REAPER SCANS

How to Raise Your Skeletons

[Translator –  Dawn]

[Proofreader – BringTheRayn]

Chapter 173: How to Survive in a Harsh World (2)

"I-I’m sorry!" Pavel, kneeling on the ground, shouted desperately. "If you can’t forgive us, then just take my life! But please spare my men! They may look rough, but they’re innocent at heart!"

…These guys were something else. Sure, people shrank when pushed into a corner. But to change their attitude this fast was truly impressive.

"Ab-Absolutely not, boss! What are you saying?!"

It wasn’t just Pavel—his subordinates instantly abandoned their cocky attitudes, dropping to their knees.

"It was all our fault!"

"Leave our boss alone! If you need to kill someone, kill us instead! You don’t know how kind our boss is!"

"That’s right! We are the real bad guys! Our boss has a wife and kids, you know?!"

These were the same cruel, snake-eyed thugs from earlier…? Their eyes, once filled with hostility, now shimmered like innocent deer. They completely threw away their weapons, surrendering.

"…" I just stood there, dumbfounded.

"…Is this for real?" Even Gi Soyul muttered in disbelief, "These were the same gangsters who were threatening us just a few minutes ago… How can they suddenly look so innocent?"

I had to agree… If we didn’t know any better, we might have actually believed them. And calling that bald brute a kind person? Man… Come on.

"This is absurd. And that nonsensical sob story…"

"They must have realized we’re rankers and are trying to pull some deplorable trick."

Gi Soyul’s suspicion made the Russian hunters panic. They shook their heads rapidly, denying it with everything they had. 

"No! We’re telling the truth!"

"Don’t judge us by appearances! Our boss may look like a serial killer who’s slaughtered thousands, but deep down, he’s got a heart of gold!"

"That’s right! It’s all just prejudice!"

…Was that an insult or a compliment?

Either way, they kept pleading for their lives, emphasizing how good-hearted they were.

—Step.

I walked toward the kneeling Pavel.

"…" He bit his lip, staring at the ground. Then, as I got closer, he raised his head and met my eyes.

"Have you thought about it?" I said.

"Th-Thought about what…?"

"The counteroffer I mentioned earlier. You cooperate with me, and I don’t beat you to a pulp."

"…"

"I don’t care if you’re good guys, bad guys, or innocent, little angels. It makes no difference to me. Just give me the information I need, and we’ll be on our way. Deal?"

"Y-You mean… you’ll forgive our rudeness with just that?" Pavel muttered, looking like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

"What’s wrong? If it were you guys, you’d have first beaten me up and then stuffed me in a barrel, right?"

No matter how much they pretended to be good guys, the things they said to me wouldn’t just be forgotten.

"They don’t understand fear."

"Hey, look at that guy. He’s smiling?"

"Tch. So you’re just a lunatic. Fine. We’ll beat you down and toss you into a drum barrel."

"A-Ah, no! And about the barrel thing—we were talking about a hot bath…!"

"You want to keep it up with the smart talk?"

—Fwoosh!

I transformed my staff into a spear.

Pavel scrambled to his feet in a panic. "It-It’s true! I swear!" His voice was thick with desperation as he pointed toward a building in the distance. "Let’s go to our base! No matter how much I explain, seeing it for yourself would be better! Plus, my older brother Zahar is much smarter than I am. He knows a lot more, so talking to him will be much more useful to you!"

"Is that so?"

At my question, Pavel nodded furiously.

"Hm."

Alright. Let’s go take a look.

* * *

Meanwhile… 

From a window, Zahar watched the scene outside, his face deathly pale.

"Damn it!" his voice erupted in frustration.

He had sent his younger brother Pavel and his men to greet the newcomers politely. And yet there they were, kneeling on the ground with their hands raised. The situation couldn’t be clearer.

Pavel might have been an idiot, but he was still an S-rank hunter. And his subordinates, while brainless, were all A- to S-rank as well. No ordinary ranker would have taken down twenty hunters of that level so easily.

And yet, they had been defeated in an instant.

"They have to be rankers!"

And not just any rankers—high-ranked ones.

"Boss Zahar! Boss Zahar"

Just then, one of his subordinates burst into the room, panting.

"News just came in from Krasnoyarsk International Airport! It seems two rankers arrived earlier!"

"What?! Two rankers?" A chill shot down Zahar’s spine as sweat trickled down his forehead. "Why are you only telling me this now, you idiot?!"

"I-I just got the intel! I couldn't have known earlier!"

"Damn it! Who are they?!"

"Uh, well…" The subordinate hesitated.

Zahar’s furious expression made it clear how serious the situation was. "Spit it out!"

"They… They’re from South Korea. The Skeleton King, ranked 78th, and the Dark Empress, ranked 151st…"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

—Bam!

Zahar slammed his fist on the table with full force.

Of all people…!

Why did they have to come here?

A high-ranker… 

Those within the top 100 were walking catastrophes. Even if there were hundreds of unranked S-rank hunters, overwhelming strategy, and traps, it'd be like ants trying to take down a lion. High-rankers were in a completely different class.

I knew something felt off.

Something had been bothering him since he sent his brother out.

I should’ve gone myself.

It was obvious how the foolish Pavel would act on their first meeting. 

Zahar turned back to the window. He saw his men standing back up and approaching the building.

Why is he bringing the rankers here? What the hell is he thinking?!

His pupils narrowed. 

If these rankers were the unpredictable type, he didn’t know what would happen. He feared that everything he had built in this hellhole would be reduced to nothing.

Moments later, his subordinate’s report felt like a bolt of lightning.

"B-Boss… Someone just entered on the first floor…"

Screw it. Just kneel. No hesitation.

Zahar no longer cared about appearances. Bowing before a high-ranker… If that was what it took to survive, then so be it. None of his subordinates would have a problem with that because nobody wanted to die.

* * *

Reaper Scans

Translator - Dawn

Proofreader - BringTheRayn

Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/reapercomics

* * *

"Welcome, Skeleton King and Dark Empress!"

"Welcome!"

"Welcome!"

As we stepped inside the building, dozens of men in black suits bowed at a full 90-degree angle.

Huh, I marveled inwardly, This sure is something else.

Being a high-ranker must have really meant something. All I did was walk in here, and these people were treating me like some mafia boss they'd been waiting for their whole lives.

"It’s an honor. My name is Zahar, the one these people have chosen to follow as their leader."

A man stepped forward. He was covered in thick body hair—on his face, arms, even the back of his hands.

"I sincerely apologize if my younger brother and his men mistreated you. We are prepared to meet any requests you have. And while you're here, you will be treated with the utmost hospitality."

Oh? So, he’s taking the responsibility, huh?

I started to think I might have misjudged these people. Normally, real scumbags would be the first to run when things went south.

"Shall we move to a more comfortable place to talk?"

Gi Soyul and I followed him to a conference room.

* * *

“Honestly, we don’t know much about the dungeon. It’s… well, while it’s not known to outsiders, it’s infamous in this region. There’s a long-standing rumor that anyone who enters never comes back, so everyone’s been avoiding it.”

“Ah, and about a year ago, the Gotham group started coming and going from it. That only made people even more afraid.”

“Gotham? You don’t know them? They’re currently the top mafia in Russia. Their leader is a high-ranker. Yeah, they’re tough. Ah, I probably shouldn’t be telling you this…”

Zahar spilled everything he knew. I nodded as I listened while Gi Soyul took notes beside me.

Gotham, huh...

I had heard of them before—a group with Andrei the Insect King and Jima the Ruthless. They were Russian mafia or something along those lines.

But there’s still no real info on the dungeon itself.

They didn’t even know much about it.

"I'm sorry, but it’s the truth. We have no reason to lie to a high-ranker."

Zahar seemed genuine. I believed him. Even before we sat down for this conversation, he had given me a full tour of the building.

Pavel wasn’t lying, then.

These guys called themselves mafia, but they were basically just an average organization grouped up to survive. It felt like a close-knit group trying to stay alive in what was essentially an apocalyptic wasteland. Each floor housed women, children, and the elderly, with only the strongest hunters wearing black suits and acting as enforcers.

“We deliberately put the scariest-looking guys out in the front. People instinctively avoid guys like Pavel. It’s a natural deterrent…That doesn’t mean we’re weak, though. You have to be strong to survive in this city. We’re constantly recruiting more powerful people, too. Did you know? Two of the people you fought earlier were actually rankers last year. They’ve since dropped off the list, but still.”

Oh, and that whole "putting people in the barrel for a nice bath" thing? That was real. Apparently, clean, warm water was the most valuable resource in a ruined city like this. Their philosophy was that even criminals would soften up after getting beaten and then treated to a hot bath.

"Alright, that’s enough."

—Clap!

I clapped my hands once.

"So this city’s reputation as a ‘crime city’ isn’t because it’s uniquely bad—it’s just that all of Russia is in this condition?"

It was just like how collapsing nations got overrun by bandits.

"Yes, that’s right, sir. By that logic, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Novosibirsk should be considered crime cities, too. They’re all overrun with gangs."

"And despite looking like criminals, you’ve never actually done anything criminal?"

"We just act tough, sir. If you let your guard down in this city, you’ll die for real."

"Alright, I get it."

Hmm. The first people I met in Russia were actually good guys.

I suddenly thought of an old comrade—Vladimir Lodygin. He was the guy who gave his life for me during Delilah’s Trial. I wondered if his mafia group was like this too.

"Mind if I take a look around?"

"Of course, sir!" Zahar responded instantly. "Treat this place like your own home! We even have luxury guest rooms prepared for VIP visitors. Please rest there as long as you need!"

That settled it. If they were trying to hide anything, they wouldn’t have been encouraging me to stay longer. The fact that they welcomed the idea so openly meant they were telling the truth. For them, my presence here was the safest they had ever been. 

Zahar led us to a spacious room and then quickly excused himself.

"What’s your plan?" Gi Soyul asked cautiously, perhaps because she saw my expression when I was thinking about Vladimir. 

"Let’s just consider this securing a base of operations. They seem to have some influence in this city, so it could be useful for gathering intel."

Since we couldn’t gain much information, there was only one option left: we would have to enter the dungeon ourselves. 

But.

I had a feeling that something was going to happen here. It was just a gut instinct, but my instincts were rarely wrong.

"Whew," Gi Soyul sighed lightly. "In the end, we’ll have to find out for ourselves, huh?" She glanced around. 

Zahar had clearly gone out of his way to prepare this room. There was a luxury fridge, drinks, and snacks—it was well-stocked.

"Ehem," she cleared her throat, looking a bit uncomfortable.

Seeing the malnourished children and elderly earlier made this feel wrong. It would look bad to come to a struggling community and start demanding their best resources. Especially in a collapsed economy, where even obtaining food like this was difficult.

"Don’t worry about it."

She looked at me.

My principle had always been simple—repay kindness with kindness and grudges with vengeance. They gave us a warm welcome despite their circumstances, so it was only right to return the favor. I pulled out my phone and typed a message.

[Me: Vice shop master, can you stock up on drinking water and emergency food supplies in Mulung Paradise? I’ll come pick them up soon.]

It wasn’t much, just a little gesture to maintain my image.

____

Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/reapercomics

____