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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The Real Murderer! (3)
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'They've chosen a war of attrition.'
In a fight where the first to move puts themselves at a disadvantage, the one who holds out the longest stands the best chance of victory.
Smart thinking.
'The Fox of Bireung Mountain, was it?'
He had overheard the wardens talking too.
The Fatty warden had the Fox of Bireung Mountain watching his back. Ever since that fox joined him, Fatty had been flying high.
Fox of Bireung Mountain, Fatty... the ones chosen by Vanguard.
He lifted his water gourd and drained every last drop remaining inside.
A few drops trickled down his throat. Just a few drops, but enough to bring a sense of refreshment.
"Hey! Come out! You think you can just hole up in there forever? I said get out here!"
The killing block prisoners banged on the iron doors and shouted.
They were striking from a good distance away.
Shouting from afar? It was meant to reassure him that they weren't closing in yet.
But in reality, the attackers were probably already right there, inches away.
The killing block prisoners were no fools. The more murders under their belts, the sharper their survival instincts. They instinctively sensed what was dangerous and what wasn't.
They weren't charging in blindly. They were advancing cautiously, employing even these petty tricks. It was the animalistic senses of killers, honed by long experience, detecting the danger.
Sss!
Finally, one of them slipped into the Thunder Prison where he was.
Still, he didn't rise from his seated position. He didn't even glance toward the intruder who had entered.
Sss! Sss!
The intruder crept forward, feeling along the walls with caution.
It wasn't just one who had entered. There were three. One led the way, with two covering from behind.
Fight or die.
He still hadn't made up his mind.
The outside world was hell. Meeting people out there was hell. Living itself was hell.
This place was paradise. Perfect in every way.
If judged purely by good and bad, the choice was already made. He just needed to let them end his life here. Give up his breath as they wanted. What did he need to do? Nothing at all. Just sit still, and they'd take care of cutting off his air for him.
There was only one thing standing in the way before death.
- Let your flesh rot and your bones crumble in the darkness. Endure it, endure it, endure until you can't endure anymore, and only then come before me. Until that time, you shall never emerge.
Whether in the Thunder Prison or not... it wasn't about the place. It was a command to keep his mind locked in the Thunder Prison. That's why there was no double lock.
In the outside world, respond however you wish. That is your task.
But you remain imprisoned in the Thunder Prison, let your flesh rot and your bones crumble in the darkness.
'I see. So I'm a man who can't die even if I want to.'
He let out a faint chuckle.
Sss! Sss! Sss!
The three prisoners who had entered the Thunder Prison closed the distance half a step at a time, half a step at a time.
Two of them gripped swords.
He couldn't see them, but they were definitely armed. The thick scent of iron hung in the air.
Sss!
He stood up.
Whish! Crack!
An odd sound echoed.
The neck of the killer who had entered the Thunder Prison, fully prepared for battle, snapped back with a jerk.
He collapsed without even a scream.
Impossible!
A man had died in an empty space where no one was supposed to be. A ghost had appeared and broken the killer's neck. They hadn't seen how the attack happened, but the clear sound of the neck snapping rang out. And then the thud of the lifeless body crumpling.
"Hup!"
"Ugh!"
Short cries of alarm erupted.
They finally sensed that the Shadow Killer had made his move. But what good was sensing it without seeing anything to strike at?
They held their breath even tighter.
In a situation like this, even the sound of a heartbeat was a major threat. They had to suppress every movement, every noise that could reveal their position to the Shadow Killer. Otherwise, they'd end up like the one who led the way...
Whish! Crack-thud!
"Aaaak! Ack! Guk!"
Another one went down. With a wretched scream.
'He broke the legs, severed the spine, and twisted the neck. A seamless motion, all in an instant.'
The remaining one realized what had happened and began trembling violently.
The man right beside him had lost his life. Without sensing any movement, his legs snapped alone, his arms shattered, his back bent. All done to him single-handedly.
This guy, the Shadow Killer... a true murderer who knew killing inside out!
'Shit, we've poked the wrong bear!'
The survivor immediately pressed his back to the wall and thrust his sword wildly in all directions.
Of course, he made no sound. He swung the blade silently, carefully. He couldn't afford to make noise.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bones reverberated through the darkness.
No screams. Human bones had clearly shattered, yet no one groaned.
'He clamped the mouth shut and crushed the neck in one go!'
Suffocating terror washed over them.
A grim reaper had dropped into the pitch-black space.
The first and third kills used the same method. Silencing the victim before they could scream. Yet it wasn't quick deaths. He twisted their necks to kill them.
The second kill was a bit different.
The second prisoner died suffering the most. He poured out every scream imaginable before dying.
Stealth, maximum pain, and stealth again!
No sound of movement. Just the faint flutter of clothing, brief and gone.
'W-what the hell is this bastard!'
'Wrong move. It's like thrusting a sword at the King of Hell.'
The prisoners participating in the Life-Death Trial regretted it to their bones. But regret was always too late, no matter how swift...
They huddled in the corners, unable to budge.
Even the sound of an ant crawling would summon the grim reaper to snap their neck bones.
They couldn't even breathe.
Crack! Snap!
Another bone-breaking sound rang out.
No scream this time either. Four out of ten were already dead, and three hadn't even managed a cry.
Among those who entered the Thunder Prison, two had held swords.
Swords secretly handed to them by the wardens with orders to kill the Shadow Killer. To eliminate him no matter what.
With the wardens on their side, victory seemed assured.
But... that's why they sent the sword-wielders first... yet he killed them without using the blades. He methodically snapped only their neck bones. Ensuring no sound escaped.
'Shadow Killer, Shadow Killer, Shadow Killer...'
Was the Shadow Killer always this terrifying? Sure, he was a vicious criminal dragged here for it, but did he really snuff out lives like crushing flies?
"I-I surrender! I'm out of this fight. I was dragged into this against my will..."
Someone mustered the courage to speak. But his words cut off midway.
Crack!
Another... snapped. Shattered. A single bone joint precisely crushed, ending a life.
Crack-crack!
Connected bones broke in a cascade.
The later sounds meant nothing. The dead felt no pain. Whether stabbed with a sword or slashed with a blade... he savored the aftershocks after breaking the neck bone.
The Shadow Killer killed without a shred of emotion.
To him, killing a person was no different from stepping on a crawling ant.
'Ugh...'
He tried to stay still, but his teeth chattered uncontrollably.
Reasoning wouldn't work with this one. If he wanted you dead, he struck without the slightest hesitation.
The fifth breath was snuffed out.
The shortest time with the most prisoners dead since the Life-Death Trial began.
The bastard knew martial arts!
Everyone else's had been crippled, but not his. He wielded it freely.
He left no traces. No presence of movement, yet he surged up right in front of you to snap your neck.
Classic concealment technique. Or stealth arts.
Either way, he was using body lightening skills. No other way to move this fast and silent.
He had killed five by twisting necks in a single motion each time.
The prisoners in the Life-Death Trial each had over a dozen kills under their belts. Their instincts for danger were exceptionally keen. They also had ways to cope when it struck.
Say someone grabs your head. From that moment to your neck turning takes a split second. Even with no countermeasures.
You'd still make a sound. Thwack!
Knee to the gut, fist to the heart... you'd take someone with you. That's how tenacious they were. Each believed they had at least one such trick.
Yet they dropped like sacks without resistance.
Something was seriously wrong here.
Crack! Crack-crack!
Another sound. The bone-shattering noise he now desperately didn't want to hear echoed in the dark.
'Six!'
"G-g-group up!"
"T-ten! Form up in tens!"
The four survivors shouted and moved swiftly.
The tenth group was behind them. Among the Thunder Prisons they'd passed... which one was the tenth?
In their panic, they struggled to stay calm.
The Shadow Killer wasn't the kind of prisoner they'd imagined. They didn't know how he'd regained his martial arts, but fighting someone with them intact was suicide.
They too had wielded martial arts once.
When their arts were crippled and they were thrown into the Thunder Prison, the hardest truth to accept was losing their martial prowess.
Even now, it felt like they could unleash it if they tried.
But no. The energy flow broke midway, yielding no real power. They could perform forms slowly, but with zero force.
Just dancing. A slow dance at that.
Senses dulled too. Naturally, their crisis instincts slowed.
With martial arts, they'd sense danger from the vibe alone. Now, even a flying sword barely registered.
The gap between having martial arts and not was like heaven and earth.
No way to catch the Shadow Killer.
Crack! Crack-crack!
Another went down.
This bone-breaking sound came right from behind.
While they fled toward the tenth Thunder Prison, the Shadow Killer had pursued and snatched one.
Seven out of ten eliminated without a whisper.
"Forgive me!"
One of the prisoners racing toward the tenth dropped to his knees.
He bowed his head low and pleaded.
"P-please, just spare my life!"
"You raped and killed seventeen women? No, you just strangled them. Never touched them otherwise. Watched them die while choking the life out of them. Felt their bodies shudder. Your words."
Thud! Thud!
Footsteps echoed in the darkness.
The Shadow Killer. His first footstep sound.
"Mercy! It's a m-misunderstanding. Everyone talks big here. I only said it because... if I didn't, they'd ignore me, so I..."
Suddenly, the footsteps stopped.
The Shadow Killer had halted, it seemed. Standing still, listening to the prisoner. No!
Crack! Crack-crack!
The prisoner, kneeling and frantically explaining, toppled forward.
The Shadow Killer killed with utter ruthlessness, devoid of emotion.
His voice drifted from the darkness.
"I wanted to feel what that trembling feels like as a person dies, hearing your words. Experiencing it firsthand... it's good."
The words flowed like the devil's breath.