Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Waters of the Styx River Flow Nobly #3
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“Fuck, perfect, I ran into these stalker bastards!”
“Huh-heh-heck!”
I smashed my fist down toward the head of the guy whose jaw I’d already shattered—Skain or whatever the hell his name was.
My punch, thrust out like an iron hammer, gained even more killing power from gravity and the weight of my armor!
“Gek!”
The guy, already grimacing from his busted jaw, let out a death rattle, slammed his head into the ground, and started foaming at the mouth.
“Wh-what the fuck!”
The sword guy reacted to that.
“You little shit—!”
That’s when the bastard tried to swing his blade at me. I just spun around and backhanded his skull, smashing it too.
Thwack—.
“!”
Hit square in the temple, the guy couldn’t even scream before he face-planted into the mud. Even against an armed opponent, the difference in raw physicality makes a huge impact.
Plus, they’d hesitated after seeing their attacks bounce off my armor harmlessly. That was their fatal mistake.
So yeah, buying this expensive armor saved my life. This is why you gotta splurge on gear you wear on your body.
“Fuck, you barbarian prick.”
Now only the bald leader of the pack was left, and he didn’t even flinch watching his underlings get wrecked without a fight. Guess that’s what makes him the boss?
“My grunts aside, don’t think you can take this Uter down easily. I’ve got the Grace of Light, after all.”
My shoulders twitched at the words “Grace holder.” This thug-looking asshole has a god’s grace? I thought the God of Light didn’t hand that shit out to just anyone.
“God of Light and Sun! Grant me strength! Your son Uter prays fervently!”
As the bastard recited his prayer, the thick gray clouds in the sky seemed to part bit by bit, letting bright sunlight spill over the world.
Ziiing—.
And the shiny bald spot on his half-bare forehead reflected the light right into my eyes.
“Ugh—.”
It was a type of attack I never saw coming, so I reflexively squinted and grimaced. Fuck, a flashbang with his bald head—.
“You sneaky bald bastard!”
“This is the radiance of the Sun God! The light of truth is something a savage like you can’t even dare to gaze upon!”
“Fuck, you bald bastard! That’s cheating!”
“B-bald? This is the Grace of Light! Is ‘bald’ the only word you know, you barbarian fuck? And baldness is a symbol of vigorous male virility—.”
“Fuck, bald!”
“You fucking little shit, just die already!”
Taking advantage of my blinded moment, I heard the splash of him kicking through the mud—slap—and I swung my fist toward the sound. But it just whooshed through empty air.
“You think I’d fall for some blind swing like that!”
“Fuck!”
My eyes were so fucked from the glare I couldn’t see shit. But I couldn’t just let him get in range either.
So I went full raging gorilla, flailing my fists, arms, and legs wildly in every direction.
“Guaaaak!”
“Fierce as a true wilderness warrior! But I won’t go down to your clumsy swings, urk—!”
Thwack—.
I felt a solid, heavy impact from my swing. I’d lashed out toward the sound of his voice and luckily nailed his body or head.
“Urghh—.”
I figured that solid hit would end this blinding madness. But nope—the light got even brighter, stinging my eyes even through closed lids.
It was like the sun had crashed down to earth. The pose looked ridiculous, but damn, this level of brightness earned him the right to brag about his grace. Fuck, this was straight-up Solar Flare.
“N-nosebleed? You little shit! I’ll kill you! You’ll be a sacrifice to my twin blades!”
Zriiit—.
A furious roar hit me, and a chill prickled the back of my neck.
It was my survival instinct, honed over two years scraping the bottom and dodging death. When it screamed like this, shit was about to hit the fan for real.
My wild flailing had me winded. Vision completely blocked.
That’s when I remembered Witch Nemea’s warning about watching out for light. Talk about a do-or-die moment. Fuck, what now!
“G-go, boys! Hurry! Help Hassan!”
Then a familiar voice rang out, followed by screams erupting from all around.
“Argh, it stings! Something bit me!”
“What the hell’s happening! I can’t see shit, it’s too bright!”
“What is it!? B-Bees! Where’d these bees come from!?”
I didn’t know what was up, but the flashbang chaos had sparked a commotion everywhere. Even the bald bastard fighting me was yelling among the screams.
Buzzz—.
And right on cue, helicopter blades whirred in my ears. Of course, no helicopters in this world, so I knew exactly what it was.
“Fuck, Luna! It fucking stings! They’re stinging me too!”
It hurt like hell. These tiny critters swarming my body, biting and injecting venom—it was just like yesterday. And now again after only a day!
“S-sorry, Hassan! I was trying to help!”
“Shit! Oh, they’re getting under my clothes!”
As I twisted in pain from the stings—
“You fuck, what kinda weird sorcery is this! I won’t lose to some goddamn bees! Die, you witch!”
“Hiiik!”
Crack—. Thud.
A raging man’s bellow, followed by a familiar little girl’s scream.
Then the crunch of something hard breaking, and a heavy body hitting the ground.
Even in the panic, I knew Luna had gotten got by the bald guy. That was definitely the sound of a skull cracking.
We’d only met yesterday, but she was a cute girl who actually talked to me.
And she might’ve had a clue on lifting this new Styx Oath curse I’d picked up. And now she’s dead? Pisses me the fuck off.
But with no clever plan in mind, I was just grimacing when—
Ssshh—.
The blinding light started fading.
I cracked my eyes open. The sun in the sky was getting shrouded by gray clouds again, the beam thinning out.
Now I could finally see the scene.
Bees buzzing everywhere, people fleeing.
Luna lying on the ground with her giant mask shattered, and the bald guy standing over her, twin swords raised high.
“You fucking bald bastard.”
“Sh-shit, the duration’s already up?!”
“Pulling sneaky tricks. Die, asshole!”
I kicked off the ground and smashed my fist into his skull with everything I had.
Hit square in the jaw, the man folded like a falling bowling pin, knees buckling as he face-planted.
“Guek—.”
“Fucking pain in the ass.”
“Th-then… Almighty God of Light, protect me with your eternal radiance, guide me with your brilliant wisdom, shield me from death and the hands of my enemies—! Gr-God of Light….”
“Give it up.”
“…What?”
The shadow from my massive frame. I could feel his eyes squinting up at me from under it.
“No light here.”
“Ha….”
As he sighed, nosebleed streaming, I swung my fist down on his head again.
Thwack—!
“Gek—.”
*
“Hassan, found 2 coppers in this pocket—!”
Luna and I rummaged through the pockets of the downed stalker fucks, grabbing anything useful and their money. All we got from the three was about 10 coppers and three swords.
“Fuck, these bastards were total broke-ass losers.”
I spat on the ground.
Still, snagging three swords was a decent haul. I’d gotten armor fitted, but had no cash for a weapon—my only blade was a dagger.
The axe was too rusted and chipped to use, so we ditched it.
Anyway, I pocketed the 10 coppers and strapped the swords and sheaths to my belt.
Now I was Hassan the triple-sword swordsman! Felt like my combat power just skyrocketed.
Not that I knew any swordsmanship—could barely swing one like a brute. But I knew damn well the power a sword carried.
Even if I never drew them, just wearing the scabbards gave off intimidation that was useful in all sorts of ways.
With three, I could sell two if needed.
“P-please, don’t take the swords… Th-they’re my livelihood—. Each one’s worth 5 silvers….”
The bald guy, still conscious despite the beating, begged me.
Tough fucker, fitting for a gang leader.
“W-without them, I’ll starve to death….”
Seeing his pathetic state almost softened me up, making me pause.
“This guy’s still awake!”
Luna shrieked, grabbed a nearby chunk of stone, and smashed it straight down on his head. Thud—and he went out cold, eyes rolling back white, body limp.
Smashing a stone on someone’s head without hesitation. Yeah, she ain’t normal.
Fuck, hope she didn’t kill him. Even so, killing in the city carried big risks.
They started it, but a murder in town meant harsh grilling from the guards.
Broke as I was, I could end up locked up for good. Made me anxious.
So I checked the limp thugs’ necks for pulses or breathing—
“L-look! He’s finishing them off! Trying to strangle ‘em!”
“Nah, he’s peeling their faces! Heard Samaritans skin their kills!”
A few onlookers who hadn’t fled despite the bees whispered, so I stopped. No matter what I do, I get misunderstood.
Clank, clank.
“What’s the commotion?”
Soon, city guards in armor with swords, round shields, and red cloaks swarmed in, settling the chaos.
“No, look, those fuckers came at me first. Swinging swords everywhere. Total assholes anyway. They’re Daphne’s stalkers too. Yeah.”
“Hmm—.”
Had to sweat explaining to the guards that it wasn’t excessive force but self-defense. Even same crime, the law’s stricter on a black-haired beast like me.
“Those punks are known scum around here.”
“I saw ‘em pick the fight! Closed my eyes midway ‘cause of the flash—. Total public menace on the street!”
Luckily, bystanders chimed in to back me up, so I avoided the jail wagon for now.
In a world without cameras, eyewitness testimony holds massive weight. Can be poison or a boon.
Simple street duel in the city. Case closed.
“By the laws of the gods and royal code, these duel losers go to prison.”
“And you, barbarian—don’t cause needless trouble. Unlike the lawless wilds, the gods’ laws watch you everywhere.”
“L-let go! I’m Uter, son of the Sun God—! Blessed by the Sun God, I tell you!!”
“Your dad runs a fabric shop at the north gate, punk. Come quietly!”
The guards bound the three men and dragged them off. Watching them go, my legs shook.
Adrenaline crash hitting, plus the terror of “prison.”
Lose a duel, go to jail. In this world that doesn’t give a shit about criminal rights, jail meant death.
“Whew—.”
Anyway, it ended well. Faced three armed thugs at once and came out without a single cut or stab. Pure luck.
My punching fists throbbed, bee stings burned, but against armed gangsters? Bargain.
“Hassan, th-that wasn’t on purpose, right? Bees don’t know friend from foe…. My voodoo isn’t advanced enough to fully control critters yet….”
Luna stammered, glancing at me warily. She remembered me yelling when her bees stung me.
“Thanks to you, I survived, kid.”
“R-really? Right? That’s what I thought?”
I thanked her straight up. If she hadn’t shown up at the perfect moment to buy time against that Solar Flare bullshit, I might’ve been the one dragged off by guards.
Or a corpse.
“Could’ve sold those bees for 20 coppers maybe. Sad I keep releasing the ones I catch yesterday and today. And my lucky mask broke….”
Luna pouted at the wooden shards on the ground. Post-smash, trampled to bits—unrecognizable now.
She’d shielded it over her body against goblins, so it must’ve been precious. No wonder she was bummed.
Thought about giving her the 10 coppers from the thugs, but my own nose was too stony. Pocketed it instead. She didn’t ask, no need.
To cheer up the sulking Luna, I changed the subject.
“But how’d you get here?”
“Oh, I was looking for you. Checked the guild, then the inn—they said you checked out. Back to guild, heard library, then near the park by it, thought I heard your voice—”
Luna spilled her story.
“So you were hunting for me?”
“Yeah, we’re making a kid together today, right? Swore on the Styx too. Don’t you remember?”
Doooong—.
“Oh—, yeah, I remember now.”