Ron has just received some shocking news from the Westward Sphere.
Taigan, the town’s captain, had been killed by Nox, along with every soldier in his charge.
It didn’t make sense immediately.
But the idea that the letter in front of him was a lie didn’t appeal either.
Something was wrong.
And it was clear that something was wrong. Nox, that crazy bastard, was involved.
‘Shit. Just when I thought we were getting close, this shit blows up in our faces……!’
Ron quickly rallied the bandits at his side and got them ready. At any moment, Nox could attack.
Preparing for battle in their sleep was a major advantage for rogues, bandits, and mountain men who grew up in rugged environments. It was a major advantage for hillbillies and the like.
Ron wiped his sword and thought for a moment.“Of course…… it may not be necessary to react so severely.
Objectively speaking, he was more skilled than Nox.
Besides, compared to his short stature, he’s leading a group of soldiers, isn’t he?
He shouldn’t have much to worry about. But why?
He felt fear from the unknown.
The Nox von Reinhaber he’d seen at the inn was a powerful man.
Not a broken man, but an absolute powerhouse.
“Prepare yourselves. Eliminate Nox von Reinharber and capture Grine alive. Then we’ll send a letter to the Reinhafers, collect the ransom, and get the hell out of here. Do you understand?”
“Yes!”
Ron quickly finished his thought.
He has more than just himself as a private soldier.
If he were to join Nox’s side, it would only make things worse.
Unless, of course, there was a power struggle between the two brothers at the inn.
After all, crayfish are bound to side with crabs, right?
For now, make quick work of Nox.
Then capture Grine’s soldiers and collect his ransom. It was best to flee quickly to the eastern country of Tahalin.
“Taigan’s already compromised. Let’s move!”
“No need to move.”
That was the moment.
As Ron’s gaze narrowed, an enigmatic-looking man emerged from the shadows.
Mysterious gray hair, lavender eyes. But unlike Grine, there was a faint madness in those eyes, a clear brilliance, a youthfulness.
He looks young but also old.
There is no one here who does not recognize the terrible monster within.
Nox von Reinhaber.
He arrived here before he did.
Ron chewed his lip.
“It would take at least two hours to get here from the dungeons with the captain of the guard. How the hell did you get here?”
He wanted to see if there was still hope, if he could help him deal with Grine.
But Nox is adamant.
“There’s always a way.”
Hmph!
Carl growls.
“That horse… it’s a real Obsidian.”
Apparently, this guy knows a thing or two about horses. Nox muses, glancing at the others appraisingly.
There are about twenty enemies ahead. But they’re nothing he can’t kill with his sword.
He hasn’t used [Time of Genius] yet.
It’s a skill that makes you nearly invincible for about five minutes.
Especially at the beginning of a scenario? Its power is awe-inspiring.
“Long story short.”
At Nox’s words, Ron held his hand out in front of him, gesturing for them to wait. Then he added.
“Grine, if we get rid of him, won’t your status rise as well? You’d be better off working hand in hand with us here…….”
“How can I trust you? You are nothing more than a bandit, pretending to be a knight and deceiving House Reinhafer. From now on, I will punish you for that, regardless of your motives.”
At the firmness of Nox’s words, Ron could finally see through him.
He’d known all along.
The corruption in this town, everything he’d done to deceive Grine.
“Damn it, you’ve been following me all along, what the hell do you know?”
“Well. A lot more than you know. Oh, I know for sure that you brought Griffin here on purpose. About tax embezzlement and family connections. Shall I recite more?”
Nox had seen the ending of the first part of the game countless times.
Naturally, he knew many times more than the man in front of him.
Ron’s eyes glowed bright red.
At that point, he couldn’t help but explode.
Even if he was treading carefully, trampled underfoot by the momentum of House Reinhafer, did he seriously expect to defeat him here?
There’s no way he could be so confident in the face of so many enemies, unless he’s still a child who doesn’t know how the world works.
It’s come to this.
“I’ll take you as a hostage and make sure the family gets a good deal. Go!”
As he spoke, the pure white light shattered.
Several intermittent pops echoed through the air.
Then a look of deep horror crosses Ron’s face.
Something had fallen, and though he couldn’t quite make it out, it wasn’t the enemy.
It was…….
The heads of his comrades.
“That makes sixteen.”
Nox added with a laugh.
“I’ll give you one piece of advice: my father-the patriarch of House Rinehafer-wouldn’t blink an eye if I died here. If you think you’re going to tear the family name apart with my life, you shouldn’t have been born in the first place.”
Wham!
Once again, a bandit’s head rolled on the floor.
“I’ve already written to the family. You’re causing me trouble in the Chasers, and if I don’t return… I’ll have you exterminated by any means necessary.”
There was even a hint of cold mockery in Nox’s words.
Ron swallowed hard.
He was right.
Nox was only the youngest master of the family.
If you ask me if Theo, that southern loser, will blink an eye if I die here, I can only shake my head.
Not for anyone else, but for his own damn kid.
On the other hand, what would he do if he were caught by the Rineharbors?
At first, he thought he’d take the money and make a quick getaway, but even that wasn’t going to be easy.
If he delayed too long, even if he fled to another country, the three major dark families would hunt him down and destroy him.
The situation can be summarized in one word.
Despair.
‘No matter what I do, I’m at a disadvantage…! Damn it!
There was no answer.
* * *
[Talent ‘Master of Smoke’ is being activated].
[Talent ‘Steel Mentality’ is activating].
Two traits assist me in dealing with the Ron in front of me.
He is dangerous and stronger than me.
He is intimidated by me for one reason only.
[Triggers the Talent “Loser’s Intimidation”].
[The target’s stats are lower than the player’s stat total].
[The target’s stats are reduced by 20%].
This is due to his stats being reduced.
But here’s where you might ask.
His stats are lower than mine.
Doesn’t that mean I shouldn’t worry about it?
If you have higher stats than him, it shouldn’t be too difficult to fight him. Unfortunately, there’s a catch.
What does the system consider a stat?
Physique? Magic?
If not, would it also include…… charm?
The answer is the latter.
“‘Nox von Reinhafer. He’s a weakling, but his charm stat is insanely high for a part 1 final boss. It’s 25.
Considering that the maximum stat cap is 30, it’s no surprise that Nox, who is barely an adult, has a charm stat of 25.
This meant that Nox was incredibly handsome.
Like, unrivaled.
No, now he’s saying I’m handsome?
That makes me feel better.
Anyway, thanks to an overwhelmingly high Attractiveness stat compared to my other stats. I’m optimized to use the trait [Loser’s Intimidation].
I can shred their stats just by being handsome.
What an absurd and beautiful thing to say!
I stared at the creature that was flailing at me with a satisfied expression.
Ron is now a rat in a poisonous bottle.
Mei, whom I had rescued with Zitri earlier, had already told us to head for Elena’s lair.
Few people know the waterways, so there’s no danger of being caught by Grine or anyone else.
That means you can run amok here for now.
But Ron doesn’t seem to think so.
“Apparently, you’re hiding your powers and acting like an ass…! Have you thought about what would happen if you went on a rampage here?!! All eyes will be on you, and I’m sure that’s not what you want either.”
That’s a pretty pointed question.
But it doesn’t mean anything to me.
Who am I negotiating in front of?
I smiled weakly, gripped my sword confidently, and activated [Hour of Genius].
Then I spoke.
“Listen to me. Ron. I’m going to assassinate you and your band of thieves from now on.”
“…? Assassination? With how many people are here right now, assassination makes sense…….”
“If I leave no witnesses alive, no one will ever know.”
I nodded and smirked.
“I’ll kill them all and make it an assassination.”
” ……you crazy fucker.”
“Whatever. I’m the infamous bastard of the family.”
I reply nonchalantly, drawing my sword.
There are only about fifteen enemies left in the enemy camp.
But except for Ron they’re all ragtag goons.
[The artifact ‘Stormbringer’ thirsts for your magic].
The black sword in my hand exudes intangible power, with red letters etched across its jet-black hilt. Incredible magical power emanates from it.
‘As expected, I won’t last long.’
No wonder.
Ever since I first acquired this sword. I’ve suffered quite a bit from swords that drain my magic. Even now, in terms of battle time, I’ve been wielding it for nearly seven minutes.
Any more time is a shortcut to life.
However, thanks to you, I intend to show them.
One of my family’s first beginner sword techniques.
“What are you trying to do?”
Ron, being the strong man he is, quickly realizes I’m up to something.
I was. He’s had his fair share of knife fights.
He can recognize a dangerous situation before anyone else.
That’s a huge advantage.
But that keen sense is only as good as your ability to block my attacks.
A ridiculously massive attack.
Or a ridiculously understated, sharp sword strike…
and you’re already dead before you can react.
“Everyone take cover!”
Ron’s gruff voice bursts out.
But before they can react, his companions’ necks and limbs are sliced off in a flash.
Cleave! {1}
I stare at the white streak of the bloodless sword, and the violet aura that rises from it.
The sensation of clear magic power.
‘The first initiation into the lower ranks of swordsmanship of House Reinharbour, the ‘Black Flash.'{2}
This is the most fundamental sword art of the Reinharber family, a sword art that involves slashing enemies with a sword imbued with magic power.
Originally, its color and shape were more colorful.
The element of magic I possess is darkness. That’s why this deep violet-colored energy surges in mesmerizing lines.
I stared at the tip of my sword.
It flew toward the enemy, cutting with precision down to the smallest fraction of a second.
It was nothing short of beautiful.
[Genius has 4:31 seconds left].
Four and a half minutes to go.
In this situation, I’ve already defeated nearly ten opponents in the previous round.
Ron is no match for me now.
My health stats and talents have tripled. My swordsmanship overwhelms him.
At least for four and a half minutes.
And that’s about it.
“Enough.”
I leap, sword in hand once more. The ground caves in, and my path narrows. My leap was too fast for them to see.
I pivot, weaving between them, and slowly begin to reduce their numbers one by one.
I still have some magic left in me. The sword is draining me at double the rate, but I still have time to spare.
Theo, you bastard… sometimes you give me something useful.
Maybe I can call you father now.
At least while I’m using him.
“Crazy…… freak.”
“That’s not something a bandit would say, is it?”
I said, and pointed my sword at Ron, who had lost his henchman. My blackened blade slices through his throat with precision.
His body crumples to the ground in a foul smell of blood.
“Now that we’ve cleared the two factions… let’s go blackmail my damn brother.”
From here, we’ve already dealt with Taigan, the leader of the Guard, and the Knights of Ron, Grine’s faction. Although I’ve defeated them both, I’m not done yet.
Grine still has soldiers. Our mission is far from over.
As you recall, our mission began here. To destroy the evil of the Chasers.
* * *
“Elena!”
“Mei!”
Elena and Mei were reunited in the underground aqueduct workshop.
The place where Elena had been hiding because she couldn’t pay her taxes.
It was there that the two were miraculously reunited again.
Nox had killed their enemies.
Zitri watched the reunion from a step away.
Elena was sober, unlike her usual self. It was a rare occurrence.
“Mei… do you know how worried I was… how worried I was that you might have died…!”
“Well… I thought I was going to die too, but somehow I found you alive. That gray-haired boy… the one who is your master, saved me. He said he did it at your request.”
“Oh, I see…!”
Elena said as she hugged Mei.
And then she thought.
Nox von Reinhaber.
That he really did mean what he said.
‘I don’t know how that’s possible, but…… he certainly saved Mei’s life.’
A moment of relief.
Then another wave of worry washed over Elena.
“Nox… where is Young Master Nox, is he okay?”
She wanted to make sure her friend’s lifesaver was okay.
“Yes.”
Zitri nodded his head in agreement.
“My master is an asshole, to be sure, but he’s a tough one.”
{1} : the sound of a scythe cleaving grass
{2} : 黑刀一閃 Hēi dāo yīshǎn – flash of black knife
Figured out “x-bob” = fucked, fixed it for the earlier chapters, also in the future i’ll censor the swears like this sh*t or f*ck to be authentic to original. As always thanks for reading.
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