Chapter 32: The Black Crow Guild (1)

Chapter 32: The Black Crow Guild (1)

After a grueling three-hour ordeal, it finally ended.

[... *hic*. Ugh. I feel like I'm gonna die... seriously.]

Elise sobbed faintly.

Her high pride was completely shattered.

With the ring accelerating through a 720-degree spin, not to mention the out-of-sync counter-rotation...

The inside of the ring had become a hell that could match an astronaut's gravity training.

Hmm.

'Did I go a bit too far?'

She was once the head of a family, and I might have shaken her soul too thoroughly.

However, my sympathies didn't last long.

Head of the family or whatever it might be.

Right now, she was no more than a mosquito trapped inside a ring.

"Stop crying and come out."

Jinhyuk infused magic into Brahman's ring.

Then...

Woong!

Elise, who had been trapped, sprang out.

"Huh?"

Elise was surprised, letting out an involuntary sound.

It was only natural, given her sudden release.

"Finally, finally... it's my turn for revenge!"

It was time to pay back all the humiliation she had faced.

She intended to return at least a thousandfold what she had suffered.

But then...

"Huh?"

...why does my view seem so low?

No, it's not just low - it's way too low.

She had to tilt her head back completely just to get a glimpse of her opposer.

'Why is this happening?'

Elise tilted her head in confusion and looked over her body.

That's when she realized why her perspective had changed.

Her slender height was nowhere to be found, reduced to a mere 30cm.

Even her once powerful magic had long vanished.

Her red eyes shook violently.

"What, what is this?"

What do you mean what?

"You're partially materialized while your seal is maintained."

"Partially...?"

"Yeah, just a very small part."

To be precise, should I call it a mini version of Elise?

The power she could exert was less than even 1% of her full strength.

Of course, even with these restrictions, she was still stronger than an ordinary vampire.

But not strong enough to beat him.

Acting rashly would mean certain destruction.

"This can't be..."

Elise plopped down onto the floor.

Her expression looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.

It was a transformation hard to imagine when recalling her initial stern impression.

The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth lifted slightly.

'Time to offer a carrot.'

Now that the stick had been thoroughly used, even a desiccated carrot would taste sweeter than anything else.

Jinhyuk took the seat next to Elise.

"Don't cry, just listen."

And he began to spill the beans in earnest.

"Remember what I said at the ruins? It wasn't just random talk."

In the ruins, Jinhyuk had made a promise.

He had vowed to give Elise and her followers freedom.

"I wanted freedom, but not this kind of freedom."

"I know. Who would call this freedom?"

Jinhyuk gestured dismissively, as if it was painfully obvious.

"Not just physical freedom. The freedom you truly desire. I'll help you get it back."

"What does that... mean?"

Elise's voice trembled subtly.

She might have guessed what he meant, yet she seemed to hope for confirmation.

And Jinhyuk...

He intended to meet that expectation.

"Elise von Ataraxia. If you help me... I'll take care of those who betrayed you and restore your lost position as the head of the Ataraxia family."

***

[A new video has been uploaded to the Hall of Fame.]

With that message, a 10-minute video was uploaded to the top of the [Tower of Trials] community board.

Considering the perilous raid on the ruins, the video was shockingly brief.

Even that was just a highlight reel stitched together from the fight scenes.

However, those who saw it couldn't help but acknowledge that the duration mattered not in the slightest.

A raid-thought-failed.

Yet, with the arrival of the masked player, the tide of the battle had completely turned.

-MochiMochi: It's my first time sweating over the ending even though I know it.

-ClayLatte: Agreed. When he faced the vampire alone, I was freaking out.

The nobles of the night, masters of both magic and physical prowess, were tramped like bugs.

Reality-defying scenarios unfolded one after another.

-FlatSodaKim: Watching it, thought I was seeing John Wick after his dog died and his car got stolen.

-BunnyGongdu: Yeah, that's asking for death.

-IBaxson: Don't mess with a retired killer's dog.

-KoreanJoker: But seriously, the movements and combos are next-level.

-BBQVampireMild: Yup. He even knows all the counter matchups. Magic, swordsmanship, truly a jack-of-all-trades.

Praise poured in.

There were no words to describe the feeling beyond astonishment and amazement.

That's how overwhelmingly dominant the player was in the video.

Then came a realization.

-WaterTaster: Exactly as I thought. This is the guy who climbed into the Hall of Fame with a level 10 weapon and Mangrove, no?

-ClayLatte: Not seen on floor 3, so he was in the ruins?

-OffTopic: By the way, this guy is the one who made Song Cheonhwa go bald.

-ClayLatte: LOL, isn't baldness synonymous with being the strongest in academia?

-OffTopic: In this world, it's just uneaten takoyaki. LOL

-BBQVampireMild: Damn, if the Saintess of Amsterdam acknowledges him, we ought to bow down and accept that.

-FlatSodaKim: Bartender! Give me another bowl of national pride!

***

While the world's attention was stolen by the video,

The main character Jinhyuk arrived in front of a towering building.

It was the headquarters located in Seongbuk District, owned by the Black Crow Guild.

"Guilds are said to be sitting on goldmines... looks like it's true."

A 35-story building overlooking the Hangang River - just how much would that cost?

Even by the lowest estimate, it would be a figure bouncing in the billions, right?

The skyscrapers visible beyond the mask were an entirely different world from the one-room neighborhood Jinhyuk had been living in.

But interestingly, despite the overwhelming capitalistic power, he did not feel jealous.

Because the owner of this building was about to face the worst moment of their life.

-It was Shin Geonsoo! He ordered this!

Jinhyuk mulled over Park Hajin's words from the ruins.

There was no need for any other proof since the insider had confessed.

'They tried... to kill me?'

Everything else could be tolerated.

Whether big guilds colluded together, committed corruption or whatever.

But there was one exception - messing with me.

[Due to the Heartless trait, your humanity grows colder.]

Perhaps my increasingly cold disposition is because of the trait given as a bonus.

Jinhyuk instilled magic into his legs.

And he kicked the glass doors.

Kwang Kwang Kwang!

With a thunderous noise, the thick, reinforced glass shattered to pieces.

"What the hell? Why did the glass break?"

"Did a dump truck ram into it?"

Inside was instant chaos.

Jinhyuk slowly drew his dagger.

"Last warning. Bring Shin Geonsoo to me on his knees now, or today this place will see a funeral."

The people inside cursed aloud - it was a natural reaction.

"What did this guy just spew out?"

"Do you even know which guild owns this place? Picking a fight here?"

Of course, I knew.

"This isn't the place where they sell charcoal-grilled crow meat, is it?"

A company ready to hit someone from behind,

unconcerned whether a third party lives or dies as long as it achieves its goal.

Therefore, an angered customer had come all this way.

To properly face the representative.

"He's really lost it if he's serious."

"Hey, call all the security. Let's have some fun today."

The men in black suits spat on their palms in preparation.

With illegal entry established...

Even if they break a few limbs, it's legitimate self-defense.

Cang! Kaang!

Men in black suits, some wielding iron pipes, surrounded Jinhyuk.

Most were civilians, but there were players who knew how to handle magic mixed in.

"Ah...! Look at this idiot? He copied that high-level player concept from the video?"

The man with a buzz-cut at the front pointed at Jinhyuk, adding a frustrated sigh.

"All this superhero stuff, Marvel or whatnot, has spoiled the kids. Do you know how many ended up in the ER thinking they were Spiderman and trying to climb walls?"

"Cut the crap, let's just beat him. Probably doesn't have the money to pay for the glass, right? It's expensive, so you'll get one hit per ten thousand won."

The conversation ended there.

The iron pipe aimed a precise blow at Jinhyuk's ribs.

Ka-chak!

Hit confirmed.

However, the sound that rang out wasn't the expected dull thud of bone.

It was the screeching sound of metal being sliced.

And with that, the pipe cut in half, fell to the ground.

You said one hit per ten thousand won, right?

"This dagger is not for sale. Now it's dirty with filthy metal dust."

I'll give you a special offer.

"Let's go with one hit for one hundred thousand won."

A smile flickered on Jinhyuk's face as his fist flew.

"Kwurgh!"

As the fist buried into the face, the nasal bone crumpled, and blood spurted red.

Puck! Peurrk!

Continued blows sent the man in the black suit flying like a live fish out of water.

"Three hundred thousand won. Four. This one must have hurt so I'll call it a million. That's a total of 1.7 million."

The man collapsed after four blows.

The beating was merciless, without a hint of clemency.

"How many punches did Kwang-hyuk take before he passed out?"

"He's not some weakling when it comes to toughness..."

Realization softened the faces of the men in black.

They sensed it wasn't looking good.

"That's why I said so. Bring out Shin Geonsoo if you don't want a funeral here."

"That's a problem. The guild leader isn't so idle to deal with pests like you."

Another man stepped forward, appearing in his mid to late 30s.

His handling of the magic energy was natural, unlike the others.

Is this guy leading the security team?

Jinhyuk appraised the man from head to toe.

"Hmm... you might last six or seven blows."

"What?"

"I mean, you look sturdy enough that you won't faint after one or two hits."

It was an assessment based on observing his muscles and magic energy.

"You bastard..."

The man's face twisted hideously.

He'd been the one to look down on others as the head guard of a mid-level guild.

He had never been scorned before.

Respect was his position wherever he went.

So this kind of humiliation was utterly new to him.

"I'll kill you!"

Swooosh!

The sheathed katana at his waist was drawn.

The 1.7m long blade cast its presence all around.

Oh, interesting.

"A 'Samurai' detachment, huh?"

One of the seven major guilds of the world. Japan's 'Samurai'.

That blade was their weapon of choice, a symbolic piece.

"Do you recognize it?"

"I've heard of them."

"Then you must realize how foolish your provocation was."

"Well... I don't know if I should consider an idiot sent overseas on loan as part of their guild."

Isn't he being rented out because he lacks skill?

If it bothers you so much, try to get into the main assault team.

"Uwaaaaah!"

Ultimately, the man burst forth.

He closed the distance with swift steps and the blade stabbed down toward Jinhyuk's skull.

Kaang!

But it didn't slice through flesh.

The blade stopped abruptly, just 1cm away from his forehead.

Even with all his strength, he could not move it even a millimeter.

Blocked with just a toy-like dagger...

No, more surprising was it was done with one hand.

It doesn't make any sense.

Was he tanky despite appearances?

Or could it be...

As several theories threw his mind into chaos,

That was when Jinhyuk's voice came over, low and deep.

"Bite down hard. You don't want to bite your tongue."