NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35
“I’m so hungry!”
It was a ghoul with legs like chopsticks, but its strength was immense. It charged at me madly and suddenly jumped to pounce on me.
I watched its movements clearly before thrusting my sword straight and slicing through the ghoul’s emaciated upper body.
“Gack!”
The ghoul was cut in half in one blow. The sensation of the sword slicing through bone was particularly vivid.
The ghoul’s combat power wasn’t that high.
But there weren’t just a few of these guys; they were coming at us like a whole army. Fighting off these monsters rushing at us like a bunch of infested Terran was quite challenging.
“Die!”
“You crazy bastard!”
“You ghoul scum!”
At first, the raiders fought fiercely against the ghouls. They were pretty weak, flying far with just a couple of hits.
But there were so many of them that we started to get pushed back.
“Jaemi Son! There are too many of these bastards!”
“Hehe, do not fall back, no matter what.”
—Swish!
Jaemi Son stabbed fiercely into the ghoul’s skull, shaking it side to side to keep the others at bay.
A splendid control of space.
I too was thrusting my sword and clearing off the ghouls that came flying at me.
And then…
—Crunch!
I stomped down on a ghoul approaching my legs, crushing it.
Stay calm.
Although there were a lot of ghouls, we were holding our formation. As long as we maintained this position, we could fend them off easily.
“Give me meat!”
In the meantime, a ghoul flew in from the left. I quickly extended my arm to defend.
—Crack!
The ghoul bit my gauntlet. This bastard must have been really hungry as he gnawed at my gauntlet, turning it into a mess of saliva.
What a filthy bastard!
“You bastard!”
I gripped my sword tightly and stamped the pommel right onto the ghoul’s skull.
—Boom!
“Ugh!”
“Raise your guard!”
The fierce battle continued.
I stood firm next to Jaemi Son, dispatching ghouls as we held our ground. I could see the number of ghouls gradually decreasing.
“Ughh!”
“Yank!”
Still, raiders were being taken down from time to time, terrible screams echoing as they fell. Despite the ghouls being weak, their vicious teeth were very real. Being bitten by them would result in serious injuries.
“I’m so hungry!”
“Eat this!”
—Crunch!
I thrust my sword into the ghouls’ mouths, piercing through and out of the back of their heads. I tossed the limp body aside and kicked another like a soccer ball.
At that moment…
—Flutter!
Something yellow and paper-like flew in from behind.
—Whoosh!
Suddenly, that paper burst into flames, exploding and incinerating the ghouls!
“Gaahhhh!”
“Meat!”
“I’m so hungry!”
The ghouls screamed in anguish as they burned!
“What the hell is that?”
What is it?
Is it magic!?
Isn’t this supposed to be martial arts!?
“Don’t be surprised… That’s probably a talisman written by the sorcerers.”
“A talisman?!”
“Hehe, the Mosan Sect must be nearby; they probably ordered it for the dungeon raid.”
What’s the Mosan Sect!?
I’ve never heard of it!
Anyway, the soldiers of the clan that had taken position behind us maintained a solid front, taking down ghouls with their weapons while also tossing talismans to assist in the battle.
What a well-trained unit.
As time went on, the ghoul legion was finally annihilated.
“The ghouls have been wiped out! You guys, tend to the injured!”
“Yes!”
As soon as the order of the Great Hero came down, I looked around.
“Ghh!”
“Ugh…!”
There were several raiders bleeding profusely from their arms and legs. Just one bite had done that.
If I hadn’t been wearing my gauntlet or paid attention to my lower body, I might have ended up like that.
“First, bandages! We need to wrap them up! Hey! You! Do you have bandages?!”
I shouted at a raider who was bleeding out.
“Uh, no…!”
“Ugh! Then take off your clothes!”
“What?!”
—Rip!
Immediately, I tore apart the raider’s clothes to make bandages and tightly wrapped them around his wounds. Who would’ve thought my first aid training from the military would come in handy? Whatever happens, if you don’t stop the bleeding quickly, it’s game over.
“My, my clothes?! You goddamn bastard! Who tears someone’s clothes apart like that?!”
“What? Even after I saved you, you’re complaining?!”
—Boom!
“Gah!”
I punched the ungrateful guy in the nose, causing him to bleed profusely while he cried in pain.
“Get hit more, you piece of shit!”
“Ahhh! Stop! Stop!”
“Say thank you!”
“Thank you! Th-thank you for the first aid!”
“You should’ve said that from the start! Stop making me feel bad! Take another hit!”
“Ughhh! Ugh! I’m sorry! I’m sorryyy!”
“Just die, you bastard!”
“Kkkk!”
With that feeling, I bestowed my merciful grace upon the wounded like Nightingale. Even Mother Teresa would give me a thumbs up for my noble service.
“Once the first aid is done, the injured should retreat outside the dungeon! The rest should regroup!”
“Understood!”
As the command was given, the ones who could walk, mostly those with one arm injured, helped those whose legs were hurt and retreated. The guy I beat also joined the retreating line, crying and bleeding from his nose.
Seeing his face so pale, he looked just like an avatar from the Na’vi tribe. And his clothes were torn, making him look even more like a perfect replica. If James Cameron saw this, he would’ve flipped out, foaming at the mouth while shouting about making Avatar 2 right away.
Anyway, it seemed like half the troops had retreated.
“H-Hold on! If a demon appears during the retreat…!”
“There are no demons! We cleared them all out! Hurry up and retreat!”
“Right!”
Indeed. Since we’d taken care of all the demons, nothing should come out on the way back. Watching that scene, I took a break with Jaemi Son.
“Phew. This is exhausting. Don’t you think?”
“Hehe, what a fierce battle. Not even a smile to be found. Hehe.”
“You, who don’t lose your smile even in such a tough situation, are number one.”
“What? …Number what?”
Just a light nutritional supplement.
I drank some water and tossed in some powdered soybean flour.
I’m so exhausted.
“Once the regrouping is done, we’ll move again! Our target is the depths of this dungeon! Now that the ghouls are gone, there shouldn’t be any other enemies!”
Even if we assume there’s nothing on the way.
What could be in the depths?
I was about to ask that when the order to move came down immediately. Our raider group took the lead and started to move.
“I’m so hungry!”
“Meat, meat, meat!”
Every now and then, a couple of straggling ghouls appeared, but with this level of foolishness, they couldn’t even be our match.
“You bastard!”
“How dare you, ghoul!”
Raiders filled with rage easily broke the bones of the ghouls with just a kick. Various weapons were slammed into the heads of fallen ghouls.
Thus, we advanced towards the depths of the dungeon.
* * *
As we progressed, I began to feel something strange. A coolness? Refreshing? It might be a sign that we were getting closer to the depths.
Feeling a bit tense and staying alert, the Jade Flower Sword said.
“Stop. It seems we will soon reach the depths.”
Finally arriving.
“Scouts. Seek the path forward.”
“Yes!”
At the command of the Jade Flower Sword, the River Group warriors moved swiftly. Scouts shot off in various directions.
And after a while.
“We found a path! It goes downwards!”
“Hmm, an underground path. Understood. Let’s move.”
“Yes!”
Following that instruction, as we moved a bit further, a staircase-like formation appeared that led down. By this point, Jaemi Son seemed tense as he started babbling nonsense.
“Ahh… If we die as raiders like this, we’ll drop into a hell like this.”
“What are you talking about?”
If you live righteously like me, you’ll go to heaven.
After all, I just moved both Nightingale and Mother Teresa to tears and even got a thumbs up from James Cameron. If someone like me can’t go to heaven, then heaven must be the strange one.
Anyway.
As we descended, we reached a corner. I moved ahead and cautiously peeked around the corner, only to see a broad, open space.
And at the center of that space stood a person.
Wait a minute.
A person?!
“What the hell? Hey, Jaemi Son. There’s a person over there?”
“What kinda nonsense…”
“A person?!”
The Great Hero tugged at my shoulder and looked around the corner himself. He then gasped in shock and shouted.
“W-what! A girl! There’s a person over there!”
“What?!”
Just as the Jade Flower Sword rushed over to check around the corner.
“A person…! No! A sorcerer!”
“A sorcerer?!”
A sorcerer?!
“Quickly, take them out!”
“Yes!”
Immediately, the Jade Flower Sword and the River Group warriors dashed forward. Following that, the Great Hero ordered the raiders to charge.
So we all collectively rushed toward the chamber.
But wait a minute.
There’s a sorcerer in the depths of the dungeon? That’s strange, but something feels off. The Jade Flower Sword and the River Group have a lot of experience tackling dungeons.
However, the tone of the Jade Flower Sword’s voice when he spotted the sorcerer conveyed confusion or a sense of disaster. Could it be that this was an unexpected turn of events?
“Haaah!”
The Jade Flower Sword and the River Group shouted as they charged ahead. Then the so-called sorcerer glanced our way and began mumbling while raising a skull staff.
At that moment.
—WHOOSH!
A bright red gate appeared behind the sorcerer!
“Th-that’s a gate!”
“It’s a gate!!”
“The gate is opened!”
The raiders screamed in alarm.
“Hurry! Take down that sorcerer!”
“Yes!”
Just as the Jade Flower Sword and the River Group seemed poised to reach the sorcerer—
—Boom!
—Boom!
Suddenly, a tremor shook the ground.
No, it wasn’t an earthquake.
Something was rising from the ground!
“Graaaaah!”
What rose up was a gigantic ghoul!
And it was bigger than an average car!
“Great Ghoul!”
Someone shouted that out. I wanted to shout along, but there wasn’t time. Because it wasn’t just one Great Ghoul!
—Boom!
“Kahhhh!”
“Graaaaah!”
Great Ghouls emerged from everywhere. They had all been hiding underground. Because of this, the Jade Flower Sword and the River Group were forced to pull back and could not reach the sorcerer.
“Damn it! Handle the Great Ghouls!”
“Yes!”
“Fight!”
“Kill the Great Ghouls!”
“Haaah!”
The moment the Jade Flower Sword lunged at a Great Ghoul, a massive cut appeared on its huge body, and it began to slice apart.
“Hah!”
Such incredible swordsmanship!
The destructive power was chilling!
Of course, it wasn’t just the Jade Flower Sword that was amazing. The River Group warriors also coordinated to attack the Great Ghouls. Their strike was precise and powerful.
However.
“Graaaaah!”
“Ahhh!”
The raiders, seeing monsters larger than cars, didn’t fare so well. They had no courage, and as soon as Great Ghouls popped up around them, they panicked and ran in all directions, only to be caught in the grip of a Great Ghoul.
“Help me!”
“Meat!”
The giant ghoul grabbed a raider with both hands and ripped off their head to eat it!
“Ugh, aaaaaaaah!”
I screamed at that sight!
“Get a grip…! Kim Geunhyeop! Do you want to die?!”
“Jaemi Son!”
“If we don’t kill these Great Ghouls, we will die!”
True enough!
“Damn it! Everyone, pull yourselves together! We need to kill them! Jaemi Son! Let’s stick with the Great Hero!”
In situations like this, you stick with someone strong and reliable!
“Hehe…! Finally coming to your senses. I understand.”
I immediately dashed with Jaemi Son towards the Great Hero.
“Great Hero! We can’t handle them alone! We need to fight around you to take down the Great Ghouls!”
“Y-yeah! Well said! Raiders, gather around me! Ah, but first!”
“GRAAAAAGH!”
One Great Ghoul reached out its hand toward us.
The Great Hero bravely countered with his sword.
—Slash!
He split the palm of the Great Ghoul!
“KYAAAAAHHH!”
“You all! Go to the sides and stab that big belly!”
“Yes!”
We immediately carried out the order. I ran alongside Jaemi Son and dashed left and right. Then, targeting the side of the Great Ghoul that appeared before me.
“HAAAAH!”
I unleashed the first move of the Three Calamity Sword Technique!
—Slash!
With that, the Great Ghoul’s belly burst open, and blood gushed out. The Great Ghoul flailed as it could hardly resist.
“This bastard! It’s slow despite being so big! If we stay calm, we can kill it!”
It’s just a pushover!
If everyone can remember this, we can win. However, most of the raiders were in a panic, and even the Jade Flower Sword and the River Group didn’t seem to have the leisure to control their surroundings while battling the Great Ghouls emerging from all over.
At that moment.
—WHOOSH!
Something caught my eye.
It was the sight of the gate the sorcerer had opened, burning.
“What’s that?”
The instant I muttered that, something emerged from the gate.
—Slither.
It was a muscular giant with a horse’s head. Literally looking like a demon from hell, it walked out, wielding a massive sword.
“Madunachal!”
The Great Hero shouted like lightning.
Madunachal, huh?
“Jaemi Son. What’s that?”
“Hehe… We’re screwed. We’re all going to die.”
But why is he smiling!!!