Chapter 97 – Night of the Hounds

Kiehek–!!

“When will this damn test end!!”
“Don’t scream. Senior, my head hurts.”
“But now it’s the limit!”

Chow ah–!

Lee Kang-woo, who was covered in green blood that gave off a disgusting smell all over his body, turned his back to Jeon Min-ho and wildly swung his two twin swords to cut down the monsters.

“The damn formation is broken! At this rate, each one will be defeated!”

However, the fact that two people who were supposed to defend one defense stood back to back meant that they were isolated from the center where they needed to be supported, in other words, the place they were defending had been pierced.

If left as it is, the rear of the rest of my comrades will be in danger. And Jeon Min-ho, who knew that, calmly opened his mouth while crushing the insect-type monsters with a blunt weapon.

“Senior.”
“Why!”
“If you’re a senior, can’t you get out alone?”
“You… No way!”
“Senior doesn’t fit the same style of fighting now. So.”

Jeon Min-ho swung his shield from left to right, lifted his blunt weapon into the sky, loaded it with his magic power, and struck the ground.

Kwaaaaang–!

The first row of Mentis-type monsters were annihilated by the waves that shook the ground. And as the guys behind them stepped back for a moment, Jeon Min-ho reached out his hand toward the place where the road to the center was opened.

“Go. Go and help others.”

Lee Kang-woo is an awakened member of the thieves family. Specialized in speed and stealth, the situation where he can truly demonstrate his power is when he plays the role of a sharp and sharp dagger to reverse an unfavorable situation. But.

“Then you’re a fucking asshole!”

Falling in alone means that you have to fill this spot alone, which was too much for the two of you. I don’t know if I was fine. The thick armor was broken here and there, and at the point where the shield and blunt weapons that were always lightly lifted seemed heavy, he must have reached his limit too.

“I am a tanker.”
“So what?!”
“My role is not to kill enemies, but to hold out in the most dangerous places.”

Even though there are two of them, the reason they are pushed the most is not because they lack skills, but because the defense they are in is the most dangerous. And that was the position that the tankers had to protect silently.

“Go. The road will soon be blocked.”

He killed dozens of people, but monsters started to fill the gaps in that moment. At this rate, realizing that Jeon Min-ho’s unreasonable reason had disappeared, Lee Kang-woo, who made a fucking sound inwardly, gnashed his teeth and kicked the ground.

“Hold on, kid! If you die, you really die in my hands!”

“Is that what you call cheering?”

Lee Kang-woo gave strength to his trembling arms after laughing with an expressionless face at the worry that he was not worried about. His magic power was almost exhausted, and his muscles were ready to burst at any moment, but Jeon Min-ho calmly prepared himself for battle and glared at the monsters ready to attack from all sides.

“Come! You filthy bastards!”
Kiehek–!

*

Kiek-!
“Go away!”

When Lee Kang-woo saw saw-like sharp paws attacking from the front, he took the sword blade held in reverse and reversed the power of the sword, turned it around and cut his neck, and ran to the center.

“Don’t die! Do not die!”

To the left and to the right, I could only see green monsters.
At least in the front near the center, Kang Seung-hun wielding fire like crazy and Yoo Kyung-ha busily moving his fingers could be seen, but even so, the situation was still the worst.

‘What on earth were those motherfuckers thinking by throwing us here!’

The place where the orc and the beast woman had to fight and survive was not a proper space in the first place. In order to fight the majority with a minority, there must be limited space and cover, but there was none here. There was also no set time to hold on there.

Surviving for 10 hours in that invisible despondency was a miracle created by the newly blooming talent of Kyungha Yoo and the teamwork that has been aligned for a long time.

But that has now reached its limit. Kang Seung-hoon’s flames soaring in front of him were gradually fading, and Jeon Min-ho, who had left behind, seemed to be trying not to show off, but it reached the point where he couldn’t hide his trembling arms.

And it was a situation where the other two did not know what had happened, and on top of that, it was the worst environment for a thief-type himself to operate.

‘No… Actually, that’s not the case…’

I burst into anger at being thrown into an unfavorable situation in every way, but in the end I made excuses for everything.

The guilt of having to leave Minho Jeon.

Hatred for one’s own weakness, not having the power to overcome this situation.

And… Even anger at the source who threw it into this hell.

He himself was just making excuses to somehow cover them up.

Snap-

As soon as he faced himself properly and began to overcome himself in an extreme situation, he began to break his own world, and although it was gradually blurry on Lee Kang-woo’s blade, the sword called the shape of a sword began to stand.

‘Policy! It won’t turn out the way you want!’

Did you say it doesn’t matter if you die? Don’t be funny. I will take them all. And I’ll show you in front of him. That we are not as worthless as you judged.

“Kill them all…!”

“Passed.”

A deep voice resounded throughout the space, suppressing the cries and explosions of all kinds of monsters. And in the middle of the battlefield, a meteor crashed.

Aaaaang–!!
“Kuh-!”

Lee Kang-woo, who raised his hand to block the wind pressure that hit him, opened his eyes and confirmed the meteor’s identity. The giant orcs who brought them here. He was looking at him with curious eyes.

“I thought everyone except that woman was a worm…But it’s pretty good.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Are you not aware of it? It’s also a piece of talent. Huh…There are a lot of interesting things in this dimension.”
“I don’t know what you mean…Anyway, is the exam over…?”

I heard it clearly say pass. If so, it seemed safe. No matter how many of these monsters there are, they are still D-class. In front of this monstrous Orc, presumed to be a ranker, they are mere dust.

In fact, due to the momentum of the out-of-standard strongman who suddenly appeared, the monsters stopped fighting and began to stealthily withdraw.

“Yes, the test passed. I thought a few of them would die or be annihilated, but they are quite skilled beyond my expectations.”

“Huh…That’s good. Draw.”

To say that I knew that I would die or be annihilated means, on the contrary, that all of them lived. Lee Kang-woo let out a sigh of relief as the tension was released and his exhausted body collapsed.

“…You’re calmer than I thought. It seemed complicated.”

“What’s all over, do you need to be complicated?”

Tragedy, guilt, and self-loathing. I won’t forget them, but I shouldn’t be weighed down by them either.

“You should take it when you can afford it. The complicated stuff… Can be put off until later.”

Otherwise, each of those things will become a burden and squeeze your life.

“Haha! You will live long.”

Orc Elteron saw him like that and laughed, sticking out his molars. If he had been a knight who valued dignity and formality, he would not have liked that frivolity, but he rather liked that appearance after he was no longer a knight beyond the gap of death and betrayal of the empire that he experienced on the absolute defense line.

If my past self had such softness…

‘No…It’s already in the past.’

El Theron, who still hadn’t escaped from her life and remembered her nightmares, stretched out her hand with a wry smile.

“Shall we organize the place first?”

A translucent green sphere that appeared in Elteron’s hand. Lee Kang-woo’s complexion became paler due to the power compressed within him and the skill of the sword.

“That…”
“Take a good look. Because it’s an area that you, too, will have to reach someday.”

Hundreds of stems grew from the sphere, blossomed and scattered, and then a storm began to rise.

Geomgu (劍球) – Green wind wheel

Kaga gagagak—!!!

Thousands of scattered green petals, or sword energy, tore the monsters in all directions that were slowly retreating.

Crererelek—!!
“What is this…”

Even though there is no discipline in the typhoon, the storm of petals avoided people and killed only monsters. And in the place where the storm passed, all that was left was the rotten monster’s blood and flesh, and the rest of the wounded comrades who watched it blankly.

“Set.”

Elteron opened his mouth and clapped for them, who had stupid expressions on their faces.

“Shouldn’t you know what kind of future lies ahead of you who survived?”

As if bewitched by the words, they staggered toward him, dragging their weary bodies along, thinking the same thing at the same time.

‘This is… A ranker…’

It’s overwhelming. And I remembered. What I learned at the academy, what the name ranker meant.

‘These are the people who stood at the starting point…?’

Mana that makes up the world. Those who began to understand that, and only then did their part as a warrior learned that it was a ranker. However, it did not touch. Not only had I never seen a ranker fight, and there were very few of them on Earth. However, what I actually saw… Was different, like seeing an indescribably huge wall. If that’s a real superman, then they’re probably no different from ordinary people with a little bit of strength.

So it comes naturally. How narrow a well the world they lived in was. How pitiful it is for them to be proud of themselves for graduating from the academy with pretty good grades.

‘Sipper… He was such a frightening old man…’

Lee Kang-woo gulped at the orc standing proudly in front of him. He thought it was great, but his skills were beyond imagination.

“Whoa. You survived somehow.”
“Hey Minho! You fucking bastard! You are alive!”
“Then did you wish to die?”
“No, what are you saying?”

I knew that he was alive, but my heart was thrilled to see Jeon Min-ho, who said that preparing in advance is the most important thing and carefully manages his weapons, dragging a shield and a blunt weapon.

“Somehow you survived…”
“Everyone had a really hard time.”

Kang Seung-hun, who has turned pale due to depletion of mana, and Yoo Kyung-ha, who has a hazy smile on his lips, and Min Jeong-soo, a prosecutor who contemplates the inaction of Elteron. And.

“…”

Even Kim Min-kyung, who watched the scene from a distance, hugged the window with a face stained with sorry and guilt, gathered. Not one of them, not even her friend Yu Gyeong-ha, spoke to her.

However, it wasn’t because I hated it. Kang Seung-hoon, who lost her guild, and Yoo Kyung-ha, who lost her eyes, and no one else hated her. Because they all had the experience of making a mistake that almost cost them all their lives. A crisis of that magnitude could not sever the bloody bond between them.

‘But I can’t help it. Because only you can carry that…’

Lee Kang-woo slightly turned her eyes and looked at Kim Min-kyung, who was hugging her lap, with pitiful eyes. Her guilt bound in her heart must be incomparably greater than that of her former self.

That wasn’t something that could be solved by someone saying it was okay, it was something you had to face properly without avoiding it yourself. Just like yourself

“Okay, now that you’re all talking, I want you to pay attention to what I’m saying.”

When Elteron’s grave voice came out, Kim Min-gyeong, who had been separated from them who were celebrating their survival, looked at him quietly. Her eyes contained different emotions, but the awe-like atmosphere was the same.

“In terms of strategy, cooperation, and brute strength, you have survived in a way that surpasses our expectations. In fact, I thought some of them would die.”

“…”

“Then ask me here. The monster you faced. There is something special about them. Does anyone know what it is?”

“There was one question…”

“Something?”

The one who raised his hand to Elteron’s question was Jeon Min-ho, who was acting as a tank among them. He thought for a moment with a face that could not hide his tiredness despite his calmness, then slowly opened his mouth.

“They seemed to be indiscriminate in their actions… But in certain areas they were thoroughly consistent. For example, swarming as a unit, or stopping and retreating at the same time when you appear. It’s like…”

“Right. There is a parent entity that issues orders to them. Quite the way. It’s observation like a person in charge of a battle line.”
The more you look, the better they are. Elteron opened his mouth, thinking that if they received the support of the giant forces in the central world rather than these outer dimensions, they might be able to become quite famous.

“Its name is ‘Arkasha’, a monarch-type monster that controls insect-type monsters by inserting parasitic insects grown inside them.”

“…The name stuck.”

“Yes, he is not well known because there are not many of them, but in some areas, he is treated as a contaminant comparable to the infamous ‘monkey’.”

There are so many types and numbers of monsters that they are divided into series and not named individually, but specific species names are given only to species that cause great damage, such as monkeys. And Arcasha is one of them.

“Karen, that is, the prisoner I was with, she secretly infiltrated and found out that his grade was AA+, even though it was a basic grade B, he had grown up there. He’s a guy with plenty of potential to grow into a name. So he must nip it in the bud beforehand.”

“No way…”
“Okay.”

Seeing the look on El Theron’s expression that they could not have understood the meaning of those words, she laughed cruelly as if betraying him.

“From now on, you alone will hunt him.”