This World Needs a Hero - Chapter 49

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Chapter 49

The assailants charged forward in anger.

However, when they crossed the spectator stands in pursuit of the Hero, he had already moved up a tier of seats.

“Capture him!”

Typically, auction house seats are arranged in a stepped fashion with higher vertical width to avoid obstructing the view of those behind.

Due to the height difference between upper and lower rows, the movements and sight of the attackers were limited.

In contrast, the Hero was free to move.

That was why he had chosen to target the assailants in the stands first.

“He’s running upward! Capture him!”

“Why does this bastard keep going to higher ground so sneakily!”

Splat-!

Various projectile weapons, including rain-like throwing weapons, were employed across the ever-expanding distance.

However, hitting the Hero, who swiftly moved between the shield-like aligned seats, proved to be extremely challenging.

Of course, a few managed to reach the vicinity of the Hero, but…

▼
Projectiles toward the shoulder confirmed
Projectiles toward the Achilles tendon confirmed
Projectiles toward the abdominal muscles…
▲

Even though his magic was depleted, he still possessed the ‘The Iris of Laplace.’

Those attacks were impossible to reach him.

Instead, a counterattack was unleashed.

“Aargh! My leg!”

“Damn it, he’s throwing rocks!”

“I can’t see! Where the hell is he doing this from!?”

The Hero was adept at utilizing the advantages of the high ground.

With each tier of seats he ascended, the injuries on the assailants increased.

Frustrated and enraged, they accelerated their pace, seemingly on the verge of catching him but always falling short.

“Argh, seriously. I’ll kill him!”

They were so infuriated that one of them even brought out the remaining magic bomb from earlier.

“Stop that bastard! Do you want us all to die if it explodes indoors!”

Amidst the repeated chaos, the arena was gradually collapsing.

Just as they managed to reach the top of the stands, colorful smoke erupted.

Woo-woo-woo-woo-!

Colored smoke billowed up dramatically, driving the assailants into a frenzy.

“Damn it! I can’t take it anymore!”

“Argh! This damn jerk is fooling around to the end!”

Amidst the loud curses and insults, they eagerly waited for the smoke to dissipate.

‘Damn, this farce needs to end.’

Now they were at the top of the seats.

A space he couldn’t retreat from.

If you corner him and attack him, you’ll be able to kill a rat like that in no time.

How many powerful people have they killed together so far?

Woo-woo-woo-woo-!

Fortunately, the smoke quickly dissipated through the hole in the ceiling.

“You’re done now.”

In case the guy tried to escape downward again, a man who had been blocking the passage, ready to chase, walked confidently through the dispersing smoke.

“Nowhere to run now. You jerk.”

The guy, who had been struggling so much, seemed to have finally given up, standing still while waiting for him.

“Forget about dying gracefully.”

The assailant, who had been laying on the theatrics, realized something was off.

There was no trace of confusion in the guy.

A composed response came back.

“Run away?”

“W-Well, yeah. Damn it. Are you going to run away again like before?”

“Well, I wonder.”

Come to think of it, why is it so quiet around here?

The assailant raised his head to look at the man in front of him.

Despite the intense battle and flowing fresh blood, the eyes beneath the mask, which showed no emotional change, glowed from beneath.

At that moment, the assailant thought that perhaps this man alone had killed more people than they did combined.

Thud-!

Something touched the back of the assailant’s heel as he took a step back.

Lifeless bodies with familiar faces shook with the impact.

“Heh, huh.”

It was a skillful hunt, considering the unique nature of the auction venue, the functionality of the auctioned items on the floor, and the rough and violent nature of the assailants.

It was a meticulous design that took everything into account.

The Hero spoke in a calm voice, “I’ll let you die gracefully.”

The last assailant with a pale face trembled.

“Before that you need to answer some questions.”

* * *

I defeated the last assailant and headed towards the crowd.

As the clamour and screams subsided, the trembling people seemed to regain some composure.

“T-Thank you. If you reveal your identity, I’ll show my gratitude with the utmost respect!”

“What an extraordinary warrior. I am Baron Mayne. If you ever visit, we’ll treat you generously, I pledge the honor of our family.”

Fortunately, it seemed that no one had recognized my true identity.

Understandable, given that I had discarded the black robe and mask.

Yet, they still seemed eager to unveil the identity of the ‘unknown warrior.’

“Please consider entrusting yourself to my family if you’re a free knight or mercenary….”

Some people expressing such sentiments had a mixture of awkwardness and anxiety in their eyes.

Recalling the rumors and discussions during the auction, it made sense.

‘Well, I’m not particularly upset about it.’

Rather than dwelling on these matters, more important tasks awaited.

I checked the visual artifact in my possession.

Three green dots were clustered at the center of the screen, linked to the tracking artifact I had given to the children.

Fortunately, it seemed unharmed for now, but complete reassurance was elusive.

‘A-Around twenty, I suppose!’

The last assailant spoke with a broken collarbone, gasping.

It meant there were approximately ten attackers heading towards the central area.

While the scale was smaller than expected, it wasn’t a number to underestimate.

I needed to act swiftly.

“Oh, by the way, what about the one who went into the lounge over there?”

“Considering the silence, it seems the situation has concluded.”

“Since there was only one Knight, it seems that the escorts of the guests have dealt with it.”

“Well, that’s fortunate. The auction building doesn’t seem to be shaking anymore, does it?”

It was a regrettable statement for those whose faces were turning pale, but the situation was not over yet.

I pushed through them and approached the peddler moaning with despair from a distance, holding the dark hope.

With sweaty hair stuck to her forehead, she turned around, her face pale.

“Oh, dragon…”

She looked at the deeply pressed hood and faltered in her words.

She seemed to have sensed something and changed her way of addressing.

“Dragon, no… valiant warrior!”

But, it was of no use.

Those who had belatedly seen the black hope began to stir.

The murmuring intensified in an instant.

“Wait. What is that huge black…?”

“No, could it be…?”

“The, the, the color is similar, but is it a different black weapon?”

“No, as a weapons merchant, I can guarantee that there is only one black weapon in the world with that color! Oh my, it’s for sure. Oh my goodness!”

“No, th-then he is… No! That, that person is!”

But such reactions were not important.

The screams coming through the hole in the ceiling were getting louder.

There was no more time to delay.

I had to quickly deal with the remaining intruders.

I looked at the tracking artifact again.

‘Fortunately, it seems that the children have not encountered any problems yet.’

The tracking artifact I gave them not only reveals the owner’s location but also sounds an alarm in case of any physical abnormalities.

Seeing that there were no significant signals so far, it seemed that they had not encountered the attackers yet or were somehow holding up well.

“Kids…”

I recalled the faces of Ban, Luke, and Evergreen one by one.

They were brilliant talents that even the Iris of Laplace would acknowledge.

It could be bewildering in unexpected situations, but these guys were not ones to fall in such places.

“…Hoo.”

I took a calm deep breath.

In situations like this, judgement needs to be quick and accurate.

What I needed to do now was subdue the remaining one, the leader.

I couldn’t afford to waste time staring at the aftermath.

“Everyone.”

I gripped the handle of the black hope.

Fortunately, the mana had recovered a bit as the sword didn’t feel as heavy as before.

“Wait here.”

I walked confidently towards the lounge, leaving the conspicuous aftermath behind.

It was time to quickly finish that guy off.

* * *

The guest lounge was very spacious and luxurious.

Elegant carpets, trendy teas and snacks, expensive decorations.

However, now all of these things were covered in mismatched red blood.

Stepping on the broken lights and shattered tables at the entrance, the Hero entered.

‘….’

I quickly assessed the situation.

There was one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.

The good news was that most of the guests were alive.

The bad news was that all the escorts were dead.

Bodies split in half while trying to escape, bodies facing a gruesome death while wielding swords, bodies impaled on the extinguished fireplace.

Amidst the horror, a figure with a weapon seemingly resembling a chain wrapped around both arms was intimidating the guests, focusing on terrorizing them.

“Why are you doing this to us?”

“We already gave up everything!”

Two noble couples in luxurious attire trembled in front of Desmond’s grotesque eyes.

Desmond knew well the ways to disgrace these noble bloodlines.

“One of you. I’ll specially spare the one who willingly strips his wife first.”

The nobles trembled in fear and humiliation.

However, as they clung to each other without moving, Desmond’s face contorted.

Clang!

The massive chain wrapped around his arms, emitting a heavy metallic sound, was released.

The chain, with a snake-like pattern, sprawled across the lounge floor as if it were a monstrous creature.

Each link was the size of an adult fist, with crescent-shaped iron spikes attached to both ends.

The guests, barely able to catch their breath, stared at the gruesome spectacle of the flesh of the escorts scattered throughout the chain.

“Now, are you ready to grant my modest request… huh?”

What stopped Desmond’s hand was a heavy footstep.

A fierce gaze from glowing eyes fixed on the intruder.

“This is surprising.”

“The only surprising thing here is your ugly face.”

Beneath the hood, the eyebrows of the concealed Hero twitched.

Desmond’s appearance was truly bizarre.

Adorned with accessories like bracelets and necklaces, his muscular and veiny body gave off an eerie glow.

It seemed like the loot was taken from the guests in the lounge.

The excessive opulence created a sense of alienation, making him look more like a demon than a human.

“My subordinates are not to be underestimated.”

Desmond turned his entire body to face the warrior.

His presence here meant that all his subordinates were dead.

Yet, there was no sign of concern in Desmond’s gaze.

On the contrary, a sinister pleasure seemed to emerge in his black eyes.

“I should thank you for thinning the ranks. Thanks to you, I’ve become rich.”

“…”

“Why? Did you think I’d be afraid of you?”

He spoke each word as if chewing on it.

“I’m different from my subordinates. It would be troublesome if you considered me easy just because you slaughtered them.”

His words were not entirely incorrect.

▼
Recorded Individual:
‘Dropout’ Desmond Lusser
– Former Rosenstark Battle Department student
– Expelled for being caught attempting to purchase forbidden items at the ‘Kinesis’ black market
▲

‘Dropout’ Desmond Lusser.

The depth of his abilities couldn’t be precisely known, but he had honed his talents for more than a decade, enough to be admitted to Rosenstark.

He was in the worst condition, with both his stamina and magical energy exhausted, so he was definitely not an opponent against whom the Hero could predict an easy victory.

However, the Hero remained unfazed.

Desmond, perhaps sensing this, scrutinized him more cautiously.

‘Is he just bluffing?’

Judging from appearances alone, it was hard to tell.

Well, it didn’t matter much.

Regardless of how strong the opponent was, he had confidence in escaping with his own body intact.

But soon, Desmond’s casually observant eyes turned into ones filled with astonishment.

His large, round eye fixed on the warrior’s hand.

“That’s…!”

A fist-sized stone was illuminating the darkness that had settled in the lounge.

“Yes, it’s a Congealstone.”

A seemingly indifferent tone followed the situation.

“Let them go. Then I’ll give it to you.”

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