The Foreigner on the Periphery (English Translation)

30. Princess Run (5)

Do Yong-seok makes a living by performing tattoos and piercings without a license. He has lived his entire life in an orc community, and his main clientele are orcs. The activity that consumes most of his energy is hating orcs.

"Hey, mister, is this really gonna be fine in a few days?"

A teenage orc, who had just gotten a tattoo no bigger than the size of a palm, growled as he spoke. Since the procedure had just been finished, his shoulder was swollen and red. The intended design was still hard to see due to the distortion and swelling.

'Stupid pig. I stabbed him with needles a thousand times, and if his skin looks fine, is that an orc or a troll? Does he think the swelling will just go down after getting eyelid surgery? What an idiot.'

It was a common orc he encountered daily, yet the intense dislike never changed. It was a vile situation.

"Ah, damn... That really hurt. I came all the way here because the design was so unique."

With his skills, he could have made the procedure less painful, but he decided to keep that a secret.

Observing the orc wriggling his body and tearing up every time the needle went in was an enjoyable experience.

The customer, who had been looking at himself in the mirror, asked, "What if it doesn't heal properly?"

He spoke in a provocative tone even though he had just received the service.

Do Yong-seok thought, Yeah, that's an orc. A disgusting race that sees anyone who isn't their own kind as a threat, someone who can stab you in the back whenever they want, full of paranoia.

Without showing any emotion, he responded in a robotic tone, "As I mentioned, refrain from alcohol and smoking for a week, and avoid saunas. If you apply the ointment I recommended regularly, it should heal quickly."

He spoke knowing full well the customer was a teenager. It was a dull, lifeless mutter devoid of any soul.

Of course, he didn't mention anything about the reward the customer had mentioned.

"Ah, damn, you better be able to trust me," the orc grumbled, slapping a few bills on the counter. As the teenager left, Do Yong-seok quietly smiled while watching the tattoo sway on his shoulder.

It had started as a joke. He had wanted to deceive those repulsive pigs in a way that no one would notice. If he were caught, he'd probably get beaten to a pulp, so it had to be done in a way that could never be traced back.

The orcs in the community, with their average education ranging from middle school to high school, couldn't read proper text. So, he turned to foreign or alien languages, which no one would be able to understand.

Wasn't the illiteracy rate among these pigs 99.9% during the mass migration?

He knew about the miserable history of orcs, who were enslaved and abused in the past world. Very few could still read or write the old orc language. Moreover, orcs didn't care much about history, and very few tried to learn it.

The decision was quick. He selected some fitting words from a free online alien dictionary and created a design. He cleverly mixed letters and images, making it almost impossible to understand unless it was meant for someone specific.

That creation still circulates through the orc community today. He sometimes even encounters it on the streets.

Another idiot added to the list.

Every time he saw his work out in the world, he struggled to hold back his laughter.

Seeing these uncivilized pigs, who couldn't even remember the letters of their homeworld, tattooing insults on their bodies in that very language brought him immense pleasure. It was a thrilling sense of vindication, almost like his insides were tingling.

The words he most often searched for in the dictionary were related to incest, slavery, developmental disorders, cruel slaughter, genitalia, and other bodily insults, pigs, smells, feces, derogatory terms for those physically constrained, insects that lived off corpses or feces, mental disorders, and massacres.

He combined these in various ways to create different designs, which the orcs considered "cool and unique" and happily chose.

"Idiots."

Another teenage orc left today with a tattoo on his shoulder bearing a vile expression meaning "his own mother."

"Heh heh!"

As the shop emptied, Do Yong-seok couldn't hide his laughter. He chuckled in a sinister, slimy manner.

The media expresses concern about the increasing antagonism between humans and orcs, especially among the lower-income population.

Do Yong-seok remembered an elf on a TV talk show pointing out that this phenomenon was "the reverse self-hatred being projected from the lowest rungs of each group onto each other."

He didn't understand it at first, but suddenly those words crossed his mind, and the good mood he had felt turned sour.

"That clueless bitch... I'm gonna rip her mouth open."

He glanced at the clock. There were no more appointments for the day. Although a drunken customer sometimes stopped by early in the morning, after several incidents involving threats of fire and gunshot, he decided not to open the shop at that hour unless absolutely necessary.

He decided to relax for a moment, plugged his headphones into his phone, and started playing a file.

"...I'll repeat it once again. The influx of alien immigrants only benefits the elite class, treating their diseases, extending their lives, and reinforcing their safety."

Do Yong-seok nodded as he listened to the distorted voice.

That's right, the real target of blame is the orcs and the ruling class that accepted them.

"Remember, ordinary humans will only lose their opportunities. The alien immigration policy is a means for the ruling class to lower wages and maintain economic slavery!"

The elf on the TV probably had never lived in a neighborhood where the law was more about muscle than rules. She had never dealt with a stronger race like the orcs, and surely she'd never been beaten up by one or had her meager food money stolen while sobbing.

It was only natural for someone who had grown up in an orc community to hate orcs. That's how Do Yong-seok saw it.

"Don't forget. Those who invaded the Earth have a home to return to. The world they abandoned still exists. But we have nowhere else but Earth. If we lose this place, we will have no home to go back to!"

As he listened intently, Do Yong-seok suddenly frowned. One of his headphones had stopped working.

"What the hell? Damn it."

He twisted and fiddled with the jack, but there was no sound at all.

"Damn it, this is crazy."

Eventually, he stopped the playback and checked the time. He confirmed he still had time before his appointment. After some thought, he decided to close the shop early.

Today was an important day.

Clank!

He pulled the shutter down, wrapped thick chains around it, and walked down the darkened street.

Unbeknownst to him, a crow perched on a utility pole watched him, having been following him for several days. It didn't occur to Do Yong-seok that if he got closer, a faint scent of decay would emanate from the bird.

"I will now announce the results of the evaluation."

Do Yong-seok arrived at a shabby building about a 30-minute walk away. The interior, which clearly looked temporary, showed no signs of anyone having stayed there for long.

The man sitting across from him was someone Do Yong-seok didn't know. He had long felt the need for someone who could share his thoughts and act alongside him, so he had been searching for an organization that would take his provocative actions to the next level.

It had been not long ago that the man had approached him.

Through direct messages, the man had invited Do Yong-seok to join his group. After several interviews, they had promised not only support to help him fulfill his dreams but also financial compensation.

"Do Yong-seok, you will take your final test here today."

His ears perked up.

He was just one step away from passing.

"Ah... thank you!"

"Please listen carefully."

The man spoke calmly.

"Before that, we need you to make a promise."

He laid out some papers on the table. Do Yong-seok's eyes widened as he recognized the images.

"Ah, this is!"

It was a series of photos of several orcs. They all had something in common. Do Yong-seok immediately recognized the tattoos he had given them.

"This caused some controversy. Some argued it was too risky and that it could lead back to you, while others said it expressed your sense of justice and anger perfectly, showing you were fully qualified."

But in the end, everyone agreed that it was an immensely satisfying form of revenge.

"But it must end here. Do not leave any more evidence. It would be better to move your shop to a different location. We will provide the necessary expenses."

Since they were offering financial support, Do Yong-seok saw no reason to refuse.

"Yes! I understand."

"Then..."

For the first time, the man smiled.

"Let us go, to pass through the final gate and become brothers with the Human Rights Alliance."

Do Yongseok had never imagined this.

He never thought the trial would take such a form.

"Ugh... Ugh!"

As he entered the hidden room, there were three more men besides the one he had seen earlier. Judging by the numerous ornaments hanging from their bodies, it wasn't difficult to guess that they were magicians.

However, the first target of Do Yongseok's attention wasn't them.

In the center of the room, there was a complex red symbol drawn on the floor. Anyone could tell it was a magic circle. Bound to a cross-shaped frame was an orc boy.

"Ugh!"

He looked even younger than the orc he had tattooed earlier today. His baby teeth were still visible, and he was a child with no tusks to show.

The magicians of the "Human Rights Action Alliance" had only sealed the boy's mouth, leaving his eyes uncovered. Fear flowed clearly from his eyes.

His hands and feet were tightly bound to the frame. His whole body trembled, and it wasn't because of magic or anesthetics. Despite his fear, he was so terrified that he couldn't even struggle.

One of the magicians approached and handed Do Yongseok a dagger.

"You've heard the explanation already, right?"

Do Yongseok swallowed dryly as he received the dagger.

He had just heard the explanation. The Human Rights Alliance was wanted by governments all over the world, for they committed acts of terror against non-human species. Therefore, they wanted a brother who would never betray them and knew a surefire way to test loyalty.

"Prove your sense of justice and anger."

To Do Yongseok, those words sounded like this:

"Prove the hatred you carry."

He thought to himself:

"I can do this. I can do this."

Killing a single pig is nothing.

Orcs are not human.

Orcs are not people.

"Ugh... Ugh!"

His childhood flashed in his mind. There had been many times when he nearly died because of orcs. He was alive only because he had been lucky.

"If I had made a mistake, I would have been dead by now. Because of orcs!"

So, dying here today was the orc's fate and destiny.

With each step closer, the boy's body spasmed violently, and the cuffs of his pants became damp.

When he turned away to avoid eye contact with the orc, one of the magicians spoke quietly.

"You know, you don't have to pierce it too cleanly. Just follow the sequence you heard outside... Take it slow."

What Do Yongseok didn't know was that the magic circle beneath the frame was set up for dark magic.

If he killed the orc painfully and slowly, the suffering and life force the sacrifice lost would be absorbed by the dark magicians gathered here.

The Human Rights Alliance's intention was to charge the dark magic and also to alter the spirit of their new brother.

"Ugh!"

The moment Do Yongseok raised both arms holding the dagger, the orc boy's expression showed he was preparing himself.

And then—

Squish!

Blood splattered.

"Ugh! Ugh!"

Only then did the boy begin to thrash around.

Do Yongseok held his breath.

"...Huh?"

The area below his forearm burned and stung. He lowered his gaze just a little further.

His arms lay at his feet, severed just below the elbows, still gripping the dagger.

"Ugh... Ugh... Uaaahhh!"

Do Yongseok bled profusely, rolling on the floor. His eyes bulged, and he struggled. The unintended sacrifice had caused the magic circle to slowly start charging the dark magicians' power.

Rather than showing agitation, they asked calmly.

"Which school of magic do you belong to, Master?"

Following their gaze, there was a man standing where there had previously been no one.

He appeared to be in his early twenties, but the magicians didn't believe it immediately. They were not showing it, but they were significantly shocked. This building, though shabby on the outside, had several layers of security barriers inside.

None of them had noticed the barriers being breached or deactivated when the intruder had entered.

This meant that the intruder was at a much higher level.

The one standing in the middle of the three magicians spoke as their representative.

"I don't know who you are, but this is a big mistake. If you interfere with us, we will track down your family, relatives, and everyone involved to take brutal revenge...!"

Minjun's expression, facing them, was as cold as ice. Without a reply, he raised his hand and cast a spell. The first spell that severed Do Yongseok's arms was immediately followed by one aimed at the orc boy.

"Ugh!"

The orc flinched before falling into a deep sleep. The next moment, the boy was no longer bound, appearing behind Minjun. The dark magicians exchanged looks in panic. They hadn't been able to discern what principle had caused the spell.

They were now certain. The opponent had reached at least the level of a master from a magical school. If they fought purely with magic, they had no chance of winning even if they combined their strength.

But they were members of the secret organization that survived even dragon hunts.

"It would be wise for you to stop now."

Minjun showed no intention of replying. With a face that didn't move a muscle, he recited another spell.

Zzzz!

Without waiting for anyone to move, the three dark magicians simultaneously activated the artifacts they had hidden on them. These were defense items secretly sold only to VVIP customers of the Witchcraft Association. Items that originally could never flow into terrorist organizations—yet they had them in plain sight.

Among them, the youngest magician, whose anti-magic power was the weakest, secretly laughed.

"Foolish. Attack if you want. This item will reflect your magic back at you!"

He carefully hid his intentions and waited for the opponent's magic to activate. His plan was to suppress Minjun with a capture spell right after countering the spell.

Then, the most brutal interrogation awaited the intruder. After thoroughly turning over who was behind him, a cruel revenge would follow!

The intruder spoke for the first time.

"If you only leave me one tongue to confess with..."

Crunch!

The sound of bone breaking and something soft bursting rang out.

Amidst the astonished looks of his companions, the headless dark magician slowly collapsed to the side.