Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Raoul's Essence
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“Huff……! Huff……!!”
Woojin tore through the underbrush like a madman, running with every ounce of strength he had left.
“……What the hell is that thing?!”
His heart felt like it was about to burst.
But if he stopped his legs, he wouldn't just die later—he'd die right there on the spot.
“Damn it……!!!”
He wasn't sure if he was cursing the monster chasing him or his own situation—facing death just from trying to play a game—but curses poured nonstop from his mouth anyway.
“Leave…… me behind.”
A strained voice came from Raoul, whom he was supporting.
“If you have the strength to say crap like that, then walk a little harder.”
Woojin gritted his teeth and pulled Raoul closer to his side.
Was he always this light?
Maybe because he was missing something he should have had.
Crunch—.
Woojin glanced at Raoul's right arm.
The hand that should have gripped a sword was gone.
“Urk……!!”
He'd barely stopped the bleeding with the potion he had on hand, but reattaching a severed arm was impossible.
Every step sent blood gushing from his side, soaking Woojin's clothes.
It had all happened in an instant.
The monster that emerged from the darkness swung its sword in a clumsy stance.
But incredibly, that sword sliced off Raoul's hand right then and there, then plunged into his waist.
It was a crude swing with no technique whatsoever, but it was far too fast for an old man like him to react.
At this rate, we're dead.
He knew he couldn't go much farther supporting Raoul, whose strength was fading bit by bit.
As if toying with them, the monster sauntered after them, step by lazy step.
“What should we do?”
“……What?”
“Tell me how to kill that thing!”
Woojin's shout carried ragged breaths.
“Have you forgotten what I said earlier? That's a real monster! Not something we can take down!”
“So what? We just die like this?”
Woojin demanded firmly.
“You said you wanted to live! You said we were going to the Lion King's stronghold! That's what I want too. I don't want to die!!”
He yelled.
“Does stabbing its heart kill it? Or do I have to smash its limbs?”
Woojin's cry shook Raoul back to his senses.
Raoul looked at him.
At his eyes.
At the will to fight burning there.
Raoul nodded silently.
As if he'd just realized what he had to do.
“W-Wait a second! What are you doing?”
He unfastened the sword at his waist and shoved it into Woojin's chest.
“The living have to survive.”
“Raoul!!!”
He shoved Woojin roughly.
The road was flanked by steep slopes, and Woojin lost his balance, tumbling down.
“……Guh!!!”
He rolled several meters before crashing into a tree and finally stopping.
“Raoul!!!!”
He called the name over and over, but no answer came.
“Damn it……!! Shit……!!!”
Just hours ago, he'd clung to a sliver of hope in this hellish world.
And yet…….
“Damn it!!!”
Who should he blame?
God? Himself? The game? Or…… that monster?
Grip—.
Woojin clutched Raoul's sword to his chest and bit his lip.
“I have to climb back up somehow……”
That was when it happened.
Clank—.
A jarring sound cut through the silence.
In that instant, he lifted his head with trembling eyes.
“……!!!”
Red eyes glared down at him from atop the slope.
Thud— thud— thud—!!
Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble———!!!!
Woojin couldn't believe his eyes.
The monster was sliding down the slope, charging toward him like a maniac.
“What the fuck!!!!”
Where should I go?
Woojin shook his head as he searched for a path through the forest.
First, I need to shake it off.
No chance head-on.
Wait for an opening.
There was definitely a goblin nest around here…….
A maze-like field dungeon.
Seemed like the perfect place to lose the monster.
“Ugh?!”
Woojin, sprinting wildly, stumbled and pitched forward.
He'd tripped over a tree root and hit the ground rolling.
“Urk……!!”
His breath caught, but he couldn't stop.
He scrambled up from the dirt and looked back.
……Over there.
In his panic, Woojin spotted a collapsed cave.
It looked as ruined as the village, but thankfully the entrance seemed wide enough to slip inside.
No time to hesitate—he dove in.
“Hoo…… hoo……”
Are all the goblins dead?
The old cave showed hardly any traces of monsters anymore.
Only the relatively low ceiling and ant-hill-like tunnels branching everywhere hinted that this had been a goblin habitat.
“Stench……”
Goblins' doing?
The rotting-corpse smell made him want to bolt right back out, but Woojin tore a strip from his sleeve, covered his mouth, and ventured deeper.
“Huh?”
As he walked further in, something felt off, and he tilted his head.
“……What is this?”
A rotting wooden table—too tall for goblins.
And piles of lab equipment in one corner.
Stuff that didn't belong in a goblin lord's boss room.
Signs of humans.
Tap, tap.
He brushed dust off a book on the floor.
Unfortunately, the cover bore unknown letters and symbols.
In a game, racial languages would translate seamlessly for convenience…….
No auto-translation system here.
But seeing the pentagram on the cover, with a goat engraved inside amid the dust, he guessed what the book was.
“Black magic?”
A memory flashed in Woojin's mind.
“……No way.”
Is this where the black mage who created that headless monster lived?
Gulp—.
In that moment, Woojin swallowed dryly without realizing.
For all he knew, he'd walked into an even more dangerous spot.
……Still, maybe there's a clue here.
Thankfully, no more monster sounds once inside.
He began cautiously searching the room.
Sweep—.
Pushing aside piled books revealed a faint pentagram etched into the inner floor.
Magic circle?
Of course, he knew nothing of magic itself, so he couldn't grasp what the formation meant—but something had definitely happened here.
Headless monster…… wearing armor.
Maybe human in life.
Did the black mage Raoul mentioned turn him into that?
Woojin held his breath, stepped away from the floor circle, and stood.
In that instant, a roar like tearing eardrums exploded.
Damn! Did it find me?
A horrible sound, like scraping rough metal.
Couldn't understand the words, but it was clearly hunting him.
No place to hide.
Only one exit.
Have to get out fast.
Kaboom———!!!
But just as he reached the exit, a rusty blade lunged at him.
Bang—! Bang—! Bang—!!
The monster swung wildly, slamming the walls around the exit as if searching for him.
Shit!!
Woojin steadied himself.
He aimed Raoul's sword at it, but the tip trembled uncontrollably.
No helping it.
This wasn't a game—it was real.
Images of that rusty blade slicing his throat crushed his mind.
Sticky blood spraying…… his own body…….
Thinking about it was horrifying.
It appeared.
Woojin barely dodged the wild swing.
“Damn it……!!”
Whooosh—!!!
The monster's sword crashed down below his head.
Krunch—!!
The blade grazed his shoulder, and the wind pressure knocked the strength from his legs—he nearly collapsed.
……Huh?
But in that moment, strangely, the leg he stepped forward to steady himself filled with uncanny power.
Clang—!!!
He shot forward like a bullet, swinging the sword he gripped.
Kaboom kaboom kaboom———!!
With a deafening roar, the monster staggered from his attack.
Thud—!!!
Its legs slid back several steps.
What…… what was that?
Woojin hurriedly created distance, staring at it in bewilderment.
That just now…….
Clumsy form, but the downward strike's power was entirely different from before.
Warrior skill: Heavy Strike.
It…… worked.
First time.
Woojin stared at his hand in stunned surprise for a moment.
“Hup……”
No time to gawk.
He eyed the approaching monster.
Clank— clank—.
One step it took inward, one step Woojin retreated.
Taut tension.
Woojin focused every nerve on the monster's rusty sword.
Whish—!!!
The blade moved, and
Tat tat tat—!!
Woojin didn't miss the moment—he dove into its guard with all his might.
If I can use warrior skills……!
Boom—!!!
No need to figure out how.
His body and mind moved on instinct, as if they'd remembered from the start.
Warrior's second skill: Dash.
With explosive speed, Woojin circled to its side and swung with full force.
“Haaah!!”
Boom—!!!
Another Heavy Strike landed; as it reeled, he kept swinging without pause.
“Huff…… huff……”
How many swings?
His lungs burned, head throbbed.
“Damn……”
He'd poured everything out, but not a scratch on it.
Woojin hardened his expression, staring at the monster steadfastly blocking the exit.
Of course—the thing that killed Raoul.
No way he could win.
Still,
I can't die like this.
If he could just make an opening to the exit…….
That was when.
Boom—!!!!
The monster, unmoving until now, finally lunged.
“……?!!”
Drip…….
Its blade grazed his cheek.
Blood trickled from the cut.
Woojin stared blankly.
What…… was that?
He hadn't blocked—or even reacted.
Nothing like before.
……Has it been playing with me this whole time?
Damn it.
Woojin bit his lip against rising fury, but he could do nothing.
Only crushing fear.
His final struggle ended pathetically; now all he could do was retreat step by step as it advanced.
Thud—.
His back hit the wall.
The moment he realized no escape, the monster's shoulders shook—as if mocking him.
……Am I dying here?
No matter how he racked his brain, no way out came to mind.
Grind—!!
Don't make me laugh.
If there's no way, I'll thrash until I find one.
“Uwaaaaaah!!!!”
Terror turned to rage, driving him forward.
In that instant,
Vmmm…….
Incredibly, the magic circle beneath his feet began to glow.
“……?!!”
Startled, he looked down.
Backing up nonstop, he'd ended up in the circle's center.
“Wh-What is this?!”
He couldn't hide his anxiety at the sudden activation.
Shrieeeek———!!!
Pure white light and a razor-sharp gale enveloped him instantly.
That…….
As dust swirled away with the wind, Woojin spotted something slumped against the inner wall where the circle was drawn.
Black robes.
And skeletal remains inside.
The black mage's corpse.
“Urp…… urp.”
Like underwater, he couldn't breathe.
Consciousness blurred.
Zzzing—.
A frequency whine like a broken radio pierced his head.
Like sinking into ocean depths, his mind grew hazy.
Vision swam; limbs floated limply.
……What is this?
Falling endlessly—yet rising infinitely.
A state beyond words or reason.
His view rippled.
Something pudding-like burst through the crushing darkness.
Tremble—.
A tiny light, quivering rapidly.
“……Huh?!”
Suddenly, it forced into his mouth.
Gulp—.
In a flash, the light slid down his throat into his stomach.
“……Cough!!! Cough!!!”
He opened his eyes.
Woojin clutched his throat, dry-heaving.
“Ugh, ueeegh!!”
Only thick saliva came up.
“What's wrong with that guy?”
“Dunno. Guess he's finally lost it.”
“Tsk tsk……”
Voices of people around.
He jerked his head up.
The ruined village was now packed with buildings as if nothing had happened, under a clear sky instead of blood-red.
“This is……”
Woojin stared blankly at them.
Back in the game.
“Damn it……”
Exhausted, he slumped against the plaza fountain and closed his eyes.
“Ha…… haha.”
The logout screen still wouldn't appear.
Nothing had changed.
But hilarious.
This game he'd desperately wanted to escape…….
Ironically, realizing he was in the game brought relief.
“……Was it a dream?”
He slowly opened his eyes.
Exhausted, maybe.
Could be.
Standing blankly here for days.
Shiver—.
His body trembled.
Clang—.
The sword in his hand dropped to the ground.
Gulp—.
Woojin swallowed dryly without thinking.
“……No way.”
It was all real.