Chapter 256
Chapter 256
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 256
Chapter Title: Hukmak (1)
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A cart pulled by a single donkey was traveling along a dirt road.
"That's the Hukmak mountain range over there."
The old man leading the cart pointed ahead as he spoke. At that, the young man who had been lying in the cart raised his head.
Towering mountains blocked the view like a wall. The sight was so grand it was almost frightening.
"Impressive, isn't it? It even has a cool nickname. They call it the Wall of the World."
"It deserves such a name."
The old man burst into loud laughter at the young man's words.
"But you've been wearing that mask the whole time? Must've been uncomfortable."
The young man was wearing a wooden mask over his face. He hadn't taken it off once since they first met.
"It's comfortable this way."
"You young folks these days are hard to understand."
Shaking his head, the old man continued.
"By the way, what brings you to a place like that? It's so dangerous no one goes near it."
"You said you wouldn't ask."
"Oh right, I keep forgetting in my old age."
The young man climbed down from the cart. He handed the old man a few silver coins. The old man took them with a gleeful smile.
"You're a generous young man. Well, I'll be off then."
The old man turned the cart around. Then, as if he'd just remembered, he asked with a puzzled look.
"By the way... what was your name again?"
"Victor."
The young man gave a short reply.
"Just call me Victor the Firewood Chopper."
* * *
The old man led his cart away.
Demian stood still, watching him go.
He hadn't really needed the cart in the first place. Moving alone would have been faster.
The reason he'd used it was to leave a clear trail of Victor the Firewood Chopper.
That way, when the Weaponmaster died, Pandemonium would quickly pinpoint "Victor the Firewood Chopper."
"It's a terribly rugged place."
Demian murmured as he looked at the mountains.
He'd seen many mountains before, but this one looked the most dangerous.
Demian opened his sub-space. He pulled out a travel trunk from within.
When he opened the trunk from both sides, an endless darkness came into view.
At that moment, something shot out from the darkness.
A wolf made of black shadows pounced on Demian, knocking him backward.
-Master! Master!
The wolf licked Demian's cheek furiously. Demian grimaced and pushed it away.
"Get off me."
-Master... you're cold...!
Mungchi backed away with a resentful whine. Demian stood up and brushed off his clothes.
Then, something else emerged from the darkness. This time, it was a girl with an androgynous appearance.
"Kyaaang! Kyaaaaang!"
The girl, Miya, let out an angry wail the moment she came out, glaring at Demian.
As if blaming him for not letting her out sooner.
"Where do you get off throwing a tantrum?"
But as soon as Demian glared at her, she lowered her gaze and hid behind Mungchi.
-Master! You're scary when you're mad!
"Kyang! Kyang!"
With Mungchi joining in, Miya cried even louder.
Demian, losing patience, raised his fist, and the two scampered away.
"When did those two get so close?"
It was then, as Demian muttered to himself, that the darkness stirred again.
This time, a knight in black armor stepped out.
The knight knelt before Demian the moment he emerged.
-My lord, it's been a long time.
"Yes, good to see you again. Nothing happened in the meantime?"
-Nothing at all. As per your orders, I've devoted myself solely to training.
The travel bag Demian had pulled out was a magic artifact designed to store undead.
Its interior was a vast sub-space.
Inside the magic artifact, not only these three but also skeletons were waiting.
They were originally Domenico's subordinates, soldiers from the Almond Baek Kingdom.
-But you're wearing a mask, my lord. That's a first.
"Circumstances required it. Oh, and for the time being, call me Victor, not Demian Haksen."
-Pardon?
Domenico's face showed confusion at the sudden command.
"It's like this..."
Demian briefly explained everything that had happened so far to Domenico.
After hearing it all, Domenico looked around in surprise.
-So the Weaponmaster is here?
"Yes, though I don't know the exact location."
Domenico's expression turned grave at Demian's words.
-Finding a dwarf city on our own... that's tough. I've heard almost no humans have ever located one by themselves.
Dwarves built their cities in extremely secretive locations due to their cave-dwelling habits.
Combined with their superior technology, it was nearly impossible to find them.
-And we have to search such a vast area...
Domenico looked troubled as he scanned the mountain range.
"It'll be hard. But we have to do it."
"I understand. To clear out the trash, a little effort is necessary."
A dark glint flashed in Domenico's eyes.
The reason Domenico and the Baek Kingdom soldiers had sworn loyalty to Demian was simple.
To repay their debt to him—and to kill the black mages.
-First, we need clues. If only a dwarf would just drop out of the sky.
"Well, that would be ideal, but things don't work out that easily."
-Indeed.
It was while the two were bantering that Miya suddenly tugged at Demian's clothes.
"Kyang! Kyaaang!"
"I'm busy right now, so play later."
"Kyaaaaang! Kyang!"
Miya protested fiercely. Demian frowned and turned his head.
"Why are you being such a nuisance all of a sudden..."
The moment he looked, Demian froze.
Mungchi had something in his mouth.
Thick cloth clothes, short stature, limbs packed with muscle.
Demian stared blankly and muttered.
"...A dwarf?"
* * *
"Let me go! You hear me?!"
The dwarf thrashed his limbs in resistance, but he was too small to escape Mungchi's mouth.
"Damn it! What the hell is this freakish beast? How did you even find me?!"
"It's Mungchi. Let him go."
"Uwaaak!"
Mungchi opened his mouth. The dwarf tumbled to the ground flailing.
"Ow, my jaw! You stupid beast! If you're gonna drop me, do it gently!"
The dwarf jumped to his feet yelling. Mungchi just tilted his head.
"Are you from Lightning Hammer City?"
Demian asked the dwarf. The dwarf replied with a sullen face.
"Hmph! You already know everything, so why ask?!"
"Good. Tell me how to get into your city."
"You scrawny human... are you testing me? You lot should know better than anyone!"
The dwarf shouted angrily. Demian felt a sense of unease at his words.
"We know?"
"Bringing undead like this, you must be one of that bastard Weaponmaster's underlings! If even scum like you doesn't know how to get into the city, who would?!"
Demian scowled.
"Explain in more detail. What did you just—"
It was then.
Demian looked up from interrogating the dwarf.
Mana fluctuations were bursting repeatedly from deep within the mountains.
They were faint due to the distance, but unmistakable. Someone was fighting inside.
"Domenico, grab this one."
Domenico immediately seized the dwarf's limbs.
Demian fixed his gaze on the direction of the energy bursts and said.
"Everyone, follow me."
* * *
Deep within the Hukmak mountain range.
An intense battle was raging there.
"Kill all the humans!"
"Don't fall back! If we stick together, we can win!"
Fully armored dwarves swung their weapons as they shouted.
Surprisingly, their opponents were humans.
"Hah! Didn't expect to run into these bugs here!"
A man from the human side laughed as he yelled.
The sword in his hand was cloaked in pitch-black Aurablade.
A Dark Knight.
Evidence of his Master-class prowess.
"They're fools defying Master's orders. Kill them all!"
At the man's command, his subordinates charged toward the dwarves.
At a glance, the dwarves seemed overwhelmingly superior. There were dozens of them, and their armament was superior.
The humans numbered barely ten, armed with nothing but their weapons.
But the outcome was the opposite. The humans began a one-sided massacre.
"Aaak! My arm! My arm!"
"Gah! Gaaah!"
The man's subordinates were all knights who could wield Aura.
Weapons infused with Aura sliced through the dwarves' armor effortlessly.
"Y-You... devil spawn...!"
"Our ancestors won't forgive you!"
The dwarves spat curses and struggled, but it was futile. They were helpless against the humans.
"Ah... aaah... aaaaah..."
Far from the battlefield.
Dwarf Kilo watched the scene with a face full of despair.
"I-I was gone just for a moment... Th-this can't be... aaah... aaaaah..."
He should have been with that group originally.
But while he'd been out on reconnaissance, this had happened.
He wanted to rush in and help his kin. But Kilo was restrained and couldn't move.
Kilo glanced at his captors.
One human male in a ridiculous wooden mask, one Death Knight, one mysterious human girl, and finally a wolf made of shadows.
A bizarre combination, but nothing to laugh at. The immense dark magic emanating from them.
The battle was already hopeless, and if these joined in, it would truly be over.
'I-I have to do something... At least lead these guys away...'
It was when Kilo steeled his resolve.
"Domenico."
The masked human male spoke. The Death Knight replied.
-Yes, my lord.
"You said you'd focused on training. Time to show the results."
A smile crept onto the Death Knight's lips.
Or was it right to call it a smile?
It was more like a beast baring its fangs just before tearing into prey.
-As my lord commands.
The masked man pulled a travel bag from his sub-space.
"Come out, all of you. Time to clean up the trash."
The travel bag opened wide. Dozens of skeletons poured out from within.