Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

Chapter 29: Testing Loyalties

Derek's face was gloomy, seemingly due to his failed attempt to re-establish his position within the group.

"Hey, loosen up. People might think we're dragging you away somewhere," Justin said.

"...."

"Answer me. I'm talking to you." Even after repeated attempts, Derek's lips remained sealed. Was he thinking it was better to stay silent than to show respect? It was a ridiculous effort.

Justin pointed a finger at Derek's head. "Black misa-"

"Argh! I'll speak! I'll speak!" Derek shouted in panic, just before Justin finished his incantation.

Only then did Justin nod in satisfaction. "That's right, you should answer when someone calls you."

"Y-yes, I'll do that from now on."

"Good. Don't take it too personally. There's a reason behind my actions," Justin said.

Derek's face turned bright red. What reason could there possibly be? Wasn't Justin just trying to mess with him? Derek's thoughts were evident, even if he didn't voice them.

Justin decided to correct that misunderstanding. "You need to keep showing respect to establish the hierarchy, understand? If you keep your mouth shut and suddenly switch to casual speech, it's going to be a problem. If you keep trying to treat us as equals, I'll have to kill you."

"...!"

"So, I'm making you keep using respectful language to prevent that from happening. If you get used to speaking respectfully, you'll keep doing it, and seeing you obedient will make me less inclined to kill you."

Hearing Justin's words, the blood drained from Derek's face. He had spoken sincerely, so it was hard for Derek to dismiss it as a joke. Even Cooper and Nathan, their teammates, were shocked by Justin's statement.

Cooper, looking alarmed, tried to intervene. "Justin, now that we're all on the same team, maybe you could..."

"Treat him kindly? There's no need for that," Justin interrupted with a smirk, pointing at Derek. "Why do you think this guy came to us in the first place? Because no one else would take him."

Derek had definitely started out ahead of most. However, one mistake in the early stages had ruined everything. After interfering with other people's quests, he hadn't even had the chance to attempt a rescue quest. No one wanted to team up with someone who had already been causing trouble.

By now, it was safe to say all opportunities had slipped away for Derek without teammates. Pioneers were starting to form their own bonds.

"Now, no matter which team he joins, he's at the bottom. He acted out in the beginning, and his level is low, so how do you think other teams will treat him?" Justin continued.

"Uh... ostracized? Errand boy?" Nathan guessed.

"That would be a good outcome. If he's unlucky, those who still hold a grudge for what he did might stab and kill him."

Even without personal grudges, people might think it was better to kill him to avoid future risks. Derek's behavior had not painted him as a good candidate for a companion or neighbor. They might simply think it was better to deal with a potential threat sooner rather than later.

"This cunning guy knows that too, which is why he came to me first. I've never lied so far. I've always answered honestly," Justin said.

He had promised Derek that he would kill him if they ever clashed again, and during the rescue quest, he had openly stated he wouldn't help anyone beyond what was required. Derek saw Justin as someone who, at the very least, wouldn't lie.

"Other people might invite him to their team and then kill him later, but he figured I'd refuse him outright if I didn't like him. At least this way, he wouldn't get stabbed in the back. So, he decided to take a chance on me, right?" Justin smirked.

"..."

When Justin asked mockingly, Derek avoided his gaze. Justin didn't wait for an answer before continuing.

"So, you can treat him however you want. He's already hated by everyone. If he betrays the ones who accepted him, it's game over."

Even if he didn't betray others, he'd be surrounded and killed immediately. He would be labeled as a threat to the community, beyond any personal profit or loss.

"And if someone like him still tries to challenge us in this situation, I might lose my patience. Seriously," Justin said, looking at Derek calmly.

Justin had seen the worst of humanity while working in the service industry. There were people who wouldn't feel guilty whether others died because of them or if they killed others directly. To Justin, Derek was that kind of person.

And people like Derek had no right to make others feel guilt. Even if that meant killing.

Meeting Justin's cold gaze, Derek's face turned pale, and he nodded desperately. "I-I understand! I really do!"

"Good, you understand?" Justin asked.

"Yes. I truly understand!" Derek repeated.

"That's enough, then. That's enough."

There was no need for further words between Derek and Justin. At that moment, they both understood each other perfectly. And even if they hadn't, it wouldn't have mattered.

'If not, well, I'll just kill him and bury him for real,' Justin thought. If someone's personality doesn't change even when pushed to the edge, it's better not to have them around.

After forming a four-person team and leaving the village, about thirty minutes had passed. Contrary to their expectations that monsters would appear quickly, they hadn't encountered any.

They had walked for thirty minutes without seeing a single monster.

"Is this place originally devoid of monsters?" Cooper asked, sounding exhausted as he kept watch on their surroundings.

Justin thought for a moment before replying, "Maybe this is normal."

"What do you mean, normal?" Cooper asked.

"In World Breaker , monsters didn't appear near villages either," Justin explained.

Monsters only invaded villages during a monster wave. At all other times, they wouldn't appear near villages. During the early stages, when fighting against other civilizations was difficult, players had to go a bit farther to find monsters. There was no other way to level up their characters.

"The strange thing was what happened in the beginning. Back then, skeletons were wandering just twenty steps away from the safe zone. Normally, the game was like this," Justin said.

"Still, shouldn't they have started appearing by now? We've been walking for thirty minutes," Cooper said.

"That's true, but..." Justin started to reply.

"Brothers! Look over there!" Nathan suddenly shouted in the middle of their conversation.

Turning their heads, they saw a humanoid figure in the distance. At first, they thought it might be a person, but as they approached, its true identity was revealed.

"Hobgoblins!"

They were a species similar to goblins but looked entirely different. They had yellow skin and were slightly shorter than an average human woman. In terms of in-game stats, they were much stronger than goblins.

As the hobgoblins noticed them approaching, they began to laugh.

"Grurrrk! H-humans! Die!"

"Kikik! Die! Die!"

"...!?"

Nathan froze in shock. He hadn't expected the monsters to be able to talk.

"T-they can speak!" Nathan exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm surprised too. Although it doesn't look like we can have a conversation with them," Justin replied.

"What do we do? Are those things stronger than goblins?" Nathan asked, looking worried.

Justin nodded in response. Stronger than goblins? Absolutely. Their stats were incomparable.

"Yeah, they're much stronger than goblins."

"How much stronger!?"

"As strong as a skeleton. Their physical strength is about human level, and they can wield weapons too."

"Oh, my... As strong as a skeleton... Wait, what?" Nathan's eyes widened as he continued the conversation. He seemed to realize something odd about Justin's comparison.

"As strong as a skeleton? A skeleton...?"

Nathan's gaze shifted between Justin and Cooper.