Chapter 71

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 71: The Traitors (1)

"This is the place."

At Goriki Nana’s words, Rockbreaker looked around cautiously.

They had arrived at the large dining hall used by the mansion staff. No matter how you looked at it, it didn’t seem like a suitable hideout.

"This? You’re joking, right?"

"Don’t rush. This is just the entrance."

After a scolding remark, Goriki Nana pulled out a palm-sized disk from her pocket.

The disk had a single needle pointing to a number. It resembled a clock, but its numbers ranged from 0 to 20.

Goriki Nana turned the needle three times. Then something strange happened.

The dining hall floor split open, revealing a staircase descending underground.

"Oho."

Rockbreaker inspected the stairway with interest.

"Doesn’t seem like a mechanical device… Looks like they ripped out an entire dungeon relic and modified it."

Relics from within dungeons often had aspects that Earth’s science couldn’t explain. That made them perfect for hiding secrets.

"Let’s go."

Goriki Nana descended the staircase alongside Takamine Ryoko. Hospital Director Nomura Masataka followed.

"Let’s move."

Rockbreaker gestured to his team. One by one, they followed down the stairs.

Except for one—Kwon Hudon. He was visibly uneasy, repeatedly glancing back at the dining hall door.

"Hey, Captain. Are you gonna keep doing that?"

"B-but still…"

"Didn’t I promise I’d give you credit for this? What’s the problem?"

"W-we’re disobeying Hanul’s orders…"

Annoyance flickered in Rockbreaker’s eyes. He calmed himself and addressed Kwon Hudon.

"This operation was approved by Madam Kwon herself. Are you planning to defy your mother’s command?"

"...No."

"Then get moving."

Reluctantly, Kwon Hudon followed Rockbreaker down the stairs.

The staircase was longer than expected.

After a while, they finally arrived at the hideout.

Upon entering, Rockbreaker muttered in awe.

"This is no hideout… this is a full-scale bomb shelter."

The ceiling was high, and the space was large enough to be used as a sports field.

Several doors lined the walls, each marked with labels like Storage, Warehouse, and Living Quarters.

"This hideout was built to house everyone in the mansion in case of an emergency."

Suddenly, Takamine Ryoko, who had been beside them, offered an explanation.

"It was designed to accommodate many people, so the entrance is large, and the space is vast."

"And you two planned to come here alone?"

Takamine Ryoko didn’t respond. Rockbreaker looked unamused.

"Well, no one’s getting in here easily. Impressive place."

"And the perfect place to trap prey."

A new voice echoed. The tone was flat, the volume unremarkable—yet it pierced clearly into everyone’s ears.

"I’ve been waiting eagerly to meet our promised guest. But there are more of you than expected."

Everyone turned toward the opposite wall from the entrance.

There, sitting on a folding chair, was a man.

The dim light from the ceiling barely reached him. He was seated in the shadows, making it hard to see his face.

"Who are you?" Rockbreaker asked sharply. A soft laugh responded.

"Not much imagination, huh? When you find someone suspicious in a place like this, who do you think he is?"

"I asked who you are."

"Try using your imagination."

The man stood up and stepped into the light.

Average build. Bronze skin, typical of Latin descent.

Seeing the man, Rockbreaker unconsciously muttered, "Frederance."

The man, Frederance, quietly confirmed his identity.

"Frederance?"

Rockbreaker frowned.

"How did you get in? Not even the Witch of Hyukcheon’s barrier reacted to you."

"You really think there’s only one entrance? As long as you have the key, you can use any of them."

Frederance pulled something from his pocket and held it out.

It was an identical disk to the one Goriki Nana had used.

The existence of multiple keys to the hideout wasn’t inherently strange.

But the fact that one of them was in Frederance’s possession couldn’t be ignored. It revealed one undeniable truth.

"Just as I thought."

Rockbreaker began to grin viciously.

"I figured if we followed the suspicious one, we’d catch you in the act."

He glared at Goriki Nana. She let out a shrill scream.

"Stay right there. I don’t care what else you’ve done—but I won’t forgive a traitor."

"I-I… That is…"

"Whatever you were thinking, bringing in one of Pandemonium’s villains? I’ll personally reeducate that rotten brain of yours."

"Sorry to ruin your moment, but you’ve got it slightly wrong."

Frederance interrupted.

"Yes, she cooperated. But I was hired by someone else."

"There’s another traitor?"

Frederance pointed a finger—at Nomura Masataka.

Despite being singled out, Nomura Masataka remained calm.

"Frederance. Was that really necessary to say?"

"Why not? I’m pretty sure he had his suspicions anyway."

"Still, not exactly polite."

"More importantly, what do we do about this many people? We were only supposed to bring Takamine Ryoko."

"My apologies. They kept tailing us. Couldn’t shake them. But with your skills, I assume this isn’t a problem?"

Nomura Masataka and Frederance conversed casually.

"Mr. Nomura, is it true? Did you really call for Frederance?" Takamine Ryoko asked. Nomura nodded without hesitation.

"Yes, Miss Ryoko. Just as you heard. Frederance didn’t attack the mansion for the artifact. He came because I hired him—to kill you."

Ryoko silently stared at him. Nomura let out a chuckle.

"Please understand. Ever since the former head passed away, I’ve devoted my life to this hospital. It’s grown larger than ever."

He spoke dreamily.

"And now you expect me to hand it all over to a little girl just because she inherited the title?"

"So you brought Frederance into this?"

"Exactly. Killing a newly-of-age girl isn’t difficult. But the Takamine family’s network can’t be ignored. Just as I feared, the Hyukcheon Group got involved."

He chuckled again.

"Miss Nana, why did you betray me?"

Next, Ryoko turned to Goriki Nana.

Nana’s expression tensed, then softened.

"To get what I deserve."

"But you already earn the highest salary in the mansion. You even helped set it…"

"You think this is about money?!"

Goriki Nana screamed.

"Miss! Do you have any idea how hard I’ve worked to manage the Takamine estate?!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes! And what happens when you become the head? I lose everything I’ve built!"

"So you joined the director’s scheme?"

"Yes!"

Goriki Nana spoke proudly, clearly believing she’d done no wrong.

"I see now. Why you both wanted to kill me."

For the first time, Takamine Ryoko sighed deeply.

"I thought there’d be some noble reason. Turns out, it was just greed—mistaking entrusted power as your own."

She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them.

"Not even surprising, honestly."

"Miss, I understand you’re upset, but let’s not be melodramatic. It’s unbecoming."

"I’ve known for a long time you both harbored other intentions."

A sneer formed at the corner of Nomura’s mouth—but quickly disappeared.

He realized Ryoko’s expression, her eyes, were no different from usual.

"...You really knew?"

"But I had no evidence. And I was too weak. So I had to endure."

The two of them had managed the family and hospital in her stead.

Ousting them without just cause was impossible.

"Should you really be standing around like that?"

Only then did Nomura notice Rockbreaker’s piercing gaze.

"Get lost. I’ll deal with you both later."

Nomura and Goriki Nana scrambled toward Frederance.

"Looks like the sides have been chosen."

Clap.

Frederance clapped his hands. The doors along the walls burst open, unleashing hordes of homunculi.

"Just so you know, these aren’t like the ones that attacked the mansion. These are top-tier models I put special effort into."

The previous homunculi looked like lumps of crude clay. These were crafted like porcelain dolls, precise and uniform.

"I fused elite hunters with Dire-grade monsters. They’re going to be a handful."

Frederance snapped his fingers. The homunculi charged.

"They’re coming!"

"Don’t panic! They’re nothing special!"

The team shouted bravely, gripping their weapons. Each activated their skills, launching ranged attacks.

Multicolored skills bombarded the homunculi—but it didn’t even slow them down.

"What the hell?!"

"They’re not even flinching! Aaaaagh!"

A teammate screamed as the homunculi swarmed them without hesitation.

Then, Rockbreaker stepped in front of the charge.

One homunculus raised both fists high—astonishingly, they radiated aura.

It slammed down.

Both fists struck Rockbreaker’s shoulders.

"Hmph."

But he didn’t flinch. Not even a grimace.

"Nothing to worry about."

Rockbreaker punched the homunculus in the abdomen—an explosion followed.

BOOM!

Its upper body vanished. Rockbreaker shoved aside the lower half and stepped forward.

He threw another punch.

An even stronger explosion engulfed the advancing homunculi. Thick smoke filled the hideout.

When it cleared, half of them were already gone.

"…"

Frederance’s eyes widened.

Homunculi that had survived dozens of skills were annihilated in a single blow. No—destroyed was more accurate.

"Did you forget who I am?"

Rockbreaker cracked his knuckles.

"These small fries couldn’t even touch me if there were hundreds of them."

"...So it seems."

Frederance replied in a lowered tone and gestured at the homunculi.

"Stand down, all of you."

The remaining ones retreated toward the wall.

Rockbreaker grinned.

"Yeah, no point in making your underlings suffer. Let’s settle this between the top dogs, shall we?"

“You say things that strike a chord. Surprisingly, we might actually be more compatible than I thought.”

“What a load of crap. I can’t stand backstabbing bastards like you.”

At that, Frederance curled his lips into a cold smile.

“What a shame. Shall we pick up where we left off?”

“I was going to, anyway!”

Rockbreaker slammed his foot into the ground and charged toward Frederance.

In contrast, Frederance stood still, calmly waiting for him to approach.

‘I can see right through his game.’

Rockbreaker scoffed inwardly.

‘He probably thinks he can kill me any time with his Poison skill. But I’ve come prepared.’

The Poison skill was undeniably lethal—powerful enough to kill opponents even a level or two above your own if used well.

But for all its potency, it had one fatal weakness.

‘Its range is too narrow.’

More precisely, the more toxic the poison, the smaller its area of effect.

Poison skills that could be dispersed widely lost a significant amount of power.

‘Which means it’s the worst match-up for my skill.’

His signature skill was Bomber Man—a simple ability that caused a powerful explosion on contact.

It sounded basic, but its destructive power was anything but. There hadn’t been a single thing he couldn’t break using Bomber Man. That’s exactly how he got the nickname Rockbreaker.

‘The blast from Bomber Man should be enough to blow away all that poison crap.’

And to top it off, Rockbreaker had gone all-in for this fight, spending everything he had to get his hands on an ancient relic:

Dew of the Elixir of Life.

It was single-use, but said to rival the detoxifying power of the legendary Seven-Colored Poison Purging Jewel—the best in its class.

‘This is my shot at changing my life. No way I’m letting it slip.’

Even when he closed in close enough for a punch to land, Frederance didn’t budge.

But Rockbreaker didn’t let his guard down.

What made venom attacks terrifying wasn’t just their speed—they also required no noticeable wind-up or posture to activate.

Frederance looked wide open, but that just meant he was ready to unleash his venom at any moment.

‘But at this range… my punch is faster!’

Rockbreaker launched a punch with explosive speed—and in the next instant, a massive blast engulfed Frederance.

“Ha! Idiot.”

Watching the smoke and flame billow into the air, Rockbreaker let out a sneer.

“Guess you were too shocked to even use your skill, huh?”

But then, his face froze.

As the smoke cleared, Frederance stood there completely unharmed.

“…What?”

“Decent punch,” Frederance said, brushing the dust off his coat. “But a bit too light.”

Without warning, Frederance lunged forward. Rockbreaker braced himself for the Poison skill he was sure would come.

But Frederance didn’t use poison. Instead, he swung a knife-hand strike.

‘This bastard—!’

The fact that he was engaging in close combat instead of using his main skill infuriated Rockbreaker.

‘I’ll smash him for real this time.’

He raised his forearm to block the strike and planned to punch Frederance in the exposed ribs.

The moment he thought of that—

Crack. His forearm broke.

The knife-hand didn’t stop there—it shattered his collarbone, too.

“Guh—gahh!”

Rockbreaker screamed and collapsed, the searing pain making it hard even to breathe.

“Everyone assumes I suck at close combat,” Frederance said, shaking his wrist. “What do you think? Not bad for a downward chop, huh?”

Rockbreaker grit his teeth, too wracked with pain to speak.

“It was a short meeting, but I enjoyed it.”

Frederance clenched his fist. Just as he was about to finish the job, Rockbreaker screamed, “S-Stop! Please don’t kill me!”

Frederance blinked in surprise.

“…What did you just say?”

“I—I said please don’t kill me! I’ll do anything, just let me live!”

“How strange. Weren’t you just ranting about how you can’t forgive traitors?”

Even when Frederance called him out, Rockbreaker showed no shame. On the contrary, he prostrated himself and begged.

“Please, I’ll do anything! Just spare me!”

“Huh… This is a first. I’ve never seen anyone beg for their life so easily.”

After a moment’s thought, Frederance nodded.

“Fine. I’ll let you live.”

“R-Really?”

“But there’s a condition.”

Frederance opened a dimensional pocket and took out a small vial.

“Drink this, and I’ll spare you.”

“W-What is this?”

“It’s called Dormant Venom.”

Frederance began explaining in a disturbingly casual, almost friendly tone.

“This venom won’t kill you right away. But after a while, it’ll start eating away at your organs.”

His tone was that of a neighborhood doctor. But the content was anything but comforting.

“Don’t worry though. As long as you regularly take the antidote I give you, you’ll be fine.”

Rockbreaker swallowed hard.

“Oh, and don’t get any funny ideas about finding another antidote. Unlike external poisons, something ingested through the esophagus is much harder to neutralize.”

Frederance whispered softly.

“Understand now? Begging for your life means becoming my slave. You’ll probably live a life worse than death.”

He placed the vial in front of Rockbreaker.

“The choice is yours. Drink the venom and live in submission for the rest of your life—or die with honor—”

Before he could even finish, Rockbreaker grabbed the vial and drank it.

“…This is also a first. I’ve never seen someone drink Dormant Venom so fast. What happened to that world-ranking pride of yours?”

“I—I drank it. So now you’ll let me live, right?”

“I always keep my word. Here—have some recovery potion too.”

Frederance tossed him a healing potion.

Rockbreaker quickly drank it, and his broken collarbone and arm began to heal.

“Now then… what should we do about the rest of them?”

Frederance turned his gaze toward the remaining team members.

Their faces had gone pale. If even Rockbreaker had submitted, they knew there was no hope left.

“You’re in luck. Normally, I’d just kill all of you. But this job cost me a lot of underlings, and I’m short on manpower.”

He opened his dimensional space again and spilled out more vials of Dormant Venom.

“Drink. And I’ll let you live.”

None of them moved.

Becoming Frederance’s slave was terrifying, but drinking the venom also meant betraying the Hyukcheon Group.

They couldn’t just run from a wolf only to run straight into a tiger.

“There it is—the reaction I expected. Honestly, that guy gave in way too easily.”

Frederance looked satisfied. But satisfaction didn’t mean his job was done.

“Rockbreaker.”

“Yes!”

“Time to prove you’re still useful. You’ve got one minute. Make them drink the venom voluntarily.”

“One minute…?”

“Yeah. If you can’t, you’ll end up just like a living puppet.”

Rockbreaker’s face stiffened.

“You idiots! Didn’t you hear him?! If you drink this, you live!”

Without hesitation, he shouted at his teammates.

They stared at him in disbelief, stunned by the sudden shift.

“You’re still hesitating? Fine—stay there. I’ll kill you myself!”

His killing intent flared. From the look in his eyes and the aura around him, it was no bluff.

“I-I’ll drink it!”

One teammate jumped forward and drank the venom. That triggered the rest.

“Outta my way! I’m next!”

“I need one too! Move over!”

Once it started, there was no stopping it. They all began scrambling for the venom.

Within minutes, everyone had drunk it.

“…Looks like it’s all over now.”

The hospital director, who had been quietly watching, finally spoke.

“Frederance. Let’s wrap up the job now. You’ll finally get what you wanted, right?”

“Director Nomura. It’s not over yet.”

“What do you mean?”

Frederance looked toward the spot where the team had stood.

Two people still remained.

Ryoko Takamine and Kwon Hudon.

“Hey, boss.”

Rockbreaker frowned.

“What are you doing? Get over here already.”

Kwon Hudon looked nervously between Rockbreaker and the others.

Then, after a deep breath, he said, “…I won’t drink it.”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]