Chapter 100 (1/2)

Episode 6: Mafia Game / Chapter 100: At the Ruins (6)

TL: emptycube / ED: Obelisk

The place Choi Hyuk arrived at was a completely unfamiliar darkness.

It was different from the dark matter of Dark City. Although Dark City was dark as well, it was still a place within the third dimension. It wasn’t very different from the familiar darkness of the night sky. However, this place was a darkness within the fourth dimension. It wasn’t a place a lifeform from the third dimension could perceive.

Shapes in the third dimension looked completely different in the fourth dimension. His arms and legs curved however they wished, and his back stretched and curled around. Like a surrealistic picture, Choi Hyuk’s body lost the original shape he was familiar with. Even the darkness was the same. When he thought there was light, it was dark, and what he thought to be dark seemed to s.h.i.+ne as if there was a light. The darkness felt like a hard surface, then rolling waves, and then an endless fall.

However, Choi Hyuk didn’t fall into a state of confusion. Karma was a power of fate created by lifeforms. It didn’t adhere to the fourth dimension. That was why, even though his senses were chaotic, his mind was clear.

“Is it you?”

Choi Hyuk asked. The darkness all around him was leering at him. Perhaps Choi Hyuk was already within the monster’s maw.

Tik.

Choi Hyuk unsheathed ‘Imprint’. Instead of a pleasant ringing sound, a flat ‘tik’ noise sounded out. Imprint had lost its shape in the darkness as well. It became wide, flabby, and mushy. It didn’t look like it could slice anything.

However, that was only for a moment. When Choi Hyuk raised ‘Imprint’ above his head in preparation for a close-range strike, the blade of the mushy ‘Imprint’ formed a cold, sharp line. ‘Imprint’ surged with karma, stood rigidly and displayed its vigor. A Weapon of Vow could overcome matter and become a weapon of pure karma. This limit, however, depended on its owner.

Currently, at this moment, over 80% of ‘Choi Hyuk’s Imprint’ was composed of pure karma. The karma, which reflected his will of wanting to deliver a fatal blow with one strike, surged dangerously. Along with it, Choi Hyuk’s body, which had been scattered like a mist, had returned to its original form in the darkness.

In a darkness where everything was distorted, only Choi Hyuk was clear.

“Instant Void Annihilation.”

Riip!

His sword, which could even rip apart s.p.a.ce, swung down. The fourth-dimensional darkness was sliced and ripped apart. Like in the moment of creation, darkness retreated for light to fill the surroundings.

{Heuuuu.}

He could hear the monster of night’s scream from somewhere. It had been wounded. However, it wasn’t a fatal blow. Choi Hyuk’s strike missed its core.

Seu…

Darkness, once again, clouded the momentarily bright surroundings.

Choi Hyuk could tell instinctively that if he didn’t slice its core, it wouldn’t die no matter how many times he sliced it. He wouldn’t be able to defeat it.

With his sword raised, Choi Hyuk closed his eyes.

Thump. Thump.

Choi Hyuk’s karma heart began to pound furiously. Mind’s Eye, Identical Mind, and Explosive Blood mixed together and began to search through the darkness.

Whoosh.

It felt as though the darkness became darker. At the same time, Choi Hyuk understood that the monster of night’s gaze was fixed on him. It withdrew its power that been outside to ‘blink’. Choi Hyuk searched for its core, and the monster searched for Choi Hyuk’s weaknes

s.

Who would find it first?

{Heuheuheu.}

An unpleasant laughter could be heard from somewhere. Then, immediately after, Choi Hyuk heard a voice he could never forget.

“Hyuk?”

“… Mom?”

The one who walked out of the darkness was Choi Miyeon, Choi Hyuk’s mother.

“What are you doing here?”

She said in the same appearance and voice she had before she died.

It was her who embedded him with the order to ‘not fight’. Although he was bullied because of this, she was still the most important person in his life.

Sssss.

Karma was released from ‘Choi Hyuk’s Imprint’. The blade that had been sharp became blunt, mushy and distorted.

“The monster of night… Didn’t you say it was a particularly tricky monster to deal with even amongst the high ranked monsters? No matter how strong he is, Overseer Choi Hyuk is only a middle ranked warrior… Can he win?”

Leah, Richard’s aide, showed a worried look.

“There’s nothing we can do. He’s the only one who can find and approach the monster of night. Whether we like it or not, this is our only method.”

Richard had a relaxed expression. Although he said that there was ‘nothing they could do’, it seemed like he didn’t expect Choi Hyuk to lose.

“But what if he fails? Although the monster of night specializes in commanding and support rather than fighting… You said it is dangerous when it has so many monsters under its command like now. Especially if they are doppelgangers…”

“Ah, right. The doppelgangers and the monster of night are an especially good match. Since they say monsters of night are able to use the abilities of monsters it leads as its own… Choi Hyuk is probably facing an ordeal beyond our expectations. However, I still don’t think he’ll lose.”

“In the case he does, what are you going to do then?”

Richard frowned at her words. He then carefully thought about it.

“Although I haven’t thought about it in detail…”

Richard shook his head and looked in front of him. A cold-hearted light s.h.i.+ned in his eyes.

“Then I’ll have to kill them all.”

Leah knew exactly what he meant.

Richard possessed the innate skill ‘Eyes of the Judge’, which could distinguish between who he should kill and who he should keep alive. What he meant by ‘kill them all’ was that he would kill anyone who was identified as someone to kill. This would include doppelgangers, but it would also include countless others as well. Although they wouldn’t be able to avoid the loss of many lives, it would certainly get rid of the doppelgangers.

Gulp.

Leah gulped her saliva. She knew that Richard was someone who definitely possessed the ability to do so. No matter how great the losses or what methods he had to use, if it was for the best, then he would do it. Only, there was currently a better method, which was why he hadn’t yet done so.

There weren’t many who knew of Richard’s true nature. There were also almost no one who knew that he was stronger than Jessie, possessing a 5-star stat. This was reasonable since Richard had become known for his politics rather than his fighting abilities.

‘How was it that Richard, who fought less than Jessie, let alone Choi Hyuk, could have a 5-star stat?’

The reason was simple.

Richard had, in reality, killed more colonizers than anyone. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Richard was the greatest murderer of all-time. He had indirectly murdered people by making others act in the darkness (although the majority of them weren’t aware that they were following Richard’s will), and depending on the situation, he had personally a.s.sa.s.sinated others. His ‘Eyes of the Judge’ clearly distinguished between those he should kill and those he should keep alive. He made use of his outstanding insight by killing and saving people as nonchalantly as possible. Behind the ‘balance’ he created existed a countless number of murders.

His ‘Tuner’ fate, which gained karma every time he successfully killed or saved someone, was a big help to his growth. Because of this, Richard could consider himself as having progressed at a rate only second to Choi Hyuk on Earth without any eye-catching battles.

His karma had increased rapidly by killing countless people from behind the scenes.

To be able to maintain a clean, trustworthy image despite all this was evidence of how fearful Richard’s ability was.

Leah’s shoulders trembled when she saw Richard’s cold eyes.

“I guess… I need to hope for Overseer Choi Hyuk’s success.”

“Yeah. I hope so too.”

The two turned their gazes towards the h.e.l.l, in which people were divided into 10-person groups and were interrogating each other.

Right after Choi Hyuk had disappeared off to some place, the ‘blinking’ had also disappeared without a trace. Although the fear and unease the people felt lessened a little… It was still difficult to identify the doppelgangers.

The fact that there were only tens of thousands of members in the observation teams compared to the tens of millions of people was a critical problem. On the other hand, the doppelgangers were shrewd.

In this short period of time, groundless rumors had spread and the truths were covered up.

“Why are you refusing questioning? What are you doing? Please stay in your a.s.signed location!”