1,000,000 Karma: My Reward Is a Quiet Life-Chapter 96: The Mercenary

'If what the Record Keeper said is true, I can't take this lightly,' he resolved, squeezing his grip on the axe.

He took the first stride past the threshold, attempting to quietly pass the curtain of tethered bones, though they jingled clearly. There was no hiding his presence, leaving him feeling watched already as he stepped into the room.

All at once, torches awakened, bringing light into the chamber, unveiling what resembled a decrepit throne room, only laden with the bones of those who have long since passed.

"Good morning to you."

"--"

The greeting came from the man standing atop the cracked steps, sitting on a grimy throne with no respect to its past authority. He possessed a respectable build, rather abundant in muscle but not too much so; shaggy, black hair that looked unwashed and greasy even from a distance.

"You're the adventurer the World Guild has sent to handle me, I'm assuming?" The stranger called out with a knowing smile, raising his hand as if to call off any sudden movements. "Hear me out for a second, yeah?"

Almost as if his own hostility was sensed like a stench in the air, the mercenary called him off before the dance of death could begin.

"If you're willing to stand down, we might be able to work something out," Noah addressed from across the ashen room. "I don't think the World Guild would hand you a slap on the wrist, but it's better than dying–"

"Oh, I'm not talking about surrendering or anything like that. I'm giving you an out, actually," Hugo corrected with a confident, but lax look.

"An out for me?" Noah repeated with a look of confusion.

"Yup," the mercenary clarified, resting his elbow on his knee. "Listen, I'm just paid to sit here and guard this place. Fighting to the death isn't exactly what I'm making my coin for."

'He's guarding it? What's here to protect?' Noah thought.

Hugo went on, "Considering you were sent here by the World Guild, I'm assuming you're a pretty damn capable guy, yeah? Definitely more pain than you're worth, if I'm being honest."

"Sounds like you're surrendering."

"Nope," Hugo corrected. "Givin' you the chance to stand down. Report back and tell the big shots you got a tummy ache, or you pulled a muscle–somethin' like that, yeah? Doesn't matter to me."

There wasn't any need for an appraisal skill to know he was looking at a capable killer. Nothing resembling "kindness" laid in those hollow, black irises that watched him.

["A mercenary that's been wanted by the World Guild for a decade. It's not as though he's been particularly hard to find—multiple attempts have been made by high-ranking adventurers.

None have been successful. The numerous failures and resulting deaths have led to the hunt of Hugo being turned down by any offered to take on the job."]

"Mind telling me what you're guarding here? And did you make those husks?" Noah questioned, keeping his guard raised.

"Husks? Oh, those things…Ah, those aren't my doing. Said too much already, haven't I? Professionalism and all that, y'know?" Hugo answered with a carefree shrug.

"If we're both on the job, then there's nothing to discuss," Noah said.

"Right, thought so," Hugo said, scratching his head as the scar on the side of his mouth stretched with his slight grin. "Can't say I didn't give you an out."

Noah readied himself to take a step forward to engage, yet immediately was intercepted by a chilling sensation crawling over his skin.

["Don't approach that man."]

—His instincts made the message loud and clear as he stepped back. In the same motion, the ground in front of him split as if being cut.

"Oh? Pretty good reflexes you've got there."

'What was that? He didn't move, and I didn't sense any mana,' Noah questioned, stepping back further out of caution.

Rather than approaching, he turned his focus to engaging from a safe range. He held his ground, holding his hand out towards the throne that ascended across the room. With a snap of his fingers, he gave way to the birth of the screeching element–ZAP.

In an instant, the azure bolt lunged across the chamber, striking the throne as a plume of smoke arose. There was no need to wait for the smog to dissipate as Noah readied himself, knowing the magical strike failed to meet its target.

As he set his focus on finding where the elusive mercenary had gone, he immediately felt a presence right behind him. Before he could turn himself around, he was kept from doing so as his scalp and chin received an immense pressure at the same time–

"Ngh?!"

Hands gripped his head with enough force that it felt like his skull was trying to be split open, but that wasn't the goal of the man who had his back. It took all of his strength to resist the pull; the hands so viciously grabbing onto him attempted to bend his neck to the side in a quick, lethal snap.

[Burst]

Pushing his body to its limits of strength, he contested the brutal submission, grabbing the mercenary's wrist and tossing him over his head. Like a nimble cat, the well-built man landed on his feet with a smile as if rather thrilled with their first exchange.

"--You don't look like much, but you've got one hell of a body there," Hugo complimented with a smirk.

Noah caught his breath, still feeling the residual warmth around his head after it was freed from the killing grip.

'Instantly going for a neck-snap like that…I really can't let up my guard for even a moment around this guy. I didn't feel this on edge even when fighting Van,' he thought.

There was zero magical presence.

Not a weapon in sight; just the mercenary and his two hands, welcoming the challenge. For a man that opted to avoid conflict, it looked to Noah like the hired killer was more than having fun.

There was no movement, and no action taken between the two combatants as they held their ground, unblinking as even the most miniscule tell would spark a counter–

At his hip, he snapped his fingers in the most subtle way he could, signaling a bolt of lightning to curve around and strike at the mercenary from an awkward angle. The crescent electricity snapped to the side of Hugo, who immediately crouched beneath it with a sharpened grin.

It was meant as a distraction, giving him the chance to close the distance as he stepped in with his axe pulled back.

As he swung it forward, the edge slid across the mercenary's neck. It was as if the blade was dulled entirely, less effective than using a spoon to cut steel.

'What?—' He thought in shock.

A counter game as the grinning man attempted to grab him, only pulling back just before being touched. Upon further inspection, he confirmed it—Hugo's neck was unscathed.

"Surprised?" Hugo said, tilting his head back with a satisfied look, caressing his own throat. "I'm immune to being cut by blades. Well, unless they're blessed by divinity, that is."

'Immune? Has to be some sort of blessing,' Noah thought, taking what was said at face value.

Of course, consideration was taken into if the enigmatic mercenary was bluffing, or telling a complete lie, though it at the very least seemed possible. He understood his own strength, and that if it was the case of Hugo's skin being tough enough to resist being cut, he was dealing with a monster of an entirely different proportion.

"A spellblade axe-user. Gotta say–that's a first for me," Hugo remarked, strolling around while keeping his eyes on the adventurer. "What's your rank? Behemoth? Ah, that doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Do you always talk this much while on the job?" Noah asked.

Hugo laughed, "I just enjoy getting to know my enemies. Personalize myself with them before I take their life–y'know, so it's like a friend putting them down."

In a quick stomp, Noah sent a ripple through the floor, manipulating the stone to rise into an array of spikes. As if aiming for Olympic gold, the mercenary vaulted over the sharp protrusions, tapping the points gently before landing on his feet.

The moment Hugo's feet reached the ground, Noah welcomed him with a spray of fireballs, filling the dim chamber with a burst of fiery light–BOOM. From the smoke and embers, the figure emerged, the remnants of his shirt nothing more but strings of fabric burning away. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

With a grin, the bare-chested mercenary rushed in, driving his knee into the adventurer's abdomen.

[Iron Body]

Noah took it on, though the force penetrated even his toughened skin, forcing a grunt past his lips as he slid back. Before he had the chance to formulate a new plan, he holstered his axe, raising his arm to block against a wild haymaker thrown his way.

The moment he defended one strike, another came his way as the agile man dropped low, sweeping his legs. He slipped back, snapping a quick bolt at point-blank range–THWOOM.

It made direct contact against Hugo's pecs, though only pushed the strange figure back without leaving so much as a mark.

'I can't cut him, and magic isn't having much of an effect either. Just what kind of body does this guy possess?' He considered.

"There's that look on your face again," Hugo observed with satisfaction. "Like you're failing a test without even knowing what the question is. Any guesses?"