Jade Flower Sword Namgung Serin #7
"What the hell is this bullshit? Die?!"
"The Madu Nachal is at least on the level of a Central Plains vicious killer yokai... No peak expert could take it down. And inside a labyrinth like this, it'll be even stronger. We're all fucked..."
A Central Plains vicious killer was stronger than even the 108 Great Yokai!
"Puhihihhing!"
The Madu Nachal snorted, drawing aggro.
"The sweet scent of you humans is getting me all excited! Are you lot my sacrifices? Let me taste some fresh, juicy meat!"
The Madu Nachal bellowed in a frivolous voice, hefting its massive cleaver. Even amid the rampaging great ogres, that shrill cry rang out crystal clear.
"Miss!"
"Get back!"
"We'll handle this...!"
The Hacheon Company warriors stuck close to Namgung Serin—the Jade Flower Sword—as they butchered the great ogres. Fortunately, more than half were already dead. The enemies left in this space were just the sorcerer, the Madu Nachal, and the few remaining great ogres.
Could they... win this?
"You think I'd run away?!"
Namgung Serin shouted back. Her cry carried pure, refined inner energy.
"There's no retreating from the enemy lines!"
"Miss!"
"Form up! We'll take down the Madu Nachal!"
She wasn't just some pretty heroine. The moment Namgung Serin laid eyes on the Madu Nachal, her fighting spirit exploded, radiating a ferocious aura.
That's right. Namgung Serin was a peak expert too. She could kill the Madu Nachal.
"Puhihhing! What's this human bitch yapping about so arrogantly? You think a puny human can take down this great Madu? How foolish!"
The moment the Madu Nachal roared, the Hacheon Company warriors surged forward. Namgung Serin was at their center.
The clash was about to begin.
Rumble rumble boom!
Another great ogre burst from the floor!
"Damn it...! The sorcerer! He's summoning more great ogres! I'll take him out first! Hacheon Company, keep the Madu Nachal pinned!"
"Yes, sir!"
"You think we'll let you?!"
The Madu Nachal swung its cleaver at the warriors, slicing a great ogre in its path clean in half without a second thought. Brutal team-killing, just like that.
As the cleaver hurtled toward Namgung Serin, the Hacheon warriors formed a sword barrier to block it.
Clang!
"You filthy bugs!"
The Madu Nachal bellowed, and Namgung Serin seized the opening to charge the sorcerer. It was pure pandemonium on the battlefield.
"Uwaaaak!"
"Aaaak!"
I darted around Pirija Daehyeop, teaming up with Jae Mi-son to cull the great ogres. The ronin who'd snapped out of it joined the fray against them too. Of course, plenty were still panicking or fleeing.
But not a single Hacheon warrior backed down from the Madu Nachal—some even pressed attacks on the great ogres.
"Even if you bugs swarm me, you can't beat this Madu!"
"You bastard!"
One Hacheon warrior burrowed into the Madu Nachal's guard, but...
"Puhihhing! Fooled you!"
Crunch!
"Guhk!"
The horse-head's powerful knee smashed the warrior's upper body!
"Heok!"
A warrior of that caliber, taken out in one hit!
"Handshikhu!"
"Block it, block him!"
"Get to Shikhu!"
The Hacheon warriors fought desperately, but the Madu Nachal was overwhelmingly strong. Once it started swinging that cleaver in earnest, they began to falter. It started with one warrior's waist cleaved clean through, then the slaughter ramped up.
"Uwaaaak!"
"Aaaak!"
The warriors were being pushed back...!
"If they fall... we're done."
"No...!"
Yokai! Was that thing really a yokai?! A single powerful yokai was unilaterally butchering the formation of trained Hacheon warriors! How could such a monster exist?! Those Hacheon guys must've honed their skills through brutal training and real combat—yet here they were, getting wrecked like this! It was so overwhelmingly strong it felt hopeless!
"Ah!"
What about Namgung Serin?! What was the Jade Flower Sword doing?!
"Haaap!"
Namgung Serin was locked in a fierce struggle with the sorcerer. He unleashed all sorts of bizarre spells in seamless offense and defense, but she smashed through head-on, steadily closing in—though it didn't look like she'd finish him easily.
And not just that.
Rumble rumble boom!
More great ogres erupted from the ground.
"Heok!"
"Block the great ogres!"
"Goddamn it allll!"
The Hacheon warriors cried out in despair. Already on the back foot, now they had to split their forces. To make matters worse, several were vomiting blood from internal injuries sustained clashing with the Madu Nachal's immense power.
The situation was dire. Escape routes? Already sealed behind us.
What now? Stick with Pirija Daehyeop and keep killing great ogres?!
Flash!
In that instant, Namgung Serin's sword gleamed.
Clang!
The sorcerer's head flew.
She did it!
"Madu Nachal!!!"
Namgung Serin roared, having beheaded the sorcerer.
"Puhihhing?"
"I'll kill you!"
"Kill—no wait! You're a pretty bitch! I'll make you my concubine!"
"You disgusting fuck, shut your mouth!"
"You insolent slut, talking all tough! Tonight I'll ram my cock into every hole and fuck you silly all night! Puhhing!"
"You repulsive bastard!"
And so the showdown between the Madu Nachal and Namgung Serin began. The surviving Hacheon warriors jumped in too.
"Not many great ogres left! You lot finish them off!"
Following Pirija Daehyeop's orders, I bellowed a war cry and charged the great ogres.
"Greeeek!"
Just stab their fat bellies and rip 'em open—they dropped like flies. Their attacks? My agility stats let me dodge with ease. If not for their numbers and the disruption, they were nothing.
"Jae Mi-son! You still alive?!"
"You too...!"
"Good!"
Just steadily clear the great ogres. Namgung Serin would handle the rest.
"Kuheok!"
Clinging to that hope, I scanned the battlefield—but things looked grim. Even outnumbered, the Madu Nachal was methodically picking off Hacheon warriors one by one.
No way... She couldn't lose, right? Namgung Serin couldn't actually fall here?
Anxious, but I trusted her and kept slaying great ogres.
"It's... done! All great ogres dead! You! And you! I'm joining that fight—tend the wounded and pull back to the entrance!"
"Pirija Daehyeop!"
Pirija Daehyeop dashed toward the Madu Nachal after that.
"No choice... Jae Mi-son! Let's tend survivors!"
"Kuk kuk! Rescue ops on the battlefield!"
We immediately gathered the wounded scattered across the field. Most downed ronin were dead. The survivors were hiding, exhausted. So our rescues were limited to Hacheon warriors—and we found two corpses.
"Heok!"
It was shocking. Elite clan warriors who'd seemed so strong, dead in such gruesome states. Horrifying enough to make me collapse and tear my hair out—but no time to mourn the dead. Save the living first.
"Kuheok...!"
The survivors weren't in good shape either. All five had collapsed from internal injuries from battling the Madu Nachal.
"You okay?!"
"The miss...!"
"Worry about yourself!"
Jae Mi-son and I hauled the injured warriors toward the entrance.
"Jae Mi-son! How the fuck is that Madu Nachal so strong?!"
"It's a naturally powerful yokai..."
I felt it in my bones now, just how monstrous the Madu Nachal was. Two Hacheon warriors dead, five more crippled by internal wounds.
And over there...
Boom!
Thud!
Namgung Serin and two warriors fought together against the Madu Nachal. Two more lay fallen nearby—including Pirija Daehyeop, who'd just boldly joined the fray.
"Pirija Daehyeeeeop!"
Our squad leader was down!
"Fuck!"
A massive rage surged inside me. But pathetically, a mere third-rate scrub like me could do jack shit. I couldn't even rescue Pirija Daehyeop, much less join Namgung Serin against the Madu Nachal.
Because I was weak...! A worthless piece of shit who couldn't do a damn thing!
"Puhihihhing! Is this all humans amount to? Your martial arts are a joke!"
The Madu Nachal crowed gleefully.
"Soon this Madu's era will come!"
"Keep talking shit, you pathetic horse-headed fuck...!"
"Let's see if you can say that after I knock you up with ten piglets, bitch!"
"Goddamn it! You disgusting prick!"
"Tonight I'll breed you all night! My cock's already throbbing thinking about fucking those massive tits!"
"You dog-fucking bastaaard!"
The Madu Nachal pressed Namgung Serin with blatant lust. The Hacheon warriors raged at their lady's humiliation, but even deflecting the cleaver was a struggle for them. Only Namgung Serin properly parried it, retreating while biding her time.
"Insolent bitch! How long you gonna just defend? Swing that cute sword more!"
"Enjoy your bravado while it lasts! We'll see if you can yap after I hack off your limbs, you repulsive horse-headed yokai!"
In that moment...
"Puhihihhing!"
The Madu Nachal roared fiercely!
Fwaaah!
Ghostly wail! A torrent of Gui Qi swept the area!
"Heok?!"
"Kuhp...!"
The Hacheon warriors flipped their eyes back and spewed blood...!
Just from a roar, inflicting internal injuries!
"Now your bug protectors are gone! Be a good girl, lube up those holes, and become this Madu's concubine!"
"You bastard...!"
The Madu Nachal swung its cleaver again. Namgung Serin staggered briefly but dodged. But as the Madu Nachal stomped forward...
"Kyak?!"
Her body shook for a split second. The Madu Nachal didn't miss it. From its planted stance, it rocketed toward her, unleashing a barrage.
"Madu Nan Strike!"
"Hup!"
Namgung Serin was being pushed back. Was this it? Would she really lose like this? If she fell, everyone here died. No way I could beat that insane horse-headed muscle giant. Me, Jae Mi-son—everyone gone. No more seeing Aunt, no chance to befriend Song-ssi. Was that the future I had to accept?
"Puhihihhing! Strip now, shake those fat tits like a slut, and maybe I'll go easy on you!"
"Fuck... off...!"
The Madu Nachal was too focused on toying with Namgung Serin. But no one to save her. Only me and Jae Mi-son left.
Thud!
Namgung Serin's breath faltered, her defeat looming.
"Haa, haa!"
Had to decide before it was too late.
"Jae Mi-son."
"Mm...?"
"Let's make a big decision, you and me."
If I didn't wanna die, I'd thrash. And I made my big decision.