031. Black Foot, Gangble 2
Bin tossed the two swords from his belt to the ground with a thud.
The enemy squad blinked in confusion at the inexplicable action.
"Th-three swords?!"
"What the hell are you doing…?"
It was a move no one could comprehend. Why discard his weapons with the enemy right in front of him?
But Bin turned to the enemy squad with a smile, as if his expression alone proved there was a reason behind it.
'Time to get started.'
Bin raised his greatsword and brought it down hard on Shabest and Bow Sword.
Clang!Clang! The sound of metal clashing.
The two swords shattered under the greatsword's blow.
"…!"
The enemy squad's eyes widened at the unprecedented sight.
"Wh-what the…?"
"Is he insane?"
Gangble, however, eyed the scene with grave suspicion.
'That's no ordinary sword…'
He had recognized Luminare's destructive power in shattering a superior weapon and a mid-grade one.
At that moment, the Luminare in Bin's grip began to thrum.
Thoom! Thoom!
Blue and white smoke rose from the shattered blades, swirling toward the greatsword and enveloping it.
All eyes locked onto the spectacle.
"N-no way… a supreme weapon?"
"Th-that sword is absorbing the essence of the others…"
The enemy knights watched with eyes like saucers, their bodies trembling involuntarily. The dread that this blade would soon turn on them was overwhelming. The greatsword's menacing size made them swallow hard without realizing it.
Gulp.
Even Codic, who had heard plenty about the greatsword, couldn't close his mouth.
'Th-that's the supreme weapon my lord sought…! Such a radiant sheen. Truly a blade worthy of my lord…'
Codic fell silent for a moment, then rubbed at his eye sockets with one arm. No tears to wipe away, just the clack of bone.
Click. Click.
'Thinking of the hardships my lord endured to obtain this sword brings tears to my eyes…'
Sniff. Sniff.
Codic had no runny nose either, yet he sniffed dramatically, overcome with emotion once more.
Ront, who had honed countless blades over a lifetime, couldn't hide his awe at Luminare's glow.
"A flawless supreme famed sword…! Another world-shaking masterpiece emerges from these hands of mine. Hahaha."
Ront ignored Bin's hard work, lost in self-admiration, claiming all the credit for putting the finishing touches.
Bin shot him an incredulous look, but before he could turn fully, the enemy squad spoke up.
"Th-that's it… the masterpiece from master blacksmith Ront?"
"A blade worthy of his fame…"
"As expected from a top-tier dwarf."
In an instant, the sword's creator had become Ront.
Gangble was convinced as well. A supreme weapon—no human could craft such a thing. If he knew it was the work of Bin, not even an adult yet, he'd have flown into a rage.
'No wonder he's one of the continent's top five blacksmiths. If I capture that dwarf and have him churn out weapons to sell… Another brilliant idea strikes. Kekekeke.'
Gangble had already amassed great wealth, but his ambitions knew no bounds. Endless greed consumed him. Just imagining it lifted the corners of his mouth.
Smirk.
Gangble sneered and began raising his black card, ready to execute his plan in earnest. The unexpected supreme weapon called for maximizing his numbers.
'Summon.'
A black vortex swirled from the card in his hand. Twenty-four monsters burst forth from the deck—rat-like, ox-like, tiger-like, rabbit-like, and more.
One particularly massive beast stood out…
"Which of you will be my meal?"
It looked familiar—the starfish from Shobe Cave.
Ront frowned at the sight.
'There were still this many left…'
He couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him. Even with a supreme weapon in hand, it was Bin's first time wielding this greatsword. He'd forged it through sheer stubbornness, but he was still a 5th class knight. Side effects were inevitable.
Gangble, sensing this, opened his mouth with surging confidence.
"Kekekeke, still haven't figured it out? No matter how you struggle, the outcome's the same."
"…"
Ront ground his teeth in frustration. Grind. Grind.
The towering Gangble strode toward Bin and Ront, his horde of monsters following.
They weren't facing one man, but an entire unit.
Ront glanced at the swarm, then at Bin. But his eyes burned with unwavering boldness.
"You plan to take on that many right now?"
Bin merely smirked in response, then looked to Codic.
Codic understood the subtle cue instantly.
"Yes, my lord!"
Having reattached his right arm, Codic spat a barrage of bones from his mouth. He raised his right hand, a black cross forming in his bony palm.
Skeletons rose en masse. Creeeak. Creeeak.
Gust, skeleton soldiers, and elite skeleton knights appeared, kneeling before Bin.
"We greet our lord!!"
Different builds, yet they moved as one— their unity was flawless.
As skeleton soldiers materialized around them, the enemy squad began to retreat.
Thud. Thud.
The eerie bone constructs were shocking enough.
Focusing solely on grabbing Mia could leave their backs exposed.
Footsteps echoed then. Clack. Clack.
Bin emerged, parting the skeleton horde. He now faced Gangble directly.
Silence stretched as their staring contest began.
"…"
But Gangble's expression had soured compared to before. The supreme weapon was bad enough—now endless skeleton soldiers too.
He recalled the forces he'd lost getting here.
'If I hadn't lost my troops…'
As Gangble said, it would have been his overwhelming victory. But regrets changed nothing.
"…"
As their battle of wills dragged on, the starfish suddenly charged Bin.
Drawn to the thick Luminare in his grip—the iron-eater eyed the greatsword greedily.
Thud-thud-thud!
"Groooargh!"
The 3rd class monster barreled toward him relentlessly, its massive bulk making it no easy foe.
Yet Bin remained calm even as it closed in.
Was his response too slow? The starfish was nearly upon him now.
Disaster loomed.
Codic sensed the danger and shouted.
"M-my lord! Danger!"
The starfish was a breath away.
Shadows layered from Bin's body. Swish.
One leaped into the air, sword flashing. A slicing sound rent the air, followed by a gruesome sight.
Shrick!
The 3rd class monster's armored body split in two—with a single strike.
It crashed to the ground. Thud!
The enemy squad couldn't hide their shock.
"…!"
More bafflement than awe.
Starfish were among the toughest 3rd class monsters, yet cleaved in one blow.
One knight broke the stunned silence.
"O-one strike… against a 3rd class monster…"
Others followed.
"I-it can't be…"
"What the hell is that sword…?"
Gangble's narrowed eyes flew wide in surprise.
'In one hit…'
From any angle, that single attack outclassed his own.
The enemy squad's minds reeled from the impossible strike.
Bin seized the opening, murmuring low to the skeleton soldiers.
"Wipe them out."
"Yes, my lord!"
At his command, Gust and the soldiers charged the monsters ahead.
Crunch crunch!
No hesitation whatsoever.
The skeleton horde surrounded the beasts, swinging their arms like clubs in rapid strikes.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack…!
The merciless barrage made even the massive monsters pitiful.
One bellowed in agony. "Squeeeeal!"
But the cries echoed briefly. Soon, the giants toppled, blood streaming from their heads. Splat!
Swollen eyes, shattered teeth. Their already huge faces ballooned grotesquely—untouched elsewhere, targeted only there by the brutally precise skeletons.
Even allies watching felt chills.
While the skeletons rampaged, some enemy knights pursued Mia.
"Where are the rest of the kids?"
"Tell us right, and we'll let you live."
Mia ignored them, yelling as she fled.
"Get lost! Huff… huff…"
Exhausted, her breaths came ragged.
The knights mocked her.
"Run all you want, girlie."
"…"
The gap closed. A child couldn't outrun adults forever.
As a hand reached for her, a white blur streaked through the air. Swish. Swish.
Gust.
The enemy squad's eyes bulged at the sudden appearance.
"…!"
"Wh-what?!"
Gust approached the flustered knights and asked, "Why did you abandon me?"
An out-of-left-field question, but he waited earnestly for an answer.
Instead, a knight swung his sword. "Disgusting thing—get away!"
It did nothing to Gust. Swish—
The knight pinched his nose, emphasizing his revulsion. "My attack didn't land…? Ugh, the rot…"
As the knight grimaced, Gust's demeanor shifted, sharp claws extending.
"Was it the smell?"
Slash!
The knight's throat was torn open in an instant.
Gangble's expression darkened as he surveyed the scene.
"At this rate…"
His forces were being pushed back.
He needed something to turn the tide—Bin's head popped into his mind.
Gangble drew a red card and charged Bin amid the chaos, hurling it at his back. Swish—
But then—Swish.
A white-robed skeleton blocked it with a massive arm bone. Clack!
Codic, self-proclaimed Bin's right arm.
He faced Gangble boldly. "Take your petty tricks and shove 'em! As long as these bones hold, you won't touch a hair on my lord's head. All units—protect the lord!"
With that, a cacophony erupted behind him. Creeak. Creeak. Creeak.
Before Gangble could frown, four elite skeleton knights surrounded Bin.
"We protect the lord!"