Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Lycanthrope King
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“Even though I came unannounced, thank you for the warm welcome, Sir Bosch.”
“Not at all. I apologize that my hospitality falls short, my lord Count.”
The man in his early thirties standing before Lucas Cromarin bowed his head.
His name was Calvern Bosch. He was a knight of the Cromarin Count family, who had become the new lord of Bosch territory in place of his father, who died last year.
“By the way, I have some urgent business. Is it alright?”
“Of course.”
At Calvern’s signal, the Bosch family retainers bowed to Lucas and exited the room.
The moment the door closed, the dignity on both men’s faces vanished completely.
“My lord Count, what on earth brings you here? A year ago, you said you would never come to this place.”
“Do you think I came because I wanted to, Calvern? I had no choice.”
On the afternoon of the day Eugene’s group and the Beowulf warriors departed for Marin Forest, Lucas set out for Bosch territory with only a dozen knights and soldiers.
Not the winding path Eugene had taken with the guides, but the route where Roamers had been driven out and some safety secured.
In the end, though Count Lucas had left later than Eugene, he arrived at Bosch territory around the same time.
“No choice? What do you mean... what exactly happened...?”
“That bastard came back alive and well.”
“Pardon? What bastard?”
“Luke.”
“Lu...ke? Hmph!”
Calvern, who had tilted his head, suddenly widened his eyes.
“And he returned as the squire of a high-ranking vampire noble who holds territory in the Kailer Kingdom.”
“M-my lord Count! Th-then what about us...?”
Lucas smirked at the flustered Calvern.
“But who am I? I’ve already taken the appropriate measures.”
“Pardon? Measures... what kind?”
“Well, you see.”
Lucas wore a sinister smile as he explained what had happened a few days prior at the count’s castle.
And as his story continued, Calvern’s expression gradually relaxed.
“As expected of you, my lord Count. Even a high-ranking vampire noble would be turned to pulp against the demonic beasts of Marin Forest.”
“Heh heh. I can’t say about that big shot from the Night Clan, but the other knights and that Perseus bastard’s spawn are as good as dead or crippled.”
“That filthy bastard too?”
“Filthy? That’s a bit harsh. Whose blood do you think Luke inherited? Does that make me filthy too?”
“Ah! Th-that’s not what I meant. I meant his mother...”
“Half of that boy’s blood came from my father. Do you really not know why he was the most talented among your brothers?”
“......”
Calvern’s expression hardened in an instant. He soon bit his lip and bowed his head.
“I spoke out of turn.”
Lucas glared at the top of Calvern’s head for a moment before smirking and leaning back comfortably in his chair.
“Anyway, thanks to my scheme, he’ll die in Marin Forest, so don’t worry. In return, you must protect me if something similar happens.”
“Understood. I am truly grateful for your consideration, my lord Count.”
Lucas offered a silver goblet of wine to Calvern, who subtly raised his head.
“Remember this. Our secret goes to the grave.”
“Of course. I’ll keep my mouth shut until the day I die. For your sake, and for mine as well.”
Clink.
The two men lightly clinked their goblets, smiled at each other, and gulped down their wine.
But neither man’s eyes smiled in the slightest.
* * *
Kroooaaaargh!!!
The Beowulf warriors, far more ferocious under the full moon, tore apart Lycanthropes that were nearly identical save for their slightly smaller size.
Normally, it would have been an even match, but in Marin Forest now, it was a one-sided slaughter.
The reason was thanks to Galpredic, whom the Perseus Beowlfs called the “Dark Knight.”
“Groooaaargh!”
Galpredic, swinging his battle axe with eyes bloodshot red, unleashed a vampire aura that instinctively cowed the surrounding monsters.
Thanks to that, not only the Beowulf warriors but also Luke and Partek’s team fighting near Galpredic found it much easier to deal with the monsters.
And it wasn’t just Galpredic helping the four humans.
“Here! Everyone, take a mana crystal each!”
Ranslo shouted to the four, whose stamina had rapidly depleted after over ten minutes of intense combat, as he thrust and swung his long spear.
Swoosh!
Every time the silver-inlaid tip of his spear caught the moonlight and trailed a glow, Lycanthropes screamed and fell.
A normal knight would struggle against even one Lycanthrope.
But Ranslo, who inherited elven blood, unleashed his family’s secret techniques with light, nimble movements.
His sharp eyes pinpointed the vital spots of Lycanthropes that moved faster than beasts.
And the spear arts handed down for centuries allowed him to strike those vitals without a single error.
Occasionally, a Lycanthrope’s long claws would swipe at Ranslo’s torso, but his swift movements and sturdy plate armor allowed only minor impacts.
While Ranslo fought so spectacularly and fiercely, the four recovered by consuming top-grade mana crystals and rejoined the battle.
And a few minutes later.
On the blood-soaked ground, the hundreds of Lycanthropes and Roamer monsters lay dead in gruesome heaps.
The survivors fled in terror, but the Beowulf warriors, dominated by murderous frenzy, pursued relentlessly despite their bleeding wounds.
Kroooaaaargh...!!!
At that moment, a horrific roar, as if tearing through the underworld, warped the night air and enveloped the forest.
Krah!?
“Ugh!”
“Gah!”
Regardless of monster, heteroclite, elf, or human, everyone’s movements halted instantly.
The roar of unknown origin carried such fearsome power that it froze any living being in place.
“Krah? What the hell is this?”
But the Origin’s kin merely scowled fiercely, largely unaffected.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
As fast, rhythmic thuds echoed, all eyes turned toward the sound.
A massive monster emerged, crashing through towering trees and shrubs.
The bipedal beast, so enormous that Beowulf warriors nearly two meters tall only reached its chest, had a wolf’s head with two horns on its forehead.
“Lycanthrope King!?”
Ulfgang gaped in disbelief.
“Huff, huff. Lycanthrope King? What’s that?”
Ranslo quickly answered Galpredic, who was breathing raggedly.
“The final evolved form of Lycanthropes. It’s rare even in the demon realms, and to think one’s here.”
“Final evolution? So it’s an advanced monster?”
“Top-tier. They call it a champion monster too.”
“......!”
Champion monster.
A term for the kings of each monster race, it was more legend than reality.
Everyone had heard of it, but no one had seen one, dismissing it as enthusiasts’ nonsense. To think it actually existed.
Kyaaaoooo...!!!
“Gah!”
“Ugh!”
As the champion monster’s roar echoed again, most staggered or dropped to one knee. Even Galpredic grimaced and stepped back.
Yet one person stood unflinching before the Lycanthrope King’s roar.
He even strode boldly toward the champion monster several times his size.
“Master!”
“Lord Eugene!”
Ignoring the shocked cries, Eugene raised his aura to its limit.
Fwoooosh!
The formed vampire aura surged up his pauldrons, coated in blood and flesh scraps.
“......!”
The sight of the previously invisible aura blazing like furious crimson flames made everyone gape.
Kraaaaaaaa!!!
The Origin’s killing intent roared forth with the aura like a tidal wave.
The Lycanthrope King’s roar affected all living things.
But the Origin’s condensed roar of malice spared neither living nor dead.
The vampire Origin stood at the pinnacle of all undead.
A lord transcending lords.
An Overlord.
Kyaoht!?
The Lycanthrope King, who had arrogantly emerged overconfident in its power, froze solid.
For the mere king ruling a single forest to challenge the Overlord revered by all vampires was impossible from the start.
Crack!
Eugene bit his fangs into his lip, drawing blood, and pressed it to the ogre-slaying spear.
Bzzz!
The moment the spear absorbed its master’s blood and emitted a cry of joy and reverence, Eugene hurled it with all his might.
Madarajika, trailing blazing crimson aura like a red meteor, flew at it. The Lycanthrope King panicked and tried to swat it away.
Krrraaack!
Kyaaaaaoooo!
But Madarajika mercilessly shredded its forearm’s hide and muscle.
With one arm turned to rags in an instant, the Lycanthrope King wailed in agony and staggered back.
Swoooosh!
In that moment, Eugene, wrapped in crimson aura, charged at it.
The aura’s afterimage trailed like massive flames behind him.
It resembled fully spread bat wings.
Krrraaa!
This time, the wolf-butcher sword gleamed eerie red as it aimed for the Lycanthrope King’s heart.
True to its champion instincts and reflexes, it barely twisted aside.
Crunch!
Grrooooaaaargh!
Wolfslayer embedded in its left shoulder blade, the Lycanthrope King unleashed a monstrous scream.
As Eugene yanked Wolfslayer free to plunge it into the heart properly, it struck down at him with all its might.
Boom!
Eugene’s body slammed into the ground.
The Lycanthrope King then bounded away without looking back.
“Master!”
“Gyaang!”
As the shocked group rushed over, Eugene sprang up without delay.
“Galpredic! Ranslo! Clean up here and follow! The rest, join Perseus Beowulf!”
Whoosh!
Eugene dashed like a furious beast in the direction the Lycanthrope King fled.
“Keeek!? M-master! Wait for meee! I’m not scared!”
“Kraha! That’s my Master!”
Stunned by Eugene’s overwhelming display, the hidden Mirian hurriedly flew after him, while Galpredic cheered.
“We’ll finish up quickly and follow!”
Ranslo, regaining composure, raised his voice.
And the rest...
“......”
Still lost in shock and awe, they merely stared blankly at Eugene’s retreating figure.
* * *
Kwaaaaa!
Slicing through the forest’s night air, Eugene pursued the Lycanthrope King for several minutes before spotting a waterfall over twenty meters high.
It was just entering the cave behind the falls.
Eugene leaped without hesitation, parted the cascading water, and entered the cave.
The cave was vast, pitch-black, and slick with moisture.
But to the king of darkness, such conditions were comforting.
Step, step.
Tracking the Lycanthrope King’s traces with aura and senses, Eugene soon halted.
Grrrrrr...
From the depths of darkness, it growled with glowing blue eyes.
“That’s...!?”
There was no reason for Eugene to be surprised by the Lycanthrope King now.
His red eyes fixed on the silver barrier it held before it.
About a meter wide and just over two meters long, the elongated pentagonal silver barrier was unmistakably a “shield.”
And etched on its surface with exquisite precision beyond words was...
“A red dragon. Then...”
The exact same red dragon crest as on Wolfslayer’s pommel and Madarajika’s spearhead.
What the cowering Lycanthrope King held was undoubtedly the shield of Duke Bartla’s family.
(To be continued in the next part)