Chapter 102: The Night of the Purge (1)

Once the situation became relatively clear, it didn’t take long for us to prepare.

Upon confirming my intention to accompany them, Siegfried accepted without objection.

At first, Media was completely opposed to it, but after noticing the firmness in my gaze, she finally nodded—though with evident displeasure on her face.

However, we didn’t have time to continue debating.

While everyone hurriedly prepared, Speedweapon, who was standing there unsure of what to do, approached me.

“President, are you really going?”

It’s worth mentioning that Speedweapon would not be participating in this operation.

Despite his extraordinary intelligence and skill as a healer, at the end of the day, he was still a seventeen-year-old boy.

I couldn’t drag a minor into an imminent massacre.

…Of course, technically, I was also a young man in this life. However, my soul belonged to someone approaching forty, so I considered myself an exception.

I looked directly into Speedweapon’s eyes. His gaze was filled with mixed emotions.

I owed him a lot today. He had explained everything that had recently happened to the three giants in my place.

He even endured the weight of my absurd excuse without complaining, even though it was clearly unfair to him.

And now, even in such a grave moment, he was more worried about my well-being than anything else.

I felt a gratitude beyond words.

Placing a firm hand on his shoulder, I met his eyes with a calm expression and said,

“Wait here. I’ll be back soon.”

Speedweapon’s face was full of concern.

I patted his shoulder without saying anything else and moved forward.

As the office door was halfway open, I heard his voice.

“Kang Geom-Ma!”

He called out to me forcefully.

“…I know it won’t happen, but… please, don’t come back injured. It’s already bad enough with Saki in the hospital; if you end up the same way, I’d be completely alone to deal with everything.”

His voice trembled almost imperceptibly.

Without turning back, I took a firm step forward.

* * *

Inside an abandoned building with walls so deteriorated that the paint was peeling off, several figures had begun to gather, their hooded sweatshirts pulled tightly over their heads.

Though their eyes were hidden in the shadows of their hoods, their twisted lips betrayed discomfort.

“Damn it! Who does this so-called Professor think he is, sending us this stupid chain message?”

A man shouted angrily, slamming the floor so hard it seemed like he was about to break it. His fury stemmed from a message displayed on his phone screen.

== ==

〈☆ Chain of Luck★〉

This letter started in Maple and has traveled for a year, bringing luck to those who received it, until now reaching its final recipient.

Tomorrow at 16:30, a great misfortune will befall you.

.
.
.

By. Pr0f3$$o

== ==

The text was so absurd that it wasn’t even worth a sarcastic laugh.

However, seeing that the sender’s coded name was “Professor,” they had no choice but to show up, even if it was in frustration.

“This damn idiot… This is getting intolerable. He’s completely taking us for fools. It’s time to put things in order.”

The man gritted his teeth, filled with rage. As he spoke, a woman leaning against the wall let out a mocking laugh.

“Pfft, says the guy who ran here as soon as he saw the message.”

“Who the hell said I was scared!?”

“I’m annoyed by the Professor too. But what are we supposed to do? As unpleasant as he is, if he orders it, we have to comply.”

The woman shrugged and crossed her arms again.

The man glared at her, his lips twisting in anger, muttering insults that never fully left his mouth. His eyes scanned the others in the room.

There were five people in total. The dampness in the air was overwhelming, and the smell of mold was particularly unpleasant. The heavy atmosphere made him speak again, practically spitting his words.

“Why are there only five of us? Normally, when the Professor calls a meeting, everyone shows up, right?”

“….”

At his question, the others only showed confused expressions.

It was strange. Even if there were occasional absences, there had never been this few at a meeting before.

As much as the Professor emphasized discretion, this kind of summons—using such an absurd message—was completely unusual.

As time passed, the feeling of unease grew, accumulating like a heavy cloud of doubt that soon turned into a palpable discomfort.

‘Something’s wrong.’

The man wasn’t the only one who felt it; the others also sensed that something was off. Their gazes were cautious, and there was a subtle air of distrust between them.

As if synchronized, they all narrowed their eyes, ready for anything.

A tense silence filled the space.

Though no words were exchanged, each one mentally prepared to attack if necessary.

Step, Step.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from the direction of the door.

All the eyes that had previously been watching each other with suspicion quickly turned toward the entrance. Their gazes gleamed ominously in the dim light.

‘No presence of magic power.’

Despite the tension sharpening their senses, they couldn’t detect any trace of magical energy.

An intruder?

That didn’t seem likely. This place was exclusive to villains and was in a remote corner, almost inaccessible by chance—especially at this hour of the night.

‘Then who could it be?’

The man furrowed his brows, fixing his gaze on the door.

At that moment, from the direction he was looking, an unfamiliar voice rang out.

Inside an abandoned building, its walls worn by time, a group of villains sat in a tense silence until a distinctly recognizable female voice rang out, carrying a mix of familiarity and mockery.

“Well, how did you all manage to find a place that even I didn’t know about? Hey, Sieg, did you know about this place?”

The unmistakably ironic tone immediately caught the attention of everyone present.

Confused, they all lifted their heads, trying to identify the newcomer. Then, the owner of the voice revealed herself, and in an instant, all their eyes widened in disbelief.

“D-Director…!?”

The shock was palpable. The eyes of the man who had spoken first began to tremble as he stammered.

“What… what the hell is Media doing here!?”

At that moment, Media stepped forward calmly, breaking the awkward silence and greeting them with a chilling tone.

“Hello, trash.”

“Damn it!”

The man, unable to contain his frustration, let out a stream of curses and raised his magical energy. The rest, who had been frozen in shock, snapped out of it and began channeling their own spells.

Media didn’t seem affected by the rising tension. Despite the murmurs of confusion and the latent threats, she continued with her nonchalant attitude.

‘The Wise Media.’

She was one of the heroes of the Seven Stars, although her exact position was not clearly defined. That ambiguity had a powerful reason behind it.

The resonant sound of magical energy accumulating filled the room, but Media, indifferent, turned toward the entrance and shouted,

“Hey, Sieg! Hurry up and get in here!”

From the shadows, a figure appeared, responding in a relaxed tone.

“The stench of garbage was too strong, so I held back for a moment.”

“Seriously, Sieg! Now you’re being picky in the middle of all this?”

The figure of the old man finally emerged completely, revealing his imposing presence. The villains were left speechless. Some even blinked multiple times, as if doubting what they were seeing.

With silver hair that shimmered under the moonlight and golden eyes that burned like the sun, the man’s identity was unmistakable.

“The Swordmaster…”

The title escaped from one of the villains as a trembling whisper.

Others stopped casting their spells and rubbed their eyes, unable to believe what they were witnessing.

Siegfried positioned himself next to Media, scanning the room with a look of disgust as he pinched his nose.

“There’s less trash here than I expected.”

“I know, right? If I had known, I would have come alone. Or better yet, Sieg, why don’t you team up with Kang Geom-Ma and finish this?”

“No, thanks. Let’s just wrap this up quickly and meet up with him.”

Despite the resonance of magical power in the air, the two heroes conversed casually, as if the villains present were insignificant.

‘Those bastards… they’re completely ignoring us!’

The man leading the group of villains took advantage of their apparent lack of interest to gather enough magical power. When the energy accumulated in his fingers, a twisted smile appeared on his face.

Quickly reorganizing his magic, he concentrated the energy in his hands and then snapped his fingers.

Snap—

A damp, penetrating wind filled the room. Bubbles began to form in the air, bursting into sharp spikes of water.

It was a power personally taught to him by the Commander of the Third Corps. Though it appeared to be a simple water spell, it was laced with a lethal poison.

As the man strategized, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the reality of the situation.

The opponents were two heroes of the Seven Stars. One was Siegfried, the Swordmaster, known as the strongest human, and the other was Media, the Sage, feared by all villains.

But if all five of them attacked together, was there really no chance of victory? Forty years had passed since Media had left the frontlines, and the Swordmaster had lost an arm.

‘If we catch them off guard, we can kill them.’

Using the humidity in the air as a conduit, the man sent a magical message to the other villains.

—I’ll handle the front. Attack from the left, right, above, and below. Not even the Seven Stars can withstand such a wide-range assault.

The rest nodded silently at his orders. Though they disliked his authoritative tone, they couldn’t deny that his plan made sense.

In the midst of that silence, Media suddenly interrupted the conversation. She slowly turned her head toward the man and stared at him. Then, tilting her head in an exaggerated manner, she spoke.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”

“……!”

A chill ran down the man’s spine. Media’s piercing gaze, as if seeing straight through him, made him break into a cold sweat. Feeling the moisture on his palms, he shouted in desperation.

“Die!”

At the very moment he was about to unleash dozens of water lances—

“Ah, where do they teach you guys such generic lines? Why are you all so predictable?”

Media shook her head, visibly disappointed. Then, she took a step forward.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a flickering green light appeared in the man’s vision.

‘What the hell? Wasn’t she ten meters away?’

Before he could even process what was happening, a powerful impact struck him from the left.

Crack!

By the time he realized it, Media was already in the center of their formation, grabbing his head and slamming it into the floor.

His skull crashed against the concrete before he could react or resist.

Taking a deep breath, Media raised her fist. A massive surge of energy gathered in her hand before she drove it straight into the back of the man’s head.

Crack!

The sound of something hard shattering echoed throughout the room. The crack in the floor spread like a spiderweb, and the impact’s echo lingered in the air.

The other villains watched the scene in stunned silence. One of them, drenched in cold sweat, muttered,

“The… the Tyranny!”

It was another of the whispered titles associated with Media. Her unofficial name, known only among those who had witnessed her overwhelming power.

The Swordmaster Siegfried, observing the scene, sighed and shook his head.

“Media, it seems you still don’t understand the meaning of moderation.”

Through the cloud of dust, Media slowly stood up. With a cold gaze, she scanned the remaining enemies and spoke in a frosty voice.

“Who’s next?”

Fear spread rapidly among the villains. The Tyrant had returned.

***

At the entrance of Cladi’s mansion, Altair broke the silence with an unexpected comment.

“Kang Geom-Ma, you’re a truly peculiar young man.”

Hearing his sudden remark, I looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Though he was smiling, his eyes remained emotionless, making it difficult to read his thoughts.

As a skilled assassin, he concealed his emotions masterfully.

Altair turned his gaze forward as he continued speaking.

“I’m not trying to boast, but my work has made me quite adept at reading people. At seventy, though my body has weakened, my perception has sharpened. But you… you’re the exception. I can’t figure out what kind of person you are or what you’re thinking.”

“……”

“Those eyes of yours. I’ve never felt such fear in my life as I did the first time I saw you. They’re like those of a sword—cold, devoid of emotions, thoughts, or humanity.”

Altair lifted his gaze to the night sky.
For a moment, he stared at the darkness with a somber look before turning back to me.

With a determined expression, he asked,

“Do you know the difference between a monster and a person?”

“……”

Perplexed by his question, I remained silent for a few seconds. Altair, with a faint smile, continued.

“A monster thinks it’s just a normal person.”

His unexpected remark made me tilt my head in confusion.

“What does that have to do with our current situation?”

Altair’s red eyes examined me from head to toe. Then, with a serious face, he spoke firmly:

“Don’t become a monster.”

Without adding anything else, he turned his gaze forward. Just then, the clouds covered the moon, plunging the world into darkness.

Altair whistled, and the flow of air seemed to change instantly.

Ssshh— Ssshh—

Ssshh— Ssshh—

Human shadows emerged simultaneously from the darkness.

All of them were dressed in dull black garments, and their eyes shone with a crimson gleam. These were the elite assassins of the Auditore family, feared even among criminals.

‘…He’s here too?’

Among them, one figure stood out. Though his face was covered, his eyes were unmistakable. It was Knox. It seemed even he had joined the mission.

Our eyes met briefly before he averted his gaze. I didn’t try to greet him.

Thud!

“Auditore!”

Altair struck the ground with his cane. As if it were a signal, the assassins unsheathed their weapons.

Their movements were precise, like a ballet of blades. I observed the scene, impressed.

The metallic sound of swords filled the air. Once it subsided, Altair gestured toward me with his chin and spoke calmly.

“Kang Geom-Ma will be my right hand. He will act alongside me. Everyone is to follow his instructions.”