episode_0054

Pwahahahahah!!!

Hans’ head exploded.

The boy priest was covered in Hans’ bones and flesh.

“Ugh…ugh!”

The blood-soaked priest was in a panic, unable to speak properly and flailing.

Dark red tumors sprouted from Hans’ entire body, covering his whole form.

The tumors, which grew without pause, gathered and formed a giant egg.

The elephant-sized egg immediately began to throb like a heart.

Thump.

Thump.

Crackle.

The tumor split open, and a giraffe-like long neck emerged first.

Reaching the end of the neck, a slimy head popped out, and a pair of snail-antenna-like horns sprouted.

Brrrrrrr!!!

Tearing through the side of the egg, several bundles of sharp tentacles burst out.

The torso was swollen with yellowish-green tumors and red flesh matted together, and there were no legs.

The stench of rotting meat wafted out.

A chilling silence fell within the training grounds.

But only for a moment.

A massive panic swept over the guard.

Some collapsed to the floor.

Others knelt, vomiting.

Some wet themselves and fainted.

And there were those who sought God.

Jeong Yu-sin also stiffened, staring at the giant monster.

Could it be.

That thing is a demonic imprint?

Jeong Yu-sin bit his tongue.

The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth.

It was to awaken his stiffening body.

“That thing is what they only spoke of…Unholy Flash? Just how far did you go, Hans-nim?”

The frog beastman Cork muttered blankly.

Thick saliva dripped from the frog’s mouth.

Kwaaaaang!!!!

Someone flew and landed in front of the monster.

Dust billowed out from the impact, then slowly settled.

One of the Maze City Committee members.

Ingrid Redtail.

She planted the massive greatsword into the ground and stood there majestically.

“Get a grip!!!”

Ingrid shouted loudly.

Ingrid’s voice echoed through the training grounds.

Only then did the guards regain their senses and scream at the top of their lungs.

“Summon the guard!!! Gather everyone!!!”

“Raise your spears!!! Prepare for battle!!!”

The guards who had been floundering grabbed their weapons and stepped forward.

At that moment.

A thunderous realization struck Jeong Yu-sin.

Why the high-ranking committee members were frequently seen in front of the maze.

Why the city’s guards were so busy that they couldn’t turn their eyes elsewhere.

The reason was revealed.

It was to protect the city.

From whom?

From the high-level searchers who received the negative imprint.

There was a reason why there were no detailed examples of negative imprints in the beginner searcher class.

“Amphuma Sipuhota.”

That which had been Hans until just now lowered its head, looking at Ingrid and muttering.

“Hans, you’ve been completely consumed by the allure of the Unholy Flash. I will send you peacefully.”

Ingrid gripped the greatsword.

“Kieeeeeeeeeeck!!!!”

It shrieked.

People covered their ears, staggered, and stepped back.

In that instant.

Ingrid’s greatsword vanished from sight.

Whooooooong.

From top to bottom.

Hans’ massive body split in half and was torn apart.

Puhahhhhhhh!!!!

Puhuhuhuhuhng!!!!

A single downward strike split Hans and created a giant crater in the ground.

As if an explosion had occurred, a powerful shockwave swept over them.

“Keuk!!!”

Jeong Yu-sin gritted his teeth and lowered his body. Rocks and pieces of flesh mixed with dust struck his helmet and passed by.

A single downward strike split the ground and unleashed a shockwave.

A force reaching the realm of superhuman.

It was right to call it an ability.

Jeong Yu-sin barely raised his head and looked at the source of the shockwave.

An unbelievable sight.

Jeong Yu-sin’s eyes widened.

Hans’ body, split in half, was twitching.

It hadn’t died even after taking that blow?

It was a tenacious life force.

“It’s over.”

Ingrid raised the greatsword again.

Suddenly, light burst from Hans’ body.

The split body regenerated in an instant, and a red membrane appeared, covering Hans’ body.

“Tsk! ‘That imprint’? You’re really going all out, Hans.”

Ingrid clicked her tongue and swung the greatsword.

Crack crack crack crack!!!!

The greatsword scratched the red membrane and passed through.

A shallow crack formed.

An anomaly occurred. Hundreds of chunks of flesh burst from Hans’ body.

The chunks of flesh twitched and took on human form.

Fingernails that protruded like awls.

A mouth torn wide open.

Sharp teeth.

Maggot-like tongue.

And pitch-black pupils.

They were in human form, but closer to grotesque monsters.

Hundreds of them passed through the red membrane and scattered around.

Ingrid brought the greatsword to her waist.

Whoooooooong!!!

Horizontal slash.

Pwahahahahah!!!

Dozens were swept away in a single strike, flying through the air.

Thud thud thud!!!

Blood and flesh rained down like rain around the magic circle.

Ingrid quietly thought to herself.

From the start, Hans had been in a unique position in the maze city with his defensive abilities alone.

With various imprints and even a mutated body, that defensive ability was not to be ignored.

But that didn’t mean it was completely impenetrable.

It would just take some time to break through that barrier.

To think that this kind of accident would happen from the very first day of replacement, what an unlucky day.

Focusing on breaking the barrier would shorten the time, but the rabble summoned by Hans would overwhelm the guards.

Perhaps the sacrifice of the guards would be necessary.

Swallowing her bitter taste, Ingrid swung the greatsword.

Kwaaaaang!!!

Kwaaaaang!!!

The red membrane created by Hans shook, and cracks began to appear one by one.

Hans wasn’t idle either.

He drove Ingrid with dozens of bundles of tentacles that looked like they were made by weaving rebar.

Swisheeeeeeeeeeeck!!!

Swisheeeeeeeeeeeck!!!

Ingrid didn’t even bat an eye and cut off the tentacle bundles that emerged from the red membrane.

While Ingrid and Hans were fighting.

Hundreds of ‘monsters’ created from Hans’ body were breaking free from the red membrane and charging towards the guards.

“Cork!!! What are those ‘monsters’?!”

Jeong Yu-sin grabbed the frog beastman by the collar and shook him.

“…F, Flash Crawlers. Summons of the Unholy Flash.”

It was a name he was hearing for the first time.

But that wasn’t important. Where they came from wasn’t important either.

What he wanted to know was their weakness.

But this frog beastman was out of his mind.

He stopped himself from slapping him across the face.

He realized that he was overly agitated.

Jeong Yu-sin left the frog beastman alone and gripped his longsword.

He would find out himself.

Swish.

Jeong Yu-sin drew his sword, watching the approaching creatures.

Iron Mask and Stone Fist stood next to Jeong Yu-sin.

“Cork is a priest. It is right to protect the rearguard in charge of healing.”

The half-ogre Stone Fist said as he loosened his body.

“What are we supposed to do?”

“It’s a winning fight if we just hold out until Ingrid-nim defeats that high-level searcher bastard. We have nothing to do.”

Stone Fist skillfully answered Jeong Yu-sin’s question.

Iron Mask slung the greatsword over his shoulder and asked.

“Half-ogre, tell us. What should we do?”

“…That’s.”

Just then, the mole beastman shouted towards Jeong Yu-sin’s party.

“Barbaroi!!! Bring your friends over here! Line up with the guards instead!”

Stone Fist grabbed the dazed frog beastman and lifted him up.

Jeong Yu-sin, Iron Mask, and Stone Fist retreated and joined the guards.

Stone Fist stood on the side of the defensive line because of his large size.

He didn’t know where Iron Mask had gone.

The frog beastman squeezed in among the priests in the rear.

Jeong Yu-sin stood in the center of the line.

“Don’t break the line! Raise your spears! We have to hold out!”

The guards next to Jeong Yu-sin shouted.

“Damn it! We really have no luck!”

“How many years has it been?!”

“It’s been almost a year since the committee directly intervened. Keep your wits about you. Judging by the way things are going, it won’t be easy.”

The guards held out their spears and took their stance.

They had clearly been joking around and sitting on chairs, spacing out, just last night.

In an instant, it was about to turn into a battlefield where blood and flesh flew.

Hundreds of monsters were rushing towards the guards.

‘Here they come.’

Jeong Yu-sin placed his longsword at his waist and took his stance.

It was a stance he had learned from Ashur while being severely scolded.

“Kieeeeeeeck!!!”

“Keueeeeeeck!!!”

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The Flash Crawlers, surging like a wave, were pierced by the guards’ spears.

They were so tenacious that they thrashed about even after being pierced by spears.

Jeong Yu-sin raised his sword and stabbed straight in.

He was aiming for the neck.

These guys were similar in form to humans. He predicted that their weaknesses would be similar as well.

Thwoooooock!!!

“Keueck!!!”

The monster whose neck was pierced did not die and struggled.

That’s not it.

It’s not a vital spot.

Jeong Yu-sin quickly drew his sword and took an upper stance.

Downward slash.

Zhuaaaaaaaack!!!

The monster whose head was split collapsed.

That’s the one.

“The head is the weak point!!!”

Jeong Yu-sin shouted loudly. The mole beastman heard those words, looked at the monster’s corpse, and shouted loudly.

“The head is the weak point!!! Guards, aim for the head!!!”

Jeong Yu-sin stood shoulder to shoulder with the guards and swung his sword diligently.

The guards behind blocked their advance by stabbing with their spears, and the guards at the front swung their swords, cutting off the monsters’ necks.

It was a scene of carnage where blood and screams flew.

Jeong Yu-sin gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

Because it was the only thing he could do right now.

Chuaaaaaack!!!

Thanks to constant training, he vertically split and cleaved the monster’s skull without a single tremor.

Chuaaaaaack!!!

Tsuaaaaaack!!!

Rotten-smelling blood and brain fluid splattered on Jeong Yu-sin’s body.

Crack crack crack!!!

The blade, dulled from being swung dozens of times, was embedded in the crawler’s head.

“You little shit!”

He shook the sword violently.

Clang!!!

The sword broke.

“Damn it!! Boron!!”

“Use this!”

A guard in the back threw a sword at Jeong Yu-sin.

Jeong Yu-sin didn’t even have time to say thank you, snatched the sword again, and swung it.

Despite the guards’ desperate struggle, the line was gradually pushed back.

In the first place, there were 40 guards.

20 of them were searchers.

Most of the searchers were terrified and retreated or deserted the battlefield.

It was a wonder that they were holding out for even a few minutes when over 100 crawlers were swarming in from all directions at once.

Some of them even had their necks torn off by the crawlers.

“Kkuaaack!!!”

“Dulla!! Damn it!”

A mournful cry echoed through the battlefield.

Jeong Yu-sin swung his sword without rest.

The result of opening every dawn with the sword, soaked in blood and sweat, was brilliantly revealed in his sword.

Pain and suffering.

Despair and limits became fertilizer and firmly supported Jeong Yu-sin.

Like an icebreaker cutting through the sea, only the place where Jeong Yu-sin was stood out.

Clang!!!

Another sword broke.

[Sacred Weapon]

A greatsword identical to Gilsian’s Zweihander was created.

Horizontal slash.

Whooooooong!!!

Puhahhhhhhh!!!!

The monsters’ torsos were torn in half and ripped apart.

Someone threw another sword.

He caught it and swung it.

Swisheeeeeeeck!!!

Puhwaaaack!!!

A streak of light cut off the monsters’ necks.

Flesh and blood flew through the dark sky.

Head. Head. Head. Head.

In a trance, he smashed skulls and split heads.

The guards screamed and held out, but they were gradually pushed back. Only Jeong Yu-sin was becoming increasingly isolated.

‘Should I retreat?’

The moment he thought that in his mind.

Thump!!!

Someone landed next to him.

The half-ogre Stone Fist.

“I’m joining the fight.”

“Understood.”

The half-ogre slammed his massive fist down.

Kuwaaaaang!!!

The ground caved in, and pieces of bloody monster flesh flew everywhere.

“Barbaroi!”

The Iron Mask man joined the fight.

Jeong Yu-sin nodded at the man once. That was enough.

Iron Mask swung his greatsword.

From top to bottom.

Kuaaaack!!!

The crawler was split in half from head to crotch.

The three men stood back-to-back and blocked the wave of monsters.

Indeed.

Fighting together is much better than fighting alone.

They were just barely acquaintances.

He didn’t know what kind of imprints these men had, or what kind of lives they had lived.

What was important was to cooperate and survive.

“L, let me join too! Ribbit!”

The frog beastman hurriedly ran over with a staff in his hand.

Jeong Yu-sin grabbed the frog beastman by the collar and threw him back.

“Ribbit!”

Jeong Yu-sin, Iron Mask, and Stone Fist formed a triangular formation, placing the frog beastman in the center.

“Just cast any magic!”

Jeong Yu-sin shouted.

“A, alright!”

The frog beastman Cork began chanting.

The three men fought back-to-back and struggled fiercely.

The half-ogre Stone Fist swung his hands and feet, smashing and tearing the crawlers.

Iron Mask meticulously swung his greatsword, cutting the crawlers in half.

Clang!!!

Another sword broke.

“Yai!!!”

Jeong Yu-sin gritted his teeth.

No matter how good the sword was, it couldn’t withstand splitting the monsters’ hard skulls dozens of times.

In his haste, he struck a crawler’s jaw with his pommel.

[Sacred Weapon]

A golden harpoon sword was created in his empty hand.

It looked similar to the deformed sword he had seen at a bar in the eastern district.

Tsuaaaaaaaack!!!

The jagged blades tore through the crawlers’ bodies, tearing off chunks of bone and flesh.

The golden deformed sword, covered in sinew and entrails, turned into particles and scattered into the air.

One of them popped out and bit Jeong Yu-sin’s shoulder.

Sharp teeth pierced through the leather armor and dug deep into his shoulder.

[Revenger]

Imprint activated.

Jeong Yu-sin’s eyes blazed with blue otherworldly fire.

He swung his fist and struck the crawler’s maw.

Paaaak!!!

The left hook shattered the crawler’s jawbone and splintered its teeth.

He grabbed the monster, which was collapsing limply as if concussed, and slammed its forehead with the pommel.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Once. Twice. Three times.

Its forehead caved in and became distorted, eventually causing its eyeballs to pop out.

“It’s been a while. Kaal.”

The young leader he had met in the beginner party.

It looked similar to the friend whose head had been crushed by a hobgoblin’s club.

Jeong Yu-sin greeted him cordially and kicked him away.

The crawler with the crushed forehead collided with the crawlers rushing in from the front and tumbled to the ground.

He threw the broken sword and cast the imprint.

[Sacred Weapon]

A golden single-edged axe.

He gripped it with both hands and twisted his waist to the limit.

‘Einhoefer.’

Horizontal slash.

Tsuaaaaaaaack!!!!

Eight of them were instantly bisected and torn apart.

The golden axe became particles and scattered into the air.

A bit of breathing room was created.

He turned his head and looked at Ingrid.

Clang!! Clang!! Clang!! Clang!! Clang!!

Ingrid was striking the blood-red barrier while parrying all of the tentacle attacks that were stabbing in with dozens of strands.

Several cracks had formed in Hans’ blood-red barrier.

Was it still far off?

Just what kind of barrier was it that even Ingrid, who was close to superhuman, couldn’t break it in one go?

Currently, Jeong Yu-sin’s party was in a precarious state.

Could they hold out any longer?

He didn’t know.

He was planning to slowly retreat and rejoin the guards after the frog cast his magic.

“It’s, it’s done!”

The frog beastman Cork raised his staff high.

[Aqua F]

Unfortunately, the frog’s magic did not manifest.

“S…save me!!!”

A bull beastman, covered in blood, screamed and hurriedly ran towards Jeong Yu-sin’s camp.

“H, hey! You there!”

Iron Mask raised his voice in what sounded like panic.

The bull beastman pushed Iron Mask away and instantly burst into the camp.

The frog beastman was caught under the bull beastman before he could finish casting his magic.

“Protect…Ribbit!!”

The frog beastman, pinned under the bull beastman, screamed.

The incantation failed.

The magic dissipated.

“Yai! You crazy bastard!!!”

Jeong Yu-sin, enraged, shouted.

They had been holding out well for a hastily assembled party without prior discussion.

But when a crazy bull bastard suddenly intruded and caused a ruckus, the party’s coordination was instantly disrupted.

Iron Mask, who had lost his balance, staggered.

Several crawlers rushed past Iron Mask towards the bull and frog beastmen.

With one extremely vile troller.

A crisis had befallen the party.