Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Off to Steal Again Today
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If it were Luke.
If it was Luke.
That was all he could think about, constantly.
How to make himself look even worse.
How much more ruthless he needed to be to spread infamy like Luke.
He had been endlessly studying just those things.
He didn't even dare dream of becoming a second Luke.
No, even entertaining such a thought was blasphemous in itself.
Why?
Because no matter what anyone said, Luke was his god.
It was just a faint desire to at least touch the toes of the god he worshipped.
If he could spread great infamy, maybe someday Luke would acknowledge him.
Maybe even recognize him.
With that in mind.
'Ahh, I am his faithful believer.'
Yes.
Where there is a great existence, there are always believers upholding it.
He was no longer just an object of admiration.
Savior.
No, a divine being worthy of worship.
That was why he had chosen the assassin class, just like Luke.
'This way, I'll look just like him, right?'
'No, he's not the type to stop at something like this.'
'Half-hearted imitation is just an act of blaspheming the god. So, in my own way...'
'Even worse.'
'Even more evil.'
'Even more merciless!'
More.
Even more.
Even more more.
Even more more more.
Even more more more more!
"...Ah."
Ahh.
To think it could feel this good.
Just thinking about it alone was already filling his heart with ecstasy.
"You guys probably wouldn't understand what he means to me. Ahh, of course you wouldn't."
Salvation.
Something beyond that.
"But you insulted him. Even having the same epithet as him is blasphemous enough..."
Arrogant.
Pathetic.
A cowardly nobody like you.
"You defiled my god with that filthy mouth of yours. Do you get it? Compared to him, you're less than dust, and yet you dared to deny his very existence right in front of me!"
I can't forgive that.
I absolutely cannot forgive it.
So, as his believer, I will personally execute this blasphemer.
This was just the beginning.
Slowly.
Very humiliatingly.
And painfully, right in front of them, he would make him pay the price.
"..."
That fool drowning in despair.
Meanwhile.
There were people watching Lycan from a distance.
Beth.
Howler.
The other Luke God members joining in the backstab.
'That guy's excited again.'
'He looks completely insane at times like this, but his skills are the real deal.'
'Yeah, if we just stick with him, we'll make a fortune soon.'
Dangerous madness.
But there was much to gain from that madness.
Of course, there were times like now when he lost control, but at least it never backfired on them.
The only pitiful one was that namesake Luke who had crossed Lycan.
Just looking at him paralyzed and despairing made his fate obvious.
"What the hell is this?"
"Still haven't figured it out? Sigh, Deer. You can't do that. Not focusing during a dungeon clear. That's 1 penalty point."
"Lycan suddenly..."
"Jeez, you still don't get it? Let me explain simply. I stabbed you guys with my dagger. You got hit by the paralysis poison on it. That's it. Simple, right?"
"Hah, but before coming here, you were using that dagger on monsters!"
"Beep, two daggers. This is a different one."
Roaring laughter followed.
Like a clown.
Lycan was laughing maniacally.
The prey swept up in shock in an instant.
Especially Deer and Rabbit seemed completely unprepared for this, still staring up at Lycan with stunned faces.
"Heeheeheehk!"
Powerlessly.
"Ahhk!"
Collapsing to the ground.
"Hic, hilarious. Look at those faces, they're priceless!"
They could only stare at the clown steeped in madness.
"...Crazy."
So such words slipped out.
But they were wrong.
Lycan.
That man wasn't just crazy.
A fanatic worshipper who considered himself Luke's disciple.
A monster with convictions.
'They say fanatics with beliefs are the scariest in the world.'
'He's like this now; what happens when he levels up more?'
'He might swallow up Luke God itself...'
'Yeah, maybe...'
Fearful.
But didn't they say madness becomes devotion?
On one hand, they secretly anticipated it.
The future of that man claiming to be Luke's disciple.
'To make that happen, we need to support him well from now on.'
Beth.
Howler.
The two nodded at each other.
While their leader Lycan enjoyed his alone time, they prepared for the grand festival to come.
That was all they needed to think about now.
'Toying with the enemy while committing crimes is fun in itself, but...'
'The real thrill is the moment of harvest.'
Manneredless behavior.
Its inherent pleasure.
And following that was the joy of the harvest.
How much money they had.
What items they would drop.
The anticipation built right up until killing the user.
Thus, to savor the harvest, they first used scrolls on them.
Special scrolls only available in lawless zones, for criminals only.
'Alright, let's see what you pull out.'
The two chuckled as they rummaged through their inventories.
But.
'Huh?'
'What?'
Something was off.
"Hoo, what's wrong? Something big happen?"
"... "
"What was it, something about your epithet overlapping by coincidence, so unfair? Ahh, well, yeah, that could happen. But..."
Lycan smirked down at the collapsed Luke.
"I just can't forgive it."
"... "
"How's it feel, getting utterly wrecked in front of your little sister and her friend? Angry? Humiliated? Utterly shameful?"
The villain laughing and tormenting from within.
But that didn't last long.
Soon, Rabbit, who had her head down, spoke up.
"Trash."
"Huh?"
"Inhuman trash. That psycho and his followers. All maggots, no different."
Eyes like icicles.
A coldly hardened face.
A cold demeanor never seen before.
A gaze of disgust, as if looking at bugs.
Hard to believe it was the same timid girl.
"Mocking others, stealing their things, and bragging about it like it's your life's achievement. Now just looking at you makes me want to puke."
"Maggots? Vermin?"
"Yeah, want me to say it again? You're all irredeemable maggot vermin. Social cancer, the first to eradicate..."
"Hah!"
His head snapped around.
Vitriolic insults.
The worst, including not just himself but the god he believed in.
Hearing that, Lycan stood and spun his dagger as he approached her.
"What? Sudden image change? Got some trauma from this kinda thing?"
"Just that seeing bugs like you makes me nauseous."
"Wow, that's harsh."
"Trash bastard. Go to hell."
"Well, well. Thought you were just a stuttering idiot, but you can talk sharp. Honestly surprised. But you know..."
Stab! Stab!
"...!"
Lycan twisted and thrust his dagger quickly.
"Ugh!"
Luke and Deer, who had sensed the paralysis wearing off and cautiously moved, collapsed back to the floor.
"Your taunt timing is way too obvious. You think I don't know the paralysis duration?"
"... "
"That's why I can't quit this gig."
Lycan.
He had noticed long ago.
The paralysis duration ending soon.
And Rabbit timing her taunt to match.
"Nice try. Failed, though."
His eyes narrowed smugly.
Grit!
Watching that, Rabbit bit her lip and soon screamed.
"If you're gonna kill me, do it quick!"
"Puhahat!"
"What's so funny!"
"Nah, you think too simply. You think we're backstabbing just for items?"
"What..."
"No no, items come naturally. The real point is the process. Know why villains are villains? They do bad things knowing they're bad, like it's obvious. They enjoy it—that makes them villains!"
Lycan clasped his hands with an ecstatic face.
"Ahh, he must've killed people with this feeling too? I'm still lacking. So far from matching him!"
Torment.
Sorrow.
Rage.
Various emotions surged in an instant.
Showing such incomprehensible behavior.
"But..."
Suddenly, Lycan muttered calmly with sunken eyes.
"What the hell are the other two doing? I told them to prepare the scrolls ahead."
Yes.
His two comrades committing crimes with him.
Beth and Howler had been radio silent for a while.
They should've torn the scrolls by now.
Why no reaction?
Lycan turned to them with a dissatisfied face.
"What are you doing over..."
"Gone."
"What?"
"Gone!"
Two men flailing their arms in the air.
Beth and Howler, who were supposed to prepare scrolls separately.
"You joking? What's gone all of a sudden?"
"Scrolls!"
"Scrolls..."
"The scrolls we prepped from the lawless zone are gone!"
What did that mean?
The scrolls were missing.
"No way, you guys..."
"No, we definitely brought them! You checked before entering the dungeon!"
"Yeah... we did."
"But now they're gone. Like they evaporated from inventory!"
"Even so."
"Fuck, it's true. Not just me—both of us!"
"... "
Sincere.
Genuinely aggrieved eyes.
Lycan, who had partied with them for so long, couldn't miss it.
So.
He began questioning the situation more.
Suddenly vanished scrolls.
But they checked inventory during breaks.
So, they disappeared shortly before reaching the boss room entrance.
'What the hell happened...'
Lycan turned back in confusion.
And saw it.
Whoosh!
A tall wall of fire rising right in front.
'Fire Wall!'
Fire magic.
A skill that mainly blocks paths and deals continuous damage to those touching the flames.
But why suddenly here?
Was there a mage in the party?
Like that Luke who hid his class.
'No way. Casting that magic needs at least some time!'
Then a magic scroll?
Whoosh!
In his bewilderment.
Now a wall of fire rose behind Beth and Howler.
Two Fire Walls total.
Paths completely blocked front and back.
Visibility to outside obscured.
Plus, after several preemptive attacks, they were locked in combat state.
Meaning, no forced dungeon exit or return possible.
Step step!
Then.
Someone walked in from the fire wall.
Crackle!
A long dangling hat.
Dark leather outfit.
Lightning flowing along the blade.
His extraordinary attire evoked the image of a single hunter.
Thump!
This pressure.
Thump!
That extraordinary aura.
Thump thump!
And the feral eyes peeking through the hat.
Different.
That wasn't the prey they targeted.
Rather...
'A hunter come to hunt us.'
Gulp!
Human hunter.
He slowly opened his mouth.
"Your god is dead."