Chapter 43
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Fierce Clash and the Maze's Secret
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Bang! I used my ability to block their vision. Then I quickly drew my blade and clamped my hand down on the wound.
‘My solar plexus was just grazed, but it’s still a dangerous spot—need a potion fast—‘
Whoosh! An attack came flying toward my temple through the hazy smoke. I swiftly blocked it with the scythe’s shaft, but the force still pushed me back a step. Even as that happened, blood surged out from around my solar plexus.
Clang! I shoved away the incoming leg and rapidly retreated, dousing myself in a potion. Drinking it would’ve been more effective, but that wasn’t an option right now.
Before the smoke cleared, a direct attack came straight at me. I dodged it at the last second and swung my scythe down.
The smoke cleared. A small gash had appeared on the rabbit-eared man’s leg. It looked like the wound I’d inflicted with my scythe.
‘If that’s all the damage I did…‘
He was a real pain. A close-range fighter who didn’t respond to reason, and tough to boot.
‘It’s fine. Overall stats aren’t everything. Not that they’re useless—‘
Boom! The scythe shaft clashed with the leg. Even so, a massive roar echoed as the ground cratered and then reformed.
As I held my ground, a black dagger shot toward my neck from the side. I blocked it with my arm.
‘Another 2-on-1…‘
Whoosh. I yanked the dagger from my arm, and black liquid oozed out as the blade lost its form.
I glanced at the two of them. One had lost his reason but seemed stronger than before, while the other was still rational and hadn’t expended much energy.
‘And there’s barely any openings.‘
The exit was probably up in the sky. But they’d interfere before I could get there, and before that—
Whirl. Fon, having lost his reason, gripped his now dagger-like weapon and charged in a spin. Easy enough to dodge, but the problem was—
Thud! I blocked the attack from behind with my arm. The assaults came one after another. I dodged and fell back.
‘The problem is how perfectly they combo.‘
A sigh escaped me. I’d been trying to conserve energy, but that was my mistake in a situation like this.
I placed my hand on the scythe blade. Then I slid it down, and unlike before, the blade turned pure white and gleamed.
I exhaled and focused on the incoming attack. Soon, one came from behind.
Just before it hit, I swung the scythe. Fon seemed to dodge, but slash! A gash opened across his upper body, spraying blood. Thud! He went flying backward.
“What the hell? I definitely dodged!”
“Must be your imagination.”
Should I just kill him? But I didn’t know who or how many others were out there, and he seemed the most talkative. I had gel bombs, but… that was off-limits.
‘Then.‘
I turned my head. The rabbit-eared man was looking at me with disinterested eyes, as if sizing up the situation. Fine, time to give him a show.
One step toward the rabbit-eared man. Then whoosh! I closed the distance in an instant and swung my scythe.
He retreated, dodging the blade, but one of his long ears tore in half. At the same time, trees behind him toppled with a crash. He grimaced and clutched his ear.
“Feels painful, huh? Thought it was just for show.”
“……”
Drip. He tore off his split ear and tossed it to the ground. Then he turned to Fon behind him and spoke.
“Fon. Back off.”
“What? No way! I can do this! I still can!”
“No. Back off.”
“I said no! Why just me? I can still move!”
“…Your form’s already collapsing. What do you think you’re doing?”
I glanced back at his words. Black liquid was stretching like leeches, trying to envelop Fon’s entire body.
‘So the shell was just mimicking our shape after all.‘
Seeing his melting body, Fon said to the rabbit-eared man,
“I’ll handle myself. Don’t worry about me—just go your own way!”
“If you can’t fulfill your role, get out.”
“You’re the useless one with no abilities of your own. Clinging to your little brother’s coattails just to get this far! You get out!”
“……”
Then they glared at each other.
‘…Are they fighting?‘
Great for me. Whatever it was, if they killed one of themselves, perfect. Both would be even better.
Fon pressed his wound, his face twisted in fury. He muttered “No” over and over. Then his eyes flashed toward me, and he muttered again.
“You alone…“
“Huh?”
“If it wasn’t for you alone…“
Fon staggered to his feet, still muttering.
“If it wasn’t for you. If it wasn’t for you. If it wasn’t for you. If it wasn’t for you…“
The black liquid pooled on the ground. Then it surged, covering his body.
Crack. The liquid burrowed into Fon’s flesh. His arm blackened and twisted into a grotesque shape. Not just his arm—his whole body warped into a monstrous form under the liquid. From behind, I heard the rabbit-eared man click his tongue.
Soon, what was no longer human charged at me.
Boom! The black arm slammed down, sending chunks of ground flying. I dodged swiftly, but then the rabbit-eared man attacked from behind.
‘In that state, no reasoning with him…‘
I hadn’t planned to kill, but oh well.
Thud. Attacks came and went repeatedly. One had maximized attack power, the other exploited it. But even so…
“Why haven’t you been pushed back even once?”
“If I get pushed here, I die. Obvious question.”
For a second, I almost said getting pushed back here would make all this effort for nothing. Well, dying was true too.
“I see.”
“Die.”
Crunch. The berserk Fon bit my arm. Whoosh—I swung my arm, hurling him far away. He immediately got up and charged again.
‘…Anyway.‘
Crunch. Trees didn’t just break—they pulverized.
‘I don’t have time for this here.‘
Every second counted toward finding the exit and clearing this. Yet here I was, stuck. I hadn’t even located the exit yet.
“What the hell is your goal, blocking us here?”
Thud! The rabbit-eared man slammed his leg right in front of me. I barely dodged and glared back. He glared right back.
“…Our goal.”
Huh, didn’t expect him to talk.
I blocked front and rear attacks while trying to listen, but tap. My foot caught on something and wouldn’t move. Looking down, countless black hands were binding my legs. I tried to use my ability, but—
“Is stopping you.”
Pow! A leg smashed straight into my temple. My neck twisted, and my brain felt scrambled.
I’d held without yielding, only to fly pathetically, smashing through several trees before stopping. As I tried to stand from where I’d crumpled, the rabbit-eared man continued.
“The best would be killing you all.”
I looked up. He’d closed in, raising his leg before slamming down. Thud! I rolled aside, dodged, stood quickly, and fired a compressed star. This time, he was pushed back.
I replied to the rabbit-eared man.
“Funny coincidence. Same here.”
Thud! Attacks flew back and forth repeatedly. Then squeeze—my legs bound again, and an attack incoming.
As I barely dodged while bound, I lifted my head at a massive sensation.
‘Just now—‘
Distracted for a split second, shunk—fingers dug into my side. I shook it off and refocused.
Boom!
“Ugh.”
The fingers withdrew, and with a massive boom, something burst rapidly. Amid the wind-obscured view, splash! Something sprayed onto me. I quickly checked—my wound had vanished cleanly.
‘A potion?‘
A powerful, familiar sensation. Definitely…
“……”
I looked up ahead. A familiar silhouette stood with his back to me.
“Hyung?”
I blinked. How’d he get here? Figured out the rules already?
Before I could ask, hyung instantly closed in and slashed at the blackened Fon with his sword. The berserk Fon, unable to dodge properly, was easily stabbed and sliced. Fon flailed wildly with screams, but it was mindless. Hyung evaded effortlessly.
As Fon got overwhelmed, the rabbit-eared man muttered something.
“□□□.”
Muttering what sounded like a name, a gate hummed open behind Fon. Countless octopus tentacles erupted, dragging Fon in. Hyung attacked them, but the endless arms forced him to let go.
‘Where’s rabbit-ears?‘
I scanned quickly. There—the rabbit-eared man, crossing through a shattered space. I kicked off and swung my scythe, but whoosh, just missed. Running now that hyung’s here? It was a fair 2-on-2.
‘…At least they’re out of potions.‘
Next time—later—I’d have a higher win chance. Beating them just now would’ve been best, but.
‘Whatever. Not important now.‘
I turned and approached hyung.
“How’d you get here?”
“Uh… by breaking space? Twisting it?”
“Pick one…“
“Broke it.”
Breaking like when I smashed the ceiling in the maze? He seemed to drop from the sky. Looked like he’d grasped the rules somewhat.
“Know how to clear this place?”
“Not sure, but… probably.”
Hyung stepped away as if to show me, punching the air. Nothing. He tried elsewhere.
Crash!
“Oh.”
Space shattered. I thought sky was the only exit, but apparently not.
“Break it with the intent to shatter something. Some spots don’t, like just now…“
Hyung trailed off, frowning in thought. “What’s wrong?” I muttered, but he answered himself.
“If the unbreakable spot was one they passed… passing it…“
“Hyung?”
He looked up. Then said,
“Not sure, but… one question first.”
“What?”
“Those guys you fought— the hunters you mentioned before?”
“If you mean the ones from the dungeon, yeah.”
“…Then, seems we can’t pass where those hunters went. But we could where our hunter passed.”
“What about where you passed?”
“That too.”
“So it’s like hopscotch?”
“Less hopscotch, more… something similar.”
I watched hyung puzzle over the weird part, then punched sideways.
Crash! Space shattered, revealing a new path opposite.
“Let’s move. Standing around won’t help.”
I dragged hyung—lost in thought—along. Stepping through the rubble, new scenery appeared.
“So keep breaking space?”
“Probably.”
“Hyung, how much power you got left?”
“Huh? Plenty.”
“Good. Then like this.”
“How?”
“I’ll grab you, you move fast jumping spaces.”
“…Huh?”
“Bound to hit the exit eventually.”
No clues yet. Just couldn’t pass where rabbit-ears and Fon went.
I strode to hyung. He hesitated, but I grabbed his collar anyway. He stared, baffled. I said,
“What.”
『My Brother Says He Possessed a Novel』
Waon Modern Fantasy Novel
Joara Corp