Chapter 47: Labyrinth City (1)
"Ha-"
Snow Ghost Ram trembled with rage.
Crack-Crackle-!
The ground under his two feet was being crushed, and blood pooled slightly at the corners of his mouth from clenching his teeth so tightly.
"What did you say?"
Clearly filled with rage, he asked again, but the Absolute Ruler of Darkness responded with an utterly calm expression,
"I am saying that I have no choice but to kill you."
That was all she said.
Gnash-!!
Snow Ghost Ram felt his anger rising even more at her continued words.
In the five years since he had become a great hero, he had never heard such insulting words.
At least, no one he had encountered before had dared to threaten a great hero capable of lifting Mount Tai.
Yet, the girl in front of him, without changing her expression, had picked a fight not just with Snow Ghost Ram but with all the great heroes present.
In fact, it wouldn't have been strange if a bloodbath had already started here.
It wouldn't have been strange if the impatient Snow Ghost Ram had already rushed forward to rip the woman's throat out.
It wouldn't have been strange if the Sword God had silently swung his sword, slicing her body in two.
Similarly, it wouldn't have been strange if the Great Mage had used magic, or if the Earthquake King, with ferocity matching Snow Ghost Ram's, had charged at the woman with a fierce smile as if he had been waiting for the chance.
But even so, all the great heroes were just making displeased faces, and none dared to step forward.
Sword God Arwen was just fidgeting with his fingers as if he was about to grab the sword hilt, with an uncomfortable expression on his face.
Great Mage Laran was just holding his staff in silence.
The Earthquake King had a fierce smile but seemed to have no intention of recklessly charging in, standing in his place.
And even Snow Ghost Ram, known to be the most impatient of all,
"......"
was just looking at that woman with his bloodshot eyes.
Seeing this, the nobles present felt puzzled.
At least to them, the woman in front of them looked nothing but insane.
It didn't seem like she was picking a fight with the great heroes who could trample even a territory on their own if they wished.
But unlike those nobles, the four great heroes still did not move.
No, to be precise, they could not move.
The great heroes confronting those empty eyes realized,
that the being standing before them, whose name and face were not even properly known, was not of a lower realm than themselves.
No,
perhaps, they might even be on a higher plane than them.
...They instinctively realized that they could not win against this monster by charging in alone.
That's why the great heroes could only remain still.
Even the Sword God with a displeased expression.
The silent Great Mage and the Earthquake King as well.
And even Snow Ghost Ram, clenching his teeth, realized that what was in front of them was a monster even greater than themselves.
But upon realizing this, the four great heroes calmly assessed the situation and simultaneously deduced a way to defeat the monster in front of them.
"Combined attack."
If all four great heroes here united as one to charge at the monster in front of them, they could win.
Even if the being in front of them was a monster, they too were great heroes.
For them, each a living legend, a combined attack was not impossible to win against the monster before them.
No, rather, they were confident.
That it was not arrogance but a plain truth.
"Do you think we cannot defeat you? Two of us will surely die, but if we all charge in, you will die."
These were the words that came out of Snow Ghost Ram's mouth after all the calculations were done.
At that moment, the nobles stirred greatly.
The words from Snow Ghost Ram's mouth were, surprisingly, self-deprecating.
And to that question from Snow Ghost Ram,
"I am aware of that too."
She neatly agreed.
"Then why say such a thing-"
"But-"
Snow Ghost Ram was about to speak with a frown at the words of the Absolute Ruler of Darkness,
"If I don't get that sword now, I'm as good as dead anyway, so what does it matter?"
Following those words, Snow Ghost Ram closed his mouth.
"...!"
Soon, the great heroes there could see the gaze of the Absolute Ruler of Darkness.
The madness flickering in her dark eyes, which looked endlessly empty.
Upon seeing that,
"This insane woman, she's serious...!"
The great heroes felt a shiver down their spine as they looked at her.
Soon, the first among the heroes, who had been in a standoff, to move was,
"...Tsk."
Snow Ghost Ram, whose eyes had been bloodshot until just a moment ago.
In fact, he knew.
That a combined attack was impossible.
The four great heroes gathered here were not close enough to risk their lives for each other.
Furthermore, considering the honor that the great heroes held and the cities each of them managed, any fight here would only result in loss, no matter how one thought about it.
At least, the great heroes gathered here had things they were responsible for.
Therefore,
grit...
Snow Ghost Ram, once again biting down hard,
"I, Snow Ghost Ram, will not forget your misdeeds... Someday, along with my brothers, I will come to make you kneel."
Bang!
He stomped his foot on the ground and turned to leave.
"If it weren't for the city, I would have fought."
"Pride comes with a price."
Following him were the Earthquake King and the Great Mage.
"Indeed, thanks to you, that small kingdom..."
Lastly, the Sword God, seemingly affiliated with the Norba Kingdom, murmured as if he had realized something, and with him turning around, all the great heroes left.
Watching the great heroes leave, the Absolute Ruler of Darkness looked at them with an indifferent expression and thought,
"This has driven them all away."
In fact, she had not planned to drive them away like this when she first came to the auction house.
But the reason she went out of her way to drive away the great heroes before the auction started was because of the news brought by the Swords of Calan. No - because of the money the great heroes brought to buy the Execution Sword.
Simply put, they were driven away first because they brought more money than the Absolute Ruler of Darkness had brought.
Of course, in such cases, it might have been easier to just participate in the auction fairly and then chase after the great heroes to take it from them if they lost the auction.
Since the money deposited for the auction in Rapengan is immediately handed over to dwarves, who cannot be pursued right away, making things more complicated than they are, the Absolute Ruler of Darkness resolved the situation in this manner.
About two hours later,
with the great heroes driven away, the Execution Sword was up for auction.
"1.1 million Gold Coins."
"...One... one point one million Gold Coins...!"
"Who, who exactly is that person? Who could it be-"
"It's unbelievable...!"
The Absolute Ruler of Darkness bid all the Gold Coins she had brought for the Execution Sword.
Of course, having already driven out the great heroes and warned others not to bid on the Execution Sword, she could have won it for the starting bid of 50,000 Gold Coins.
Yet, the reason the Absolute Ruler of Darkness did not do so was because she was truly grateful to whoever had put the Execution Sword up for auction.
If that someone had not put the Execution Sword up for auction, the Absolute Ruler of Darkness would never have been able to find it, let alone obtain it.
Therefore, she bid all the money she had gathered as a token of her gratitude.
[Auctioned, the Execution Sword has been sold to bidder number 109.]
The Absolute Ruler of Darkness was able to win the auction.
At that moment, the Absolute Ruler of Darkness won the bid for the Execution Sword.
"Is everything ready with this?"
[Yes, it seems that all the preparations are complete, just as the Lord has instructed]
Kim Hyunwoo had been preparing to open the Labyrinth city for several days.
In fact, since the development of the third tier, it was possible to open the Labyrinth city immediately, but from now on, even Kim Hyunwoo was preparing as much as possible, not knowing what might happen.
[As the Lord instructed, we have selected eight people who were handling guild affairs in the previous territory or who seem capable enough to undertake office duties, and it seems that everything will be perfectly constructed by tomorrow]
"What about the rumors?"
[It's only been a few days since we spread the rumors, so not many mercenaries or adventurers have gathered yet, but they are gradually starting to assemble within the territory]
Kim Hyunwoo, satisfied with Loria's words, nodded with satisfaction.
Indeed, things were proceeding step by step as he had prepared.
Therefore,
[Also, the tasks you assigned to Elena will probably be completed by today as well]
Kim Hyunwoo, upon hearing Loria's final report,
"Now, shall we start spreading the word to the adventurers in earnest?"
"In two days, we'll open the Labyrinth,"
he murmured with a smile.
Immediately after winning the bid for the Execution Sword.
The Absolute Ruler of Darkness decided to carry the Execution Sword personally instead of entrusting it to a dwarf for delivery after paying the money.
She had never heard of any issues when dwarves transported items, but she felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
Therefore, the Absolute Ruler of Darkness, who had just taken custody of the Execution Sword from Rapengan territory, looked at the sword with a deeply moved expression, which soon turned into one filled with questions.
And for good reason.
"...Huh?"
The Absolute Ruler of Darkness knew this Execution Sword all too well.
Her eyes suddenly filled with confusion.
As if she couldn't understand the situation, she blankly stared at the Execution Sword, then slowly rotated it to examine it closely.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
...And, ten times.
Standing there, the Absolute Ruler of Darkness, who had turned the Execution Sword over and over using the darkness, soon realized one unbelievable fact.
"...What...?"
That the Execution Sword was, in fact, her own.