Chapter 24

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Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: 24

Chapter Title: Greed's Punishment

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As expected, the one who arrived after passing the final gateway was Borgo.

He had probably breezed through that last gateway with no trouble.

Snowman had already triggered the mechanism for it, after all. Borgo had just strolled along the straight path that led here from the ninth gateway.

"You haven't gotten out yet, have you, you filthy rat?"

Snowman eyed him with golden-glowing eyes.

Borgo's lackey stood at his side.

"Where are the others?"

Borgo's face hardened at Snowman's calm demeanor and the way he asked without a hint of fear.

"I ask the questions here. You answer—and hand over that neck of yours. No, wait. I'll chop you up and scatter the pieces across the field. That sounds more fun, doesn't it?"

"So, just the two of you?"

"I said I ask the questions, you bastard!"

Borgo trembled with rage.

His voice shook slightly—anger beyond the normal level gripping him.

But then his lackey changed the subject.

"Lord Borgo... look at this."

"...What?"

"Th-this treasure. Just imagine—with stuff like this, from now on, we'll..."

Treasures that would make any ordinary person's heart pound littered the chamber.

He had his back completely turned to Borgo, entranced by the golden objects as he fondled them.

His behavior made sense, in a way. He'd followed his unruly boss all the way here for the loot, after all.

But it still rubbed Borgo the wrong way.

Whoooosh—!

Crack!

"Gahk!"

Borgo's handaxe buried itself in the lackey's back.

"Wh... why, you bastard... why..."

"Don't touch them. Heh... they're all mine."

Borgo was already half-mad.

How could the leader who lost nearly thirty men breaching the ruins stay sane?

Of course, the last one was by Borgo's own hand.

Snowman sneered at him.

"Now I see—even reaching this place with two survivors was a miracle."

"Shut up! Shut your mouth! I... I'll take it all. The treasures here—and your life!"

"Then take them, if you can."

Borgo crammed every shiny thing he saw into his pockets. Even when they overflowed, he forced more in.

He looked like a total lunatic.

"Heh heh... all... all mine."

Then he spotted something and rushed over, jamming it onto his body.

It was armor Snowman had set aside especially. Classified by Snowman's own discerning eye—no way Borgo could resist it.

The armor slipped onto him perfectly, adjusting without any hassle, as if he were its rightful owner.

"It's treasure after all! Perfect!"

"You'll regret that..."

Not satisfied, he grabbed the helmet nearby and donned it too.

It fit him like a glove, flooding him with overflowing power.

Borgo had been battered breaking through the traps, so this surge of unknown strength filled him with ecstasy.

"Power... this power! I'll crush you with it until you can't even breathe!"

Thud!

Only after grabbing a fancy-looking spear did confidence swell in him. He finally turned to Snowman.

And realized Snowman had just been watching all along.

"Why are you just standing there? Why didn't you stop me?"

"No one told you, huh?"

"...What?"

"The name of this place."

The Hall of Temperance.

Borgo's eyes rolled wildly.

Someone had definitely tried to warn him.

"As you can see, this ruin was completely dismantled by that Kirjin guy, laying bare its innards. The gateways ahead aren't anything special, but there are two things to watch out for..."

Kirjin had mentioned two precautions. He'd experienced one, but not the other.

No— he was about to, now.

Borgo sensed eyes on him and whipped his head toward the source.

Creeeak...

Izmokan's statue began to change.

Its eyes turned red, a serpentine tongue flicking from its mouth.

Like it was furious.

An enraged voice echoed from it.

The entire space shook.

Izmokan bellowed in a voice more demonic than divine, filled with dread.

"Wh-what?!"

Borgo jolted like a thief caught red-handed at Izmokan's voice.

Rumble—!

A red flash struck him like lightning.

"Uh... huh?"

But nothing seemed to happen to him.

Or so it appeared.

"Hahaha! Greed? Greed is what drives me, Borgo! Without it, I never would've made it here! No one can punish me! I... I... ugh... uh?"

Crunch!

His right arm suddenly twisted backward.

"Gaaaaahhh!"

"You've been punished."

"Sh-shut up! Why won't my body... obey me..."

Crunch crunch!

"Argh!"

This time, his left leg snapped.

Was this Izmokan's punishment?

It wasn't the end of the inexplicable events.

Boom—!

Snowman's interface filled with messages.

'It's starting.'

The final trial to conquer the Hall of Temperance.

A hidden gimmick—or a secret stage, you could say.

Clang!

Clank!

Shrrrrrr—!

Items from all around flew toward Borgo's body.

Light boots, sturdy greaves, a round shield for agile reactions in combat, and even a chain that wrapped around one hand.

Borgo freaked out as treasures attached themselves without his intent.

"My body... it's moving on its own!"

Step.

Borgo took an awkward step forward. And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in that instant—

Whoosh!

He charged at Snowman with blinding speed.

Fast enough to lose sight of—but Snowman had Insight open, reading every move.

Whoooosh—!

Borgo's spear thrust toward Snowman.

But—

Clang—!

"Can't even control your own body, huh."

Jamad had appeared in front of Snowman, batting away the attack.

Snowman glanced at Borgo, and a new interface popped up.

A verbose interface detailing Borgo.

Snowman grasped it instantly.

'Insight's doing.'

He'd only just gotten it and wasn't fully used to it yet—but pulling this much info proved how potent it was.

'Abilities I can roughly guess. But that special one, Critical Strike—gotta watch out for it.'

Jamad glanced back at Snowman, lost in thought.

"Hey, Snowman. What're you mulling over?"

"Well..."

"Cut the trivial worries and trust me. Pondering during a scrap with this trash is just wasting time..."

Whoooosh—!

Scraaaaaape...

Borgo hurled nearby treasure—a massive suit of armor hurtled toward them.

Jamad caught it mid-sentence but skidded back.

"This... all because of you! I'll kill you... I swear I'll kill you..."

Borgo's body moved in grotesque ways.

Like a parasite puppeteering him.

Whoosh—!

Clank!

A diagonal chain lash.

But Jamad countered just as fiercely.

"Not on my watch!"

Shrrrk—!

The chain wrapped around Mountain Fist.

Sizzle!

Szzzt!

They strained to yank each other closer via the chain.

Grrrrr!

"Let go, you arrogant...!"

"Ha! No chance."

Jamad snorted, muscles bulging.

His shadow vibrated viciously.

Crack!

Craaack!

"Gaaaaah!"

Borgo's arm finally snapped.

But it didn't end there.

"Haaap!"

Jamad rode the momentum, reeling Borgo in.

And—

Boooom—!

A clean kick shattered Borgo's pelvis.

The recoil was brutally horrific.

Splatter!

Thud... thud...

"Graaaah!"

Borgo's arm severed, pelvis twisted. He looked done for—never to rise again.

But then, the unexpected happened.

At Izmokan's voice, Borgo's body regenerated in seconds.

Shrrk!

Crunch.

Even his pelvis realigned instantly.

Borgo laughed through the agony.

"Heh heh... I'm invincible. Heh... Must protect... the hall... my treasures."

Drool spilling from the horrific pain, he was already a mindless puppet.

Snowman's expression soured.

Without the stat debuff on Borgo, the fight would've been overwhelmingly grim.

"Hmph! Just smash him till he can't get up again. No worries."

"Don't touch my treasures!"

Whoosh—!

Whoooosh—!

Borgo's movements were speeding up.

Whether the specter had adapted or some other reason, it wasn't good.

Boom!

Thud!

Jamad's fist hammered Borgo's armor and shield. But Borgo barely flinched now. No—he ignored the pain.

"Get out of the way, you troll bastard!"

Jamad read the next attack and braced.

"No! It's dangerous!"

"What?"

Snowman's shout rang out as a sword flew at Jamad's back.

"Tch!"

Clang—!

He barely deflected it, but his hand stung.

Borgo's real attack was still coming.

Whoooosh—!

A warhammer now in Borgo's hand.

"Get lost—out of my way!"

Crush—!

"Urgh..."

Booooom—!

Boom!

Jamad smashed through two pillars and slammed into the wall.

Crumble...

Stone rained down, kicking up dust. The devastation hinted at the impact's force.

Thinking victory his, Borgo sauntered toward Snowman.

"Heh heh... heh heh heh... just you left now? Too bad, huh? Dying in a dump like this."

Snowman scoffed at his premature gloating.

"...Why laugh? Oh, I get it. Yeah, I laugh when I'm pissed too. You're mad 'cause you can't accept death, right?"

"I haven't lost yet."

"Scared, huh? Haha! Pathetic."

Swish—!

Whoooosh...

Thud!

A longsword flew from the treasure pile into his hand.

He gripped it reverse and raised it overhead.

A summoner without summons would be skewered.

Slash—!

But at that moment—

Boom—!

Swoosh—

Jamad burst from behind Snowman, yanking him away like lightning.

Snowman escaped the sword's range in a flash.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Whoooosh!

Thump.

Borgo's pursuing sword halted, wrist locked by Jamad.

"Guhk..."

Crunch.

Jamad cracked his neck side ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to side, grimacing.

"Fools like you have greed but no fear."

"Wh-what're you saying, you troll shit!"

"I'll... etch fear into you."

Jamad's eyes blazed fiercely.

Rumble rumble rumble...

Vibrations reached Jamad—and Borgo, linked to him.

The ability that had given even Karuna trouble activated.

"This body of mine, unlike yours..."

"Get lost! Now—out of my sight! You worthless—"

Crack!

"Gaaah!"

Jamad snapped Borgo's wrist again.

And ended their exchange with one final line.

"If you're angry, then rage."