Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Betrayal at the North Prison
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The mage bastard started chanting a spell.
I spat right in his mouth.
Ptui!
“Argh! You crazy fuck!”
The guy shoved against the wall and thrashed wildly. But with a mage’s puny strength, he couldn’t shake off my grip.
It was like a grappling pro fighter toying with some random civilian—the gap was that huge.
Realizing the struggling wasn’t working, the mage tried to chant again.
I rolled my tongue like I was gathering phlegm.
*Hack!*
The mage stopped his chant and glared at me.
“You goddamn bastard.”
“Ptui!”
Another glob hit him square on the forehead.
The mage yelled with a disgusted look on his face.
“Uwaaaah!! You, you, you bastard! Fucking Chosen-kin. You’re a fucking Chosen-kin, aren’t you?!”
“……”
I didn’t answer.
I didn’t have the luxury in my heart to chat with trash.
I squeezed my fist hard, twisting the mage’s wrist. A crunch echoed as his bone snapped.
“Argh!”
He let out a sharp groan.
I released the broken arm and started pounding him with my fists. I absolutely couldn’t let him die easy.
I didn’t know how many Korean players he’d screwed over so far, but the scene I saw this morning was so shocking I’d never forget it.
I had to give it back to him exactly like that.
I grabbed his nape, forcing his upper body down, then hammered his face over and over like a boxer throwing uppercuts.
“P-Please… spare… m-”
Thwack!
“Please….”
The mage begged through his blood-soaked face, sobbing.
I stared him down without a word and moved to the next step.
First, I shoved his body against the wall.
Whoosh—
A kick smashed into his face.
Boom!
The wall cracked as his face embedded right in it. Clean as a comic book panel.
His red gauge plummeted, less than half remaining.
His appearance was wrecked way beyond his HP suggested. He looked as good as dead.
I grabbed his leg and dragged him out.
Chunks of stone and cement dust scattered across the ground.
I held a hand to his nose—still breathing, barely.
But not enough to run or cast spells.
“This…. isn’t…. the end….”
“……”
“Spare… me… and I’ll… help… you….”
“You mean betray the Japanese players?”
“Y-Yeah….”
I grinned at him.
“Really?”
“Really….”
“Yeah? Then let’s see if you’re really gonna betray them.”
“……What?”
I opened the door to the room the mage had come from, revealing all sorts of torture tools.
Just like in the PC version of Land of Ruin: Last Game, packed with the exact same descriptions.
I hauled out the biggest box.
Creak. Creak. Creeeak.
Dozens—no, hundreds of nails hammered into the inside.
The same tool he’d used to torture that Korean player yesterday.
The mage clasped his hands and bowed his head to me.
“Please, anything but this….”
“……Get in.”
* * * * *
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
I shook the box hard and fast, too much for him to even cast magic.
-P-Please… spare me… please… urk….
I checked the mage’s HP and stopped.
One step from death.
I dragged the bloodied Japanese mage out.
“Huff…. huff….”
He stuck out his tongue like a dog and wailed. It was so pathetic, my brow furrowed on instinct.
That pitiful look wasn’t acting—it was just his natural wretchedness.
I grabbed his hair and whispered.
“I thought this would make you spill something. But since you’ve got nothing, you’re useless. Just die.”
“Huff…. please….”
“Please? Did you spare the people who begged you?”
“……I beg… you.”
“Save that shit for God.”
I gripped the conical horn pipe backward.
Pointy end down.
Then swung it with all my strength at his skull.
Whoosh—
The mage squeezed his eyes shut.
“You goddamn Chosen-kin!”
Crack!
It pierced straight through his skull with a sickening crunch.
No scream.
Looked like a goblin with its horn flipped upside down.
Pain so intense he couldn’t even open his eyes. The mage convulsed and toppled backward. Couldn’t utter a word.
The mage’s HP gauge turned solid gray.
[System Message]
[Player ‘Kim Cheonjae’ has eliminated player ‘Yasuda’ from the Japanese nation.]
[Server first: Successfully eliminated a ‘Red Skull’ marked player.]
[PK bonus for killing a ‘Red Skull’ murderer: +101 points.]
The skull over my head shifted from white to red.
In just one fight.
[‘Red Skull’ mark activated.]
[PK Points and Item Exchange now open.]
[Currency usable at various shops in the city.]
Killing another player steals 10% of their murderer points.
Meaning this mage bastard had killed at least a thousand players.
“……You killed a ton, huh.”
I checked the downed mage’s inventory. First out: lighter and cigarettes.
“Nice.”
Next, a wallet. Stuffed thick with cash.
His resident ID showed a 1999-born male.
“Lee Ok-han, huh….”
I pulled a coin from Lee Ok-han’s wallet and shoved it in his mouth.
Pocket change for the afterlife.
Don’t hate me for it.
“Revive.”
* * * * *
Lee Ok-han’s corpse rose.
Recruiting him balanced out my summons’ power levels nicely.
※ New Recruit: Lee Ok-han (Mage)
Level: 21
HP: 970/970
Mana: 540/540
Stamina: 37 Attack: 12
Defense: 11 Speed: 20
▶Fireball (Mana Cost: 20)
-Fires a powerful fireball proportional to the caster’s max mana.
▶Mana Shield (Mana Cost: 100)
-Absorbs damage equal to 0.8x remaining mana. Applies to physical attacks and magic.
I summoned Lee Ok-han in front of me.
“Kneel.”
“……”
Thud.
“Name?”
“Lee Ok-han.”
“Age.”
“22.”
“Current affiliation?”
“I am Kim Cheonjae’s summon.”
Usually, turning someone my level or higher into a summon means low loyalty and resistance in talk.
But Lee Ok-han’s original level must’ve been way below mine.
He answered without a hint of resentment.
“Among Korean players, anyone you were in close contact with?”
“…….”
“I won’t ask again. Any Korean players who contacted you?”
I knew the answer already.
Yes.
Definitely.
While scouting the city for three days, I’d seen someone I pegged as a spy come here.
Said he was foraging for food, then showed up at this prison.
Lee Ok-han hesitated, pursing his lips, then answered.
“Yes.”
“His name?”
“His name is….”
* * * * *
[North Prison]
The Korean players prepping the ambush donned black cloaks.
They dashed through the pouring rain toward the prison. Strangely, no guards in sight.
-What’s up? Where are the guards?
-They didn’t all go take a shit together, did they?
-Maybe something happened inside and they went in?
Jeong Ha-gyun looked around, then gave the order loud enough for all.
“Move in!”
The situation felt off, but they had no choice but to enter.
Miss this chance, no coming back.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
They ran into the pitch-black prison. A wide space opened up, iron bars lining both sides.
In the darkness, only vague shapes of large objects.
As the Korean players crept to the middle.
Clang! Clang clang clang!
Lights blazed on from the ceiling, shining down on them.
-Huh? W-What!
-Argh! Too bright, can’t see shit!
-T-The cells are all empty. What the hell?
Clapping echoed from above.
Clap clap clap clap!
Japanese players’ mocking laughter followed. They looked down from the prison’s second floor.
-Stupid fucks. Charging into a trap like that—hilarious.
-Puhahaha! Look at those idiots’ faces.
The Korean players all drew weapons.
-Damn it, it’s a trap!
Kim Ria pulled a handful of twigs from her pocket and tossed them on the ground.
“Spirit of the Earth, grant me your pow—”
Thwack!
Someone chopped the back of Kim Ria’s neck with a hand strike. She pitched forward and looked back.
“Y-You…. Jeong Ha-gyun….”
Thud.
All eyes turned to Jeong Ha-gyun.
-Leader! What the hell?
-Ria! Ria, wake up!
-No way….
Jeong Ha-gyun smirked slyly.
“Sorry.”
-You motherfucker!
Whoosh—
A net dropped from the second floor, covering the Korean players. Jeong Ha-gyun, knowing it was coming, dodged outside.
The trapped players spewed curses from inside.
Jeong Ha-gyun clutched his forehead, gazing down with a wicked grin.
“Kehehahaha. Hahaha. Ah— you dumbass bastards.”
-Jeong Ha-gyun, you dog bastard!!
-Who’d have thought you were the spy…. You piece of trash.
“Y-Yeah, yeah. You guys know about double agents or what?”
Some trapped players tried slicing the net with blades.
Woven from steel—it didn’t budge against normal knives.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
One Japanese player walked up to Jeong Ha-gyun.
Wearing a brown cloak.
He pulled back the hood, revealing a young man who looked like a mage.
“……Jeong Ha-gyun.”
“Oh! Lee Ok-hun.”
“Why only this many?”
“Sorry. Plan went sideways.”
“What?”
Jeong Ha-gyun gave a sheepish grin.
“This guy Kim Cheonjae who showed up—he took half the Korean alliance to the south prison. Changed plans last minute, couldn’t stop him.”
“……”
“Uh…. Anyway, your little bro’s at the south one, right? It’ll be fine.”
Lee Ok-hun clenched his fist. Blue energy gathered over his hand, freezing into icy boxing gloves.
“Why’re you talking down to me?”
“……Huh?”
“Why the informal tone?”
Jeong Ha-gyun chuckled awkwardly.
“C’mon…. We’re both execs, what’s informal talk between us? Lighten up.”
“Funny?”
“Huh?”
“You think it’s funny, fucking up the plan?”
The smile vanished from Jeong Ha-gyun’s face.
“……No.”
“You idiot.”
Whoosh—
Lee Ok-hun’s fist smashed down on Jeong Ha-gyun’s head.
Thud!
A dull thump, blood trickling from Jeong Ha-gyun’s scalp.
Thud.
“Retard. This is why you don’t get close to Chosen-kin. Everyone assemble! Head to the south prison immediately!”
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