Marcelo Machado.

A man born in the slums of Brazil who later became a member of a gang based in São 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 didn’t 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, don’t 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. “He’s 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? Don’t you think that’s too much for the Haunted Swordsman?”

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

“The Haunted Swordsman is strong. He’s why I called the triplets. And since he’s from Nevenia, he could be useful in the future as well…”

“Can’t 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, Marcelo’s 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, you’d be right. But if we don’t 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 Marcelo’s gang collapsed to the floor. Yeo-myeong had choked him until he fainted and then dropped him.

“Since we’ve come this far… let’s just go in,” said Yeo-myeong.

“Yeo-myeong… Are you sure?” asked Marie. “Shouldn’t we contact your savior first and go in with him?”

“I already left him a message in his room, but I don’t 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, he’ll arrive on time.”

“Then... that means the two of us will enter Marcelo’s base on our own... right?”

“They’ll 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 people’s hands without first putting in the effort myself? Especially for something as important as this.”

“......”

“You can help me if you think it’s getting dangerous. Marcelo... is nowhere near either of us.”

“...Points aren’t everything, though. Marcelo is notorious for being ruthless. You’re 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 you’re leaving behind… You’re 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-myeong’s face stiffened, not because he was frozen with fear, but because he was simply readying himself for combat at any time.

“Marcelo’s waiting for you, Haunted Swordsman.”

“So he’s open to talking.”

Open…

The door leading to Marcelo’s 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 Marcelo’s 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 wouldn’t have had to die. Don’t 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 won’t punish you for killing my subordinates.”

“I refuse.”

“Think carefully about it, would you? You’d 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 couldn’t 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 Manhã do it? Or maybe Noite instead?”

“Tarde will do it.”

“Then Manhã should handle the girl.”

“Noite will just watch then.”

"Alright. And we’ll split the pay evenly between the three of us."

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

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

“Let’s capture the girl,” said Tarde. “And also capture the guy if we can. That was the request.”

Marie’s expression stiffened.

“Yeo-myeong, let’s 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 couldn’t 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.”

“That’s long! Need help?”

“No.”

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

“What about you?” asked Noite.

“3 minutes to subdue them.”

“That’s 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 isn’t 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.]

Manhã did the same.

[Manhã used Appointment.]

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

[As long as Manhã isn’t late to their appointment, all stats increase by 50%.]

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

[Manhã 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 Manhã, 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!

Tarde’s upward strike opened Yeo-myeong’s guard as his sword went high into the air.

Creaaaaak…

“...You’re 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!

Tarde’s sword twisted at a strange angle to strike Yeo-myeong’s 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.

‘That’s dangerous!’

Yeo-myeong prepared for the following attack.

Fwooosh!

Tarde didn’t 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-myeong’s 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 wouldn’t die from one hit.

Tarde then dashed back and exchanged his broken sword.

“That was dangerous… I’ve made a misjudgment. 15 minutes won’t 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 wasn’t necessarily the case.

“Caught you.”

“Urgh…”

Thud…

Manhã managed to defeat Marie.

The blood on his daggers likely belonged to her.

“Marie!”

“Don’t move. If you don’t want to lose her, you’ll have to…”

Yeo-myeong’s defeat was guaranteed at this rate.

However, it didn’t 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, Manhã was more curious about the knight’s sudden appearance.

“Who are you?”

However, it wasn’t 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 Marcelo’s base was Seol.

“She’s… still breathing?” said Karen. “They didn’t kill her. Are you sure these guys are the bad guys? They’re too nice… maybe we got the wrong house?”

“Oh, really? That’s good then,” said Seol before turning to Yeo-myeong. “Are you alright?”

Manhã took a stance once more.

Though he was worried as he couldn’t feel any energy from the man, he also had a trick up his sleeve for situations like these.

“Marcelo!”

“Hm…?”

“You’ll be paying us extra for this, right?”

“...Of course.”

Manhã then looked to Seol.

“I’ll kill you in 10 seconds.”

“Me?”

Manhã used his skill immediately.

[Manhã used Exceptional Skill: Phantasmagoria.]

[The appointment is set to 10 seconds.]

[As long as Manhã isn’t 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.]

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

Fwooosh…

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

To be more accurate, though, he was simply moving so quickly that others couldn’t keep up with his movements.

When Manhã 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 Manhã’s eyes, it was much too slow.

Or at least that was what he thought.

‘A summon? Doesn’t matter. I’ll first cut him and…’

Slash!

Manhã 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.

Manhã clenched his teeth.

‘I’ll give him an arm. I can’t believe I took damage.’

Manhã then swung his left arm at his target’s neck.

Fwooooosh…

Time felt slow to him still.

No, it didn’t. He didn’t 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, Manhã realized the reason behind it all.

‘It didn’t 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!

Manhã’s 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…”

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

Marcelo and the triplets—well, twins now—could not believe the situation. The three slowly looked at Seol.

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