Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: I'll Kill You and Then Myself!
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I'll kill you and then kill myself!
It sounded absurd, but that was genuinely what the skill's description implied.
No, to be precise, it wasn't even "you."
It was anyone nearby.
The user had to bear an enormous risk, but for the victim, it was a literal bolt from the blue.
Lee Shin furrowed his brow, bewildered.
‘What kind of garbage skill is this…?’
He had played the game for a very long time and had been subjected to all sorts of skills, but this was the first time he had ever seen one so difficult to utilize.
Lee Shin stroked his chin, thinking.
‘Well, it seems like it was made to be used in dangerous situations….’
He could roughly guess the skill's intent.
The description itself mentioned facing an inescapable threat of death.
It was meant to be saved and used only when you were in mortal danger.
In fact, most so-called top-tier classes like Salseong had a skill like this.
A skill that could be used in a life-or-death moment to create a new variable.
For example, the 'Random Teleport' (an escape skill) available to mage classes.
Or the 'Immortal Shout' (an invincibility skill) available to warrior classes.
While these skills didn't guarantee the user's survival or escape, they at least prevented a situation where one would die without putting up any resistance.
They allowed for one last act of defiance before death.
Or, they could lead to a dramatic survival.
Though the methods of use varied, the ultimate goal of these skills was more or less the same.
However, the skill Lee Shin had just obtained, <Mutual Destruction>, was fundamentally different from the ones mentioned above.
A paradigm shift, perhaps.
It completely gave up on resisting the enemy and instead ensured you could secure at least one companion for the afterlife.
“……”
If you're going to die anyway, at least don't die alone!
A skill brimming with malice.
Because of that, when you thought about it, it was a skill that suited the Salseong class even better.
But.
‘…It doesn’t seem very useful.’
A skill that perfectly matched the class concept.
But honestly, he wasn't sure if it was a good skill.
Since using it meant instant death, he questioned how many times he would ever need to use it.
Back when Lee Shin used to hunt rankers, he might have found frequent use for it, but that wasn't the case now.
“Tsk.”
Lee Shin clicked his tongue and shook his head.
‘…I’ll just have to pretend it doesn’t exist. For now.’
It was a bit disappointing, but it wasn't all bad.
His stats had increased significantly, and the other skills were generally useful.
Lee Shin turned his head and looked at Count Rodin's knights, who were bound and held captive by his allied soldiers.
[The Salseong's eyes find the enemy's weaknesses.]
[The weaker the enemy, the clearer the weaknesses are displayed, and the more of them appear.]
As if an effect of <Weakness Detection>, faint marks appeared on various parts of the enemies' bodies.
The weaknesses would appear faintly and then disappear after a short while, but with Lee Shin's reaction speed and swordsmanship, he could definitely exploit them.
Lee Shin nodded.
‘So this is how it works.’
After confirming his skills, Lee Shin led his party outside.
Outside, just as in the Kilaris territory, players were engaged in a frenzy of looting.
Lee Shin sent a whisper to Dokgo and Tae-yoon.
‘Wrap it up and let’s head back.’
-What? Already?
‘The territory war is over. Isn't it better for you guys to go back quickly and get your rewards?’
-…Alright.
* * *
After giving his instructions to Dokgo and Tae-yoon, Lee Shin returned to the territory first and met with Count Aaron.
He then explained everything that had happened, step by step.
“…And so, this is how it turned out.”
“Hmm…”
“……”
“…Ah, yes.”
The Count nodded with a dazed expression.
“To be honest, I didn't expect you to handle it so quickly… In any case, you've worked hard.”
“Right.”
“Is there anything I need to do for you now?”
“There is. It's not difficult.”
The two territories that had lost their lords because Lee Shin killed them.
Count Aaron now had to become the new lord of these two territories.
It was a necessary arrangement, as Lee Shin lacked the ability to maintain control of that position himself.
This had been agreed upon from the beginning of the quest, so the Count readily nodded.
“Ah, that. Of course. Understood.”
“And there's one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“You need to raise the taxes on the players.”
“Taxes? Our territory has a sufficient budget without doing so… Won't it just cause backlash?”
“It will. But it doesn't matter.”
Because even with a slight tax increase, staying here would still be more profitable for them.
They would grumble, but they would have no choice but to stay.
And with the gold absorbed this way, they could help restore the newly conquered territories, simultaneously earning the trust of the residents and redirecting all their complaints toward the players.
“Uh… I understand for now. But won't the players' complaints become too severe?”
“They probably will.”
“Their discontent can become a problem if it builds up too much. After all, they are staying in our territory, are they not? It could erupt into an unpleasant incident.”
“I know. That’s why we need to redirect that discontent outward.”
“Outward? Ah, are you perhaps referring to the other territories?”
Lee Shin nodded.
“That's right.”
The best way to resolve internal discontent is to introduce an external enemy.
If you create an outlet for their frustration before it builds up, most problems will resolve themselves before they can explode.
And as it happened, there were still seven more territories left, weren't there?
“We can just send them all there.”
It would resolve the players' complaints.
And at the same time, spare the territory's own troops.
A plan that kills two birds with one stone!
However, the Count shook his head, saying there was one problem.
“A problem? What problem?”
“From what you're saying, it sounds like you plan to attack the next territory immediately, don't you?”
“Right? Ah, are you worried we might lose? That’s fine. Seeing the level of the other territories, I don't think we're likely to lose.”
“I'm no longer worried about that either. However, expanding our power too quickly can itself become a problem.”
“……?”
Lee Shin tilted his head.
Why was that a problem?
“Isn't it a good thing if our power grows quickly?”
“Of course, it's good for us, but if this news spreads, those higher up will become suspicious. The royal court might send an investigator.”
“……Ah!”
And that would create a problem.
It would be difficult to explain why they had expanded their influence so rapidly.
It wasn't as if they had been at each other's throats, desperate to kill one another before. So why the sudden change?
It was as if they were preparing for a rebellion…
Since Count Aaron hadn't exactly left a good impression on the central powers, a misstep could lead to him being suspected of treason.
And that alone would make things incredibly difficult going forward.
Lee Shin nodded.
“…I see. I understand. Then what should we do?”
“The best way is to take our time. A gradual expansion might draw vigilance, but we can avoid suspicion.”
“That won't work.”
“Why not?”
“The players will leave.”
The players gathered here didn't have any particular attachment to the Edgar territory, nor did they plan to settle down here.
They had simply flocked here because it seemed like something was about to happen.
As such, if they weren't continuously given a reason to stay, the players would leave for other places, which would mean having to fill the void with the territory's own soldiers.
‘That's too much of a loss.’
No matter how wealthy the Edgar territory was.
Thus, Lee Shin decided to completely change his approach.
If an investigator from the royal court was a concern, then they would just pull out completely.
That way, there would be nothing to be suspicious about.
“Pardon?”
“I’m saying we should pull out now.”
“Then are you giving up on the territory war?”
“No. I mean ‘we’ should pull out.”
“What do you mean by that… Ah!”
A moment later, the Count understood Lee Shin's meaning and let out a gasp.
“Are you planning to leave it entirely to the adventurers?”
“Exactly.”
It was entirely possible.
For one, there were more players gathered than Lee Shin had anticipated, and according to Arthur, their numbers were still growing.
Rumors had spread that they had acquired enormous wealth through these two territory wars, causing other nearby players to flock to the area.
‘This means we have enough manpower.’
With the territory's army completely withdrawn, the pace of conquest would slow down a bit, but they would be able to conserve their forces, which was a fair trade-off.
More importantly, there was a bigger advantage.
It would give them an alibi when the investigator eventually arrived.
‘We had nothing to do with it. The other lords were killed in an uprising started by adventurers, and we merely stepped in afterward to take control.’
…is what they would say.
In such a situation, most of the residents would welcome Count Aaron's rule and side with him, leaving no room for accusations.
The only problem would be dealing with the fury of the players who had been thoroughly backstabbed…
“We don’t necessarily have to be the ones to deal with that.”
“Pardon? Then who…?”
“There are those two, aren't there?”
Dokgo and Tae-yoon.
The first two people Lee Shin had brought in.
He would just pin everything on them.
“On those two…? Will people believe it?”
“They will. I’ve never shown myself to the public directly. The ones who led the players on the field were those two.”
Of course, they were merely following Lee Shin's orders via whisper, but the players wouldn't know the detailed circumstances.
It would be hard for them to imagine that the guild masters of such prominent guilds were taking orders from some unknown player, so most of the blame would fall on those two.
“Right?”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
The Count nodded, his expression stiff and frozen.
Truly a devilish plan!
It wouldn't be strange at all for the victims to shed tears of blood out of sheer injustice.
‘But…’
However, thinking about it rationally, this was indeed the best course of action for the territory.
After some deliberation, the Count nodded.
“Do as you wish.”
* * *
[The Count accepts your proposal.]
After gaining the Count's consent.
Lee Shin immediately went to find Dokgo and Tae-yoon.
“Why us again?”
“I called you because I have good news.”
“Good news…?”
“We have seven more territory wars to fight, and I’d like you two to be the core of that effort. I want you to lead the players and fight the wars.”
“!”
At Lee Shin's proposal, both of their eyes widened.
This was genuinely a good offer.
The contribution points gained from being carried by the territory's army were on a completely different level from those gained by leading the players as the main force.
And he was offering them the role of leading everyone?
It was a great opportunity to earn an unrivaled amount of contribution points.
Which made it all the more suspicious.
‘…Why is this guy?’
Tae-yoon might not have known, but Dokgo had a decent idea of what kind of person Lee Shin was.
He wasn't the type to do something nice for others like this.
“Why aren't you doing it yourself?”
“Hm?”
“If it's such a good opportunity, you could just do it yourself. Why are you passing it on to us?”
Dokgo asked cautiously.
But Lee Shin replied as if it were nothing.
“I have a lot of other things to do. As you know, the lord calls for me often.”
“Ah……”
Dokgo was immediately convinced.
He had, in fact, frequently seen Lee Shin going in and out of the lord's castle.
The same was true for Tae-yoon.
After a brief exchange of glances, the two of them nodded.
“I’ll do it.”
“I will as well.”
“Good. Ah, and one more thing. You must capture the lords alive and bring them here.”
“……? Well, that's not difficult. Understood.”
It was the moment they took the bait.