Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Sixth Attempt
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The sixth attempt.
Biro's sword poked a small hole in the eggshell.
Once the hole was made, air seeped in through the crack.
'Finally, I can breathe.'
With some breathing room, Biro slowly widened the hole in the egg.
When he finally broke out, he saw Ju Gonghyeok and A-222, who had emerged first.
"Oh, you broke out on your own?"
Ju Gonghyeok clapped with genuine surprise on his face.
"You think I'd need help? Who breaks out on their own instead?"
"Seems like someone over there does need help."
He pointed with his finger, and there was an egg rolling around by itself.
Something inside was thrashing desperately.
"It's been about 30 minutes now, right?"
"Yeah, even with high durability, it's getting dangerous."
As his flashy nickname "Armor Lord Roderick" suggested, Roderick lacked offensive power.
He'd been fine during the trial with the barrage of magic earlier, but this one required raw destructive force, and he didn't have the strength to overcome it himself.
Biro glanced at the demons.
The observer Zoroaster looked down impassively, Heavenly Knight Rangdarma seemed amused, and Lilianne showed zero interest.
'In this situation, is there anything they can do?'
Biro opened his mouth with a serious expression.
"Ju Gonghyeok, do something about it. We had a contract to save everyone, remember?"
"Why me?"
"What?"
Ju Gonghyeok looked straight down at Biro.
"You guys tried to kill me, didn't you?"
"!?"
Biro recoiled in shock, taking a step back.
"You knew?"
"How could I not? You three whispering like that."
In truth, it had been obvious enough.
They'd handed over voting rights and coins to lower his guard, but Wirin Feng's screams and their not-so-subtle actions had given it away.
Biro couldn't meet his gaze.
"So, what now?"
"What do you mean? I'll save him."
"......"
"Like you said, we contracted not to let anyone die in the trials. If I break that, I die too."
Ju Gonghyeok grinned and walked toward the egg.
The egg had stopped moving, exhausted from its struggles. As he approached, Rangdarma slammed down a paw in front of him.
"What are you doing here, human?"
"Breaking the egg."
"That's not allowed."
"Does the rule say someone else can't break it for you?"
Ignoring Rangdarma's blockade, Gonghyeok lightly stepped over the paw.
"If not, I'll do it."
A gale of wind howled behind Ju Gonghyeok's back.
It was Rangdarma's enraged claw swipe.
Crunch!
"Damn human bastard."
Rangdarma bared its gums and ground its teeth in fury.
But what its claw had caught was the egg containing Roderick.
Roderick emerged from the shattered shell, coughing and gasping for air.
"I didn't break it—you did?"
"I'll deal with you later, human."
"Later? It's dog days soon. Time to catch a mutt."
With not a word lost, the third round ended.
Biro approached the neutral faction and boldly made his opening offer.
"I'll buy your voting rights!"
"How can we trust you? Our lives are on the line."
A hunter from a minor city next to Sigmund spoke curtly.
"Didn't you hear? Ju Gonghyeok will protect the other reps. I need your votes to..."
"To survive?"
Sigmund, part of the neutral faction alongside ten Deus hunters, asked pointedly.
Biro nodded quickly.
"Yeah, that's right. Your voting rights..."
Fifty blue coins each.
A hefty price.
For ten people, that was 500 blue coins—enough to create a top-tier hunter just shy of S-rank.
The neutral hunters eagerly sold their votes.
'This reduces the variables. Next time, we win!'
He'd used up his own coins and even robbed his subordinates', but it was worth it.
From Ju Gonghyeok's actions, his power was at least S-C grade.
Killing him could yield hundreds of green coins, maybe even yellow ones.
'With that many, I could aim for a top Babel position.'
Taking all of Ju Gonghyeok's coins would give him power rivaling Legion's King of Justice Edger or Deus's Christina.
What happened today would just be an unfortunate accident.
No proof of intent.
"I won't sell."
Among the neutrals, only Sigmund flatly refused.
"Biro, you seem to be misunderstanding something. We didn't throw invalid votes. You're the one mistaken."
"Sigmund, did you read my mind?!"
Sigmund was infamous in Deus as a psychic.
Thinking his thoughts had been read, Biro quickly gripped his sword hilt.
"No way. We wouldn't do that without consent, and non-rep voters can't use skills on others anyway."
Biro relaxed and released the hilt.
"Then what do you mean?"
"If you truly want to win fair and square, there's no need for this."
Sigmund turned his head.
Over 200 Illibatus members were gathered there.
"The key to victory is there."
"......"
Biro was speechless.
Round 4.
The next third-place sacrifice was the Legion's newly chosen rep, "Mark."
Ju Gonghyeok used all his acquired votes to defend second place.
He already knew he was being targeted.
But such an obvious strategy wouldn't work.
As if waiting for the fourth trial, Rangdarma stepped forward.
"Humans, I'll tell you the next trial."
Rangdarma bent its knees, and a thick stench of blood filled the air.
Blood reek from its mane and fur.
"Survive against me for ten minutes."
Boom!
The blood-soaked beast leaped, crashing into the small human.
The human blocked the thin, drill-like horns with his body.
But the size difference was unavoidable—he was pushed back nearly ten meters, leaving an inverted 'L' gouge in the floor.
"Ju Gonghyeok, was it? Your strength lives up to the rumors. Let me taste those muscles."
The beast opened its maw to chew and swallow the human.
Instead of his head, Ju Gonghyeok raised the arm gripping the horn.
Clack!
"Grk, I'll chew this fake arm to bits."
Rangdarma chomped on the prosthetic.
Crunch—
But Rangdarma felt its own teeth cracking instead.
No matter how hard it bit, they wouldn't penetrate.
"What is this? What the hell are you?"
"Shh."
Ju Gonghyeok clamped Rangdarma's snout shut with his remaining arm.
"Dog meat, you prefer medium or rare?"
"Grk?"
Whiiirrr—
The prosthetic's motor revved ominously, and the shoulder's cylindrical chamber ejected with a clang, pulsing powerfully.
"Nathaniel, you said you'd tune it up, right?"
- Huh? Yeah, but this...
She turned her head.
- Isn't this a bit much?
[Angel Privilege – Authority of Element Infusion (SS) activated.]
[Fire element infused into item 'Vulcanus's Right Arm.']
[Trait 'Inferno' applied.]
['Vulcanus's Right Arm' transforms – Fire Burner.]
Kwaaaaa!
A flame nozzle formed on the prosthetic, spewing white-hot flames like a jet's afterburner.
Rangdarma's insides turned to ash before it could even scream.
Flames poured from its eyes and nostrils.
"I'm well done."
Heavenly Knight Rangdarma vanished, leaving only its tough hide.
Sandalphon, watching from the sky, nodded.
[U.S+ grade item 'Rangdarma's Fur Cloak' created.]
[Ju Gonghyeok has surpassed merely surviving ten minutes in the fourth trial, achieving a transcendent feat.]
[Achievement 'Heavenly Knight Rangdarma Defeated', completion 300%.]
[Reward: 30 green coins.]
No SS-rank item dropped.
Catching a Heavenly Knight on floors 10 and 20 had been so impressive that it warranted an SS item, but on floor 30, the reward was actually downgraded.
"Doesn't matter much."
He lit a cigarette on his smoking right arm—the flame ignited before it even touched.
"Real monster."
Roderick muttered.
In truth, the transcendent monster Deserchio he'd caught before was no slouch compared to a Heavenly Knight.
But seeing that majesty again up close was intimidating.
"I'm out."
"Why? Ju Gonghyeok used all our votes on you. This is the real deal now."
"Biro, you don't know, but he's already saved my life twice. There was that near-death once before too, but I don't want to get involved with him anymore. Besides..."
Roderick hesitated before voicing the core reason.
"Next is the final round. Even if I do nothing, he'll protect me and clear the mission."
Biro fell silent.
No words would sway Roderick now.
Biro sat alone, pondering.
With Roderick defected, Biro had 100 votes at best.
No, with Wirin Feng dead, even that wasn't certain.
'If I don't give up, there's only one way to turn this around.'
This round's first place was Illibatus.
A solid 240 votes.
If he could control those, rigging the vote would be easy.
But Biro had no connection to Illibatus, and they kept secretive ties with surrounding cities.
Biro moved.
Not toward Illibatus, but Sigmund.
"What is it?"
"I need your power. Convince Illibatus."
Illibatus had one trait.
They were extremely lenient toward psychics.
Especially Sigmund, who as Deus's envoy had visited Illibatus multiple times.
Biro pleaded desperately.
"Think about it. What he and the Company are doing will endanger humanity in the end. Once cities settle, they can't retreat from massive threats!"
"That risk exists."
Sigmund agreed readily.
Not expecting much from a Company-friendly Deus hunter, Biro pressed on at the unexpected positivity.
"Please, I beg you. They're not in Company territory. They must resent the Company."
"Understood. I'll pass that along."
Biro asked suspiciously.
"Weren't you on Ju Gonghyeok's side?"
"I'm on no one's side."
Sigmund stood and dusted himself off.
"I just follow Lady Christina."
Biro stared blankly at his departing back.
And Sigmund's first words upon return were:
"It went well. Illibatus will help you."
Music to Biro's ears.
Biro beamed with joy.
'Now we're set!'
With half of floor 30's Illibatus on his side, he could definitely drag Ju Gonghyeok into third place.
Plus, Illibatus had always voted unanimously for first without mingling.
'That makes them trustworthy. And not being Company territory means no reason to ally with Ju Gonghyeok.'
Biro told Illibatus's messenger.
"You vote first place as usual. Just lend me 50 votes. You take first with 200, I take second with 150."
Biro's strategy was simple.
Ju Gonghyeok's overwhelming fame guaranteed him a baseline of votes.
Meaning, inevitably, some would vote for him.
Thanks to those fixed 60 votes, Ju Gonghyeok couldn't finish last.
'Snatch first and second, and Ju Gonghyeok naturally falls to third!'
A voice came from behind.
"Having fun?"
"!?"
Biro whipped around.
A man puffing thick cigarette smoke stood there.
"Look like you're enjoying yourself?"
"Of course. I've got all the cards to corner you now!"
"Yeah?"
The man's lips curled in a sneer at Biro.
Offended, Biro pointed accusingly.
"Don't act so smug. You can't escape now!"
"Let's see the results then."
Message windows popped up for the hunters, starting the fifth and final vote.
Biro rubbed his eyes dozens of times at the results.
[1st: 154 votes, Biro.]
"I'm... first?"
The results continued.
[2nd: 150 votes, A-19.]
[3rd: 100 votes, Roderick.]
[4th: 92 votes, Ju Gonghyeok.]
[5th: 0 votes, A-229.]
Roderick stood on the execution platform.
"You picked the wrong target from the start."
Roderick had split from Biro but dumped all votes on Ju Gonghyeok.
Aiming for last place again.
But 100 votes from somewhere pushed him to death.
Before dying, he scoffed.
"Shouldn't have messed with him half-assed."
Roderick died instantly like the other four sacrifices.
Another miss.
The fourth one.
Trembling at the result defying all expectations, Biro shook.
"What happened? Why am I first?"
This couldn't be.
Illibatus's votes had vanished somewhere.
"Congrats on your first first place."
Ju Gonghyeok sneered from the corner.
His eyes looked down on a cornered rat.
"My thinking wasn't wrong. All your premises were just off."
"What? Premises? What premises?"
Premises? What premises?
With Illibatus cooperating, this was impossible.
Then it hit Biro.
'Right, that's it!'
What flashed in his mind was the "belly pat" Ju Gonghyeok gave Lilianne.
Biro strode to Lilianne.
She looked puzzled.
"What is it?"
Ignoring her, Biro circled behind.
Thud!
Her sleek black tail was firmly stepped on.
Caught off guard, Lilianne dumbly looked at her crushed tail.
"Human, what are you doing?"
"Puhahaha!"
Ju Gonghyeok burst into laughter watching.
Biro gained confidence from her blank reaction.
'Definite. This demon's an 'M' in SM!'
Masochist.
Someone who derives pleasure from pain or humiliation.
Thinking back, she'd been odd from the start.
Weirdly favorable only to Ju Gonghyeok.
Even when he slapped her belly or insulted her, the demon Lilianne just teared up awkwardly and took it.
Biro's conclusion:
'A twisted pervert who enjoys humiliation and sadistic play! That's why she endured his antics and subtly rigged the game!'
Certain now, Biro shouted to satisfy her warped urges.
"You damn bitch! How are you running this game? You should've given me at least 100 more votes!"
"Puhahaha!"
Ju Gonghyeok kept laughing, but Lilianne tilted her head stone-faced.
"Hmm?"
Lilianne pondered deeply to understand the bug-like human's actions.
'Did it work?'
Hunters, including Biro, gawked with mouths agape, swallowing hard.
Lilianne furrowed her brows after thinking.
"Want to die?"
Slash—
His throat split horizontally.
Biro's esophagus and trachea cleanly severed, exposing the cross-section to the hunters.
"What were you thinking."
Lilianne flicked her forehead, and Biro's head snapped back, spraying blood.
Raw muscle strands tore open, the cracked vertebrae unable to bear the weight...
"No. Can't have that."
Click.
Ju Gonghyeok pulled Biro's head forward again.
The neck muscles' cross-section smacked back together with a 'chap' sound.
Biro's durability, boosted by first-place buff.
Proving S-grade even in decay, platelets clotted the wound, cells divided, slowly reconnecting the severance.
Setting aside Biro as scabs formed on his neck, Ju Gonghyeok spoke.
"Don't kill him carelessly. It'd tarnish my reward."
"But that bug stepped on my tail first..."
Gonghyeok tilted his head like Lilianne just had.
"Hm. Lilianne, right now..."
"Aaah! Got it! My bad! I won't kill him!"
Lilianne backed off, and Biro checked his nearly detached neck.
'My neck just...'
Before he could recover, Lilianne hoisted him up.
"Uh, so, despite all that, the fifth vote is done? Now the final trial awaits."
She whispered softly.
"You still have a chance."
"......Chance?"
A message appeared for Biro.
[Fifth trial, 'Final Vote,' begins.]
"So far, voters decided the reps' fates. But this vote is different."
"How?"
"The reps vote themselves this time."
Lilianne scanned the four reps.
"Point to one person yourselves. That one gets the instant-death curse like the last third place."
"!?"
Biro saw the opportunity.
Surviving reps: Biro, Ju Gonghyeok, and two Illibatus.
If all three voted Ju Gonghyeok, they could take him down effortlessly after all this.
"Now, point. The one you want dead."
Hearing Lilianne's giggle, Biro instinctively raised his hand.
Toward Ju Gonghyeok.
The targeted Ju Gonghyeok smirked faintly.
"Then we'll point too."
He raised his hand.
And those beside him followed.
Ju Gonghyeok: 1 vote, Biro: 3 votes.
Biro was the one targeted.
'We' meant the Illibatus on either side of Ju Gonghyeok.
"Lies?"
Biro laughed in disbelief.
"Ju Gonghyeok, you staked your avatar on our contract? If I die in a trial, you die too?"
- Oath 1: Do not let the rep die in trials.
The contract Biro made with Ju Gonghyeok.
This is why Biro plotted confidently to kill him.
Putting aside Illibatus's betrayal, Biro calmed his pounding heart facing death.
"If I die, you die too."
"Yeah, that's the contract."
"Haha, what? You had a way around it? How'll you save me?"
"The loophole's in the next clause."
Golden text appeared in the air.
- Oath 1: Do not let the rep die in trials.
- Oath 2: Deaths by vote are excluded.
"Votes are the exception."
"Vote? Wait, this is clearly a trial! You can't let me die!"
"Right. Can't let you die. But votes are excepted."
Ju Gonghyeok indifferently exhaled smoke.
Biro let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha, ridiculous. Thought I'd survive past the vote. Fifth trial being a vote... Like you knew from the start..."
Biro glared at the Illibatus reps pointing at him.
"You and Sigmund were in cahoots from the beginning. Playing me."
Illibatus and Sigmund had kept Ju Gonghyeok from third the whole time.
Illibatus's force wasn't the predicted 240, but 270.
The invalid votes hid their true size.
"Impossible to kill you from the start?"
Nearly 300 out of 500 votes in Ju Gonghyeok's grasp.
Biro's faction's plan was doomed from inception.
Biro screamed at the sky.
"Hey! Angel bastard! You watching? Answer! Is this a proper mission? Fair game?!"
Sandalphon's eyes in the sky didn't twitch.
Biro was stalling, babbling to buy even seconds of life.
"Now, execution time~"
Lilianne gently grabbed his nape.
Black curse letters etched into his skin, spreading over his body.
"Wait, you bitch! Let go! I'll cut you!"
"Don't be unsightly on your way out."
Thud—
Before his famed iaido could flash, Biro's sword-gripping hand hit the floor.
Leaving a pathetic 'gurk' death rattle, the defeated clown turned to dust and vanished.
[Final vote concluded.]
[Sacrificed – 1st: Biro.]
[Survivors – A-19, Ju Gonghyeok, A-299.]
The mission ended.
The hunter crowd approached Ju Gonghyeok.
"Lord Ju Gonghyeok, incredible performance today."
"Wolf City and those Do산 bastards aren't worth associating with. Look like they colluded with demon contractors too."
"Lord Ju Gonghyeok, I opposed it, but our rep who died earlier..."
Amid their noise, Sandalphon's voice echoed.
"Shall we settle our quest now?"
Today, Ju Gonghyeok hadn't killed a single one himself.
Unavoidable vote sacrifices, mission-mandated offerings.
494 saved out of 500.
Didn't break the mission's limits, but worthy of the Savior moniker.
"No, not yet."
Ju Gonghyeok shoved through the crowd with his hammer, approaching one man.
"Sigmund. I said I'd kill you here."
"I know."
"Prepare to die then."
Even with murder foretold, Sigmund nodded emotionlessly.
He called two others.
"A-19. A-299."
Illibatus's key reps who aided Ju Gonghyeok.
The two stepped forward at Sigmund's call.
Deus's Sigmund was obeyed respectfully by these from unrelated cities.
"Hands to me."
"Yes."
Sigmund took their hands, closing his eyes calmly.
"For united humanity. For a world where none are hurt, I ask you."
At Sigmund's words, A-19 and A-299 knelt.
"We'll follow whatever you need. Animus."
"Disconnecting 273 terminals including units 19 and 299."
Far off, Illibatus members drew their weapons.
"Since meeting Animus, the unity of becoming one with all is unforgettable."
"Thanks to you, days neither sad nor lonely, but full."
"For the future Animus desires."
Illibatus hunters plunged weapons into each other's chests.
Blood sprayed skyward, a massive dust storm rising.
"Ptoo! Ptooey!"
"This sand!?"
With the rep's death, Illibatus hunters died to instant-death curse.
Even survivors merely stabbed their own hearts, collapsing as corpses.
Remaining hunters trembled, muttering.
"Animus?"
"Animus... wasn't he the one who died in Halloween before?"
Sigmund bowed deeply to Ju Gonghyeok.
"My preparations are complete."
"I'll finish mine."
Ju Gonghyeok advanced, hammer raised.
The atmosphere was ominous.
Hunters slowly backed away.
"You all. Know too much, don't you think?"
From the 30th floor mission start, Ju Gonghyeok had been different.
No pretense in words or actions—just cold ruthlessness.
The unease hunters felt peaked now.
"No, Lord Ju Gonghyeok... surely not...?"
"Weird when the Savior acts like this?"
"Yeah. Why the sudden change?"
"Then..."
He pulled an item from inventory.
The mask symbolizing 'Babel's Worst Murderer.'
"Call me demon from now on."
Crunch—
Foul innards and debris splattered, forming an innocent pool of blood.
Terror-stricken faces reflected in the sticky puddle.