Chapter 127
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: 7 VS 500 (3)
"Kwoor?"
With a massive explosion and the clamor of battle echoing around, the beast glanced back for just a moment. Seizing the opening, I chugged a vitality potion and a recovery potion.
"Hoo..."
The gash from its spear blade and the crushing fatigue melted away, bringing the battlefield into sharp focus.
The lizard bastards that had swarmed around me and the champion had their attention yanked toward Claude, Uncle Hawk, and Loren by the blast. Their numbers here had thinned out dramatically, and the champion turned back toward me.
"You're dead, you scaly fuck."
Whoosh—
"Kwaak!!"
Clang!
I hurled the empty potion vial right at its face. The thing, already scorched from the explosion potion, flinched and clutched at its mug.
Sizzle—
Whoosh!!
Thud!!
I tore a swiftness scroll in half, hopped onto the corpse of a fallen lizard nearby for leverage, and leaped high. Whether it was the scroll or my technique, I soared impressively, twisting my body midair into a graceful half-spin until my feet hit the ceiling.
I adjusted my angle and slammed an explosion potion straight down onto the top of its skull like a meteor.
Kaboooom!!!!
"Kee-eeek!!!"
The blast's heat washed over me too, but I rolled off the ceiling foot with force, dropping onto the staggering beast. Its skull helmet had shattered from the explosion, one side of its head caved in and drenched in blood—it shook violently in my sights.
"Die!!!"
Splaaat!!!!
"Kyaaaah!!!"
I jammed my dagger into the head of the screaming monster, oblivious to my approach in its agony. It let out a horrific shriek.
Thud—!!
And down came its massive body.
"Argh, this is fucking exhausting!"
Fatigue crashed over me like a wave. I wanted to collapse right there, but I couldn't ignore my comrades battling the lizard horde.
"Sheeeek!!"
Thanks to the explosion potion I'd used on the champion, some lizards were charging my way with spears raised.
"Let's push in...!"
I had no idea how long I'd been fighting the lizards with my back to the wall.
I hadn't brought many explosion potions, so after that initial blast, there were no more booms.
A bit more time passed, and I started hearing Loren, Claude, and Uncle Hawk's battle cries pick up.
Judging by how many were still around, we had a long way to go.
"Loren!!! Over here!!!"
"Cain!!!!"
"Toss the shield!! Bash 'em!!!"
"Got it!!!"
Click—
Amid the lizards' screeches and our shouts, I heard the sound of Loren detaching the shield's handle.
Someone might say tossing it attached or not makes no difference, but I'd specially ordered that handle so it could double as brass knuckles when held separately.
I snapped the neck of a lizard clinging to me and immediately dropped to a crouch.
"Raaah!!!"
Splat!
"Teeeek!!!"
Kwang!!!
Loren's booming shout rang out alongside something bursting apart, and the shield embedded deep into the wall behind me.
"Jump!!"
"Uwaaaah!!!"
"Let... let go!!"
Whoosh—!!
"Uwaaah!!"
Something flew toward me—on closer look, it was Uncle Hawk. Not accounting for his short legs and low mobility... nah, it looked like Loren had just chucked him headlong.
Still, he sailed at a decent speed, tumbling right in front of me.
Thump!!!
"Keurk!! Th-that... that pointy-eared bitch!!"
"You hurt anywhere, Uncle?"
"Just a bit winded, no holes in me, punk. You look like shit though... Huh?"
Uncle Hawk, about to mock my swamp-mud-caked state, spotted the fallen lizard champion nearby and fell silent.
"Loren, me too!!"
"No way. Run it off, Leader."
"Uwaaaah!!"
And there came Loren and Claude sprinting our way.
A little slowed by the swamp, but closing fast.
Claude struggled with his heavy armor sinking into the muck with every step, while Loren powered through like it was flat ground.
"Kek!"
Thud—!
Crack!
Splat!!
"Keeek!!"
Lizards lunged at shieldless Loren, who gripped only a small dagger and her knuckle-handle. She just tilted her head to dodge a spear, wrenched a lizard's neck, and drove her fist into another's solar plexus as she advanced.
"Together... together!!"
"Sigh..."
Eventually, lizards encircled the slowing Claude, forcing him into a fight. Loren sighed and went to help.
Grab—
"Wha... what?"
"Can't control my strength, so land properly yourself. Leader."
Whoosh—!
"Gwaaaah!!"
Thud!!!
She hoisted Claude by the collar and flung him our way.
"Ow... my ass..."
"Kuhaha!!! Look at the guy who was all 'let's go confidently' now!"
"And you got tossed first 'cause your legs are short!"
"What?"
I checked over the bickering pair beside me.
No piercings or critical wounds.
Crack!! Crunch!! Kwajik!!
"Keeeaak!!!"
"She's handling it solo just fine."
"That's not fighting, that's a massacre."
"Ahem..."
Loren wielded her dagger but mostly crushed lizards barehanded, slowly backing toward us while subduing them.
"Up we go. Can't leave Loren handling it forever."
"Right."
"Heave-ho!"
Uncle Hawk gripped his massive axe and stood at the ready. Claude used his sword like a cane to rise and aimed at the lizards.
"Loren!! Switch!"
"Got it!!"
Loren retreated swiftly as Uncle Hawk and Claude charged forward.
I pulled Loren to me and praised her.
"Good work, Loren."
"N-no... it's nothing, Cain."
"Here, drink this."
"O-okay..."
She'd fought without even pulling out her vitality potions or defense scrolls from her belt. I fed her one myself.
Her cheeks flushed faintly as she squeezed her eyes shut and gulped down what I offered.
"Phew..."
"Feeling the vigor?"
"Thanks...!"
"Retrieve the shield."
"On it!"
Kwaduk—
Plop-plop—
Loren yanked the shield from the wall and deftly reattached the handle.
Clack—!
"Tougher than that last one we bought, huh?"
"Y-yeah. Kills 'em way better when I smack 'em with the shield. These knuckles... I like 'em too."
Even with her freakish physique, crowd control was new to Loren—shallow cuts peppered her.
I spotted a nick on her left ear, absentmindedly reached out, and wiped the bead of blood.
"Eek...!"
"Whoops, sorry."
"N-nooo...!"
She let out a moan and nearly crumpled; I caught her waist quick.
"Catch your breath a sec, then we'll switch."
"O-okay..."
By the time Uncle Hawk and Claude's movements grew sluggish from exhaustion, Loren and I rotated in.
We funneled the lizards toward the corner walls, focusing fire on two fronts, stacking bodies into barricades. If we managed stamina, we'd pull through.
"Got any more explosion potions?"
"Brought two each, one left! Toss it?"
"Defense scroll first, then lob 'em all at once!"
Loren at the front tore a scroll, erecting a barrier.
The rest of us hurled explosion potions in every direction before it shattered.
Kabooom!!!
Kaboooom!!!
Kaboooom!!!
Chunks of lizard flesh sprayed everywhere amid the deafening blasts, bodies flying.
"Looks like about a hundred left?"
"Just a bit more, hang in there!"
"Iyaaap!!"
"Hap!!"
As the end came into sight, we all four jumped in instead of two-man rotations.
"97... 98... 99... 100!!! Woo-hoo-ha-ha, Cain! Got a hundred!!!"
"Nice."
Claude, drenched in blue lizard blood hiding his blond hair, grinned proudly at me.
Loren casually dropped to him,
"Impressive, Leader. But I got 120."
"Wha... what?!"
"Kuhahat!!"
Uncle Hawk burst out laughing at their exchange.
The grueling fight dragged on.
And then.
"Haa... haa... gonna die... Loren, I got 120."
"135."
"Aigoo, guess I'm getting old... my back..."
Splat!
Splat!
We all finally wiped out the lizards and collapsed in a heap.
"Mana stones can wait... we gotta head back..."
"Ugh... body aches all over..."
"Hoo... Cain, feeling rough."
"Aigoo..."
Even superhuman Loren was wrecked.
"Just... a bit more rest, then let's go."
We groaned a while longer before dragging our weary asses out, arms slung over shoulders as we shuffled down the passage.
On the way back, Claude filled me in.
They thought the plan was working at first, but the chain of explosions and the champion's howls tipped them off something was wrong.
Even rushing to help, they'd tangled with plenty of lizards.
"Hwaaaang, Cain!!!"
"S-Sia?"
"Waaah!!!"
The moment we hit the passage and approached the others, Roy freaked at our blue-blood-soaked crew and tore a cleanse scroll. We all ended up rolling on the floor in a ridiculous mishap.
Sia took one look at us and burst into tears, charging over.
I calmed her as she clung to me sobbing snot and tears everywhere. Tanya and Roy handed out supplies to the fighters and let us regroup.
"You're okay? Okaaaay?"
"Yeah, we're fine."
"Thank gooood...!"
Sia spotted our minor scrapes and cast recovery blessings, healing us clean. Only then did the tension snap—we all passed out like the dead.