Chapter 31
The Fallen Knight collapsed to its knees before Seong-Hwi, a massive hole in its chest.
“Huuu,” Seong-Hwi exhaled.
[103 Karma obtained.]
[Condition 1 of Trait Quest: Pursuer of Chaos V, complete.]
[Fallen Knight: 1 / 1]
Seong-Hwi stepped on the Fallen Knight’s head and destroyed its skull. A white rock that emitted a white pillar of light, which anyone within a hundred meters could see, came out.
[Teleport Rock
Rank: —
Description: A rock that can send its holder to the Mirror World. It emits a white pillar of light. Saying the words: To the Mirror World, while holding it will send the holder to the Mirror World after one minute.]
The rock had no classification or rank.
I could just go to the Mirror World right now, Seong-Hwi thought.
He had much to do in the Mirror World—bastards to kill, things to obtain, people to save—but he still had one more thing to do here.
[Remaining Teleport Rocks: 91]
[Time Remaining: 110:20:52]
There are over four days left.
The Judge, a Demon Knight, would appear in four days. Seong-Hwi would say goodbye to this blasted forest once he killed it. He had already set a plan of action for that remaining time. Just then, Seong-Hwi heard the rustling of bushes. Nine people had surrounded him.
“He’s alone.”
“How did he get a Teleport Rock?”
“Hmph, isn’t it obvious? He sacrificed his friend. No way anyone can kill that monster by themselves.”
They were all black people—the Senegalese from District 2. Seong-Hwi stared at his Teleport Rock. The white pillar of light it emitted toward the sky was so bright that it was easy to see despite the density of the trees.
It's only natural since it’s meant to reveal its location.
There was only one reason the Teleport Rocks emitted white light: to incite competition by exposing its presence. The number of Teleport Rocks would decrease over time, and the people who took their time gathering more strength to kill the Fallen Knight would grow more anxious.
Such people had a few choices. First, they could hunt the Fallen Knights as planned, but the number of Teleport Rocks would decrease over time. Second, they could betray their team by killing a comrade and go to the Mirror World alone; it was a simple strategy with a high chance of success. Third, they could take Teleport Rocks from other teams. Fourth, they could capture people from different teams and use them as live offerings to obtain Teleport Rocks.
“Hey, you. Hand over your Teleport Rock. If you do, we’ll let you live,” said a tall man in his thirties, pointing his spear at Seong-Hwi.
The woman beside him said, “Why would you let him live? Keh, let’s just capture him. We can use him as a live offering, and then we’ll have two Teleport Rocks.”
“True. I didn’t think of that.”
The nine people approached Seong-Hwi as if he were already captured prey, shrinking their encirclement.
Seong-Hwi muttered, “I suppose I should warn you. If you attack first, you’ll die.”
“Hah! We’re here to kill you, too!”
“Become our live offering!”
The man threw his spear, aiming for Seong-Hwi’s leg. Seong-Hwi pulled out his Shaco Knife and split the spear vertically in two.
“Son of a bitch! How did he split the spear without a skill?!”
“He’s strong! Attack him all at—”
A chilling sensation stopped them in their tracks, unable to move. Seong-Hwi’s eyes gleamed red, emitting bloodlust. He had acquired the trait, Hundred-Man Killer, but never consciously exhibited bloodlust. He always suppressed it because he did not want to be controlled by its impulses.
However, Seong-Hwi had no reason to suppress his bloodlust anymore. He had obtained a Teleport Rock early to use himself as bait so that people would gather around him.
I need more Karma to kill the Demon Knight.
Since his location would be exposed if he held a Teleport Rock, it was only natural for people to approach him. Seong-Hwi decided to kill anyone who attacked him with hostility.
I feel less guilty about killing newbies who try to kill me first.
He couldn’t deny that he lured them, but they made the ultimate choice. One could only stay sane by making justifications for one’s actions. Humans were complex creatures—even if it was murder, they felt less guilty if it was justified.
[Activating Trait: Hundred-Man Killer.]
AHHH—!
The screams of a hundred vengeful spirits echoed through the forest, thick bloodlust filling the surroundings.
“Urgh! What the hell is he?!”
“Don’t falter! It’s a bluffing skill!”
“Ahhh! Die!”
The nine people charged at Seong-Hwi simultaneously, overcoming their fear. A man with a leather shield and a longsword reached Seong-Hwi first.
“Chaaa!” the man shouted.
He swung his sword, but it was far too slow for Seong-Hwi with his E-rank Sense and Dexterity. Seong-Hwi dodged at the last second and sliced the man’s throat open with the Shaco Knife.
“Kurgh!” The man grabbed the wound to stop the bleeding, but the wound was too deep to survive from.
“Adap!”
“Son of a bitch!”
The others charged at Seong-Hwi, their eyes filled with fury.
Seong-Hwi mumbled, “An eye for an eye. You’re the ones who attacked me first.”
He dashed, instantly reaching the woman who suggested they use him as a live offering, and stabbed her in the heart.
That’s two, he thought.
Seong-Hwi kicked the woman’s corpse at a man running at him and took advantage of his confusion to approach him and stab him in the neck.
“Gurrrh!”
That’s three.
Seong-Hwi deflected arrows flying at him. He stepped on the shoulder of the man who was already dead, jumping high like a cat and summoning a black recurve bow.
[Activating Unique Skill: Symbol Embodiment.]
[Chasing Bow, one of the symbols of No.3 The Hunter]
He fired a black arrow immediately, which went straight through the rearguard bowman’s forehead.
That’s four.
“Urgh!”
“M-monster!”
The remaining five lost all morale as four of their comrades died in the blink of an eye. Their movements became sluggish, oppressed by Seong-Hwi’s bloodlust. They were now simply prey waiting to be killed.
He sliced.
That’s five.
He stabbed.
That’s six.
He thrust.
That’s seven.
He slashed.
That’s eight.
Seong-Hwi, holding the Shaco Knife dripping with blood, stared at the man who threw a spear at him in the beginning.
“A-ahhh!” The man’s eyes turned bloodshot after witnessing the deaths of his comrades. They had come this far after protecting each other with their lives. “Arghhh!”
The man pulled out a knife and ran at Seong-Hwi. Seong-Hwi stretched his index finger forward and pressed the man’s forehead as if making a fingerprint impression.
[Hundred-Man Mark stamped.]
“Kurgh!” The man fell from the push of the finger. He realized he would have been dead if that finger had been a knife. “Are you... toying with me?!”
The man ran at Seong-Hwi again, giving up on defense as if he had decided to take Seong-Hwi down with him. A red flower had bloomed on his forehead. Upon a closer look, one could tell the flower had a hundred petals—an even closer look would reveal each petal was made of agonized faces.
Stamping the Hundred-Man Mark on an enemy meant that an individual had spared their enemy once in battle. In return, killing that enemy rewarded the killer with additional Karma. It was a merciless red flower planted by lunatics who loved toying with their opponents and the thrill of a death match.
Seong-Hwi stabbed the man in the forehead with his Shaco Knife. The Hundred-Man Mark disappeared, and the man’s eyes turned lifeless as he collapsed.
[140 Karma obtained.]
[98 additional Karma obtained as per the effect of the Hundred-Man Mark.]
Seong-Hwi obtained 1,376 Karma from killing nine people, enough to open one stone cube. Seong-Hwi looked down at the nine corpses in silence and walked away soon after.
***
“This is malicious,” Jun muttered as he stared at the Teleport Rock with a grave expression.
The Teleport Rock continued to emit a white pillar of light. The light couldn’t be snuffed out by putting the rock in one’s pocket or wrapping it in cloth. He immediately realized what this meant. Killing the Fallen Knight wasn’t easy; they would have failed if it weren’t for Ho-Geun.
The other teams have also likely challenged a Fallen Knight. I’m sure they would choose the much easier options.
The locations of the Teleport Rocks were exposed to incite betrayal, theft, murder, and battle between teams.
[Remaining Teleport Rocks: 90]
[Time Remaining: 108:52:17]
There were ninety Teleport Rocks left. Jun wondered how many of the ten were obtained by hunting the Fallen Knights. Over time, the number of people who could reach the Mirror World would decrease, inciting impatient people to fight other teams for Teleport Rocks.
We have to collect ten Teleport Rocks before it becomes a disaster.
Jun decided on their course of action and looked to his teammates.
“Ouch! Be more gentle, will you?!”
“Stop moving. Do you want your wounds to widen?”
Hwa-Yeon tightly wrapped Seong-Tae’s wound on his flank, caused by the Fallen Knight, with a bandage made with cloth.
“Kehehe. Man, I’m tired! I told you guys, didn’t I? I always come through when it counts!” Ho-Geun shouted proudly on the ground, bragging to Min-Jae and Ye-Ji that he also established a rule for his D Weapon.
That golden hammer skill was called Demolition Hammer, right? A skill that consumes mana and health, Jun recalled.
Thanks to Ho-Geun, they gained a way to break the Fallen Knight’s armor. The consumption of health would not be as bad as long as he adjusted his power so that only the Fallen Knight’s armor would break.
As long as we break its armor, the rest is easy.
Once the armor with insanely high magical resistance was out of the picture, the remaining teammates could take care of the rest. Jun turned and saw Do-Hyun expressing sorrow as he picked up the pieces of his shattered throwing knives, and Ha Rin consoling Do-Hyun with Chocho in her arms. Hee-Gyeong, whose main weapon, the whip, was now unusable, was practicing using a whip she made with vines.
Seung-Jun, examining the sacrificial altar, approached Jun and asked, “Hyung, how will we decide... who goes to the Mirror World first?”
The others simultaneously turned to Jun, their attention on the Teleport Rock.
Jun placed the Teleport Rock in his pocket and said firmly to break the awkward air, “There is no order. We’ll obtain ten Teleport Rocks and all go together.”
Seong-Tae agreed, “Sounds about right. We’ve come this far together, so there’s no point deciding an order.”
Ho-Geun stood up and answered, “Okay! Then let’s hunt another Fallen Knight. Trust me! I’ll demolish them in a flash.”
“Ahem. In case you’ve forgotten, my arrows are breaking their os.”
“What? Keke. Look at you, Min-Jae. I thought you were reserved and stoic, but you know how to make jokes too, huh? Did you graduate from comedy school?”
“Did it seem like I was joking? I was only saying facts.”
The awkwardness dissipated as the two joked with one another, and they smiled.
Jun declared, “Then let’s take ten more minutes to rest and look for another Teleport Rock.”
***
There were many kinds of hunters in the world.
Those who cooperated with the hunt until they were satisfied with the prey their comrades hunted.
Those who killed their comrades because they wanted the prey their comrades hunted.
Or even those who hunted other hunters, using irresistible prey as bait.