Chapter 477: A New Goal
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 477: A New Goal
Kang Hyun-woo knew that Lee Serin had suffered immense mental anguish from fabricated news articles before they entered the Tower.
He also knew that because of it, she was still plagued by nightmares and often struggled alone.
Needless to say, this was something he could never let slide.
Not only was she accused of three-timing, but there were also allegations of providing sexual favors?
For Kang Hyun-woo, the one who had personally taken Lee Serin's virginity, the reports were so malicious he couldn't even manage a hollow laugh.
If he could, he would have torn limb from limb those who wrote such articles, but unfortunately, this was the Tower, not Earth.
Still, Kang Hyun-woo had built a small room deep in his heart, where he meticulously stacked his grudges.
After all, an insult to his woman was no different from an insult to himself.
Moreover, Kang Hyun-woo had willingly lent a hand in avenging Lucifer, who had been a complete stranger to him.
It was obvious, without any need for explanation, just how genuinely enraged he was by this incident.
And now that the culprit behind all of Lee Serin's suffering had appeared before him, what would happen next was as clear as day.
“I just don't get it. How can you have the gall to beg for your life?”
“K-kuaaargh...!!”
Crack-
Kang Hyun-woo's grip on Choi Taeho's head began to tighten.
As a fine crack appeared in his skull, Choi Taeho screamed, flailing like a freshly caught fish.
“If I had been weaker than you, I would have had my women stolen from me, helpless to do anything. Am I wrong?”
It was an undeniable truth.
In fact, no one could refute his words.
Of course, part of it was being too intimidated by Kang Hyun-woo's presence to speak, but taking another's woman by force was something they had done time and time again.
“The law of the jungle. Wasn't that the way you all loved so much? But now that it's your turn to have something taken, you pathetically beg for your life? What gives you the right?”
For a rare moment, Kang Hyun-woo thanked the gods.
He had never imagined an opportunity for revenge would present itself so soon.
How could he not be grateful?
The moment they saw the chilling smile spread across Kang Hyun-woo's lips, the surrounding members of the Reapers Clan didn't dare to make a move, even as they watched Choi Taeho's battered and wretched state.
There were certainly players among them who were stronger than Choi Taeho in terms of skill, but none who could overpower him in an instant like Kang Hyun-woo had.
Above all, everyone present was keenly, painfully aware of one thing.
The moment they drew their swords, they would die.
It wasn't just a thought in their heads; they felt it in their very skin, so no one dared to move recklessly.
But even so, they had no choice.
If there was one, it was a choice between two deaths.
‘...Draw our swords and we die. Don't draw them, and we still die.’
Thud-
In the suffocating silence, Kang Hyun-woo dropped Choi Taeho to the floor like a piece of trash.
He could only tremble intermittently, unable to even move a single finger.
Kang Hyun-woo looked down at him for a moment before quickly striking his acupoints, numbing his pain and stopping the bleeding to keep him from dying right away.
“Gurgle...”
Instead, Kang Hyun-woo twisted his qi and blood slightly, causing him to foam at the mouth and finally pass out.
Killing Choi Taeho here and now would be easier than eating a meal, but considering the price he had to pay for his sins, a quick death was far too merciful.
Kang Hyun-woo was already looking forward to it.
‘Bone-breaking and muscle-twisting is a good start, but bone-crushing and soul-shattering, or reversing his blood and blocking his meridians... Or maybe using an elixir of cold energy to inflict yin wind piercing bones wouldn't be a bad idea.’
These were cruel methods of torture he would never have normally dared to even consider.
But right now, Kang Hyun-woo was half-blind with rage.
Of course, even taking that into account, it was undeniable that his actions today were particularly cruel.
This stemmed from the fact that he hadn't been able to feed Tam recently, as he'd been wary of the Constellations' watchful eyes.
In the past, Kang Hyun-woo's Vajra Qi would have suppressed Tam, but Tam had grown so much that it could now push back against that restraint, gradually influencing his mind.
Crack-
Kang Hyun-woo cracked his knuckles lightly and stepped forward.
His murderous gaze turned to the members of the Reapers Clan.
“From now on.”
Choi Taeho's death sentence was for driving Lee Serin to the brink of suicide and for revealing his filthy desires for Kang Hyun-woo's woman.
The Reapers Clan members present weren't entirely free from responsibility for the latter, but Kang Hyun-woo had no intention of torturing them like Choi Taeho before killing them.
He still had that much reason left.
“Anyone who moves, dies.”
Of course, he planned to kill them even if they didn't move.
This was the Tower, not Earth.
Among the players gathered from hundreds, even thousands of worlds, there was no common code of morals or ethics. Even on the same floor, different cities operated under different laws.
What more could be said for different floors?
If he let them go here, Kang Hyun-woo would just be branding himself a pushover.
“K-Kill him!!”
“Uwaaagh!!”
“Dieeee!!”
The Reapers Clan members each drew their weapons and charged at Kang Hyun-woo.
They knew better than anyone that they had no way out.
But their resistance was utterly meaningless.
Swish-
The moment Kang Hyun-woo made his move, their heads all flew through the air.
Fresh blood splattered in all directions, and the restaurant was instantly drenched in it.
Standing at the center of the gruesome scene, Kang Hyun-woo slowly wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand and looked around.
The terrified faces of the customers and staff staring at him came into focus, one by one.
Only then was Kang Hyun-woo able to grasp the reins of his reason.
‘...Tsk.’
The feeling of too much blood rushing to his head, his vision blurring, and even the sense of pleasure he took in his own excessive cruelty.
These were all things he hadn't experienced since becoming a mage.
Kang Hyun-woo instantly realized it was Tam's doing, but he couldn't say that not even a sliver of his own will was involved in his actions.
He recalled the words of his master, Vajra Divine Monk.
-I won't tell you to live like a high monk, accumulating merit. With your personality, that would be impossible. I'd be relieved if you just stayed away from widows. But.
Vajra Divine Monk had patted Kang Hyun-woo's head with his rough hand, a rare, benevolent smile on his face.
He looked just like a statue of Buddha in a temple hall.
-Try to live with a cool head. If my only disciple is reborn as a beast, how could I ever show my face in the Pure Land of Bliss?
The memory of Vajra Divine Monk's face made Kang Hyun-woo let out a low sigh. He seemed to ponder for a moment before quietly pressing his palms together.
As he mentally recited Buddhist scriptures to calm his murderous intent, his expression became much more serene than before.
Seeing this, Tam clicked its tongue and slowly closed its eyes.
Just when it seemed everything was settled...
Ting-
[The Constellation, 'Beautiful Skin', intervenes.]
[The Constellation, 'Beautiful Skin', expends a massive amount of WP to forcibly summon its contracted player.]
Seeing the screen that appeared before him, Kang Hyun-woo whipped around.
But Choi Taeho was already gone.
KRAAANG!!!
Kang Hyun-woo slammed his fist into the wall, glaring at the empty space as if to kill it.
[Activating 'Incomplete Moon's Eye (B-)'.]
[The target's rank is high.]
[The trait's effect is halved.]
[It is nighttime. The moon's energy permeates.]
[Forcibly viewing the target's information.]
[Beautiful Skin
True Name: Painted Skin Ghost (画皮鬼)
A cunning and cruel monster that enjoys wearing the skin of a beautiful woman to seduce humans before devouring their hearts.]
“...I'll remember this.”
Moonlight streamed in through the shattered wall.
Perhaps because his killing intent had condensed beyond its limits, a ghost fire slowly began to flicker in the depths of Kang Hyun-woo's eyes.
[The Constellation, 'Beautiful Skin', mocks you and departs.]
Even if their levels of power were equal, there was a definite difference in rank between a human and a Constellation.
Nevertheless, overwhelmed by Kang Hyun-woo's killing intent, 'Beautiful Skin' hastily fled, trying to hide its trembling hands.
A moment later, after forcibly calming his turbulent emotions, Kang Hyun-woo approached the corpses, Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword in hand.
Lucifer had told him to restrain himself as much as possible, but this time, he had no intention of letting it go.
Stab-
‘If you don't want to die, be smart about how you devour this.’
‘...Kiiit.’
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Tam devoured the memories as quietly as possible.
Of course, it consumed the residual magic power in the corpses during the process, but it was a minimal amount compared to usual.
It had been starving for days, after all; scolding it for taking a single spoonful of rice would have been too harsh.
After reading the Reapers Clan member's memories, Kang Hyun-woo quickly assessed the situation and formulated a plan.
‘Choi Taeho will definitely return to his clan and focus on recovery. After that, he'll make a move to kill me.’
Kang Hyun-woo knew the habits of people like Choi Taeho better than anyone.
Far from reflecting on his actions, he would undoubtedly try to kill him by any means necessary.
Furthermore, with his clan members dead, the entire Reapers Clan would surely move under the pretext of revenge.
In other words, even if he didn't go looking for them, they would come for him first.
Therefore, the target Kang Hyun-woo needed to focus on right now wasn't the Reapers Clan or the likes of Choi Taeho.
“...O Dweller of the Swamp. I offer you their flesh, their entrails, and their blood.”
Ting-
[The Constellation, 'Dweller of the Swamp', accepts your offering.]
["I prefer to eat them alive, but humans taste similar to monkeys, so I shall accept."]
In that instant, the corpses scattered on the floor vanished.
Then came the sound of something being chewed up, bones and all.
It was a bit gruesome, but it also sounded a little like a mukbang ASMR.
[The Constellation, 'Dweller of the Swamp', picks a scrap from between its teeth and looks down at you.]
["State what you desire."]
“I would not dare think of receiving anything for such a meager offering.”
He meant it.
His counterpart was a highest-ranking Constellation with a history of killing even chief gods.
To receive something from such a being, he would have had to offer tens of thousands of humans as tribute.
“However, if I may be so bold, there is something I wish to ask.”
The moment his target for revenge was snatched away, Kang Hyun-woo made a vow, stronger than any before.
He would kill the Constellation that had interfered with him.
“By any chance, do you enjoy the taste of Constellation meat?”