Chapter 216 – Sharing Information
[Rune of the Hero]
-Effect: Each time you save 1 other person, you gain 1 stack (max 100).
All stats increase by the number of stacks accumulated. Conversely, if stacks decrease, the increased amount also decreases.
By consuming 100 stacks, you can place ‘Hero’s Protection’ on 1 target you wish to protect.
While Hero’s Protection is active, the caster can use ‘Hero’s Hand’.
└ Hero’s Protection ▶ Activates the moment the target is attacked, creating an absolute barrier that blocks any attack for 10 seconds.
Once applied, it lasts infinitely until it activates.
It can only be applied to one target and cannot be used on the caster themself.
If you build stacks again and apply it to a different target, it is removed from the existing target.
└ Hero’s Hand ▶ You can move to the location of the target under Hero’s Protection, or summon them to you.
It can only be used for 10 seconds immediately after Hero’s Protection activates.
‘At last. The Rune of the Hero.’
As one of the 18 runes that must be obtained, it’s a rune that is useful when protecting a specific target.
‘If the target is attacked, they become invincible for 10 seconds, and during that time I can use Hero’s Hand to move to the target’s location or summon them.’
For example, if he placed this skill on his younger brother, then when his brother was attacked by someone, he would become invincible for 10 seconds.
At that moment, a notification would appear to Ryu Min, and two choices would become possible.
Either summon his brother using Hero’s Hand, or move to his brother.
‘It’s a skill optimized for protecting my younger brother.’
In addition, if he built stacks, all his stats would rise, so it wasn’t bad.
Since it only rose while stacks existed, it was more like a buff.
‘Still, where else do you get +100 to all stats? This alone is a rune worth getting.’
The condition was that he must save 100 people in danger, but there was nothing to worry about.
Because weren’t there this many people right here?
‘Just like when I acquired the rune, I can use a loophole.’
If he summoned another demon and killed it, it would be recognized as saving people again.
‘The problem is that people you’ve already saved don’t count again.’
He had already used up 100 people, so to fill the rest he needed new people.
Fortunately, by the time all the procedures ended, the number of believers surpassed 100 and reached 170.
A mix of Plseba members and non-member Players.
Considering that the number of Korean Players was 175, it was basically almost everyone joining.
‘This is beyond expectations. So many gathered.’
He used 1.7 million points, but he didn’t regret it.
Considering he could easily rally Players, it was cheap.
‘It would be better if I could reach 200, but today isn’t the only chance.’
Thinking everyone who would come had come, Ryu Min executed the plan.
“Leader.”
Heo Tae-seok, receiving the signal, nodded again.
Because he had already been tipped off, he knew it was time to summon a second demon species.
Passing through the crowd, Heo Tae-seok secretly planted a seed on the ground.
Pong—
Planting Black Seed wasn’t difficult.
You just use the skill, and a black object seeps into the ground.
Heo Tae-seok looked at Ryu Min and gave a slight nod.
It meant the second summon was prepared.
Watching for timing, Ryu Min adjusted his mask again and gave the signal.
Then, suddenly—a stalk as thick as a tree trunk shot up.
“Kkieeeeeeeee!”
Because it was random, you don’t know what demon you’ll get.
But even Ryu Min couldn’t help being startled this time.
‘That’s Requiem, one of the highest among demon species?’
At the sudden appearance of a second demon species, the Players fell into confusion again.
But only briefly.
Puhsuk—!
Ryu Min’s scythe smashed its head open, and the situation ended immediately.
“To summon a demon again despite the warning. It seems my words mean nothing to you.”
He spoke as if raging at an imaginary enemy, but the face hidden behind the mask was endlessly calm.
He was smiling instead, as he looked at the message floating before his eyes.
[Hero Rune stacks: 70/100]
[Due to the Rune of the Hero effect, all stats increase by 70.]
‘Good. Now I only need 30 more stacks.’
If he reached 100 stacks, he could protect his younger brother with Hero’s Protection.
It wasn’t urgent yet, so if he built it steadily, there would be no problem.
‘This wraps up what I came for.’
No—there was still one more thing left.
Because there was information he had to tell the 170 believers gathered here.
Namely, the strategy for the next Round.
‘Now I can’t just look after people close to me. I need to look after as many as possible.’
Thinking of the coming 16th Round, it would be better if as many Players as possible survived.
That didn’t mean he needed to take care of evil people too, though.
‘I checked their inner thoughts one by one, and there wasn’t anyone with character issues. Even if I open the strategy, they won’t cause problems.’
Of course, he had no intention of revealing the existence of the Prophet.
He could simply say he obtained the next Round information through a Special Reward Selection Box, and that would be that.
“Soon, there will be a speech by the Leader and Black Scythe-nim. Everyone who has finished joining, please come inside.”
Following Eom Jun-seok’s guidance, people entered the building.
After taking their seats in a massive chapel that could hold even 700 people, Heo Tae-seok went up onto the podium.
“Nice to meet you. Believers, I am the Reaper Sect Leader, NopaeinNoge-i. My real name is Heo Tae-seok. Thank you for coming—more of you came than I expected, and….”
Heo Tae-seok began his speech.
It wasn’t anything special—just a brief greeting.
The person who would speak the important words was someone else.
“…That’s all I have to say. Thank you. And now, we will hear from Black Scythe-nim, whom you’ve all been waiting for.”
Ryu Min climbed the podium wearing his mask and looked around.
All 170 believers were staring straight at him.
“Nice to meet you. As you know, I am Black Scythe. For circumstances, I cannot reveal my face or my real name—please understand.”
The believers nodded.
They were curious about Black Scythe’s identity, but it wasn’t important right now.
What mattered more was the information he would share.
“I am using this 자리 to deliver important information to you. It is top-secret information that must not be spoken elsewhere.”
“Top-secret?”
Amid the murmuring crowd, Ryu Min’s shocking statement continued.
“I know information about the next Round. I intend to share it here, right now.”
In an instant, the hall fell quiet as if cold water had been poured over it.
Because they had never even imagined it was possible to know the next Round in advance.
“You may be curious about the source of the information, but it’s simple. If you take #1 across all Zones, you receive something called a Special Reward Selection Box. As a reward, you can choose information about the next Round. I sometimes chose that reward and was able to clear the next Round easily.”
Among the astonished believers was Min Juri as well.
‘Ah… so that’s why Black Scythe-nim was able to clear Rounds so easily.’
She had thought his insight was extraordinary, but only now did it make sense.
“The reason I am revealing this only now is because I can no longer stand by and watch Players continue to dwindle. That is why I am sharing the 13th Round information with you. So we can survive together.”
To willingly share information by sacrificing personal rewards, for the greater cause of survival—
“Ah….”
“Black Scythe-nim….”
Moved by his magnanimity, the believers were all touched.
Some even clasped their hands together, as if faith had already taken root.
Seeing that, Ryu Min formed a deep smile inside his mask.
‘Survive as much as possible—for the sake of the 16th Round.’
His lips slowly began to reveal the strategy.
[Sariel is not returning. It is presumed that he is dead.]
At that news like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, there were angels who let out sighs of lamentation, but some sneered.
[Hmph, I knew it. 7th rank was taken down, so there’s nothing strange about 6th rank being taken down as well.]
Raguel, the 5th in the hierarchy and the Archangel of Justice, sneered with ridicule.
From the start, he hadn’t liked that they sent 6th instead of him.
[Just what was Mikael thinking, deciding that he alone was enough…?]
[Raguel. Just because he isn’t present, are you slandering the greatest among the archangels?]
When Gabriel warned sternly, Raguel pursed his lips.
[Is it wrong? They sent some mere 6th rank for no reason, and now we’ve been reduced to five archangels. This is clearly a misjudgment.]
[Try saying that to Mikael’s face. We’ll see whether you end up thrown into the bug cell.]
[…]
The bug cell was a heavenly punishment—solitary confinement swarming with insects.
Raguel, who was especially fastidious, had no choice but to shut his mouth.
[Don’t complain so much. Mikael’s judgment wasn’t wrong. Sariel was an opponent who should have been enough on his own. The darkness of a Reaper class and the darkness of an archangel are on different levels.]
[Then why did this happen?]
[That, even I do not know.]
[Even the Gabriel-nim of prophecy and revelation has things he does not know?]
[That title attached to me simply because my body is made of a substance well-suited to convey God’s words. This shell called “me” is merely used as a medium to deliver God’s 말씀.]
Even at Gabriel’s words, Raguel’s frown did not ease.
Either way, they still hadn’t captured Black Scythe, had they?
[Judging by your expression, you seem dissatisfied with this situation.]
[Honestly, I am. If I had stepped in, I could have ended it for sure.]
[That is not something you can know. Even if you stepped in, the outcome might have been the same.]
At the calm provocation, Raguel bristled.
[Gabriel-nim. Are you comparing me to those 6th and 7th rank idiots—]
[Mind your words. Calling them idiots.]
At the solemn voice, Raguel turned his head—and there was an archangel appearing with a halo.
It was Mikael, unquestionably rank 1.
[What archangel would demean comrades who fell gloriously in battle by calling them idiots?]
[I-I apologize.]
At the dignified voice, Raguel immediately bowed his head, but he did not know.
That the one responsible for driving the angels into a death trap was right before his eyes.
[I admit Sariel’s death was unexpected. It was my mistake.]
[No, Mikael-nim. Your judgment was not wrong. It is only that the human called Black Scythe was far stronger than expected.]
[So it seems. Even I did not expect Sariel to die.]
It wasn’t empty words—he meant it.
He had sent Sariel because he seemed weaker than Raguel, but he still worried, since Sariel was practically a natural enemy of the Reaper.
Would Black Scythe be dragged to the heavens and stripped of his qualifications as a Player?
Would his own wish to become a god be pushed back indefinitely?
‘But it seems my worry was unfounded.’
Mikael had already entered the Akashic Records and heard information from Luvaiah.
‘They say he didn’t suffer even a hair’s breadth of injury against Sariel?’
So despite the serious expression on his face, Mikael could feel reassured.
Because now he believed that even if he sent the next archangel, Black Scythe could win.
[It seems it is Raguel’s turn to step forward.]
[Really? Mikael-nim? You are giving me the chance?]
[Yes. You will carry out the execution. As I said, you must bring him back alive. Can you do it?]
[Of course! Just leave it to me! I will surely drag back that虫-like wretch who deserves to die—]
[That will not do.]
At the intervening voice, the two angels turned their heads.
The one who voiced opposition was none other than Gabriel.
[Raguel is strong, that is true, but it is also true that sending him alone is dangerous. I believe it would be best for him to go together with Uriel, who is rank 4.]
[No, Mikael-nim! I alone am sufficient!]
[Yes. It would be better to send Uriel as well.]
When even Raphael, rank 3, supported it, Mikael had no choice but to consider.
‘Send ranks 4 and 5 together? That’s….’
If it were only Raguel, Mikael thought Black Scythe could win.
But when he thought of adding Uriel, the Archangel of light and flame, worry surfaced first.
‘Can Black Scythe truly defeat those two?’
Mikael shook his head inwardly.
Even if Black Scythe killed Sariel without injury, two might be too much.
In combat power and in numbers, it was a different level from Sariel.
[Mikael-nim. Please decide.]
At Gabriel’s urging, Mikael could not stubbornly refuse.
Because he had no justification to send only Raguel.
[Better than repeating the same mistake, sending both and finishing it decisively would be best.]
Muttering as he accepted, Mikael spoke again in a solemn voice.
[Uriel and Raguel, listen. In the 13th Round, you will certainly bring Black Scythe to us.]
[Understood, Mikael-nim. Put your worries away.]
[We will bring him back cleanly, as commanded.]
The two angels answered in confident voices.