Chapter 56: Dungeon of the Alchemist (2) |
“Damn it! More of these wolf bastards!”
“If you have time to complain, get into formation!”
I quickly moved to block An Sol’s front and pulled An Hyeon’s arm to form a triangular formation. The number of wolves before us was staggering, too many to count in a brief glance. Their explosive, guttural snarls made my skin prickle.
I bit my lip. The caravan tracks had vanished without a trace. Normally, the tracks should have become clearer the deeper we went, but at some point, they had simply disappeared. We had wandered around for a while, trying to find any other sign, but it was as if we were bewitched; no clues could be found. Just as I was about to activate The Third Eye, we were unlucky enough to be ambushed by wolves.
Even if they were Obsidian Forest Wolves, I was confident I could handle over a hundred of them alone in my current state. The problem, however, was the kids. They had struggled with just over twenty before, and this time, the number seemed to be more than double that. It wasn't their first time fighting them, but with roughly forty wolves baring their teeth at us, it was only natural for these fledglings to be terrified.
“O-Oppa.”
“Don’t back down!”
Despite my shout, Yu-jeong subconsciously took a step back. At that moment, the wolves erupted into a unified howl. Hearing the cries of over forty beasts at once, An Hyeon, An Sol, and Yu-jeong all flinched, their faces pale with fear. I could hear An Hyeon muttering something beside me, but before I could ask what, the wolves charged, rapidly closing the distance.
We’d be overrun at this rate. There was no time to reassure them. Yu-jeong and An Hyeon both had dazed expressions before snapping back to their senses and gripping their weapons. It was a small comfort that they regained their composure at the last second, but our situation remained disadvantageous. I gritted my teeth and drew my sword.
“W-What? Oppa? Oppa!”
With no time to explain or persuade, I gripped my sword and strode forward. Seeing me step out, the wolves lunged, their mouths agape, revealing sharp fangs. I heard screams from behind, but this was not a battle that could be controlled with simple support. Besides, with numbers like these, there was no guarantee the kids could keep up. In the end, the only solution was to reveal a bit more of my true strength.
The first clash between me and the wolves began.
With a single leap, I landed in their midst and swung my mana-infused sword in a wide arc. The result that followed surprised even me, exceeding my own expectations. The power of the Sword Specialist class felt truly incredible. The synergy between my sword training experience and my special and latent abilities unleashed a power on a completely different level than before. With just one slash, I saw a fountain of blood erupt from no less than six wolves as they were thrown into the air.
“Protect!”
Right on cue, Sol cast Protect on me. The wolves, which had been charging with great ferocity, froze for a moment, their movements showing confusion. They likely never imagined so many of their pack would fall to a single strike. But it was only for a moment. Perhaps because they still had the advantage in numbers, four or five of them broke off toward the kids, while the remaining thirty swarmed me.
I instantly dealt with two wolves charging from opposite directions, then immediately spun around and sliced through the torso of another that was leaping at me. Hot blood drenched my body. Amidst the chaos, I glanced over at the others and was relieved to see they had composed themselves and were fighting well against the ferocious wolves. Still, there were far too many left. But for the first time in a while, I found myself in a disadvantageous(?) battle. I let my sword hang low before once again cleaving through my surroundings with a triumphant slash.
“Kyehang!”
Sshhring!
It wasn’t just one kill per swing anymore. Two or three were the standard, and if a critical hit landed, six would go flying, just like before. The sword was already moving before I could even think to swing it, flowing like water along the optimal path. Sword and Mind as One had activated.
“Kyehang! Keng!”
Sshhring! Sshhring!
As I swung my blade again, the bodies of the wolves charging head-on were cleanly bisected. Just as I felt a murderous intent from behind and began to turn, I felt something clamp down hard on my thigh. I swung my sword behind me while looking down to see one of them gnawing on my thigh, growling.
“My durability isn’t something you can pierce.”
I whispered quietly and thrust my sword down. A fountain of blood erupted from the creature’s head. After kicking away the wolf that collapsed with a resentful look, I rampaged through the area like a sword demon. After swinging my sword to my heart’s content for some time, I turned, only to realize my surroundings had gone silent.
The battle had entered a lull. The pack of over forty wolves had been reduced to a mere eight. In that short time, more than thirty wolves had been slaughtered. It seemed my attempt to “show a little skill” had gone too far.
As a dark smile formed on my face, driven by the instinct for slaughter slowly taking over, I saw the whimpering wolves take a hesitant step back. I took a deliberate step forward in response. The wolves, which had been cautiously watching me, immediately turned tail and fled, yelping in terror.
Where do you think you’re going? Drunk on battle, I was about to give chase when I heard desperate shouts from behind me.
“Hyeong!”
“Oppa!”
“Oppa!”
The moment I heard their voices, I was pulled back to reality. They couldn’t have seen my smile since my back was to them, but this battle had definitely been excessive. What should I do? What should I say? These thoughts filled my mind.
Just then, as I lowered my head, my blood-soaked body came into view. I smelled the blood for a moment and a good idea came to me. It was pathetic that I had to act every time this happened, but it couldn't be helped. My movements just now had certainly crossed a line. Suspicion grows from small things, so it was best to nip it in the bud.
“Ugh!”
“Hyeong! Are you okay?”
Hearing the kids rushing toward me, I let out a series of dry heaves and let my body slump to the ground. Of course, I didn’t forget to breathe heavily on purpose. Coughing up blood would have been the perfect touch, but they might have made a fuss about turning back.
“Haa, haa!”
As I put on a pained expression, sweating profusely, the kids’ panicked faces came into view. Hyeon quickly pulled a potion from his bag, and Sol hastily chanted a healing spell. Yu-jeong, meanwhile, was trying to take off my shirt. W-What? What is she doing?
“Hyeong! Hyeong! Get a grip!”
“Oppa! Oppa!”
“B-Be quiet. Stop shouting...”
“Hyeong, drink this! Quickly!”
Seeing An Hyeon thrusting a potion bottle at my mouth, I shook my head vigorously and waved my hand. Yu-jeong, who had already managed to pull my shirt halfway off, peered inside, examining me closely before tilting her head in confusion.
“W-What? There are no external injuries. Don’t tell me... he was hurt down there?”
“Keuk... Please, everyone, just stay still...”
As I slowly circulated my mana, I saw white steam rising from my body and urgently looked at Sol. I figured a top student like her would surely recognize it. Sol, who had been in the middle of her healing chant, saw the white haze rising from my body and her face turned pale.
“Move!”
“Eek! W-What’s with her all of a sudden?”
“I said, move!”
Seeing the fierce, predatory look in Sol’s eyes—something she had never shown before—Yu-jeong flinched and backed away. Sol then placed her hand on my chest and slowly infused her mana into my body, likely trying to assess my internal condition. Seizing the opportunity, I violently stirred the mana combined with the Essence of Fire within me, making it seem as if it were rampaging uncontrollably.
“N-No way!”
“What on earth is going on?”
“H-His mana is running wild. It looks like a reversal phenomenon!”
“A reversal phenomenon? Then...”
“Waaah!”
After finishing her sentence, Sol burst into tears and cradled my face. I could feel her warm tears and breath on my skin. An Hyeon and Yu-jeong, who also seemed to know a bit about mana reversal, stared at me with blank expressions.
“Damn it... I shouldn’t have just stood there stunned...!”
“What do we do... What in the world do we do...”
“...Everyone, please be quiet.”
Deciding that was enough, I acted as if I was struggling to sit up. At that, the weeping Sol, as well as Hyeon and Yu-jeong, immediately looked at me, their expressions as if they were looking at a superhuman. Still seeing the white haze rising from my body, I sat cross-legged. The kids seemed to understand what I was about to do and quickly moved away from me.
“Everyone... please keep watch for a moment.”
After seeing them nod their heads three times a second, I slowly entered a state of meditation. Once I entered a state of contemplation, I tended to lose track of time, so I couldn't go too deep. Besides, I needed to use The Third Eye properly anyway, so now seemed like a good time.
The tracks had definitely been getting stronger, and then, in an instant, they vanished. The most likely cause was a barrier. However, a normal barrier would have a mana signature, but I couldn't feel a single trace of energy. It seemed to be a path-altering barrier, one that manipulates the route taken rather than creating a physical blockade.
I slowly activated The Third Eye and began to meticulously scan the surrounding forest.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Hoo...”
Finishing my analysis, I let out a long sigh. It wasn’t as draining as when I had viewed the ‘truth’ of the past during the Rite of Passage, but it was still far more exhausting than simply viewing information. Still, I took comfort in having found the lost trail. I blinked my eyes open, only to be met with two pairs of eyes, blinking right back at me.
Blink.
Blink, blink.
Blink?
Blink, blink?
“...”
“Oppa?”
“Brother?”
An Hyeon was standing guard with a grim expression, spear in hand. He turned his head at the sound of their voices, and his eyes met mine. His mouth slowly widened in surprise. After with difficulty prying away the girls who were frantically touching my face, I managed to get up.
“Oppa. Your body? Are you okay? Huh?”
“For now. I’ve suppressed it, so as long as I don’t overdo it, I’ll be fine.”
“Hyeong. Here. Quickly.”
“Ah, no. A stamina potion is...”
I wanted to say it was useless for a mana reversal, but seeing An Hyeon’s face, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. In the end, I had no choice but to accept the potion with an awkward expression. It seemed he was desperate to make me drink it.
As I uncorked the potion and gulped it down, the kids’ heads followed my movements, tilting up and then down. I shrugged as if to ask what was wrong, and Yu-jeong spoke with a dejected look.
“Um... Oppa. Maybe we should turn back for now.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I heard from Sol. A mana reversal isn’t a one-time thing. If it’s not treated perfectly after it first appears, it’s likely to happen again...”
“I told you I suppressed it. I can get it properly treated when we get back to the city.”
“Still...”
“Instead of worrying about that, look at yourselves... Ugh. Never mind. Just when I thought you were getting better, you’re back to square one. Weren’t you taught to never back down from monsters? That’s practically telling them you’re afraid.”
Of course, they had a right to feel a bit wronged. It was their first time seeing over forty wolves at once. In any case, when I cut them off with a tone that left no room for argument, Hyeon and Yu-jeong hung their heads.
I had been prepared to scold them harshly if they had shot back with, ‘Why did you charge out on your own?’ or ‘Weren’t you the one who broke formation?’ But it seemed they knew they were in the wrong.
Despite my rebuke, they still wore worried expressions. It seemed that my pained grimaces while activating The Third Eye had been effective. (That part was genuinely difficult.)
I did some light stretches to loosen my body, then spoke to the kids, who were watching my every move.
“Anyway, I have no intention of turning back. Especially not because of me. So, pull yourselves together. I’ll let it slide this time, but if you show the same attitude again, I really won’t let it go.”
“H-Hyeong. But... Sol said a mana reversal is...”
“Enough with the buts. I know my own body best. I can still go on. Stop worrying and focus on yourselves.”
Only after I finished speaking did they slowly start gathering their things. But their faces were all downcast, and the slightly relaxed atmosphere we had before the wolf encounter had vanished in an instant. Seeing their plummeting morale, I truly understood the weight of my position in the group.
As I turned to leave, I could feel their hopeful gazes, but I had absolutely no intention of going back. First, we had to retrace our steps. We needed to return to the point where the tracks disappeared and change our direction.
The reason I couldn’t find the trail was, as expected, a path-altering barrier. A barrier that could reveal a different world with a single step. The thought that I had finally found a clue to the alchemist’s dungeon sent a thrill of excitement through me.