Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Western Outskirts
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The western outskirts.
The area between the Great Forest and the border was part of the Esten Kingdom's territory, but it was also the only place without border guards.
According to Ed, this was where most illicit deals took place.
"The Antharian Federation is actually famous among players as a black market hub."
Woojin recalled Ed's words as he waited for him in the outskirts.
"The Five Great Kingdoms are so powerful that their systems are airtight, and they keep a tight watch on black markets. Sure, they exist... but you have to pay off the bureaucrats handsomely."
In fact, with a system this precarious, it wouldn't have been surprising if the Five Great Kingdoms had already launched raids.
Yet the Federation had survived because, beyond exceptional figures like Aswell, they held value in other ways.
"The world really is unfair."
If Aswell had been born in any of the Five Great Kingdoms, the continent might already be unified.
'Well... probably no one has it as bad as me.'
He was going through all this just to do something everyone else took for granted: log out.
Setsuna asked, seeing Woojin's bitter smile.
-What's wrong?
"Nothing. It's nothing."
'Still... it's better than at first.'
He thought as he lightly stroked Setsuna's head.
Unlike the early days when he'd felt like he was going insane, he had now fully adapted to the world of Evil Tail.
But precisely because of that, Woojin remained vigilant, never forgetting.
He was getting too comfortable here.
'I'm not an NPC.'
This world wasn't his own.
"Here he is."
That was when Ed's voice came from inside the forest.
Woojin looked up ahead, shaking off his thoughts.
"I've brought him."
A man in a black mask stood beside Ed.
'He's smaller than I expected.'
An alchemist, perhaps?
The robe he wore looked perfectly natural.
Woojin adjusted the black mask covering his own face and nodded to Ed.
"The three vials sold for 60 gold each. And the last one went for 350 gold—all to this gentleman."
About 70 million won in total.
'Insane. Burning that much cash on a few doses of drugs.'
Ironically, virtual drugs were now outselling the real thing.
Ridiculously, people who died in VR all the time figured drugs wouldn't affect their real bodies.
They'd commit all sorts of crimes but drew the line at harming their health.
To Woojin, it was pathetic, but there were more such people than one might think.
'Not just the amount—the very idea is beyond what ordinary folks would dream up.'
Businessmen, tycoons, chaebol heirs...
The virtual drug trade catered to the ultra-wealthy, making its scale unimaginable.
'Let's see what kind of guy he is.'
Woojin quietly gauged the distance to the masked man.
"You're selling the recipe?"
"That's right."
"Fascinating. From what I saw, it's better than the Black Juice that's been selling lately."
"Of course. I developed it myself."
"Yourself?"
His expression was hidden by the mask, but incredulity laced his voice.
"You really developed it on your own?"
"Why do you care?"
'He must be curious. He knows it's his recipe.'
"From what I know, the Black Juice recipe is encoded in a unique cipher—impossible to crack from the outside."
"Is that so? Didn't seem like it to me."
"......"
Without Setsuna's [Analysis] and [Speed Reading], it would have been impossible. No wonder they couldn't comprehend it.
"Fine, since you're buying, I'll tell you. I got a recipe from an Esten Kingdom villa, tried it out, and it turned out to be the hot new Black Juice."
The masked man's eyes sharpened at Woojin's casual tone.
"......Don't mess with me. You made that in one day? And improved it?"
Woojin smirked at the man's outrage.
"Not even a day. Half a day is plenty for trash like that."
"You bastard."
Woojin tossed the sack he'd hidden behind him at the man's feet.
"......!!!"
The sack opened, revealing Hansen gagged inside.
Though masked, the man radiated panic.
"Don't do anything stupid. Answer quietly. What were you planning in the Esten Kingdom?"
"Grab him!!!"
The man shouted.
"......?"
But contrary to his confident demeanor, no response came.
Thud.
Something rolled out from the forest depths.
"......!!"
It was a severed head wearing the same mask.
And not just one.
"About thirty of them. They were surrounding the forest."
The masked man stared in horror at Aswell, who spoke as if he'd just returned from a stroll.
"Im... impossible!! Wh... why is the Sword Emperor here...!!"
Instinctively, the masked man turned to flee.
Sching—!!
Ed, beside him, drew a dagger at blinding speed and severed the man's Achilles tendon.
"Gaaahhh—!!!"
The man collapsed screaming.
Slash—!!
Splatter—!!!
Aswell's sword cleaved off both his legs.
"You... bastards...!!!"
"Go easy. If combat fully engages, he might log out."
Aswell nodded, unsure of what "log out" meant but not pressing.
"Like this?"
He counted methodically.
Stab.
Then plunged his sword rhythmically into the man's remaining thighs.
"Gaaahhh—!!"
The masked man screamed.
"Y-You... you're with that dwarf?!"
"Dwarf?"
"The one sniffing around after us!! Without him, we could've finished the quest in Esten...!! Damn it...!!"
That explained their hasty escape from the mansion.
Woojin grew suspicious—it might be a ploy to buy time—but stayed alert.
"Doesn't concern me."
He signaled Aswell with his eyes.
Slash.
The masked man's arm came off.
"Damn... you...!!"
Even in VR, few could remain unfazed by losing limbs.
Crunch.
Woojin pressed his fingers into the man's clavicle notch.
"Gaaahhh!!"
"Sir Aswell, don't cut too cleanly. If the blade's too quick, he won't feel the pain."
Woojin positioned his hand on the other shoulder, sawing back and forth like a dull saw.
"Like this. Slow, grinding the bone."
"Son of a... bitch..."
The masked man glared at Woojin with trembling eyes.
Whoosh.
Woojin removed the man's mask.
"Know him?"
With the gag removed, Hansen stared, then nodded wide-eyed.
"Yes! I know him!! He's the one who first asked me to arrange a meeting with Your Highness!!"
"Sh-Shut up!!"
In panic, the man kicked at Hansen.
"One last time. Don't forget. Why drug the Esten King?"
"Why? Damn it! Just to work on alchemy in peace!"
"What for? Creating that monster?"
"What for?! Do alchemists need a reason to research?!"
"Oh, right, such noble research."
"Agh... aaak...!!"
"Drug-pushing scum."
Woojin crushed the man's shoulder again.
"Why attack Tekan Kingdom? If you wanted quiet research, no need to stir trouble."
"......We were short on people."
"What?"
The man grimaced.
"Esten's vagrants weren't enough... so we started a conflict to gather corpses!"
"How many have you killed this way?"
"Don't know. Kept failing! We finally saw hope..."
Crack.
Woojin gripped the man's shoulder and shoved his fingers into the clavicle.
"Gaaahhh—!!"
"So how many fed to that monster?"
"Th-Three thousand... no, f-f-four... fifteen hundred maybe!! Stop!! Stop!!!"
"Fifteen hundred?"
Crunch.
Woojin's grip tightened unconsciously at the answer.
"F-Fuck... you...!!!"
The clavicle shattered; the man's arm went limp.
"B-Better for you too, right? Invade Esten now, unify the Federation. We'll help!!"
The man desperately yelled at Aswell.
Gag.
Aswell shoved his sword into the man's mouth.
"I won't ally with druggie scum."
Splurt—!!
He twisted the blade left.
The sharp edge sliced through the man's cheek and out.
"Gaaahhh...!!!"
The man clutched his torn cheek, writhing.
It wasn't just pain.
Aswell's presence crushed their minds.
"Hansen, was it?"
Ignoring the screaming man, Aswell approached Hansen.
"Y-Yes... that's me!! Pl-Please spare me!! I beg you...!!"
"Who do you serve?"
"Wh-What...? Y-Your Highness..."
Hansen trailed off.
Chill.
Even Woojin felt the menace in Aswell's gaze.
"Even a king's butler can't easily grant an outsider an audience. Someone else must have bridged that gap."
He warned in a low voice.
"Likely colluding with them. Who is it?"
"Th-That's..."
"Afraid of him?"
Aswell smiled at him.
"You fear him more than the one before you."
"Y-Yes?"
"Don't they call me that?"
His sword touched Hansen's throat.
"Continent's Strongest Swordsman."
The words carried lethal edge.
Drip...
Hansen's pants darkened with urine.
"One more time. Do you fear him more than me?"
"M-My lord...!! Please...!!! I was just used. Mercy... mercy...!!!"
Hansen slammed his head on the ground, screaming.
"Count Bursen!! He's the one colluding with them!!"
"Understood. We'll know the truth when we meet him."
"Urgh...!!"
That was when the fallen masked man gnashed his teeth, bit his finger, and rapidly drew something on the ground with the blood.
Woooong...!!
A massive alchemy circle formed around him.
Different from a mage's magic circle—an alchemy formation.
'Foolish.'
He apparently didn't grasp the futility.
The enemy before him was the Continent's Strongest Swordsman, after all.
The alert didn't even finish.
Bam—!!!!
Aswell's scabbard slammed into the man's gut at tremendous speed.
"Guh!!!"
The groan dispersed the forming circle.
"Keep him alive until we see the count."
Woojin knew Aswell's strength better than most, having crossed blades, but the gap was so vast it felt anticlimactic—almost hollow.
"If they're colluding with the count to devour the kingdom, what will you do?"
"That's Esten's problem. Not for me to meddle."
Aswell dragged the two fallen men as he spoke.
"But if attacking Tekan was the count's scheme, not the alchemists' alone—even if a minister's plot—Esten must pay."
Aswell gazed toward the capital.
"Tenfold the lives taken from Tekan."
Grind.
"No, a hundredfold wouldn't suffice."
In that moment, Woojin thought:
Could a single man topple a kingdom?
It sounded absurd.
Utterly illogical.
Yet...
It felt entirely possible.