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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Black Scythe
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The appearance of Black Scythe flustered Hwang Yong-min.
'W-what? Why is that bastard here...'
In a situation where any third party would be awkward, he had to run into last round's number one ranker.
He was flustered, but something else bothered him even more.
'Where the hell did he get that ridiculously huge scythe?'
The fact that he was carrying a weapon on his back that looked threatening just by looking at it.
"What are you doing here?"
"Why don't you just keep walking, pal?"
At Hwang Yong-min's words, Ryu Min turned his gaze.
*Flinch—*
Hwang Yong-min trembled, feeling overwhelmed by just a glance.
"I wasn't asking you, so be quiet."
Ryu Min's gaze returned to Ahn Sang-chul.
"I'll ask again. What's the situation?"
For Ahn Sang-chul, that question was nothing short of a lifeline.
"Th-those bastards are after Ms. Ah-rin and ambushed us! If you help us, we will reward you, Black Scythe!"
Ahn Sang-chul said in a desperate tone.
The situation was bad enough for him to swallow his pride and ask for help.
Ryu Min stared silently at the people, as if discerning the truth.
He could see Seo Ah-rin trembling in fear and Hwang Yong-min's group with excited faces.
'So that's what's happening.'
He grasped the situation.
Seo Ah-rin's appearance was more than enough to excite hot-blooded men in their twenties.
Especially here, in the Otherworld, there would be nothing to hold them back.
The Otherworld was a place where you could commit crimes without punishment.
That's why murder between players happened without hesitation in the Otherworld.
Ryu Min's gaze turned to Hwang Yong-min.
"Is what he said true?"
"True or not, it's none of your business, is it? Why don't you just be on your way?"
"What do you mean, none of my business? Someone I know is involved."
Seo Ah-rin and Ahn Sang-chul were inwardly surprised by Ryu Min's words.
'Someone he knows?'
To call her someone he knew when they had only spoken once, and even then, only because he was tailing her...
That wasn't all.
"Hey, pal? What are you doing?"
"Can't just stand by and watch someone get hurt."
Ryu Min stepped in front of Ahn Sang-chul, confronting Hwang Yong-min's group.
He had clearly stated his position: he was on their side.
Seo Ah-rin and Ahn Sang-chul were inwardly moved.
Unaware of Ryu Min's true intentions.
'This is a good chance to make a good impression on Ma Kyung-rok.'
If he saved Ma Kyung-rok's right-hand man, Ma Kyung-rok would surely be pleased.
Moreover, by helping them for free, he could make them indebted to him.
'If I make a man like Ma Kyung-rok owe me a favor, the return will snowball and come back to me.'
Above all, Hwang Yong-min's group was one of the types of people Ryu Min despised.
He couldn't just stand by and watch such bastards do something so infuriating.
As Ryu Min approached with his scythe, Hwang Yong-min grew flustered and raised his hands.
"W-why are you coming closer? I won't let you off if you take another step!"
"Why? You don't want to fight me?"
"..."
Hwang Yong-min fell silent, as if Ryu Min had hit the mark.
'Of course I don't want to fight, fuck!'
His goal was to jump Seo Ah-rin, but an intruder had appeared out of nowhere.
And it was last round's number one ranker, no less.
He was well aware of Black Scythe's skills, having seen him slaughter the goblins.
His friends next to him would know too.
He had drawn everyone's attention by being the first to kill the goblins back then.
'Would you want to fight a monster like that?'
Even though Hwang Yong-min possessed the Rune of Strength, he didn't want to mess with Black Scythe.
Besides, wasn't he holding a weapon that looked terrifying just by looking at it?
"If you don't want to fight, just say so."
"If I do... will you let us go?"
"If you all get on your knees and beg earnestly, I might consider it."
"..."
Hwang Yong-min's eyebrow twitched at the humiliating remark.
'He's telling me to bow down in shame?'
His friends were watching, and Seo Ah-rin was watching.
In such a situation, Hwang Yong-min's pride wouldn't allow him to bow his head to another.
'I really didn't want to fight, but this bastard is pissing me off.'
He, too, had enough strength to break a wall.
Maybe he could crush someone like Black Scythe in a single blow.
You never know until you try, right?
'Yeah, maybe he's just a fucking pushover.'
Having decided to act tough, Hwang Yong-min glared intensely.
"This fucking bastard is crossing the line. What? Get on my knees and beg?"
Cracking his knuckles, Hwang Yong-min stepped forward.
"You wanna die? You son of a bitch, huh?"
He closed the distance subtly while flexing his fists.
'The first strike wins. I'll close the distance and plant my fist in his face.'
He was at a disadvantage without a weapon, but only at a distance.
Within punching range, he, with his superior strength, would have the upper hand.
'If I can just land a solid first hit, that bastard won't be able to do anything.'
How could a mere human withstand the force that could shatter a wall?
He was sure that if he hit an arm or anywhere else, the guy would scream and collapse.
"You guys stay out of it! I'm gonna fuck this bastard up myself!"
As he shouted to his friends and advanced, Hwang Yong-min suddenly stopped.
The guy had suddenly opened his inventory and put away the scythe.
"What are you doing?"
"It wouldn't be fun if I won too easily, would it?"
"Hah, this bastard..."
In the moment he turned his head in disbelief.
*Fwoosh-!*
Ryu Min suddenly rushed forward.
Hwang Yong-min was surprised, but only for a moment.
"Stupid bastard, die!"
Seeing Ryu Min willingly charge headfirst, Hwang Yong-min threw a punch.
But the fist barely grazed Ryu Min's cheek.
*Thwack-!*
Instead, it was Hwang Yong-min who was hit by a fist and sent sprawling.
"Keuk, you son of a...!"
There was no time to curse through the stinging pain.
*Thud-!*
A soccer kick snapped Hwang Yong-min's head to the side.
"Kuh..."
His head spun.
There was no time to regain his senses.
Because Ryu Min's follow-up kick slammed into his jaw.
'Ah...!'
While his mind was dazed from the brain-rattling pain.
He felt someone mount his body.
*Thud- Thud- Thud-!*
Pounding punches rained down on Hwang Yong-min's head.
Each blow felt like being struck with a hammer.
'Th-this bastard's strength is... similar to mine?'
There was no time for such absurd thoughts.
He had taken six hits without landing a single one.
How humiliating.
"You son of a bitch!"
He screamed in fury and struggled.
Only then did Ryu Min back off.
"You're dead!"
He barely got up and threw a hook.
But it only cut through empty air.
Even when he swung repeatedly, Ryu Min dodged every punch just by weaving his upper body.
All the while, he would occasionally throw a jab that made the bridge of his nose sting.
'Why, why can't I hit him! Why!'
He was thoroughly enraged at being beaten without being able to fight back.
"You fu..."
"Stop cursing. My ears are rotting."
Ryu Min, who had closed in, landed a hook across his ear.
*Beeee—*
'Ah...'
With a feeling like his brain had turned to mush, Hwang Yong-min staggered and collapsed.
He no longer had the strength to stand.
"Yong-min!"
His friends, belatedly realizing things were going wrong, drew their weapons.
In particular, the thug with the bow drew his string.
*Fwing-!*
But Ryu Min was not one to be hit by a stray arrow.
He dodged it lightly and ran towards the thug with the bow.
"D-die!"
*Fwing-!*
He shot again, but it only hit empty air.
"Looks like you got lucky and found a bow while hunting monsters."
"...!"
Ryu Min, who had closed the distance in an instant, stood before him, scythe in hand.
"But you were unlucky to meet me."
He swung, and the bow-wielding thug's arm was severed.
"Aaaaaargh!"
"Th-that bastard...!"
"Kill him, the son of a bitch!"
Seeing this, Hwang Yong-min's friends charged all at once, but Ryu Min remained calm.
He simply measured the distance with an indifferent expression.
'Now.'
The moment they entered his range, Ryu Min swung his scythe low.
*Swish-!*
In the instant something seemed to flash by, the thug at the very front collapsed.
His leg had been cut off.
"Aaaaaargh!"
"Gasp! H-his leg...!"
The guy following behind flinched and stopped.
In that opening, Ryu Min lunged into their midst.
"Attacking me with weapons means you're prepared for the consequences, right?"
"...!"
As if he wasn't expecting an answer, Ryu Min's scythe immediately drew an arc.
*Thud- Thud-*
The thugs' attached arms slid off and fell.
"Aaaaaargh!"
"Gyaaaah!"
It didn't take long to deal with the four thugs.
'The Seal of Death is amazing. It cuts through armor in one hit.'
Ryu Min had cast the Seal of Death before swinging his scythe.
Perhaps because the damage was doubled, he had severed the arm of an armored opponent in a single stroke.
"Kkeuheuk..."
"Heuheuk..."
Looking around, he saw the situation was already over.
With their limbs severed, they had lost the will to fight.
'Too easy.'
And yet, Ryu Min did not put away his scythe.
It wasn't over until he said it was over.
*Stab-! Stab-!*
"Aaaaaargh!"
"Gyaaaah!"
He stabbed the fallen thugs' shoulders and thighs with his scythe.
He inflicted additional damage on the thugs, indifferent to their suffering.
"Keuheuk, kkeuheueuk, I'm dying..."
"Stop whining. You won't die from that."
He had no intention of killing them.
'They're trash who will fall behind on their own when the time comes anyway.'
However, he planned to teach them a lesson.
'I'll instill a fear in them so they can never crawl back up again.'
Ryu Min once again stabbed their limbs with his scythe.
"Gyaaaah!"
"Hwaaao!"
They writhed in pain as if they were dying, but they wouldn't die.
Because he was watching their health bars and adjusting the damage so they wouldn't die.
Ryu Min walked past the wailing thugs and stood before Hwang Yong-min.
"..."
Hwang Yong-min, who was lying with his eyes closed, trembled slightly.
"Pretending to be asleep is useless. There are no exceptions."
Ryu Min's scythe moved.
*Slice-!*
In that moment, one of Hwang Yong-min's arms was cleanly severed.
"U-uaaaaaaaargh!"
"Don't be a baby. That's nothing."
It wasn't a bluff.
Ryu Min had lived through pain far greater than having his arm cut off.
At the hands of none other than Hwang Yong-min's group.
The daily torment from the bullies was an unparalleled pain for the victim.
Ryu Min's scythe moved once more.
With his other arm also severed, Hwang Yong-min let out a pathetic scream.
Watching the brutal scene, Ahn Sang-chul swallowed hard.
'To mercilessly cut off the arms of an opponent who has already lost the will to fight...'
It might have seemed cruel in others' eyes, but not to Ahn Sang-chul.
On the contrary, his eyes shone with admiration for his cold-hearted ruthlessness.
'This man, Black Scythe... his caliber is truly comparable to the Representative's.'
He had previously criticized him for being arrogant, but now he saw that wasn't the case.
He was a man who had earned the right to be so.
His skills were, without a doubt, excellent.
'With skills like that, it's no wonder he rejected our offer.'
As he was inwardly marveling that this was indeed the number one ranker, Ryu Min looked his way.
Then, after stabbing Hwang Yong-min's thigh a few more times, he approached with an indifferent face.
Even though he was an ally, Ahn Sang-chul couldn't help but feel tense.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes... thanks to you."
"You won't have to worry about them attacking you now. As you can see, they can't even move. The most they can do is probably vote."
"Ah... thank you, Black Scythe."
As Ahn Sang-chul bowed his head, Seo Ah-rin followed suit.
"Thank you so much for your help. But... aren't they going to die?"
"So what if they die? They're worse than animals anyway."
"Ah..."
Seo Ah-rin fell silent at his cold words.
Ryu Min, on the other hand, clicked his tongue inwardly.
'She's way too soft. She's not a saint, so why is she worried about these bastards' lives?'
To worry about the lives of those who tried to harm her.
'Is she just managing her image because she's a public figure?'
Then again, it probably wasn't easy for Seo Ah-rin to condone murder.
'Whatever the case, I've achieved my goal.'
He had indebted Ahn Sang-chul, just as he planned.
There was no need to worry about it anymore.
"Kkeueueu..."
"Eueueueu..."
It was the same for these bastards with their severed limbs.
They were groaning as if they were about to die, but he didn't need to pay them any more mind.
'They won't die. I left them with just enough health to survive for the remaining time.'
When time passed and the round ended, they would be revived.
'Just because your limbs are cut off in the Otherworld doesn't mean they're cut off in reality.'
As long as they were alive, they would be able to walk around perfectly fine when they returned to reality.
'If it were up to me, I'd kill them right here, but I can't do that yet.'
There was no point in killing them.
It wasn't like he held a huge grudge, nor was there anything to gain.
'It's not like they give experience points like monsters.'
If he was going to kill them, he had to use them for all they were worth first.
'They still have their uses. Hwang Yong-min and the other thugs.'
Just then, Ahn Sang-chul asked with a polite attitude.
"Black Scythe. If you don't mind my asking, may I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Is there a reason you deliberately left these men alive? In the Otherworld, there would be no problem killing scum like them."
Hearing those chilling words, the listening thugs flinched.
Unlike Seo Ah-rin, it seemed Ahn Sang-chul wanted to get rid of the trash by killing them.
'Just like Ma Kyung-rok's right-hand man.'
Without hesitation, Ryu Min told him the reason.