Chapter 162
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 162.
Living an ordinary life was impossible now, anyway.
Nor could Noel survive as a Hunter alone, protecting the orphanage by himself.
He had decided to work under Yoo Baek-jun because he needed someone to help him.
“I thought you might be the kind of person who could help me. Maybe it’s just a feeling, though.”
“No, you’re right.”
Outside the mansion.
Yoo Baek-jun watched as the undead summoned by Noel cleaned up the interior.
“I have a floating island. Stay there for a while—with the people from the orphanage.”
“…Would that really be okay?”
“It’s just an extra property anyway, so it doesn’t matter. It’ll be safer than some half-baked place.”
“Thank you.”
Yoo Baek-jun waved his hand dismissively.
Then, he pointed at the necromancers standing blankly in the corner.
“You take care of the necromancers.”
“…Huh?”
Noel blinked in confusion.
Why should he be responsible for them?
His expression seemed to ask that very question.
“Or should I take them? You’re a necromancer too, so it makes sense for you to handle them. Besides, they won’t be functioning properly for a while because of brainwashing.”
“…Are you telling me to manage them?”
“Yeah. You’ve been through the same hell, so you’ll understand them better. Right?”
“……”
He knew his words sounded inconsiderate.
But he also knew that if he didn’t say it this way, Noel wouldn’t change his way of thinking.
“The same hell…”
A bitter smile formed on Noel’s lips.
“They’ll become the strength you need. Try persuading them, maybe even form a guild. Well, you’ll have to wait until the brainwashing wears off before you can do anything.”
It would take time to undo the brainwashing the necromancers had undergone. Yoo Baek-jun hoped Noel could convince them in the meantime.
It was probably possible.
“Then…”
Yoo Baek-jun looked at Jerome’s corpse.
“Time to finish things up?”
He had something to do with this bastard after reviving him.
***
The next day.
As Vincent had said, Vivianne arrived at Jerome’s mansion.
Along with her subordinates.
“Ugh, this place is depressing no matter how many times I come,”
“Heh, let’s just finish the job quickly and leave.”
“I was already planning to.”
Vivianne was a striking woman with long red hair. She was noticeably tall, her body packed with solid muscle.
She glanced at the cult members following her.
“You guys are as good as dead. How do you expect to survive two months in this dreary place?”
“Ha, haha…”
The cult members laughed awkwardly.
This place was considered a branch of the cult, so some members were occasionally stationed here.
But it was such a troublesome location that most cultists avoided it if they could.
“Living with the undead? Ridiculous.”
Creak.
Vivianne opened the door.
The distinct smell of Jerome’s mansion hit her, and she grimaced as soon as she stepped inside.
“Ugh, you guys wait here. I’ll go talk to the old man and come back.”
“Yes, Captain.”
The cult members left for their shift, while Vivianne’s subordinates waited on the first floor.
She headed to the top floor.
“Ugh, undead… undead. That crazy old man is beyond comprehension.”
She opened the familiar door.
Inside was a spacious office—old-fashioned but exuding a gloomy atmosphere.
Jerome sat there.
Not a single light was on.
“What’s this? Why’s it so dark?”
Vivianne grumbled as soon as she entered.
Jerome didn’t even turn to look at her, his gaze fixed outside the window.
“Hey, are you ignoring me?”
“…What brings you here?”
His reply was sharp and cold.
Vivianne felt irritation rising but forced herself to hold it in.
“What else? I brought the cult members who didn’t want to come to your mansion. Figured I’d take the ones stationed here too while I’m at it.”
“You must have another reason for coming.”
“Ah, right. That.”
Vivianne scratched the back of her head. This was why she had to suppress her temper this time.
“I need a necromancer.”
“I recall sending you one before.”
“Well… it’s broken.”
“What?”
Jerome’s voice was laced with annoyance.
“It got severely injured during a dungeon raid and is undergoing treatment. Won’t be usable for a while.”
“Why the hell did you take it into a dungeon? I explicitly told you to keep it in reserve for—”
“Vincent gave permission to use it.”
“……”
Jerome exploded in rage.
“You worthless trash! Do you have any idea how much effort I put into raising those things?!”
“W-What?”
“You and Vincent—that damn brat—are all the same! Stupid fools!”
“Wait, why are you so—”
Vivianne was taken aback. She hadn’t expected such an extreme reaction.
“I thought about using you all, but forget it! I’d rather build my own faction than work with scum like you!”
“What the—?! What’s wrong with you?!”
“Die, you arrogant bitch!”
Jerome unleashed necromancy in his fury.
Vivianne staggered back in shock.
“Hey! Calm down!”
“You damn woman!”
“I said calm— Ugh!”
A black blade slashed across Vivianne’s cheek.
Blood spilled from the deep cut.
Her expression darkened instantly.
“You bastard!”
Vivianne drew her greatsword and charged like lightning.
The undead surrounding them were sliced apart in a single stroke as she closed the distance between her and Jerome.
Then—a flash of steel.
Swish!
“Huh?”
She felt a clear sensation in her grip.
A sensation that shouldn’t have been possible. Vivianne stared in disbelief.
Her greatsword had cleaved through Jerome’s neck.
Cleanly.
“Huh? No way…”
This couldn’t be happening.
Jerome always shielded himself around her.
His defenses should’ve repelled this.
This wasn’t even the first time they’d clashed.
But it was the first time she’d actually wounded him.
“H-Hey! Are you seriously hurt?!”
“……”
No response came.
Panicking, Vivianne checked Jerome’s condition, but nothing changed.
He wasn’t breathing.
He was completely dead.
“Are you alright, ma’am?”
“Huh? What?”
“We heard a loud noise. Sounded like something breaking…”
A cult member had come up to the office door after hearing the commotion.
Vivianne hurriedly blocked his view.
“N-No! It’s nothing! Go back down!”
“Huh? Oh, yes. I’ll just—”
Just as the cult member was about to leave—
Creeeak.
The door creaked open on its own with a chilling sound. The cult member’s eyes widened in horror as he saw inside the office.
“V-Vivianne! What is this?!”
“Huh? N-No, it’s not—”
“Jerome! Are you alright?! This is—!”
The cult member rushed in and checked Jerome, but he was already dead.
“If Vincent finds out about this, he won’t let it slide! Why would you do this?!”
“N-No, listen—”
“How are we going to explain this… We need to report to Vincent— No, wait—”
Just as Vivianne was flustered, the cult member was equally panicked.
But his words grated on her nerves.
‘He’s going to tell Vincent?’
Jerome was the most crucial figure in the cult.
If Vincent found out she had killed him…
“That can’t happen!”
“Gah—!”
Without thinking, Vivianne cut down the cult member as he tried to leave the room.
She hadn’t meant to.
“V-Vivianne!”
“What the hell—?!”
But it was too late.
Vivianne saw more cult members rushing in—along with her subordinates coming up behind them.
“Captain!”
“Kill them all!”
“Huh?”
Vivianne shouted, her rationality gone.
“I said kill every last one of them!”
“……!”
Her subordinates and the cult members locked eyes.
They hesitated for a long moment—but when they saw Vivianne start slaughtering the cult members herself—
Shing!
They drew their weapons.
The cult members’ faces twisted in despair.
Moments later, the mansion became the stage for a bloody massacre.
***
Meanwhile, there were those who watched the unfolding chaos inside the mansion.
Yoo Baek-jun and Min Yi-jae.
“Yoo Baek-jun… Shouldn’t we deal with that woman, Vivianne, now?”
“No, leave her.”
A key executive of the cult was right in front of them.
Just like with Jerome, it might be better to eliminate Vivianne here.
But,
“Keeping her alive is more beneficial.”
His words were filled with certainty.
Killing her here? That was an option, but letting her go would throw the cult into even greater chaos.
‘There’s not much time left.’
The Night of Death event was just around the corner.
After making a few more preparations and visiting the North Sea Ice Palace, it would begin.
‘To disrupt them, letting Vivianne live is essential. And…’
Yoo Baek-jun gestured to Min Yi-jae.
“Go inside and help one of the cult members escape safely.”
“Understood.”
Someone needed to know that Vivianne had killed Jerome and massacred the cult members.
As Min Yi-jae disappeared, Yoo Baek-jun watched the mansion.
“Now, let’s see how Vincent reacts.”
***
The very next day.
“…What?”
Vincent couldn’t believe his ears.
The report he’d just received from Park Cheong-mun was beyond comprehension.
“Jerome is dead.”
“Dead? Just a while ago, he was— Who killed him?”
“Well…”
Park Cheong-mun hesitated, which was rare for him.
But after steeling himself, he answered.
“Vivianne killed him.”
“What…?”
Vincent was speechless.
Of all people, Vivianne—a core executive of the cult—had killed another key executive.
“…Is this true?”
“Yes. A surviving cult member witnessed it first hand. Vivianne tried to eliminate the evidence by killing the others, but one managed to escape.”
“So that person saw everything.”
Park Cheong-Mum nodded gravely.
“I knew their relationship was strained, but to this extent? And to kill other cult members too…”
“…I don’t know.”
Vincent felt dizzy. This situation was beyond anything he’d anticipated.
“Where is Vivianne now?”
“She’s ignoring all our calls. Not only that, she’s gathered all her subordinates.”
“Should I consider this a betrayal?”
“At first, it might’ve been an accident, but given the current situation…”
Vincent sighed deeply.
‘Amidst rooting out traitors within the cult, this happens.’
Jerome, a core executive and the one who raised the necromancers, was dead. Vivianne had left.
Not only that, but multiple cult members were being killed by someone.
“……”
Vincent thought of Vivianne.
‘Don’t tell me she’s the one killing the others too…’
He’d always wondered.
How had their enemies learned about the cult members’ identities and locations?
If it was Vivianne, it made sense.
As a core executive, she knew the cult’s structure.
‘Not only that. The victims were caught off guard and killed in ambushes.’
Exactly like Vivianne would do.
Vincent fell deep into thought.
“It’s still just speculation.”
“Huh?”
“I need to meet Vivianne. Make the preparations.”
“You mean…”
Vincent nodded.
“If she won’t come willingly, we’ll force her out. By any means necessary.”
With the day of destiny fast approaching—this was a critical time.
But more important than that was eliminating the enemy within.
“Yes”.
That was what Vincent decided.