Chapter 237 - Awl (2)

Bloodlust.

The mental intent to kill someone.

Normally, it amounts to little more than a chill, but here, in a world of the mind, its effects are amplified dozens of times over. Since it is not conveyed through the physical body, severe exposure can inflict an extreme shock on the spiritual body, sometimes leaving permanent aftereffects even in reality.

'Mental contamination.'

That was what Players had named the phenomenon. Once someone reached that state, they could develop permanent speech impairments such as a stutter. In severe cases, their mind could collapse and fragment.

Which was why...

"You're just like a bug."

I stared at the Clown, pouring even more mental intent into my gaze.

Drooling, the bastard asked,

"W-why...?"

The reason was simple.

The Clown was a necromancer. It would take him ages to restore the summons he had lost in this battle, and until Noark's barrier came down, he couldn't come out into the city to hurt me.

But...

'Orculus.'

The organization that the Dragonslayer, who had killed Dwalki, belonged to.

Ultimately, this bastard was another enemy I would have to deal with someday. If I could fuck him up in advance, doing so was obviously the sensible choice.

"... Urk, hgh!"

As I continued unleashing Bloodlust, a sharp pain shot through the back of my head. That was unavoidable for a technique that consumed mental stamina.

I'd probably have to spend all of tomorrow sleeping. Hmm, maybe even two days straight.

But I only increased the pressure. Knowing this bastard, he was undoubtedly already treating Bjorn Jandel as his sworn enemy and plotting revenge.

'Fucking him up here is my best option.'

This bastard was even more dangerous than the Dragonslayer. Unlike that amnesiac, he harbored clear hostility toward Bjorn Jandel.

If I couldn't finish him here, someday he would hurt me.

Or my companions.

"...!"

The Bloodlust grew so thick that not just the Clown, its target, but every member present could feel it against their skin.

'Damn it.'

As that literally bloodthirsty stretch of time continued, a dull ache suddenly spread through my brain.

I'd experienced this before. I had exhausted all the mental stamina needed to use Bloodlust.

"S-stop. P-please..."

It felt like just a little more would do it.

Despite my frustration, I squeezed out every last drop of Bloodlust. How many more seconds did I manage to hold on?

"... Haaah!"

The Clown sucked in a great breath like someone surfacing from underwater. Then he coughed and vomited stomach acid.

"Keh, keh-hehk, urrrgh...!"

He was a pathetic sight, but I wasn't in good shape myself.

I felt as though I could pass out just by closing my eyes.

"Why... Just why...?"

Apparently back to his senses, the Clown struggled upright and looked into my eyes.

His breathing was a little ragged, but his speech didn't seem impaired.

Right. I hadn't even come close to causing mental contamination.

'Whew. So this is how it turns out after all...'

I had more or less expected this outcome. When I'd unleashed Bloodlust on Fox before, my mental stamina had run dry before she reached that point, too.

The Clown had killed countless people, so chances were his mental barriers were thicker than hers.

'Tsk. My Bloodlust feels a lot stronger than before, but it's still not enough.'

Bitter as I felt, I carefully studied the Clown's eyes. His trembling pupils held more confusion than resentment. Fear born of not knowing why I had done this.

"..."

I continued staring at the shivering bastard.

Well, what now?

That question never even crossed my mind.

My unprovoked first strike had failed, so I needed some convincing justification?

A pointless concern.

After all, I wasn't Bjorn Jandel. I was Mr. Lion.

"Is that all you amount to?"

Bloodlust mode hadn't ended because I was mentally exhausted. I'd ended it out of pity.

Drilling that into my own head, I turned my back indifferently, as though I had lost interest.

Then...

"Tsk."

I tossed out the words in apparent irritation.

"The rumors made me think you might be of some use."

As though I had merely been testing him.

* * *

My plan to fuck the Clown up with Bloodlust had failed.

But I didn't dwell on it. This outcome had advantages of its own. Wasn't there an old saying about keeping your enemies as close as possible?

'Since it's come to this, I'll just keep milking him for all he's worth.'

The Clown was an officer of the criminal organization Orculus. Since he was based in Noark, if I used him right, he should keep providing useful, high-level intelligence.

"Um... Are you all right?"

Queen, who had been watching in hushed silence, cautiously approached the Clown and held out a hand.

Had that hurt his pride?

SMACK!

As though taking out his anger on her, the Clown slapped her hand away, then grabbed his chair, got up under his own power, and sat down.

Then he looked at me.

As if he couldn't care less about the disgraceful display he'd put on before the other members, he kept his gaze fixed solely on me and said something incomprehensible.

"... Mr. Lion, could you be 'Him'?"

Huh?

Who the hell was "Him"?

It wasn't like this was some character whose name must not be spoken.

"..."

Having no idea what he meant, I simply kept my mouth shut. As always, I figured that would at least get me halfway there.

Sure enough, after a short wait, the Clown murmured as though organizing his thoughts.

"... No, that's impossible. You aren't Him."

Stag Horns seemed to know something, too, and spoke up.

"Correct. His restrictions prevent Him from attending the gathering."

Queen, who had been watching with interest, joined in as though she saw no reason to hold back.

"... The caliber of this place is higher than I expected. Yes, He absolutely cannot be here. This chat room doesn't open until three o'clock."

He couldn't come because it was three o'clock...?

Hold on. This sounded like someone I knew.

'... Could they mean Lee Baekho?'

The hypothesis suddenly occurred to me, but I had no way to verify it.

It was one of the few downsides of being Mr. Lion. Even when I was curious, I could never ask first. Especially not about low-level information everyone else knew.

Mr. Lion had an image to maintain, you know.

'Anyway, I'll look into that later.'

It was about time I cut in. Since everyone already knew I wasn't Him, there was no need to stay silent.

With a faint chuckle, I casually said,

"That's right. I'm not that fellow."

As if rewarding them for being so endearing, working their brains so hard.

Not "Him," but "that fellow."

Whoever he was, I had chosen wording that subtly placed us on equal footing.

Had that strategy worked?

"Just who are you...?"

Despite the state my surprise attack had left him in, the Clown looked at me in astonishment. There wasn't a trace of resentment in his eyes.

He probably couldn't even bring himself to think of opposing me.

"Curious who I am?"

The Clown gulped and nodded at my question. Then he flinched, as if he'd done so without thinking.

He didn't retract his answer, though.

After taking one beating, he seemed genuinely curious about who I was...

I gave a slight shrug.

A gesture everyone except the newcomer, Queen, would understand.

"... What does that mean?"

The Clown answered Queen like a subordinate.

"It probably means he'll tell us if we bring him interesting information."

"Oh, come to think of it, that was the idea behind this secret chat room, wasn't it?"

"Yes, exactly. Speaking of which, who is this 'Him' everyone was talking about earlier?"

Goblin slipped in the question, but Queen ignored him as though she hadn't heard.

Then...

"You're serious about revealing your identity...?"

The Clown repeated the question blankly, and I didn't bother answering. I merely stared straight at him.

As though there was nothing I couldn't tell him, even about myself, provided he entertained me.

As though even that situation would amuse me.

"I've watched you for months, but I simply cannot understand you."

Stag Horns looked at me in apparent disgust.

"I don't know how long you've been in this world, but you're well and truly broken. At this rate, even if you make it back, you'll never be able to live a proper life."

Worrying about someone else's life in a place like this? He was sweeter than I'd thought.

But that was one thing, and this was another.

When I acted as though I hadn't heard and didn't even spare him a glance, Stag Horns pressed his lips together in frustration.

That was when Queen stepped in.

"Anyway, this is rather intriguing. Could I learn your identity if I brought you information, too? I'm getting a little curious myself."

"As long as you entertain me."

Queen smiled at my answer.

"Look forward to it. I may not look it, but I know quite a few entertaining stories. Hehe."

Hmm. Hearing her say that did give me something to look forward to. Her identity was just as much of a mystery.

'For now, given the timing of her joining, it does seem she came on the Master's recommendation, unlike me...'

I'd been too busy teaching the Clown a lesson to pay much attention at first, but I would have to watch her closely from now on.

"Um, shall we get started...?"

Silence had naturally settled as everyone stopped talking. Goblin finally broke it, bringing some order to the confusion.

"True. The doors closed ages ago. We can't keep this up forever. So Crescent Moon never did show up."

"At a time like this, his absence must mean he met with an unfortunate end."

Apparently, everyone thought Crescent Moon hadn't survived the recent incident.

Hmm. He'd been the most enthusiastic of the lot.

"So, who's going first this time?"

Normally, Fox would have volunteered to moderate the gathering, but she wasn't herself, so Goblin took the lead.

"I'll go later. This is my first time, so I think I'll need a little while to settle in."

"Of course. Who'll go, then?"

"If no one else will, I'll go first."

Stag Horns took the first turn of the gathering.

"Since we were talking about Him earlier, I'll use this. He was released into the outside world five days ago."

"What? He was...?"

The Clown sounded astonished, as though this was news to him.

"Um... To make this fair, shouldn't you start by telling us who 'Him' is...?"

Goblin looked baffled, while Fox's eyes showed no change.

Actually, was she even listening?

HUM.

At any rate, the gem on the Round Table glowed green. That meant the information was true and more than half of those present hadn't known it.

"But I don't understand. Are you sure you should be sharing such valuable information so freely?"

Stag Horns answered the Clown's question as though it were no big deal.

"Within a week, most people in the know will hear about it anyway. I might as well get some use out of it."

"Then may I go next?"

Queen raised her hand slightly. The usual convention was to proceed clockwise from whoever started, but everyone gave her permission.

Naturally, they were curious.

Just what information would this woman offer?

"Hehe. This is my first time at a gathering like this, so I'm a little nervous."

Her voice didn't sound nervous at all.

As though enjoying the attention, Queen met each person's eyes in turn before speaking slowly.

"He's at the Magic Tower right now."

His current whereabouts.

'Sigh. This again?'

Since I still didn't even know for certain who "Him" was, the news didn't leave much of an impression.

But perhaps these two felt differently.

The instant Queen offered her information, the Clown and Stag Horns turned their eyes toward the center of the Round Table, where the gem that would determine its truth lay.

"It's true..."

"The first place he went after entering the outside world was the Magic Tower? Now doesn't that pique your interest?"

If I got the chance later, I would definitely have to find out who "Him" was. If these people reacted like this, he must really be someone extraordinary.

'... If it really is Lee Baekho, just what the hell does that guy do?'

While my mind was wandering, I felt someone's gaze on me.

It came from Queen's seat. I didn't know how long she'd been doing it, but she was staring right at me.

"You're not surprised to hear that, Mr. Lion. Almost as if you already knew."

Uh, was that how it looked?

I just didn't care much where he was, since I didn't even know who he was.

"Do you have someone in the Magic Tower, too?"

"Who knows? Perhaps I do."

Queen subtly probed me, and I brushed it off as though her little ploy was adorable.

"Next... I'll go."

Fox took the next turn.

She had barely spoken since the gathering began, and now her information was rejected three times in a row. Her first two offerings were recent news, but everyone already knew them. The third was judged too lacking in practical value.

"The master of the Elcaphad Clan was a Player? That's rather surprising. But isn't this far too useless? If I remember correctly, he died as soon as he passed through the dimensional gate this time."

"... Value is relative. For example, neither Goblin nor I even knows who 'Him' is. Those stories were completely useless to us."

Fox's argument had some merit, but this was the Round Table, where the majority ruled.

"Still, you learned that someone like Him exists in this world, didn't you? Pfft."

"... Do you all feel the same way?"

Everyone remained silent at her question, and that silence was the clearest answer of all.

In the end, Fox had to make a fourth attempt.

"The master of the Tavern Clan has Number Nine."

Information about no less than a single-digit Numbered item.

"Tavern's clan master, huh..."

"Like hanging a pearl necklace around a pig's neck. Pfft."

The gem on the Round Table soon glowed green, and naturally, no one objected this time.

Single-digit Numbered items were that valuable. Honestly, it almost felt as though she was only now sharing information she'd been saving.

"I'll go this time."

Goblin was next. Befitting a former Paladin, he once again offered information related to religion.

"All the religious orders have finally decided to withdraw their support for the royal family. In a few days, they'll probably be keeping their distance again, just like before."

Naturally, it passed on the first attempt. Only a key figure in religious circles could have known that.

"Pfft. My turn, then."

The instant his turn came, the Clown made a shocking declaration, as though he'd been waiting for it.

"I live in Noark."

What the hell was with this bastard?

Had getting blasted with Bloodlust fucked up his head?

* * *

He had actually revealed personal information about himself.

At that incomprehensible move, everyone, myself included, stiffened.

"...!"

Oh, everyone except Queen, to be precise.

"Noark? You're quite an interesting person yourself, Mr. Clown!"

Queen addressed him in an innocent voice. But the Clown's gaze remained fixed on me, showing no sign of shifting.

For some reason, he reminded me of the evil spirit hunter. That bastard had watched my face like this after throwing out bait, too.

'Is he testing how good my intelligence network is?'

The thought suddenly struck me, so I studied the bastard's eyes in turn.

I thought I could detect a hint of relief.

"Judging by your surprise, you didn't know who I was, did you? Pfft."

What was this lunatic on about?

"Crescent Moon said he thought you knew all our identities, Mr. Lion. But it seems that wasn't the case after all."

He was testing the waters.

He knew Mr. Lion was formidable, but just how formidable? Was it only his personal combat strength? Or was he an all-powerful figure with vast forces and intelligence at his disposal, too?

"Well? Did you find that entertaining?"

And he could earn entertainment points on top of it. A fairly efficient move.

But...

"Certainly."

I answered with a faint chuckle.

"An entertaining little ploy."

At that moment, the gem's green light went out, signaling the end of his turn.

Now, at last, came the turn I'd been waiting for.

I'd already decided what information to offer.

"The Clown is the Corpse Collector."

Who the fuck did this bastard think he was messing with?