Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Land of Punishment
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Arriving at the entrance to the plains, the appointed meeting place with Hirkhus, Master of the Wilderness Magic Tower, Lee Si-woo wrinkled his nose at the pungent stench that assaulted his nostrils.
The land, which until recently had been filled with a bright, vivid green, was now covered in burial mounds that exuded a gloomy aura.
They were the graves of the humans who had died from the new virus, Scelestus.
Si-woo clicked his tongue and muttered.
“If you’re going to do something, at least do it properly…”
If the graves had been made correctly, there wouldn’t have been such a foul smell. But the laborers had done a shoddy job, and for every ten graves, three had a corpse’s arm or leg sticking out.
Among them, some even had heads protruding from the burial mounds, creating a nauseatingly unpleasant scene.
Isabelle, who was bound from head to toe to play the part of a prisoner, spoke from behind Si-woo.
“It couldn’t be helped. The workers were too afraid of the virus. Tsk, no matter how many times I told them it only infects humans, they didn’t do their jobs properly, thinking ‘what if.’ Besides… they’re human.”
If they hadn’t been human, perhaps the workers would have done a proper job out of compassion.
But in this world, humans were objects of hatred, and the prejudice that permeated society had stripped the workers of even a shred of sympathy.
So much so that they wouldn’t even grant the dead a proper resting place.
‘This kind of culture of hate is supposed to fade over time, but in the Main Dimension, the hatred for humans has persisted for hundreds, even thousands of years. No, if anything, it’s getting worse. This is… strange. Maybe Lina was right when she said there might be a faction systematically promoting this hatred of humans.’
Si-woo gazed at the field of burial mounds with a troubled expression.
He was only human, so it was impossible not to feel something in the face of such a scene.
But that was as far as it went.
He felt sorry for their unfortunate end, but ultimately, they were strangers he had never met.
After all, back on Earth, didn’t countless people starve to death in Africa every year?
Yet, those who took an interest in them, who took action to improve their circumstances, were rare.
The living had their own misfortunes to bear, so they lacked the luxury of turning their attention to strangers in a distant land.
And if that was the case for ordinary people, what more could be said for Si-woo, who was far from a saint?
Perhaps that was why Si-woo found it uncomfortable that he had felt even a momentary pang of sympathy for them.
‘Feeling sorry for them now… Lee Si-woo. Cut the crap and stop pretending to be a good person. Whether thousands or tens of thousands die, all that matters is that you live well, right? Isn’t that so?’
Shaking off the unfitting sympathy, Si-woo spoke to Isabelle and Allen.
“Let’s go. Hirkhus must be waiting impatiently.”
In the spot Si-woo’s party had just left.
A chilly breeze swept through the desolate field of burial mounds.
Twitch.
Was it because of the wind that had brushed past?
The finger of a corpse sticking out of a burial mound seemed to have twitched for a moment.
* * *
Hirkhus was waiting at the appointed place with the tower’s execution squad, the ‘Hunters,’ composed of thirty 4th-Circle mages, and Edu, a 5th-Circle mage and an elder.
Spotting Si-woo’s party slowly approaching from across the plains, Elder Edu spoke.
“Tower Master. Lee Si-woo has arrived.”
“Are there any forces from the Senior Magic Tower following him?”
Hirkhus’s reason for choosing the plains as the meeting spot was clear.
With a wide-open view in all directions, he could guard against any potential surprise attacks from the Senior Magic Tower.
“None. It’s just the four of them, as Si-woo informed us beforehand.”
“Four? Hmm, have you identified them?”
As an avian of the eagle species, renowned for his excellent eyesight, Elder Edu scrutinized Si-woo’s party and reported.
“Lee Si-woo, the bound Allen and Isabelle, and finally, a normal-looking elf with no discernible mana aura… Strangely, this elf is pulling a large gift box, about two meters tall, on a cart.”
At the mention of a large gift box, Hirkhus spoke in a tone of disbelief.
“A gift box? And it’s two meters tall?”
“Yes. It seems he brought it to get on your good side, Tower Master.”
“Heh heh, this fellow’s antics are quite a masterpiece. However, we must not let our guard down. Having dealt with him once before, I know he’s no ordinary schemer. Honestly, there’s no guarantee that Allen’s escape from our grasp last time wasn’t Si-woo’s doing, is there?”
“Hmm, I will not take my eyes off him for a second, so please do not worry.”
“I’m counting on you. Hmm… good. Well then, shall we go and meet this audacious fellow?”
Hirkhus personally walked to the halfway point to greet Si-woo.
Seeing Hirkhus approaching with dozens of mages in tow, Si-woo spoke with polite deference.
“My apologies for my previous rudeness, Tower Master.”
“Ah, yes. You were quite rude indeed. Thanks to you, we lost Allen.”
Although Hirkhus asserted that Allen’s escape was Si-woo’s doing, Si-woo’s expression didn’t change a bit.
Because both sides knew it was nothing more than circumstantial evidence.
“Given the suspicious circumstances, it’s only natural for you to doubt me, Tower Master. But isn’t it the result that matters most?”
As he said this, Si-woo stepped back, revealing the pathetic state of the captured Isabelle and Allen.
Hirkhus carefully examined Isabelle and Allen. The iron chains binding them tightly were made of the infamous Mana-Suppressing Iron, an artifact with the property of sealing the target’s mana.
Hirkhus’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“Impressive. It would be one thing before the war started, but to capture those two now? Heh heh, you have performed a great service. That is, if you truly have no ulterior motives.”
Si-woo maintained a subservient posture, like an employee before his boss, and said.
“I have no ulterior motives. Besides, what meaning would any motive of mine have at this point? For a mere 3rd-Circle Expert like myself to try anything in your presence, Tower Master, would be nothing more or less than suicide.”
“You have a point. But perhaps it’s my age? I just can’t seem to let go of even the smallest suspicion. Especially with the way things are now. So… you finish it.”
Sensing an ominous nuance in Hirkhus’s voice, Si-woo cautiously asked back.
“…Finish it?”
“Kill Allen and Isabelle with your own hands. Then, I will trust you.”
For the first time, a change appeared on Si-woo’s relaxed face.
As Si-woo stared at him, his face frozen like a statue, Hirkhus grinned.
“Why? Can’t you do it? Or… do you not want to? Heh heh, but it can’t be helped. Unfortunately for you, I can only trust you once you’ve crossed a river you can’t return from.”
It was strange.
Killing these two, who would be crucial key points in the war, was clearly a bad move for Hirkhus.
They were much more useful alive.
Therefore, Hirkhus’s statement was most likely a bluff.
Yes, a bluff to test his true intentions.
Si-woo spoke in a flat voice.
“If you truly cannot trust me, how about we form a Mana Pact?”
Hirkhus replied in a sullen tone.
“A pact? I’m not particularly keen on it.”
Refusing a pact?
As Hirkhus gave an unexpected response, Si-woo inwardly scoffed.
It was only then that he realized Hirkhus was just messing with him.
And also, that the man held ill will toward him and had no intention of recruiting him whatsoever.
‘This old man… he’s trying to kill me.’
Since Si-woo had come with only four others, Isabelle and Allen were as good as caught fish.
Thus, Hirkhus had no obligation to recruit Si-woo, a man with a shady past and disposition.
Having assessed the situation, Si-woo admitted he had misjudged.
He had failed to realize that Hirkhus, the great leader of the Wilderness Magic Tower, one of the three major powers, was so small-minded that he couldn't embrace a talent capable of capturing the daughter and the ace of a rival magic tower.
However, despite the unfavorable situation, Si-woo spoke in a calm voice, showing no sign of agitation.
“If you say so, Tower Master, how could I possibly disobey?”
But there was something Hirkhus didn’t know.
Si-woo, having prepared for the worst-case scenario, had a card up his sleeve that, while not enough to kill him, was certainly enough to escape.
That was why, even in this perilous moment, Si-woo could afford a sliver of composure and take a gamble.
‘Hirkhus thinks he’s already won, so he’s not trying to deal with me right away. Probably to toy with me. That’s fine. This means there’s still a chance. Let’s see. The distance between Hirkhus and me is… about ten steps? Hmm, this distance won’t do. The probability of failure is too high. I need to get closer.’
Si-woo suddenly slapped Allen, who was standing blankly behind him.
Smack!
At the sudden action, not only Hirkhus but everyone present, including Isabelle, flinched.
Si-woo spoke in an impassive voice as he took a step closer to Hirkhus.
“But Tower Master, even though I have betrayed them, Sir Allen and Lady Isabelle were once my superiors. How could I so cruelly kill them? That would not be right, considering our past relationship. Therefore… I think it would be sufficient to show you an act that ensures Sir Allen and I can never belong to the same organization again.”
Si-woo struck Allen’s cheek once more.
Once, twice, three times.
With each slap from Si-woo, Allen’s bloodshot eyes glared as if to kill him.
And that was exactly what Si-woo wanted.
The anger, shame, and resentment that filled Allen’s face.
He wanted Hirkhus to see that all of it was genuine.
After being slapped more than five times, Allen finally couldn’t hold back and shouted.
“Stop! Stop it, you bastard! This is enough!”
Hearing the hatred seeping from Allen’s voice, Si-woo’s lips twisted into a smirk.
Yes, this was why he hadn’t subjugated Allen inside Barathrum.
That venomous glare, which looked ready to tear him apart, could never have come from acting. No one seeing Allen’s attitude would ever think he was a slave subjugated to him.
Whether it was Kenyon or Hirkhus.
Hirkhus stopped Si-woo as he silently raised his hand again.
He was intent on killing the sly and inscrutable Si-woo, but it was a different story when it came to Allen and Isabelle.
“Stop. That’s enough.”
While Hirkhus was stopping him, Si-woo took two more steps closer.
‘Seven steps now. Is it possible? I don’t know. I’ll have to try. Fine, it’s a point of no return anyway. I’ll go for it.’
Letting go of Allen, who was glaring at him with a red, swollen face, Si-woo called to the elf, Will.
“Will.”
“Y-Yes. Sir Si-woo.”
“Unwrap the gift I brought for the Tower Master.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Will, Si-woo’s faithful servant who had come on the expedition from Barathrum, steadfastly untied the ribbon on the large gift box despite his trembling limbs.
When the wrapping finally came off and the gift inside was revealed, Hirkhus’s eyes shot wide open.
What emerged from the gift box was the killer of his grandson. The centaur, Ixion.
“Ixion!”
The moment Hirkhus roared Ixion’s name, everyone’s attention was drawn to the centaur.
No one had imagined that Ixion would emerge from the gift box.
In that instant, Si-woo’s skin transformed into diamond.
Having pushed his physical abilities to their limit with his Mineral Body ability, Si-woo charged toward Hirkhus, his eyes gleaming with killing intent.
Sensing Si-woo’s surprise attack, a shocked Hirkhus deployed his mana shield to its maximum.
Seeing the solid blue barrier block his path like an iron fortress, a light flashed from Si-woo’s inventory ring.
With a silver knife now in hand, emitting a strange energy, Si-woo closed in on Hirkhus.
“How dare a mere 3rd-Circle Expert!”
Hirkhus shouted as if it were ridiculous, but his triumphant expression crumbled the moment his mana shield was torn apart like paper by the silver knife.
Stab!
Seeing Si-woo drive the silver knife into his heart and smirk, a sound like air escaping a deflating lung came from Hirkhus’s mouth.
“Keoheok… Di-Dimension Kni…fe…”
An old tiger, long retired from the front lines.
Moreover, Hirkhus, who had underestimated his opponent and let his guard down completely, was no match for the fatal blow Si-woo had prepared.
He had never imagined that a fledgling 3rd-Circle Expert would possess a Dimension Knife, a weapon of the Ancients designed specifically for anti-mage warfare.
Before the legendary artifact that nullified all mana shields, Hirkhus’s body slowly collapsed.
It was too anticlimactic a death for the leader of the Wilderness Magic Tower, one of the three great magic towers of Granada.
“Tower Master—!”
Following Elder Edu’s scream, the Hunters, the execution squad composed of 4th-Circle mages, began to move. Si-woo shouted.
“Ixion! Untie Sir Allen and Lady Isabelle!”
Even with Hirkhus dead, the enemy’s strength was not to be taken lightly.
No, in fact, it far surpassed their own.
Even if Allen could somehow handle Elder Edu, it was impossible for Si-woo, Isabelle, and Ixion to fend off dozens of 4th-Circle mages.
Just then, Si-woo, his eyes gleaming eerily, summoned an unexpected item from his inventory ring.
It was a black plastic bag he had acquired through Roben before coming here.
“Here lies the evidence of sin.”
The black plastic bag slipped from Si-woo’s hand and fell to the ground with a thud.
Watching the black bag liquefy and seep into the earth, Si-woo spoke.
“The guilty shall be punished, and the innocent shall be spared.”
Perhaps it was due to the ominous feeling emanating from Si-woo, whose eyes had turned yellow.
Elder Edu and the Hunters, who had been about to charge, hesitated.
For some unknown reason, their hearts pounded as if a sharp blade were pressed against their necks.
Si-woo stared directly at them with eyes that held a sinister, yellowish glint, like a snake in a dark cave.
“The land of punishment is upon us. Those innocent of wicked lust shall be unharmed. The corrupt shall pay the price.”
As Si-woo’s words ended, the ground began to turn pitch black, as if poisoned, starting from where the black bag had fallen.
The third Forbidden Art.
The Punishment had begun.