Beauty from Arkhangelsk

"Hey, over here!" The same voice from before was shrouded with chaos. "You, yes you. The one who started the brawl!"

Yung Jae looked everywhere. It was a nightmare trying to find her, someone he had never met in the chaotic pub. He just knew she had a Russian accent. And God knows how many Russians were here.

Thanks to the system, translating every language into a common tongue, everyone could understand each other. But the accent. The accent stuck forever.

"Hey! Over here, beside the first stairs! Korean, Japanese, or whatever you are, here, here!"

That's better. She should have given him a hint minutes ago before he wasted precious time, just, here, here, I'm here.

Yung Jae glared, following her instruction, and found a girl on the table. Stood. A white shirt follows her curve, with an ebony leather vest covering her plum chest. She wore long pants with the color of her vest on her tights below until she met long leather boots darker brown. There was a dead leaf color leather belt, too wide for her thick, slim waist. It carried two daggers and a waist bag at the side.

That golden hair made her shine between black and brown. She clapped and nearly fell. Almost. She held herself by the wall.

Sure, she helped him early, but could he trust her? He hardly trusts anyone these days. He never met her, for sure.

What choice did he have? Beggar didn't have the privilege to choose.

Yung Jae crossed the dangerous brawl pub, like a meerkat crossing a street full of cars. He evaded many bodies, flew a tankard and bottle, and swung a baton. At last, he came to her unharmed on the dark hallway beside the stairs covered by a wooden wall.

She squinted. "Help me."

He lent his hand, helping her down from the table.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"Why are you helping me?" He looked down on her.

"You help me first by smacking those rich bastards, and honestly, I'm a Chae Wo fan. That bastard bad-mouthed her… okay, let's move before someone notices us."

She led the way on the not-so-long corridor. Their step created a trail on the dusty floor, but there was already another trail of steps. Someone had already met the end of the corridor.

The smell of dust dominated and forced Yung Jae to sneeze and cover his nose.

"How did you find this way?" Yung Jae was curious.

"On escaping the danger quest at Close Beta event." She proudly said. "While others bussied butchered everything out, I mesmerized everything inside."

"Everything?"

While she nodded, her golden silk strands danced, covering her back. "From the sewer to the princess chamber, you name it. Not in a negative way."

"Strange hobby of yours." Yung Jae said. "You're Russian?"

She nodded. "Born and raised on Arkhangelsk ."

"Archangel? You mean…"

"The city, in northern Russia, near Finland. It is Arkhangelsk, not Archangel. Okay, if it's hard for you to just call it Oblast."

"Ah, I see now. So, why does a beautiful girl like you play a dangerous game?"

"Smooth talker, huh?" A devilish smile showed up on her plum lips. "I love playing games, especially realistic games, you know."

"Wait until you die once."

"Haha, funny. So… you her fans too?"

"Yeah, number one fan. That's why I smacked his face."

"Cool, now that's another common ground between us."

They took a short turn, and both stood at the end of the corridor. There was an old wooden door. A backdoor. It would hardly have been seen if he had not come closer.

There was almost no dust on the stainless handle and a palm shape on the thick dust door. Perhaps someone tried to open it before, but it was fruitless.

"Well, I have no key." She rolled the handle and pulled it, but nothing happened. "See. Could you do a manly job for me?" She gave a way for Yung Jae to the door.

"I wonder if you want to save or ask me to open the door."

She winked and put a small tongue out. Such adorable.

Yung Jae took a step back, then stomped hard on the door. It flew out and hit the wall. The shroud of gust came in and erased much dust on the wooden floor.

It was not better than the inside. Yung Jae covered his nose from the stick sewer smell from nowhere.

"Let's go, follow me." She slipped out first, like a hamster, leaving Yung Jae.

There was an alley sandwiched between two lines of buildings. Hardly any light could infiltrate from above came down here, but she acted like it was her backyard and dashed off the paved path covered by puddles.

"Over here, hurry." She returned and yanked him in the opposite direction from the front pub. "Come one, trust me. I hope we'll be safe there, on Blacksmith Road."

"Your hope." He smirked but let her take the lead. "So you didn't know if this path was safe?"

"I saved your life," She said. "So buckled up."

"What is your name?" Yung Jae said. "Don't worry. I will not spill your name if I get captured, and you're not."

"We'll never get captured, trust me."

Interesting girl. He always loved tomboyish girls, and not only that, she was beautiful, sexy with that thick, small buttock, and full of spirit. If she was smart, then she was perfect. She would be worth his time.

They took a turn on the forking path. Then, they abruptly stopped as they saw the sentry guard. A lot of them readied their riffle, batton, and shield. It looked like they lined up for a briefing.

It looked like the sentry guard took the brawl seriously.

Now, like rats, both of them were trapped here.

"Back back back." She took a turn.

"There no use. Probably those sentry guards at the pub already found our trail."

"Should we fight?" She murmured.

"Two low-level players like us against the whole battalion of sentry guards. We never made it." He had a better idea, better than to fight in a useless battle.

Yung Jae pinned her arms over the wall and pushed her front with his.

"What are you doing?" She looked into his eyes and tried to resist, but she was no match for him. "Let me go—"

"Improve." He looked down into her eyes. Their forehead touching each other. "Act like a couple."

"What? A couple?" Her cheek flustered. "A couple—like a girlfriend and boyfriend? Seriously? Now? But we not even knew each other—"

"Do you want to escape or not?" Yung Jae murmured, "Just follow my lead."

"Okay, okay. Uhm, okay." She nodded and let a heavy breath out. "Here we go." and returned her gaze to him.

Their noses touched each other. Her breath exhaled and spread a warm sensation, and the mint smell somehow turned him on. He pulled his bellow a little, hiding his baton to make her comfortable.

"It's just an act, right?" she whispered with a heavy, deep tone.

"Yeah." Yung Jae sniffed her neck. "Shhh, they are coming."

The step came closer on a puddled path. There was an order for the commanding officer. "Go, there are many who tried to escape! They need us!"

Many sentry guards passed by without bothering Yung Jae at all. One, two, three, four of them are already gone. Yet, there are two left who choose to walk rather than run.

Those two took a closer look at them. There was a crunching sound from the communication device on the shoulder of one of them. Yung Jae overheard it.

"There many who run toward your position! Stay alert."

Yung Jae's heart beat fastest. They notice them already. He turned to the other side. It was empty now. Should he dash there? Or wait.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" One of the sentries came to them.

Yung Jae didn't turn her face while the girl tightened her arm around his waist. She drowned her face on his chest.

"Shit, young lads these days." Sentry chuckled. "Hey, kids, wait until the sun goes down."

"Let them alone, Mark." The last sentry patted his friend and dashed toward the pub. "Come one. They said many escaped from the backdoor."

The sentry patted his shoulder. "Have a good time and stay away from trouble." He left trailing his friend. "Wait, Josh."

Now, the alley was quiet. Yung Jae kept an eye on her while she did the same.

"It's done, right?" she whispered.

"Your eyes are so beautiful."

"Come one, knock it off."

Yet, Yung Jae kept her locked into the wall and gazed at her blue eyes ravenously. He never saw blue eyes directly, and everyone was right. Blue eyes had magic that ruled the opposite sex into it.

"Knock it off!" She ankleed his groin hard, then released herself. "You creepy bastard."

"I'm just joking. Why are you so serious?" Yung Jae took a pin there. It hurt first, then numb. "Urgh, my future is at stake." He peeked a glimpse of her giggles for a second.

"Come, let's do a quest together."

"You just possibly ruined my future, and now you're asking for a party?"

Then the whistle voice came closer. "Those couples must be the ones they mentioned earlier? Capture them!"

"Come, run!" She yanked him away on the main blacksmith road toward the entrance.

It was fun. Just meet him for a few minutes, and they pump their adrenaline together. Yung Jae wondered what happened next. But should he trust her?

"Before you kidnap me," Yung Jae said. "At least give me your name."

"Natasya. Is that clear?" she said, laughing at him.