Chapter 63

Chapter 13. The Tower (5)

"You look like a novice who just came out of the tutorial. What made you think you could ignore our warnings?"

Yeonwoo slightly frowned, wondering what these guys were up to.

But then he realized who they were and chuckled.

It was too ridiculous.

'Were these the guys? The ones who caused a ruckus at Hennoba's forge several times.'

He had wondered why they hadn't shown up until now.

Recently, while frequenting Hennoba's forge, he had been hearing the same question from the surrounding merchants: "Are you okay?"

Yeonwoo knew very well why flies kept buzzing around Hennoba's forge, a place known for its five great blacksmiths.

The pressure from the Eight Great Clans.

Of course, those who valued their reputation and were only interested in the upper echelons wouldn't bother with the affairs of the regions outside the Tower.

But their subordinates couldn't help but be wary of their "intentions."

So, they must have been pressuring Hennoba, who was associated with Artia, in a way that showed they were "aware."

And it seemed that coming after Yeonwoo was also part of their "aware" actions.

Indeed, the guys in front of him were far too inadequate to be from the Eight Great Clans.

"Laughing? Is this guy crazy?"

But the guys didn't recognize who Yeonwoo was.

Or rather, they didn't know how skilled he was. That alone was a good enough reason to be eliminated from the Tower.

Yeonwoo didn't feel they were worth his time. Engaging them would only waste his time.

"Get lost, it's annoying."

But perhaps his attitude provoked them.

"You damn dog...!"

A warning once was enough.

Swoosh!

One of them, about to shout, instinctively took a step back when Yeonwoo suddenly disappeared from his sight.

But Yeonwoo had already plunged his greatsword deep into the guy's thigh.

Thud!

"Argh!"

The guy fell, spitting blood.

"This guy!"

"Die!"

The remaining four rushed at him, shouting.

Yeonwoo held the greatsword in reverse and spun his body, severing the tendons in their ankles, shattering their thighs, and stabbing their chests and abdomens in quick succession.

"Ugh!"

"Gurgle."

The floor was drenched in blood. The guys fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

Yeonwoo usually found it troublesome to deal with people outside of battles.

But once he engaged, he never let them off easily.

If he didn't finish them off, a half-hearted opponent would eventually rise up again.

So, he had to crush them completely so they wouldn't even think of it.

It was a habit he had firmly established since his time in Africa.

The guys, unable to put up a proper fight, ended up with their heads in a pool of blood.

Their bodies were as ragged as rags.

"Crazy... guy... cough!"

Yeonwoo stabbed the guy who was still resisting, even covered in blood, in the chest.

The guy foamed at the mouth and fell backward.

Yeonwoo wiped the blood from his greatsword on the fallen guy's collar and sheathed it lightly.

"If you take them to a healer or a priest as soon as possible, they might survive. I don't know what will happen after that."

Yeonwoo lightly told the half-conscious guy and turned to leave.

At that moment, one of the guys, clutching his abdomen, scowled and shouted.

"How dare you! How dare a novice like you touch us? Do you know who's behind us? Do you think you'll be safe? You, this guy, and Hennoba, that old man, will end up the same way!"

Suddenly, Yeonwoo's eyes sparked.

Squish, Thud!

"Ugh!"

Yeonwoo, in the blink of an eye, stabbed the guy in the chest with his greatsword.

The greatsword pierced quite deep, shattering the ribs and lodging near the heart.

If he pushed it in a little deeper, the heart would burst.

The guy, who had been talking about Hennoba, gasped for air. He couldn't breathe, and no words came out.

But a greater fear was right in front of him.

A white mask up close.

Two glowing eyes that flickered like will-o'-the-wisps.

"Say it again. What? Hennoba?"

The guy, trembling with fear, tried to act calm. He thought he might survive if he took Hennoba as a hostage.

"If, if I let you go, that old man will survive...!"

Yeonwoo, as if the guy's words were not worth listening to, completely shattered his heart and looked for the next one.

"What did you do to Hennoba?"

The guy, trembling, looked at Yeonwoo.

"I, I...!"

Yeonwoo, without hesitation, slit the throat of the guy who hesitated to answer.

At that moment, the remaining guys realized.

They would lose their heads if they hesitated even a little.

"Let me ask again. What did you do?"

"I, I just... gurgle!"

He couldn't even make up an excuse. With his Dragon Eye fully open, he could easily distinguish lies.

Now, only two guys were left.

"One mouth is enough to speak."

It meant he would let one of them live.

"I, I...!"

"Hennoba said that if he was left alone, the clan's reputation would be damaged. So, a group of five or six went and caused a ruckus!"

Swoosh!

Yeonwoo killed the guy who didn't answer.

Shiver.

The guy, drenched in his comrade's blood, trembled.

Yeonwoo said coldly.

"Lead the way."

* * *

When Yeonwoo returned to the forge, he frowned deeply.

The forge was in complete disarray.

The door was shattered, and the weapons and tools displayed inside were all broken and scattered. Quite a few artifacts had disappeared.

People were murmuring, afraid they might get caught up in the chaos, but they didn't dare approach.

Only Hennoba sat on the ground, dazed and covered in dust.

He had bruises and bloodstains all over his body.

Hennoba was an excellent blacksmith, but he wasn't particularly skilled in combat.

That was why he didn't participate in the raid, despite being close to Artia.

"Hennoba."

"Ah... Son."

Hennoba, who had been in a daze, lowered his head when he saw Yeonwoo.

He looked ashamed.

"I'm sorry. The items you asked for and the things you entrusted to me were all stolen. I'll try to compensate..."

"Are you hurt?"

Yeonwoo first checked if Hennoba was seriously injured.

Hennoba's eyes trembled.

"Fortunately, there don't seem to be any major injuries. Still, just in case, let's go to a nearby doctor or healer. Do you know anyone?"

"You...!"

"I'll take care of the cleanup, so don't worry about that. Take care of yourself first."

"..."

Hennoba tightly closed his mouth.

Gies' Eye, which Yeonwoo had commissioned, was one of the few high-end artifacts in the Tower, and it was already half-finished.

But despite losing it and the necessary materials,

Yeonwoo didn't mention it at all.

Especially the Akasha Snake's venom gland, which was a top-tier material that couldn't be obtained again.

Instead, he asked about Hennoba's well-being.

Yeonwoo smiled slightly, as if he understood Hennoba's troubled mind.

Then, he turned to the neighboring shop owner, who was standing outside the forge door.

"Please take Hennoba to a doctor."

"But, but..."

The shop owner's eyes showed fear of being harmed if he helped.

Yeonwoo's eyes turned cold.

"Is it okay for me to harm you?"

"Ah, I understand."

The shop owner's face turned pale. He hurriedly entered the forge and carried Hennoba.

Hennoba looked at Yeonwoo with worried eyes.

"What are you going to do...?"

"I'll bring back the lost items soon."

Hennoba, realizing what Yeonwoo was going to do, tried to stop him, saying it was dangerous.

The guys who did this had caused similar trouble several times before.

No one dared to confront them because they had considerable influence in the regions outside the Tower.

The Night Watch.

One of the top dark clans residing in the regions outside the Tower.

There were even rumors that one of the Eight Great Clans, the Red Dragon, was behind them.

That's why no one tried to stop the Night Watch from causing trouble.

Hennoba didn't seek help from others for the same reason.

If someone helped him out of kindness, they would only receive malice in return.

Moreover,

Hennoba had always thought it was his karma.

The price for losing a dear friend pointlessly. It was also a punishment he gave himself.

So, Hennoba tried to stop Yeonwoo, fearing he might get into trouble.

But the moment he saw Yeonwoo's eyes, he couldn't speak.

Intense eyes.

Those eyes reminded him of someone.

The owner of the eyes in his mind was always playful and mischievous, while the guy in front of him was taciturn and quiet, but strangely, they felt the same right now.

Yeonwoo lightly pushed off the ground and left Hennoba behind.

Hennoba watched Yeonwoo disappear, dazed.

* * *

"Name."

"W, Willet, that's my name."

Yeonwoo made the guy he caught tell him the location of the clan.

Dark clans kept their locations secret to protect themselves from rival forces.

If revealed, the traitor would be marked and might be killed by their comrades.

But a punch in the face is more terrifying than a distant sword.

Willet, wanting to live, revealed the location and even had to guide the way.

A two-story inn on the east-west side of the market, called "The Place Where the Wind Stays."

"If you give me the wrong place, you'll die."

"Y, yes, I understand."

Willet swallowed hard.

He had conflicted thoughts on the way.

Should he guide to a different place? But he would really die if he did. But he would die if he told the truth, too.

But the image of his comrades dying so easily came to mind, and he couldn't do it.

He didn't want to end up like that.

Moreover,

'Those eyes... what...'

The two eyes under the white mask.

Dark like dawn, deep like an abyss, they instilled fear.

In the end, Willet led Yeonwoo to the clan's location.

"H, here it is."

Yeonwoo silently looked at the place the guy pointed to.

A dilapidated, shabby inn.

A place where poor players might stay.

But,

'It seems right. There are many things that catch my attention.'

Expanding his cognitive field, he scanned the inn and found many traps and hidden guys.

"Let's go in."

"B, but... A, alright."

Willet, reluctant to go in, finally closed his eyes and opened the door, as if leading a cow to the slaughterhouse.

"Huh? Willet, why are you here at this time..."

Inside the dark, smoky room,

A guy at the counter, puzzled by Willet's appearance, suddenly jumped when he saw Yeonwoo behind him.

"W, what... Ugh!"

Yeonwoo grabbed the guy's arm and shattered it.

Only then did the guys realize their target had invaded.

"Damn!"

"Willet, you traitor! Attack!"

Cleaners, customers eating, and guests sleeping in rooms—all of them, seemingly a gang, rushed out.

"N, no, it's not like that."

Willet, trembling, tried to explain, but no one listened.

Snap!

Yeonwoo threw the guy at the counter against the wall and pushed off the ground.

'I'll subdue them as quickly as possible.'

Based on his heightened senses, he visualized where each guy was and how they would attack.

Bang! Boom!

He didn't draw much mana, but it was enough to subdue them.

He twisted the arm of the guy who slashed at his side and kicked the jaw of the guy who swept at his legs, shattering it.

The counter broke, and the wall exploded.

"W, what kind of guy is this!"

"He's just one guy! Stop him somehow!"

How many guys were hiding in this small inn?

Clan members kept coming out.

But Yeonwoo quickly made each of them unable to move.

Breaking, shattering, lifting. Slashing thighs, severing tendons in ankles, stabbing shoulders.

Many guys fell, their limbs twisted or broken.

"Aaaah! My arm! My arm!"

"Crazy... Aaaah!"

Yeonwoo twisted the shoulder of the guy he was holding and kicked his abdomen.

Bang!