Chapter 103
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Breakthrough
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No sooner had he stepped forward than the Gigant Abel rode slid ahead like it was gliding on ice.
It was the effect of his custom armament, Blessing of the Wind.
Boom!
As it pushed straight forward, the skeletons blocking the way toppled over like bowling pins.
Of course, new skeletons immediately filled the gap.
So he couldn't stop.
Abel swung his sword again.
Kwa-dr-r-r-rack!
One sword stroke felled dozens of skeletons.
Whenever space opened up, he activated Blessing of the Wind without hesitation and pressed forward, repeating the process.
Kwaaaang—! Kwaang—!
The skeletons clustered together to block his advance or leaped high to pounce from above, just like before.
In the process, damage steadily accumulated on Abel's Gigant.
But that wasn't enough to halt him.
The key was to keep moving forward, even if slowly.
Boom! Boom—!
Abel swung his sword dozens, hundreds of times.
As he did, he recalled what Carlton had told him.
The most important thing on the battlefield is to keep swinging.
No matter how skilled or talented you are, the moment you stop on the battlefield, death is all that awaits.
So keep swinging that sword.
‘It’s definitely helping.’
Even in his trance-like state of swinging, Abel curled up one corner of his mouth.
His advance was painfully slow, but the exit was undoubtedly drawing closer.
Kwaaaang!
When he was just about twenty paces from the exit.
Suddenly, the skeletons near the exit collapsed with a roar and began floating into the air.
-A powerful mana reaction is detected.
Lupus said quickly.
The pile of floating bones soon began forming a massive shape.
An intense obsession not to let him pass radiated from it.
But instead of slowing, Abel maxed out Blessing of the Wind and slid forward.
Break through that, and it’s the exit.
No reason to stop.
-Grrooooaaarrr!
With a roar, an intense chill pierced the Gigant’s sturdy armor and wrapped around his body.
Abel shuddered but raised his sword.
The massive skull at the exit’s threshold reached out an arm.
Abel swung his sword at it with full force.
Kwa-dr-r-r-rack!
The bones shattered, scattering everywhere.
Abel didn’t stop there and charged ahead, swinging at its leg.
Crack!
The giant skull staggered wildly.
Even then, it reached out to grab him, but it wasn’t enough to catch him at full speed.
Fwoooosh—!
With the sound of compressed air bursting, Abel’s Gigant shot into the passage.
-Grrooooaaarrr!
A chilling roar echoed from behind.
Abel ignored it and kept running, running more.
And at some point.
Fwaaaash!
Bright light enveloped him.
The moment Abel saw the light, he cut off Blessing of the Wind propelling him forward and came to a stop.
Thud—!
A heavy impact shook the machine.
Abel groaned and blinked. Before him was a red wall.
Looking around, he saw red walls and floor everywhere.
No skeletons, no passage he’d escaped from.
Just two branching paths.
-Success.
Lupus summed it up briefly. Abel chuckled and nodded.
“Yeah.”
Abel checked the time.
Three hours had passed before he knew it.
‘Didn’t feel like I was in there that long.’
More time had elapsed than he’d thought.
“Mm.”
Belatedly, headache and muscle pain hit him. The price for his wild rampage.
He wanted to flop down on the floor right there, but he couldn’t.
‘The essence.’
He still had something to check.
Abel hurriedly fumbled for the storage pouch at his waist and opened it.
Hiss—.
The device opened, revealing the essence glowing with an ethereal light.
Seeing it, Abel let out a sigh of relief.
He’d worried it might get lost or damaged in the frantic battle.
-Incredible, even on second look.
“Yeah?”
-To think this much power remained condensed even after death.
“Not common, that’s for sure.”
-So how do you use it? Process it somehow?
“No. That’d be ideal, but it comes with a lot of risks.”
When leaving this special management zone, the knight order inspects trophies directly and takes a fee.
He’d have no choice but to reveal the essence’s existence.
Smuggling it past their eyes is extremely difficult.
-Then how…?
“Only one way.”
Abel confirmed no one was around several times, then opened the Gigant’s cockpit.
“Absorb it directly.”
-Risky.
“I know.”
Abel grinned at Lupus’s words.
“That’s why I need your help too. Count on you.”
-What?
“You’ll figure it out naturally.”
Absorbing it directly was obviously dangerous.
But that was something he’d resolved to do from the moment he decided to take it.
Abel immediately picked up the essence and pressed it to his chest.
Fwaaah—!
Bright light burst from the essence, turning liquid-like as it sucked into his chest.
-Truly reckless.
Lupus sounded flustered but added one more thing.
-But that’s why I like it, Master.
Abel started to reply but clenched his teeth.
Sudden agony whitewashed his mind.
Trembling in the pain, Abel moved the Gigant to close the cockpit and sat against one wall.
Soon, horrific screams echoed inside the Gigant.
Screams no one else could hear.
* * *
Several Gigants stood near the Red Hole.
The vice-captain of the Jackal Mercenaries, who’d been glancing toward it, spoke up.
-Captain. Only 30 minutes left.
Jackal fell silent for a long while before replying.
-I see.
-Shouldn’t we at least check?
“No. We retreat at the set time as planned.”
Jackal’s voice was firm.
The vice-captain didn’t push further.
After all, the client himself had said to retreat if he didn’t return by the deadline.
They’d traveled together for days, but with no personal ties, there was no reason to defy orders and mount a rescue.
Then Jackal, staring at the Red Hole, said.
-He’ll come back safely.
-Pardon?
As the vice-captain asked puzzledly, Jackal added calmly.
-Doesn’t look like someone who’d fail in a place like this.
Jackal recalled past memories.
He’d entered Vulcanus’s arena tournament half out of curiosity.
Before founding the mercenary group, raising his name value would bring benefits.
He hadn’t expected much from the tournament itself.
There were a few familiar faces, but they were clearly beneath him, and the rest were green academy cadets.
Even seeing Abel in the finals for the first time was the same.
A first-year cadet beating others to the top was surprising, but not grounds for high expectations.
But those thoughts shattered the moment the match began.
Abel exceeded his expectations in every way.
Not just skill.
-There are plenty with skill and talent.
Fighting on battlefields and subjugation squads, Jackal had seen countless such people.
-But the ones who survive to the end aren’t them.
-Same old speech, Captain.
The vice-captain responded matter-of-factly.
Jackal nodded.
-Fighting spirit and drive for improvement. Those two matter most.
Abel’s eyes burned with fighting spirit.
Unyielding, even in dire, hopeless situations.
Even when clearly at a disadvantage against him, Abel never despaired.
Those eyes aimed only for victory from start to finish.
-Hey? Isn’t that a signal?
Then the observation mercenary pointed at the Red Hole.
Jackal immediately scrutinized it. The rope fixed to the stake was shaking.
-Right. Let’s go.
Confirming it, Jackal stepped forward at once.
The vice-captain followed right behind.
Approaching the Red Hole swiftly, they peered inside and spotted Abel’s machine waving.
Jackal told the vice-captain to hold the stake and gestured for him to come up.
Creak—.
The rope tautened, slowly pulling Abel’s machine up.
As it neared the top, Jackal reached out.
Thud—!
The machine hit the ground with a heavy boom.
-Cutting it close.
At the familiar voice, Jackal smirked and nodded.
-Very close.
Fifteen minutes left.
Any later, and Jackal and the others would’ve already withdrawn.
-We’ll remove the stake and prep to withdraw.
-Yeah.
Answering Jackal, Abel sighed in relief and looked at the sky.
After hours in the all-red place, the blue sky felt refreshing.
“Managed to survive and get out somehow.”
-I’ll say it again: truly reckless, Master.
Lupus scolded in a grumpy tone.
With good reason.
During the absorption, Lupus had suffered as much as Abel.
By his description, it felt like his soul was being torn apart.
Of course, Abel had felt that pain too.
‘Not something I want to go through twice.’
Only now could he speak lightly of it; absorbing the essence was no easy feat.
In the game, it was just percentages: chance of failure, chance of mishap during absorption.
No details on what exactly happened.
It felt like his whole body was burning while giant needles pricked weak spots.
Like hot flames erupting from deep inside, shredding his flesh from within.
And his mind sharper than ever, unable to escape the pain….
True torture.
His mental strength was rock bottom now.
‘First, head to the rest point and recover.’
Deciding that, Abel walked toward the mercenaries finishing withdrawal prep.
Just then, Jackal approached and asked.
-Where to next?
-To the rest point. Need a long break.
-Understood.
Jackal replied without further questions, despite his curiosity.
Abel couldn’t answer honestly anyway, but not asking at all was more comfortable.
As Abel headed to the new destination, he said to Lupus.
“Surprising. Thought you’d want to test the new power right away.”
-…Master. Even I need rest sometimes.
Lupus replied in disbelief.
-Talking’s hard enough now, let alone testing…
“Fair. Same here. Just wanna rest without doing a thing.”
Abel said lightly.
But as the saying goes, words plant seeds.
Not even five minutes later, bad news arrived.
Boom, boooom—!
-Two mid-grade Gigadeus Fragments approaching from the front!
-Approaching fast! Cannot evade.
Hearing the mercenaries’ reports, Abel let out a short sigh.
Whoosh—!
At the same time, flames erupted from his sword.