Chapter 736: Chapter 736: Clown (5)
When the Lion Mask first appeared at the Round Table, Abet Nekrapeto was utterly shocked.
[The one who recommended me here was your mother. So, is there a problem with that?]
Even among the gathering of top-tier players, his blunt words were fearless.
And...
[Stop it, please. Any more of this, and I’m in danger too...]
His skill backed up those words.
[...!]
[...!]
With suffocating killing intent, the Lion Mask instantly took control of the Round Table, and no one dared to oppose his opinion.
He was truly a violent presence.
Like the Mongol army ravaging the Western regions with overwhelming force, the Lion Mask conquered the Round Table in an instant.
However, his real fearsome trait wasn’t just his brute strength.
[If three people catch a Bandemon, a core is guaranteed to drop.]
[A new relic has appeared in the world by the oracle of the Star Goddess.]
[The Stone of Resurrection exists.]
The Lion Mask knew information that no one else did, as if it was common knowledge.
It was enough to make one wonder what kind of sizable group he must lead to know such things so casually.
A figure shrouded in mystery.
‘...Impressive.’
Abet Nekrapeto admired him.
It was almost an emotion close to longing.
Wasn’t it natural?
If he wanted to crush someone, he crushed them.
He treated everyone like insignificant insects.
Then, when bored, he tossed some bait and enjoyed the reactions like a game.
To Nekrapeto’s eyes, he looked cooler than any villain he had admired since childhood.
[If... if I said...]
[I want to abandon everything and come under the Lion Mask’s command... would you accept me?]
That was why he spoke those words at the final Round Table meeting.
Orculis was a decent group, but compared to the Lion Mask, it felt lacking.
If he could join under him, he thought he might truly become someone ‘special.’
Well, the answer to that offer was rejection.
[Insect, you say! Puhuhuhu... Surely, to the Lion Mask, everyone looks like that, right?]
He wasn’t very disappointed.
He just wasn’t worthy in the Lion Mask’s eyes yet.
He hoped that if he built more notoriety and became a worse man, the Lion Mask might reach out to him first.
But...
‘Bjorn Yandel...’
Not only did he constantly interfere with his plans, but he also earned the strange nickname ‘Toy Collector,’ that barbarian who deserved to be beaten to death without mercy.
‘...The Lion Mask?’
His initial feeling was denial.
No way.
He must have heard some nonsense somewhere and was spreading it.
Bziiiiiiing!
Even as he thought that, part of him accepted it.
Like a blurred truth that had been avoided with cloudy eyes started becoming clear.
[The Lion Mask is Bjorn Yandel.]
The ‘Queen’ said this to the Lion Mask when he returned to the Round Table after a 2 year and 6 month absence.
Although it triggered a red alert, it meant there was # Nоvеlight # strong circumstantial evidence.
[A new relic has appeared in the world by the oracle of the Star Goddess.]
The Lion Mask knew the Reatlas religion’s secrets better than anyone.
Because he was Bjorn Yandel.
After all, he was the very person of the oracle.
[The Jester is a corpse collector.]
This was the same.
When they first confronted Bjorn Yandel, he openly revealed himself as the ‘Jester’ while wearing the mask.
[Could it be somewhere... ugh!]
That day at the meeting, when he suddenly scattered killing intent toward him, it wasn’t a bored absolute being’s game but revenge.
Thunk—thunk—
Nekrapeto understood everything the moment he saw that look of disdain.
“Persistent.”
The Lion Mask he admired was Bjorn Yandel.
The guy’s expression was exactly what I expected.
At first, denial of reality; then a sense of betrayal at the plausible circumstances...
“......”
Eventually, fear of the impending death.
Pressing down on his upper chest with a foot after releasing [Gigantify], the guy grimaced in pain but then laughed like a madman.
It wasn’t just the shocking truth of the Lion Mask.
After all, with half his head gone, it was impossible for his mind to be clear.
‘Ugh... disgusting.’
Still, because I controlled my strength at the end, he didn’t die instantly. I had originally thought about finishing him neatly in one blow, though...
‘Hmm, no matter how busy, you gotta loot.’
If I killed him like this, I wouldn’t gain much.
At best, the ‘Staff of the Underworld’ he still tightly held.
‘That’s why top explorers are such a pain.’
When roaming the lower labyrinth floors, I’d just kill and loot or strip equipment, but upper-tier explorers almost all have extra-dimensional spaces.
For him, being a necromancer, the extra-dimensional space would be even larger.
“Hey, you listening? Huh? Can you hear me?”
I spoke several times, but instead of answering, he just looked into the void, chuckling.
“Tch.”
Having no choice, I took a potion from the extra-dimensional space and poured it over his head.
Sssiiiiiizzzzz!
What the hell, this bastard doesn’t even feel pain?
The potion bubbled and steamed, but he didn’t move, staring blankly.
His scream erupted only when his deeply cracked head partially healed—
“Pishshshshshsh! Pishshshshshshshsh! Pish, pish, pishshshiiiiiit!!”
He convulsed, bouncing up and down while screaming and laughing.
‘...What the hell is this?’
The bizarre scene sent a chill down my spine, but it was just a side effect of his brain returning to normal.
“Guh, guh! Guaah... huh!!”
His screams turned into normal ones as if proving it was just a brain malfunction.
‘Okay, that should do it.’
I gently tapped his cheek with the hammer.
“You hear me now?”
“...Uh, ah, ugh.”
Hmm, not enough brain function for speech yet.
“Blink once if you can hear me.”
...blink.
“Why only one eye? That’s creepy.”
Blink, blink.
“You mean it’s not your will? Hmm... okay.”
Well, that’s not important.
“Alright, now I’m going to release the owner’s imprint on the extra-dimensional space. Commencing.”
I quickly got to the point for the guy who looked desperate for rest, but he rejected with his eyes.
Blink, blink, blink, blink.
His left eyelid rapidly opening and closing.
“You’d rather die than hand it over?”
“Uh, ah... uh, ugh...!”
“I can’t understand a word you’re saying, so use your eyes to tell me.”
When I said that impatiently, his eyes flickered wildly. It seemed like he wasn’t planning to die just yet...
“Then what is it? Got something to say?”
...blink.
“Okay, then I’ll pour more potion. But when you can talk, no complaining—you hand over the extra-dimensional space, got it?”
Ahem.
“Answer me.”
...blink.
He blinked a bit slower this time, as if hesitant about my offer, but that was probably just my imagination.
If I could give speech to a mute, I’d gladly pay a fortune for that.
Yeah, this was a reasonable and fair trade.
Crack!
Not knowing if he’d run away once he regained his mind, I crushed both his legs again.
Sssiiiiiizzzzz!
Pouring a bit more high-grade potion on his head to seal the deal, his screams intensified.
Had his cracked skull been gradually mending?
“...Aaaaargh! Guhhh... aaah!!”
The corpse collector screamed a more normal scream than before.
Sssiiiiiizzzzz!
About ten minutes later, he calmed down enough to talk.
“Tha...t....”
“Extra-dimensional space.”
“...?”
“You have to keep your promise. Hand over the extra-dimensional space before we talk.”
“N-no, that’s not something—”
“What a waste of time.”
I said emotionlessly and raised the hammer slightly; he frantically waved his hands and shouted.
“I-I’ll give it!”
Gosh, should’ve done that from the start.
“B-but you must promise to talk to me for a little while...”
“Don’t worry about that.”
If he handed over the extra-dimensional space willingly, I had enough mercy to wait while he left a last will.
“Ok, it’s done.”
At the moment of releasing the owner’s imprint, a translucent orb radiated light from his chest core.
It looked ordinary, but up close dozens of tiny magic circles overlapped inside it.
Wow, I hear implanting extra-dimensional space like this inside the body is expensive...
“Carrying something good.”
“...Y-Yeah, I got lucky.”
Is it really true that bad guys live well?
“To open the extra-dimensional space later, you’ll have to re-implant it through a wizard...”
“I know, no need to explain.”
“....”
“Alright, you have ten minutes.”
I set a strict time but was curious.
What would this guy say during these ten minutes?
Would he pretend to repent and beg for his life?
Or would he make some sort of deal?
The answer was nothing like I expected.
Before opening his mouth, the guy seemed to focus like a broadcaster waiting for a standby signal.
“Pishsit...”
He laughed like when he wore the Jester mask.
And then...
‘...Laughing?’
As if hearing my thoughts, he continued.
“Why? Did you think I’d tremble and beg for my life?”
Uh...
I wouldn’t lie if I said no, but admitting it hurt my pride.
So I stayed silent, and he laughed again.
“Pishsit... I was really surprised! Bjorn Yandel, not only a player but the Lion Mask too!”
“...What exactly are you trying to do?”
His theatrical tone made me lose patience and ask, and he laughed again.
“Eh? I’m just having one last conversation knowing I’m about to die.”
Wow... this guy is really into his role.
Honestly, I thought it was fake madness before, but now I see he’s truly crazy.
Seeing real madness, I was at a loss for words.
“...No attachment to life?”
“Of course not! But even if I confess that, you won’t spare me.”
...That’s true.
Still, trying is what a normal person does.
“Pish, I’m different from ordinary people.”
“How so?”
“Survival of the fittest is nature’s law. I have no intention of complaining about it.”
“So why ask for talking time?”
“Because it’s more fun that way.”
Oh, I see...
Looks like his brain isn’t fully recovered yet.
Yeah, that’s why he’s spouting nonsense 10 minutes before death—
“Pishsit...”
Then, from the clown’s laughing eyes, I sensed a familiar emotion.
‘...Huh?’
Fear, despair, regret, sorrow...
Dark emotions that inevitably arise when facing death.
“Why? Disappointed because I’m not crying or begging?”
Looking closely, his body trembled slightly.
Only then did I realize.
“You’re pretending to be fine.”
“...What do you mean? I really am fine. I was weak, and you were strong. So you deserve the rights of a victor.”
“Isn’t it better to be honest in the end?”
Though he deserved to die, I seriously gave him advice.
Everyone wears masks.
That’s not wrong.
But no matter what, it’s better to take off the mask in the end. That’s my thought and the only kindness I could offer him now.
But...
“Pish, sit...”
Despite my advice, he forced a fake smile.
Still, maybe my advice reached him a little.
“...Life is too tough to live honestly. Oh! Of course, that doesn’t apply to strong people like you. Pish!”
Saying it more truthfully than all his talk about survival of the fittest and natural law.
‘Ha, damn it...’
I should have killed him earlier.
Even so, I asked him.
“...Hey, what’s your real name?”
The corpse collector, Abet Nekrapeto.
“Pishsit, suddenly curious about me?”
“Yeah.”
I found myself curious about this guy.