He slung the Aming Sword over his shoulder and raised his shield.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The heavy footsteps of the hobgoblin warrior drew near.
From the darkness emerged a group of hobgoblins.
They wielded various weapons: clubs, halberds, daggers, axes.
They looked quite clean, as if they had been picked up from somewhere.
“Galerheim!”
Jeong Yusin shouted.
Twang!
Galerheim fired a bolt.
Squeeeeeeeek!!!
The bolt flew past the hobgoblin shaman and disappeared into the darkness.
“Damn it!”
Galerheim cursed.
Jeong Yusin glared at Galerheim.
Like the one who farts gets angry, seeing Galerheim getting angry over missing the shot made Jeong Yusin want to smack him in the head.
[Hearts]
Priest Fiyaron’s chant ended. His body felt lighter.
He couldn’t afford to focus on Galerheim anymore.
A hobgoblin warrior was charging straight at him.
Jeong Yusin gripped his sword.
‘Come.’
“Kreeeeeeeeek!!!”
The hobgoblin warrior charged in, swinging his club.
Kuuuuuuuuuung!!!
The floor cracked and stone shards flew.
The hobgoblin warrior’s stance wavered due to the heavy club.
His hand gripping the club was visible.
‘A gap.’
He lifted his foot and stomped on the hobgoblin’s wrist.
Kuuuuuuung!!!
Crash!!!
Jeong Yusin’s heavy boots shattered the hobgoblin warrior’s wrist bones.
“Gkkkeeeeek!!!”
The hobgoblin warrior screamed, dropping his club.
‘An opportunity.’
He lined up the Aming Sword to stab under the hobgoblin warrior’s chin.
Squeeeeeeek!!!
A bolt cut through the darkness, heading straight towards Jeong Yusin.
“Shit!”
Kwaaang!!!
He raised his shield to block it.
The bolt was blocked.
But…
Bwaaack!!!
He was struck by the other hand of the enraged hobgoblin.
Jeong Yusin rolled across the ground, colliding with the cave wall.
His light armor’s shoulder part was crumpled.
“Scath!!!”
Soline shouted.
Soline, busy fighting the remaining hobgoblin warrior, couldn’t come to help.
Jeong Yusin bounced up like a pogo stick.
[Revenge]
The inscription activated.
streams of blue fire flowed from the eyeholes of the helmet.
He charged once more.
The hobgoblin warrior wildly swung the club with his intact hand.
Kuuuuuuuung!!
Kuuuuuuuung!!
Jeong Yusin darted around avoiding the club.
‘Knee.’
He thrust the sword in.
The sharp tip of the sword pierced through and firmly embedded itself into the hobgoblin warrior’s knee cartilage.
“Kooooeeeeeek!!!”
The hobgoblin warrior tensed up rigidly.
He didn’t stop.
He stepped in, driving the sword deeper and closing in on the hobgoblin warrior.
He drew the dagger from his waist and embedded it under the hobgoblin warrior’s chin.
The dagger punctured through the jaw and tore through the brain.
Instant death.
The hobgoblin warrior’s lifeless body slowly started to collapse.
Jeong Yusin stepped back and pulled out the Aming Sword embedded in the knee.
“Scath!”
Soline’s voice brightened.
“Snap out of it!”
He briefly shouted and raised his shield.
Kwagagag!!!
The spear thrust by the hobgoblin barely grazed past the shield.
He lowered his stance, stabbed the hobgoblin in the gut, and stepped back.
“Keeek!”
The hobgoblin dropped the weapon and clutched his stomach.
‘Dropped the weapon?’
He aimed a kick to the chin with his combat boot.
Prudddeuck!!!
The hobgoblin’s jaw shattered, causing him to drift momentarily through the air before rolling across the ground.
Jeong Yusin secured his shield on his wrist and grabbed the spear.
Tooooong!!!
The faint sound of a crossbow’s string could be heard from afar.
‘It’s coming.’
He quickly raised his shield.
Kuuuuung!!!
A bolt fired from the darkness embedded itself into the shield.
“Galerheim! This time, try to hit it!!!”
“A-alright!”
Galerheim took aim with his crossbow. The target, the hobgoblin shaman.
Tooooong!!!
The crossbow string twanged from afar.
The bolt aimed at Galerheim.
Startled, Galerheim flinched.
“Shit!!!”
Jeong Yusin charged in, swinging his sword.
Taaaang!!!
The hand holding the sword tingled.
Fortunately, the bolt had struck the blade of the sword with pinpoint accuracy.
The crisis was avoided.
However, the bolt fired by Galerheim merely grazed past the hobgoblin shaman.
It was only natural that he missed, his composure having been disrupted.
Jeong Yusin clicked his tongue, threw his sword to the ground, and firmly gripped the spear.
The hobgoblin shaman lifted his staff.
“Huuuugh!!!”
He twisted his waist with all his might.
The hobgoblin shaman opened his mouth.
Jeong Yusin used every ounce of strength he had left to hurl the spear.
Swooaaaaaaaar!!!
The cave resonated with an incredible whistling sound.
Pwaaaah!!!
With a tremendous speed, the spear pierced through three hobgoblins in one go, embedding itself precisely into the throat of the hobgoblin shaman.
“Keeck!! Keeck!!”
The hobgoblin shaman stopped his chant, grabbing his throat, swaying and stumbling back.
“Stay behind me!”
Jeong Yusin shouted to the elf and the nuum, gripping his sword and charging forward.
The destination, Soline’s position.
Soline was fiercely fighting a hobgoblin warrior without yielding an inch.
But with stray hobgoblins circling around, occasionally jabbing at her, she was slowly being pushed back.
“I’m here!”
“Scath!”
Jeong Yusin charged in, swinging his sword.
Puhwaaaaak!!!
The sharp blade of the Aming Sword cleanly severed the hobgoblin’s neck.
Tooooung!!!
Another incoming bolt.
Targeting him.
Without hesitation, he flattened himself on the ground.
Pwooook!!!
The bolt embedded into the forehead of a charging hobgoblin just in front of Jeong Yusin.
The hobgoblin collapsed face-first like a powerless log without even letting out a scream.
Springing up from the ground, he swung his sword.
The flashes of swordlight sent hobgoblin heads flying into the sky.
Fountains of blood spurted from the severed necks of headless hobgoblins as screams erupted from Galerheim and Fiyaron following behind.
All the strays had been dealt with.
The last one.
Only the hobgoblin warrior remained.
While Soline was engaging him from the front, Jeong Yusin circled behind, swinging his sword.
The target, the hobgoblin warrior’s ankle.
Tssssaaaaaarrrkkk!!!
The blade of the Aming Sword precisely severed the hobgoblin warrior’s Achilles tendon.
“Kreeeeeaaaek!!!”
The hobgoblin warrior screamed, wildly swinging his club.
Kuuuuuuuuuuuung!!!
Kuuuuuuuuuung!!!
Dancing his feet, he narrowly avoided every swing and slashed downward with his sword.
‘Wrist.’
Tssssssaaaaarrrrrrk!!!!
Blood gushed from the hobgoblin warrior’s wrist like a springwater between rock crevices.
“Keeeeeek!!!”
The hobgoblin warrior dropped his club.
Simultaneously,
A bolt came flying from the darkness.
Squeeeeeek!!!
This time, three bolts.
The target was Galerheim and Fiyaron.
Instinctively realizing the situation,
Jeong Yusin threw himself in front of his comrades, raising his shield and thrusting out his sword.
Kwagagag!!!
Taaaaang!!!
Two bolts struck the shield, one struck the blade of the sword.
Galerheim’s face turned completely pale as he stuck out his tongue.
“What, are you crazy?! Are you possessed or something?”
“Not now.”
Jeong Yusin replied coldly, turning his body.
He needed to finish off the hobgoblin warrior first.
The hobgoblin warrior, having lost his senses, was still swinging his intact arm.
Right then,
Soline charged in and swung her greatsword.
Sssssaaaawwwwwk!!!
The greatsword cleaved through and embedded itself halfway through the hobgoblin warrior’s skull.
“Grooooooo…”
Goooong!!!
The hobgoblin warrior knelt down, brains dribbling out as he collapsed.
Mission complete.
Tsssaaaaaark.
Soline pulled out her greatsword, slung it over her shoulder, and said,
“Scath, thank you.”
“Not now.”
Jeong Yusin lowered his head, inspecting his shield. It was battered and riddled with embedded bolts.
“Galerheim, how much farther do we have to go?”
Galerheim unfolded the map.
Judging from the spasms of his body, he was still on edge about the bolts.
“Are you worried the bolts might fly again? Don’t be tense. Is dying so scary?”
“No, not yet.”
‘Yet.’
Jeong Yusin muttered to himself and wandered among the hobgoblin corpses.
It made sense now that they were attacked. These guys were more like assassins than hunters.
Assassins targeting the Fifth Prince.
Even if they survived, it was troublesome. They couldn’t let these seeds escape to outside the Labyrinth City.
He briefly considered asking Ingrid for help, but dismissed the thought.
Incurring a debt to a person of power?
It was like willingly walking into a tiger’s jaws.
They would die here. All of them.
Having resolved his mind, Jeong Yusin opened his mouth.
“Hey there!!!”
The surroundings grew quiet.
“W-what is it?”
Fiyaron stuttered as he asked.
Jeong Yusin waved his arms.
“This is not addressed to our party, so don’t look at me like I’m crazy.”
“A…alright.”
Fiyaron responded barely, but his expression didn’t change.
“Hear this, you rat crouching there in the darkness.”
Jeong Yusin spoke a word and sauntered over, grabbing a torch.
There was no sound from the darkness.
“Ye pitiful ones. It’s obvious even without seeing. You must’ve spent your whole life cowardly ambushing others, slaughtering people regardless of high or low status as you were told, right? Aren’t you? You’re the dogs of the powerful. What’s the point of living a meaningless life? Bark and die like a dog. Woof woof.”
“…”
The gazes of the party members burned Jeong Yusin’s face, but he ignored them.
“Idiotic bastards.”
He glared at the darkness that gave no response.
He had scratched their skin in frustration.
He was hoping the provocation would work. He wished they would lose control in anger and fire bolts only at him. That way, the party would survive.
Jeong Yusin turned his head to look down at the nuum with the pointed nose.
“Galerheim, isn’t the calculation done by now?”
“We need to go about five more hours from here.”
‘Hmph.’
Jeong Yusin swallowed the sigh that was about to escape his lips.
“Let’s go.”
Jeong Yusin spoke, holding the torch.
The party members moved forward more closely to Jeong Yusin than before, cautiously advancing into the darkness.
Jeong Yusin spoke, looking into the darkness.
“Galerheim.”
“What is it?”
“Tell me about that jester guy, Oswald.”
“I-I don’t really know.”
“Stick your nose in a bit and tell lies, will you? Really.”
Galerheim hastily brought his hand to his nose.
Due to wearing a nose mask, though unseen, it was easily imaginable.
“…”
“Do you think Oswald will save you? Is that why you’re not speaking? Even if all party members die except you, you just plan to survive?”
“…”
Galerheim became mute as if having eaten honey.
“Tell me.”
“…”
Galerheim furiously scratched his head.
Jeong Yusin silently waited in quiet anticipation.
“Haa. Alright. The inscription ability of Oswald is…”
In the end, Galerheim surrendered. However, he spoke in hushed tones, still glancing fearfully at the darkness as if someone might hear.
Time passed enough for a cup of tea.
The atmosphere of the party grew heavy. It was because they had heard about Oswald’s abilities.
“…What should we do.”
The elf priest Fiyaron muttered solemnly.
“…Hmph. That’s why I said, understanding it is useless.”
Galerheim replied with a deep sigh.
The steps of the party members slowed visibly.
Jeong Yusin organized his thoughts amidst the silence.
The human with face paint, Oswald.
The officer of the Shadow Clowns clan in the Eastern Sector’s underworld.
Known inscriptions:
[Veil of Darkness]
Referred to as the cloak of darkness, this inscription drastically increases stealth and noise suppression not only for him but for the entire party.
Possesses unparalleled capability for assassination and reconnaissance.
[Deadly Back Strike]
When attacking from behind, it deals fatal damage.
There might be more inscriptions that Oswald possesses, but these two were all that Galerheim knew.
Jeong Yusin clicked his tongue.
They were not an easy bunch.
Was there any way?
A way to save the party members while burying these bastards here.
Especially Oswald, the specialist in rear attacks.
Seeing the guy equipped with such scammy inscriptions doing his dirty work made his stomach churn.
His head grew warm. Rolling his brain between life and death felt like the taste of death.
“Huuuurrrk!!!”
Galerheim screamed.
“What’s the matter?”
Jeong Yusin asked.
“Creeeeeeeeekeeeeek!!!”
Instead of Galerheim’s response, a distant cry from a monster was heard.
“Prepare for battle.”
For a while, there had been no bolts flying. He didn’t think it was fortunate. He suspected that there was definitely some sinister plan hidden.
“Creeeeeeeeekeeeeek!!!”
Jeong Yusin’s eyebrows twitched.
The sound was different. Not a hobgoblin.
“It’s a spider-like creature with a human face!!”
Galerheim shouted.
“Haa.”
Jeong Yusin sighed.
Eldritch Wave.
A newly emerging rule in the labyrinth.
A phenomenon uncovered by enduring great hardships with Karin’s party.
A situation that doesn’t give time to think.
It felt as if the whole world was trying to kill him.
Jeong Yusin looked around at his own party.
They were trembling with fear knowing about the Eldritch Wave.
The sight of them losing their spirit. Their lifted weapons were gradually lowering as their fighting spirit was faltering.
That wouldn’t do. Once their spirit breaks, they collapse right away.
The party would disintegrate easily, and all that would remain would be a miserable death.
He couldn’t leave them like that.
Jeong Yusin took a deep breath and shouted,
“Pull yourselves together!!!”
His shout echoed throughout the cave.
The party members, who were succumbing to despair, jumped in surprise and looked at Jeong Yusin.
“…Scath, what is this method you speak of?”
The elf priest Fiyaron asked.
On his face was a faint glimmer of hope.
Jeong Yusin looked at Fiyaron and opened his mouth.
“The method is…”
In truth, it doesn’t exist.
“Creeeeeeeeekeeeeek!!!”
The monster’s scream was growing closer.
Jeong Yusin slung the Aming Sword over his shoulder and turned his body.
“I’ll tell you later.”
