Chapter 13

Chapter 13
## Chapter 13: Black Hammer Gang (3)

“It’s the truth, chief! You have to believe us!”

“I saw him with my own eyes, boss! Between the two of us, that’s four eyes that didn’t blink!”

The two scouts were desperate as they recounted their tale. Around them, the rest of the criminal crew swapped nervous looks. The man holding the soot-colored stone hammer shifted in his seat, his brow furrowing with a lazy irritation.

Since the response was lukewarm at best, the scouts raised the volume of their pleading.

“Come on, chief, we aren’t lying! I know this moron usually talks out of his ass, but I’m reliable, right? Just trust us this one time!”

“The hell did you say? When do I ever talk trash? This little rat opens his mouth and the bullshit just flows out like oxygen…”

“Hah. You mindless, green-skinned idiot, you already forgot? That time we went out together…”

*Thud!*

“That’s enough. Shut your mouths.”

The heavy hammer head struck the floorboards, instantly cutting the scouts off. The man tilted his chin up and asked once more.

“So, you’re claiming that the Furious Horn of Agon actually showed up here? To assist those losers in the Blood Cave Gang?”

“…Yes, sir.”

“Uhh…”

“Does that even sound remotely possible?”

The uncertainty didn’t last. The scouts stood their ground, nodding with stubborn conviction. Seeing them so sure of themselves, the rest of the gang began to murmur in hushed, worried tones.

Crevan, the commander of the Black Hammer Gang, rested his weapon and rubbed his weary face with a rough hand.

*These idiots… what kind of garbage are they feeding me?*

Bizarre rumors had been floating around for some time now. Whispers that the Furious Horn of Agon was an old comrade of the Blood Cave Gang’s leader. That he would eventually arrive to pull his old friend out of the dirt.

Naturally, Crevan hadn’t bought a word of it. A world-famous arena legend traveling all this way to help a third-rate pack of thieves? You might as well claim that ancient demons or the Emperor’s own knights were on their way. It was complete nonsense.

And yet, the scouts he’d sent out to find easy targets to rob had returned swearing they’d seen the legendary warrior. It was ridiculous, suffocating idiocy… but his subordinates were actually buying into it and getting spooked, which made the whole thing even more absurd.

Still, the scouts must have seen *something*. Crevan decided to look at the situation through a more realistic lens.

*Maybe Graham used some hidden gold to hire a sellsword? It’s easy enough to find a barbarian mercenary if you cross into the alliance territories. He probably just picked up some muscular brute to use as a scarecrow…*

He didn’t have much time for silent reflection. The sentry came sprinting into the room.

“B-Boss, they’re coming! The Blood Cave Gang is moving on our position!”

“…What? How many are we talking about?”

“J-Just two… there’s only two of them. One is their chief, and the other… we’re pretty sure it’s the Furious Horn of Agon.”

Despite the laughable number of attackers, the sentry’s face was filled with a terror that went beyond mere shock. Whether it was the real Furious Horn or not, the man had clearly seen something that scared the life out of him.

The crew’s whispering turned into a loud buzz of panic. Crevan’s forehead creased with deep lines of frustration.

There was no avoiding it. He had to go see for himself.

Of course, if that monster really was the Furious Horn of Agon, a straight-up brawl offered zero hope of winning…

“Get the crossbow units behind the dirt rampart. Everyone else, get into the brush and stay hidden. Don’t engage until I give the word.”

Crevan gripped the handle of his black stone hammer and stood up.

—

At first, Kadim had believed he’d hit a massive jackpot.

The total amount of currency seized from the bandit den totaled 3,200 luden. That was enough to purchase a high-end villa in most places. He had wondered why such a petty gang was sitting on that much wealth.

However, the merchant had quickly burst that bubble.

“Hmm, 3,200 luden… Exactly what you’d expect from a small-time outfit. It’s not really a fortune, my lord.”

“…”

Three centuries of time had inflated costs and stripped the currency of its value. When he inquired what 3,200 luden could actually buy, the reply was that it would barely cover the cost of a small pony. A brief shadow of letdown passed over the barbarian’s stoic features.

Still, it wasn’t a total waste. In fact, he had discovered a lead on a prize far more precious than common gold.

Kadim narrowed his eyes, falling into a momentary trance of thought.

*A throwing axe crafted by dwarven smiths…*

As was standard for medieval fantasy settings, this world was home to elves and dwarves.

However, they weren’t the dominant powers. Long ago, humanity had established total control over the continent, pushing the other races to the desolate edges of the world.

That said, they still made their mark in specific crafts. For the talented dwarves, that area was, unsurprisingly, the forging of equipment.

*Rare grade at the very least, but usually Unique or Epic…*

Gear made by dwarves possessed incredible base statistics and was loaded with special enchantments. Comparing it to human-forged weaponry was an insult to the craft. Only weapons blessed by high-ranking priests could even hope to compete.

But getting your hands on dwarven equipment was no simple task.

Locating the reclusive dwarves was the first hurdle. Even if you found them, they held a deep resentment toward humans and refused to trade. In the game, certain quests guaranteed rewards, but in this reality? It was nearly impossible.

Yet here he was, staring at a lead for such a weapon.

It was an opening he couldn’t afford to ignore. To prevent himself from becoming too dependent on the power of demon blood, he required the highest quality weapons available.

Still, trusting the word of a low-life bandit was a gamble. Kadim pressed the tip of his blade against the bandit’s spine.

“How did you come across that treasure map? And how do you know the hidden prize is a dwarven axe?”

“…Gah, d-don’t push so hard. I’ll tell you e-everything…”

Graham, who was walking in front, let out another groan. Holding his wounded arm, he painstakingly told the story.

“That ‘map’ was taken from a group of travelers we jumped nearby. When we interrogated them about the treasure, they said it was a masterpiece dwarven axe… I thought they were lying at first, so I just shoved the map in a random hiding spot…”

But later on, other groups came looking for that specific map multiple times. Eventually, even professional mercenaries showed up. That was when Graham realized the item was the real deal.

The issue was that he couldn’t get it back.

“…The place where I hid it used to be our territory. But recently, the Black Hammer Gang moved in and took over the area. Even if I tried to sneak in to get the map, they’d butcher us the moment we were spotted…”

Kadim gave a silent nod.

The story didn’t feel like a fabrication. The specifics lined up. Besides, the threat of the knife had likely scared any desire to lie right out of the man…

Meanwhile, Graham started rambling about how terrifying the Black Hammer Gang was. He was clearly worried the barbarian might lose his nerve and retreat.

But Kadim wasn’t bothered in the least.

“What are their numbers?”

“F-Fifty… no, a hundred! Easily a hundred! They’re all bloodthirsty, violent animals!”

“That’s a significant force. For a group out in the sticks.”

“R-Right? So maybe we should come back later with a small army of mercenaries…”

“Mowing them all down would be a bit exhausting.”

Graham’s eyes popped open as wide as saucers.

Was this crazy barbarian actually suggesting he would take on a hundred men by himself? Even the real Furious Horn of Agon would struggle with those odds. It wasn’t actually a hundred—it was closer to fifty—but still…

Kadim’s plan was simple: Ideally, he’d take the map without starting a war, but that seemed like a long shot. He’d try to talk it out if they met, but he was ready for a slaughter at a moment’s notice.

It was a good thing he’d left the merchant back at the hideout. He gave Graham another nudge with the blade to keep him moving.

The wide-open fields ended, and the path tightened into a narrow gorge. This was the official gateway to the Black Hammer Gang’s domain. Graham pulled his shoulders in, looking around with visible shaking.

The smell of old blood hung faintly in the air, carried by a light breeze. Even Kadim’s brow twitched slightly at the scent.

Soon, a low wall made of packed earth came into view.

“…”

They were moving quietly, but you couldn’t hide from the sharpened senses of a peak barbarian. Six men were crouched below the wall, their bows drawn tight, fingers resting on the triggers of their crossbows.

*Crossbows locked and loaded.*

Standing by the wall was a powerful-looking man holding a stone hammer. Crevan, the leader of the Black Hammer Gang, greeted his disheveled rival with a fake air of nonchalance.

“I didn’t expect to see you crawling back here. What brings you to my door, Graham?”

He took a split second to scan the barbarian. Then another second to hide his mounting dread behind a mask of calm.

Graham, ever the survivor, immediately launched into a new scheme.

“Why am I here? Don’t be stupid, Crevan. Isn’t it obvious? I’ve come to witness the destruction of the Black Hammer Gang. I’m here with my close associate—the champion of the pits, the legendary Furious Horn of Agon!”

Perfect. He was trying to force a fight between the barbarian and the rival gang immediately.

*Furious Horn of Agon? The actual champion…*

*Good lord…*

*…He looks exactly like the stories say…*

Whispers began to ripple through the foliage. They had hidden their men in the brush for a flanking maneuver. Given the barbarian’s intimidating presence, it was no wonder they were losing their nerve. Graham licked his dry lips.

In his mind, the Black Hammer Gang would still win.

No single warrior could kill fifty men. However, he had watched this barbarian tear through a dozen of his own men like they were paper, so his power was undeniable.

If the two sides started killing each other, he’d use the chaos to vanish…

“Gaaargh!”

…No such luck. Kadim grabbed Graham by the hair with a grip that felt like it would scalp him and spoke with total coldness.

“I am not the Furious Horn of Agon. I’m only here for what I want—I have no desire to kill you people. If you want to keep your lives, just cooperate.”

“…”

Crevan’s mouth curled into a greasy smirk.

His intuition had been right. This barbarian wasn’t the legend—he was just a hired hand Graham had brought along. Seeing that his boss was about to feed him to the wolves, the mercenary had switched sides on the spot.

But why was he still acting so arrogant? Had he not realized he was surrounded?

*Boom!*

He slammed his hammer into the dirt. His soldiers rose up from behind the wall and out of the bushes simultaneously.

With fifty-odd criminals backing him up, Crevan let out a mocking laugh.

“Ah, well if that’s the case, we should definitely cooperate, Mr. Mercenary. What exactly are you hunting for? My boys will help you find it—don’t be shy.”

“…A map. This man knows where it is, so I don’t need your help. Just get out of my way.”

“Hmm, a map? You wouldn’t happen to mean this one?”

Crevan reached into his tunic, pulled out a tattered piece of parchment, and dangled it in the air. Graham’s eyes nearly fell out of his head.

“Th-Th-That’s it! That’s the map! H-How did that snake get his hands on…”

“Oh, you’re the one who hid this, Graham? One of my guys found it tucked under a boulder. We’ve seen a few others sniffing around for it too—must be some serious gold at the end of these lines, right? Heh heh…”

“…”

Kadim’s gut told him exactly what was coming. That smug, punchable grin said everything. There was no way a bandit like this was going to play fair.

His instinct was proven right.

Crevan ripped the map into tiny shreds. Then, he stuffed the pieces into his mouth, chewed them into a soggy mess, swallowed the whole thing, and patted his stomach with a sneer.

“Go ahead and take it back, barbarian. If you think you can.”

The leader of the Black Hammer Gang waited for the look of horror and fury to wash over the man’s face.

But the barbarian didn’t even flinch.

He simply thought: I’d better get it out before his body starts to digest it.

“With pleasure.”

Kadim tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.