Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: The Returned Knife-Wielder
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Two weeks had passed over the skies of the uninhabited island.
“Uwaaaah!”
A small ark like a canoe was slicing through the sky.
Chasing after it were black arks.
The black arks were adorned with all sorts of flashy materials.
Red sails, golden masts, even fish-shaped rams—all special materials obtained from killing people.
“Damn it, I’m not dying like this! Ifreet!”
Someone on the leading canoe stood up and hurled a spear.
The ferocious spear throw intertwined with the avatar’s flames streaked through the air, trailing fire.
“Pfft, a piss stream?”
The hunter piloting the black ark sneered vilely.
The golden mast before him glowed.
[The special ability of the Brass Mast, ‘Ark’s Wall,’ activates.]
[The wall strengthens based on the mana of the passengers aboard.]
[All attacks except ramming attacks from arks are absorbed by the Ark’s Wall.]
The spear carrying Ifrit’s flames was futilely blocked by the wall.
In that moment, another black ark swiftly rammed its prow into the canoe.
Its speed was several times faster than the canoe’s.
With a crunch, the canoe bent like a chopstick.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Chuta! Save meee—!”
The pirates mocked the shattering ark spewing sparks and the screaming hunters aboard.
“Try swimming in the sky. An angel might save you.”
“Puhahaha.”
[You have completed the hidden quest ‘Ark Downing (3)’]
[Arks downed so far: 5. The bonus for the title ‘Pirate of the 3rd Floor’ is enhanced by one stage!]
In a corner of the jungle. People ground their teeth watching the scene.
“Damn it, what good are making three or four arks? Those bastards up there shoot them all down!”
Wang Zifeng kicked a tree in irritation. Under his strength, the tropical tree snapped, revealing its innards.
The six hunters’ faces turned grave.
In two weeks of hunting, they had built two arks. With time to spare, they made two more, totaling four.
But because of those murderers from the west—no, now pirates—they hadn’t had a single chance to escape.
“In the worst case, if we launch all four at once, at least one might...”
“They’ve got three ships too. Leave it to chance whether we live or die?”
Sasha snapped sharply at Bart’s suggestion.
But Jake spoke up seriously.
“No, it makes sense. There must be other groups that built arks besides us. If we launch ten, fifteen in total...”
“Meaning even if half get shot down, the rest could slip away. Like playing the odds in a casino.”
Sighs and quiet curses leaked out among them.
That was when Oliver quietly raised his hand.
He was an excellent scout with detection and hyper-sensation skills.
“I hear singing somewhere.”
“Me too, just now.”
“Oh, I know this one. It’s definitely Robbie Williams’...”
Robbie Williams’ ‘Mack the Knife.’
Before the words finished, a heavy hand axe embedded in Daniel’s face.
They always prevented ambushes with Oliver’s Alertness (C) and Bart’s Intuition (D-).
But before the SS-rank merits ‘Living Hunting Manual’ and ‘Master of All Martial Arts,’ it was all for naught.
They reflexively drew weapons and looked toward where the hand axe came from.
There stood a freak wielding a lump of iron like a mace and a sharp spear.
【Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear
And he shows them pearly white
Just a jackknife has Macheath, dear
And he keeps it out of sight♪】
A jazzy tune poured from the eerie hyena mask.
The party counterattacked the humming freak with coordinated movements.
Rock, lightning, rain of arrows.
The ‘prey’ unleashed four attacks in an instant.
Thud thud thud!
The attacks struck the filthy hood.
He slammed into the sturdy tree right behind.
“Got him...?”
But the tree held only the empty hood. ‘X’ was in a low crouch in the underbrush, nearly kissing the ground.
Soon, flames spurted from the tips of the beast’s feet hidden in the brush.
[Ignition Booster activates]
Boom!
An explosion rang out, and ‘X’s body skimmed the ground low and fast.
Stab.
“Guh!”
‘X’s spear pierced Oliver’s throat as it burrowed between them.
His arms blocking in vain, the spear skewered his palms and windpipe.
【On a fine and clear morning
One man lay dead
Right after, someone turned the corner
And slipped away. It was Mack the Knife♪】
“Rock Hammer!”
With Bart’s mighty shout, ‘X’s position was pulverized.
Oliver’s life ended not by ‘X’s hand, but by his comrade’s blow.
But the mangled corpse was Oliver’s alone.
‘Where the hell did this bastard...’
“Ah, that was close. Nearly died there.”
An utterly insincere mutter came from behind Bart’s head.
“Huh!?”
Turning around, a mass of violence like solid iron smashed Bart’s right side.
Crack crack.
His ribs shattered into dozens of pieces, tearing through his peritoneum and piercing his guts.
“Huh huh...”
“Out.”
The spear slipped under his belly, piercing between collarbone and shoulder.
“Fire.”
An explosion blasted at his heel. The accelerated kick pulverized Bart’s shin like Lego.
“Out.”
As the scream began—aaah— the mace was already before his face.
So close that every ridge on the mace etched into his eyes.
“Ta.”
Crunch.
The upper half of Bart’s face caved in roundly under the mace.
Skull fragments flew back, teeth scattered, and above the jaw was now solid metal.
【Seven kids and one old man
Lay dead in the street
Macheath was among them
But no one asked who, no one knew♪】
Two were already fleeing without looking back.
‘X’ lifted the spear skewering Bart just like that.
- Prediction Path active
- Plant foot right 2 paces. Shorten rotation from waist to arm by 0.23 seconds.
- Wind direction/speed, NNE 1.2m/s. Spear throw launch angle (44º.106º)
- Account for air resistance and variables from meat on spear. Adjust launch angle 4° left, 2cm up.
- Explosion propulsion correction, output 144%.
Kaaa boom!
Ignition Booster exploded behind the spear.
The shaft whistled sharply through the air, Bart’s corpse dangling grotesquely spraying chunks.
Thud.
“Kruk!”
The skewer pierced its second lump of meat.
Blood sprayed grandly, drenching the greenery in photosynthesis.
- Target heart penetration confirmed between scapula and ribs 2-3.
- Hypovolemic shock death in 33 seconds.
“Huaaaah! Huaaaah!”
Wang Zifeng ahead floundered, spurting blood.
Jake let out a maddening roar.
Even in that, Jake’s legs carried him forward on survival instinct.
‘X’ dusted his hands watching his back.
The song still flowed from his mouth.
【Many rich men
Have vanished of late
Their cash is in Mack’s pocket
But no evidence anywhere♪】
‘X’ popped a navy coin rising from the blood into his mouth.
His steps turned toward Sasha, trembling like an aspen behind a tree.
【Jenny Towler’s body was found
With a knife in her chest♪
Mack! How will you answer for this crime?】
“Hic! Hic!”
A dark red curtain draped before the crouched Sasha.
Looking up, there stood one knife-wielding murderer.
Sasha stifled her hiccups and barely opened her mouth.
“P-please, um...”
With trembling hands, she hiked up her top and chainmail.
Her worn bra revealed snow-white breasts.
“I... I-I’m good at it, hic, despite how I look. Please, spare me.”
Sasha’s moist eyes met the hyena’s.
A Russian Slavic beauty.
Tears dripping from her ample bosom, curves flowing to hips that fit perfectly in palms—irresistibly alluring.
Her terrified face and quivering body stirred any man’s sadistic lust.
‘X’ slowly knelt to eye level with her.
He slightly lifted the lower part of his mask.
“H-here, touch...”
Stab.
The blade mercilessly plunged into her seductive cleavage.
“Huh?”
For Sasha still not grasping, ‘X’ kindly dragged the knife upward.
“KyaAAAAAH—!”
A tearing scream echoed.
She jolted up from the tree she’d slumped against.
No, she had no choice but to.
Or the blade in her chest would slice to her throat.
“Pull it out! Please, pull it out!”
Grabbing the blade, a sizzle sounded with a foul stench.
Her class was Poison Witch.
A deadly poison that killed any organism once inserted.
“Cheap tricks don’t work. Not fooled.”
‘X’ chuckled, licking the blood trickling down her soft belly.
Maiden’s blood or shattered-skulled bastard’s—both tasted equally fishy.
“Why... are you doing this.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, sobbing.
Her shoulders heaved with injustice.
“Why kill us. We... no, at least I... did nothing wrong...”
“Need a reason?”
Prey’s tear-blurred eyes met the blood-drinking hunter’s.
“You’re the ones who’ll destroy the world.”
“No, not me...”
“Yeah? Then... because you poisoned my breakfast 177 years ago?”
‘X’s tongue trailed up her belly to lap the blood on the knife in her chest.
“Or should I say because that Bart there crushed my big toe 203 years ago?”
“I don’t... know. No way...”
“Yeah, you wouldn’t get it anyway.”
Strength gripped the sword hilt.
“Just die then. No more words.”
The demon sword twisted, shredding flesh and severing the heart’s artery.
“Mmph!”
No final scream for her.
The killer’s firm hand sealed her lips.
Silent screams and a few heaves.
Warm saliva and blood seeped between the sealing fingers as her body went limp.
Floor 2 10:10.
He drew the ‘Demon Sword Cloaked in Red Mist’ taken from the pirates’ leader.
Perhaps this sword shared some grudge with her.
In 13 regressions, 14 lives, this sword had claimed Sasha Tarasov’s life without fail.
A few times in Gonghyeok’s hands, it even broke the record.
But continuing such records held its own fun.
Such petty quirks were the black jokes that kept the regressions going.
“Hmm hmm~♪.”
As he picked up the scattered coins on the ground, a tune hummed from him.
【When the shark bites with his teeth, dear
Crimson waves spread wide
But on Mackie’s fine kid gloves
There ain’t a trace of red
Did you hear about Louie Miller? He slashed him!
Hard to believe, right?
Now Mackie’s back in town
The old Mackie’s back in town.】
The killer’s mangled humming echoed through the blood-soaked jungle.
Urp uuurgh!
Eight kilometers from the murder scene.
Jake, the sole escapee from ‘X,’ leaned on a rock and vomited wretchedly.
“Kuugh! Hoo, it’s over... this place.”
Pirates rampage above, murderers below.
Their only hope, Ju Gonghyeok, injured from the last raid and recovering.
No proper raid possible, and the T-Rex that easily fell to hunting leisurely devoured 30 humans before returning to its nest.
The uninhabited island had become the heart of hell.
One thought filled Jake’s mind.
“I have to go back. Again...”
Wiping his mouth, he trudged weakly onward.
Direction: north.
The uninhabited island’s sole safe zone untouched by murderers.
Ju Gonghyeok’s northern faction.
Its future as Grand Ark dimmed, many had left.
But now, it was the only place left to trust.
In ‘X’s terror, groups split from the north were returning to Gonghyeok’s faction.
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