Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 103 [Title: Sorry, but where did my blood go? lololololol] Content: Gaderok, this fucking bastard lolololol Why is a level 59 scrub dealing this much damage lololololol -: Got hit by Black Fire? Then of course it hurts yeah -: SWORD IS FIRE... just the name alone sounds fucking painful -: For real, there are three violent elements in it -: Three? -: Ah -[Original Poster]: No, fuck, forget getting hit or anything, it was just an instant kill -: Instant kill? Oh... -: Oh... what the hell -[Original Poster]: No, you fucking bastards, is this Gaderok guy even right? -[Original Poster]: How is this 6th Rank scrub damage? -: It's not just 6th Rank, but late 6th Rank apparently ㅠ -[Original Poster]: Late 6th Rank or low rank, fuck, my magic resistance is so high that even 7th Rank guys barely deal damage to me -: Gaderok is really famous for his equipment advantage -: Like some gay guy, he's wearing a fucking pretty Black Pearl Earring on his right ear -: That's the thing, it's a Relic with demonic power sealed in it -[Original Poster]: What? -[Original Poster]: Why didn't I see it? -: Photo attached: BQD1C3785809DDCQQDW1488747936231[CCD] -[Original Poster]: Oh thanks -[Original Poster]: No, fuck, what's with the porn? -: Ah, uploaded the wrong thing -[Original Poster]: Anyway, thanks -: Yep, good luck -: What's with this wholesomeness -[Original Poster]: But wait, Relic? Is that different from an Artifact? -: According to in-game standards Items with 'power' level abilities sealed are called Artifacts Items with 'authority' level abilities sealed are called Relics *** Gaderok's Black Fire. Its infamy reached every corner of the underworld. Those who encountered the notoriety of the Black Fire often raised suspicions that Gaderok was a Dark Mage. The nature and power of that force touched the realm of the incomprehensible. Once that fire ignited, it would not extinguish until the target was completely consumed, nor could it be put out. In the Back Alleys, the Black Fire was a symbol of terror. Gaderok reigned as the emperor of the Back Alleys as one who wielded that symbol of fear. "The Black Fire went out...?" But now. That Black Fire had been extinguished. And in such a futile manner, like a candle blown out by the wind. The rulers of the Back Alleys and their escorts stared at Gaderok in bewilderment. "..." Gaderok too was staring somewhere in bewilderment. Their gazes naturally followed Gaderok's line of sight. The attention of everyone present focused on the Acting City Councilor. "Are you alright? Brimport." "Yes? Ah..." Whether this was a dream or reality. Brimport, who had been half out of his mind, startled and nodded his head. "Yes, yes! I'm fine!" -My fate depends on such a brat? -Right. Let's just consider it ruined. The Brimport who had been pessimistic about his situation until arriving at the venue was no more. He quickly moved his chair to the seat right next to Risir and sat there. A servile appearance unbefitting the name of a Back Alley ruler. If this had been a typical Back Alley Council meeting, all manner of mockery and contempt would have been directed at Brimport. If it had been the usual Back Alley Council meeting centered around Gaderok and Gadum, that is. "..." "..." But now. None of those at the meeting could direct contempt and mockery toward Brimport. "Th-thanks to you, I'm alive! Thank you for helping me, Acting City Councilor!" Due to the being who was protecting him right beside him. "Don't mention it." The way he acted so nonchalantly as if nothing had happened after extinguishing the Black Fire was more than enough to shake the hearts of the rulers who had been bound by the shadows cast by the Black Fire. This was no longer a 'Back Alley Council without Gadum.' They no longer thought 'Is this now Gaderok's era?' Their bewilderment and silence granted legitimacy to the new ruler. Legitimacy enough to control the entire flow of the venue. There were no longer any gazes looking at him like a lost brat who had taken a wrong turn. Reading this flow, Risir recalled Clana's advice. -When dealing with criminals, the most important thing is seizing the initiative. It was time to follow that advice. Risir immediately opened his mouth. "As someone just mentioned, the atmosphere is somewhat chaotic for conducting a meeting. But don't worry. As you can see, I've put out the urgent fire." Risir employed a formal tone he rarely used, executing the kind of dignified verbal maneuvering characteristic of nobles. With this, Gaderok's earlier appearance of stirring up trouble for Brimport under the pretext of a chaotic atmosphere suddenly seemed ridiculous. Several rulers glanced at Gaderok while suppressing their snickers. "..." However, when Gaderok showed anger at those expressions, they quickly composed their faces as if nothing had happened. Gaderok stared at Risir wordlessly. The atmosphere of the venue split in two. Risir clicked his tongue inwardly. 'This is going to be harder than I thought.' Risir's mission this time was to seize control of the Back Alley Council and pass an agenda that could pressure them. What was needed for that was a majority of favorable votes. A total of four votes, including his own and Brimport's. From the atmosphere just moments ago, Risir had harbored expectations that he might be able to secure the votes of the two rulers excluding Gaderok. However, seeing their reactions now, he had no choice but to think differently. In Risir's eyes, he could see that they still feared Gaderok more than him. 'The chances of those bastards fearing me more than Gaderok and agreeing to an agenda harmful to Back Alley criminals is... practically nonexistent.' To devise another strategy, Risir recalled the precautions he had memorized before attending this meeting. 1. Gaderok, the ruler of the west, and Dejong, the convener of this meeting, are in a tense relationship. 2. The Owner of the north and the Saint of the east seem to be showing behavior that avoids criminal activities. 'Dejong is over there watching Gaderok's reactions... Then, the ones I can pin my hopes on are the Saint and the Owner.' The Saint and the Owner. Risir's complexion wasn't entirely good when thinking of them. Risir recalled Dogal's explanation about the two. -The Owner is no easy opponent. After the Owner emerged as the new ruler of the north, the northern territory became strongly united as if it were one body. It's absolute control that even Gaderok couldn't demonstrate. -Gadum had consistently attempted to make contact with the Owner since human trafficking from the north made up a considerable portion of his business. But what came back each time was a harsh rejection and being turned away at the door. -The Saint is the same. Someone who built fame by treating drug addicts and sick people scattered throughout the slums for free, and as you can tell from the name, receives absolute support in that area. Probably even the Religious Order's saint wouldn't match up to the Saint in that region. -Additionally, behind the Saint's explosive growth is the support of 'Golden Barley,' one of Bondaless's leading Great Trading Companies. Their Young Lady 'Caria' apparently fell head over heels after being treated by the Saint. -Besides that, there are quite a few powerful figures who have fallen for the Saint. -Both the Owner and the Saint are masters at handling people. -Even for you, Lord Risir, they won't be easy to deal with. They were certainly differentiated from other Back Alley rulers in that they avoided crime. Should he say they were similar in nature to himself, belonging to the City Council and trying to keep criminal organizations in check? 'But that doesn't guarantee they'll lend their support to my side.' They had their power base in the Back Alleys after all. Even if not as much as the criminals, they would certainly feel uncomfortable about the City Council's intervention. 'A method that can efficiently pressure the Back Alleys while not offending the Saint and the Owner... It's difficult.' Despite repeated deliberation, no suitable solution came to mind. Risir hoped the two wouldn't arrive until he could think of a solution. "The Owner has arrived." But rendering that wish meaningless, the Owner arrived punctually and revealed herself. Risir looked toward the entrance of the living room with full tension. There stood a woman with a slender build. Red eyes exuded presence from beneath a pure white mask. "..." "..." The Acting City Councilor. The Owner of the north. The two looked at each other with strange gazes for quite some time. "The Saint has arrived." Then, before the Owner could even take a seat, a new figure appeared. Androgynous sky-blue eyes exuded presence from within an iron mask. "..." "..." "..." The Acting City Councilor. The Owner of the north. The Saint of the east. They looked at each other with strange gazes for quite some time. 'Why are you showing up here.' The meaning contained in those gazes was unknowable to others. Then. The Owner looked alternately at the round table and the Saint, then quickly moved to occupy the seat to Risir's right. The Saint also naturally moved toward the seat to Risir's left, but- "?" "..." After having a brief staring contest with Brimport, who had already occupied the seat to Risir's left, the Saint sighed. In any case, all seats at the round table were filled. "Everyone has gathered. Let us begin the meeting." The right to conduct the meeting belonged to Gadum, the greatest patron of the Back Alley Council. Before proceeding with the meeting in his capacity as Gadum's proxy, Risir looked around the round table while reviewing his objectives. 'One, two, three, four... Huh?' It was sudden. Risir came up with a clever plan that could completely control the Back Alleys while persuading everyone. *** 'What the hell did he do...' Gaderok's expression had been consistently poor since the Acting City Councilor extinguished the Black Fire. The Black Fire was the same for others, but it held particularly symbolic meaning for Gaderok. The spark of anxiety that bloomed within Gaderok replaced the void left by the extinguished Black Fire. He agonized over the anxiety that this meeting might not go according to his will. However, that agony didn't last long. Shortly after the meeting began, the Acting City Councilor proposed the first agenda item, and its content was quite a spectacle. "Therefore, in order for our Guard Corps to more effectively protect and coordinate your businesses going forward, we plan to include most of the Back Alley streets in our patrol routes. Furthermore-" Interpreting the content of that agenda item, which was dressed up respectably and cleverly with various flowery language, it was this: -From now on, the Back Alleys will be managed by our Guard Corps. 'So a brat is still a brat after all.' Had he become arrogant after extinguishing the Black Fire? Or had he overestimated Gadum's power backing him? Whatever it was, he had made an absurd mistake. To declare control over the Back Alleys at a Back Alley Council meeting where the Back Alley rulers had gathered. 'The Owner and Saint's reactions... there's no need to even look.' The idea that the Owner and Saint, whose allegiances were unknown, would side with the Acting City Councilor- It was the moment when Gaderok's greatest anxiety came to an end. 'With this, the Owner and Saint will clearly draw a line with the Acting City Councilor.' Gaderok looked around the round table. As it appeared to his eyes- Currently his side had three, the enemy's side had two. And there were two neutrals: the Saint and the Owner. 'Brimport...' If he could just win him over again, the Back Alley Council would fall into his hands. "Then, I ask those who agree with my proposal to please raise your hands." Having finished his calculations, Gaderok leisurely leaned back against his chair. All that remained was to watch that brat collapse on his own. Gaderok observed Brimport's reaction. "..." 'Indeed, he's not that much of an idiot.' Brimport was looking troubled, watching the reactions of three people: Risir, the Saint, and the Owner. His expression suggested he couldn't understand proposing an opinion that would earn their resentment when even winning the hearts of the Saint and Owner wouldn't be enough in a situation where he was antagonizing Gaderok. 'If it comes to this, rather than killing Brimport-' Just like that, Gaderok was already thinking about what would happen after the Acting City Councilor's proposal was rejected. "...!" The sound of someone swallowing came from the seat right next to him. Gaderok wondered what was happening and snapped out of his thoughts. "..." And he doubted his own eyes. The Saint and the Owner. They were raising their hands. "I-I agree too!" Following that, Brimport, who had been only watching the two's reactions, raised his hand. "The motion is passed." Thus, the absurd agenda item proposed by the Acting City Councilor was passed. *** Was it alright for things to go this smoothly? Risir looked at Gaderok's reaction in bewilderment. Naturally, he was confused. That much had been expected. "..." But suddenly, determination set on Gaderok's expression. He exchanged glances with the southern ruler sitting next to him- Dejong, then nodded. 'Wait.' A strange unease crept over him. Soon, that unease became reality. Gaderok put his hand into his jacket, and a small mana phenomenon occurred within. He had sent a signal to his subordinates waiting in nearby buildings. Risir's sharp senses detected presences rapidly gathering around the building. "Lord Risir, something's wrong!" As Dogal and the other guards took positions with their backs to the living room entrance, armed men swarmed in and blocked the entrance to the living room. "Those are... Lord Risir! They're members of Gaderok and Dejong's organizations!" Indeed, Gaderok and Dejong had already joined forces. To completely drive out Gadum, who was shaking both internally and externally, and monopolize the Back Alleys. The ruler caught between Gaderok and Dejong widened his eyes and confronted them. "Gaderok, Dejong, what the hell is this- Aaaahhh!!!" The face of the ruler who had been expressing bewilderment between the two burst into Black Fire. With the ruler writhing on the floor behind him, Gaderok stood up and looked down at Risir with a sneer. "You brat, you've made the situation complicated after all. Do you know? All of this is what you brought about." "..." "Now, then-" "Kyaaah!!!" Someone's scream cut off Gaderok's words. It was one of Dejong's subordinates. She was writhing while engulfed in Black Fire. "Wh-what is this...! Forean!" "Lord Dejong!!! Save me!!! It's hot!!!" "Damn it, Gaderok!!! Stop! What the hell are you doing!" Dejong immediately backed away from Gaderok and confronted him. "...?" Sudden action. And bewilderment. Gaderok simultaneously displayed incompatible behaviors. "...What's going on?" "Internal strife?" Even the Owner and Saint showed bewilderment at the situation. However- "Ah, come to think of it-" "You were here, weren't you." Their gazes turned toward Risir, then they nodded as if they understood immediately. "No-" Risir, who was equally bewildered by the suddenly unfolding chaos, was about to deny it when- -Master! Someone's voice echoed in Risir's head. Yesterday. It was Dangaleon, who had expressed dissatisfaction that he alone among the 'three' didn't belong to the Inner World and had requested residence. Risir asked him in confusion. 'What is this? Did you do this?' -If not I, Dangaleon, who else could do such a thing for Master! 'What, how?' -Do you see that Black Pearl Earring that vermin has in his ear!? 'What about it?' -It's mine! (E/N: OOooooohHHHH! Mineee! Mine shiinnyy! Ok, sorry, I'm tired) '...' It was an answer with far too much omitted even for an abbreviated response, but Risir immediately understood the meaning contained in that answer. The name that Dangaleon habitually uttered came to mind. 'Burning Black Fire... Could it be that what he's using is your power?' -Because it's the power I created! All Black Fire in this world belongs to me, Dangaleon! 'Huh.' -It's deplorable! How dare such a vermin use my power freely...! Anyway, now is the time, Master! 'Now is the time for what?' -I'll burn those bastards' subordinates with Black Fire! Then they'll think it's something that vermin did and fall into confusion! Take advantage of that gap to sow discord among them! "..." What kind of thoughts must one have in daily life for such a plan to come out as naturally as breathing in an emergency situation? Risir was tongue-tied at that devilish plan.