The Delkron Ambush
The shouts of the chieftain had barely died before the figures revealed themselves. They were the same grotesque monsters in their hide armor as the rest of the group. “We’re back.” Dozens of figures bowed their heads, and the chieftain let his guard down as he asked, “Did you confirm the cause of the explosions?” “We didn’t find anything.” “When we left, the only corpses there were the Kelakts’.” “They were completely bisected by the Delkron bastards.” “Completely?” The chieftain unconsciously muttered the words before suddenly clenching his teeth. “These idiots!” “C-Chieftain?” “Why are you suddenly like that?” “Are you asking because you don’t know their habits?” “The Delkron hybrids of orcs and trolls don’t have arms. Instead, long sharp bones sprout where arms should be. Their sharpness matches swords, and they hunt with them. That’s why corpses with bodies completely bisected always litter the paths they pass.” That was why the scouts had gone to investigate the explosions expecting Delkron mischief and had returned. But there was one thing they had completely overlooked. The real reason the Delkron hybrids ripped their prey in half. It was because they went crazy for entrails. That was why the area couldn’t possibly be spotless after they feasted on entrails. “It wasn’t the Delkron bastards!” The chieftain crumpled his face and shouted. “Did they even show themselves?” “Yes! We only checked the Kelakt corpses and left right away.” “Even so, there’s always a but. We’ll immediately erase the traces and retreat!” The scouts, sensing something serious, immediately started moving. “Krrroar!” They stopped the Chimeras’ work and loaded the ore they had excavated. After perfectly erasing all traces, they gathered around the chieftain. “Let’s go!” It was clearly intruders. They had hidden their presence in an instant, so there were probably few of them. And one by one they possessed the strength to slaughter hundreds of Kelakts, each of whom matched a troll in power. The chieftain and scouts, controlling the Chimeras, began moving in the direction they had disappeared. “Kung! Kung! Kung!” Just as the Chimeras’ footsteps faded rapidly, Jin Chen and Sybel appeared inside a massive pit. “There were this many Dark Blood Stones.” “Is that the ore fragment you discovered from the Jiangshi?” “Yes.” “It looks exactly like mana crystal.” Sybel nodded. “Mana stone imbued with corrupted mana. The other name is Dark Blood Stone. I still haven’t figured out how or where to use it.” “They found it?” “I haven’t figured out what role Dark Blood Stone plays in Jiangshi yet. But……” “Is it scratching at your brain?” “Dark Blood Stone is an incomplete mineral. If we can use it well, there might be a way.” “No need for that research. Whether it’s Dark Elves, black sorcerers, or Gu Domyeong……” Jin Chen stared coldly in the direction the Chimeras had vanished. “Everything will be settled after today.” “Surruck.” As soon as those words left, Jin Chen hid again. “I hope so. If that great cause they spoke of is completed, too much blood will flow.” Sybel muttered quietly, clenched his fist, and cast the transparency spell. He then flew toward the direction the Chimeras had disappeared. Hoping the past month’s hard work wouldn’t be in vain. *** In front of a massive cliff from which blood-red liquid dripped thickly. There, thirty figures moving with the Chimeras arrived. “Attua Biaruma! Saika!” The chieftain put his hand on the cliff and shouted a chant. The cliff below warped, and a dark entrance appeared. “Surrurruk!” From inside the entrance, a poisonous chill and eerie aura flowed out. “Woong, woong, woong, woong.” On top of that, an unknown strange resonance flowed. The chieftain and the others entered the entrance without a moment’s hesitation. “Krrroar.” The Chimeras, carrying enormous weight of Dark Blood Stone on their backs, followed. “Slap, slap.” The figures began walking the long corridor connected to the entrance. After just a few steps, the entire corridor started shaking as if it would collapse any moment. “Kugugugugung.” At the same time, an unknown roar erupted from all directions. “Zing! Zing! Zing!” Hearing the sound, the chieftain gritted his teeth and shouted, “Intruders! Everyone prepare for battle!” With that cry, the figures turned around quickly and shouted, “Bakku! Kalar! Dre! Dea!” The Chimeras’ eyes flared with ferocity at the same time they slammed the Dark Blood Stones they carried roughly to the ground. “Kung! Kung! Kung!” When the Dark Blood Stones rumbled heavily against the corridor, the scouts shouted again. “Dark mana! Make unseen enemies tremble with fear! Dark Search!” “Cursed souls! Give fear and terror to hidden enemies! Soul of Curse!” The figures cast the black magic spells for detecting enemies. “Kiaaaak!” Black miasma spurted out like living things and swirled everywhere, while pale souls screamed and stretched in all directions. Suddenly, crimson energy appeared in front of the figures. “Ziiiiing!” “Since I’ve been caught, what’s the point of hiding.” The chieftain’s voice thundered, and the energy shot toward the Chimeras. Before the figures could even cast defensive magic, the energy collided with the Chimeras. “Kwaaaaang!” With a huge explosion, the corridor shook as if it would collapse. Jin Chen opened his concealment and said, “Go ahead. I’ll clean it up quickly and follow.” “Understood.” Sybel left a short answer and cast Blink, the short-range teleport magic. “Paaat!” In an instant, Sybel moved beyond the figures and shot out at tremendous speed. With Sybel gone, Jin Chen looked ahead and said, “He really made a mess of things.” The Chimeras hit by the energy. Their upper bodies toppled backward with their waists cut more than half. But it only lasted a moment. The flesh at the wound twitched as if alive, and they began merging back into one. “Krrroarrrrrr!” In an instant, the Chimeras returned to their original form. At the same time, the figures unleashed black magic. “Dark Fireball!” “Poison Explosion!” “Dark Storm!” When the black magic flew toward Jin Chen, the Chimeras charged at him too. Completely ignoring the black magic flying from behind, “Krrroarrrrrr!” With ferocity gleaming, they swung fists at Jin Chen. At the same time, black magic covered Jin Chen. “Thud! Thud! Thud!” Jin Chen swung his axe at tremendous speed, shattering the Chimeras and the black magic. “Peeorok! Kwadddeuk!” Unlike the black magic that was instantly destroyed, the Chimeras were all sticky. Their bodies that weren’t cut completely by the energy. Their ferocity that charged forward without feeling pain. Their instant regeneration that, as if it wondered when the wound would be, stuck to him. And that stickiness eventually reached Jin Chen. “Kiaaaaaaaa!” The Chimeras covering Jin Chen let out a roar. One, two, three… As the Chimeras piled up like a tower, Jin Chen nodded. “It seems he’s cleaned up. Let’s move again.” “What happened to the one who went in first?” “No need to worry. He was probably already dead.” The scouts nodded vigorously. Inside, there were an enormous number of comrades. Hundreds of Chimeras and undead too. No single person could have broken into that place. “Let’s go! I won’t hear any words from someone who doesn’t even have a single bone left.” Surrounded by the Chimeras that had awakened their ferocity. It was obvious they had chewed through the bones too. The figures tried to turn their bodies. At that moment, Jin Chen’s voice pierced their ears. “You idiots. That thing that just went in. It’s a dragon.” “Huk!” The figures trembled at the suddenly heard voice and hurriedly turned around. “Tremble.” In their eyes, the Chimeras standing with their backs turned were shaking. Red lines appeared all over the Chimeras’ bodies too. “Jjeojjeojjeojjeok.” With a creepy sound, the Chimeras’ bodies exploded and bounced in all directions. “Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk!” The meat pieces of the Chimeras colliding in all directions. At the same time, Jin Chen’s figure that had been hidden by the Chimeras reappeared. “I guess we can’t fight again.” Seeing his perfectly fine appearance, the figures unconsciously took a step back. “Y-You too are a dragon?” “No need to worry. I’m human.” “That’s impossible! How can a human!” “This guy, he’s making things really uncomfortable. More than the lizard that went in just now…” Jin Chen wiped the Chimeras’ blood off his axe and said, “I’m stronger, you idiots.” “Paaat!” As those words ended, Jin Chen disappeared like he had vanished. While the chieftain and scouts looked around in shock, Jin Chen’s voice came from behind. “You too. Would you rip again even if you were cut like them?” “There!” “Stop!” When the figures tried to turn their bodies, Jin Chen gave a cold smile. “It doesn’t seem that way.” In an instant, disbelief and confusion flashed across the figures’ expressions. They had clearly tried to turn their bodies, but suddenly their vision fell to the ground. “Puk! Puk! Puk!” The black sorcerers couldn’t handle the extreme speed. All of them were killed with their waists cut off. Jin Chen looked at the dead figures, then shifted his gaze to the meat pieces of the Chimeras that had bounced everywhere. The still twitching meat pieces. It looked like, if given a chance, they could recover anytime. Seeing that, Jin Chen muttered quietly, “Even without the Jiangshi, it would have been tough.” Because of the Jiangshi, they had been pushed back. Certainly their bodies, strength, and speed were weaker than the Jiangshi’s. But their regeneration was incomparably superior. If they weren’t completely shattered like this, they would have been revived endlessly. “I really have to finish everything today.” Jin Chen’s eyes gleamed coldly as he slammed the ground. And he began running down the corridor at tremendous speed. Where is Sybel? Where should I go? He didn’t think of any such worries. Why? “Kwaaaaaang!” A huge explosion sound came from ahead. Jin Chen accelerated even more. Not long after, a massive cave appeared in front of him. Jin Chen frowned while looking at the center of the cave. “You. What are you doing over there?”