Chapter 38
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Turn
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The formation of the special forces prompted a change in the main army's strategy.
Instead of an all-out offensive, their new objective was to engage the monsters as defensively as possible.
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
“Hold! Hold the line!”
The soldiers with shields shouted as they pushed back the monsters.
Though most of them were small.
“Kieeeeeeek!”
“Kuooooooooh!”
As if refusing to be pushed back, they charged the soldiers with madness glinting in their eyes.
Crunch! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Fatal blows were swung indiscriminately.
Slice!
“Close ranks! Don't let them break through! Support the man in front of you!”
The unit commanders shouted until their throats were raw.
By now, the special forces should have reached their target!
“If we can just hold on until the special forces destroy that tainted monstrosity, victory is ours!”
“Watch your flanks! They’re coming from the side!”
“Hwaaaaaak!”
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaah!”
A cacophony of shouts.
It was pandemonium, so chaotic that commands were drowned out, but the members of the subjugation force covered for one another, methodically cutting down the monsters.
Of course, as time passed, the subjugation force's casualties gradually increased.
But they gritted their teeth and endured.
‘Just have to hold on a little longer…!’
‘Just until the special forces succeed…!’
Hadn’t the strongest from their units gone?
If they couldn’t do it, no one could.
That’s why those who remained could find the strength to endure.
And at that same moment.
“Let's have five people from each unit take on one of those giant monsters and keep them as far away from the crystal as possible. And…”
His gaze swept over.
Bertos looked at the small fry in the vicinity.
There weren’t even twenty of them, but killing them quickly was crucial.
“The remaining fifteen of you, please take care of those things quickly.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Then, I will be the one to break that crystal.”
Hemeren said, tightly clenching the gauntlet he wore.
Though he was over forty, this was Hemeren, the captain of the Adelant Temple’s monk unit.
He possessed a body tougher than most men in their twenties, and the blows he delivered were strong enough to shatter boulders.
“Then, Priestess Claire, please emit your divine power as strongly as possible. The signal will be the moment your divine power manifests.”
At Bertos’s words, everyone nodded in understanding.
The planning was now over.
All that remained was to execute the plan perfectly.
“Demian, you take care of those things as quickly as possible.”
“…Yes.”
Demian nodded.
Tarone picked out the unit members who would face the giant monster with him.
They were all members whose skills were second to none within the Neokalitz Unit.
“…Hoo, it’s my first time seeing one that big.”
“Still, what can you do? We have to face it.”
“Be careful. One hit and you're dead.”
It was a beast so large it made a black bear look like a child.
Its height alone seemed to be around five meters.
It made one think that if a rock golem existed, it would look something like that.
When everyone had finished their preparations, Bertos looked at Claire.
Claire had already finished her own, kneeling on one knee with her hands clasped together.
And everyone watched her, holding their breath.
“Oh, omnipotent one who art in heaven.”
Her prayer flowed out softly.
Along with it, the divine power spreading from Claire's body began to radiate with increasing strength.
“With thy mercy, deliver those who are here.”
Fwaaaaaaaash!
Finally, a white light spread in all directions.
And at that moment.
“Now!”
“Haap!”
The special forces simultaneously descended from behind the bushes and ran towards the clearing.
“Kuooooooooh!”
“Kraaaaaaaah!”
Like a scream, like a roar.
The creatures, while suffering from the divine power that filled the area, charged towards the special forces.
“Kweeeeeeeek!”
“We'll take on those things!”
At the words of the one running at the very front, Demian quickly surveyed his surroundings.
The group facing the giant monsters, led by Tarone, had already split off to the side.
The remaining members charged first towards the small fry chasing them.
“Don't let them get through!”
“Draw their attention this way!”
Fwoosh!
In their midst, Demian kicked off the ground and advanced towards the small fry.
“You all die here.”
Whoosh!
The spear, extending in a straight line, shot towards an orc’s neck.
The creature hastily turned its head at the attack coming from the side, but…
Thunk!
Demian’s spear accurately pierced its neck.
Thud.
Demian had dealt with one in an instant.
He circulated his mana and let out a small breath.
“Hoo…”
He had enough mana.
Even at only 2-star, it was more than enough to deal with these creatures.
“Krrrrrr!”
“Kroooaaaar!”
When one of them died, the others, feeling threatened, rushed towards Demian.
They had judged that they could not simply ignore him.
‘Even though they’ve lost their reason, they’re quite….’
A combined attack from an orc and a steel wolf.
It was an unfamiliar sight, but.
“I'm not the only one you're facing.”
Crunch! Thwack!
Kyle and Dianal sent the monster that was charging at Demian flying.
Dianal looked at his sword, stained with monster blood, and spoke.
“…Damn it, I couldn't cut through.”
“These things are pretty tough, huh?”
Perhaps thanks to their recent special training, Dianal and Kyle were in top form.
But Demian shook his head.
“Don't think about killing them in one blow. Your swordsmanship isn't that type, to begin with.”
Not against monsters, at least.
Dianal nodded and looked at the creatures.
He had been underestimating them since there were fewer than twenty.
“…Those ones look a bit stronger?”
Unlike the steel wolves, a werewolf was standing on two feet.
Its entire body was covered in black fur, its mane fluttering in the wind.
Though classified as small fry, it was a beast at least five times stronger than an orc.
Fwoosh!
A few of the subjugation force members charged towards the tainted werewolf.
“If we just kill this one, it'll be easy!”
“We'll kill this bastard!”
But.
CRUNCH!
“Kraaaaaaaak!”
The werewolf, having dodged the two attackers, opened its jaws wide and bit a soldier's shoulder.
The shoulder bone of the soldier bitten by the werewolf was instantly crushed.
“Th-this son of a bitch!”
Another soldier next to him swung his sword at the beast again, but.
Slice!
Before the soldier's sword could even complete its swing, the werewolf's claws tore through his face.
Thud.
In an instant, two soldiers were dead.
“Krrrrrrrrrrrr….”
With a low howl, the werewolf bent forward at the waist and lowered its body.
At the beast's threatening posture, as if it could pounce at any moment, the special forces members gulped.
“…What a terrifying beast.”
“Don't charge in first. It's much faster than you.”
Demian warned Kyle.
Kyle nodded and slightly raised his shield.
He knew that much without being told.
Glancing over.
Demian looked elsewhere.
The three groups had already lured the giant monsters to another location.
Now, all that was left was to break through these creatures.
“…Hoo.”
But even with a quick look, it seemed there was no one who could handle that werewolf.
Demian spoke to Dianal and Kyle.
“I'll handle this one. In the meantime, please open a path with the others. That monk is going to destroy the crystal.”
“By yourself?”
“Can you do it?”
Dianal asked.
Demian nodded.
“I can.”
It won't be easy, though.
Swallowing the rest of his words, Demian tightly gripped his spear.
A normal werewolf would be perfectly manageable in his current state, but one tainted by demonic energy…
‘If only I were 3-star.’
I wouldn’t even be having these doubts.
However.
‘Since when have I ever had an easy fight?’
There had never been an easy fight up to this point.
Weren’t they all battles where he had to put his life on the line?
Fwoosh!
Demian charged towards the tainted werewolf.
The creature, which had been bent over,
“Kroooong!”
straightened its body and instantly rushed towards Demian.
The creature's movement, truly like a pouncing beast of prey.
A glint appeared in Demian's eyes.
‘Left… shoulder.’
Tap.
Demian bent at the waist to the right and rotated his body.
Swish!
The werewolf's claws scraped past where his left shoulder had been.
The werewolf's eyes wavered, not having expected him to dodge.
“Krk!”
Its attack having failed, the creature glared at Demian.
But.
“Kroaaaaaaaar!”
As if its previous attack was a mistake, the creature roared and charged at Demian again.
Whoosh! Swish!
The creature's claws cut through the empty air.
It had thought it could catch him easily.
Flick!
The attack missed by a hair's breadth.
“Kroaaaaaaang!”
The creature roared loudly, erupting in fury.
“I-it's working! While Demian is dealing with that thing, we need to take down the others!”
Dianal shouted and charged towards the other small fry.
The remaining special forces members also hurried to engage the creatures.
Whoosh!
The werewolf was still swinging its claws at empty air, having not yet even grazed Demian's clothes.
It felt like fighting a ghost.
As if he already knew where it was going to attack.
Slick.
He was already moving before its attack could even land.
Shweek!
Again, the attack missed.
The werewolf turned towards him again.
This time, it would not fail.
But…
Thunk!
“Keok!”
“Sorry, but I don't just dodge.”
Before it knew it, Demian's spear was embedded in the werewolf's thigh.
As the spearhead plunged all the way in, the werewolf staggered.
The problem was that it had consumed too much stamina chasing Demian.
Demian pulled out his spear and immediately caught his breath.
“Huuuuuuu.”
The mana from his mana hall gathered at the tip of his spear, emitting a powerful aura.
At that, Demian's eyes glinted.
“Let's end this now.”
“Kroaaaaaaang!”
As Demian thrust his spear, the werewolf opened its jaws wide and charged at him.
It intended to rip out his nape in one go. But…
The thrusting spear suddenly bent like a snake and pierced the werewolf's side.
CRUNCH!
Demian put his strength into it, intending to tear upwards, splitting the creature's body along with its ribs.
With clenched teeth, the hand gripping the spear turned bright red.
“Haaaaaap!”
CRACK!
Having pierced the creature's left side and torn it open from bottom to top, Demian pulled out his spear.
At that, the tainted werewolf's eyes glazed over.
No living creature could survive such a wound.
Thud.
As the beast collapsed to the ground.
“Gasp… gasp… gasp…”
Demian breathed heavily.
He had used quite a lot of mana.
‘Damn it.’
Still a long way to go.
Was it only because he used mana that he could fight at his previous level?
But his body wasn't fully trained yet.
‘And the amount of mana is insufficient.’
Knowing his own shortcomings, what he needed to do was crystal clear.
It was just frustrating in the here and now.
Glancing over.
Demian turned his head.
It seemed the others were also finishing off the small fry.
“We have to hurry.”
The other special forces members were tying down the giant monsters, but it was a precarious sight.
This was because the giant monsters' movements were faster and stronger than expected.
At that, Demian turned his head and shouted towards Hemeren above.
“Now!”
There was nothing left to interfere.
At Demian's words, Hemeren, radiating the divine power gathered in both his fists, looked at the crystal in front of him.
“I've… already finished my preparations.”
And.
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!”
Kicking off the ground, Hemeren rushed towards the crystal.
The crystal, imbued with demonic energy, shimmered with black light as if it knew its own fate.
“Haaaaaaaaaap!”
BOOM!
Hemeren's fist struck the center of the crystal.
Crack! Craaack!
The crystal cracked under Hemeren's fist.
The faces of those watching lit up with relief.
‘It's over…!’
“We won!”
Someone cheered.
But at that moment.
“…?”
“…Huh?!”
FWOOSH!
A black current erupted from the body of the cracked crystal.
“Kraaaaaaaak!”
It enveloped Hemeren and threw him to the ground.
BOOM!
Hemeren collapsed to the ground.
The impact must have been considerable; Hemeren couldn't seem to regain consciousness.
But that wasn't the problem.
“…What is that?”
The demonic energy undulated as if it were alive.
Watching the scene, Demian said softly.
“…A rampage?”