Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: The Viscount's Son
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Silence descended.
Nothing particularly noteworthy had happened.
Seo Woo-jin had simply begun walking while slowly drawing up his mana.
He was a bit irritated, so more mana leaked out than he'd intended.
Even so, it was no more than a bucketful scooped from the ocean—but that was more than enough.
More than enough to sort out this irritating situation.
Step—
Only the sound of Seo Woo-jin's footsteps echoed through the space.
He placed a hand on 'Rune Dea' and asked,
"Why are you looking for me?"
His voice was icy.
An unexpected variable had arisen, and it was due to his own mistake, leaving him in a foul mood.
He had no kind words for these fools wasting his time when he needed to devise countermeasures.
Someone swallowed dryly.
But no one answered.
The ferocious mana emanating from Seo Woo-jin had terrified them all into silence.
"You."
Seo Woo-jin's gaze turned to Darwishi.
The man couldn't even wipe the sweat streaming down his face; his eyes darted about wildly.
"Why are you here?"
Seo Woo-jin asked.
The guards who had gone to fetch him were nowhere to be seen.
Only soldiers who looked like private troops remained.
Mogadam had ordered him to bring Darwishi to the inn, so the guards should have been here.
Or at least taken him to Mogadam.
Yet here he was, alone without the guards?
"Tch."
Seo Woo-jin could guess what had happened.
He recalled the guards' reluctant expressions when they'd received Mogadam's orders.
'Must have some connection.'
It wasn't his concern.
Whether the guards and the con artist were in symbiosis or parasitism.
What mattered was that this man was wasting his time right now.
"Forget it. Don't answer."
Seo Woo-jin quickly approached Darwishi.
"W-Wait a second!"
Only then did the man raise his hands as if to ward him off, shouting.
Of course, Seo Woo-jin didn't stop.
He arrived before the sweating Darwishi in an instant.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he drew 'Rune Dea' still in its sheath and swung.
Smack—!
He'd held back his strength as much as possible.
Knocking him out in one hit might lead to a repeat of this mess.
The worst pain, drawn out as long as possible.
Until he could never even look at Seo Woo-jin's face again.
'Rune Dea' danced.
Dozens of times per second.
Darwishi convulsed like he'd been electrocuted, unable to even scream.
The agony was so excruciating that he foamed at the mouth and collapsed on the spot.
Thud—
His bulk made a considerable noise.
Seo Woo-jin frowned at the blood and sweat staining 'Rune Dea''s sheath.
'This sword wasn't obtained to get stained with filth like this.'
With an expression full of irritation, Seo Woo-jin turned to the soldiers this time.
"And what are you lot?"
From what he'd overheard earlier, they were likely under Rashid's command.
"W-We..."
Their earlier bravado had vanished.
They'd just witnessed a man turned into minced meat in an instant; it was no wonder they were speechless.
"If you have something to say, spit it out now. Otherwise, get lost."
The soldiers hesitated.
They wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run right then.
But thoughts of their master held them back.
So Seo Woo-jin gave them a choice to speed things up.
"If you're not gone by the count of ten, I'll take it as you begging to die. One, two..."
As Seo Woo-jin began counting, the soldiers' eyes shook wildly.
"Five, six."
The numbers climbed.
They were nearing ten.
Grrr—
A sound came from above.
A familiar one.
"Damn it! Everyone, get out of the way!"
He stopped counting and shouted.
But the soldiers looked baffled.
*Get out of the way? Does he mean run?* Their confusion was plain.
Seo Woo-jin urgently drew 'Rune Dea' with a grim expression and kicked off the ground.
Crunch—!
The earth couldn't withstand his force and cratered beneath his feet as he surged forward.
There was no time to adjust his power.
He swung 'Rune Dea' with full force.
But...
"Aaagh!"
"What the hell is that? A monster!"
"Spare m—"
It was too late.
The demonic beast that appeared from thin air shredded the soldiers' soft flesh in a flash.
Only after four soldiers were torn apart did 'Rune Dea' block it.
Clang—!
Surprisingly, the demonic beast parried Seo Woo-jin's strike.
Red scales, red eyes, red wings.
It resembled a lizard in human form.
No ordinary demonic beast.
At least on par with Burtel, or stronger.
'Damn, one of these shows up right from the start?'
Not even in Jayronin's monster compendium.
No info on its strength, abilities, or weaknesses.
A completely unknown demonic beast.
'Trouble.'
Seo Woo-jin frowned at the creature eyeing him warily while licking blood from its claws.
But the clash had revealed one thing.
The incredible hardness of its scales.
'Tougher than Garades.'
That one's durability was impressive, but it couldn't withstand 'Rune Dea''s sharpness.
This one did.
Even a hasty slash packed no small power.
Yet not even a scratch.
Seo Woo-jin heightened his tension.
Grrr...?
The demonic beast eyed him, searching for something.
'Decoy.'
Drawn by the scent of demonic energy.
'Not unbeatable.'
Its aura wasn't overwhelmingly strong.
Seemed all-in on scale hardness.
"Run! It's a monster!"
"Kyaaah!"
People finally grasped the situation and screamed as they fled.
"H-Huek!"
Darwishi was no different.
The con artist waddled away on his hefty frame, desperate to escape.
Was that appetizing sight too tempting?
The demonic beast's gaze shifted to him.
Flap—
Its wings pushed the air, gliding toward him smoothly.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Seo Woo-jin launched himself too.
Scammer or not, he couldn't just let it get eaten.
'Rune Dea' clashed with the demonic beast's scales.
Scraaape—!
Metal grated.
Seo Woo-jin scowled.
Even a serious swing left the scales intact.
'Still...'
He glimpsed Darwishi's waddling retreat.
The beast had blocked, buying him time to escape.
Seo Woo-jin glanced around.
No one remained standing.
'When did that kid bolt?'
Rinar, who'd been behind him, was gone.
He really had a knack for concealing his presence.
"Anyway, no one's here."
All the civilians he needed to protect had evacuated.
Meaning he could focus purely on the fight.
Whoosh—!
Blue aura flared.
"Let's see if you can withstand this."
A long blue line slashed through the air.
The scales where it touched sizzled.
Sizzle—!
The demonic beast tried to dodge swiftly, but couldn't match Seo Woo-jin's speed.
One arm flew off.
Black blood painted the air.
Its screech pierced his ears.
But Seo Woo-jin didn't stop.
He spun the upward 'Rune Dea' and sliced its throat.
Snap—!
No surprises.
The burning aura cut through the scales like hot butter.
Splurt—!
Blood gushed like a fountain from the stump.
Falling droplets resembled black rain.
Seo Woo-jin grimaced and leaped back.
No need to get covered in demonic beast blood.
Thud—the corpse toppled forward.
'Experience?'
As expected, no level up.
Not enough XP for that.
Seo Woo-jin eyed the beast briefly before sheathing 'Rune Dea'.
"This might be a real problem."
It wasn't that strong.
Compared to the ones he'd hunted in the academy's indoor training hall, it was far weaker.
Yet his expression remained grave.
"Stronger ones will come next."
If this was the opener.
Soon, dozens, hundreds of monsters and demonic beasts would swarm.
Including plenty stronger than this one.
"What to do?"
The city housed many people.
Their homes, hometowns, everything.
It might turn into a bloodbath of madness.
'Evacuation possible?'
Unclear.
Even if so, doubtful in time.
He'd need to meet the ruling lord or mayor first.
"Guess I need to hurry."
Seo Woo-jin entered the Sand Hill Inn.
Naturally, it was empty.
They'd fled the moment the demonic beast killed the soldiers.
He pulled two golds from his pocket and set them on the counter.
Payment for food and compensation for disrupting business.
As he turned to leave, he spotted a familiar boy waiting.
"Rinar?"
Had he not run but hidden, suppressing his presence?
It was almost laughable.
Seo Woo-jin had assumed he'd fled.
'Good anyway.'
He needed a guide now.
"Hey."
Seo Woo-jin called to Rinar, who watched warily, terrified.
"Y-Yes! Sir Knight."
He'd seen the fight and mistaken him for a knight.
Seo Woo-jin ignored the title and continued.
"Who rules this city?"
"...Here?"
His face said, *Why ask that?*
But he didn't dare question Seo Woo-jin, thinking briefly before answering.
"Viscount Mohiuddin."
The lord governing the local estates.
"What's his personality like?"
"A good man. My sister says he works hard for the territory's growth and ensures no one starves."
Couldn't trust it fully, but seemed a decent noble.
"But..."
Rinar hesitated before continuing.
"She said his child-rearing was a failure."
That tracks.
Common tale.
A father exemplary to others but weak with his own kids.
Thus failing to correct wayward offspring, turning them into utter wastrels.
This seemed one such case.
"A wastrel, huh?"
Seo Woo-jin smirked as he asked, and Rinar nodded.
"The one you beat up at the inn earlier, Sir Knight."
"Who?"
A bad premonition hit.
"Rashid. He's also the master of those dead soldiers over there."