Light Word Orkan's Pursuit
Light Word Orkan followed right on his heels. …He's gotta be pissed as hell right now, huh? I wanted his reason to shut down completely.
Stick to the plan for now. I started moving not toward the sanctuary outside, but straight for the 99th floor exit. He'd taken down the boss monster, so the exit should be open.
─Ziiing.
Recalling how to use the acceleration shoes, I focused my mind on them. The magic stone on the side lit up, and my feet began to feel lighter. I sprinted at full speed toward the 99th floor exit.
Pushing the shoes' acceleration to the limit made them hard to control. …But even so. My feet sped up. My movement speed surged. I blew past Orkan in a flash, closing in on the exit instantly.
"You think you can escape─?!"
A wind-cutting whoosh came from behind. My neck twitched instinctively. In that instant, a massive shadow loomed over me. I twisted my body without thinking, but what flew at me wasn't a huge battle axe.
Whoosh.
The basilisk's corpse sailed over me and slammed into the ground right in front of the exit.
BOOM!
The exit was blocked in a heartbeat. Completely.
"Don't even think about running, you demon─! This is your grave!"
Crazy…. This guy's a real monster.
Then… Plan B it is. I focused on the acceleration shoes again.
Whoosh.
Orkan charged forward, gripping his massive battle axe. He looked just like a demon lord risen from hell.
"I'll kill you, demon!"
One hit from that axe would shatter my skull. I cranked the shoes to their max again, overtaking him once more. I'd gotten used to the speed, so it was way smoother than before. I broke out of his sanctuary, the boss room, in seconds.
"Coward! Don't run! Face me honorably─!"
I didn't reply. I needed to put as much distance between us as possible right now. Orkan burst out of the boss room and gave chase immediately.
─Zzt.
Right then.
…Huh?
The magic stone in the acceleration shoes suddenly flickered. Then its glow faded rapidly.
…It's already breaking down? I'd heard beforehand that it was old gear. Even swapping the stone, it'd only last about ten minutes before the stone died. Maybe because I'd pushed it to the limit instantly. But I hadn't even used it for a full minute yet….
Whoosh.
While I was distracted, a hand axe flew from behind. I jerked my head back just in time to dodge.
CRACK!
The hand axe embedded in the wall ahead, sparks flying.
Yeah, throw 'em. Keep throwing. Picturing the terrain I'd memorized, I just kept running blindly. Orkan hurled hand axes in a rage.
"Don't run! You call yourself a warrior?!"
What do you want me to do? I'm not a warrior. He called me a demon a second ago, now he's on about warriors. Guess he's that heated up. I took it as a good sign.
"Uwaaaaaah─!"
A furious roar echoed from behind, followed by a barrage of hand axes. After about five, no more came flying. He'd stopped throwing—probably chasing without recovering them.
…Out of axes? If so, perfect. I kept running. The surrounding space started narrowing. It was the area I'd scouted beforehand. Still, I was far from my goal.
I pulled a vial of invisible worms from what the gnomes had given me. Subspace pockets were handy for this.
Whoosh.
I tossed it backward without looking—missed. The vial shattered on the floor, spilling sticky transparent goo.
Should I step in it? Might slow him down if he does.
"Ha─!"
Orkan snorted and leaped clean over the shattered spot. Insane jump power.
"Is this all the tricks you have─?! Demon! Is that everything you've got?!"
His voice sounded closer than before. Had he closed the gap, or was he just yelling louder?
Monster bastard. I ran my hardest to widen the distance again. My breathing was steady. The boosted combat power meant I wasn't tiring yet. The problem was the physical gap. I was definitely getting caught—slowly but surely.
Drip.
Right then, the magic stone in the acceleration shoes went completely dark. Dead. And with that signal, the distance shrank in a flash.
Luckily, a corner was right ahead.
Almost there. I whipped left around the bend.
"Hahaha─!"
Orkan sounded amused now. Enjoying the hunt? His laughter didn't stop. I felt like prey. It sucked. But part of me was thrilled too. Brain dumping dopamine in the danger, I guess.
Hoo.
I pressed against the corner wall, holding my breath. Waiting. One hand with the magic powder from the Deep Sea Poet, the other gripping the rapier.
Align….
I activated Insight and took position.
"Running won't save you─!"
Moments later, Orkan rounded the corner right in front of me. I blew the magic powder straight into his face.
Shhhhrk.
Sprayed point-blank, he couldn't dodge. Panicking, he swung the axe wildly.
"Urk, ugh!"
But the axe clanged into the wall instead. It was the spot I'd memorized. A corner where the wall suddenly narrowed.
Core….
I didn't miss the chance.
Penetrate─!
My rapier shot toward his heart.
Stab.
The blade slid in along the grain.
Crunch.
It shattered bone and pierced the heart.
Sizzle.
Straight through.
"…Got him?"
Orkan froze like a statue, silent. Then his lips twitched.
Final words? Nope.
"…My blood is my ancestors'."
What the hell out of nowhere….
"…My flesh is testimony of the battlefield."
I got uneasy for no reason. I stabbed his heart again with the rapier.
"The weapon I wield is the memory of the dead─."
Clang.
His tattoo suddenly bulged out, blocking my rapier. What the—?
"…And today, it shall be completed with your blood."
That instant. The tattoos on his skin glowed.
Incomprehensible phenomenon. His mutterings formed sentences, embedding in my mind.
Thus, O Odin! Lift this body of mine. And cover this battle with your fist.
I call upon ancestral blood. I stand upon the memories of the dead.
My body is small, unable to contain the rage.
─Light Word.
"Flesh─ expand─."
As Orkan's final words ended, the tattoos on his skin sucked into his heart all at once. A red rune exploded in his chest center.
Then, light shoved his skin outward. Bones rattled, muscles burst, flesh poured. His body began to grow massive.
Crack, crunch.
In a single instant.
One warrior─ reborn in a gigantic form.
"Mi…."
I freaked out.
"…n."
Orkan's body, now nearly double the size, bulldozed the layer wall.
KABOOM!
The wall split and crumbled. The whole layer structure shook.
Thud! Thud!
He was a real monster. The massive flesh, bones, rage, beast—his very existence was a weapon.
"Demon─!"
His voice boomed like lightning in a dry sky. I scrambled desperately. Rolled behind a jutting stone wall, slipped through crumbling debris to escape.
"A demon cannot defeat a warrior─!"
I stabbed my rapier into his body while backpedaling.
Stab.
His slow movement from smashing walls let me keep stabbing.
Stab. Thigh.
Stab. Flank.
I jumped, stabbed, jumped, stabbed. Over and over.
Stab. Stab. Stab. Stab. Stab.
Blood sprayed with every rapier thrust. But no real damage. Every move of his shattered walls and shook the floor. No way to steady the blade for power.
"I'll devour your heart─."
Then the narrow path ended. A wide space opened up.
…Ah.
No more walls to hinder his movement. I hurled the last vial of invisible worms from my subspace pocket.
Whoosh.
Hit his body dead-on.
Splatter.
Vial shattered, goo coating him stickily. But no effect.
"How─ pathetic─!"
Open space. Even the walls constraining his body were gone.
…This is it.
Is this where my desperate survival dance ends? Kim Jinwoo, 27, curtain call?
…No. Last resort. Time for the final blow.
I was certain.
─Warriors never drop their weapons. Confirmed it through talk. Problem was if my rapier could pierce….
Gamble.
His savage axe gave no time to think.
Whoosh.
The massive battle axe bore down.
CRUNCH!
I kicked off the floor like a spring to barely dodge. Where I'd been standing was cratered, not just cracked.
One hit and instant death. Cold sweat down my spine.
Can't drag this out. End it now.
I used Insight on my own body.
And─ unraveled the threads inside.
Hastily undid the mana threads in my dantian.
Whoosh.
His axe kept coming. My mind raced. I'll die. One hit and done. Dodged desperately.
Snick.
Grazed me, and my left arm skin sliced long. Air pressure alone did that. Heart lurched. Terror sharpened my nerves.
Whoosh.
I frantically wrapped the hastily unraveled mana threads around the rapier.
The survival urge rejecting death awakened my hidden genius.
─Vmmm.
Mana light coiled around the rapier.
Whoosh.
That instant, the huge battle axe closed in again.
CRUNCH.
Shattering a wall en route. I prayed the wall dulled its power and raised my left arm as a shield.
─Petrification.
Activated Basilion Shell. My left arm turned gray and hardened.
Stab.
The massive battle axe buried into my left arm. I used it as sacrifice to burrow inside his guard.
Align, core─.
As I set my stance, slash.
My left arm couldn't hold—severed.
Screech.
No time for the pain of losing an arm. The huge axe now targeted my body.
…Hold, please.
I activated Basilion Shell on my left side. And leaped.
Raised the rapier vertically, toward the ceiling.
Penetrate─.
Distance was good. My rapier arced toward his jaw underside.
Pierce, damn it.
Stab.
Rapier pierced under his jaw.
CRACK.
Simultaneously, the huge axe sank into my collarbone. Shattering the petrified skin.
Sizzle.
Rapier pierced his upper palate.
CRUNCH.
Axe split my collarbone and chest bone.
Cough.
Hot surge from inside. Forced it down, focused on the rapier.
Crack.
Rapier reached his brain. Axe caught on my chest bone, halted.
I spat blood, poured everything in.
Crack.
Rapier finally pierced the brain. Pushed harder.
Skull started shattering.
Crack, crunch.
Rapier tip burst through his crown toward the ceiling.
Moments later, Orkan's colossal body crumbled like an ancient fortress wall.
"Ah."
I gasped ragged breaths.
…I won. Survived. Tears welled up unbidden.
As soon as I posted, question marks poured like rain.
I posted again.
The gallery erupted in chaos. Needed to post proof…. But I was too exhausted. Felt like death. Pushed my body to the brink. Every muscle felt torn along the grain.
"…Hoo."
I regulated my battered body, catching my breath. Just a bit, rest.
Right then.
Whoosh.
Something red burst from Orkan's corpse and engulfed me.