NOVEL NEXT Chapter 97
Chapter 97. Department Store (5)
The Barbarian looked at the heroes with burning eyes.
In their hands, they held human corpses.
It seemed they regarded the corpses as mere trophies.
‘Those people…!’
However, the faces of the humans they held were all familiar to Yoo Ji-han.
They were all people rescued from the rooftop.
During their search for magic stones, it appeared they had encountered the Barbarians.
“Ugh.”
The people he had just saved had been completely wiped out by unexpected intruders.
Damn bastards.
Yoo Ji-han simmered with rage as he utilized sampling.
<— Probability of me winning against those Barbarians>
<37%>
Low.
Unbelievably low.
Not even half.
When he fought against three Barbarians, his winning probability was 68%; considering he was now facing eight foes, this outcome might have seemed not too bad.
But it was certainly not a satisfying number.
‘How long has it been since I’ve been this cornered?’
Reflecting on his entire career, such a low probability had rarely surfaced.
It seemed like a lot of incidents had been happening around him lately, but to be caught in such a crisis…
‘Is there no other way?’
It wasn’t imperative to always choose victory in a fight.
Sometimes, running away could be the better option.
However.
<— Probability of me escaping from those Barbarians>
<23%>
The results were stark.
This left no other choice.
Yoo Ji-han glanced at the enemies keeping their distance and spoke.
“Is everyone okay?”
“Of course.”
“We’re ready.”
“Let’s go!”
Fortunately, the party members were still not exhausted.
Moreover, after the earlier battle, everyone’s senses had sharpened considerably.
They could be said to be in optimal condition.
“Cough! I will help too.”
The male hero who had been resting joined Yoo Ji-han’s party.
Yoo Ji-han instructed him to stand with Chilla to protect the members in the back.
Although he didn’t know this hero’s detailed abilities or skills, it was too risky to leave him alone given that he had been overpowered by Barbarians before.
The man accepted the suggestion and stood beside Chilla.
“Is it over?”
“What?”
The Barbarian standing at the front, presumably the captain, spoke to Yoo Ji-han.
“I asked if you’re ready to die.”
“……”
Such a confident statement.
He was already assured of victory.
Yoo Ji-han stared at him for a moment before shifting his gaze to the fallen Barbarians.
“Was it Diana?”
“What?”
“Your companion said something similar. Then she died.”
“You bastard…!”
“I’m telling you not to speak recklessly.”
Crack! Crack!
All the Barbarians gnashed their teeth at Yoo Ji-han’s provocation.
Eventually, the captain Barbarian raised his sword and shouted.
“Brothers! Charge!”
“Braaahhh!”
“Braaahhh!”
“Braaahhh—!!”
The enraged Barbarians all rushed forward.
The stage of the movie theater trembled under their stampede.
“They’re coming.”
Yoo Ji-han kept his eyes on the approaching Barbarians.
They looked like wild beasts charging ferociously.
“Kill that guy!”
The Barbarians’ attention was mainly drawn to Yoo Ji-han.
The provocation had worked effectively.
Yoo Ji-han used this to subtly increase the distance between himself and his party members.
“Squeak!”
“You rat!”
“Is today’s lunch roasted rat?”
Four Barbarians charged at Yoo Ji-han.
Four others targeted the ranged attackers, including Chilla.
The numbers were split evenly.
“Die!”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Whoooooooosh—!
Powerful blows from swords and axes targeted only Yoo Ji-han.
With the situation being entirely about evasion!
‘Aura too!’
At the moment the yellow aura flashed and the axe blade skimmed close.
With the front of his hair slightly sliced, chills ran down Yoo Ji-han’s body.
“Ugh!”
“So slippery…!”
“Let’s see how far you can run!”
The Barbarian’s attacks quickened and intensified.
As a result, Yoo Ji-han had to move so violently that it felt like his joints were creaking.
He searched for opportunities to counterattack, but to no avail.
In the midst of it all, his body was gradually accumulating wounds.
*
Bam!
One axe struck Chilla’s shield.
Following that, another axe hit her shield.
Boom!
“Click! Squeak—!”
The entire theater resonated with the sound of impact.
With every attack she blocked, cries escaped from Chilla’s lips.
She was trying to gather her strength to not lose.
“That’s really annoying!”
Frustrated with the shield, the Barbarian threw down his weapon.
Then he grabbed Chilla’s shield with both hands.
Creeeak!
The massive shield began to bend under his brute strength.
The male hero assisting Chilla struggled to pry the Barbarian off.
[Explosion]
Boom!
At that moment, a small explosion occurred near the Barbarian’s head.
If the opponent had been an ordinary monster, several of them would have been wiped out instantly.
Typically, magic that would have severely damaged a monster’s corpse would have been avoided, but…
The explosion merely grazed the Barbarian’s skin.
[Stone Hammer]
[Water Blast]
[Wind Lance]
…
…
The following spells were no different.
The magic only created a loud noise, failing to inflict significant damage as it faded away.
‘Incredibly tough…!’
The power of the magic hadn’t diminished.
It seemed these Barbarians were stronger and sturdier than the previous ones.
One positive aspect was that they attempted to dodge direct hits.
Until now, their attacks hadn’t been entirely ineffective.
Pababababam!
Min Yu-ri’s carefully crafted arrows found their marks, but…
Realizing the arrows were a danger, the Barbarians swatted them away with their much harder palms.
“Is that all you’ve got!”
“How pathetic!”
“Braaahhh!!”
Kim Si-hu and Min Yu-ri began to feel anxious over their inability to pierce through the enemies.
Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-han was struggling alone, facing 1 against 4.
He was surrounded by buffs, but it was uncertain how long he could hold out.
Crash!
Unable to contain his exasperation, Kim Si-hu tightened his grip around his staff.
His nails dug slightly into his palm, causing pain.
‘How can I be this powerless!’
It dawned on Kim Si-hu that he was even more powerless than when facing the mutated Goedel.
He had never encountered an opponent with such strength before.
He recalled his father’s advice from long ago.
——If you ever meet an intruder, it’s better to run without looking back…
When you encounter an intruder, don’t think of confronting them; just flee.
Those were not words to be taken lightly.
‘Is there no other way…?’
Calmly, Kim Si-hu analyzed the situation.
What was the reason his attacks were ineffective against the enemies?
‘The Barbarian’s body is too tough.’
The Barbarian’s physique had extraordinary durability.
Repeating similar attack spells would only yield the same disappointing results.
If that was the case, what spell might turn the situation around?
In an instant, various spells sprang to mind.
The flashy higher-tier magic used by rank 2 heroes in videos he had seen!
But could he truly handle those spells?
‘Impossible.’
He knew a great deal of spells in theory.
But being well-versed in theory didn’t guarantee skill in practice.
There was a vast difference between knowing something and being able to showcase it firsthand.
‘I’ve only recently begun to feel my growth…’
Kim Si-hu’s magic power was still insufficient for using advanced spells.
Attempting them clumsily would surely result in a failure.
He couldn’t risk passing out from magic backflow in such a critical moment.
‘Useless fool!’
Had he known this would happen, he would have thrown himself into training more diligently.
As he berated himself internally…
Thud!
Yoo Ji-han was knocked back by a punch from the Barbarian, flying toward the screen of the theater.
“Ji-han!”
*
Yoo Ji-han’s body collided with the screen, and he fell back down.
He somehow managed to maintain his stance, not wanting to fall.
“Cough!”
A bit of red blood trickled down his lips.
He felt an aching and prickling pain in his abdomen.
It seemed he had suffered internal injuries.
To be hurt so badly from just one hit…
Was it not unfair compared to those who remained unscathed after being hit multiple times by spells or arrows?
‘Damn it.’
A metallic taste filled his mouth.
Spitting blood on the floor, Yoo Ji-han wiped the blood away with his hand.
His party members were shouting at him.
But he had no room to respond.
The enemies were charging at him once again.
“Enduring my punch, huh!”
“Not a bad warrior!”
A flurry of axes sliced through the air.
Yoo Ji-han endured the pain in his belly while moving his body once again.
He couldn’t assure himself of standing there if he took even one more similar attack.
Drip! Drip!
The Sylph within his pocket trembled as if to warn him.
She sensed the peril of her sole contractor.
‘I’ll retaliate somehow!’
With eyes filled with bloodlust, Yoo Ji-han scanned the Barbarians.
Just once!
If even a single opportunity appeared, he would cut down those muscle-bound pigs.
That thought was all that occupied his mind.
“There’s a poison in your eyes.”
“Human, we acknowledge you.”
“But this is where it ends!”
The Barbarians all charged at Yoo Ji-han simultaneously.
Just then…
Swuiiiii—
Suddenly, the flow of magic in the surroundings shifted.
An energy emerged that no one present could ignore.
“Ugh!”
“…?!”
“What, what is this?!”
Feeling something was off, the Barbarians quickly halted their attacks and retreated.
Their heads turned to one place.
It was the position where Kim Si-hu stood behind Chilla.
“Gra, ete, sio, mua, yon, buo…”
Muttering—
Kim Si-hu was suddenly standing there, eyes closed, mumbling incomprehensible words.
His feet barely touched the ground as he hovered slightly above it.
It was as if he was using levitation magic.
“…Si-hu?”
Min Yu-ri, who was closest, cautiously called his name.
But Kim Si-hu continued to mumble.
And when his mumbling stopped…
Fwooosh!
He opened his eyes wide and extended his staff straight out.
[XXX XX]
An agitated flow of magic converged in one spot.
Goooh—
In a fleeting moment…
A giant oval formed on the ceiling of the theater.
The edges were made of green grass and thin tree trunks, creating a massive oval.
Inside that oval, something began to slowly reveal itself, resembling an entrance.
‘Wood?’
It was a form created by the intertwining of countless trees.
It looked like a giant’s hand made entirely of wood, which emerged from the oval.
Swooosh——!
The giant’s hand stretched with the force capable of demolishing the stage, capturing the Barbarians attacking Yoo Ji-han.
The speed was astonishingly swift for its size, leaving the Barbarians with no thought of escape.
The captain Barbarian was no exception.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
The giant’s hand squeezed those it captured as if to crush them.
A short squeal of despair echoed before red blood trickled down from the hand.
And when the hand opened wide again…
The Barbarians that landed on the floor were unrecognizable, transformed into a single lump of flesh.
‘Insane…’
Yoo Ji-han doubted his own eyes.
Was what he was seeing truly reality?
It felt too surreal to be true.
‘That’s Si-hu’s magic.’
What could be inferred immediately was that Kim Si-hu had attained enlightenment.
However, he had never heard of any hero’s enlightenment resulting in such an outcome.
Kugugugugu!
The giant’s blood-soaked hand slowly ascended to the sky.
Having completed its task, the hand returned inside the oval, disappearing completely along with it.
“……”
“……”
The Barbarians, overwhelmed by the sight before them, kept their eyes fixed on the ceiling of the theater.
What in the world just happened?
Their kin transformed into lumps of flesh in an instant.
After a moment, they lowered their heads.
The direction of their gazes lay toward where Kim Si-hu was.
‘That guy…’
‘It’s him.’
‘He must die now.’
The instincts of the Barbarians rang alarms.
If they didn’t kill him right now…
All their brethren here would perish.
“Kill that magician!”
“Braaahhh!!”
“Braaahhh!!”
“Braaahhh!!”
The previously stunned Barbarians let out roars that shook the very air of the cinema.
And Kim Si-hu’s staff that was still floating in the air turned toward Yoo Ji-han.
[XX XX XXX]
Pshh!
Kim Si-hu, who had burst blood from both nostrils, fell backward.
Min Yu-ri hurriedly ran to catch him.
“Click—!”
Chilla, bleeding from her head, raised her shield as if to protect Kim Si-hu and Min Yu-ri.
She was determined to block the enemies’ approach.
As the Barbarians charged exclusively at Kim Si-hu…
Swish!
Suddenly, Yoo Ji-han rushed over and slashed the neck of the foremost Barbarian with his sword.
The Barbarian’s head plopped to the ground like a bowling ball dropped.
Chilla, who had been oblivious to Yoo Ji-han’s approach, stared wide-eyed.
“ Woooah…!”
With sparkling eyes, Yoo Ji-han felt more invigorated than ever before in his life.