Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Royal Road Hero Tale (14)
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I instinctively opened my inventory and tossed the bomb inside.
Thank God I had an empty slot.
"What... now?"
"Keep an eye on our surroundings!"
"The cliff on the opposite side!"
Hearing Siwoo's shout, I turned to look at the opposite cliff. A goblin wearing bizarre goggles was staring at us, bombs clutched in both hands.
-Gruk? Gruk?
-Groar!
The goblin tilted its head side to side, letting out eerie noises. I could guess what it was thinking: Why didn't it explode?
Wait, what goblin wears goggles?
No, forget that—why the hell does a goblin have bombs?
Shouldn't goblins just meekly swing daggers a few times before dying?
-Gruk! Gruk!
The goggle-wearing goblin barked something, and then a ragtag goblin that looked like Goblin A shuffled out from behind, holding a burning branch.
Damn it! It's gonna light it and throw again.
"Everyone, fall back!"
If it throws again, I'll just store it again.
But I'd need to empty my inventory first.
I struck a throwing pose, pulled the bomb from my inventory, and hurled it up toward the cliff.
It was a distance I'd never have reached normally, but with Aria Goddess's Power buff active, the bomb sailed effortlessly to the top.
The goblins clearly hadn't expected the vanished bomb to come flying back—they froze, clueless, as it hurtled toward them.
Before they could fumble into action, the bomb ignited.
-BOOM!
-KABOOM! BOOM!
-RUMBLE RUMBLE
-KABOOM! KABOOM!
-BANG! BANG!
-KABOOOOOM! BOOM!
What the fuck—how many bombs did that thing have?
The deafening blasts faded, the black smoke settled, and half the cliff had crumbled away.
And a level up? Out of nowhere?
The unexpected message left me dumbfounded.
"Cough cough... Bro, you okay?"
"Oppa! Are you alright?"
Siwoo drew his holy sword and scanned the surroundings warily while Sophia cast Purify to clean the grime from my face caused by the bomb's aftermath.
"I'm fine. Looks like... all those bombs that guy had went off in a chain reaction."
"Really? So we got them all?"
Oh no, Sophia, don't say that...!
-Kraaaargh! Kek!
-Kek! Kek!
-RUMBLE!
Damn it—new goblins appeared atop the crumbled cliff.
These ones looked different from the goblins I knew too.
A massive goblin, human-sized, glared at us while hefting a greatsword as tall as itself.
Three others—not quite as huge but big for goblins—shrieked, green daggers in hand.
"Damn it! Battle stations! Sophia, fall back! Siwoo, up front!"
-Gruk! Groar!
Siwoo charged forward with his holy sword, and the huge goblin met him head-on.
Seizing the opening, the other goblins lunged for Sophia.
"Not on my watch!"
I planted myself in front of Sophia and unleashed Aria Goddess's Shield, popping off a protective burst.
One goblin tripped from the effect as it charged. I swung my shield at the remaining two.
One got swept away and crumpled, but the other dodged nimbly and thrust its dagger at Sophia.
"You bastard!"
I spun to swat it away, but the goblin halted, reversed its grip on the dagger, and rammed it into my side.
"Son of a bitch!"
The searing pain—unlike anything I'd felt—drew curses from my lips.
My head spun, vision blurring from the burning agony.
"Oppa! Stay with me!"
Sophia's timely heal kept me conscious.
I grabbed the arm of the goblin twisting the dagger in my side,
then drove my sword into its throat, carving an extra hole.
-Krrreeek! Kik, kik.
It collapsed with a short screech, gurgling and mocking me as it died.
This fucker dares laugh?
Yanking the dagger free released a gush of blood.
Blood loss hit fast—dizziness, staggering legs—but I couldn't fall yet.
Sophia yelled to check behind. I turned, swinging my shield again.
-Clang!
A thrown dagger ricocheted off the shield.
Distracted, the thrower leaped to grab my leg.
I smashed down with the shield, crushing it.
Raising it for the last one, my body lurched again.
It wouldn't obey—my stabbed side burned to the bone.
"Nooo! Oppa!!"
Fuck... no strength left...
The charging goblin grinned with rotten teeth and plunged its dagger into my face.
-Spurt!
Blood sprayed like a fountain.
"Kyaaaaah!"
Sophia's scream pierced from behind.
That sound snapped my fading consciousness back.
I can't die like this.
If I die... I'll never see Sophia again.
Sophia's crying.
I've done something awful.
"You... fucking... bastards..."
This is your fault.
Damn it.
With trembling hands, I raised my sword.
The goblin panicked and tried to flee but wouldn't let go of its dagger.
Just drop it and run, you idiot...
As it twisted to escape, my facial wound tore wider,
but I no longer felt the pain.
I rammed the sword into its gut.
The deeper it sank, the more terror filled its face.
Once the hilt bottomed out, the twitching stopped.
"Ptoo."
Spitting out the dagger brought a flood of pooled blood and severed tongue chunks.
Grabbing my wobbly legs, I stood and approached the shield-smashed goblin.
One thrust to the back of its skull: it jerked with a "gruk," then went still.
-Thud.
Only then could I finally relax and collapse.
I came to in Sophia's arms.
She hugged me tight, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Sopi..."
"Oppa... sob sob... I'm sorry, oppa! I'm so sorry! Sob sob..."
Sophia kept apologizing endlessly, tears flowing.
Ridiculously, I still thought crying Sophia was beautiful.
-Groar! Grong!
"Hah! Haah!"
Right—it's not over.
Far off, Siwoo was still battling the huge goblin.
They were locked in their own duel, ignoring us completely.
"Sopi... ugh, I'm okay now."
"Nooo! You're still healing... sob... don't move!"
"But Siwoo's still..."
"He's fine, I'm watching him... so don't worry!"
Come to think of it, every time the goblin's greatsword nicked Siwoo, Sophia healed him.
The goblin looked frustrated, but Siwoo denied it any chance at Sophia.
But you're the one who shouldn't complain.
That monster goblin regenerated like a troll—wounds healed on their own.
"Sorry, oppa... I didn't even realize it was poisoned... sob sob..."
As expected... not a normal dagger.
I'd thought it odd how it laughed at me while dying. Poison dagger, huh.
Thought you'd take me with you? Sorry, our party's got a Saintess.
"It's okay, Sopi. Really. See? I'm alive. Right?"
Forcing a smile stung the gashes at my mouth corners.
This makes me... full-on Joker?
I barely held back a "Why so serious?"
No joking mood here.
"Still... sob... if I'd noticed sooner, you wouldn't have gotten hurt... waaaaah!"
Sophia burst into fresh tears and buried herself in my chest.
I patted her back, watching Siwoo's ongoing fight.
Is it okay to rub it in like this while they're still going at it?
...I almost died, so Siwoo'll understand, right?
Yeah, if he's got any conscience.
It was even, but Siwoo seemed pushed back by the goblin's greatsword flurry—yet he never retreated, parrying every blow.
The goblin roared in fury, but Siwoo stayed ice-cold.
Then the tide turned.
Siwoo leaped back, resizing his holy sword to greatsword length.
Then he swung wildly.
Wait... this is...?
The goblin countered Siwoo's sudden assault fiercely.
But their moves mirrored perfectly.
Siwoo swung where the goblin had.
Goblin smashed down with its rebounding blade; Siwoo mirrored with his holy sword.
Like one mind—they fought with identical swordplay.
No, not identical.
As the clash dragged on, Siwoo's technique evolved.
Sharper, quicker, stronger...
Siwoo gained the edge.
He flicked the greatsword aside and slashed.
But shallow.
Sudden poison breath from the goblin sapped Siwoo's strength.
"Damn it! Sopi!"
Ignoring my aches, I rushed to Siwoo.
Sophia followed, casting Purify on him.
Too late—the goblin had knocked away his holy sword.
"Nooooo!"
A blue flash sliced the goblin's neck.
Its head tumbled limply.
"...What?"
-Thud!
-Spurt!
The headless goblin dropped to its knees, blood fountaining from the stump.
"How intriguing."
Behind the kneeling corpse stood the blue-haired knight, wearing an amused smile.