episode_0122

7th Floor Forest, wide open space.

The sight that greeted them after exiting the red portal was hell.

“Kkuaaaak!!!”

“My leg!!!”

“Don’t fall back!!! Hold your ground!!!”

“Damn it! Paul!”

A dozen or so explorers were huddled together, fighting entangled with dozens of monsters.

The monsters were mainly mushroom men.

Half-rotted dogs.

Green slimes and spiders the size of burly men.

There were also monsters attacking from the rear.

Small corpses with mushrooms with holes riddled on their backs.

He remembered them from the last time they encountered them. Needles had flown out of those mushroom holes.

A battlefield overwhelmed by all sorts of monsters.

The explorer who was hit by a needle in a vital spot and died instantly was the lucky one.

An elf struggling and melting inside a slime.

A human surrounded by a pack of dogs and eaten alive.

A beastkin grabbed by a giant insect and disappearing into the bushes.

A gruesome scene unfolded at a glance.

“Shit.”

He took a stance with his sword and shield.

He was momentarily stunned by the horrific hellscape.

Ironically, it was blood and screams that brought Jeong Yushin back to his senses.

A mushroom man came running at him, arms outstretched.

Slow speed.

But his tremendous strength had threatened his life several times.

Swish!!!

He dodged to the side and swung the arming sword horizontally.

The blade of the arming sword flashed once.

Splat!!!

The mushroom man’s head flew into the sky.

Thud!

Body fluid from the severed section of the mushroom man’s neck stuck to his armor.

When he flicked the sword once to shake off the fluid.

The party members appeared one by one through the red portal.

“Wh, what is it?!”

Mace was flustered and pulled the string of his short bow without even nocking an arrow.

The red portal closed with Kubo and Iron Mask as the last ones through.

“Save me!!!”

“Kkuaaaak!!!”

“Die!!! Dieeee!!!”

The party members looked around the battlefield filled with screams and roars, and their faces were blank as if their souls had left their bodies.

The first to come to his senses was Iron Mask.

“Scar!!! What is going on?!”

“I don’t know either!”

Jeong Yushin pushed away a mushroom man with his shield with all his might and answered.

Iron Mask quickly looked around and pointed to one place.

The place where the explorers were huddled together. It wasn’t too far away, but they were surrounded by monsters.

“First, we join those explorers! I’ll clear the path! Scar, protect the rear!”

“Got it!”

Jeong Yushin and the party quickly changed formation.

Iron Mask stood at the front.

Behind him were Kubo and Mace. Finally, Jeong Yushin took the rear.

“Let’s go!”

Iron Mask slung his greatsword over his shoulder and ran towards the place where the explorers were huddled together.

Jeong Yushin ran at the very back, fending off the monsters rushing at the party members.

A half-rotten dog pounced on Mace.

“Huuueok!!!”

Mace, who was running hard, froze stiff.

“Run!”

Jeong Yushin quickly jumped forward and swung his shield to smash the dog’s head.

Crush!!!

The dog whose skull was shattered fell to the ground powerlessly.

He didn’t stop there and kicked the dog.

Thwack!!!

The dog’s body flew high into the sky and collided with several spider monsters crawling quickly from afar, sending them tumbling.

The moment he was about to lift his feet off the ground again.

Shweeeeeek!!!

Amidst the screams and shouts, the sound of tearing through the air quickly approached.

Jeong Yushin’s head turned reflexively.

‘It’s coming.’

The needles shot by the baby corpse bastards were flying towards Jeong Yushin.

Can he block them all?

He doesn’t know. He has to try. Because he has to protect the party.

He gritted his teeth and held out his shield.

Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!

Three needles pierced the shield and got stuck. His wrist was throbbing from the strong force coming over the shield.

But.

He can’t stop here.

Jeong Yushin swung his arming sword as if water was flowing.

Clatter!!!

Five needles struck the sword’s surface at the same time.

The shock was transmitted through the sword handle to his wrist.

It was so strong that his wrist bone was about to break.

Crack!!!

Jeong Yushin gritted his teeth.

The arming sword was bent into a strange shape.

“Shit!!! Boron!!!”

He only said one thing because the sword broke so often, and you’re screwing with me like this?

He had no choice but to block the last one with his body.

Bang!!!

The needle hit his chest armor and bounced off.

Jeong Yushin staggered for a moment, then regained his stance and ran after the party.

He threw away the arming sword that had been bent into a ‘ㄱ’ shape and pulled out the longsword he was carrying on his back.

Swoosh.

The blade that came out of the bluish scabbard scattered a clear sharpness.

Originally, he had to hold it with both hands and swing it to exert its full power, but now was not the time to be picky.

The tattered dog rushed at him again from the side. Its target was Kubo. He couldn’t let that happen.

Jeong Yushin swung the longsword with one hand.

From top to bottom.

Slash!!!

The cold blade cut through the dog’s neck bone like butter.

He blocked the headless corpse with his body, bounced it off, and ran as he was.

‘Hoo, shit.’

“From now on, you’re a dog-neck-cutter!”

Jeong Yushin said a word to his sword while running.

Kubo, looking pale, glanced back for a moment.

“Scar!!! Are you okay?!”

“Don’t worry about me and run!!!”

Looking at the front, Iron Mask was swinging his greatsword.

Every time he swung, three mushroom men were torn apart and sent flying.

He cleared away the monsters with his tremendous strength and reached the explorers in an instant.

“They’re here!!!”

He didn’t want to interfere with the battle, so he went a little to the side.

“You guys?!”

A man in plate armor shouted, widening his eyes.

“We came through the portal! We suddenly dropped here!”

Iron Mask replied. But unexpected words came from the man’s mouth.

“First, spread out and maintain formation!”

“Why?!”

“If you go crazy from the pain, you’ll endanger the people next to you!”

“Then just take in the rearguard!”

“Got it! The rearguard, go over there. Tell them Matt sent you!”

The man turned around and pointed to one place.

People in robes were gathered in one place.

The area around them was being supported by other heavy armored warriors and ranged attackers.

Jeong Yushin handed Kubo the shield and sent him to the rear guard formation in the back.

Kubo had a bewildered expression before leaving.

“Why the shield…?”

“Stick it in front of Mace!”

“Got it.”

Kubo and Mace left, and Jeong Yushin and Iron Mask remained in their place.

He stood a little away from the man named Matt and maintained formation.

There was no time to catch his breath.

He swung the longsword until his mouth tasted bitter.

Screams, toxic spores, and the bitter smell of blood squeezed Jeong Yushin’s loosened mind to its limit.

Bang!!!

“Crap!!!”

The iron plate was slightly dented when the mushroom man struck Jeong Yushin’s chest.

Jeong Yushin staggered back, then raised his sword again and rushed forward.

Slash!!!

He swung the sword vertically, cutting off the arm.

Thud!!!

He immediately collided his body to push the mushroom man away, then raised the sword and stabbed it deeply into its head.

Gurgle!!!

The mushroom man, with his head pierced, shuddered and stopped moving.

Slash!!!

He pulled out the sword, kicked the mushroom man, and rushed towards the next one, swinging the sword.

In pain and battle.

A strange heat surged up and heated his brain.

He felt like he was exploring the labyrinth like before.

Jeong Yushin’s eyes began to shine brighter.

The teachings of the elf master. And the trajectory of the sword drawn by Ret slowly began to be drawn in his head.

He took the strength out of his shoulders and made his posture firm.

He cut off the arm of the approaching mushroom man and severed its neck.

The mushroom man’s head, spinning around, fell to the ground and rolled away.

At that time.

The monsters began to swarm towards Jeong Yushin.

Jeong Yushin’s sword began to move faster and faster.

Clang!!! Clatter!!!

He fended off the flying needles.

Squish!!!

He stomped on and crushed the arm-sized grub crawling under his feet with his work boots.

Lost in a trance, he split, stabbed, struck, and kicked.

Jeong Yushin didn’t realize it, but he was moving away from simple swordsmanship and moving into his own realm.

He grabbed the longsword with both hands and swung it, then picked up the axe dropped by a dead explorer with one hand and mercilessly sliced the mushroom man’s body.

Slash!!!

He was covered in viscous toxic fluid, but it didn’t matter.

Engraved ability.

[Venom Protection]

His body, which had become heavy due to the poison, felt much lighter.

Jeong Yushin moved forward more and more.

Matt, who was acting as the anvil at the front, took a breath and stood next to Jeong Yushin to assist him.

Iron Mask also stuck next to Jeong Yushin and swung his greatsword.

“Hey! Who the hell is this guy! Is he possessed by a god or something?! He fights so damn well!”

Matt, who had some leeway, shouted at Iron Mask.

“He is the pure barbarian of the labyrinth city!”

“What?!”

Matt widened his eyes and opened his mouth.

“Was it him?!”

Intermediate explorer Matt seemed to already know Jeong Yushin.

After an hour of fighting, they wiped out all the swarming monsters.

Jeong Yushin acted like a needle, blocking the swarming monsters, so the archers and priests in the back could fight stably.

The fight ended when he finally cut off the mushroom man’s head.

Jeong Yushin staggered and sat down on the floor. His butt was wet with blood and guts, but he was too tired to care.

An open space littered with corpses.

The few remaining explorers gathered to find their companions.

“They took Aaron!”

“Ah. Kelsey.”

“Keuek! Nia!!!”

There were many casualties and missing people.

The explorers who were holding intact corpses in their arms and shedding tears were the lucky ones.

There were explorers who couldn’t do anything in front of the corpse of their companion, which had been half-melted by acidic liquid.

There were also explorers who were collecting pieces of their companions’ corpses little by little with insane faces.

A gruesome sight.

Leaving the explorers in sorrow behind, the party leaders gathered in one place. There wasn’t even enough time to mourn, as they had to take responsibility for those who were left behind.

A dark elf male wearing light armor.

A female dwarf in heavy armor wielding a double-edged axe.

A human male, Matt, wearing plate armor.

They were all leaders of intermediate parties.

The female dwarf opened her mouth with a heavy face.

“Our party has two survivors, including me.”

A blow close to annihilation.

The leaders were speechless and remained silent.

“We lost two. There are three of us left, including me.”

Matt said.

“I’m sorry to say this. We have four survivors, minus one.”

The dark elf crossed his arms and replied nonchalantly.

Jeong Yushin compiled the words of each party leader.

Dwarf party survivors: 2

Matt’s party survivors: 3

Dark Elf party survivors: 4

In fact, all of Iron Mask’s party survived, but he didn’t bother to speak up.

The dark elf frowned.

“Why the hell did the monsters attack in such large numbers? Does anyone have an engraving that attracts monsters?”

Matt shook his head.

“Hueriss, if you had obtained such an engraving, you would have noticed it from the moment you first entered the labyrinth. Something else is happening.”

The dark elf, called Hueriss, rubbed his eyes as if he was annoyed.

“Bad luck. Tch.”

Matt frowned at the dark elf’s nonchalant remark.

Even the dwarf party, which had suffered a near-total annihilation, was silent, but seeing the Hueriss party, which had suffered minimal casualties, grumbling made his anger surge.

‘That’s why those dark-skinned elf bastards are…’

He had been eating labyrinth meals as an intermediate explorer for quite some time and was proud of it, but the dark elves’ unique selfish way of speaking was still difficult to tolerate.

“Hoo.”

Matt sighed deeply.

But now is not the time to fight over emotions.

The situation was turning ominous. It was time to put their heads together and come up with a solution.

At least, that’s what Matt thought.

“First, we need to find out the reason and prevent it. If the monsters attack again, it will be difficult to hold out.”

The dark elf, Hueriss, growled.

“Matt, don’t talk nonsense. We need to get out of the labyrinth right now. Do you think an answer will come out if we sit here and have a meeting?”

“This is the outer zone. It takes a long time to get to the transfer stone. Of course, it’s right to move towards the transfer stone. But if we run away blindly, there’s a high chance we’ll be attacked again. At least we should know the reason before we go.”

“I would have already packed up and run away by that time.”

Jeong Yushin glanced sideways at Iron Mask as he watched the party leaders bickering.

“Do you have something to say?”

When Iron Mask asked, Jeong Yushin shrugged his shoulders once.

“Isn’t this that? I know what it is.”

Jeong Yushin and Iron Mask spoke quietly, but the party leaders’ gazes were immediately fixed on Jeong Yushin’s face.

Jeong Yushin slowly opened his mouth.

“The precursor phenomenon of the Eldritch Wave.”

“…What?!”

Everyone gathered in the open space widened their eyes and let out exclamations of astonishment.