Chapter 80: If You Die, Just Think of It as Your Fate (2)

Luke had almost given up on finding the Red Comet. However, he was too restless to do anything, so he was just wandering the streets aimlessly. Then, the world seemed to collapse with a deafening noise.

“Why do I feel like Keter might be there?”

Fueled by his bias, Luke started running instinctively. Though his misfortune detector screamed at him to stay away, he was able to ignore it now and go wherever he wanted. That was something he couldn’t have done in the past.

Eventually, he found Keter. Standing on a rooftop, Keter was aiming his Demon Arrows at a massive red bat. The bat, surrounded by globes of blood, looked dangerous at a glance.

“Luke, team attack. Pour your soul into hitting that thing with everything you’ve got!”

“Uh, what!?”

Even though Luke had no idea what was happening, his trained reflexes had him nocking his bow immediately. The strongest technique Luke had mastered was Taurus

Archery, which fired three arrows simultaneously in a triangular formation.

“I don’t think this will even scratch it.”

Luke was rarely negative, but the red bat charging at Keter looked overwhelmingly strong. His arrows felt like toothpicks in comparison. Still, he trusted that Keter had a plan, as he had his Demon Arrows ready.

The Red Comet approached, spreading its arms wide, clearly intent on capturing them alive.

“Haaaah!”

To overcome his fear, Luke let out a battle cry and unleashed Taurus Archery. The three arrows flew straight toward the creature’s head but disintegrated helplessly against the bloody globes before even coming close.

But it wasn’t over! Surely Keter’s Demon Arrows would...

“Keter?”

Luke glanced upward in confusion.

At that moment, a Demon Arrow pierced his abdomen. His misfortune detector, which warned him of danger, was pointing not at the Red Comet, but at Keter.

Luke’s head lowered slowly. He stared at the arrow lodged in him, then looked back at Keter with disbelief.

“Why...?”

“You snore when you sleep.”

“...!”

Thud!

Keter pushed the lightly embedded Demon Arrow deeper into Luke with his hand. The effect was immediate.

Screech!!

The anguished scream wasn’t from Luke; it came from the Red Comet, clutching its chest as if in excruciating pain.

“Nice!”

Keter didn’t miss the opportunity and lunged at the creature. Its protective bloody globes had already shattered, blood scattering across the ground.

Dodging the Red Comet’s frenzied swings, Keter leaped high into the air.

Crash!

The Demon Arrow’s curse was spreading through the Red Comet’s chest. Luke’s reflecting ability had even rebounded the Demon Arrow’s curse onto it.

Luke’s reflective power redirected damage from himself to any other living being nearby except the attacker. And here, only three beings were present: Luke, Keter, and the Red Comet. In short, all the damage Luke should have taken was transferred to the Red Comet.

Why had Keter gone to such lengths instead of simply firing the arrows directly? Had he fired them normally, the blood globes would have absorbed at least one arrow, if not both. But thanks to Luke’s ability, Keter could land both arrows in one decisive strike, saving resources and eliminating uncertainties.

“If you die, just think of it as your fate.”

Landing on the thrashing Red Comet’s back, Keter gripped an Aura Arrow and drove it deep into the back of the creature’s neck.

Screech!!!

The Red Comet struggled wildly. Keter held the arrow firmly with both hands, pushing it deeper. It flailed, destroying buildings like they were made of paper, until it finally collapsed forward.

Thud!

The Red Comet crashed into a pile of rocks, raising a cloud of dust. Coughing as he stood, Keter grabbed another Aura Arrow.

Squelch!

He drove it into the exact same spot. Keter always believed in doubling-down to ensure the kill.

Hiss...

Steam began to rise from the massive Red Comet, either from the final blow or simply because the monster ran out of strength. The steam, which was strong enough to obscure the view, soon subsided, and the enormous red bat had vanished without a trace. In its place lay a small, fluffy, white creature: Slurpie.

“Still alive?”

Keter nudged Slurpie with his foot. There was no response. He picked it up, and its limp body dangled in his grasp. However, it wasn’t dead—Keter could feel its faint pulse. It was merely unconscious.

“You survived. Congrats, little guy.”

He wasn’t mocking. Keter was sincere. Survival was sacred to him, a principle he unwaveringly adhered to.

Placing Slurpie in his inner pocket, Keter turned to look back.

“By now, that kid should be running up to grab me by the collar.”

But Luke didn’t come, even when he waited a little.

Returning to check, Keter found Luke collapsed on the ground. He nudged Luke with his foot, nodding like a scientist making observations.

“This must be Luke’s limit. A direct hit from a Demon Arrow drains his stamina and mental strength. Not a single scratch on him, though. Guess that’s why his skin is so nice.”

Knowing that forcing someone drained of physical and mental energy to wake up could cause serious side effects, Keter had no choice but to carry him.

“You’re the third person to ride on my back. Consider it an honor.”

Keter’s legs wobbled as he walked. Even he reached his physical limits after the fight with the Red Comet.

Despite blocking the attack with Amaranth, taking a direct hit from an A-tier Named Monster’s breath wasn’t something anyone could endure unscathed. His muscles were shredded, and all his bones were broken. Every breath sent a searing pain through him. Yet, Keter didn’t groan or complain. Occasionally, he chuckled as he walked.

Then, a man stepped out of an alley to block his path. It was one of Cork’s mercenaries.

“I can’t believe my eyes. You took down an A-tier Named Monster by yourself.”

“You’re even more amazing, blocking the path of someone so great.”

“Don’t think we’re being unfair.”

The mercenary wasn’t alone. One by one, others emerged, surrounding Keter and leaving no room to escape.

“We don’t want to hurt you. Just stay here like this.”

A request was finished once the mercenary arrived back at the guild. Even if Cork finished the transportation request, he had to return to the mercenary guild. Likewise, even if Keter caught the Red Comet, he had to return to the guild and fill out a confirmation form that he indeed finished it, meaning that if he couldn’t return, it wasn’t victory.

Keter put Luke on the ground and summoned Amaranth.

“I don’t know since when mercenaries started to act like knights. You guys don’t deserve to be mercenaries.”

As an Aura Arrow was forming on Amaranth, a group of mercenaries appeared from behind Keter.

One of them stepped up and shouted, “Since when did mercenaries become dogs who served their masters?!”

They were the mercenaries who had ambushed Luke per Keter’s request. There were seven of them, and all of them were Platinum-class and above. The Gold-class mercenaries were actually hospitalized after ambushing Luke.

One of Cork’s mercenaries shouted, “But you guys are helping Keter too!”

“Of course. He’s given us a request!”

“..!”

“Did you guys get money from Cork to put your lives on the line?”

Not a single mercenary lied. The only things Cork lavished on his subordinates were sweet whispers of promises for the future and the fear that bound them. While some mercenaries received magic tools from him, it was never out of goodwill—it was to send them against the Keter.

Among the mercenaries siding with Keter was Hansen, who pointed to Luke and said, "I’ll take care of this one."

“You know exactly what I need," Keter replied.

With Hansen stepping back to take care of Luke, the morale of Cork’s men noticeably dropped. They were busy exchanging uneasy glances with each other.

Dealing with Keter alone was already overwhelming, but now six Platinum-class mercenaries had joined forces with him. No matter how desperately they fought, the odds of winning had vanished.

In the end, the mercenaries came up with convenient excuses to escape the fight.

"Ugh, I’ve done enough!" one declared, breaking formation.

That set off a chain reaction as others followed suit, throwing out justifications as they fled.

"Forget wealth and glory—staying alive comes first!"

"I’ve got a family to look after, so I’m out!"

"Keter once saved my life; I can’t fight against him now."

Once the first mercenary bolted, the rest scattered like leaves in the wind.

Unexpectedly, one mercenary remained, gripping his weapon with a resolute expression.

He spoke in a solemn tone, "I’ve received payment from Cork. I will honor my contract with the client."

Whoosh.

An Aura Arrow pierced the mercenary’s brow. That was the end of it.

Lowering Amaranth, Keter resumed his path toward the guild, trailed by the seven mercenaries. None of them mourned the lone mercenary who had blocked Keter’s path and met his end.

They understood that for Keter to execute him so cleanly was a sign of respect. A true mercenary was one who upheld their convictions and died for them, even in the face of overwhelming odds. There was no reason to pity such a person.

* * *

Keter had arrived at the mercenary guild.

Even the mercenaries who had been Cork’s subordinates eventually returned to the guild. None of them tried to block Keter’s path. The only reason they supported Cork was because there was a high probability their ambitions would be realized.

But now, that seemed utterly impossible. Keter’s divine authority exceeded their imagination, and half the mercenaries now stood by his side. Not to mention, Ketter had accomplished an S-rank mission—a feat previously deemed impossible.

Even the mercenaries who had once supported Cork now acknowledged Ketter. At the very least, Ketter had fought fairly, whereas Cork had resorted to cowardice.

From a distance, Cork’s voice bellowed, “Keter’s going inside! Stop him! What are you fools doing!?”

His hair was damp, and his eyes were bloodshot. But his subordinates, having already accepted the fight’s outcome as settled, ignored his command.

Keter glanced at Cork and let out a faint smirk before stepping into the guild.

Grinding his teeth, Cork picked up his pace.

This isn’t over yet. That bastard needs to get a confirmation for completing the mission. All I have to do is sign. It’s not over. I still have a chance!

Summoning all his strength, Cork sprinted toward the guild, but then an unexpected sight stopped him.

The guild doors... are gone?

No, it wasn’t the doors—it was the mercenaries who supported Keter blocking his path.

“What the—?!”

Cork’s eyes glinted with malice. He drew his sword as he continued his charge. He had no intention of stopping and planned to break through them with brute force.

The mercenaries held their ground, raising their shields and drawing their weapons.

Cork scoffed inwardly.

Do you think Platinum-rank mercenaries like you can stop me?

His sword was a level two magic tool. When infused with aura, it could cleave through any obstacle in an instant.

As Cork closed the distance, he swung his sword with all his might.

“I’ll split you along with your shields!”

The mercenary holding a shield shouted back, undeterred, “Dream on, you bastard!”

The mercenary angled his shield, causing Cork’s strike to glance off its curved surface. The mercenaries on either side crossed their swords, intercepting his deflected blade head-on.

Crash!

The shields and swords blocking Cork’s blade shattered under the force, and the shockwave blew out the guild’s glass windows.

Cork could see Keter through the broken window calmly filling out a confirmation document. It was almost mocking how calm he was, which felt insulting.

Cork, failing to break through on his first attempt, swung his sword again in desperation.

“Get out of my way, you filthy scum!”

His frenzied swings were no longer refined enough to be called swordsmanship, but they were no less dangerous.

Reaching for his waist, Cork searched for another magic tool to break through the stalemate—only to grasp at empty air. The one he had given his mercenaries to cut Keter’s limbs was no longer in his possession.

“No... No!”

Cork, who was being weighed down by the mercenaries he had underestimated, began beaming with killing intent. He began wielding his sword to kill them.

Though obscured by his reliance on magic tools, Cork’s skills as a Diamond-class swordsman were exceptional. The mercenaries’ formation crumbled in an instant under his focused assault. Just as Cork raised his sword to decapitate one of them...

Clang!

His blade was deflected and wrenched back.

Standing before him, Keter held Amaranth in his right hand and the confirmation document in his left.

“If you’re going to cause a scene, do it in front of me,” Keter said.