Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Besieged in the Cherry Blossom Park
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The park was filled with a light pink hue.
But the festive excitement had vanished from it now.
It was because of the magic beasts that had suddenly appeared.
—Kieek!
"Ugh, aaack!"
A small-statured magic beast with green skin raised its weapon high, trying to strike down a man. It was a goblin, one of the magic beasts.
Puuk!
—Kieee!
A sword flew into the back of the goblin that had been about to pounce on the defenseless civilian. It was a sword Han U-sol had created and launched with his ability. The goblin tumbled forward and collapsed.
"Evacuate over here!"
"Th-thank you!"
The initial magic beasts had been few in number. And they were weak enough for even ordinary people to handle. Thanks to Rockbell's swift response, most civilians had been evacuated. There had been no casualties yet.
After guiding the man to safety, Han U-sol fired bullets from the weapons summoned behind him, taking out the remaining magic beasts.
'The civilians' evacuation is almost complete. But...'
The magic beasts were growing stronger by the minute. And their numbers were increasing too. Someone was artificially summoning these magic beasts to carry out a terrorist attack.
"Hey, Han U-sol!! I can't see Anis! Do you know where she is!?"
Yoon Na-rin shouted from afar. She couldn't use her ability freely for fear of starting a fire. Overusing it might set the trees ablaze, which would be disastrous.
Han U-sol glared in the direction the magic beasts were coming from. It was the remote corner of the park, a secluded area where hardly anyone passed.
'That's definitely the direction Anis went...'
Even as he pretended otherwise, Han U-sol had been keeping an eye on Anis. That direction was where she had gone to escape Rockbell's unwanted attention.
"Hey! Are you listening!? Her signal suddenly cut out, and her phone's not connecting!!"
Yoon Na-rin yelled, but it fell on deaf ears as Han U-sol was lost in thought.
'No way...'
No, of course Anis was strong. She wouldn't go down easily.
But the magic beasts were getting more powerful. Their numbers kept growing. No matter how strong Anis was, there was a limit to what she could handle alone.
As he pondered, more magic beasts swarmed in, their numbers swelling. Now even beast-type ones were appearing. Even he wasn't confident he could survive alone in that horde.
An ominous thought flashed through Han U-sol's mind.
'Anis...!'
Paat!
He leaped into the midst of the oncoming magic beasts, dashing toward his destination: the deepest part of the park, where Anis might be.
"H-hey! You lunatic!! Where are you going!!"
Yoon Na-rin shouted in surprise from behind. She tried to chase after Han U-sol as he bolted away, but the swarming magic beasts blocked her path, forcing her to stop.
"Hey, you bastard!!!"
Srraack-!
As I swept my sword horizontally, the goblin's head fell off. I then pivoted on my left foot, spinning my body to deliver a kick to the one beside it. The goblin's temple shattered under my heel, snapping its neck.
—Kieeek!
—Krrruk...
"Damn...!"
A curse slipped out involuntarily.
The number of magic beasts was steadily increasing. They hadn't been this numerous at first, but after some time, they had multiplied.
Now, swift beast-type magic beasts were starting to appear. And the goblins seemed to be getting larger too.
—Krrrng-!
Multi Slash
[Cleave charging beast-type magic beast]
I slashed through the dog-like magic beast lunging at me.
The positive side was that I could still handle them for now.
And I hadn't seen any human corpses on the way. The civilians must have evacuated successfully.
'I need to head back and regroup...!'
I could manage the magic beasts only for the moment. If their numbers grew further or I started tiring, it would be dangerous.
I had to link up with the academy group first.
Multi Slash
[Simultaneously cleave 5 oncoming goblins]
I cleaved through five charging goblins at once, clearing a path. I dashed forward swiftly.
As I carved my way through, over ten magic beasts lunged from all directions.
I ignored the distant ones and only slashed those blocking my path ahead.
'...Good. At this rate, I can reach the entrance.'
This park, hosting the Cherry Blossom Festival, had only one entrance. They were probably blocking the magic beasts from escaping there.
I wasn't too exhausted yet. I could make it to the entrance. I kept slashing through the magic beasts and pressed on.
After advancing some distance, I spotted a large group of magic beasts surrounding something.
'...What is that?'
It was a makeshift stall made from a small container. The magic beasts were slamming into it, attacking relentlessly.
Kwaang-!
The container shook violently and crumpled under their assaults. The door was starting to look ragged and precarious.
—Heroes... the heroes haven't come yet!?
—Th-this is bad! It's gonna break!
—M-Mommy!
—It's okay, Rena, it's okay... Don't worry...
As I approached the container, voices drifted in through my mana-enhanced hearing. They seemed to be civilians stranded far from the entrance, unable to evacuate in time.
ABANDON & ESCAPE
[Prioritize reaching the entrance]
The situation was accelerating toward disaster.
Could I protect the people inside and make it to the entrance? It looked like more than just one or two.
The magic beasts' numbers kept growing. And they were getting stronger.
Impossible. So what should I do?
—Kiyak!
A goblin near the container spotted me and charged. On its chest was a familiar phrase engraved.
I hesitated momentarily in this dilemma, and it exploited the opening as expected.
It urged me to give up. To abandon them and flee to the entrance.
"Damn."
Multi Slash
[Shatter goblin and intrusive message]
I cleaved it down. The phrase shattered along with the goblin and crumbled to the ground.
"...No choice."
...Until the heroes arrived, I'd have to hold the line in front of it.
I gripped my sword tighter and charged at the magic beasts surrounding the container.
Han U-sol ran toward the depths of the park. The deeper he went, the more magic beasts there were.
—Krruk!
—Keaak!
The goblins blocking Han U-sol's path collapsed with bullets lodged in their throats.
'...The goblins are starting to wear armor.'
The goblins, who had only wielded crude weapons before, now emerged with proper arms and armor.
Beast-type magic beasts had shifted from dogs to wolves. Their sizes grew from medium dogs to full-fledged predators.
'...This is getting dangerous.'
They had started weak and sparse, but over time, the threat level had risen sharply.
'Who the hell is behind this?'
It couldn't be demons. They had vanished along with the angels after the Heavenly Demon War 150 years ago.
If it were truly demons, something nightmarish like Cerberus or Hydra would have appeared.
Besides, this was inside the city. Demons couldn't breach an angel's barrier without anyone noticing.
'...Villains who sided with demons?'
Among humans, there were traitors who turned to the demons. Though demons had hidden away, villains occasionally contracted with them.
—Krrrh!
—Kieeek!
The ten weapons floating behind Han U-sol intercepted the charging magic beasts.
As he ran, Han U-sol scanned the surroundings for Anis.
'...Anis, where are you!'
At this rate, ogres might appear soon instead of goblins. He needed to find Anis quickly and regroup.
Han U-sol kept running. As he delved deeper, he sensed something unusual.
'...Blood scent.'
The magic beasts had noticeably thinned out. And a thick, fishy metallic tang wafted from ahead.
It was a deep blood scent that no single or pair of corpses could produce. At least a hundred lives had perished.
The civilians had all evacuated. So this must be the smell of magic beast blood.
'...Anis?'
Han U-sol's instincts told him: Anis was there.
How much time had passed?
After clearing the magic beasts pounding on the container, more came flocking, drawn by the blood scent.
Whenever I dealt with a wave, an even larger one followed. They now wore armor, had grown bigger and stronger. ...Like some StarCraft use map, they kept spawning endlessly from somewhere.
"Hic!"
A goblin's sword grazed my thigh. The wound wasn't deep enough to hinder movement, but another injury added to my tally.
Even if each was weaker than me, their overwhelming numbers were violence incarnate. My body was covered in minor cuts, blood flowing freely. I'd lost too much blood; my head was spinning.
Moreover, my left arm, sacrificed multiple times to block attacks I couldn't dodge, no longer had any strength left.
The magic beasts showed no sign of decreasing; they only multiplied.
I couldn't hold out much longer. This was a dire situation.
A child's sobbing voice came from inside the container.
—S-Sis!
"Don't look. Cover your eyes."
I swung the mace. With my mana depleted, skills no longer activated.
-Kwa-jik!
The goblin struck directly by the mace had its armor crumple, chest caving in. It writhed on the ground in agony.
I stomped on the rolling goblin's head and applied pressure.
...Kuuuk.
The goblin wailed in greater torment.
—Kieeek! Kieek...!
-Puseok!
The goblin's head burst open, unable to withstand it.
I glared at the magic beasts, and they flinched, stepping back. It was effective. Magic beasts weren't emotionless.
To buy time, I killed them as cruelly and painfully as possible.
Seeing me slaughter their comrades gruesomely, drenched in blood and glaring at them, seemed to unnerve them; the magic beasts grew hesitant.
Kwa-jik! Kwa-jik! Kwa-jik!
—Kieee!!
I smashed down on a terror-stricken goblin charging at me. Repeatedly, avoiding vitals to prevent instant death. It twitched on the ground.
"Haa, haa..."
My breath grew ragged; the limit approached. Even my right hand was losing strength. But I couldn't let go of the weapon.
I forcibly lifted my drooping head and glared at the magic beasts.
—Krrrng!
—Kieek...! Kiruk!
They hesitated briefly and retreated, but soon realized my state and began charging again.
Peueok-!
I crushed the head of the lead wolf magic beast with the mace. Then hurled it at the following goblin's head, exploding it.
I tried summoning another weapon,
but whether due to mana shortage, it wouldn't appear.
"Haa..."
"Why the hell does pulling a weapon from inventory cost mana..."
A futile grumble escaped my lips.
—Krrruk!
—Kieek!
The magic beasts approached without fear now, seeing me as cornered prey.
"......"
...This is the end.
In the end, I couldn't save anyone...
I wouldn't become a hero.
My father's voice echoed.
[You can't save anyone like you.]
Yes. It seems so.
But I have no regrets.
I overreached, trying to play hero without knowing my place, ending up like this,
but isn't this better than beating your own child like you did, Dad?
That was when it happened.
Pueong-! Pueong-!
The heads of the approaching magic beasts exploded.
In the distance, I saw a boy. White-haired, with striking golden eyes—a handsome young man.
Bullets fired from the ten weapons floating behind him struck and detonated the magic beasts' heads.
The boy ran toward me, calling my name.
"Anis!!!"
It was Han U-sol.
I smiled faintly.
"...Haha."
"I hate ranged DPS."
"I hate them, but..."
This time, it's kinda nice.