Chapter 193 – Death’s Grasp
“Very well done.”
FirstWarrior, stroking the traitor’s head as if handling an obedient puppy, asked,
“What did you say your name was?”
“I-I’m Kang Si-hyeok…….”
“Good. You did as you were told, so I’ll let you live.”
“Th-thank you! Thank y—”
“Instead, stay here until Black Scythe arrives.”
“…Pardon?”
“There’s no way for us to verify whether you lied or not. At the very least, you need to stay until Black Scythe comes.”
He’d been forced by their threats into betraying his squad leader, and now he had to face him in person, too.
Kang Si-hyeok’s face drained pale-blue as he stammered out English.
“Y-you said if I did as told, you’d let me go.”
“And I’m telling you what to do right now.”
“Y-you heard it from the side, didn’t you? It’s definitely Black Scythe.”
“I don’t know Korean. How would I know what you said, or who you called?”
“This is different from what you promised—aaagh!”
FirstWarrior’s finger pressed down hard on his knee.
He couldn’t move an inch, like he’d been caught in some giant press.
It was a monstrous grip.
“If a yellow monkey bastard is told to do something, he should just do it. Why is your tongue so damn long? Want me to make it so you can never walk again?”
“Kkeu-hhkk…!”
“If you don’t want to get killed like a dog by us, you survive even if you have to sell out your boss at work. That’s survival instinct, isn’t it? Isn’t that the true mindset of a monkey?”
“O-okay, o-okay, I get it, so let go of th—kuhk!”
Instead of letting go of his knee, FirstWarrior’s huge hand smacked the back of Kang Si-hyeok’s head.
“You idiot bastard. Tsk.”
With a greatsword as big as his body slung over his shoulder, he looked back at his fellow apostles.
“Did you make contact?”
“We called both teams, so they’ll come this way.”
“They need to arrive before Black Scythe does….”
At India’s number one, SwingMan’s concern, FirstWarrior let out a short scoff.
“What are you worried about? If Black Scythe shows up, we just smash that f*cking head in first.”
“They say it’s a country of gentlemen, but your word choice is truly vulgar.”
“Who says that? That England’s a country of gentlemen.”
“Are you confident? Level 90 won’t be easy.”
“I’m a Sword Master. There’s no bastard my sword aura can’t kill in one shot. I killed a Minotaur in one hit, you know?”
“Then why haven’t you ever even made it into the all-zone TOP 3 until now?”
“Ahem, that’s because I’ve been clearing too half-assed until now. Just watch from here on out. Watch who climbs into Rank 1.”
Seeing FirstWarrior brimming with confidence, SwingMan only shook his head slowly.
“Then don’t do that. When Black Scythe comes, stall for time with conversation. Until the other apostles arrive. We’ve got a hostage too, so wouldn’t that be better?”
“What are you talking about? You want me to share the pie that rolled right into my lap with other guys?”
“Are you sure you can even eat that pie? It’s not a poisoned pie?”
“Black Scythe is someone the four of us can kill just fine. Like you said, we even have a hostage.”
“I’m telling you it won’t work.”
“I’m telling you it will.”
Watching the two bicker, Kang Si-hyeok flinched when FirstWarrior suddenly looked at him.
“Should we ask this bastard? Hey, yellow monkey. If Black Scythe and I fight, who do you think wins?”
“…Pardon?”
“What are you asking again for? You don’t understand English? I’m asking, if it’s one-on-one, who do you think wins. You’re a squad member, so you’d know. Your squad leader’s skill.”
Of course he knew.
They’d dueled on the first day, so every squad member knew.
Just what kind of monster their squad leader was.
But right now, to Kang Si-hyeok’s eyes, the hulking man in front of him was a monster.
Maybe that was why he couldn’t speak honestly.
“Speak honestly. Honestly.”
“B-Black Scythe….”
“…….”
“……is weaker than you’d think. If it’s someone like you, you could win.”
“See! You see? He says he’s surprisingly weak! That’s what I think too!”
“Why are you asking a guy like this? Can’t you see he’s scared of you right now?”
“No, no. He said it honestly. Right?”
“Y-yes…….”
FirstWarrior’s hand landed heavily on Kang Si-hyeok’s shoulder.
“Black Scythe will be here soon. We’ll get ready for the ambush, so you keep his attention in the meantime.”
“…Me? Y-you mean me?”
“Why? Don’t want to?”
The grip on his shoulder slowly tightened with strength.
Kang Si-hyeok hurriedly shook his head.
“N-no. I-I’ll do it.”
“Yeah, that’s right. If it looks like you’re going to ask Black Scythe for help or make a run for it, you know what happens, right?”
FirstWarrior threatened him, showing the absurdly large greatsword.
“You die on the spot together with Black Scythe. Escape? If you think that’s possible against the four of us, you’re mistaken. You might not know it, but we’re top-tier players who casually stamped ourselves as number one back home.”
“Ah….”
“So behave yourself. If you handle the job well, I’ll let you live.”
“Y-you really… you really will let me live, right?”
“Of course. Do you think letting go of one measly fly like you is hard for us? If things go well, I promise you’ll live.”
“I-if that’s the case… I understand.”
“Good, good. Then I’m looking forward to it.”
Patting his shoulder a couple times, FirstWarrior disappeared with his teammates.
They each split up, took positions, and waited for Black Scythe to appear.
Five minutes later.
In the alley that had been quiet, unfamiliar footsteps sounded.
Black Scythe’s arrival.
“S-squad leader…….”
“Kang Si-hyeok?”
The Black Scythe Kang Si-hyeok saw after a long time appeared wearing the usual white mask.
Because of that, Kang Si-hyeok couldn’t know that there was a bitter smile under the mask.
“Yeah. So why did you tell me to meet you here?”
“I-I have something… to consult you about.”
“What is it?”
“Th-that is….”
His face was tense no matter who looked, and he was even sweating coldly—so it would’ve been natural to suspect him.
But Black Scythe listened quietly to his words.
Was that what made it even more suspicious?
“That bastard caught on.”
The FirstWarrior who’d been lying in ambush revealed himself first.
“Hey, you’re Black Scythe, right? Since you’ve got a scythe, seems like you are.”
As he swaggered forward with the greatsword, the other apostles could only sigh and show themselves as well.
Stopping ten steps away, FirstWarrior smirked and asked,
“You speak English?”
“…….”
“Well, even if you don’t, it doesn’t matter. Even if we can’t talk, you get the general vibe, right? That you’re f*cked right now.”
“…….”
“If you want to go without pain, drop your weapon. Drop the weapon. Otherwise I’ll kill you in the most painful way possible. I’ll torture you until you scream like a little girl, then kill you—swear it on my d*ck.”
It was blatant provocation, but Black Scythe didn’t react.
‘Look at this bastard. He should’ve understood that much. Does he really not know English?’
A hollow sigh came out of FirstWarrior.
His plan to rile the opponent up and cloud his judgment had gone down the drain.
“Guys. Words won’t do.”
Even as the four men advanced with weapons, Ryu Min calmly looked at Kang Si-hyeok and asked,
“Who are those guys? Your friends?”
“Th-that….”
In that moment, Kang Si-hyeok fell into the biggest dilemma of his life.
Should he immediately cling to Black Scythe and beg to be spared, or should he hide behind those monsters who’d threatened him?
‘Will the squad leader forgive me? N-no. That cold-blooded guy wouldn’t let me off. Maybe it’s better to side with them…. But what if they can’t deal with the squad leader?’
He weighed which side to cling to in order to save his life, but he couldn’t find an easy answer.
“Can you explain what this situation is?”
“Th-that is, squad leader….”
“Don’t tell me you lured me into a trap.”
Kang Si-hyeok’s head drooped.
“I-I’m sorry. I have no excuse. I had no choice if I wanted to live. I’m truly sorry, squad leader…. H-hic.”
Kang Si-hyeok shed tears of repentance in fat drops, but there was no change in Ryu Min’s voice.
“Sorry, huh. I’m the one who’s more sorry.”
“Huh… y-yes?”
Ryu Min’s scythe flashed like a bolt of light.
Kang Si-hyeok’s head tilted—then fell to the ground.
At the same time, the body of one of the Twelve Apostles behind him was cut as if it slipped apart.
Thud—
“There won’t be any pain.”
The remaining apostles stared at the scene in shock.
Fear.
The emotion they’d just felt was fear.
Because Ryu Min’s Massacrer title inflicted a status ailment on witnesses.
Of course, once three seconds passed, they came to their senses.
“Y-you crazy bastard—your own squad member….”
“What I killed wasn’t a squad member. It was a traitor.”
From the moment he made that lure call, Kang Si-hyeok had become a traitor.
Even if he’d been threatened, a traitor couldn’t be spared.
Following that principle, Ryu Min executed him on the spot.
Along with one of the Twelve Apostles behind him.
“You bastard, you could speak English?”
“I never said I couldn’t.”
“…….”
At Ryu Min’s retort, FirstWarrior fell silent as if dumbfounded—but in truth, he was steadying his pounding heart.
‘This bastard—killing people without a word and going nuts….’
His fluent English, yes—but more than that, the sudden action had shaken him.
The other apostles’ hearts were pounding too.
‘He kills a squad member without mercy just for betraying him….’
‘The plan to use a hostage has gone out the window.’
His bold decisiveness and coldness felt frightening, but the scariest part was something else.
They hadn’t seen the attack at all—when he struck.
‘If I’d been behind that monkey, I might’ve been done for….’
Leaving those thoughts behind, FirstWarrior stepped closer.
His huge greatsword already had sword aura applied, ready to strike at any time.
“Damn, I just threatened you as a joke and you up and kill someone on the spot. So Rank 1 turns out to be a psycho, huh?”
“As a joke?”
Inside the mask, Ryu Min let out a scoffing laugh.
“Did you think you could just say that and slide past it? The Twelve Apostles?”
“…….”
The Twelve Apostles’ expressions hardened like stone.
It was natural—he’d identified them when he’d never told anyone.
“From the start, you gathered the rankers of each country and joined some ridiculous group called Messiah just to keep me in check, and now you’re saying it was just a joke? Even a passing dog would laugh.”
“…How did you know?”
“What matters right now isn’t that.”
Before the words even finished, Ryu Min’s scythe stretched out like a whip and snapped back.
Chwarreureuk—tak!
One of the Twelve Apostles, who hadn’t even seen the weapon move, collapsed with a hole ripped through his belly.
Thud—
A corpse appeared in the blink of an eye, and the comrades flinched.
FirstWarrior and SwingMan, who hadn’t even had time to react, swallowed dryly.
‘Th-that is Rank 1…?’
‘He’s a monster. A complete monster.’
After witnessing speed they couldn’t possibly respond to, the will to fight had already vanished from the two of them.
All that remained in their minds was the thought of escaping this place somehow.
“FirstWarrior, the British Sword Master. SwingMan, the Indian Martial Artist. Now it’s just you two left, huh?”
“…….”
“What are you just standing there for? If you’re going to jump me or run, at least struggle?”
“What the fuck!”
The first to bolt was FirstWarrior.
With agile movement that didn’t match his huge body, he kicked off the wall and leapt—planning to escape onto a rooftop.
But a plan was only a plan.
‘Death’s Grasp.’
The moment Ryu Min used the Skill, targeting the bastard’s retreating back, a black grasp stretched like a snake and wrapped around FirstWarrior’s waist.
“Let go! Let go, I said!”
“Come here. You have to play with me.”
There was no trace left of FirstWarrior’s earlier swagger on his face as he was dragged back.
All that could be seen was a single head of cattle, dragged toward a slaughterhouse in pure terror.
Slice—!
FirstWarrior’s head was cleanly lopped off as he was pulled in by Death’s Grasp.
In the meantime, the remaining apostle, SwingMan, had fled far away—but Ryu Min was utterly relaxed.
Because Death’s Grasp had no cooldown.