In a room shrouded in darkness, a man knelt before his desk.
The man muttered in a trembling voice.
“I-I’m sorry! It was my oversight. I never imagined anyone would dare to interfere with the representatives.”
His voice cracked and shook with fear.
The man was known as “Master” within the Black Hand, but his current appearance was pathetic.
No, in fact, this current state was no different from his true form.
“B-but! I will absolutely fix all of this!”
Master swallowed dryly and forced himself to speak.
“Please give me another chance! Lord of Death!”
His gaze was fixed on the desk.
On the desk lay a black mask exuding an eerie aura.
It was the mask he usually wore.
Though a familiar object, to Master’s eyes now, it was only an object of terror.
Trembling with despair and fear, he waited for a response.
“…”
In the silence, only a death-like stillness flowed.
The sight of the man alone, prostrate and muttering in the room, felt grotesque.
But then, a chilling laughter echoed all around.
– Khhkhkhkh.
The laughter spread, piercing the ears.
It was emanating from the black mask.
– Is there a fool who dares to interfere with my plans?
Master stroked the mask with trembling hands.
“…That’s right! Those who insult the Lord of Death deserve retribution!”
He replied with great relief.
Master’s power and position all originated from this mask.
The black mask was an artifact.
It was a true artifact, on a different level from the simple artifacts found in marketplaces.
The black mask was a legendary artifact inscribed with the soul of a high-ranking demon.
With the mask’s power, he had ascended to the throne of the underworld and believed without a doubt that he would one day grasp the entire continent in his hand.
‘With this, I too can become king…!’
He had certainly thought so.
At least, until Malcolm died.
It started simply.
One day, Malcolm suddenly disappeared.
Simultaneously, a new individual appeared in the sector Malcolm managed.
It was someone named Necros.
As if he had lost all fear, he sent invitations to the representatives of the Black Hand.
Naturally, an invitation was delivered to Master as well.
He didn’t know how the information leaked, but one thing was clear.
‘He is no ordinary fellow.’
It didn’t matter.
No matter how extraordinary, he was still human, wasn’t he?
On the other hand, he possessed an artifact imbued with the power of a demon.
Master immediately sent Lila, Annabelle, and Peris to the location written on the invitation to investigate Necros.
That was a fatal mistake.
All three who went to the location lost contact.
‘……!’
All his previous efforts had gone to waste.
His painstakingly built small kingdom was shaking precariously.
Fear gripped Master’s heart.
Not because of the missing subordinates.
He wouldn’t have cared even if the organization collapsed.
The real fear was something else.
‘What if they doubt my ability? What if I am abandoned here…?’
A chilling thought consumed him.
If the black mask were to abandon him, it would be the same as losing the foundation of power he had built so far.
He would lose his life as “Master,” of course, as well as his position as a representative.
Did not all that power originate from the mask in the first place?
‘I must prove my worth at all costs!’
Master, standing on the brink, had no choice.
He had to resolve the immediate situation and show his loyalty to the black mask.
At least, he had to pretend to.
“I will go and check Malcolm’s sector immediately!”
Master bowed his head and kissed the black mask.
The cold touch penetrated his lips.
“Lord of Death… Please take my soul and grant me power!”
The crazed whisper reached its climax.
In response, the mask replied in a sinister voice.
– Indeed… my faithful servant. If you desire power, I will gladly grant it.
Master shivered ecstatically at the devilish voice that sent chills through his entire body.
“I will serve you forever…!”
As he slowly brought the mask to his face, his pupils began to turn red.
– Now, go out and show your power. I shall be with you.
With bloodshot eyes, he stared into the void and headed for the door.
A cruel smile played on his face as he wandered the darkened hallway.
“Kekeke.”
Master, or perhaps a demon.
The man bared his sharp teeth and let out a chilling laugh. His laughter was buried in the darkness and echoed.
The demon took a human body and began to sow the seeds of death.
– Now, let us go in search of death.
“Now, let us go in search of death.”
Drawn by the demon’s voice, the man slowly moved forward.
* * *
Thunderous cheers shook the coliseum.
The jeers, curses, and frenzied cheers pouring from all directions left one deafened.
This was the Monster Coliseum.
It was a bloody battleground where monsters and humans fought for their lives.
At first, not many people were crazy enough to risk their lives.
So, Malcolm threatened those indebted to him and dragged them to the coliseum.
However, the situation took a turn due to a boy named Kale.
“Have you heard the news? They say that Kale survived again.”
“What? He survived again this time? Oh my, he’s a tough one. I heard he made quite a bit of money too?”
“Don’t even mention it. With the money he earned, he’s treating his younger sister, how kind he is. This must be because he lives a good life and the Goddess watches over him.”
The most talked-about challenger in the Monster Coliseum was, of course, Kale.
Kale, an ordinary boy supporting his family, came to the coliseum after being promised his debts would be cleared.
He had never held a sword before, but Kale was lucky.
Kale miraculously survived in every match.
A casually thrown sword pierced the monster’s vital point, or he survived amidst the monsters’ frenzy of tearing each other apart.
Once, he even avoided a monster’s attack by tripping and falling.
As these incidents repeated, Kale’s luck grew stronger with each match.
People began to bet on Kale, who was blessed with luck, and naturally, his odds dropped.
However, the amount of money Kale took in was enormous.
With the money he earned, he bought a nice house and hired a dedicated priest for his younger sister.
As impressive as his progress was, the coliseum even assigned him bodyguards.
A young boy made a name for himself in the underworld.
A boy who lived in a nice house, had money enough to have a priest as his personal physician.
He even had personal bodyguards?
Such a success story for Kale increased the number of challengers to the coliseum.
With knights and former adventurers joining in, the level of the matches gradually increased.
In a short time, the Monster Coliseum’s popularity soared, and people’s excitement reached its peak.
“No! What is happening! The Werewolf has lunged at Sir Knight Linus! Sir Linus, who had the advantage throughout the match, is he going to fall like this?!”
“Waaaaaaah!!”
Today too, the spectators roared with frenzied cheers along with the announcer’s screams.
The coliseum, where good and evil, light and darkness clashed and shed blood, was once again covered in a cruel thrill.
And there was a man watching that scene, the leader of the underworld, Master, who led the Black Hand.
He wore a black mask exuding an eerie aura on his face.
“Hmm, it’s certainly a good business. My Lord.”
The newcomer who drove out Malcolm had quite good business acumen.
A coliseum utilizing monsters, what a concept.
The problem was that such a great business was in the hands of a brat whose face he couldn’t even see.
‘Stupid Malcolm bastard.’
How could he possibly lose his sector?
It would have been fine if Malcolm himself was operating the coliseum.
However, Malcolm was already dead, and the sector had been taken by someone else.
Still, there was a way.
“If my Lord permits, I will offer you this Monster Coliseum.”
Master whispered to the black mask.
With the power of a demon behind him, the coliseum was as easy as taking candy from a baby.
– Khhkh. How long has it been since this feast of death?
Fortunately, the black mask seemed engrossed in the coliseum’s carnage, emitting an ecstatic voice.
Master smiled with satisfaction at the reaction, which seemed to pierce the demon’s true nature.
“Now, everyone! We shall begin the grand finale match!”
Amidst the ear-splitting cheers, the announcer’s shout resounded.
Challengers stepped onto the stage, and attention was focused on one boy among them.
“First, let me introduce the challengers! Well! Many new challengers have gathered today as well. But of course, we cannot miss this one!”
The announcer raised his voice even higher.
“It is! The living legend of the Monster Coliseum, Kale!”
The crowd cheered and roared at Kale’s appearance.
They had a strong belief that Kale would survive this match as well.
As such, most people bet on Kale.
Even if the odds were low, it was a sure win.
“I heard that boy is the luckiest.”
Master also took out gold coins from his pocket and bet on Kale.
Even if the odds were low, it was a bet that was bound to win.
No matter how hard one tried, they couldn’t beat someone blessed with luck.
When you think about it, didn’t Master himself obtain the luck of the black mask?
Therefore, he bet on Kale, a fellow lucky person.
The black mask remained silent, saying nothing about Master’s actions.
A moment later, the announcer introduced the monster.
“The monster that will face the challengers today is! Don’t be surprised! A 3-star Skeleton Wizard!”
However, the audience’s attention was fixed on Kale.
The Skeleton Wizard, holding a thick notebook, was completely ignored.
“That looks like a spellbook.”
Only Master stared intently at the monster.
But that was all.
Although its appearance was strange, a Skeleton Wizard was not that special of a monster.
The moment he thought that, the black mask on the man’s face trembled.
“M-My Lord…?”
The tremor didn’t stop at the mask and spread throughout Master’s entire body. Flustered, he quickly took off the mask.
“What is the sudden matter!”
As Master was flustered, the black mask finally spoke.
– F-Finally, I have found him! This one is the absolute being close to death!
“No! What are you saying!”
– I feel an immense number of deaths from him. It must be the power chosen by the God of Death!
The mask muttered nonsensical words. Master stared at the arena with a bewildered expression.
What on earth was that, that it reacted like this?
‘What on earth could it be…?’
There was merely a 3-star Skeleton Wizard in the center of the arena.
A monster wearing a worn robe and holding a thick spellbook, that was all.
He couldn’t understand why it was reacting so violently to this being.
It wasn’t a 4-star Lich, nor a 5-star Arch Lich, but a common 3-star undead monster.
‘Strange. Wait, what is it?’
Suddenly, Master realized that the sensation in his hand was gone.
The black mask had vanished without a trace.
“My Lord…?”
With a disturbed heart, he looked around, but the mask was nowhere to be found.
“Where are you!”
At that moment, the announcer’s scream-like voice resounded.
“N-No way! The Skeleton Wizard’s hand pierced Kale’s heart! What in the world is happening right now?!”
The boy, the legend of the Monster Coliseum, had died.
That was the end of the one blessed with luck.
* * *
Kaleido knelt respectfully before Necros.
“You’ve worked hard! Necros-nim!”
The being standing before him was none other than the Skeleton Wizard who had killed Kale in the coliseum a moment ago.
The Skeleton shed his worn robe and changed into a luxurious blue robe.
The Skeleton Wizard’s true identity was Arch Lich, Necros.
“Indeed, the usefulness of the boy named Kale has run its course. It was very good to deal with him at this opportunity.”
The underworld of the Sail Kingdom.
Necros was in charge of a sector of the underworld.
At the same time, he became the owner of a dungeon created by the Great One.
With the appearance of the dungeon, Kaleido naturally came under his management, effectively taking on the role of a subordinate officer.
As such, Kaleido also participated in the operation of the coliseum.
“Peris is still lost in illusion, but she will fall into our grasp soon.”
In the room, Peris lay in a deep sleep.
Her expression was not good, as if she were having a nightmare, but it was of no concern to him.
Kaleido’s report continued.
“If Necros-nim completely takes over the underworld using these individuals, the safety of the dungeon will also be guaranteed.”
Necros fell into thought and nodded silently. At that moment, a human cautiously approached and spoke.
“Master, a guest has arrived.”
He was an employee of the coliseum.
However, he had become one of Necros’s subordinates after experiencing Kaleido’s illusion magic.
“Clack.”
When Necros made a sound, Kaleido quickly translated.
“Necros-nim is asking who it is.”
As Kaleido relayed Necros’s words, the coliseum employee spoke.
“They say they are a representative of the newly established dungeon of the Underworld Merchant Guild.”
