Chapter 46
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Time to Ring the Bell
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Omer's entire body turned pitch black.
The hidden trump card avatar he had kept secret, Crow God Kukkinaha (A+)'s ability.
'Teleport'
His body, pinned under the holy water, vanished in an instant.
"No!"
"That bastard ran...!"
As the ten executives panicked, a venomous voice rang out from above their heads.
"Die, all of you."
[Maik Transformation – Severing Axe (B-)]
Omer's black wings transformed into an axe.
His body spun ferociously, and the massive axe simply cleaved two executives in half.
But the final target of that attack was the back of Ju Gonghyeok, who had treated him like a fool.
Blood from the torn forehead where he'd been flicked boiled his brain with rage as it seeped into his eyelids.
"Die! You goat fuck...!"
?!
Omer's body shook violently.
His mind blanked out briefly from the concussion.
The first thing his empty head registered was Ju Gonghyeok's scythe embedded in his shoulder.
CRITICAL HIT!
Omer's axe never reached Ju Gonghyeok.
Instead, he dodged lightly and hurled the scythe he held, half-severing Omer's right shoulder.
And Gonghyeok smirked as he muttered.
"Want another?"
Omer flinched in shock.
I have to dodge, but how? Bow? Javelin? Or fly up...
Before his thoughts finished, something flew at his head.
Thwack!
A worthless stone struck Omer's forehead.
The mana infused in it added another gash to his already torn brow.
But that was it.
More than the pain, a question flashed through Omer's mind.
What if it had been a javelin instead of a stone?
Why hadn't he pulled it from his inventory?
Omer's cowering eyes caught the shape of his lips.
Scared?
Simple.
To humiliate him.
Because his pissed-off face was amusing.
Thud! Thwack!
Omer's left leg, floating in the air, tore off, and a hooked spear and sword stabbed into his gut.
The executives, roaring as they prepared to grab him.
Their angry faces and the pain from their wounds paradoxically cooled Omer's head.
'These guys are serious. But that... crazy bastard.'
No matter what, he wasn't serious at all.
Every hunter in Babel thrashed for survival, for more gains.
Only that madman treated it like a game.
That instinct burrowed into Omer's mind.
"Fall, you bastard!"
"Soma! Hurry with the Thunderclap Mantra!"
With his head fully cooled, Omer rummaged his inventory with his intact left arm.
'Teleport can only be used once a day. To escape here...'
He pulled out dozens of Flesh Mending Flowers from his inventory and jammed them into his wounds.
Then he leveled his wings.
[Pouring remaining mana into High-Speed Flight (C+).]
[Full throttle burst! Zero-to-hundred (60 mph) time reduced by 65%!]
"That guy's running! Catch him!"
He took some incoming attacks on his body and shoved hundreds of Flesh Mending Flowers inside.
Covered in bubbling regenerating flesh, Omer fled at full speed.
"Good, that's it. Keep running like that. Omer Ashyk, pride of Istanbul!"
Gonghyeok, who had spread angel wings to pursue, laughed as he hurled fireballs at Omer's tail.
Twenty minutes later.
Having 'regrettably' let Omer Ashyk escape, Ju Gonghyeok summoned the entire northern sector.
And he declared.
"From now on, our north prioritizes capturing the 'Madman of the 3rd Floor' Omer Ashyk and wiping out the western pirates allied with him."
"That's certainly good, but... isn't it a bit detached from completing the ark?"
Gonghyeok shook his head at the cautious objection.
"I've learned that Ha Yeonsi, my comrade and owner of an SS-rank recovery avatar, is captured by them. With her recovery abilities, we can bounce back from any injury and fight again. She'll be a huge help in the Tyranno raid.
Even if we build the ark, the pirates will harass us from the air. I planned to deal with them after, but I didn't expect things to escalate like this. If anything, we're late."
"I see. Understood, Commander."
Gonghyeok looked down at the over thousand hunters gathered.
"Many have been toyed with by Omer Ashyk's schemes. He raised the Tyranno into a monster, killed all his own men, allied with pirates, and turned this uninhabited island into hell.
All personnel, halt hunting, gathering, farming—everything. Pair up in groups of twenty and scour the island! We'll punish Omer Ashyk by any means!"
Day 43 of settling the uninhabited island.
Over fifty pirate scout teams were formed to find pirates already mostly dead.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Irving, toss the three legless ones off the cliff. Then you jump too. There's cushioning below, so it'll be fine."
"Got it, pal! If there's cushioning, no problem jumping!"
"Wait, idiot! There's no cushion like..."
Gruesome bursting sounds echoed in succession.
Below the sheer coastal cliff, the hard gravel 'cushion' apparently failed at cushioning.
Standing at the cliff's edge, Gonghyeok flicked his half-smoked cigarette onto the gravel.
"That annoying mug. Time to stop seeing it, pal."
[Brainwash target 'Irving Forest' and 3 others deceased.]
[No current brainwash targets maintained. Dream Brainwash (C) skill allows maintaining up to 4 brainwashes.]
"You~. What're you planning for the quest?"
Lilianne squatted beside Gonghyeok, pouting as she peered over the cliff.
"I asked last time too, but why take the hidden quest for real? If you're just gonna half-ass the end."
"Not done yet?"
"Kyaa!"
He kicked the squatting Lilianne, and she screamed as she tumbled over the cliff.
She soon flapped back up, face drained.
"The hidden quest [Tyrannosaurus Breeding]. Supply materials and coins to the dinosaur to wipe out the 3rd floor population. Really meaningful?"
The three who supplied ark materials and coins to the crater weekly.
They too had been brainwashed by Ju Gonghyeok, like Irving.
Gonghyeok lit his pipe with a bored look.
"Lilianne. Can't predict it?"
"Nope~. Guess so."
"Then die and revive once. You'll get it."
"You're joking, right? Not funny at all..."
"Auntie, I'm dead serious."
At Gonghyeok's 100% seriousness, Lilianne snapped.
"I'm not an auntie! 617 years old is still young for demons!"
"Yeah yeah, Lilianne at 617 this year. Anyway, as a demon, the reward's designed for me, right?
When the time comes, pop the confetti and say, 'I apologize to the great Ju Gonghyeok and offer all rewards.' Easy, yeah?"
"Ahh~ Yes, sir."
Lilianne learned demon horns could bulge with veins too.
Nathaniel, now awake, looked up at Gonghyeok pitifully.
- You know the rumors about you being human trash? Seems they're real.
"Spirit Possession Pipe."
- Wait. Gonghyeok? I mean...
"Fwoooo..."
- Cough cough! So harsh! Cough! Gonghyeok, hear me out first...
"Pipes are great 'cause you can puff slow for an hour."
- Nooooo! Don't put your lips on my ass like a perv!
"Behave like an object. I'll use you to hell and back."
Ring ring—
Ignoring the uncensored farce, urgent contact hit Lilianne.
"Yeees~ Lilianne, lowly succubus in charge of the 3rd floor. Why call, holy knight?"
"Yes yes. Oh, really. Yes, yes. Hmm... so to sum up.
You let two escape!? Are you nuts? Whatever, whatever. Doesn't matter to a mere succubus like me who isn't even a holy knight, right? Handle it yourselves.
You lost them anyway. Whatever happens is on you. What? Spouting off with that loose mouth? I'm pissed enough already—wanna get hit? Strip ranks and go!"
'Come to the 3rd floor later. No, never mind—just catch those guys!', 'Splash the fire down here and it's all-out war!' She was mid-nervous spat when her eyes met Gonghyeok's.
She awkwardly excused.
"It's nothing. Mission on the 14th floor, uh... so the hunters..."
"Didn't ask."
- Who asked?
"......"
Lilianne realized both horns could vein up at once when four men seeking Ju Gonghyeok arrived from afar.
"Commander! Time to depart soon."
"Gonghyeok, really just five okay? More would be..."
Gonghyeok waved them off.
"Five's fine. Can only handle four anyway, and that's enough witnesses to prove Ju Gonghyeok's actions."
"Yes?"
"More importantly, look straight into my eyes."
[Dream Brainwash (C), Prediction Path (U.S) activated simultaneously.]
[Target 1 Clements. Will E-rank. Brainwash success rate 67%, mana stage 2 81%. Mana stage 3 94%. No brainwash resistance traits or items.
Target 2 John. Will E-rank. Brainwash success rate 71%......
Target 3 Ersan......
Target 4 Iliassova......]
This Dream Brainwash wasn't absolute; it had failure rates.
Usually, higher stats and stronger avatars meant higher resistance, so top hunters were harder.
Of course, now if it failed...
Torture 'em to mush and retry.
[Targets 1 through 4 all brainwashed successfully.]
[10th brainwash success using this skill.]
[A new trait generates based on prior actions.]
[Trait 'Invisible Hand' generated!]
[Brainwash targets obey owner better.
Higher chance to read owner's subconscious thoughts.
Deal with and manipulate people more intelligently per owner's will.]
He dismissed the message promising easier 'politics' ahead.
"Go to the crater, dump materials and coins. Then hide somewhere fitting. If seen, say you found Omer's trace and left ten minutes ago."
"Understood."
"And when reporting later, say you were with me all day."
"Will do. So where to alone?"
Gonghyeok pulled a familiar mask from inventory.
A beast mask lined with vicious fangs.
"I've left our Cinderella alone too long. Prince time."
Masked, he looked to the sky.
"Soon, time for the bell of all-out mayhem to ring on this 3rd floor."
＊ ＊ ＊
The western pirates' secret underground hideout.
Deepest in the hideout, behind iron bars, she was there.
Ha Yeonsi stroked the jagged scars on her wrists.
Her feet, preserved in ice, and one wrist returned by 'B'.
"I've caused you trouble. You're needed. Save this world."
He said that and left.
She didn't care about such words.
Staring at the ugly marks on wrists and ankles, Ha Yeonsi murmured.
"Would oppa hate these?"
Showing such scars to Gonghyeok oppa terrified her.
While captive, Gonghyeok solidified as her savior.
In Babel, he was always confident, strong, clever, kind to her—ideal hero and prince.
"Wanted to meet oppa prettier, more reliable."
She regretted rejecting his words inwardly on the 1st floor.
'Why didn't I take oppa's words more seriously? Why think Babel so lightly? Me, of all people, saying I'd clear Babel and save everyone—what nonsense.'
She regretted.
"If I meet oppa again... then..."
She wanted to be his alone.
Pretty only for oppa.
Strong only for oppa.
Believe oppa right no matter what.
That's who she wanted to be.
Ha Yeonsi fell asleep with such thoughts.
And surely...
The prince's time to reclaim the princess wasn't far.
Days later.
Supervisor Ju Gonghyeok. Protagonist Ju Gonghyeok. Story Ju Gonghyeok.
This tale draws to a close.