Denzel, the vice leader of the Black Virtue Squad serving the Black Marketâs master, was examining Lake Bayon while hiding behind a tree.
Whaam!
The surface of the lake wavered violently, implying that something was happening underground.
âIt looks like thereâs an issueâŠâ
The Black Marketâs master had ordered him to serve Raon as if he were his master.
He was planning to obey her and wanted to protect him at the cost of his life, but Raon had asked him to make sure to neutralize those on the outside since he could take care of it by himself.
He was well aware of how powerful the White Sword Dragonâwell, he was now the Dragon Slayerâwas, but he couldnât stop worrying about him since they were facing a secret organization they didnât know anything about.
âUgh.â
âVice squad leader.â
Denzel was clutching his head while contemplating whether they should enter or not when his subordinate, Siffin, came up next to him.
âThey finished taking care of the matter at the iron factory.â
âDid they catch them all?â
âYes. As Sir Raon requested, weâve taken care of everyone who'd been hiding their identity and let the civilians escape. However, we failed to capture them alive.â
Siffin hung his head apologetically.
âI wasnât expecting it to happen anyway. It wasnât an easy task.â
Denzel patted Siffinâs shoulder before looking at the lake once again.
âWhich means the enemies outside have been taken care ofâŠâ
Since the assassins guarding the lake had also been eliminated, the ones inside the factory were the only ones left.
âI should just enter instead of contemplating the matter. We never know.â
Denzel decided to enter and injected his mana into the boulder located in front of the lake with the method Raon had taught him.
Splash!
He connected the path of mana following the set procedure, and the lake rampaged before dividing in half as if it were cut off by a blade.
âIt really workedâŠâ
Raon had told him that he learned how to operate the boulder after seeing it once. His insight was truly inhuman.
âLetâs go.â
Denzel walked towards the center of the lake while guiding Siffin and his subordinates. He injected his mana into the turtle-shaped boulder protruding at the center of the lake once again.
Whir!
The upper part of the boulder opened up like a lid, and a passage leading inside appeared.
Denzel went ahead and walked down into it. The passage was wide and long, and there was no one around.
He couldnât hear any noises anymore, which suggested that the matter was concluded.
âLetâs move.â
He ran through the passage while using his footwork to the best of his ability. After running for a while, he found a grotesque hill at the center of the passage.
âNo, itâs not a hillâŠâ
They were corpses. More than a hundred corpses were piled up, looking like a small hill.
He furrowed his brow at the ridiculous situation, and he found the metallic cages to left and right. Fortunately, he could feel that the people inside were still alive.
âGasp!â
âTh-theyâre really here!â
âPlease save me!â
âPlease take me out of here!â
The warriors had remained dead quiet but started to shout for Denzel and the Black Virtue squad members to save them.
âReally here? Why do you mean by that?â Denzel asked as he walked up to a one-eyed warrior.
âThe middle-aged man who killed that man told us that someone was going to come to our rescue soon.â
He blinked the only eye he had left while saying that Raon had told them about the rescue that was soon to come.
âHuhâŠâ
Denzel gasped while looking up at the ceiling.
âDid he actually predict that I would be impatient and enter?â
Raon had only requested that he get rid of the assassins outside and guard the entrance and exit. However, judging from what they were saying, he mustâve predicted that he would enter.
âHe becomes more and more mysterious the more I see him.â
He shook his head and examined the man that Raon supposedly killed.
âHeâs powerful.â
Even though a long time had passed after his death, plenty of mana was still filling his body. His well-trained body and his long and straight mana circuits proved that he was an extremely powerful warrior.
Despite that fact, Raon had slain him in a single strike.
âItâs not just him.â
The assassins and warriors collapsed all around the passage had their hearts destroyed by a single throwing dagger. All of that had happened in a single move. He couldnât believe the divine performance heâd displayed even though he was seeing the results.
âHe said that he was used to this kind of battle⊠Was he being serious?â
Denzel swallowed nervously and stood up.
âRescue the prisoners.â
He ordered half of his subordinates to rescue the prisoners before climbing the stairs at the end of the passage.
He entered the factory that was supposedly filled with necromancers and assassins.
The ceiling, floor, and walls were completely destroyed, and corpses were all around the place. All of them looked like theyâd been slain in a single strike, just like the assassins on the lower floor.
As for RaonâŠ
âWelcome.â
He was sitting next to a woman with cold eyes, and she was spasming with reddened eyes.
âWh-who is that womanâŠ?â
âShe is the person in charge of this factory, the one I mentioned previously.â
âWh-what happened to the Dashing Spirit Master and the Eldritch Necromancer? If they ran awayâŠâ
âI killed them.â
The Dashing Spirit Master and the Eldritch Necromancer had long struck fear into the hearts of the people in the central and western regions of the continent. Despite this, Raon casually declared that he killed them as if he were talking about swatting some flies.
âI managed to easily finish them off with a surprise attack.â
He pointed at a corpse next to the woman, which was melted halfway.
âAhâŠâ
Denzel examined the Dashing Spirit Master and Raon one after the other and gasped.
âWhat is this guyâŠ?â
He was well aware that he was powerful, but he couldnât believe that he had finished everything perfectly, without making a single mistake, when he was dealing with assassins and necromancers.
Moreover, the Dashing Spirit Master and the Eldritch Necromancer were there, and the man down below and the woman being tortured were both extremely powerful. That was why he couldnât believe the fact that Raon didnât even have a single injury on him.
âThis man must never be made an enemy.â
Denzel swallowed nervously while recognizing Raon as being as dangerous as the heads of the Six Kings and the Five Demons.
* * *
âI have something to tell you, vice squad leader.â
Raon left Resia alone as she spasmed like she was about to die and waved his hand at Denzel.
âWhat is itâŠ?â
âIâve obtained some information from this woman. There are apparently factories like this in other locations.â
âA-are you serious?â
Denzel widened his eyes because he didnât expect him to have already obtained information in that short amount of time.
âYes. I heard it from her before you arrived.â
Raon smiled coldly while looking down at Resia.
âShe didnât last that long.â
Despite how confident she sounded, she couldnât put up with the torture for long and told him everything she knew.
UhhâŠ
Wrathâs lips were trembling in fear.
Anyone who could endure that wouldnât be human. They would need to be a god or the demon god!
âCome on, itâs not that bad.â
The pain of digging into the skin, the itchiness, the heat and coldness, and you even added the pain of tearing under the skin on top of everything else! No one can endure that!
He clutched his head, saying that even a demon wouldnât perform that kind of torture.
The source of this cđšntent is freeweÉnovÄl.coɱ.
Why did you even add the wind?!
âBecause I wanted to try using the new thing Iâve obtained.â
Since his energy of wind was getting stronger, he added the pain of tearing under the skin to the torture. Resia was the first victim, and she ended up telling him everything before enough time had passed for a single meal, contrary to her bold claims.
âShe said there are factories in Beshir Village and Sofen City. And the Yuuha Company, which supposedly built the iron mine here, was the one providing the funds for them. That implies that they are on the same side.â
Raon told Denzel everything heâd heard from Resia.
âHuhâŠâ Denzel gasped in disbelief, then spoke to his subordinate, saying, âSiffin, you heard him.â
âAh, yesâŠâ
Siffin was dumbfounded and blankly stared at Raon.
âIâm going to quickly confirm that and return!â
He ran outside after shouting that he would deliver the information to the Black Market.
âDid you find out who is behind that organization?â Denzel asked.
ââŠI shall figure that out now.â
Raon walked up to Resia and placed his hand on her forehead. She was trembling like a sick person and exhaled a warm breath while going limp on the ground.
âPl-please, please stop. Kill me instead, just kill meâŠâ
Resiaâs blue lips twitched as she shouted for him to kill her instead of torturing her.
âHmmâŠâ Denzel quietly groaned, while watching Resiaâs distorted eyes.
âWhat kind of torture could it beâŠ?â
An agent like that shouldâve been educated to endure the pain and torture. That was why her reaction was surprising. He was terrified by Raonâs torture method, but he was curious at the same time.
âThis is the last question.â
Raon placed his finger on Resiaâs head.
âI wonât hear the answer, though.â
Since Resia had already told him about the other factories and the company that ran them, there was only one question left to ask. He expected that he wouldnât be able to hear the response.
âTell me the name of the one who ordered you to do this.â
âUghâŠâ
Resia looked like she would tell anything, but she closed her lips tightly.
âAlright, letâs get started again.â
Raon chuckled and focused his aura on his fingertip just as Resia quickly opened her mouth.
âHe⊠Aah!â
She couldnât make any soundâas if the silence spell had been cast on her. She opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish before she perished, her tongue poking out.
Denzel gasped before he hurriedly approached and examined Resiaâs condition.
âSh-she is dead. It looks like her brain meltedâŠâ
He bit his lip tightly while watching the life drain from Resiaâs eyes.
Raon looked down on Resia with bitterness hiding behind his composure.
âI knew itâŠâ
Derus was still using the same method where the brainwashing came into action, melting the brain instead of the rage worm when she tried to mention his name.
Derus was definitely a demon in human skin no matter how he thought about it.
âThey are even more cruel than I thought.â
Denzelâs pale face revealed his immense shock.
âLetâs wrap it up for now.â
Raon removed all traces of aura remaining in Resiaâs body and stood up.
âIâll remove the traces, so you should gather the documents from this place. They are definitely going to be useful.â
âUnderstood.â
Denzel nodded and started to gather the documents and books that the necromancers had left behind.
Raon narrowed his eyes while looking down at Resiaâs corpse.
âHe mustâve heard of it by now.â
Derus mustâve realized that all of them had died because of the rage worms.
The incident wasnât simply about the death of the assassins. The locations of the other factories were also revealed, and the company that was managing the finances was going to collapse. That was why he was about to suffer a tremendous loss, both in terms of money and time. freŃnovelkiss.com
âThe dozens of years youâve spent ended up in vain.â
Raon rolled his lips into a smile while imagining Derusâs confident face being ruined.
âWhatâs your next move, Derus Robert?â
* * *
Cubara was called for by Derus and went to the outer part of the great garden.
âI wonder what he called me for.â
Derus never called on her when there were so many people around, and that was why there was definitely an issue if he went out of his way to call her.
âI received the report that the materials were delivered. Is it about Valmailâs return? OrâŠâ
She approached Derus from behind while thinking about the potential issue and suddenly came to a halt.
âAhâŠâ
The atmosphere around Derus was as cold as a frigid winter. She could feel the danger, realizing that her head was going to roll if she made the smallest movement.
ââŠYou summoned me?â
Cubara went on her knees while enduring the pain that felt like wires were tightening around her heart.
âValmail, Resia, Shupel, and Juran have died.â
Derus told her that everyone in the Deathbringer Revenant Factory had perished without even turning around.
âHow could that beâŠ?â
âItâs not just those four. The signals from the Shadows there have all been lost.â
Derus looked around as he spoke. His blue eyes looked peaceful at first, but she could feel a frightening amount of anger rampaging behind them.
âDoes that mean that Valmail was tracked downâŠ?â
âNo, they mustâve found the factory beforehand, and Valmailâs arrival mustâve ignited the fuse. If it had been a simple attack, Juran, Shupel, and Resia shouldâve survived at least.â
Derus was analyzing the situation objectively even though he shouldâve been dizzy with panic.
âYou are right, my lord.â
Cubara slowly nodded. The Deathbringer Revenant Factory had an exit leading to the lake. The fact that they couldnât escape from there implied that the enemies knew everything beforehand.
âHaaâŠâ
Derus sighed in a frightening manner and took off his leather glove. Crimson blood was dripping from the back of his hand.
âFigure out the situation even if you have to send all the Shadows, agents, and warriors. Gather as much information as possible.â
ââŠUnderstood.â
Cubara nodded while feeling like a blade was touching her neck.
âIâll personally take action after that,â Derus declared, then went to the center of the great garden, where Lephon Robertâs birthday party was in progress.
âSir Derus, you must be happy. Your youngest son has an extraordinary talent.â
The head of House Rashian walked up to him with a smile. It was one of the prestigious houses in the south.
âIâm so jealous. All of your children are geniuses without exception.â
âHe still has a long way to go. Please teach him a lot in the future, Sir Shikan.â
âHuhuhu, but of course!â
Derus communicated with the guests with an entertained smile even though heâd learned about the incident in the Deathbringer Factory that heâd been preparing for dozens of years.
ââŠâŠâ
Cubara bit her lip while watching Derusâs back. A chill ran down her spine. She was serving him with everything she had, but her fear only deepened as she looked at him.
She closed her eyes in an attempt to remove the fear towards Derus and quietly disappeared out of sight.
* * *
The next day, Raon went to Haro Mountainâs peak, where the iron mine was located. He concealed himself so that no one would find him and removed his presence to observe Capply Village and Lake Bayon.
You should go eat a proper meal since you are done. Why are you nibbling on beef jerky again while hiding?
Wrath furrowed his brow in displeasure.
âItâs not over yet. In a way, we can say that we are only getting started.â
Considering Derusâs personality, he should be dispatching agents to figure out the situation first, and then he was definitely going to personally arrive if he couldnât learn anything from that.
âYou can pinpoint anyoneâs arrival in that village, right?â
Hmph, the King of Essence is the king of Devildom and the Monarch of Wrath! Nothing in the world can escape the King of Essenceâs senses from this distance!
Wrath snorted, saying that he shouldnât ask an obvious question.
âIn that case, can you tell me if a human Transcender enters that village?â
He doesnât want to.
He shook his head firmly.
Why would the King of Essence help you? You are just a hustler who loves to boast.
âIâll add one week to the period where I eat anything you want to after we return.â
Two weeks!
âTen days.â
Deal!
Wrath immediately nodded.
âHaaâŠâ
Raon honestly didnât want to use that method, but he had no other choice because other peopleâs lives were also at stake.
Hnng~ What shall he get this time?
ââŠâŠâ
Raon watched the village below while ignoring the demon king who was humming while thinking about food, and Denzel quietly approached from behind.
âWeâve sent all the villagers to other locations.â
âWerenât they against it?â
âOf course they were.â
Denzel sighed quietly, implying that it was hard work.
âBut the kidnapped warriors helped us a lot. We could get it done relatively quickly thanks to them.â
He blinked, saying that the villagers decided to evacuate thanks to the testimony from the various warriors, including the one from House Sikern.
âWhat did you do with the corpses?â
âAs you mentioned before, weâve identified them and contacted their families.â
Denzel sighed, saying that their families were coming with a saddened voice.
âBecause of that, the rumors about a secret organization making assassins from corpses have spread all around the continent. I doubt the secret organization in question is going to make any moves in this situation.â
He tilted his head, unable to understand Raonâs decision.
âThey will come.â
Raon nodded with certainty. Judging from Derusâs personality, he was definitely going to personally arrive and determine whether or not the Black Market was really the perpetrator. It was necessary to prepare for it because the entire village and the mountain could disappear from his fit of rage.
âEven if they donât, itâs better to prepare.â
âThatâs true.â
Denzel awkwardly scratched his head. He quietly disappeared after telling him that he would make the preparations.
Raon took an unappetizing loaf of bread from his subspace pocket after Denzel left.
N-Nadine bread! Have you lost it again?!
âNadine bread is the best type of rations during a stakeout.â
But you said you would eat wherever the King of Essence wants!
âI said after we returned.â
Ugh, eat the beef jerky instead! Thatâs the leastâŠ
âI already finished it all.â
Then just eat dirt or grass! Thatâs better than the weird bread you are holding!
Wrath screamed, telling him to bite a rock instead of eating the Nadine bread.
âIt tastes alright, though.â
Your tongue is definitely petrified by a spell.
âYou can say that again after we eat.â
Raon ignored Wrath and chewed the Nadine bread before he swallowed it. The mysterious sensation of chewing rubber spread all around his mouth, though it didnât taste that bad for him.
He swallowed after properly chewing it, and his stomach was as full as if he had overeaten.
UghâŠ
Wrath collapsed on his back with his eyes rolled back, deeply moved by the taste.
Y-you are going to hellâŠ
âMaybe I am.â
Raon smiled faintly and didnât take his eyes off Capply Village.
One day had passed, and by the time the second day was over, a wind started to blow, as cold as a deadly blade.
Raon narrowed his eyes while watching the black shadow appearing in front of Lake Bayon.
âHeâs here.â