Chapter 151
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Translator: Prime Works
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: Fleeing People (1)
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Pssshhh!
An ominous sound rang out.
At first, faint and subtle.
But gradually loud enough for everyone to hear.
“What’s that?”
The Engineering Corps soldiers watching Bibeng’s excavation work tilted their heads.
They had just unearthed hundreds of Mastodon corpses neatly buried underground.
It was something no one had expected.
It was more than enough to pique the curiosity of the nearby workers.
White Lancers and refugee laborers gathered around the pit, murmuring and buzzing.
“What’s that noise?”
“No idea. Maybe the stench escaping?”
“Stench?”
“You know, like when a cow or pig carcass sits too long and gas builds up inside.”
“Ah, yeah, I’ve seen that. The belly swells like a balloon and then pops.”
“Exactly. Probably something like that.”
“Pressed under the dirt so long, and now that it’s uncovered, it’s bursting?”
“Maybe?”
“Ha. Well, this is some entertaining spectacle for once.”
Engineering Corps soldiers, White Lancers, and refugee laborers.
Everyone’s eyes sparkled.
When a cow or pig carcass burst, it made a boom like a drum.
How loud would a massive Mastodon belly go?
The anticipation of witnessing such a rare sight perfectly stimulated everyone’s curiosity and interest.
Everyone except one person.
‘Something’s off about this.’
Lloyd felt an inexplicable chill without knowing why.
Hundreds of Mastodon corpses neatly buried underground.
They hadn’t died and been buried naturally.
Someone had deliberately interred them.
‘Who?’
He had no idea.
But there was one clear fact before his eyes.
‘These corpses all show similar decay. They all died around the same time. Which means…’
Someone had intentionally killed them.
Hundreds of Mastodons.
In a short span.
With clear intent.
‘Why? For what?’
Of course, he had no way to know that either.
Instead, at that moment, Lloyd realized the chill piercing his chest wasn’t mere intuition.
It came through the Asrahan Heart Method.
‘Huh?’
Suddenly, he sensed mana flow.
The Asrahan Heart Method detected mana streams flowing abnormally.
Toward the Mastodon corpses.
Like a magic circle sucking in mana.
Massive amounts of mana were concentrating unnaturally.
At the same time, the gas leaking from the corpses grew louder.
Which meant…
“Everyone, back away!”
Lloyd shouted.
The workers turned to him with bewildered eyes.
He yelled even louder at them.
“Get away from the pit! As far as possible! Anyone who doesn’t will lose their full bonus!”
Right now, comprehension could wait—reflexes first.
That would lead to faster evacuation.
Lloyd’s thinking proved spot-on.
Bonus forfeiture.
No words struck more fear.
At that, every worker reflexively retreated from the pit.
Right after.
Pssshhh, boom—!
One Mastodon corpse emitted a flash.
It exploded violently. Burst forth.
Gas, flames, and shockwaves mingled.
It engulfed the neighboring Mastodon corpse.
The engulfed one exploded too.
Then the next, and the one after, flashes erupting in chain.
A massive chain explosion.
KABOOOM—!
In an instant, around fifty Mastodon corpses detonated.
But it wasn’t a normal explosion.
Not just gas from the abdominal cavity bursting.
It was mana concentrated to a horrific degree exploding.
Magical destructive power sweeping everywhere like a nightmare.
And Lloyd knew this type of explosion well, if only indirectly.
Thanks to reading the novel Iron-Blooded Knight.
‘Damn, just as I thought… Corpse Explosion magic.’
Suddenly, the novel’s contents resurfaced.
Necromancers process corpses through certain rituals.
They cast Corpse Explosion magic.
Then?
When specific conditions are met, the corpses explode.
Devastating the surroundings with immense power.
The potency scales with corpse size, it said. A human corpse rivals an anti-tank mine.
But now?
Far worse than human corpses bursting.
‘Elephant-sized corpses exploding… Argh!’
Lloyd swallowed a curse and leaped out of the pit.
He flipped mid-air, regripping his shovel.
Glanced back at the epicenter.
Prepared to unleash triple blasting immediately.
Completely dodging the oncoming explosion and shockwave was impossible now.
Better to counter with his own triple blast, pitting explosion against explosion.
‘Whether it works or not.’
Eyes gleaming, he spun his three mana circles.
But then.
“Bibeng!”
A massive shout, and his vision went pitch black.
No—Bibeng’s huge body blocked his view.
It huddled protectively toward him.
As if shielding him from the explosion.
“Bibeng?”
“Bebebeeng!”
Get down!
At that, Lloyd dropped flat reflexively.
Right after, the explosion and shockwave hit.
…!
No sound, no flash registered.
Sky and earth flipped.
His guts churned entirely.
Ringing in his ears drowned all noise.
Even opening his eyes, he saw nothing clearly.
Was that white something the sky?
Then what was the black…?
‘…Bibeng?’
Through the dust, he saw Bibeng collapsed.
Its belly fat rising and falling—thankfully breathing.
Lloyd staggered to his feet.
Fighting dizziness, he checked Bibeng.
No bleeding or major trauma visible.
Just knocked out from the massive impact of blocking the blast with its body.
‘What about the others?’
Drip.
Blood trickled from his forehead.
He wiped it with his sleeve and looked around.
Gradually, the ringing faded.
Sounds from around him faintly returned.
“Cough! Hack!”
“W-what is this!”
“Ugh, y-you okay?”
Workers collapsed everywhere staggered to their feet.
Fortunately, no deaths or severe injuries apparent.
Thanks to hearing his shout just before the blast and quickly retreating from the pit.
‘Who’d have thought…’
Lloyd slapped his cheek hard.
Dizziness and nausea eased somewhat.
But then.
“Quooooh… Quooooh!”
From deeper in the explosion-ravaged pit.
A hoarse roar echoed.
Not just one.
“Quoook!”
“Kr… Wooook!”
At least dozens.
Maybe more.
Ominous roars rang out in succession.
Drawing nearer slowly through settling dust.
Lloyd’s brow furrowed.
‘No way.’
Corpse Explosion was just the beginning, right?
The thought crossed his mind.
Whoosh!
From the dust, something huge charged.
“…!”
He ducked and retreated swiftly.
Right after, a log-sized something whipped fiercely over his head.
‘Elephant trunk?’
No.
Mastodon’s.
It meant one thing.
Realizing it, a colossal bulk burst through the dust charging.
“Quoooooooh!”
“…!”
A Mastodon.
But not alive.
Cloudy eyes like a dead fish, rotting hide everywhere proved it.
Yet it charged fiercer and more savagely than any living beast. Tusks and horns swinging, its massive frame aiming to trample him.
An undead Mastodon.
‘Whoa!’
A monster fitting a horror flick.
With one barreling straight at him, even Lloyd freaked.
‘Corpse Explosion into undead.’
Now it was certain.
The necromancer behind this was no joke.
Not one or two, but hundreds of undead Mastodons.
So, besides the fifty-odd that exploded in the pit, the remaining hundreds were all charging this way!
‘Insane!’
Lloyd’s whole body chilled instinctively.
He wanted to run.
He wasn’t some movie hero charging bravely. He had zero interest in heroic acts defying death.
‘So why does this happen to me!’
He’d been peacefully building a sludge treatment facility.
This sudden mess left Lloyd lamenting.
If Haviel were here, he’d step up bravely instead. Show off insane prowess and sweep these undead Mastodons in seconds.
But Haviel wasn’t here now.
He was at the apartment site cutting rebar with aura.
So… I have to take responsibility for everyone now.
Otherwise, everyone here dies.
“Everyone, run!”
He shouted with all his might.
Fortunately, it worked.
Workers frozen in shock and fear jolted.
Finally grasping the situation, perhaps.
All faces turned to panic.
“W-whoaaaah!”
“Run!”
“Save us!”
Mostly territory folk and refugees among the workers. Even the few Engineering Corps soldiers were just regular infantry, a bit stronger. They couldn’t face undead Mastodons.
Terrified, they dropped shovels and picks and bolted.
Sprinting south toward the territory.
That sight provoked the undead Mastodon herd.
“Quoooooh!”
One at the front roared savagely.
Its half-rotted muscular trunk pointed at the fleeing workers.
Soon the whole herd charged after them.
“Quooook!”
Undead hatred for the living blazed.
Fierce momentum, trampling all in path.
Shaking the earth as they ran.
But six men blocked their way.
White Lancers.
“We are! Her Majesty the Queen’s sword and shield!”
“Her Majesty’s sword and shield! Protect Her Majesty’s people!”
Lloyd had no time to stop them.
The six White Lancers drew swords, roared, and charged.
Straight at the oncoming undead Mastodon herd.
No hesitation, though unhorsed and unarmored.
And they were trampled.
“Quoooooooh!”
Far stronger than living Mastodons now as undead. Mere swords and spears barely scratched them.
“…!”
The six brave White Lancers were swept into the herd, trampled, and sacrificed in moments.
Seeing it, Lloyd ground his teeth.
‘I said run—what are you doing!’
They’d been shoveling sweat side-by-side moments ago.
Now dying before his eyes.
His hands trembled with regret.
No more such sacrifices.
So, he had to think fast.
Anything.
This site’s situation and terrain.
Our forces and numbers.
A way for everyone—including me—to safety.
All pieces intertwined.
Finally, his mind flashed.
A plausible countermeasure surfaced.
“Ppoding!”
He reached into his vest pocket.
Pulled out Ppoding.
“Ppododong! Ppoding!”
Had it grasped the situation from inside?
Mouth gaping wide the instant it emerged.
Lloyd fed it a red sunflower seed.
Then hurled it far away.
Boom!
“Ppoding!”
He shouted to the now 10-meter Ppoding.
“Delay them first! As long as you can!”
“Ppoding!”
It nodded.
Then dashed off.
Toward the herd’s front.
“Ppododong!”
Thud!
Body-slammed full-force.
Ppoding’s 10 meters long.
Several times heavier than 4-meter Mastodons.
Even undead ferocious Mastodons couldn’t handle the weight class.
“Kuaaaah!”
Seven lead undead Mastodons toppled like bowling pins chasing the workers.
But the rest was trouble.
“Quooook!”
The remaining herd surged like a tidal wave.
Rough count: at least 300.
Ppoding couldn’t withstand that numbers pressure.
“Ppododong! Ppoding!”
Barely extracted itself.
Tusks and horns stabbed its rear multiple times.
No blood, but excruciating pain.
Yet Ppoding didn’t give up.
It backed off for distance, then pivoted without fail. Accelerated. Body-slammed the front again.
“Ppoding!”
Boom!
Each time, five or six Mastodons tumbled.
Their charge stalled accordingly.
Meanwhile, Lloyd sprinted toward the fleeing workers.
Precisely, to the Engineering Corps and White Lancers at the rear, organizing to fight.
“Sir Bayern! Sir Blanc!”
Bayern leading the Engineering Corps.
Blanc, White Lancers captain.
The two commanders responded.
“Lord Lloyd, get to safety. We’ll hold here.”
“Leave this to the White Lancers. We’ll prove our valor wasn’t in vain.”
The two men voiced resolve with trustworthy faces.
Lloyd shook his head swiftly.
“No, everyone run. You too, sirs. All Engineering Corps and White Lancers.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll buy time here. So lead the workers south as fast as possible. Retreat. Got it?”
“Lord Lloyd? What do you…?”
Sir Bayern paled.
Sir Blanc stiffened, retorting.
“What’s that mean? Telling Her Majesty’s White Lancers to turn tail from the enemy?”
“Yes, exactly that.”
Lloyd answered immediately.
“Fighting here is pointless. Protect the workers and retreat south as far as you can. I’ll buy that time.”
“But we can’t heed such advice. We White Lancers…”
“This isn’t advice.”
Lloyd’s sharp words cut Sir Blanc off.
His eyes hardened toward the knight.
To prevent reckless sacrifice.
To save everyone.
In firm, strict tone.
“That’s an order.”