No One is Without a Weakness
No one exists without a weakness. Physical or mental.
[■■■■■]
Something utterly incomprehensible and unintelligible had been written in the Book of Truth.
"……."
In that instant, the Leader's expression changed. Up until then, it had been relaxed; now it was slightly distorted.
Another book emerged from her bosom.
Prophet's Book
The relic that had elevated her to Transcendent rank—and the one that had earned her the title of Worst Hero.
She tapped her temple with her finger. A habit that surfaced whenever something unexpected occurred, despite her absolute obedience to the prophetic book.
"…Who are you?"
These were the first words she uttered after sinking deep into thought for a long while.
The power of relics is absolute.
Objects forged in an era when this world still belonged not to humans, but to the 'gods,' infused with immense mana and unbreakable laws. People call them 'relics.'
Laws stand above all things in this world—a power surpassing even the 'authorities' that demons boast as their pinnacle.
For a relic governed by the law of inscribing future events to leave something unwritten?
The Prophet's Book isn't omnipotent. Seeing the great trunk doesn't reveal every branching twig.
But this… this wasn't the kind of content that should go unrecorded.
It was visible, writable even, yet shrouded in noise, impossible to discern.
"……." "……."
No answer came.
"…I've dragged this out too long. Welcome to Kkeut."
The criminal syndicate Kkeut. Most members spend their time far apart, handling their assigned missions or doing as they please.
They gather only in two cases: when a mission is issued, or when a new member joins.
Eve, the girl with hair split evenly between jet black and pure white.
"Melian… got herself caught, huh?"
She murmured softly while fiddling with her folded parasol.
"What a tragic tale."
The Clown nodded in agreement with Eve's words, shaking his head.
"Liar. You didn't even say it twice." "Busted?" "So what's this about a new guy coming?"
In response to Eve's question, the Clown spoke as if baffled.
"Why ask me?" "Didn't you gobble up Baek Jin and stick around here?" "Technically, I was captured."
At that moment, the door creaked open just a sliver, and a man appeared. Despite walking, not a single footstep sounded.
His entire body wrapped in bandages, lightly dressed in a suit.
"Oh! Ricardo showed up quick!"
Clunk-!
"You've got money—why not fix this damn door?"
With the rough sound of the door slamming open came Alexander, a massive hulking man.
All members of Kkeut except the Leader had assembled.
"And what's this about a new member?" "Actually, I have one suspected candidate."
As the Clown lifted his chin proudly, all eyes turned to him.
"'Gourmet' Bandrin."
"……."
"……."
Silence blanketed the room at those words.
Gourmet Bandrin. A criminal even more horrific than the infamous mana beasts.
Former 1st Grade Hero.
His peculiar ability allowed him to consume the corpses of 'mana beasts' to amplify his mana.
But for some reason, he discovered he could do the same with human flesh—and snuck into a gate to massacre an entire guild.
There had been similar incidents before.
A Chinese mana criminal dubbed the 'Glutton.' His epithet stemmed from the most depraved, grotesque acts of cannibalism imaginable.
But the Gourmet's corpses were comparatively clean. As if he'd only taken the 'necessary' parts.
His epithet 'Gourmet' arose precisely because his methods contrasted so sharply with the Glutton's savagery.
"Hmm, now that you mention it, one does come to mind."
As the Clown finished, Alexander stroked his chin.
"'Tower' Daily Warnos."
Famous for his towering height. Sure, plenty of people exceed 2 meters—but Daily Warnos stood out for his emaciated frame, mismatched with his stature.
When CCTV footage of his murders first leaked, people even mistook him for a mana beast. He looked that inhumanly grotesque.
His frail, twig-like body—seemingly ready to snap at a touch—was tougher than anything.
His bizarre physique earned him 'Tower,' but consensus held that with a normal build, he'd be called the 'Butcher.'
"…Liu Yang."
Ricardo's quiet murmur drew incredulous stares from everyone.
"Ricardo's speaking up?" "First time I've seen this…." "Liu Yang… I've heard the name…."
Just as heroes are divided into warriors, supports, mages, and so on, the underworld sorts by traits and abilities.
Among them, Liu Yang was renowned as an 'assassin.'
2nd Grade Hero in his hero days.
But his true prowess had been concealed.
Heroes mostly fight mana beasts inside gates.
Liu Yang's skills were tailored for humans.
A dual-life figure operating in both the light and shadows. His flaw? His personality.
Ferocious and lust-driven, Liu Yang crossed the offspring of China's highest authority.
The victim took her own life in the aftermath.
Every guild in China hunted him down—but astonishingly, he evaded capture.
He even slit the throats of famed Chinese heroes while fleeing.
One of the few criminals to survive the Chinese pursuit alongside 'Hong Li-jin.'
"These candidates' personalities are seriously messed up. The blind gay swordsman looks like a saint by comparison."
"What, aren't you and us the same?" "Well…."
That was when it hit.
An overwhelming presence approaching from afar.
"……."
"……."
"……."
Everyone knew at once. The Leader had arrived.
"Ah, I'm dying of curiosity. Feels like unwrapping a gift."
"Still, Tower's gotta be the strongest, right?" "A mere 2nd Grade criminal? Gourmet was a 1st Grade Hero before his cannibal days."
"Liu Yang's a top assassin…."
The heated debate dragged on absurdly before concluding.
"Let me introduce our new member, Chad."
Instead of those notorious criminals, out came an unfamiliar name.
"Pleased to meet you. Name's Chad."
"Never heard of you."
Alexander rose as he spoke.
The other members wore expressions of 'so that's who it was,' while the Leader's face soured.
"Enough of that."
"Hm? Isn't this our way?"
Alexander's lip curled. Golden mana began seeping from around him.
Alexander, who once tore a 1st Grade Hero apart barehanded. His physical prowess ranked top in Kkeut.
"Alright, newbie. A simple test…."
Slash-.
Thud-.
Alexander's ear rolled across the floor.
"……."
The room fell deathly silent in an instant.
'Didn't even see it.'
Alexander touched his severed ear, thinking.
'…It won't regenerate…?'
The self-proclaimed battle maniac was instantly cured of his mania.
"Impressive. I sincerely welcome you to Kkeut."
Everyone eyed the pitiful Alexander with disdain.
"Hm, the mood's gotten a bit off."
Sensing the shattered atmosphere, the Clown stood with exaggerated flair.
"First time meeting you, Mr. Chad?"
The Clown bowed, scanning Chad's form.
"No… or maybe we have met before."
Eve tilted her head at the Clown's loaded words.
"What, you know him? Guess I was out of the loop."
"No, no, I don't know for sure either. But I never forget an audience member I've seen once."
The Clown cackled.
"Orbis after all this time."
-Don't lie.
"It's been ages by my count."
The man, face hidden under a wide-brimmed hat, clad in shabby black robes, shook his head.
His aura brimmed with openings, unremarkable. Yet those nearby felt an inexplicably crushing pressure.
The man glanced over Orbis Academy, then shook his head.
"Not here?"
-Impossible. I definitely sensed it.
"Guess we're late then."
He shrugged and started walking.
-Where to?
"I have a rough idea where."
A man more known by epithet than name. The Sword of One Stroke, One Kill.
As people unanimously called him.
Il-do-sal (One Sword Kill).