NOVEL NEXT Chapter 96
It’s been over a month since the hunt for Yor started.
About the same amount of time since Yoo Chaerin shared the quest on her stream.
Of course, from the day Yoo Chaerin shared the quest, the Community has been in an uproar.
The fact that it’s a shareable quest is rare enough, and the figure who initiated the quest is also a hot topic.
It was clear that the nature of what was supposed to be a raid had slightly warped.
Thanks to this, various discussions erupted in the Community.
Is that quest real? Isn’t it too dangerous? We should stop the hunt, and so on.
Some even reported the details to the Knights, making it a total mess.
Thanks to all this, there were fewer days without fights in the Community, but hey, it’s always been like that, so let’s just roll with it.
Nonetheless, the good news is that the number of participants is definitely increasing.
However, as time passed, complaints and unease steadily rose.
+
[At this rate, isn’t Yor already dead?]
It only showed up for the first few days, but it’s been almost a month since going into the Deep Layer, and we haven’t seen any sign of him.
At this point, hasn’t he really become monster food?
+
[Take that back, you jerk]
[For real, I’m worried… What if we get caught before we even fight? I haven’t even withdrawn from the quest!]
[Nah, that won’t happen, nah, that won’t happen]
[We still don’t know if he’s dead. There should be some trace left if he was.]
+
[Yoo Chaerin, you jerk]
She said she would inform us later!!
When the hell are we gonna find out the assembly date!!!!
+
[For real, lol, she just gathers people without informing us]
[No way she would inform us right away? It’s obvious she’ll hear something over there and prepare accordingly]
[Still, a month is way too long…]
Of course, details related to the quest had reached the Knights as well. There’s no such thing as a secret on the internet.
At least, while the commander of the 4th Knights stationed in the forest said there was nothing he could do, the cities were different.
Recently, city security had become even stricter. They were judging the Otherworlders who received the quest as rebels and trying to catch them.
As a result, it became common for guards to straightforwardly ask Otherworlders if they received the quest. Yoo Chaerin, whose face is already known, was currently hiding somewhere.
At this time, when complaints were on the rise about when we would finally get to participate…
It started to rain.
‘This is my chance.’
Having been hiding all this while, Chaerin immediately uploaded a video.
She didn’t forget to post on her streaming bulletin board and the Community as well.
The content was pretty simple.
[The execution date is tomorrow.]
That day, Chaerin was quite busy.
*
That night, the rain was absolutely relentless.
As if all the clear weather until then had been for the sake of last night, visibility was almost completely blocked by the downpour.
Puddles formed on the ground, and the temperature dropped. Even the ferocious monsters lurking in the Deep Layer decided to give up hunting that day. Moving around would just add fatigue.
“…Huh.”
Maybe because of that, I managed to arrive at the entrance of the Deep Layer more smoothly than I thought.
I couldn’t go any further, though, as I sensed the Knights had pitched a tent up ahead.
So I ambled near there and took a quick nap.
“…Zzz.”
When morning arrived, it was as if the rain had never happened. The only remnants of last night lingered heavily.
In the early morning, when I got up, a thick white fog enveloped my sight. It was difficult to distinguish even a single step ahead. My skin was damp, and the ground felt uncomfortably soft; not exactly ideal for activities.
Even considering the early hour, it was rather extreme. In short, the weather sucked.
As I dazedly watched the scene, I slowly loosened my body.
‘Let’s see…’
Honestly, it wasn’t the best condition.
My body felt sluggish and tired. I wasn’t completely lifeless, but maybe due to the rain all night, I felt like lead. I couldn’t say I was in great physical shape.
But my senses were sharper than ever.
Moreover, I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling under the weather.
If that’s the case, then our chances should be sufficient.
Waking up fully, I headed straight to the barracks where they were.
As combat approached, a slight thrill enveloped me.
The target was the repulsion of the Knights. However, I had no intention of taking lives.
Even though those jerks came here to hunt me down, strangely enough, I didn’t despise them all that much.
After all, they ended up in this forest because they had a mission to fulfill.
Suddenly, a memory of a Knight murmuring something the other day came to mind.
I remembered the one Knight who seemed regretful as they surrounded me.
If I think of that moment… there might just be an opportunity for conversation.
‘Killing Knights is just a hassle.’
They’re from families with powerful backgrounds, after all. If I deal with them carelessly, the situation could become even more tangled.
As I walked quietly, lost in thought, the barracks finally came into view.
It seemed about time for them to wake up, as I caught sight of two sentries tidying up their area.
“Ugh, what kind of weather is this… It’s been ages since we camped out in such conditions.”
“Every time it rains like this, I envy the Otherworlders. They can just, you know, logout? I hear they can sleep comfortably wherever.”
Most of the Knights still seemed unable to rouse from sleep. It was the perfect time for a surprise attack.
I gripped my spear tightly and charged at the sentries.
With visibility obscured and casual chatter keeping them distracted, they only noticed my presence when I swung the spear.
Thud!
“Guh…!”
With a dull thud, one Knight crumpled to the ground.
The remaining one, startled by the sight, attempted to shout.
“A-a surprise attack─!”
Thud!
Of course, I wouldn’t let that slide. I swung my spear again, sending the now groggy Knight into dreamland.
‘That’s two down.’
Now, I just need to handle a few hundred more.
Having comfortably laid the two sentries down, I slipped into a nearby tent.
Turns out Knights are still human; they don’t even wear their armor while sleeping.
Given the heat and humidity, quite a few of them slept in their undergarments.
And just to reiterate, this is a reversed world where most of the Knights are actually female.
‘Ahem…’
I cleared my throat and promptly struck the heads of the Knights with my spear. They might already be deep in slumber, but this would send them into an even deeper dream.
In the middle of my little escapade, one Knight stirred slightly after sensing my presence, mumbling in her sleep.
“Wow… Is this a dream? There’s a man in front of me…”
“Yeah, it’s a dream. Keep sleeping.”
Thud!
Seeing her look weary, I helped her drift off again.
If only I could keep doing this and diminish the Knight count… but sadly, such situations don’t last long.
“Wake up! We’re under attack! The sentries have been taken down!!!”
Someone from another tent noticed the unconscious sentries and sounded the alarm.
Hearing that, the Knights began to stir one by one. Watching this unfold, I clicked my tongue.
“Tsk.”
I really wanted to take it easy a bit longer, but what can you do? It was about time the Knights would start waking up anyway.
“Guard team! Prepare the guard team!”
As I was lost in thought, armored figures sprang from somewhere.
They must have been kept on standby just in case an ambush occurred.
Like last time, they seemed focused on holding their ground, forming a five-man squad equipped with heavy steel shields.
Most of them wore unmistakable fatigue on their faces, but determination shone in their eyes.
Seeing that, I sheathed my spear behind me.
A long while ago, the commander of the 4th Knights told me that my spear techniques were unbelievably shabby.
‘He wasn’t wrong.’
I had never specifically learned martial arts from anyone, so all the moves I executed were solely born out of necessity.
Yet, even a total newbie could grasp a few things.
For example, the characteristics of different weapons. Spears are easy to handle and have long reach. That’s why I primarily use a spear.
The downside is that it’s difficult to react if someone gets too close.
Dagger has short range and lightweight but is very fast. While an axe is heavy and slow to swing, it delivers an incredible punch with its first hit.
It’s basic knowledge that even children can grasp.
But if used properly, even these simple realizations can become quite threatening.
I pulled out a large hammer. This large hammer was something I had obtained after defeating an Otherworlder.
The immense weight felt heavy in both hands.
I had briefly considered this weapon the last time I faced off with the Knights.
However, there were just too many people there, and I couldn’t risk a hasty move that would draw a counterattack.
But what about now?
The area was shrouded in fog, and there were fewer Knights in front of me than last time. Plus, I was confident they wouldn’t be able to react in time.
With that thought, I brought the hammer down with all my strength against the shield.
Bam!!!
With a sound like an explosion, the Knights were sent flying backwards.
The Knight at the front, holding the shield, couldn’t handle the shock and fainted without getting back up.
By that time, Otherworlders were also beginning to filter in.
“Whoa, the atmosphere feels different. Good morning, everyone… huh?”
“Call other Otherworlders immediately!”
“Capture him!”
One by one, the Knights charged at me.
But I wasn’t worried at all.
Unlike last time, I came into this as the hunter, not as prey.
I drew my spear again and charged at them. Before they could get themselves fully prepared, I managed to knock out dozens of Knights.