Ch.47Illegal Transaction Site Is Dangerous (3)

“Kut.”

Screech!

Thud.

Jackson thrust his knife with a trembling arm filled with rage, but it was all too easily blocked by Penelope’s arm.

Thwack!

Somehow managing to keep his wits about him, Jackson leaped backward and let out a resigned laugh.

“I never thought I’d end up like this here.”

“……”

“No matter how I look at it, escape seems impossible.”

“If you know that, hurry up and choose.”

But Jackson, refusing to give up, began drawing up magical power from his entire body.

“…This is the first time I’m using this skill in actual combat.”

Did he still have some trick up his sleeve? While I watched the situation intently, Jackson activated his final skill.

“Call of the War God.”

Whoosh.

Yellow magical energy filled my vision in an instant, and Jackson’s eyes began turning red.

This was different from a simple enhancement skill.

Magical power was overflowing chaotically in all directions.

‘A berserker-type skill, is it?’

In short, it seemed Jackson had given up on what would come after and was launching one final suicide attack.

“I absolutely won’t die easily.”

The aura was impressively powerful. After assessing it, I hurriedly ordered Penelope.

“Finish him now.”

“As you command.”

Crash!

Slash!

Penelope charged forward in an instant and swung her hind leg to cut down Jackson.

But the timing was just a bit too late.

Jackson’s skill was completed a moment before the final blow landed.

Boom!

Crack!

The leg she swung was bent back by a shield charge filled with intense power, and the subsequent sword strike completely severed her shoulder.

Abandoning her attack and retreating, Penelope spoke to me with an expressionless face.

“My strength is insufficient. Can you increase my output?”

“Th-this is already my maximum.”

“Just how weak have you become?”

Perhaps this was what made an A-rank truly A-rank—the final desperate measure Jackson took showed truly remarkable power.

Having realized his own strength, Jackson let out a maniacal laugh.

“Why don’t you try hiding like a little mouse and putting on a show again? I could probably break that cocoon without much difficulty now.”

Crash!

Crack!

Penelope responded to Jackson’s subsequent charge, but she was already at a complete disadvantage in terms of raw power.

After losing two more arms from her back, Penelope murmured to me with dissatisfaction.

“I cannot win in this humanoid form. I will return to my true form.”

“I don’t have the energy to handle that right now…”

“If I become incapacitated, I judge that the current Lord would be easily killed.”

It was unpleasant to hear, but she was right. With a feeling of letting whatever happens happen, I granted Penelope’s request.

“F-fine, I authorize it.”

“Thank you.”

Whoosh.

Rustle!

As Penelope retreated, her entire body was instantly covered in black spider webs.

At the same time, my magical power and spirit energy began to be drained at a tremendous rate.

“Ugh.”

Perhaps my strength was indeed insufficient, as even my life force was being drained. I sat down on the ground, feeling slightly dizzy.

When the cocoon had grown to a certain size, I hurriedly cut off the power connection.

It wasn’t complete, but this should be enough.

“What on earth are you—”

Rip!

[Kirik. Kiek.]

What emerged from the massive cocoon over 2 meters tall was a spider covered entirely in black carapace, exuding a chilling aura.

Only, there was no longer any trace of human form.

Though it hadn’t reached its original size due to lack of power, it was the very image of the predator that had once ruled the Black Forest.

Overwhelmed by its imposing presence, Jackson shouted and charged forward as if to shake off his anxiety.

“Making yourself bigger won’t help!”

Thwack!

Crack!

But it wasn’t just the size that had changed. Jackson’s slashes, which had easily cut through Penelope’s body until just moments ago, bounced off after barely cutting halfway through the carapace.

“This is impossible…!”

Against the astonished Jackson, Penelope continued her fierce offensive as if taking revenge for what had happened earlier.

Crash!

Bang!

BOOM—!

“Argh!”

In response, Jackson also began an all-out brawl, burning through all his strength.

Crunch!

Crack!

Slash!

The battle had grown so large that the surrounding terrain was being damaged.

Penelope also sustained injuries from Jackson’s attacks that disregarded defense, but Jackson was taking the greater damage.

“Blade of Struggle!”

Crash!

Even his final desperate attack, putting in every last bit of strength, didn’t make much difference.

From the beginning, Penelope in that state possessed power at least equal to an upper A-rank hunter.

For Jackson, who was at best average among A-ranks, she was honestly too much to handle.

Whoosh!

Rustle!

In the end, Jackson was bound in spider webs without putting up any meaningful resistance, reduced to a miserable state.

“Huff. Hah. Ugh.”

Holding my dizzy head, I approached him and delivered my ultimatum.

“No time. Choose within 10 seconds.”

“W-wait.”

I had no intention of giving him any more chance to counterattack. Seeing my resolute gaze, Jackson became desperate and began spitting out words.

“If you kill me, you won’t get away unscathed either. I don’t know who’s backing you, but…”

“Pathetic till the end.”

Stab!

“Gah! Kuhak!”

I picked up Jackson’s knife from the ground and stabbed it straight into his heart.

With the ring’s effect nearly gone, I had no time to listen to any more useless talk.

Sensing his own death, Jackson uttered his final words with a curse in his fading eyes.

“H-Hades will. Kuhak! Not let you… get away with this…”

Squelch.

Looking at the collapsed Jackson, I remained silent for a moment.

‘Hades?’

He seemed to have said something, but my head was too dizzy to hear clearly.

Losing interest, I reached into my pocket and took out the magic stone of the B-rank boss monster, the Doppelganger, that I had obtained previously.

“Anyway, I told you to hurry up and choose.”

Pull.

After removing the sword from his heart, I inserted the Doppelganger’s magic stone in its place and chanted a spell while infusing it with spirit energy.

“Undead call.”

Whoosh.

The robust body and soul of an A-rank hunter, plus a high-grade magic stone pre-filled with spirit energy.

With materials of this quality, I could create a fairly decent undead even by my standards.

After pondering for a moment, I made my decision and continued the ritual.

‘…A knight doesn’t suit him.’

The title of Death Knight would be too extravagant for such a petty individual.

Didn’t they call him the Tireless Warrior in public?

If so, there’s a perfect specimen.

Commonly known as the Hell Warrior, a high-level undead of the skeleton lineage with powerful close combat abilities and excellent durability.

Whoosh.

Crack!

Crunch!

Snap!

Jackson’s corpse twisted and transformed under the influence of the spirit energy flowing from the magic stone.

The resulting form was a warrior clad in bones stained with spirit energy like armor, with its interior filled with a burning soul.

“Doom Warrior.”

Whoosh.

Immense spirit energy poured out from the completed body, and before long, he was reborn as a new servant of death, having shed his mortal coil.

I asked the transformed Jackson,

“How do you feel?”

[……]

No answer came. His soul had significantly degraded.

After giving the fully transformed undead Jackson one last glance, I immediately returned him to a vessel state through necromancy.

Though he wouldn’t be able to display much power due to the simple ritual, he would be helpful in many ways since he could be summoned easily.

With all the fighting over, Song Hayeon, who had been in a corner, hurriedly approached and spoke to me.

“Are you okay?”

“Can’t you tell by looking?”

“You said you’d handle it in one go, but watching you struggle made me so nervous I thought I was going to die. Honestly, I thought you were going to lose.”

“Ah, it’s because my level is still low.”

No matter how much of an A-rank hunter he was, to be honest, I hadn’t expected to struggle this much.

‘…So this is about average A-rank ability.’

I carefully reviewed the battle with Jackson and stored it in a corner of my memory.

‘Not easy.’

This fight gave me a better sense of things.

A-rank hunters at the very top who are considered close to S-rank, and S-rank hunters who are evaluated as having transcended human limitations.

In my current state, if I were to face them, I wouldn’t just be worried about winning—I’d be concerned for my own life.

I frowned at the rising unpleasantness.

‘I need to level up more.’

Fighting made me realize it.

In this world, there are far too many beings who could threaten my life.

And I found that fact extremely displeasing.

“It looks like the deal over there is done. Are we heading back soon?”

Just as Song Hayeon’s words reached me, my consciousness suddenly began to blur, and the strength supporting my body started to drain away.

“Huh.”

I collapsed to the ground in surprise, my body going limp.

Thud!

“Master?”

Song Hayeon asked with confusion, but I was in no state to respond normally.

“I… can’t move.”

Thinking about it, it made sense.

I had used the Book of Death twice, and expended a great deal of energy summoning Penelope’s true form.

On top of that, the ring’s effect had just worn off. I let out a silent scream at the overwhelming fatigue and pain.

“Sigh. I knew this would happen. Are you alright?”

“Ugh. I… feel like I’m dying…”

Seeing me writhing with a pained expression, Song Hayeon summoned two Skeleton Mashers to lift me up like a patient.

“…Don’t complain about this later, okay?”

And so I was carried away in a lying position in the Mashers’ hands.

“Urgh. Stay further away…”

“I’m already 10 meters away! If I move any further, I won’t be able to control them properly. Just bear with it, please.”

“Uuurgh.”

Somehow, it felt incredibly humiliating.