Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Labyrinth City (1)
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"Hah-"
Seol Ingwi trembled with rage.
Kwachik—kwajijik—!
The ground beneath his feet was shattering under the pressure of his legs, and blood trickled from the corners of his tightly clenched mouth.
"What... did you say?"
His voice dripped with unmistakable fury as he demanded once more, but the Absolute Ruler of Darkness replied with utter calm.
"I am saying that I have no choice but to kill you."
That was all she said.
Eudeuk—!!
Seol Ingwi felt the fury boiling even hotter in his mind at her next words.
In the five years since becoming a Great Hero, he had never once heard such an insulting remark.
No one insane enough to threaten a Great Hero—who could lift even a mountain—had ever crossed his path.
Yet this girl before him had openly provoked not just him, but every Great Hero present, without so much as a flicker in her expression.
In other words, the air was thick enough for a bloodbath to erupt at any moment.
It wouldn't be strange if the impatient Seol Ingwi charged forward and ripped out the woman's throat right then.
Nor if the Sword God silently swung his blade, cleaving her in two.
The Archmage could unleash his magic, or the Earth Fist King—with his ferocity rivaling Seol Ingwi's—could flash a savage grin and lunge at her. None of it would be out of place.
And yet, despite their sour expressions, none of the Great Heroes moved.
The Sword God Arwen fidgeted with his fingers near his sword hilt, his face twisted in discomfort, but made no grab for it.
The Archmage Raruan simply stood in silence, gripping his staff.
The Earth Fist King wore a feral smile but showed no intention of rushing in recklessly, rooted to the spot.
And even Seol Ingwi, known above all for his lack of patience...
"..."
Merely stared at the woman with bloodshot eyes.
The nobles watching this scene were puzzled.
To them, the woman up front looked nothing short of deranged.
She seemed to be picking a fight with Great Heroes—beings who could single-handedly crush entire territories if they wished.
But unlike the nobles, the four Great Heroes remained still.
No—more precisely, they couldn't move.
Having faced those hollow eyes directly, the Great Heroes had realized it.
The being standing before them—an unknown figure whose name and face were shrouded in mystery—was no inferior to them.
Nay,
She might even stand a step above.
Instinct had screamed that charging alone would mean defeat against this monster.
That was why the Great Heroes held back.
The scowling Sword God.
The silent Archmage and Earth Fist King.
And Seol Ingwi, grinding his teeth.
All had grasped that the thing before them was a greater monster still.
But even as they realized this, the four Great Heroes coldly assessed the situation and arrived at the same conclusion.
'Joint assault.'
If all four Great Heroes here united as one to slay the monster before them, they could win.
Even if she was a monster, they were Great Heroes.
Legends in the flesh—together, victory was no impossibility.
No, they were certain of it.
Not arrogance, but plain truth.
"You think the four of us couldn't beat you? Sure, two of us might die, but if we all charge, you die."
Seol Ingwi spat the words after his calculations.
The nobles erupted in murmurs at that.
Shockingly, Seol Ingwi had just downplayed himself.
And to his question...
"I know that full well."
She admitted it cleanly.
"Then why say such—"
"However—"
Seol Ingwi scowled, starting to retort, but she cut him off.
"If I don't claim that sword right now, I'm as good as dead anyway. What does it matter?"
Seol Ingwi fell silent at her follow-up.
"!!"
The Great Heroes then caught it in her eyes.
Beneath those endlessly hollow gray pupils gleamed a spark of madness.
And so...
'This madwoman is serious...!'
A chill ran down their spines as they stared at her.
In the tense standoff that followed, the first to move among the heroes was...
"...Tch."
Seol Ingwi himself, his eyes still bloodshot moments ago.
Deep down, he had known.
A joint assault was impossible.
These four Great Heroes weren't close enough to risk their lives for one another.
Factor in their honors and the cities they governed, and fighting here was a losing proposition no matter how you sliced it.
Each had responsibilities to uphold, after all.
Thus...
Eudeuk—!
Seol Ingwi ground his teeth once more.
"I, Seol Ingwi, will never forget your crimes... Someday, with my brothers, I will come to make you kneel."
Kwang!
He slammed his foot into the ground, turned, and left.
"...If this weren't a city, I'd give you a fight."
"Arrogance always has a price."
The Earth Fist King and Archmage followed.
"...Indeed. Thanks to you, that little kingdom..."
Finally, the Sword God—affiliated with Norba Kingdom—muttered as if realizing something, then turned away. With that, all Great Heroes departed.
Watching them go with an impassive face, the Absolute Ruler of Darkness thought...
'With this, I've chased them all out.'
Truth be told, she hadn't planned to drive them off like this when she first arrived at the auction house.
But the reason she expelled the Great Heroes before the bidding began? The news brought by the Swords of Kalan—or rather, the funds the Great Heroes had brought to buy the Execution Sword.
Simply put, they had more money than she did, so she booted them first.
Of course, she could have joined the auction fairly and then pursued them if she lost—but Rapengan's auctions handed items to dwarves immediately after payment, who couldn't be chased down easily. That would complicate things further, so she resolved it this way.
About two hours later...
With the Great Heroes gone, the auction proceeded, and the Execution Sword came up.
"1.1 million gold."
"...O-One... one million one hundred thousand gold...!"
"Wh-Who the hell is that? Who—"
"Impossible...!"
The Absolute Ruler of Darkness bid every last coin she had on the Execution Sword.
Of course, having already warned everyone else not to bid after ousting the Great Heroes, she could have snagged it at the starting 50,000 gold.
But she didn't—out of genuine gratitude to whoever consigned it.
Without that person entering the Execution Sword, she never would have found or claimed it.
Thus, she poured out all her funds as thanks.
The Absolute Ruler of Darkness secured it.
At the moment the Absolute Ruler of Darkness won the Execution Sword...
"Is everything ready now?"
[Yes. Everything is prepared exactly as you instructed, my lord.]
Kim Hyunwoo had spent days preparing to open Labyrinth City.
Technically, he could have opened it right after developing the 3rd floor, but with unknowns ahead—even for him—he was taking every precaution.
[As you specified, we've selected eight personnel from the old territory's guild staff who can handle administrative duties. The construction should be fully complete by tomorrow.]
"Rumors?"
[It's only been a few days since we spread them, so mercenaries and adventurers haven't flooded in yet. But they're starting to gather within the territory.]
Satisfied with Loria's report, Kim Hyunwoo nodded approvingly.
Things were progressing steadily as planned.
Thus...
[And the task you gave Elena should wrap up by tonight.]
Listening to Loria's final update...
"Alright, then. Time to properly announce it to the adventurers?"
He murmured with a smile, "In two days, we'll open the labyrinth."
Right after winning the Execution Sword...
The Absolute Ruler of Darkness handed over the gold but opted to carry it herself instead of letting the dwarves deliver it.
She'd never heard of issues with dwarf shipments, but unease gnawed at her.
Thus, having received the freshly consigned Execution Sword from Rapengan territory, she gazed at it with deep emotion—then furrowed her brow in confusion.
For good reason.
"...Huh?"
She knew this Execution Sword all too well.
Confusion clouded her eyes.
As if the situation defied comprehension, she stared blankly, then slowly rotated it for a closer look.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
...And ten times.
Standing there, manipulating shadows to turn the sword every which way, the Absolute Ruler of Darkness finally grasped an unbelievable truth.
"...What...?"
This Execution Sword was hers.