Translator: Wan ED/PR: Fan
Latta looked very excited, even wagging her tail.
— Wake up.
Latta approached with big strides, tapped the corpse and shouted powerfully. Then a ghost appeared.
Whoosh!
Bethel suddenly thrust her sword towards the ghost, while asking.
Latta was startled by it and curled up as if hiding her neck.
Lucion observed it quietly, knowing that Bethel wouldn’t do anything useless.
[Who sent you?]
Bethel asked sharply.
The woman spoke with a giggle, as if she didn’t realize she was dead.
[Ha. Why should I tell you?]
[On your knees.]
Under Bethel’s aura, the mere ordinary ghost was startled, and she sank to her knees, trembling because of the Darkness emitted by Bethel.
[Who sent you?]
Bethel asked the same question with the same voice.
However, as if the ghost felt completely different now, her confident expression completely vanished and was soaked in fear.
[I-I don’t know. I just heard about it through the stepping stone.]
‘An assassin?’
Lucion smirked.
Did they kill an assassin, who was on her way to do her job?
[Who is the target?]
Bethel narrowed her eyes and asked another question:
[Lucion Cronia.]
‘… me?’
Lucion was startled, but soon started to laugh.
“Good job, Hyum.”
“Yes. I want to praise my hand right now.”
Now, reassured, Hyum smiled brightly.
[Did you expect it, Lord Lucion?]
Bethel asked.
“Somewhat. I thought it was time for our enemies to move. But Bethel, how did you know?”
Lucion swallowed the words ‘Even Master-nim didn’t know’.
[I recognized the atmosphere and smell. I’m a Death Knight. If Hyum didn’t already kill this bitch, I would’ve said something.]
Russell suddenly cleared his throat at Bethel’s words.
[What should we do, Lord Lucion? As Lord knows, without knowing where the stepping stone is, we can’t find out who moved this assassin.]
“Do you have any other information?”
Lucion looked at the assassin and asked.
[Um… no, nothing. Really!… Ah, all-all of the other assassins were also hired.]
“Kill her, Bethel.”
Lucion spoke without hesitation, as if he didn’t need to hear anything else.
He had no need for a bitch without information.
If not her, wasn’t it only natural that another bastard will come to kill him?
— Really, Lucion?
Latta spoke up, but Bethel’s sword already cut the assassin in one slash.
Swish!
Lucion took in the last moments of the ghost, who couldn’t go to heavens, being completely annihilated at the Death Knight’s hands.
Crack.
A crack appeared on the assassin’s face.
The first split spread throughout her entire body.
[Wa-wait.]
The assassin grasped her neck and floundered as if she was about to fall to the floor.
Blood vessels bulged through her entire body, even though she was a ghost.
There was a fear of being plunged into the deep abyss in her eyes.
[My body….]
She couldn’t continue, as her face started to break down.
All that was left was debris on the ground.
“Is that going to remain?”
Lucion asked.
Unlike when the ghost was sent to heaven, it didn’t disappear.
There was not an ounce of sympathy in his words for the bitch who tried to kill him.
[No. Look closely.]
Russell pointed to the ground.
Gulp.
Something jumped out of the darkness and swallowed the pieces.
It resembled a fish.
Latta stared at the assassin who had now disappeared with sorrowful eyes.
[Once those punks eat you, that’s the end. We commonly call them soul cleaners.]
Russell’s eyes, when watching those last moments, were indifferent.
— Latta… is very sad. Latta hopes that Lucion won’t do it again.
Latta said with a sorrowful voice.
“Why?”
It didn’t matter if Latta stood up for the person who tried to kill him. Lucion’s tone was not at all pretty.
It was cold.
— Once that happens, the soul completely disappears. No one will remember who that soul was. Latta hopes that Lucion won’t be like that.
At the words that even the memories of the people who remember that soul will disappear, Lucion sucked a short breath.
“… I’ll think about it.”
[This is a good time. I was waiting for an opportunity to speak about it someday.]
Russell looked at Lucion very seriously.
Lucion, who tried to soothe Latta, halted his actions.
[In case Bethel or I suffer an attack by a corrupt warlock or a Death Knight and become like this, you need to end us.]
“… Why?”
At those sudden words, Lucion’s throat tightened.
He felt his face twist to the point where he thought it was good that he was wearing a mask.
“Why do I have to do it…?”
[Because there will be no future for me or Bethel. It’s either entering the wheel of life and death, or being eternally forgotten like Latta said. It’s obvious which of the two options we would choose.]
“Do… Do I have to do it?”
Lucion’s voice trembled.
He remembered the last moments of Lucion in the novel.
《“…Hyung-nim, please remember. Me and my master-nim, cough, Russell… his name is Russell. Remember me. Keep remembering me, don’t forget…”》
Now he understood why Lucion in the novel said that.
He understood it to the core.
He wanted to live comfortably like other people.
He wanted to enjoy happiness in that comfort.
It was the only wish he, who was harassed by ghosts every day, wished for.
Then one day, Russell appeared like a miracle and changed his life.
But could that happiness continue without Russell?
‘It can’t be.’
[You’re a warlock and my disciple. It’s natural that I would want to leave the last of things to you.]
“No. That won’t happen.”
Lucion took off his mask and stared at Russell.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that Master-nim never disappears.”
Lucion clenched the mask so strongly that he was crushing it.
Russell flinched because of the power of the will in his eyes.
‘… I didn’t expect him to refuse so strongly.’
He thought that if it was Lucion, he would understand.
But he was mistaken.
“So please… Please don’t say such words ever again.”
Lucion’s eyes were blurry, like he was about to cry at any moment.
Seeing this, Russell bit his lip.
Lucion was still a child, not an adult.
[… Sorry.]
Russell raised the hand to Lucion’s head and slowly stroked it.
[I’m sorry, Lucion. I made a slip of the tongue.]
Puff!
Latta attempted to body slam Russell.
Russell accepted it, even though he saw her coming.
— Bad Russell!
[Yes. I was bad.]
[Is it okay if I smack you on the back of the head, Russell?]
Bethel asked, showing her clenched fist.
[Uh, if Lucion wants it?]
Russell smiled awkwardly and looked at Lucion.
Lucion put on the mask again.
“Let’s just go.”
Lucion’s voice was still stuffy.
***
[Look, do you see the place where someone awkwardly repaired the rooftop on their own?]
Bethel pointed and then flew and stood on that rooftop.
[It’s here.]
Lucion waved his hand to say that he saw it clearly.
And then looked at Russell with a smirk.
“Does it still tingle?”
[Bethel’s hand is really fierce.]
“Shouldn’t You be glad it was Bethel, not Hyum?”
Lucion glanced at Hyum, who blinked.
Though Russell’s mouth itched to say something sarcastic, knowing that he did the right thing, but he endured.
— Heup! Did Latta’s body slam hurt?
Latta was about to walk, swaying her butt, but was startled and looked at Russell.
— La-Latta was very angry, so she is sorry if it hurt.
[Latta hurt the most.]
When Russell spoke with an unceasing laughter, Latta clung to Russell and rubbed her face.
— Latta was wrong! Sorry!
“Young Master.”
Knowing that no one was around, Hyum called out to Lucion.
“Yeah, Hyum.”
“I didn’t understand Young Master’s emotions.”
“If you don’t understand, you don’t have to.”
Lucion lightly replied.
— Right. It’s fine. Latta didn’t know at first, but as Lucion’s Darkness grew, she gradually learned emotions.
Latta spoke, while clinging to Russell.
“I heard that you need ‘empathy’ to live as a human. Today, I felt that I lack that ability.”
“Hyum.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“You are you. There is no need for you to be human. I chose you, Hyum, not the Hyum who imitates a human.”
As if her worries were immediately erased, Hyum’s smile was very lovely.
She bowed.
“Thank You, Young Master. Young Master is like my compass.”
“You didn’t have to say the last part.”
Lucion turned his head away slightly, walking towards the place where Bethel was.
“… Young Master.”
They didn’t walk long before Hyum spoke up again.
She sounded slightly anxious.
“What’s the matter?”
Lucion turned his head and saw Hyum’s right eye wrapped in Darkness and burning like he was under compulsion.
“… Hyum?”
Lucion approached her in surprise.
[What’s the ma… Hyum? Why is your right eye like this?]
Russell, who was walking ahead, looked back and was startled.
“I don’t know. I suddenly started to see a line.”
“A line?”
“I don’t know what it is. But I have a feeling of something strongly pulling me towards it. It seems I have to follow that line.”
— Does it hurt?
Latta approached Hyum and looked at her worriedly.
“It doesn’t hurt. Thank You for Your concern.”
Hyum crouched down and stroked Latta.
[What is happening?]
As if Bethel sensed a strange atmosphere, while watching from a distance, she flew to Lucion again.
Bethel’s eyes grew bigger.
[Hyum. Your eye… why is it like this?]
“Bethel. We will postpone saving the assassins for the moment.”
Lucion decided to change his direction.
[No problem. But are you okay, Hyum? Are you under the influence of something?]
At Bethel’s question, Hyum shook her head.
“That’s not it. My right eye suddenly tingled, and I saw a strange line.”
‘No way…’
Lucion came up with a guess.
The black orb that the Death Knight took out yesterday.
Didn’t Hyum dream for the first time after seeing that, and after plates suddenly appeared, someone pointed at Hyum and said ‘guide’?
“Guide me.”
Lucion didn’t hesitate.
The assassins wouldn’t run away just because he didn’t meet them today, but Hyum was different.
At the start, there was nothing special about her, besides the fact that Hyum in the novel was the subordinate of mid-boss Lucion and was very strong.
However, the Hyum he actually met was born at the hands of a warlock and a monster that disappeared a long time ago.
Her main energy source was Darkness, and she had to periodically receive Darkness from him.
If she didn’t periodically receive Darkness, Hyum would actually lose control of her body and would certainly become a doll, unable to even speak.
‘But she is suddenly seeing a line?’
Lucion was surprised, but was satisfied that she was gradually becoming different from the novel.
In the novel, Hyum wasn’t an important character.
However, now he had a strong feeling something was about to change very much.
How far did they go, following Hyum? Suddenly, Russell raised his voice.
[Wait.]
“What’s the matter?”
Lucion asked.
[That punk is here?]
“That punk?”
[… The Death Knight you met before.]
Whoosh.
Bethel suddenly pulled out her sword.
She was so enraged, her cloak was fluttering.
Lucion flinched because of the murderous intent she was spouting out.
“Bethel?”
[Warlock.]
Bethel gritted her teeth.
Her eyes become even fiercer.
[There are warlock bastards there!]
Snap!
When Russell snapped his fingers, Bethel’s fluttering cloak calmed down.
[Calm down, Bethel. Those warlocks are different from the bastards that killed you. Setting aside your past, after making a contract with Lucion, you need to suppress your rage. If you become corrupt, it will also affect Lucion.]
[… I’m sorry.]
Bethel tightly gripped her sword.
Her hands were visibly trembling.
“Hey.”
When Lucion approached the Death Knight and spoke up, he, who was excitedly slicing a warlock, responded.
[You…]
The Death Knight, who was about to act friendly, seeing Lucion, suddenly turned his head.
The moment he saw Russell, he weakly dropped the sword he was holding.
*~*~*
Translator’s note: Thank you Latta for speaking up.
Editor’s note: I mean, I understand where Russell is coming from, but shouldn’t he know Lucion by now? Stabbing him with his trauma is not healthy for his already damaged mental health, Russell.
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