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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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028
“Stick to my back and follow.”
Kang Cheol-woo kept his guard up as he led the way.
Swish, swish.
His eyes scanned every corner, his movements precise and practiced.
“It seems safe here,” he finally said after checking all the passages.
“Hmm?”
His gaze shifted to the Dark shadow Guild member following him.
A face that looked utterly fatigued.
‘Does he not feel any tension at all?’
Lee Rowoon didn’t seem the least bit interested in their situation.
“You said you’re from the Dark shadow Guild, right?”
“So?”
Lee Rowoon’s response was indifferent, almost dismissive.
A vein twitched on Kang Cheol-woo’s forehead.
‘What a smart-ass.’
Did this guy think he was untouchable just because someone from Haenam had forced him into the mission?
Kang Cheol-woo exhaled sharply, holding back a retort.
‘What’s the point? We’re all in the same boat anyway.’
No matter how he got here, Lee Rowoon was still just another player—one of the “dogs” in the eyes of the martial artists.
There were some martial artists who treated players as equals, but they were rare.
And in Haenam?
There weren’t any at all.
A parachute hire meant that some high-ranking figure had forced the Dark shadow Guild into this mission, treating them like hunting dogs.
‘What’s the point of saying anything? We’re in the same boat.’
Both of them were just dogs.
Heh.
Thinking that way, Kang Cheol-woo felt his anger fade.
Calming himself, he scanned the surroundings again.
“Still, I’m an old dog.”
Meaning he had been around longer.
“What do you think the guy who put you here is going to do for you? We’re not the only dogs they’re raising.”
It was nothing more than a bitter rant.
“Don’t think you’re special. Surviving is everything.”
“Geez, enough nagging,” Lee Rowoon muttered.
Kang Cheol-woo smirked at the young man’s words.
“Just follow me. At least I’ll help you not die. If you don’t like it, survive and become an old dog like me.”
He had no idea why he was even saying this to some punk.
Maybe the stress was getting to him.
‘Have I been under too much pressure lately?’
The past few days had been exhausting.
Maybe that’s why he was venting.
“Don’t die.”
Because, in the end, that was all they could do.
If they wanted to keep wearing their leashes, they had to survive.
Thud. Thud.
Kang Cheol-woo, having checked the passage, started moving toward where the elders were waiting.
“I will.”
Lee Rowoon’s quiet reply echoed behind him.
Then, he followed.
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Bondenoi’s Dungeon, Armo, has been discovered.
Bondenoi was not from Earth.
He was a resident of Einheart, a world that had been forcibly opened to Silver.
And unfortunately for him, he belonged to a small force that was caught in the chaos.
I was going to deal with it first, but Haenam already has a scouting and subjugation force.
Haenam had the key.
The qualification to enter Armo was already in their hands.
It’s not impossible to take it…
If he used the Black Market’s ability, he could steal the Armo Key from Haenam.
With Black Market’s near-limitless financial power, securing the key would be trivial.
They had enough skilled agents to take it by force.
Then, under the pretense of subjugating Armo, they could infiltrate with one of Black Market’s ghost guilds and rescue Bondenoi.
“Impertinent.”
Lee Rowoon muttered.
“Are you testing me?”
Laying out choices and watching what he would do.
The Black Market King had a lot to gain from this.
If Lee Rowoon asked for help, he would be indebted.
And in Silver, debts were precious currency.
Incur them too easily, and they become shackles.
Moreover, his decision would reveal his true nature.
A test.
A test to see who he really was.
“Don’t you know what Black Market’s investment means?”
Because this was business.
Black Market’s investment meant a long-term arrangement—providing what was needed while securing valuable information.
Even Kang Eun-ha, a pillar of Kangha Group, was taken aback by the scale of their investment.
“If Black Market’s investment is to continue, even if you’re the Blood Demon, you’ll have to keep proving your worth.”
At those words—
“Impertinent.”
Lee Rowoon repeated himself.
“Do as you please. But this time, I’ll go myself.”
And so, he borrowed the name of Dark Shadow, one of the Black Market’s ghost guilds, and joined the subjugation force.
Martial artists always attracted Assembly attention, but players did not.
It was easy to blend in.
A simple disguise—one that let him move freely.
A test, huh?
Utterly impertinent.
Once, the Black Market King had been untouchable to him.
But not anymore.
It wasn’t arrogance.
It wasn’t overestimation.
“You are our disciple.”
A disciple of the masters.
For over a hundred years, he had trained.
For countless hours, he had fought against chaos.
Everything now?
Just a game.
A game to extinguish the past flames.
A game to play before finding his masters and repaying their kindness.
So, testing him?
Utterly Impertinent.
Well, I don’t care.
Lee Rowoon wasn’t particularly upset by the Black Market King’s test.
Because the King didn’t know.
Didn’t know who was truly testing whom.
The more they learn about me, the more confused they’ll be.
And in that confusion, the Black Market King would be forced to make choices.
That was the real test.
Would he accept the traitors or reject them?
“When are we going to move?”
A quiet voice broke his thoughts.
It was Jung Chi-soo, the guild leader of Dark Shadow.
Initially, Lee Rowoon had planned to move alone, but Kang Eun-ha had protested.
“I can’t send the Blood Demon into enemy territory alone.”
She had pleaded with him to take others along.
And in truth, it was better to have numbers.
It made it easier for Dark Shadow to blend into the subjugation force as a ghost guild.
“If you give the order…”
“Not yet.”
Lee Rowoon’s voice was just as quiet.
“Bondenoi is not an easy opponent.”
He had a connection to him.
A faint memory surfaced—
“You are like me. That’s why.”
Bondenoi would be fully prepared.
If they moved too soon, they would suffer unnecessary losses.
“We’ll have to use what we can use.”
“Understood.”
Jung Chi-soo nodded.
Their conversation ended just as—
“Elder!”
Kang Cheol-woo’s urgent voice rang out.
He rushed ahead toward Elder Yuk Sagul.
His expression was tense.
There was a problem.
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The subjugation force had been cutting through the maze with ease, breaking past walls and traps without much trouble. But now, they had come to a halt.
It wasn’t because of another magic trap or an ambush.
It was because they had reached their destination—the enemy’s base.
Kang Cheol-woo surveyed the area before lowering his head toward Yuk Sagul.
“We should retreat.”
Silence fell over the group.
“Retreat?” Yuk Sagul’s face contorted in disbelief. “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Murmurs spread through the martial artists.
“Retreat? After making it all the way here?”
“Why? What’s the problem?” Yuk Sagul asked, his voice sharp.
Kang Cheol-woo sighed. “To reach the dungeon’s entrance, we have to pass through a chamber. There’s a magic circle inscribed on the floor.”
Until now, the players had dealt with magic circles in two ways—either enduring their effects or dismantling them using special items. But the one in front of the entrance was different.
Kang Cheol-woo’s voice was grim. “It’s a sacrifice magic circle.”
A murmur spread through the group.
“A sacrifice magic circle?”
“Why the hell is something like that here instead of the West?”
Both the martial artists and players tensed at the mention of it.
A sacrifice magic circle wasn’t just a name—it was a true barrier. Not because it demanded a literal sacrifice, but because it was nearly impossible to dismantle without extensive knowledge of magic circles. Even the best dismantling tools were useless against it.
Worst of all, even the weakest sacrifice magic circle contained enough power to kill a Transcendent Realm master in an instant.
The only known way to break it was to activate the circle and endure its deadly backlash.
Yuk Sagul’s eyes narrowed.
‘A thousand-level magic circle at least…’
Breaking it by force would be difficult.
But they had come too far to stop now.
“Step aside,” Yuk Sagul ordered as he raised his sword.
Goo-ooo!
Internal energy surged through the blade, glowing with a bright blue light as it extended beyond its physical form.
“Sword Qi!”
“Elder Yuk can use Sword Qi!”
“Indeed, the Swift Sword!”
It was a power reserved for masters of the Transcendent Realm who had reached enlightenment in martial arts. Around Yuk Sagul, the air trembled, rippling as if caught in an unseen storm.
Pa pa pa pa pat!
His sword moved, slicing through the air, leaving behind afterimages like crashing waves.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Explosions erupted from the walls and floor where the sacrifice magic circle was inscribed. Sweat formed on Yuk Sagul’s grip—he had pushed himself to the limit.
As the smoke cleared, the sight before them sent chills down their spines.
“Good heavens…”
Despite taking a direct hit from the Great Blue Wave, the strongest technique of the Sasaeparang Sword, the magic circle remained unscathed. Not a single scratch.
“Indeed…”
This was unmistakably a sacrifice magic circle. Kang Cheol-woo had been right—they needed to retreat, regroup, and return with the means to dismantle it properly.
But—
‘That credit won’t be mine.’
If they withdrew now, the mission would end as a mere scouting operation. Yuk Sagul recalled the sect leader’s words.
‘I expect good news, Elder Yuk.’
He clenched his teeth. If they retreated, the sect leader would never place his faith in him again.
“Elder Yuk, if we retreat like this—”
The martial artists hesitated, their voices betraying fear. But Yuk Sagul cut them off.
“If it’s a sacrifice magic circle,” he said coldly, “wouldn’t it be enough to offer a sacrifice?”
“……!”
“What?!”
“Have you forgotten where this is?”
Yuk Sagul’s voice echoed through the passageway.
“This is a den of demons, where the demonic horde is hiding. If we retreat now, they may prepare something else and threaten our comrades.”
“However…”
“Just offer a sacrifice!”
His eyes locked onto Kang Cheol-woo.
“You have to step forward.”
“Yes? Elder, but…”
“Shut up!”
Yuk Sagul’s roar crashed down like a raging wave, forcing Kang Cheol-woo into silence.
“It’s for the eradication of the demonic horde! Or are you siding with the demons?”
The sheer force of his presence left Kang Cheol-woo no choice but to shut his mouth.
“Sacrifice is necessary for the greater good. Choose those who will step forward for justice.”
Kang Cheol-woo’s lips trembled. The words sounded righteous, but their meaning was clear.
‘Choose who will die.’
And it wouldn’t be a single martial artist.
In the end, it meant killing the players to open the way.
Kang Cheol-woo looked toward the players.
Tremble, tremble.
They shook with fear and anger. But none stepped forward. None spoke.
‘Damn it.’
They understood. Stepping forward would change nothing. They would die by the hands of the martial artists.
This was reality.
‘Watchdogs.’
Dogs raised to be discarded when needed.
Used as tools, thrown away—even when stepping back would mean no one had to die.
Kang Cheol-woo clenched his fists and raised his head.
“I… can’t do it.”
Sreung.
Yuk Sagul’s sword pressed against his neck.
“Are you admitting that you are part of the demonic horde?”
“No! But… I… can’t do it.”
There was no turning back.
Kang Cheol-woo shut his eyes tight.
How could he send someone to die?
If they died fighting as players, at least there would be meaning. But to be sacrificed for those obsessed with achievements? It was unbearable.
‘Damn it.’
He knew the cost.
Haenam would punish him. They would punish the Gyodong Guild he had built with blood and sweat.
And his family—they wouldn’t be spared.
Defying the world of Silver meant total destruction.
“Okay. Then I will execute the demonic horde here and entrust the greater cause to another.”
Even so—he couldn’t do it.
Kang Cheol-woo clenched his fists, ready to face death.
Tsk. How foolish.
A voice. One he had heard before.
Shall I tell you a way to live?
This time, it sounded like the whisper of the devil.
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