Chapter 579: Murder Request (2)

A murder request against Master Blacksmith Hyun was not something just anyone could accept.

If a request to assassinate the king of a nation had been delivered even to small fry, the nation of Hyun would have become extremely chaotic, and the nation of Hyun would have quickly prepared countermeasures.

In other words, the meaning of the forty-six people Lorander had mentioned.

They were powerful enough to receive a request against Master Blacksmith Hyun.

Slaaaash—

Goosebumps that began at Irma’s toes covered his entire body.

Humans naturally recognized people of the same kind.

Lorander and Irma were people from the same field, so they understood reality better than anyone else, and Irma had gotten chills because he could not reach that reality.

Could I kill forty-five people here?

No.

Irma was certain that it would be impossible.

At minimum, six. At most, ten would be his limit.

“Don’t lie...”

What came after the chills was denial.

Irma had already completed his analysis of Lorander through the World Championship.

The Lorander of that time had been at a level slightly below Irma.

Had Irma misjudged?

No.

At the time, Monarch Carter and the others in his faction who had watched the World Championship with him on TV had come to the same conclusion.

There was another question.

“Why on earth?”

At first.

He had wondered that, but he had simply been pleased that his competitors had been reduced.

But killing forty-five people meant he was killing every request killer heading toward Hyun.

Lorander had been one-killed by Hyunsoo, and because of that, even his own country had turned away from him.

Of course, many people had defended him after seeing his burning tears and hearing Hyunsoo’s words, but there were also fanatics who did not.

Just like that, the problem was people who were more “fanatical” than ordinary people.

Because they were the type to start riots, throw Molotov cocktails, wear masks made from handkerchiefs, and smash everything.

Also, America’s JoyTube was seeing high view counts on content criticizing Lorander, and dozens of JoyTubers were cackling as they attacked him, thinking of it as a chance to increase their subscribers.

For what reason?

Because all of them had been defeated by Hyun.

“Why on earth are you protecting Hyun!? Haven’t you lost everything!?”

Irma could not understand it, and Lorander looked at the kukri.

“I simply saw something I could only see after losing everything, and when everyone turned away and left, there was someone who did not leave.”

Grip—

Lorander remembered clearly.

The sight of himself unconscious, leaning against the wall of the forge.

The smile Hyunsoo had held out with the kukri.

And also.

[It is a Mythic artifact.]

The beginning of a new journey.

“Don’t tell me?”

Irma realized it.

“Hyun made that for you!? What grade is it for you to act like this!?”

Only belatedly did Irma discover the Hyun inscribed on the blade surface.

Lorander spoke meaningfully.

“You already know.”

...Lorander is holding a myth of his own!?

Lorander was a powerhouse in the PvP field.

The fact that such a man alone held a Mythic artifact meant he had become an unrivaled powerhouse.

It was also astounding.

A person with that kind of power is declaring that he’ll protect Hyun right now!?

This sight.

It had also stemmed from Hwan, who had once come after receiving Monarch Carter’s persuasion.

Hwan had said it.

If Carter’s barbarians threatened the nation of Hyun, he would cut them all down.

Lord Carter, he is dangerous...

It was becoming an opportunity for Irma to rethink Hyun.

I have to make him drop it.

The kukri Lorander was holding. He had to make it drop.

Ruuuuumble—!!!

[Bulk Up.]

[You temporarily increase a significant amount of weight!]

[All attack power increases by 35%.]

[A single skill can be increased by +3 levels.]

“You think I’ll become the forty-seventh!? Drop it, and despair once more, Lorander!!”

Irma’s body changed. From an ordinary muscular body, it swelled tight into a bulked-up body greatly filled with flesh and muscle.

The instant attack-power increase and single-skill +3 level created exponential strength.

Craaaack—!

When he stomped hard on the ground, the earth caved in, and a wave spread around him.

[Bombardment activates.]

[Due to the extremely high attack-power increase and single-skill increase, it temporarily rises to Transcendent grade!]

[Warning.]

[Warning.]

[Dangerous.]

Kuwaaaaaang—!!!

Massive power gathered in Irma’s sword as he dashed at high speed with his bulked-up body.

Fwoooooosh—!

Dozens of sword energies stretching into the sky were sucked back into his single strike.

He had tried not to use it if possible.

Bombardment did not only affect a single target. After the attack, its aftermath extended up to a radius of 700 meters.

Nearby shops.

A house where someone was sleeping.

The ox he had brought with him.

The shops would collapse, the person sleeping in the house would die, and the ox would be torn apart.

Most decisively, Hyun would notice.

But Irma was fine with that.

“Drop it, Lorander!!!”

If this single strike gave him the possibility of obtaining a Mythic artifact, that was enough.

Baaaaang—!

Irma’s sword, charging madly forward, finally drew close to Lorander.

The moment Bombardment struck.

[You bombard the target’s body and tear it apart!]

There would be no trace of Lorander’s body left.

Right then.

“Extreme Kill.”

Unlike Irma’s noisy activation.

Puuuuuk—!

Irma was flustered as Lorander moved through space one step faster and pierced his heart.

[Skill casting has failed.]

“Cough...!?”

Irma coughed blood, and his body shriveled like a deflating balloon.

Extreme Kill had been shown in the World Championship as well.

It required various activation conditions and many things to be satisfied.

But he had cast it instantly?

“......”

Slide—

Irma’s eyes trembled as he watched the kukri being pulled out, and Lorander knew how to make someone lose the will to fight.

“My Extreme Kill can be cast instantly, and it can activate twice in a row.”

What kind of bullshit was that?

Then Irma realized he was still alive.

If he had been hit by an instant-death skill, he should not have been able to survive.

Huh...?

And Irma realized.

It split the damage in two and inflicted Extreme Kill on the enemy.

In exchange, it had allowed him to overcome the penalty that prevented instant activation.

Also, two consecutive uses of Extreme Kill were more effective than one Extreme Kill that could only be used once.

If.

If it had been an ordinary user instead of Irma, he would have died from this single Extreme Kill, and Lorander would have been able to kill two such users at once.

Hyun can make even that possible!?

There was no lie.

“Extreme Kill.”

Puk—!

[You have been logged out.]

As Irma was stabbed twice and turned to ash, he lost the will to fight.

How am I supposed to kill Hyun when he has Extreme Kill?

And Lorander’s intention in telling him about the skill’s power.

It was a warning not to come again if he did not want to get hit by Extreme Kill.

As he scattered away.

Lorander looked at Irma as if he were looking at a strange bastard.

Why is he looking at me like that?

Lorander gave a hollow laugh.

“He told me to drop it, but he’s the one dropping things.”

“What!?”

“And a lot, too.”

[You receive a penalty for having been carrying out a murder request.]

[You receive an additional penalty because you have killed many users so far.]

[Upon death, you receive a penalty three times greater than an ordinary user!]

The gold, artifacts, and miscellaneous items Irma possessed.

Nooooo!!!

He was Irma, who gave without holding anything back.

*****

A murder request?

Hyunsoo had been shocked when he heard Lorander’s words.

The important thing was who had issued it, and the fact that it was Bolond had made his anxiety surge.

To that Hyunsoo, Lorander said,

“I will become the cleaner, so you keep protecting your foundation.”

He was telling him to live as usual.

Is that possible?

When he was wondering that.

[Lorander: Tenth eliminated.]

[Lorander: Thirtieth eliminated.]

[Lorander: Fortieth eliminated.]

“......”

Hyunsoo could not hide his bewilderment at Lorander’s reports.

It’s this much?

Also, Nell, who had raised the nation of Hyun’s alert posture to the maximum level, came running in.

Nell.

They had received reports from all over the nation of Hyun.

“As expected, the request killers aren’t doing anything that would threaten the nation. If things get noisy for no reason and the nation of Hyun’s alert level rises, the request will become impossible to complete. It seems there is no danger to the people or anywhere else in the nation.”

“Phew...”

That was at least fortunate, and Nell voiced a question.

“I actually don’t understand Lorander’s intentions. Of course, I did hear the whole story from you, Hyunsoo, but...”

He had declared that he would continue hunting until the request ended.

At that, Hyunsoo brought up one honest suspicion.

“Lorander says he has no money.”

“Pardon?”

Nell felt a jolt of realization.

“Well, if it’s a Mythic artifact, its value would be unimaginable. Lorander’s financial situation is currently severe. He’s being charged far more in endorsement-deal penalties than he expected, and he doesn’t have the ability to pay them back. In other words, saying he’ll pay with his body fits.”

“......”

Hyunsoo nodded bitterly.

“I suppose I won’t be able to receive a high price. Lorander said he’d earn it and pay me back. Since he has no money now, he’ll earn it and pay me back. That probably means he has no idea how many years it will take.”

The nation of Hyun was not doing business by digging money out of the ground either.

Also, since Nell was Chancellor, they judged that receiving as much money as possible was the right thing to do.

However.

“The value of stopping the request will exceed our imagination. About 500 million won for each person eliminated. Perhaps Lorander is thinking of doing this to pay only the minimum commission fee.”

“...Right? Still, I’m grateful.”

Nell smiled.

“...That’s right. Just Lorander coming to the nation of Hyun is something to be grateful for, because it’s reassuring.”

Even so, Hyunsoo’s shoulders slumped.

They drooped so much that his disappointment seemed visible.

Nell felt just as regretful.

Well...

If the murder request had not been issued, would the value of that artifact not have been high?

And then.

“I finished forty-six. The speed at which request killers come will slow down more and more. Those who visited once won’t even be able to try again.”

“Good work, Lorander. Thanks to you, I’ve become able to move freely. And, well...”

Hyunsoo was cautious.

The person who had cleaned up the request killers and had now established himself as a “guild member of the nation of Hyun” was Lorander.

He felt a little uncomfortable asking him for money.

“Can we negotiate the exact amount? Saying you’ll earn it and pay me back is too vague.”

“......”

Only then did Lorander realize how vaguely he had answered, and it became awkward for him to talk money with someone he had come to stand beside.

With an embarrassed expression, he held up only seven fingers.

“...This much is what I can give.”

Hyunsoo nodded.

Seven billion...

It was not a bad amount.

Nell also looked at Hyunsoo and nodded.

If it was seven billion to save him from every danger, that was fairly excellent.

“Oh, right. I’ll give you this. It’s a ring dropped by a man named Irma, and it seems useful for you.”

[You acquire Number 7’s Ring.]

Number 7?

The name was very unusual.

Hyunsoo wore a puzzled expression and checked it.

(Number 7’s Ring.)

Grade: Transcendent.

Durability: Infinite.

Defense: 64

Restriction: Level 450 or higher.

Special Abilities:

·Number 7’s Ring increases everything by 7%, including attack power, defense, health, Agility, and any special stats you possess.

Description: One of the Numbering series, of which only nine exist in the world.

“Huh!?”

Hyunsoo was flustered.

“T-this much would be worth 10 billion, wouldn’t it?”

It was no exaggeration.

This was the first time he had seen a ring among Transcendent artifacts with this kind of effect.

No, he was certain there would be no other.

That was how special and astonishing this ring was, to the point that he had never seen anything like it before.

But Lorander did not stop there and held out a bundle of money.

[You acquire 9,001,013 gold.]

“It’s what I earned over the past few days. I said I’d earn it and pay you back.”

“Cough...?”

Hyunsoo looked puzzled.

“Isn’t the calculation wrong? You said you’d buy it for seven billion, but you’ve already given me far more than that.”

At that, Lorander gave a faint laugh.

“...I was wondering why you weren’t happy even though I held up seven fingers. You misunderstood.”

Lorander looked at Nell and Hyunsoo, then held up seven fingers.

“Seventy billion. That is the value of Fighting God’s Obsession.”

“......”

“And for reference, the ring is a service.”

Flustered, Hyunsoo looked down at Number 7’s Ring.

It was the most incredible service he had ever received in his life.