episode_0033

Loinel took a step back.

Even the Lieutenant Search Party felt fear at the sight that defied understanding.

“Let’s…let’s slowly back away.”

Karin said in a trembling voice.

The group cautiously retreated.

When they had retreated a certain distance from the central plaza.

Someone stumbled out of an alleyway next to the main street.

It was a female human searcher.

The female searcher was wearing leather armor that was damaged here and there.

She staggered and slowly approached.

Gilsian held up the torch and stepped forward, standing in front of the female searcher.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

The woman’s head tilted to the side.

“Are you hurt? Can’t you speak…”

Crack.

A bone sound was heard.

The woman’s neck did not stop there and went further, bending at a strange angle.

This isn’t normal.

Loinel inhaled sharply.

Gilsian instinctively grabbed the greatsword slung over his shoulder with both hands.

The woman’s mouth tore wide open. As if smiling.

Swaaang!!

Gilsian swung the greatsword. But the woman leaped back and avoided it.

It was a speed that a person could not show.

Gilsian’s body froze for a moment.

In the meantime, the woman’s body convulsed.

With a cracking sound, her neck began to be pulled out.

The group’s bodies froze at the shocking sight they were seeing for the first time.

From the cross-section of the neck, the spine was pulled out, starting from the cervical vertebra to the end of the spine.

It was like a parasite eating away at all the flesh and bodily fluids of the host and then popping out.

Thud. Chureureu. Puduk.

The entrails attached to the vertebrae poured onto the white street floor.

The folded ribs spread out gracefully in the torchlight.

At the end of the spine was a sharp stinger like a scorpion’s tail.

A centipede with a human spine as its body.

The face was still human.

The headless woman’s body collapsed.

It was like the shell of a host that had finished its work.

“Gilsian! Get a hold of yourself!”

Karin grabbed her dagger and jumped forward.

The human-faced centipede that landed on the ground shouted.

“Kueeeeek!!”

The grotesque cry echoed across the street to the plaza.

Gilsian regained his senses and swung the greatsword.

The human-faced centipede dodged.

Clang!!

The greatsword hit the ground.

Shee-ik!!

The centipede’s tail flew towards Gilsian’s neck.

Ting!!

But it hit Gilsian’s plate armor and bounced off.

Taking advantage of the gap, Karin slashed with her dagger.

Zzzaak.

The human-faced centipede’s face split in half. The centipede fell to the ground.

Green blood gushed out from the split face.

It trembled slightly, but no longer moved.

“…They’re the ones I saw on the 4th floor. I…I didn’t recognize them because they were wearing face skins, but now that I see them, I know.”

Gilsian said in a trembling voice.

Why is a monster that appeared on the 4th floor here?

Is it possible that a monster that moves between floors has appeared?

Jeong Yushin’s question could not continue.

“They’re coming!!”

Loinel, who was in the back, shouted in horror.

When he turned around, hundreds of goblins and searchers in the plaza were screaming and running towards them.

“Run away!!”

No one was first.

Karin’s party gritted their teeth and ran.

Jeong Yushin was the furthest behind.

They ran at full speed for about 20 minutes.

He was out of breath.

He was getting further and further away from Karin’s party.

Jeong Yushin glanced back.

Hundreds of human-headed centipedes, having shed their skins at some point, were swarming and crawling vigorously across the ground.

“Into the alley!!”

Karin shouted.

The party entered the alley.

They ran through the maze-like alleyways.

Jeong Yushin was barely able to keep up with the party.

“Damn it!!”

Karin shouted.

Dozens of human-faced centipedes were crawling towards them from the front of the alley.

A huge number of human-faced centipedes were coming from behind as well.

Some were crawling up the walls.

A perfect checkmate.

“Prepare for battle!! Ahiman, block the rear!!”

The party quickly formed a formation.

Gilsian blocked the front.

Loinel and Ahiman, and Jeong Yushin stood in the center.

Karin took charge of the rear.

Ahiman closed his eyes and began chanting.

Loinel’s arrow was the start of the battle.

Bbaaaaa!!

The arrow flew with a roar.

Puh-ung!!

The face of the centipede crawling up the wall exploded like a firecracker.

Loinel fired arrows at a rapid pace without stopping.

Bbaaaaa!!

Bbaaaaa!!

The centipedes that lost their heads fell to the alley floor.

“Heuaaaap!”

In the front, Gilsian shouted and swung the greatsword.

The sacred characters engraved on the greatsword shone brightly.

Gilsian swung the greatsword like a storm, firmly blocking the front.

Karin moved quickly, aiming only for the faces of the human-faced centipedes and swinging her daggers.

Sweeek!

Two daggers tore through even the air and split the faces of the human-faced centipedes.

In an instant, dozens of corpses piled up in the alley.

The power of the Lieutenant Search Party revealed even in the face of an unknown monster.

Jeong Yushin’s mouth opened slightly.

Then an unexpected event occurred.

“Keuk!”

A cry of dismay burst from Karin’s mouth.

The sharpness of the dagger was reduced.

The sticky blood of the human-faced centipede stuck to the dagger and would not come off.

Jeong Yushin could see it too.

Karin was struggling fiercely, but her posture was already broken and her sharpness had been dulled.

It was because her mind was shaken.

The price came immediately.

In an instant, the tail stinger of the human-faced centipede brushed against Karin’s shoulder.

The armor cracked and blood splattered.

Karin bit her lip tightly.

“Ahiman!!”

Karin shouted.

As if answering, Ahiman cast a spell.

[Abyss Strike]

Several portals with ominous energy opened in the air. From there, huge tentacles popped out and began to lash out at the human-faced centipedes.

Thwack!! Kwaaaang!!

The huge strands of tentacles lashed not only the human-faced centipedes but also the stone walls of the alley.

Dust and debris flew everywhere.

Dozens of human-faced centipedes were crushed and burst at once.

Kugugung.

The alleyway began to collapse.

The human-faced centipede group retreated.

Karin also retreated.

Kuaaaang!!

The alleyway completely collapsed.

Jeong Yushin lowered his head.

Dust and gravel swept past his helmet.

The rear was completely blocked.

“Karin!!”

Gilsian shouted.

The shining characters on Gilsian’s greatsword had faded.

He looked like he was struggling.

Karin ran forward and fell.

“Eut!”

Her body wouldn’t listen.

Karin struggled in panic, but her body, which was stiffening, only convulsed and did not move.

Ahiman said.

“Scar! Help Gilsian! I’ll take a look at Karin.”

“Yes!”

This was no time to argue.

Even though the back road was blocked, the human-faced centipedes were still climbing up the wall.

Loinel was blocking them, but it was unknown how long he could continue.

The number of arrows had noticeably decreased.

Jeong Yushin put down his luggage and took out a glass bottle.

A black liquid sloshed inside the glass bottle.

Fat oil.

A potion to prevent fat from accumulating on the sword.

He never thought he would use it at a time like this.

He saw the green fat clinging to Karin’s dagger.

He didn’t know how effective this potion would be, but he pulled out the stopper.

The black liquid flowed down the sword blade.

He carefully rubbed it with his hand to coat the entire blade.

“What are you doing? Hurry!”

“I’m going.”

Urged by Ahiman, Jeong Yushin ran forward.

Gilsian was barely holding on by using the characteristics of the plate armor.

He blocked most of the attacks with his armor and killed the human-faced centipedes with counterattacks.

“How’s Karin?!”

Gilsian asked without looking back.

“She’s collapsed! Ahiman is looking at her now.”

“Keuk! Buy me some time.”

“Yes!”

He didn’t ask what he was going to do.

He passed Gilsian, who was retreating, and stood in front.

Jeong Yushin raised his sword high.

High stance.

‘You have no manners.’

The words of the swordsmanship association leader suddenly came to mind.

He smirked and gritted his teeth.

The human-faced centipede rushed in.

Downward slash.

Zzzaaaaak!!

The centipede that was split in half passed Jeong Yushin and fell.

“Heup!!”

Diagonal slash.

He cut off the head of the human-faced centipede.

‘Weakness found.’

The cervical vertebra, the vertebra located between the skull and the thoracic vertebra.

His experience working his ass off at the monster dismantling center had improved his eye for detail.

He stood firmly.

His lower body, hardened by constant training, supported the ground.

Jeong Yushin’s sword moved like a ray of light.

In an instant, he cut off the cervical vertebrae of 3 human-faced centipedes.

‘Take the strength out of your shoulders.’

The swordsmanship association leader’s advice echoed in his head.

“Yes.”

The person giving the advice was not there, but he answered alone and corrected his posture.

The stiff sword became a little faster.

Swaaaaat!!

In an instant, 5 heads flew off.

A human-faced centipede rushed at Gilsian from outside Jeong Yushin’s reach.

[Sacred Weapon]

Sweeeek!!

A dagger of light flew and pierced the skull of the human-faced centipede.

The dead centipede rolled and touched Gilsian’s feet.

But Gilsian didn’t budge and was muttering with his greatsword planted in the ground.

Kwaaaang!!

An explosion erupted from behind.

It seemed that Ahiman had used magic.

“Scar!! It’s poison! Be careful not to get hit by the tail stinger!”

Ahiman shouted from behind.

“Yes!”

Jeong Yushin answered loudly and took his stance again.

3 human-faced centipedes flew into the sky at the same time.

[Sacred Weapon]

He threw a dagger of light and shot down 1.

He drew a large circle and simultaneously struck the necks of 2.

A human-faced centipede that had been slowly crawling underneath swung its tail.

A sharp stinger shot out, aiming for his foot.

Jeong Yushin stepped back slightly and then lifted his foot and stomped on the tail.

Thud!

The steel plate of the walker shattered the tail.

“Kyaaaaaak!!”

The human-faced centipede screamed.

He grabbed the longsword in reverse grip, thrust it into its mouth, and twisted it. The centipede trembled and stopped moving.

“That’s it!! Scar! You held on well.”

Gilsian stepped forward.

A sacred radiance swirled around his entire body.

“Everyone get ready to run forward!!”

Gilsian held his sword forward and lowered his stance.

“Understood!!”

When he turned around, Ahiman was carrying Karin on his back.

Loinel was carrying the luggage that Jeong Yushin had put down.

He made eye contact with Loinel.

Loinel nodded silently.

[Holy Lance]

Gilsian’s greatsword was enveloped in a sacred radiance.

The aura shining like the sun was attached to the greatsword, making it look twice as big.

Kwaaaaang!!

In an instant, Gilsian’s figure disappeared.

Only fragments of light fluttered in that place.

Jeong Yushin’s eyes widened.

The front was wide open.

Dozens of human-faced centipedes were torn to shreds and stuck to the alley walls.

Gilsian was at the end of the alley in the same posture as before.

“···Crazy.”

Overwhelming speed and breakthrough power.

“Run!!”

Loinel shouted.

Jeong Yushin also regained his senses and ran.

He sprinted like crazy and got out of the alley.

He stood on the main street again.

“We’re almost there! Just a little further north!”

Loinel shouted.

At that moment, a huge number of human-faced centipedes poured out not only from dozens of alleys but also from behind the main street.

At least a thousand.

Loinel’s face became gaunt.

“Run!”

At that time, Gilsian collapsed.

His body was trembling.

It was a similar symptom to Karin.

It seemed that fragmented tail stingers had entered the armor or helmet while breaking through and had pierced him.

“Shit.”

Loinel tore at his hair. The lips that uttered the curse were trembling.

Jeong Yushin stepped forward and carried Gilsian on his back.

‘Wow, fuck.’

His legs trembled at the enormous weight.

Jeong Yushin’s face turned red.

He gritted his teeth.

It was a weight he couldn’t have imagined without leveling up.

“Scar! Thank you.”

Loinel said.

“···You’re welcome.”

He ran towards the north.

How far did he run?

It felt like he had been running for a long time.

It felt like he was going crazy running at full speed while carrying plate armor, a beastman, and a greatsword.

Devil Jeong Yushin and Angel Jeong Yushin shouted in unison to throw them away.

‘Shut up. Shut up. You crazy bastards!!’

Even if he abandoned the ranged attacker, he couldn’t abandon the party’s only tank.

The number of pursuers from behind was increasing.

Then a large circular tower came into view.

And hundreds of human-faced centipedes were also seen in front.

If they continued like this, they would pass the circular tower and encounter them.

Loinel gritted his teeth.

“Let’s go inside the tower.”

“Heo-heok. Heo-heok. Like rats in a trap. It’s the worst option.”

Gilsian gasped and barely muttered.

“There’s no other way!”

“…”

In the end, the party ran towards the tower.

Thwack!!

The tower’s wooden door burst open.

Karin’s party members came in.

The first floor of the tower was surprisingly spacious.

Fortunately or unfortunately, no one was there.

“Ahiman! Block the entrance!”

“Okay.”

Ahiman put Karin down and moved away to start chanting magic.

Loinel took out all the arrows from his luggage.

Jeong Yushin also put Gilsian down and knelt down.

“Heo-heok. Heo-heok.”

His heart felt like it was going to explode.

“···Thank you.”

“Heo-heok. Heo-heok. Be quiet.”

He spoke informally in anger.

‘The plate armor was honestly too much.’

Gilsian closed his mouth.

Jeong Yushin caught his breath, got up, and took his longsword.

“Take this.”

Loinel approached and handed him a potion filled with yellow liquid.

Jeong Yushin lowered his visor, opened the potion stopper, and immediately drank it.

“Hoo. What is this?”

“Energy drink.”

“Why do you carry this around?”

“Because it’s better than a stamina recovery potion. I’m counting on you. Buy me some time.”

The stamina that had run out was gradually filling up. Strength began to surge through his body again.

When he had some leeway, he remembered something he had forgotten.

“I have an anti-poison scroll in my luggage.”

“It won’t be very effective even if you use it. The poison is mixed with otherworldy power.”

Ahiman stopped chanting and said.

‘Damn it.’

It was too late to escape alone. He didn’t want to escape either.

Hundreds of human-faced centipedes were screaming outside the tower.

Jeong Yushin.

Standing in the dark tower entrance with a swaying torch beside him.

He gripped the handle of the longsword tightly.

“Come in. You bastards.”