Chapter 61
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 061
Chapter Title: Night Assault (2)
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You can't show off your strength too much.
With so many eyes watching, using any unusual abilities would surely spark gossip. In the worst case, he might even be mistaken for a Dark Cultist.
To avoid such mishaps... he had to fight a little more human-like.
Whoosh!
Dark blue mana rippled along the blade gripped in Woojin's hand. Mana Arts. Ever since consuming Vikram's inner core, he'd become far more adept at wielding them.
'A perfect ability for sleight of hand.'
Even if he smashed enemies with raw power like always, the mana cloaking his blade would make it look like a proper Mana Arts technique from anyone else's perspective. It was a skill that lent perfect plausibility.
Woojin swung the blade toward the gargoyle. The beast spewed flames at Rolang while folding one wing to block the incoming strike.
Wings as hard as steel shields.
Shlick!!
The machete sliced cleanly through the wing in one stroke. Startled, the gargoyle recoiled and whipped its tail at Woojin with full force.
He moved to parry the whip-like strike with his machete.
Claaang!!
The intense impact sent Woojin flying back. Far heavier than expected.
'It used Weight Amplification on the tip of its tail.'
His wrist went numb. He'd planned to deflect and counterattack, but the gargoyle was cunning enough to wield its abilities cleverly.
Still, the momentum had shifted in their favor.
"Javelins!!"
The moment the gap opened between Woojin and the gargoyle, the Holy Knight shouted as if he'd been waiting for it. The soldiers hurled their javelins with all their might.
The gargoyle folded its wings to shield itself like before. But one wing had already been mangled by the machete, its membrane torn like a shredded curtain.
Two javelins pierced through that gap.
Thud!!
"Grraaagh!"
The gargoyle bellowed in rage. The two javelins were lodged in its flank. They hadn't sunk deep, but the divine energy in the spearheads inflicted excruciating pain on the beast.
Its gaze snapped to the soldiers. It swelled its chest to breathe fire.
Of course, Woojin wasn't about to just watch. He snatched up a nearby shield and dragged his dagger across its surface.
Screeeeech—!
The blade scraped the steel shield, producing a grating noise that set teeth on edge. The gargoyle winced, scrunching its brow. Bat-type beasts had sensitive hearing and hated sounds like that.
Naturally, its head turned their way. Blue flames welled in its throat. Woojin poured mana into the shield and charged forward, using it as a bulwark.
Roooar!
A stream of fire erupted from the gargoyle's maw. He blocked it with the shield in his left hand. As he pressed on, the shield grew hotter by the second.
At this rate, his body would cook. But Woojin hadn't charged in blindly.
Shaaa—
With his right hand, he cast an ice spell, infusing the shield with chilling frost. The suffocating heat began to ebb away.
'Not bad. I can hold this.'
Reinforcing the shield with Mana Arts, cooling the heat with ice magic. A fusion of martial prowess and sorcery. It was his first time trying it, but it felt promising.
Normally, he'd have powered through such an attack with his body alone... but mimicking the locals' fighting style was apparently awakening him to new possibilities and applications of mana.
'...Is this enlightenment?'
A word Bow always had on his lips. Enlightenment always came in unexpected moments.
Woojin strode forward. The gargoyle panicked at the sight. No one had ever endured its flames like this.
This was bad. He had to flee. As the gargoyle spun to escape...
Pfshk!
Rolag, who'd been biding his time, stabbed the back of the gargoyle's knee and yanked his sword free, slicing off its tail in one fluid motion.
"Gwaaaah!!"
The gargoyle screamed in agony and swung its arm at Rolag. Its massive fist cratered the ground.
But the Holy Knight had already retreated. Rolag laughed mockingly.
"Haha, look in front of you!"
The gargoyle wouldn't understand the words, but...
A chill ran down its spine. It looked ahead. A razor-sharp machete was already at its nose.
Slash!!
The blade grazed its nape. The headless corpse slumped to the dirt.
Gargoyle hunted.
...But there was no time to celebrate. This skirmish was over, but screams echoed relentlessly from across the expedition force.
'Gargoyles are pack hunters.'
Most bats lived in groups. Gargoyles were no exception. They were scattered everywhere, sating their hunger.
Rolag said urgently.
"Chaos everywhere! How many are there?!"
"At least seven."
He'd climbed a tree earlier to scout; there were at least that many.
...A minor issue, all things considered.
"With the expedition weakened, every beast lurking nearby will come swarming."
All the monsters that had been lying low would emerge. Like predators converging on a school of sardines.
The air around them froze at his words. Even Rolag paled slightly.
"...This is bad. If that's the case... even heading to assist nearby sectors will be impossible."
"Yes. The moment our knights leave, the beasts will raid this sector. We're effectively pinned down."
Monsters were clever.
If Rolag and the Holy Knights moved to help elsewhere, the beasts would spot the opening and strike.
That could doom the choir—not to mention lose all their supplies, which the monsters would surely covet inside the barriers.
As he explained, Woojin slit open the gargoyle's chest and extracted its inner core.
'A fine core after so long.'
Ending with just this one felt wasteful. So he made a request of Rolag.
"I'll scout the nearby sectors. Please protect the choir while I'm gone."
"You're going alone?"
"Of course not."
With that, Woojin headed toward the choir. The terrified priests and nuns, guarded by four wolves.
"Rex."
At his leader's call, Rex stepped forward. This one would serve as his hunting hound.
"I'll be back soon."
"...I'd love to join you, but the situation here... Be careful."
Rolag swallowed his urge to follow. He regretted not being able to fight, but his duty was to stay and protect these people.
Woojin mounted the wolf's back.
"Let's go."
Rex bolted at the command. Its hound's nose would sniff out the nearest prey.
Woojin pulled out the inner core he'd pocketed earlier.
Crunch, cruuunch—
He chewed and swallowed the gargoyle's core. He'd hoped for Weight Amplification... instead, a sudden pop cleared his muffled ears.
Gargoyle hearing.
'Bust.'
Disappointing, but fine. He'd just hunt more diligently. As he thought that, a monster entered his view.
A massive centipede slithered across the ground in pursuit of prey. Before the soldier could react, it seized him, coiling around his body repeatedly.
Crack, crunch—!
Dozens of legs stabbed wildly into the soldier. Each one needle-sharp and venomous.
If they'd set out sooner... maybe they could've saved him.
"At least avenge him."
At Woojin's words, Rex charged the centipede. Its back split open, four tentacles bursting forth.
The centipede, mid-feast, finally noticed. It fled in a frantic scramble, but Rex's legs were far swifter.
Thud, thump!!
The tentacles impaled it, then tore its body in two. The centipede writhed soundlessly. Being an insect, it clung to life even bisected.
It snapped wildly at the air with venomous fangs. Rex ignored it, ripping open the torso to devour the core.
"...Get anything?"
Rex shook its head. Another dud, it seemed.
"Skip these small fry. Find a gargoyle. Time's short."
"Woof."
Rex barked in acknowledgment.
It must've heard the soldier's screams and come to help... good intentions, but this way, it'd never end.
Woojin and Rex had only one body each. Saving every soldier one by one was impossible. Better to hunt the biggest threats—the gargoyles—and save more lives that way.
...But executing that plan wouldn't be easy.
Everywhere he looked, in every direction... people kept dying.
"Uwaaaah—!"
A soldier screamed as he ran. A sinister shadow fell over him.
Snap!
A colossal crow seized his shoulder. It took flight, carrying the soldier skyward. His screams faded into the distance.
"...Aaaaah!!"
Suddenly, the screams grew louder again. The soldier plummeted from the sky.
Splat!
His body burst like overripe fruit. The crow landed to peck at the corpse, selectively devouring organs like a gourmet before flying off for another victim.
Swish, swoosh.
Woojin's hands moved busily, like sign language. A crimson fireball flickered to life in his palm.
It shot toward the crow.
Boom!
With a firecracker pop, the crow screeched and plummeted.
As they sped past the scene...
More chaos unfolded ahead. Soldiers fled screaming. A black bull charged through, sweeping them aside.
Some were trampled underhoof; others flew like bowling pins, sprawling far away.
'...Can't take that one with magic.'
Have to pass by.
As Woojin thought that... something appeared ahead. One of Rex's tentacles, clutching a slender javelin.
"Good boy."
Praising the wolf's cleverness, Woojin hurled the javelin with all his strength.
Thwack!!
The spearhead buried deep in the bull's nape. It vomited blood and collapsed.
After that, the pattern repeated.
While racing onward, Rex's tentacles snatched up stray javelins. Woojin hurled them at every monster in sight.
And then...
A gargoyle came into view. One brimming with exceptional power. But no need to tense up.
'...Already dead.'
It lay sprawled on the dirt. Holy Knights must've swarmed it and severed its head. Three knight corpses lay beside it, testament to the cost.
Woojin kicked the body over and sliced its chest with his dagger. There it was—the prize.
The gargoyle's inner core.
In the chaos, the knights had moved on without looting. Thanks to that, Woojin claimed it.
Crunch—
He devoured it without hesitation. Suddenly, his fist clenched with newfound weight.
...He felt it.
'Weight Amplification.'
He'd acquired his target ability.
But there was no time to savor the joy. Woojin hastily remounted the wolf.
"Let's go."
The hunt wasn't over yet.