Chapter 45
Trapped in a Damn Game
Chaeng-! Chang!
Kwang!
“Arghhh! My wrist…!”
“Ah, someone help… I can’t see…”
Cries of agony erupted everywhere among the subordinates.
The Black Rat frowned deeply.
What on earth had happened?
The platinum guild’s sailing ship hadn’t even docked at the harbor yet.
Suddenly, a massive man leapt onto the deck where they were hiding. Dressed in leather, he swung sharp clawed gauntlets mercilessly with both hands.
With each swing, the subordinates’ wrists were severed, eyes slashed, and bodies pierced.
In an instant, the deck was soaked in blood.
There were over seventy subordinates, but in mere seconds, more than ten of them were taken down.
The Black Rat surveyed their eyes. All were filled with terror.
He gritted his teeth.
“Damn it. Even as a servant of a demon, I didn’t expect this level…”
In a situation where no one dared step forward, only the twins confronted the man.
Han seemed barely able to stand after taking a beating from Erdu.
Chaeng-!
The Black Rat bit his lip.
The twins were better than Han in skill, even if they were stubborn, but they were being pushed back by the man.
“What are you waiting for?! Just standing there watching?!”
The Black Rat shouted furiously at his subordinates.
He kicked the back of one who stumbled, but the man only staggered further back.
“Damn bastards…!”
Swoosh!
The Black Rat’s sword cut the neck of a retreating subordinate.
Blood gushed like a fountain, splattering the subordinates ahead of him.
“There’s only one of him! I said attack everyone!”
He swung his sword wildly, and the terrified subordinates advanced like they were being pushed.
“If anyone tries to run, I’ll find not just him but his entire family and kill them!”
The plan had gone awry.
Everything was disrupted because of that one man.
But…
“That doesn’t mean we can back down.”
This matter was directly linked to Count Kyros. Retreat now, and the aftershocks would be unbearable.
“We started this—today, we must seize the Count’s weakness here and now.”
The Black Rat raised his gaze toward the ship docked across from them.
That ship carried mercenaries.
Those mercenaries should have arrived to help by now. What were they dawdling for?
…
Then, in the Black Rat’s view, the golden mermaid-shaped figurehead gradually became visible.
The platinum guild’s ship had finally reached the harbor.
Soon, figures with red eyes leapt one by one onto its deck.
The Black Rat clenched his teeth and muttered a low curse.
“…Damn it.”
“How did they know we were hiding on the ship?”
Walter whispered, lying under the railing to stay hidden.
“Smell of smoke.”
Kyle replied shortly.
Walter sniffed.
“Now, I don’t smell anything.”
“A little.”
“…You really have a keen nose.”
Dermo thought the same internally.
It had taken considerable time for the platinum guild’s ship to reach the harbor. The strong smell of tobacco had now mostly dissipated in the wind. Likely, it lingered faintly on their bodies. Only someone with a unique constitution like a half-demon could detect it. Kyle’s sense of smell was indeed sharp.
“When do we move?”
Silphia asked, fidgeting with her staff. She looked ready to fight at any moment. She oddly resembled the twin executioners—quick to attack, playing with electricity.
“Wait a little. We’ll move after they tire out sufficiently,” Dermo said, peeking over the railing.
Metal clashed with screams on the deck.
The Black Rat never intended to execute their plan from the start.
As the platinum guild ship docked, oil would be thrown and Silphia’s magic would ignite it. Then, a swift ambush to capture a few for Count Kyros’ weakness.
It sounded plausible, but it was just a ruse. Without a plan, the Black Rat would never have moved so boldly.
“Besides, we can’t just burn that ship.”
They had something to retrieve inside. Dermo quietly rose after confirming the deck was empty.
“Are we moving now?”
Silphia asked, twiddling her staff.
“Not yet.”
“Then why stand up?”
There wasn’t time for a long explanation. Dermo stepped onto the railing, ready to jump.
“Wait for my signal.”
About 10 meters separated the ships. Too far for a normal person to leap, but Dermo did so effortlessly.
[Skill ‘Leap’ activated.]
Pat!
“What the…?”
“Is he a grasshopper?”
Voices of admiration came from behind. Dermo landed lightly on the deck and descended below.
The ship was large, with storerooms, kitchens, and many spaces, but Dermo had a specific purpose: the captain’s cabin.
Opening the door, the sharp smell of leather hit his nose. The desk, bed, and floor—all covered in animal hides.
“Were they beasts in a past life? All animal hides.”
Dermo approached the bookshelf, running his fingers along the spines, quickly scanning through them.
“It must be here somewhere…”
Halfway through, his hand stopped. He pulled out a book.
“Found it. Flash Sword Technique.”
A skill book—not just to learn techniques but an entire sword style. A lightning-fast sword method popular among many players. Speed-focused, but devastating when precise.
As a half-demon, Dermo couldn’t learn skills except via soul absorption, so he planned to teach it to a companion.
“Time to go.”
He placed the skill book in his inventory and prepared to deal with the enemies above.
The Black Rat and the platinum guild were clashing heavily. Both sides must have taken damage, though the Black Rat’s side more so.
Metal clashed as he ascended the stairs. Blood splattered everywhere. Corpses littered the deck. Clearly, the platinum guild held the advantage.
“Perfect timing.”
The guild had suffered some losses too. To minimize his party’s casualties, the Black Rat’s gang would still be useful, making this the ideal moment to strike.
He signaled his party. They nodded and moved. Silphia extended her staff, flames igniting at the tip.
Fire roared—giant columns from the neighboring ship.
“That firepower is insane.”
Flames rose to the height of the mast but were extinguished by Silphia’s magic.
Dermo drew his magic sword and leapt toward the ongoing battle.
Pat!
Dozens of fighters clashed in chaos. Burnt bodies lay scattered.
“Attacking us too?! Are you insane?!”
The Black Rat roared. His leather armor charred, face scarred. Silphia’s magic had hit him.
“My friend is still inexperienced with magic. Please understand,” Dermo shrugged.
“Do you expect me to just… understand?!”
“Then don’t do it if you can’t handle it.”
The Black Rat cursed, but Dermo ignored him, focusing on Harma and the twin executioners.
Bang! Kwachik! Pbeok!
Three massive men fought like bulls, weapons clashing, martial arts strikes mingled in, stone-on-stone sounds echoing. Harma’s attack left three deep scars on Drem’s face. Minor wounds were visible on Harma too.
Crack!
Drem, hit in the side by Harma’s kick, rolled and stopped before Dermo.
“I think I just heard ribs break.”
Despite the pain, Drem gritted his teeth and stood. Their eyes met.
Thunk!
“W-what… you bastard…”
Dermo’s sword pierced Drem’s heart. Bloodshot eyes glared at him.
Drem swung a cleaver with his last strength, aiming for Dermo’s neck. But Dermo didn’t dodge—he simply watched.
Kang!
The cleaver struck something hard and bounced off.
Drem’s pupils wavered—he had used [Skill ‘Rock Skin’].
Even monsters are still human. Attempting an attack with a pierced heart was impressive.
Slowly, life faded from his eyes as Dermo’s magic sword drained his blood.
Simultaneously, Dermo activated:
[Skill ‘Corpse Infection’.]
Green slime formed at his fingertips, injected into Drem’s body.
Drem, who had fallen resting on Dermo’s shoulder, twitched.
“Kill your brother, Drem.”
Originally, Dermo planned to defeat Harma with the twins first, then deal with the twins. But with ‘Corpse Infection’, he could control monsters without direct combat.
“Kraahh!”
Drem roared and stomped toward Erdu. The slime spread to other corpses nearby.
Dagdak, dagdak.
A group, cloaked in dark red-stained hoods, rode horses to the Ordane castle gates.
The leader pulled the reins, stopping, silently staring at the gate. He chuckled.
“Encountering a demon on the way… Today’s not our day.”
The gates were engulfed in fire. Guards hurried buckets of water, trying to extinguish it.
“Alban, you’re from Ordane, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know any other way besides the gate?”
“Only the small alley openings used by locals.”
“I see…”
The supply-laden wagons made the small openings unusable. They would have to wait for the fire to subside.
He raised his head to the sky.
“Harma, that savage, must be laughing at us for being late.”
The sun slowly rose in the eastern sky.
