Chapter 9

Do you want to kill that annoying NPC?

The merchant who rips you off,


The village chief who passes off tedious errands,


The failed blacksmith,


The allies who raise your blood pressure,

And even those troublesome nobles who pull the rug out from under you after asking for a favor.

Meet the character who can take all of their heads!


Introducing the Berserker Marsus!

If there were an ad for this character, it would go something like this.

In the original work, the player character Marsus was that kind of entity.

Generally speaking, NPCs in games are either invulnerable or respawn after death, making it impossible to progress in quests or storylines, or even to enhance weapons.


It’s a fundamental element to prevent the game from getting stuck.

However, Marsus shattered that common sense.

A Berserker or serial killer who takes down everything in his path, regardless of friend or foe.

Starting with a high-level item, the Calaborg, from the very beginning,


Unlike other player characters who start at a mid-level combat ability of Grade 4, Marsus begins as a Grade 9 Advanced Warrior.

At first glance, it seems he’s an overpowered character from the get-go.


And he’s not just any character; he’s also particularly popular among female players due to his good looks.

However, contrary to that overpowered nature, the difficulty of the Marsus route is generally thought to be distinctly harder than that of other characters.

It’s not just about enemies being stronger.

The worst flaw and most prominent feature of this character:


Marsus cannot interact with NPCs.

Well, he can, but the only actions he can take instead of normal conversations are two:


Kill or ignore.

From the tutorial instructor to blacksmiths, priests, and even the Emperor he encounters later on,


For Marsus, the progression of the story revolves solely around whether to kill or spare those in front of him.

It’s not just about quest flow; it encompasses interactions deemed necessary as well.


To obtain equipment, he had to kill other warriors or blacksmiths, and for recovery, he had to kill priests to acquire holy water and potions, or otherwise rely on his inefficient self-healing.

On top of that, his weapon was fixed as the Calaborg, meaning he showed lesser combat ability in the end compared to other characters.

His uniquely strong starting specs felt like a trap since everything was so heavily skewed towards combat.


Additionally, this distinctive trait garnered him a cult following among players.

Of course, among a few individuals, including myself, there were hardcore players who attempted challenges like a no-kill run with Marsus and actually succeeded in extreme gameplay.

However, this was merely an outrageous route that utilized extreme physical skills.


In the actual flow of the story, Marsus goes everywhere spilling blood, turning everything into an enemy, and ultimately meets his end when Calaborg breaks in the hands of the Emperor.

Brutal and merciless…


Yet, at the same time, this character provokes curiosity about how he ended up this way and evokes a bit of sympathy.

But nothing was revealed about what happened to him, nor any concrete leads regarding other NPCs, keeping the mystery intact until the end.


The only thing that could be discerned was that “something happened involving the nobles.”

Regarding this vague setting, users could only speculate and theorize about the situation.


Ultimately, due to the lack of additional information, it was left regrettably as a MacGuffin.

And at this moment,


Looking at that Marsus—


No, the future NPC killer Magellan, who was collapsed on the ground after a rain-soaked beating,

I found myself momentarily lost in thought.

Just a while ago, Magellan had been pouring out what could be called excuses, desperately confessing in front of me.


Though infamous among us as a bounty hunter, he didn’t seem that far gone, like a mindless killer.

I’m not sure, but something must have distorted his heart over the course of the next two years.


Anyway, the important question was how I should deal with him now.

“Killing him… doesn’t feel right. After all, he is somewhat indebted to me…”


Avoiding any bothersome future situations involving revenge could be an option.

However…


He was a character I had played for a long time and had a certain attachment to.


The thrill I felt when I successfully completed the no-kill clear challenge with him was one of the most extraordinary joys in my life.

Thanks to that, I received quite a few balloons and could enjoy a warm winter.

Thus, as a way of repaying past “grace,”


And for another reason that I couldn’t ignore, I resolved to spare him.


I had already reached out my hand to another protagonist, Ambasha.

In this situation, if I killed the future Marsus, things would only get messier.


I didn’t care about the affairs on land, but if I inadvertently drew aggro and the original work’s flames spread towards the sea, it would truly become troublesome.

With that annoying aspect in mind,


I decided to let this guy continue his journey according to the original work’s flow.


Though it might not be a favorable outcome for him.

“Now that I think about it… I’m curious. How exactly does he end up like this in two years?”


Perhaps soon I would uncover the truth behind the MacGuffin that didn’t appear in the original.


With that fact invoking a deep curiosity, I found myself murmuring quietly.


“What did you do with the nobles…”

*

“Let’s stop here.”


With those words, the merciless beating finally came to an end.


Magellan and his crew had been thoroughly beaten to the ground, with every part of their bodies aching.


Fortunately, it seemed they hadn’t broken anything, but it was the first time they had been so completely defeated while doing such a thing.

However, even with that, they felt relieved.


“I… survived…”


“I thought I was going to die…”


The rumors about what happens to those who touch the Pirate King’s crew were already widely known.


Whether tossed into the sea with limbs cut off to become shark bait, or tied to the prow and left to die in terrible hunger and thirst under the burning sun.

Thinking of any of those outcomes made it clear what a stroke of luck it was that it ended here.


At that moment.


“Get up.”


“Y-Yes!”


The Pirate King’s Order echoed in their ears.


Now, that voice which weighed down upon them, filled with a heavy fear, made Magellan and his crew unsteadily rise back to their feet, forcing themselves to comply.

“For today, I will let it end here. However, should a similar incident happen again… Don’t expect any mercy next time.”


“Y-Yes! I… understand!”


“I swear I will remember, Pirate King!”


“T-Thank you for your mercy!”


Magellan and his crew sincerely expressed their gratitude as the Grim Reaper withdrew his scythe before them.

At that moment,


As the Pirate King turned away, Magellan caught a faint word that was just about audible.


“How exactly did you… with the nobles…”


“?!….”


A new tone, laced with curiosity, emerged in his voice.


But for Magellan, it sent a chill down his spine.


Didn’t it imply that the Pirate King was already aware he had come on a noble’s request?

This indicated that the Pirate King’s involvement in this request wasn’t a mere coincidence.


“Could it be…”


Amid the confusion of arising thoughts, the Pirate King approached his subordinates standing nearby.


“Are you all okay?”


“Y-Yes… I’m… sorry, Captain… I lost control…”


Franklin apologized in a voice that was barely a whisper.


However, the Pirate King gently patted her shoulder and spoke in a calm voice.


“It’s okay. I know you did your best. Don’t be discouraged; keep pushing forward.”


“I-I will remember… Captain…”


He smiled, even as her fearsome face showed a hint of embarrassment.


Though her tiny smile felt somewhat eerie, the Pirate King didn’t pay it any mind and continued to smile back.

Then, he turned his gaze from Franklin and looked at the girl beside him.


He sent a loving glance at the girl, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


“You really did almost get hurt, thank you for calling me at just the right moment. Well done, Ambasha.”


“Hehe…”


The girl who referred to the Pirate King as “Father” blushed and beamed at the praise.

Observing the scene filled with warmth, unlike just a moment ago,


Magellan felt like the puzzle pieces in his head finally came together, allowing him to grasp the situation.


“That filthy noble… He intended to toy with us from the start!”