NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44: [Bonus chapter] Crunch
Chapter 44: [Bonus chapter] Crunch
"HELP!!"
Relafan fit the role perfectly. Making that coward scream for help was the right thing to do. If we were cosplaying as weaklings, then there was no one better than him.
I still remember how he pretended to be losing against the demon lord who could barely kill a fly. It was quite a funny scene.
For some reason, though, instead of looking at the puppy and screaming, he was constantly looking at me and screaming.
What the hell did he want?
The people beyond the fence noticed us running over and stopped closing it.
One of them waved his hand, screaming at us to run faster.
It was perfect. Our cosplay was splendid. We could probably go to weaklingcon like this. That must exist considering how many losers the world was filled with.
"Rush in! Rush in!"
"Guns! Aim! Kill the fucking hound!"
As soon as we neared the fence, the screams grew louder. They narrowed the fence down as Relafan and Alice jumped inside.
The pupper was right behind me, about to scratch.
I gave it a glance from the back and it stopped mid-hit. Right then, I dived ahead into the fence and rolled on the ground as it closed behind me.
In the next moment, the lookouts staring at the fence from above shot their few guns and make-shift arrows, piercing the puppy's back.
"AWWOO!! AWOOO!" It screamed, its voice full of betrayal and shock. Well, not that I cared.
Sorry puppy, I am not into cute things. That was as far as our relationship went.
The puppy was sent to its parents by the time I stood up and got close to the rest of the group. We had hidden the slime in our trench coat, so that was one less thing to explain.
"Thank you," said the hero. "Thank you very much. You have helped us a lot. I thought... I thought we were all gonna..."
The world was one of lookism, and as much as I hated to admit it, the hero had a damn good advantage when it came to that.
The men and women standing on guard all started wearing warm smiles while the man the Hero held the hand of started embarrassedly blushing.
Alice too, bowed slightly in gratitude.
I thought of what I should do and took a look around the place.
It seemed a dynamic about the group had been quickly established in the eyes of the people around. Believe it or not, humans were quick to judge.
If someone saw another smoking a cigarette or wearing a piercing, no matter how good a person they were, they would immediately be written off as a thug or a bad guy. Wear skimpy clothes? You're a slut.
If we were going to cosplay as weaklings, we had to do it right. That meant it was time for me to get down off the superior plane of processing mental information and start making assumptions about people.
Yes, indeed. I was already a normal person, it was possible to wear the loser mindset. Definitely.
As I looked around, I started making assumptions about everyone.
Brunette on the lookout? Weakling. Bruno at the gates? Weakling.
Tom? Weakling. Dick? Weakling. Harry? Weakling.
I started labeling everyone, weaklings from A-Z, the cosplay was working. I was about to reach Weakling N when a voice suddenly snapped me out of it.
"BOSS! Behind you!"
Cat screamed. I lightly stepped to the side as a dagger passed me by.
I pivoted my feet and turned back. A man with fiery eyes glared at me, the muscles on his arms were tightened to an almost malicious degree.
"Mr. Philip!?"
"Philip! What are you doing!?"
Weaklings around me screamed, while the assailant kept his eyes only on me.
They took a name, but I had already decided a new one.
"Look here, it's Average Joe in a sea of weaklings."
"Don't be fooled, all of you!" The assailant screamed. "This is not a human, he's a demon!"
Joe, or if we were being pedantic, Philip, swung the dagger at me again. I stepped back, dodging every swing of the dagger.
As soon as he stabbed it ahead, I grabbed his wrist and smacked his elbow.
"Argh!" He dropped the dagger. Without missing a beat, I struck his chin and sent him reeling back.
Philip spat on the ground as I approached him again, a simple walk.
The weaklings around, true to their name, were too weak to cover for their leader in such a quick time.
"You bastard!" Philip screamed. "Barrier!"
My eyes widened. I noticed the movement of mana in the air change ever so slightly as a brittle, almost glass-like barrier formed around him.
How did he learn magic? The slimes?
That didn't matter yet. Whatever I was curious about, I would find out.
"You won't be able to break this, you bastard! I remember, I saw you with my very eyes."
I stopped in front of the barrier and pulled my hand back. My mana moved into my fist.
"I was there when you killed so many people after launching hounds at them in the first scenario. When that other man tried to help us, you even forced him away!"
"Someone survived?" I muttered. "I thought all of you were too weak."
"I won't let everyone die this time, you monster—"
I launched my fist ahead and smashed it into the barrier. The brittle glass-like translucent magic shattered into pieces.
My fist hurled toward his face.
—THWACK!
And the bastard fell back. I quickly rushed in and grabbed him in a choke hold. I wasn't planning to kill anyone, some brain damage won't hurt though.
"Ack! Stop!!"
The man tapped at my hand choking him. The ones around finally moved their weapons, ready to attack.
"Make another barrier—"
Before my words could reach his ears, though, another loud voice interrupted us.
"STOP! No one shoot!!"
Coming into the scene was a guy in glasses.
And everyone lowered their weapons.