Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Burning the Butcher
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A heavy impact crushed down on his body.
[KWAANG-!!]
"...Ugh."
The violent shock, enough to shatter his arm, transmitted through the dented shield. Hyun Tae-jin involuntarily let out a groan amid the intense pain radiating through his arm.
"...."
"Grr..."
Beyond the shield, eyes like blazing embers glared back at him.
The 'Goblin Butcher'.
A ferocious goblin with glowing red eyes.
...But calling it a goblin was a stretch. Its frame towered a head taller than Hyun Tae-jin.
An overwhelmingly massive build compared to the goblin corpses he'd glimpsed before.
'What the hell did it eat to get that big?'
A sudden wave of regret washed over him.
He had to hold out against this monster for a full minute?
The thought that he shouldn't have jumped into the fight crossed his mind.
If he'd just stayed quiet, said nothing, and held back, wouldn't everything have been easier?
'...No.'
Ignoring the numbing pain creeping into his fingertips, Hyun Tae-jin gritted his teeth.
What nonsense.
It wouldn't have been easy at all.
Closing his eyes brought yesterday's horrors rushing back.
People having their limbs torn off by monstrous ants.
Their faces, smeared with screams and terror, endlessly pleaded for help.
...And with that, a question lingered in Hyun Tae-jin's mind.
What if.
What if it had been 'Lee Do-hwa' in his place?
Would they have survived?
He couldn't say for sure.
They might not have.
She might have shrugged it off as none of her business and walked away without a second thought.
...If that had been the case, his conscience would be clear.
Whether she saved them or fled.
If Hyun Tae-jin had her level of skill and confidence, he wouldn't regret his choice.
"Hup!"
That was why Hyun Tae-jin clenched his teeth and shoved the shield forward.
Mobilizing [Inner Force Activation] and [Heavy Stance], he drew on every ounce of strength to push back the Goblin Butcher. The monster's massive body staggered.
"-Grk!?"
'This is...!'
He could do it.
The beast's ferocity was terrifying, but he had skills too.
And...
'...An opening?'
In that fleeting moment,
A clear vulnerability appeared.
The Goblin Butcher, shoved back once, teetered unsteadily.
Its swaying body, arms flung wide.
The two butcher knives in its hands were far out of reach.
Seeing that precarious stance, Hyun Tae-jin instinctively tightened his grip on his arming sword.
【-Don't fight back under any circumstances. Just endure.】
"...."
Lee Do-hwa's voice echoed in his head.
'...No. Hold back.'
He couldn't repeat the same mistake twice.
Regaining his composure, Hyun Tae-jin widened the distance and raised his shield again.
"...Hoo, ha..."
It still felt awkward.
Both his left hand on the sword and his right on the shield.
This style of combat was worlds apart from the boxing he'd picked up as a hobby.
So for now, he'd endure.
Trust her and buy time—that was his role.
As he created some space with that in mind, a twisted grin spread across the staggering Goblin Butcher's lips.
"...Kruk."
[KOONG.]
A disappointed chuckle escaped it.
As the monster stepped forward, its previously precarious stance stabilized as if it had all been a ruse.
Yellowed fangs peeked from between its lips, gleaming alongside the blades of the butcher knives in its hands.
Those blades flickered with a white light.
'A feint?'
A chill ran down his spine.
If he'd lunged at that 'opening' just now...
"...You disgusting bastard."
"Puheuk-"
The curse slipped out naturally.
But his mind cooled instead.
Ignoring the Goblin Butcher's mocking sneer, Hyun Tae-jin fixed his gaze on the hut behind it.
The door stood wide open.
Just moments ago, Lee Do-hwa had charged inside like she was flying.
'One minute, she said.'
What was her plan?
Come to think of it, he hadn't even asked what she intended to do.
He'd just assumed she'd handle it and trusted her.
But now doubt crept in.
How could she take down this thing?
Facing the 'Goblin Butcher' firsthand, it was a true monster.
A beast that made the giant ants from before seem cute by comparison.
Could they really beat it...?
[WHOOSH-!]
"..Hep!?"
Another chilling sword stroke whistled through the air.
He dodged the short swing with a retreating step, but the Goblin Butcher closed in instantly, bringing down its second butcher knife.
[KWAANG-!!]
"...Kuh!"
The relentless barrage continued.
Thanks to his shield and [Heavy Stance], his footing didn't collapse entirely, but Hyun Tae-jin could feel the monster's assault had shifted.
'It's not even guarding at all?'
An unfair fight.
The enemy swung wildly without a thought for defense, and even just dodging and blocking was overwhelming.
Retreating wasn't too hard, at least...
But having those eerie blades whistle past his face made his heart clench.
'One minute... Can I make it?'
One minute.
An absurdly long time.
He knew it intellectually, but experiencing it firsthand made it feel eternal.
Still, he had no choice but to endure.
Failing meant death.
[KABOOM-!!]
"...Urk!"
Hyun Tae-jin raised his shield once more, blocking the charging Goblin Butcher's blade.
.
.
.
.
[KOONG.]
The moment she stepped into the hut, a familiar sight greeted her.
"...Ha?"
It was so familiar it startled her.
Did the devs really go this far?
Of course, it wasn't identical.
Even in Pavarintos, the 'Butcher's Hut' layout changed each time.
Still, some constants remained.
Somewhere in this hut was a storage room holding 'that'.
'Definitely...'
[KOONG.]
It wasn't a small shack by any means.
Slaughterhouse, prison, storage.
And right now, she needed the 'oil' from the storage.
As she scanned the interior for the storage,
"...Huh?"
"People...?"
"H-Hey, over here-!!"
Shouts rang in her ears.
Turning, she saw what looked like a prison cell.
Inside, four women were chained up.
'-Later.'
"Hey?"
"W-Wait! Us, please untie these-!"
She ignored them cleanly.
She was in a rush—what hostage rescue?
Hyun Tae-jin was still holding out outside.
Ignoring the women's piercing screams like a pro, she flung open another door inside the hut.
[KABOOM-!]
The second door revealed a gruesome storage room.
"...."
A familiar scene.
Maybe because the sight before her mirrored the game's storage so closely.
Or perhaps her mind refusing to accept it as 'reality'.
Hanging in the storage were chunks of meat.
Fresh red slabs dripping blood, others turning brown.
...Best not to dwell on what kind.
Logically, on day two, not all could be 'human'.
Anyway, the smell here was ni—
'-Found it.'
No time for sightseeing.
Ignoring the sweet, cloying blood scent tickling her nose, she pulled the leather canteen from her belt.
Emptied of water beforehand. She dipped it into the vat, filling it with oil.
Finishing quickly, she passed the open prison cell again, and voices rang out once more.
"-Please! Stop!"
"Wait! Just a—"
...No.
Get a clue, seriously.
Swallowing a sigh, she approached the cell anyway.
In the torchlight, the women's faces lit up with hope.
"Ahh..."
"...Th-Thank you—"
-Not yet.
Can't you see I'm busy?
Ignoring the chained women, she snatched the torch hanging in the cell. That was the real goal, not the hostages.
"...Huh?"
"Wha? Why... why...?"
With that, business here was done.
How much time had passed?
[KABOOM!]
"...Kuhk!"
"Muka-!!"
"...What the hell are you babbling about?!"
With an enraged shout, Hyun Tae-jin retreated once more.
His condition was poor.
His left arm, which had blocked the Goblin Butcher's strikes, was beyond numb—sensation was fading entirely.
The iron-plated shield was dented and crumbling in places, losing its shape...
But at least his eyes were adjusting to its attacks.
[WHOOSH-!]
"Hep!?"
Goblin Butcher.
Immense power and intimidating size, but its attacks weren't fast.
The swings followed predictable arcs, short intervals, and lacked speed.
Of course, dodging butcher knives that could kill in one hit was different from practice sparring...
"Over here-!"
"...!"
A faint cry from afar drew a sigh of relief from Hyun Tae-jin.
'I'm saved...!'
The thin voice spreading out belonged to Lee Do-hwa.
A quick glance showed her holding a burning torch and leather canteen.
'...A torch?'
What was she planning with that?
A question flickered, but it didn't matter.
It was Lee Do-hwa. A mage and vampire—she could do anything.
As relief settled in,
"...Kehuh."
"....?"
Suddenly.
The Goblin Butcher let out a snicker.
Incomprehensible and faint.
But it glanced toward Lee Do-hwa in the distance, then,
[-KOONG, KOONG, KOONG!]
"-Huh?"
It turned its back on Hyun Tae-jin and charged straight at Lee Do-hwa.
.
.
.
.
Well...
This looks bad.
"Groooar-!!!"
"...Ha."
I thought it was already berserk from using right off the bat, but apparently not.
Or maybe, being a living creature unlike the game, its patterns differ.
Either way, danger was danger.
Seeing the Goblin Butcher switch targets to me and charge, I swallowed a groan inwardly.
But...
On the flip side, this moment might be an opportunity.
[POOK.]
I jammed the torch into the dirt floor and levitated the oil-filled leather canteen with .
I'd planned to splash it bit by bit, but no choice now.
Opportunities like this wouldn't come twice—I had to go all in.
Oil poured smoothly from the canteen.
I manipulated the telekinetic field to gather the flowing liquid into a blob in midair.
"Gahaa-!!"
"...."
I couldn't move.
Controlling the telekinetic field while moving was still beyond me.
Plus, shaping the fluid right now felt clumsy.
In the game, one click did it—but not here.
No room for distraction.
No matter how ugly the enemy charging at me.
'Just take the hit.'
Trusting the robe's spell and vampire regeneration.
Unlike other races whining about wounds or infections from a single blow, vampires could recover from anything short of fatal.
With that desperate resolve,
I hurled the telekinetically formed oil orb at the charging Goblin Butcher.
[CHWAK-]
Due to , or trusting its [Rock Skin]?
It didn't even try to dodge the flying oil blob.
[PFOOK.]
The oil sphere sliced through the air and burst against its face.
Oil streamed down its face and chest, but it paid no mind yet.
...You'd think it'd catch on by now.
Lucky, I guess.
[KOONG, KOONG, KOONG-]
Now, the final step.
I poured the remaining oil from the canteen onto the ground and lit it with the planted torch.
Telekinetic manipulation.
It looked like wielding fire itself, but I couldn't sustain it long.
The rising heat dispersed the telekinetic field.
[KOONG, KOONG-!!]
The distance closed rapidly.
No dodging now.
But since I'd braced for a hit anyway, fear didn't grip me.
Finally, I whipped the telekinetic field, hurling the airborne flames at it.
The flames, burning over the oil trail, fanned out like a sheet and engulfed its body.
The strike launched just before the heat shattered the telekinetic hold.
It tried to swat it away with its butcher knife, but the widespread blaze was unavoidable.
...Not due to fixed patterns—was it just dumb to begin with?
The instant the flames touched, its body erupted in fire.
"Kreeee-!!"
Roaring flames.
But fueled by , it didn't stop.
Its agonized screams filled the clearing, but it was already upon me.
Hot enough to scorch my cheek.
And with it, its thrust struck home.
'Guardian—'
In that split second,
I pulled every trick I had.
Activated the robe's Guardian spell, leaped back with all my might.
Even shoved myself further with telekinesis, but,
"Graaa-!!"
[KWAJIK-]
Too much.
Mages losing to warriors in mobility—even here, same story.
The butcher knife, faintly glowing.
Even wreathed in flames on its face and chest, the Goblin Butcher's strike pierced me.
"-Ah."
Damn [Weapon Enhancement].
The blade tore through the spell like paper.
A searing slash carved diagonally.
The knife grazed my chest and ran down to my waist.
"Uk-"
My breath caught.
No scream escaped.
Unlike game characters shrugging off sword strikes, my body froze solid.
All I could do was tumble limply across the dirt.
"...Cough."
Cold earth pressed against my cheek.
In my tilted, blurring vision, rising flames flickered.
"Groooar! Graaa-!!!"
The Goblin Butcher's wails rang in my ears.
In this sideways world, it clawed at its face and chest, thrashing to extinguish the fire.
An anticlimactic end for such an imposing foe.
...Yeah.
No wonder it was popular—easy to kill like this.
Its struggles didn't last.
Flames consumed its face, and its movements halted like a puppet with cut strings.
[PLUMP.]
Its body hit the dirt, but the flames raged on.
Crimson fire slowly devoured the fallen Goblin Butcher.
"....Ugh."
Not a pleasant sight.
Nor the time to relax.
Using all my strength to roll over, I checked my wound.
"...Wow."
Impressive.
And it hurt like hell.
The gash was horrific.
Robe sliced diagonally, exposing flesh; the deep cut revealed tissue and faintly visible organs beneath.
A human would be dead.
Good thing I'm a vampire.
...
...Wait.
Actually, not sure.
Can I even survive this?
Isn't this fatal for vampires too?
...
...Ah.
No.
I think I can pull through.
Ignoring the throbbing pain drilling into my skull, I inspected the wound. Bleeding from the gash had already stopped.
The split flesh was slowly knitting back together.
Yeah, I'll live.
Vampire regen, no infections—suck some blood, and it'll heal quick.
"Do-hwa-ssi!?"
"...My ears hurt, don't yell."
"Th-This... Hep!?"
Horror flashed in Hyun Tae-jin's eyes as he rushed over.
Thinks I'm dying, huh.
With trembling hands, he touched my body to check the wound.
"D-Do-hwa ssi... I'm sorry, I—"
"-Not... dying, so don't overreact..."
"...Pardon?"
Unnecessary worry.
Not fatal enough.
What do people take vampires for.
I didn't main vampire for years for nothing.
"Um...."
"Y-Yes?"
"...Chest."
"Chest...? Oh."
"...."
More importantly, this guy.
Why'd he have to touch my chest of all places.
This... I got nothing.