Chapter 201: Subjugation Battle (1)
“……There’s no way that’s true.”
The First Hydra’s words came after a slight pause.
Hearing this, the Lord of Calamity let out a smirk behind his mask. The atmosphere was far too hostile for him to take the other’s words at face value.
Of course, if the people gathered here were insignificant, the hostile atmosphere wouldn’t have mattered at all.
But the lineup standing before the Lord of Calamity was beyond imagination.
‘Three masters, and a Black Magician whose skill rivals that of a master.’
The first and second ranks of the Black Hydra were monsters who had reached the master level over ten years ago. Especially the First Hydra, considered unmatched except by the Village’s General Manager, was thought within the organization to be capable of overwhelming even Nigel Nunez, the head of the Seton Swordsmanship Hall, the pride of the south.
‘The leaders of the Scale and the Skeleton are no less remarkable.’
The Scale, a subordinate organization handling the finances of the calamity.
Compared to the Black Hydra, responsible for assassinations, they might seem less formidable in combat, but they were by no means a weak group. The leader of the Scale also possessed strength capable of easily overpowering average masters.
The same went for the leader of the Skeleton, responsible for black magic. Though inferior to the Red Magician, the calamity of the south, he was skilled enough to crush most Magic Tower lords, making the Lord of Calamity’s skin tingle with the sensation of their presence.
Yet, he remained calm.
The leaders of each organization.
And their subordinates, standing in formation behind them—though not as powerful, still formidable—were surveyed by the Lord of Calamity as he spoke.
“Would you all show me the tattoos on the backs of your necks?”
“…….”
“…….”
“As expected. You’ve long since removed those tattoos. And yet you expect me to believe this isn’t a rebellion?”
The Lord of Calamity shot back, as if dumbfounded.
To this, the leaders of the Black Hydra, Scale, and Skeleton couldn’t offer any proper excuses.
It was only natural, as the tattoo was a mark of eternal devotion to the Lord of Calamity, or more precisely, to the ‘Great One.’ It was deliberately placed on the nape of the neck to be exposed automatically when one knelt and bowed in utmost respect.
Yet, none of those gathered here bore such a tattoo on their necks.
This was a denial of their identity and a defiance of the calamity’s rules, leaving the Lord of Calamity no choice but to show his anger.
However, the First Hydra’s words weren’t finished.
“Lord.”
“……Speak.”
“I humbly propose.”
“What?”
“To break free from the shackles of ancient legends, to escape the shadow of the Great One… no, the now-fading Ancient Assassin, and to forge our own path.”
“You mean… to abandon the identity of our calamity, to betray the will of the first lord, and to reinvent ourselves as a new organization?”
“Exactly.”
“…….”
The Lord of Calamity fell silent, and the First Hydra, watching him, swallowed hard.
Tension gripped his entire body. Though they had gathered a force capable of shaking the entire south, he always trembled before the Lord. The unknown extent of his true power made it even more so.
‘If the Lord unleashes his full strength, half of us here would leave this world.’
Yet, he had mustered the courage to act because he believed that if things continued this way, the entire organization of the calamity would be shattered.
How long would this go on?
How long would they keep sacrificing their precious talents to nurture Harang, Gael, and Hagio?
Until they fulfilled the first lord’s will?
Until they fully recreated the legacy of the Ancient Assassin?
‘That’s absurd. Such a realm is just a legend. An unattainable dream!’
The First Hydra genuinely believed that.
He might have believed it once, but not anymore. Rather than staking the organization’s survival on such a far-fetched idea, it was far better to rally the forces spread across the southern continent and reinvent themselves as a new entity.
‘If we do it right, if we fully mobilize our covert influence… we could even establish a kingdom!’
No, there was no need to take the risk of founding a kingdom.
A swordsmanship hall would suffice. If they established a hall like the Seton Swordsmanship Hall, dominating a region and rapidly expanding their influence, no southern kingdom would dare treat them lightly.
That would be a far better life than hiding in the shadows.
So…
“I earnestly beseech you.”
The First Hydra bowed his head.
Though the tattoo on his neck was long gone, he was still willing to acknowledge the Lord of Calamity as his leader. He was fully prepared to accept him as the one to lead them from the shadows into the light.
“For the future of the calamity… please make the right choice, I beg you.”
“…….”
The Lord of Calamity remained silent for a while.
He scanned the crowd gathered against him.
He looked up, staring blankly at the sky.
Unafraid of the absolute powerhouses before him, he suddenly turned to gaze at the pond.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Seeing this, the leaders of the Hydra, Scale, and Skeleton exchanged glances and nodded.
They had already realized. The Lord of Calamity had no intention of accepting their plea.
‘If that’s the case…’
‘No choice then.’
‘If this continues, we’ll all die. We have to strike first.’
With a soft sigh, the First Hydra steeled himself.
He hadn’t wanted it to come to this.
Truly, he hadn’t. After all, it was the organization he had devoted his life to, and its lord. He had hoped for a peaceful agreement to redirect the organization’s path.
‘No, don’t hesitate. Don’t regret. There’s no turning back now!’
The First Hydra hardened his resolve. Staring at the Lord, who had exposed his back with sunken eyes, he swiftly drew his sword, manifesting the Color Sword.
Crackle, crackle-!
A presence no less formidable than the Sword Demon’s.
His skill was far too great to be confined to a life in the shadows.
Rumble-!
Swoosh…!
He wasn’t the only one demonstrating his prowess.
The leader of the Scale, standing beside him, drew a razor-sharp Blue Sword, and the leader of the Skeleton spread his hands, conjuring thin threads of death like a spider’s web. Their subordinates, lined up behind them, also drew their maximum strength, preparing to confront the Lord of Calamity.
Even the Fourth Hydra, who had once survived Harang, was no exception.
But.
Thud.
Rustle… collapse!
Her life ended there.
The Lord of Calamity, having reversed his stance in an instant, had plunged a hidden weapon deep into her forehead.
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”
Everyone glared at the Lord of Calamity with hardened expressions.
Most hadn’t noticed.
At best, only the leaders of each organization barely sensed his movement, while those below master level realized too late that the Lord had even turned around. It was an astonishing sight, as if two images had been stitched together, creating a disorienting blur in their memories.
“You know something? I’m quite baffled right now.”
“…….”
“…….”
“That twenty years ago, I made the exact… exact same request as you all did today, and it seems no one remembers that.”
The Lord of Calamity spoke again.
It was impossible to tell if he truly felt that way. His face was hidden by the mask, and his voice was utterly dry.
But that didn’t matter.
His presence, his aura, which had begun to encroach upon the surroundings, was casting a dark cloud over everyone’s hearts.
“…….”
The First Hydra ground his teeth.
He was strong.
Far stronger than expected… The Lord of Calamity was powerful. He had thought they could win if they struck while the Village’s General Manager was absent, but that might have been a miscalculation.
But there was no choice.
The water was already spilled.
With a deeply furrowed brow, he let out a fiery shout and charged at the Lord.
“Raaaah!”
“Haaah!”
“Take that!”
Simultaneously, the leaders of each organization unleashed lethal attacks on the Lord of Calamity, with their subordinates following suit, wielding their weapons with all their might.
“…….”
The Lord of Calamity silently took in the sight of them all, as if observing a still painting, with a calm posture.
For some reason, he felt like crying but held it back.
With a light chuckle, he took a step forward.
***
In less than ten minutes.
The battle was over.
Shockingly, it was a one-sided result. The Lord of Calamity had defeated everyone, including the First Hydra.
“Phew, that was tough.”
Of course, given the opponents, the Lord of Calamity was breathing heavily… but that was all.
He stood unscathed on the ground, towering over them.
“Why….”
Looking up at that overwhelming figure, the First Hydra wore an expression of disbelief. Despite being gravely injured and on the brink of death, he glared at the Lord, driven by a desperate need to resolve his questions.
He spoke.
“Why… with such power, did you obsess over continuing the legacy of the Ancient Assassin?”
Indeed.
The First Hydra couldn’t comprehend it.
The skill the Lord of Calamity displayed today surpassed that of the Ancient Assassin. It could only be seen that way. Even the White Knight Commander of the Holy Kingdom, hailed as the continent’s strongest, couldn’t have dominated them so thoroughly.
This meant the Lord of Calamity was the continent’s strongest.
There was no need to strive to create a successor to the Great One, the Ancient Assassin… he could rise up himself, so why…
“Curious?”
“……Yes.”
The Lord of Calamity asked, and the First Hydra nodded readily.
He was truly, desperately curious. So much so that he felt he couldn’t leave this world without hearing the answer.
“Hmm, then I should tell you.”
“…….”
Fortunately, the Lord didn’t intend to mock him. He walked over and sat down on the dirty ground, heedless of the blood staining his clothes.
Their eyes met. The First Hydra, ignoring his fading breath, focused on the Lord’s gaze.
Unlike before, his eyes seemed profoundly sad.
As questions flooded his mind, the Lord spoke names that were entirely unexpected.
“Uro.”
“……?”
“Kendal, Julia, Magnus.”
“……Who are they….”
“Peers. My beloved peers, whom I had to kill to survive, whom I had to step over for the sake of the calamity’s rules.”
“…….”
“I didn’t want to kill them, so I asked the elders back then. Could we not change the rules? Could we not ignore the will of the first lord, a relic of a bygone era? If we could just agree among ourselves, couldn’t we become a different organization from now on….”
“That, that’s….”
“What was the answer you gave back then?”
The Lord of Calamity gave a faint smile.
He still remembered the answer the elders had given at the time.
“The rules and identity of the calamity are sacred and must take precedence over all else… was that it?”