NOVEL NEXT Chapter 119
Chapter 119: The King?
Si-hyun stared at the gray-haired man with an observing gaze.
Now that he thought about it, the man had been referring to himself as “I” earlier.
That was the term a king used when speaking of himself.
But what kind of king was he?
The king of orcs?
It didn’t seem that way.
So, who the heck was he?
“Section Chief.”
Cheol-hyung called out to Si-hyun in a tense voice.
This was the first time Si-hyun heard that kind of emotion in Cheol-hyung’s voice.
“It seems the bad feeling I had today is because of that man.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, he gives off a very ominous vibe.”
“….”
Si-hyun felt a similar sensation.
The man seemed to exude a strong, eerie aura.
The monster orc he had just defeated was an incredibly powerful foe, but this man felt much stronger than that.
Si-hyun bit his lip and stealthily checked the watch on his wrist.
Then he turned around to look back.
“Does anyone know when the rescue team is coming?”
As he was busy holding off the orcs outside, Si-hyun hadn’t heard the exact time the rescue team was due.
“I know, hyung.”
Kang Baek raised his hand.
He had been too far back to interfere in the recent skirmish because he knew he wouldn’t be of any help.
“When will they arrive?”
“Well, it was about twenty minutes earlier, so… they should be here in about ten minutes.”
Kang Baek glanced at his wristwatch while replying.
“Ten minutes….”
Si-hyun mumbled.
It was a very short time, indeed.
If it weren’t for the current situation.
In this dire moment, ten minutes felt like an eternity.
Could they hold out?
If the man was as strong as he suspected, simply holding out for ten minutes would be a struggle.
It would be great if he could somehow buy time, but the only method he could come up with was to engage in conversation to stall.
But that depended on whether the man would be willing to chat.
“…Here he comes.”
Dong-il spoke in a trembling voice.
All the inmates were on high alert, having seen the man create a wall of blades in an instant.
As Dong-il said, the man was slowly approaching.
He didn’t possess the enormous size of an orc.
He was of a fairly average build among humans.
Yet with each step he took, an oppressive pressure loomed.
Even the A-rank Hunter Cheol-hyung and Mujik were sweating profusely.
Fortunately, Si-hyun, who activated the executioner’s cold-bloodedness, appeared to be the least affected.
Si-hyun stepped forward a pace toward the approaching man.
It was a step that required immense courage.
The spot where the man unleashed his attack could easily be where Si-hyun would meet his end.
Without the cold-bloodedness, he might not have dared to step forward at all.
“Who are you?”
Si-hyun opened his mouth.
This was all part of his plan to buy time.
“Ha.”
The man twisted his lips, sneering.
“A puny human dares to ask who I am without knowing your place.”
“Does that mean you’re not human?”
Even though he already suspected, Si-hyun had to ask.
He was determined to keep the conversation going.
“Arrogant fool.”
The man spat coldly and stomped the ground.
Boom!
The ground shook, and the people felt dizzy.
Then—
Crack.
From where the man stomped, the ground began to split open.
Simultaneously, black flames surged up from the crevice.
“Waaah!”
“What, what is that?”
The startled people screamed and retreated in shock.
The ground continued to crack and spewed flames toward where Si-hyun stood.
“Hyung!”
“Get out of the way fast!”
Kang Baek and the inmates shouted, panicking.
Yet Si-hyun remained frozen in place.
It felt as if the ground beneath him was about to split open, and the flames would engulf him.
Seeing this, Cheol-hyung leapt to save Si-hyun.
However, he hadn’t anticipated Si-hyun’s unwillingness to dodge, causing a slight delay in his reaction.
In the meantime, the flames reached right up to Si-hyun’s feet.
Not wanting to witness the terrors about to unfold, Kang Baek squeezed his eyes shut.
At that moment…
Like a lie, the ground’s fissure suddenly halted.
Right in front of Si-hyun.
Those who were watching let out a sigh of relief.
They had thought Si-hyun would be swallowed by the flames.
“Hmph, you have some guts.”
The man spoke.
Si-hyun gazed at the man in silence.
He wasn’t standing still with some sort of special intention.
He sensed that the man’s current attack did not carry the intent to kill.
And that assumption appeared to be correct.
“I like those who have guts. But there’s one condition. You must pledge absolute loyalty to me. If I tell you to lick, you lick, if I tell you to bark, you bark.”
The man continued.
“You look like you might be somewhat useful. Swear loyalty and become my subordinate, and you might live.”
“That’s not an option.”
For some reason, a strong sense of displeasure washed over Si-hyun, and he immediately rejected the man’s offer.
“What a creature that doesn’t know its place. How can you not know how honorable it is to become my subordinate? Then you shall just become a slave.”
“….”
A slave?
Suddenly, a story he had heard from the Inspection Bureau flashed in Si-hyun’s mind.
The humans he’d encountered at the Winter Castle Gate said that humans from the Reiter continent had fallen into the status of slaves to monsters.
Somehow, he felt there was a connection between this man and that story.
“Haha, be glad. Originally, I planned to kill everyone as an example, but I will grant you the honor of being my slave specially.”
“There’s nothing to be glad about.”
While responding half-heartedly, Si-hyun stole a glance at his watch.
Nearly two minutes had passed.
If he could continue to stall for time talking with the man, that would be excellent.
“Hmph, in the beginning, even the foolish slaves who didn’t know their place end up thanking me after being whipped. You’ll be just like that soon.”
The man added with a cold smile.
“Now, I will personally demonstrate the majesty of a king.”
Si-hyun’s expression grimaced at the man’s words.
It didn’t seem like he had any plans to continue the conversation.
“Come forth.”
The man lightly waved his left hand.
Suddenly, black light flickered out from the empty space.
The people looked on with tense expressions, sensing something was amiss.
Soon, the black light faded, revealing something within it.
It was a monstrous dog that appeared to be over twenty in number.
No, it was far too strange to be called just a dog.
It looked like a dog but was as massive as a bull.
Its eyes were ferocious, and its teeth, like sharpened blades, gleamed wickedly.
This was no mere dog; it resembled a ferocious beast.
“Kuuh…!”
“Isn’t that a monster?”
Seeing the monstrous hounds appear, the people shrank back in horror.
They could tell with a single glance that these were highly dangerous creatures.
“Those I summon should go over there and hold them off!”
Si-hyun quickly called out names to the inmates, giving instructions.
Dividing their forces against a strong foe could be a risky order.
But Si-hyun knew that when facing such powerful opponents, numbers became irrelevant.
Thus, he sent five B-rank inmates toward them without hesitation.
Since there were Hunter correctional officers among them, he figured they could hold out together.
“Tsk, what a pitiful struggle.”
The man clicked his tongue.
“Grooowl!”
“Gruuh!”
The fierce hounds lunged at the people all at once.
The powerless backed away in fear, while the Awakened gritted their teeth and prepared to charge forward.
“Form a wall!”
“We can’t let them through!”
The inmates shouted.
The Hunter correctional officers also drew their weapons and joined the ranks.
It was indeed a bizarre sight to see the inmates blocking for the correctional officers.
“Heh…!”
“These monsters are strong!”
“Stay sharp!”
The inmates who entered combat with the fierce hounds warned their allies.
However, thanks to being B-rank Hunters, they maintained their formations well even in the first clash.
The Hunter correctional officers would likely be risking their lives in such a situation, so if they worked together, they should be able to hold out.
Si-hyun pressed his lips together and turned his head back toward the man.
He could do nothing but trust those in the back.
He had to focus on the man in front of him.
For he was the most dangerous threat.
Si-hyun’s eyes glanced back toward his watch and then returned to the man.
One more minute had passed.
What a heart-pounding, desperate moment it was, yet time continued to flow.
“Section Chief!”
“Surround him like before!”
Si-hyun ordered.
Soon, all the remaining inmates, except for those he had sent back, surrounded the man as if to encircle him.
However, those appearing relaxed were actually the ones being surrounded, while the encircling side felt the immense pressure weighing down on them.
“Puny humans. You cannot even touch the hem of my garment.”
The man looked down at Si-hyun and his group as though they were inferior creatures.
Then, suddenly, the man’s form vanished into thin air.
“Ugh?!”
Mujik, who was holding a spear and cautiously guarding against the man, yelled in shock.
The man had appeared right before them without anyone sensing his movement at all.
It was as if he had teleported.
Bam!
The man reached out and grabbed Mujik by the neck.
“Ugh, ugh…!”
With just that, Mujik felt completely overpowered, unable to move an inch.
The spear he had been holding fell from his powerless hand.
“Damn it!”
Dong-il moved.
“We have to save him!”
Cheol-hyung charged toward the man as well.
Their swords glimmered with blue sword energy.
Yet the man showed no concern whatsoever.
Around him, a circular black barrier appeared, preventing their attacks.
“Die, you bastard!”
Dong-il poured all his energy into a thrust aimed at the man’s back.
It seemed for sure that he would pierce the man’s back at that moment.
However—
Thud!
“What?!”
Dong-il’s attack was effortlessly blocked by the black barrier enveloping the man.
“Haah!”
Immediately afterward, Cheol-hyung swung his longsword, drawing forth a much clearer sword energy than Dong-il’s.
Swoosh!
Yet again, the attack was easily deflected.
“This is….”
Cheol-hyung mumbled, his face darkening.
The attacks were ineffective.
“How dare you look upon me!”
In that moment, the man extended a finger and poked Mujik in the right eye.
“Argh!”
Mujik screamed in agony, blood gushing down as the man’s finger crushed his eyeball.
“And how dare you listen to my words?”
This time the man tore off Mujik’s left ear.
He tossed the torn ear carelessly to the ground.
“Ughhhh!”
Mujik let out a crazed scream.
It would have been better to lose consciousness.
Yet he couldn’t even manage that.
Thud! Swoosh!
Meanwhile, Dong-il and Cheol-hyung exerted all their strength to attack the man, but could not pierce the black barrier.
“Attacks aren’t working?”
Si-hyun ran toward Mujik with a twisted face, witnessing the man’s cruelty.
“…We can’t penetrate the barrier with weapon energy.”
Cheol-hyung replied with a dejected expression.
Si-hyun’s face also darkened.
If even Cheol-hyung’s weapon energy, the most powerful attack among allies, wasn’t effective, they would have no choice but to wait for death.
Biting his lip, Si-hyun activated the Guard Baton Technique.
That technique had dealt a significant blow to the monster orc earlier.
Thud! Swoosh! Thud! Thud! Thud!
But again, it couldn’t breach the black barrier and bounced back.
“Damn it, damn it!”
Si-hyun gripped the Guard Baton and pulled out Acureruts.
The legendary sword with incredible cutting power.
Swish.
Thud!
Yet even Acureruts’ attack returned empty.
“Where should I target next? The left eye? The right ear? Ah, I’ve decided. Let’s pluck out that useless tongue.”
The man continued, nonchalantly ignoring the chaos around him.
Thump.
He forced Mujik’s mouth open and thrust his hand inside.
“You damn bastard!”
Si-hyun couldn’t hold back his rage and yelled.
“Get out of the way now!”
“What?”
“Get out of the way this instant!”
Following Si-hyun’s command, Dong-il, Cheol-hyung, and the other inmates moved aside.
Si-hyun intended to use Hellfire.
The man was completely careless right now.
No, he wasn’t paying attention to them at all.
He was utterly focused on inflicting pain on the captured man.
If not now, it seemed there would be no opportunity.
With the man’s supernatural movements, using Hellfire up front would definitely allow him to dodge without trouble.
This chance was the only one they had.
If this last resort, Hellfire, couldn’t break through that damned barrier, everything would be over.
“Hah.”
Si-hyun took a calm breath.
Then he thrust Acureruts forward.
The man was entirely absorbed in torturing Mujik, unaware of Si-hyun’s movements.
Mujik was probably going to die from the ordeal.
But there was no way to save him.
After all, letting it go as it was, he would die anyway.
Perhaps sending him off quickly, without further torturous pain, might actually be the kindest course.
“Hellfire!”
Si-hyun shouted the incantation.
At that moment, an overwhelming wave of scorching heat ignited with a white flame.
Soon the flames engulfed both the man and Mujik.
And in that moment, an explosion similar to when he hit the human butcher’s barrier occurred.
When the black barrier clashed with the flames of Hellfire, a massive explosion erupted.
Boom!
With a loud noise, it was as if an enormous bomb had detonated.
Fortunately, the explosion happened to shield the caster from harm once again, erupting outward.
Otherwise, he would have been caught up in it.
“W-what?!”
“What’s going on?!”
The sudden explosion startled people, making them stare in disbelief.
“Section Chief?!”
“Oh my….”
The inmates were equally astonished.
Si-hyun seemed to be doing something with his sword, and suddenly an incredible explosion occurred.
‘Please.’
Si-hyun prayed in his heart, wishing the explosion had gravely wounded the man.
However, there was no trace of the man in the explosion’s aftermath.
Then where did he go?
While Si-hyun scanned the surroundings in confusion—
“How dare you….”
An enraged voice echoed from the empty air.
His gaze shot instantly to where the voice originated.
There stood the man.
His body was scorched in several places.
His clothes were burned and tattered, and his flesh appeared to have reddened and blistered.
Yet it didn’t seem to be as severe as he had hoped.
Si-hyun’s expression darkened.
“How dare a worthless human injure me! My mind has changed! I will tear you apart this instant!”
The man roared as he charged toward Si-hyun like a whirlwind.
Si-hyun gripped Acureruts tightly, attempting to dodge backward.
He could never give up until the end.
But…
Thwack!
A dreadful piercing pain shot through his chest for the very first time.
“Ugh…!”
Si-hyun looked down at his chest in bewilderment.
There was—
A hand stained red with blood.
And then he realized it was the man’s hand.
The man’s hand had pierced through his chest and emerged from his back.
…So this is how it ends.
At the moment facing death, he suddenly felt laughter rising.
Had he struggled so hard just to meet this end?
The strength drained from his body as pain surged through him.
His hand fell limp and he dropped Acureruts.
His vision blurred, and his consciousness faded slowly.
Mother… Father… Ha-young… I’m sorry….
“Delly!!”
…What was that?
He thought he heard a sharp woman’s voice screaming for someone.
At the same time, the chilling sensation of the man’s hand tearing at his chest disappeared.
He didn’t know how, but someone seemed to have pulled him away.
It wasn’t a man.
He could smell a fragrant aroma, and the sound of a woman’s voice reached his ears.
“What on earth has happened! What have you done?!”
“How dare… who are you?”
The man’s voice was filled with rage, too.
“You trashy bastard! I’ll kill you soon, so you better shut up!”
The woman sounded furious as well.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
…What is happening?
Gigantic explosions rang out one after another.
“Hah…!”
With that came the first sound of the man appearing flustered.
“Y-you damn woman! Who are you?!”
The man screamed in disbelief.
What on earth was going on?
Si-hyun wanted to understand the situation, but his vision continued to fade.
His hearing failed him bit by bit.
His consciousness drifted away.
Eventually, Si-hyun completely lost his senses.