Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.29 – King Kong and the Hybrid Collide (5)
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...He could see the terrorists hurling mad—no, terrified glances his way.
Like, what was it?
They were clearly the terrorists, yet somehow he felt like the terrorist terrorizing the terrorists.
The feeling was utterly strange.
'...Is this really okay for me to be doing?'
Deep down, Lee Han was getting cold feet.
He even felt like this wasn't quite right himself.
But what could he do?
'She said not to negotiate with terrorists in the first place.'
......His big sis.
She had told him.
If...
- If, when you get there, the Tunnel has already fallen so completely into enemy hands that it's hard for them to fight back, then don't hesitate—wipe the Tunnel off the map of Pendragon territory.
If the Tunnel had been 'seized' by the [enemy], forget the mission details, ignore everyone else's opinions, and just erase everything completely.
The only priorities were his safety and the enemy's 'annihilation'.
But even so, wouldn't that inevitably lead to too many casualties, even if it was just a prison full of convicts? He had raised a small objection...
- Most of the criminals there are murderers, rapists, fraudsters who ruined entire families anyway. They're worthless scum with no use alive, practically 'dead men walking' already. Being buried alive and dying instantly would be more merciful than becoming monster fodder.
......Listening to her made his head spin.
No matter what, Lee Han didn't want to become a mass murderer, so he put up a final argument in defiance.
'Then how are you going to handle fertilizer from now on?' or 'Won't this cause massive chaos in the kingdom if things go wrong?'
He voiced all sorts of concerns like that.
But...
- Hmph, who do you think you're talking to? I've already prepared countermeasures. Don't worry about food shortages. Do you think I'd send you without a plan? I've got everything sorted, so go in hard and don't hold back. You're acting on my behalf. I'll take full responsibility, no matter what you do.
...Even in his past life, if he'd had a superior like her, he probably would've become her die-hard fan.
And now.
"Instructor, no, what the hell is..."
"It's fine. The one who gave me this job said it's okay."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah, she even said it's fine to bury the whole Tunnel's prisoners alive, not just these guys."
"......"
"That doesn't mean I'm crazy enough to actually do it. I'm just scaring them for now."
"......"
"Well, if things get really dire, I might have to go a bit psycho."
"Th-Then what about us..."
"'Do your best' to 'survive somehow.' What else can we do?"
"......"
"Hey, don't glare at me like that."
"I'm not glaring, I just..."
......He just thought it was like a fish in water.
Lee Han was putting on a relaxed front for Derek, but it was just to reassure him.
Inside, he was heightening his own tension, swallowing dryly.
'The cat's out of the bag, and yeah, this is a crisis.'
He'd told Derek he'd buried 100 scrolls in each sector, but that wasn't true.
Of course, he wished he could have.
'Ah, crap, I can't let on that I only have 100 in total...'
The scrolls he'd actually planted were far fewer.
And for good reason—scrolls were rare items, and the number an individual could acquire was limited.
The only reason he even had these was...
- Hey, make me 1,000 fire scrolls in three days.
- What!?
- Three days. Get it done.
- W-Wait a sec!
Thanks to his slave.
But Lee Han's magic slave, Odwal Bernard, was useless.
He'd given him a full 'three days,' and the guy only managed a hundred scrolls.
And yet...
- Th-That's still something no one else could do!!
He'd wailed it like that, but to Lee Han, it all sounded like excuses.
What a worthless guy anyway.
In any case, with circumstances like these, the number of scrolls was critically low, leaving Lee Han regretting it.
Still, since he'd grabbed them, he'd hustled around planting them here and there after getting locked in the Tunnel, and they were helping somewhat.
But conversely, the moment they realized the truth, it was game over.
'They're not powerful enough to blow up the entire Tunnel...'
From testing, each scroll's blast was a bit weaker than dynamite.
Enough to collapse a few sectors, but not the whole Tunnel.
So Lee Han couldn't let his guard down.
'...Can I take all these guys out?'
Lee Han forced a bitter smile as he sensed hundreds now surrounding him.
Every one a convict trained in Fighting Technique.
Some like Roy Bant, capable of holding their own; plenty of half-assed ones like the White Silver Lion knights too.
Uneven skills all around.
But they had one thing the White Silver Lions lacked.
'Teamwork.'
Half-breeds showing disciplined formation, orderly ranks.
It screamed tactical knowledge, proof they weren't some ragtag group but a trained 'army.'
Lee Han knew.
How terrifying a force even skilled fighters could muster when combining tactics and coordination on the battlefield.
He'd learned that the hard way against the Blood Hawks.
Individually, they didn't match the hawks, but hundreds versed in Fighting Technique? Still a threat.
No beating sheer numbers.
'I could probably take more than half down with me, but the rest...'
Especially the black-clad ones.
Around thirty of them, and their auras alone told the tale.
Vice-commander level each.
Trading blows with them would cost limbs.
And besides...
'I might survive, but Tae-chang's a goner, huh?'
Tae-chang was still too green all around; surviving this would be tough for him. Real headache.
'Nothing's ever easy, is it...'
Rediscovering the humility that nothing in life came easy, Lee Han eyed the priest.
Weak in combat, but the one with the most authority here.
And moreover.
"Hey, you."
"Wh-What...?"
"Your speech is filthy."
"...Why do you say that."
"Ha, not even Precious No. 2."
"......"
"Whatever, why bother talking to trash like you. Just one question: What's your deal with the [Blood Crusaders]?"
"!!?"
"Hmm, looks like there is a connection."
"H-How do you know our name...? A tr-traitor...!"
"...Hm."
His acquired sense for distinguishing lies from truth.
From that short exchange, Lee Han gleaned four key pieces of intel.
The Blood Crusaders existed, and they were confident no one knew about them.
For some reason, they believed they had a way to keep it hidden.
So what was that method?
'A secret art... or a powerful backer...'
Just a hunch, but maybe a concealment spell, or a high noble or royal pulling strings.
In other words, a traitor in the kingdom.
And the last bit.
'These guys aren't all on the same page.'
The moment Blood Crusaders came up, he'd instantly blamed a traitor.
Suggests internal divisions or factions.
"Phew..."
Maybe from overusing his brain when he usually didn't, his head throbbed hot.
But the info gained made it worthwhile.
So...
'Little guy.'
'Y-Yes?'
'Get ready to bolt.'
'R-Right now?'
'Got all the intel I need. Evidence would be nice, but eh, grab the priest or whatever.'
'......'
'Hurry!'
'Ah, y-yes!'
At Lee Han's urging, he reached into his pocket like he was pulling a smoke bomb.
Historically, nothing beat them for escapes...
Whoosh!
Clang!
"What was that? Suicidal?"
"We could ask you the same."
"......"
"Do we look easy?"
"Yeah, easier than target practice."
"...!"
...Tricking perceptive—no, skilled foes was no easy task.
The moment Lee Han and Derek moved to bolt, a black-clad hurled a dagger at Derek; Lee Han blocked it head-on.
Zing.
"Ow... that stings."
Even deploying Indestructible couldn't fully absorb the impact.
Probably the top black-clad.
And that black-clad said:
"The scrolls are real, sure. But no way you buried enough to collapse the whole Tunnel. ...Not without knowing our secret passages."
"Ooh, so there are secret passages? You sure it's cool to spill that?"
"Doesn't matter. You won't leave alive anyway."
"Damn, cocky much?"
"Not cocky—just fact. You won't escape here alive."
Rooooar.
An ominous aura spread.
No orders from the priest, yet the black-clad were already geared for attack, convicts radiating killing intent in sync.
Like why they were convicts—lowly malice from those who'd harmed people before.
"Wh-What is this!? I didn't even give the order!"
The priest snapped first at the sudden turn.
Furious at the black-clad challenging his authority.
"You dare defy the authority granted by the gods!!"
"As if."
"But wh..."
Squelch!
"Guh!?"
"But you're no god. No reason to obey trash like you. Tsk, idiot—fooled by enemy lies..."
A dagger plunged into the priest's back; he collapsed.
Unhesitating, ruthless strike.
"Internal strife, huh."
"Just cleaning out dead weight."
"Hmm."
Lee Han could tell it was a rogue move.
So...
"Figures. The [Black Moon Assassins] only recently joined the Blood Crusaders, right?"
"!!?!"
"So it was a merger? Or equals before, then you got crushed and folded in?"
"Y-You bastard...!"
As the black-clad stammered in shock, Lee Han went straight for:
"Whatever. I'll ask later."
Bam!
Lee Han precisely kicked the dagger hilt flying at him.
Exquisite control, perfect force transfer.
- Piercing Thrust.
No spear or log, so power was laughably low, but even so.
Splurt!
More than enough to gut those punks.
In a flash, the two black-clad shielding their leader were slain.
Thud.
"......"
They crumpled, and he...
"I'll kill you!!"
Couldn't hold his rage, charged in.
'Wondered who it was—it's No. 4.'
Lee Han had felt familiarity with the black-clad from earlier.
A vague sense of having seen him before.
Now, observing the brutal casual priest-kill, recklessness, and movements, he pinned it: one person.
No. 4.
Like Lee Han had been No. 8, the Black Moon exec candidates up to No. 12.
Ah, probably full exec now?
'That guy's strong.'
Back then, No. 4 was undervalued as a simple brute with a fiery temper, but his potential was huge.
Rumor was he was a barbarian half-breed, augmented with ogre tendons to amp barbarian traits.
Giving ogre tendons to a barbarian half? Like giving wings to a tiger.
His strength and potential outclassed everyone; kid Lee Han had dreaded sparring him.
...Back when he was a kid.
Thud!
"!"
"Your strength is stupidly good, I'll give you that."
No. 4 slammed into Lee Han, face shocked.
Not budging an inch.
Like a fool smashing into a boulder.
First time losing a strength contest, it seemed.
But Lee Han wasn't just raw-forcing him.
Just the fruit of effort and skill from uprooting two hundred trees.
So...
Whoosh!
"Losing to a guy like you would make all my hard work feel wasted."
Lee Han hoisted him up, floating him mid-air.
After yanking that many trees, lifting one guy was nothing.
And so...
Boom!!
No. 4 couldn't resist, got smashed into the ground.
"Kugh?!"
Didn't look too hurt.
Modded human indeed.
Should've concussed him, but this was nowhere near enough.
He wanted a bigger hit, but unfortunately...
"I-Instructor!"
"Time to bail."
Seeing the charging foes, no point in a drawn-out fight.
"You bastard! Don't run!"
"Pfft."
Come to think, one more difference from the Blood Hawks.
They were enemies worth respect, honorable warriors a fair fight would honor.
But...
"Not you lot."
Swish!
Lee Han pulled his last two scrolls from his pocket, flung them.
"Won't kill you, but it'll be hot as hell."
Pop.
Detonated without hesitation.
Booooom!!
A roaring explosion engulfed the area in massive flames, swallowing hundreds of convicts.
Witnessing it...
"Firepower's the best, right?"
"......"
"Don't you think?"
"...Haha."
Blood will tell—even reincarnated, a descendant of the fire-worshipping Hyunwoong couldn't escape firepower's allure, reaffirming that overwhelming power was life's true principle.