20. Black Scythe
Hwang Yongmin was flustered by Black Scythe's appearance.
'Wh-what? Why is that guy here...'
In an already awkward situation where a third party appeared, they encountered the 1st place ranker from the last round.
Though flustered, what bothered him most was something else.
'Where the hell did he get that ridiculously huge scythe?'
The fact that he was carrying such a threatening weapon on his back.
"What are you doing here?"
"Mister, why don't you just go on your way?"
Ryumin turned his gaze at Hwang Yongmin's words.
Flinch-
Hwang Yongmin trembled, feeling overwhelmed just by being looked at.
"I didn't ask you, so be quiet."
Ryumin's gaze turned back to An Sang-cheol.
"I'll ask again. What's the situation?"
That question was like a lifeline for An Sang-cheol.
"Th-those bastards ambushed us targeting Ms. Arin! We'll reward you if you help us, Mr. Black Scythe!"
An Sang-cheol spoke urgently.
The situation was bad enough for him to swallow his pride and ask for help.
Ryumin quietly looked at the people as if judging the truth.
He saw Seo Arin trembling in fear and Hwang Yongmin's group with excited faces.
'So that's how it is.'
He grasped the situation.
Seo Arin's appearance was enough to excite men in their vigorous 20s.
Especially in this other world, there would be nothing to hold them back.
This was a place where crimes could be committed without punishment.
That's why even murder between players occurs without hesitation in the other world.
Ryumin's gaze turned to Hwang Yongmin.
"Is what he said true?"
"Whether it's true or not, it has nothing to do with you, mister. Why don't you just go on your way?"
"It does have something to do with me. It involves someone I know."
Seo Arin and An Sang-cheol were inwardly surprised at Ryumin's words.
'Someone he knows?'
To call them acquaintances when they had just talked once, and that too after being followed...
That wasn't all.
"Hey, mister? What are you doing?"
"I can't just ignore injured people."
Ryumin blocked An Sang-cheol's front and faced off against Hwang Yongmin's group.
He clearly stated his position of taking their side.
Seo Arin and An Sang-cheol were inwardly moved by this.
Not knowing Ryumin's true intentions.
'This is a chance to make a good impression on Ma Gyeong-rok.'
Ma Gyeong-rok would surely be pleased if he saved his right-hand man.
Moreover, by helping without any compensation, he could make them indebted to him.
'If I make a chaebol like Ma Gyeong-rok indebted to me, the repayment will snowball.'
Above all, Hwang Yongmin's group was one of the types Ryumin disliked.
He couldn't just stand by and watch such bastards do as they pleased in front of his eyes.
As Ryumin approached holding his scythe, Hwang Yongmin panicked and raised his hands.
"Wh-why are you coming? If you come any closer, I won't let you off!"
"Why? Don't you want to fight me?"
"..."
Hwang Yongmin shut his mouth as if struck at a vital point.
'Of course I don't want to fight, damn it!'
His goal was to assault Seo Arin, but an unexpected obstacle appeared.
And it was the 1st place ranker from the last round.
He knew Black Scythe's skills well from seeing him massacre goblins.
His friends beside him would know too.
He had attracted attention by killing goblins first at that time.
'Would you want to fight such a monster if you were me?'
No matter how much Hwang Yongmin had the Rune of Strength, he didn't want to mess with Black Scythe.
Above all, wasn't he holding a weapon that looked terrifying just by looking at it?
"If you don't want to fight, just say so honestly."
"If I say so... will you let us go?"
"If you all get down and beg earnestly, I might consider it."
"..."
Hwang Yongmin's eyebrow twitched at the statement that hurt his pride.
'Telling me to do something so embarrassing as bowing?'
His friends were watching, and Seo Arin was watching too.
In such a situation, Hwang Yongmin's pride wouldn't allow him to bow to others.
'I didn't want to fight if possible, but this bastard is getting on my nerves?'
He had strength enough to break walls too.
Maybe he could crush Black Scythe in one blow.
Shouldn't they see who's stronger?
'Yeah, maybe he's just all talk.'
Hwang Yongmin, deciding to act tough, put strength in his eyes.
"You bastard, you're crossing the line? What? Get down and beg earnestly?"
Cracking his knuckles, Hwang Yongmin approached.
"Do you want to die, you son of a bitch? Huh?"
He subtly closed the distance while cracking his knuckles.
'First hit wins. I'll close the distance like this and then plant my fist in his face.'
Though he was at a disadvantage without a weapon, that was only when separated.
At punching distance, he with his superior strength should have the advantage.
'If I land the first hit properly, even that bastard won't be able to do anything.'
How could a human withstand strength that could break walls?
Surely if he hit an arm or anywhere, they'd scream and collapse.
"Don't interfere, you guys! I'll take care of this bastard!"
Hwang Yongmin, who was approaching while shouting at his friends, suddenly stopped.
The guy suddenly opened his inventory and put away his scythe.
"What are you doing?"
"It would be troublesome if I win too easily."
"Ha, this bastard..."
As he turned his head in disbelief.
Ta-at!
Ryumin suddenly charged.
Hwang Yongmin was surprised, but only for a moment.
"You stupid bastard, die!"
Seeing Ryumin rushing in with his head, Hwang Yongmin swung his fist.
But his fist barely grazed Ryumin's cheek.
Thud-!
Instead, Hwang Yongmin was hit by a punch and fell down.
"Ugh, you bas..."
There was no time to curse at the stinging pain.
Thud-!
Hwang Yongmin's head turned from a soccer kick.
"Ugh..."
His head spun.
There was no time to regain his senses.
Ryumin's consecutive kicks struck his chin.
'Ah...!'
While dazed from the pain ringing through his brain.
He felt someone mounting his body.
Thud- Thud- Thud-!
Pounding punches rained down on Hwang Yongmin's head.
Each hit felt like being struck by a hammer.
'Th-this bastard's strength is similar to mine?'
There was no time for such absurd thoughts.
He couldn't land a single hit while taking six blows.
How pathetic.
"You son of a bitch!"
He shouted in rage and struggled.
Only then did Ryumin get off.
"You're dead!"
He barely got up and threw a hook.
But it only cut through empty air.
Even throwing a flurry of punches, Ryumin dodged them all just by weaving his upper body.
While doing so, he occasionally thrust out punches, making Hwang Yongmin's nose bridge sting.
'Why, why won't they hit! Why!'
He became extremely agitated at the feeling of being beaten without being able to retaliate once.
"You bas..."
"Stop cursing. My ears are rotting."
Ryumin's hook, who had suddenly closed in, struck his cheek.
Beeeeep-
'Ah...'
With a feeling of his head ringing, Hwang Yongmin staggered and fell.
He had no strength left to get up.
"Yongmin!"
His friends, belatedly realizing the situation was going wrong, drew their weapons.
Especially the delinquent with a bow nocked an arrow.
Ping-!
But Ryumin wasn't one to be hit by a blind arrow.
After lightly dodging, he charged towards the delinquent with the bow.
"D-die!"
Ping-!
He shot again, but it only cut through empty air again.
"Looks like you got lucky and got a bow from killing monsters."
"...!"
Ryumin, who had suddenly approached, was holding his scythe right in front of him.
"But you were unlucky to meet me."
As he swung, the arm of the delinquent holding the bow was cut off.
"Aaaaaaagh!"
"Th-that bastard..."
"Kill him, you son of a bitch!"
Seeing this, Hwang Yongmin's friends all charged at once, but Ryumin was calm.
He was just measuring the distance with an indifferent face.
'Now.'
As soon as they entered range, Ryumin swung his scythe downwards.
Slash-!
The moment something seemed to pass by, the delinquent at the front collapsed.
His leg was cut off.
"Aaaaaaagh!"
"Gasp! H-his leg..."
The guy following behind flinched and stopped.
In that gap, Ryumin threw his body and dove between them.
"Holding weapons and charging means you're prepared for the consequences, right?"
"...!"
As if it wasn't a question seeking an answer, Ryumin's scythe immediately drew an arc.
Thud- Thud-
The arms of the delinquents fell off as if sliding.
"Aaaaaaagh!"
"Kyaaaaaak!"
It didn't take long to deal with the four delinquents.
'As expected of Death's Seal. It cuts through in one blow even with armor.'
Ryumin applied Death's Seal before swinging his scythe.
Perhaps because the damage doubled, he cut off even the arm of an armored opponent in one go.
"Kuhuhuk..."
"Huhuhuk..."
Looking around, the situation was already over.
They lost their will to fight with their arms and legs cut off.
'Too easy.'
Yet Ryumin didn't put away his scythe.
It's not over until he ends it.
Stab-! Stab-!
"Aaaaaaagh!"
"Kyaaaaaak!"
He stabbed the shoulders or thighs of the fallen delinquents with his scythe.
Regardless of their painful appearances, he dealt additional damage to the delinquents.
"Kuhuk, kuhuuuuk, I'm dying..."
"Stop whining. You won't die from just that."
He had no intention of killing them.
'They're trash that will drop out on their own when the time comes anyway.'
But he did intend to teach them a thorough lesson.
'I'll instill fear so they never crawl up again.'
Ryumin stabbed their arms and legs again with his scythe.
"Kyaaaaaak!"
"Huaaaao!"
Though they writhed in pain as if about to die right away, they wouldn't die.
He had adjusted the damage to not kill them by checking their health bars.
Ryumin passed by the wailing delinquents and stood in front of Hwang Yongmin.
"..."
Hwang Yongmin, who was lying with his eyes closed, trembled slightly.
"Pretending to sleep is useless. There are no exceptions."
Ryumin's scythe moved.
Slash-!
At that moment, one of Hwang Yongmin's arms was cleanly cut off.
"U-uwaaaaaaaagh!"
"Don't exaggerate. That level of pain is nothing."
It wasn't bravado.
Ryumin had lived through pain even worse than having an arm cut off.
By none other than Hwang Yongmin's group.
The daily repeated bullying by delinquents was unparalleled pain for the victim.
Ryumin's scythe moved once more.
Hwang Yongmin, whose other arm was cut off too, let out a pitiful scream.
An Sang-cheol, who was watching that cruel scene, swallowed hard.
'To mercilessly cut off the arms of an opponent who's already lost the will to fight...'
It might look harsh to others, but not to An Sang-cheol.
Rather, he admired the cold-heartedness of not showing mercy, his eyes shining.
'This person called Black Scythe... He's a vessel comparable to the CEO.'
He had criticized him for being arrogant before, but now he saw differently.
He was a person worthy of that qualification.
His skills were also undoubtedly excellent.
'With skills like that, it's understandable he rejected our proposal.'
As he was inwardly admiring him as worthy of 1st place, Ryumin looked this way.
Then after stabbing Hwang Yongmin's thighs a few more times, he approached with an indifferent face.
Though they were allies, An Sang-cheol couldn't help but feel tense inwardly.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes... Thanks to you."
"You don't have to worry about those guys attacking anymore. As you can see, they can't even move. They'll probably just vote at most."
"Ah... Thank you, Mr. Black Scythe."
As An Sang-cheol bowed his head, Seo Arin followed suit.
"Thank you so much for helping us. But I wonder if they'll die like that..."
"So what if they die? They're no better than beasts anyway."
"Ah..."
Seo Arin closed her mouth at the cold words.
On the other hand, Ryumin inwardly clicked his tongue.
'She's too soft. Why worry about the lives of these bastards? She's not a saint.'
To worry about the lives of those who tried to harm her.
'Could she be managing her image because she's a public figure?'
Well, from Seo Arin's position, it wouldn't be easy to condone murder.
'Whatever the case, I've achieved my goal.'
He made An Sang-cheol indebted to him as intended.
There's no need to pay attention anymore.
"Kuuuuu..."
"Uuuuu..."
The same went for these bastards with their arms and legs cut off.
Though they were groaning as if about to die right away, there was no need to pay attention anymore.
'They won't die. I left enough health for them to endure the remaining time.'
When time passes and the round ends, they will revive again.
'Just because arms and legs are cut off in the other world doesn't mean real arms and legs are cut off.'
As long as they're alive, they should be able to walk around normally when they return to reality.
'I'd like to kill them right here, but I can't yet.'
There's no meaning in killing them.
It's not like he has a huge grudge, nor is there any benefit.
'It's not like they give experience like monsters.'
If you're going to kill, you should kill after using them as much as possible.
'They still have value to be used. Both Hwang Yongmin and the other delinquents.'
Just then, An Sang-cheol asked politely.
"Mr. Black Scythe. If it's not rude, may I ask something?"
"What is it?"
"Why did you specifically leave these guys alive? In the other world, there shouldn't be any problem killing trash like this, right?"
The delinquents listening flinched at the chilling words.
Unlike Seo Arin, An Sang-cheol seemed to want the trash cleared away by killing them.
'As expected of Ma Gyeong-rok's right-hand man.'
Ryumin explained the reason without hesitation.