Chapter 303
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 303.
The option of the artifact known as the King of the Dead is extremely simple.
There is only one option: to summon the legion of the dead that the Death King once commanded.
But that legion is anything but ordinary.
‘Each one is an elite undead legion.’
It consists of five legions in total, each of diverse types.
Knights, mages, archers, shield bearers, and spearmen. Every undead in the legion possesses power equivalent to an A-rank.
And each legion has its own commander, beings whose strength is on par with S-rank monsters—no, it would be more accurate to say they are S-rank monsters themselves.
All thanks to the effect of the trait.
‘Death King.’
The undead he summons or controls gain even greater power.
And their appearance changes as well.
‘It would’ve been helpful if I had learned necromancy, but I didn’t have the luxury for that.’
It’s a shame, but this much is enough.
Yoo Baek-jun watched as the undead fiercely pushed back the Falcon Knights.
The undead led by the Arch Lich, the legion commander, and the Knight of Darkness.
‘The maximum summon duration is three days.’
Everything must be resolved within that time.
Yoo Baek-jun summoned the Thunderbird and retraced his steps back the way he came.
Toward the capital.
* * *
When the Falcon Knights clashed with the undead near the fortress,
Late at night, Hayden, who had been confined to his mansion, also began to move.
“…This way.”
Jeon Soo-yeon guided him.
She used a prearranged route to smuggle Hayden out of the mansion.
“Will the mansion be alright? There are people inside watching me.”
“I sprayed a special incense. They’ll be dazed for a while and won’t even notice you’re gone.”
Hayden stared intently at Jeon Soo-yeon.
Her actions and attitude were both incredibly carefree, but according to Yoo Baek-jun, her skills were undeniable.
If that’s the case, then he could trust her.
“Alright, Sir Knight, this way… Seriously, you’re ridiculously huge. Ugh, can you even fit through here…?”
“What was that?”
“Huh? I didn’t say anything.”
Can I really trust her?
Jeon Soo-yeon squeezed Hayden, whose size far exceeded that of a normal human, through the narrow passage.
Using the route she had prepared, they slipped out of the capital, and he immediately headed for his destination.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”
A cave he used to visit as a child when he didn’t want to train.
After growing up and rising to a high position, he hadn’t been able to come here anymore.
From then on, whether he wanted it or not, guards always followed him.
“Let’s go in.”
“Hmm…”
Hayden removed the covering at the cave entrance and stepped inside.
The sound of someone talking loudly reached his ears. He smirked and walked deeper into the cave.
What awaited him there was—
“Well, well, look who it is! I thought a bear had wandered in, but it’s the Commander!”
“Commander! Do something about that size of yours. For a second, I thought this was a bear’s den!”
“You bastards… How many times do I have to tell you to show some respect to the Commander…?”
Dozens of knights were gathered, chatting among themselves as they waited.
Upon noticing Hayden’s arrival, the knights greeted him with playful banter.
“…….”
Hayden scanned the knights.
They were members of the Golden Wolf Knights—warriors who had shared a long history with him and fought alongside him on countless battlefields.
Not a single one of them was missing. They had all gathered here.
“I had no idea there were so many fools among my subordinates. Do you even know what this place is?”
“How could we not know? We’re all just following in your footsteps, heh.”
“We’ve all made our resolve.”
To rebel.
For a knight sworn to loyalty to the kingdom and the king, it was a word they shouldn’t even dare to utter.
Hayden’s face hardened.
“If we fail, we all die. Our families, our relatives—they’ll meet the same fate. And you’re still prepared for that?”
“But if we succeed, you’ll reward us handsomely, right? Isn’t that how it goes?”
“Better than rotting away patrolling the border until we die.”
Every subordinate here had been reassigned to remote regions.
Border outposts or battlefronts where clashes with monsters were frequent.
“We picked the wrong side. Either way, we’re dead.”
“From the start, we pledged loyalty to you, Commander, not the king. I’m sure the others feel the same.”
One of the knights glanced around. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Hayden let out a bitter laugh.
“You damn fools…”
His voice carried a mix of joy and sorrow.
Hayden unfolded a map of the capital and began explaining their plan of action.
Delowin, Yoo Baek-jun, and Jeon Soo-yeon watched from a distance.
“It’s fascinating. If someone asked me to help them start a rebellion, I’d call them insane.”
“…….”
Yoo Baek-jun stared at Jeon Soo-yeon.
She tilted her head, as if realizing something odd about her own words.
“Huh? Now that I think about it, that’s not something I should be saying, Family head.”
“Good that you realize it.”
It wasn’t something a turncoat who switched sides for personal gain should say.
“Well, if I had to answer, it’s because Hayden has charisma.”
“Charisma? That’s an odd answer.”
Among Hayden’s traits was one related to charisma.
Though it was only a B+-grade trait, far inferior to Yoo Baek-jun’s King’s Dignity, it was still remarkably potent.
‘Charisma traits are incredibly rare to begin with.’
With that alone, he was more than qualified to become a king.
As far as Yoo Baek-jun knew, the King of the Kingdom of Baim didn’t possess any such trait.
That was likely why the knights were more loyal to Hayden than to the king.
“We should get moving soon. Jeon Soo-yeon.”
“Yes, yes. Everything’s ready.”
“Delowin, take the knights through the route Jeon Soo-yeon prepared. Wait for my signal.”
“Understood, human.”
Yoo Baek-jun nodded.
“Let’s start by cleaning up the pawns.”
* * *
Deep in the night, a knight walked through the darkened barracks of the knight order.
His face was filled with discontent.
“It’s unusually dark tonight.”
The corridors of the barracks were pitch black, eerily silent.
The knight shivered slightly.
“Did the lights go out? Those incompetent servants… I’ll have to order them to replace the torches.”
The knight quickened his pace, intent on reprimanding the servants.
But then—
Swish!
“Ugh! G-guk…!”
That was the last sound he made.
A shadow emerged from the thick darkness, covering the knight’s mouth.
Then, a hand gripped his throat—
Crunch!
A horrifying sound echoed.
Yoo Baek-jun hid the knight’s lifeless body out of sight.
Then, like a ghost, he moved through the castle, assassinating several targets.
“Kuh-huk!”
“W-who…! Gurk!”
Short screams echoed from various places.
It wasn’t just Yoo Baek-jun—Jeon Soo-yeon had also infiltrated the castle to assist him.
They had one Goal:
To eliminate the pawns planted by the king’s faction within the Golden Wolf Knights.
Thud!
After taking out the last soldier stationed outside, Yoo Baek-jun raised his head.
The top floor of the barracks.
A woman standing by the window locked eyes with him.
“…….”
Yoo Baek-jun nodded, and the woman turned away with a stiff expression.
Moments later—
“You bitch, what are you— Aaahk!”
A scream rang out.
Shortly after, the abnormally dark barracks were illuminated once more.
The knights, who had been holding their breath in anticipation, stepped outside.
“…Where’s the acting Commander?”
All eyes turned toward the staircase.
Drip, drip.
The sound of something dripping. From the upper floor, the woman from earlier slowly descended.
Drenched in blood.
“Vice-Commander! That bastard…!”
“That trash is dead.”
The woman referred to as the Vice-Commander tossed the insignia she had been holding.
It was the badge of the acting Commander.
“The fool didn’t even try to fight back. Not that he had the skill to begin with.”
“That’s harsh. There aren’t many among us who could stand against you, Vice-Commander…”
“…Hmph.”
The Vice-Commander snorted.
Just then, the barracks door opened, and Yoo Baek-jun stepped inside.
“The pawns have been dealt with. As for the acting captain… I assume there’s no need to ask.”
“You’re the traveler from another world who came to see me last time. Different from the assassin.”
“Ah, you mean her?”
From behind Yoo Baek-jun, Jeon Soo-yeon appeared like a ghost.
The Vice-Commander nodded.
“As you said, the acting Commander has been dealt with. Where is the Commander?”
“He should be entering the castle soon. Just wait a little longer. By the way, what about the other preparations?”
“Everything’s ready.”
Yoo Baek-jun had Jeon Soo-yeon connect Hayden and the Vice-Commander.
Despite the madness of starting a rebellion, the Vice-Commander had willingly followed Hayden’s orders and acted accordingly.
Persuading the other knights, preparing the soldiers, and making arrangements for an easy infiltration into the castle—everything had been taken care of.
‘Hayden is blessed with loyal followers.’
She was an incredibly capable knight who held unwavering loyalty to Hayden.
Though he couldn’t recall the details, he remembered hearing that she owed him a great debt from childhood.
She had learned swordsmanship under Hayden’s guidance and became a knight because of him.
“Traveler from another world. You said you needed our knights’ help to subdue the underground slave market.”
“Yes, yes. That’s right.”
Jeon Soo-yeon chimed in.
“Knights and soldiers are waiting at the location you mentioned. They’re using patrol duty as an excuse, so no one will suspect anything. Use them as you see fit.”
“That’s perfect. Jeon Soo-yeon, what about the exits?”
“Baek Jun-kyung has already mapped them all out. Ah, and the target you mentioned was reported to have visited the slave market.”
“Good.”
When they had last visited the slave market, Jeon Soo-yeon had attached threads to the slaves being sold to track them.
Baek jun-kyung had used that information to identify all the exits of the slave market.
“Once the Commander arrives, the rebellion begins. Wait for the signal.”
“We’ll move then too. First…”
Yoo Baek-jun turned around.
“Let’s go meet the Marquis.”
It was time to confront their target.
* * *
Marquis Gerald Banstein.
The owner of the underground slave market. Recently, to relieve stress, he had been watching the gladiatorial arena.
“Yes, that’s it! Kill him! Kill him dead! Crush his face!”
The slaves in the arena fought viciously. Gerald loudly cheered as he snacked, his voice booming.
Then, suddenly, his expression twisted.
“Hey, you there! Those idiots are just sizing each other up! Release the monsters now!”
“Yes, Count.”
The injured slaves were cautiously eyeing each other, and Gerald didn’t like that.
At his command, the gates of the arena opened once more.
—Kyaaaaah!
—Ugh, aaaah!
Beast-type monsters surged out, pouncing on the slaves.
The slaves, terrified, desperately tried to flee.
Gerald watched with satisfaction before bursting into laughter.
“Hah, I’d love to throw that damn woman into this arena too.”
Gerald thought of Gabrielle.
“No, never mind. She’s just a worthless vessel anyway. She won’t last long as Commander before falling from grace.”
“Falling from grace?”
“……?!”
The moment Gerald muttered those words, a voice came from outside the door.
Before his guards could even react—
Boom!
“Kuh-huk!”
The magically reinforced door was blown away in a single strike.
Dust billowed up.
Amidst it, a blurred figure moved like lightning, and Gerald’s guards collapsed in an instant.
“W-what…!?”
“Marquis Gerald Banstein.”
From the dust, Yoo Baek-jun emerged with an expressionless face.
“G-guards! Is there no one outside!? Can’t you hear me!?”
“There’s no one. Calling won’t help.”
“W-what? Who the hell are you…?”
Yoo Baek-jun slowly raised his fist.
“You’re too noisy.”
Crunch!
His fist smashed into Gerald’s face.
A single blow turned his face into a bloody mess, and Gerald collapsed like a ragdoll.
“Grow up.”
Yoo Baek-jun shook the blood off his fist.