episode_0266

The swamp area is a place filled with unforgettable memories.

It was also a region where we suffered a lot.

It was also the place where I made friends with the Swamp Ghoul, Johnson.

“Is this the swamp area?”

Sian, who came out of the portal, looked around here and there as if amazed.

Between the emaciated, skeletal trees and the lush vines.

A red mist blocked the view.

And underfoot, it was surrounded by a muddy swamp.

Sebastian frowned deeply.

“A quagmire that reaches up to my calves. Damn it.”

Luther narrowed his eyes and pointed to one place.

“Look over there.”

“Heo.”

Gibson exclaimed.

Corpses covered in swarms of black red moths were visible.

The party members slowly approached and examined the corpses.

A swarm of red moths was densely attached, crunching and tearing at the flesh of the corpses.

Judging by the remaining flesh and skeletons, two were male humans and two were female beastmen.

The condition of the corpses was gruesome.

Hundreds of red moth larvae were clumped together and swarming from their mouths and noses.

Swamp bugs were crawling in and out of the exposed abdomen, inside the half-rotted intestines. A foul smell was a bonus.

A horrific and disgusting sight.

“Ugh!”

Sebastian, unable to watch, covered his mouth and turned his head.

Sian and Luther’s expressions were not good.

Sca and Gibson were indifferent.

“Wh-what the hell is that bug?!”

Sebastian asked, trying to hold back his nausea.

“It’s a Swamp Moth.”

Sca replied.

“Swamp Moth?”

“It’s an insect monster that lives in the swamp area. It flies around, scattering poisonous powder, and if you’re exposed to the powder, you get drowsy and your body becomes paralyzed. Eventually, you end up lying helplessly in the middle of the swamp in a daze, being eaten alive by the Swamp Moths.”

“…”

The party members fell silent at the detailed explanation.

“Sca, you know a lot about it?”

Luther asked, his eyes gleaming with suspicion.

“Sca is smart! If you’re stupid, you die early!”

Sebastian shook his head.

“You get poisoned like that? I can’t believe it?”

“The poisonous powder is hard to see because of the red mist! You have to be careful.”

Sian nodded with a faint smile.

“Everyone heard what Sca said, right? You might want to be a little nervous.”

The party members moved through the swamp with crumpled expressions.

Gibson often stopped and stared intently at the map. It was definitely slower than the previous dungeon trip.

Jeong Yu-shin secretly observed Gibson’s hands and eyes.

‘The symptoms of alcohol addiction are getting worse.’

Gibson’s hands were shaking so much that anyone could tell.

Could it be that constantly stopping and taking out the map is also a side effect of alcohol addiction?

He thought it wasn’t wrong to think that way, since alcohol-related dementia is one of the side effects of alcohol addiction.

Jeong Yu-shin stopped paying attention and watched the swarm of Swamp Moths swimming through the red mist.

Even though no one said anything, Gibson scratched his head with an embarrassed expression.

“It’s quite difficult to find the way because of the red mist. Please understand.”

“Gibson.”

“Yes, Hero.”

“Let’s talk later.”

“···I understand.”

Luther had an expression that suggested he roughly guessed what was going to happen.

On the other hand, suspicion and anxiety filled Sebastian’s eyes.

“Sca?”

Sian turned his head.

Sca was staring at the swarm of flying Swamp Moths with his mouth slightly open.

“Sca.”

Sian approached and touched Sca’s shoulder.

Only then did Sca come to his senses.

“Huh!!! What is it, Sian?!”

“Sca? Are you okay? Why are you suddenly standing there blankly?”

“I was watching the Swamp Moths!”

Sian tilted his head. Why would he observe such unpleasant monsters?

‘Is there a special reason?’

The question did not subside.

Then, the desire to see this man’s eyes surged. If he could meet his eyes, he would surely know what he was thinking.

But Sca never showed his face.

The party members pushed through the red mist.

A few small Swamp Ghouls appeared, but they were cut down by Sian and Sca.

Jeong Yu-shin’s mind was filled with one thought.

Johannes.

An executive of the underworld clan who has achieved brand linkage.

He’s about the same age as me, but already a Lieutenant Upper-level Explorer.

Rex, whom I fought and defeated in the central square, was also a Lieutenant Upper-level Explorer, but he hadn’t achieved brand linkage. Still, I acknowledge him for making it that far with just one strong brand.

It didn’t seem easy to compete with Johannes.

How can I fight and win against such a strong person?

Is there a way?

I racked my brain and sighed deeply.

There was no time to rest, whether inside or outside the dungeon.

‘Damn it.’

It seemed like other guys kept barging in after the Crimson Hunters clan disappeared.

‘Is human trafficking such a lucrative business?’

A job that never ends, no matter how many I kill.

Just looking at the eastern district.

These guys were no different from the monsters in the dungeon.

Jeong Yu-shin calmed his mind.

It doesn’t help to morally outrank those guys and curse them.

The important thing is strength.

The strength to overwhelm the guys in the eastern district.

‘I should slowly make a new weapon with the Sacred Weapon.’

I was able to grant ‘characteristics’ to summoned weapons by receiving the blessing of the Mother Earth.

I wanted to make various weapons as I pleased and grant them ‘characteristics.’

But it wasn’t easy.

More precisely.

It was close to labor that consumed an enormous amount of mental power.

Because it was a process of deeply understanding the characteristics of weapons or people, configuring them in my mind’s eye, and then realizing them in the real world using magic power.

‘Come to think of it, I have to level up too.’

There was no news because I acquired the Mana Accumulation Brand.

The Mana Accumulation Brand is a brand that allows you to skip several levels at once. It was difficult to level up gradually one step at a time.

‘It’s difficult. It’s difficult.’

How am I going to beat a guy who moves through space?

And how am I going to kill the overpowered guys who come out after that?

‘There are too many people who are better than me.’

Isn’t there anyone who can come and normalize this crazy power inflation?

Jeong Yu-shin’s eyes chased the swarm of moths again.

The way they undulated and flew over the red mist. At first glance, it could be seen as beautiful, but in reality, it was terribly gruesome.

‘I survived because I had the Venom Protection Brand.’

“Gibson, are we still far?”

At Sian’s question, Gibson answered, sweating profusely.

“J-Just wait a moment… Huh?! Enemy!”

A swarm of Swamp Ghouls was approaching from the distance.

They were muttering the voices of the dead, each with a different amount they had eaten.

Jeong Yu-shin took his axe and rushed out first.

“Hyaaaaaaah!!!”

“Sca! Again!”

Sian’s voice was heard from behind.

Sebastian and Luther’s magic incantations followed.

[Explosion]

Bbeoeoeoeoeong!!!

With a loud noise, the swamp exploded and a pillar of fire soared into the mist.

Rotten water poured down like rain.

Jeong Yu-shin didn’t care and threw himself into the Swamp Ghouls.

‘Experience.’

I have to kill even a little bit of monsters to accumulate mana particles in my body.

At least a large group of over 100.

If it was a 4-person party without a special brand, running away would be the best option.

It doesn’t matter.

I’ve fought to the point of exhaustion in the swamp area.

“Mickey!!! Sa, save me!!!”

“Stop!!! Stop!!!”

The Swamp Ghouls rushed in, making the voices of the dead.

5 from the front.

Claws smeared with poison flew towards my torso.

I grabbed the axe and twisted my waist.

“Heup.”

I firmly planted my lower body in the swamp.

And swung the axe.

Huuuuuuuuung!!!

The horizontally swung axe blade tore through the ghouls’ bellies and severed their spinal bones.

Puhaaaaaaaak!!!

Blood and severed intestines scattered and stuck to my body and head.

I quickly moved and grabbed the upper body of the halved ghoul.

Udududuk!!!

I grabbed its neck and broke it, then threw it.

“Keueeeeeek!!!”

The ghoul’s upper body flew and collided with the guys rushing in from the front.

The ghouls fell over and the spray rose again.

Jeong Yu-shin moved forward one more step, cutting through the water.

Downward slash.

I split the guy coming from the side in half.

Jjeoeoeoeoeok!!!

The crazy technique that can be shown with strength and a heavy axe.

I couldn’t be satisfied here.

I immediately twisted my body and swung the axe handle to hit the guy who jumped in from the side in the mouth.

Bbaaaaaak!!!

The ghoul’s jawbone broke and sharp teeth flew away and sank to the bottom of the swamp.

Without stopping, I moved in close and swung my fist at the staggering ghoul.

Beok!!! Beok!!! Beok!!!

One punch to the head.

One punch to the ribs.

One punch to the liver.

Every time the thick fist struck the ghoul’s body, bones broke and shattered.

I grabbed the tattered ghoul and pulled it into my arms.

‘I miss you.’

As the journey with my monster friend, Johnson, suddenly came to mind, a smile leaked out on its own.

“Heu.”

Let’s go together.

Just as I was about to use the new Johnson to dig into the inside of the ghoul swarm.

Sian burst in.

“Sca!!!”

Sian grabbed my shoulder and pulled me.

Jeong Yu-shin smiled bitterly, shook off the ghoul, and entrusted his body to Sian’s hand.

“Fall back!!!”

Sian pushed Jeong Yu-shin back and grabbed his longsword and raised it.

Uuuuuung.

The power of Lux Aeterna slowly spread through the longsword.

A bright halo wrapped around the longsword.

I recognized it at a glance.

‘Aura Blade.’

Sian swung his longsword.

Instantly, the halo of the longsword grew longer and cut through the swarm of ghouls that were rushing in.

Jeong Yu-shin’s eyes widened.

At once, 100 ghouls were cut in half.

Puhaaaaaaaaaak!!!

A wind containing intense divinity pushed away the blood and intestines and even blew away the red mist.

‘Crazy.’

Jeong Yu-shin glanced at the cross-section of the collapsing ghouls.

Even though he had cut down 100 ghouls at once, the cross-section was clean. It was insane cutting power.

And.

“Sca? Are you okay?!”

Sian didn’t look tired at all. Rather, he seemed to be full of energy as if his body was loosening up.

‘He was a monster.’

Not a woman who doesn’t know what to do, moaning cutely with her uterus crushed by her penis.

He was a terrifying paladin who was even more energetic after chopping up 100 ghouls at once.

I knew he was strong from what I had heard, but I never dreamed he would be this strong.

“Sca!!!”

Sian grabbed my shoulder and shook me.

“Huh? Uh, uh. What is it?!”

“Are you okay?”

“···I, I’m okay! But what was that technique just now?! Does it have a name?”

“No. Just a waist slash.”

“…”

Jeong Yu-shin was speechless.

As the fight ended in an instant, the party members approached from afar.

“Thank you for your hard work, Hero.”

Luther bowed his head, his eyes sparkling. He seemed to be moved by the sight of witnessing the power of Lux Aeterna firsthand.

Gibson looked around and widened his eyes.

“I think I know where this is. There should be a red orb and a shelter nearby.”

“Then let’s get rid of the red orb first. We’ll rest a little later.”

Following Sian’s orders, the party members searched for the red orb.

Before long, they were able to find the red orb placed on a dry hill.

Sian broke the red orb and shook his hand.

“Let’s take a little break.”

“Yes.”

Had it been about 20 minutes of walking?

The party members soon found a shelter.

A small cabin in the swamp area.

It was one of the dungeon’s inexplicable ‘mysteries.’

The party members entered the cabin, unpacked their luggage, ate food, or changed clothes.

Jeong Yu-shin came out of the cabin and stared blankly at the red mist.

His mind was tingling.

The snow fluttering in the dungeon city.

The Swamp Moths swimming through the red mist.

And the sword that Sian wielded.

In the quiet meditation, one image began to take hold.

‘Hundreds of small blades flutter in the wind and swirl, cutting down everything in an instant.’

My head was as hot as if it was melting.

Sweat flowed down Jeong Yu-shin’s forehead.

As expected.

It’s not easy.

But I can’t give up. Just as I was slowly refining the weapon to be summoned in my heart.

Someone intervened.

It was Luther, who was sitting next to me.

“Sca, what are you thinking so deeply about?”

Jeong Yu-shin clicked his tongue with regret. Luther had broken his concentration.

But there was no way around it.

Sian was changing clothes in the cabin, so all the men had to be outside.

“I wasn’t thinking about anything!”

“You had an expression that suggested you were deeply troubled? Why don’t you open up and talk about it? Like a past story or something?”

Jeong Yu-shin stared at the priest Luther.

‘That bastard.’

He was now openly trying to scrape up information.

‘There’s really no place to rest in peace.’

Jeong Yu-shin slowly opened his mouth.

“Actually, I have a problem.”

“Oh ho. What is it?”

Sebastian also perked up his ears, his eyes shining with interest.

“My dick hurts.”

Silence descended upon the four men.

“…”

Luther wore a cautious expression.

“···Could it be that you’ve caught a sexually transmitted disease?”

“No. My dick just got stiff.”

“…”

The people fell silent once again.

Jeong Yu-shin inwardly tilted his head.

‘Why are they like this?’

The atmosphere was strange.

I expected Luther to keep asking questions, so I had prepared several lewd jokes, but it was a waste of effort.

Luther’s face turned red.

Sebastian’s face turned pale.

Gibson started licking his lips.

Everyone seemed to have something that pricked them or something to think about.

Jeong Yu-shin shrugged his shoulders as he looked around the party members and then returned to meditation.

To create a Sacred Weapon to defeat Johannes.