Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Hilrob the Exterminator
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The Rakshasas fought back fiercely.
They quickly redirected the spear tips they had been thrusting at Katuru toward Hilrob, drew their axes and swung them wildly, and even called in all the other Rakshasas inside the temple.
Unfortunately for the Rakshasas, Hilrob was the "Exterminator."
Among Seong-un's creations, Slatis was the Destroyer.
The Destroyer was designed to smash city walls, kill other giant beasts and creations, and if necessary, confront apostles, possessed bodies, or even incarnations.
The Exterminator also aimed to kill enemies, but it was specialized for slightly different targets.
Hilrob could handle other monsters as well, but it was optimized for weaker foes than itself—mortals, weak monsters that barely qualified as giant beasts, and armies, especially infantry.
The tips of its long legs, each spanning fifteen meters when fully extended, were as sharp as obsidian. Simply walking toward the Rakshasas while targeting them turned them into corpses.
When a corpse's severed section got caught on a leg due to friction, Hilrob flicked it off lightly, like shaking dust from its hands. The body would then fly off the leg and smash into a wall or the ceiling.
It didn't take long for the Rakshasas to realize Hilrob was a monster they couldn't possibly defeat.
"Aaack!"
"Run! Run away!"
"Get out!"
But Hilrob finished the task Basen Rak Orzen had requested just as swiftly.
Hilrob spewed white spider silk from its rear, blocking the Rakshasas' escape routes.
Some Rakshasas unwittingly stepped on the webs and got hopelessly tangled.
The rest floundered in panic, too afraid to step on the webs and unable to flee from Hilrob.
Hilrob neither moved too hastily, as if intoxicated by slaughter, nor too leisurely, as if savoring the kills.
It maintained a steady pace from start to finish and soon completed the job.
Basen approached Hilrob and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, O Winnowing Flail of Yacheon."
The nickname "Winnowing Flail" came from the southern islands during battles against the Deep Ones. It stemmed from the motion of shaking corpses off its legs and how the bodies scattered afterward like spilled grains, earning it that name among the Asthasidians.
Hilrob spoke.
-No need for thanks. I merely carried out Yacheon's will.
"Regardless, didn't you help me, my friends, and this divine beast Katuru?"
The Pangolians prostrated themselves flat on the ground in gratitude.
"Oh! Thank you!"
Receiving thanks again after driving Deep Ones from Asthasidians made Hilrob feel awkward about such matters.
Seong-un hadn't endowed Hilrob with exceptional eloquence or sharp intellect. Since it was optimized as an Exterminator, basic verbal and intellectual capacity to avoid enemy deception sufficed.
Hilrob decided to graciously accept the goodwill without hesitation.
-Rise. If you face danger again, I will aid you once more.
A low rumbling growl accompanied a voice.
-Is that... true?
It was Katuru, the anteater divine beast.
Freshly freed from restraints with the Pangolians' help, Katuru was covered in wounds and bleeding heavily, looking far from well.
Hilrob replied.
-Yes. For Yacheon desires it.
-Yacheon...?
-The god of created beings and my master.
-A god? The gods have departed.
-He has returned.
Katuru shook its head lightly, as if unable to believe Hilrob's words.
-I don't know this Yacheon. What if Yacheon's mind changes and says it's unnecessary...?
Hilrob paused, its six eyes scanning the prostrating Pangolians and the bloodied, pained, weakened Katuru.
Until now, Hilrob had acted solely according to Yacheon's will and slept otherwise.
But its master showed no signs of summoning it lately.
'Then I shall act as Yacheon would.'
Hilrob replied.
-Unless Yacheon explicitly commands otherwise, I will help you.
Katuru slumped to the ground at those words.
-Ah, that's a relief. What fortune.
Katuru pressed its head to the floor and said.
-Until I awaken again, please look after these little friends...
With that, Katuru closed its eyes.
The Pangolians startled and checked on it.
Basen asked worriedly.
"Is it dead?"
Pangolian Mago placed her palm near Katuru's nostrils and said.
"No. It's just sleeping from the pain."
The Pangolians provided emergency treatment to Katuru.
Basen said to Hilrob.
"White Spider, there's actually another request."
-Speak.
"They say Rakshasas are coming from the neighboring village too. Could you help repel them?"
Hilrob turned its body toward the temple exit and extended one foot toward Basen.
"Uh... what's this?"
-It would be good if you could guide the way, but your legs are slow.
Hilrob's head tilted slightly.
Its wide field of vision let it see Basen behind it clearly.
-Can you climb aboard?
Basen and Mago climbed onto Hilrob's back.
As they exited the small temple, Mago pointed toward the expected enemy direction, and Basen shouted loudly to confirm to the surprised Thione Etimo and her sailors that they were allies. Some sailors recognized Hilrob and bowed.
The Rakshasa reinforcements from the neighboring village had already approached within striking distance.
Some scouts were peering into Mago's village.
But before they could flee to report, they got caught in Hilrob's webs. They confessed everything—200 reinforcements, all infantry—before dying.
Hilrob said.
-Dealing with the enemy is fine, but in this vast forest, I can't kill all 200 at once. Some will escape.
Basen almost asked if it really planned to kill them all alone but shook his head instead.
From what Basen saw, Hilrob wasn't speaking out of overconfidence but from pure strategy.
Swiftly subduing and killing the scouts showed concern for preventing information leaks to the enemy rear.
Attacking 200 in the forest alone would naturally let some escape.
"Circle widely around the enemy and approach from the opposite direction of their advance. Lure them toward this village."
-Oh.
"Then we'll surround and attack the rest, pursuing any runners."
-Good. Mortal Basen, you are clever.
Hilrob executed the plan exactly as Basen hoped.
But Hilrob's killing power exceeded Basen's expectations.
Basen gathered the sailors and expedition in the village, where most Rakshasa warriors were already subdued, formed ranks quickly, and waited for the fleeing Rakshasa reinforcements.
These came in groups of seven or eight several times before stopping.
Expecting heavy ammo use, but their scant numbers meant archers waiting in ambush easily picked off the screaming, panicked Rakshasas' heads without firing a shot.
'Did some slip through midway? Unavoidable. ...No, what if something happened to Hilrob...'
The worry was unfounded.
When Basen led selected expedition members to Hilrob, about 150 corpses littered the forest.
Lush green leaves were soaked in blood, and due to Hilrob's habit, many bodies clung to trees overhead.
Hilrob said.
"How many did you kill?"
"Forty-three."
"Perfect match. No escapees."
Hilrob returned amid the expedition's cheers.
The Pangolians celebrated even louder, thanking Basen and his comrades and toasting the great victory.
Wisdom spoke with evident interest.
"Impressive. Not only gaining the locals' favor but faith rising too. Shouldn't it drop normally?"
"Exactly."
Seong-un replied.
Normally, any player intervention with an individual violated causality. Faith was consumed as penalty for such violations.
This penalty grew harsher if the target wasn't one's own believer.
"How did that happen?"
"Simple."
Seong-un said.
"No system support, but even loose alliances yield alliance effects. Helping an ally's individuals reduces penalties, even if not your own believers, right?"
"I know that."
"But that's not because of the alliance itself—it's due to intimacy. Not shown in status but called 'intimacy' in others' research."
Wisdom summarized.
"So intimacy reduces faith penalties?"
"Yes. I quickly built it via Hilrob with Katuru and the Pangolians."
"That's why you said it was time to intervene."
Perhaps Basen and Mago alone could have saved Katuru depending on circumstances.
But deploying Hilrob—one of Seong-un's weapons—with similar resources was more efficient.
"Still, operating Hilrob consumes some faith. I recouped it by turning it into praise for Hilrob, but that's break-even at best."
"Better than solving it without any faith cost? True. Elevates the pantheon's reputation with Hilrob as idol."
"Exactly."
The Pangolians' native faith was divine beast worship.
This primitive faith built through intimacy and interaction with their divine beast. Katuru acknowledging Hilrob let Seong-un gain faith in its stead while it slept.
Wisdom spoke with a hint of amusement.
"It won't end here."
Seong-un replied.
"Of course not."
Basen organized the village.
Sailors and expedition had minor injuries; Pangolians had some casualties, but acceptable compared to their shared victory.
Basen asked Thione.
"If Mago's right, enemy attacks won't end here. How about contact with other ships?"
Thione replied.
"The last ship in our fleet is the relay. Fastest and safest route. They'll try contacting each ship along the coast, so they'll notice we're missing. Even otherwise, Black Forest preps a second expedition—they'll learn eventually."
"Soonest?"
"Hmm, half a month?"
"Latest?"
"Waiting for second expedition... three months if quick."
Basen shrugged.
"Let's hold for half a month. Contact other ships solves powder issues. Bullets next maybe..."
"Knowing terrain, maybe produce our own."
"Good idea. ...But focus on next few days. If Mago's accurate, Rakshasas rule a bigger nation than we thought."
Mago described the Rakshasa super-tribe as spanning at least the peninsula where Black Forest lay—vast for their primitive civilization.
"Lots of fights ahead. For that..."
Hilrob interjected into Basen's words.
-I'll help.
"Ah, of course we'd be grateful, but..."
-Use me more actively.
Basen pondered briefly.
Hilrob was a god-sent creation.
Theologically, constantly burdening it felt dubious and burdensome. Myths depicted gods piercing causality to intervene as arduous.
'But what's the point of such worries now? This is surely Yacheon's revelation to survive. Then survive we shall.'
Basen said.
"Neighboring village sent reinforcements unaware of the outcome. They likely haven't reported up the chain."
-Need to silence them.
"Yes. Best to strike now before they prepare. With fresher troops, raid the neighboring village..."
-I'll go.
Basen asked puzzled.
"Alone...?"
Hilrob didn't answer immediately, instead looking up.
-Night falls.
"Pardon?"
Hilrob said.
-Though my body is white, I move more silently than any of Yacheon's creations. Wait. It won't take long.
Hilrob stepped into the shadowed forest.
Hours later, Basen learned Hilrob was a spider worthy of trust.