Chapter 111
Chapter 111
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.28 – Prisoner Ri Han Here (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sand worms were monsters that originally only lived in desert regions, so they were indeed a rare sight in the Southern Continent, which was full of dense forests. But in the past, due to some incident, the south had gone mad and 'imported' sand worms all the way from the desert.
However, it wasn't something that could simply be dismissed as madness. Thanks to that, the entire populace of the south enjoyed prosperity, so it couldn't be outright condemned as insane.
In the past, it had been revealed by certain alchemists.
- With sand worms alone, the kingdom's food production could increase by about five times the current amount.
That research data had come to light, and the kingdom succeeded in capturing and farming sand worms from the desert.
And just as the alchemists had boldly proclaimed, the fertilizer spat out by the sand worms worked a miracle, boosting the kingdom's food production by a whopping ten times. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that food shortages became a thing of the past—a historic achievement.
But unfortunately, this alchemical breakthrough and all information about sand worms were classified as top secret.
Why?
Hmm, simply put.
'If this gets out, it'll be chaos.'
Yeah, the moment it became known, all hell would break loose.
The fact that the fertilizer from sand worms was essentially the corpses of fellow monsters devoured through cannibalism. The fact that prisoners of the kingdom were the ones fermenting and maturing it with soil and fallen leaves. And the fact that sand worms didn't just eat dirt—they were monsters that preferred meat.
Kwaaaah!
The common folk had no need to know what their fertilizer was made of.
...It was a secret that had to be kept until the end.
[Keeee!!!]
[Kee-!]
[Ke!!]
The sand worms—no, mini worms would be a better name—wriggled out in droves.
There were so many that dozens of them incessantly poked their heads out of the soil.
"W-what is this?!"
"Monsters! C-call the soldiers right now! Monsters...!"
"It-it bit my arm! You damn monster!"
The mini worms were about the size of small snakes.
In other words, tiny.
So, mini worms like these were weak monsters that even a farmer who had never held a sword could easily kill with just a pickaxe, let alone a soldier.
But.
[Keeee!!!]
...There were too many.
Hundreds, no, thousands of earthworm-mealworm hybrids were emerging.
This was beyond what they could handle—it called for soldiers.
But this was a prison for inmates, and also an execution ground...
Tunnel.
Here, prisoner deaths were commonplace, and the soldiers' only duty was to shoot escapees.
So, the inmates were trapped in a desperate situation, and their wisest choice was.
"F-fight! Fight, you idiots!"
Yes, if no one was coming to help, they had to fight themselves.
Unless they wanted to be devoured by those hordes of mini worms and turned into fertilizer.
And so.
"Uwaaaah!"
"Grab your spears—no, pickaxes and shovels!!"
Kwajik!
Puuk!
Peureok...!
A survival struggle.
A battle for survival erupted, and the tunnel's inmates fought with all they had. It was nothing less than a desperate struggle to live.
Yet, in the midst of this fierce battle, there was one spot with a hint of leisure.
Peuk!
"Phew, so this is what it feels like to have Fighting Technique sealed. It's incredibly tough."
"You're still fighting well. Proof that you don't rely solely on Fighting Technique. Ah, but you. You're wasting too much strength. You'll tire out fast that way. If possible..."
Suek!!
"Do it like this."
"W-what did you do?"
"Just didn't let the force leak. It reduces stamina use and boosts power. Master it, and in your case, your skills could improve at least twofold, maybe threefold."
"Th-thank you for the lesson, senior!!"
"Sure."
For some reason, while everyone else was fighting for their lives, these two were relaxed, even cordial.
It felt less like a prison turned monster warzone and more like a swordsmanship class training ground.
Lee Han and Yord.
The senior and junior were bonding in a way that didn't match the situation.
"Seriously, you training freaks... at a time like this."
Jake shook his head in disbelief but diligently killed worms.
Just chopping off heads wasn't enough—they had to be thoroughly pulverized.
They looked like earthworms mixed with mealworms, but at their core, they were monsters.
That meant insane regeneration. If not killed cleanly...
"Kwaaaah!!"
That would happen.
One inmate was being devoured by worms.
A pitiful and brutal sight, but Jake felt no sympathy for the prisoner.
And why was that?
'Wanted poster. Mountain bandit.'
A prisoner who had raided villages and even killed children.
Why pity a death like that?
If anything, dying to monsters was a mercy for scum like him.
'They're all fighting well.'
Most inmates sent to the tunnel had strong combat prowess.
Meaning, too tough for regular soldiers, so they pitted them against monsters.
If worms died, they'd eat each other and spit out fertilizer. If humans died, worms would eat the corpses and produce fertilizer anyway.
Either way, it was an endless cycle of torment—an abyss of suffering.
'Humans can be more cruel than anything.'
Jake Farman was sickened by the cruelty humans had wrought to create this hell.
'Why... why are they all fighting so well...?'
Meanwhile, Aren could only gape at the three men slaughtering worms in front of him.
He had barely taken out twenty, but they had already wiped out over a hundred in moments.
'This can't be...!'
Aren clenched his fists without realizing it.
He could accept the 'monster' fighting well. The guy who took down over a hundred knights alone wouldn't lose to puny mini worms, let alone a full-grown sand worm.
But the other two?
Jake and Yord.
These two unfamiliar knights weren't monstrously overwhelming, but they subdued worms with extraordinary movements.
They were strong.
Far stronger than the First Knight Order...
'Even with Fighting Technique sealed.'
Everyone imprisoned in the tunnel was force-fed poison that didn't harm the body but blocked Fighting Technique and mana.
Even knights were reduced to worse than average soldiers.
Sealing Fighting Technique was like binding a knight's limbs.
...Yet they were strong.
Incredibly so.
Kwak...
"...Damn it!"
Aren, who as royalty had never sworn or needed to, spat out profanity for some reason.
The fact that he was this weak...
...Drove him mad with rage.
The worm assaults came five times in a row that day alone.
They ignored the time of day.
True to their instinct-driven nature, they emerged whenever hunger struck, regardless of evening or dawn, swarming the humans. Slow reactions meant deaths galore.
No rest was given, like an execution ground where the guillotine loomed eternally.
That explained why they called the tunnel an abyss.
However.
"Lucky they're relatively weak worms."
"...Weak?"
"Huh?"
"That's what I'm sayin'."
"......I'll just give up on fixing your speech."
Lee Han debated smacking the back of his head but shook his head, deeming it a waste of energy, and spoke.
"Sand worms in deserts are huge and ferocious. Strong too. Born in harsh deserts, only the tough survive."
"Then the ones we fought today..."
"Weak specimens. They call it selective breeding? Adapted to the Southern Continent, so only smaller, frailer ones remain."
"......"
"Never seen a real sand worm?"
"J-just heard records..."
"Hmm, yeah? Could be."
"D-don't look at me like I'm pathetic!!"
"...What're you on about, idiot?"
Paak!
Aren lunged in a fit, only to crumple from Lee Han's punch.
"I went easy..."
"Fatigue buildup."
"What'd you do?"
"......He was tired, in his own way."
Jake offered a half-hearted defense.
Respect for royalty, perhaps?
"This is why pampered young masters are no good."
Even that irked him, as Lee Han clicked his tongue.
He'd brought the useless guy for mental training, but not expecting this level of incompetence...
"Still, his talent's real. Fought that well without Fighting Technique?"
"You guys could too."
"We've been trained by you, Senior Lee Han, these past few days."
Jake and Yord had trained under Lee Han to fight without Fighting Technique ahead of the mission.
An uncharacteristic consideration, but he looked after friends and promising juniors.
Aren was different. No consideration, just dragged along.
Fighting without Fighting Technique was alien, like limbs bound.
Any other knight would've crumbled.
Meaning Aren had decent talent.
Well, decent talent didn't make this easy—it was brought to torment him, perhaps...
"Torment? Do I look that free?"
"Then that mental training is real?"
"It's discipline."
Why did Lee Han bring this useless guy to the tunnel?
The punk never apologized once.
It irked him, and more than that...
"A royal getting used by his own men? Pathetic."
Lee Han couldn't stand a royal being played by subordinates.
He aimed to uproot that rot.
To make him grow up.
At Lee Han's words.
"......"
"Hm? Why the look?"
"...No, you just seem kinder than expected."
"What?"
"...Hard to believe you're kind to someone just for being royal. You don't respect royalty like I do."
"......"
"You're not the type to show kindness like this..."
"......"
"Lee Han?"
"...Ahem."
He averted his gaze instead of answering.
'...Not like me at all.'
He hated admitting it, but Lee Han had to.
He was 'going out of his way' for trouble.
Why?
'......Pity?'
Yeah, realizing it now, he was pitying this pathetic eighth prince.
Reason for pity?
'Clueless sap getting used without knowing...'
Watching him reminded Lee Han of his past self—his previous life's pushover days.
Back when he first enlisted as a sergeant.
Too naive to see he was being used, thinking hard work was enough.
So, it tugged at him.
A guy with better birth and talent living pathetically.
Total busybody move, unnecessary.
Still.
'Who knows, might mean something.'
If someone had snapped at his past self, 'Hey, idiot pushover! Wake up!', his life might've changed.
Wondering if telling this sap 'You're a pushover idiot' would change him.
'This why people play nurturing games?'
To see alternate lives.
'...I'm the idiot.'
Lee Han grimaced self-deprecatingly at his own actions.
Fortunately.
Tok tok.
"...You're here."
[I-instructor. Brought antidote and rations.]
The ally's arrival let Lee Han shake off idle thoughts.
Taechang, turning invisible with his skill, finally showed. Lee Han griped about the delay despite the convenient ability.
"Why so late?"
[I-I worked hard too. Solo infiltration mission...]
"Lots of excuses."
[It's true...]
Derrick felt wronged.
"Hm?"
"What's wrong, Max?"
"...Hm, feelin' a familiar presence."
"Presence?"
"Somethin' like that. Anyway, let's eat quick. Busy day ahead, aye?"
"A-alright..."
The man nodded awkwardly at the giant's words.
A man whose bulk alone intimidated.
Yet his hearty face mixed with simple honesty in a unique way.
His name was.
"Haha, so the priest's comin' to the service today?"
"Don't worry. Heard there's a passionate believer like you, so she's comin' herself."
"That's great!"
- Maximus Iron de Lionel.
The knight called the Black Lion of the North.