The Shadow Organization Members Raised Through Pay-To-Win Are Too Strong

Silence descended. No one could speak.

The steak they had just eaten had turned out to be made from their own legs.

Everyone was horrified by the grotesque revelation.

“Ugh—”

Someone gagged.

The most terrifying part was that none of them could stand against the man before them.

Who were they?

Dark mages with grand ambitions to throw the continent into chaos.

And yet, they were now facing such a pathetic end. It was incomprehensible.

Even Azhar, who had led the meeting, was powerless now.

“Who is this man?”

Azhar looked at Warden with trembling eyes.

Warden appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary gentleman at a glance. There was nothing outwardly remarkable about him, no hint of special power.

Yet here they were, completely helpless against him.

If only they could use magic, they wouldn’t be suffering this humiliation.

‘Why can’t we use magic…?’

Azhar suspected the white smoke that had knocked them unconscious earlier.

His suspicion didn’t stop there.

‘And how did he find this place?’

The meeting location of the dark mages changed each time. Information about it was strictly encrypted.

There was no way a third party could have known about it.

That could only mean one thing: betrayal.

‘Who was it?’

Azhar scanned the room, looking at his comrades, but all he saw were faces paralyzed with fear.

If there was a traitor among them, they wouldn’t be so terrified.

Then it hit him—Feratu.

Feratu…

Feratu was the dark mage who had suggested impersonating the Raven.

‘Could it have been Feratu who betrayed us…?’

A possibility crossed Azhar’s mind.

Feratu had claimed that impersonating the Raven would elicit some kind of reaction.

What if the figure before them, Warden, had been drawn out by that very act?

‘The Raven isn’t just propaganda… it’s real?’

If so, it was the worst-case scenario.

It meant there was a mysterious force even they were unaware of.

Judging by Warden’s abilities, he was undoubtedly a dangerous adversary.

‘I must inform him of this immediately!’

But escaping this place was the problem.

No matter how much he struggled, his body wouldn’t respond.

In despair, Warden’s voice rang out once again.

“Now, now. Why is everyone so still? This game is quite simple.”

Warden’s tone remained calm, as if he were enjoying an ordinary dinner party.

“Among the meat before you, some pieces belong to your own legs, others to your comrades. The first to correctly identify their own wins.”

His voice was steady, almost serene.

But the dark mages inwardly screamed, their faces twisted in anguish.

The moment they realized the steak had been made from their own legs, no one dared to touch the food.

As dark mages, offering others as sacrifices was second nature to them.

But now, being the ones sacrificed, they were terrified. The very thought made them nauseous.

Amid the sea of fearful faces, Shinoha’s voice erupted with fury.

“This insane nonsense needs to stop right now!”

“Excessive agitation isn’t good for your health,” Warden said quietly, as though reprimanding an unruly guest.

“This is no ordinary meal. It is a test from God. Only those worthy of survival will make it through.”

“Don’t give me that crap! What’s this nonsense about God?”

Warden’s expression hardened as he turned to Shinoha, who had insulted his savior.

“Crap, you say…”

Warden murmured indifferently.

“There were always those who denied the divine and failed to grasp the mercy offered in their final moments.”

Still, Warden intended to give even this pitiable soul a chance.

He approached Shinoha slowly.

“Stay away from me!”

She screamed, but without her legs, there was no escaping.

Warden picked up the knife lying before her.

“You can see with your eyes, yet your heart is filled with disbelief.”

His next move was swift.

The hand holding the knife darted forward, piercing through Shinoha’s eyes.

“AAAAH!”

Shinoha screamed in agony, blood pouring from her eyes as her body convulsed.

Her nails clawed at her thighs, leaving deep scratches, while foam bubbled from her mouth.

“Please… stop…”

Her words, barely audible, were soaked in despair.

Even through the pain, Shinoha yearned for death.

She knew there was no hope left. Death seemed like the better option.

But in her immobilized state, she had few choices.

Realizing this, she opened her mouth, intending to speak.

She wanted to activate the restriction engraved upon the dark mages. It would kill her instantly, offering the most painless escape.

But—

“Shh, God has not yet commanded me to save you.”

Warden said, silencing her with his hand over her mouth.

He was already well aware of the restrictions placed on the dark mages, thanks to the information provided by the Supreme Council.

Of course, he wouldn’t permit her an easy death.

Warden gagged Shinoha and returned to his seat.

His movements were elegant, like someone dining in a high-end restaurant.

While the dark mages quaked in terror, Warden calmly picked up his knife and began cutting into the steak.

The well-cooked meat parted effortlessly beneath the blade.

He speared a perfect slice with his fork and brought it to his mouth.

“Mmm… as expected, perfection.”

Warden chewed slowly, savoring the steak as he murmured.

“A fine meal is incomplete without a fine wine.”

He lifted a wine glass and swirled it gently. The ruby-red liquid shimmered as it hugged the glass’s walls.

Bringing the glass to his nose, Warden inhaled the aroma before taking a deliberate sip, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. Even this small action radiated elegance.

The dark mages, already paralyzed with fear, were further unnerved by Warden’s composure amidst such horror.

But the ordeal wasn’t over.

“Now, don’t hesitate. Make your choice. Time is short,” Warden said with a faint smile, his gaze sweeping the room.

“If you fail to find salvation here…”

He placed a small box on the table.

Inside the box was—

Feratu’s severed head.

“What in the world happened here?”

Veteran Imperial investigator Banks let out a heavy sigh as he surveyed the gruesome scene before him.

The carnage surrounding the round table was nothing short of horrifying.

Bodies were scattered, all missing their legs, while the table was littered with blood-soaked chunks of meat.

The metallic stench of blood and the lingering remnants of terror filled the air.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen something this gruesome. And to think this happened in the heart of the Empire…”

Indeed, this incident occurred in the capital of Arcadia. Due to the secluded location, it seemed the crime had gone unnoticed until dawn.

“They even mutilated the faces. This one’s particularly vile.”

Banks muttered, causing the younger investigators beside him to shudder.

Their pale faces betrayed their shock and horror. Severed limbs, decapitated bodies—this grotesque and macabre scene defied comprehension.

Just then, another investigator, Nates, approached.

“It’s been a while, Banks.”

“Ah, Nates. Good to see you again.”

After exchanging brief pleasantries, Nates got straight to the point.

“Take a look at this, Banks. The autopsy reveals that all the bodies are missing their internal organs.”

“Could this be the work of dark mages?”

It wasn’t unheard of. Dark mages occasionally kidnap people to harvest materials for their sinister rituals.

But Nates shook her head, her expression tinged with disbelief.

“That’s the problem. The victims here were the dark mages.”

“What?”

Banks couldn’t believe his ears.

He had assumed the perpetrators were dark mages, as they often were in such heinous crimes.

But to find that they were the victims instead?

At least five bodies were visible, and each one belonged to a dark mage.

To ruthlessly murder dark mages—a societal menace—in this manner…

Banks lowered his voice, his expression growing somber.

“…Could the Imperial family be behind this?”

An incident of this magnitude could hardly be dismissed without considering intervention from the Empire’s highest authorities. If true, any investigation at the scene was already meaningless.

‘Soon enough, the Holy Kingdom will likely get involved.’

The death of dark mages was not merely a domestic issue. To the Holy Kingdom, which had labeled them heretics, this incident would undoubtedly demand attention and action.

Banks sighed deeply, dropping the cigarette from his lips.

“Looks like I won’t be going home anytime soon.”

All that awaited him was another long night of work.

It was a day like any other—except for one pressing matter.

“What? Albert returned to the Empire?”

Albert had left his estate in the middle of the night without so much as a word.

Not even his father, the Count, had been informed.

“So now the Count is furious…”

Chloe’s explanation was met with a click of my tongue.

“Good grief. What is he thinking?”

Albert had been attacked by unknown assailants, yet he acted independently without consulting anyone.

It wasn’t surprising that the Count was angry.

“And… um…”

Chloe hesitated as though struggling to voice her next words.

“Albert left a note saying… he’s renouncing his position as heir and intends to join the Mage Tower.”

“What did you just say?”

Albert giving up his inheritance? This was completely unexpected and incomprehensible.

‘Could he be involved with the dark mages somehow?’

The alerts last night had been ominous enough:

[A member of Black Raven has hunted a dark mage.]

The notification appeared no less than seven times.

I suspected something unusual was happening, but for Albert to relinquish his inheritance…

‘Is it trauma from his near-kidnapping?’

Albert’s sudden shift left things in chaos, with the second son, Bastel, already in poor condition.

Granted, Albert’s choice of the Mage Tower was a more favorable option than Bastel’s state, but it was still problematic for me.

Unsurprisingly, Chloe brought another message from the Count.

“And… the Count has asked you to prepare for a serious discussion.”

As expected. The inevitable had arrived.

With Albert and Bastel both removed from the running for successor and with the passing of Countess Lavender—who had supported them—the Count was left with few options.

‘Is he going to choose me as the heir?’

Of course, it wouldn’t be immediate. There was always the possibility Albert might change his mind.

Still, a shift in the succession dynamics was clearly underway.

“Understood. I’ll prepare.”

“I’ll help you!”

Chloe swiftly approached me and began adjusting my attire.

At that moment, a series of notifications appeared before my eyes:

[Your influence within the Hartwell family has increased.]
[Synchronization progress has reached 30%.]
[The leader’s authority, ‘Character Deactivation,’ has been unlocked.]

As synchronization progressed, I was granted a new authority. I hadn’t realized that increasing my influence within the family also contributed to synchronization progress.

‘Character Deactivation?’

Character deactivation functioned much like a sealing system in the game. I was familiar with it, having once deactivated Celestia.

Back then, only characters I had acquired could be deactivated.

Curious, I checked the new authority:

[You can cast ‘Character Deactivation’ on any individual you are in physical contact with. To activate, you must sacrifice 5 traits or skills currently in your possession.]

[You are currently in contact with the character ‘Chloe.’ Would you like to deactivate this character?]

In reality, the rules seemed far more flexible—allowing deactivation for any character as long as physical contact was established.

‘This could be… dangerous.’

I hesitated, glancing at Chloe, who was busy fussing over my collar. Her carefree expression was a stark contrast to the unsettling implications of this ability.

If I could deactivate any character I touched, then…

‘This power isn’t just a tool—it’s a weapon.’