Chapter 251
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 251
Chapter Title: Black Hand
Black Hand.
He had made a name for himself as a 15-Ascension hero-level necromancer.
Anyone who crossed Black Hand died without even leaving a corpse behind.
Rumors like these spread far and wide, all testifying to just how viciously infamous his poison was.
And now, standing before this Black Hand was a half dark elf.
Honestly, the man’s appearance made you question if he was even part elf.
His black hair was streaked with an eerie purple hue that gave off an unsettling vibe.
A rugged face paired with pale skin.
If not for those long ears, you’d seriously doubt any dark elf blood ran through his veins.
His name was Leyzon.
He was the one who’d recently shone in the major guild conference as a member of the Steel Wolf Guild.
Black Hand eyed Leyzon and snorted derisively.
He was a seasoned necromancer himself.
The only other Poison Necromancer on his level was Poison Spider—and even she had ceased her activities long ago.
There was no greater expert in Poison Necromancy left in the world.
‘Looks like hanging around those big guilds has made him a bit cocky.’
Time to teach him how mistaken he was.
“You’d agree that poison is the most important thing for a Poison Necromancer, right?”
Black Hand asked, and Leyzon nodded lightly.
His casual attitude grated on the nerves, but Black Hand let it slide.
Instead, he flung open his robe.
“Squeak!”
Out darted a rat the size of a palm.
“Ugh, a rat!”
Red Moon, another hero-level pioneer gathered here, recoiled in disgust.
She seemed to have a phobia of rats and rodents.
“This rat is one I specially bred to test my poisons on. It’s immune to countless toxins.”
The rat twitched its nose and stood by Black Hand’s side.
Black Hand drew a staff from his belt.
A thin, long staff radiating ominous mana.
“The poison I’m using now can kill an upper phantasmal beast in five seconds flat.”
Green poison dripped from his staff.
“Yes, sure.”
Leyzon acknowledged it, and Black Hand aimed the staff at the rat.
A droplet of green poison soon fell onto the rat’s head.
But the rat just rolled its beady eyes around, showing no signs of distress.
It had shrugged off a poison that could drop an upper phantasmal beast in five seconds.
That alone showed how immune the rat was to toxins.
“My real poison would kill this rat in ten seconds.”
Even with that level of immunity, it wouldn’t last ten seconds.
Proof positive it worked on hero-level phantasmal beasts too.
Admiring murmurs rose from the crowd.
A fresh reminder of how deadly Black Hand’s poison truly was.
“If your poison can kill this rat faster than mine, I’ll acknowledge you.”
Black Hand taunted, fully convinced it was impossible.
All eyes turned to Leyzon.
Wondering if he could really kill the rat in under ten seconds.
And then his mouth opened.
“It’s dead.”
“Huh?”
Everyone belatedly looked at the rat with puzzled expressions.
The rat that had been at Black Hand’s feet just moments ago.
It now lay on its side, eyes rolled back in death.
Confusion spread across their faces.
Had Leyzon done something just now?
Not a single person here had sensed a thing.
Black Hand was no exception.
His eyes were wider than ever before.
He reached down hastily to check the rat’s condition.
“Ah, don’t touch it.”
Leyzon stopped him.
“It absorbs through the skin too. You’ll die if you grab it.”
To tell a Poison Necromancer he’d die from poison.
What an utter humiliation.
Black Hand’s face flushed purple with rage.
“Me? Die from poison? What nonsense!”
He had no idea what Leyzon had done.
But he refused to believe the man’s words.
“I don’t know what trick you pulled, but—!”
Black Hand snatched up the rat.
“Poison is my specialty—gah...!”
And then he collapsed.
His body convulsed violently as foam bubbled from his mouth.
“……”
The training ground fell silent in an instant.
This was a poison showdown between two hero-level Poison Necromancers.
They’d all been watching with keen interest until moments ago.
But the tide had turned in a flash.
Black Hand’s reputation was more famous than they’d realized.
And now, he was on the verge of dying to another Poison Necromancer’s toxin.
One he hadn’t even noticed.
“Tch. Why’d you have to be so stubborn?”
Leyzon clicked his tongue as he looked down at Black Hand.
He walked over with measured steps and placed a hand on the man’s head.
“Syria.”
At his call, the shadows split open.
Out emerged a girl of breathtaking beauty.
White hair mingled with red, ruby-red eyes.
But the moment everyone saw her, they froze solid.
Even Rastolfo, the bronze hero-level pioneer, was among them.
His gaze locked onto Syria, unable to look away.
Cold sweat beaded slowly across his skin.
What... what the hell is that?
A being that far surpassed human limits stood there.
“Keep them from interfering.”
“Sure thing.”
Syria glanced around at Leyzon’s request.
Her mere gaze pinned everyone in place, unable to move a muscle.
Prey before a predator could only tremble in fear.
Before this inhuman existence, they were nothing more than ants.
Leyzon ignored them and immediately activated undead creation on Black Hand.
By now, he was well-practiced with the skill.
It went off without a hitch.
“Kuh-hurk!”
Black Hand, who’d teetered on death’s door from the poison, snapped his eyes open.
He rolled on the ground, coughing harshly.
His face now glowed green, horns sprouting from his forehead.
Unmistakably transformed into another race entirely.
“I removed the poison midway, so don’t hold a grudge. I went easy on you as a fellow Poison Necromancer.”
Leyzon stood and said as much.
Black Hand looked up at him amid coughs.
“Y-You...”
His eyes shook wildly.
A poison even he, a Poison Necromancer expert, hadn’t detected.
Handled with complete ease by this man.
He’d never even heard of such a person existing.
And the girl beside him now...
Black Hand saw right through her identity.
Vampire Queen.
An undead of the abyss.
His body shuddered uncontrollably.
His face had drained bone-white.
He’d finally realized who he had dared to provoke.
“I-I didn’t realize it was you, my lord...”
“It’s fine. We’re both necromancers.”
Leyzon waved it off as Black Hand trembled and begged forgiveness.
“Th-Thank you, Lord Abyss.”
Grateful for the mercy, Black Hand bowed deeply.
Abyss.
The moment that name dropped, everyone froze for an entirely different reason.
The empire’s black curtain, scourge of the world.
Master of undead rooted across the globe.
And lately, the name on everyone’s lips.
Abyss.
Black Hand had just called this man Abyss.
Rastolfo’s eyes bulged wide.
He’d never dreamed Abyss would show up in this dragonkin realm dungeon.
“Sorry for taking your spot, but I’ve got business here too.”
“Y-Yes, of course.”
Black Hand bowed repeatedly, deferring to Leyzon.
Now his undead, through and through.
Leyzon casually mentioned he should head to Sahā Village.
“Ambition Star Guild Master.”
Leyzon then called out to Rastolfo.
Rastolfo was a man who stood tall even before nobles.
Some had even joined his guild, smitten by his bold demeanor.
Yet before Leyzon’s summons, he trembled like a frightened rabbit.
At first, he’d just seemed like an ominous fellow.
But once it clicked, everything looked different.
This man before him could shatter the world at any moment.
“……Speak.”
Rastolfo forced himself to calm and respond.
Leyzon smiled faintly at him.
“I passed the test this time, right?”
Passed? Could you even call it that?
Leyzon could solo-clear the dragonkin realm on his own.
What did a test even mean to him?
Rastolfo hadn’t understood why he’d joined the recruitment in the first place.
Leyzon would be partying with them now.
And Rastolfo was the party leader.
He had to ask.
“……If it’s not too rude, may I ask your purpose?”
Why go into the dragonkin realm specifically with Ambition Star?
Rastolfo barely managed the question.
“Does a pioneer need any reason beyond hitting a dungeon?”
Leyzon replied as if it were obvious.
“But if you insist.”
He flashed his teeth in a grin.
“I thought I’d spread the name of Abyss far and wide.”
Spread the name.
What did that even mean?
‘Is Abyss planning to swallow up Ambition Star?’
Rumors said Abyss had recently sided with the eastern noble faction.
The news had sent everyone into a frenzy.
The black curtain rising to devour the world.
That’s what people were saying everywhere.
But another rumor followed hot on its heels.
Abyss had teamed up with the White Lion Knight Captain to crush the imperial necromancer bent on world destruction.
A tale of the black curtain joining the knight captain to save the world from peril.
It was practically a hero’s saga.
Human perception is dual-edged.
A lifetime of good can be erased by one mistake, branded evil to the core.
Conversely, a lifelong villain earns leniency with a single good deed.
This duality extended to Abyss too.
Once pointed at as the world’s black curtain.
But what if he’d actually been fighting to protect it all along?
People love dramatic tales.
One act of good from a villain was enough to set them ablaze with excitement.
Abyss’s name spread even faster because of it.
Some even hailed him as a true hero.
And now, Rastolfo stood before this Abyss—Leyzon.
To him, a villain was a villain, good deeds be damned.
Abyss was surely scheming to tie Ambition Star to him with these rumors.
The eastern noble faction’s power was expanding terrifyingly.
Ambition Star probably wanted in on that.
So what should Rastolfo do in the face of Abyss’s intentions?
His gaze met Leyzon’s.
Leyzon kept that unwavering smile.
How could a smile feel so unnerving?
Rastolfo swallowed his surging tension.
“……You passed the test.”
Who knew what this man might do if crossed.
Before a predator, prey could only bow low.
Rastolfo gave up and accepted Abyss.