Chapter 73

“He's taking so long...”

Ruen spoke worriedly at the empty table, their meal finished.

“He is. He said he was going to look around, but it's been quite a while. Shall we go look for him?”

She nodded at Karlan's question.

“Yes, I think we should. It's his first time on the central continent, after all... I'm worried.”

“That's true. He's exceptionally skilled, but there are plenty of powerful people here. I hear the Dark Forest has restrictions that prevent Outlanders from fighting each other?”

He glanced around before continuing.

“But here, there's nothing to stop people from killing.”

“Exactly. That makes it all the worse. I just hope nothing happens...”

“Haha, don't worry so much. Surely nothing will happen to Master Khan.”

“It's not Master Khan I'm worried about.”

“Pardon?”

Ruen rose from her seat.

“It's whoever crosses his path.”

* * *

BOOOOM!

The jail door shattered.

“A... Aaaagh!”

“Somebody help!”

The militia members inside began scrambling out as though they had seen a monster.

“Aaargh!”

A sword plunged into the thigh of a member who hadn't escaped in time.

CRACK... CRACKLE!

At the same time, the white frost spreading out from the jail engulfed him in an instant.

“Ghk... Gah...”

When the sword was pulled from the frozen man's thigh, his body shattered like glass.

“Hurry! Tell the Captain!”

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!

The alarm bell outside the jail rang.

“That monstrous bastard...!”

“What do we do now?”

“What the hell do you think? Stop him!”

Despite their shouting, the remaining members' faces were filled with terror.

It was utter chaos.

“Damn it...! Where did this guy come from?”

Forced to buy time until their comrades arrived, the members reluctantly charged Woojin.

“Die!”

The man in front swung his sword.

CLANG!

But his sword was blocked with contemptuous ease.

CRUNCH!

Woojin twisted the man's wrist, stepped inside his reach, and flipped his sword into a reverse grip, driving it into his waist and thigh in rapid succession.

“G-Gah...”

Blood streamed from the mouth he had opened in pain. His body shuddered, and he collapsed on the spot.

“Impossible...”

One of the members stared at Woojin, his mouth hanging open.

[Using Insight (Lv2).]

[You can check the target's level.]

[Insight may fail if the target's level is higher than the user's.]

“Level 49...?! How can someone below level 50 be on the central continent?”

“What kind of bullshit is that?!”

“Exactly! You're saying someone who isn't even level 50 has that kind of ridiculous strength?”

That single remark was enough to send everyone still there into a panic.

Militia members were, as a rule, at least level 55.

They couldn't accept that someone below level 50 was overwhelming them.

[Trait: Killing Demon activates.]

A chill ran through them.

At that moment, they felt their entire bodies go numb.

'Wh-what is this now?'

'My legs...'

As though they had seen an evil spirit, the remaining members lost their strength and sank to the floor.

“Where's the jail key?”

“I-I don't know...”

SLICE.

Woojin cut off the man's head, then asked the one beside him,

“Where's the jail key?”

“You crazy fuck...! Anyone would think we'd actually locked someone up. Making such a fucking fuss over a game!”

His voice was venomous as he shouted.

But all he received in return was Woojin's cold stare.

“Exactly.”

Woojin nodded at the shouting man.

THUNK.

His sword pierced the man's collarbone at an angle.

“A-Aaaaagh!”

CRRRUNCH!

Woojin twisted the sword embedded in his shoulder. The man thrashed wildly to the sound of grinding bone.

“I'll ask again. Where's the jail key?”

“Th-the Captain has it...”

The defiant man finally answered Woojin in a tearful voice.

SPURT! SPLASH!

Blood gushed like a fountain when Woojin pulled the sword free.

“P-please spare—”

“Anyone would think I'd actually killed someone.”

Woojin coldly threw the man's own words back at him.

“Making such a fucking fuss over a game.”

There was a commotion deeper inside the building.

It had to be the members rushing over after hearing the bell.

Woojin wiped his bloody sword on the fallen man's clothes, then slowly rose.

* * *

“It's noisy outside.”

“It seems the man who came looking for Nissen is causing trouble. He probably saw the jail and flew into a rage without knowing anything.”

“These rookies... They have no idea how much effort we put into this village.”

“Indeed.”

BOOM!

It happened then.

With a sudden crash, the door to the Captain's office was smashed apart.

“What the hell?!”

The subordinate beside the Captain drew his sword and shouted toward the wrecked doorway.

“I'm curious too. What exactly do you do for this village that's so great it gives you the right to lock people up and beat them?”

“You crazy... Do you have any idea where you are?! What are you all doing? Get this bastard, now!”

The subordinate beside the Captain shouted, but no one answered his call.

“Not very bright, are you? Don't you understand what it means that I made it all the way up here?”

The subordinate's face stiffened at Woojin's question.

'Impossible. He took down over twenty members by himself?'

GRIND!

Gritting his teeth, the subordinate charged Woojin with glaring eyes, throwing punches every which way.

ROOOAR!

A fierce whirlwind erupted from his gauntlets with every punch.

“Die!”

But just before his fist connected, Woojin evaded the attack with utter ease amid the raging whirlwinds.

'Weaker than Colson's.'

They were both Boxers, but to Woojin, who had already faced the Rare skill [Fist Gale], this was nothing impressive.

It was most likely a Magic-grade skill, a grade below Rare.

“... Gah!”

Woojin stepped inside his reach and slammed his palm into the subordinate's chin, as though he wasn't even worth drawing his sword for.

CRASH!

The blow sent the subordinate flying through the window, shattering the glass as he fell outside.

“A-Aaaaagh!”

THUD!

His body struck the ground with a dull thump, twitched, and slowly turned to ash.

“Who... are you?”

Watching his subordinate die, the Captain sensed that something had gone wrong.

“You don't need to know. Just hand over the jail key.”

“And if I refuse?”

“I think you already know the answer.”

The Captain stealthily rested a hand on the sword at his waist and sneered at Woojin.

“You think I haven't seen your type before? Bought a few skills with real money, and now you want to play the hero... Everyone in there is locked up for a reason.”

“That's why I'm asking for the key. So I can hear what that reason is from the prisoner too.”

A brief silence fell.

The two watched each other, waiting for an opening.

The Captain moved first.

But the instant he tried to rise from his chair, Woojin kicked the desk in front of him.

THUD!

The Captain toppled backward along with the desk.

“Argh!”

He violently shoved the desk off himself and tried to stand, only for his body to sway.

“... Huh?”

Feeling strangely off balance, he looked down. One of his legs was missing.

“A-Aaaaagh!”

He screamed and pitched forward.

“The key.”

“You crazy fuck...!”

WHOOSH! SWISH!

The Captain sprang up from the floor and swung his sword at Woojin, hobbling.

But none of his attacks reached him.

[You are bleeding.]

[Health is below 30%.]

[Treatment is required.]

How much time had passed?

He could barely hear the notifications pounding in his ears anymore.

His face pale, he was barely managing to swing his sword, and his attacks were markedly slower than before.

“C-Captain...”

“What should we do?”

The militia members returning after resurrecting at the shrine were aghast at the sight before them.

With one leg severed and wounds of every size covering his body, the Captain was a sight enough to rob his subordinates of the will to fight.

“Wh-what do you mean, what should you do?! Attack him!”

The vice-captain, who had died instantly after Woojin sent him flying out the window, stormed into the building and shouted.

But none of the subordinates volunteered to step forward.

Unlike the vice-captain, who had faced Woojin one-on-one, they had been wiped out despite attacking as a group. They had already experienced his strength all too painfully.

'He's a monster...'

They all looked at Woojin with the same expression.

“Y-you...”

For all his furious shouting, the vice-captain was little different once he met Woojin's icy gaze.

“Damn it! Damn it!”

Accompanied by ragged breaths, the Captain's furious barrage gradually began to slow.

“...”

Woojin watched him expressionlessly.

“Last chance. Hand over the key.”

“Eat shit, asshole.”

The Captain raised his middle finger at Woojin and grinned through a mouthful of blood.

SLICE.

“Aaaaaargh...!”

His left arm, the one he'd raised, was severed.

Woojin lifted the head of the Captain, who was writhing on the floor, and spoke.

“Hey. Why go this far? Is there something else in that jail you can't let anyone find?”

“F... you... H-heh... Just wait. Reinforcements from the Corps will be here soon. You're fucking dead.”

“The Corps?”

“That's right! The Genesis Corps is coming. Once they get here, someone like you... Ugh... Gah!”

THUD!

Woojin slammed the Captain's head into the floor and spoke quietly.

“Let them.”

[Title: Mad Demon's effect activates.]

[Experience gained is increased fourfold.]

[Congratulations.]

[You have leveled up.]

▶ 49→50

White light shimmered around him.

'Holy shit... He really wasn't level 50?'

'... What the hell is this guy?'

The members were speechless at the special effect that appeared only upon reaching level 50, unlike an ordinary level-up.

“The Genesis Corps...”

CREAK.

Woojin righted the fallen chair, sat down, and began writing something.

[Sending Message.]

[Recipient: Colson]

“Let's see how they respond.”

After sending the Message, he leaned back and calmly closed his eyes.

“...”

Dozens of militia members could only stand rooted to the spot and stare at Woojin.