Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Steps Into Darkness
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The women, who had been clinging to life as playthings for the brown monsters, trembled at the ceaseless cheers, roars, and thunderous crashes echoing from outside.
With no idea what was happening out there, they were slowly being consumed by the terror of the unknown.
Would those deafening booms mean they'd be dragged out again? Would one of them be devoured alive next?
As they suffocated under the weight of their own imaginations, a sharp crack and crash rang out from the darkness, accompanied by a small scream, sending their fear into overdrive.
Then, a massive, blood-soaked brown bulk strode in.
The women naturally recoiled in horror. They didn't scream only because they remembered how the monsters delighted in their cries.
But... a human voice?
"This'll be a problem if you can't understand me..."
The women, frozen in confusion, snapped to attention at Hwan-in's mutter.
=We can understand you!=
=We get it! We understand!=
As the women spoke, a piercing ring—not in his ears, but in his mind—made Hwan-in furrow his brow slightly.
It didn't hurt.
It felt like the tremor of a long-dormant organ suddenly stimulated for the first time.
One woman, with ears like a Jindo dog's, stood cautiously, covering her breasts with her left arm and pressing her thighs together.
=Did... did you come to rescue us?=
Another piercing ring.
The sound hitting his eardrums resembled some Arabic dialect, but strangely, Hwan-in understood exactly what she meant.
"Yes. The soul of a woman I believe to be your acquaintance asked me to."
The women gasped, swallowing hard in shock.
"I know it might be hard to believe..."
=We believe you! We do!=
=We'll believe! We will...!=
The other three leaped to their feet, heedless of their nakedness, nodding vigorously through tears.
Hope—the glow of survival—spread visibly across their faces.
The Jindo-eared woman wiped her tears and glanced behind Hwan-in.
=Wh-where are your other comrades...?=
"It's just me. No time for long talks now—we'll chat later."
With that, Hwan-in dumped the weapons he'd picked up along the way in front of them.
Rusty or half-rotted, but they could protect themselves for a short while.
The women's faces clouded with worry at the news he was alone. How could six of them escape amid so many monsters?
Hwan-in read their concern but ignored it, flipping a hide over his head like a hood.
"I've killed most of the monsters in this cave. I'll take out the rest. More might come after I leave, but just hold on until I return."
Watching his calm demeanor, an unfounded faith that they could escape alive began take root in the women.
The Jindo-eared woman picked up a rusty shortspear from the pile.
=It was so chaotic outside... What's going on?=
"Good news for you. Two of the big monsters are dead, the other three badly wounded. Only about sixty small ones left."
=......!=
=......?=
Two of those five massive beasts already dead? The hundreds of monsters down to just sixty?
While the women stood stunned in shock and bewilderment, Hwan-in left the room and headed deeper in.
A vastly larger chamber appeared—clearly the end of the passage.
At the far back, like an altar with two tiers, stood five wooden chairs.
Those must be the big ones' seats.
The left wall was piled with filthy meat swarming with flies; the right had three straw beds.
"......"
He passed the fire pit in the center and checked behind the chairs—no dog hole.
He clicked his tongue in quiet disappointment.
If there'd been a dog hole, this would've been easier.
They lived like beasts, but apparently weren't beast enough in their habits.
Confirming no living brown monsters remained in the cave, Hwan-in passed the women's room. The Jindo-eared one stopped him, clutching a weapon to her chest.
=Benefactor...=
"What is it?"
Her face flickered with fear as she flattened her beast ears backward.
=Beware the biggest Hob.=
Hob?
From context, their word for the brown monsters. Big Hob for the large ones.
=That monster heals wounds by drinking blood. Even guts-spilling injuries close to mere scratches once it drinks. It recovers stamina too, it seems.=
"Any features besides size?"
=It wields a greatsword like a club.=
Greatsword Hob, then. Vampire-like powers explained the light wounds.
Hwan-in sent the Jindo-eared woman back and emerged to find a club-wielding brown monster dead nearby, head smashed.
Despite mangled arms, it'd loitered near the blade boar and taken a back kick.
Idiot.
He recovered its lingering soul, circled behind the hill, grabbed his weapons and spear, and watched the clearing's deathmatch.
Only the greatsword and iron-spear Hobs remained among the big ones. But the blade boar bled profusely, body slashed.
The three tangled desperately, fanning their final life flames.
"......"
The blade boar's prowess was impressive—raging against five mid-to-low-tier big brown monsters.
Considering it'd chased him for 20 minutes, burning much stamina...
If it'd been at full strength, half the big Hobs would've died in the first clash.
Slinging the deer-antler staff and spear on his back, Hwan-in gripped only his dagger and slipped like an assassin behind the small brown monsters ringing the clearing.
Goal: thin their numbers as much as possible.
Krrk...!
Possessing Yak's soul (stamina-focused body enhancement)—with under 5 minutes left—Hwan-in clamped a rearmost brown monster's jaws and yanked it back, slitting its throat.
Blood spurted; it convulsed with muffled gurgles. But the stench and gasps drowned in the melee and cheers.
He tossed the corpse aside and moved to the next.
Thus, Hwan-in methodically culled the small ones with every stealth trick.
Some sensed oddity and turned—he impaled their heads on his spear.
"Hup!"
Krunch.
Feeling the spear's heavy load, Hwan-in braced his arm and lifted.
His forearm bulged, straining his shirt sleeves near tearing. A 30kg-plus corpse dangled from the tip, then vanished into the woods with a mighty swing.
Three seconds flat.
Its kin nearby didn't notice.
Too immersed in the bloody duel and cheers to sense allies dying beside or behind.
The fighters fixated on each other.
Only when numbers hit twenty did the monsters murmur, finally noticing.
But clueless who did it, they milled stupidly.
Twenty was deliberate—Hwan-in had returned to the hill by then.
His turn soon.
A month-plus in this bizarre world.
No... day 40? Sense of time's fading.
He'd gained soul-manipulating powers, grasped basics of Warm Ki?? and Cold Ki??, run experiments.
Tested excess souls from refilling soul orbs or expired ones—what could they do?
Limited tests due to power nature, but results: preload skills for ~22 minutes, or drag souls ~10 minutes.
Move with up to 4 souls preloaded, or some in tow.
Both drained Warm Ki steadily—not for casual use.
Warm Ki like game MP/mana.
Depletes harshly penalized overuse.
But invisible to foes (save explosion), excess capacity briefly—quite useful.
Right now, he'd spent 4 soul orbs preloading soul arrows: mid-low 1, low 1, lowest 2. Advanced Soul Arrow mix.
He shed his disguising filthy hides.
Kuoooaaargh...!!
Thud.
The blade boar took a full swing from the greatsword Hob to its head, front leg buckling.
Body torn, bones shattered—ghastly near-death.
"Hoo."
Hwan-in possessed a big brown monster soul, then leaped down the steep slope without hesitation.
Near-vertical 20m drop, but he braked with heels, bounded, landed smoothly in the clearing.
Thump.
The greatsword Hob, poised to crush the insolent boar's skull, froze at the intruder, muscles tensing, red eyes glaring.
Instinct warned: uncanny aura from this newcomer.
"......"
Irked by Hwan-in's calm? Or uneasy vibe?
The iron-spear Hob (more rod than spear) bellowed grroooaaar and charged.
Muscle? No, just fat layers.
Up close, bloated flab everywhere. Heavy—thudding footfalls.
Hwan-in read its limb motions, predicted pattern, sidestepped the straightforward thrust, and slammed the shaft upward hard.
Claaang!!
Gruk?!
The iron-spear Hob's stance collapsed, arms flying up like surrender.
Big brown monster possession: strength-boost specialized.
Hwan-in felt the recoil in his grip.
Without that strength focus, he couldn't have parried so perfectly.
Krrk!
As it hastily retreated to recover, the blade boar rammed it—searing pain from its dead flank. Mouth agape in silent scream.
Too late, it realized the scrawny one had stabbed it. Looked down.
Finger-width gash oozed blackened blood.
When?
"Eyes off the enemy? Impressive."
The low voice snapped its head up—too late.
Sharp pain in left eye brief.
Consciousness faded; it crumpled, still forever.
"......"
Hwan-in yanked the spear from its deep eye socket, shook off brains from the tip, eyed the greatsword Hob.
Flat-nosed snort at Hwan-in's blank stare.
What's that black-spear guy? How'd he appear? Why?
Headache? It irritably slammed its greatsword down repeatedly.
Dumb move, but Hwan-in stayed wary.
Big Hobs fought on brute force and instinct—like him.
It relied on bulk and instinct; he on gut and reflexes.
Muscles writhed grotesquely under vein-thick skin. It glared murderously, low growling grrr rumble.
Bloodshot eyes and snarls screamed: I'll smash you now.
Hwan-in smirked coldly, gripped spear two-handed, set stance. Loud enough:
"Right. Once you're dead, this village ends."
Kuak!!
Short roar, it leaped. Speed top-tier among seen beasts.
Landing spot obvious: right here. Possessed big Hob soul—exploit post-landing gap for big damage.
But no.
Up close, only this one's muscles defined.
Others muscle-pig at best, lard-pig worst. This qualitatively superior, unscathed.
Jindo woman's warning; planned brief analysis, yielded space dodging.
But...
Boom!!
On landing, it smashed ground—grenade-like shards flew. Hwan-in narrowed eyes habitually.
Gap exploit? Paralyzed by debris, then clobbered badly.
Far stronger than expected—several times.
Not just stronger than others. Pre/post mid-low possession gap.
How? Stark individual differences?
Kuwaaak!!
Deep crater left, it lunged straight-line charge.
Arrow-fast, but prepared—Hwan-in caught motion, exploited linear gap, prodded spear tip lightly outside greatsword reach.
Sped grazed flank to thigh long gash.
Kwaaak!! Kuwaaaa!!
Sight of blood—its own—eyes whites gone, bloodshot frenzy. Wild swings within power/stamina limits.
Split firm ground centimeters deep. Blade blurred, savagely rent air.
Sometimes arrow-jumped pounces, but Hwan-in kept distance, dodged all, nicked wounds occasionally.
Durability vampire-like, but attacks too fast.
Gaps obvious, but no time for real damage.
Just accumulate cuts via opportunistic prods.
Guwooooregh!!!
After clashes, it pounded chest roaring. No warning—kicked dirt sandstorm.
"!?"
Patter, tik-tik-tik.
Soul shield deployed hastily—gravel pinged loudly. Thick dust blinded.
Then thud footfall.
Left.
Catching sound nuance, Hwan-in dropped flat, torso near ground.
Dust split left; greatsword Hob burst out, fiend-faced.
Krrk?
Expecting split prey—gone. It scanned confused.
Dust/sand foes always easy meat. Vanished.
First time baffled, turning—sudden chest-tearing agony. Kuak, spewed bowl of blood.
What?
Turned: foe aimed weird staff.
Fist-sized hole in own chest.