Chapter 117: Eternal Spire (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 117: Eternal Spire (3)
I drew my sword and watched the Wolf King of Black Night. The beast stood motionless, glaring at the participants.
Then, I felt it. Its glowing red eyes were wary of me.
Is it wary of me? It seems more intelligent than I thought.
The beast had apparently judged me to be a threat. Still, no matter how intelligent it was, it was ultimately just an animal.
At that moment, the Wolf King of Black Night shook the corridor with a tremendous howl. Simultaneously, black smoke began to rise from the floor.
"Kwoooaaaaaaargh!"
With a roar, the Wolf King of Black Night moved in an instant. Its massive body flew through the air and pounced on a man in the front row.
-CRASH!
A huge impact echoed as the man’s body was crushed. The beast immediately tore into him with its sharp teeth. The woman next to him vanished between its fangs as red blood splattered in all directions.
"Hiek… Run!"
"Help me!"
The participants’ screams and confusion tangled together. The horror of the scene before them spread like a contagion, and everyone scrambled to survive.
But even amidst the chaos, the Wolf King of Black Night did not stop its predatory rampage.
With another howl from the beast, wolves formed from the black smoke poured into the crowd of participants.
The wolves descended upon anyone smaller than them, tearing them apart mercilessly. Black shadows scattered in every direction, taking down the participants one by one.
"Is this for real? How are we supposed to fight something like this?!" someone screamed in despair. A black wolf lunged at a fleeing woman, tackling her in a single bound. She screamed as she fell to the floor, and the wolf dragged her away by the nape of her neck.
"Hey! Snap out of it! We have to get to the door!" a man shouted, grabbing another participant’s arm to pull him along, but a pack of wolves swarmed them, and he died without even a chance to scream.
Guess it’s about time to move.
I glanced at Isia. She was trembling, paralyzed by fear.
"Isia. Follow me."
She didn’t answer. I took her hand and started moving.
No need to go through the trouble of fighting.
There was plenty of bait, after all. Amidst the pandemonium, we quietly moved along the wall.
The path was crowded with others who had the same idea.
They’re in the way.
With so many people packed together, our pace was too slow. I used my superior stats to forcibly push past those in front of us.
As we moved along the wall, I glanced toward the Wolf King of Black Night.
I saw some people who had chosen to fight rather than flee. They were attacking the beast with their weapons, but the difference in size and level was just too great.
Before their swords and spears could even graze its fur, a massive claw swung through the air.
-CRACK!
-THWACK!
Screams erupted as people were sent flying. The sound of bodies being torn apart filled the air as red blood painted the space.
"Ugh…"
Isia retched at the sight. She had probably never witnessed such a gruesome scene before.
"Isia, are you okay?" I asked in a concerned voice, looking at her.
"Huk… Yes… Ugh."
Isia managed a weak nod.
I gently held her trembling hand and continued moving along the wall. We were still a good distance from the entrance to the first floor.
The entrance was gradually getting closer.
But I soon saw a beast blocking it. To get past the Wolf King of Black Night standing guard in front of the entrance, someone would have to draw its attention.
Thanks to the people already fighting it, a few had managed to slip through.
"Dammit… Stop running and fight!" a man shouted. He was one of the group already engaged with the Wolf King. His cry to the fleeing people was laced with anger and despair.
People running, people fighting, and people dying. The corridor was a crucible of utter chaos.
I gently tugged Isia’s hand and said, "Isia, now’s our chance. Let’s run for that entrance."
"What…? But… those people…"
Isia hesitated, looking at the group fighting the Wolf King. Her eyes were filled with guilt about running away.
"Surviving is the priority right now."
"But…"
Isia’s voice trembled. She remained rooted to the spot, her eyes fixed on the fighters. Some of them had already collapsed to the ground, motionless, and as the Wolf King’s claws struck again, another one fell.
Ah, right. This is who she’s always been. The type to get swept up in some useless sense of justice and drag herself down with it.
I clicked my tongue internally but sighed outwardly as I spoke to her.
"Isia."
I placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face me.
"You want to help them right now? Fine. But how? Can you fight that thing? Or are you planning to die in their place?"
At my words, Isia hung her head low. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
"…I’m sorry."
"Let’s just survive for now. That’s the best we can do."
Another scream echoed from the distance. I took her hand and led her toward the entrance.
"Let’s go."
We started running toward the entrance. While people were locked in a fierce battle with the Wolf King of Black Night, we moved as quickly as possible along the wall.
But more and more people came into view. Participants with the same idea were flocking closer to the entrance.
"Move! Move!"
"Get out of the way, you bastard!"
"Fuck off!"
Amidst the chaotic scene of pushing, fighting, and trampling, I spotted a familiar face.
Yoon Jae-ho.
Our eyes met. Yoon Jae-ho looked at Isia and me with trembling eyes.
His gaze lingered on our clasped hands. His eyes wavered. A mixture of jealousy and anger was plain on his face.
Conscious of his stare, I deliberately placed my other hand on Isia’s shoulder.
"Be careful, Isia. It’s dangerous if you fall here."
"Ah, thank you, Seo-yun."
Isia replied with a gentle smile. It must have looked like we were very close.
I looked at Yoon Jae-ho again. His face was stiff, and he was glaring at me with clenched fists.
Heh heh, you regressed, but something’s different now, isn’t it?
Enjoying his gaze filled with jealousy and rage, I pulled Isia even closer. She followed my lead without any suspicion.
Just then, a thud and a terrible scream came from ahead.
I immediately turned my gaze to see what had happened.
The Wolf King of Black Night stood with its mouth full of blood. Several bodies were already strewn around it.
As the beast moved away from the entrance, people from the other side rushed through the gap.
But now our side was completely blocked by the beast, unable to move at all.
"S-Seo-yun…"
Isia trembled, clinging to my arm. Her face was pale with terror.
I let out an annoyed sigh and readjusted my grip on my sword.
Tsk, what a pain, but I have no choice.
I looked at Isia, who was getting in the way, and said, "Isia. The entrance is clear now, so run for it."
"What…? Then what about you, Seo-yun?"
"I’m…"
Before I could finish, the beast charged at me. I instinctively wrapped my arm around Isia’s waist and dodged its attack.
"Kyaaah!"
A massive claw tore through the floor right beside us. The ground cracked, and fragments shot into the air.
I put some distance between us, still holding Isia.
She was in my arms, her face stricken with fear.
"S-Seo-yun…!"
"It’s okay. Don’t let go."
I reassured her while keeping a close watch on the beast’s movements.
-Grrrrr…
The Wolf King of Black Night let out a low growl, its eyes fixed on me.
It was clear that I was its target.
I don’t know why it’s suddenly targeting me.
Just a moment ago, it had only been wary of me.
Looking into its red eyes, I saw that even that wariness was gone. Instead, it looked as if it had found a new toy.
Did it start to underestimate me after only dealing with weak humans?
I set Isia down on the floor and tightened my grip on my sword.
"Isia, run over there now. I’ll lure it away."
"I-I’ll fight too."
"You’ll be in the way. Don’t worry about me and go. I’ll be right behind you."
At my firm words, Isia hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.
"Okay… You have to come back safely!"
After confirming that Isia was running toward the entrance, I turned to face the Wolf King of Black Night.
The beast slowly approached on all fours, licking the blood from its mouth.
Seeing Isia run, others began to follow her. One by one, the people in the corridor swarmed toward the entrance.
Yoon Jae-ho was among them. Our eyes met.
-Smirk.
Yoon Jae-ho shot me a mocking grin.
He’s smiling?
I stared at him, dumbfounded. But I quickly had to turn my attention back to the Wolf King of Black Night.
It kicked a nearby corpse toward me with its front paw.
Alright, so you want a piece of me.
I gripped my sword tightly and lowered my stance. I focused on its every move, raising my qi.
Suddenly, the Wolf King of Black Night crouched low and leaped at me. Its massive claws tore through the air, flying toward me.
I twisted my body to evade the attack. It immediately followed up with its other front paw.
"Ha, not bad."
A small smile played on my lips. The Wolf King of Black Night growled, annoyed that its attack had missed.
It seems a little lacking for the first real test of the Moon Shadow Sky Sword Dance, but let’s see what it’s got.
I unleashed the Phantom Moon Lotus (幻月蓮華), the first form of the Moon Shadow Sky Sword Dance (影月天劍舞), against the beast.