Chapter 126
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: 7 VS 500 (2)
We took up positions about fifty meters back from the spot where Loren and old man Hawk had first gotten their feet stuck.
When the lizardmen pushed into the passage, we piled up the useless baggage like a barricade, with Sia, Tanya, and Roy positioned behind it.
Sia waited in readiness for her Recovery Blessing, while Roy and Tanya were tense as they stared at the fifteen explosive potions and twenty grease scrolls laid out before them.
Among Loren, old man Hawk, and Claude, Loren took the front line, while Hawk and Claude agreed to rotate in to manage their stamina during the fight.
And as for me...
"Hm."
Out of the thirty scrolls Camella had prepared for me, twenty were grease scrolls, seven were Haste scrolls, and three were Barrier scrolls.
She must have matched the number of Haste scrolls to our group of seven.
"Loren, old man Hawk, Claude—here."
I handed Barrier scrolls first to the three who would be fighting up front.
"Use them immediately if anything unexpected happens."
"Got it."
"Yeah."
"Understood, Cain."
I turned back and approached Roy and Tanya.
"When you tear the scrolls, the magic shoots forward, so be careful not to rip them carelessly. Hand them over right away if Claude or whoever's resting asks for one."
"O-okay..."
"Got it..."
Their faces were pale with tension and fear, but they stood their ground steadfastly, which was commendable.
"Cain..."
"Sia."
"You can't get hurt, okay? No—even if you do get hurt, you have to come back. I'll heal you all up!"
"Right. I'm counting on you."
"Mwah!!"
I received Sia's kiss, full of encouragement and worry, then moved forward.
"I'm taking five explosive potions with me, so on the fifth one, wait until just before I get back to use it, got it?"
"Yeah."
I passed by old man Hawk and Claude, who silently patted my shoulder, and headed toward the swarming lizardmen.
The Haste scroll boosted the caster's movement speed by 30% for ten minutes.
With seven scrolls, that was seventy minutes to herd hundreds of those bastards into the passage.
"Hoo..."
Rrrrip—
Whoosh—!
Thanks to my Technique stat, my movements were already light, but now they felt even lighter.
I double-checked the items in the multi-pocket on my waist.
Clink—
Shing—
I drew the dagger from its sheath, gripped it reverse, focused my awareness on my legs, and moved. They felt heavy, but not enough to hinder me much.
And so, I advanced slowly.
"Shkek?"
The same one I'd run into earlier.
It tilted its head again.
Fortunately, the others were still far enough away that only this one noticed.
I clamped its jaws shut and slit its throat with the dagger.
Spuuurt—!!
"...!!!"
Splash!
"Shkek!!!"
"Kieeeek!!!"
I'd tried to keep the noise down, but the thud of its body rolling into the swamp was anything but quiet.
Soon, the others nearby started screeching in response.
Squelch—
Thud!!!!
I leaped onto the fallen body, kicked off hard, and sprinted at full speed.
The squishy sensation lingered unpleasantly on my soles, but I jumped much higher than I could from the swamp itself.
Then I pulled out an explosive potion and hurled it with all my might into the center of the clustered lizardmen.
Kaboom—!!!
"Keeek!!!"
"Shaaaaak!!!"
The explosive potion's kill radius was three meters. A bright flash and deafening blast erupted from one side, filling the air with the lizardmen's screams.
Seizing the moment when all nearby attention snapped toward the explosion, I landed by stomping on one lizardman's head.
Thump—!
Splash!!
I swung my dagger rapidly, slicing into the surrounding ones.
Their cries were drowned out amid the distraction of the blast and light, and I quickly shifted position, scaling the walls to move.
"Stamina drain's more than I thought."
Mobility in the swamp wasn't dead, but it demanded so much focus that the consumption was higher than expected.
I skirted the outer edges, tossing explosive potions toward the center to gather aggro, planning to detonate one at the passage entrance last to lure them in. So far, no real danger.
I reached one end of the wall.
"Alright, time for the second one..."
Whish—!
Kabooooom!!!
"Kreeeeek!!"
"Keeek!!!"
They had a weakness to fire and explosions, so the potions were highly effective.
Even moving cautiously, enough had started chasing me now that I used the blast to scatter aggro briefly, then darted in the next direction.
Distance was about one to two kilometers... I'd picked off stragglers on the outskirts, and I could feel the first scroll's effect wearing off.
Rrrrip—!
Whoosh—!
"Hoo... two down."
By the time I hit the second vertex of this vast area, I'd thrown the third potion.
Screeeeech!
Kabooooom!!!!
Just before the potion hit the lizardmen cluster mid-air, a massive spear flew in and detonated it prematurely.
"What?"
The leader? Even their leaders with spears weren't that big...
"Kraaaaaargh!!!"
"Oh shit."
Ruuuuumble!!!!
The colossal beast landing before me left my jaw dropping.
Lizardmen varied from 160 to 180 cm, their leaders maybe just over two meters. But this one was easily three meters tall.
Muscles rippled menacingly, its head hooded in a skull, snake-like vertical-slit yellow eyes glaring at me.
"We're fucked... a Champion?"
Champion. Rare monsters in the Labyrinth stronger than regular leaders.
One tier above the layer's level.
So this thing was a layer 2 leader-class beast.
No one knew why they spawned.
Just that meeting one meant you were screwed.
"Krawraaak!"
Whump—
Claaaang!!!
"Whoa, strong bastard."
Apparently the one who'd speared my potion earlier—its iron-like clang echoed as my dagger glanced off its bare fist.
Scales like steel?
I shook my slightly numb wrist and kept it at bay.
Fucked, sure, but layer 1 and my total stats neared a level 4 Explorer's, so not utterly hopeless.
"Krawng!!!"
We faced off briefly, then it lunged with its other arm.
Clang!!
Similar to the first punch, I parried leisurely—then it spun, tail whipping my side.
Whoooosh—
Wham!!!
"Gah!!!"
That tail was log-thick, the little shit.
Splat!!
Damn it—if I'd had solid footing...
"Krrk..."
It narrowed its eyes mockingly as I cursed. It stomped down; I rolled away barely.
"Ah... everything's soaked."
"Krrk...!"
"That fucker...!"
Thinking it was toying with me, it chuckled-like and approached leisurely, gliding silently.
It grabbed my collar, hoisting me up.
Not attacking right away, it shook me around, showing me off to the surrounding lizardmen like a trophy.
The ones I'd herded centrally with potions were slinking this way.
"Dead."
Slice! Slice! Slice!!
Spray!!!
Luckily, its palms weren't fully scaled—I slashed the thick veins in its hand rapidly.
"Kreeeeeeek!!"
"Where ya...!"
Grab—!
Caught off-guard, its hand bloodied instantly.
It flailed to shake me off, but as its grip loosened, I slithered up to its shoulder like an eel.
"Kyaaaaak!!!!"
Furious, it swung its good arm—I thrust my dagger forward.
Twitch—!
Seeing the dagger, already mangled on one hand, it flinched. I planted my foot on its shoulder, backflipped, and chucked an explosive potion into its gaping maw.
Crunch—!
Kaboooooom!!!
"Kiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee!!!"
Instinctively chewing the potion, it detonated inside, roaring deafeningly.
"Fuck. Still not dead?"
Landing in the soggy swamp, I shivered at its survival—and the killing intent oozing from its eyes.
"Gotta kill it first, huh?"
Running? Impossible. I'd promised Sia no injuries, but this might strain that.
"Hahk... hahk... heuk..."
The potions weren't useless.
Its movements dulled slightly, reactions slowed.
But the three-meter frame's pressure, plus fighting with feet mired in swamp, drained stamina faster.
Whoosh!
Clang!!!
"Ngh!"
Twenty minutes in since the lizardmen brought its spear-weapon.
Spear grazes bled my forearms and thighs; its reach denied potion breaks.
"Keeak!"
Splash—!!
Plus, surrounding lizardmen complicated things.
Any gap, and side-spears stabbed, forcing dodges or counters, extra drain.
"Fucking dying here...?"
Five explosions promised—only four used, including the mouth one. Hard for allies to notice this.
Tried another potion toss.
But spear in hand, it showed no openings—uncannily.
"You on item luck too, huh?"
"Krrrh..."
"Fight fair, one-on-one!"
"Krawraaak!!!"
"Cheating bastard!!!"
Whoosh!!
Seeing me deflect with dagger, it jabbed short, pokey thrusts—no big swings.
Cunning fucker.
As fatigue blurred my vision...
Kaboom—!!!!
Kaboom—!!!!
Kaboom—!!!!
Three blasts from behind it.
"Cain!!!"
"These bastards!!!"
"Cain!!!!"
Haa... nearly died for real.