Chapter 208
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: Slave Contract
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Black Scythe…….”
John Delgado muttered in a dazed expression.
The enemy he had to seek revenge against was right in front of him.
In reality, no less—not in some other world.
‘I can’t let my guard down now.’
John snapped to attention.
If it were before, he would have attacked on sight.
But now he knew.
Charging at Black Scythe was no different from suicide.
“Ar-are you really Black Scythe?”
“You have to ask even after seeing this scythe?”
Ryu Min swung the scythe threateningly.
John flinched and instinctively checked if all his limbs were still attached.
“Y-yeah, it’s really you, Black Scythe. How did you know where my house was?”
“Does that matter?”
John shook his head.
How he found out wasn’t important.
Why he came here was.
“What brings you here…….”
“What do you think?”
He answered the question with another question, which felt like wordplay, but John could sense it.
Black Scythe knew everything.
“For revenge…… right?”
“Keep going.”
“You’ve come to collect payment for what our group did.”
“Hmm. I thought your head was just for show, but it’s not.”
Ryu Min chuckled wryly before cutting straight to the point.
“As you guessed, I know about the assassination attempt from your Messiah group. Not bad, I’ll give you that. Instead of taking my squad members hostage like last time, you planned to hire a killer while I was in a coma from narcolepsy. Whose idea was it? Dark Soul? Yang Chwi-wen? Spaniard?”
“…….”
As expected, Black Scythe knew everything.
But.
‘He knows not just the group name Messiah, but even the apostles’ nicknames…….’
He hadn’t imagined it would be this detailed.
‘Was Swingman really the traitor?’
Goosebumps rose on his arms, but that wasn’t important right now.
Considering what they’d done to Black Scythe, it wouldn’t be strange if his head rolled right here.
‘I can’t die like this. Not like…….’
Even a fool wouldn’t think of a surprise attack.
No matter how powerful his summoned beasts were, they were mere candles in the wind against Black Scythe.
When one bolt of lightning could wipe out thirty of them, what good would angel summons do?
Especially with penalties applied?
‘Fighting with force is the worst option. There’s only one way to survive.’
Thud—
John Delgado suddenly dropped to his knees.
“I-I’m sorry. Black Scythe. I’m truly sorry.”
“You have to say what you did wrong for me to understand.”
“I made the mistake of joining a group called Messiah to oppose you, someone as lofty as the heavens. I foolishly engaged in pointless assassination plots, bothering you, Black Scythe. I’ll leave that lowly group called Messiah right away, so please, I beg you, show mercy and spare this wretched life of mine…….”
“You sure know how to drag out a plea for your life.”
Ryu Min said that, but he was satisfied.
He could sense sincerity in John Delgado’s thoughts.
‘It’s not some scheme to weasel out. He’s genuinely terrified of me and desperate to stay alive.’
The word revenge had already faded from his innermost thoughts.
Of course, he hadn’t fully let go—resentment lingered—but John was mostly giving up.
‘He thinks he has to survive at least until round 20 somehow.’
He knew revenge would only be possible after that, not now. It was a luxury.
“I like the sincerity.”
“Th-then…….”
“Yeah. I’ll spare your life.”
“Th-thank you! Thank y…….”
“But there’s a condition.”
At the word “condition,” John’s joyful expression froze, his eyes widening.
“Wh-what condition…….”
“Let’s have a duel, just once.”
“Huh? A d-duel?”
“Yeah. I’m submitting the terms now, so check them out. They’re not bad for you either, so decide after reading.”
Ryu Min manipulated the air in front of him and sent the duel request.
John stared silently at the request window, his eyes widening in shock.
[The player before you has challenged ‘John Delgado’ to a duel.]
[Duel Type ▶ Non-lethal Sparring]
[Victory Condition ▶ Land even the slightest touch]
[Victory Reward ▶ Loser becomes the winner’s slave, serving and obeying them as master for life]
[Opponent Penalty ▶ No equipment or skills allowed, must not move a single step until duel ends, forfeits first strike]
[John Delgado Penalty ▶ None]
[Do you accept the duel under these conditions? Y/N]
‘Wh-what is this?’
John knew what a duel request was.
The terms were just absurd.
‘The loser becomes the winner’s slave?’
This was basically a slave contract to make him a slave.
‘I absolutely can’t accept. No way.’
But what if he won?
He could turn Black Scythe into his slave instead.
It would be far more useful revenge than killing him.
‘The issue is whether I can win a duel against Black Scythe…….’
Logically, it was impossible.
It was balance-breaking.
A fight not worth watching.
Yet John hesitated.
‘No skills or items, won’t move a step, and even forfeits first strike?’
There was unexpectedly a chance of victory.
‘The terms are great. Just grazing the body with an attack wins.’
He got first strike, and the opponent was standing still like a scarecrow?
That was practically handing him the win.
Even with such favorable terms, John didn’t fall for it easily.
‘He must think he can win too, that’s why he proposed this. He wants to enslave me.’
The intent was obvious.
Even knowing that, John couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
He might get killed on the spot for being useless.
‘No, he definitely would. That cold-blooded bastard…….’
Then there was only one way out.
Defy Black Scythe’s expectations, win the bet, and enslave him.
That was John Delgado’s only chance, the sole way to turn this around.
[Duel has been established.]
[Duel between the two will begin in 10 seconds.]
Ryu Min’s lips curled into a smirk as he read the message.
‘Knew you’d accept.’
John had no real choice to begin with.
The situation didn’t allow for pickiness.
‘It was tempting bait. The chance to enslave me.’
Plus, the penalties balanced it just right.
Seeming unfavorable enough, but offering enough hope of victory.
‘Even without skills, unable to move, forfeiting first strike…….’
Ryu Min had no worries.
With Mind Reading Rune and Foresight Rune, he was confident he could see through any trick.
“I forfeit first strike. Come at me.”
“I would’ve even without you saying…….”
Fzzzzz—
“I know, you fucking bastard!”
A ghostly form materialized at the tip of John Delgado’s staff.
Sariel, the spirit undead that only took magical damage.
It was summoned in its gaunt, skeletal form.
“Kill that son of a bitch!”
At its master’s command, Sariel charged silently, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
So fast it looked like teleportation.
Soon, Sariel’s curved sword from life flashed, drawing a line.
First strike yielded as promised.
Ryu Min simply twisted his upper body to dodge and uttered one word.
“Discharge.”
Zzzzzap—the lightning shot out with a crackle, piercing not just Sariel’s body but blasting through the house ceiling.
“Wh-what!?”
For an archangel summon, it was an anticlimactic end, but that wasn’t why John was shocked.
“You said no skills!”
“This isn’t a skill, it’s a rune effect.”
“You cheating fuck!”
Realizing he’d been tricked, John calmly pulled out his next move.
Rooooar—
Five spirit undead formed at his staff tip, scattering in all directions and swarming Ryu Min simultaneously.
But nothing unexpected happened.
“Area Discharge.”
One ability cleared everything around him.
John, who had anticipated this, immediately summoned five more.
‘No need to commit full force at once. It’d just get wiped anyway.’
John’s strategy was simple.
Divide and attack with dispersed forces.
‘That damn ability must have a cooldown too.’
Attacking in groups of five would overwhelm the cooldown.
A smile crept onto John’s lips.
It was a plan for this exact moment, one with real winning potential.
If Ryu Min didn’t have the Darkness Rune, that is.
“Scatter.”
The dark orbs floating up transformed into dozens of blades, spreading everywhere.
Pew-pew-pew-pew-pew!
Infused with magic damage, the blades shredded the spirit undead on contact.
Every last one, without exception.
Including John Delgado.
“Gah…….”
A dark blade embedded in his forehead, and he crumpled to his knees.
[Duel has ended. ‘Black Scythe’ victory.]
[Opponent has lost, so they become your slave, serving and obeying ‘Black Scythe’ as master for life.]
The duel was over.
A smile played on Ryu Min’s lips.
‘Went according to plan.’
Just like with Joo Seong-tak, he’d turned John into a slave via duel request.
The wound on John’s forehead vanished as if it were never there, and he lifted his head while still kneeling.
“Greetings, Master.”
“Good. John, there’s something I want to test with you.”
“Give me your orders.”
He’d just killed Sariel, but since it was a duel, better safe.
“Summon an angel.”
“5 minutes left on cooldown. Could you wait a bit?”
“Sure.”
Five minutes later, John summoned the spirit undead again.
Lacking ego, Sariel didn’t recognize Ryu Min.
‘Let’s test if killing summons stacks it. Discharge.’
Zzzzzap!
He blasted Sariel with lightning, erasing it.
But no message appeared, and the Demon Rune count didn’t change.
[Angels Slain: 1/100]
‘Only the first Sariel kill counted.’
Killing an angel summon didn’t stack the Demon Rune.
‘Makes sense. If summons gave benefits, no one would bother with all this.’
Same for other summons—no EXP or gold from killing them.
If there were, summoners worldwide would be grinding levels in reality together.
‘They give nothing, but I tested just in case.’
‘Shows how desperate my situation is.’
To face the next archangel, he needed stacks to activate Demon’s Blessing anytime.
‘Need 99 more angels for the blessing. What now?’
No way to find angels, so stacking was impossible.
‘Should I have threatened him like with Remiel to call angels and kill them?’
He regretted killing Sariel outright but soon shook his head.
‘He resisted to the end. Wouldn’t have called them easily.’
Not the type to fold to threats.
‘No choice. Next time I meet an angel, I’ll test. Might not count because it’s a spirit undead.’
Intact corpses could make corporeal undead.
Unlike spirits, corporeal ones couldn’t be resummoned after destruction, so maybe different.
‘Look forward to the next test. See if killing a corporeal undead angel counts.’
If it did, John Delgado’s value would skyrocket.
Easier stacking.
‘I’ll use him for life then.’
Of course, Ryu Min planned to use him regardless of the result.