[Are you awake now?]
As soon as he stepped out of the Sanctuary, Ba’al’s voice rang out.
Though it sounded somewhat drained of energy, his usual teasing tone remained intact.
Where had he been inside the Sanctuary, only now to speak?
[Did the conversation go well?]
He even asked if the talks had gone well, as if he hadn’t been nearby the entire time inside the Sanctuary.
‘Yeah, I didn’t want to waste the opportunity I was given, so I did my best to talk my way through.’
Taehoo thought in response, scanning the surroundings.
Only now, as his eyes opened fully, did the proper sight of the arena come into view.
The torrential downpour that had threatened to swallow the entire arena had finally ceased.
Only the soaked earth and puddles scattered around testified that it had rained.
Broken, shattered walls and stands. A complete and utter mess.
Considering the scale of what had happened, such signs of battle were only natural.
Yet there was one thing that puzzled him.
“Why is everyone lying down?”
Everyone who should have been standing was collapsed, unconscious.
Since it all had happened after Ba’al woke up, it was no wonder Taehoo had no memory of it.
[They all collapsed because they couldn’t withstand the Constellation’s power. It’s nothing serious.]
Ba’al answered casually, as if it was only to be expected.
Indeed, the presence radiated by the Constellation was incomparable to anything else.
It was an overwhelming pressure far beyond even encountering a Dragon in a previous life, let alone a Constellation.
It made sense, Taehoo thought.
“I don’t remember causing it to happen like that, though.”
His gaze stopped at Jin Tae’s corpse.
The hole pierced through his chest and his neck twisted unnaturally.
The hole in the heart was his doing, but the twisted neck was not.
[I’ll explain the details later. That’s not what’s important right now.]
Ba’al’s reply came back.
‘Well, I guess I’ll hear about it slowly later.’
“Alright, anyway, we need to clean this up.”
Though he had no idea how long he had been out, it seemed there was still time left.
‘Before Nachal arrives here, I have to hide whatever needs hiding.’
With that thought, Taehoo’s eyes searched for Juhyeok.
“There he is.”
He spotted the unconscious youth who had just emerged from underground.
Muncheol was lying nearby, equally out cold.
Taehoo hurried over and shook them awake.
A few slaps to their cheeks had them groaning as consciousness returned.
“There’s no time. Get up quickly.”
Taehoo lowered his voice and spoke, causing Juhyeok and Muncheol to jump up startled.
“W-what the hell…”
“What the hell happened here?”
They both exclaimed one after another.
It was strange that both had lost consciousness at the same time.
And the fact they all looked the same only added to their confusion.
“What about Kim Jin-tae?”
Juhyeok asked, and Taehoo turned his gaze toward Jin Tae, who lay collapsed.
A small sigh of relief escaped both of them.
“The quest really…”
Muncheol only truly felt the mission was over after confirming the quest had cleared.
“Yeah, it’s all over. For now.”
The quest given by Nachal. His trial. They had overcome it safely.
No, the results were even better than expected.
Nachal hadn’t even hoped they would eliminate Jin Tae.
But not only had they eliminated Jin Tae, they had also taken over the entire Belial House.
Along the way, they had acquired new skills.
And leveled up.
Listing them all was exhausting.
Now it was time to wrap things up.
“Juhyeok, wake the others and head back to the safehouse.”
Though Taehoo showed no outward sign, he hoped many of the children had survived.
Meanwhile, Juhyeok couldn’t understand Taehoo’s order.
Why go back to the safehouse now?
“I’ll explain in detail later. There will soon be an invitation from Belial.”
Taehoo didn’t have the time to explain everything himself.
“Well, I trust you’re not going to rush into things thoughtlessly.”
Realizing the situation, Juhyeok replied calmly.
Years spent together and even one mission shared was enough time to understand Taehoo was no ordinary guy.
“Since I’ve decided to follow you, I’ll do so without complaint.”
Just as he had with Dantalion.
If anything was different, it was the firm trust underlying his actions.
Taehoo smiled contentedly at him.
“Good. I hope you handle what’s assigned well when you get back.”
With a brief handshake, Juhyeok quickly began waking the others.
The operation had involved 50 people. Only about 15 remained. More children had died than expected.
Bitterness hovered over Taehoo’s lips.
The children were confused about how to process the current situation.
Though not many, some had witnessed Taehoo driving a blade into Jin Tae’s heart even while dealing with Dantalion’s spies.
What are we?
Why did Taehoo betray Jin Tae?
Who is Taehoo really?
Unsettling thoughts lay beneath the children’s minds.
Taehoo stood before them.
“There’s no need to be afraid.”
He spoke with certainty.
They were children sold by parents, dragged from streets, or born in the auction houses of the sewers.
Those with similar tragic circumstances had gathered here, trained, and shared their time together.
Their feelings about Jin Tae were not strong.
But the children here shared a deep bond with one another.
“Those who want to leave may go. A few days from now, if you mention my name at the auction, I’ll make sure you get some money.”
Nam Taehoo.
The boy once called Joseph now gave his name as Nam Taehoo.
He was vague about his family and origin, but his intention was clear.
“Those who aren’t leaving now will follow Juhyeok.”
Did changing his name erase the bonds built over time?
That was uncertain.
Some might feel betrayed.
Though Taehoo had lived two lives through reincarnation, he couldn’t be certain about things he hadn’t experienced.
After a brief hesitation,
“If you follow Juhyeok, you won’t regret it.”
He added his small wish.
Besides Muncheol, these were the only children with whom Taehoo had somewhat built a bond since his return.
He didn’t want their relationship to be torn apart like this.
Some time passed.
Two left.
“Alright, the rest will follow Juhyeok back to the safehouse.”
Taehoo handed the mask he had been wearing to Juhyeok.
The fourteen remaining, including Juhyeok, hurriedly left the arena.
Having familiarized himself with every hole and tunnel of the arena and sewers, slipping out unnoticed would be no problem.
Of course, the information came from the sewer’s information broker.
‘Once this settles, I should pay him a proper visit.’
Not long after, Nachal appeared at the arena leading his clan members.
Suddenly, the Nam Clan’s Hunters burst in.
‘Things outside must be in chaos.’
The sewers were the most notorious lawless zone in Korea.
They existed with the tacit approval of political and clan powers.
Suddenly, an armed force had flooded in.
By now, everyone on the streets must have sensed the anomaly, and chaos was inevitable.
Despite several twists and turns, this was all part of Taehoo’s plan.
“You’re here.”
Taehoo greeted Nachal warmly.
“How are you feeling? No aftereffects?”
“As you can see, perfectly fine.”
Taehoo shrugged as he answered.
Though Taehoo said he was fine, Nachal kept his eyes on both Taehoo and Muncheol.
Though calm on the outside, his heart was burning inside.
‘Of all times, this happened just as I went to report to my lord…’
He had rushed here in a flurry after receiving a late report.
Still, seeing both of them unharmed let him breathe a sigh of relief.
“What about Kim Jin-tae?”
With their safety confirmed, it was time to ask about the mission.
Taehoo nodded and then looked in another direction.
There lay Jin Tae’s cold corpse.
“Hah… To think you succeeded even with this mission…”
Nachal realized easily that his worries had been unfounded.
“I expected you to arrive a bit earlier, though.”
Taehoo teased Nachal, who was visibly relieved.
In truth, Nachal was Taehoo’s last hidden card.
If a crisis arose, he had expected Nachal to appear.
Though the timing was a bit late.
“So you knew I was watching.”
“You didn’t think I’d just send you two into the jaws of death and do nothing, right?”
Nachal chuckled lightly.
Muncheol quietly listened to their conversation.
Nachal soon turned his gaze to Muncheol.
“Glad you’re unharmed.”
A small show of affection.
“Yes.”
An awkward reply.
Suddenly, a Hunter waiting outside the arena dashed in.
“I-I have something to report!”
“Ahem, what is it?”
Nachal cleared his throat awkwardly and asked.
“People have come with money, saying it’s the ransom for my masters’ lives. What should we do with this?”
They were the servants Jin Tae had sent to collect ransom money.
“Well, we should step outside for now.”
Taehoo stepped forward.
Nachal watched Taehoo walk ahead naturally, without a hint of embarrassment, and thought that perhaps this was all Taehoo’s plan.
‘No, no matter how much of a noble he is… that’s probably too much.’
Just as Taehoo was leading the way, he seemed to remember something and turned back.
“We almost died, you know? So please overlook the money we get here as punishment for your late arrival.”
Nachal seriously considered the thought that had crossed his mind.
‘Well then, let’s make some money.’
Taehoo had no interest in Nachal’s worries and just walked out of the arena.
The ransom money the servants brought would be disguised as bail money.
All the money was cash.
Fortunately, no madmen tried to pay with a card.
In front of the half-ruined arena, sacks of money piled up in a bizarre spectacle.
Among the captured VIPs were quite a few wealthy individuals, none of whom minded their ransom being turned into bail.
No, they couldn’t afford to mind.
The Nam Clan’s methods were already quite famous, and the VIPs had to be grateful they weren’t dragged off to the clan’s prison as rumored.
Those interrogated by the Nam Clan’s Hunters left the arena without making eye contact.
‘They’ll stay quiet for now.’
Taehoo watched the guilty expressions of the departing VIPs and thought.
‘How long will it last? A few months?’
No, a few days would be enough.
Those who couldn’t control their money would soon find new ways to spend it.
It was an easy deduction, and these were such people.
Because of that, Taehoo felt no remorse taking their money.
He simply watched the growing piles of cash with satisfaction.
It was money already earmarked for use.
“Pick a good day to prepare the children’s funerals.”
Taehoo looked away from the fleeing VIPs and said to Nachal.
The prepared test was over, and this place was no longer a Sanctuary.
In this situation, it was only natural for Taehoo, a blood relative of the clan, to give orders to Nachal.
‘I don’t understand why the main family treated him so poorly.’
Nachal clicked his tongue watching Taehoo.
He’d never seen a kid so sharp in his life.
“I’ll find a good day.”
Nachal bowed slightly.
It wasn’t the kind of order he wanted to refuse, so he complied willingly.
“Good. I have work to do.”
Taehoo gathered several sacks of money and moved.
“You don’t need to escort me, so don’t follow.”
Leaving those words behind, he quietly left the arena.