The Defier of Heaven (1)
Clank!
The sudden noise jolted the young man from his light slumber.
The jangling of a ring of keys echoed from down the corridor.
He snapped awake. The exhaustion weighing down his body vanished in an instant. The young man immediately pushed himself up from where he had been curled.
Footsteps drew closer.
"Get up, Number 32."
It was a familiar voice.
It belonged to Assistant Lugwin of the magic academy.
Wearing his usual pointed hat pulled low, he began unlocking the heavy door.
Creak.
As the iron bars swung wide, the young man couldn't help but look confused.
...What's going on?
Why was he opening the cell door all of a sudden?
Before he could make sense of the situation, the dim light of a lantern illuminated Assistant Lugwin's face.
"Follow... me..."
"...?"
Why did he look like that?
Assistant Lugwin's eyes were completely unfocused.
His pupils were dilated, glassy and lifeless like those of a dead fish.
The assistant stumbled as if drunk or heavily drugged.
Yet, his strange behavior was nothing compared to the shock of his next words.
"We are... conducting the ritual... now..."
"!"
In an instant, the young man's mind went blank.
W-what?
There should have been a full day left before the ritual. Something was terribly wrong.
Just then, Lugwin muttered incoherently to himself.
"He told us to hasten the ritual... Hurry and move along with the other slaves..."
Thud!
"Ugh!"
Lugwin shoved his back roughly.
Stumbling out into the corridor, the young man looked around in bewilderment.
The doors to the other cells were wide open as well. The other slaves looked just as dumbfounded as he was.
This was an unexpected event that had never occurred in any of his playthroughs.
Damn it.
The young man bit the inside of his lip.
Anxiety surged from deep within him.
He said he was coming to save me...
If the ritual started this early, Gaon's rescue plan would be thrown into disarray. With the messaging function restricted, he had no way to warn him of this sudden turn of events.
"Move."
Step, step.
Following Lugwin's command, the slaves began descending the spiral staircase leading deeper into the dungeon.
The temperature plummeted with every step they took.
A foul stench—a mixture of metallic tang and rotting meat—assailed their noses.
Even as the slaves marched in a silent line, Lugwin continued to mutter incoherently.
"The seal has changed... A new leader has appeared... Once the ritual is complete, all will be purified..."
The young man's mind raced, desperately searching for a way out of this crisis.
Is he brainwashed?
It was highly likely.
Lugwin's behavior was far from normal.
But there was no brainwashing scenario in the Shadow Society questline...
Tring!
At that exact moment, a familiar notification chimed in his ear.
It was a new message from Middle Finger.
The young man's eyes widened in shock as he read it.
...Crazy bastard.
The Blood Empress handed the seal over to me.
It seemed the threat I made using the Soul of the Sword Master had worked perfectly.
Well, of course it did.
There was no way she could withstand a pressure that even the Black Bone Sword Master and Jacques von Heibrun had buckled under.
Hummmmm—!
My chest glowed as a pattern etched itself into my skin.
Pulling my collar slightly aside to check my bare skin, I saw the distinct seal of the Shadow Society clearly engraved there.
It felt different from a normal tattoo.
It felt more like scarification, where the skin tissue itself had been altered.
In any case.
With this, I was officially the leader of the Shadow Society.
Tring!
You have acquired the Seal.
You have become the leader of the Shadow Society.
A new Authority has been activated.
Messages popped up in rapid succession.
I nodded, feeling quite satisfied.
Excellent.
I now held three of the continent's major factions in the palm of my hand.
By acting as Lea de Karayan's savior, I secured VVIP status within the Ruin Merchant Guild. By taking the seal of the Shadow Society, I claimed its leadership.
And as for Midtemple...
...Once this business is wrapped up, I just need to crush the Traditionalists and install Arwen as the true power.
That was practically a done deal; it was only a matter of time.
"Lord Gaon."
"...?"
I was pulled from my thoughts by a voice.
The Blood Empress—no, Selena Servich, who had just stepped down as the leader of the Shadow Society—looked at me.
"I have handed over the leadership of the Society. Now, as promised, please grant me the Mark of the Sword Master."
The Mark of the Sword Master.
It was the collateral I had promised her in exchange for the Society's seal.
In the world of Lost Elder, the Mark of the Sword Master was one of the most powerful forms of protection.
If someone bearing this mark was killed, the Sword Master who bestowed it was bound by an absolute oath to hunt down and slay the killer.
It was a covenant of absolute enforcement.
Because of this, very few dared to touch anyone bearing the mark.
No matter how powerful they were, almost no one could withstand the relentless vengeance of a Sword Master.
"As you well know, Sir Gaon, those without power in this world are utterly crushed."
"..."
"I have stepped down from my position. Now that my official authority within the Society is gone, the only way to protect myself is to receive the Mark of the Sword Master."
She finished speaking, her voice steady.
"Surely you do not intend to break your promise now?"
It sounded like a reasonable request on the surface, but it was nothing more than sophistry.
The 9th Circle was a realm only the greatest mages on the continent could reach.
A powerhouse like Selena Servich was more than capable of protecting herself without the Society's backing.
Even so, she demanded the Mark of the Sword Master for two main reasons.
First, because of her excessively cautious nature.
And second...
...She wants to use me to her advantage.
The Mark of the Sword Master was more than just protection; it was a form of binding. Her intention to use me as her personal insurance policy was painfully obvious.
"How dare you!"
Adelia, catching on immediately, reacted fiercely.
"Insolent! How dare a mere heretic attempt to strike a bargain with Sir Gaon?"
"..."
Hearing Adelia's scolding, I felt a bit awkward.
My dear.
I appreciate the enthusiasm, but there's no need to go that far.
A promise is a promise, after all.
Besides...
I had intended to give Selena the Mark of the Sword Master from the very beginning.
Selena was a 9th-circle archmage. Furthermore, as a tenured professor at the magic academy, she wielded immense influence throughout Wintersheld.
Binding such a powerful figure to my side would undoubtedly be of great help in the future.
Her assistance would shine even brighter as we entered the late-game stages.
Above all.
Selena's position was always precarious. Having served as the leader of the Shadow Society for decades, she was a constant target for assassination.
Even though the seal had passed to me, her past wouldn't vanish. Naturally, I had no intention of announcing the change in leadership to the public.
Bestowing the Mark of the Sword Master upon her would minimize those risks.
Especially since her role in 'that scenario' would be crucial...
"Do not worry."
I had no reason to refuse Selena Servich's request.
"Present the back of your hand. I will keep my word."
A look of relief washed over Selena's face.
Without hesitation, she offered her hand, and I lightly pressed my lips to the back of it.
It was the traditional method of bestowing the mark according to the covenant of the great.
Tring!
You have bestowed the Mark of the Sword Master upon Selena Servich.
With a faint vibration, a sacred light seeped into her skin.
Soon, a small, neat sword-shaped emblem etched itself onto the back of her hand.
With this, our agreement was officially sealed.
No.
...To be precise, there was still one more thing left to do.
"Then, let us move immediately."
"Pardon?"
She paused.
Examining the emblem on her hand, Selena snapped her head up.
She asked, her voice laced with confusion.
"Move? Where to?"
"To where the Defier of Heaven is. To the abyss where the ritual is being held."
"...Right now?"
Selena stared at me in disbelief.
"Lord Gaon, there is no need to rush. The ritual is scheduled for tomorrow. If you intend to face the Defier of Heaven, it would be wiser to prepare thoroughly before making a move..."
"No."
I cut her off flatly.
"The ritual has already begun."
"!"
"Lord Gaon, please...! Just a moment...!"
Selena Servich hurried after me, her voice filled with panic.
"Moving so suddenly will arouse the suspicion of Professor Biorf and the other professors. The atmosphere is already tense because we brought outsiders into the academy."
"..."
"Please trust me. The ritual is under strict control. Furthermore, I know when the Defier of Heaven will be at their weakest. If we wait and plan together..."
"Silence. Be quiet."
She froze.
Selena's lips parted, then stiffened. A silence fell over us, cold enough to freeze the air.
"...!"
Her face instantly hardened. Under the sudden activation of the Seal's authority, she couldn't utter another word.
Such was the power of the Seal, which allowed the leader to issue absolute commands to members up to three times a day.
Step, step.
I walked toward the stairs leading down to the dungeon.
While Selena struggled in frustrated silence, Adelia and Isaac Berylof quietly followed behind me.
This world reacts sensitively to the player's actions.
Had I not said this many times before?
Just as a butterfly's wings can trigger a storm, a single small choice of mine often yielded unpredictable consequences.
Meeting Pokryong, and the resurrection of the Human Butcher, Barba, were all part of those anomalies.
However...
Not all choices lead to unpredictable outcomes.
The same applied to why I was rushing to the abyss.
The moment I took over the leadership of the Shadow Society, a hidden trigger for a sudden event was activated.
Naturally, this was information that even Strawberry Latte didn't know.
Over the course of my two hundred playthroughs, I had amassed countless secrets known only to me. That was how I had maintained my rank as the number one player.
In any case.
I just need to make the most of the variables I can predict.
This incident was no different.
The standard way to deal with the Defier of Heaven was, as Selena said, to wait until the specific period when they became weak.
But by intentionally forcing the event early, I could reap far greater rewards. Theoretically, at least.
And as always, I intended to go for the high-risk, high-reward option.
Besides...
I glanced back.
As I walked down the corridor leading to the basement, I felt something tailing us.
A level window floating in the air caught my eye.
...Right on schedule. They're following us.
Our new 'ally' was currently hot on our heels.