Chapter 30: Human Grave
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 30: Human Grave
The first thing I heard was the whistle of arrows, loosed by Mev and the others who had become archers. In an instant, the volley of arrows slammed into their bodies. One arrow even shattered a mana-depleted shield, burying itself deep in its target's torso. That had to be one of Mev's.
After advancing to a Fairy Sprite Archer, the amount of mana Mev could channel into her arrows had increased. Proving the last shot was no fluke, she claimed a new victim with every arrow she loosed.
"Sh... shit! I've never heard of a monster clan like this... Fuck! Mage! Mage!"
He was desperately calling for a mage, but their mages were already scrambling to defend against the hail of arrows. The warrior's cry—that he'd never heard of a clan like ours—brought a faint smile to my lips.
A spectacular debut.
"For Blood Dagger!"
"For Blood Daggerrrr!"
The standard-bearer, a flag strapped to his back, was the eldest of the five loyal siblings. To call him a mere flag-bearer would be an understatement; his presence was overwhelming. With the body of an Orc, he charged deep into the enemy's guard and drove his sword into his opponent's neck. He wielded two blades in a peculiar reverse grip. It seemed my duel with the Queen of the North had left an impression on him.
To think a warrior like him wanted to be an assassin. It would be a tremendous loss for the clan. When the time comes, I'll have to recommend he pursue a higher warrior class, like a blademaster, instead.
He's obedient enough that he'd probably switch his class to warrior immediately if I suggested it.
He was still raw, but I knew that once he awakened the unique ability he desired, he would become a completely different warrior.
"Entangle."
The reason our 'group,' which was heavy with assassins, could engage in a frontal assault was Jung Hayeon, our plant magician. Her effectiveness, especially in a forest, was beyond imagination. In a flash, tree roots erupted from the ground, snaring the ankles of those trying to flee. The clan's assassins descended on them in the next instant.
Fast.
Watching her, I realized just how crucial Jung Hayeon was to this clan. Her magic, which incapacitated our enemies, allowed us to finish them off with incredible speed. A few tried to resist, but their numbers were small, and they were quickly overwhelmed. I charged toward them and swung my greatsword in a wide arc.
CRUNCH!
After a sickening crunch, two of them collapsed.
"W-Warn the city... To... the city! A new monster clan! A new monster cla—gurgle..."
I threw a dagger at the noisy bastard's throat. As expected, he clutched his neck and collapsed. Screams continued to echo from all around. Any who might have been considered strong were nowhere to be seen; they had either already fled inside or were dead.
Even after the man I'd silenced with my dagger, the screams kept echoing from every direction.
"Aaaaargh!"
"H-Help..."
"Gah!"
I saw one man whose body was being crushed by the roots, his entrails forcing their way out of his mouth. Even I, with my strong stomach, had to grimace at the sight... When I glanced over at Jung Hayeon, she was, as expected, smiling.
The battlefield was cleared in an instant.
It was an absurdly easy fight. And it wasn't just me. Though our opponents weren't strong, this battle proved that all the time we'd spent training since the Tutorial had not been wasted.
"Uwoooooo! For Blood Dagger!"
I let them revel in their victory. It didn't matter if they got a little wild. Because we had blocked the path and ambushed them, none had managed to scatter. Most of the humans were already dead on the ground; the survivors had fled into the cave. They were probably warning the other parties inside about our new monster clan, but against opponents of this caliber, it hardly mattered.
I gave a slight gesture to my victory-drunk warriors, and like well-trained hounds, they began to follow me. And so, we stepped into the spider's cave.
A familiar sight greeted me. Spiderwebs stretched in every direction, the disgusting ichor of spiders coated the floor, and the entrance was larger than I expected. However, the passage just beyond it was extremely narrow. I wouldn't have to worry about the humans escaping.
We began to advance, step by step. Human eyes would have required Light magic in the dark cave, but our eyes functioned normally in the dim environment. It wasn't perfect, of course. But we had no intention of lighting a torch and alerting them to our presence.
With me at the center, we moved forward slowly. Finding humans in a place like this was simple. We just had to move toward the light.
Before long, we spotted a party. They were walking leisurely toward the entrance, so it seemed the survivors hadn't reached them yet. If the survivors had screamed their heads off upon entering, every summoner in here would have known about our attack. But doing so would have inevitably drawn the attention of every monster in the dungeon.
It was a predictable choice: they had prioritized their own survival over the safety of everyone else in the cave. The group that fled our way was likely trying to find other parties to rally a counterattack. I started to look forward to the fight to come.
I quietly gestured to the Goblin Three Sisters, the warriors among the five loyal siblings. I judged that they could handle it.
One held a shield, one a longsword, and the third a hammer. They moved so cautiously, they might as well have been assassins. Their stealthy steps seemed to be a racial trait of goblins. Or perhaps it was a 'skill' they had deliberately learned by watching others.
In the next moment, the Goblin Three Sisters descended upon them. The shield-bearer went first, charging them with her shield raised. She was so agile that by the time they noticed her, she was already upon them. The sudden appearance of goblins less than half their height threw them into a panic.
The shield-bearer slammed into the mage at the rear, shattering his balance. Then, the hammer fell.
"Kkireuk."
A cry escaped the hammer-wielding goblin, unable to contain her glee.
CRACK!
With a sickening crack, the man died without so much as a scream.
"Shit! Goblins! To arms!"
As the mage fell, the Light spell he was maintaining vanished, plunging the cave back into darkness. Their screams echoed in the sudden blackness.
"Aargh!"
The goblin sisters began to circle them, treating the entire group as a single piece of prey. The warrior at the front was powerless to protect his comrades. After the light vanished, they belatedly tried to channel mana into their eyes for vision, but the tide of battle had already turned.
The rest followed the same pattern.
If the last battle was about gaining experience in open combat, this was nothing short of assassination training.
The other goblins who had chosen the path of the assassin formed five-man cells, hunting down isolated parties or ambushing those already engaged with giant spiders. Screams echoed through the cave with surprising frequency. In truth, there were fewer screams than one might expect. All the goblin and hobgoblin assassins were following their training perfectly, covering their victims' mouths as they drove their blades home.
"Kkirik."
"Kkirik..."
The soft, joyful chirps of the goblins echoed after each successful 'hunt.' Soon, I spotted a large source of light ahead. It wasn't just one or two parties gathered there; it was a large group. I had my warriors pull back and decided to observe the situation.
"S-So, a... a Named Monster with a greatsword!"
"And why should we believe that? The only monster clan around here is the Green Goblins. Even if a new clan and a Named Monster suddenly appeared... it'd be more believable if you said it was just the Green Goblins."
"You... Are you a Murderer?"
"F-Fuck! Who are you calling a Murderer? Can't you see the blood on my clothes?"
"Could be your victim's blood. You idiot. Identify yourself."
"F-Fuck, I don't know! Fuck! I don't care if you all die!"
Murderers who ambushed people in dungeons were a problem, then and now. The unwritten rule of the dungeon—trust no one but your own party—seemed to be working in our favor. Even my past self wouldn't have believed some bastard covered head-to-toe in blood, spouting nonsense about a new Named Monster. Their reaction was only natural.
In any case, the light was quite large. It was likely a small clan or a large guild training their novices. Fortunately for us, there was no one powerful enough among them to notice us observing from a distance.
Go.
The goblins nodded at my signal. I let out a low growl, "Krrreuk," and charged.
"F-Fuck, I was right! They're here! You fucking bastards! You're all gonna die! Fuck! You're all gonna die!"
"S-Son of a bitch! Battle stations! Prepare for battle!"
I was wielding a greatsword, but I was still fast. Our arrows found the faces of their mages before the call to arms had even finished echoing. An attack that might have failed if they'd been prepared. The thought pleased me.
"Krrreuk..."
And yet, the Light spell didn't extinguish.
My gaze naturally shifted to the source of the unwavering light. 'Kim Donghyun, the Magic Swordsman,' a man with the unique ability to wield both sword and sorcery. I thought I might run into one of my targets, but I never expected to meet him here.
"Krrrrreung..."
I launched myself toward him without a second thought. An enemy arrow flew at my back, but my hobgoblins batted it aside with their daggers.
"Kuaaaaaaaah!!!"
Even as I charged in with my greatsword, his expression didn't change. If anything, he looked amused. I knew that look well. It belonged to the type of person who believed they were chosen by this world—the exact opposite of my former self.
"Kuhuuuuuuuh!"
He may have awakened a unique ability, but he was still a 'rookie,' just like me. I had a chance.
I swung the greatsword wide, but a translucent barrier instantly blocked its path.
Shield.
It seemed he could maintain a shield while casting Light magic. But his mana must not have been limitless, because he immediately dropped the shield and thrust his sword at me.
I watched his blade's trajectory precisely. He had clearly invested more in his offense than his defense. But I had bet everything on my own skills. Ten years of experience. And the countless battles I'd fought since then, which were just as valuable. I instantly dropped the greatsword and parried his blade with a dagger.
Fucking bastard.
Just like I'd blocked the Green Goblin's dagger three days ago.
Then, my left hand grabbed my longsword, and I swung it at him. The translucent barrier appeared again in an instant. Either his casting speed was incredible, or he had prepared the spell before he even swung his sword. I suspected it was the latter.
CLANG!
The longsword crashed against the shield. As expected, his magic shattered instantly. Seeing that, I let the longsword fall from my hand as well. He thrust his sword at me again, but it was the same pattern as before. I instantly closed the distance, leading with my shoulder as I charged him. The incoming blade. It was aimed precisely at my chest. I deflected it. I used my shoulder armor to knock his attack aside.
SKREEEEE!
The sickening screech of metal on metal echoed through the cave, and then his body slammed into mine.
I felt the heavy impact.
"Keuk!"
His choked cry stabbed at my ears. Without hesitation, I bent down, grabbed my greatsword, and cleaved him in two. The feedback was unmistakable. I felt the sensation of him splitting from head to toe through both my hands.
"Krrrrrrrrk..."
I stared blankly at my hands.
I won.
A battle I could hardly believe I'd won with my own two hands. A jolt like electricity shot down my spine.
And then,
the voice of the one the Green Skins call the God of the Battlefield echoed.