Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Price of Survival
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Witnessing Jeoji's death, Lala realized the situation had taken a grave turn and moved with agility.
She drew the longsword from her hip, her strike aimed directly at Lee Si-woo's neck.
*Swoosh!*
Si-woo casually blocked the arcing silver trajectory with his arm.
*CLANG!*
The translucent aura of mana covering the surface of his arm did not permit the longsword’s advance.
It was a ‘Mana Shield,’ one of the two fundamental skills any mage who had formed a Circle along with Magic Arrow could use.
And this very Mana Shield was the biggest reason mages reigned as the upper class of this world.
“Mana Shield…!”
The operation of a Mana Shield was simple. It was no different from a kind of subtraction.
For example, if Si-woo's mana was 100, and the mana imbued in his opponent’s attack was 1, they couldn't touch a single hair on his head until they had attacked a hundred times to deplete all of his mana.
In other words, compared to Si-woo, who had formed a Circle and was over level 100, the chances of Lala, whose mana was less than that of an insect, doing anything to him were nonexistent.
Furthermore, since the Mana Shield only took damage from mana-based attacks, conventional gunpowder weapons from the modern era, which were not imbued with mana, couldn't even leave a scratch.
This was why modern science was disdained in this world, while magi-science flourished.
*Shushushuk!*
The elves, realizing things had gone awry, loosed mana-infused arrows that surged toward Si-woo.
The arrows were like toothpicks striking a steel shield.
Before the Mana Shield, the arrow attacks were powerless.
But Si-woo didn't feel great either.
With each arrow that struck his body, he could feel the Circle spinning furiously around his heart ripple slightly, his mana decreasing.
‘Ten fewer, so now only 23 elves. And more than half of the beastmen are weakened, their fangs and claws pulled.’
Si-woo had demanded a price from them not because he coveted their wealth, but to reduce the variables.
If he had to face them at their full, unweakened strength, he could have exhausted all his mana and lost.
Therefore, he smiled.
‘You folks should have done business with someone trustworthy, shouldn’t you? Why deal with a con artist like me?’
Every time Si-woo's fingertips danced, translucent arrows shot out in all directions.
It was as if an arrow-shaped spiderweb was piercing the hearts and heads of the elves and beastmen.
The beastmen, finally grasping the situation, belatedly charged, but it was meaningless.
Half of them had lost their claws and fangs, weakening their combat prowess, and with no proper armor, their chances of withstanding Magic Arrows with their bare bodies were nil.
On the other hand, Si-woo, who blocked their arrows with his Mana Shield and unerringly took a life with each Magic Arrow, was the very definition of terror to them.
As those who had lost faith in victory in the face of a mage's power—something they had only heard of in stories—began to flee one by one, Lala fell to her knees and begged for her life.
“Please, stop! You know, don't you? We never did you any real harm! So why are you doing this? To you, who has already become a mage, people like us are nothing but insignificant beings… D-don’t tell me you’re doing this because we touched the survivors of the Pure Tribe?”
“I told you, didn’t I? It wouldn’t be fun if you touched a single hair on the survivors.”
“You crazy… W-we just thought it was a threat! I mean, it hasn’t even been a week since you met them! You even killed Martin with your own hands!”
“That’s true. I’m not that good of a guy, so I was wondering why I felt so foul right now. So I thought about it…”
As Si-woo was speaking, a cat-kin’s claws struck the top of his head.
*Clang!*
The cat-kin, whose attack was blocked by the Mana Shield faintly covering Si-woo’s entire body, hastily tried to retreat, but his head had already been blown apart by a Magic Arrow.
Having effortlessly claimed the life of a beastman, Si-woo continued.
“It wasn’t the situation itself, but I was annoyed with myself. Because I was glad.”
Each time Si-woo finished a sentence, a Magic Arrow shot from his finger, snatching the life of someone nearby.
Of course, having survived in the Pit for so long, they put up a fierce resistance.
They charged with venomous determination, disregarding their own lives.
But it was meaningless.
It only made them realize once again the long-forgotten gap between classes and status.
“Because I found a reason.”
Si-woo drove a Magic Arrow into the back of the head of Lala, who was prostrated at his feet, begging.
Si-woo looked down with a cold gaze at Lala's body as it collapsed without even a final cry.
It was an unfitting end for the boss of the Elder Tribe, but what did it matter?
This was just the kind of world this was.
“Whether you touched the Pure Tribe survivors or not, you all had to die anyway.”
If they had a sin, it was that they knew too much.
If they, by some chance, made it to the surface and spoke of what they had seen and heard here, the probability of him getting into trouble was too high.
That was why Si-woo had been glad about Ewin’s death.
For giving him a reason for the slaughter, in place of his own greed.
And that was why he felt foul.
Because it made him realize, once again, what a rotten person he was.
“Perhaps… that's why I came to this place.”
Si-woo said, carefully finishing them off one by one, as if he wouldn't allow a single one to escape.
“No matter how I think about it, I’m the kind of person who belongs here more than over there.”
With that monologue, not a single living elf or beastman remained within the Elder Tribe's barrier.
Jin, who had been waiting outside the barrier under the protection of the tentacles while leading the Pure Tribe survivors, approached Si-woo.
“Hyung, don’t worry about it.”
“About what?”
“I’m telling you not to trouble your mind over pointless things. In this world, killing and being killed is nothing new. You kill to live, kill to gain, kill because someone’s annoying. This is that kind of place.”
Si-woo twisted his lips into a smirk.
“Why are you worried about the killer and not the dead? Jin, I’m the perpetrator. Not the victim.”
“So what? To me, your stress is more important than their lives. A scratch on your finger hurts me more than a million or ten million strangers dying. So, don't you dare get depressed. You don't feel guilty when you spray insecticide to kill the cockroaches that come out of your house, do you?”
Si-woo couldn't help but click his tongue.
This guy was pretty far from sane himself.
But why?
The words from Jin, that his stress mattered more than the lives of others, were chilling, and yet, somehow, comforting.
‘The more I get to know you, the less I understand what’s inside. Jin. This guy… what does he really want? Is he being sincere? Or…’
Si-woo had, knowingly or not, tried playing the Truth Game by holding Jin’s wrist, but the results were completely different from what he'd expected.
Funnily enough, Jin had been telling the truth.
Of course, that didn’t mean Si-woo trusted Jin one hundred percent.
He wasn't sure if the Truth Game would even work on a demon, as opposed to a human.
As if he knew what was on Si-woo’s mind, Jin suddenly hit the nail on the head.
“More importantly… you know, right? They aren't the only ones who know about you. Don’t forget. The ones over there might be more dangerous to you than the ones who died.”
“…I know.”
“If it’s too much, just say the word. I’ll take care of it for you. Ah~ If only I were a bit healthier, I could make it so you’d never have to get your hands dirty for the rest of your life. A shame. This is all I can do for you.”
Si-woo spoke in a deliberately angry tone.
“Jin, this is my business, so I'll handle it. So you stay out of it. Got it?”
“I’m just saying this because your mental state is precious. Hyung, I’m a demon. That means I’m rotten to the core from the start. So you can dump all the dirty and shabby work on me. I… can do anything for you. Yes, anything.”
A strange heat flickered in his white eyes.
Feeling burdened by that gaze, which felt almost obsessive, Si-woo frowned and answered firmly.
“Stop with the nonsense and help me pick up the World Tree branches. They’re expensive, so we need to pack them up well.”
As Si-woo pointed to the World Tree branches the elves had left behind instead of corpses, Jin’s expression was as if an exclamation mark had appeared over his head.
“Oh, right. I went broke buying the Circle Potion and the labyrinth ownership, didn't I? Hyung, what are you doing? Let’s hurry up and grab them. I absolutely hate being poor.”
Watching Jin, who was smiling as brightly as a child going to pick up pebbles—as if he hadn't just suggested killing Rei and the other survivors—Si-woo let out a bitter laugh.
He was truly an enigma.
* * *
When Rei saw the true nature of the stairs, she couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
The stairs they had been searching for relentlessly.
It was an elevator that only appeared when the labyrinth’s master gave permission.
Realizing that what they had yearned for was nothing but a fleeting hope, Rei muttered with a bitter expression.
“We never had a choice or any hope from the beginning. Slaves who couldn't escape without the master's permission. That was our reality.”
Jin chuckled and said.
“Reality? No, reality is much harsher. You guys were a lucky case. It’s a good thing I had other objectives; if you had fallen into a different Pit, you would have been dead within a year.”
“…What did you say?”
“Do you think the haves are idiots for buying Pit labyrinths with money? This place is originally a survival arena for the gambling of the ruling class. In other places, they have a Harvest Season every year where they kill everyone except for a single survivor. And we bet on that. Who will live this time? This one? Ah, screw it, all in! Like that.”
Rei covered her mouth and retched.
“Crazy…”
“So whether it's the elves who fled here to escape the hunters, the beastmen who willingly jumped in to prove their worth, or you lot who came in with a 'waste product' label on your foreheads, you’re all morons, every last one of you. No, maybe the elves and beastmen are even bigger idiots?”
Jin continued, smiling like a mischievous child.
“It's like they willingly jumped into an incinerator. You dumbasses. The Pit itself was created to reduce the overflowing population of this world, so why would they leave a way out?”
“…Then what about these stairs? If they intended to kill us all, why would they have something like this….”
“It’s for the one survivor who makes it through the Harvest Season. After all, among the wealthy, there are some perverts who get turned on by such survivors.”
“Ha…”
“Do you get it now? How lucky you all are? So you better behave. If it wasn't for Hyung, I wouldn't have let you live. Hah, Hyung is too nice for his own good. Why would he want to keep trash like you alive? It would be so much easier to just… kill them all.”
Only after hearing Jin’s words did Rei realize how much Si-woo had struggled to save them. She offered her thanks.
“Sir Si-woo. Thank you, truly. If it weren’t for you, we…”
The other survivors quickly caught on and politely expressed their gratitude to Si-woo.
“Thank you. We will never forget this kindness.”
“If you ever need us in the future, please let us know. We will repay this debt in any way we can.”
As the three survivors, excluding Rei, rushed to offer their thanks, Si-woo smiled brightly and said.
“That gratitude, how about you repay it now?”
“Pardon? What do you mean…”
“I was able to survive here thanks in large part to Ms. Rei. So, I was hoping you could stay by Ms. Rei’s side for a while and help her out. For about… two years?”
At Si-woo’s sudden proposal, the survivors exchanged glances. Soon, as if their minds had connected through their eyes alone, they nodded without hesitation.
“We also owe a lot to Boss Rei. Of course, we should. We will do so gladly.”
“If we can repay our debt to Sir Si-woo and Boss Rei in that way, there’s nothing more we could ask for.”
“We owe you our lives, what’s two years? Three years is possible too. Ahem, any longer than that would be difficult, as I’d like to get married at some point…”
“Married? You’d have better luck winning the lottery than finding a woman who’d marry you.”
“Yeah, I’ll look for a woman, and you should look for sunglasses. Just looking at your face would scare away any good fortune.”
Watching them bicker amongst themselves with jokes, Si-woo couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
In a way, humans were truly amusing beings.
Some, like Martin, chase after unrealistic gains, while others, like Kyle, are trapped by the ghosts of the past and cannot live in the present.
And some struggle to overcome their own ugliness.
Yes, even by packaging malice as goodwill.
“Ms. Rei, that would be all right, wouldn't it?”
Rei, who had been stunned by the sudden turn of events, quickly composed her expression at Si-woo's question.
The bridge of her nose, flushed red, looked like a ripe persimmon.
“Yes? Ah, yes… that is… ah, I really don’t know what to say…”
For her, whose family situation was already difficult due to her frail younger brother, their help would be an invaluable boon.
Si-woo approached her side with his characteristically charming eye-smile.
Was it because his scent and smile were so close?
Rei’s eyes couldn’t find a place to rest, darting all around.
Si-woo whispered in her ear.
“Watch over them for two years.”
“…Pardon?”
“I mean you need to monitor their every move to ensure no information about me leaves their lips. As you know, I'm quite popular, to the extent that a rather high-level mage is looking for me. And you and the others know that fact.”
Rei’s expression gradually hardened like a frozen stream.
The spring breeze that had been lingering around her was long gone.
“Letting people like you live is quite a risk for me to take. But… I do owe you a small debt, Ms. Rei. So I looked into it. To see if there was a way not to kill you.”
Only then could Rei see it.
Si-woo’s face, where the lips were smiling, but the eyes were not.
With an expression that was nothing but artificial, he whispered.
“I heard you have a younger brother.”
The tip of Si-woo’s nail sharply scratched the back of Rei’s hand.
Si-woo traced the drop of blood that trickled down the back of her hand with his index finger and said.
“And you cherish your family enough to turn your back on Martin, your long-time companion, and take out an insurance policy on me. Hmm, as you know, I am a mage. As such, I have a few interesting tricks up my sleeve. For example… that it's not hard to track you and your blood relatives with just a single drop of blood like this?”
A lie.
But to someone who had neither the luxury nor the skill to distinguish truth from falsehood, it was as good as the truth.
Rei’s face contorted.
An expression mixed with revulsion and disgust.
Si-woo looked at her with an impassive gaze.
“So I hope you handle things properly. Also, if by some chance they run their mouths thoughtlessly… take care of them. For your own sake. And for your brother’s.”
Si-woo tossed a bundle at her. Then, as if he didn't want to see her shadowed face any longer, he turned away and said to Jin.
“Jin, send them off.”
Jin pushed Rei and the survivors into the elevator as if shooing them away.
Then he pressed the button and sent them on their way.
In the space they left behind, amid an uncomfortable silence, Jin spoke.
“I told you we should have just killed them… There’s no guarantee that rumors about you won’t spread just because of this. You could get into trouble for showing such half-assed kindness.”
Si-woo said in a monotone voice.
“Shut up.”
“You killed Martin and Kyle just fine, so why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
Si-woo said nonchalantly.
“Their case is different from this one.”
“Case? Why are you bothering with such things? What does something like that matter now?”
Si-woo washed his dry face with his hands and muttered.
“Jin, you know, I really like myself.”
At Si-woo’s sudden confession of self-love, Jin’s eyes widened.
“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“You know why? Because besides myself, there’s no one else in this world who would genuinely like a son of a bitch like me.”
“…”
“I know it too. That this pathetic kindness comes with risks. But… still, what’s wrong is wrong. Because no matter how much of a bastard I am, I need to have at least a damn corner for rationalization so that I can like myself.”
Si-woo pressed the elevator button with all his might with his index finger, then let out a monologue through clenched teeth.
“So don’t ask me why. I don’t even know why I’m spouting this nonsense in front of you right now… what more can I possibly say? Right?”
Jin glanced at Si-woo like a puppy watching its owner’s mood.
He felt that his thoughtless words had struck a sore spot for Si-woo.
After fidgeting for a while, Jin brought his index fingers together and said in a gloomy voice.
“…Sorry.”
Waving his hand as if burdened by Jin's apology, Si-woo casually brought something up.
“It’s fine, I’m embarrassed for trying to act all serious out of nowhere too. Well… if you’re really sorry, I might have gone a bit overboard with something, so maybe you could just let that slide.”
“Huh? Overboard? What?”
Si-woo licked his lips and said.
“To be honest, I think I might have splurged a little too much.”
“Huh? Splurged? Hold on… no way! Hyung, did you even give those vermin money?!”
Si-woo slightly turned his head, avoiding Jin’s gaze.
Jin asked in a voice that was a mix of anxiety and desperation.
“H-how much did you spend for you to call it a splurge? Huh? Tell me, Hyung.”
There was no answer.
* * *
Rei, who had emerged from an exit connected to a forest outside the city, opened the bundle without thinking.
After checking its contents, she hastily closed the bundle’s opening.
She had seen the pile of World Tree branches inside.
Frozen like a statue, Rei stood silently for a long time before suddenly bursting into laughter.
“Ha! He’s a complete psycho… After running his mouth in such a bone-chilling way… Wow, he’s seriously the most baffling person I’ve ever met in my life.”
“Huh? Boss Rei, what’s wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing. More importantly, gather around. I have something to say. As you all know, we survived thanks to Sir Si-woo. And as you know, some mage is after him. So, if you have any gratitude, don’t you dare breathe a word about him from now on. Let’s just forget everything we saw and heard here.”
After getting repeated confirmations from the survivors, who nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, Rei looked back at the elevator standing alone in the middle of the forest.
‘It’s unlikely that my humble self will ever be able to help you in the future. But… still, someday…’
After staring for a moment at the elevator, which still showed no signs of moving, she left with the survivors.