Chapter 111: The Bomb
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111: The Bomb
“Uwoooargh! For Blood Dagger!”
The Orc swordsmen and Jung Hayeon charged forward, carrying the banner. So far, the situation was more than optimistic. Not only had we entered the city without taking any damage, but the sporadic explosions erupting from all corners were more than enough to plunge the city into a state of utter chaos. The core of our strategy was to overwhelm them before they could prepare, so speed was paramount.
Our destination was Baek Ahyeon’s room. We were heading there to meet Orbo, who should still be waiting.
Enemies appeared ahead.
In an instant, roots shot up from the ground.
Gark and the Orc swordsmen swiftly cleaved them in two. Though we were a detachment from the main force, we moved faster than anyone.
“Aaargh!”
Blood and guts splattered, and brains flew as far as where I stood.
“For Blood Dagger!”
There was no need for armbands to identify friend from foe. Everything in sight was prey. We ignored those who had lost the will to fight for now; Mev and the archer unit following behind us would take care of them. If the main army was the distraction, our separate unit was the strike team. As we continued to cut down humans, the inn Baek Ahyeon had told me about came into view.
I quickly entered the inn. There were no humans. Or, to be more precise, everyone from the staff to the guests was already dead.
“We have been waiting, my Savior…”
Kneeling in wait was one of Baek Ahyeon’s followers. They had been informed of our arrival. I paid them no mind and immediately started heading upstairs. All the while, the screams continued. The sound of a dagger stabbing flesh, a man screaming at the sudden ambush, a woman letting out a pained moan. It felt like an orchestra prepared just for me.
“For the Savior!”
“This is purification. You, too, will be saved.”
“S-save… save me…”
“You… you crazy bastards… Ugh… Aaaargh!”
Similar voices echoed from every room. They weren't surprised to see me. To others, my appearance with the large horn on my forehead might have looked demonic, but to them, I must have looked like a savior who had come to purify this rotten world. All the way up the stairs, Baek Ahyeon’s followers knelt before me. When I reached the place they guided me to, a large room, slightly different from the others, came into sight.
“You will be saved.”
Simple words. But upon hearing them, their eyes gleamed. It wasn't a lie. They would be saved, in one form or another.
When I opened the door and entered, I saw a Troll with a frame that looked even larger than Black Spear’s. He seemed shorter than Black Spear, but his body was a bit wider. I looked at him and spoke.
“Orbo.”
Unexpectedly, he was on his knees, just like the followers kneeling behind me.
“Thank you, Blood Dagger.”
“Rise, Orbo. You are a Green Skin.”
“I know, Blood Dagger. But I am not showing you respect as a former slave of the humans.”
He wasn't being direct, but it was a welcome development. He didn't explicitly ask me to accept him into the clan. Instead, he looked me straight in the eye and declared in a loud voice.
“My life and my honor!”
It was a cry filled with resentment. I couldn't help but let the corners of my mouth lift.
“I accept them gratefully, Orbo.”
He wasn't the shaman I had hoped for. But looking into his eyes, I could feel the sentiment with which he knelt before me. This one was like Dian Wei from the Three Kingdoms. In other words, a man ready to throw his life away for me. How could I not welcome such a warrior into the tribe? Beside him lay a large axe and a shield.
Baek Ahyeon must have prepared them. At my words, Orbo’s eyes reddened as he slowly rose to his feet, and our clan was able to head back outside.
“We’re going to the underground castle.”
“Orbo will take the lead.”
“For Blood Dagger…”
He slammed his axe against his shield and roared.
“Uwoooaaaaaaargh!”
The instinct that had lain dormant for years—the instinct that had been castrated until now—was screaming. He glanced back at me. I nodded.
And with that, he pressed his shield to his body and began to charge. Swinging his massive axe, he split the head of every human he saw. There were certainly those who resisted, but they couldn't stop him.
‘He’s strong.’
His movements were hard to believe for someone who had been away from battle for years. They reminded me of Goff. There was one difference, however. His attacks were straightforward. They were direct and without any wasted motion. He was the vanguard our clan had been lacking. That was Orbo.
“Victory! For victory alone!”
This, of course, made Gark anxious. Perhaps feeling threatened by the newcomer’s appearance, he was fighting fiercely on one side of the front line.
With Orbo at the center, we continued to carve a path forward. With him taking the brunt of the magic and arrows from the front, our advance naturally became easier.
But the deeper we went, the more I could feel them slowly mounting a response. Humans capable of parrying Orbo’s axe, Gark’s sword, and Jung Hayeon’s magic were becoming noticeably more frequent.
Though not a group recognized for its military might, the Black Thorn Guild still possessed enough power to call itself the ruler of a city.
As soon as they heard that monsters had invaded, they had gathered at the Black Thorn Guild’s castle and were now fighting back.
“KABOOM!”
Amidst the chaos, Baek Ahyeon’s followers were still exploding, but since the situation was no longer a complete surprise, the enemy would be responding with magic. I was worried they might have realized the explosions were centered around Baek Ahyeon, so I quickly sent her a message.
[What’s the situation inside the castle?]
[They are regrouping their forces with haste, my Savior. It is a chaotic situation, so I don’t believe they have yet realized that the explosions are centered around your followers, but…]
‘It’s only a matter of time.’
If this continued, it was only a matter of time before they figured it out. Once the lines between friend and foe became clear, we would be at a disadvantage.
The quality of our troops was superior, but we were outnumbered. We had to get the others out of the underground as soon as possible.
I had no choice but to grit my teeth and join the front line. Pushing my magic into the Ancient Flame to its limit, I began to advance, and an immense inferno instantly enveloped me. I charged at the men who had raised their shields to block the path.
“Don’t let them through!”
“Hold the line! The main force will be here soon!”
Naturally, it was Jung Hayeon who broke their shield formation.
“...!”
With a shout, roots erupted from the ground and began to bind the warriors’ bodies.
“Aaaargh!”
The range was wide. I continuously adjusted my magic, spreading the flames to those bound by the roots, and soon they were all engulfed in fire. I had jumped into the heart of the front line, but for me, this was a comfortable battlefield. Everything around me was a weapon. I swapped the weapons they were holding with each other or with the daggers I carried.
Weapons that lost their masters also flew through the air, embedding themselves in new targets.
After a weapon swap, the chance of a critical hit skyrockets, allowing me to cut down even heavily armored mages or warriors with high defense in a single blow.
“Aaaargh!”
After swapping the axe hurtling toward me for a dagger, I used his own axe to send his head flying, and my face was covered in blood. My vision was obscured, but I didn't care. A spear lunged for my torso. I immediately swapped the axe with the man’s spear, and a scream came from a completely different direction. The spear had been thrust from a tight space with no room to move, but when it was swapped with the wide axe, his attack was blocked by his own allies.
“Aaargh! You… son of a bitch!”
The man who took the axe for me collapsed. Taking his head was my job. I swapped the Ancient Flame for the Voice of Curse and lopped off his neck, and a bizarre sound erupted from the sword.
A debuff immediately began to spread to the enemies.
Weapons thrusting at me from all directions came into my vision with perfect clarity. Even so, my feet did not stop. I blocked what I could, dodged what I could, and continued to press forward.
I blocked an arrow aimed at me with my greatsword, and in that instant, I swapped an incoming sword with a dagger held by the man next to him. I smashed the greatsword into the face of the man staring at his own hand in disbelief.
“Kwajijijik!”
“Kwadeudeuk!”
“Block him!!!”
“Goddammit… What kind of monster is this?!”
“Aaaaaargh! My leg!”
Following behind me were Orbo with his shield and the Orc swordsmen with their blades. Gark hunted the mages and archers in the rear, while Jung Hayeon, feeling no need to use her magic, began to conserve her power.
And then, the Black Thorn Guild’s castle came into view.
[I’m entering now.]
[Yes… m-my Savior. I shall prepare to… to receive you.]
“He is coming! For the Savior!”
“KABOOOOOOOOOM!”
There were two ‘Martyr’-class followers inside the castle. It seemed the last one had finally detonated, as a massive hole was blown through the castle wall. The guild soldiers guarding the gate were swept away by the explosion, their faces frozen in confusion. I sent another message to Baek Ahyeon.
[Where are you now?]
[Can you see me?]
[Yes! My Savior… I… I am watching. Your gallant figure. I am watching you!]
I wasn't trying to show off, but there was a chance the last attack had made them suspicious of her. I thought it would be safer for her to be with us, so I spoke to her again.
[Jump, my follower.]
[Yes!]
Even without any prior explanation, a reply came back immediately, as if she was about to jump at my command. Before I could even get ready, a window on an upper floor shattered, and the long-unseen Baek Ahyeon revealed herself. She looked completely different from the disheveled mess I had seen last time. Dressed in a gown with her makeup done, Baek Ahyeon looked quite beautiful.
“My Savior!”
Her eyes and expression as she called out to me were like those of a princess who had been trapped in a demon king’s castle for ages. It was a face that made it hard to believe she was the one who had just turned the city into a wasteland by detonating human bombs. I leaped into the air, a slight smirk on my lips, and reached out my hand.
She flailed her arms about, trying to grab my hand. As if overcome with emotion, she scattered tears even as she fell through the air. Finally, Baek Ahyeon grasped my hand tightly and fell into my arms, her face a mask of pure ecstasy.
“I… I have been waiting! My Savior…”
“You’ve been through a lot.”