Chapter 636
Chapter 636
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 636
Chapter Title: Labyrinth (7)
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At that moment.
Si-woo had just subdued the trio of exiles who ambushed him in the labyrinth and was continuing the negotiations.
Compared to the previous battle where they fought desperately even while shitting themselves in fear of death, this hadn't drained him much, but he had no intention of letting them go empty-handed.
And he certainly wasn't about to release these exiles—who knew when they might harbor ill intentions—without any measures in place.
Si-woo had thought of one good solution.
Handing Alice over to Location Point.
According to his master, ever since Keter Duke's death was officially recognized, the mortal world had descended into utter chaos.
With no need to hold back anymore, those with grudges were rampaging freely, and even the exiles—who had always leaned toward malevolence—were turning into wanted criminals left and right.
In the process, witches who had pacts with various nations' political and business elites were fleeing to Gehenna, crippling the infrastructure for homunculus subjugation.
Therefore, he came up with the clever idea of having Alice perform five years of unpaid service at Location Point.
If a great witch of the 20th hierarchy joined the front lines, it would ease the pressure in any region considerably.
Additionally, he planned to let the matter of this ambush slide in exchange for compensation.
"No money? Not even 5 billion?"
Alice had nodded with a grimace, as if eating bitter mustard, even at the idea of unpaid service.
But not everything could go smoothly.
A problem arose while haggling over the settlement amount.
He scratched his head in bewilderment.
"It's true...! Why would we lie?"
"Yeah, we're broke."
"Would we have come hunting homunculi otherwise?"
He had assumed they were witches with some wealth, like Periwinkle or Della, since they were decked out in decent clothes and jeweled accessories.
"Then how much can you pay?"
"If we squeeze everything... maybe 1 billion?"
"Male witch sir, how many witches carry around stacks of cash anyway..."
1 billion...
It wasn't a small sum by any means, but it fell far short of Si-woo's target.
The moment they heard 8 billion, they flipped out like acrobats foaming at the mouth, so it didn't seem like they were just trying to skimp, but it was worth probing a bit more.
"What about your research funds?"
"The Iranian government covers a set amount as a condition."
"If you've been scouted by a nation, you get a salary."
"Alice sis renews her contract every five years and gets paid, but she blew it all last year..."
"Can't you get an advance?"
"I told you, no..."
"Any businesses?"
"No..."
One thing after another just wasn't feasible.
He couldn't go homunculus hunting anyway because of these lumps, and now they were whining about not being able to pay compensation.
Finally losing patience, Si-woo spoke in a sing-song tone.
"If you don't have cash, goods are fine too. Got anything highly liquid? Real estate, gold bars? Keep this up, and I'll have to turn thug."
The moment he mentioned highly liquid goods, Manya and Alice's gazes snapped toward Mallisha.
Mallisha realized too late, her eyes widening in realization.
"Absolutely not...! How can you sell off your child over debt!"
Most of her collection consisted of H-brand items so exclusive that even rich folks with wads of cash had to wait due to stock shortages.
Alice and Manya both knew that selling them all—even second-hand, where values only rose—would easily net 5 billion.
"What child? It's just bags. Male witch sir, she's got tons of luxury bags."
"Shut your trap! Hey! That bitch has expensive sports cars too!"
"Sorry, but I drive mine rough, so I'd barely break even selling them. Selling your bags makes more sense."
The protective demeanor from moments ago vanished as Manya and Mallisha turned on each other with betrayal after betrayal.
"Bullshit! Do you know how hard I scraped to collect those? Kill me instead! You bastard! Kill me!"
Her reaction was so fanatical it was as if she'd hidden a brand mark in the bags.
Si-woo couldn't hide his awkwardness as Mallisha grabbed his collar.
"Hey. Does this feel like a joke right now?"
He must have come off as too much of a pushover.
Though it didn't suit his temperament, he subtly drew Red Branch.
Mallisha snapped out of it, gasping and releasing her grip.
"Ugh... uh..."
Instead, she staggered to a corner and began sobbing.
Alice clutched her head as if it ached and spoke.
"If we sell Mallisha's bags, we'll sell your car too."
"Huh? Sis? What?"
"We'll sell your car too to match the price. Fair's fair."
"Uh, no... I'd barely get two-thirds even if I sold it..."
"I bought it anyway. Shut up. Go comfort Mallisha."
Manya, in a panic, staggered over to Mallisha and joined in the sobbing.
Alice glanced apologetically and sidled up beside him.
"Sorry, it's not that we don't want to compensate properly. I don't want to incur Tiferet Duke's wrath either. But as you see, the situation's tough. Could you give us a little time?"
"I need cash urgently too, so it's tricky. How do you even spend it all..."
"I kinda... splurge."
He was pondering whether to just follow one home and strip them of anything valuable.
"...Pier."
"What what what! Say it properly!"
In an instant, shadows spread like black ink, forming armor.
Alice screamed, mistaking it for him resorting to force since talks had stalled.
-Kwaaang!
A powerful sword strike slammed into Si-woo's back.
He forcibly shook off the back-breaking weight and spun halfway around.
He hadn't used magic suddenly to strong-arm more payment.
A thick killing intent prickling his skin had emanated from behind.
"......"
There stood a black-clad witch who seemed to have just delivered the blow.
"Whoa, you blocked that?"
And a witch with piercings crammed into her ears, grinning as she appeared.
His mouth went dry in an instant.
Both were great witches or higher at first glance—not just that.
The strike she'd unleashed moments ago from his blind spot.
Red Branch, still reverberating from the impact, confirmed it.
It wasn't some trick like Dorothy's absolute force; even so, the power matched his master's.
"No time. You grab the weaklings. I'll take this one."
"Picking all the tasty bits? I'm interested in the male witch too."
Si-woo was tense, but Alice's face had gone ghostly pale.
It was the expression someone timid might wear upon a terminal diagnosis.
"Who are they?"
"The... Sword Witch and... the Witch of Silence..."
Having lingered in the mortal world for so long, Alice recognized them instantly.
The Witch of Silence was one thing.
This brute of a male witch might handle her.
But the black-haired, black-eyed one in dark robes with a Japanese sword symbolized the blood-mad killer, the Sword Witch.
A wanted criminal you fled from with every ounce of strength if encountered by chance.
"Now now, looks like you're out of mana. Time to sleep."
But the despair of Alice, Manya, and Mallisha didn't last.
Manya and Mallisha had no resistance to a 20th hierarchy curse to begin with, and Alice had depleted nearly all her mana in the fierce battle with Si-woo.
"Run..."
"Sis...!"
The three collapsed without proper resistance to the Witch of Silence's sleep magic.
As a result, in the already ruined banquet hall, only Si-woo and the two wanted witches remained standing.
Plan B wasn't what the Corpse Witch had known.
Nor was it a simple retreat strategy.
It was merely a ploy to shake off the rage-blinded Tiferet Duke.
The labyrinth held treasures beyond Tiferet Duke.
The male witch—originally Sadalmelik's target—was lost and wandering.
They couldn't dispatch Tiferet Duke immediately, but securing her disciple opened paths to secondary and tertiary plans.
"There, my part's done. Need help?"
"No need. Leave first."
"Sure?"
"I'll head to the rendezvous in five minutes."
"If you're late?"
Before Si-woo could react, the Witch of Silence scooped up the three and vanished.
He couldn't stop her from taking them.
Escaping strong foes like these while protecting three was impossible anyway.
If those lying there were Sharon and the twins, he'd risk his life to find a way, but he had no intention of such bravado when barely safeguarding himself.
"......"
"......"
Sword Witch Rinne silently leveled her blade forward.
To her, this was no battle.
Merely picking up bait to draw out Tiferet again.
The first male witch or whatever held no interest.
She'd assumed he'd be pathetically weak.
Obvious strength couldn't capture Rinne's attention.
But seeing him block her ambush changed her mind.
It had been a silent strike from his blind spot.
A surprise attack that would fell most witches cleanly—he'd handled it flawlessly.
Moreover, forming armor and raising his spear wasn't ordinary.
Not about hierarchy levels, but a warrior's honed realm.
His evenly distributed senses, just from stance.
Stable footing ready for attacks from anywhere.
Even the unwavering, straight spear tip.
As expected of Tiferet's disciple—admirable restraint in motion.
Rinne asked his name.
Dialogue only for those she deemed worthy—a ritual of sorts.
"Your name?"
"...Shin Si-woo."
"I am Rinne Samachiel."
The labyrinth was still serving its purpose, but Tiferet could burst in anytime to interfere.
No plans for a prolonged fight.
Rinne lowered into an iaijutsu stance immediately.
Aiming to end it in one strike.
Gloomy mist spread around her lithe form.
Her swordsmanship core was 'Inertia Control' alone, but a 22nd hierarchy witch had more tricks.
The surroundings sank into viscous, spreading fog.
This 'Lone Mist' was a particle magic severely restricting spellcasting.
Like painting on white paper after splattering it with ink.
It hindered specific magics indiscriminately, friend or foe.
Only body-enhancing spells fully integrated with the spirit worked unimpeded within.
A stage perfectly favoring Rinne, the close-combat specialist.
Meaningless against Tiferet Duke, but highly effective on ordinary witches.
Si-woo saw through it all at a glance.
She aimed to finish instantly.
This mist crippled spells requiring external mana like Virgin's Loom or dimensional shifts.
Then, like before: use Angel's Halo, reinforce body.
Now it came down to whose close combat prowess was superior.
Unless he countered with full force.
He'd die.