Chapter 91
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Youve Grown Up
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1.
Aaaaaah!
Everyone, get out of the village! Well handle the monsters Guhhhk!
Yusla, a pioneer village in the southwestern part of the Keas Kingdom.
With the sun high in the sky, a gruesome massacre was unfolding.
Roooaaar!
The village was under attack by monsters.
Blood splattered everywhere, and screams echoed through the air.
Kirak, a member of the Yusla village guard, let out a roar as he witnessed the carnage.
Uwaaaaaah!
Splat.
The monster that had been feasting on his neighbors corpse had its head smashed in by the axe he brought down.
Just this morning, his neighbor Dorothy had been smiling and sharing bread with him.
Now, she lay dead, her eyes wide open.
Kirak bit his lip hard and gently closed her eyes. Then he stood up and surveyed his surroundings.
Why!
This village, Yusla, was a precious home built by survivors of the war who had gathered one by one.
It was a cherished place created by those who had been abandoned, left without even the kingdoms aid, yet determined to survive.
It wasnt a wealthy village, but it was a good one.
For four years, this place had been Kiraks only sanctuary.
People who hadnt given up hope, who wanted to keep living.
People who had overcome hardship together, trying to build a future.
All these precious people were being slaughtered by monsters that had appeared out of nowhere.
You sons of bitches!
Kirak roared in fury and charged toward the other monsters.
These were the people who had warmly accepted him, even though he was a deserter.
And now, they were dying for no reason at all.
For those who had tried to find hope even in misfortune, wasn't this a fucking terrible fate?
Cursing some nameless god, Kirak swung his axe with ferocious intensity.
Crack!
He brought his axe down with all his rage.
He had long since abandoned any thought of getting out of here alive.
Instead, he would take at least one monster with him. If he could thin their numbers even a little, he might buy some time for his neighbors to escape.
Booooom!
An explosion roared in the distance. Kirak turned his gaze toward the sound.
A man and a woman were relentlessly swinging their swords, cutting down monsters.
Kirak realized they were the knights who had arrived last night.
Nameless knights who had politely asked to stay for just one night.
-Could we trouble you for a nights lodging? We will pay a fair price.
He already knew they weren't knights of the Keas Kingdom.
The knights of Keas did not treat commoners with respect. They were more like bandits, using force to take what they wanted and killing anyone who resisted.
To the people of the kingdom, knights were worse than bandits.
But these two showed no signs of such behavior.
Kirak remembered that last night, they had even tended to the sick in the village.
Honorable and noble beings.
Yes, the title of knight suited people like them.
Sir Knights!
Kirak shouted as he cut down a monster and ran toward them.
A few monsters sank their teeth into his body, but he smashed their heads with his fists to shake them off.
In the distance, he could see the knights isolated by a swarm of monsters.
With their skills, they could have easily escaped, but they didn't.
They just stood their ground, cutting down the encroaching horde.
Sir Kniiiiights!
Kirak yelled once more.
The male knights eyes met Kiraks.
What are you doing! Run, now!
It would be shameless!
How could he run away, leaving behind those who were willing to sacrifice themselves for strangers?
But the male knight mercilessly lopped off a monsters head and shouted again.
Even one more person needs to live! I told you to run!
But
So youd rather die a dogs death here?! Well get out on our own, so get out of here! How many times do I have to tell you! If you have the energy to run over here, then grab that kid and run!
Kiraks eyes fell on a young boy huddled against a wall.
A boy crying in front of his parents' corpses.
It was Komang, the son of the Smith couple who handled all the tanning in the village.
If left there, he would surely be torn apart by the monsters.
Kirak bit his lip and shouted back at the knight.
I want to at least know your names, Sir Knights!
We might all die here, so why the hell do you want to know our names?!
I must remember! Ill remember until I die, until the very end!
At those words, the male knight let out a faint smile and replied.
My name is Leo. The last names a secret, so just know that! Now take the kid and run!
At his words, Kirak dropped his axe and immediately ran toward the child.
But just then, a monster bared its fangs and lunged at him.
As Kirak raised his fist to strike the monster
Slice!
A blade of blue light flew from the knight, cleaving the monster in two.
The monsters blood seared Kiraks skin, but he ignored the burning pain and swept the child into his arms.
Then, he ran with all his might toward the village exit.
As he ran, the horrific scenery of the village filled his vision.
Corpses littered the ground, residents fled for their lives, and fellow guardsmen who fought back were being torn apart by monsters.
If hell existed, this was it.
How long did he run?
Reaching a hill overlooking the village, Kirak set down the child he was carrying.
Father, Mother
The boy was still weeping, seemingly half-mad with grief.
Kirak gripped the boys shoulders firmly and said, Komang! Snap out of it!
The boy looked up at Kirak with unfocused eyes.
Mister. My parents
Listen carefully, Komang. If you follow this road, youll reach Raia village. Go find a hunter there named Jin! Got it?
Instead of comfort, he gave him a task.
This was no time for consolation.
It was time to teach him how to survive.
Komang replied in a trembling voice.
What about you, mister?
My place is in the village. Your parents can only rest in peace if you live! Stop crying and move now!
Some of the surviving villagers must be risking their lives to escape.
If all the villagers were wiped out, the starving monsters would surely chase after them.
Kirak pushed the boys back. Then he immediately turned and ran forward.
He had to save even one more person. That was his only thought.
Just as he turned
Agh.
A scream echoed from behind him.
It was Komang.
Kiraks eyes widened as he spun around. Had a monster already caught up to them?
Ko
Kirak, about to call the boys name, found himself unable to speak.
The boy had fallen to the ground after bumping into something.
A large man was carefully helping him up.
Sorry, little friend! I wasnt paying attention!
A booming voice rang out as the man patted the boys head.
Two men were standing there.
One was the large man, and the other was a young man clad in black leather armor.
The young man slowly approached Kirak.
Are you alright?
Kirak found himself nodding in response.
Please, help us.
He was a complete stranger.
But in him, Kirak saw a small glimmer of hope.
For some reason, he felt that this young man might be able to save the village.
So he pleaded desperately.
Help us.
At Kiraks plea, the young man slowly nodded.
Monsters, I see.
I dont know where they came from, but theyre killing our people. And two knights are in there. Theyre fighting to protect the villagers
At those words, the young man asked Kirak in a low voice.
Do you happen to know the names of those knights?
Leo. He said his name was Leo.
Was it a name the young man knew?
He smiled faintly and nodded.
Finally found them. Understood. Ah, and your name is?
At the question, Kirak once again answered as if mesmerized.
Its Kirak.
Mr. Kirak, please wait here with the child. Oh, and.
Shhhwing.
The young man drew a dark blue sword from its scabbard, bowed his head to Kirak, and said, Im sorry for not arriving sooner.
At those words, Kirak shook his head vehemently, tears streaming down his face.
No, not at all. Please just save the ones who are left. Ill give you anything. So please
The young man gave a bitter smile and nodded.
Yes, dont worry. Utulla? Lets go.
Utulla raised his giant axe and roared.
I have been waiting! To save humans from evil beasts! This is an honorable battle!
The golden-haired young man, Karron, ran toward the village alongside Utulla.
2.
Leo scowled at the monsters swarming him from all sides.
This is not good.
Were they close to the source?
The types of monsters were becoming more lethal.
While the horde was mostly composed of Hell Hounds, classified as the lowest-grade monsters, high-grade monsters were beginning to appear among them.
If he were in peak condition, it wouldnt have been a major problem.
But after fighting nonstop for fourteen days, his entire body was wracked with fatigue.
And that fatigue wasn't just physical.
At this rate, my mana core is going to run dry.
He hadn't been able to properly cultivate his mana, so his reserves were critically low.
Rion was probably in the same boat.
Can we win?
Leo assessed their chances.
The number of monsters was constantly increasing.
And among them were high-grade individuals.
He quickly processed all these factors, and the conclusion was clear.
We cant win.
He had already reached his limit in every respect.
He felt like he could drop his sword and collapse at any moment.
He glanced behind him.
The escape route he had secured earlier was now occupied by various monsters.
Sister. The escape route is blocked.
I have eyes, too.
What do we do?
We buy a little more time, then combine our strength to break through. Be prepared to overload your core.
I dont think I have enough mana even if I overload it.
Then just die here.
He exchanged a few quick words with Rion.
Now that things had come to this, there was no other way but to force their way through.
Ha, damn it. If only we could have rested for just one day, this would have been different!
The original plan was to rest in the village to recover their strength and mana.
But that plan was shattered the moment these monsters attacked.
Leo swung his sword in frustration.
At this rate, this place might become his grave.
If we can just buy enough time for the villagers to evacuate, then squeeze out our remaining mana to break through
As Leo recalled Rions words, he couldn't help but frown.
Thud! Thud!
In the distance, heavy footsteps echoed as trees began to fall.
A moment later, a massive monster revealed itself.
A giant beast with the head of a bull.
A Minotaur?
It was a Minotaur, one of the high-grade monsters.
The moment it appeared, a curse escaped Rions lips, even as she fought fiercely.
Hah fuck.
A monster whose power was incomparable to ordinary ones.
A beast that would have been dangerous even in peak condition had appeared in the worst possible situation.
Uwooooooo!
The Minotaur roared and began to charge.
With every step it took, buildings in the village crumbled, and even other monsters were crushed under its massive feet.
Leo! You know that bastard's only weak spot is its neck, right? I'll draw its attention, you aim for the neck!
But Leo just sighed and replied.
Sister.
What!
Ill draw its attention. You should just run. Honestly, I think Im done for. At least one of us has to survive, right?
Leo drew upon the last of his mana.
Woooong.
Blue mana gathered on his sword, Sylphid.
This is bullshit, really.
To think he would die in a place like this.
In his current state, he couldn't even guarantee that he could kill the Minotaur.
But.
I have to do something.
He had no intention of just sitting back and accepting death.
Come on, you bull-headed bastard.
Leo watched the Minotaur charge ferociously toward him and forced mana into his core.
It was a last resort, but if he couldn't kill it, he would meet his end here anyway.
Hed rather go down fighting.
Wooooooooong!
Mana surged backward through Leos mana channels, causing the sea within him to churn violently.
It was a technique that could leave him crippled.
But Leo didn't hesitate, pushing his core to its limits.
Thump! Thump!
The Minotaur was almost upon him. Leo readjusted his grip on his sword and shouted.
I will definitely
It was then.
Thwack!
Huh?
He felt a sudden impact on the back of his head. The core that was about to overload quickly subsided.
It was an incomprehensible situation.
The shock to his head caused all his accumulated fatigue to rush in at once.
His consciousness began to blur.
Then, a familiar voice echoed in his ear.
Wow, if I was any later, you wouldve crippled yourself, big brother. Who told you to overload your core without my permission? Well have a talk after this. Looks like Ill have to retrain you.
A young man now stood in front of Leo.
Tall.
Lustrous golden hair.
And in his right hand, a dark blue sword.
Seeing him, Leo let out a faint smile and muttered.
The old folks sent the real madman.
At his words, Karron also smirked and replied.
Ill take it from here, so get some rest.
You bastard Would it kill you to hurry? You shouldve been here sooner
Leos body collapsed.
He fell onto a pile of monster corpses and soon lost consciousness.
Karron glanced at him and smiled fondly.
Youve grown up.
To think he knew how to sacrifice himself for others.
Karron turned his head to face the giant bull head. A grin spread across his lips as he said, Im going to butcher you alive.
Monsters felt pain, too.
So he would gift it the worst pain imaginable.
Look forward to it.
Karron charged toward the Minotaur.