Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: The Price of Power
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Though momentarily frozen by the death of No. 28, the members of Dawn began to encourage one another, bolstering their morale.
“Mages, prepare your spells immediately!”
“The Spider Matriarch isn’t a White Calamity! Magic works on her! We have a chance!”
“Her mana is scarce, making her vulnerable to magic, so focus your attacks on that! She’s alone! We can stop her somehow!”
Even those who had never met an executive of Black Night but had prior information shouted cries of forced hope.
However, they knew the truth.
They knew that within Dawn, only a Solo Number could face the Spider Matriarch.
Her voice echoed across the battlefield.
“Magic? Go on, try it.”
Her form shot across the battlefield, hurtling toward the Dawn army.
A black trajectory bisecting the field.
The humans caught in its path were torn limb from limb, their bodies scattering into the air.
Just one move.
With that single movement, she had slaughtered hundreds from Dawn. Eight black legs danced from her back.
The black legs, moving organically as if each had its own intelligence, pierced the hearts and heads of the humans around her.
“If you can even hit me. Well, even if you do… I doubt it would hurt.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a barrage of magic began.
Spells ranging from the low 2nd Circle to the high 4th Circle.
Lances of wind and awls of flame hammered the spot where she stood, the craters gouged into the ground a testament to the magic’s power.
In truth, the quality of Dawn’s mages was on par with any magic tower in the central continent. In terms of both quality and quantity, they were a force so massive the Senior Magic Tower couldn't even compare.
After all, it would have been impossible for any group other than Dawn to gather over ten thousand people to stand against the White Calamity.
But unfortunately, wars in the Main Dimension are not decided by numbers.
Victory here went to the side with the more superior, more overwhelming individual.
“See? I told you. It doesn’t hurt.”
A rain of rocks, falling like hail, bounced off her skin. The eight black legs stretched as if annoyed, and the arrows of fire and lances of wind scattered futilely.
If anything, she seemed to be enjoying their attack like a massage, her eyes closed as she savored it. Then, she opened her mouth wide.
*Kiyaaaaaa—!*
At the same time, a scream echoed thunderously across the battlefield.
Her shriek shook the minds of her opponents, forcibly dragging out the fear that lay beneath their courage, and the Dawn forces wavered.
Some clamped their hands over their ears and rolled on the ground. Others lost their will to fight and turned into Stragglers.
The predator’s roar, shattering even the spirit of Dawn, swept away the favorable winds that had been blowing across the battlefield, and a thick aura of defeat took its place.
As she reveled in Dawn’s gloom and despair, flaunting her arrogance, she suddenly tilted her head.
‘Hm? What’s this?’
A prickling sensation in her heart. Or perhaps a tightness, as if her heart was being squeezed.
It didn’t take long for her to realize it was tension, a feeling she couldn’t remember when she had last felt.
Nor did it take long to realize where it was coming from.
‘My 1-star Talent, Danger Sense, activated? Why? What could possibly be a threat to me?’
The Spider Matriarch’s gaze searched for the source of her unease.
And then, she saw him.
A man with black hair fluttering in the wind, staring at her with gloomy, dark eyes.
It was strange.
He was an unremarkable human, and the mana she felt from him was only that of a 3rd Circle Expert. There was no reason for him to be a threat.
And yet, it felt ominous.
Like encountering a crow in a ruin.
‘Hmph, why am I getting anxious over nothing? If he’s bothering me, I just have to kill him.’
The moment she made up her mind, she was already moving.
A black trajectory, stretching out like a taut clothesline, flew toward Lee Si-woo.
Her form, which had been a mere dot in the distance, rapidly grew larger. It took only a few seconds for her presence to loom over him.
And just then, Autoreu, his sleeves and pants flapping in the air, dropped from the sky.
“Get back—!”
Autoreu’s powerful psychokinesis shoved the Spider Matriarch away.
Pushed back several steps in the middle of her charge by a psychokinetic force surpassing that of a 7th Circle mage, the Spider Matriarch sneered.
“No. 44? A double-digit brat dares to block my path, not knowing his place?”
Three of the eight black legs, spread wide like wings, shot toward Autoreu.
Autoreu summoned several layers of a psychokinetic barrier formed from translucent energy, and on top of that, deployed his mana shield at full power.
*Kwaang!*
The three black legs stopped about ten centimeters from Autoreu’s forehead, unable to advance any further.
They had failed to pierce his defensive barrier of psychokinesis and mana shield.
The Spider Matriarch spoke in an intrigued tone.
“You blocked three of my legs? Ho, No. 44… you’ve got something different about you. A different flavor from that powerless No. 28. What is it? What are you hiding? Go on, show me everything.”
Autoreu shouted.
“Lee Si-woo! Run! Now!”
The Spider Matriarch looked at Lee Si-woo and spoke in a sticky voice.
“Lee Si-woo? Is that your name?”
Compound eyes, revealed within the sockets of her mask, scanned Lee Si-woo’s entire body.
As the creepy, stalker-like gaze fell upon him, Lee Si-woo thought to himself.
‘Think, Lee Si-woo. What are you going to do? How can you beat that thing?’
Lee Si-woo reviewed his options again and again.
Barathrum? It was certainly a cheat-like ability, but most of it was related to growth, so there was little that could help him right now.
Of the options available through Barathrum, the most useful would be the dragon, Meokbo.
However, he was skeptical about this choice.
Of course, Meokbo, a 6-star dragon, would be strong.
So it might be able to defeat the Arachne, who, despite being a 7-star monster, was not one of the Four Great Kings.
The problem was, Meokbo had said it would help him, not that it would risk its life for him.
‘…Meokbo fighting its hardest against a monster like that? It has neither the loyalty nor the reason to. No matter how much it loves to eat, it wouldn’t be ignorant of the value of its own life. In the end, it’s not a card I can play here.’
That left two options.
Either fight back with a Forbidden Art, or connect to Barathrum and flee.
‘Another Forbidden Art wouldn’t work. But… what about the sixth one? The sixth Forbidden Art that grants a wish in exchange for something precious… could it work even against the Spider Matriarch…?’
As if sensing Lee Si-woo’s outlandish thought, a voice came from the ‘channel’ connected to his sixth magic root.
—You cannot use the sixth.
‘What? Why? For what reason?’
—Because that is the contract with him. As long as the remaining ‘two times’ of the contract with him are not consumed, you cannot become mine. So do not be impatient, and wait. When he has consumed everything, you too will become mine, and you will be able to use it even if you do not wish to. And do not worry. As long as he is here, you will not die, no matter what happens.
‘He? Who are you talking about? Yellow Eyes, tell me. Who is he?’
But the presence of the Yellow Eyes vanished before Lee Si-woo could even finish his question.
As Lee Si-woo mulled over the words of the Yellow Eyes, Autoreu’s voice rang in his ears.
“Here lies the evidence of sin.”
At Autoreu’s declaration, which signaled the beginning of the third Forbidden Art, Punishment, Lee Si-woo’s eyes widened as he shouted.
“You’re using Punishment here? Master… surely not? You can’t. Punishment is equal. Whatever your intentions, even if they are good, Punishment delivers judgment equally to all who have sinned…”
Before he could finish, Lee Si-woo was sent flying by an immense psychokinetic force, like a ball struck by a bat.
Autoreu had acted preemptively, concerned that the aftereffects of Punishment might reach him.
“The guilty shall be punished, and the innocent shall be proven blameless.”
Was it due to the ominous feeling emanating from Autoreu?
The Spider Matriarch, who had been toying with him like a cat with a mouse, moved immediately.
She had a feeling that she shouldn’t let this continue.
Her eight black legs shot out at once, aiming for Autoreu.
However, her attack was blocked by a strange protective barrier that had formed around him.
Punishment had already been cast, and the protection of the Yellow Eyes was now shielding Autoreu.
“Here the land of Punishment has descended. Before the sin of murder, the innocent shall be unharmed, and the corrupt shall pay the price.”
As Autoreu finished speaking, the entire ground they stood on began to turn black.
Autoreu, floating above the blackened earth with his sleeves and pants fluttering, declared.
“For the price of your depraved desire, the act of murder, I shall take your heart.”
As soon as Autoreu’s words, like a death sentence, were finished, the Spider Matriarch clutched her chest.
Her heart had been split in two, accompanied by the agony of a fiery awl searing her chest.
“*Cough…* S-such sorcery… how can it exist… Th-this cannot be explained unless it is the power of a god…”
With the Spider Matriarch’s dry cough, black blood trickled from beneath her black mask.
Just as she sank weakly to her knees, Autoreu, who had been floating in the air, fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
*Thud.*
Though he was currently a member of Dawn, Autoreu had also lived through the race wars.
It was impossible that he had never once killed.
And Punishment was equal before all who had sinned.
Red blood trickled from beneath the mask of the frail old man’s corpse, which lay on the ground, his empty sleeves and pants fluttering.
A dry voice escaped his lips.
“I am… not one who teaches, but one who shows…”
With that final monologue, Autoreu’s life came to a lonely end, his heart ruptured.
However, the Spider Matriarch was different.
“Don’t make me laugh… I… I am the Spider Matriarch. This isn’t enough… this isn’t enough to kill me—!”
The Spider Matriarch shot to her feet and stretched her body wide.
The 6-star Talent, ‘Emergency Restoration,’ which rapidly healed any wound or injury once a day. And the 7-star Talent, ‘Super-Tough Body,’ which granted a physique stronger and more resilient than any monster.
These two Talents shone, and she ultimately overcame death.
She had succeeded in restoring her heart and reviving the flame of life that had been on the verge of extinguishing.
“Hehe… Uhuhuhu…”
With a low laugh, the Spider Matriarch tore off her black mask as if it were stifling.
Eyebrows made of three red dots, and compound eyes formed from over ten overlapping eyes.
Lips of a chilling blue and skin as white as snow.
Were it not for the compound eyes, she could have been called a peerless beauty. The Spider Matriarch muttered.
“I don’t know what trick that bastard pulled… but I almost died. I really almost died… Damn it! I almost died! Struck down by an unexpected bug! In a shabby, pathetic way—!”
Enraged, the Spider Matriarch swore an oath.
She would thoroughly destroy everything that man had cherished in his life.
Yes, including that bastard named Lee Si-woo, whom he had tried to protect even at the cost of his own life.
“Lee Si-woo! I’ll kill you—!”
Meanwhile, Lee Si-woo, watching Autoreu depart without a single common last word or farewell, was just as furious.
He was angry.
At his entire situation.
He was resentful.
Of his incompetent, foolish self.
But what he hated even more…
…were the unknown beings who had pushed him into this wretched situation.
‘Why did I have to come here and go through this? Who? For what reason did they send me here and snatch my life away from me? And on top of that… why are they trying to burden me with a mission I can neither recognize nor understand?’
*Swiiish—!*
The Spider Matriarch charged with the ferocity of an arrow flying toward its target, but by the time she was within reach, Lee Si-woo was already gone.
He had connected to Barathrum.
“What?!”
Having lost Lee Si-woo right before her eyes, the Spider Matriarch grew furious.
That wasn't magic, nor was it an evasion using physical abilities.
The bastard had literally vanished without a trace.
Yes, like a mirage.
Faced with a method she had never seen or heard of, the Spider Matriarch’s eyes fiercely scanned the vicinity.
‘This is…?’
Her eyes trembled as she detected the suspicious aura left behind by Barathrum.
Every member of Black Night is educated and indoctrinated about this aura.
‘The aura of the Faceless? Don’t tell me, that bastard is… the successor to the Faceless God that the prophecy foretold…?’
***
The Butler greeted Lee Si-woo as he connected to Barathrum.
“Welcome, Lord.”
Lee Si-woo grabbed the Butler by the collar and growled fiercely.
“Tell me. What do you want from me?”
“Lord. Please calm down.”
“Who sent me here? And why did you shove Barathrum inside me? What do you want from me? What do you want from me that I have to go through this fucking experience?”
“Lord. I want nothing from you. Though I may have… a wish.”
“Stop playing with words! Yes, Faceless! Is it you? Well, it couldn’t be anyone else. For you, who was a god, putting Barathrum in me and bringing me to this world would have been child’s play!”
“Lord. I am not the one who brought you to this world, nor did I put Barathrum inside you. No, if anything, I am a victim. A victim who made a contract with you and offered to be consumed by you, only to have the entire contract twisted and ruined because of your younger brother, pushing me into this mess.”
“…What?”
“Lord. All of this happened because of your younger brother. So, though it may be difficult, please trust me for now. I may be a victim, but I am still a servant who supports you and works for you, a supporter who wishes for you to grow properly.”
“Damn it, I don’t have a younger brother… wait! Are you talking about Jin? What? What on earth did he do? What the hell happened?!”
“I cannot say. For better or worse, I am bound to him by a contract. Also, do not be hasty. He will tell you everything himself soon enough. So, Lord, for now, just look at what is in front of you. The Spider Matriarch. You must kill her to survive.”
After a rough outburst of emotion, Lee Si-woo calmed down to some extent and regained his composure.
As soon as his chest cooled, his stalled mind began to spin rapidly.
After a few minutes of organizing his thoughts, Lee Si-woo spoke, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.
“Faceless. You arranged for me to hear the voices. Didn’t you?”
“…That is correct.”
“That’s probably because you want me to walk the same path as you. Yes, you want me to become the second Faceless.”
“You are partially correct, and partially incorrect. I would rather the Lord not repeat my failed path… but something a little different…”
“Cut the wordplay. And listen carefully. I have no intention of becoming the Faceless. Nor can I.”
“……”
“Yes, I certainly admire my master and Dawn. Their lives, actions, way of thinking, values, beliefs. I envy and respect all of it. But you know what?”
Lee Si-woo let go of the Butler’s collar and shot back in a cold voice.
“Do you know why people admire things? It’s because they yearn for what they can never become. That’s why I admire my master, and why I admire them. Because I know that under no circumstances can I ever become like them.”
“…You won’t know unless you try.”
“No, I know myself. I can never become Dawn, nor can I become you. Just as hypocrisy can never become good, and pretense can never become sincerity. I am me. Understand? So, Faceless. Your method is wrong.”
“I… am wrong?”
“Instead of trying to guide me to become an ideal person with things like voices, you should have been direct from the start. You should have asked what it would take for me to *try* to become that kind of person. What price I would need for you to make me *pretend* to be good, to *pretend* to care for others.”
The Butler repeated in a bitter voice.
“Pretend to be good… pretend to care… you say.”
Lee Si-woo glared at the Butler, his eyes blazing.
“Yes, so Faceless. If there’s something you want from me! And if you want me to act in the way you desire, then give it to me. The power to kill that wretched spider bitch. The ability to sort out this dogshit situation completely. Then I’ll at least try to act the part.”
Lee Si-woo continued with a blank expression.
“The life you lived. A life like my master’s. Yes, I’ll try to live like that. So if you have a way, give it to me. Otherwise, to hell with the voices and the Faceless, I’ll just hole up in a corner and rot away, enjoying the riches of Barathrum until I die of old age.”
The Butler sighed, and from within the iron bars behind him, a sound of triumphant laughter flowed out.
“Didn’t I tell you? That bastard is a lost cause from the start. Hehe, but even after becoming human, that filthy temper of his hasn’t gone anywhere. What? He’ll pretend to be good if you give him power? Hahaha… a masterpiece, truly a masterpiece. What a scoundrel! *Hmph*, then again… it was a guy like that who got me. Damn it.”
The Butler ignored Agwi’s words and opened his mouth.
“Will you truly at least try? To live like Autoreu. Or like Dawn. Will you… promise me that you will try to live a life for others?”
“Yes.”
“…I will believe you.”
Upon hearing Lee Si-woo’s answer, the Butler’s body slowly blurred.
Soon, the Butler vanished without a trace, and in his place, only a Faceless Mask fell with a clatter.
While Lee Si-woo stood there, bewildered, Agwi spoke from the darkness within the iron bars.
“Take it. That will be your breakthrough.”
“…What is this?”
“*Hmph!* Why should I tell a pretty boy like you anything more? So do as you please. Whether you use that to go out and gamble. Or, true to your nature, you run away right now.”
With those words, even the iron bars vanished without a trace.
They had likely departed into Lee Si-woo’s psyche, as they always did.
Picking up the Faceless Mask, Lee Si-woo examined it for a long while before quietly severing his connection to Barathrum.