Chapter 382 |
As soon as I broke through the thick cloud of dust, the chaotic scene of a melee greeted me. A melee is a battlefield where close-combat classes typically shine. The clang of metal rang out from all directions, and sparks flew so wildly they hurt my eyes.
Though I only glanced at it, the state of the battle seemed to be at a stalemate.
The Allied Forces were trying to push through with their momentum and numerical superiority. However, they weren't breaking through as easily as they had on the plains moments ago. This was because, in contrast to the Allied Forces' haphazard charge, the Eastern Users were responding in a very stable and organized manner.
The fact that the battle looked even was likely due to the sheer difference in numbers. Considering the corpses of the Allied Forces I saw on my way here, it might be safe to say the East had the upper hand.
Anyway, that was enough thought for now.
I raised the sword I had held low and focused my gaze ahead. Enemies had already drawn near. The figures that had been more dots in the distance grew larger as the gap between us closed. One of them spotted me, his face twisting in a snarl.
"Where did all the stragglers go?"
Shk!
I sliced his neck as I passed, and his head flew into the air. The flicker of confusion in his eyes for that brief moment suggested he had mistaken me for a vagrant.
"Kynoooooooh!"
A monstrous roar, like that of a true beast, echoed across the battlefield. Turning my head toward the sound, a strange sight met my eyes.
A change had occurred in the East's dense formation. And at the center of that change stood a real 'monster'.
Was it about five meters tall? Covered in scales, the creature resembled a lizard and was rampaging violently.
As it indiscriminately tore at the front lines with its long claws, a large hole was ripped open in the tightly packed formation. The enemy, with the lizard monster at their lead, was aggressively pushing into the gap.
The monster rampaged like a mad boar, heedless of its own injuries, and as a result, the East's formation was slowly being split in two.
The sounds of harsh explosions and shouts mixed around me. My hair fluttered in the sharp wind.
In that moment, a thought suddenly struck me, and I changed direction, breaking into a full sprint.
"Priest! Where is the priest!"
"Concentrated fire! Focus your fire on the monster!"
The distance to the lizard monster was forty meters. Near where it was rampaging, I could see a familiar man. Clutching his abdomen as he sat collapsed on the ground, it was undoubtedly Seong Hyeon-min.
Shktsk, shktsktsktsk!
"Kynooo! Kynooo!"
Arrows flying from all directions dug into the lizard monster's scales. But arrows weren't enough to stop it. Though they might have dealt some damage, the lizard monster only roared louder and stomped its foot.
Thud!
For a moment, the earth of the plains shot upward. The ground shook as if from a faint earthquake. The nearby Users lost their balance and fell, and the lizard monster swiftly reached out its hand.
"Moom!"
A youthful scream echoed through the air. A woman who had been caught was lifted high into the sky. Then, in an instant so fast it made me dizzy just watching, she was slammed down into the earth.
Kkoong!
Pukuk!
There was a sound of something being completely shattered, and a crimson stream of blood shot up like a fountain. The scene that followed was gruesome. Her head was smashed to pieces, and crushed brain matter was strewn in every direction.
Just as the lizard monster's eyes began to search for new prey, I arrived.
"This way."
I stared at the long gap that had opened up beyond the lizard monster. Then, I gripped Victoria's Glory with both hands and raised it above my head. Simultaneously infusing it with a great deal of magic power, I powerfully kicked off the ground and leaped into the air.
Hwoong!
My body soared. I glanced down, and the lizard monster came into clearer view. As I reached the apex of my jump, just as its glistening scaled head looked up, I pulled my hands back as far as they could go. Then, I began my descent and swung the sword down with all my might.
Swiiiiiish!
The sword aura, radiating a brilliant light, drew a pure white image along the arc of my swing.
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
For a moment, I saw a flicker of hesitation in the lizard monster's eyes. But it seemed to make up its mind quickly, showing signs of moving to dodge.
I quietly closed my eyes. Lized-types were certainly fast. And agile. But 'agility' was not something that should be discussed in front of me.
Pat!
I opened my eyes again. Upon activating Flash Step, the scaled head was instantly right before me. And Victoria's Glory, already mid-swing, was cleanly splitting the crown of its head.
Rrrrrrrrrrr!
The sensation was like cutting through a lump of iron.
I descended straight down, as if riding an elevator. As my gaze traveled down, I could see it splitting to the left and right, revealing the red flesh within.
When my feet finally landed on the ground, I saw the lizard monster's body, cleanly split in half, fall apart.
Thump, thump!
Choooooaaaaaaah!
The warm liquid that rained down, drenching my entire body, was an added bonus.
I blinked once, twice. Then, a gust of wind blew, and the lizard monster's corpse scattered into ash. The body that had boasted such a massive frame was gone, and only the corpse of a person, cut in half, lay there.
"A User who merged with a beastkin... I feel like I've heard of this..."
"Stop! Don't attack! He's an ally!"
Just then, a sudden voice made me look up. I saw Users surrounding me, their weapons aimed at me. Just as I was about to feel a bit dumbfounded, a man staggered toward me. It was Seong Hyeon-min.
"Mercenary Lord? Aren't you the Mercenary Lord?"
Before I could even nod, a gentle hand for a man wiped my face. My crimson stained vision cleared up a little.
"It is you. Phew. That was truly amazing! To take down that monster that gave us so much trouble in a single blow..."
"Han Lord. Did Simon escape this way?"
"Pardon?"
Seong Hyeon-min looked puzzled for a moment, but soon spoke with a frustrated expression.
"Ah. Simon. If you mean the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Continent... I believe he lost sight of me during a close eye on him, but an unexpected variable..."
"Did Simon escape this way?"
I cut him off and asked again. Seong Hyeon-min fell silent for a moment. He stared at me intently, then nodded.
"I can't be certain it was Simon. However, just as we were about to capture him, one of the enemies transformed into that monster, and a User escorted by a group of guards escaped through the opening."
"I see. Then."
"If you're planning to pursue him, I can send reinforcements... Me Mercenary Lord!"
"Not necessary."
The melee was still raging, and Seong Hyeon-min was injured. I give him a light push toward my own backup group. Then, without delay, I started running down the path that had been open and was now beginning to close.
I had confirmed his escape.
If I could just get through this path, all that remained was an unobstructed chase.
The sound of Seong Hyeon-min's voice behind me began to fade into the distance.
Thud thud thud! Thud thud thud!
A group of Users was running through the forest. There were about a hundred of them. Running with blood caked all over their bodies, they all scanned their surroundings with sharp eyes. But their pace wasn't very fast. The reason was a young man running in the center, under their protection.
"Pant, pant! W-Wait a moment!"
As the young man spoke, the rest of the group stopped in perfect unison.
"Pant! I can't... pant, pant! I can't run anymore. Let's wait here for a bit."
"Wait?"
Despite his heavy panting, the young man replied to the man's question with a faint smile.
"Ah, yes. There might be more of our friends who broke through. We can also use the time to recover our stamina."
The man nodded in understanding. Mage classes were notorious for their lack of stamina, and if more comrades were following, it would bolster their forces, even if just by a little.
"Everyone, rest easy. Our escape isn't over yet. Haha."
At the young man's gentle voice, they began to sit down one by one, glancing at each other. Their faces, all panting heavily, were filled with anguish.
Just then, the man from before got up and approached the young man.
"Simon. What will you do now?"
That was right. The young man was none other than Simon Grimes, who had barely managed to break through Seong Hyeon-min's easily calculated encirclement.
"Well. I really didn't expect it to turn out like this. To think they'd cut off our escape route in all this chaos..."
Simon trailed off, licking his lips.
How did it come to this?
Things were fine when they first broke out of the castle. But at some point, the tide of battle began to shift strangely, and the moment reinforcements arrived, it was overturned in an instant. The Allied Forces had expected them to enter through the path they themselves had just passed; they never dreamed their escape route would be cut off.
Although they had somehow managed to break through, the losses were too great. The Allied Forces, which had initially numbered fifteen thousand, had now dwindled to a mere hundred.
Of course, it wasn't that only a hundred had survived; the others had likely scattered during the melee to find their own ways to live. But how many would actually make it back to the Western Continent's lines?
As if sensing the grim reality of their own thoughts, a shadow fell over the faces of the Western Continent's Users.
A brief silence fell. No one spoke a word.
"Well then. Shall we get going?"
Just then, a relaxed voice drifted through the area. The voice was so leisurely it sounded as if he were telling them not to worry, that he still had a card up his sleeve.
"Can you run again?"
Encouraged, the man shot to his feet, and Simon smiled faintly.
"Ah. Our awaited guest has arrived. To be honest, I'd like to rest a bit more, but it seems they'll be here soon. Let's see..."
For a moment, Simon's eyes turned red. His black pupils narrowed into vertical slits, as if he were staring at something.
Pujik!
"Ugh."
But Simon immediately lowered his head, rubbing his eyes and wincing. His eyes had already returned to their original color.
"As awaited guest? Don't tell me our comrades..."
"No. A monster."
The man furrowed his brow at the reply, not understanding.
It was then.
Thud, thud. Thud, thud.
The sound of rhythmic footsteps echoed through the quiet forest. Everyone must have heard it, as their weary, pale faces filled with alarm.
"On guard!"
Just as all one hundred of them rose to their feet, a black-haired man slowly began to appear. And as they recognized him, low groans escaped the Users' lips.
The man was a man of blood. It wasn't just that he had splattered with it; he was soaked in blood from head to toe. He looked as if he had just emerged from a swim in a sea of blood.
The man's steady steps came to a halt before the hundred people.
Sensing an aura that was clearly not that of an ally, the Western Continent Users drew their weapons, their faces growing even more tense. And just as they were about to wait for their leader's next order, Simon suddenly took a step forward.
"Everyone, stop."
"Simon Grimes?"
"The man before you is a monster. You can't handle him. Attacking him now would be a dog's death."
Normally, the man would have dismissed it as nonsense, but he found himself nodding.
The man before them was not only terrifying in appearance, but the aura he exuded was also incredibly ominous. It was like being a mouse before a cat.
"Th. What do you mean?"
"What do you mean? I'm the Commander-in-Chief, after all. I should be the one to face him. It seems that monster's target is me, anyway."
"Simon? Surely you don't mean to face him alone?"
"Of course. I certainly intend to receive your help. So..."
For a moment, Simon's words stopped. He raised his left hand, then continued with a wicked smile.
"Please die for me."
"What? What do you mean..."
"Don't worry. It won't be a meaningless death like a moth to a flame. It will be a slightly more valuable one."
The man questioned him, bewildered by the sudden words.
Woooong!
But before he could finish his sentence, a dark red light began to spread from Simon's left hand. And in an instant, it engulfed the man and the other Users. The light coiled around the Users' bodies, emitting a brilliant color.
"Huh? Wh-What?"
And then, the change began.
Woooong! Woooooong!
It happened in a flash. The bodies of the Users enveloped in light seemed to turn limp, and then their entire bodies began to melt away like flowing water.
"Hwaaaah! Hwaaaah!"
Untimely screams echoed through the quiet forest. The melted flesh mixed with blood and was absorbed by the dark red light, and the hundred or so Users vanished without a trace.
In that moment, the light that had spread out in all directions returned to Simon and formed a single shape. A book made of flesh and blood fell into his left hand.
Now, only two people remained. Simon and the man.
"My. They didn't die so gracefully after all. I didn't think they'd resist."
"Haha. You know what? You're really annoying. You raised the plan I worked so hard on, and now you've chased me to the ends of the earth. And my precious subordinates too..."
The man remained silent. But there was a strange look in his eyes, as if he were saying he had just enjoyed a good circus performance.
"What's with that look?"
Just then, the man's eyes blinked once. Simon flinched instinctively. Though no harm had been done, he was overcome with a filthy feeling, as if his very being was being laid bare.
The man's identity was none other than Kim Soohyun.
In truth, after escaping Seong Hyeon-min's encirclement, both Simon and Kim Soohyun had left the battlefield. And such a situation could only be advantageous for Kim Soohyun. As long as there were no obstructions, catching up to a mage class was a simple task.
"Just as I expected."
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.
After uttering a single phrase, the man began to walk again.
But Simon's face remained leisurely. His earlier exhaustion was gone; after absorbing nearly a hundred Users, his entire body overflowed with confidence.
Watching Kim Soohyun, who was now within ten meters, Simon's blood red eyes flashed.
Chuararararara!
Though he didn't touch it, the summoned book began to flip through its pages on its own. One would think he might pause at the sight of the book reading such an ominous aura, but his expression remained as calm as a lake on a clear day.
And at a certain moment, the flipping pages stopped on their own.
Woooong!
In that instant, dozens of orbs the size of a grown man's fist appeared around Simon. There were well over several dozen of them, each, a deep, blood red color.
"Blood Vulcan."
The moment the words left Simon's lips, the blood red orbs shot toward the man all at once.
Shutting! Shutting! Shutting! Shutting!
The orbs, flying like cannonballs, instantly enveloped the man. In that brief moment, anticipating the symphony of explosions that would follow, Simon let out a cold smile.
But what Simon expected did not happen.
Huiririrk!
The orbs instantly scattered into the air, spreading out thinly like blood diluted in water.
"What?"
Simon's eyebrow twitched.
Thud, thud. Thud, thud, thud.
And Kim Soohyun, completely unscathed, was still walking calmly toward him.
"If Blood Lance!"
Simon shouted desperately. This time, thirty long, blood red lances materialized and shot fiercely toward Kim Soohyun.
Kligigik! Kligigigik!
This time was different. Unlike the orbs that had vanished helplessly, the lances surrounded him densely, like the quills of a hedgehog. Their tips trembled and struggled, as if trying to break through his magic resistance by any means necessary.
Ujik, ujik!
Then, a faint crack began to form at one point. Seeing that Kim Soohyun's steps had finally stopped, Simon let out a twisted laugh.
It was then.
"Hmph."
Letting out a short breath, Kim Soohyun swung Victoria's Glory, which he held in his right hand.
Up once.
Snip!
To the right once.
Snip!
To the left once.
Snip!
The lances, snipped apart, quietly dispersed into the air, following the orbs from before.
Kim Soohyun started walking again as if nothing had happened, and Simon was aghast at the sight. He just couldn't see, he could feel the hands energy was blocked by an incomprehensible method, emotion finally appeared on his calm face.
"N-No way! E Even if his magic resistance is high! I used a hundred people as a sacrifice!"
Simon found himself backing away, but Kim Soohyun's steps were faster.
"Phew. You're quite a handful."
Having reached Simon, Kim Soohyun slowly extended his left hand and grabbed the book floating in mid-air. Simon instinctively grabbed the book back, but he was immediately overpowered by the dark red light, and the hand had vanished without a trace.
After taking the book, Kim Soohyun examined it from various angles with an interested gaze. His eyes blinked once more, and then his tightly closed lips parted.
"A Secret Class. An unexpected harvest."
Watching him carefully tuck the book into his coat, Simon felt completely dumbfounded. The man before him acted as if Simon hadn't even been on his radar from the start. A look that said, just like he never meant any opponent to begin with? The thought sent a cold rage surging to the top of his head.
Just as he raised his left hand to summon the book again, Kim Soohyun's hand moved like lightning.
Ujik! Hwararek, hwararek!
"Gyaaaak!"
Feeling his left hand was now in Kim Soohyun's grasp. When he let go, there was only empty air above the wrist. The left hand had been burned away without a trace.
Kim Soohyun had the wrist and came to rest on Simon's head. He grabbed it and lifted, and then Simon's body rose into the air along with it.
Kim Soohyun walked over to one of the many trees in the forest and stopped. He pressed Simon's head against it, then ruthlessly plunged his sword into his abdomen.
"Keuk! Cough!"
A mouthful of blood spewed from the powerless Simon's mouth. Kim Soohyun paid him no mind, dusting off his hands and letting out a faint sigh.
"I've confirmed it for sure... but how do I draw it out?"
"Cough, cough!"
"We can't even communicate. Should have learned some English."
"Y-You..."
Amidst it all, Simon barely regained his senses and lifted his head. His eyes were crimson, with no whites to be seen... like the eyes of a demon.
Kim Soohyun met his gaze blankly.
"Don't look at me with those eyes."
"Give me back my book! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
"The eyes of a demon just make me shudder."
After he finished speaking, Kim Soohyun immediately shot out both his hands. His thumbs were sticking up.
Then, his thumbs dug straight into Simon's eyes.
"Uwaaaaak! Uwaaaaaaaaak!"
Feeling his eyeballs being violently crushed, Simon let out another agonized scream.
When Kim Soohyun pulled his fingers back, a stream of blood followed. Bloody tears flowed from his mangled eye sockets. Simon's head slumped.
"I'm worried about killing you like this... Should I start by tearing you apart, piece by piece?"
After tilting his head for a moment, Kim Soohyun grabbed both of Simon's arms. Simon's body was limp, but he couldn't see, he could feel the hands gripping his arms. And he had a vague premonition of what was about to happen.
"D-Don't! Don't!"
Simon frantically shook his head. But Kim Soohyun grunted, putting his strength into it, and pulled the captured arms forcefully to the left and right.
Pujik!
"U-Uwaaaah!"
The arms stretched for a moment, and then the flesh began to tear and sag.
Blyyyyyyyyk!
Finally, they were ripped from his body, revealing the flesh and bone within.
"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"