Episode 22
#22
I had killed a person for the first time, but I didn't feel much emotion.
It might have been partly because my Mental Strength stat had exceeded 100, but more than that, they were people who didn't deserve my guilt in the first place.
As I left the apartment, I asked Noa.
"Noa, can you track Han Inhan's location?"
[I apologize. Detection is impossible.]
Of course, I had expected as much.
Given the ability Han Inhan had received from a Constellation, it wasn't surprising that even Noa couldn't detect him.
Since there was no way to find his location right now, I simply gave a casual order.
"Let me know if you pinpoint Han Inhan's location."
[Yes, understood.]
With that, I returned to Sky Island before moving to where the subjugation force was.
It was time to finish hunting the monsters.
* * *
The monster subjugation in the streets of Ulsan proceeded smoothly.
I had precisely identified the locations of monsters hiding everywhere using the detection function, and while countless robots contributed to the hunt, it was also thanks to the S-rank skills of I Sina and Sin Yua, which possessed wide-area destructive power.
And that wasn't all.
"We'll help too!"
"Let's combine our strength and wipe out those monster bastards!"
Survivors who had been living nearby began joining the subjugation force one by one.
Their numbers had been insignificant at first, starting at around 100, but now approximately 300 people were following me at the forefront, sweeping away the surrounding monsters.
They had gathered and united, driven by the desire to reclaim their daily lives and fueled by resentment toward the monsters.
And so the monster subjugation progressed smoothly, and time passed quickly.
The Nam-gu subjugation ended on the fourth day after the pledge declaration, followed by Jung-gu on the fifth day and Dong-gu on the seventh day.
With three days remaining, robots numbering up to 7,000—including some 500 survivors—finally headed toward Buk-gu, and so on the final day, the tenth day, in the evening as the sun began to set.
"Waaaah!!!"
A roar filled with the exultation of the subjugation force flooded the streets.
* * *
"So then, this dog-looking monster charged at me trying to bite my neck. Then I went whoosh! and dodged before throwing myself at it and cutting its throat, I tell you!"
"Hahaha! You old man! What do you mean whoosh! I was the one who pushed you aside so you could dodge!"
Late on the tenth night.
Laughter from the subjugation force filled the surroundings.
They had prepared alcohol and food to hold a feast for those who had worked hard today.
Since the monster subjugation in Ulsan was over, all that remained was to wait for the day to pass in this state.
"Haha, well I'll be... I really didn't think we'd pull it off."
Gang Inhan smiled with a sentimental expression, taking a swig of beer.
I opened my mouth toward Gang Inhan.
"It's thanks to your help, more or less."
"The representative's robots handled most of it. We merely lent a small hand."
He wasn't wrong, but even so, I felt grateful to them.
It might not compare to robots that had hunted monsters for twenty-four hours straight, but the strength of nearly 500 superhumans had certainly been a great help.
"Representative, there is one thing that concerns me, however."
At those words, I looked at Gang Inhan's expression.
He wore an expression of inexplicable anxiety.
He slowly opened his mouth toward me.
"We cleared the monsters mainly from the streets, but there may be monsters hiding in nearby mountains or ones we missed."
I shook my head and spoke.
"It's fine. I've already identified and dealt with all of them."
"Huh? Even the ones hiding in the mountains?"
"There was no real need to clear the monsters hiding in the mountains, but I did so just in case. And I think you've forgotten, but my pledge was to clear the monsters from the streets. There's no need to go out of my way to clear every monster in the mountains either."
At my words, Gang Inhan smiled brightly, as if his worries had vanished, and downed his beer.
"Keuh... well then... I worried for nothing. I can really drink comfortably this time. Haha!"
"Drink comfortably today. Don't worry about the points."
"Haha! I don't care even if I drain all your points."
"It's fine. I have a lot of points."
"I'm really curious, how much do you have?"
The last words were from Sin Yua.
I checked my current points.
[103,789,231 Points]
This was how many points I had earned even after creating 7,000 robots.
I merely smiled as I answered.
"I have so many that I can't even fathom where to spend them all."
"Then we can really drink to our hearts' content? Don't cry even if we drain your points."
With that, Sin Yua downed an entire bottle of soju in one go.
Contrary to her appearance, she seemed to be quite the drinker.
"Uh... but Mr. Hancheol, aren't you drinking?"
At that moment, I Sina, who had been quietly sipping alcohol nearby, asked with a puzzled expression.
Next to her, Ha Yun, who had been picking at food, opened his mouth with a mischievous expression.
"Unni, I saw him earlier—he took one drink and put it down. He must be a real lightweight."
"That's not it, you punk. I'm just planning to drink after midnight. There's about fifteen minutes left until the pledge period ends."
"Ah... please don't worry too much. It'll work out."
"That's right, Representative. You can't even hear those wretched monsters howling anymore. It's sure to work out."
"Hehe, once it's past midnight, you're drinking with me until we die. Got it?"
A small smile escaped me at their considerate words.
It wasn't that I wasn't drinking for that reason, particularly.
I slowly rose from my seat.
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"I have some brief business. Please continue eating. I'll be right back. Once midnight passes, let's all make a toast together."
Whoosh!
With that, I returned to Sky Island.
I said to Noa,
"So you found Han Inhan?"
[Yes, I have.]
"Noa, send me to where Han Inhan is."
[Yes, understood.]
In the next moment, my body was transported back to the ground.
The destination was a quiet forest that appeared devoid of a single person.
I surveyed the forest briefly before turning my gaze to the man standing before me.
He showed a surprised expression, eyes widening at my sudden appearance.
"Uh... I didn't expect this. To think you'd come looking for me yourself... I was planning to come to you, but this is fortunate. It saves me the trouble."
Han Inhan, who had briefly shown surprise, soon approached me with a relaxed smile.
As he approached, he spoke to me in a calm voice.
"It's good that you came in person. I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Won't you make a deal with me?"
With those words, he slowly bent down and placed his hand on the ground.
The moment his hand touched the earth, the ground rippled like a puddle, and the head of a single monster surfaced, roaring fiercely.
"It's a subspace. I've captured about 100 monsters in this subspace. There's only ten minutes left until your pledge succeeds—what do you think will happen if I release these monsters onto the streets?"
The corners of his mouth twisted up as if they might tear.
It was a smile born of utter confidence in his victory.
"If I release the monsters like this, your death and my ascension to kingship is a foregone conclusion... but honestly, it feels a bit of a waste. Your ability, that is. So, would you sign this contract?"
Next, he pulled out a certain scroll from his inventory.
I knew that scroll.
The Contract of Chains.
It was the contract that provided the most reliable trust in the Obliteration Society, and also the most abused. I didn't know what conditions were written on that scroll, but if I violated them, I would have to forfeit my life.
"Well, you just need to sign here. Then I'll make you king. You become king, and I'll use you for my own purposes. How about it? Isn't that a fine condition?"
"..."
I quietly listened to everything he had to say for a moment.
I simply listened because I was curious how far he would go and what his objective was.
And yet, strangely enough, his actions—which were not very different from what I had expected—made a smile involuntarily form on my lips.
I spoke to him with a relaxed smile.
"Are you finished?"
"Huh?"
"Then try it."
At my words, Han Inhan's brows furrowed.
He looked at me and spoke.
"Ha... Mr. Gim Hancheol. I'm saying this because you seem to be acting out of ignorance, but this isn't my skill. It's an ability I received from a Constellation. I don't know what power you possess, but you cannot stop this. And you probably can't kill me right now either. Killing me would, in a way, constitute a violation of the second pledge you made. Now, do you understand the situa—"
"Compassionate Fairy of the Gentle Breeze, are you there?"
I cut him off and called for the Fairy of the Gentle Breeze.
Soon, a message from the fairy appeared before me.
[The Compassionate Fairy of the Gentle Breeze says she is watching over you.]
"Please help me just this once. You swore an oath on your rank back then."
[The Compassionate Fairy of the Gentle Breeze smiles widely, finding the situation amusing.]
Having heard my words, Han Inhan began to distort his face in disbelief.
He had heard of this Constellation from those so-called prophet humans.
When he had asked for information about the Constellations in this region, that Constellation's name had come up, and he had heard that she was a strange Constellation who only kept a single contractor.
"So the best plan you could think of was to ask that strange Constellation for help?"
At those words, Hancheol smiled leisurely and spoke.
"Watch your words. She is the landlord of the lake where the Constellation you contracted with resides."
"...Huh? What did you say?"
It was then.
Crackle! Sizzle!
[Aha! Ahaha!]
An anomaly occurred.
Blue sparks crackled in the surroundings, and the lively laughter of a young girl filled the forest.
Butterflies emitting light appeared from all directions, beginning to illuminate the forest brightly.
The scene was so mystical and dreamlike that one wouldn't believe it was a forest at night.
[The Constellation Master of the Serene Lake trembles in fear.]
"Huh? M-Master Constellation?"
The moment the situation unfolded, Han Inhan's expression hardened severely.
The reaction of the Constellation he had contracted with was strange.
So too was the current situation happening around them.
Han Inhan could only be bewildered by the unfolding spectacle.
It was then.
[Ahaha! A strange Constellation? I've never heard that before!]
"Keuak!"
A young girl's voice echoed throughout the forest.
The moment he heard that voice, Han Inhan, unable to withstand the energy, groaned and fell to his knees.
Though it was a lively and energetic voice, the energy felt within it was unfathomable, and one could sense an indescribable rank.
I was barely holding out as well.
Even though my Mental Strength had exceeded 100, it was somewhat strenuous to hear her true voice directly.
Honestly, the absurdity of the situation nearly made me burst into hollow laughter.
'To think she possessed such a rank...'
Back during the Stellar War, seeing her rank, I had merely wondered who she could be.
Even the Obliteration Society didn't have detailed information on her.
But now, I could more or less deduce it.
There weren't many fairies capable of bearing a commandment and uttering a true voice so casually.
[Ahaha! In my forest, no one can ignore me!]
The owner of the forest, the bloodline of the Fairy King.
That was the only identity I could deduce for her.
* * *
[Is the Imugi of the Lake trying to spoil my fun?]
[The Constellation Master of the Serene Lake respectfully bows his head.]
[Ahaha! You ought to stay still. Before I kill the human you contracted with.]
It was a ruthless answer unbecoming of the innocent and lively fairy I had imagined.
Of course, considering her position, it was understandable that the Master of the Lake would shrink back in fear.
In terms of rank, they might be equal, but she was a bad matchup for him.
Considering the existence watching over the fairy's back, he had no choice but to bow his head.
[Hancheol! This should be enough, right?]
"Yes, thank you. My Fairy."
[Yep! Let me know if you need another favor next time! Though it won't be free, of course.]
With those final words, her energy vanished like a lie.
She had simply disappeared after giving the Master of the Lake a warning.
Of course, that alone was sufficient.
The Master of the Lake would not want to make an enemy of her either, so he would have no choice but to withdraw from this matter.
However, I did not particularly wish for him to withdraw in such a foul mood.
I spoke to the Master of the Lake.
"Please withdraw just this once. It's not as if you have only one or two contractors, is it? You are a Constellation belonging to the side of good—would you truly wish to side with such a malicious human?"
[The Constellation Master of the Serene Lake lets out a groan.]
"I have no intention of making an enemy of you, Constellation. If you withdraw, I shall reward you generously with points."
I had no intention of antagonizing a Constellation just yet, at least not for someone like Han Inhan, nor did I wish to end things badly with him unnecessarily.
Since he was not a Constellation belonging to the forces of evil, there was little reason to make an enemy of him.
Soon after my words, the Master of the Serene Lake sent a message.
[The Constellation Master of the Serene Lake argues that no matter how much it is, it can't be that much.]
At those words, I smirked and opened my mouth.
"How does fifty million points sound?"
[The Constellation Master of the Serene Lake's eyes go wide.]
Fifty million points was an amount that would make even a Constellation's eyes light up with greed.
The immediate interest shown by the Master of the Lake proved as much.
[The Constellation Master of the Serene Lake asks if you truly possess such an amount of points.]
"Yes, I do. If you wish, I can pay you right this moment. So swear an oath. Swear that you will withdraw from this matter."
[The Constellation Master of the Serene Lake reluctantly swears with a regretful expression.]
[The Constellation Master of the Serene Lake has requested a trade.]
"M-Master Constellation?"
Han Inhan's expression instantly turned ashen at the betrayal of the Constellation he had contracted with.
Without another word, I accepted the trade with the Master of the Lake and immediately paid fifty million points.
[The Constellation Master of the Serene Lake says that this matter should be settled among the humans themselves.]
"Master Constellation... how could you..."
I smirked and slowly approached Han Inhan, who was drenched in despair.
I looked down at him and slowly opened my mouth.
"It's past... midnight, isn't it?"
"!?"
"Honestly, if you had executed your plan without saying a word, I would have been done for. I'm rather grateful that your greed made you run your mouth like this."
The confident expression Han Inhan had worn until moments ago vanished completely.
His face was now filled with nothing but fear.
I wiped every trace of a smile from my face and spoke to him as if passing a death sentence.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to struggle?"
"Keugh! Uwaaaaah!!"
At my words, he sprang up and threw a punch at me.
I likewise simply raised my fist lightly and threw it at him.
The result was as obvious as could be.
Thud! Crack-crack-boom!!
A tremendous explosion rang out, and Han Inhan's body was sent flying, sweeping through the surrounding trees.
After rolling across the ground several times, he lay sprawled face-down, gasping heavily.
His limbs were broken and splayed out.
"Haah! Haah! Keuugh!"
It seemed he hadn't died from the first blow thanks to the Feather of Protection he had received from the Stellar War.
With an indifferent expression, I approached him and raised my tightly clenched fist high above him. Finally, I looked down coldly at Han Inhan and spoke.
"This world is not as easy as you think it is."
"Keugh! Uwaaaaah!!"
At my words, Han Inhan could only scream like a madman.
I simply swung my raised hand down at him.
Thud!! Kwaaaaa—ang!!