Chapter 322
Chapter 322
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 322
Chapter Title: Honeybee Uproar
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After unleashing a flurry of slashes and butchering every last one of those vile bastards, a clear, refreshing exhilaration washed over me, like I could soar straight to the heavens.
"Feels invigorating."
No matter how many of those weaklings swarmed me in formation, they couldn't tarnish the name of this Heavenly Demon. Even drenched head to toe in the foul spray of hornet fluids from their bursting bodies, the thrill of victory was sweeter than honey.
This fierce battle had made me grow stronger once again.
Reacting instantly to the merciless stings raining down from three directions at once, batting them away—it was undeniable experience that had seeped deep into my skills.
Against foes weaker than me, I brimmed with confidence that I could crush any number of them single-handedly.
Next time, I definitely needed Karin to evaluate my progress.
—Twitch, twitch.
The killer hornets had been massacred just as brutally as they'd done to others. The ground was a chaotic mess of dismembered hornet chunks everywhere. I finished off the ones still clinging to life by severing their heads, soothing the souls of the victims.
May they find rebirth in paradise.
"Blacky's skills have shot up big time."
Winia, who'd been watching my prowess the whole time, spoke up in admiration. Hearing praise from someone as stingy with compliments as her made my shoulders lift with pride, a surge of smug satisfaction welling up.
"You know it?"
"Back then, you were total dogshit."
"What're you talking about? I've always been strong."
I was plenty strong back then, too.
Why else would I have survived in this otherworld?
In a world rife with violence and zero foundation to stand on, the steel-hard tenacity I'd honed to survive, and the macho flexibility to bend when I had to—those were the roots of my strength.
"Bullshit."
"I'm serious. It was my toughness that let me endure your abuse."
"Blacky, if you were tough back then, I'd have no tits to speak of."
No, fuck.
"Ah, damn it."
Anyway, I'm a powerhouse.
The skills forged in brutal combat accumulated steadily, elevating me to true elite status.
If I'd run into these hornet punks before, I'd have ended up like those dead adventurers over there, but now I could smash them solo.
Of course, having Claudy and Winia solidly covering my back kept my focus undivided, letting me unleash my full potential—that played a big part, too.
"Hehe, Katt. That was some astonishing swordwork. Even if you scoured the whole world, warriors who grow as fast as you are rare."
"Ah, naturally."
Claudi seemed genuinely pleased watching my combat prowess up close. With a warm, affectionate gaze, she continued.
"Seeing you improve day by day... it fills me with such immense satisfaction. More thrilling and joyful than slaying a mighty foe myself—I can't think of anything else."
No, more joyful than that?
"It even feels like I'm the one raising you. Hehe, talking like this makes you seem like my own son. Is this what a mama's heart feels like?"
Claudi blushed and beamed, declaring herself my mama.
"Gah, Mama Claudy!!!!!!!"
"Eek!"
"You're raising meeeee!!!!!"
For a moment, I threw a spoiled tantrum at Claudy. Overflowing with maternal warmth, she accepted it all, stroking my back.
"No, fuck. Blacky. I could be your Blacky Mama too, y'know?"
"There's only one mama in this world."
"Last time you called me Winia Mama at the Magic Tower."
"Then we'll have two."
"Blacky, wanna keep talking smack?"
Anyway, we cleaned up the area.
—Whoosh.
A cool breeze swept in.
What a hard-won victory. The inhuman fantasy of Congo's independence that had swelled up moments ago had long dissipated like spring mist. My cracked mentality had led to another freakout.
Regaining my senses, I surveyed the nest.
Barring a handful of stragglers, the killer hornets were pretty much wiped out.
Thankfully, the people trapped inside were still screaming. Well, not that being thankful for that was right, but at least they were alive.
—Ughhh!
—Aaaahhh!!!
—Please stop!!! Enoughhhh!!!
Their voices were so robust, they sounded healthy.
Still, the scene of corpses and living people jumbled together was brutally gruesome... Congo massacre...!
"But this is nothing."
No matter how cruel and harsh this otherworld got, it couldn't compare to Earth's horrors, I thought.
Civilian massacres... witch hunts... world wars... human experiments... colonial rule... atrocities that chilled the blood and stoked rage just imagining them—humanity's sins.
The true barbarians weren't this otherworld; they were the people back on Earth.
Entertaining such wild thoughts, I tore off a dead hornet's wing and wiped the sticky fluids from my blade.
—Buzzz!
In the distance, hornets carrying hunks of meat were returning.
Imagining the shock when those guys discovered their friends all fucked up from last night—it lifted my spirits again.
"Anyway, let's go. Slaughter the remnants, destroy the nest, and we're done."
With that, we advanced on the nest.
A few hornets charged, but they were no match for me, now a hornet slayer after massacring dozens. I sliced them lightly and stood before the nest.
—P-people!
—Save us! Please save us!
—It hurts so muuuch!!
The victims with just their heads poking out begged for their lives upon spotting us. Killing a few more hornets in front of them unleashed a thunderous cheer.
"I, Saint Kim Katt, shall save you all."
I examined the nest's structure.
Its awkward shape meant one wrong move while destroying it could send the whole thing plummeting. The captives in the honeycomb cells would kiss the ground and burst on impact.
How to handle this...
"Katt, leave this to me."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Been a while since I flexed properly?"
—Flash!
In an instant, Claudy kicked off a tree and leaped atop the nest, drawing her sword. Scaling that height in seconds—impressive leg power.
She gauged something for a moment, shifting around, then suddenly raised her drawn blade high.
And—
—Slash!
Like a guillotine, the blade dropped, and boom! A massive crash echoed as the nest shook. Screams from the people erupted too.
One strike.
Claudi had severed the joint between the nest and the giant tree vertically in one blow. No way that tiny sword could handle such a massive cut, yet the broad surface was sliced clean through.
Incredible power.
The nest wobbled briefly before falling safely.
Claudi landed lightly with a jump.
"Unbelievable power."
I gaped as I greeted her.
"Whew, it was a technique I hadn't used in ages—glad it worked."
Saying that, Claudy sheathed her sword. Having burned through her mana in one go, she whispered she was tired and leaned against me.
Then the rest was up to me.
I sat her down and approached the fallen honeycomb.
"S-save us! Please!"
"Uwoooooh!!"
Not much left to do.
To save the living, I drew my sword. The people trapped had some membrane below their necks fixing them firmly in place.
I thrust my blade into the cell and sliced the membrane—gush! Some horrific unknown liquid spilled out with the person.
"Ugh..."
"You okay?"
"Th-thank you...! Truly, thank you! Kidnapped by those things—I thought I was done for! Thank you for saving me!"
I pulled my knife and handed it to the profusely grateful man.
"What's this...?"
"Can you move?"
"Of course."
"Then use it to free the others. Just cut the membrane like I did."
"Ah, got it."
No need for me to do it all.
At my request, the old man took the knife and tore the membrane in the next cell. They spilled out too, expressing thanks. I directed the new escapees to free others.
Having cheated death, they obeyed well.
They grabbed branches or whatever and rescued other victims right away.
The heartwarming sight warmed a corner of my chest.
"Ughack!"
"Kyaaah!"
—But.
Not everyone in the honeycomb was alive.
Corpses popped out sporadically, including gruesome ones with lower bodies melted away. People screamed at the sight.
—Squeak! Squeee!
And some cells held massive larvae.
"Larvaaaa!!!"
At least the larvae-only ones were tame. Some cells mixed humans and larvae.
...No need to mention what happened to those people.
The enraged survivors lynched the larvae brutally, smashing them to pulp. Still, the work progressed smoothly.
"Winia, let's harvest the core now."
"Yeah. C'mere, Blacky."
I moved with Winia to the rear of the fallen nest.
The nest's core was simple. Right inside this tail end—the base pillar thing—was the core.
"I'll soften it first, then you carve it out with your sword. Got it?"
"Trust me."
—Fwoosh!
Winia blasted flames instantly. The intense fire roasted the nest's rear like a dragon's breath.
Judging it seasoned enough, she stopped and patted my butt with her palm.
"Alright, Blacky, your turn."
"Roger."
—Stab!
I thrust in the blade and carefully carved. Trickier and more delicate than expected, it took a while.
—Thud.
Finally, success—I extracted the core.
It was about the size of my torso, insanely heavy; carrying it solo would be tough.
"This thing's huge. Don't we need a stretcher or something?"
"Stretcher's right there."
Winia pointed behind me.
"What stretcher?"
What she pointed at were the rescued people sitting on the ground, resting.
Pondering where a stretcher would be, it hit me quick.
She meant human stretchers.
"We saved 'em, so put 'em to use. Tell 'em to carry it to the city."
"Genius!"
Perfect—let them handle transport.
Decided, I circled the nest with her, gathering dropped gear. With so many victims, there were tons of possessions and backpacks scattered.
Collecting it all promised decent loot.
Farming done, I shouted loud.
"Alright, everyone! Time to head back to the city!"
"O-oh! Finally! Finally!!"
"Mooommm!!"
"Woooaaahhh!!"
The grateful crowd half-sobbed in response.
All looked like they'd barely survived.
I addressed them again.
"Okay! Come here and grab these!"
Sacks and backpacks piled up now.
One sack with the nest core. One stuffed with hornet poison sacs. One crammed with gear. Plus three backpacks of miscellany—six loads total.
Have them each carry one.
"Take these to the city."
He looked like a gaunt middle-aged guy. At my words, he frowned questioningly.
"You want us to... carry these? All the way to the city?"
What else would I mean, fucker?
"Yes."
A flicker of annoyance rose, but I suppressed the killing urge and answered. Was this prick seriously bitching about carrying luggage after I saved his ass?
If he refused, my sheath might catch fire.
"Ah, alright."
"Thanks. Next, you take this one!"
Thankfully, no one refused, so no needless murders.
Good ending stays good.
Truth is, people change moods like entering/exiting a bathroom. When I asked them to carry stuff, shitty expressions flashed across their faces.
Saved or not, nobody wants to lug gear.
But that's human nature—fine as long as they don't refuse.
Humans are ungrateful shits by default. Flaunt it, and you die; just endure based on circumstance.
Finally, got the knife back and lined everyone up. They smartly took heavier loads in turn.
Doing good brings good—light return trip now.
"Claudi. Winia. Time to head back."
Anyway, departure time.
"Ahh, so tired. Katt, you know what to do when we get back?"
"Heh heh heh. This is just the start for our Blacky."
"Damn it."
Thus, we trekked through the jungle with the rescued.
The killer hornet nest... Though we went all out and trashed one, it was just one of many, and scenes like this were everywhere.
But nothing to be done.
Our job was over.
Other adventurers or soldiers would handle the rest.
We three elites could've managed alone anyway. The lord's private troops pushing would sort it.
All issues end when soldiers mobilize for real.
With that, we headed to the city.
Seems this nest belonged to the local swarm— no more hornets in sight.