Villain Hides His True Color

Chapter 32

The last altar wasn’t located at a hill or vacant lot but a town where people actually lived.

Even in Guangcheng District, which was full of outcasts, it was considered a dump where those who no longer had anything to lose flocked.

Trash from Pyongyang piled up like small hills everywhere, and the stench pricked your nose from all corners.

Soon, it’ll be sunrise.

The sky was gradually dyed the color blue. In the early morning, dim lights began to illuminate the garbage town.

“Keuook! Kehek!”

A swarm of monsters could be seen among the landscapes that I thought were simply piles of garbage.

Were there so many people living in slums? Entire towns seemed to have turned into monsters.

But I wasn’t very worried.

If I hadn’t brought these guys, I would have been in trouble.

I glanced behind me.

There were about 50 children standing there full of vigor and with guns in their hands.

And at the forefront was Blackie, raising itself high like a military banner.

I hadn’t expected things to turn out this way in the beginning, but as a result, things were going really smoothly.

It was truly lucky.

A necromancer’s strength was largely classified into two categories.

The first concerns the undead, which is the first thing people think of when they hear the word necromancer, and the other was curse magic using negative energy.

In fact, rather than dealing with the undead, it could be said that it was more annoying to deal with the curses that can’t be seen.

However, I’ve already prepared a countermeasure in this regard.

[Set Effect]

Description: Transforms into a Dire Wolf, a companion of a foul Goddess.

*Increases durability and physical capability.

*Increases Magic resistance.

*Resistant to most curses.

*Recovers your wound if you ‘eat’ the target.

With this last piece, the preparation for the raid is done.

In fact, the first time I came up with the idea of targeting Pero was also due to this set effect.

If I exclude the curses from necromancers, they should be incomparably weak to superhumans of the same rank.

“Hyung, do you remember our strategy?”

“Of course, Noah-nim. I won’t overdo it and will just support from behind.”

“What if it gets dangerous?”

“Retreat with the children immediately.”

“Good.”

Fortunately, Pumpkin seemed to understand what I said properly.

A medium-grade box was on the line, so even emphasizing this part several times wasn’t enough.

After completing all the checks, I activated the skill.

Then, in an instant, I rapidly grew and my whole body became covered with fur. Steel claws and a pitch-black mane appeared.

There was no jarring feeling since I often walked on four limbs in the first round.

I looked at the altar where a bonfire was burning.

A skeleton wearing a strange mask was looking this way.

Somehow I felt like he was looking into my eyes.

Is that Pero from the rumors?

He seemed to have no intention of avoiding this fight, as he continued to hold the ritual in such a way as to provoke me to come.

I guess he believes in his numbers and thinks it’ll be easy.

Looking towards the swarm of zombies, I began to sprint without warning.

“Keuhuk? Kehek! Keuook!!”

When I suddenly moved, zombies who had been wandering aimlessly immediately turned toward me.

They trampled on each other’s bodies and created a huge human barrier. The appearance was as if a tidal wave was descending in front of my eyes.

But then,

Dudududu–!

The children standing behind me fired their guns, paving the way for me to move forward.

Thanks to them, I broke through the waves of monsters without slowing down. I swung my claws at a running speed.

Their waists beautifully split in half.

“S-stop him! Stop him no matter what!”

I can hear Pero’s flustered voice.

But there was no way for him to stop me now that I’ve broken through the monsters concentrated in the front.

Just a little more and I’ll be able to bite his neck.

I kicked off the ground with more strength.

But suddenly, there was a brief disturbance among the monsters, and soon something popped out of the group and blocked my path.

Boom–!

I stopped for the first time since I began running. Standing in front of me was a giant beastman corpse without a head.

One arm was cut off, and reattached was one of a different color. There were also four arms sutured on his back that extended in all directions like a spider. Lastly, a severed head was clumsily tied to its waist.

Dullahan…?

When I observed it, for some reason I thought it looked familiar.

Also, bullet holes were strangely embedded all over its body.

…Yifret?

I’m seeing him here again.

As far as I know, Pero is a necromancer of four or five circles.

If so, it was highly likely that this dullahan in front of me was the highest level of undead he could create.

In short, there will be no no next after I get rid of this guy.

I can’t give Pero any time.

The claws on my feet extended and abruptly went for the dullahan’s neck. But…

Boom–!

Perhaps something special had been done to its skin, but along with a spark, my claws were repelled.

My tingling claws felt as if I had knocked on iron.

At that moment, the dullahan aimed for my gap and charged at me.

Even though it was an undead, its fighting instinct seemed to still remain.

Its six arms surrounded me in all directions and attacked me at the same time.

The ominous mana overflowing on each claw seemed terrifying as if it would tear me apart at any moment.

In the back, Pero smiled, certain of his victory. Seeing it, I feigned a smile in the midst of the critical situation.

I guess he doesn’t know that I’m the one who had killed Yifret once before.

And that it was incomparably weak now.

Even though he had become an undead and was strengthened, it couldn’t have been better than the skills and items I’ve farmed.

I summoned Red Velvet Curse from my inventory and held it in my mouth.

*One use has been deducted.

*Charges remaining [1/3].

My view turned crimson red. And time slowed as if it had stopped.

In this state, with the sword in my mouth, I charged at the dullahan like the speed of light.

Swish–

The blade circled around the dullahan and its waist was immediately cut. However, the skill duration wasn’t over yet.

I didn’t intend to stop here. I strengthened my hind legs and took a big leap.

My surroundings distorted and I immediately arrived at the place where the ritual was being held.

I cut off the necks of the people participating in the ritual.

“Nooooo.”

Pero’s lengthy scream dug into my ears. At the same time, the world regained its original color.

“Ahh! N-no! This can’t be happening!”

Pero grabbed his chest and shouted. His gaze fell on the stroller next to him.

His expression looked very desperate.

Was that the treasure?

I immediately put Red Velvet Curse back into my inventory and rushed toward the stroller that he was guarding.

* * *

To be frank, Jang Wick didn’t feel any sense of crisis when the children first appeared.

Rather, only anger rose at the incompetence priests who had died to such insignificant children.

But the situation began to deteriorate rapidly soon after the boy at the forefront of the group turned into a big wolf.

He hurriedly tried to stop the wolf with the zombies, but he easily broke through the barrier as if he were expecting such a situation.

Even his late siege was of no use due to the other children constantly firing guns from afar.

In addition, his recently created masterpiece was broken through at an incredible speed.

Not only that…All of these disasters had happened in an instant.

How can such a young child have this much power? Who the hell was this boy?

There were many questions on his mind, but there was no time to think about that now.

Because the one who had cut down the dullahan and the priest was turning toward him.

‘D-dangerous!’

He instinctively rolled sideways while holding the stroller in his arms. A huge leg fell where he was standing.

Boom–!

“Keuk!”

He couldn’t feel any pain because of his undead body, but for some reason, the negative energy was being sucked out of the wound torn by the wolf’s claw.

While briefly looking back at the wound, the wolf had disappeared from his sight at some point.

He hugged the stroller tightly and looked around.

‘W-where did he go?’

At that moment,

Crunch–

“Kueaauaa!”

A mouth, which had appeared in the air out of nowhere, tore nearly half of his body.

The pain made his consciousness waver. What the hell was going on?

‘H-how is a normal physical attack…’

He instinctively cast a spell, quickly widening his distance from the wolf.

Boom–!

Sharp claw marks were deeply dug into the place where he had been standing.

He might have become fine powder if he had delayed even for a split second.

The wolf snickered, revealing his sharp teeth.

“So close.”

Then, at the end of Wick’s gaze, he saw the stroller in the wolf’s mouth.

“?!”

“Hehe, is the treasure in here?”

The wolf asked, throwing the stroller containing Pero on the ground. Then he roughly dug through the stroller with his thick front feet.

“W-wait! That’s not the treasure you’re looking for!”

“How can I believe that?”

“I-it’s the truth! Maybe the treasure you’re looking for is this mask…So, give me that stroller…”

“Okay. Then I’ll check this first and get the mask after.”

“Y-you can’t. Damn you!”

The urgent Wick completed a curse magic that ignored magical formulas in exchange for part of his soul.

A mass of pure evil shot from his hand and towards the wolf. However, the spell was sucked into the wolf’s black fur as if nothing had happened.

“W-what the hell…”

“Hehe, looking at what ajeossi is doing, there must be something here too.”

“N-no! I-it’s a misunderstanding! I was wrong…S-stop!”

Wick ran forward and reached out. However, the wolf broke the stroller without any hesitation.

Thud–

In the broken stroller, the incubator, where Pero’s body was asleep, rolled out.

“Oh? As expected, there was something. Hmm…But is this not an item?”

The wolf broke the lid of the incubator as it was.

Then a few negative energies leaked out, and Pero’s body fell to the ground.

As soon as the corpse left the incubator, it melted into a dry liquid, emitting a stench.

“Ugh! What’s this? Ajeossi, why are you carrying shit in a stroller?”

“Aahh! N-no!”

Wick collapsed on the spot and screamed.

The only friend who loved his ugly self, and the only family he had in this world. Now, at this moment, it had melted into a chunk of manure. Ten years of effort came to nothing in just one moment.

With only one arm left, he crawled to the stroller.

Pero’s body, which was gradually flowing down, was hurriedly collected, but his skeleton hand was unable to hold onto anything.

“Aahh…Pero…”

Then the wolf spoke.

“Ajeossi, can I have the mask now? Looking at it, it seems like you’re stuck together. Um…Will it fall off if I kill you?”

The wolf extended his claws and began to break Wick’s body like a beast peeling its food.

Crunch–! Crunch–!

“What? Why isn’t this coming off?”

And…

The wolf looked at Wick, who had become only a skull and mask.

‘Such evil shouldn’t exist in this world.’

With Wick’s soul, even if he has to give up the opportunity to reincarnate…

“Hey ajeossi, how can I take this off? Why aren’t you giving me the reward after I won.”

…this evil has to disappear now.

Dark energy burned in Wick’s hollowed eyes. He gave his ‘everything’ and recited.

“Re Pero cks kak.”

Soon after, the mask suddenly flew into the air and dark red liquid began to pour out of both eyelids.

Zombies everywhere bit each other’s flesh as they threw themselves under the pouring liquid. The rotten blood and intestines flowed down the ground around the mask.

At some point, the torn flesh and blood that had gathered under the mask began to form a shape.

Finally, a giant golem made of blood and intestines took form.

Then, in the pool of blood, the golem raised its body. Slowly lifting its eyelids made of intestines, it looked at the wolf.

“Your soul will suffer for eternity.”

Along with a rotten smell, the golem’s voice reverberated in all directions.

* * *

No wonder I didn’t get any items…I thought it would be easy, but as expected, all boss fights have more than one phase.

I looked up at the golem who was giving off a terrible odor.

The sun, which had risen completely, was illuminating its body as blood and intestinal fluids flowed down.

Even in that state, it was still growing in size. Watching it, I sighed briefly.

I hate getting dirty.

Even if I attack as it is now, it would probably continue to grow anyway, so I think it was right to catch it when it’s done growing.

The moment I thought to deal with him like that, I suddenly saw two children running towards me from afar.

It was Pumpkin and Pie.

“N-Noah-nim! Are you okay?”

“Noah-oppa! Let me help you!”

The brats shouted as they ran gasping for breath.

Looking behind Pumpkin and Pie, the other children seemed to be trembling and struggling to hold their position.

I shouted at the two who were running towards me.

“Stop! Don’t come this way!”

Then they stopped in place and stood. Whether it was the effect of a warrior’s follower or not, they seemed to have listened to my words.

“W-why are you telling us not to come? Even for Noah-nim, it’s too much to deal with such a monster alone!”

“That’s right. Oppa! Instead, let me attract its attention, so oppa run away in the meantime!”

The two begged me with tears in their eyes. But honestly, it wasn’t a very pleasant offer for me.

I’m the one who had set up the boss, yet they’re telling me to leave without even getting a single item?

It was the shame of gamers to show their backs to a boss. I told the brats.

“Hyung and Pie, you guys said you’ll do anything I asked, right?”

“Y-Yes! If you order me right now…”

“Then, as my first order. Evacuate the children safely right now and hide in a safe place until I return.”

“B-but if that happens…”

“It’s an order.”

Pumpkin looked at my expression for a while and then nodded with a solemn face.

“Okay…Definitely…Definitely! I’ll complete the order.”

“N-no! Pumpkin, what’s wrong with you? Noah-oppa needs our help!”

“That’s…If that’s what he wants…We can only follow.”

“Aahh, h-hold on!”

Pumpkin grabbed Pie and ran away at a high speed. Honestly, I thought it would be more annoying due to his personality, so it was a little unexpected.

Frankly, I need to get rid of them so that I can safely get the reward for the Challenge…

After sincerely wishing for the children’s safety, I stared blankly at the blood golem.

Just in time, the giant’s body had completely formed in the pool of blood.

“Your soul will suffer for eternity.”

Its breath smelled awful. And on a second glance, I can safely say that it was truly huge.

Hmm…How should I hunt this?

The moment I asked myself that, a message window popped up in front of me.

[You’ve encountered a Giant.]

[ is active.]

Well, I’ll just do what I’ve been doing.

I looked at the blood golem and pulled out my claws.

== Translator’s Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section .