Chapter 146
We decided to follow, but that didn't mean we immediately gave chase like madmen to apprehend the target.
To begin with, the distance to our target was considerable, barely visible at the edge of our sight. Unlike the target, who ignored the Imps and passed by, we had to deal with every Imp we encountered.
Naturally, there was a difference in our pace.
Since we needed to observe what the target was doing and where they were going anyway, we decided to proceed leisurely.
As I followed, I was half-convinced that the target was probably a Lemegeton. After all, a suspicious Person one might encounter in This Place could really only be a Lemegeton. Though I had no idea how they managed to avoid the Imps.
Swoosh—!
“Kieeeek!”
As I swung my spear, another Imp's body disintegrated. I grumbled, looking at the Imp's remains.
“Ugh, are these damn Imps fearless or something...?”
They must have seen their Kin dying one after another as they charged. Yet, they kept rushing in, which was quite annoying. Upon seeing them charge so irrationally, it was clear that they were definitely worthy of being called Monsters.
Like other Demons, Imps turned to ash and vanished upon death, leaving behind only a tiny trace of their presence in This Place.
What they mostly left behind were small magic stones, tiny crystals formed from condensed mana. Since they were useful as fuel for various magical tools, I picked them up as soon as they dropped, though the magic stones themselves were insignificantly small compared to the Imps' power.
As we walked along, Hanbyeol Shin muttered.
“Is that the strange guy the kids saw...?”
She said this upon seeing the Imps ignore the robed figure. It seemed we weren't the only ones who had witnessed such a sight.
Come to think of it, Befri had mentioned something similar. He said strange things were roaming around, and we should be careful.
I speculated that someone must have seen such a sight and reported it.
So, had the robed Opponent been wandering around so conspicuously that others had seen the Opponent too? Or were there other people besides them whom the Imps ignored?
Unfortunately, it was a question we couldn't answer at that moment. As I pondered this, Chaerin cautiously asked Hanbyeol.
“Um, Hanbyeol, I've been curious about something since earlier...”
“Go ahead.”
“Where's your armor? Why are you dressed like that...?”
It seemed I wasn't the only one bothered by her thinly covered chest. Of course, Chaerin Yu's attire was also quite revealing, but her vital areas were fully secured by thick Leather Armor.
Her chest, unlike Hanbyeol's, didn't bounce like a jester's bladder with every vigorous movement.
Oh, how I envy her! Why must my own chest be so meager?
In the end, Hanbyeol had to explain once again how she ended up in this state. She still didn't seem particularly embarrassed. But I, watching her, still had no idea how to react...
“...”
Anyway, we continued deeper inside. Even though the Kingdom was ruined, its size hadn't diminished. And the Buildings weren't so weak that they'd all collapse just because Imps were causing a ruckus.
Thanks to that, there were plenty of buildings to hide in, even with imps roaming everywhere. However, since we had to follow without being detected, the pursuit became quite lengthy.
It feels like a Horror Game. Seriously, moving forward while hiding gives off similar vibes. Do Horror Games usually involve tearing Opponents in half when you see them...?
Perhaps because we had come so far inside, Hanbyeol Shin muttered this midway.
“This is my first time coming this far inside too...” “And that person is calmly walking through that deep area.” “Exactly. Ugh... More importantly, when will my armor show up?” “Just give up. If you've searched this much and still haven't found it, it's probably lost.” “No, it must be somewhere.”
At one such moment, as we walked. The Opponent, who had been steadily moving forward, suddenly turned sideways. It was a particularly narrow and winding path, even within this desolate Kingdom. It immediately felt as if it connected to the Back Alley of this Kingdom.
For a moment, I thought we'd been discovered and they were trying to shake us off... but thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case.
It was simply the direction they were heading. The figure was moving with a clear purpose.
We immediately followed the figure into the Alleyway. Indeed, just as we'd observed from a distance, the path was extremely narrow, too narrow for four people to enter abreast.
Therefore, we had no choice but to proceed in two lines. Hanbyeol and I were in front, with Chaerin and Haneul behind. The reason for this formation was to place the Combat Personnel in the front row.
After all, if Imps appeared, they would appear from the front. The path was certainly narrow, so there weren't many suitable Hiding Places. As a result, combat was inevitable whenever we encountered Imps.
“Kieeeek!!”
“These damn Imps, why are they so noisy every time we catch one?” Since a commotion arose every time we fought, Chaerin asked with a worried expression.
“Aren't we going to get caught like this...? I think we should pull back a bit.” “No. The path is winding, so if we get too far, we might lose them.” “It's better to lose them. What if Imps swarm us like this? We've come quite a distance, so it won't be easy to get out.”
I understood her concern. She was worried we might get surrounded by Imps and be in danger if we kept going like this. Unlike her, an Otherworlder, I had to value my life.
Of course, I wasn't just blindly pushing forward either. I assessed the Imps' strength and judged that we could still retreat if needed, which was why we continued.
Fortunately, I didn't need to persuade her. Haneul Im stepped forward and answered instead.
“Don't worry yet. If it gets too dangerous, I can help us escape with Flight Magic to some extent.”
It seemed she was getting a bit stubborn, having come this far. This showed that even if her personality was a bit timid, she wasn't weak-willed.
“Ugh, I don't know either.”
And so, we pressed forward once more. It didn't take long for us to be discovered.
“Kieeeek!”
“Hmph...!”
The Imp's death throes ultimately reached the Opponent. The black-robed Opponent turned around and spotted us. Likewise, we could make out the Opponent's appearance.
She appeared to be an ordinary adult woman. Aside from walking among Imps, she didn't look particularly fierce or strong. However, one noticeable detail was the Steel Cuirass she wore on her chest, which seemed ill-fitting for her size.
“Huh?”
Hanbyeol, seeing that, cried out in surprise.
“That's mine!”
“What?”
“We have to catch her!”
Without needing to be asked again, Hanbyeol shot forward. Having found the Thief who Looted her armor, she was desperate. Strictly speaking, the Opponent had merely picked up something that had fallen, so calling them a Thief was a bit much. Regardless, now that we were discovered, we couldn't just stand there. We also started running after the figure, following Hanbyeol.
“Tch, when did they start tailing me...!”
Of course, the figure wasn't just standing still either. As we approached, they began to flee at full speed. They even started blowing some kind of whistle while running.
Piiiiii—!
A sharp noise spread in all directions. The whistle itself didn't possess any special abilities. It was merely the sound itself that was the problem. Like a ravenous horde, Imps who heard the commotion began to swarm This Place.
“Kiiiiiik!”
“Kieeeek!”
Just because it was an alleyway didn't mean there were fewer monsters. We had simply encountered fewer imps because we'd been hiding our presence until now. The swarming imps began to actively attack us.
“They're coming from behind too!”
“First, let's catch that one!”
We pushed forward, dealing with the countless Imps. Hanbyeol Shin vigorously swung her curved sword, while Chaerin precisely stabbed the Monsters' vital points with her dagger, killing them instantly. Haneul also diligently applied Buffs.
Yet, amidst that chaos, the figure remained undisturbed. For reasons unknown, the Imps still weren't targeting it.
Even while fleeing, the figure kept blowing the whistle, attracting even more Monsters. It seemed the figure knew it was suspicious, acting as if it absolutely wouldn't be caught.
“We're going to lose them at this rate, aren't we?”
“No! My twenty-million-gold cuirass...!”
“That's not what's important right now! We're all going to be crushed to death at this rate!”
Indeed, while a single Imp might not be much, a swarm of them charging together was quite threatening. Enemies that charge recklessly and irrationally are inherently intimidating. It was fortunate that we were in a narrow alleyway. The confined place meant the enemies were also confined.
I held off the Imps for a bit, then stepped forward.
“If we stay like this, we won”t accomplish anything.'
It would be better to push through, even if it meant overexerting ourselves. Honestly, with this many, even Goblins would be threatening. My skin isn't made of steel, and no matter how fast I am, I can't dodge every drop of rain falling from the Sky.
Getting injured was unavoidable. In that case, it would be better to utilize those injuries to their fullest, just like I always did.
“Get behind me.”
Therefore, I took one more step forward. A startled Hanbyeol asked reflexively.
“What are you going to do?” “I think I can finish them in one go. You just look after our Support Mage from behind.”
Fortunately, Hanbyeol seemed to understand my intention and retreated without further comment. Immediately after, Imps began to charge. Sharp claws started rushing towards me.
I only blocked attacks aimed at vital points, letting most of the other attacks hit me. Blood, quite a significant amount, began to seep out with a searing pain. I gathered all the flowing blood and began to wrap it around the tip of my spear.
What I wanted was a very broad blade, shaped like a Glaive. Like the most formidable polearms of legend... no, I wanted a blade much wider and sharper than that. So that it could cut down everything in sight. When the spear tip grew larger than my upper body, I swung the spear with all my might. Immediately after, it happened.
Swoooosh!!! Everything before my eyes was split apart. Everything—the countless Imps furiously clawing at me, the Boundary Wall of the narrow Alleyway that restricted movement—was cleaved in two and scattered across the Ground.
Out of the corner of my eye, I vaguely saw the chat window scrolling up incredibly fast. It was too quick to actually read the messages, but I could tell they were exclamations of awe.
“Kiiiii...”
“Kieee...”
The Imps, cut by the blade, rapidly burned and vanished. The sight of countless things incinerating before my eyes was quite a spectacle. I shouted to my Companions, who were gaping behind me.
“Now!”
Now, they could charge without worrying about the Imps. Hearing my words, my Companions quickly rushed towards the figure.