Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Gale Point Thrust
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Yes, you pick it off for me, Myo!
GRRRUMBLE!
A massive vibration rumbled up from the ground beneath my toes.
It was a sign that something enormous was stirring deep underground.
In that instant, I instinctively hurled my body to the side.
KABOOM!
With a deafening roar, the ground where I'd been standing split open, a hole punching through.
From that hole erupted a Traquator, its mouth splitting into four jagged maws.
I swallowed hard at the sight of its densely packed razor-sharp teeth, but only for a moment.
I kicked off hard.
I had to land a hit before it burrowed back underground.
I clenched my fist tight and swung with all my power at its flank.
💥 ROAR OF AGONY! 💥 [KRARARARARA!] A groan of pain burst from the Traquator's maw.
My fist had shattered its scales and dug into its flesh.
Blue blood sprayed out, filling the air with a fishy stench.
"But it's not dead."
I lunged to chase it down for another strike.
But it was already shoving its body back into the tunnel.
I reached out to grab it, but it was too late.
Its massive bulk sank into the earth like it was slipping into water.
"...I'll end it next time."
I'd just taken a deep breath and made that vow when the rumbling started again from under my feet.
And this vibration was bigger and faster than before.
I leaped away, but its razor teeth grazed my calf.
"Ngh!"
A sharp pain tore through me as flesh ripped, a groan escaping my lips.
But it didn't matter.
I planned to finish it this time anyway.
A wound like that could be healed later.
"Die!"
With a shout, I clenched my fist again and charged at it.
My target: that flank where I'd smashed the scales moments ago.
Another hit there would deal a fatal blow.
But as I thrust my fist forward, my hand froze in midair.
The flank I'd wounded before...
It had already healed.
Fresh scales gleamed there, not a trace of the injury left.
"Regeneration... and damn fast, too."
As if answering my mutter, a gloomy chuckle echoed from underground.
— Traquator [Kuhuhu... Finally figured it out, have you, human?] With those words, the Traquator surged up again, attacking me.
My leg wound slowed my reaction just a bit.
Once more, its teeth raked across my body.
I gritted my teeth and threw a punch.
BAM!
With a thunderous boom, flesh exploded from its flank.
Anyone could see I'd inflicted worse damage this time.
But in the end, I was the one losing.
By the time it came up again, it'd be healed.
"This is trouble."
Did my voice carry underground?
The vibration returned under my feet, accompanied by laughter.
— Traquator [Finally tasting despair, are you? Keep trembling in fear until you die!] With that, it burst up again.
This time, its teeth scored my thigh.
It took a punch to the face in return, half its snout caving in.
But.
💥 AGONIZED LAUGH! 💥 [GURK! Kuhahaha!] The beast dove underground again, screaming and laughing at once.
Even in its pain-twisted face, there was smug leisure.
And that confidence was justified.
If we kept this war of attrition up, my defeat was certain.
"If only I had my sword..."
The broken blade I'd lost in the poison fog ached in my bones.
I scanned around for anything usable as a weapon.
"Myoooo..."
I spotted the Beastkin trembling in their rabbit burrows.
More precisely, something shiny inside one of those burrows caught my eye.
"A spear?"
Looking closer, it had a hook-like barb on the tip.
A structure designed to lodge deep and not come out easily.
That wasn't a spear—it was a harpoon.
"Perfect."
I pulled the harpoon from the burrow.
Severed the vine tied to the handle's end.
Felt its weight and thrust experimentally a few times.
My foot naturally stepped half a pace forward, my center of gravity lowering.
The optimal stance for wielding this weapon had formed.
It was the basic spear stance.
In that moment, a technique's name slipped from my lips.
"Gale Point Thrust."
⚡ SKILL RECALLED ⚡ Gale Point Thrust The name of the technique taught by MurimTwinBladeElfBegone.
The moment I recalled it, I shortened my stance and thrust my head forward.
A reckless charge abandoning all defense, solely for the ultimate piercing thrust.
That's when a familiar nickname popped up in the chat window.
💬 Unique Gallery — MurimTwinBladeElfBegone Hey, stop that. Spears and harpoons are different. Completely different structures. The technique's original teacher, trying to stop me.
But I ignored him.
Ignored him and kicked off the ground.
Naturally, my foot stepped half a pace forward, shoulder aligning the harpoon horizontally.
A thrust where the tip, hand, and center of gravity form a perfect straight line.
That was the first form of spear arts taught by MurimTwinBladeElfBegone.
But.
"...The stance is collapsing."
It was exactly as I said.
The stance was crumbling.
The reason was simple.
Unlike a spear, a harpoon's structure—for hurling—put the weight at the tip for propulsion.
The center of gravity, which would be toward the handle on a spear, was shifted forward here.
The mismatched balance made the tip waver.
The equilibrium was breaking.
— MurimTwinBladeElfBegone Tsk. Told you not to. The original teacher's scolding scrolled into the chat.
In that instant, I reflexively twisted my stance.
Minutely adjusted the angle to reverse-exploit the center of gravity and regain control of the flow.
— MurimTwinBladeElfBegone ...? I ignored the stunned original teacher and thrust the harpoon straight.
Then.
KRCH!
Like a gale piercing a wall, the harpoon speared through the Traquator's jaw joint and into its eye.
There was no scream.
No final death cry.
No praise for its killer.
With that single blow, the dinosaur's focus shattered, and it crashed to the ground.
Dead.
The chat window exploded.
— Anon No way, Begone-hyung. You said it wouldn't work. — MurimTwinBladeElfBegone No... that... shouldn't have worked... Haa. How the hell did you do that? As I scratched the back of my head to reply, the chat beat me to it.
— Shihanbu Uh... it just worked when I did it? — Shihanbu Begone-nim can't do it? Why not? — Shihanbu Oh, no talent, huh. I shut my mouth.
That was all I had to say.
And I wasn't the only one who went silent.
— Anon LMAO look at Begone not typing lololol — Anon He's probably under the covers crying rn lmao — MurimTwinBladeElfBegone Don't. — Anon Huehuehue! — MurimTwinBladeElfBegone You goblin chow bowls with four limbs... MurimTwinBladeElfBegone finally snapped, going berserk.
I ignored his horror-story rant and walked on.
There stood Ruby, staring at me with trembling pupils.
I smashed the wooden cage holding her and said,
"Let's go. Time to cultivate that mandrake."
At my words, Ruby blinked for a few seconds.
Then she hesitantly took the hand I offered and climbed out of the cage.
The moment her hand touched mine, a small warmth spread.
Not just body heat—it felt like resolve born from hesitation.
"...Myo."
Ruby murmured softly.
Somehow bashful.
But her tone couldn't hide her joy.
I looked at her, then noticed something odd.
Something was stuck to Ruby's ear.
I reached out, but remembered last time.
The memory of her flying into a rage when I touched her ear.
Better just tell her this time.
"Something's on your ear."
But her response surprised me.
Ruby hesitated a moment, then carefully tilted her ear toward me.
"Yes, you pick it off for me, Myo!"
"You got so mad last time."
I grumbled as I picked it off her ear.
That was the moment.
Ruby's grip on my hand tightened, her palm growing even warmer.
"Hot."
Even as I told her to let go, Ruby pretended not to hear, looking away.
I sighed at the sight and examined what I'd picked from her ear.
"Earwax..."
Pfft—
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The remaining four Beastkin stared blankly at the mangled corpse of the monster that had been breeding them.
Scales torn off, the harpoon still lodged between its eyes, oozing blood.
One of them, Nunumyo, spoke up.
"We shoulda joined that guy... Hic!"
She whipped around in shock before finishing, an unconscious reflex.
Fearing someone might scold her.
But no one did.
They all thought the same.
"......"
Silent, trembling eyes.
They were fixed on Shihanbu's retreating back, inner core and meat in hand.
And the shadow of Ruby walking quietly beside him.
'...We coulda been following that back.'
Nunumyo clenched her fists tight.
No, all the Beastkin were shuddering.
Regretting their past refusal of his protection.
As they stewed in remorse for a long while, one Beastkin spoke.
"...At least we're lucky, Myo. No revenge taken."
The others nodded in agreement.
"...Yeah, Myo. Thought we were goners."
"Really lucky, Myo."
Watching them, Myordan sighed.
"...That's not it, Myo."
They hadn't escaped revenge.
There'd been no need for it.
Beastkin, lacking standout combat prowess.
They'd fall behind in the wilds on their own.
"...He knew, Myo."
Shihanbu's final glance at the last Beastkin.
His eyes had been indifferent.
Like looking at a walking corpse.
"...What the hell did I screw up, Myo."
Mud Forest.
Myordan's regret echoed, having kicked away opportunity with her own feet.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Caldrich Empire Knight Order Training Hall.
The hall, usually filled with hearty shouts, now echoed with one man's incredulous laughter.
[Ha!]
Vice Captain Kasha.
She was watching Shihanbu's broadcast.
A hollow chuckle escaped her lips too, just like his.
Seeing Ruby rolling the mandrake around.
"No way does that make the mandrake healthier?"
Her baffled mutter got a response.
Shincreang Luke, training nearby.
"It will. Beastkin are an amazing race when it comes to cultivation."
Beastkin, said to be extinct.
Books always mentioned one phrase about them.
They were gods of cultivation.
Countless spirit herbs that national experts failed to grow.
Records overflowed with tales of them thriving only in Beastkin hands.
And now such a race was in Shihanbu's grasp.
"The entire continent's probably watching him closely right now. Even the princess mentioned that guy recently."
Mandrakes were impossible to buy these days.
A man appeared who could supply them steadily.
If he succeeded, everyone would rush to cozy up to Shihanbu.
Hearing Luke's explanation, Kasha newly realized Shihanbu's stature.
A man who'd only been broadcasting for less than a month.
His presence was growing.
Then something nagged at her.
"But will the Crimson Magic Tower just sit still? They're the ones monopolizing mandrake cultivation..."
Kasha trailed off.
A message had appeared in the chat.
— CrimsonSorcerer Shihanbu. I belong to the Crimson Magic Tower. — CrimsonSorcerer Cease mandrake cultivation immediately. — CrimsonSorcerer Remember: this is your first and final warning. The Magic Tower had drawn its sword, tired of the spoon dipping into their rice bowl.
"Captain, what now... Haa."
Kasha sighed mid-sentence.
The reason was simple.
CRASH—
Luke had shattered the training hall floor while practicing harpoon spear arts.
"Grrrh! I won't lose!"
He shouted, thrusting the harpoon again.
Watching him, Kasha thought,
"...You've already lost."
Unlike Shihanbu, who'd nailed it on the first try.
Luke had failed dozens of times already.
"...Stubborn as ever."
She muttered, turning back to the broadcast.
Then Shihanbu looked different.
The Magic Tower.
The man called Divine Spear.
Even the princess.
All fidgeting over his every move.
She truly felt his influence now.