Chapter 296: You Mentioned the Armorless Union? Well, Now I'm Wide Awake
The moment Steven shifted his voice, Czarny's pupils dilated in sheer disbelief.
That damned voice—aged, yet laced with a cocky swagger—was something he could never forget, not even if he were rotting in the deepest pits of hell. After all, the person behind that voice... was the very reason he'd ended up in this dire situation.
What Czarny couldn't wrap his head around, no matter how hard he tried, was how someone that powerful—a knight whose strength seemed beyond mortal comprehension—turned out to be nothing more than a seemingly ordinary, albeit annoyingly handsome, slender teenager.
Was that knight… really human?
Czarny had always believed that the man was some ancient monster left behind by the old world, or maybe even the incarnation of a mythical Feranmut whispered of in legend.
That would've made more sense, at least. It would've explained how the Black Hole Knight had obliterated that terrifying robot like he was just swatting a fly.
But if this boy was truly that Black Hole Knight, then forget robots—even if the entire K.G.C.C came at him with everything they had, Czarny suspected it still wouldn't be enough to make him break a sweat.
That was the shadow the Black Hole Knight had left in his heart. That was the trauma that haunted Czarny's nightmares. Only those who had witnessed the Black Hole Knight devour that arena with their own eyes would understand the sheer, unnatural terror he represented.
And Czarny knew—that hadn't even been the Black Hole Knight full power.
That was why he'd told Kain that words alone could never capture what happened that day.
People like the Black Hole Knight… simply shouldn't exist on this earth.
"Y-You—!"
Czarny stammered, pointing at Steven with a trembling hand. He liked to think he was good at negotiations—an expert, even—and his mental resilience far exceeded the average man's. But even so, standing before Steven, his mind was on the verge of short-circuiting. He couldn't even form a proper sentence, let alone calm the primal fear gnawing at his insides.
"No need to be so stiff. Just call me Steve," Steven said casually, still smiling. He had already dispelled the vocal disguise of Evol and returned to his natural voice as he bent down to collect the remains of the destroyed robot. "Of course, if you'd prefer, you can call me Boss. After all, I'm here to offer you a job, Mister Czarny."
"A… job?"
Czarny's brain short-circuited again. He didn't even question how the Black Hole Knight knew his name—there were far more pressing concerns at hand. Like the fact that this living catastrophe was trying to hire him.
Why? What use did this man, who clearly had a grudge against the K.G.C.C, have for someone like him—the very spokesperson of that K.G.C.C?
Was he looking for an inside man?
If so, hadn't he realized that Czarny had already been cast aside? A pawn deemed worthless by the very organization he once served?
"I… I don't know what I could possibly do for you," Czarny muttered, hesitating before shaking his head in bitter defeat. "Even if I wanted to help… I can't. Even after trying to kill me just now, the K.G.C.C still has me in its grip."
It wasn't just about that one robot.
Czarny knew all too well that he wasn't free. The K.G.C.C's hold on him ran deeper than a single assassination attempt. Even if he survived today, there was no way he could betray them. Not with the invisible chains still binding him.
"I see… Let me guess," Steven said with an almost amused glint in his eye. "You've got family or friends under their control, don't you?"
Czarny flinched.
Steven chuckled. "Yeah, that's usually how they do it."
Steven only needed a single glance at Czarny's face—twisted in a mix of frustration and helplessness, on the verge of tears—to more or less figure out the reason behind his earlier refusal.
After all, villain organizations tended to run on the same predictable playbook. There were only so many ways to control their pawns, and it didn't take a genius to guess which one was in play here.
Czarny didn't say anything in response. But his silence, his stillness, said more than words ever could. It was as good as a confession.
Things had gone off the rails far too quickly. No one—not a single person—had expected someone to walk into the Roar Arena and come out in one piece, much less single-handedly flip the entire match. Everyone had assumed that whoever entered would be ground to dust.
Who could've predicted the impossible?
Certainly not Czarny.
And since he couldn't predict the future, he hadn't made any contingency plans for the people he cared about. By the time he realized the danger they were in, it was already far too late.
That kind of thing… was no longer within his control.
Oddly enough, Czarny didn't really harbor much hatred toward the Black Hole Knight over it all. If he was being honest, it wasn't like the kid had done anything wrong.
He'd simply lost. His side had been weaker, and that was all there was to it.
And besides—if the Black Hole Knight hadn't shown mercy back in the arena, hadn't waited for the spectators to evacuate before turning the place into a black hole—Czarny knew they'd all be long dead by now.
So really, what was there to resent?
"Hmm… I get where you're coming from," Steven said, resting his chin in his hand as he squatted down in front of the Kuranta man. Their eyes met—Czarny's were ringed with the signature dark circles of someone who'd lived too long in the shadow of the Kazimierz Grand Knightdom.
And then Steven smiled—a smile that is like a devil's grin—and spoke in a voice soft and sweet like a whisper from hell.
"But doesn't that make it all the more reason to fight back? Or are you really just gonna roll over and wait for death?"
"Of course I don't want to die," Czarny replied, his voice low and tired. "But what can I do? I'm not like you, I don't have the power to stand up to the K.G.C.C."
He looked back at the Black Hole Knight with a sigh and shook his head.
The Black Hole Knight was different. A monster in human form who could flip entire cities with a gesture. Someone like that could afford to act recklessly. But Czarny? He was just a man. Maybe a clever one, maybe someone with a little political instinct—but still, just a man. One among millions.
If he had the chance to live, he'd take it. Who wouldn't?
But when your loved ones are hostages... sometimes, the only way to protect them is to die quietly.
"Huh. Didn't expect you to say something like that," Steven said, blinking in mild surprise. Then he smiled, more genuinely this time. "Still, it's a good answer. A guy who has people he wants to protect is way easier to deal with than one who's got nothing left to lose. Looks like saving you wasn't a total waste."
He gave Czarny an approving nod, almost like a teacher pleased with a particularly honest essay.
Of course, if it were him in Czarny's shoes, this situation would've never even happened in the first place. But hypotheticals weren't his thing.
"So how about this—I'll give you a chance. Come work for me. I'll make sure you get to protect the ones you care about and stay alive. And the price I'm asking in return? I promise it'll be something you can handle."
He reached out and pulled the still-exhausted Czarny to his feet with one hand, the same friendly smile on his face as he made the offer again.
"W-Wait— You're really saying you can pull that off?" Czarny asked, still in disbelief. "My family… the people I care about… They're all under the watch of the Armorless Union. Even for you, that's not something you can just brute-force your way through… right?"
Hope flickered in his eyes for a brief moment—but by the end of his sentence, doubt had begun to creep in again.
It wasn't that he didn't trust the Black Hole Knight. It was just… some things couldn't be solved by strength alone.
Steven's grin widened.
"Now, if you'd said anyone else, I might've had to think twice. But the Armorless Union?"
He stood up, pulling out a sleek, black device.
"That makes things way easier. Hang tight—I've got a phone call to make."
Steven casually pulled out his communication device and dialed the Darksteel's number. Just like he'd said earlier—if Czarny had claimed his family was under the protection of the K.G.C.C, it might've taken a bit of time and effort to track them down.
But the Armorless Union?
Now that woke him right up.
That was his own faction they were talking about. His underlings. The nerve of them, acting like his authority as the self-proclaimed Bedrock meant nothing!
Grinning from ear to ear, Steven gave the Darksteels a few quick instructions regarding Czarny's relatives. Once the call was handled, he handed the communication device over to Czarny with a casual smile.
"Here—why don't you talk to the Darksteels yourself? Maybe ask them what your family wants for dinner tonight? They can order some takeout for them."
Czarny blinked. And then blinked again.
He stared at Steven, completely stunned. Of all the possibilities he had run through in his head… this had never been one of them.
The Armorless Union—brash, unyielding, notoriously unwilling to bow even to the K.G.C.C—and yet here they were, obeying this boy like loyal dogs.
It didn't make sense.
But then… he took the communication device, and the moment he heard that voice—the unmistakable, iron-clad voice of one of the Darksteels—Czarny's expression froze.
A few short sentences were exchanged. A simple confirmation. His family… they were safe. Completely, undeniably safe.
He lowered the communication device with a blank look in his eyes, as if his soul had left his body—and then, without a moment of hesitation, he dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.
It wasn't forced. It wasn't political. It was raw, instinctive gratitude—an emotional submission born from the knowledge that this boy had just saved not only his life, but the lives of everyone he cared about.
He didn't care who Steven really was. He didn't care how he'd done it. The truth was simple.
He was saved.
And that was all that mattered.
"From this moment on, I am your most loyal servant, Mister Steve!" Czarny declared, slamming his head against the floor twice with sharp thwacks. "No matter what you ask of me—so long as it's within my power—I will not hesitate! If you want to bring down the K.G.C.C, I will help you burn it to the ground! Even if you ask me to betray Kazimierz itself, I will not utter a word of complaint!"
His voice was steady now, all hesitation gone. It no longer mattered where he worked or who he served.
At least this new 'boss' wasn't the type to kill his employees just to make a point.
Steven, meanwhile, took a half-step back, patting his own chest in exaggerated relief as he helped Czarny back to his feet.
Honestly, for a second there, he was genuinely worried Czarny was about to say something like:
"I've wandered half my life, never meeting a true master. But if you don't mind… please allow me to call you 'father!'"
That would've been awkward.
After all, he'd only come here to recruit a subordinate. He wasn't looking to adopt anyone—especially not a grown man.
He wasn't some kind of mysterious noble girl in a dating sim, either.
"Let's not get too dramatic, alright?" Steven muttered, still recovering from secondhand embarrassment. "I'm flattered, but... seriously."
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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