BXBX NOVEL Chapter 15
In the silence, Kang Jaeho smirked as he rummaged through his pocket then lit a cigarette.
The glowing tip of the cigarette seemed ominous in the middle of the desert.
“Uh, excuse me…”
One of the porters, the older brother of the two siblings, stepped forward. He pushed his sister behind him, trembling as he cautiously asked, “Party Leader Kang?”
“Hm?”
“What… What does this boss type mean?”
[To break the seal of the Ancient Desert Scorpion King, a sacrifice is needed.]
[Place a sacrifice on the two magic circles.]
[The sacrifices must be living F-rank hunters or higher.]
The new stage information was displayed for all party members.
Kang Jaeho chuckled. “What do you mean? Can’t you see?”
“Huh?”
“It means we need a sacrifice. Two living F-rank or higher hunters. Don’t you get it?”
“I get that, but….”
“Oh, you understand? Then get on with it. What are you waiting for? Climb up.” Kang Jaeho pointed to the altar.
“…Pardon?”
The male porter was flustered, but Kang Jaeho only seemed to enjoy the situation more.
“Ha, clueless kid, huh?”
“Seriously, no sense at all.”
The other hunters chuckled along.
The porter shouted, “A-Are you all insane?”
“Insane? Hmm… sure, if it makes it easier for you to understand, think of it that way.”
“Wh-Why are you doing this?” The sister stepped forward. “Did you plan this from the start?”
“Oh, come on, what can I say?”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you find it strange? Getting paid more than usual? Why do you think we brought you scrubs here? High pay comes with a high price. Didn’t you know?”
Kang Jaeho revealed his true nature, causing the porters to grit their teeth.
I was also taken aback.
The fact that they’re acting like this in front of me…
There’s only one explanation. They’re confident they can overpower me.
I couldn’t stand by any longer and stepped forward.
“Hmm? You don’t need to get involved. We only plan to use them as sacrifices.”
I silently glared at Kang Jaeho.
Those who treat others’ lives like insects are called ‘villains.’ And I have no intention of compromising with villains to achieve my goals.
“Well, well. Are you a hopeless romantic? Or a Confucian scholar?”
“Shut up. What’s your real goal?” I asked.
“Goal? What goal?”
“I’m talking about why you came to the mercenary guild to bring me here.”
“Ha, you’re not completely clueless, huh?”
“Say it.”
Kang Jaeho’s expression hardened.
For some reason, my aura felt different to him. Not remarkably stronger, but there was a chilling sensation.
“I see. So clearing that dungeon wasn’t just luck.” Kang Jaeho’s mouth twisted. “That’s right. You must’ve guessed. We’re curious about the ‘opportunity’ you got. I don’t know how you managed to deal with that ranker woman, but that’s why we had to go through the trouble of bringing you here.”
He pulled out his sword, and the other hunters gripped their weapons, moving into a formation.
“But know this. We have no intention of opposing you.”
“Opposing me?”
“Yes, that’s why we showed this to you.” Kang Jaeho glanced at the trembling porters. “We showed you what type of people we are, and we want to see if you were willing to join us. Of course, if you want to join, you must share some of your reward. Our team is fair when it comes to distribution.”
“You’re insane.”
To summarize their words: we’re villains, want to join us? If you want to join, hand over your rewards.
Yeah, screw you.
—Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows were shot from Boney 3 at terrifying speed.
The surprised hunters quickly raised their arms.
—Ting!
Kang Jaeho deflected the arrows swiftly.
“Oh, so that’s your answer? You’ll regret this.”
“I won’t team up with a bunch of animals.”
My gaze was resolute.
By my standards, they weren’t human. They were monsters in human form.
And monsters are meant to be hunted.
Even if I lost, I couldn’t back down here. The ranker I aspired to be wasn’t an ‘evil’ ranker.
And more importantly…
Compared to facing the old man, this was nothing. I actually felt like I had a chance.
I made my decision and charged forward with my skeletons.
“You think you’ve become stronger just because you gained some chance? You were just a porter a few days ago!” Realizing the negotiation had failed, Kang Jaeho cursed.
But I didn’t respond. Their shouts were nothing more than cries from monsters to me.
[‘Bonehead 5’ used the skill ‘Air Shield’ (Lv.1).]
After using an essential defense skill, I charged with all my might.
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator – Dawn
Proofreader – BringTheRayn
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* * *
“Huff, huff!”
My gaze was fixed solely on Kang Jaeho. My breathing was rough.
All my skeletons, except for Boney 1, were engaged in fierce combat with the other hunters while Boney 1 and Kang Jaeho faced off, reading each other’s moves.
He’s stronger than I thought.
He was a C-rank hunter, but his strength was close to B-rank, far stronger than the scorpions we had faced.
But.
That was rather for the better. Just a few days ago, I was struggling against a D-rank orc. Now, I had grown enough to face a top C-rank hunter.
“Kekeke.” Sensing my confidence, Kang Jaeho laughed. “You think you can win just because you’re handling me? That’s a big mistake.”
“…?”
“Do you know why we fearlessly wander into unknown-rank dungeons?”
I frowned.
His gaze was fixed somewhere as if waiting for someone.
A sense of uneasiness made me hesitate.
Killing intent?
I quickly stepped back, feeling a sharp sensation as if my throat were about to be cut.
Simultaneously, I shouted, “Boney 1!”
—Clang!
Boney 1 deflected a dagger that flew out of the darkness.
It was terrifying. If I had been a moment too late, the dagger would’ve pierced my throat.
“Guh…”
The deflection recoil was so strong that even I, the summoner, felt the impact.
What was that?
My heart chilled.
There was no sign, and the movement was very swift—clearly a high-rank hunter.
“Kekeke.” Seeing my flustered state, Kang Jaeho laughed and said, “Because we have someone covering our back for us. We’re known as the Shadow Lurkers.”
“Shadow Lurkers?!” I shouted involuntarily.
Even as an E-rank mercenary, I had heard that name countless times.
A notorious criminal group hidden in the underworld, they were a headache for the association and overworld guilds.
“Kekeke. That’s right, you poor soul. The hunter you’re facing is an A-rank assassin from the Shadow Lurkers.”
“A-rank…”
It was a despairing revelation. I was barely handling a C-rank hunter, but now I was fighting against an A-rank, not even a B-rank. The gap between those two ranks was immense, leaving no room for luck to prevail.
—Rustle.
A figure wearing a hood emerged from the shadows.
“So, this is the one who cleared the dungeon that Gi Soyul couldn’t,” he muttered in a low voice.
Kang Jaeho bowed respectfully. “Yes, brother.”
The overwhelming presence of this hunter momentarily halted the fierce battle.
Behind me, the porters stood in despair.
Behind the newly arrived assassin, the hunters wore relaxed expressions.
“Haah.” I sighed deeply.
Honestly, there was no way out. It was a dead-end situation.
The porters clung to my clothes from behind.
“I’m sorry. We feel like we’re causing you unnecessary trouble.”
“Thank you. Even though… it seems like this is the end… we’re still grateful. Thank you.”
The young siblings sobbed.
What did they do wrong? They were innocent. Why should they be sacrificed just because they were weak?
I felt something boiling inside me. My emotions flared up.
I don’t want to give them up.
I wanted to save them.
So I thought, the only thing I could rely on now was…
The old man.
I nodded.
There was no other option. A being powerful enough to call an A-rank assassin ‘nothing.’
The skill is back from cooldown just in time.
[Using skill ‘Teaching of All Techniques’ (S-rank).]
[Consuming 20 energy.]
[Summoning ‘Master of All Techniques.’]
I summoned my master.
* * *
“Hmm.”
The old man, hands clasped behind his back, sighed heavily. Then he shook his head.
“Tsk, tsk. I should’ve known when you said you would wander around while being unprepared.”
His form was transparent, and his voice echoed only in my head. The hunters couldn’t see or hear anything.
Elder, the situation is urgent. Please give me advice!
I pleaded inwardly, and the old man scoffed.
“Advice? Hmph. You’re no match for those guys yet. Tsk, tsk. How pitiful that you, who claim to be my disciple, can’t even handle such weaklings.”
Stop lamenting! If I die, you won’t be able to fulfill your goal!
“So who told you to get into this mess? The one who should be aggrieved is me! Even if I’ve mastered all techniques, I can’t make the impossible happen!”
Oh, for god’s sake!
Damn it.
I furrowed my brow.
At this rate, this was just a waste of my energy.
“Ugh…!”
The situation worsened. The assassin’s killing intent grew stronger.
“This is our first meeting, so I’ll ask nicely. What did you gain from that opportunity?” he asked.
The assassin asked about my opportunity.
My eyes gleamed.
Given that they brought me here for a clear purpose, they wouldn’t kill me so quickly. In other words, we could negotiate.
“Oh, so there’s that method, I see now.” The old man agreed as well. “Yes, if you face the assassin alone, there’s a chance. I can’t guarantee a 100% success rate, but at least you can fight him with the determination to take him with you. Good, try it. If you succeed, I’ll help.”
The determination to take him with me. That meant an all-out effort to kill the opponent, even at the cost of one’s life. It was the last resort when fighting against someone stronger than oneself.
I glared at the assassin and said, “…Do you want to know about my opportunity?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “You received a reward from a dungeon that even Gi Soyul couldn’t clear, so of course I’m curious.”
“Then I’ll tell you. I should, of course. You’re an A-rank hunter, after all.”
“A wise choice. You’re more sensible than I thought.”
The satisfied assassin nodded as he withdrew his killing intent.
“But,” I said, “I can’t tell you until I fight those backstabbers.”
“What?” The assassin frowned again.
“Until then, I can’t speak out of frustration and resentment. Sue me.”
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