Chapter 161: Pleasure Battle Maniac
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 161: Pleasure Battle Maniac
Casey and Judro.
If players had to name the people they least wanted to run into...
These two would undoubtedly top the list.
"Sorry to say this since we just met, but could you stop smiling at me like that?"
Jinhyuk didn't hide his discomfort.
No, seriously.
If they kept grinning like that, he was afraid they'd haunt his dreams.
"Why does everyone hate it when we smile?"
"Yeah. We only came to kindly help you."
"Help me?"
"Yeah. Some bad guys here were targeting you, Oppa. It would've been a real headache if they ambushed you. They had tons of hidden weapons and poison."
"So we chopped them up into tiny pieces. So they can never bother you again, Hyung."
With those words, Jinhyuk's nose twitched.
...It was true.
A thick stench of blood, which hadn't been there just a moment ago, began to sting the tip of his nose.
Did they use a skill to mask the smell and their presence?
The corpses of masked figures clad in black caught his eye.
Twelve in total.
They seemed specialized in assassination rather than open combat, but even so, for just two people to take down residents from the Murim...
Their notorious reputation wasn't for nothing.
It was because they had the skills to back it up that they could pull off such stunts and still be alive today.
Jinhyuk quickly activated 'Gluttony's Eye'.
[Casey & Judro (Twins)]
Age: 21
Height: Casey (157cm) & Judro (165cm)
Level: 44
Strength: 35, Agility: 38, Stamina: 20, Magic Power: 28
Stat Points Available: 0
Coins Held: 121,675 (This is their combined total.)
Class: Assassin
Unique Ability: 'Universal Sharing'
Skills: Lv7 'Pain Amplification', Lv7 'Unwavering Devotion', Lv7 'Self-Harm', Lv7 'Stealth Maneuver', Lv7 'False Smile', Lv7 'Killing Intent', Lv7 'Corpse Concealment'
[Copy Conditions: The siblings lost both of their parents to a serial killer at a young age. Although they eventually succeeded in their revenge, their emotions had already completely dried up. Now, rather than dispensing justice upon the wicked, they have become obsessed with the act of killing itself. However, for some reason, they harbor an extremely strong affection for you. If you accept their affection and welcome them as members of the Veteran Corporation, you will be able to copy the unique ability 'Universal Sharing'. (Note: 'Welcoming them as members' here means completely finishing the binding process through the 'Brand of the Flame Soul'.)]
Dolls that had become machines repeating only revenge and slaughter after losing their parents to a serial killer.
So that was their backstory.
Jinhyuk's mouth twitched as if he had just swallowed bitter tea.
But wait.
...Huh?
Reading the conditions, Jinhyuk rubbed his eyes.
Did I read that right?
He was temporarily speechless at the sheer absurdity of the contents.
He tried blinking, but the written words didn't change.
This was damn reality.
Those kinds of psychos are joining my company?
Since it was already a gathering place for lunatics, they might actually fit right in, but...
Somehow, he didn't think he'd be able to sleep soundly.
How should he put it? It felt like someone would creep up to the head of his bed in the middle of the night. At any rate, it was as clear as day that his dreams would be plagued by nightmares.
Still, it would be a massive waste to reject them and lose the 'Universal Sharing' ability.
If it was an ability that allowed him to share powers with someone he shared a bond with...
...it meant that once the conditions were met, he could even use Alice's and Goguma's abilities.
His hesitation didn't last long.
As long as he set up a few safety measures, it was obvious who would be the one in control of this relationship.
"Thanks for taking care of those annoying pests. You saved me a lot of trouble."
And just like that, he made his decision.
He would board the same ship as these two.
* * *
The second floor of the ballroom.
Here, various factions had gathered, engaged in a sharp war of nerves.
The topic of discussion was, of course, which faction would recruit the most outstanding prospect.
And, the one smiling the widest at this ball was Penheimer from the Empire.
Although he had paid a hefty price to the Administrator, he had successfully put Jinhyuk in his debt.
Thus, Penheimer leaned back against a plush sofa with a relaxed expression, staring at the screen.
"I'm envious. With this recruitment, the Empire will grow even stronger."
"The power dynamics of the Tower might shift. We've been watching that player closely too, and we've never seen anyone fight that well, even among the residents of the middle floors."
"So another card is being added to their arsenal, on top of the 100 Sword Masters, 11 Knight Orders, and 7 Magic Corps."
"With that much, they can easily aim for hegemony over the middle floors. Man, the Murim has been completely left out in the cold."
Receiving everyone's envious stares was an added bonus.
Damn it...
Moyong Su gritted his teeth.
Not only had Jinhyuk dared to cut off their conversation, but he had also completely blocked any further contact.
On top of that, Jinhyuk was on the verge of joining hands with the Empire, their rival, so it was only natural for Moyong Su to be furious.
Above all, since he had lost contact even with the men he brought from the Hao Clan, the anxiety Moyong Su felt right now was beyond imagination.
If he returned to the Murim Alliance without wrapping this matter up here...
...not only would his personal honor be tarnished, but the prestige of the entire Moyong Clan might also plummet to the ground.
No, it might not even end there.
If we show a weakness to the Empire and they invade the Murim, I might have to pay with my life.
As he imagined the worst-case scenario, a cold, murderous intent flickered in Moyong Su's eyes.
He could no longer afford to be picky about his methods.
He had to go right now, kill Jinhyuk, and eliminate the variable.
Only then would the balance of the middle floors be maintained.
But it was at that moment.
"Lord Moyong Su."
A dark shadow wavered behind Moyong Su.
At the same time, a chill crept up his spine, making him shudder.
"You've arrived, Blood Fiend Commander..."
The title that left his mouth was one that should never be spoken by someone belonging to the Orthodox Sect.
For the Blood Fiend Commander was the very leader of the Demonic Cult's Blood Fiend Unit, with whom the Orthodox Sect could never coexist under the same sky.
"Hehehe. Thinking about it again, this has turned out to be quite amusing. I never expected the esteemed lords of the Orthodox Sect to seek our help once more. At this rate, I wonder if we might actually grow fond of each other."
"Lower your voice. It must never be known that we are working together."
"Of course. If our cult finds out about this, I will be in quite a difficult spot as well."
The Blood Fiend Commander shrugged.
Although the Murim Alliance and the Demonic Cult were mortal enemies, fighting to the death would only lead to mutual destruction.
It would only benefit the other factions.
That was why a few enlightened individuals, like Moyong Su and the Blood Fiend Commander, would secretly form a united front like this, away from the eyes of the Murim Alliance and the Demonic Cult.
It wasn't a blood alliance, but merely a temporary partnership for mutual benefit.
"By the way, did those idiots from the Hao Clan fail in the end?"
"Yes. They were wiped out."
Although their skills fell short of first-class, he had brought them along because they were proficient in hidden weapons and poison arts.
Who would have thought that, far from holding Jinhyuk back, they would be annihilated by some random players?
This was why one should never employ mediocre fools.
Now, a situation that could have been easily nipped in the bud had escalated into a massive problem.
"Then, who do we need to eliminate?"
"Aside from Kang Jinhyuk, there are others who follow him."
Moyong Su lightly snapped his fingers.
At that, the images of Cheon Yu-seong, Teresa, and Alice appeared.
"Ah! This man. He's quite skilled with the sword. He's a talent rarely seen even in the Murim, so it's a bit of a shame we have to kill him."
The Blood Fiend Commander smacked his lips.
If things hadn't come to this, Cheon Yu-seong's talent and skill were so impressive that the Commander would have wanted to recruit him into the Blood Fiend Unit immediately.
Especially since someone who could wield the Soul-Chasing Sword to that extent was hard to find in the entire Murim.
The Blood Fiend Commander's gaze shifted to the side.
There stood a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.
"If it's Teresa, isn't she that woman who was late to the ball?"
"Yes. Outside the Tower, she goes by the alias 'Saint of Amsterdam'."
"Hmm. A Westerner. Quite interesting. And the last one?"
"I don't know either. There is almost no information available on her."
He had tried to look into her directly through the Murim Alliance's intelligence department, but no information regarding the individual named Alice could be found.
"Well, we'll take care of this woman as well. Adding one or two more to the list is no trouble at all."
"What about a device to avoid the Administrator's eyes?"
"It was quite a headache, but we have that prepared as well. You'll have to repay me handsomely for this. It's a sacred relic I brought from our cult's secret treasury."
"Do not worry about that. Is it not the virtue of our Orthodox Sect to clearly settle all debts of gratitude and resentment?"
"Puhahaha! That is indeed true."
Good...
The two of them wore satisfied smiles.
Although he, having been formally invited to the masquerade ball, could not enter the labyrinth unless he used 'Protection of the Faction'...
...the Blood Fiend Commander and the Blood Fiend Unit, who had sneaked in, were exceptions to that rule.
They would clean up the rest of the small fry.
And if a situation arose where Liaoyu of the Murim confronted Jinhyuk...
...at that exact moment, he would personally step in and choke the life out of the bastard who posed a threat.
* * *
Fifteen minutes had passed since he began walking with Casey and Judro.
To Jinhyuk, those fifteen minutes felt like fifteen years.
It was only natural.
The conversation happening right beside him was far, far from normal.
"So, since that guy spoke so rudely to you, Oppa, I kept stabbing him with this. In the thigh, the calf, and... where else was it?"
"The collarbone! The collarbone!"
"Ah, right. It was the collarbone."
Casey smiled like an innocent child, showing him the iron needle in her hand.
The needle, caked with dried brown blood, waved back and forth right in front of Jinhyuk's eyes.
Damn it, just being with them makes me feel lightheaded.
He had absolutely no idea why these kinds of psychos liked him so much.
"But, can I ask why you killed those guys for me?"
"Because you smell like good blood, Oppa!"
"Yeah. It's really sweet. The smell of blood coming from you, Hyung, is completely different from anyone else."
The smell of blood?
Come to think of it, Alice and the vampires said something similar...
Don't tell me it wasn't something only vampires could smell?
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
Perhaps... something changed after I saw the top of the Tower.
More things than I realize.
But thinking about this wasn't the priority right now.
"...If you like me,"
"Yeah?"
"does that mean you won't do anything to harm me?"
At Jinhyuk's question, the two nodded faster than anyone else.
They nodded so rapidly that he was worried they might get dizzy.
"Of course!"
"You're special, Oppa. In fact, we plan to kill anyone who dares to treat you rudely. Right?"
"Yeah. We'll rip them all in half. And as a warning, we'll freeze them solid and display them in the middle of the village."
On the outside, they looked like completely innocent children, but their words and actions were on a level that would make even Alice look like an amateur.
If I put the three of them together, they could hold a competition for who's the most evil.
['Gluttony's Eye' determines the truth of the target's words.]
[The words spoken by the two are 'Truth'.]
At least that part was true.
Losing their parents at a young age, harboring a twisted sense of justice and a cruel affection...
A blade that possessed both innocence and strength.
Maybe I can find a way to put this to good use.
"I think it's fine for us to travel together inside the labyrinth. However, you cannot kill or torture people recklessly. Especially if they are innocent."
Jinhyuk drew a firm line.
"What?"
"B-But!"
The two widened their eyes like startled rabbits, unable to understand.
"If you don't like it, I'll go on my own."
"T-That's...! Okay... I get it. We won't kill recklessly. ...Is it okay if we just pull out their fingernails and toenails a little bit?"
"No."
"Then, what about bad people?"
"That's fine. But don't go too far."
"If you say so, Oppa... I guess... we have to hold back. Yeah. We'll try."
The two hung their heads with dejected faces.