Slaying the Father-Killer
Arthur kicked off the ground and charged forward.
A terrified knight gripped his sword tightly, bellowing a war cry as he rushed in.
“Uwaaaah!”
Clang!
A few clashes rang out.
Arthur's spear pierced the knight's temple.
Splat!
The man's head shattered in a gruesome spray.
But not a flicker of hesitation showed in Arthur's eyes.
“You bastard.”
“M-mercy!”
One knight finally grasped the situation and dropped to his knees.
Arthur approached without a change in expression and drove his spear into the man's heart.
Squelch!
“Gaaark.”
“The last one.”
Spurt!
Blood erupted like a fountain.
Arthur turned away with a utterly blank face.
Chiriririri!
Chiririririri!
A chilling sound echoed through the air.
Arthur's gaze shifted toward the dungeon's depths.
“The bastard who made my father pass away is coming.”
Arthur gripped his spear shaft tightly.
Monster That Stole Something Precious
📍 Rank:S
🎁 Reward: Baras's Essence
💰 Cash: 3,000
⚠️ On Failure: Death
📖 Description: The monster that killed your father. Avenge that grudge.
Arthur took steady breaths and closed the quest window.
This was his second S-rank quest.
In a way, it was the first in this reality.
“Damn spider bastard.”
Arthur spat curses as the sound grew steadily closer.
His guess was that Baras had roamed multiple dungeons by now.
If it kept showing up in the same one and victims kept dying, suspicions would arise.
Sometimes it probably hid in mountain-like places, devouring the tributes Colos delivered.
'The unidentified people who vanished from the territory.'
Colos had announced there might be a brutal murderer lurking in the territory.
But when they failed to catch him, he got flak for incompetence.
Still, the investigation never made progress.
'That crazy murderer bastard was you.'
By now, the creature's sound was right upon them.
'Son!'
Arthur suddenly flashed back to the past, a bitter smile crossing his lips.
As the thing approached him, the memory resurfaced.
Was it when he was five? Or six?
His father had hoisted him high into the air, laughing delightedly at Arthur's giggles, and asked,
'What do you want to be when you grow up, son?'
Arthur had beamed innocently at his father, Acaus.
'A great knight captain like you, Dad!'
'Like me?'
His father had tilted his head, set Arthur down, and grinned wide, baring his teeth.
'No, son. You need to become someone even greater than me.'
'Huh? But you're the greatest person in the world, Dad!'
Even as a little kid, Arthur knew how awesome his father was.
Standing at the front among knights in their splendid armor and ornate swords, he'd always given Arthur a big thumbs-up.
'There are people in the world greater and stronger than your dad. And lots of bad ones too. You have to become even greater than me, son, and give those guys what they deserve!'
Saying that, Acaus had ruffled Arthur's hair.
Arthur had pondered deeply, then replied,
'Then there must be bad guys who bully you too, right, Dad?'
'You bet, tons of 'em!'
'I'll beat those bad guys up for you!'
'Hahaha, that's my boy Arthur!'
That same Arthur had grown up to be called a coward.
After his father died, it felt like he'd lost the idol he aspired to be.
His previous life had been full of regrets.
He hadn't been happy.
But this life would be different.
'I'll beat up the bad guy who tormented my father.'
Arthur tossed a sheet of parchment from his pocket to Instructor Lauden.
“This is...?”
“A parchment enchanted with Cure Poison magic.”
Cure Poison.
A detoxification spell of the 2nd class.
He'd gotten two from Orwen before facing Baras.
These were special parchments made by mages, but they had a usage condition.
You needed mana in your body.
Lauden's eyes twitched as he took the parchment.
The horrific memories from back then began resurfacing.
The thing was definitely strong.
Could they escape alive from here?
Then a hollow laugh escaped him.
'Even if I die, I'll take Baras down with me.'
It was ridiculous when he thought about it.
The boy standing before him—his father had already fought Baras single-handedly, staking his life long ago.
What was one life from him?
“Step back. I'll kill it.”
Arthur said without budging an inch.
“Everything that happened today stays our secret.”
Arthur trusted Lauden.
Even if the man wanted to blab, it wouldn't be easy.
They'd brutally slaughtered seven knights here, after all.
Finally, Baras emerged from the darkness.
Kirreeeeh!
The revealed Baras unleashed a ferocious roar.
The massive spider-like monster Baras stood a full 5 meters tall.
One leg was missing—clearly lost to Acaus.
The huge sword wound on its body was another gift from Acaus.
-Human boy... looks tasty... I'll eat you...!
Baras possessed considerable intelligence.
It could even communicate with humans if it wanted and learn their language.
It seemed to have picked up speech from Colos and his men.
Bulge!
Baras's abdomen suddenly swelled grotesquely.
“Its poison paralyzes slowly. Cure Poison dispels that paralysis in one go. It can spit venom twice in five minutes.”
'How does he know that...?'
Baras was an unidentified monster, the first of its kind in Asgard Continent history.
Yet Arthur knew its details perfectly.
“We'll take it down in five minutes. And don't use Cure Poison the moment paralysis starts. That way, you can't block the second dose.”
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Baras began bounding forward with its massive bulk.
Its swollen body deflated as it spewed green venom from its maw.
Spiiiish!
Splat!
Splat!
Neither Arthur nor Lauden dodged the poison, getting drenched head to toe in the thick, green slime.
Paralysis begins.
Arthur heard the alert. Lauden wouldn't have.
He was just starting to feel the unnatural sensation creeping through his body.
“Death Painting. Bred, Roden.”
Arthur extended one arm forward and murmured.
A bloody whirlwind swirled up, and from within emerged Bred with arms crossed and Roden hand on his sword hilt.
“Gasp...!”
Lauden's eyes went wide.
Arthur had deliberately taken the poison hit before summoning Bred and Roden.
Pendulus was on hold for now.
In case Bred and Roden got poisoned too.
Even the intelligent Baras seemed taken aback by their appearance.
-Awaiting your orders.
They said in unison.
Arthur glared coldly at Baras.
“Exterminate the enemy.”
-Yes, sir!
Bred uncrossed his arms swiftly, and Roden drew his sword in a flash, charging ahead.
Baras surged forward with its enormous body.
Pop! Pop!
Dozens of tentacles burst from Baras's body, shooting toward the three.
Those tentacles were sharper than any spear.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The tentacles stabbed into the ground and walls as Arthur, Bred, Lauden, and Roden slashed them away while maneuvering.
“Nngh... b-body...”
Lauden felt his limbs growing heavy.
Arthur was the same.
But it was too early for Cure Poison.
Tat-tat!
Arthur, Bred, and Roden kicked off and dashed in.
Bred's dual-wield blades shredded Baras's body in multiple spots.
Splurt!
-Kirreeek! Humans... I'll kill you all...!
Thick blood sprayed from its wounds.
Boom!
Baras's massive body slammed Bred with full force.
Bred, limited to 70% strength, flew into the wall.
Crash!
-Nngh!
Shing!
Arthur's spear thrust straight ahead with all his might.
A tentacle from the side targeted his flank.
Arthur knew Lauden was right behind him.
Slash!
Lauden cleaved the tentacle aiming for Arthur's side.
-Kirreeeh! Humans!
The severed tentacle flopped wildly on the ground.
Splurt!
Arthur's spear buried into Baras's body.
-Kiriri... Die...!
'Damn it. My body...'
He needed to pull it out fast, but his body wouldn't obey.
50 seconds since the poison hit.
'Not yet.'
Using Cure Poison now would mean it spat the next dose immediately.
Then they'd have no counter for it.
Whoosh!
Baras tried to ram Arthur with its body.
'Can't take that hit.'
The poison dealt no damage.
It was purely paralyzing.
But one solid blow from it, and Arthur was dead.
He dropped the spear shaft and leaped back.
Baras crawled after him.
Lauden noticed something off with Arthur.
'He's not the type to hold back.'
If he were, he wouldn't have beaten Colton like a dog.
Lauden knew there was a reason.
Lauden and Roden threw themselves forward simultaneously.
Crunch!
Lauden blocked in front of Arthur, swinging his sword instead, while Roden stabbed Baras's side.
-Kiriririri!
Arthur, blocked by the wall behind, reached out.
Rrrumble!
Kazaven's Poison Spear, lodged and vibrating in Baras's body, yanked free into Arthur's hand—only to clatter to the floor.
“Damn.”
This was the problem when your body slowed.
Reflexes couldn't keep up.
Tat-tat!
As Lauden and Roden struggled fiercely, Bred recovered and soared smoothly into the air.
Spurt!
-Kiririri... e-eyes... can't see...!
Bred's dual blades gouged out one of the spider's eyes.
Thud! Thud-thud!
The enraged Baras shrieked, then locked eyes on Arthur.
'Because it's smart, huh?'
Arthur read the thoughts of the staring Baras.
It had witnessed him summon Bred and Roden.
With its intelligence, it might guess killing him would make them vanish.
Arthur moved slowly, gripping his spear.
Standing up felt agonizingly sluggish.
-Kirrek! Kill you... and it's over...!
Baras ignored everyone else and charged Arthur.
Creak.
Arthur's body, midway to rising, froze solid.
Lauden too.
Body fully locked by paralysis.
Seeing Arthur rigid as stone, Baras barreled toward him viciously.
It thought this was its chance.
'But the chance is mine.'
Arthur's eyes flashed from his half-upright stance.
Because the thing was clever, the opening had come to him.
He timed it perfectly.
5m, 4m, 3m, 2m...
“Cure Poison.”
Fwosh!
The parchment from his pocket scattered pale green light.
The poison corrupting your body vanishes completely.
Baras, lunging to crush Arthur like a tomato, hesitated at the sight of the sharply raised spear.
It was moving too fast to stop.
Spluuuurt!