Chapter 82: Second Arrangement (8)
Massacre after massacre.
It was a true feast of slaughter.
In just half a day, he had killed nearly three hundred monsters. Yet Kern wasn't even out of breath.
‘Oh my god.’
Merhen knew he was skilled with the sword.
But human combat and monster hunting were entirely different realms.
Even the top knight candidates who soared at the academy often failed to perform in real battles. That's why she had been a bit worried.
‘… He's incredible.’
He was just incredible.
It felt like he was playing with the monsters.
Ultra-high-speed advance.
Before they knew it, they had passed the midpoint of the Devil's Forest.
Kern spotted a suitable cave and turned to Merhen.
“We'll camp here.”
“Yeah.”
She gathered branches and lit a fire with her tools.
Crackle.
Crackle.
The food they had prepared cooked over the campfire.
“Eat.”
Kern handed her a thick piece of meat. As they ate,
Merhen looked around and tilted her head.
“Was it always like this?”
“Like what?”
“The demonic energy feels thicker than it was a year ago.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Look over there.”
The tree she pointed to was twisted full of demonic energy.
It looked just like a screw, completely spiraled.
“I heard you only see stuff like that deep in the forest.”
Demonic energy has thickened.
He recalled what he had read in documents about the Devil's Forest.
Apparently, it was a passage channeling energy from the Demon Realm, corrupting the forest. But since it wasn't too severe, they left it alone.
‘The subjugation of accumulated monsters…’
The academy's annual practical exam served as a form of regular purge.
‘It benefits the academy too.’
It gave students quality real-combat experience.
Plus, they received compensation from the Empire for the subjugations.
There was a reason this forest with its demonic energy risk was maintained.
“More demonic energy means the passage is widening, right?”
“Huh? You know about the passage too?”
“I've read some books.”
Merhen nodded at his words.
“Usually, yeah. The bigger the passage gets…”
“The higher the chance of a monster wave. Right?”
“Yeah. More stuff comes out from the Demon Realm. They say monsters band together to form a wave. That's why…”
Merhen glanced at him as she spoke.
“… shouldn't we go back and tell the professors?”
“A wave is coming?”
“Yeah. I'm worried.”
“The trees are creepy, but can we confirm it from just that?”
“No. It's just that the risk isn't zero…”
Merhen scratched her head, mumbling.
“… They probably won't believe us?”
“Who knows. Whether they'll stop the exam or not. But do we have to say anything?”
“Huh?”
“We can just handle it ourselves.”
“… Huh?”
“It's a waste. Those are all walking points.”
A monster wave was an experience point duplication event, right?
‘I need to feed some blood to the Spirit Sword anyway.’
If they ran back to report this, the knight order and mage corps waiting on the outskirts might move in. They were mid-to-upper level by Empire standards.
They could probably handle a wave themselves. That would mean losing out on exp and all the points.
But why?
“… Kern, you have a unique way of thinking.”
“Even if we don't say anything, someone else will. Right?”
They had entered the interior faster, but soon the top rankers would reach this line anyway.
After all, you had to kill monsters to rack up points.
“Monsters are obviously deeper in the forest.”
“… Hmm. I don't know. Even if they believe us, will they go back mid-exam? If they keep going anyway, we're dead last.”
“Same for us, right?”
“Uh… yeah? We have points banked, so probably not last, but…”
“You're satisfied with just that? You were almost last before.”
“…”
Merhen fell silent.
Kim Minwoo added softly.
“But if you want to go back, we will.”
Second arrangement.
The top priority here was his relationship with Merhen.
Nothing could come before that.
Legion Commander acquisition.
That's why he came to do this arrangement in the first place.
So if she wanted something, he couldn't make her feel forced.
That would be missing the forest for the trees.
‘Just get her to grasp the situation, that's all.’
Someone else would report it anyway, right?
No one would step up?
Then why should they?
He said it indirectly.
She'd get the hint.
Of course, if she insisted on going back even after that, Kim Minwoo would turn around without hesitation.
Leveling up and feeding blood to the Spirit Sword?
He could do that outside anytime.
But his relationship with Merhen…
‘Only possible here.’
There are no meaningless stages.
If the goal had merely been to prevent her from becoming undead, there would have been no need to show all this backstory.
Just start from the scene where she screams “Kyaa!” at the evil Death Lord.
Then clash head-on with the Death Lord.
But that's not what happened.
Instead, a generous time period was given.
Why?
[This is a fragment of the past created based on Banshee Queen Merhen's regrets from her human days!]
[The player participates.]
‘To resolve Merhen's regrets…’
The player needs a certain amount of time.
Kim Minwoo saw this time as necessary to build rapport with Merhen.
‘Relationship building.’
Nothing else came to mind. It couldn't be time to call for reinforcements.
‘Even if they came, they couldn't win.’
Not the Emperor, just a duke's son bringing troops—how many could he bring?
If it could be handled by reinforcements, the Death Lord wouldn't have dominated the continent.
Conclusion.
He needed to get closer to Merhen.
There must be some benefit to that structure.
That's how Kim Minwoo saw it.
“What do you want to do?”
“… Then let's camp tonight… and go deeper tomorrow? It's not certain yet…”
“If that's what you want.”
* * *
Merhen and Kern pushed deeper into the forest. Monstrously warped monsters appeared first, followed by grotesquely twisted trees here and there.
There were a few crises along the way.
Of course, not for Kern.
Merhen.
She faced several dangerous situations. Especially when the saber tiger hidden in the tree ambushed her—it was really close.
—Krrrng!
The monster lunged with claws extended in an instant.
Merhen's heart pounded wildly.
A heart about to burst.
‘Please…!’
Despite her desperate wish, not even a hint of manifestation or magic appeared.
Slash!
“You okay?”
Thanks to Kern, she survived.
She saw his arm badly slashed by the claws.
‘… He got hurt because of me…’
Seeing the wound on Kern's body, Merhen stomped her feet.
“S-Sorry. Because of me…”
“It's fine. Just this much? Doesn't even itch.”
Kern poured a potion over it, laughing it off casually.
It was strange.
The saber tiger was definitely down.
Thump.
Her racing heart wouldn't stop.
Especially when looking at Kern.
She hurriedly turned her head away.
Kim Minwoo, pouring the potion, looked at Merhen.
‘This is pretty serious, huh?’
The crisis just now.
He had known about the hidden saber tiger through Milky.
He deliberately induced the attack.
Not to kill her, of course.
He had heard that awakening often happened in life-threatening situations.
But even after several induced crises, she hadn't manifested—not even moved her mana.
‘This won't work.’
It was hopeless.
Simple life-threatening danger wasn't enough to trigger her magic.
‘Of course. If it was that easy, she would've awakened long ago.’
Merhen must have tried herself. Life-threat awakenings seemed off the table.
Pushing another day deeper, they observed more changes.
The demonic energy grew stickier.
Monster footprints converged in spots, heading one way.
Merhen's face hardened as she saw it.
Before, they could sense thicker demonic energy, but not confirm a wave.
Now was different.
Monsters gathering?
A clear sign of a wave.
“Kern. Going further is dangerous.”
“Yeah. Wave's coming soon.”
“Let's go. We have to tell them.”
“Merhen.”
“Yeah.”
“I'll send Cedric with you. Go first.”
“… Huh?”
He said to the puzzled Merhen with a serious face.
“Monsters will swarm here soon. Students are scattered everywhere—if we leave it, many will die.”
“T-That's why we need to run!”
“Someone has to hold them off.”
“B-But…”
It doesn't have to be you.
Merhen barely swallowed the rest.
‘Am I burdening Kern?’
The thought flashed through her mind.
Thinking about it, yes.
She had been the one insisting on reporting the wave.
Kern had been skeptical.
If you really want to, I won't stop you, but why bother?
That's how he felt.
Greed for points.
And without solid proof, Merhen had followed along ambiguously despite her claims.
But the moment clear wave evidence appeared, his attitude shifted.
Toward protecting people.
He wasn't planning to solo the wave for points.
The only reason that came to mind was her own attitude.
Merhen said urgently.
“I-If it's because of me, don't. I don't care about me. Everyone's selfish anyway.”
If students had reported the anomaly?
Even two or three groups would've sent rescue teams already.
Magic flares everywhere.
Even deep in, they could've at least checked.
But no magic flares had gone off.
Top and mid-rankers—none of the leaders had reported.
Of course, they hadn't either, so no right to blame.
Just.
A reminder that people live for themselves. So no reason for Kern to sacrifice.
Why take responsibility for an accident he didn't cause?
Merhen grabbed Kern's sleeve desperately.
“L-Let's go together. It's not too late. If we run…”
Then.
The ground began to shake, like thousands charging.
Merhen's eyes went blank.
Intense tremors.
The wave had already begun.
“Here they come. This way.”
“Ah…”
Kern reached out.
He spoke to the summoned Cedric.
“Take her.”
—Got it.
Cedric grabbed Merhen's arm.
“No! Let go! Kern! I'll stay with…”
—… Come quietly.
Cedric hoisted Merhen over his shoulder and dashed off.
Merhen flailed, grabbing his skull wildly.
‘… What a hassle.’
Cedric sighed inwardly.
This woman knew nothing of his master's true worth.
Freaking out over a mere monster wave.
He wanted to snap at her why the fuss.
But that might earn months of beatings from the master.
Kim Minwoo was meticulous.
There was a reason he hadn't shown his full power.
Looking at the hysterical past comrade on his shoulder, he could guess.
Most likely.
‘Probably for points.’
“Let me go!”
—Stay still.
Cedric sighed inwardly again as he pried her fingers from his skull.
Was this really the cold, aloof Banshee Queen?
It was a reality check.