Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"Whew! Aren't you going to ask me?" Derek said.

"Do you feel guilty? Is your heart heavy?" Justin asked.

"Nope. They were all bastards."

"That's what I thought."

A villain like Derek would understand an enemy's wickedness more than most. He wouldn't feel guilt against someone who had been smiling while trying to kill him. Maybe if he wanted to go around and finish off any who were left alive.

Derek's face showed a strange expression for a moment before he seemed to remember something.

"By the way, don't you feel guilty, boss?" Derek asked.

Justin shook his head. "I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because they were all bastards."

"..."

Having his own logic thrown back at him, Derek closed his mouth. Justin left him there and headed to where Chad had fallen. Nearby, Rachel and her companions were still sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

Since the important business was finished, it was time to wait for them to wake up.

"...Truly a cold and quick decision," Rachel muttered an hour later, looking up at Justin with a sulking expression.

Justin tried to suppress the laughter bubbling up and shrugged.

"This decisiveness is my true weapon. But even more important is loyalty to my comrades. I always strive to be that kind of man."

"..."

"What's wrong? Surely you don't have any complaints?"

"No, but at least try to look a little sorry before attacking! Why were you smiling so brightly while electrocuting your allies with lightning!?" Rachel argued, slamming the ground in frustration.

Oops, was Justin smiling before the attack? He must have enjoyed watching that smug guy get taken down so much that it showed on his face.

"But didn't you tell me to attack without worrying about you?" Justin said.

"What I wanted was a scene where you shed a tear of regret while saying 'I'm sorry!' before attacking, not... this!"

"As long as the result is good, who cares?" Justin replied.

Rachel opened her mouth, trying to argue, but then turned her head. There was nothing she could say to refute him.

Even though she and her companions had been hostages, none of them died, while Chad and his followers were all dead. To have resolved a hostage situation so perfectly was rare.

"Fine, as long as the result is good," Rachel sighed as she stood up. She wobbled slightly, probably still feeling some numbness, but she seemed to be in good health otherwise.

"Come on, let's go. With the leader dead, we don't know what might have happened to the village," she said.

Justin nodded at her words. He was curious about that too.

In "World Rebuild," when a leader was killed by another player, the territory would automatically belong to the attacker. However, there was no guarantee that the same would apply here.

'There could be instances where a pioneer kills the leader without wanting the territory. In that case, the determination would be vague.'

Not all pioneers followed their leaders. Some, like Justin, might want to take over their territories. How the system handled that was still unknown.

Rachel's companions, still shaky from lingering pain, guided them to their territory. Before long, they arrived at the neighboring territory for the first time.

"Doesn't look much different," Derek commented, echoing Justin's own thoughts as he surveyed the village.

The number of buildings, their appearance, and their structure were all similar to Justin's village. The only differences were the larger population and the gloomier atmosphere.

"Who are they...?" someone whispered.

"Shh!"

"Urgh!"

The civilians didn't even make small talk when they saw Justin's group. Instead, they covered the mouths of anyone who spoke and dragged them backward, all the while staring at the newcomers with anxious eyes. Some even started crying out of fear.

Justin was speechless at the sight of people stifling their sobs in every direction.

"We haven't done anything, so why are they acting like this?" Derek asked.

"They're scared," Rachel answered.

"Even without knowing who we are?"

"They know you're pioneers. That's enough for their imagination to go wild in a bad way," Rachel said, massaging her temples as if she had a headache.

"Normally, they'd discuss things among themselves or even ask who you are. But here, if you do that with a pioneer, it turns into a huge problem."

"So, they've been beaten just for talking about the pioneers," Justin guessed.

"A lot. A few were even killed for it."

"Figures."

So, they dragged out and punished anyone who was seen whispering. Of course, such behavior repeated over time made any form of conversation impossible. Added to that was the deep-seated fear of pioneers—just imagining things in their heads caused fear to swell, and soon they were weeping.

Now Justin understood why Rachel was so uneasy about this place. If this atmosphere had persisted, it would have killed her appetite.

"Welcome, pioneers. Or should I call you liberators?" someone said, stepping out in front of them.

Justin widened his eyes when he saw the man's face.

"Nox?"

"Yes, it's Nox. I see you here as well."

As Rachel had said, this Nox looked identical to the Nox in Justin's territory. He even seemed to share memories, recognizing Justin right away.

Seeing Justin stand there speechless, Nox smiled and spoke.

"Do not think too hard. It is simply one consciousness with many bodies. I am always the same entity, so please treat me accordingly."

At Nox's explanation, Justin nodded. Honestly, it was a bit disorienting, but what would knowing the details change? Instead of introducing himself all over again, it was more convenient this way.

Nox looked over at Justin and the pioneers behind him before continuing.

"It seems that former leader Chad and those who followed him have died. Would it be correct to say that Rachel and the other pioneers have surrendered?"

"More or less. Now that the leader is dead, what happens to the ownership of the territory? Does it automatically belong to our leader?" Justin asked.

"If the conqueror wishes it so, then it shall be."

"What if I don't want that?"

"There are two choices. You may appoint a new leader at your discretion, or you may become the new leader yourself."

He also added that the civilians' wishes had no bearing on the decision. Everything would be determined solely by Justin's choice.

"As a note, if you decide to become the new leader, the territory will automatically change ownership. In that case, you must abandon your current residence, no matter how much you have invested in it."

"Can I delay the decision?" Justin asked.

Changing territories right now would be problematic. He still needed to inform Zachary, and he had to bring Nathan's family over too. Fortunately, Nox smiled and nodded.

"It is possible. However, you cannot delay it for more than a week. After that, the authority will automatically be lost."

A week would be more than enough.

Satisfied with the answer, Justin nodded and turned away. The civilians watching them hurriedly bowed their heads, afraid to make eye contact. Justin tensed his abdomen and shouted.

"Chad is dead!"

"...!?"

"We killed him! And his underlings—all of them are dead! They're gone now!"

The civilians looked as though they'd been struck by lightning. They blinked in disbelief, as if they couldn't comprehend that the devil had died.

After a while, some began to cry, and others silently hugged one another. It was a voiceless wail—perhaps the oppression had been so severe that they couldn't even allow themselves to weep freely.

The civilians seemed to be preparing to shout, as if they were practicing using their voices again after a long time.

"Which means," Justin said in a cold voice, just before they could cry out in joy.

"I am now your master."