watching that.”
“Oh really? She sure knows a thing or two.”
Woo Seong-sik quickly glanced through the chats popping up in the open chat room.
[Finally, it’s starting!]
[Ah, will they save Hong Ui-yeon today? I can’t stand any more suspense.]
[Last week, I thought she was going to die after being kidnapped like that.]
[Ah, riding horses is so cool. My heart is pounding.]
As Woo Seong-sik read the messages in the chat room, he glanced at the main characters sitting next to him again, feeling once again amazed.
“Hey, Seo Hee and Lee Ji-baek, are you going to save Hong Ui-yeon today?”
“Shh.”
“Watching live.”
Yeon-woo placed his hand on his lips, looking at Woo Seong-sik, while Jin Yu-han quietly pointed at the TV.
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“Finally, I can upload it today. Yahoo.”
A masterpiece created with perfect color correction.
Ethan Kim, a specialist in on-location still cuts, had been eagerly waiting to upload this photo since last week’s shoot.
“Wow, the subject is perfect, and the smile and natural atmosphere of this moment…”
Ethan Kim exclaimed while looking at his work displayed on the monitor.
As soon as Son Jin-yuk makes a cameo appearance at the end of the drama, he plans to upload it immediately on the official SNS account.
Ethan Kim turned his head to look at Seo Hee and Lee Ji-baek on the TV.
“…There are too many.”
Seo Hee, wearing a blood-stained hanbok, seemed to have been stabbed in the shoulder or something.
– Slice –
He swiftly dispatched one of the villains and faced Lee Ji-baek.
Surrounded by the masked figures of the Black Masks, they stood near a cave presumed to be where Hong Ui-yeon was being held.
“How many do you think there are?”
Lee Ji-baek asked Seo Hee from behind. After a brief hesitation, Seo Hee replied,
“Well, it depends on you. If I leave the back to you, about seven.”
“Seven? That’s too much. Even if we go, send at least five. I’ll take care of the back, even if my neck is on the line.”
As Lee Ji-baek spoke resolutely, Seo Hee chuckled and shook his head.
“Hah, I haven’t even received my first salary yet. I wanted to buy my mother a silk dress once I received it.”
Even in a life-threatening situation, Seo Hee joked with his friend, causing Lee Ji-baek to chuckle.
“Why would a guy like you buy a silk dress?”
Just then, the masked figures of the Black Masks started rushing towards them.
“Here they come!”
– Slice –
Seo Hee swiftly parried the sword thrust at him and immediately spun around, overcoming her opponent.
Without even a moment to hear the scream of the fallen enemy, he quickly continued his swordplay, fending off another attack.
Lee Ji-baek’s words rang true, Seo Hee and Lee Ji-baek focused solely on the front and sides, ignoring the rear.
Their swordsmanship meshed seamlessly, like interlocking gears, as they deftly countered each attack.
But it was only for a moment, and there was no way to escape the numerical disadvantage.
Just as Lee Ji-baek predicted, when Seo Hee had taken out five opponents, another masked figure, who had been waiting for an opportunity, rushed in and stabbed Seo Hee’s side.
“Ugh.”
– Slice –
Seo Hee swiftly parried the sword coming towards him, without even feeling the pain.
As they were gradually becoming exhausted and cornered,
“Kkuak!”
A man wearing black robes similar to the masked figures appeared, wielding a crimson sword with a crimson hilt, and charged in.
“Who are you?”
The sudden appearance of the new enemy startled the masked figures.
The man with the red sword, his face partially obscured by a mask, glanced at the masked figures and spoke.
“It doesn’t seem like it’s the right line for those who have a weak back. Shouldn’t I ask? Who are you?”
After posing the question, he skillfully dispatched the villains once again, as if he wasn’t curious about the answers.
“Lee Ji-baek. The path to survival has opened. Let’s give it our all.”
Seo Hee and Lee Ji-baek seized the opportunity and joined forces with the man with the red sword to deal with the masked villains.
Though the scene became complex as the three tangled in action, it unfolded into a spectacular tableau, with Son Jin-yuk, Jin Yu-han, and Ryu Yeon-woo, who had all experienced filming action movies multiple times, blending seamlessly.
The villains, overwhelmed and outmatched, soon found themselves at the mercy of the trio.
Before they knew it, only the three of them were left standing on the ground.
Seo Hee bowed his head to the man holding the red iron sword.
“I owe my life to the guardian warrior of the Shidae Council.”
“Ho, how did you know who I am?”
“I saw you training with a red-hilted iron sword in the palace.”
“In the palace? You were an official of Goryeo? I couldn’t even recognize you in your blood-stained hanbok.”
Seo Hee’s garments were soaked in blood from the fierce battle, indicating his status as an official.
Lee Ji-baek, not much different from Seo Hee, stepped forward with bloodstains all over, bowing his head respectfully.
“Despite the shame, I ask for your assistance in clearing out the cave. They are criminals who kidnap women and set fire to villages.”
Upon hearing these words, the bodyguard of the Song dynasty envoy, who was wearing a mask and writing, took off his mask.
“I cannot pass by after hearing that.”
As Son Jin-yuk’s face appeared on screen after removing his mask, Episode 11 came to an end.
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The sudden appearance of Son Jin-yuk surprised his friends.
“Whoa! What? Son Jin-yuk hyung?”
“Wow, what’s happening? Why is he here all of a sudden?”
“He made a special cameo appearance.”
Upon hearing Yeon-woo’s words, Woo Seong-sik exclaimed in admiration.
“Wow, amazing. I have to watch the broadcast tomorrow for sure. This is incredible.”
Then he quickly turned on his smartphone and checked the reactions in the chat room.
[Wow, amazing. Did Yeon-woo pull some strings?]
[Argh, I’m dying.]
[Upper-nim, take a deep breath for now.]
“It’s amazing. The reactions in the chat room are insane.”
“Is that so?”
Yeon-woo and Jin Yu-han showed interest in Woo Seong-sik’s words.
Meanwhile, Kim Joo-hyung was checking the reactions on the portal site with his smartphone.
[Crazy. Kang Seo-joon appears here to save Cha Woo-joo?]
[This isn’t a Summer Promise. That’s Goryeo.]
[Seriously, what’s so great about that? I’ll change my underwear first.]
“The reactions on the portal site are good too. The viewership rating is going to be amazing.”
“That’s great then.”
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Director Hwang was anxiously tapping his foot.
“It’s about time he comes…”
He continued to stare at the door of his office, waiting for the staff working overtime to come in.
Just then, didn’t the tiger say he’ll come if I call him? The door creaked open, and the staff from the drama department entered.
“So, what’s the number? Did we get good ratings?”
“It didn’t show up online, but I quickly checked over the phone. It’s 25.7 percent!”
“Yes! Yes!”
Meanwhile, as the teaser for the special cameo spread, Ethan Kim uploaded stills he took to the ocean of information where fish eager to bite the bait swam.