Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Penalty Imposed
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Red rain falls.
The dark clouds carried a rotten stench, and the pouring red rain reeked of blood.
My stomach churned.
Just as my body and clothes soaked in the rain, blood seeped into my body and clothes, weighing me down heavily.
It wasn't just simple weight.
Screams, pain, and sorrow—things my small mind couldn't fully comprehend.
All of it clumped together, turning into resentment that fell as blood.
The sky was dark.
Even though the sun hadn't set yet, it had hidden itself, unable to overcome its fear.
Only the dark clouds and the resentment they poured out blanketed the world.
"F-Focus!!!!! Break through at one point—!!!!"
I knew we couldn't win with just us.
The commander was just as terrified, but he didn't forget the duty he carried.
His shout carried power.
Even as everyone panicked and some even fled on their own, those who remained focused on the commander's orders.
Break through at one point.
It wasn't some grand tactic, but in this situation, there was no better way to escape.
Scattering would just get us picked off one by one by the blood monsters everywhere.
"The devil worshippers sacrificed the city! If they summoned something with a sacrifice that size, it's a great devil among devils! Way beyond what we can handle! We're escaping! Head west! If I die, command goes to Shan next—!!"
Even as he choked up at the thought of death, he told us which way to go.
And what to do if something happened to him.
Confirming the order, we all moved without needing further prompting.
The sticky blood pools on the ground clung to our feet, but we ignored it.
Up front stood two silver-rank adventurers and me.
In the exact same positions as when we'd cleared the monsters before.
The blood rain fell, pooling into human shapes.
They were grotesque, like flayed skin revealing raw red flesh, so we swung our weapons without hesitation.
I thought I'd cut them clean, but there was no sensation of slicing flesh.
It was like cutting water.
The blood monster I'd split began reforming itself with the blood pouring from the sky.
"Combat isn't the goal! Get out of here—!! Ignore anything that doesn't die!"
As I froze in panic, Shan slapped my back hard, and the commander reminded us of our objective.
I snapped to and switched to a lighter sword.
Fighting with a heavy blade against things that didn't die and weren't tough was inefficient anyway.
Gripping the sharp sword, I pushed forward.
The giant rising from the city showed no interest in us.
And the blood monsters were falling apart more easily than expected.
This was our best—and last—chance to escape.
We ran at full speed, desperate to leave this space.
Swinging swords relentlessly, thrusting spears, chopping with axes as we advanced.
The blood monsters didn't die when cut and regenerated quickly, but...
They had no real combat power.
They just formed shapes and blocked our path—that was their only resistance.
Just as I thought fighting while fleeing might actually be easier than expected...
A red light flashed in my vision.
I couldn't grasp what was happening.
The red rain stopped for a moment.
No wind.
Couldn't breathe.
One second felt like ten.
Before my mind could process it, instinct reacted first, and I shouted on instinct.
"Get down—!!"
Boom—!
The deafening explosion made me groan.
The flashing red light was a red beam from the giant.
It left a crimson trail, literally shredding the commander and the five adventurers protecting him to pieces.
Chunks of flesh rained down.
My nose was numb, unable to smell, which made the surreal scene feel even less real.
"I've taken command now! Don't look back! You can't block it anyway! Keep moving! If it's a devil summoned by worshippers, its influence won't reach beyond this phenomenon!"
Shan pointed ahead, axe in hand.
If we couldn't block it anyway, no point looking back to amplify the fear—just get out a second faster.
He'd even tossed aside his usual fedora.
Blood-soaked, raising his voice, I backed him up.
"If you want to live, do as you're told! Scattering won't save you!"
No one followed Shan's words, swallowed by fear.
No one listened.
People had been pulverized beyond recognition, like a bomb blast.
I'm scared too. Scared enough to want to collapse right there.
But I want to live!
"Anyone still sane, follow me! We're pushing forward!"
Just about ten.
Only about ten listened to us.
The rest ignored us, fleeing wildly or collapsing in tears.
As I tried to go save them, Shan grabbed my collar and yanked me back roughly.
"Ignore them! Only those who can still move, follow!"
"Y-Yes!"
Right, we can't save them.
That's what I thought.
Sword in hand, I ran forward only.
I ignored the boom behind me.
Ignored the horrific screams.
Swing sword, clear path, twenty steps. Red light flashes behind again.
Screams, people explode, blood falls.
Swing sword, clear path, thirty steps, boom again.
Our ten-person escape started strong but dwindled to five after just dozens of steps.
But at least we wouldn't die to that insane beam anymore.
We were out of the giant's sight.
It was perched on a hill.
So blindly running downhill would at least get us out of its view.
"Even a devil can't hit what it can't see."
Shan clutched his shoulder in pain, but we couldn't stop here.
We were out of the giant's sight, but dozens, hundreds of blood monsters still surrounded us.
One-on-one, they were weak...
But dozens, hundreds? Big problem.
"Get up! We can't rest here!"
"...I know. No resting—keep moving! Good thing they're slow and weak! Five of us can carve a path!"
At Shan's shout, we exchanged glances and nodded.
We're not close. But you're all I have to trust, so I do.
Spear-wielding silver-rank, two more at that level, me, and Shan—we gripped our weapons and exhaled.
The world was dyed in blood.
The air grew thick with blood droplets warm like body heat.
Every breath was torture.
Nausea rose; I couldn't tell if I was breathing or drinking blood.
Revulsion, fear, terror, anger, confusion, sorrow, disgust—emotions swirled inside.
Frustration at the suddenness of it all too.
But first, escape this place.
Then I could sort my feelings, reflect, understand.
"Let's go!"
But hope wasn't gone.
Beyond, where dark clouds didn't gather, sunlight shone, no blood fell.
A clear boundary divided the spaces.
"No stopping—head straight there. Devils can't leave their domain... Get there, and we win."
"We win...?"
"Surviving is winning enough."
Before our blood-soaked bodies grew heavier, we charged again at Shan's words.
We slashed the monsters.
One of the silver-ranks survived so far—relief made me slip.
Mis-swung my weapon.
Monsters didn't miss the gap, swarming him.
Weak individually, but dozens on one? No saving him.
"Ignore! Forward!"
We snapped to at Shan's shout and pressed on.
Every step splashed through blood puddles.
Slashing monsters, ignoring our comrade's screams.
Finally, we escaped the devils' domain.
The dark clouds didn't move.
Just one step beyond, no blood soiled the ground.
No fishy smell.
As we exited, the monsters lost interest, wandering before heading back to the city en masse.
As you escaped the domain, the monsters lost interest, wandering before heading back to the city en masse.
I turned to check the survivors.
Shan and me, and the spear-wielding silver-rank.
Just three.
Your reputation decreases.
Penalty for quest failure applied.
Negative trait rank increases.
Villain F → Villain E