CHAPTER 63: 63. FORGING WEAPONS

"Stand up."

Shin’s voice echoed through the room—low, calm and calm.

Britt obeyed, though her legs were trembling, barely supporting her as she struggled, trying to regain control, but her limbs were still under the control of Shin’s skill.

Shin walked behind her. He was slightly shorter than her, but that didn’t matter—he reached up, gripped the tip of her ear between two fingers, and tugged her head down until his lips were at her ear.

"You’re my slave now, woman," he whispered, his voice low and hoarse like a growl simmering with cruel amusement. "And you’ll do exactly what I say. Got it?"

"Fuck you!" she snarled, rage boiling in her eyes. "Who the hell do you think you are? I’m going to kill you!"

He smiled calmly, almost enjoying her fury.

"Really? Let’s see you try."

He snapped off the skill.

Britt’s eyes widened. Her arms moved. Her knees held. She grinned viciously, thrilled at the return of her freedom, then spun around and swung at Shin with the precision of someone aiming to slap the arrogance right off his face, hard enough to sting, but not hard enough to trigger the system’s PvP warning.

But the blow never landed. A barrier shimmered into existence, stopping her palm inches from his cheek.

She froze. Eyes wide. She tried again with her other hand. Blocked again.

Shin chuckled darkly. "You missed the fine print, sweetheart. You’re still my slave. You don’t get to hit your master. That’s not how this works."

Her rage bubbled like a volcano ready to blow. Her jaw clenched so tightly it might’ve cracked a tooth. She turned to storm out, vibrating with frustration, but he seized her wrist in passing.

"Seven o’clock tonight. Be here. Alone. To serve your new master." His voice was ice wrapped in velvet. "Don’t show up... and I’ll freeze your limbs and let you crawl around on one leg all day tomorrow. Maybe give the others a little show."

She yanked her hand away and marched out, not saying another word, rage trailing behind her like smoke. Her two teammates scrambled after her. The rest of the crowd dispersed, whispering, watching, afraid.

Shin’s smirk twisted further as he watched her go. He raised his hands and stretched casually.

"Unstoppable," he muttered to himself. "Now... let’s check on the rest of my toys."

**

He strolled to his room and knocked once. Lilian opened it before she walked back to the bed.

"Hey girls. Miss me?" he said with a devil-may-care grin as he stepped inside.

The girls lay across the bed, bored stiff. Sylvia didn’t even look at him. Lilian, sprawled across a pillow like a sleepy cat, gave a lazy smile.

"Yes, Master," she purred, clearly unamused.

Shin crossed to the bed and dropped down beside Sylvia. Her expression didn’t change, but her posture stiffened.

"Aw, come on," he said, grinning at her teasingly. "You’re pouting. What’s wrong? Still mad we didn’t finish our little moment yesterday?"

Her face flushed like a firecracker.

"W-what?! N-no! I wasn’t even thinking about that!" she stammered, eyes darting away.

Shin cupped her cheeks, tilting her face to meet his.

"Really? Then what were you thinking about?" he asked, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear with unnerving gentleness.

She swallowed hard.

"N-nothing!!"

He leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers.

[100 coins automatically deducted!]

The system prompt made him pull back, brows arching. It really had no chill in deducting coins in the safezone even from the slightest things. Sylvia blinked, her lips still parted, practically glowing red.

"We’ll finish that after the next hunt," he said, rising. "Right now, we’ve got prepping to do. No time to rest."

"Yes, Master," the two replied in sync—though Lilian’s sounded more amused and Sylvia’s more flustered.

Shin paused, glancing between them.

"You girls need proper weapons this time. Can’t go into battle with just good looks."

Sylvia’s eyes lit up, the bored look gone in an instant.

"I can craft something!"

Shin raised a brow.

"Oh? You can craft weapons?"

"Yup! I’m a blacksmith," she said proudly, then looked away. "Well... used to be. My dad was the legendary kind. I’m just average."

He looked at her severed arm.

"Still think you can manage with one hand?"

She shrugged.

"Easy. If this bitch helps me." She jabbed a thumb at Lilian.

"Excuse me?!" Lilian snapped, sitting up like a cat about to hiss.

"What? You used to be a hostess, right? Always walking around naked at that pleasure hub! You’re literally the definition of a slutty support character."

Lilian’s eye twitched.

"That doesn’t make me a bitch, thank you!"

Sylvia yawned and scratched her ear with a pinky.

"I dunno. Fits the vibe."

Lilian growled, baring her teeth.

"Master, permission to chop off this short bitch’s other arm!"

Shin sighed, rubbing his temple.

"No cutting. We’re a team now. Save the drama for after the war, ladies."

Sylvia hopped off the bed and bumped shoulders with Lilian on purpose.

Lilian bumped back, harder.

They both glared at each other like cats forced into the same cage.

Shin didn’t even look back. He grabbed his gun and headed for the door, smiling to himself.

Glad that the girls seemed to be starting to go along.

They made their way out, walking down the street, drawing stares from nearly everyone they passed.

Word had already spread—Shin was the player who could hack other people’s systems and turn them into his lapdogs. Seeing him now with the two NPC girls—the only NPCs still alive in the safezone—people began to believe the rumor.

And that made him dangerous.

No one dared to confront him. At least, not directly.

From the shadows of a half-toppled building, Britt’s two teammates watched with clenched jaws and fists at their sides.

That damn brat. Treated Britt like she was some kind of pet. A toy. A slave.

They couldn’t stomach it.

But they weren’t stupid either. They knew what happened to anyone who confronted Shin head-on. If the rumors were true, he’d just freeze your body and make you beg for death.

So they stayed in the dark, trailing him at a distance. Watching. Waiting.

They’d find the right moment. Then, they’d end him. Quietly. Cleanly. Blood in the shadows.

Meanwhile, Shin and the girls had arrived at the ruined dwarf workshop.

Luckily, most of the players who had looted the place were only interested in finished weapons. They didn’t touch the iron ores, or the forging tools scattered around.

Sylvia glanced around, then planted her foot beside a pile of scorched coal. With her one hand on her hip, she turned to Lilian, smirking.

"Come on, bitch. Help me get this fire started. We’re gonna forge the best damn weapons I can still make!"

Shin couldn’t help but smile. There it was again—that fire in Sylvia. When it came to smithing, she lit up like nothing else.

He watched her with a small grin tugging at his lips.

He liked this side of her. Passionate. Fiery. Unapologetically loud.

He glanced down at his gun. The shells were low. Too low.

"Do you think you can make me a sword?" he asked, eyes on Sylvia. "A katana—something sleek. Japanese style."

Sylvia puffed out her chest proudly.

"Leave it to me!" she said with fire in her voice. "You’ll have a blade so sharp it’ll split a scream in half!"

Lilian rolled her eyes.

"Someone’s dramatic today..." she muttered, already starting to gather the coal.

Sylvia just grinned.

"Shut up and get the bellows going, hostess girl. We’ve got a weapon to birth."

The forge crackled to life and so did the heat between them. But behind it all, in the shadows, death was still watching.

And it was waiting to strike.

TBC