## Chapter 607 – Scent of Spring

First and foremost, escape is paramount!

The mere presence of that colossal monster was enough to scatter death in every direction! I had to survive, no matter what!

It felt just like when I went on that ogre subjugation mission last time.

“Teeeeeeeeeeeng!!!!”

Maintaining my composure, I scanned the surroundings with a cool head.

The moment I succumbed to fear and lost my judgment, I would face death. I don’t usually get scared by things like this, but damn, that monster was just too huge.

Sasquatch or even trolls would be fine.
I can take them down myself.

But that thing was easily 4 meters tall just from what I could see above ground. And its maw was so big it could swallow a drake whole. The difference in size was just too much. It seemed impossible to win no matter what I did.

With five wives waiting for me back in Isvant, there was no way I could die!

“Dejaaaaaaaat!!!!!”

Using my survival instincts honed to the extreme, I analyzed the battlefield!

ㅡUwaaaaaaaak!!!
ㅡKwaeeeeeeeeek!!!

Everywhere, people and drakes, having lost all order, were scrambling and struggling to escape. I swear, even a free opening at Lotte World would be more orderly than this.

Everyone was pushing, stabbing, and biting each other, kicking off the ground, but no one could escape the plain that had already become a scene of utter chaos.

Our strike force had gone in too deep.

It was only natural that we were screwed, getting caught up in this kind of situation right in the middle of the battlefield, instead of on the outskirts.

“Kyaaaaaaaaak!!!”
ㅡKeheeeeeeeek!!!!

Only the gathered soldiers were maintaining order, and most of the adventurers were just running around haphazardly, getting trampled by countless drakes.

“Uwaaaaaaaaaak!!!!”

The reason we were able to completely overwhelm the drakes was because we formed an organized strike force. The separated adventurers were just pathetically rolling on the ground.

ㅡPapat!

I, too, was kicking off the ground as hard as I could, trying to find a way out, but I couldn’t find an escape route.

Should I just break through in a straight line?

There are too many drakes and people for that. The moment I fail to break through and fall, I won’t be able to move. If I jump? I’m screwed the moment I fail to land.

Under normal circumstances, maybe, but I can’t use such a reckless method in this situation where so many people and monsters are going crazy together.

ㅡQuiooooooooooooo!!!!

I’d end up facing death at the hands of that monster if I made even one wrong move.

ㅡKung!

From what I could see, it didn’t seem like a reptile-type monster.

It definitely wasn’t a dragon, and I’d heard the name basilisk, but I didn’t really know. There were also names like earth dragon, ground dragon, and death worm, but if I had to pick, it looked more like a giant death worm.

ㅡKung!

With its maw open, it slammed its head into the ground like a sunken colony, easily swallowing the drake and the adventurer who were running while rubbing against its body. Its body was so long that it could hunt like that even while fixed in the hole.

Around the monster, crimson blood had already bloomed, creating a deathly hollow where all that could be found was blood-soaked weeds.

“No, damn it!!!”

I was once again in shock!

ㅡQuioooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

The death worm, letting out a monstrous cry, stretched its body out long, ascended into the air from the hole, slammed its maw into the ground, and burrowed into the ground, wriggling inside.

“Crazy!!”

A digging machine with insane performance…!

ㅡKugugugugugugugu!!!

At the same time, an earth-shattering roar!

That sound was the sound of the death worm moving underground! I mean, how could a quake *not* happen when a monster earthworm like that was digging through the ground and sprinting!

“O-Ones coming!!! It’s coming!!!”
“Get out of the way, you son of a bitch!!!”

The chaos intensified as the death worm sped underground. Everyone realized that it was moving underground. Of course, there was nowhere to escape. So everyone, people and drakes alike, didn’t know what to do, and even the soldiers who had been maintaining order scattered in all directions.

And then.

ㅡQuioooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

In the center of the soldiers who hadn’t managed to scatter, the death worm burst out of the ground.

“Kkeuaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!”
“Iyaaaaaaaaak!!!”
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!”

In an instant, half a dozen soldiers were swallowed by the death worm and crossed the River Styx. In that state, the death worm swept around, repeated the same procedure, burrowed back into the ground, and sped underground.

ㅡKugugugugugu!!

This bastard is seriously starting to hunt! It knows it! That this place is its own all-you-can-eat buffet!!!!

“I’m screwed!”

I tried to avoid the death worm, trying my best to sense the vibrations. But damn, it feels like it’s coming here!!!

“Warning, you son of a bitch!!!”

ㅡPaat!

In an instant, I used the Heavenly Demon’s Descent Steps to hurl myself at the drake in front of me, and ㅡKugugugugung!!! The death worm reappeared not far from where I had been, thrusting its head out.

“Asura Blood-Shattering Fist!!!!”
ㅡKwehak!!!

Flying through the air, I punched the drake in the temple. ㅡPeok! The drake, hit by the Asura Blood-Shattering Fist, collapsed. Anyway, I avoided the death worm’s attack! A place to escape to… still can’t see one!

How the hell am I supposed to get out of this crazy bean sprout hellhole!

A scene of insane carnage! The suddenly appearing giant monster is gobbling up humans and drakes alike!!

「ㅡHow could such an absurd monster appear!!!!!!!」

In the midst of all that, there was a voice that sounded like salvation.

“Come here and die, you goddamn maggot bastard!!!!!!!”

It was none other than Lady Isvant.

Running towards us from over there, with crimson mana swirling around a large greatsword, cutting down the drakes blocking her path like a madwoman, she was truly radiating the majesty of a heavenly general.

Undaunted by the force of the massive death worm, her charging figure was an example for rulers, a true warrior and gambler.

Someone of the Lady’s skill should be able to repel the monster!

“To dare devour my soldiers like dog treats!!!! I will never forgive you!!!!!!!!”

The enraged Lady unleashed a curse and swung her sword mightily.

ㅡHwareureuk!!!

Crimson aura surged like a storm, adding unbelievable power to the heavy strike, its momentum like a burning meteorite breaking through the atmosphere and falling.

And when the greatsword and the death worm’s armor collided,

ㅡKwaang!!!!!!

Along with an unbelievable roar.

ㅡQuioooooooooooook!!!!!!!

The death worm’s scream erupted. For a moment, I saw chunks of flesh bursting out. The Lady’s attack had definitely `worked.` But at that moment, the death worm swung its head like a mace and sent the Lady flying like a baseball.

ㅡPpaang!

“Kyaaaaaaaaak!!”

The Lady let out a cute scream as she flew away.

“Homerun, you son of a bitch!!!!”

The death worm, having knocked the Lady away, burrowed back into the ground.

The attack with mana imbued in it definitely works!

Anyway, the wounded bastard must have become more cautious, so I have to somehow create an escape route in this gap and run away! Just as I made up my mind and was about to kick off the ground to find the optimal path, I heard a booming voice from behind.

“Keuek…! Ah? Aaaat!!!!! You are a barbarian warrior!!!!!!!!!!! To be guarding your post even while everyone is in chaos and trying to escape!!! Truly an example for warriors!!!!! The epitome of a valiant barbarian!!!!!!!!!!!”

No, you crazy bitch, you’ve got the wrong idea!!!!
I was running away!

“Come to my side at once!!!!!”

Lady Isvant shouted loudly, looking a mess. Damn it, she found me! Aaaaam-shit, I’ve been caught! I can’t escape now!

It’s my fault for knowing her face, damn it!!!

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!”

At that moment, the death worm burst out of the ground in what I thought was my escape route, swallowed an adventurer and a drake whole, and then burrowed back into the ground.

Damn it, this is already the death worm’s living room!!!

I can’t escape!!!!

“Damn it!!!”

In this case, I’d probably have a higher chance of surviving if I stuck with the Lady! Having made that judgment, I immediately turned around and sprinted towards the Lady!

“Lady! Are you alright!!!! It looks like we’re screwed!!!”
“It’s too early to talk about being screwed!!!! But since I’ve joined forces with a valiant warrior like you, there must be a way!!”

The Lady shouted with the trustworthy look unique to rulers. This woman is just high-strung! There’s no way she actually has a solution!

Saying that, the Lady clenched her fist tightly, trembled, and continued in a determined tone.

“To not run away in the midst of all this and to guard your post alone…! I am already moved! Truly a valiant warrior! You’re the only one I can trust now!!!”

I’m not the only one who’s valiant!

“It’s not just me, the soldiers were also really heroically valiant!!!! Until they got hit!!”
“Of course, they would have been! Respect and condolences for their valor!!! But there’s no time now! We have to somehow kill it or retreat the troops, but it’s really fortunate that I found you!”

What’s so fortunate about it!!

“We’re going to smash that goddamn maggot bastard together!!”

The Lady shouted in a confident tone. Already, a kind of madness was swirling in her eyes.

“To cause such a ruckus after everything was over!!! I won’t be satisfied unless I chop it into pieces and trample its guts! There’s no forgiveness no matter what! We’re going to kill that maggot together!!!”

This woman is seriously determined to kill that death worm!!!! I can’t participate in this kind of crazy thing!!!!

“Yes, Lady!!!!!”

But what guts does a mere quasi-priest and prospective paladin have to refuse! Anyway, if I’m with the Lady, things will somehow work out! She’s the strongest human here!

“As expected!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are truly an example for warriors!! My eyes were not mistaken, O-hohohohohohohohot~!”

The fact that she can laugh in this situation is not normal in itself.

But for some reason, something similar to a laugh was also flowing from my mouth.

“Heu, heuheuheuh!!! With the Lady’s power, killing a maggot bastard like that will be easier than breaking a kid’s finger!!”
“A kid’s finger!!! That’s a really violent expression that I like!!!”

The Lady, shouting loudly, raised her greatsword.

I was wondering if we were finally going to fight, but I caught sight of a soldier running nearby. The Lady, catching it with her hawk eyes, instantly grabbed the soldier by the back of the neck.

“Heoeok! Lady!”
“Soldier!!! I command you, gather as many people as possible and retreat from the scene!! I will somehow kill the monster!!!!”
“B-But, Lady!!!!”

The soldier had a completely terrified face. No matter how experienced a soldier he is, and even if his direct superior is giving him a direct order, there’s no way he can give a proper answer in this kind of situation.

The Lady, with a fierce look on her face for a moment, shouted.

“Did you take my order as shit!!!!! I said go!!!!!!!! Do it!!! Fulfill my order as a soldier!!!!!!!!”
“H-Hi. A-Al, I understand!!!!!”

The soldier, regaining his senses at that tremendous force, quickly ran off.

“Then, barbarian warrior!!! Let’s carry out a pincer attack together!!!”

The Lady pointed her greatsword at the death worm.

ㅡQuioooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong!!!!!!!!!!!!

That son of a bitch’s appetite is beyond Erysichthon, constantly swallowing drakes and humans to fill its belly. Still, maybe because the population has decreased a bit, there’s slowly a chance to escape.

Of course, that’s not my story.
I’ve already been caught by the Lady.

“We will strike the monster’s sides simultaneously!!! Run, barbarian warrior!!!”
“Yes, I understand! Lady!”

We simultaneously sprinted across the plain.

I never even imagined that I would be fighting in cooperation with the Lady.