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Chapter 107 – What’s Your Name?
Before Yamtti kidnapped Assemblyman Lee Seong-hyeon—
Ryu Min, disguised as Lostyak, wrestled with a question.
When should he rescue Assemblyman Lee Seong-hyeon?
‘It’ll make a better picture if I rescue him after he’s been kidnapped.’
If he cleaned up Yamtti and the remaining stragglers too early and made the kidnapping “never happen,” who would even know?
‘This is a chance. A chance to make the name Black Scythe known to the public.’
Black Scythe was famous among Players, but the general public didn’t even know what kind of person he was.
There were even voices from time to time that lumped all Players together and criticized them.
‘Assemblyman Lee Seong-hyeon is at the forefront of that. He says it’s only criminal Players that are bad, but…….’
Ryu Min knew.
In the past, he’d built a connection with the man.
He knew what had happened to the Assemblyman’s only son, and what feelings he held toward Players.
That was why Ryu Min understood Lee Seong-hyeon more than anyone—and he also knew what the right direction was.
‘I need to set it right. That twisted gaze of his.’
He wanted to make him realize that not all Players were bad.
He wanted to make him understand that if a Player’s abilities were used in the right way, it couldn’t get better than this.
‘That way, when I step forward later as a representative of Players, I’ll be able to earn the support of ordinary people.’
If Assemblyman Lee Seong-hyeon helped him, ordinary people would gladly raise their hands for Black Scythe.
That was why Ryu Min needed to turn the man’s perspective around—and why he didn’t begin his move even up until the moment he was kidnapped.
No.
He was moving quietly, from behind.
He tailed Song Jae-gyeom, the Chairman of Plseba.
‘The moment Lee Seong-hyeon truly becomes in danger is when the six criminals the Chairman hired start moving.’
If the criminals publicly executed Lee Seong-hyeon, then Plseba’s scenario was to “pretend” to show up late to rescue him and take care of the criminals.
So if the criminals didn’t show up at the cabin, Lee Seong-hyeon had no reason to worry about dying.
That was why Ryu Min used Invisibility to tail Song Jae-gyeom.
Because the role assigned to that bastard was to pick up those “red-lined” criminals.
“Excuse me, boss. When the job’s really done, you’ll pay us triple, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“You’re not suddenly gonna run off without paying, are you?”
Watching the criminals fidget anxiously, Song Jae-gyeom smiled.
“If you can’t do it, tell me now. Then transfer back the 25 million won I paid you.”
“Haha. Wow, you’re really impatient. We were just asking.”
“When did we ever say we wouldn’t do it?”
“In this day and age, killing one person is nothing, right?”
The criminals, grinning ear to ear, stopped talking about money.
Their lives were already ruined with criminal records—a red line across their names.
For most of them, killing one person and getting 100 million won sounded like a bargain.
‘Tch. Players or civilians—trash exists everywhere.’
If Ma Kyung-rok were here, he’d probably be drooling.
With that pointless thought, Ryu Min waited for the timing.
Bzzzt—
As if the time had come, a call came in for Song Jae-gyeom.
“Yes, yes, Yamtti-nim. Understood. I’ll bring them right now.”
After ending the call, Song Jae-gyeom gave instructions to his bodyguards.
“Load everyone here into the car and follow me.”
“Yes, underst—gk!”
The bodyguard collapsed without finishing his reply.
“What the—ggh!”
The other bodyguard too.
Ryu Min struck them once in the back of the neck, and they passed out instantly.
They were Players, and yet it was almost embarrassing.
At Ryu Min’s sudden intervention, Song Jae-gyeom and the criminals panicked.
Especially Song Jae-gyeom—who recognized the face—his voice was the loudest.
“Lostyak?!”
“Now then, Chairman. You should take a nap too.”
Thwack—thud.
Before anyone knew it, Ryu Min had knocked the Chairman out and turned to the criminals.
“What should I do with you?”
“H-hiiik!”
Realizing he moved beyond human limits, they bolted.
‘H-he’s a Player! We can’t possibly win!’
The criminals knew.
No matter what they did, a civilian trying to fight a Player was like throwing eggs at a boulder.
“I can’t just let conspirators to murder walk away.”
Shrrrk—shrrrk—!
Ryu Min pulled out his scythe and, in an instant, turned the six into bloody lumps.
‘Just in case they try to grab my ankle.’
Those criminals were dead men anyway, thanks to Plseba.
They just hadn’t expected to die without even receiving the rest of the payment.
After cleaning up the scene with Trace Erasure, Ryu Min drove off with the unconscious Chairman.
Then he dumped him somewhere appropriate—like abandoning a corpse.
‘It doesn’t matter if he wakes up later. By then, everything will already be settled.’
Ryu Min drove toward the meeting place: the cabin.
When he entered, three newly recruited executives recognized their senior and bowed their heads.
“Hello, Sunbae-nim.”
“Yeah. Has Yamtti-nim not arrived yet?”
“No. She said she’ll arrive soon with the Assemblyman.”
“Got it. I’ll keep watch outside as planned.”
While he stood watch outside, he saw Yamtti arrive with the Assemblyman.
‘Finally.’
After that, what he had to do was simple.
Burst in, rescue the National Assemblyman, and that was it.
‘Kill every executive. Except Yamtti.’
The reason he wasn’t killing Yamtti was simple.
‘If I make Yamtti my ally, then Plseba will naturally become mine too.’
Nominally, Plseba was led by the Chairman, but the true mastermind was Yamtti.
If he could turn Yamtti to his side, he could bring Plseba under his command as well.
‘And on top of that, I’ll gain a powerful tool: the Rune of Fascination.’
Yamtti’s Rune of Fascination was powerful enough to rival a Zone Representative’s Dominion.
‘No—stronger than that. There’s no level restriction, and it dominates anyone, whether they’re a Player or a civilian.’
That was why Ryu Min hadn’t been able to approach Yamtti until now.
She could enthrall someone just by looking at them—how was he supposed to deal with that?
‘Of course, killing her wouldn’t be hard. I could approach with Invisibility and slice once—that’s it.’
But Ryu Min had never intended to kill Yamtti in the first place.
Using her was simply more practical than killing her.
‘That’s why I needed the rune from the 7th Round.’
Thanks to the Rune of Mental Barrier, he could look Yamtti in the eye.
‘The Rune of Fascination is strong, but it can’t break through the Rune of Mental Barrier.’
Ryu Min entered the cabin and killed the three new executives.
Then he threatened Yamtti and forced her to release the Assemblyman from Fascination.
He spared Yamtti as planned.
However, if he used Dominion in front of the Assemblyman, it could create misunderstandings, so he needed to lure Yamtti outside.
‘Since she wants to live, I’ll pretend I’m sparing her.’
When Yamtti showed a “repentant” attitude, Ryu Min acted like he was letting her go.
Then, using a Doppelganger, he slipped out and tailed her in Invisibility.
He kept a distance of over 30 meters so he wouldn’t get caught by Presence Detection.
“I’ve never seen such a sucker in my life. Heh-heh.”
Watching Yamtti sneer at him, Ryu Min could be certain.
Threats alone would never control a person.
‘Then there’s only one way.’
Ryu Min used the real-world Dominion he could use only once on Yamtti.
‘I don’t regret it. If I dominate Yamtti, it’s practically the same as gaining additional Dominion.’
A better Dominion—one with fewer restrictions than before.
“Yamtti. Become my slave.”
As Yamtti’s eyes turned hazy, messages appeared.
[You have exhausted all Dominion that can be used in reality.]
[Temporary Skill – Dominion]
- Remaining chances: 8
- Applicable targets: Black Scythe, Yamtti
[Remaining Dominion can be used in the Otherworld.]
[The temporary skill ‘Dominion’ disappears from your skill window.]
With that, the Rune of Fascination—a powerful means—and even the faction called Plseba.
All of it came under Ryu Min’s command.
“It is an honor to meet you, Master.”
Yamtti lowered her head with a demure posture.
“Give me your orders, Master. No matter what it is, I will do exactly as you command—”
“First, never say ‘Master.’ And don’t bow your head to me in front of other people, either. Act naturally.”
“Ah… understood.”
“People will think it’s strange, so speak casually too.”
“Ah…… got it.”
She’d switched to casual speech, but when he read her inner thoughts, Ryu Min could be sure.
‘She truly thinks of me as her master.’
She’d become completely his.
“Run straight down this road and keep fleeing. The police will storm in soon. And tell the Chairman that Lostyak was the traitor.”
“Got it—uh. Master. Ah, no, Black Scythe-nim?”
“Don’t even let the words ‘Black Scythe’ leave your mouth. I’ll kill you.”
“Ah. S-sorry—no, I mean… sorry.”
A troubled light appeared on Yamtti’s face.
“Then what should I call you from now on……?”
“Call my name. Ryu Min.”
The corner of Ryu Min’s mouth lifted into a grin.
‘To think I got kidnapped.’
The moment he opened his eyes, Lee Seong-hyeon could judge the situation quickly.
His memories from before he blacked out, the conversation he’d had with the woman after arriving here, his body tied to a chair.
Putting everything together, there was only one conclusion: kidnapping.
And of course, who had kidnapped him was obvious.
‘That woman. That woman kidnapped me.’
If the strength she used to knock him out was any indication, she was definitely a Player.
‘She probably kidnapped me in retaliation for the bill I proposed.’
If there was anyone who might threaten him, it was Players—so he was certain.
Wasn’t that why he’d hired bodyguards for exactly this kind of situation?
‘To think those bodyguards went down that easily. Damn it. Useless bastards—couldn’t even do their job for the money.’
That was when—
Creeeak—
The cabin door opened, and a man walked in.
It was the bronze-skinned man who had followed after Yamtti earlier.
‘That man… earlier, he introduced himself as someone here to rescue me. But what’s his relationship with that woman?’
He didn’t look like her ally.
After all, the woman had been begging for her life.
But you couldn’t conclude someone was an ally based on that alone.
So Lee Seong-hyeon watched him with wary eyes.
Who knew when the man might suddenly stab him in the back?
‘He might not even be a civilian—he could be a Player too.’
Then the man walked up and reached out a hand.
For a moment, Lee Seong-hyeon flinched, thinking he was attacking—
Rip—rip—
But the man was only tearing the ropes apart.
“I apologize for freeing you so late, Assemblyman Lee Seong-hyeon. I had something to settle outside.”
“Settle? With that woman?”
“Yes. As you experienced, that woman is indeed the mastermind behind the kidnapping. I handled it properly, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“…….”
As Lee Seong-hyeon stared at him as if probing, Ryu Min smiled.
“You must be wondering what’s going on. I’ll explain everything. First—let’s get rid of the bodies.”
When he used Trace Erasure, the corpses vanished without a trace.
“Huh!”
Startled by the ability he’d never seen before, Lee Seong-hyeon quickly regained his composure.
“You…… you’re a Player.”
“Yes. I know you feel uneasy about Players, Assemblyman, but… to wear that expression even in front of the person who saved your life—honestly, it’s a little disappointing.”
“So you saved my life, is that what you’re saying?”
Ryu Min nodded and explained the situation in detail.
“As you may have guessed, there are many Players who hold grievances against you. The group here is one of them.”
Ryu Min mixed a suitable amount of truth with a suitable amount of lies.
He didn’t bother mentioning that it was Plseba’s plot.
“I received a proposal from a Player I’ve known for a while. That’s how I learned the entire plan.”
After kidnapping Assemblyman Lee Seong-hyeon, they planned to use vagrants bribed with money as the “villains,” then play at being the “heroes” by pretending to rescue him—down to the details.
When he explained everything, Lee Seong-hyeon’s eyes widened.
‘If he can talk about it this specifically, it doesn’t sound like a lie…….’
As proof, Ryu Min showed him everything—his schedule and even the full movement route he’d been given.
“I held no personal malice toward you, Assemblyman. I didn’t think the bill you proposed was bad, either. On the contrary, I believed it was a bill absolutely necessary for an era like this.”
“…….”
Lee Seong-hyeon felt strange.
A Player who supported his bill was standing in front of him—when he himself despised Players.
“That’s why I betrayed them. I didn’t want someone like you to die a meaningless death.”
“Then those corpses I saw earlier……”
“Yes. They were Players who conspired to commit the crime, and I killed them all. I know all of their identities. If you want, I’ll tell you.”
“…….”
“I know what you’re thinking. You’ll see me as a murderer. Ah—well, I am a murderer. Still, I have no intention of turning myself in.”
“Why? If you committed a crime, it’s only right you turn yourself in.”
“Because I still have a lot to do. And there are only 13 Rounds left. I’m practically living a terminal life as it is—surely you wouldn’t tell someone like me to spend what little time I have left in prison.”
“…….”
When he thought about it, he couldn’t bring himself to do that.
Even if it was a Player he despised, wasn’t this man his benefactor who had saved his life?
“What do you want from me? If you want me to cancel the bill as payment for rescuing me, that is absolutely—”
“Please proceed with the bill. Carry your beliefs through, exactly as you are now. That’s all I want.”
“…….”
Honestly, he was shocked.
It was the complete opposite of what he’d expected.
To think the reason this man rescued him—betraying his allies in the process—was only that.
“Is that really all? Nothing else……?”
“I don’t want anything else. I only acted the way I believed was right, and I’m not opposed to your bill either.”
“…….”
A Player who supported his bill……
For some reason, Lee Seong-hyeon felt embarrassed.
“Either way, thank you. If it’s true you saved me, then I’ll find a way to repay you somehow—”
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed: tap-tap-tap.
“It seems the police tracked your phone and made it here. I should go now.”
‘He’s just leaving like this?’
Leaving Lee Seong-hyeon staring in disbelief, Ryu Min gave his farewell.
“It was a pleasure speaking with you. Tell the police everything you saw and heard.”
“W-wait.”
At Lee Seong-hyeon’s call, Ryu Min—who was about to climb out the window—turned his head.
“What’s your name?”
As if he needed to at least know the name of the person who saved him, Lee Seong-hyeon looked at him.
“My name is.”
Ryu Min smiled faintly and said,
“Black Scythe.”