WNC 365

A fierce battle continued.

A Sword Master fighting an Ogre alone was something that shouldn’t be done without safety measures. However, with three Sword Masters, it should have been easy to defeat one Ogre safely and comfortably. Since one Ogre had appeared, they should have left three Mercenaries behind and departed.

But the Ogre’s dusky skin and the Black Magic Circle that crumpled and writhed across half its upper body, starting from the back of its neck, captured everyone’s attention. Fearing something terrible might happen, no one could leave their posts.

Indeed, the Blood Corpse Ogre was stronger, faster, and more agile than a regular Ogre.

It stood firm even after being struck by everyone’s swords. It was natural for a Blood Corpse to feel no pain, but the sight of its tough muscles exposed through torn flesh was utterly repulsive.

The Ogres I knew were lumbering creatures, moving clumsily to match their large bodies. But this one’s shoulders were level, so its footing didn’t falter when it swung its arms. It was natural that there were no signs of it having grabbed onto surrounding pillars.

The Blood Corpse Ogre swung its well-balanced limbs like a human. The ground trembled with each heavy step it took. Leon, who had narrowly dodged its kicks twice, leaped up like a wedge, aiming for its jaw, but—

CRANG!

He was struck by the edge of its hand and slammed into the nearest wall.

The sound wasn’t of a person hitting a wall, but like striking a gong with a thick rod. The cave shook for a moment, dust rising. Leon quickly shouted from within the dust.

“I’m fine!”

“How strong is it!”

“Not enough to kill me!”

“How many?”

“Four!”

This was quite useful information in a situation where every second counted, even if he hadn’t been hit directly.

It meant that after one blow, it was manageable. Their confidence in being able to defeat it with four Sword Masters put everyone’s minds at ease. Ogres couldn’t use Magic, nor could they use poison.

The reason they had requested only four Mercenaries be left behind was likely because they didn’t know what kind of monsters were further inside. It was a request to leave the fewest possible people, as they didn’t know how many teams they would need to split into, even if it was tight.

However, Hugh Benson did not take the risk.

“All five Mercenaries stay. Defeat the Ogre and join us inside immediately.”

“Yes!”

“I’m giving you thirty minutes. Go and finish it!”

“What?”

Hugh Benson gestured with his chin. Benjamin picked Marianne up onto his shoulder.

Ruben, who had been steadily receiving my New Magic training, could move almost as fast as a Sword Master. The child knew how to hide behind others’ swordplay and hold his ground in the safest spot. Whenever my gaze met his, he would smile at me. Or he would glare at the enemy, acting bravely.

Benjamin ran well, even with Marianne on one shoulder. Marianne couldn’t conjure Magic Formulas. Was it due to the severe shock? But the ones protecting her were Elvin, Hugh, and myself, not just anyone. Even without Marianne’s Magic, this group was more than capable of killing a few Blood Corpses.

And so, our party charged deeper into the cave.

We had to chase the cornered rats before they could escape. The Black Magician we needed to capture numbered about thirty. It would have been ideal if we could have secretly eliminated the first three. But at that time, there was no other choice. No other choice…

Squelch. The liquid pooled on the floor was sticky.

From some point on, the cave floor had been constantly wet. Two figures in black robes stood in the blood. Before them, five Troll Blood Corpses were slowly rising.

It had been a long time since I had seen a freshly created Blood Corpse. The Troll, reeking of blood from head to toe, walked forward with a splish-splash.

I was seasoned in dealing with those long arms. I swung without hesitation. My sword was imbued with excessive Aura, fearing I might lack the strength. One Troll was not just cut in half; a long vertical sword mark remained on the cave wall.

CRUNCH.

Simultaneously, there was a sound of something falling. Whether our party had finally defeated the Blood Corpse Ogre from behind, or if I had caused part of the cave to collapse, I couldn’t tell. Regardless, Hugh Benson scolded me.

“Fuck, watch the wall!”

“Yes!”

I didn’t have time to utter the five syllables of “I’m sorry” and just replied.

I sliced the next Troll vertically and then cut off both its arms and its neck. These two Black Magicians were killed by Elvin. In the meantime, Ruben stripped the Black Magicians’ robes one by one to check their faces, but I, who couldn’t identify anyone even by their faces, had no way to stop him.

We ran into the next room.

For a very brief moment, we stepped on dry ground. Red footprints were left pitter-patter on the cave floor.

Now, the party no longer tried to silence their footsteps. They ran, and ran again.

If an enemy appeared, we cut them down; if a monster appeared, we split them. It was fortunate there were no forks in the path. From ahead, we could hear the continuous pitter-patter of running. Occasionally, the sounds of falling, curses, and screams of terror bounced off the cave walls and poured down upon us.

Later, half-formed zombies crawled and grabbed at our ankles.

Kicking their heads and crushing them, I found myself standing in hell once more. A sea of blood was not far off. It wasn’t just made of human corpses. The bones and flesh of all sorts of beasts and monsters stained the dark cave with a red, grotesque light.

Then, tap, the view opened up.

It was a vast cavern. The floor was covered in a lake of blood, and the corpses of various monsters were lined up around it. In the hall, where dozens of Magic Circles were densely carved into the walls and floor, a low altar stood in the deepest part.

Behind the altar, a black hole gaped open. Through the opening, emitting a strange black Aura, figures in black robes were seen leaping into it, weeping.

Among them, only one had their hood off.

Glotin Tenner. His head, shining brightly, made him stand out even more. He paused while shoving a half-conscious figure in black robes into the hole and looked towards us. He looked at Marianne, as if he had something to say, and fumbled, trying to speak.

Marianne didn’t want to hear the rest. Instead, she shouted to me with a blood-soaked voice,

“It’s okay! Kill them all!”

“….”

How I wished this place were an open desert instead of inside a cave.

A Twin-headed Ogre Blood Corpse blocked the sword I had driven into its back. With holes in its body that revealed its ribcage, it guarded the Black Magicians’ retreat with its hands and body.

The gap Hugh Benson tried to squeeze through was blocked by a swarm of Goblin Iron Ghouls rolling and piling up at his feet. Every sword Elvin Brooks swung impaled Trolls, making them hang like pendants. What tried to cling to Benjamin’s limbs were Kobolds, and what leaped at Ruben, blocking his path, were Orcs.

It was a sordid fight.

Those who wanted to live had already fled far away, leaving only those who wanted to kill and the already dead entangled. By the time I was sick of shaking off the corpses that tangled with every swing of my sword, our allies arrived.

“We’re here!”

“Thirty minutes are up, you brats!”

“Just once!”

Before they could finish saying “Please spare us,” they joined the battle.

But it was futile. This wasn’t a fight where you could systematically cut down one by one; it was difficult to leap forward to stop those trying to escape. The cavern was excessively wide, and the strange hole swallowed them up greedily.

Just as I managed to sever both heads of the Twin-headed Ogre Blood Corpse,

The black hole before me had shrunk to the size of a fist.

While the black passage was open, the zombies, who had been struggling and supporting themselves with their severed arms and legs, began to collapse one by one with wet, grotesque sounds. The remaining ones silently finished off the remaining zombies.

“Fuck,” it was the moment Hugh Benson cursed and kicked an Orc’s head.

Rumble.

A strange noise was heard.

“…Where is that coming from?”

“Outside.”

Rumble.

It was from below. Something was collapsing beneath our feet. The party’s faces turned pale. Without a word, those closest to the cave entrance ran out. Benjamin, with Marianne on one side and Rubel on the other, looked at me.

Without hesitation, he threw Rubel towards me. I leaped into the air and caught the child with both hands. As I held the bewildered and gagging Ruben on my right shoulder, trying to soothe him—

CRUUUMBLE.

The world collapsed.

Was there ever another moment I resented not having wings as much as this?

I couldn’t deflect a house-sized boulder by wrapping it with Aura Barrier. I held Ruben’s back with my right arm and protected the child’s head with my left. It would have been nice to have two more arms, but I considered this a good choice for now.

We fell endlessly.

Thud. When I was hit in the head by a falling boulder, I lost consciousness for a moment. Seeing me get hit, the child began to cry. Every time I heard his sobbing from within my embrace, I felt relieved. He was conscious. He was alive. So, I didn’t try to comfort him.

Wherever I could find a place to step, I stepped. I tried to reduce the impact by jumping upwards or dodging sideways. I kicked falling rocks to change their direction. I twisted my body in mid-air to ensure even small fragments wouldn’t reach the child.

At some point, perhaps because there was nothing left to fall, I could see a black sky without falling rocks. I remembered a story my master once told me. He said that for a swordsman who uses their right arm, it’s better to use their left arm as a support. Without much thought, I plunged my left arm into the cliff face.

Crack.

Due to the speed of the fall and the child’s weight, bone protruded white, tearing through my skin.

It’s fine. In the Central Plains, this would have been a wound for which I might have cut off my arm, but now, a superior Healing Artifact hung at my waist. Moreover, the child was still sobbing in my arms, calling my name. I felt no sorrow at all.

“Mika. Mika…”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I… I’m fine, but…”

Should I climb up, or descend?

Above was a dizzying cliff, and below was an even more dizzying darkness.

Yet, I felt no desire to give up. It was truly strange.