Chapter 184
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: Savior
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The necromancer couldn't answer the question of whether he wanted to die.
He was completely frozen, crushed by the killing intent.
‘No, is he shocked because his ambush was nullified?’
Well, he had instantly annihilated thirty spirit undead, so no wonder he was stunned.
Ryu Min now had every justification to kill him, but he had no intention of doing so right away.
‘A necromancer still has some use. It’d be a waste to kill him now.’
Once the 11th round ended, someone would approach the necromancer with a proposal.
To form a national alliance organization called ‘Messiah.’
‘To forge a connection with those guys, I need to keep the necromancer alive.’
Besides, in the 12th round, there would come a time when his summoning magic would be needed.
Using him then would make clearing it much easier.
Unaware that Ryu Min had not the slightest intent to kill him, the necromancer's face was tense to the extreme.
-Kill him. If you let him go, I’ll die.
He could read the necromancer's thoughts, but Ryu Min pretended not to notice and kept up the intimidation.
“Why no answer? Do you really want to di—”
That was when the necromancer aimed his staff at Ryu Min's back.
Instead of answering, he used the ‘Corpse Revival’ skill.
“Grraaahhh…”
Turning his head, Ryu Min saw Douglas—who had been lying there like a corpse—rise as if he had never died.
Crack, crack—
As the zombie-like figure restored his own broken neck to normal, Christine gasped in surprise.
It wasn’t some spirit undead.
It was a real undead with a physical body.
Unlike spirit undead, corporeal undead were immune to magic damage.
‘Does he think I’m a mage and summoned that?’
Ryu Min laughed derisively.
It seemed he thought one such creature could do something, but it was pointless.
“Dawn’s Ro—”
Splat!
Douglas had tried to use some skill, but his head exploded first.
Whoosh—clack!
Ryu Min’s scythe, which had extended, returned to its original position.
“…”
The necromancer’s face filled with shock, as he hadn’t even imagined the scythe could extend.
“You thought you could take me on with just that one? Even if you summoned dozens, the result would be the same.”
“What the hell are you… Aaaagh!”
The necromancer screamed mid-sentence.
Ryu Min had mercilessly severed one of his arms.
“Balance is off now. I’ll cut the other one too.”
Before he could say anything, a whoosh passed by, and the other arm dropped to the ground.
“G-Gaaaahhh!”
Next was the left leg.
Thud!
“Lost your balance? In that case…”
He cleanly severed the right leg as well.
“Gwaaahhh!”
With all four limbs amputated, Ryu Min stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Now, what should I cut next? Not the head—anything else?”
The trembling necromancer looked like he’d die any second.
As Ryu Min menacingly swung his scythe once more.
“Wait! Please, don’t kill him!”
Ryu Min halted the scythe at Christine’s words.
He hadn’t planned to kill him anyway.
“Why stop me?”
“His subordinates are fighting our comrades nearby. If we take him alive, they’ll surely stop the battle.”
“So, hold him hostage to end the fight?”
“It’s shameless of me, but I’m begging you. I’m worried about my comrades.”
With such earnest pleading, Ryu Min had no choice but to lower his scythe.
‘The fight’s already over, though.’
With farsight, Ryu Min had already grasped the situation over there.
The saintess’s followers had been defeated.
They’d all been killed, leaving only about 170 of the necromancer’s devotees.
Unaware of that fact, Christine believed it wasn’t too late and they could still be saved.
‘For now, I can’t kill him.’
He’d never intended to anyway, but Ryu Min nodded as if doing her a favor.
“If you ask like that.”
A warm light emanated from his hand, enveloping the necromancer’s severed stumps.
The blood gushing like a faucet stopped, and the man’s deathly pallor eased.
Emergency treatment had saved the necromancer.
“I’ll personally show mercy and spare you.”
“…”
“Next time you meet someone, watch your words and actions. You might run into a psycho like me.”
Even after regaining his senses, the necromancer had no intention of responding.
He was only thinking of reattaching his limbs if given the chance.
“No need for this anymore, right?”
Zzzap!
He incinerated the remaining limbs to prevent any foolish thoughts.
With his chance gone, the necromancer’s face turned ashen.
Now, without earning points, he’d have no choice but to desperately hope his team won.
Well, if he survived this round, his body would recover fully.
“Better now? I didn’t kill him.”
Christine bowed her head deeply as Ryu Min turned to her.
“Thank you.”
Then she glared at the necromancer with hostile eyes.
“I’m taking you to where your comrades are. Once there, tell your followers to stop fighting immediately.”
“Me? Why?”
“Because I’ll kill you if you don’t.”
“Hmph…”
He scoffed at first, but the necromancer couldn’t dismiss Christine’s words lightly.
Without limbs, he couldn’t even fend off a child’s attack.
And from her eyes, it didn’t seem like a joke.
She looked dead serious.
“What’ll it be? Die by my hand now, or go stop the fight?”
“…I’ll go stop it.”
As Christine reached to pick up the necromancer now that he’d agreed.
“Hold on.”
Ryu Min pulled Christine toward him.
His twice-enhanced presence detection picked up approaching presences.
Farsight confirmed a group of thirty heading their way.
Followers of the Despair Cult.
“Get behind me.”
“Huh? What’s going—”
Christine soon spotted the distant approaching group and quietly hid behind Ryu Min.
“Cult Leader! Cult Lea— Ah!”
The arriving men gasped in horror at the sight of the limbless necromancer.
Then they all glared at Ryu Min and Christine.
“You did this to our cult leader?”
“You fucking bastards!”
Two of them immediately drew knives and charged.
Ryu Min showed no mercy to enemies charging without thought.
Slash—
One swing of his scythe decapitated both.
The remaining twenty-eight flinched and halted.
“Why stop? Come on. If dying is your wish.”
“…”
Finally realizing they couldn’t handle him, they hesitated and backed away.
“You idiots! Stop! Do you even know who you’re rushing at? That’s Black Scythe.”
“B-Black Scythe?”
At the cult leader’s words, the followers gawked at Ryu Min again.
Sure enough, he wielded a scythe as his nickname suggested.
His aura was as murderous as befitting level 90.
Realizing too late they’d poked a hornet’s nest, the followers broke into cold sweats.
“You, come carry me.”
“Yes.”
One follower picked up the necromancer’s torso.
“What are you all doing here?”
“We came to report that the battle’s over.”
“The battle’s over? What does that mean?”
As Christine interjected, the necromancer answered for her.
“It means your comrades are all dead.”
“Ah…”
Christine’s mouth fell open in shock.
Over a hundred followers slaughtered by the Despair Cult?
“Our side’s casualties?”
“About forty-five injured and thirty dead.”
Considering they faced a hundred, the losses were lighter than expected.
It was praiseworthy, but the necromancer held back.
Black Scythe might get offended and change his mind at any moment.
‘One slip of the tongue, and he might grab it as an excuse to kill me.’
Gulp.
Swallowing hard, the necromancer glanced at Ryu Min and spoke cautiously.
“As you see, the battle’s over. There’s nothing more I can do. So now, let me—”
“Fine, get lost already.”
A glimpse showed the saintess sunk in despair over her lost comrades.
‘Though I couldn’t kill the saintess herself, I succeeded in dismantling her forces.’
He’d achieved his goal, so this was a satisfactory result.
“…Let’s go.”
At the necromancer’s order, the followers turned away without regret.
None of the fools insisted on reckless revenge.
With their summoning-master cult leader reduced to this state, who could dream of vengeance?
Everyone knew even all of them charging wouldn’t beat Black Scythe.
“…”
“…”
As the cult leader and followers departed, silence fell between Ryu Min and Christine.
Christine, who hadn’t expected all her comrades to die, was still reeling from the shock.
‘Because of me… Everyone died because of me.’
They were her followers, but she’d never treated them as subordinates.
She’d regarded them all as equal comrades.
As Douglas had said, it was a relationship of mutual benefit, but they’d undeniably crossed death’s door together as comrades.
‘And yet… all because of me alone…’
She wanted to cry, but no tears came.
“Hey. What’s your nickname?”
“C-Christine…”
“Right, Christine. I get the gist. Losing the comrades who followed you must hurt. Feels like it’s all your fault too.”
“It’s not ‘feels like’—it is my fault. None of this would’ve happened without me.”
“That kind of blame game never ends. What if the cult leader hadn’t existed? What if this survival game never started?”
Christine listened closely to Ryu Min’s matter-of-fact tone.
“You’re saying it’s not my fault…?”
“Yeah. Did you deliberately gather those guys and make them follow you?”
Christine shook her head.
“See? They approached you first. Strictly speaking, it’s not your fault.”
“But…”
“It was the path chosen by the followers who followed you. So don’t get too caught up in emotions. Don’t blame yourself either.”
“…”
“Nothing’s stupider than worrying about the future in advance and driving yourself into a corner. So…”
Ryu Min paused briefly before continuing.
“Stop blaming yourself and shake off that burden. You’re not obligated to carry everyone’s weight alone.”
“…”
Christine wasn’t the sentimental type.
Romance movies, tearjerkers—none moved her.
No tears except when yawning.
But now.
“Huh…?”
Drip, drip—
Thick teardrops fell from beneath her eyes unbidden.
Startled by it, Christine flinched, but Ryu Min pretended not to notice and looked away.
‘Did I… just get comforted?’
She’d led so many alone, with nowhere to unload the burden.
Yet this man saw through it and comforted her.
It surprised her, but also relieved her.
To meet someone who understood her feelings.
“Was that meddling on my part?”
“N-No. Sorry, I showed you an ugly side…”
Wiping her tears, Christine forced a smile.
“Greetings are late. I’m Christine. You’re Black Scythe, right?”
Ryu Min didn’t deny it.
“Yeah. You believe I’m Black Scythe?”
“Of course. How could I not, after seeing that strength?”
A man who’d wiped out thirty undead rivaling players with one spell.
Who’d believe such a being was only level 40?
It had to be level 90 Black Scythe.
‘But his job is Reaper, yet he uses magic?’
She didn’t know Reaper skills, but one thing was certain: he was her lifesaver.
The one reliable mentor in this other world.
“Thank you so much for saving me, Black Scythe. How can I ever repay you for my life…”
“When did I save your life?”
“Huh?”
“I just taught some rude bastard a lesson in manners.”
“Ah. Haha.”
He played it off, but Christine could tell.
Black Scythe had made an excuse to save her.
Despite his words, he had a warm heart.
And this man was.
‘It’s certain. Black Scythe… he’s the savior I must follow.’
The lifeline she had to connect with, as prophesied.
“Um, Black Scythe.”
“What?”
Blushing under his gaze, Christine mustered her courage.
“C-Can I travel with you for the remaining time?”
“Why?”
“You saved my life. I want to repay you somehow.”
“Refused.”
“Y-Yes…?”
The curt rejection left Christine momentarily dazed.
‘Th-This isn’t how it’s supposed to go?’
She’d never imagined rejection at light speed.