Marcelo Machado.

A man born in the slums of Brazil who later became a member of a gang based in So Paulo.

He, who had to survive off of rats, bugs, and scraps of food when he was young, realized something as he became an adult.

He was incapable of sympathizing with others.

It was a natural conclusion, after all. How could someone who had to solely focus on their survival have the luxury to develop something so unoriginal?

However For Marcelo, this was also a blessing.

Killing others brutally or making them submit to him didnt bother him at all.

In fact, he even found it amusing. It was almost a natural conclusion for him to gravitate toward the side of evil.

Everyone is presented with numerous opportunities to choose how they will live their lives.

However, Marcelo believed that he had yet to encounter such an opportunity.

He had simply lived as fate handed it to him.

But one day, as all of humanity was transferred to a new world, everyone was given an opportunity. An opportunity to choose how they would live in the new world.

Marcelo ultimately opted for the easy, comfortable choice.

Currently, Marcelo was in a manor in the heart of Azelphog. He sat on an ornately decorated chair with subordinates at both sides like he was an emperor.

Originally belonging to a noble, this manor fell into Marcelo's gang's hands. Obviously, it wasn't acquired through amicable means.

Marcelo, dont you think they went too far?

"Yeah! Jonas is dead, and the others either died there or returned missing limbs!"

Despite his subordinates shouting and blaming him, Marcelo remained cool and quiet.

It was a common occurrence.

It was also something Marcelo simply had to deal with, as he was someone who handled thugs.

Jonas had never been particularly useful, said one of the leaders who often helped Marcelo. Hes had a limp since his last job. We would have just tossed him aside after a couple more uses.

...What?

"Did you think this was a place to fulfill our hopes and dreams? Let's just focus on being useful to each other, alright? Regardless, Jonas served his purpose. What's our next move, Marcelo?"

Marcelo rested his arm on a chair and leaned into it.

...The hunters will be arriving in Azelphog soon. Las Cabras sent them.

Las Cabras.

T/N: Portuguese for goats.

Marcelo was a part of a cartel known as Las Cabras, where all its leaders were referred to as Cabra.

Hunters? Who?

The triplets.

"Th-those guys who move only for money?"

"Yeah. 20 platinum coins to kill them, 40 to capture them alive."

Th-that much? Dont you think thats too much for the Haunted Swordsman?

The Haunted Swordsman was another one of Yeo-myeongs nicknames, given to him for the ominous nature of his arm.

The Haunted Swordsman is strong. Hes why I called the triplets. And since hes from Nevenia, he could be useful in the future as well

Cant we handle this ourselves?

"We could if I fought as well, but... how many of you do you think would still be alive after it all ends?"

Nod.

After agreeing with him, Marcelos subordinates then changed the topic.

By the way did you see that?

The monster who appeared this morning?

What should we do about them? I think it might be better to wait until we figure out who they are

You idiot.

What?

Normally, youd be right. But if we dont respond to the Haunted Swordsman right away after what he did to us people would think that I was afraid of him, said Marcelo.

...Ah!

And if people start to fear me less... it becomes much more difficult to control them. I need to embody fear itself to those I control. You can't be human if you want to handle humans.

Then how should we allocate our men

"Leave finding them to Gustavo. We'll take care of the Haunted Swordsman. Han Yeo-myeong was our primary objective, after all. And who knows... maybe if we manage to get the Haunted Swordsman on our side, taking down that monster might also be possible."

This will be his last night, said Marcelo, calmly. "...The time for talking is over. If he's going to mess with Las Cabras, it's time for action."

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

Thud

A member of Marcelos gang collapsed to the floor. Yeo-myeong had choked him until he fainted and then dropped him.

Since weve come this far lets just go in, said Yeo-myeong.

Yeo-myeong Are you sure? asked Marie. Shouldnt we contact your savior first and go in with him?

I already left him a message in his room, but I dont think he was there when I went. I think he was busy with his own things. Regardless, if negotiations with Marcelo don't go well, hell arrive on time.

Then... that means the two of us will enter Marcelos base on our own... right?

Theyll ambush us first if we take too long. Also, I want to try and handle everything on my own before asking someone for help. That's how I was taught, after all.

"Not at all! I doubt anyone would have taught you like that! I bet you just believed that on your own!"

How could I just leave matters in other peoples hands without first putting in the effort myself? Especially for something as important as this.

......

You can help me if you think its getting dangerous. Marcelo... is nowhere near either of us.

...Points arent everything, though. Marcelo is notorious for being ruthless. Youre just being conceited right now.

Yeah, I could be but this is the only way I know to get stronger. I only know how to face things head-on.

Haah you stubborn little Yeo-myeong, can I hit you?

No, smiled Yeo-myeong.

He then continued.

Still, it's not every day you have such reliable backup. It might be a better learning experience for me if I tackle things directly, since I can fail without repercussions.

What interesting final words youre leaving behind Youre seriously out of your mind.

Yeo-myeong's reckless nature was something he developed while heading westward. He fought desperately to survive there, and as a result, he became who he is now.

Yeo-myeong and Marie entered the manor.

The moment he did, Yeo-myeongs face stiffened, not because he was frozen with fear, but because he was simply readying himself for combat at any time.

Marcelos waiting for you, Haunted Swordsman.

So hes open to talking.

Open

The door leading to Marcelos room was a set of sliding doors that had to be pulled on both sides to open. Such small details were more than enough to reveal Marcelos fondness for flashy, showy things.

As Yeo-myeong stepped into the room, he saw Marcelo seated on his throne with his men by his side.

Marcelo, I came here to talk.

To talk? I love talks. I would love to talk with someone who killed half of my men and maimed the others.

I just want my reward. That was our promise from the start anyway.

Ah, right that.

Marcelo then pulled out a small box from his inventory.

Click

Gloooow

The small box revealed a black orb radiating an ominous energy within.

This is a bit upsetting, though. If we could have just talked it out from the start, my innocent subordinates wouldnt have had to die. Dont you feel guilty? asked Marcelo.

Not at all.

Haha how cold. But the situation has changed, Haunted Swordsman.

What?

Work for me. If you do, I wont punish you for killing my subordinates.

I refuse.

Think carefully about it, would you? Youd be an idiot to not group up with others. Pandea is bound to fall into our hands, and we have countless people from our world who are experienced with power. Do you think you'd be able to stop them all?

I might not be able to but I know someone who can.

What?

How exhausting. Now what?

If you refuse my offer, I have no choice either.

Step

In an instant, three identical triplets entered the room.

Though Yeo-myeong couldnt discern how they had entered, he could tell how experienced they were at concealing their presence.

...Damn it, smiled Yeo-myeong bitterly. You called the triplets?

The leftmost triplet then addressed Yeo-myeong.

Should Manh do it? Or maybe Noite instead?

Tarde will do it.

Then Manh should handle the girl.

Noite will just watch then.

"Alright. And well split the pay evenly between the three of us."

T/N: Portuguese for morning - Manh, afternoon - Tarde, and night - Noite.

The three referred to each other as Manh, Tarde, and Noite. They were also known as the demons who would do anything for money.

Lets capture the girl, said Tarde. And also capture the guy if we can. That was the request.

Maries expression stiffened.

Yeo-myeong, lets get out of here!

Yeo-myeong shook his head.

There was a fact that only the two of them knew, and Yeo-myeong was placing his faith in that.

Even so, Marie couldnt understand his decision at all.

But because splitting up here would only result in both of their deaths, she followed his judgment.

Hmm strong, muttered Tarde under his breath. 15 minutes to subdue him.

Thats long! Need help?

No.

As Tarde was stubbornly wanting to fight Yeo-myeong on his own, Noite then asked Manh a question.

What about you? asked Noite.

3 minutes to subdue them.

Thats quick.

Tarde then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

[Tarde used Appointment.]

[Tarde has scheduled an appointment for 15 minutes from now.]

[As long as Tarde isnt late to their appointment, all stats increase by 20%.]

[Appointments cannot be interfered with by anyone other than the caster.]

[Tarde will be punished if they are late to their appointment.]

Manh did the same.

[Manh used Appointment.]

[Manh has scheduled an appointment for 3 minutes from now.]

[As long as Manh isnt late to their appointment, all stats increase by 50%.]

[Appointments cannot be interfered with by anyone other than the caster.]

[Manh will be punished if they are late to their appointment.]

Begin.

Fwip!

Fwip!

Their combat began quickly.

Yeo-myeong and Marie first created distance between themselves.

The triplets were notorious for their combination attacks, after all.

Marie faced Manh, who used a pair of daggers, while Yeo-myeong faced Tarde, who used a longsword.

The three of them were assassins Las Cabras raised.

The three, who strengthened themselves from assassinations, were all monsters with nearly 7.5 million points.

Fwirl!

Claaaang!

Tardes upward strike opened Yeo-myeongs guard as his sword went high into the air.

Creaaaaak

...Youre fast.

Yeo-myeong was undoubtedly among the faster swordsmen at his level. As long as his Haunted Hand worked properly, he was undeniably quick.

Hah!

Yeo-myeong turned to the offensive.

Fwip!

Fwiiiirl!

Clang! Claaaang! Clang!

It only sounded like one swing, but Tarde could tell that it was three consecutive attacks.

Strong I wonder if 15 minutes will be enough.

Kick!

Tarde kicked Yeo-myeong away from him, creating distance.

Crack

Tarde stretched his neck.

Try blocking this as well then, said Tarde.

[Tarde used Time Difference.]

[For a short while, your attacks land a second later.]

Fwirl!

Tardes sword twisted at a strange angle to strike Yeo-myeongs leg.

Still, Yeo-myeong managed to deflect it.

But then he felt a strange sensation.

Fwip!

Despite their swords crossing, it felt way too weak.

Thats dangerous!

Yeo-myeong prepared for the following attack.

Fwooosh!

Tarde didnt miss this opening.

Fwip! Bam! Clang!

Fwooosh!

After the delayed attack landed, Tarde prepared more delayed attacks, accumulating them to push Yeo-myeong back even further.

This might end faster than I thought said Tarde, swinging his sword.

However, Yeo-myeong was no pushover.

Yeo-myeongs eyes radiated a black energy as he unleashed a flurry of stabs.

[Yeo-myeong used Exceptional Skill: Airhole.]

[The damage dealt by stabbing attacks increases proportionally with their attack speed.]

[Characteristic: A Haunted Hand supplements the attacks.]

Hrgh!

Tarde grunted before attempting to block the attacks with the side of his sword.

Clang!

Clang!

Snap

Staaaab

Splaaaatter!

Urgh

...Tch.

Unfortunately for Yeo-myeong, Tarde wouldnt die from one hit.

Tarde then dashed back and exchanged his broken sword.

That was dangerous Ive made a misjudgment. 15 minutes wont be enough.

Tarde then quickly tended to his shoulder, trying to stop it from bleeding.

[Tarde used Time Extension.]

[The appointment is delayed by 30 minutes.]

[All stat increases are fixed at 10%.]

[The remaining time cannot be extended further.]

At a glance, Yeo-myeong seemed to have the advantage, but that wasnt necessarily the case.

Caught you.

Urgh

Thud

Manh managed to defeat Marie.

The blood on his daggers likely belonged to her.

Marie!

Dont move. If you dont want to lose her, youll have to

Yeo-myeongs defeat was guaranteed at this rate.

However, it didnt take long for the reinforcements to arrive.

Splaaatter!

The subordinate who had been restraining Marie had his head completely severed from his body.

It happened in the blink of an eye. By the time they noticed, his head had already been twisted off like a cap.

An elven knight now carried Marie over her shoulders.

Rather than being upset over losing his prey, Manh was more curious about the knights sudden appearance.

Who are you?

However, it wasnt Karen, smiling happily, who responded. It was the man who leisurely strolled in.

Ah are you guys okay with me coming in with my shoes on?

The uninvited guest who entered Marcelos base was Seol.

Shes still breathing? said Karen. They didnt kill her. Are you sure these guys are the bad guys? Theyre too nice maybe we got the wrong house?

Oh, really? Thats good then, said Seol before turning to Yeo-myeong. Are you alright?

Manh took a stance once more.

Though he was worried as he couldnt feel any energy from the man, he also had a trick up his sleeve for situations like these.

Marcelo!

Hm?

Youll be paying us extra for this, right?

...Of course.

Manh then looked to Seol.

Ill kill you in 10 seconds.

Me?

Manh used his skill immediately.

[Manh used Exceptional Skill: Phantasmagoria.]

[The appointment is set to 10 seconds.]

[As long as Manh isnt late to their appointment, all stats increase by 50%.]

[While active, time feels slowed down.]

[Appointments cannot be interfered with by anyone other than the caster.]

[Manh will not be punished, even if they are late to their appointment.]

Fwooosh

The only thing the others could discern was that Manh had vanished.

To be more accurate, though, he was simply moving so quickly that others couldnt keep up with his movements.

When Manh used this skill, he felt omnipotent for 10 seconds.

He felt as if he could kill anything.

And it was true as well. No one had been able to survive this skill, no matter how strong.

Too slow!

Seol was quick at gathering black energy in his hands, quicker at summoning a knight-shaped shadow, and that same knight was extremely quick at drawing his sword.

But in Manhs eyes, it was much too slow.

Or at least that was what he thought.

A summon? Doesnt matter. Ill first cut him and

Slash!

Manh felt something cool brush against his right arm.

Even so, he maintained his focus on the current situation. He knew that if he diverted his attention there, he would lose to his opponent.

Therefore, he fixed his gaze on Seol.

I lost my right arm! When did I

Time still felt slow to him.

Manh clenched his teeth.

Ill give him an arm. I cant believe I took damage.

Manh then swung his left arm at his targets neck.

Fwooooosh

Time felt slow to him still.

No, it didnt. He didnt feel that sensation anymore.

Why do I feel so slow now? And what is that black energy?

The black, ominous energy from the knight made him feel as if he was flailing underwater.

Slaaash

As the black energy surged toward him and began to encompass his body, Manh realized the reason behind it all.

It didnt feel slow I was just slow.

His vision spun.

Rather than feeling like his entire was body spinning, it was closer to feeling like his head was spinning in the air on its own.

I died.

Splaaaaaaatter!

Manhs limbs flew in all different directions as if he had been put through a blender.

[Awakening! Karuna awakens a new skill.]

[Karuna awakens Passive: Black Wave.]

......

What the hell was that

Manh did not only fail to keep his promise of 10 seconds, but ended up as a dismembered corpse.

Marcelo and the tripletswell, twins nowcould not believe the situation. The three slowly looked at Seol.

So bragged Seol, looking down at them. Which one of you is Marcelo?