Recyclable Trash (1)
Drip. Drip. Drip.
'This is ridiculous, you fucking idiot Kinber.'
Kinber stared at the blood droplets soaking the floor.
It was well past midnight. They'd reached the gold mine exit, but not even moonlight filtered in. Shadows danced under the flickering torchlight. Shouts echoed.
"He can't have gone far with those injuries."
"Search every inch! It's Kinber we're after."
"Stealth Mastery Kinber, what, you wanna play hide-and-seek with us?"
[Stealth] at mastery proficiency was active. Thanks to that, Kinber had perfectly melted into the darkness.
But no matter how flawless the stealth, it couldn't hide the blood trailing across the floor.
Kinber glanced back at his path. In the gloom, a faint trail of blood droplets stretched out. It wasn't obvious in the dark, but if you paid attention, you could spot and follow it.
'Damn it.'
Squeeze— Kinber clutched his torn gut hard.
PKers after all. No, murderers hardened by killing.
Back when Yusra Kingdom was still called the archipelago, Kinber had held a peerless position in Supernova, second only to the Five Stars.
'Guess they didn't waste their time like I did.'
But after that day, Kinber hadn't joined any PKs or operations.
Whether it was fallout from locking eyes with Harcon Kingsguard, or just growing a conscience with age... Kinber himself didn't know.
'Point is, I'm a has-been now.'
He'd figured he could slip away easily. He trusted his [Stealth].
But he'd barely put distance between them before sustaining this grievous wound.
Abnormal Status: 'Bleeding' has occurred.
Abnormal Status: 'Dizziness' has occurred.
Abnormal Status: 'Excessive Bleeding' has occurred.
Caution: Vitality is critically low.
A hollow laugh escaped him.
'...Is this why they say you shouldn't try shit you gave up on?'
The Stars' Conference.
If he hadn't gone, he wouldn't be caught up in this mess.
Yeah, he hadn't even planned to join the operation, so why show up to the conference?
Kinber, you fucking moron.
'Why? Why do you think, asshole?'
Because it was in Yusra Kingdom.
'Even has-beens have some pride.'
And to top it off, all Five Stars were attending.
Kinber swallowed a bitter laugh.
He'd known it all along, so why act surprised, this guy he was...
'...Maybe I wanted to check.'
Whether his change stemmed from fear, true reform, or just whimsy.
So what did he find cracking open that emotional lid? Total disaster, as you can see.
Fearful, yet uneasy, and annoyed all at once.
Look at him now, courting death. That says it all.
"He already bolted out of the mine?"
"We'd see something. Head outside first..."
"...Hold up."
Suddenly, the pursuit squad heading for the mine exit halted.
Kinber checked his remaining mana.
Maintaining [Stealth] was nearing its limit.
And then.
"Blood smell hasn't faded. Definitely nearby."
One guy had senses way too sharp.
Kinber eyed the blood soaking his clothes.
Should've cauterized the wound with fire.
He was swallowing his regret when—
"Found you. Kinber!!"
The blood trail on the floor was spotted.
'Fucking bastard.'
Key was quick judgment.
Thud! Kinber bolted forward.
Every step sent agony ripping through him, like his organs might spill out, but he didn't stop.
"Over there?"
Still, he couldn't mask the noise.
They pursued his footsteps.
Threats trailed from behind.
"Why not give up here, Kinber?"
"Time to feel it in your gut."
"Familiar, right? How these chases end."
Familiar, huh.
Not wrong.
Kinber had been infamous in Supernova, if not quite Five Stars level.
He'd been in the reverse position countless times.
Sneering voices.
"Don't know what wind blew up your ass. Hilarious, though? Wanna wash that bloodstained past? Think the trash stink baked into you will just rinse off?"
...Tch.
Kinber rummaged his inventory instead of replying. No potions.
Instead, he hurled a rare-grade poison vial at the ceiling.
Crash!
Poison rained down on the pursuers' heads.
"Gahk!"
"That fucker!! Blindness debuff."
"Don't rely on sight. Follow the smell."
Damn, the sharp one made it trouble.
"Tch."
Roll— Kinber took the chaos to roll and toss another potion vial.
Dawn was still far off.
He hoped they'd mistake the potion trail for blood drops, but if they were that alert, no dice.
Flickering messages again.
Caution: Mana is critically low.
The limit was truly imminent.
The moment [Stealth] dropped, attacks would pour in.
That'd be his end.
Kinber pulled his last resort: a scroll.
[Scroll - Emergency Escape]
Dozens to a hundred meters of teleportation.
Useful for shaking monster aggro, but against these guys? A hundred meters was nothing.
Kinber gave a wry smile.
'Don't know the reason myself.'
He couldn't even understand his own whim.
Did Lee Hoyeol forgive him?
Had he even apologized first?
Or lived virtuously enough to deserve forgiveness?
None of it.
Still.
'Couldn't even get word to him.'
Didn't even know where Lee Hoyeol was...
So why did he provoke the Five Stars by mentioning him?
From one to ten, he couldn't rationalize it.
But one thing was clear.
"...This fucking sucks."
Kinber's wretched form materialized in the air.
His strength had finally given out.
The pursuers lit up.
"Yeah, Kinber! Being hunted fucking sucks, huh? But ain't it good to experience it? Why not feel what all those players you killed felt..."
"It's unfair."
"Unfair? Well, if you think that..."
"The guy..."
"...What?"
The conversation oddly mismatched.
Swish— Kinber raised the scroll and continued.
"Who made this Kinber look like utter shit. Losing his legs, getting ambushed by vermin like you, dying... Just imagining it fucking sucks, you trash cunts."
"...A scroll! Stop the activation!"
"Fuck! Too late!"
Flash!
Mana light burst from the torn scroll.
But these were Supernovas, familiar with such situations.
They knew emergency scrolls' range better than anyone.
Someone said,
"Can't have gone far. At most a few hundred meters, collapsed somewhere. Track the mana trace or blood smell. Find him however."
The guess was spot-on.
"Kuh."
Kinber had collapsed on the floor.
But "few hundred meters" was wrong.
He'd maxed the scroll's performance.
By inputting coordinates.
"...Good thing I memorized the coords."
The operation he'd rejected before.
He'd turned it down, but memorized the target coordinates perfectly.
Step.
Footsteps approached Kinber.
"That's your dying words?"
Dry voice. Not a Supernova's.
Not even human.
The rejected op: raid Lee Hoyeol's garden in the Golden Palace annex.
So the one addressing Kinber, collapsed in [Garden of Dignity], was obvious.
Elf, Elcidoir.
"...Got a message."
Kinber told approaching Elcidoir about the Stars' Conference.
Elcidoir listened stone-faced.
Then bluntly said,
"Trash."
His eyes brimmed with contempt.
"You know, trash? Once blood stains your hands, it never washes off. Once trash, forever trash."
Kinber didn't reply.
No energy, and no desire to argue.
'I know, you cunt...'
Some might scoff.
Trying to pass info to seek forgiveness from Lee Hoyeol and Harcon Kingsguard? Think that washes the blood on your hands? Absurd.
'I know, you cunts.'
Kinber mustered strength to speak.
"Fuck off. Never sought forgiveness..."
Just a whim, like he said.
Elcidoir stared at him.
Then,
"Admitting you're trash?"
"...Taunting me? Fuck you too, pointy-ears."
"Good. Filthy mouth confirms it."
Elcidoir's lips curled coldly.
"Then, without guilt..."
Shing—!
He drew his sword from his waist.
"...It suits you."
...What?
Suits me, suddenly?
Kinber opened his squinted eyes at the nonsense.
Elcidoir said,
"Guard the garden till he returns, lowest-grade trash."
...Lowest-grade trash?
What the fuck. Trash has grades now?
"...What bullshit is this?"
With that, Kinber passed out.
...
Supernovas.
Dozens of trackers scanned the dark.
"Blood smell cut off."
"Not random tele?"
"No rush. At most 1km."
PK pros who'd killed uncountable players.
Experience told them.
"Eh, he'll die on his own anyway."
Deep into the night. No one to help Kinber.
Even if daytime, Kinber was infamous Supernova.
Begging bloodied for help?
"Who'd believe you, Kinber?"
Lee Hoyeol too.
With his lofty nature, he'd ignore an infamous like Kinber.
Doubtful Kinber could even reach him directly.
But they overlooked.
"Knew trash like you existed."
That trash has grades.
Approaching presence.
Tension at the ominous aura—
Then form emerged from dark.
"...!!"
Not human.
Pale skin, blue eyes, pointed ears.
Elf.
"Heard the story, trash. Targeting Harcon Kingsguard's life, huh. Shame. He's one of my few chat buddies."
"...Elcidoir!!"
His infamy was legendary.
Shadow Mercenaries, perfect upgrade over Supernovas.
He'd utterly demolished Rackid, Colosseum legend and PK king.
Elcidoir spat,
"Don't plan on surviving."
"!!!"
His words barely out, blue eyes accelerated.
In that instant, Supernovas thought.
Dozens against one.
'If we use numbers...!'
All miscalculation against absolute power.
Clang—!
Dozens of wrists severed.
"A, aaaaagh!!"
Elcidoir snapped prickly,
"Shut up. Flowers are waking."
"Wh-what does that...?!"
"No need to know."
Elcidoir swung mercilessly.
Elcidoir.
Colosseum legend.
Rackid, PK legend, couldn't touch him.
And his killing experience dwarfed Supernovas'.
He knew it himself.
"Uh, uhehe. Sp-spare me...!!"
Minutes later.
Dozens of Kinber's trackers.
One survivor.
Swish.
Elcidoir wiped blood from his cheek.
"World ain't as pretty as a garden. Arcana or here, trash litters everywhere. Gotta dirty hands to clean it. But for mere trash removal..."
"...!"
"...Need to soil clean hands on purpose?"
Yeah, to tend flowers.
Someone had to clear the filthy trash.
Dirty those hands.
"Ain't using already-dirty hands more efficient?"
Elcidoir knew.
He was irredeemable trash himself.
But trash has grades.
'No need for them to know this ugly world.'
Lee Hoyeol.
Harcon Kingsguard.
Golden Palace retainers.
Elcidoir murmured, picturing their faces.
"Me alone's enough."
Stab!
"Karma's mine alone."
Elcidoir stabbed the Supernova's thigh.
Rolled-back eyes.
To the groaning man,
"Want easy death? Guide me to the conference."
...
Stars' Conference hall.
Yusra Kingdom gold mine.
Supernovas awaiting Kinber news chatted.
"Later than expected."
"Told you, stealth master."
"Still, before dawn..."
Then, a message before their eyes.
Thud thud.
Blood Elf, Elcidoir has appeared.
Under dropped torch on floor, Supernovas.
"R-run awa...?!"
"Guhk...!"
"Mi...?"
"F...!!!"
No, the trash began separate collection of heads and bodies.