Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Shadows in the Blundel Wasteland
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Two shadows raced across the Blundel Wasteland at breakneck speed. Clad in sturdy armor, wielding a greatsword, and clutching its own head in one hand.
It was a Dullahan.
With its superior stats, the Dullahan strode across the wasteland in great leaps—a sight straight out of a nightmare.
However, the White Skeleton, the Dullahan's master who was being carried along in the arm of one of them, was in a far cry from such imposing grandeur.
“…Fuck.”
He muttered.
Those two short words captured his entire mindset.
After losing the Necronomicon copy, he had chased after Method.
But even a has-been ranker—and while not a pure physical build, she was still an agility-focused thief character—proved impossible to catch. Watching her back recede into the distance, the White Skeleton trembled with helpless rage.
At least the zombie bird kept him from losing her completely, but even that didn’t last.
“Fuck!”
When a new zombie bird appeared and tore his own to shreds, he couldn’t hold back the curse.
It wasn’t just that he could no longer track Method anymore.
The arrival of a new zombie bird meant a necromancer was nearby. Only one name came to mind: Halloween Pumpkin.
It was well-known that he was facing off against Beauty Art in Moros Canyon. And he was even in the same guild as Method.
It would’ve been stranger not to think of Halloween Pumpkin.
The problem was that Method currently held the Necronomicon copy.
‘It was all part of Halloween Pumpkin’s plan to get the Necronomicon copy!’
All the pieces fell into place.
‘What do I do?’
Even Method alone was too much to handle, and now he had to face another ranker, Halloween Pumpkin? There was no chance of winning.
Plus, if the two made contact, Method would naturally hand over the Necronomicon copy. And Halloween Pumpkin would use it without hesitation.
In other words, the goal he’d pursued through all his bullshit was a miserable failure.
‘…Still, I can’t give up yet.’
He’d come this far betting on an incredibly rare chance. He couldn’t abandon it without seeing with his own eyes that all his efforts were for nothing.
That was why he’d scattered his mercenaries and expanded his Dullahan summons to the maximum he could control, searching as thoroughly as possible.
Fortunately, the targets were close by, so he spotted them fairly quickly. Of course, spotting them and actually making contact were two different things.
But he’d managed to meet the pair in the end.
Had Halloween Pumpkin used the Necronomicon copy, as expected? How much would Method mock him this time?
Lost in such thoughts, the White Skeleton soon found himself dumbfounded.
“…Tricked?”
“Yeah.”
As expected, Halloween Pumpkin was at Method’s side. But his words were completely unexpected. The White Skeleton felt like he’d been smacked hard across the head.
“Th-that can’t be…”
“Boss.”
The mercenary leader beside him called out.
“I sent a message to a guy I know, and it checks out. The whole Ark community’s buzzing about it right now. Checked with the others too, so it’s legit.”
He glanced at the other mercenaries as if seeking agreement, and those who’d helped verify nodded in confirmation.
Some even provided extra details to bolster the case.
“So here’s my proposal. Just like you didn’t give up coming all this way, I’m not stopping until I’m sure the Necronomicon copy’s been used. How about we join hands for now?”
“Join hands?”
“Right now, the top priority is keeping Beauty Art and Yuseong from meeting. I need your help with that. And your mercenaries too, of course.”
He looked around at the mercenaries and shouted.
“I’ll hire you all myself! Cooperate with the search, and whether we succeed or fail, I’ll pay double what the White Skeleton promised!”
The mercenaries cheered.
“What do you say? Not a bad deal for you either. If we team up, I’ll cover half the pay you promised them. Plus, I’ll share a bunch of info useful to a necromancer.”
No matter how close the White Skeleton was to ranker level, he wasn’t a true ranker. Halloween Pumpkin’s offer was undoubtedly a boon.
“We reset everything. Necronomicon copy fight comes after. Once we kill Beauty Art and Yuseong and hole them up in their base.”
A reasonable pitch. But the White Skeleton didn’t respond.
He’d clung to his obsession with getting the Necronomicon copy through all the unreasonable bullshit so far. But learning he’d been played by Yuseong too shook his mentality to the core.
The Western Flower Garden that had driven him off, Halloween Pumpkin and Method who’d toyed with him—they were all high-level rankers.
But Yuseong? No matter the hype about his potential, he was still a greenhorn to him.
Barely able to handle a single Dullahan.
And that guy had played him?
Even he, who’d kept his cool so far, lost his grip for a moment.
Oblivious, the mercenaries signaled him to accept the offer. Fighting both Halloween Pumpkin and Method made the deal appealing to them, of course.
But he was still their employer.
Mercenaries might not be trustworthy, but it didn’t sit well.
Still, he held back. Gripping his sanity, he forced his reason to cool and weighed the proposal.
But Method doused him with cold water.
“What’s a punk like you hesitating for! Just say yes alrea—!”
“Method!”
Halloween Pumpkin yelled. Too late. Her words had already battered the White Skeleton’s eardrums.
The mental hold he’d barely maintained crumbled completely.
Played by Yuseong? Sure, but she’d toyed with him first. Hadn’t she snatched the Necronomicon copy—what turned out to be Scream of Death—right in front of him, even bursting into laughter?
And when the mercenaries explained the situation based on info from others, one had revealed that Method had disguised herself as an informant to trick him.
With his view of her already at rock bottom, hearing that?
“You fucking bitch!”
Boom!
The Dullahans surrounding him charged at Method in unison.
“Yeah, come at me!”
Method, her temper flaring, had no intention of tolerating some non-ranker’s tantrum.
“Stop! Both of you, stop!”
Halloween Pumpkin’s shouts fell on deaf ears as the two clashed.
Fortunately, his rough intervention kept the fight short.
But the damage wasn’t light.
Method, who’d tanked the hits with her body, could recover with a few potions. But Halloween Pumpkin and the White Skeleton, who commanded independent undead, lost several summons, weakening their forces.
Especially the White Skeleton, who’d gone berserk and even targeted Halloween Pumpkin in his rage, lost three Dullahans to the necromancer’s fierce counterattack.
Only two remained.
Perhaps due to the losses, the White Skeleton’s rampage halted.
But the fury in his eyes made it clear he wouldn’t forgive this.
For now, though, stopping Yuseong and Beauty Art’s meeting came first.
In the end, the White Skeleton joined hands with Halloween Pumpkin and Method.
Despite inwardly clutching his head at how his attempt to bolster forces had backfired, Halloween Pumpkin stated firmly.
“Save the trash talk and fights for later. We’re allies now. Don’t forget that.”
“…Fine.”
“…Got it.”
Relieved they seemed to understand, Halloween Pumpkin eased up a bit.
They hashed out a rough plan and scattered to hunt Yuseong and Beauty Art.
And now they’d reached this point.
‘Lately, my luck’s been utter shit!’
He hadn’t expected the Necronomicon copy to come easy, but not this much damage either.
Now, only evil remained.
And that made giving up the Necronomicon copy even less possible.
Bang!
‘That’s!’
A gunshot. The White Skeleton grinned chillingly.
Gunners were a rarity in Ark. Only one came to mind.
No hesitation—he bolted toward the sound.
Bang!
Another shot. He crested a low hill blocking his view and peered down.
Yuseong was there.
‘Jackpot!’
When dividing search areas in Blundel Wasteland, the White Skeleton had been assigned near the Silaramit border.
A spot likely to run into Beauty Art or Yuseong if they were heading back to Silaramit.
And it had paid off.
Yuseong, holstering his gun and casually picking up the bundle left by a dead player, infuriated him in comparison.
No need to hold back.
He charged down the hill like a shot.
A chance to kill one of the humans who’d screwed him. Plus, slim chance Yuseong had the Necronomicon copy now—and death might drop it.
Halloween Pumpkin, Method, and his mercenaries were all scattered across the vast wasteland searching.
If luck was really on his side, he could be the final winner.
Yuseong noticed him too and waited, hand on his holstered gun.
“You again?”
The White Skeleton didn’t answer Yuseong’s question. He prepared to attack immediately. But something felt off.
‘…His gear changed?’
The armor Yuseong had worn was standard market metal plate. Heavy, not ideal for dexterity-focused jobs.
But as a Gunner needing strength for gear, Yuseong moved nimbly in it.
Now, though, it was completely different.
No sturdy steel helmet—instead, a dark brown cowboy hat. Tough-looking pants, rugged shirt, and a long coat over it.
The classic image of a Western hero. And far more fitting for a Gunner than heavy plate.
The issue was Yuseong suddenly wearing such defensive gear.
The White Skeleton, about to strike without a word, halted instinctively.
Lately, with all the crazy shit happening, anything unexpected put him on guard.
“Not attacking?”
Yuseong tilted his head.
“What’s with that gear?”
“This?”
Yuseong brushed his coat.
“Uncle Cooking Day made it for me. Just picked it up.”
“Didn’t see it in our last fight.”
“Got it just now, so yeah.”
Just now? Meaning he’d met someone.
A bad feeling. He swallowed hard. But he had to ask.
“…Who from?”
The answer was despair for the White Skeleton.
“Beauty Art. She was on her way to meet me and had Uncle hold it for her.”
Yuseong added.
“Traded it for the Necronomicon copy.”