Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"How… how did you know…?" Aaron asked in a trembling voice.

He genuinely seemed not to understand how he had been caught. Justin smirked as he responded to Aaron's question.

"Your excuse was just too pathetic, that's how."

"What?"

"You said they spared you because there was no one to manage the territory? Does that even make sense? Once they know the location, it's as good as theirs."

The commoners couldn't leave the territory. If they tried to go outside, they'd be killed by monsters. In other words, as long as they didn't plan to leave it unattended for long, just knowing the location was enough. They could come back anytime when they were free and take over the territory.

In that process, Aaron and his group, the original owners, were unnecessary.

"And honestly, do you even manage the territory? All you do is tyranny. You're ridiculous."

"But… but the trap! They needed commoners for the trap, that's why…!" Aaron protested.

"That doesn't make sense either. Why would they leave that kind of job to you? They'd leave it to someone they trust."

Aaron shouted in frustration, but Justin casually tapped Aaron's head with his staff, as if scolding a child caught in a lie.

"Let's say, for the sake of argument, that everything you said is true. Then why are all of you still alive? If they had any sense, they would've left one or two alive and killed the rest to make sure you couldn't do anything stupid."

"...!"

Aaron's face turned deathly pale. This time, even he had no response. It made no sense that they would leave all of his group alive out of sheer arrogance.

"Doesn't it seem strange to you? They had no reason to spare you. The only possible reason you're still alive is that you offered them something."

It must have been something they couldn't refuse, something only Aaron and his group could do for them—something so tempting that they decided not to kill them. Most likely, Aaron had promised to lure Justin and his group to their deaths and help them take over the territory easily.

There was nothing else valuable enough to make them spare such a dangerous element.

"Well, it was all just a guess. So I decided to test you, and oh my, how surprising! You gave me the answer right away! I was shocked!" Justin said with a mocking laugh.

"...!"

"Now, if you have anything to say, say it, you rat."

Aaron looked at Justin with his pale face, bound tightly, unable to resist or even attempt to escape. If Justin decided to act now, Aaron would die without being able to do anything.

"Uh, um, I mean…!"

"Well, look at that sharp mind of yours. Did you read too many detective comics?" The leader of the opposing pioneers stepped forward, ignoring Aaron's panic.

Frustration was evident on his face, clearly annoyed that things hadn't gone as planned.

"But so what if you figured it all out? Whether you fell into the trap by mistake or on purpose, it's the same result. If you wanted to show off how smart you are, you shouldn't have come in the first place."

A savage smile appeared on the leader's face as he looked at Justin. It seemed he wasn't too worried about the situation, believing that dealing with five people wouldn't be a problem.

Justin looked at the leader with a smirk of his own.

"Bullshit. I'm not the only one caught in a trap here. You're in one too, idiot."

"What nonsense are you spouting now?"

"I'm over level 20. So are all my friends here. What level are you guys?"

"...!"

The opposing pioneers flinched at Justin's words. They hadn't expected that all of them would be over level 20, not just one person. It was close to a bluff, as Nathan wasn't level 20, but it seemed to work.

Justin continued with the momentum.

"We even took down a field boss ourselves. Did you really think our levels were the same as these guys? Who told you that?"

All eyes immediately turned to Aaron's group. From the sharp glares, it was clear that they had underestimated Justin's group. Aaron must have downplayed their strength, likely claiming that they were on the same level.

It was obvious why he would do something like that.

"You fools. Did you really think Aaron was leading us to you as a gift? He brought us here for a showdown. He knew we wouldn't go down without a fight, so he wanted you guys to clash with us."

If Aaron had genuinely intended to offer them as a gift, he would've tried something more deceitful or done his best to get rid of the ropes. But as soon as he realized they wouldn't be untied, Aaron obediently complied and didn't try anything else. He even led them to an open area rather than trying to lure them into a trap.

When Justin said only five of them were coming, Aaron had even grumbled about why so few.

Putting all these situations together, the answer was simple.

"He probably planned to escape during the fight or side with the winner afterward. Or maybe he intended to be the last one standing and claim victory. Either way, trusting someone like him was stupid."

"You son of a…!"

The leader of the opposing pioneers ground his teeth, glaring at Aaron. Given Justin's group's level, they were facing heavy losses regardless of the outcome, but Aaron had made it seem like an easy win.

Abandoned by both sides, Aaron was left stammering, shaking his head frantically. It seemed he had realized that death was his only option now.

"Why, why!?" Aaron shouted, looking at Justin.

It was a short outburst, but Justin understood the meaning behind it. Aaron was asking why he hadn't revealed his suspicions earlier so that he could side with Justin. Why wait until now?

Justin leaned in and whispered in Aaron's ear.

"Why? Because I have no intention of keeping a snake like you around."

"...!"

"I had to kill you, but if I killed you without solid proof, the others would've been shaken. I brought you here to create the perfect reason before killing you."

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"

Before Aaron could say anything more, tears and snot streaming down his face, Justin placed a finger on his forehead and murmured softly.

"Black Missile."

Thud.

With the sound of flesh being pierced, a hole appeared in Aaron's head. His body slowly slumped to the ground, falling with a dull thud. The pioneers flinched at the sight. Justin's companions, already enraged by what they had heard, followed his lead, swinging their weapons.

"No, no!"

"Please, spare me!"

Splat, crack, thud.

The pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. Having already experienced battle against other humans, and knowing these were the ones who intended to kill them, there was no reason to hesitate.

Soon, five bodies lay sprawled on the ground. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

After finishing everything, Justin looked at the leader of the opposing pioneers.

"So, what do you plan to do now?"