Chapter 55
A critical situation.
He couldn't let the rear guard get attacked.
[Sacred Weapon]
A golden dagger. Its shape was similar to Karin's dagger.
He immediately turned and struck down the heads of several Crawlers that had made it inside the formation.
The best move Jeong Yushin could make without a weapon. Even so, it wasn't enough.
He saw it amid the dispersing golden particles.
The last remaining Crawler was just about to bite through the frog beastkin's neck.
Jeong Yushin unconsciously reached out his arm.
Crunch!!!
Instead of the frog's neck, the Crawler's sharp teeth mercilessly chewed into Jeong Yushin's arm.
Muscle tore and flesh came away.
“Kghhh!!!”
It had torn so deeply that even the bone was visible beyond the yellow fat.
He gritted his teeth and tried to endure, but his body shuddered once from the horrific pain. A beastlike groan escaped between his clenched teeth.
[Revenger]
Blue ghostly flames blazed in his eyes.
[Sacred Weapon]
What he wanted was a pair of knuckle dusters.
Golden knuckle dusters encased his fists.
He twisted his body and sent a straight punch.
Baaam!!!
The knuckle dusters smashed through the Crawler's nasal bone, brow, and temple, driving deep into its skull.
Its eyeballs popped out and dangled. He grabbed and tore them out, then crushed them.
Crunch.
Whitish eye pulp trickled down beneath his hand.
The bull beastkin stared blankly up at Jeong Yushin.
“...This crazy bull bastard.”
Jeong Yushin's eyes gleamed.
“Barbaroi! I'm fine! Calm down!”
Iron Mask raised his voice. Judging by the squeak in his voice, he seemed thoroughly flustered.
Jeong Yushin glared at the bull beastkin, shook his hand, and quickly turned his head.
Crawlers were pouring in endlessly from all directions.
He didn't even have time to chew him out, let alone beat him to death.
Jeong Yushin spotted a mace someone had dropped and picked it up.
Smack!! Baaam!! Smack!
He swung it wildly, relying on brute strength.
Crawler heads burst like fireworks.
Because of the teeth and claws striking from blind spots, his leather armor had already been shredded like rags.
Even his linen shirt was torn to pieces by claws, leaving his upper body completely naked.
Jeong Yushin's eyes burned brighter than ever.
But wounds formed faster than his body could heal.
His mace slammed into a monster's arm.
Baaam!!!
The Crawler's arm bent grotesquely.
“Keeegh!!!”
He brought the mace down and crushed its skull.
“We need to retreat!”
Jeong Yushin shouted. But the party could do nothing but hold their position.
The situation grew increasingly grim.
Stone Fist and Iron Mask were also growing sluggish as they tired under the overwhelming number of monsters.
The roughly fifteen guards seemed to be struggling as well, and their formation was gradually spreading apart.
More than a hundred Crawlers came surging forward like a wave again.
He gritted his teeth.
No matter how much of a one-man-army warrior Jeong Yushin was, he couldn't resist the advancing wave of monsters.
This was completely different from holding out in the labyrinth by blocking off the entrance. Here, they were on a wide-open plain with no protection on any side.
“Kieeeeeeek!!!”
“Kreeeeeeeek!!!”
“Hold the line!!!”
He shouted while watching the Crawlers surge toward them like a red wave from the front.
Despite Jeong Yushin's shout.
The half-ogre Stone Fist, Iron Mask, and the frog beastkin were all swept away by the wave of Crawlers.
The party collapsed beneath the violence of their overwhelming numbers.
Jeong Yushin was also battered this way and that by the wave of Crawlers, rolled across the ground, and soon became pinned beneath them.
The Crawlers' long claws and teeth raked and tore through Jeong Yushin's chest.
Fuck.
Am I going to die here?
No.
How hard had he fought to survive?
Jeong Yushin flailed, punching and kicking among the Crawlers.
It was a desperate struggle hardly worthy of being called a battle.
The ghost fire burned even bluer, but the light of his life was gradually fading.
His flesh had been torn away and his muscles ripped apart, making it difficult to find an intact spot anywhere on his body.
“Lord Ska!!!”
Someone called Jeong Yushin's name from afar, where he was buried beneath the swarm of Crawlers.
Clatter.
A red, single-edged sword flew through the gaps between the Crawlers and fell.
It was Aldein's single-edged sword.
Jeong Yushin clawed his way through the Crawlers and crawled like a worm, then opened his mouth and bit down on the hilt.
Shrrrnk.
He gritted his teeth and drew the sword.
He shook his head violently and cut off the head of the Crawler that was chewing on his arm.
“Grrrrr!!!”
Jeong Yushin's eyes gleamed.
Whether his teeth broke or not no longer mattered. He shook his head wildly, and thick blood mixed with saliva soaked the sword's hilt.
The Revenger Imprint began to slowly heal his body.
“Ptuh!”
He spat the sword hilt from his mouth and gripped it with his relatively intact right hand.
Shiaaaak!!!
Lying on the ground, he swung the sword like a madman.
He cut through a Crawler's ankle, crawled toward the fallen creature, and bit through its neck, tearing away a mouthful of flesh.
“Kueeeek!!!”
The Crawler flailed its arms. Then it tore the leather chin strap of his kettle helm. The kettle helm went flying.
His sweat-soaked black hair came tumbling loose.
He raised the sword and drove it into the creature's brow, bringing its struggling movements to an end.
Jeong Yushin slowly rose to his feet, chewing on the Crawler's flesh.
He swept his hair back once.
Blood of unknown origin ran down through Jeong Yushin's black hair.
“Kueeeeeek!!!”
One Crawler spotted Jeong Yushin and charged.
The red sword flashed once in the moonlight.
Shiaaaak!!!
The Crawler's head flew high into the sky.
That was the signal.
“Kieeeeeek!!!”
Crawlers from all directions charged at Jeong Yushin with shrieks.
Shiaaaak!!!
Chuaaak!!!
He cut and tore into the creatures swarming around him indiscriminately.
It was a madman's dance with no formality or grace.
Boom!!!
He crushed their heads beneath his feet and bit out their throats.
He came to his senses after killing indiscriminately.
There were no more of them nearby.
“Lord Ska!!!”
Ska?
That was his name.
No. It was an alias.
Jeong Yushin turned toward the sound. In the distance, a boar beastkin was fighting the Crawlers with a halberd.
“...Snub Nose?”
“Yes! I'm Snub Nose!!! Please help me!”
Jeong Yushin rushed over in a single dash and swung the single-edged sword.
Three Crawler heads flew off in an instant.
Jeong Yushin looked at Snub Nose, who was panting for breath.
“What are you doing here?”
“Lord Aldein sent me!”
“Tell him I'm fine.”
Jeong Yushin turned around.
Judging by the way Hans's body was twitching, he seemed ready to send out another horde of those zombie-like creatures, whether they were Trollers or Crawlers.
Even if he couldn't save everyone else, rescuing the party members who had helped him took priority.
“Lord Hans's defensive Imprint has a major weakness!”
“What is it? No, why are you telling me that in the first place?”
Snub Nose anxiously opened and closed his grip around the shaft of his halberd.
“There's no time. The guards are gathering in the rear, but they haven't formed a complete battle line. If the Crawlers charge again, there could be civilian casualties in the western district.”
“I understand for now. Wait here.”
Jeong Yushin left Snub Nose standing there slack-jawed and ran to rescue his comrades.
Far away, the half-ogre Stone Fist and Iron Mask were fighting desperately. The reason was obvious at a glance: the ogre's large frame.
Screeeech!!!
The single-edged sword flashed, and a Crawler's head went flying.
He hacked the Crawlers to pieces while being drenched in the fountain of blood spraying from their severed necks.
“I came to rescue you.”
“Kgh... thank you.”
The half-ogre, battered from head to toe, expressed his gratitude. Iron Mask, on the other hand, didn't appear to be badly injured.
“Don't mention it. See that dazed boar beastkin standing over there? Go there.”
“I'll go with you.”
“Just go. You don't look exactly uninjured yourself.”
Looking around, Jeong Yushin saw Crawlers eating corpses in the distance.
A long staff caught his eye. It belonged to Cork, the frog beastkin.
“Fuck.”
Jeong Yushin ran over in a single dash and cut through the Crawlers' throats.
Jeong Yushin's eyes turned cold.
It was the bull beastkin's corpse.
Not only the skin of his face but his entire body had been eaten down to the entrails.
So this was how it ended.
He didn't feel even the slightest sympathy.
“Ribbit.”
Something made a sound beneath the bull beastkin's body.
“Cork?”
“Barbaroi?!”
The frog beastkin Cork's voice brightened.
Jeong Yushin flipped over the bull beastkin's corpse.
The frog beastkin wriggled and crawled out.
“Th-thank you.”
“How are you feeling?”
“My back hurts a little, but it isn't life-threatening.”
Jeong Yushin took Cork and ran to where Snub Nose was.
Stone Fist, Iron Mask, the frog, and the Barbaroi gathered in one place.
Jeong Yushin looked over his party members once, then turned to Snub Nose.
“Now tell me. How do we kill that snail-like bastard?”
“We don't kill it.”
“Then?”
Snub Nose quickly explained.
“...So I think only Lord Ska can remove that red barrier.”
Jeong Yushin glared at Snub Nose.
“Snub Nose, you're getting an interview later.”
“Yes, yes. Huh?”
Jeong Yushin ignored Snub Nose, who stood there with his mouth hanging open, and looked at Ingrid.
Kwaaang!!!
Kwaaang!!!
Ingrid swung her greatsword without tiring, knocking away tentacles and pounding on the blood-red barrier.
Jeong Yushin racked his brain. How was he supposed to insert himself into the fight between that superhuman and the monster in one move?
It was easy to say, but actually doing it was comparable to a suicide squad's mission.
‘Aldein, you bastard, what the hell are you thinking?’
Jeong Yushin clutched his throbbing head and fell into thought.
There was no time.
Hans's body was convulsing more and more violently.
How many Crawlers would he summon this time?
Jeong Yushin couldn't even begin to guess.
Ainhofer and Boron were in the western district, so a leisurely retreat was out of the question.
He had heard that the guards were forming an encirclement in the rear, but he didn't know how tight it would be.
He didn't even want to allow the possibility of a tragedy.
‘Absolutely not.’
He had to do it. He couldn't sacrifice other people just to make his own life easier.
Jeong Yushin raised his head.
“Stone Fist, can you throw me over there?”
Jeong Yushin pointed toward where Ingrid and Hans were.
“What?!”
The half-ogre's eyes widened like lanterns at Jeong Yushin's question.
“I asked if you could throw me.”
“Impossible. I'm too exhausted. Besides, I'm not that strong.”
“I may be able to help with that.”
The frog beastkin Cork cut in.
“If I cast a Body Enhancement Blessing and a Weight Reduction Blessing on the ogre and you, respectively, it should be doable.”
“Here. These gauntlets have spells for increased strength and durability.”
Iron Mask removed his gauntlets and handed them over.
“Thanks, everyone.”
Jeong Yushin stopped midway through speaking and tilted his head.
“No. Why should I thank you for this? I'm practically going to my death.”
“...”
Everyone was left speechless by Jeong Yushin's remark.
“Sorry. My mind's been a little out of sorts. Let's try it.”
He put on Iron Mask's foul-smelling gauntlets and slung the single-edged sword over his shoulder.
[Raise Strength]
[Reduce Weight]
The frog beastkin's magic enveloped Stone Fist and Jeong Yushin.
The half-ogre Stone Fist carefully lifted Jeong Yushin.
“Ska, you're a good Barbaroi.”
“You have an eye for talent. Join me.”
“I'll think about it.”
The half-ogre chuckled softly, then pulled his arms straight back.
It was the posture of someone throwing a shot-put.
Jeong Yushin looked up at the moon hanging in the dark night sky and opened his mouth.
“Wait, let's think this over again.”
“Barbaroi, backing out now? How shameful.”
Stone Fist answered Jeong Yushin's words matter-of-factly.
Jeong Yushin glared at Snub Nose and opened his mouth.
“Snub Nose, isn't this assassination? Are you sure I'm really the only one? Did I do something to you?”
Snub Nose ignored Jeong Yushin and looked at the half-ogre.
“Lord Ska's mind is a little unstable at the moment. He has a warm heart, so don't worry and throw him. With all your strength.”
“...I understand.”
The muscles in the half-ogre's arms bulged tautly and writhed.
“Go, Barbaroi.”
Stone Fist threw Jeong Yushin into the sky with all his strength.
Paaang!!!
Jeong Yushin's body soared toward the moon.
His black hair fluttered like a lion's mane, and the rushing air made a strange sound around his ears.
Jeong Yushin's body rose like a shot, then suddenly stopped.
He instinctively realized that he would soon begin to fall.
He hovered in the air for a moment, counting the slowly setting stars.
Could his home be somewhere far away?
He didn't know.
Jeong Yushin raised the single-edged sword over his shoulder.
A downward-slash stance.
Jeong Yushin's body began to fall.
Down below, Ingrid and Hans were fighting.
Boom!!! Boom!!!
Ingrid seemed not to notice Jeong Yushin at all, pounding only on the red barrier.
‘Fuck!’
He should at least have talked it over with Ingrid.
Belated regret pounded against his chest.
He had to draw her attention. Otherwise, he would be cut in half by that greatsword.
Jeong Yushin took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Mooother-in-laaaaw!!!”
Ingrid's body went rigid.
When Ingrid looked up, the black-haired Barbaroi was falling together with the moonlight.
“Mooove the teeeentacleeees!!!”
“Th-that crazy bastard!”
After only a moment of panic, Ingrid swung her greatsword, cutting down all the tentacles flying toward Jeong Yushin.
‘Good!’
Jeong Yushin tightened his grip on the single-edged sword.
“Hmm?”
His brow furrowed slightly. His hand had definitely seemed to tremble slightly, though.
Was it his imagination?
What he needed to cut was rapidly approaching before his eyes.
The target was Hans's barrier.
“Hyaaaah!!!”
From top to bottom.
The downward slash he had swung thousands of times struck Hans's red barrier.
Crackle!!!
A massive crack appeared in the red barrier.
Crunch!!!
His wrist bones shattered and bent.
Sparks burst before his eyes.
“Gaaah!!!”
He screamed and held on with all his strength.
Crunch!!!
The cracks in Hans's barrier grew wider and wider.
At that moment.
Ingrid leaped up and drove her greatsword into the gap Jeong Yushin had created.
Clanggg!!!
The barrier shattered.
The strength drained from Jeong Yushin's body, and he fell downward under gravity.
Shiaaaak!!!
“Kreeeek!!!”
Ingrid's greatsword moved like a ray of light, slicing apart Hans's body now that the barrier had vanished.
She didn't stop there, chopping him into even smaller pieces with dozens of crossing slashes. No more screams could be heard.
Hans, shattered into pieces, did not return as he had before.
Jeong Yushin stared blankly at the ground below. It was steadily drawing closer. If he fell like this, there wouldn't be enough left of him to bury.
Plop.
He was caught in arms carrying a gentle scent.
Through his blurred vision, he saw that it was Ingrid.
“Who are you calling your mother-in-law? You crazy mixed-blood Barbaroi.”
“...I was just trying it out.”
Tap!
Ingrid, holding Jeong Yushin in her arms, landed lightly on the ground.
Even amid the horrific pain of bones breaking into pieces, relief welled up inside him.
I protected them.
I protected the party.
I protected the bonds of Labyrinth City from any possible threat.
“Put me down.”
Jeong Yushin slipped from Ingrid's arms, stood on the ground, and then slumped down.
The pain from his shattered wrist was growing increasingly severe.
When he raised his head, well over several hundred guards were rushing toward him from the distance.
Where had they all come from?
While flying through the sky, he had seen nothing but the stars and Hans.
Had they watched his performance?
He swallowed dryly.
‘No way. Oh, please.’
“All those people watched your performance. I can't believe you broke ‘that Imprint.’”
Ingrid patted Jeong Yushin's shoulder as she continued.
“I admit it. You really were a ‘pure’ Barbaroi, weren't you?”
The dawn rising from the eastern side of the city illuminated Jeong Yushin's face.
A single tear rolled down Jeong Yushin's cheek.
I definitely protected them.
Why was I so sad?”],