Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Fortress City (6) - Found You
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1.
"Wow, fuck."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ By consuming the spirit medicine, your skin has become tougher, your stamina has risen, and the quality of your muscles has improved. No explanation was needed; I could feel the changes myself.
After a week of grueling forced marches, fatigue had piled up in my body, but suddenly it felt incredibly light.
Swing—
I drew my sword and swung it around. It felt far lighter than before. My Strength stat hadn't budged, but I could immediately tell my efficiency had shot up.
'This is why the nobles are so obsessed with spirit medicines.'
The performance was incomparable to a low-grade spirit medicine. I couldn't help but marvel at it. And with that came a surge of anticipation.
If a mid-grade one was this good, just how amazing would an upper-grade be?
'Can't wait.'
I smirked and headed for the plaza. In this state, there was no way I could lose to anyone.
"Fuck, attack him!"
I was strolling down the street in high spirits when the sudden shouts rang out, followed by shadowy figures charging at me from ahead. I hurriedly drew my sword.
Boom!
Before I could even swing, someone with a shield slammed bodily into me.
It was the charge of a burly, fat man, so normally the impact would've sent me flying. But I clenched my thighs tight, and as a result...
'I held!'
I didn't go airborne. I teetered but stayed on my feet. Right in front of me, the fat man's eyes went wide.
Crunch!
With my free hand, I smashed the back of his head. The man toppled over. Beyond his crumpling form, more men came into view.
The one in front charged with his shield raised. Seeing the cocky look on his face, I pulled back my sword swing.
Boom!
Instead, I kicked him like I was shoving him away.
"Wha-wha-what?"
A dazed yelp escaped him as his shield went flying. I rushed the rolling man and stabbed his throat.
"Cr-crazy bastard!"
"What the fuck is this guy?!"
With two down in an instant, the group finally started panicking. They hesitated and fell back, letting me get a proper look at them.
Shabby-looking men. Their hair glistened with greasy oil, and black grime caked the undersides of their nails.
The weird part? The weapons and armor they carried were surprisingly clean and in excellent condition.
"What the hell are you guys?"
My question got no response. Fine, if they wanted to play it that way, I had my methods.
"F-fuck, scatter!"
The moment I stepped forward, they hurled their weapons at me and bolted in all directions.
"Fucking pricks."
The unexpected move threw me for a loop for a second before I gave chase to one of them.
"Ah, why me of all people? Fuck!"
I pursued the man fleeing for dear life. He was pretty nimble, but still just a regular human.
Thud!
I grabbed him by the nape and slammed his face into the ground.
"Gaaaak!"
A sickening crack like something breaking, accompanied by his scream. I KO'd him with a strike to the jaw, then dragged him into a nearby house.
Graaaah!
The door swung open to reveal a zombie shambling nearby. I cleaved it down and tossed the man onto a bed.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Purchased 1.5L of water using 500G. Current Gold: 13,927G I grabbed a small basin from the kitchen and filled it with water. One wasn't enough, so I bought another.
Then I seized the man's hair and dunked his head in. He twitched before thrashing like a madman.
"Puhaaaak!"
I yanked him out, and his eyes snapped wide open.
"Hey."
"Y-yes?"
The man looked dazed, glancing around endlessly like he couldn't grasp the situation.
"Wh-where is this..."
"Don't care about that. What are you? Why'd you attack out of nowhere? Where'd you get the weapons and armor?"
"W-well, it's like..."
"Not answering?"
There was once a self-help book that swept through Korea: Water Knows the Answer. Back then, I'd dismissed it as pseudoscientific nonsense.
"Gack! Cough cough! Ugh! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
But now I saw it was spot on. Water really did know the answers.
"Start to finish, in order."
The man's story wasn't all that shocking.
There was a group of survivors in the residential district, hiding from the beasts. Most of them were starving.
"Where'd you get the weapons and armor?"
"A-attacked soldiers coming in from outside and took them."
"Why? Wouldn't it be better to follow the soldiers to the safe zone?"
"Th-that's..."
He started hesitating again, so I grabbed his hair. He jolted like he'd been electrocuted.
"I-I'll talk! Please, just let me!"
"Spit it out."
"We... picked off the incoming soldiers little by little, gathered their gear, and planned to attack the Count later..."
"You were planning a rebellion?"
I'd never have imagined it. Had they all lost their damn minds?
"Why?"
"I-I don't know the details. The nobles handle the important talks..."
"Nobles? There are nobles over there?"
"Yes. Duke Edwin is there."
'A duke? Someone that important here? No way.'
My head spun suddenly. I tried piecing it together, but without more info, nothing but questions came up.
"That's all you've got?"
"Y-yes... I'm just a low-rank guy. They never tell me shit."
"Hm. Alright, got it."
"Wh-what happens to me now?"
He stared up with terrified eyes. When I grabbed his hair again, he flinched hard.
"Chill, punk. Anyone'd think I was gonna kill you."
"Y-you're not?"
"Why would I? You're coming with me to repeat everything you just said. No point killing you."
His face twisted into a weird mix—relief at not dying, dawning horror at being fucked anyway.
"Follow me. Fuck around, and you're dead."
"Y-yes, sir."
I led him outside. We retraced our steps toward the safe zone when...
Swish—
An arrow came out of nowhere. Instinct kicked in—I grabbed the man's back and shoved him in front.
Crunch!
"Guhhh..."
Unlucky bastard; it nailed him right in the throat. He gurgled as his head lolled, blood dripping steadily to the ground.
"Ah, fuck."
Old mercenary habit—when arrows fly, always meatshield first.
'This is why habits are scary.'
I clicked my tongue and let go. They charged like they'd been waiting.
Slash!
I cleaved the front runner and mana-boosted off the ground. In a blink, I was airborne, crossing their line. I saw the archer nocking another arrow in a panic.
Stab!
I thrust my dangling sword forward. The tip pierced the man's throat.
"Fuck, he's so fast!"
"Told you not to charge! Get more guys here, you idiots!"
One peeled off into an alley. Going for reinforcements, for real.
'This is bad.'
Made sense—they'd been lying in wait for me, which meant they'd seeded the streets with spotters. That's how they tracked me down.
'Shouldn't have let that one go.'
I sighed and gathered mana again.
'End it quick.'
"Fuck, everyone be careful! Don't try to block—dodge—"
—Slash!
I severed the head of the babbling fool mid-sentence, twisted, and brought my sword down.
Slaaaash!
A clear blue sword trail etched the air, cleaving the man and his shield perfectly in half.
"Cr-crazy!"
Their eyes bulged, mouths agape. A few hiccupped in shock as they staggered back.
"F-fuck, how the hell do you block that?!"
"That's knight-level!"
They couldn't advance or flee, just squirming in place. I charged first.
"Uwaaaah...!"
The spearman trembled as he thrust at my sudden approach. Slow, feeble—no mana needed to dodge. I whipped my sword upward at the wide-open fool.
Thud!
His head sheared off cleanly. His body hit the ground, spraying blood.
Honestly, from there it wasn't even a fight anymore. Just a massacre—walk up, swing, and they dropped like ragdolls.
"Whew..."
I cleared the blockers ahead, sheathed my sword, and bolted down the street. Questions kept bubbling up as I ran.
'Why didn't they run?'
I got that they tried to hold me with shields at first. But once they saw it wouldn't work, common sense says run, right?
'What kept them from fleeing?'
What could've terrified them more than a sword-wielding maniac charging right at them?
Whatever it was, one thing was clear: something big was going down in the residential district.
'Gotta report this fast.'
I sprinted full-tilt through the alleys.
Good that I'd shaken pursuit, but the problem was direction. Chasing and being chased in a rush, I had zero clue where I was.
'The map...'
I halted and pulled it from my pocket. Unfolded it, but no idea where I was.
"Argh, fuck."
I looked up at the distant bell tower. Guess I'd have to use that as my guide.
"Moving out—"
—Swish!
A sudden chill hit me. I hurled myself forward. A vicious whoosh tore past my back.
Boom!
A massive boom kicked up stone dust. I turned—where I'd stood was now a crater. And there, a lone man came into view.
He looked right at me and said quietly,
"Found you."