NOVPUB
The wandering merchant urgently tried to stop the Silent Swordsman, who was about to raise his Molsal Sword.
With a face as pale as a sheet, the merchant clearly seemed to have realized something about the Legacy Sealed in the Chains of the Void, which had been presented by the Dark Merchant.
“This... Are you afraid?”
“I can’t help but be afraid. To present such a thing, it's cowardly!”
“Khuhuhu. Even a young goblin merchant has an eye for these things. To recognize this... I see.”
The porter asked.
“Wandering Merchant, what is this Void that you fear so much? The value of the Silent Swordsman’s Molsal Sword is probably so high it’s almost terrifying to consider.”
“The value of the relic isn’t important. No matter what is offered, if we want to prove it superior to this, we must break that Void. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“As the Wandering Merchant says, I am confident in the legacy sealed within my Void. If you believe your legacy surpasses mine, feel free to try and break that Void.”
Under the strange confidence, the subordinates shrank back.
The Wandering Merchant showed clear signs of disgust, clearly unwilling to get any closer to it.
“That’s a type of cursed box. If you recognize the value of the legacy sealed within, it won’t harm you, but if you doubt the curse, the one who breaks the box will be cursed themselves.”
“So, does that mean anyone who accepts the challenge must prepare for the curse?”
The porter’s jaw dropped.
The game is designed such that no one wants to face the cursed item. If you don’t open it, you remain victorious, but if you try to verify it, you risk being cursed.
“The contradiction of a sealed legacy. If one rashly challenges it, the curse won’t just cost you your life; you’ll endure a much harsher fate. Khuhuhu.”
If you don’t open it, you lose. If you open it, you’re cursed.
The dilemma of the sealed legacy.
The Dark Merchant had fully intended to bring out the cursed item.
He intended to make up for his loss in the first round, where he tried to battle using the mere value of the relic itself.
It’s clear now that he is no ordinary individual.
“Are you afraid? If you are, you may forfeit the match.”
“No! Forfeiting is absolutely out of the question!”
Tutta, who {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} had been terrified, screamed, his face pale.
‘My hands are wet.’
Tutta clutched the Silent Swordsman’s leg tightly, his hands slick with cold sweat.
Despite being so tense, he refused to back down.
It was clear how crucial this was.
“This wager—there’s no rule against putting forward the same legacy twice!”
“Oh? You noticed? Khuhuhu.”
The porter, a beat too late, realized the meaning and shuddered.
“What wickedness... One person must break the box and face the curse, or they’ll suffer the same fate in the third round. To win this wager, we must choose the sacrificial lamb for the curse in this round!”
This was why the Wandering Merchant and Tutta had desperately tried to stop the Silent Swordsman.
“Ugh!! This is terrifying!! How could you bring such a cursed relic to a game meant to bring joy?!”
“I agree. Such a thing isn’t fit for a goblin merchant. It doesn’t shine, nor is it beautiful!”
“Oh? It seems I’ve earned the dislike of this young goblin merchant. As someone who’s lived longer, should I offer a bit of guidance to my kind?”
The Dark Merchant laughed cruelly, his eyes gleaming with malice.
In those eyes was a hint of undeniable cruelty.
“You young goblins often make a mistake. You think that treasures that shine and are beautiful are only the ones found in nature, or the ones that hold precious memories.”
“Are you saying I’m wrong?”
“You’re not wrong. It’s just that the world has far shinier, more beautiful things. Things like a mother who chooses death in place of her child—a ‘sacrifice’.”
“!!”
“When a sentient being chooses to sacrifice itself, it shines with an unparalleled brilliance and beauty. Even as they fall into darkness, they hope, they will, and they are determined that those who inherit their will shall not. How could that not be beautiful?”
Haenghaeng understood.
He understood why this entity was called the Dark Merchant.
This monster drove sentient beings' hearts into darkness and believed that the noble resolve they cultivate in the direst of circumstances has the greatest value.
The Legacy Sealed in the Void was bait, meant to create such a supreme treasure.
This second-round challenge was truly a sincere battle for the Dark Merchant to reveal his true identity.
“Just how harsh is this curse...”
“What curse could be worse than death?”
“Whatever it is, I don’t want to be the one to suffer it.”
Everyone was struck by fear.
No one wanted to face such a cruel fate.
And so, silence, darkness, and despair came upon them.
It was truly a world of darkness.
The ominous darkness seemed to stretch infinitely, making it impossible to predict what would happen next.
Amid this darkness, a monster stepped forward.
“I will step forward.”
“!!”
“Already having lived a life that was worse than death, a life that I could not even be proud of. If it opens the way for my lord, I will accept whatever curse comes. I am not afraid.”
The valiant red-clad knight stepped forward, his red cloak billowing.
His resolve stunned everyone.
“Knight! You are a commander. If you’re gone, even the humans will be in trouble!”
“This worn-out, humble body exists only for my lord. My lord has endured this unreasonable journey to fulfill his promise of ending the Half-Demon’s territory and has made it here.”
The knight spoke.
“You don’t know how much of a miracle this is. Never did I think that this day would come, even once in a thousand or ten thousand chances.”
“The soldiers abandoned by the Great Monster and White Spirit King, the commoners, humans, half-demons, and monsters, have all joined together under one person’s back and built their power.”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one that could never exist again, unless it is with my lord. If I can continue down this path, I will not regret this second life granted to me, even if it’s just like a miracle!”
[The knight’s legacies Vanguard, God of Loyalty, and Red Legion Commander evolve.]
[The knight has gained the legacy Silent Swordsman’s Loyal 1st Commander.]
Past honors.
Loyalty in serving his lord.
The fame of being the Red Legion Commander.
All those names now converge under the legacy of the Silent Swordsman’s Loyal 1st Commander.
He felt that his current role as the 1st Commander of the Silent Swordsman was far more valuable and noble than the past glory. This power came from that belief.
“My lady. The knight is pretending to be strong despite being weak. If we don’t punish him quickly, he’ll get hurt again.”
Under the knight’s armor, his eyes were unwavering.
They were like Eve’s eyes, who had accepted her death and prepared herself.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
Until now, she had always stepped back and logged out of the game because she could not accept such sacrifices. But now...
‘I’m a little more ready.’
If all martial arts stem from ‘Qi,’
All legacies stem from ‘Yogi.’
[The Silent Swordsman has put forward the Legacy of the Molsal Sword as his card.]
If the causality that sets the boss battle in motion can be cut with a sword,
What curse could not be severed?
Crack!
The sword that shatters the Void.
Before the unleashed curse could even take effect, her sword was already poised.
No matter what curse flies at her, she will deflect it and cut it down.
The Wandering Merchant, Tutta, and all the monsters had warned her about the danger, but in the end, they realized:
If she doesn’t strike, one by one, her subordinates will be sacrificed.
Armed with this resolve, the Silent Swordsman was ready to cut through anything.
“Ha. She really cut it.”
The Dark Merchant sighed.
The curse did not fly.
In the awkward silence, he spoke.
“I’ve lost.”
“?”
“The curse sealed within the box is a legacy of unknown fear that amplifies the viewer’s anxiety.”
“!!”
[The Dark Merchant’s Legacy Sealed in the Chains of the Void was overcome.]
[Round 2 – Win]
[The 3-out-of-5 match was won.]
There was no curse.
Only then did everyone relax and breathe easy.
That was one gutsy opponent.
Even the Dark Merchant couldn’t help but admire him.
“Loyalty and responsibility. With a legacy twisted by both, I cannot deny my defeat.”
“As promised, I will give you the travel permit to the Cloud Citadel. And I’ll even accept additional conditions. What more do you want from me?”
The Dark Merchant.
The field boss of the goblin black market.
At his words, everyone replied.
“Let’s gather the disgusting goblin merchants and make them all kill themselves!”
“Unlike the Wandering Merchant, these ones must never live. I think it’s fine to lock them in their own Void.”
“Tutta wants to make the goblins slaves and use them in battle!”
Loud voices echoed.
Haenghaeng watched.
He saw, in the confusion, the Dark Merchant’s foot, having dropped onto the broken box’s remnants, subtly pulling something towards him.
Thud
With a light kick, the Dark Merchant fell with a scream.
The object that had rolled out from under his feet was something quite familiar.
“Wait, do these goblins only survive if they have these perverted books?!”
“Bringing out a box filled with obscene books depicting human relations as part of a sacred legacy battle—what kind of insult is this! Did you have ill thoughts towards our lord?!”
“My lord, please allow me to take this fiend’s head!”
At the furious cries of his subordinates, the Dark Merchant hurriedly waved his hand.
“It’s a misunderstanding! A legacy grows stronger by bearing its risks. I raised this curse, prepared to face social annihilation in goblin society!!”
At his loud cry, his subordinates were persuaded.
“Unbelievable!”
“Is the Dark Merchant a human hater?!”
“This world really is at its end!”
“Did we really serve such a creature as our leader?”
“Disgusting.”
“......”
The goblin merchants, watching the wager, openly showed their disgust.
This monster truly was facing social annihilation.
He hadn’t lied.
