39
Chapter 39
Thud, thud.
Footsteps echoed over the stone Stairs.
I quietly watched Kane's back and followed behind him.
There was no hesitation in his steps as he walked ahead.
The Basement I entered after a long time was still dark and damp.
One Stair, then another.
The further we got from the light, the colder the air became, and the darkness grew thicker.
Only Kane's shadow stretched out long, carried by the dim Lamp.
Following behind him, I tightened my grip on the Staff again.
Thud, thud. Thump.
Kane, who was walking ahead, stopped in his tracks.
At the end of the Basement, a faint light was leaking through the gap of a slightly open door.
A low, buzzing sound of voices could be heard from inside.
"One... No, maybe two."
Kane whispered.
It was a small voice that couldn't be heard unless you listened closely, but his tone held certainty.
I absentmindedly took a breath and then slowly let it out.
The center of my tense chest cooled down a bit.
"Can you do it?"
I asked, and Eileen nodded.
Her lips were still completely dry, but her hands weren't shaking this time.
Honestly, it would be troublesome if she couldn't do at least this much.
As we got closer to the door, the conversation of two men inside could be heard clearly.
"You know Bron Hyungnim. He was yelling at that Noble bastard, and the guy couldn't even fight back!"
"Really? Our Hyungnim is that amazing?"
"Bastard, why would I lie about that!"
"No, I mean last time you-"
A Noble? What on earth were they talking about.
Just as the thugs were about to move on to useless dirty talk, Kane started to move.
Gasp.
A short sound of breath. And then it quickly became quiet.
As he slipped into the room like a shadow, no more sounds could be heard.
By the time I poked my head in, the two men were lying quietly on the floor.
Kane carefully opened the door on the opposite side of the room to check outside, then spoke softly.
"It's more spacious than I thought."
The Basement structure I heard about from Kane was in the shape of a cross.
Based on the Stairs we came down, there was one room in front and a door leading to the back.
It was a structure with one more room on each side of the long Hallway.
Each section was clearly divided, and the walls were finished with stone.
It definitely wasn't a space the thugs could have made themselves. It was highly likely that it was originally used for another purpose.
This time, I moved first.
Channeling Mana into the tip of my Staff, I created a fist-sized Water Drop.
My target was a man at the end of the Hallway. He was leaning against the wall in a completely defenseless posture.
Creak.
I carefully took a breath and slightly opened the door.
Aiming my Staff through the gap in the door, I recalled the Spell.
[Water Bullet]
Swoosh— smack.
The mass of water quietly shot out and struck the man right in the head.
Followed by a thud, a low resonating sound of him hitting the wall.
Due to the double impact, the man's body staggered and collapsed.
Thud.
There was no loud scream, nor any resistance.
Like that, he was quietly finished.
I waited for a long time just in case someone came out after hearing the noise, but fortunately, there was no sign of anyone.
While I was feeling relieved inside, Kane slightly turned his head to look at me and said.
"Good job. Let's go in now."
We carefully opened the door and stepped out into the Hallway.
As soon as we went out, a faint groan could be heard. It was from the room on the left side of the Hallway.
As we approached the front of the room's door, a fishy scent of blood flowed out.
I frowned. Kane pushed the door open, and Eileen quietly gritted her teeth beside me.
"Tsk."
"Ugh, this place is..."
The inside was more spacious than I thought. Iron torture Chairs, a bloodstained floor, and people kneeling in the corner.
They all had their hands tied, and their eyes were filled with fear.
They weren't Prisoners. There were old people, young children, and even injured ones.
Judging by their shabby clothes, they were definitely Residents who lived on the outskirts.
Eileen swallowed a groan. I grabbed her without a word. We couldn't be easily swayed by this sight.
In the middle of the room, a man was sitting with his back against a large desk.
Disheveled long hair, forearms with clear pockmarks, and a bloodstained Whip on his waist.
"Hmm? Who are you?"
He raised his head. His eyes were fierce, and I could feel a hint of madness from him.
He didn't seem particularly surprised to see us.
"You're not Bron."
Kane stepped forward.
The guy slowly stood up from his seat.
"Bron? Are you looking for the Captain? Who sent you? Don't tell me it's those Noble bastards?"
I replied while forming a Condensation of water at the tip of my Staff.
"It doesn't matter who sent us. What matters is-"
Swoosh!
Kane moved first.
As soon as he confirmed the guy wasn't holding a weapon, he dashed forward in an instant and swung his Dagger.
The guy raised his arm and grabbed his wrist, but Kane's attack didn't stop there.
Following up immediately with a kick, he struck hard behind the guy's knee.
"Ugh-!"
Thud.
The guy fell to the floor, but he rolled to the side and immediately pulled a Whip from his waist.
"-that in the end, you're going to die here."
"Ha, what a funny guy."
"I'll leave those people to you."
Kane said to me, looking at the tied-up people.
'To think about other people in this situation, is he a more upright person than I thought?'
I nodded. I twirled my Staff and drew up my Mana.
[Water Barrier]
Whoosh!
Light shone from the tip of the Staff, and a curtain of water instantly formed to cover my body.
Eileen ran over without delay, holding a blade to start untying them.
Kane and the man grappled with each other, fighting fiercely.
Kane's Dagger was swung lightly and elegantly, while the Whip the guy held was heavy and sharp.
The sharp noise of the wind tearing, a murderous intent that seemed to touch flesh and bone.
"What's going on!"
"How did these brats get in!"
Damn it, there were more thugs?
Hearing the noise, five or six thugs poured out from the opposite room down the Hallway.
I raised my Staff toward them and drew up my Mana.
[Water Bullet]
Smack!
One of the guys leading the charge took a hit to the head and collapsed right there.
The remaining guys hesitated. But they soon ground their teeth and charged again.
'Damn it. I'm almost out of Mana.'
I gripped the Staff tightly with both hands again.
Looking back, Eileen was untying the people's bindings.
Kane was still grappling with the man, his Dagger flashing dangerously as they clashed.
My heart was beating fast.
'I need to buy some time.'
I set up the Water Barrier close to the door and faced the guys head-on.
'Whatever, I don't care anymore!'
Then, I held the Staff with both hands like a Mace and just swung it.
Whoosh! Smack!
"Gah!"
The Crystal Ball attached to the tip of the Staff struck a thug right on the philtrum.
The guy fell to the side, spilling a few teeth.
This... is harder than I thought?
"W-what the hell is this punk?"
"Fighting with a Staff? Step aside, let me at him!"
Clang! Thwack! Thwack!
The sound of iron and the Crystal Ball clumsily clashing.
The guy who was luckily hit squarely backed away with a bloody nose, but the rest started to fiercely rush at the Water Barrier.
'This isn't going to break, is it?'
Anxiety rose to my throat.
My lips went completely dry, and sweat pooled in my palms.
But I couldn't back down.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
I swung the Staff around, screaming at the top of my lungs.
I struck one guy's knee and pushed away another guy's chest.
"Ugh...!"
My arms were starting to lose their strength.
My body was gradually slowing down.
But the guys in front of me also looked quite exhausted.
'Hold on. If I can just hold on a little longer-'
Crack! A fracturing sound came from the Shield.
Damn it... is this the end?
"I've untied them all!"
The moment I imagined a desperate outcome, Eileen's shout burst out.
Finally, the last binding was undone.
It was unknown if they would be a help to our combat power, but at least we had the numerical advantage.
"Gah!"
With good timing, a short scream erupted from behind.
Turning my head, Kane was standing with the guy pinned to the floor.
The tip of his Dagger was stained with red blood, and Kane's shoulder was also soaked in blood.
'It's over.'
The guys who had been rushing in with bloodshot eyes just a moment ago now backed away, watching Kane nervously like kids who had caused trouble.
And when one guy took off running first, the remaining guys frantically followed and ran away.
I thought about chasing them for a moment, but our original purpose for coming here wasn't to wipe out thugs.
"...Are you okay?"
I asked, looking at Kane's shoulder.
At first, I thought it was another guy's blood, but looking closely, the flesh was torn.
"Tsk, this is a bit embarrassing."
Kane tore the hem of his clothes and wrapped it around the wound as if it were nothing.
It didn't seem to be a serious injury. That was a relief.
"Now there's only one room left straight ahead in the Hallway, right?"
"Will... the guy be in there?"
"If not, he must have been out."
Kane looked around and casually spat out his words.
Well, it was a shame for us, but it probably didn't matter much to Kane.
I also turned my head and looked around.
The people gathered next to Eileen were looking this way with anxious expressions.
Now the problem was what to do with those people.
Just as I was thinking that, Eileen cautiously approached and spoke.
"I'm sorry. I insisted on following you for no reason and couldn't even help..."
Eileen deeply bowed her head.
I couldn't see her expression well, but she seemed completely intimidated.
She seemed disappointed in herself for not being helpful in the battle.
"No, you're doing well enough."
It wasn't empty words.
Naturally, I remembered when I first came here.
Back then, I was a drifter who stood in the back doing nothing, just reading the room.
No one said anything to me then, and rather, they were a help.
"...."
Perhaps my sincerity reached her, Eileen's expression softened a little.
A subtle sense of relief flashed in her eyes as she raised her head slightly to look at me.
"It's nice to see friends taking care of each other, but we don't have time, so shall we get going?"
Kane, who had been watching from the side, interrupted.
His tone was light, but his gaze was already directed toward the next situation.
"What should we do with those people?"
"Well, they'll have to figure it out. Hey there, you can leave now."
"Th-thank you!"
As soon as Kane finished speaking, they ran toward the exit in perfect order.
A strange emotion lingered in Kane's eyes as he watched them.
We moved along the Hallway to the innermost door.
Kane stood in front and casually knocked on the door.
Thump, thump, thump.
After a moment, an unexpected reaction came from inside.
"Who is it!"
A rough, low voice.
I didn't know if it was Bron, but someone was definitely inside.
"Captain! It's me, Beron."
Kane replied calmly.
Beron. It was the name of the thug we heard on the first floor earlier.
"Beron? What's the commotion outside?"
"There was a fight among the guys, so it got a bit loud while breaking it up."
Not a single word, not a single breath was out of place.
He didn't look like someone who had been in a battle just a moment ago.
"Hmm, really? Come in."
Click.
The sound of a latch unlocking was heard from inside the door.
Kane shrugged as he looked back at us, then grabbed the doorknob and pulled.
Slash!
As soon as the door opened, a sharp blade sliced through the air right in front of our eyes.
A strike flying toward the neck.
Kane instinctively twisted his body, but the blade grazed his face as it passed.
"Ugh!"
Kane stepping back while grabbing his left eye.
Blood seeped through his fingers.
"What the......!"
In front of that door stood Bron, whom we had seen before.
A massive Two-handed Sword in his hands, giving off an incredibly heavy pressure.
He was smiling as if he found this situation amusing.
"Hahaha! Beron? Small fries like him can't even come near this room."
Damn it, he wasn't fooled from the beginning.
Did he try to lure us in and ambush us?
"Kids? Hmm? You're...... that girl, aren't you?"
Bron's gaze shifted to Eileen.
The corners of his mouth slowly twisted up.
"Walking right in on your own two feet, is God helping me?"
His tone was full of leisure.
It was a relaxed attitude, as if treating us like rats completely trapped in a jar.
Creak!
Bron threw the door wide open and stepped forward.
As if not even considering us a threat, he charged straight at Kane.
Kane pulled out his Dagger and counterattacked, but his movements looked duller than before since he was covering one eye.
I could see his balance slipping slightly.
'Damn it, my Mana...'
The Mana I had left was only enough for one Water Bullet.
Even that was far too lacking to gather it strongly.
The only hope was that Bron didn't know I was a Magician.
I hid my Staff against my body as much as possible, brought my hand behind my back, and began forming a Condensation of Mana.
Faint moisture solidified at my fingertips and gathered like a bead.
The two fought a tight battle, but Kane, whose vision was unstable, momentarily lost his balance.
His body staggered, and Bron's Two-handed Sword didn't miss that opening and dug in.
'No! It hasn't gathered enough yet...!'
The moment I tried to forcefully fire the Water Bullet,
Click!
The Pouch at my waist opened, and Gerangi popped out.
"Gerangi!"
A familiar scene I had seen before.
That small body bounced between Kane and Bron, and a blue barrier unfolded.
Whoosh!
The Water Barrier formed in an instant.
Bron's Two-handed Sword struck it, ringing out with a Clang!
"What the hell is this...!"
Bron's eyes wavered for the first time.
Not missing that moment, Kane moved.
Raising his staggering body, he fixed his posture again.
Clang! Clash!
Soon, Kane fiercely rushed at Bron, seemingly adapted to his half-obscured vision.
His Dagger was a pitiful size compared to Bron's Two-handed Sword, but he instead aimed for gaps and dug in with that short blade.
Before Bron could properly put his strength into swinging, Kane closed the distance tightly and constantly dug inside.
"Ugh!"
Bron stepped back as if flustered and took a defensive stance.
His Two-handed Sword required large movements, but at close range, it was rather a burdensome Weapon.
Clash! Clash! Clash!
Kane was moving much lighter than before, as if he had broken free from something.
But his movements were gradually fading.
Due to the continuous battle and bleeding, I could see the strength slowly draining from his body.
"Haha, is that all?"
Bron must have noticed it too, as he instead raised his momentum and pushed forward with sheer stamina.
Kane started being pushed back again.
Eileen rushed in to help, but the opponent was too much.
Thwack.
Eileen took a kick to the abdomen and was thrown backward just like that.
"Hehe, I'll deal with you separately later."
Bron looked over the fallen Eileen with gloomy eyes.
Then, he raised his Two-handed Sword high, as if to cut Kane down in one strike.
Now is the time.
[Water Bullet]
In that split second when his body was left defenseless, I did not hesitate.
The Water Bullet, which had reached its Condensation limit, shot out from my fingertips, sharply slicing through the air.
Swoosh—! Smack!
"Keugh-!"
The fierce Water Bullet accurately struck Bron's jaw.
The moment his body bent backward, Kane's Dagger plunged in consecutively, as if he had been waiting.
Clatter! Thud.
And with that, it was definitively over.