Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.29 – King Kong and the Hybrid Collide (4)
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A bizarre sight unfolded in the central square of the village built inside the tunnel, where a priest clad in priestly robes appeared and launched into a speech.
The priest preached a miraculous doctrine: "Those born as nobles are all sinners. We're the ones suffering because we lack power, so we must seize that power and kill every last noble!"
For a moment, the two men felt dizzy amid the scene that went beyond mere frenzy, but Lee Han soon...
"Ah, an assassin organization?"
"Yeah, looks like the ones I know."
Lee Han revealed a part of his past to the young man named Derek.
He was from the same background and shared a similar secret, making him the perfect confidant.
Fortunately, the other comrades were scattered, so this was the ideal timing for a private chat.
Hearing Lee Han's confession about his possible past as a cultist, Derek...
"......"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh, no. I just realized anew how rough your life as an instructor has been..."
He wore an expression that seemed somewhat convinced.
'No wonder he has so many traits,' Derek muttered to himself, and Lee Han chuckled.
It was a very Derek-like reaction.
Then, suddenly, Derek said,
"Hmm, from what I can see, you don't need to take it too seriously. It'd be the abnormal ones who'd label someone kidnapped and forced into an assassin group as a 'sinner' too."
"Hm, you think so?"
"...Well, the capital's full of lunatics spouting that kind of nonsense, but you don't worry much about that stuff, right, Instructor?"
"...You've learned too much about me."
"Haha."
As the young man said, Lee Han honestly didn't care much whether his organization was a cult or not.
Sure, there was some shock at first, but once he cooled down, it wasn't a big deal.
'I didn't kill anyone, and I wasn't out proselytizing.'
He'd been kidnapped by the Black Moon Assassins, spent years in training and brainwashing, and the group collapsed before his first mission.
After gaining his freedom, he had nothing to feel guilty about.
...But if his past came out, as Derek said, there would be people nitpicking it.
There were plenty eager to exploit a knight's weakness.
However, if such people appeared...
"I'd smash them all and bolt. Head to the Eastern or Northern Continent."
"Planning to take the exile route?"
"Seems not bad."
"Hmm, give me a heads-up if you go. I'll tag along."
"Why you?"
"Without you, Instructor, the kingdom's doomed anyway."
"Cut it out. You're overestimating me. The kingdom'll run fine without a guy like me."
"I doubt it..."
He said it with his eyes, and Lee Han was dumbfounded.
The fearless man in the world found such high praise burdensome at times—he was just a regular guy after all.
"-Anyway, no need to worry too much. Even if it comes out, plenty of people support you, Instructor."
"Hm, supporters... Not sure I trust any of 'em."
A few who might help came to mind, but he couldn't fully rely on them.
More likely, people would try to use him.
"Haha... Still, there's Sir Jake and Sir Yord. They'd believe in you to the end."
"Those guys? Loyal, sure, but what can I expect from them?"
"Plenty. Sir Yord will rise to Knight Commander someday, and Sir Jake's got general material in the military."
"...?"
"They're guaranteed to make it big. Your connections, Instructor—they're full of future heavyweights sometimes."
"Whoa..."
Lee Han was genuinely surprised.
He'd never dreamed his friend and junior would become such big shots.
Hard to imagine now, but...
'You really never know what the future holds.'
While Lee Han marveled, Derek's next words carried even more shocking info.
"And even if your experiment details leak, it won't be a problem. You're not a demon, Instructor."
"You checked that with a skill too?"
"Yep. Demons or half-demons show up in the race name, but yours is just a 'question mark.' So, definitely not a demon."
"That's even more unsettling info."
...My race isn't human?!
The shock of the day.
Lee Han reeled.
But Derek hurried to reassure him.
"B-but not being a demon is the key point! M-maybe you have some mystical race bloodline mixed in! S-so, don't worry... haha."
"...Somehow even more worrying."
Before Lee Han could shoot him a distrustful look,
"A-and! If nobles have any conscience, they can't nitpick you for getting monster genes implanted! They should be the ones criticized most."
"...?"
"You don't know? ...Oh, right. You've never learned Fighting Techniques."
"What is it?"
New info dropped, and Lee Han blinked.
Wondering what it could be.
His next words made it instantly clear why he'd mentioned nobles' consciences.
That was because...
"...The reason prestigious families' Fighting Techniques are classified as 'advanced' is because they consume monster magic stones."
Dogs covered in filth have no right to mock another for having a bit of mud on it.
However.
'Whoa, this is a hornet's nest—no, touching the reverse scale.'
Lee Han realized why advanced Fighting Techniques were kept secret from commoners.
...Anyone who knew wouldn't be long for this world.
Sometimes, there are secrets you're better off not knowing.
The chit-chat dragged on a bit, but Lee Han and Derek weren't just idling—they were pursuing their task.
"Heh heh, well done, brother."
"What do you mean? Spreading the word of the divine is no hardship, heh heh."
"True enough, haha!"
They were secretly tailing the priest.
'These guys really know the layout like the back of their hand.'
Whether priest, agitator, or brainwashing expert, the man left the village and navigated the maze-like tunnels effortlessly.
Dead ends were no issue for him, and strangely, no worms appeared where he passed.
'So the inverted cross repels monsters for real.'
'Yep.'
Roy Bant's items numbered five: three potions, an inverted cross, and a torn paper.
The potions were split into monster flesh-made ones and those with narcotics; the paper's use was unknown.
And the inverted cross...
'Emits a wavelength monsters hate. Spot on.'
It repelled low-grade monsters, if not mid-grade.
Proof they hadn't chosen the tunnels just to die.
And upon reaching the priest's final destination...
"??"
They were truly stunned.
"Wh-what in the world...! Hup...!"
Lee Han wasn't the only shocked one; Derek accidentally yelped aloud, then clamped his mouth shut realizing his mistake.
But no need—
...The sand worm's roar would drown out anything.
A 110-meter sand worm lay curled up.
Sometimes, the human brain lags when seeing the unbelievable, like feet freezing before massive buildings or beasts—instinct.
...This was one such time.
'Southern sand worms max out at 30 meters, I thought...'
Desert sand worms grow to 80-100 meters as adults, but that's rare—even 100+ meters happens once a century.
Southern ones differ.
Bred smaller for fertilizer in the Southern Continent, unfit for huge growth, they topped at 30 meters.
Still monstrous, but manageable with mages and knights.
Pathetically slow and weak compared to desert kin.
...But this one was different.
However slow or weak, its sheer size defied description.
If it rampaged underground, the ground would collapse, burying them without a chance to react.
Drip...
The mere thought chilled their spines; Derek sweated profusely.
'This is it! Their plan...!'
Derek now grasped how they'd plunge the capital into chaos.
Somehow, they'd succeeded in raising this behemoth.
The moment it rampaged...
'The tunnels collapse.'
The kingdom—no, Southern Continent's top fertilizer zone crumbling meant food shortages.
Fine short-term, but crops reliant on it would suffer massively.
Damage would grow over time, sparking famine.
And the people propping the nation would suffer most, leading inevitably to...
'...Peasant revolt.'
Overkill prediction maybe, but if so, the kingdom crumbles inside and out.
'Vicious bastards...!'
Derek admitted they'd plotted to starve everyone to topple the kingdom.
But he couldn't panic forever; he activated [Crisis Detection] to gauge the sand worm's threat.
"...Two levels below the Demon King. Big, but you can take it, Instructor."
"......"
"B-but kill it in one shot. Otherwise, it'll rampage, and the tunnels..."
"......"
"O-or call for backup now..."
"Derek."
"...Yes?"
"I'd love backup, but looks too late."
"......"
"...You wanna escape first?"
"...!!!"
Derek realized belatedly.
"-Filthy rat bastards, you finally showed."
Just as they tailed, the enemies had known their presence.
Countless black-clad figures surrounded them.
The black-clad men's aura was no joke.
Such numbers of elites hiding their presence spoke volumes of their skill.
Total: thirty.
But each outclassed the White Silver Lion Knights' rabble.
And additionally...
"Surround them!!"
"Damn heaven-cursed scum!"
"Pendragon knights, abominations...!! Kill them!"
Gathering prisoners too.
Human wave tactics, huh.
What a spectacle.
All to catch just two.
Facing the horde...
"...Hm, how'd they know? We tailed stealthily."
"Heh heh, gave me chills too. Didn't sense a thing."
Surprisingly, the priest answered Lee Han's question readily.
Dripping with leisure.
"Heh, one mistake. Seen paper like this?"
"That..."
The priest pulled out a blank sheet, very like Roy Bant's torn paper.
He grinned.
"Tears if one of ours has trouble. You thought catching one was a win, eh? Foolish. Do we seem that sloppy? Heh heh."
"So, you knew from the start."
"Too late now, but yes. Kingdom knights are hopeless idiots, ahahaha!"
The priest seemed thrilled.
Encircling a Pendragon knight, and his overwhelming advantage satisfying him.
Trampling others fulfilled him.
"Surrender now. We'll make it painless."
"Not sparing us?"
"Spare? You look skilled, but that kid and your comrades die for sure. By our—my—hands."
"......"
He knew of the other three too.
"I-Instructor..."
Surrounded on all sides.
Derek paled, realizing the odds.
'D-damn, I should've been more careful... Curses!'
Having skills yet falling for this obvious trap—what good were they?
Self-recrimination surged; he reached for his dagger.
Everything ruined, but save who he could!
"R-run, Instructor! I'll hold them! W-with Mancheon Hwau, I can take half!"
"Quit it. Can you even bloody a human?"
"Th-that's..."
True.
Derek had only killed monsters, never people.
His resolve wavered, proof he was still modern at heart.
...Even so.
"I-I think we do what we must when we must. ...And that's now."
"...Kid, you've grown."
Pat pat.
"...Instructor?"
Lee Han patted his back approvingly; Derek wondered at praise now.
Despair? No, not Lee Han's style.
"Step back. I'll show you how to handle this."
"??"
Lee Han advanced like imparting a lesson; killing intent thickened from priest and black-clads.
"Foolish choice."
The priest sneered.
The dumb knight meant to fight—reaching for a weapon? Priest raised hand for attack order...
"—Right now, fire scrolls are buried around the tunnel sections, about 100 each. Ignite half, and it all collapses."
━KABOOOOOM!!━
...Priest and black-clads froze.
"...What?"
The priest doubted his ears.
What nonsense was this fool spouting?
But.
"Don't believe me? Fair, words alone. First one's simple."
Lee Han pulled not a weapon, but a pouch of grape-like orbs.
Suddenly, he crushed one.
Crack.
The next instant...
━KWAAAAAAAAANG!!━
Tunnels shake violently!
Rumble...!
Rumble rumble crack...
"......"
Priest and black-clads were dumbfounded.
Feeling the ominous quake, they were dumbstruck.
But even then,
"Still doubting? Next one's bigger..."
"N-nooo!!"
The priest screamed desperately.
Seeing the orb about to burst in his hand, instinct kicked in.
"I-I believe! Stop now!"
"......"
"Y-you'll kill us all, you vile monster...!"
"-Why the casual tone?"
"...?"
"Am I your buddy?"
"??"
"Damn punk, who're you ordering around."
Crack.
Another orb burst in Lee Han's hand, and soon...
━KWAAAAAAAAANG!!━
Rumble rumble crack...!
Bigger quake and cracks than before.
Dust fell; everything seemed about to shatter, and suddenly...
...The sand worm—no, mother worm—stirred awake, and the priest's face drained of color.
"Uh, uhh... Uh...?"
His brain failed to process reality, frozen stiff.
To him, Lee Han said...
"I can pop more. Watch your mouth."
"H-how can this..."
"Ssst!!"
"......"
"Don't know respect, you uneducated brat? Where's this kid getting off...!"
"......"
"Quit stalling—kneel already. Unless you want a full search."
"......"
...Terrorists plotting the kingdom's fall, now blackmailed.
An absurd, ridiculous reversal; the priest...
Thud.
...Dropped to his knees.
"Tch, shoulda done that sooner."
"......"
True madness renders fake madness irrelevant—natural order.