Chapter 33
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 033
Chapter Title: The Beast of the Rocky Mountain
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Since he had started later than the others, Woojin ramped up his speed accordingly. Pushing off the ground as he ran, Woojin soon overtook the infantry marching ahead.
The fleeing kobolds were drawing closer. It was time for his hammer to live up to its name.
Thwack!!
Kobold heads began exploding from the back, one by one. Curious about the source of the thunderous noise, one of them turned to look behind. What it met was a man wielding a bloodied hammer.
"Kieeeek!"
The terrified kobold hunched down. It squeezed its eyes shut, bracing for the pain to come... but nothing happened.
Woojin passed by without touching it.
The kobold blinked in confusion as it opened its eyes. Somehow, it had survived. Just as it started to rejoice in its luck, a wolf's fangs came lunging at it.
This was why it was best to leave the small fry to others. At some point, Woojin had stopped killing kobolds himself. If he went wild alone, the others would have nothing left to do.
'The soldiers need real combat experience too.'
The expeditionary force consisted of elite troops who had undergone extensive training, but having lived inside the barriers their whole lives, they weren't accustomed to hunting beasts. This was a chance for the soldiers to gain some experience.
Woojin surged forward, continuously bypassing kobolds. Rex and the wolves smartly halted their hunt and followed behind him.
Before long, the Holy Knights at the vanguard, slaughtering beasts, came into view.
'Time to ease off the pace.'
Passing the Holy Knights would draw too much attention, so he held back. Following behind them, the kobolds' lair soon loomed right before them—a rocky mountain riddled with tunnels.
Taking the wolves inside there might be dangerous.
"You lot play outside."
With that command, Woojin sent the wolves away and entered the tunnel alone.
Kobold claws and front teeth were as hard as metal. They used them like pickaxes to dig these tunnels into the rocky mountain, delighting in their subterranean homes. The interior was a complex maze.
The Holy Knights had swept through ahead, leaving the floor a sea of blood. Woojin leisurely followed the footprints deeper in.
Swoosh!
A sudden whoosh of wind. Woojin reflexively raised his hand and snatched the incoming projectile. It was a primitive spear made of stone and wood.
He shifted his gaze to where it had come from. His eyes met those of a kobold standing in the left passage. The flustered kobold blinked repeatedly before turning tail and fleeing.
As if it had forgotten something, Woojin returned the spear to it.
Splat!!
The spear pierced the kobold's back. It groped at the spear tip protruding from its chest before collapsing limply.
These were all weaklings.
'Pack hunters like kobolds should have elite warriors... but I don't see any.'
Even ant-like insects divided roles between workers and soldiers. Beasts were the same.
With an intruder penetrating their lair, it was time for the pack's elites to show themselves. But no matter how long he waited, nothing stirred.
'Let's head deeper first.'
Woojin wandered the tunnels like he was on a stroll, smashing any kobolds he spotted. Suddenly, commotion echoed from the entrance—multiple presences.
The expeditionary force had apparently finished off the outer kobolds and entered the rocky mountain. The soldiers fanned out, seizing the tunnels. After about two hours, they had cleared every section, exterminating the kobolds root and stem.
A successful purge. But Rolang and his Holy Knights felt a twinge of regret at the outcome.
"In the end, we couldn't find the rift core..."
Rolang muttered with a sigh.
They had scoured the entire rocky mountain but failed to locate the rift core. A half-victory at best—their exploration of the danger zone had been in vain.
Still, subjugating a large beast pack was a meaningful achievement. It was a bit disappointing, but they would have to settle for this and withdraw.
As he drew that conclusion...
'...What's that guy been doing since earlier?'
Rolang suddenly wondered. The man in question was Woojin, pressing his ear flat against the wall. He tapped the wall twice with his knuckles.
Tap, tap.
The sound of stone clacking against stone rang out.
Apparently unsatisfied, Woojin clicked his tongue, stood, and moved elsewhere, repeating the action. He looked like someone checking if a melon was ripe.
Then...
Woojin paused mid-tap. He turned to look at Rolang. Their eyes met. Without a word exchanged, Rolang immediately strode over to him.
Woojin tapped the wall again.
Thud, thud.
A peculiar sound echoed. Realizing its meaning, Rolang narrowed his eyes.
'...There's an empty space.'
Confirming it, Rolang stepped back. He gestured silently to summon the Holy Knights. But before he could, Woojin gripped his hammer and kicked the wall outright.
Krunch!!
One kick shattered the wall, revealing a hidden passage. At that instant, kobolds concealed behind it thrust out spears.
Woojin dodged the incoming spear tips with a tilt of his head and swung his hammer. The sweeping blow sent struck kobolds tumbling into the passage's darkness.
He had eliminated the threat from behind the wall. Woojin nodded in satisfaction.
"We can enter now."
"Haha! That's a fiery approach. I like it."
Rolang let out a hearty laugh before inspecting the shattered wall. It was a fake wall made by coating wooden planks with dirt and stones, hardened perfectly. Even up close, it was hard to distinguish from real stone.
"To think beasts could make something like this... Anyway, how did you spot this secret door?"
"The tunnels seemed too spacious for kobold size."
Kobolds were half the size of an adult man. Yet these tunnels were wide enough for men like Woojin to pass without issue. Unnecessary for kobolds.
The expansive tunnels must have been sized for the leader's bulk.
At that explanation, Rolang glanced around anew. The gap between floor and ceiling exceeded three meters. If Woojin's guess was right...
"...There's a massive one."
The hunt wasn't over. A challenging smile curved Rolang's lips at the realization.
"Alright, men! Let's move before the thrill fades."
Rolang stepped into the passage hidden behind the wall. Woojin, the Holy Knights, and soldiers followed in his wake.
The concealed area was vast. Stairs led deep underground. The surrounding walls and steps were made of smooth stone bricks, adorned with what looked like murals.
Rolang's eyes widened at the sight.
"Whoa... Can beasts really make something like this?"
"...No way."
Woojin was just as surprised. No beast could craft something this refined. He had seen places like this before.
'It resembles the ruins I saw deep in the Demonic Realm.'
Why was something like this here? He shelved the thought for later. The hunt came first.
Descending the stairs revealed a wide chamber. Rows of bonfires lined up, kobolds bowing their heads like vassals.
A throne carved from a massive boulder. A gorilla perched upon it stared down at the intruders. Its fur was black as ink-soaked cloth, a slender snake coiled around its neck like a necklace.
'Bigfoot.'
A creature mentioned in the Demonic Realm Chronicles. A highly dangerous beast, typically found only in the Demonic Realm's central regions.
Why was one lingering here? The answer was simple.
'The rift core.'
A massive heart-like thing clung to the wall. The rift core, coated in black mucus, pulsed constantly. The Bigfoot must have absorbed its energy to play king.
Rolang grinned fiercely at the colossal beast.
"Perfect... Let's do this right."
Roland reached back. Was he drawing his violin again? Woojin anticipated the performance.
Roland extended his hand forward. But in it was a large crossbow. As if on cue, his soldiers held theirs ready too.
"Fire."
Fwhoosh—!
Crossbows unleashed, hundreds of bolts raining down. Struck kobolds and the Bigfoot howled in agony.
Silver arrows forged from blessed silver. They lost efficacy after one hit, but inflicted massive damage on Demonic Realm lifeforms.
"Sometimes, you gotta go for practicality."
Roland quipped coolly as he loaded another silver bolt. The soldiers reloaded with practiced ease. A second volley. The beasts' cries echoed.
Two barrages wiped out the kobolds. But the Bigfoot blocked the onslaught in an bizarre fashion.
Bang!!
The Bigfoot grabbed the snake around its neck and whipped it. The snake lashed like a flail, batting away incoming arrows.
Roland was impressed.
"Doesn't care much for its pet, huh. That said, the snake's body is weirdly tough."
"It's a demonic beast called the Stonehide Viper. As the name suggests, its hide is incredibly sturdy."
At Woojin's explanation, Rolang shrugged and drew his sword from his waist.
"Then we'll go old-school."
Roland advanced. The Holy Knights drew theirs too, divine power igniting along the blades like white flames.
The Bigfoot eyed the approaching Holy Knights warily. It pounded its chest to intimidate, but they pressed on unfazed.
Woojin was certain watching this.
'As expected... No chance for me to step in.'
The Bigfoot was rare for this region. But that hardly mattered. It was here now—which meant it was a loser driven out from competition in its native habitat.
Like the werewolf Woojin faced before, it had gathered weaklings in the outskirts to play boss. Experience told him these types were generally feeble.
In contrast, these Holy Knights were the Church Alliance's finest.
Rip, riiip!
The Bigfoot swung its snake repeatedly. A Holy Knight anticipated and leaped aside. Whip marks scarred the ground.
The others encircled the prey. Rolang charged with a mad grin. The Bigfoot kicked mightily at him—or tried to.
Slash!
Two Holy Knights had flanked it, slicing its ankles from both sides. The Bigfoot staggered. Scenting blood, Holy Knights swarmed, slashing, stabbing, carving.
"Groooaaargh!!"
The butchered Bigfoot screamed. Rolang leaped, thrusting his longsword down its throat.
Squelch!!
The bloodied blade tip emerged from the back of its neck. The beast crumpled to the ground. Holy Knights stabbed its body repeatedly for confirmation, pinning it like an insect specimen on a board.
By the fifth blade, the Bigfoot's cries ceased. Soldiers filled the silence with roaring cheers.
"Waaaaah—!"
The underground yells were deafening. But Rolang basked in the adulation regardless. No ruining the mood now.
Woojin picked at his ear while eyeing the snake near the Bigfoot's corpse.
'Still breathing.'
Whipped around like a flail and hit by silver bolts, yet it clung to life. This was why thorough kill confirmation mattered.
'Gotta finish it.'
Woojin reached for the snake. The Stonehide Viper had tough scales, but bones and joints beneath were vulnerable. A twist of the neck would end it.
But the viper had one last burst of strength. Desperate to take its foe with it, it clamped down on Woojin's hand with all its might.
Crunch!
A sound like biting stone rang out. The viper panicked. The human's skin was unnaturally hard—its fangs wouldn't penetrate.
...Stonehide.
"Pretty useful trick... right?"
Woojin smirked as he seized the snake.
Snap!
He twisted and broke its neck. The last flicker of life faded.
'Gonna give this one's inner core to Rex.'
If luck held, Woojin's pet wolf might gain stonehide too.