The Last Adventurer
Chapter 9

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

Chapter 9: Hero Killer (3)

7.

The age of monsters was a time when all the existing order and rules of Maple World were ruthlessly destroyed. It was no exaggeration to call it hell.

However, it was not the first time such an era had occurred.

Hundreds of years ago, there was a similar era.

The Black Mage!

[TL/N: Dark Mage -> Black Mage]

When that absolute evil appeared, Maple World faced endless despair.

So the people wished as they had then.

“A hero will save us!”

They wished for a hero to appear like before.

And as if to answer their prayers, the heroes of that time, the heroes who had sealed the Black Mage, appeared in the monster-infested era.

Evan, the descendant of Dragon Master Freed; Luminous, the nemesis of fate; Mercedes, the elf king; Phantom, the thief; Aran, the Polearm Hero; and the cursed and forgotten hero Eunwol.

All six heroes appeared in the age of monsters, and they lived up to their names.

‘The heroes were great.’

They fought with dazzling brilliance, sparing no thought for their own bodies.

‘But the world was too cruel.’

However, the era was more difficult than they thought.

To be precise, it was not just the monsters.

Behind the appearance of the monsters were the followers of the Black Mage, none other than.

Of course, the followers of the Black Mage would not just sit back and watch the six heroes.

In the end, destruction broke out.

‘In that tragic era, Aran was the first to die.’

Aran, Polearm Hero, died.

It was not just any death.

‘By his Polearm, by Dibo.’

She was killed by an adventurer, not a monster.

“Is it you?”

The short man with a sharp face standing before me now was that man.

The Hero Killer, Dibo.

“You said you called me?”

Dibo immediately spoke informally to El Paume the moment he saw him.

It was not just informal speech.

Kaak, pfft!

He openly spat in front of El Paume, showing that he was in a bad mood.

It was not simply that he had a bad temper.

Although not as bad as the upper class, the treatment of ordinary people, not adventurers, in the labor market was not very good.

Especially in front of adventurers, they were completely subservient.

And yet, now this adventurer, and not just any adventurer, but a 2nd Circle adventurer, is showing such an attitude?

It was rude, it was not up to par.

“He’s like a crazy dog.”

He was just crazy.

It wasn’t just now that he was like this.

Dibo also acted like a madman in front of monsters. That’s why he performed better than anyone else.

‘A crazy dog that Aran acknowledged. That’s why he became Aran’s disciple.’

Recognizing his talent, Aran, the Polearm Hero, gladly took Dibo in as her disciple.

‘He became the best hunting dog under Aran.’

And Dibo followed Aran better than anyone else.

In fact, the results that the two of them, Aran and Dibo, produced on the battlefield were amazing.

In a world overrun by monsters, the two of them made a path.

There was only one problem.

‘Until they met Zakum.’

Zakum, the Demon Tree.

This monster, which appeared in the El Nath mountains, drove everyone it faced insane.

It drove them to madness.

Dibo was no exception.

In the end, the maddened Dibo killed Aran.

The details of this process are unknown.

People could only speculate.

‘Aran loved Dibo more than anyone else. For her to kill Dibo, it must have been difficult.’

They said that the hero who never let go of her Polearm, even in front of the Black Mage, would have let go of her Polearm only in front of her disciple.

‘There was no story of what happened after Dibo went alone to hunt Eregoth, the Skeleton Demon who ruled Victoria Island.’

And Dibo, the only survivor, also wandered alone and disappeared from the world.

Leaving behind only his nickname, the Hero Killer.

“Hey, if you called someone, you should talk! What are we doing now?”

That Dibo was now before him.

It was the first time he had seen him.

Of course, he had never talked to him before.

Even so, El Paume knew Dibo well.

‘He was compared to me a lot.’

This was because El Paume and Dibo had many similarities.

First of all, they were both from the port city of Liese.

‘Their awakening times were also similar.’

And not long after El Paume awakened, Dibo awakened.

This means that they became adventurers around the same time.

Although Dibo’s growth rate was faster, their abilities were similar after the era of monsters.

“Damn, is the mute kid here? Okay, so how much are you going to give me? I’m expensive.”

“How much do you want?”

“How much? This kid is funny. Are you going to give me whatever amount I ask for?”

That was the most similar thing about them.

‘His younger sister had Black Blood Disease.’

The fact that they had family members with the cursed disease, Black Blood Disease.

Of course, there were also differences.

El Paume’s father died of Black Blood Disease.

However, Dibo’s younger sister was still alive.

“1 million mesos. I’m confident I can work like a dog, even more than a dog, for that amount.”

In other words, Dibo needed money.

And El Paume knew very well how desperate he was, that Dibo was so desperate that he would sell his life for 1 million mesos.

That’s why El Paume didn’t hesitate.

“Huh? You can give it to me? Really?”

He took it out in front of Dibo, who snorted and sneered.

“Huh?”

He took out a check.

A check for 1 million mesos.

“Oh!”

At that moment, Dibo spoke with a surprised expression.

8.

“T-this, is this real?”

The moment he spoke, Dibo hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand and then said,

“No, I mean, is this really real?”

Dibo suddenly became polite.

It was a bit of a jarring sight.

However, El Paume had no intention of rebuking Dibo’s previous arrogance or rudeness.

Because he knew better than anyone what this 1 million mesos meant to Dibo.

That’s why he didn’t say anything unnecessary.

“The contract period is one year.”

He spoke curtly.

“The profit split is 7-3, and I have the priority to choose the items obtained beyond the gate.”

He only said what he wanted.

And that was enough for El Paume.

‘The Hero Killer will buy me time against the monsters, and I will kill them.’

There was little more valuable than having the great adventurer, the Hero Killer, standing before him.

Moreover, El Paume knew.

‘He will awaken soon.’

Although he was no more than a slave now, a circle would soon appear on Dibo’s left wrist.

Considering all that, 1 million mesos was nothing more than a pittance.

“Here is the contract.”

Dibo did not hesitate to accept El Paume’s offer.

He bit off his left thumb with his teeth and stamped the blood-soaked thumb on the contract.

He left a bloodstain.

“1 million mesos, I will not break my word.”

And then he spoke in a respectful voice.

However, his eyes were far from respectful.

‘If you’re playing with me, you’re dead.’

His eyes were like those of a man who would burn anyone who tried to stop him from this situation, even if they were a fearsome monster.

At that gaze, El Paume was convinced.

‘He is indeed the Hero Killer.’

That the man before him was the man he knew.

‘No.’

Moreover, Dibo would no longer be called the Hero Killer. The world would call him by his original nickname.

‘The Pathmaker.’

Pathmaker, with that brilliant nickname that carved a path through despair filled with monsters.

‘But he’s still not there yet.’

Of course, Dibo was still far from that point.

It had taken him a long time to gain such a brilliant reputation.

‘It’s something that can be polished.’

However, El Paume, who valued time more than anything else, had no intention of wasting time.

It was the same now.

“Now that the contract is signed, let’s go to the Mystic Gate.”

Dibo nodded at El Paume’s words.

He had no complaints.

Now that he had received 1 million mesos, the money to save his sister’s life, it was time to pay the price.

He immediately spoke up.

“Of course, I’ll work like a dog.”

He promised to work harder than anyone else.

Of course, Dibo thought.

That El Paume would be a reliable leader.

‘Considering how much money he has, he’s not an ordinary person.’

After all, wasn’t he someone who paid 1 million mesos without hesitation to save a slave, not even an adventurer?

That meant he was filthy rich.

And on this land, money determined the quality of a party.

No matter how great an adventurer was, they would become a docile lamb and a loyal hunting dog in front of money.

“So where are your other teammates?”

Dibo naturally believed that El Paume’s teammates were also very capable people.

Instead of answering, El Paume pointed at Dibo with his index finger.

“Huh?”

Dibo tilted his head in confusion at the gesture and turned his head back.

“This is a wall, though?”

Dibo looked at the wall and then turned his head back to its original position.

However, El Paume’s finger was still pointing at Dibo, and only then did Dibo point at himself with his finger.

“Me?”

Dibo burst out laughing at the fact.

“Oh, of course I’m a teammate too. I mean, other than me.”

In fact, Dibo felt grateful here.

To adventurers, those who had not even awakened were literally slaves, nothing more and nothing less.

And yet, he was being treated as a teammate?

‘He’s a kind person.’

Even if it was just words, it was heartwarming for Dibo, who had never been treated as a teammate before.

El Paume said to Dibo,

“It’s you and me.”

“Huh?”

“We’re going to raid the Mystic Gate together.”

“Huh?”

At that moment, Dibo’s thoughts stopped.

The two of them were going to raid the Mystic Gate?

And one of them was even a slave who hadn’t even awakened?

‘Did I hear that wrong?’

No matter how much he thought about it, it was an incomprehensible story by Dibo’s standards. So Dibo asked,

“Excuse me, boss. Are you kidding me? How are we going to raid the Mystic Gate with just two people?”

El Paume replied with his expression.

He was not kidding.

“No, I’m serious.”

Seeing that expression, Dibo now got annoyed.

“Boss! Don’t you know the basics? Forming a party of at least 4 people is the bare minimum for a Mystic Gate expedition! A warrior, a magician, an archer, a thief, or a pirate!”

It was natural for him to be annoyed.

“No, but why are you doing this when you have so much money?”

He could just hire adventurers with money, so why was he going through hell himself?

To that question, El Paume said,

“2 million mesos.”

“Yes, 2 million mesos is enough to hire 10 adventurers!”

“It’s my debt.”

“Huh?”

Dibo’s expression became even more bewildered.

El Paume understood how Dibo felt. He would have made the same expression if he had been in Dibo’s position.

Furthermore, there was a way to persuade Dibo.

It wasn’t difficult.

All El Paume had to do was show him his abilities.

However, El Paume wanted to test something here.

‘Is he ready to bet his life on the contract?’

To see how much he could trust Dibo.

This was important.

El Paume hadn’t given Dibo 1 million mesos just to raid a few Mystic Gates and get a few items.

No, money aside, El Paume had too much to do right now.

He had to hunt the Horntail, and he also had to figure out the mysterious beings who had brought despair to this world.

He had to go against the fate of Maple World, which was doomed to destruction.

What El Paume needed was a comrade who was willing to throw himself into this merciless fate.

‘If Dibo is more rational than I thought, there’s no reason to take him with me.’

In front of El Paume, Dibo scratched his head nervously.

He looked troubled.

“Boss, no matter how I think about it, this is too dangerous.”

Then he spoke.

“Can you give me just 100,000 mesos more? You can lend it to me.”

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]