Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: The Forest of No Return (6)
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The second head shot toward him in a blaze of fury.
- Shhiik!!
Kadim planted his legs firmly like roots and lowered his stance just enough. As the head closed in, he swung both hands upward in a savage arc with Mosquito gripped tight.
“Hraaaargh!”
――――― Kwachijijijik!!
From the soft flesh under its jaw to the solid skull and the armored scales crowning its head—the blade, empowered by monstrous strength, cleaved the massive serpent head in a single stroke. Blood and brains sprayed like a whip's lash, and the severed head thrashed wildly as if it were a different creature altogether, twisting in opposite directions.
- Sss, shiik! Shishishi!
Kadim didn't stop there.
He wiped the blood from his forearm. Swinging his sword in a broad, circular whirlwind, the blade extended long yet carried undiminished power. The hydra's thick neck was severed clean in one cut.
―――――― Tzugeugeugeok!
The body writhed like a torn rubber tube. From the exposed cross-section of its neck came a constant hiss of escaping air.
- Sssik, ssssaaaah......
Even as flesh began to creep upward amid the chaos, the hydra couldn't regenerate easily. Kadim seized the stump, mounting it, and hacked relentlessly at the cross-section.
Puk, jjeok, puk, puk!!
Freshly budding flesh was immediately drenched in blood again. The blade greedily drank in the flowing gore. The blood energy surging through Kadim's veins grew even richer.
- Shhiik!
The third head lunged to intercept him. Kadim assumed the exact same stance as before. Sword at the ready, body low, then exploding upward with coiled leg power to pulverize it. The third head met the same fate as the last, ground to pulp.
But this time, the hydra had offered the head deliberately. Seizing the moment when blood obscured his vision, the fifth head shot in like lightning.
Kwajik—!
He was too slow pulling his foot back; it clamped onto his left leg. Kadim showed no sign of alarm.
―――――― Tzugeok!!
Twisting his upper body to unleash a centrifugal horizontal slash loaded with full force.
The raging blade sheared across the skull, crushing the upper jaw and fangs in one go. The mangled maw naturally released his leg.
“......”
Kadim glanced at the bite. His left leg, nearly severed, had already regenerated cleanly. The deadly venom in the fangs induced only mild dizziness in him now.
The hydra's eyes flickered with faint unease.
- Shhiik!
- Shiiik!
But it quickly pulled back the severed heads, rotating in its intact ones to press the attack.
He'd been momentarily flustered. Now composure returned. Its spirit was undiminished, but the berserker's might wasn't the irrational force from 300 years ago. Without other demons, it could handle him alone.
No matter how it rampaged, the body was ultimately one. It couldn't withstand endless multi-pronged assaults forever. Plus, fully severed heads doubled to two each, steadily increasing its attack options.
At this rate, the hydra figured he'd tire and collapse under the barrage.
But that prediction missed the mark entirely.
“Hraaaargh!!”
Far from tiring, Kadim grew ever more destructive and ferocious as time wore on. Endless demonic blood flooded his veins, sending adrenaline into overdrive. Occasional wounds healed instantly, rendering them meaningless.
If anything, the hydra was falling into a defensive scramble.
The severed stumps sprouted doubles, increasing head count, but each grew thinner, their individual power waning.
Kwadududuk!!
Kadim seized dozens of serpentine necks and twisted them together in one brutal motion. Skin and flesh shredded like rags, compressing into mangled meat lumps. The hydra was left speechless.
Kadim flung the twisted flesh aside and carved into another head.
――――――― Tzok!
――――――――― Tzugeugeok!
Rotation intervals shortening bit by bit.
Now severing outpaced regeneration. The central head watched anxiously. Kadim furrowed his brow and turned his gaze.
“Why hasn't that head come at me?”
- ......Shik.
“It has something to answer for.”
The central head felt a chill of dread.
In truth, the other heads were mere limbs. This one alone held thought and control over the flesh—the core. If subdued, the rest would devolve to animal instinct.
A bad premonition. The hydra retreated desperately into the swamp. But Kadim trampled prior heads and torsos, leaping to close in on the central neck in an instant.
Spinning once midair, he struck down like a thunderbolt.
――――――― Jje—ok!
- Siiiiiiiik!!!
He dragged the deeply embedded blade straight down. Scales tore free, flesh split long. Without hesitation, Kadim plunged his hand inside.
Squelching through sticky tissue, his fingers closed on a hard axe handle. It was the one he'd flung earlier, trapped inside the hydra's skull during regeneration.
Jjeojeok—!
He ripped it free, cleaving brains. The central head crashed to the ground. All eyes dimmed at once. The hydra lost its cunning intellect, reduced to a instinct-driven beast.
- Shik, shiiik!
- Shik, shik, shik!
Regeneration hadn't halted entirely. Split brains already writhed, trying to reconnect. But reclaiming the core was a distant prospect. One hand axe, one sword—the blood-drunk berserker gave no respite, hacking heads mercilessly.
Jjeok, puk, seok, jjeok!
Flesh sprayed, bone shards flew. Venom and brains fountained up. If it kept regenerating endlessly, he'd slaughter it until it dared not.
Other heads occasionally lunged, but they posed no threat. These were instinctual flails, not purposeful strikes. A few neck slices instilled primal terror, keeping them at bay.
All the while, Mosquito's blade insatiable swallowed blood. So gorged, it glowed a full crimson. Its master fared the same. Surging blood rage painted his scorched skin blood-red.
Demonic blood flowed ceaselessly—no fear of buffs expiring. But one unavoidable issue loomed.
This wasn't a side-effect-free gift.
Kadim had clearly imbibed excessive blood.
“Huff, huff, huff......”
Ragged breaths, twitching muscles, throbbing veins, heart pounding to burst.
Consciousness blurred like gazing at a distant mirage. Vision edges tinged red. Lava-like heat and stickiness boiled in his chest.
Rage and excitement bred violence; hands slashed faster. Following destructive swings, the hydra pulped like ground meat. Still unsatisfied. Faster, faster, more savage, obliterating form, unrecognizable, without remnant, without remnant.
Jjeok, seok, jjeok, jjeok, jjeok, jjeok!!!
Each swing drew more blood.
As overly dense blood energy began rising like mist from his shoulders—
Tzubok...... Tzubbubbuk......
Kadim suddenly noticed the hydra's regeneration visibly slowing.
“Huff, huff......”
He barely halted his slashes, catching his breath. He couldn't kill it yet. He waited for enough regeneration to speak.
Soon, a small serpent head erupted from the ragged neck stump.
- Dam......n it...... Hurts like hell....... You brute......
“......”
- Shhiik, if the...... demons of the Demon Realm...... had been with me...... I wouldn't have ended up...... like this....... As expected...... taking you on alone...... was impossible......
Kadim gripped the serpent's nape, scowling fiercely.
“Answer me. How were you revived, and where are my comrades?”
- ......
“Refuse, and I'll grant a far more agonizing, filthy death than before.”
The hydra rolled its blood-soaked eyes. Scales bristled at the sharp killing intent, but threats no longer fazed it. Exhausted, survival abandoned.
Yet the demon answered the query.
- Ironically...... those two questions...... converge on one answer......
“......What do you mean.”
- Shhik, the one who revived me...... and unleashed demons across this continent...... is one of your comrades.
Trembling red eyes.
Ripples stirred in Kadim's pupils. The serpent grinned ear to ear.
- Why......? Can't believe it? Shhiik, but...... it's the truth. Even if you doubt now...... you'll learn eventually......
“......”
- Or perhaps...... betrayal stings? A comrade who shared life and death...... slaying demons with you...... now aiding them......?
“......Explain. Who is it, where are they, why side with demons.”
- Ah, can't tell you that....... That's the best part. Shhik, shuk, siii......
“......Answer.”
- Beg all you want...... changes nothing. Go ahead, scour the continent diligently...... hunt your traitor with skill, son of the wilds....... Shuk, shuk, siii......
The serpent's head lolled down. Kadim's shoulders trembled; he clenched his fist and roared.
“Answer!!!”
Kwajik!
The neck crushed. Scales and flesh oozed between fingers. No reply came.
Enraged, Kadim hurled the corpse and raised sword and axe again. He began mincing the house-sized reptilian bulk.
――――――― Jjeok, jjeok, seok, seok!
Blood, flesh, fluids. No regeneration now. Having forsaken life, the hydra was no longer immortal.
――――――― Jjeok, seok, jjeok!
Blood, flesh, fluids. The corpse slowly sank into the swamp. No hope of answers. The hydra was fully dead. No twitch.
――――――― Kwajik, kwajik, kwajik!
More blood, flesh, fluids. No—hope dawned. Deep within, writhing flesh regenerated. Not an illusion. Of course, filthy demon. Having tasted death once, it feared another.
Kadim stabbed, swung, smashed with axe, tore the flesh. He wouldn't stop. Until pain broke it and it confessed all. Regeneration persisted. Flesh sprouted like endless weeds despite hacks.
Bugureut, bugureureut, bugureureureut......
The massive body sank into the mire, bubbles boiling up. Blood spread, staining the dark swamp deep crimson-black.
But Kadim couldn't perceive it. Deafening tinnitus invaded his ears. Burst veins left his eyes seeing the world only in thick red.
――――――― Seok, peok, peok!
Like atop a sinking ship, yet Kadim never thought to leave the corpse. The hydra lived. He couldn't flee until answers came.
Feet mired softly. Sinking accelerated. Past knees to waist. Kadim ignored it. Chest, then shoulders submerged—he focused solely on slicing rising flesh.
Finally, mire reached his mouth, about to choke him.
“......! ......!”
A flung vine wrapped his body.
Pull feeble. But it snapped his haze like a thread. Kadim grabbed and yanked; mud parted smoothly. Shore nearby, he swam out easily.
“M-my......! L-lord! Are you......?”
Faint voice amid red haze: the merchant's form. But no time—hydra chunk clung to him.
- Shhiiiiiik!!
Kadim hacked wildly at the snake on his left arm. Regeneration continued, but no words. Face like a wrathful demon, he bellowed throat-hoarse.
“Answer!! Answer!!! Who revived you!! Who revived you!!! Speak before I rip your jaws!!! Answer!!!”
He stopped only when the merchant pitifully clung to his arm.
“My lord! My lord!! Stop! Please stop! Y-you can't! You mustn't!! P-please, regain your senses!!”
Sudden searing pain chilled to the bone. Kadim ceased slashing, slowly lowering his gaze.
What he saw: his own forearm, savagely mangled.
No hydra. Just his arm all along. Endlessly regenerating from absorbed demon blood.
“......”
Duncan trembled, eyeing the savage warily.
Oppressive silence fell. As if the frenzy never happened. As if a brutal farce had ended.
Kadim looked up. Demon breath gone, magic cleared—blue sky emerged. Yet his inner world fogged like rising blood mist, murky and blurred.
Two words crashed down like boulders onto his mind.
Blood Mania.
The nightmare of his previous playthrough, forgotten, resurfaced.