Chapter 21
Inside the Barony of Jeffran.
There, monsters were tearing apart corpses piled on the ground.
Those who had failed to flee outside the walls and had been trapped inside, dying.
Such bodies were stacked up like a mountain.
For the monsters, there could be no better feast.
The creatures were so engrossed in tearing at the corpses that they paid no attention to their surroundings.
Unaware of the fate that was about to befall them.
Above the head of a monster tearing into a person.
A greatsword struck in an instant, crushing its skull.
“Small monsters nearby, twelve of them!”
With Jaina’s cry as she arrived first, the monsters came to their senses.
The monsters, their fur soaked entirely in blood, let out a collective roar and charged at Jaina.
Before their teeth and claws could reach her.
There were those who moved faster.
The man who moved silently, Ban’s sword traced an intangible form.
His blade, cleaving through the air, pierced the monster’s head in an instant.
“Thirty more are coming from behind.”
“Guess we’ll have to sweep them away cleanly!”
The large-framed Eledra appeared next, swinging his vicious battle axe.
The thirty small monsters were killed before they could even dare to approach.
And I was among them.
Among the piles of human corpses.
One monster abruptly stuck its head out.
Its cheeks were puffed up, and purple venom dripped between its lips.
Just before it could spit the venom, I moved first.
My fist slammed down towards its head, sealing its snout shut.
At the same time, I grasped a flame of life force in my grip.
“Skreeee!”
Compared to a中型 monster, the小型 monster had a much smaller flame.
So, just by grasping it in my hand, the flame was extinguished.
The小型 monster went limp as its life force faded away.
The venom that had been in its mouth dripped down, melting the stone floor.
It was a substance that must never touch a human body.
“Some kind of secret technique, was it! That’s nice! That thing!”
Eledra shouted, having apparently looked my way.
It wasn’t really something to be happy about.
Eledra was slaughtering the小型 monsters with just the power of his own body.
Though I had grown stronger in my own way, I was nowhere near his level.
‘At that level, he’s not human; isn’t he more like a cavalryman?’
Every time he charged, swinging his battle axe with a whoosh,小型 monsters were smashed apart.
It was truly the breakthrough power of a cavalry unit.
“Hey, tattooed pig, don’t waste your strength on the small ones! There are plenty of中型 ones too!”
“Three大型 monsters and a large-scale wave. A force of this size isn’t common.”
As Ban said, a monster horde of this scale wasn’t easily seen.
It was no wonder the Barony of Jeffran had fallen.
“Skull face, do you think there are any survivors?”
“Who knows. Many of the buildings aren’t intact either. Be careful. I sense monster presences inside the buildings as well.”
Ban’s detection abilities were excellent.
Even if I wasn’t as good as Ban, I could also sense the monster presences.
Truly, monsters were everywhere.
“Civilian evacuation comes later! Our mission is to deal with the monsters first!”
Eledra smashed a小型 monster that had leaped out of a building.
As he said, right now, in this situation, there was no time to think about civilians.
The other teams would likely be in the same situation now.
We needed to clear out as many as possible so that the capital’s Monster Hunters could smoothly take down the大型 monsters.
“Eledra, 300 meters ahead. Two中型 monsters.”
“Here they come.”
The three of them readied their stances.
Seeing that, I quietly stepped forward.
“I’ll take one.”
As I spoke, holding my shield up, Eledra’s eyes turned to me.
He was silent for a moment, then soon nodded.
“Junior, don’t push yourself. There are plenty more中型 monsters to deal with afterwards.”
“Yes. Please come to help once you’ve finished yours.”
I just do what I need to do.
I have no intention of being reckless beyond what I’m capable of.
Kwaaaaang!
At that moment, the outer wall of a building shattered, and two中型 monsters appeared.
Two twin monsters of considerable bulk.
They had horns like rhinos and were covered in thick, furry hides.
中型 Monster
Brumharn
It was a中型 monster often seen even in the northern region of Laoren.
“Junior, we’ll take the right!”
“I’ll take the left.”
As I split off from the three, I pushed my leg strength to the limit and leaped forward.
Perhaps because I had been dealing with small monsters and variants along the way, my movements were faster than before.
Even at this moment, my body was steadily growing.
Koong!
The Brumharn that approached swung its heavy foreleg.
It was such a large movement that I could see it clearly.
I pulled my waist back forcefully and lay down on the ground, evading it.
The monster had already swung its foreleg.
This left its body wide open, creating an opening.
Seeing this, I snapped my waist back and immediately pushed off the ground.
Then, without hesitation, I dove into its embrace.
Thump!
My fist sank deep into its fur.
Unsurprisingly, the Brumharn didn’t even blink.
My strength was far too insufficient to harm it with this level of attack.
I knew that from the start, which was why the monster also readily gave me this distance.
If I came into its embrace, I was a rat in a trap.
The Brumharn’s eyes flashed as it tried to crush me.
Sorry, but I have no intention of competing with force.
What I’m aiming for is the monster’s life force.
Chwak!
I grasped the life force I’d confirmed through my Third Eye.
Instant Death Magic
I pulled hard on the violet-flaming blaze and extinguished it.
The Brumharn’s body stiffened abruptly from the unexpected blow.
Just as I was about to extinguish its flame completely—
Toodeuk—
A sound came from inside the monster’s body.
My Third Eye flashed.
Several other flames were visible deep inside its body.
“Damn it.”
I cursed briefly, withdrew my arm, and forcefully pulled my body back.
Jjeok!
At the same time, the Brumharn’s belly split open, and insect-type monsters surged out from within.
“Keeeeeeeeeek!”
The eyeless creatures bared their fangs and extended their elongated bodies.
These were the true parasitic-type monsters.
They had sensed that their host was in danger of dying and burst out through its belly.
Thump!
Meanwhile, the Brumharn leaped back, creating distance.
It retched, showing fear towards me.
It had realized that I had just tried to take its life.
Facing its own death, it paid no heed to the parasitic monsters burrowing out of its stomach.
Monsters are far more instinctual beings than humans.
As such, it seemed to have realized just how dangerous I was.
Ttuduk—
Cracking my fingers, I also revealed my murderous intent towards it.
“Yeah, well, you seem smarter than that Trenba fellow, at least.”
Trenba was an idiot who had charged in even after knowing he was about to die.
This monster was far smarter than him.
The Brumharn had realized I could take its life.
So now, it wouldn’t give me any openings recklessly.
It was a shame I couldn’t finish it off because of the parasitic monsters.
But with that earlier attack, I had already stolen half its life.
Thump—
Sure enough, one of the Brumharn’s legs gave way.
It meant its physical condition was not normal.
However, its will to fight remained in its eyes.
A cornered rat will bite.
A cornered monster becomes even more ferocious.
“Normally, I’d finish it off myself.”
But it didn’t seem like that would be necessary this time.
The Brumharn realized it a moment too late.
Hwoong!
The trio of ruffians appeared simultaneously behind it.
They had just pulverized the other twin Brumharn in an instant.
It was too late for the Brumharn to react.
Thunk! Sliced! Crack!
A greatsword, a longsword, and a battle axe embedded themselves into the Brumharn’s body.
These were blows clearly meant to end its life.
The Brumharn collapsed, spewing blood.
The flame that had burned within it was also extinguished.
“They carry around such disgusting things!”
Eledra immediately shredded the parasitic monsters as well.
His axe seemed capable of grinding anything.
“Junior, good work. Bilgyeong? Malgyeong? That thing’s amazing. No wonder you can take down a中型 monster by yourself.”
“Eledra, don’t talk like a fool. It’s balgyeong (發勁).”
“Same thing.”
As Ban frowned, Eledra snorted.
Meanwhile, Jaina was digging into the中型 monster’s body.
Then, she easily pulled out a magic stone.
“I don’t know about the rest, but we need to collect the中型 monster’s goods.”
However, Jaina soon tilted her head.
“What the, why is this magic stone in this state?”
Well, I did eat half of it.
“With that many parasitic monsters inside, they must have eaten away at it.”
“Aish, we won’t even get half its value.”
Jaina threw away the magic stone in annoyance.
Such a magic stone would only be a burden.
Seeing that reaction, it seemed forming a team was indeed a bad idea.
I’d probably end up hunting monsters alone more often in the future.
‘It certainly has less risk and is more convenient, though.’
Since it left the magic stones, a hunter’s main income source, in that state, there was no other way.
“More importantly, they’re coming again. Get ready.”
“Hmph, there’s no end to them!”
Eledra’s face was flushed with excitement.
He wasn’t called a ruffian worse than Trenba for nothing.
“Hey, Jaina! Let’s bet on who kills more!”
“What are you saying, tattooed pig? Just don’t cry when you lose.”
Jaina also ignited her fighting spirit.
Ban paid no attention to their remarks.
Truly, an amazing team in many ways.
Kuuuuuuuuuung!
At that moment, the ground suddenly began to shake.
Buildings trembled violently.
I quickly lowered my stance to avoid falling, and the three others did the same.
“Mr. Ban!”
My senses, sharpened after absorbing half the中型 monster, detected something.
An existence visible beyond the walls through my Third Eye.
An overwhelming presence, one that seemed impossible for humans to handle, was moving.
Beyond the buildings, an even more gigantic monster was visible.
Giant horns protruding from its mouth.
A muscular body wrapped in jet-black fur and scarred skin.
It was a大型 Monster.
“It’s begun.”
As Ban spoke, something shot past like a meteor.
It crashed down onto the monster in an instant and then sprinted across its back.
Pagagagagagak!
In that moment, the大型 monster’s thick hide was torn, and blood spurted out.
“Kweeeeeeeeeeeek!”
Though it wasn’t a deep wound, the大型 monster let out a furious roar.
The meteor continuously moved across the大型 monster’s body, leaving wounds.
I finally realized it was a person.
A bright light bursting from their entire body and two swords held in their hands.
Their movements, darting back and forth, seemed utterly inhuman.
“Is that a capital Monster Hunter?”
“Yes.”
“Is that because of their equipment?”
“The equipment certainly helps, but their own skill is important too. Don’t pay it too much mind. It won’t help you anyway, even if you watch.”
Certainly, that wasn’t something one could do just by watching.
Was this the level of difference between them and a capital Monster Hunter?
The capital was certainly different, it seemed.
Just then.
My Third Eye caught something.
Amidst the immense flame of the大型 monster’s life force, blazing fiercely.
Something else was surging up.
Black?
The moment I thought that.
Peogeok—
Through the hide cut by the capital Monster Hunter, that something emerged.
A humanoid shape, stained pitch black.
The moment dozens of eyes opened on its head, my eyes widened.
Because they were red eyes, similar to my Third Eye.
“That thing.”
Just as I was about to raise the alarm.
The thing’s silhouette vanished, and simultaneously, something crashed down beside us.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!
A deafening roar echoed.
“Uwaah, what the hell!”
“Something fell!”
Eledra and Jaina shouted in startled voices.
Amidst the rising smoke.
My eyes slowly turned towards it.
Soon after, the three of us, including me, froze simultaneously.
There lay a man, half his body torn away.
The one who had been flying through the sky like a meteor moments before.
The capital Monster Hunter lay there, meeting his death.
