Chapter 77

Chapter 77
Across the Seven Archipelagos, every pirate swore allegiance to a single ruler known as the Pirate King. Only one man stood apart, a figure renowned for single-handedly sending more than fifty pirate vessels to the depths and annihilating the most powerful crew among the islands, the ‘Black Tooth,’ thereby earning the name Sea King. Every soul present was familiar with the legend of Radan.

This meant his infamy was universal. Radan was known for ripping apart the captains of the Seven Archipelagos with his bare hands, for slaughtering pirates while wearing a grin of pure madness, which had gifted him the moniker “The Demon.” He was a vicious individual who, true to the saying “Supreme and Self-Reliant,” killed on a mere whim.

Therefore…

“Big brother…?”

The term escaping Radan’s lips was enough to seize the attention of every person on the deck. The pirates who had long sailed under Radan, the merchant ship crewmen who knew his reputation, and even Penia, whose face had been etched with worry moments before—all their stares fixed upon Alon.

Alon studied the man with white hair and white eyes for a long moment before he spoke.

“Radan…?”

Hearing this, Radan’s mouth stretched into a smile.

“No, big brother, what are you doing here?”

The pirates, who had been frozen in shock upon hearing Radan casually address someone as “big brother,” were utterly stupefied. Among them, Drake, who had been with Radan since he confronted the first pirate of the Seven Archipelagos, was so astounded his jaw went slack and his eyes bulged. He had never witnessed his captain, Radan, behave with such familiarity toward anyone.

‘What is going on?’

Before he could shake off his bewilderment, he watched as Radan swung his spear, severing the ropes binding Alon. Penia, too, was struggling to make sense of the scene. She was well-acquainted with the tales about this man.

‘Just who is this person…?’

Penia was reminded once more that Alon, who appeared to be on familiar terms with the “Walking Catastrophe of Raksas,” Radan, was no ordinary man.

As for Alon himself…

‘This man is Radan?’

He was deeply shocked. Based on the details Evan had provided earlier, he had suspected the white hair and eyes might belong to Radan, but he had not fully accepted it.

Unlike the rest of the Five Sins, no illustrations existed of Radan’s ordinary appearance. After he became one of the Five Sins, he was only depicted in monstrous portrayals, with the sole peculiar detail being that “his hair and eyes were white.”

“I was merely passing through on my way to take care of some business in Raksas.”

“You could have sent a message if you were coming.”

“I thought about looking for you if the chance arose, but I never anticipated meeting like this.”

“Let’s go together. Ah, Evan, it’s been a long time.”

“…It has been a while.”

Alon, who was exchanging pleasantries with a gentle smile, glanced over at Radan as the latter raised a hand toward Evan, whose face had gone pale.

“Are all these people with you, big brother?”

“Yes.”

The instant Alon confirmed, Radan swiftly cut the ropes binding Penia and Felin with his trident.

“Let’s go.”

He smiled and started to guide Alon, but then suddenly turned his gaze toward the captain, who still appeared unable to grasp the situation.

“Oh, that’s right… What was it you said again?”

Radan murmured, his voice low.

“You mentioned you were going to betray my brother, isn’t that so?”

His tone was not particularly loud, but it carried clearly across the deck.

Only then did the captain understand the severity of his error.

“Ah.”

A weak gasp escaped him. His face was swiftly overtaken by terror as he tried to form words, but he was never granted the opportunity. The moment his mouth opened to speak—

*Thud!*

Radan’s trident was already buried in his throat.

“A-Ah…?”

The captain’s eyes widened in disbelief, staring at the trident impaling his neck, blood pouring from his lips.

“Guh!”

The trident was slick with gore. Trembling hands rose to clutch at Radan, but Radan maintained the same smile he had worn while looking at Alon. Then—

*Swoosh!*

A sinister light flashed in Radan’s eyes as he ruthlessly tore the trident sideways, severing the captain’s neck.

With a heavy, wet sound, the captain’s body dropped to the deck.

“Shall we go, big brother?”

With blood spattered across his armor and face, Radan spoke, still smiling.

Meanwhile, Alon, who had witnessed death many times before, felt a cold chill upon seeing the malevolent bloodlust shining in Radan’s gaze.

‘Is it possible he has already awakened as one of the Five Sins?’
Remembering that Radan was counted among the Five Sins, Alon felt a thread of wariness beneath his calm exterior.

####

Alon abandoned the merchant ship destined for Raksas and instead set sail for the Seven Archipelagos. Within only half a day, he reached the domain governed by Radan.

“I’m alive…”

Evan, who had been crawling across the deck as if on the verge of death, managed a weak grin of relief the moment his feet touched solid ground.

“So this is the Seven Archipelagos…”

Penia murmured the words without thinking as she stepped onto the vast island under Radan’s control, while Felin, beside her, released a soft, amazed sigh.

Even Alon could not suppress a sharp intake of breath upon landing. The city before him bore no resemblance to a pirate den; it looked more like a meticulously governed territory. In fact, it appeared to be a carefully planned estate.

The entire island was laid out with perfect symmetry, and while the houses differed in size and style, their angles and placements were exact.

‘This island couldn’t have been formed this way… Did he organize it like this because of his obsessive nature?’
Just as Alon was recalling Radan’s severe compulsive tendencies—

“Come inside, big brother.”

They arrived at Radan’s mansion, constructed on the island. It was as perfectly symmetrical as its surroundings, with each side an exact mirror of the other.

While the others took their rest, Alon spoke with Radan and uncovered a vital piece of information.

“So, that merchant ship wasn’t actually headed for Raksas?”

“That’s correct. It was sailing toward the ‘Sea Wolves.’”

“The Sea Wolves? The crew here in the Seven Archipelagos?”

“Yes.”

“…We were tricked, then?”

“Correct. I went there originally to sever that bastard’s supply route.”

Radan gave a casual shrug.

“That was their supply line?”

“Yes. Specifically, it was a route for human flesh.”

“…What?”

“Human flesh.”

Alon grimaced at the words. Even in the dark fantasy world of Psychedelia, human flesh was a forbidden taboo, something Alon found abhorrent. Hearing the term brought a specific keyword to the forefront of his mind.

“Are the Sea Wolves connected to the Mermen, by any chance?”

Radan nodded, looking slightly surprised, and then launched into an explanation. After listening for some time, Alon was able to assemble the full picture.

“While you were in the middle of conquering the Seven Archipelagos, the Sea Wolves appeared, leading the Mermen and starting a conflict. Is that right?”

“Yes, big brother. I still don’t comprehend how they command those monsters, however.”

As Radan nodded, Alon felt the beginnings of a headache. Although the precise link between the Sea Wolves, the Mermen, and human flesh remained unclear, one term surfaced naturally in his thoughts.

‘Outer God.’

Knowing that the Mermen’s hunt for human flesh suggested an attempt to summon an Outer God, Alon asked directly:

“…Do you intend to handle the Sea Wolves?”

“Of course, big brother. This is a chance for revenge that you personally gave me. I’ve severed their supply route, and I plan to finish this in three days.”

‘I did…? When…?’ Alon wondered, confused. However, he knew it wasn’t the moment to question it, so he pressed on:

“…Can I join you?”

“You, big brother?”

“I have some questions for the leader of that pirate crew. Is that acceptable?”

Despite the involvement of the Mermen, if they could halt the delivery of human flesh, the summoning of the Outer God might be prevented. For Alon, who not only needed to awaken an artifact in Raksas but also descend into the deep sea to find the Mermaid, this was a critical opportunity to stop the Outer God’s arrival. If the Mermen succeeded in their summoning, it would mean certain destruction for Raksas, and the Seven Archipelagos would not be safe either.

To act swiftly and ensure Radan’s safety, Alon judged it best to confront the Mermen directly. Although Radan had strayed from his path to become a pirate, Alon still felt a paternal fondness for him.

And so—

“As long as I’m the one who takes his head, I have no objection, big brother.”

With Radan’s agreement, they continued to discuss various matters, and Alon discovered a surprisingly favorable fact about Radan.

“Come now, big brother, no matter how reckless I might be, I don’t kill people simply for irritating me.”

“…Is that true?”

“Of course. It always depends on the circumstances. I wouldn’t have harmed the man I killed today if he hadn’t spoken about you.”

“…But I’ve heard you’re called the Demon.”

“That’s accurate, but that is only when I am dealing with other pirates. Now, I finally have my chance for vengeance.”

Radan turned out to be quite different from the notorious first impression Alon had formed. Seeing him smile brightly, Alon felt an internal sigh of relief. He had been concerned that Radan might have fallen into complete depravity, rendering all the support he had provided pointless.

When Alon first came aboard Radan’s ship, he had heard more rumors from Penia and had seriously worried that Radan might have become one of the Five Sins. But the rumors appeared to be somewhat inflated.

Piracy was not an honorable trade, and Radan’s actions today were certainly psychopathic, but Alon found them within the bounds of reason. After all, even the other members of the Five Sins, while seeming normal, each possessed at least one abnormal trait.

Remembering this, Radan suddenly commented:

“But you are surprisingly ordinary, big brother.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, people seem to change very quickly after they meet you. I was curious… wondering if you were using some kind of hypnosis magic~”

“…Hypnosis magic?”

“Not in a literal sense, just that people undergo drastic changes, you see.”

“Do they?”

“Yes, that’s what the stories say.”

After conversing a while longer, Alon steered the discussion elsewhere.

“Radan, is it possible to get to Raksas from here?”

“Are you planning to visit Raksas?”

“Yes, I have some matters to attend to.”

“What sort of business, big brother?”

“There is someone I need to meet.”

As Alon said this, he thought of a specific man: ‘Appraiser Alexion.’

Unlike artifacts discovered in dungeons, the ring obtained from Heinkel or the relics from the Colony’s treasury were unique. Alon required a skilled appraiser for these items, and the thought of this particular appraiser made him scowl.

While it was true he had traveled all this way specifically to find Alexion, Alon did not particularly want to see him. The reason was simple: Alexion was famously ill-tempered and difficult.

In the game, he was located in the slums of Raksas, setting his prices arbitrarily based on his mood, which earned him a notorious reputation among players. His obnoxious dialogue prompts often made players wish they could throttle him.

Still, aside from Alexion, most artifact appraisers were rare special merchants encountered by chance in dungeons or labyrinths. That was the reason Alon had journeyed all the way to Raksas.

‘Just thinking about the game is irritating… but I have no other option. I’ll have to endure it, even if I have to suffer a few insults.’

Holding that thought in mind—

“Who is it you need to see, big brother?”

“Appraiser Alexion.”

“Is he the only person you need to meet?”

“Yes. That’s why I need to reach Raksas.”

When Alon said this, Radan fell silent for a moment, thinking carefully before he answered:

“Understood. You should get some rest for now, big brother.”

“?”

The reply was somewhat puzzling, but since Radan was insisting he rest, Alon complied and went to sleep.

The following day—

“Big brother, I’ve brought him.”

“?”

Standing on Radan’s left side, Alon saw Appraiser Alexion trembling uncontrollably, while Radan beamed a cheerful smile.

“P-please, have mercy. I’m begging you…!”

The man, notorious for his vile temper, was now groveling, on the brink of tears, despite being a middle-aged adult.

“Hey, did I kidnap you? I invited you here courteously, didn’t I?”

“Y-yes, you brought me here very politely. Truly…!”

“Then why are you shaking?”

“…Hng.”

Alexion held his breath as Radan spoke, leaving Alon momentarily at a loss for words.

‘Five Sins… He isn’t becoming one, is he?’

The suspicion that had taken root in his mind the previous day resurfaced once more.