episode_0092

“···Hand over a woman? Are you out of your mind?”

Ret snarled.

Iron Mask hurriedly interjected.

“Wait…wait a minute. Sca, your tone is strange. Ret, calm down. It doesn’t mean anything weird.”

“What does it mean?”

“In case you don’t know, it means we should exchange one party member each.”

Ret glared at Jeong Yushin before sighing.

“···Hoo. You should have said so from the start. We almost misunderstood each other. Okay. Bryn, will you go?”

“Huh? Me?”

A freckled, brown-haired woman asked, looking hesitant. The woman, called Bryn, was wearing robes but only had a simple dagger, making it difficult to know her job.

“Yes. We’ll be fighting close by anyway. You don’t have to worry too much. Will you do me this favor?”

“…”

Bryn didn’t answer, only fidgeting with her fingers.

At that moment.

A navy-haired woman who looked like a guide stepped forward.

“Bryn, shouldn’t you do this much? To be blunt, you haven’t been helpful to the party so far, have you?”

“Th…that’s.”

“Lisa, stop it. We should all get along. Why are you acting like this when we all get along well at night?”

“Ugh! Al, alright.”

The navy-haired woman, called Lisa, answered with a reddened face.

Bryn took a deep breath and nodded.

“Al…alright. I’ll go.”

“Mas.”

Iron Mask called the name of the rodent person.

“Understood.”

Mas stepped forward.

Bryn and Mas left their respective parties and went to the opposite party.

Jeong Yushin looked down at Bryn.

In short, she seemed like a timid woman. And she also looked a little too young to be in a place like this.

“Let’s go.”

Ret said.

The party members formed ranks and entered the castle gate.

They walked along the dark central road.

“Ke ke ke kek.”

“Kue eeeek.”

The sounds of hobgoblins could be heard in the distance.

10 hobgoblin warriors.

4 hobgoblin shamans.

5 hobgoblin shooters.

And 80 other hobgoblin rabble.

Indeed.

It was a number that would be difficult for a novice party to handle without taking damage. Especially in a wide open field.

“Okay. Irene, I’m counting on you.”

Ret said, drawing his longsword.

“Leave it to me.”

The pink-haired mage closed her eyes and began chanting.

Jeong Yushin stepped forward, placed the torch on the ground, and tightened the shield straps. Finally, he drew his arming sword and took a stance.

“Kiiik?”

One hobgoblin, loitering in the distance, spotted the party and pointed.

“Kueeek!”

The hobgoblin’s shout echoed through the quiet city.

In an instant, a hundred hobgoblins turned their heads and glared at the party.

‘Hoo.’

Can we handle this?

A melee was highly likely.

“Kue eeeeeeek!!!”

“Kue eeeeeeek!!!”

A hundred hobgoblins screamed and began to charge.

The hobgoblin shamans stopped at a distance and began to cast spells.

“Mas!”

Iron Mask shouted.

“Understood.”

Mas drew his short bow as far as he could and fired an arrow.

Paaaaaaa!!!

The arrow tore through the air.

Thud!!!

The arrow lodged precisely in the hobgoblin shaman’s forehead.

Instant death. The hobgoblin shaman fell backward.

Thung!

Not to be outdone, Lisa also fired a bolt.

Swishhhhh!!!

The bolt flew straight and pierced the hobgoblin shaman’s heart. Another hobgoblin shaman fell.

The remaining 2 hobgoblin shamans were alarmed and hid within the hobgoblin horde.

At that moment.

The pink-haired mage cast a spell.

[Chain Lightning]

A bright white lightning bolt shot out from the staff raised by the mage, forming a long line.

Tzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!

When one incandescent streak struck a hobgoblin, numerous streaks spread out like a spider web behind it.

“Kue eeeeeeek!!!”

“Kkeue eeeeeeek!!!”

When a single spell hit, dozens of hobgoblins spewed white vapor and fell like rotten logs.

Even the hobgoblins that didn’t die trembled and couldn’t move properly.

“Hoo.”

Irene staggered, gasping for breath.

Right then.

Suddenly, Ret leaped forward.

His charge into the enemy lines with a plain longsword seemed precarious, but Ret’s party members simply watched.

Swaaaaaak!!!

As Ret’s sword flashed, the hobgoblin warrior’s neck flew into the sky at once.

Jeong Yushin’s eyes widened.

To sever that thick hobgoblin warrior’s neck with a single strike?

‘Crazy.’

Whenever Ret’s longsword flashed, hobgoblins fell one after another. Regardless of rank, it was a single swing.

A storm-like momentum.

Is that the genius swordsman engraving?

It was a frightening engraving ability that was felt anew.

The hobgoblins, freed from the electric magic, bypassed Ret and charged at Jeong Yushin.

Jeong Yushin blocked the path in front of the two parties.

Whatever the conflict had been a moment ago, there were people behind him that he had to protect.

“Kueeeeek!!!”

A hobgoblin charged, swinging a club.

He raised his shield.

Clang!

He blocked and thrust. The arming sword pierced the hobgoblin’s heart.

Thwack!

He immediately kicked the face of the hobgoblin that was falling limply.

Pwaaaak!!!

The hobgoblin’s corpse, with its head smashed, flew through the air and collided with the charging hobgoblin horde.

Thud!!!

Hobgoblins tumbled to the ground. From within them, a hobgoblin warrior and hunter charged.

Hobgoblin hunter.

A higher hobgoblin who mainly uses a bow.

Swishhhhh!

The arrow fired by the hobgoblin hunter accurately targeted the dwarven priest Kubo.

Clang!

He leaped forward, lightly swung his arming sword, and deflected the arrow.

“Kuaaaaaaaa!!!”

The hobgoblin warrior, who had approached quickly, shouted and swung his huge axe.

Kuaaaaaaak!!!

An axe blade struck down as if to split his head.

Jeong Yushin stepped to the side to dodge and swung his arming sword. His target was the wrist. He wasn’t greedy. What he wanted was the muscle and blood vessels.

Phuaaaaaak!!!

“Kue eeeeeeek!!!”

The hobgoblin warrior, his wrist half-severed, screamed.

Without missing the opportunity, he dug in and thrust his sword under his chin.

Pwooook!!!

The hobgoblin warrior’s body, its brain pulped, fell to the ground, instantly dead.

Thud!

He pulled out his sword and shook the blood into the air.

The scattered droplets of blood hit the eyes of the approaching hobgoblins.

Three hobgoblins covered their eyes.

He crouched down, ran quickly, and smashed his shield into their mouths.

Pwaaaaak!!!

The hobgoblin’s jaw twisted, and broken teeth flew through the air.

He slammed the pommel into another one’s head and kicked it.

Thud!!!

The walker lodged deeply in the hobgoblin’s soft solar plexus.

“Gek!”

He stepped on the head of the hobgoblin that fell as is.

Pudddeudeudeuk.

The skull crumbled, and bits of brain splattered onto the central road floor.

The last one.

It was screaming something and swinging a rusty sword.

The hobgoblin’s sword flew toward his arm.

‘Hmm.’

He swung his arming sword and collided with it.

Claaang!!!

The rusty sword broke and flew through the air. The hobgoblin’s eyes widened.

He swung his sword.

Sweoeoeoeok!!!

The hobgoblin’s cleanly severed neck spun around and flew into the sky.

Thump thump thump thump!!!!

6 hobgoblin warriors bypassed Ret and ran this way.

Jeong Yushin’s expression hardened.

‘Too many.’

It would be one thing if he were alone, but he had to protect the rear. A fight with extremely limited movement.

[Fire Ball]

From behind, the pink-haired mage, Irene’s, chant erupted.

A huge fireball flew toward the hobgoblin warrior horde and exploded.

Ppeoeoeoeoeong!!!!

“Kue eeeeeeek!!”

Jeong Yushin quickly ducked and covered his body with his shield.

Thud. Thud.

Bits of flesh and bone fragments drummed against the shield.

He lowered his shield and raised his head.

‘Did they all die?’

4 were charging, covered in soot.

‘No.’

“I…I can’t use it any…any more!”

Irene shouted from behind.

Jeong Yushin glanced behind him.

The guides were moving around, firing arrows and bolts to kill the hobgoblin shamans.

A situation where long-range support was impossible.

Besides.

Ret was dancing with his sword alone in the distance. He was swinging his sword mindlessly, as if he were out of his mind, enjoying it so much.

The good thing was that Ret was drawing aggro from a distance, so the hobgoblin horde wasn’t attacking all at once?

“I’ll join you.”

Iron Mask stood next to Jeong Yushin.

“What about the rear?”

“Let’s stop those guys first and then think about it.”

Thump thump thump thump!!!

The hobgoblin warriors charged, shaking the ground.

They approached in an instant and swung their huge weapons.

Jeong Yushin and Iron Mask simultaneously kicked off the ground and leaped forward.

Iron Mask swung his greatsword. From top to bottom.

Phuaaaaaaaak!!!!

The huge two-edged sword severed the hobgoblin warrior’s arm at the shoulder.

“Keaaaaaaak!!!”

The hobgoblin warrior screamed a bizarre scream that had never been heard before.

‘Crazy.’

He already knew, but he didn’t know he was this strong. Has he gotten stronger while I wasn’t looking?

Whooong!!!

The hobgoblin warrior who followed behind swung his club at Iron Mask.

Pwaaaak!!!

But Iron Mask didn’t dodge and took the blow as is.

‘Crazy?!’

“Iron Mask!!!”

Jeong Yushin shouted.

Iron Mask, who had been sent flying in the distance, staggered and rose to his feet.

“I’m…I’m okay. Sca!!! Be careful!!!”

Iron Mask raised his hand, pointed in front of Jeong Yushin, and shouted.

3 hobgoblin warriors charged at once, swinging their huge weapons.

A club. An axe. And a greatsword simultaneously targeted Jeong Yushin’s body.

The air was torn apart, and a sonic boom loud enough to burst echoed through the distance.

Jeong Yushin bit his lip tightly.

It wasn’t his own crisis. It was the party members’ crisis.

Keeping a secret skill hidden was also a difficult thing to do.

He let go of his arming sword and round shield.

[Sacred Weapon]

What he wanted was Ingrid’s greatsword.

He held in his mind the outrageous momentum of wielding a greatsword as tall as a person and splitting the sky and the earth.

As he wished, it was grasped in both hands. A greatsword emitting a brilliant golden radiance.

He firmly planted his feet on the ground and twisted his waist with all his might.

From the bottom up. The direction was diagonal.

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeok!!!!

The golden greatsword cut through the air at an incredible speed.

Phuaaaaaaaaaak!!!!!

The 3 hobgoblin warriors were cut in half as is, along with their weapons.

The upper bodies, separated from the lower bodies, floated in the air before falling to the ground.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

From behind Jeong Yushin, gasps mixed with astonishment erupted.

“Wh…what?!”

“Is that even possible for a human?!!!”

“Crazy…Even if he’s a mixed-blood, the Barbaroi blood doesn’t go anywhere!”

Whether they said so or not, Jeong Yushin clicked his tongue inwardly.

The casting speed of Sacred Weapon, the distribution of power, the angle of the swing. Nothing was to his liking.

‘I’m ashamed.’

Jeong Yushin picked up his sword and shield and turned to look at Iron Mask.

Iron Mask was leaning against his greatsword.

Before he knew it, the dwarven priest was next to Iron Mask, using healing magic.

“Th…thank you. Priest.”

“Iron Mask, are you not feeling well?”

Kubo asked in a worried voice. Jeong Yushin agreed.

“Kubo is right. You don’t look like you’re in good condition. Rest in the back.”

“I can’t do that.”

Iron Mask slung his greatsword over his shoulder and approached Jeong Yushin’s side.

He didn’t look to be in good condition at all. Was something wrong?

Could it be that the symptoms of the disease had appeared?

Contrary to his worries, Iron Mask didn’t stagger or get hit like before. Fortunately, his poor condition seemed to be only at the beginning.

Jeong Yushin and Iron Mask continued to fight together, slaughtering the rushing hobgoblins.

At some point, the hobgoblins’ numbers dwindled rapidly, and they began to flee. The party members didn’t chase after the hobgoblins and let them go. They didn’t have the energy or the reason to.

Ret approached from the distance. His body was soaked with blood.

“Is everyone okay?”

Ret asked.

“No one in the party is hurt. Everyone is safe.”

Iron Mask answered, took a breath, and continued.

“You may feel like resting, but now is the right time to move forward. Other hobgoblin hordes that heard the noise may be coming. Are you coming with us?”

“Well. I don’t know. We’ll rest for a bit before going. You go ahead. Good work.”

Ret replied, collapsing onto the ground.

Iron Mask nodded and looked back at his party members.

“Let’s go.”

Jeong Yushin and his party members left the spot and moved forward along the central road.

Jeong Yushin was lost in thought, admiring the tall, pointed Gothic-style buildings.

‘It’s strange.’

Ret.

He heard that he possessed the genius swordsman engraving.

But from the way he fought, it seemed like he was being led around by the engraving.

To delve a little deeper.

He seemed to be entranced by battle.

To be half out of his mind and jump into the middle of the hobgoblin horde and swing his sword. Wasn’t it like a berserker?

‘···Is it not the genius swordsman engraving?’

He thought that he might have lied.

Besides, he seemed to care for the party but also not care for them. He was a difficult person to figure out.

What is he thinking?

‘Stop.’

He shook his head and stopped thinking.

There was no need to go any further. The cooperation was already over, so it wasn’t his business.

Iron Mask’s party walked for about 8 more hours and arrived at the edge of the city.

They didn’t walk for 8 hours straight.

They marched for about 4 hours.

Then, they found an empty house in an alleyway and rested for about 4 hours.

Then, they walked for another 4 hours.

It was a march that lasted for more than half a day.

The faces of the party members standing in front of the transfer stone leading to the forest area were stained with fatigue and dried sweat.

Even though they had leveled up, it wasn’t easy to run, fight, and walk while carrying a load close to 40kg.

“Let’s rest for a moment.”

Iron Mask said, looking around at his party members.

“Ugh. I’m sweating like crazy.”

The panty dwarf raised his hairy armpits and sighed.

The rodent person spat water from his mouth and turned his head.

“Ptooey! Priest Kubo, why are you showing us that? It’s making the water taste bad.”

The dwarf laughed heartily.

“Mas, you rascal, let me drain some of my sweat into your canteen. It’s salty and perfect as a substitute for salt.”

“Ah…please don’t. Really.”

While the dwarf and the rodent person bickered.

Jeong Yushin also took off his helmet for a moment.

Because the heat couldn’t escape and stayed on his head, his head was burning hot.

His black hair, soaked with sweat, clung to his head like seaweed.

He swept his hair up and took out his canteen to drink water.

The party members rested in front of the transfer stone for a while before getting up.

Iron Mask approached the transfer stone and raised his hand.

Whooong.

A red portal and a blue portal were created.

“Sca, I’m counting on you.”

Iron Mask turned and looked at Jeong Yushin.

“Got it.”

He put on the helmet he had taken off a moment ago and handed the torch to Iron Mask.

Jeong Yushin approached the red portal and stood in front of it.

‘Finally, the forest area.’

It felt like he had come back after a really long time.

There was a troublesome matter in the middle, but he had gotten an opportunity to move forward more easily than he had expected.

“I’m going.”

Jeong Yushin said briefly and stepped into the red portal.