Chapter 123 - The Money-Blowing Necromancer

Cursed Land (2)

The three dots overhead drew steadily closer together. His guildmates seemed to be adjusting their routes accordingly.

As Minwoo made his way across the pitch-black ground...

'Huh?'

He encountered a group of awakeners. Judging by their appearance, they seemed to be Americans.

"Hello," he greeted them.

"Kim Minwoo?!"

All three awakeners turned to stare at him.

His extraordinary exploits were well known overseas, starting with the records he had set. He had broken a world record at level one, then cleared an A+-rank gate when he was supposedly only E-rank.

And that wasn't all. He and just two others had crushed a guild's first-string combat force.

Once could be a fluke. Proving himself time and again, however, took skill. On top of that, he had boosted his profile with enormous advertisements right in Times Square.

It was hardly surprising that the American awakeners' eyes sparkled as though they were meeting a superstar.

"Kim Minwoo?! I-I'm a fan!"

"Meeting fans in another dimension, huh? I really have made it big."

"Merhen, Cedric! I'm a fan of yours, too!"

The friendly chatter was short-lived. Professionals that they were, they soon turned to serious matters.

"... You know what's happening here too, don't you, Mr. Kim?"

"More or less."

"What are you planning to do?"

"Offer sacrifices. Those dark mages, specifically."

Their gazes sharpened at "offer sacrifices," but the mood softened instantly when he added the part about the dark mages.

"Then we have the same objective. If you don't mind, we'd like to join you..."

The American awakeners looked at him pleadingly. They hadn't encountered the dark mages yet, but they had some idea of what to expect. From the ominous land to the monster supposedly sleeping beneath it, everything suggested that the dark mages occupying this place were no pushovers.

When in doubt, assuming the worst was the way to stay alive.

And now they'd run into Kim Minwoo? He was nothing short of a lifeline. At the very least, a fellow Earthling was far more trustworthy than dark mages who offered people as sacrifices.

"Sure."

He readily nodded. He had to fight the dark mages anyway. Every extra ally helped.

'None of them have any serious character flaws, either.'

Being chosen for the Selection Tournament meant they were among the best A-rankers. Naturally, many of them would go on to distinguish themselves later.

Minwoo knew a fair bit about them, which was another reason he accepted so readily.

"Let's go."

For nearly half a day, they kept picking up awakeners as they traveled. Three Americans, one French awakener, and one Indian awakener—his collection of companions had quickly grown to five.

Along the way, he also received some unpleasant news.

"... My teammate's signal disappeared."

"... Same here."

He had wondered why the French and Indian awakeners were keeping watch alone instead of searching for their teammates. Apparently, the signals overhead had vanished.

'Have they already started making their move?'

For now, regrouping came first.

Before long, every member of the Money-Blowing Guild had gathered in one place, each with a cute little entourage in tow.

First, there was Seo Yerim. She, too, had gathered a sizable group of awakeners from other countries—roughly seven.

Park Siwoo had brought a slightly smaller group of five.

"Minwoo!"

Siwoo ran straight over.

"I knew it. I knew you'd be gathering all the awakeners. I did good, right?"

"Yeah. Not bad at all."

"Ahem. Our guild really has quite the reputation. When I said I was going to meet up with you, they all rushed over asking to party up!"

He seemed to have developed even more pride in his guild.

"Siwoo."

"Yes?"

"What did you buy at the shop?"

"Light Bombs. That weird teddy bear kept sending me strange signals, so I just went for it."

Siwoo had placed third in the first test. With a little over a million points, he would have bought two bombs.

Yerim had bought Light Bombs as well. Three of them.

'Add my six to those...'

The Korean party now had eleven Light Bombs in total.

Minwoo nodded in satisfaction. Soon, all twenty awakeners were gathered together.

America, France, Japan, Canada, the Philippines, India... Their nationalities were a complete mix.

But that didn't matter.

'We can understand each other.'

Perhaps this was why they had been given the ability to communicate in the first test. Things would have been a real headache otherwise.

"It's good to meet you all. I'm Kim Minwoo."

The awakeners nodded. Of everyone gathered here, he was the only plausible leader, whether by reputation or ability.

Well, there was that mysterious person who had earned fifteen million points...

"Excuse me, just a moment."

Sophia, an American mage, shot up her hand. Her eyes sparkled as she asked,

"Were you the one in first place?"

Intense curiosity filled everyone's eyes. They had all been wondering, but asking outright had felt awkward. Now she had opened the conversation for them.

All that remained was his answer. Everyone watched Minwoo's mouth intently.

"Yes, that was me."

He admitted it far more readily than they had expected.

"... Really?"

"Yes, really."

"... How did you do it?"

"I suppose I did well?"

Sophia puffed out her cheeks at the vague answer, but she didn't press him. Curious though she was, she was an experienced awakener. She knew how this business worked.

Pushing any further would go beyond impolite and become downright rude. Besides, getting him to admit he was first was already an unexpected gain.

Her eyes sparkled.

'So he really earned fifteen million points?'

Of course, there was a chance he was lying. But if he was, who had come first? The Divine Bow was the only other remotely plausible candidate, and her lack of objection seemed to rule her out.

Some third awakener from outside Korea? Honestly, it was far more believable that Minwoo had been hiding his abilities and taken first place.

'Whatever the case...’

Fifteen million points was an off-the-charts score. It was intriguing. Extremely intriguing.

Sophia wasn't alone in feeling that way. Most of the awakeners gathered here felt much the same.

'Is it true?'

'If it is... he's an absolute monster...’

Thoughts along those lines.

Just then—

CLAP!

The sound of palms striking together rang out. As every gaze turned toward him, Minwoo smiled.

"I'd like to explain the plan I've come up with."

"Your plan...?"

"Rescue as many awakeners as possible, capture the dark mages, and offer them as sacrifices. That's not a bad idea. But wouldn't stopping there be a little dull?"

"...?"

"Easy tasks only ever bring easy rewards."

... Easy?

Defeating the dark mages who had apparently been snatching up their teammates left and right?

Normally, they would have considered that arrogant, even coming from Kim Minwoo. But those fifteen million points stopped that thought in its tracks. Could he have earned a score like that for nothing?

No. He was hiding something more. A great deal more than they had imagined.

"Did you all know? Once you earn at least a million points, a special shop opens."

"Uh..."

"Oh, yes. I see..."

The awakeners who hadn't come anywhere close to a million points answered awkwardly. Minwoo continued without concern.

"I bought some pretty good bombs there. Throw one, and it explodes in a burst of light. They're quite powerful, you know? My guildmates bought some too, so we have a fair number."

The awakeners' expressions gradually grew serious. At first, they thought he meant to use them on the dark mages, but then they remembered that he had already dismissed those foes as dull.

"Are you saying... you want to take on the monster sleeping here?"

"I'm glad you're all quick on the uptake."

"... Surely you heard that monster's roar..."

"I'm suggesting this precisely because I heard it."

Because he felt it was worth a shot.

Of course, it would be far stronger than Duke Timorn. But they had a full eleven Light Bombs. The duke had been smashed by just two. Would the thing underground really be so different?

Eleven Light Bombs + his two guildmates + all the awakeners gathered here.

Added together, that was ample firepower.

'Even if something unexpected happens...’

He had an unexpected factor of his own: the Nuclear Bomb. It wouldn't harm his allies, so if all else failed, he could simply detonate it.

'Though I'll save it unless I absolutely have to.'

Using it here would feel like a bit of a waste.

In any case, if he wanted to kill the monster, it was best to persuade the other awakeners first. Everyone knew releasing the seal would be dangerous. Breaking it without their consent would be a surefire way to get blasted once they returned home.

That was why he had revealed his score.

He had earned fifteen million points. Naturally, he must have received some benefits. With benefits on that scale, surely taking on the monster was worth a try?

He wanted to remind them that this was a game they could win.

"Hmm..."

The awakeners pondered his proposal.

'Kim Minwoo isn't wrong.'

What if they hunted not only the dark mages but also the monster sealed underground?

'The reward could be incredible.'

Of course, the Korean party would take the biggest share of the rewards. They already had the tools needed to tackle the monster.

Even accounting for that, the prospect was tempting.

'He must be confident to suggest this, right?'

Even scraps could fill your belly if they were big enough.

"All right! I'm in."

Sophia was the first to agree. Before long, every awakener had approved the plan.

"Then let's go hunt some dark mages."

It would be much faster to beat down the dark mages than to search for scattered awakeners. Once they were all captured, they wouldn't be able to sacrifice any awakeners, ensuring everyone's safety as well.

They already had a rough idea of the mages' location thanks to the lights overhead. Apparently, every light had been dragged in the same direction just before going out.

'Then that's probably where they are.'

The group of awakeners set off.

* * *

A day after their capture by Mortan, the Chinese awakeners' faces were filled with uncontainable delight.

Their abilities had skyrocketed the moment their hearts were branded. They could now swiftly defeat even groups of awakeners they would normally have struggled against.

"Boss, this is seriously amazing!"

"... Don't get too excited. Who knows what those dark mages did to us?"

Even as he said it, Liu Wei couldn't entirely hide his excitement.

'How is this possible?'

They must have captured ten people already, yet he still felt fresh. The more he fought, the more it felt as though dopamine was flooding his brain. His whole body kept itching for action.

'I want to fight.'

He wanted to release the power overflowing through his body.

Getting too worked up was supposed to be a bad idea, but...

'This much should be fine.'

If anything, it was a good thing. To prove his usefulness, he had to keep fighting and carrying out orders anyway. Better to have too much fighting spirit than none at all.

Then Liu Wei's pupils narrowed. His eyes, curved like a hawk's, caught sight of a group of awakeners approaching in the distance.

The man leading them looked very familiar.

'... Kim Minwoo.'

Liu Wei ground his teeth. He still vividly remembered the man's smug attitude when they had met during the first test. If that damned teddy bear hadn't suddenly intervened, he would have taught him a lesson.

If Minwoo had been alone, he would have lunged at him immediately. But unlike the awakeners they had captured earlier, he was leading a proper group. Even at a glance, there were well over twenty.

No matter how much power the brands gave them, charging in with just three people would be suicide.

'Hold back. There'll be time to act after I notify the dark mages.'

Mortan and the other powerful dark mages could help them hunt down that group.

No, they had to hunt them down. If any of these people survived and made it home, they might start spouting all kinds of crap about traitors to humanity.

'This is good. If we can just eliminate that group...’

They had already captured around ten awakeners. Once Minwoo's group was defeated, only the dregs would remain. Hunting them would be much easier.

"Let's go."

Liu Wei turned away.

Before long, he reached the temple and bowed deeply to Mortan.

"We've found them. However, there are more than twenty..."

Mortan's eyes gleamed. He had already heard about the intruders from them: fifty had come in total. A group of twenty could safely be considered the largest.

'This will be dealt with sooner than I expected.'

A group that size was worth handling personally. He rose to his feet.

"Let's go."

The dark mages and Chinese awakeners set out.

"Found them. The rest of you can make your own way over."

With that nonchalant remark, Mortan turned transparent in an instant. Liu Wei shuddered at the sight.

'What the hell is that old man?'

Even using Hawk's Eye, one of his druid abilities, he couldn't see Mortan at all.

'He can turn this completely invisible?'

It was a terrifyingly powerful spell. Hell, wouldn't that give him a hundred-percent success rate with sneak attacks?

Once again, Liu Wei felt he had chosen the right path. Bowing his head was a hundred times better than opposing that monstrous old man.

'He must be closing the distance by now.'

Sure enough...

Mortan suddenly appeared right in front of Minwoo and thrust out his hand. He moved so quickly that an ordinary awakener wouldn't even have been able to react properly. Pitch-black dark mana wreathed his hand.

Liu Wei's eyes gleamed.

'Kim Minwoo, even you won't stand a—'

It happened just then. An instant before Mortan unleashed his dark magic, the mana condensed over his hand vanished without a trace.

SHING!

A head severed by a sword went flying through the air.

"What the hell was that?"

"No idea. Was he an idiot?"

Merhen shrugged.