‘Has he lost his mind?’
Kim Sehyeon confusedly tilted his head, a habit he had whenever faced with surprises or things he couldn’t understand.
The man standing in front of him actually requested that he beg.
It was laughable that he responded so seriously to a light joke, but for some strange reason... his words also felt like a knife straight to his chest.
Almost like he needed to beg… That not begging would result in consequences…
‘Who the hell is he?’
Sehyeon, who had never been so insulted in Illia, his chosen location, before, was furious.
“You want me… to beg? You fucking… hah, you must have lost your mind…”
The woman standing next to Sehyeon erupted into laughter.
“Hahaha! Pfft… Hey, Sehyeon… You don’t need to hold back today, alright? This guy’s going to make me go crazy too.”“I… don’t even know what to say right now. He just fucking looked down on me, right?”
“Yeah, he did. I saw it too.”
Sehyeon looked around the crowd, like he was looking for someone.
“Fucking hell… Where’s Gyeongsu by the way? Is he still not here yet?”
“I already sent some people to look for him. He should be arriving any time now.”
In truth, Sehyeon wasn’t the leader. Though he appeared ordinary, his casual demeanor and carefree attitude made people hesitant to trust him. This was also why he hadn’t been able to find his place on Earth.
The actual leader of this group was Jang Gyeongsu.
Not only was he a head taller than most others, but he also possessed a large build and a wicked nature.
For those who relished in the lawless nature of the new world, he was an excellent leader.
And that very same individual was on his way right now.
The woman’s words woke up the beast in Sehyeon’s heart.
‘I’ll kill him.’
Sehyeon was not only furious from being stopped multiple times but also flustered.
Where did they come from? Why weren’t they just going along? How could they have not heard about his name in Illia?
‘I'll ignore the pilgrim because it might get complicated, but... I'll kill that bastard.’
More than a handful of transferees in the city had already died because of their gang. Even though they would have rotted in prison if they were still on Earth, they were only warned by the city’s lord in this world. Punishment never resulted from it.
That was the moment their actions became even crueler.
Their violence was solely focused on the transferees. On the outside, it might have appeared as if they were attempting to integrate with the residents of Pandea. However, in reality, they were merely seeking to exert dominance over the transferees.
And for those reasons, no one in Illia defied their will.
‘...Could it be them?’
The person that the woman next to him, Yu Taerim, told him about a couple of days ago.
Sehyeon was worried that the man in front of him was the mysterious ‘Private’.
‘I heard they had over 3 million points…’
Sehyeon, Taerim, and Gyeongsu only barely managed to pass 2.2 million recently. It was a total that no one could compare to in Illia.
As long as they weren’t ‘Private’, he could easily handle anyone.
Not to mention that there were three of them and only one of him. Sehyeon doubted if they could even lose.
Taerim, seeing the look on Sehyeon’s face, shook her head.
“He’s not Private.”
“Are you sure?”
“The rumors say ‘Private’ is a girl. He’s a man, can’t you see?”
“Well, that’s that then… That fucker made me worried for no reason…”
As Sehyeon contemplated his decisions, Chameli apologized to Seol.
“I’m sorry… Because of me, you…”
"It's alright, step back. This could cause problems for the pilgrims later, so I don't want you to get involved."
“......”
Chameli gave Seol a sentimental look before stepping away. It seemed like there was a misunderstanding, but it didn’t matter right now. Seol focused solely on Sehyeon and his party.
‘A bit more than 10 people.’
Seol didn’t have a particular reason for counting them out.
His actions held no more significance than counting the number of eggs in a carton.
Fwip!
Something flew toward Seol.
Grab!
Seol managed to grab it midair, but it stung slightly in his hands. When he opened his fist, he realized it was a coin.
Seol looked at Sehyeon with a confused look.
“Have you ever heard of Charon's obol? I’m about to send you off into the afterlife.”
“......”
"I ended up changing my mind. You and them… I’m going to feel a lot better if I just kill you all."
"I'll give you one final chance to reconsider. It's your last opportunity."
“I can’t hear you.”
Sehyeon changed his stance.
[CoolSehyeon used Gash.]
[Your weapon easily cuts through skin.]
[Your attacks result in larger wounds.]
[After multiple successful attacks, there's a certain chance of inflicting Abnormal Status: Heavy Bleed.]
Sehyeon violently dashed toward Seol.
He held a dagger in one hand and wore a glove on the other. Through this, Seol could tell Sehyeon likely had a class centered around close-quarters combat.
‘He’s not a Duelist… maybe a Highwayman?’
Seol deduced Sehyeon’s class instantly after observing his stance, skills, and patterns.
And through that, he could also predict Sehyeon’s next action.
“First, I’ll deal with yo—”
“...Tch.”
[CoolSehyeon used Flying Fish Stab.]
[If Flying Fish Stab successfully lands, gain Lawless every 2 seconds for 10 seconds.]
Sehyeon twisted his body as he made his dagger dance.
The attack started from below and ascended. It was the same Flying Fish Stab Seol had anticipated.
“Die!”
Sehyeon swung his dagger, aiming for Seol’s neck and face with a powerful attack that would have been lethal if it had landed properly.
However, Sehyeon was suddenly stopped.
“...Huh?”
A dark red hand shot forth from Seol’s hand, perfectly restraining Sehyeon's right shoulder, which was key to this skill.
“Th-this… This…”
“Watch out, Sehyeon!”
However, something arrived much earlier than Taerim’s screams or her attempts to help.
It was Sehyeon’s hand, the same hand that held his dagger.
“N-No…”
Seol's viscous black hand gripped Sehyeon’s hand, then used it to stab his own shoulder.
Staaaab!
“Guaaaargh!”
Sehyeon couldn’t believe it. He was being forced to stab his own body.
Sehyeon then rolled on the floor, writhing in pain.
“You fucker!”
[Taerimi used Confidence in Victory.]
[You gain confidence that you will win the match.]
[Your high confidence increases your morale.]
“You’re dead now!”
[Tarerimi used Match!.]
[Gambler’s Match activates.]
[You are unable to leave the designated area.]
[While you are in the Gambler’s Area, all stats increase by 20%.]
[You currently have high morale.]
[All of your stats increase by an additional 10%.]
Taerim couldn’t remember ever losing after activating Match!. Closing the distance quickly after using her skill, Taerim moved toward Seol.
“Car—”
Someone had shouted.
She then heard something splitting the air.
Fwoosh…
‘Behind!’
Before Taerim even realized it, Seol’s black hand was slithering toward her.
Grab!
There was no surprise.
Swiftly grabbed by Seol’s hand, Taerim couldn’t resist as she was hurled down toward the cold, stone path.
Thud.
Krgh…
Taerim was mistaken.
The reason she had never lost before after activating Match! wasn't because she was strong. It was because she had used it against opponents whom she could beat.
‘Still… this much damage is…’
Though it had made a loud sound, the injuries she had received were much less severe than those Sehyeon had received.
She believed it was due to him taking pity on her. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t read the mood at all, after all. The man in front of her was much, much stronger than she was. What she had to do now was search for a way to survive.
The first thing that came to her mind was his weak heart. She had to take advantage of it.
However… Once more, Taerim was mistaken.
Snap. Crunch.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Seol stepped on Taerim’s hand as she floundered on the floor. Judging by the sound, it was clear that he had broken a few bones.
Taerim continued to wail and scream, to the point where it seemed likely she would injure her vocal cords.
It only took a few moments for both Taerim and Sehyeon to be rendered unable to fight.
Taerim’s hand might have been crushed by Seol’s foot, but the surprising thing was Sehyeon’s hand—he was still stabbing his own shoulder.
“I-It’s not getting off… What the fuck is this…”
“S-Someone… Someone please…”
Sehyeon’s right hand still had something sticky on it, tying it down so he couldn’t remove his hand from his dagger.
Though that was brutal enough, the more brutal sight was what happened to Taerim. Covered in tears and snot, she crawled on the floor.
No one stepped forth from the crowd to help them.
Not only were Sehyeon and Taerim taken down, but the other dozen or so party members were also swiftly brought down. Most of them were tossed into the air by Seol’s black hands and thrown to the floor.
Thuuud!
Snap!
“Gaaargh!”
A man with a broken right arm, a woman with her foot twisted 180 degrees, etc.
He was kind enough to not kill them, but they were all clearly injuries that would cause residual pain even if it was healed by a priest.
“Haah… Haah! Hrgh… Get out of the fucking way!”
A large man jumped into the scene with his underlings.
The man, who was shirtless despite being in the middle of winter, was covered in tattoos.
The man stood over 190cm tall, his body covered with both muscles and fat. His scarred face was focused on trying to deduce the situation.
“What the… What the hell is all this? Sehyeon, what’s going on?”
“It hurts, fuck… h-help us, Gyeongsu… Th-that fucker is…”
“...Who did this?”
“H-him!”
“Okay.”
Even with just a glance, most people could tell that the three of them had similar auras.
Seol wondered if they were the three notorious individuals in Illia that he had read about in Audenin’s community.
“...Hey, who the fuck do you think you are? Do you know what you just did?”
“If it’s something I need to know, tell me.”
“You fucking…”
* * *
Suddenly, one of the audience members who had been watching the situation shouted loudly.
“I-I remember him! He’s that… that…”
“Who? Who is he?”
“The flagellant! The person who cleared the labyrinth!”
“The flagellant? Weren’t they supposed to be in Audenin?”
“Didn’t they supposedly join the guild alliance?”
The crowd began to murmur loudly after hearing the word ‘flagellant’.
The people who had observed an innocent man being attacked now began to whisper about how the situation would unfold from here.
“If he’s the flagellant… then he must have ties to the association. Man… what are they going to do?”
“Are they trying to fight the guild alliance? There’s no way they’d be a match for them…”
“Is Audenin’s guild alliance trying to gain footing in Illia too?”
The murmurs grew louder.
Even if Gyeongsu was a hotheaded individual, he couldn’t help but cool down after hearing that the alliance was potentially involved.
Even though the members of the alliance were individually weaker than them, there was nothing any gang in Illia could do to match a massive organization like Audenin’s guild alliance.
Gyeongsu turned around and looked at Sehyeon.
“The flagellant? What the… What the hell have you been doing?!”
“I-I didn’t know… Hrgh… Taerim was a part of it too!”
“It hurts… It hurts so much…”
Taerim still hadn't managed to regain her composure, and Sehyeon's hand was still stabbing his shoulder.
Gyeongsu quickly realized that the situation was more dire than he had initially thought.
‘Damn it… I thought Sehyeon had just caused a small problem again, and I could handle it, but…’
Gyeongsu cursed their luck. Why did it have to be the most famous adventurer in this area of all people?
“Gyeongsu… Wh-what do we do?”
“Urgh…”
Gyeongsu finally reached a decision.
He slowly approached Seol.
“He’s going to fight!”
“They’re so fucked, holy…”
He then immediately bowed down.
“I’m so sorry! My friends messed with the wrong—”
“Out of the way.”
“...What?”
“The person I have business with is him.”
“That’s…”
Seol passed by Gyeongsu and approached Sehyeon.
“D-Don’t come any closer…”
Sehyeon tripped over his own feet and scrambled on the floor. Even so, he was much too slow to escape Seol.
“I’ll beg! I’ll do it.”
“Too late.”
“Please… Is this really…”
Seol returned Sehyeon’s words to him.
“I can’t hear you.”
“Someone! Someone please help… Please, get this crazy psycho…”
No one responded to Sehyeon’s cries for help.
This was no different from the situation Sehyeon had just put Gyeongtaek through. Strangely enough, Seol had managed to replicate that exact situation.
“I’m going to start pulling out your teeth now. This won’t change.”
“Don’t… stop… Gyeongsu! Gyeongsu, kill him…”
Grind…
Gyeongsu watched the situation unfold, but all he could do was stand aside and grind his teeth in frustration. He judged that this was the best way to appease Seol’s anger.
‘We’ll all die if I do…’
Gyeongsu felt it instinctively.
He felt Seol’s rage seethe out with every breath. He wouldn’t dare do anything that would anger him any further.
Strength only yielded to greater strength. That was the simple truth to this world.
“Sehyeon, just endure it… if you don’t want to die…”
“What? You… Hey!”
Seol grabbed Sehyeon’s shoulder and reached into Sehyeon’s mouth to pull out exactly one tooth.
Pull…
“G-Gaaaargh!”
“I want you to leave Illia today.”
“Fuck… It fucking… hurts…”
Seol locked eyes with Sehyeon. The two had different looks in their eyes now.
Toki’s final words had opened a new path for Seol.
- And if you can… make sure to do good deeds in your life.
Seol was no longer in a rush to become strong. He now had the luxury to look around him, to do good deeds in life.
However, there was no reason for him to be kind to those who were evil.
Hellfire raged in Seol’s eyes.
“If I see you again… I’m going to pull out the rest of your teeth.”
“......”
“Can you hear me now?”
The hundreds of people in the crowd were silent, his voice filling the empty air. A chill ran through everyone who heard those words.
“I-I understand. I’ll do as you say.”
Gyeongsu helped his friends to their feet and then departed from the scene.
Once they had finally left, Gyeongtaek stood up and approached Seol.
He looked much more at ease than before. It was likely because he was healed by the pilgrims.
“Hyung…”
“Gyeongtaek.”
“Thank you, hyung… I… I was so upset and mad, but…”
Chameli then followed up.
“Brothers, why don’t we continue this elsewhere? First, we should take care of the injured. Why don’t you go with the pilgrims, they will heal you.”
“Ah… okay.”
“And Snowman, would you come with me for now? We are late to our promise.”
“Gyeongtaek, I’ll see you later.”
“Huh? Okay, hyung.”
And so, Gyeongtaek and his party departed with the pilgrims, while Seol and Chameli made their way to the rendezvous spot.
The location was a building not too far from the square where the events had transpired.
“If she left because we took too long— Ah, over there! She’s over there!”
Seol glanced in the direction Chameli had indicated and spotted a woman dozing off.
Adorning her back was a massive bow, and her long hair remained concealed beneath the hood of her attire.
Chameli approached her with caution, moving slowly toward her.
“S-Sister…”
“Huh… Wh-what?”
"I apologize for being late," Chameli began, her voice trailing off as she hesitated. "A situation arose, and..."
The woman ignored Chameli’s apology and focused on Seol.
Seol and Chameli locked eyes, refusing to break their gaze. For a few moments, they simply continued to look at each other.
She then quietly let out a voice.
“...Night Crow?”
“...What?”
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