Chapter 46
“…What are you exactly?”
Jackson looked quite confused. As he stared at the wedge pattern etched on his wrist, he changed his expression to a cold one and asked me.
“So my actions were all known, huh? Who’s your backing?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Puhwaak!
Puhwak!
I took out the medium from my pocket and summoned the Skeleton Masher, Phantom Wolf, and the newly created Revenant.
“What orders did you receive? What’s the goal?”
“……”
Are you really trying to say you don’t know? I glared at Jackson, shaking with anger.
“I stopped you, didn’t I?”
“What did you say?”
“I got my game account suspended!”
Upon hearing that, Jackson furrowed his brows, looking bewildered as if he couldn’t quite wrap his head around it.
Then, perhaps thinking he had misunderstood, he asked again.
“What orders did you receive?”
“There’s nothing like that.”
I lowered my anger, took a breath, and calmly declared my proclamation.
“You killed my account, so you’re just going to die.”
“…You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re saying you’ve come before me for just that reason?”
Kuwung.
Jackson raised his one-handed sword, which glimmered ominously, and conjured a shield with his other hand.
It seemed like he had some kind of artifact inscribed with space magic.
“I’ve been checking for any signs around me for a while, but I haven’t found any ambushes. What are you thinking?”
“Why would that matter?”
“You’re just a C Rank, aren’t you? I can’t comprehend the current situation at all.”
Jackson tilted his head, and then, assuming a fighting stance, he continued.
“Well, this could be a strategy to buy time. I will quickly deal with you and your Master and leave.”
Kwah-waang!
Suk!
Kwajijik!
As Jackson charged, an enormous blast echoed, and the ground caved in.
It was an unbelievable speed. In the midst of that, the Masher and Revenant were completely obliterated.
In an instant, Jackson had closed the distance and swung his sword.
“Nothing to it.”
Sugeog!
Pusshik.
However, my form, cut by the sword, started to melt away. As Jackson grimaced, I, perched on a nearby tree, spoke up.
“Your vision isn’t exactly wide, huh.”
“How did you…”
I leaped down from the tree and corrected Jackson’s statement, which had been bothering me all along.
“By the way, Song Ha Yeon is my student, not my Master.”
“Really……. Is the C Rank just a disguise, then? I’m becoming increasingly curious about your backing.”
At Jackson’s remark, I spoke once more.
“I have nobody behind me.”
“……”
“I don’t even need it.”
From his recent charge, I gathered a rough estimate of Jackson’s specs. And those who usually reveal themselves in battle do so only when they are confident of victory.
Having made my deductions, I looked at Jackson and said something meaningful.
“Death Knight, Dullahan.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can make either of them for you.”
That was essentially a clear insult. Jackson grimaced as he tightened his grip on his sword and shield.
“You’re digging your own grave.”
Pajijik.
Hoo-wung.
Jackson’s whole body was enveloped in golden magic, starting to emit a small amount of steam.
He was activating all his enhancement skills.
In response, I pulled out my trump card to settle this battle.
“Book of Death.”
Puhwaak!
Chwalarak!
The details of 21 pages. Within it lay the essence of Penelope, the Arachnian, who ruled as the highest predator in the dark forest of the Kesetl region.
Pahshuk.
Paseushuk.
The summoned spider’s web darkened the surrounding ground and took root, soon splitting open to reveal something resembling a beautiful woman’s face.
Her limbs were human-like, but she had six pairs of horrifying legs like wings on her back.
Ddu-dak.
“Lord, I greet you.”
Ddu-dak.
Ddu-dudak.
After some time of moving her joints noisily, Penelope finally organized herself and opened her mouth again.
“Is it really you, my Lord?”
“You can tell just by looking.”
“You’ve become quite cute.”
“……”
“Sorry. Was that an inappropriate remark?”
Penelope tilted her head without changing her expression.
She didn’t really understand human emotions that well. Looking at her blank face made me lose the energy to get angry, and I just sighed.
Initially, I wanted to summon Hans, the Dullahan zombie, to face off against Jackson, known as the unyielding warrior, but if we fought like that, it probably wouldn’t end even after 10 or 30 minutes.
Therefore, I summoned Penelope, the perfect counter to Jackson, for a short decisive battle.
“Kill him in seven minutes. Don’t damage the corpse if possible.”
“Yes, I shall obey.”
Step. Step.
Penelope approached Jackson with her characteristic lifeless eyes.
And slowly, she lifted her spider web-laden hands.
#
Jackson had been sharp since childhood. Especially his sense of crisis was unmatched.
That’s why, the moment he encountered Song Ha Yeon at the trading site, he realized he was being played like a piece on someone’s chessboard and chose to escape immediately.
‘It’s a shame about the goods, but given the situation, it’s highly likely they’re fake.’
Just as he was about to take cover, an unexpected obstacle appeared. It was Baek Eun Ha.
‘She’s carrying quite a high-grade artifact.’
That meant that the being behind her also possessed comparable power.
Yet, even while engaging in trivial conversation with Baek Eun Ha, he didn’t sense anyone new approaching. Only Song Ha Yeon from before followed.
‘…What’s going on?’
If it was just those two, he could handle them in less than three minutes. Because of that, Jackson couldn’t understand the current situation.
He seemed to be hiding certain tricks, but it wouldn’t mean much in front of an A Rank Hunter with a high-level title.
However, the moment Baek Eun Ha pulled out the Book of Death and summoned Penelope, Jackson felt that something had gone greatly wrong.
‘What is this aura……?’
Even without any attacks yet, he could tell. The opponent was not of ordinary caliber. It was clear they had at least A Rank power.
‘With that level of power and intelligence. Could it be a High-Ranking Undead?’
Jackson had seen a High-Ranking Undead before. It was summoned by a powerful man in his organization, the Death Knight.
And the sensation he felt from his opponent was somewhat lacking, yet it was not significantly different from that time.
‘…This is dangerous.’
He was well aware of the intimidating presence.
Moreover, now he was stuck in a situation where he couldn’t escape even if he wanted to because of some kind of artifact blocking his way out.
Thinking quickly, Jackson decided on a strategy: to fight a bit and then take the opportunity to deal with the summoner, Baek Eun Ha.
‘It’s a shame, but I’ve fought against summoners enough to be weary of them.’
And indeed, that was quite an effective method.
Paseushuk.
Just before the fight began, Penelope burst from the cocooned dwelling, just as Baek Eun Ha slipped inside.
Seeing that scene, Jackson felt a sense of futility and unknowingly shouted a word of condemnation.
“Such cowardice……”
[Weren’t those who hide behind their summons just lowly scum? Why are you surprised?]
The restored cocoon dwelling appeared to possess considerable durability at first glance.
In a situation where Jackson’s plan had been thwarted, Baek Eun Ha could only mutter mockingly.
[If you feel wronged, you can do the same.]
“Ugh.”
What an infuriating little twit.
With no other option, Jackson activated his skills and entered into direct confrontation with Penelope.
Kwah-waang!
Chwaak!
Chak!
Kwagak!
‘There’s no way I can’t defeat him; he’s probably weaker than that man’s Undead. If I can drag this into a long battle…!’
Jackson felt that Baek Eun Ha was a reasonably skilled Necromancer, but in comparison to the man he’d seen before, she seemed much weaker.
However, that thinking shattered into pieces just two minutes after clashing with Penelope.
Seogeok!
Kwah-waang!
‘W-what movement is this?’
Jackson couldn’t comprehend the situation based on his common sense.
The force he sensed from Baek Eun Ha clearly felt like a B Rank at best, yet the Undead before him possessed an above-average strength even among A Ranks.
“Strike of the Fallen!”
Suk!
Puhwaak!
Thud.
Using his skill, he barely managed to sever one of Penelope’s legs attached to his back, but the wounds he suffered were far greater.
In terms of prowess, he was completely overwhelmed.
Kwagak!
Thud!
‘It’s strong!’
How could such a powerful Undead come from such a weak master?
He found it hard to believe, almost feeling an irrationality growing within him.
Yet, Jackson still had some confidence.
The title of the unyielding warrior wasn’t just for show.
Hoo-wung.
Tssuzuz.
‘…If it drags on, victory will eventually be mine.’
As he felt his healing ability increasing with his injuries, Jackson wore a triumphant smile.
At that very moment, Baek Eun Ha, who had been inside the cocoon, seemed to forget she was speaking and opened her mouth again.
[By the way, that one has poison.]
Simultaneously, violet stains suddenly emerged on his wounds, and his healing ability started to rapidly diminish.
Hoo-wung.
Chiiing─!
“Graaah!”
Thud.
Feeling his whole body succumbing to weakness, Jackson helplessly dropped to the ground.
‘Cough! Damn it…….’
His opponent was completely toying with him. As Jackson began to realize this fact, anxiety rapidly grew in his eyes.
“…What the hell are you?”
Puhwaak.
Thud.
“See? You shouldn’t have done something you’d regret.”
Baek Eun Ha emerged from the cocoon, casually walking toward Jackson. There was no hesitation or sense of danger in her actions. She looked exactly like someone who was confident of her victory.
Swoosh.
Finally arriving before Jackson, Baek Eun Ha bent down to meet his gaze, smiling down on him with a dominating grin as she asked again.
“Death Knight, Dullahan.”
“Guh!”
“Have you decided yet?”
It was the moment Jackson faced the unavoidable sentence of death.