episode_0019

My heart grew cold.

The wizard was hit in the back by a bolt and collapsed.

Jeong Yu-shin turned his head to look at Ditto.

Ditto was still clutching the crossbow, cowering in the corner and trembling.

Friendly fire.

‘First, emergency treatment.’

Treating the wizard is more important than grabbing the spiritless gnome by the collar and shaking him. If the party’s damage dealer falls like this, it will be difficult to survive the next battle.

A roar full of anger echoed from beyond the ice wall.

He approached and tore Carlton’s robe. The wizard was wearing thin chainmail under his robe. The bolt pierced the chainmail and was embedded in his back.

Dell approached Jeong Yu-shin.

“How is Einhoffer?”

“He’s fine. Just a scratch on the neck.”

Dell, who was examining the wound, sighed.

“Ditto’s work. Damn it, I shouldn’t have brought him if I had known this would happen.”

“Is the fear engraving that serious?”

“It’s one of the engravings that an explorer should never have. If you get it, you have to erase it at the temple or retire.”

Jeong Yu-shin clicked his tongue inwardly at Dell’s answer.

“Can you treat him?”

“Yes. It will take some time.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“If there are any good arrows, please bring them. I’m running short.”

Dell pointed to the goblin corpses scattered around.

Jeong Yu-shin got up and approached the goblin corpses, pulling out the arrows.

Most of the arrows were stuck in their eyes, necks, or hearts.

As he was pulling them out like radishes, Einhoffer approached. A bandage was wrapped around his neck.

“I’ll help.”

“Yes.”

He looked for arrows and walked around among the goblin corpses.

He was about to collect them all and go to Dell when…

The ice wall shook with a loud noise.

Thump!!

The eyes of everyone in the party turned to the ice wall.

A goblin three times the size of a hobgoblin was standing there.

“…Hobgoblin Warrior!!”

Dell’s voice trembled.

The hobgoblin warrior struck the ice wall again.

Thump!!

Crack.

The ice wall cracked.

“How could a monster that should be on the 4th or 5th floor be here?!”

Dell clutched his head.

“Calm down. Trash.”

Carlton, who had woken up, opened his mouth. He was still lying on the floor, but his voice was clear.

“Carlton! Can you use magic?!”

“It’s difficult. The mana circuit is twisted. I was hit by a bolt mid-chant. Trash.”

“Keuh…”

Dell let out a groan of despair.

A dwarf with terrible stamina.

A gnome driven mad by fear who shot a bolt at an ally.

A wizard who was injured and unable to move.

At least Dell was a little better. He was a goblin and on the verge of panic.

A bleak situation.

‘They’re really useless. Damn.’

Even if this is an unprecedented anomaly, how could they be so pathetic? I couldn’t believe they were mid-rank explorers.

Jeong Yu-shin slapped himself in the cheek while thinking.

‘Shut up. Don’t blame others. Just think about what you need to do.’

What he could do. What he had to do.

‘Think. Think!’

He looked around.

Thump!!

Fragments of the ice wall scattered. It looked like it would break soon.

“Barbaroi. Trash.”

Carlton called Jeong Yu-shin.

“What is it?”

“Look in my bag. There will be a scroll. Trash.”

He rummaged through Carlton’s bag. Soon he found it.

A rolled-up piece of parchment was sealed with a red seal.

“What is this?”

Carlton chuckled.

“It is a divine magic that I happened to obtain while traveling in the west of the continent. It’s not great magic. Use it when the hobgoblins rush in. And use the opportunity to escape. Trash.”

“Why should we run away?”

“You can’t catch a hobgoblin warrior. You can deal damage, but that’s it. Trash.”

“So, we can catch the rest of the riff-raff hobgoblins. We can survive if we only catch the hobgoblin warrior.”

“…”

Carlton was silent at Jeong Yu-shin’s calm words.

“A hobgoblin warrior is a notoriously elite-grade monster even on the 4th and 5th floors!! A mere novice explorer can’t deal with it!”

Dell was completely panicked and shouted.

“Weren’t you a mid-rank explorer?”

He was so dumbfounded that he spoke informally.

“Dell is a rear guard. Understand that he is a little distrustful of novice vanguard explorers. Trash.”

Carlton intervened.

Kuuuung!!

The ice wall shook. It was cracked so badly that it looked like it would break completely if it was hit just one more time.

Jeong Yu-shin picked up the scroll.

“Do I just use it in front of as many hobgoblins as possible?”

“That’s right. Just tear off the seal. Trash.”

Jeong Yu-shin turned and stood facing the center of the entrance.

Einhoffer stood next to Jeong Yu-shin, holding a half-broken axe.

“Please protect Dell and Carlton.”

“Okay.”

Einhoffer readily accepted Jeong Yu-shin’s words and stepped back.

The light magic that Carlton had cast was gradually fading.

The shelter slowly began to sink into darkness.

The light of magic gradually faded away, and only the torch remained, shining forlornly in the center of the shelter.

It can be heard from beyond the ice wall.

The laughter of the monster, confident of victory.

An outcry full of malice, promising to tear them to pieces.

Kwaaaang!!!

The ice wall shattered, and fragments scattered.

Thump!!

A goblin with a huge body stepped into the shelter. He was holding a huge club in one hand.

As the hobgoblin warrior entered, dozens of goblins began to pour in behind him.

“Kkieeeeeeek!!”

“Kikikiki!!!”

Dozens of hobgoblin mobs foamed at the mouth and rushed in madly.

Jeong Yu-shin did not move.

“Use it!! Use the scroll!”

Dell shouted from behind.

He ignored it. You shouldn’t listen to the words of a ranged dealer.

The hobgoblins were right in front of him. He could clearly see their gleaming eyeballs and torn mouths.

“Skaaaaa!!”

Dell’s desperate cry echoed through the shelter.

He tore off the seal. A bright light began to emanate from the unfolded parchment.

[Solar Smite]

The magic spell echoed in his head.

Sunlight instantly filled the shelter. Even the sound was swallowed.

Jeong Yu-shin closed his eyes briefly due to the enormous amount of light, which could not be compared to Carlton’s light.

When the light disappeared, so did the hobgoblins’ sounds.

When he opened his eyes, he saw dozens of hobgoblin corpses that had been burned black and stuck to the floor.

But there was one last one left.

The hobgoblin warrior was covering his face with both arms. Steam was rising from his body, so he didn’t look alright.

Now is the chance.

He threw away the parchment, picked up the arming sword, and ran.

The hobgoblin warrior lowered his crossed arms and met the eyes of Jeong Yu-shin, who was running towards him.

“Kkieeeek!!”

He let out a powerful battle cry and swung his huge club.

He ducked low to avoid it.

Whooong.

A heavy sound brushed over his head.

‘Ankles!’

He swung his sword. Blood splattered and a scream rang out.

‘Knees!’

He stuck the sword into his knee and twisted it. The hobgoblin warrior lost his balance and staggered.

Whoooong.

The club came down as if to split his head.

Jeong Yu-shin dropped his sword and rolled to the side.

Kwaaaang!!

The floor shook. The charred goblin corpse shattered. Fragments of the broken pieces flew into his helmet.

“Keuk.”

His eyes closed as the hot fragments flew into his helmet.

So, he didn’t see the club that the hobgoblin warrior swung.

Bang!!

The giant club struck Jeong Yu-shin’s body.

Jeong Yu-shin flew through the air and crashed into the wall.

“Skaaaaa!!”

Dell fired an arrow. It hit the hobgoblin warrior’s body, but it was shallow. He was at the limit of his tired arms after firing dozens of arrows. The hobgoblin warrior casually pulled out the arrow, held it in his hand, and broke it.

Einhoffer rushed in with a half-broken axe.

The single-edged axe cut through the air and dug into the hobgoblin warrior’s arm. Blood spurted out. His half-cut arm was dangling.

The hobgoblin warrior let out a scream of pain.

“Kkeueeeeek!!!”

Thwack!!

Einhoffer was hit by a club that was swung reflexively and fell. The single-edged axe flew through the air for a moment and fell to the floor.

The hobgoblin warrior, with a cry of fury, struck again with his club.

Thwack!!

Einhoffer’s helmet was crushed. Blood flowed from the gaps in the helmet.

Dell screamed and fired arrows like crazy, but the giant goblin didn’t even care.

Eventually, Dell jumped in with a dagger.

Thwack!!

Dell, whose arm was strangely bent after being hit by a club, flew through the air, hit his head against the wall, and collapsed.

“Uaaaaaa!!!”

Ditto, unable to bear it any longer, finally ran towards the entrance of the shelter. The hobgoblin warrior swung his club, but it did not hit Ditto. Ditto’s body left the shelter and disappeared into the darkness.

The goblin warrior growled as if he was frustrated, but he did not chase after him. Instead, he turned and met Carlton’s eyes.

The wizard old man was panting.

‘Is this the end?’

He closed his eyes tightly as he looked at the hobgoblin warrior approaching step by step.

He thought that he had come this far with a shameful engraving.

He only hoped that he would go to the afterlife with one blow of the club.

A rustling sound was heard from one corner of the shelter.

“You son of a bitch.”

Both the goblin and Carlton’s heads turned at the same time.

Carlton’s eyes were wide open.

“…Ska. Trash.”

Jeong Yu-shin threw away his crushed helmet and swept back his blood-stained hair.

It felt like all the bones in his body were crushed.

But he still stood up.

Because if he couldn’t stand, he would die.

He saw the half-broken single-edged axe lying on the floor. He picked up the axe.

He also saw a dagger. Ditto had dropped it. For some reason, it looked familiar. He picked this up too.

He held the dagger in reverse grip and slung the single-edged axe over his shoulder.

Jeong Yu-shin staggered toward the hobgoblin warrior.

Jeong Yu-shin’s eyes burned redder than the torch.

The hobgoblin warrior roared and swung his club.

Whoooong!!

He ducked down to avoid it and stabbed the dagger into his abdomen.

“Kkeuaek!”

The hobgoblin warrior’s body twitched. Jeong Yu-shin did not stop there and swung the axe.

Tsuaak!!

The hobgoblin’s dangling arm was severed, and blood spurted out.

Kkwang!!

Jeong Yu-shin, who was hit by a reflexively swung club, rolled across the floor. The arm holding the dagger was broken and hung limply.

It was terrible pain. But he gritted his teeth and stood up again.

The hobgoblin warrior rushed in and swung his club wildly.

Thwack!!

Thwack!!

He frantically ran around and rolled around, dangling his broken arm, managing to avoid it somehow.

Whenever he saw an opening, he swung his axe like a demon.

Blood splattered and screams and shouts rang out.

He felt it instinctively. The axe was not enough. He needed some decisive weapon.

‘Engraving!’

The thought flashed through his head.

Sacred Weapon.

But it takes a long time to create.

And once you use it, your body becomes so exhausted that it’s difficult to move.

‘I have to do it! I’ll die if I don’t.’

He steeled his mind. He only had one chance.

Seeing Jeong Yu-shin not moving, the hobgoblin warrior let out an eerie laugh and raised his club high. Did he think that he was out of energy and couldn’t move?

Whoooooong!!!

The club came down, tearing through the air.

At that moment, Jeong Yu-shin threw the axe. The club collided with the axe. The club’s path was disrupted. Taking advantage of the gap, he rushed into the hobgoblin’s arms.

‘Now!!’

A moment of desperation.

The mana that had been spread throughout his body instantly gathered in his hand.

The completed dagger of light pierced the hobgoblin warrior’s chin and tore through his brain.

Puuuuk!!!

“Keok!!”

The hobgoblin warrior collapsed with a final cry.

It was instant death.

Jeong Yu-shin, who had rolled across the floor, lay face down, gasping for breath.

He did it. And he won.

“Heoeok. Heoeok. Not that great of a guy. Bullshit. Tueh!”

Blood rose from inside and gathered in his mouth, so he spat it out.

Strangely, he felt relieved.

He didn’t know if he would survive on the 2nd floor of the Great Labyrinth, but he had won for now.

Jeong Yu-shin looked at Carlton with a flickering mind.

“Are you okay? Trash?”

“Don’t keep calling me trash.”

“Sorry. Trash.”

“I’m just going to rest for a moment.”

“Okay. Trash.”

A commotion was heard from beyond the shelter entrance.

“It’s here!!”

“Quick, call people!”

Had someone come?

He didn’t know. Jeong Yu-shin’s eyes slowly closed. Darkness came.