Chapter 94
Chapter 94 - An Unexpected Identity(1)
The center of Kern was immersed in grief and screams. Time had passed midnight, approaching dawn.
How many Immortal Cult members had I cut down? The sudden regret I felt was, 'If I had known this would happen, I should have checked more status windows of passing people.'
"Huff... huff..."
Of course, I know.
Even if I had identified the Immortal Cult members beforehand, there's the issue of what excuse to use to kill those who look no different from ordinary people.
Moreover, according to Zenon(?), Kern's population is 10,000. Trying to remember everyone's personal information would be a perfect way to develop a mental illness.
"Haa... haa... heuk."
Just looking at the mountain of scattered bodies of Immortal Cult members and civilians made such pointless thoughts suddenly cross my mind.
It hasn't even been an hour since I decided not to dwell on the past, yet here I am in this state. If Lucy saw this, she would pound the ground in despair.
"So, can I consider all of you... Immortal Cult bastards?"
I said while looking around. I roughly shook off my blood-soaked twin swords and pointed them in the direction of my gaze.
Around me, a scrum of dozens of humans had formed.
"......"
"......"
"......"
Dozens of mechanical eyes maintaining silence surrounded me from all directions.
Suddenly, they all rushed at me at once. Without any signal.
They just came at me from all directions as if it had been predetermined from the start.
"Not a chance, you bastards!"
But being startled by their machine-like unity only happened the first couple of times.
By now, I hadn't let my guard down for even a moment in front of them.
"Seven Sword Pierce!"
I chanted the skill like a battle cry. Fourteen magic swords rushed towards all directions.
Of course, among them were those skilled enough to deflect this, and those who weren't.
Although I've been fighting with 'Seven Sword Pierce one-trick' lately, that doesn't mean I've forgotten other skills.
'Use them when needed!'
Right. I just hadn't used them because there weren't any large-scale battle situations like this.
I twisted up the corners of my mouth and jumped up high on the spot.
"Minefield!!"
After concentrating all my mana into my sword, I drove it into the ground.
Kugugugu! The earth let out a heavy scream and shook violently. Even I, the caster, staggered, so naturally, the Immortal Cult members who took the direct shock wave were in chaos.
"......!"
"......!!"
The Immortal Cult members tangled and fell. The blue magic swords mercilessly pierced their defenseless bodies.
Pububbuk! Fourteen magic swords, one for each of the fourteen people. They precisely pierce either the heart or neck.
'Tsk. Not enough power?'
While some died instantly, others who were hit by the swords merely staggered but still raised their weapons, preparing to rush at me. They must have high defense or health.
Before they could regain their composure, I quickly transformed my cloak.
'Fatal Thorns.'
Papapak! I swung the elongated thorns like a windmill in all directions.
On the dumbfounded faces of the Immortal Cult members, a horizontal blood line appeared.
"......!"
Jjeojjeok.
Following that line, their heads split in half and fell lifelessly to the ground.
[Level Up!]
A cheerful fanfare confirmed their deaths.
'Good. Quickly...!'
Although time was of the essence, I roughly distributed my ability points between agility and strength.
Immediately increasing stats - this was more important than anything else to me right now.
No. Not just for my current self, but also for my next life.
"......"
I lowered my gaze as if entranced. The bodies of Immortal Cult members cut by thorns littered the ground.
Looking at the bodies of Immortal Cult members twitching with their half-remaining faces, I deeply furrowed my brow and....
"Heh."
I laughed.
Far from being disgusted, I let out a smile of ecstasy.
'Get a grip. Go crazy after the fight is over.'
Though I consciously erased the smile right after, the fact that I had grinned at that sight remains unchanged.
I shook my head vigorously and immediately turned my attention elsewhere.
'Already this many...?'
What first surprised me was the noticeably reduced number of Kern citizens while I was breaking through the scrum.
Of course, all the reduced Kern citizens were lying dead on the ground. I was witnessing the literal meaning of the idiom 'blood flowing like a river.'
Just as I was about to charge towards the Immortal Cult members carrying out the massacre while grinding my teeth.
Teoeng! A thunderous sound and impact that made my head throb. Something struck my forehead.
"Kuhek?!"
Not only did my running stop, but my neck snapped back and I flew like a piece of paper. Then Kwang! I crashed into and got embedded in the wall of a civilian house.
I briefly visited the River Styx. After barely gathering my flickering consciousness, I shook my head vigorously and pulled my body out of the wall.
"This is...."
In front of me as I dazedly rubbed my forehead was a cylindrical piece of metal armor. Upon picking it up and looking closely, it was a deformed bullet.
"A bullet... sn-sniper?"
Given that it's about a hand span even in my hand... judging by the gunpowder heat still felt, this definitely hit my forehead.
I unconsciously stuck out my tongue.
'Crazy bastard... there's even a sniper?'
This is insane. The situation was already dire enough with just the primitives armed with cold weapons.
Looking at the sophistication of this bullet, it seems there's a hero from a world with at least Earth-level technology in the Immortal Cult.
And of all things, it's a high-level sniper pest. What a nuisance.
'The power is at a level where I could kill with one strike....'
I touched my forehead. Wet blood stained my hand. My heart turned cold in an instant.
The defense was depleted instantly, and my skin was pierced. This happened despite Black Wing defense being slightly higher than my health points.
If it weren't for the cloak, that shot would have opened a highway on my forehead.
"Sniping is absolutely banned, you bastard."
I glared in the direction the bullet came from.
Mimir's Eye doesn't activate. After all, Mimir's Eye only shows the status of targets within sight.
'Hunting Mark.'
But the job skill 'Hunting Mark' that I newly learned this time is different.
While holding the crushed bullet, I chanted internally, and soon dark energy enveloped the bullet before quickly flying off somewhere.
[Tracking the residual trace of the special item 'Anti-Dragon Sniper Round Type 17' owner.]
[Tracking....]
I chased closely behind the flying black energy.
Leaping over civilian houses, jumping between the strange rooftops mixed with traditional tile houses and Western architecture.
And finally, on top of a chimney, the energy stopped and drew an ominous skull pattern.
"....."
The sniper hiding on the chimney showed no sign of panic despite being discovered. They just reached into their clothes, pulled out a dagger, and prepared to fight with familiarity.
Looking at the sniper, I smiled with genuine intent that surprised even myself.
"If you planned to put a hole in someone else's forehead, you must be prepared to have a hole put in yours too, right?"
I rushed at him as soon as I finished speaking.
Even to myself, the speed was incredible. This was because I had quite a few skills that give buffs for the first attack.
At this speed, even a non-main skill should work. I raised my sword high into the sky.
"One Flash!"
An attack skill that had been nearly abandoned since learning Seven Sword Pierce, despite my usual tendency to not hold back in battle.
But now, with no Immortal Cult members in sight for the foreseeable future... managing magical power is essential.
"I'll split you in half, you bastard!!"
I brought down my sword, blazing with blue magical power.
"...!"
The Immortal Cult sniper calmly prepared to defend. He quickly raised his dagger.
However, at that moment, my sword had already touched the ground.
For the first time, an expression appeared on the sniper's face. It was confusion.
Swoosh!
Of course, that expression too was cleanly split in half, soon sprawled on the ground.
I watched for a moment as warm organs scattered across the roof along with streams of blood.
"....."
I looked at the sky for a moment. A half-moon dimly illuminated the dark surroundings.
I briefly looked at the Saint's crest glowing in my possession. I clenched and unclenched my fist, trying to grasp my dramatically enhanced status.
And finally, I clicked my tongue and growled.
"This is too exciting, damn it."
The sniper surely won't be the end of it.
If they could destroy Kern, a city with high average citizen levels, in one morning, the Immortal Cult must have prepared several secret weapons.
I'm already going crazy with anticipation about what kind of unique madmen will entertain me like this in the future.
"Sigh."
I let out a deep sigh that could pierce the roof, then immediately sprinted toward the center of the chaos.
Even at this moment, citizens are being massacred every second. There's no time to rest.
'Hunting Mark!'
I immediately cast the mark toward the next prey, and using Black Wing which had come off cooldown, I took flight and chased after it.
Whoosh! Following the mark cutting through the air, my body shot forward like a bullet.