Chapter 28
Chapter 28
I moved forward.
I swung my sword down vertically.
The sword stopped abruptly.
A 4th-tier swordsman.
I expected he wouldn't be easy, but he was more of a fortress than I thought.
Red Sword Qi blazed around the sword in Rainer's hand.
"Let me show you what kind of being you're facing."
Instinctively, I had a premonition.
The premonition that this guy was the most dangerous enemy I had ever faced.
Rainer kicked off the ground and thrust his dual swords forward.
Kaga-gag!
Twisting my feet to the right, I blocked Rainer's swords with my blade.
"I was a Knight of the honorable Balten Family. I am on a different level than a rootless mongrel like you."
Knight?
I couldn't help but ask.
"Then why are you here like this? Did you throw away your honor as a Knight?"
Of course, I didn't forget to prod him while asking.
"Or were you abandoned by that Knight family?"
It seemed my jab landed perfectly.
"...You, you lowly wretch, how dare you!"
Rainer, his face like a demon's, charged again with his swords.
The swords seemed to have several more layers of Sword Qi stacked upon the one that had just manifested, wrapped in a red storm.
My jab was meant to make him lose his composure.
But while I succeeded in making him lose his composure, I seemed to have stoked his rage too much.
"Take this, this is the sword of the great Balten!"
I don't know if it's great. But I certainly know it's dangerous.
Dragon Slayer Sword.
I trusted the swordsmanship Senior Light Sword had given me.
The Sword Manual stated that for the swordsmanship to be properly unleashed, Sword Qi was necessary.
And now, I had that Sword Qi.
A red aura surged in a diagonal direction.
I didn't feel the need to dodge. I just had to cut it.
Tsutsutsutsu!
Horizontal slash, Thursahǫgg.
The red torrent, slashed diagonally, was instantly severed.
Beyond the severed torrent, I saw Rainer's face contorted in a grimace.
He closed his mouth and retracted his spread arms.
I saw him raise his right shoulder and pull his sword back.
I immediately recognized it as a preparation for a thrust.
Red energy gathered, flashing brightly, on Rainer's sword.
Kugugugugugu!
The crimson haze, coalescing in a spiral, violently shook the air.
A chill ran down my spine.
The emotion that welled up was not fear.
I adopted the same stance as Rainer.
I drew pure white Sword Qi into the Great Enemy Sword Karnavalt.
The muscles in my arm tightened like a drawn bowstring, the sensation traveling up to my shoulder.
Thump.
I took a step.
The muscles in my right shoulder blade screamed.
My vision was filled with four converging strikes.
Rainer's thrust was, as expected, a super-speed stab.
The Sword Qi slashes surged towards me like spears shot in a straight line.
Four red spears distorted the air as they charged.
The battle was decided in an instant.
Pure white Sword Qi shot out from Karnavalt, which I held.
Dragon Slayer Sword Style 4.
Five- 연 stab.
Quinque Acies.
Tzajajajajaja!
The four red slashes collided with the white light and annihilated each other.
Fragments of Sword Qi scattered densely.
Pushing through the fragments, the pure white Sword Qi struck Rainer's abdomen.
His thrust was a 4-yeon.
Mine was a 5-year.
The single trajectory that survived the mutual annihilation pierced Rainer's abdomen.
"Kuhuk!"
A mouthful of red blood spurted from Rainer's mouth.
Rainer's face held no astonishment or confusion.
Both he and I had seen it.
The process of our sword strikes meeting.
In a battle for life, there are no coincidences.
As I approached to finish him off.
Rainer instantly slammed his sword onto the ground.
Flash─
A red wave surged right before my eyes.
Every nerve in my body told me.
If I touch that, I will die.
Crunch-
I heard a crushing sound.
It was my right arm.
My right arm, swallowed by the wave, twisted unnaturally.
My eyes reddened.
It was a pain like blades piercing every single nerve.
The sudden pain almost sent my consciousness flying, but I barely held onto it.
[Skill 'Pain Suppression' level has increased. Lv.6]
[Skill 'Warrior's Movement' level has increased. Lv.5]
My thoughts accelerated.
I had to leap over the red wave surging upwards and take Rainer's head.
I unleashed white Aura into both my feet.
Dragon Slayer Sword, Footwork.
What I saw was a single gap that the wave did not fully cover.
Lumen Errans.
I took a step.
Tzzeok─
I flowed into the gap of the vertically surging red current.
Chwaak!
I severed Rainer's neck with the Bloodied Dagger in my left hand.
I severed his carotid artery cleanly.
Like a puppet whose strings were cut, blood gushed from Rainer's neck as he collapsed to the ground.
From the moment my stab pierced his abdomen...
To my arm being consumed by the red wave.
And until Rainer died.
This entire moment was but an instant.
[Level Up!]
[Lv.20 → Lv.21]
Perhaps it was because I killed a 4th-tier, my level rose by one from 20, a level I had only reached after slaughtering Demonic Beasts and humans.
Crunch!
And naturally, my right arm was restored to its original state.
I stared at the dead Rainer with wide-open eyes.
I almost died, you bastard.
His arms were far from normal. Veins bulged grotesquely.
The red wave. He seemed to have pushed beyond his limits to use that attack.
Was he trying to take me down with him?
I survived by a mere thread.
I couldn't afford to linger in the aftermath of the battle with the 4th-tier swordsman Rainer.
The situation was not yet resolved.
Towards Caetor, who was thrusting his spear at me, I swung the Great Enemy Sword horizontally.
The halved spear shaft shot upwards.
Blood spread out in a horizontal arc.
I killed Caetor. Two remained.
I cut down the two who hadn't even considered intervening in the battle between Rainer and me, nor charged in immediately like Caetor.
"......"
Despite leveling up just now, I felt an immense fatigue accumulating.
Both physically and mentally.
I approached the two Catfolk whose necks and hands were bound by chains and freed them.
"Are, are you okay?"
"I'm glad you're alive..."
"The adults will be here soon..."
The Catfolk Beastmen huddled together.
They all looked at me with wary expressions. Except for Mike.
I didn't feel the need to ease their wariness.
Leaning my back against a large tree, I watched the Catfolk.
The number of Catfolk secured was eight in total.
[8/8]
The quest's specified number of Catfolk had been secured.
Now, all that remained was to hand them over to the rescue party for the quest to be completed.
But when would these rescuers arrive?
Those who came to rescue the Catfolk would likely be Catfolk themselves.
Just then, one of the two Catfolk I had just rescued said, on the verge of tears.
[NPC - Catfolk Beastman Shamo]
"Yutel and Merba are missing..."
Two are missing?
Well, the quest said to secure more than 8 people.
It never said 8 was the total.
Shamo continued, her face pale.
"That person, the combat captain of the slave traders, dragged me around... but they weren't anywhere. I thought they'd be here... but they're not here either."
She was completely losing it.
It was a situation where I wouldn't be blamed for thinking "Not my problem."
The quest conditions were already met.
The children with cat ears began a heated discussion.
"Let's go find them!"
"No! It's dangerous to scatter again! There are not only slave traders but also Demonic Beasts!"
Right, no.
But these guys...
No matter how I looked at them, they didn't seem like NPCs from the games I used to browse in my past life.
I understood why the Transcendence Gallery seniors got so invested, talking about the Lucerna Mercenary Group and Delisa.
What was approaching felt no different from reality.
I took out my Terminal and took pictures of the Catfolk gathered in a circle, discussing.
I opened the Transcendence Gallery.
I wrote a post.
Title: Found the required number of Catfolk, but...
Author: XX*
Attachment: 823884390.jpg
(Photo of eight Catfolk Beastman children gathered in a circle)
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The kids say two are missing. Anyone know how to find them?
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The Catfolk are cute.
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Ice Queen) So cute!
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Dragon King) Beltui- Haven't seen Catfolk in a while.
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You only needed to find the required number, right?
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They're just immersed.
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That guy cleared up to the 100th floor but still doesn't know the Tower. Finding more than the required number gives bonus points.
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That leads to death, what do you mean I don't know the Tower. You trying to die?
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Sword of Light) I think there was a Pointy-eared one who might know.
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Elf) ? Me?
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Sword of Light) Not you, the furry Pointy-eared one.
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Pioneer) That Pointy-eared one was banned before, wasn't he?
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Beast King) Hey!!!!!!!! Jjuhdak!!!!!!!!!!!!! You son of a bitch!!!!!!!!!
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Pioneer) Oh, you're released? Long time no see.
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Hahahaha, trying to get banned again as soon as you're released.
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Beast King) If Catfolk appear on the floors, you should release me immediately!!!!!!!!!
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Jjuhdak) ?
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Beast King) Sorry. I got a bit excited. Haha
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Beast King) I've just been lurking, so I really wanted to participate haha...
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'?'
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The question mark of the powerful is terrifying.
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Immediate mental treatment, wow.
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Jjuhdak) I'm giving you a special pardon because it's your specialty, so be mindful of your words and actions.
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Beast King) Hehe Yes!!
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If you're thinking of cursing him out inside, press like.
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I think you're saying it out loud, not just in your head.
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Yes*) Are you a Catfolk?
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Beast King) Wow, nice to meet you!!!!!! Gallery Master!!!!!!!!
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Beast King) First, thank you for saving the Catfolk children. Even if they're NPCs, they're so realistic.
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They say two are missing. Do you know how to find them?
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Beast King) The children are confused and probably forgot! Catfolk can send a resonant sound only to other Catfolk!
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Beast King) In the Forest of Bewitching Beasts, given Catfolk habits, the only places they'd hide are caves. It's highly probable the remaining two are hiding in a cave. Catfolk resonant sound can penetrate enclosed spaces, so you'll find them quickly.
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Okay *) Thanks.
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Beast King) Make sure to find them!
As much as possible.
I closed the gallery.
"Mike."
Mike immediately ran over and peeked at me.
"Yes."
"You know about the resonant sound Catfolk can communicate with, right?"
"Ah...!"
Mike's green eyes widened.
The other Catfolk also looked surprised.
"Why did I forget that!"
The Catfolk opened their mouths and began to emit sounds I couldn't hear.
Then, sensing the direction, they all turned their heads to the right.
"I'll be at the front, so stick close and follow me, slowly."
"We have to do as Yuseong-nim says."
Mike marshaled the children behind me.
Thump thump.
After about 20 minutes of walking, two Catfolk emerged from a cave, parting the mist.
"Yutel!"
"Merba!"
The Catfolk children embraced each other in reunion.
"Is that all of them?"
Mike stood on tiptoe, looking up at me with a bright smile.
"Yes, Yuseong."
The rescue was complete.
Now, all that remained was to meet the rescue party.