Chapter 67: Difference In Rank
Kwak!!!
The spear was swung reflexively in response to the incoming gesture.
Even though he trusted his guard to the judgment of his Ego Weapon and swung the spear blade, Gorgon, undeterred by his body being sliced, swung his sword again.
His emaciated body didnt mind parts being severed.
For an undead, the body was merely a vessel that housed the awakened ego and power.
Euhuhu, hahahahaha! Good! Really good!!
His body burned with relentless assault.
His body, slashed by the spear multiple times, regenerated in real-time, adding to the force of the swung black longsword.
Thus, he pressed on, looking for an opportunity to drain his vitality.
Kahak!
During their exchange, Gorgon suddenly extended a regenerated hand and twisted it around his neck.
Simultaneously, as the spear embedded in his body tried to explode with magic, Gorgon, seemingly irritated by this, twisted the shaft and forcefully suppressed the Ego Weapons magic.
The moment the only means of counter was nullified in a head-on strength contest
Though he tried to drain his life from the throat he held, for some reason, this task was not easily accomplished, unlike before.
Hoo, this.
The reason was simple.
The foundation of necromancy, a curse, started by overwhelming the opponents mental strength.
The stronger the will to resist, the harder it was for a curse to penetrate the opponents body.
Indeed, a tremendous mental strength. I understand why that Knight of Death coveted you, hahahaha!
Conversely, a being with such mental strength, upon dying, would harbor desires stronger than any instinct for survival inherent to all beings.
Whether it be a grudge, a deep-seated desire, or love
Anything unfulfilled in this life was called a powerful attachment, longing to be accomplished.
That unyielding spirit against any hunger will surely become the path for you to endlessly achieve what you pursue.
At that moment, a gleam began to appear in Gorgons hollow eyes.
Yes, this individual was a raw gem incomparable even to heroes.
Thus, he wanted to make him his own.
He wished to dye his yet-to-bloom potential in his color at this moment.
So let that desire bloom into endless exploration. Wander this world forever with me, and devote your strength to learning everything about this world!!!
With his shout, the intensifying power of the curse brought dizziness, and the decay accelerated from the hand gripping his throat.
In a few seconds, his body would turn into a rotten rag, becoming a dead being, maintaining only his ego.
Kwaang!!
However, at that moment, a being that burst into the space caused Gorgons body to be shattered by a decisive strike.
As his body, hit by the shock, disintegrated into dust, he was freed from the force that had been choking him, collapsing to the ground as his breath returned.
Keuk, heuk
He miraculously survived moments before becoming a dead being.
But it was impossible to feel relief, as the presence of the one who had just intruded was too significant to ignore.
A being who, from beyond the realm of humanity, could turn one of the Four Knights serving the Corpse Lord to dust in an instant.
How could one be at ease in such a situation?
Gorgon Zola. Further independent action is not permitted.
A being with such power, clanking with heavy iron attached to their body, intruded into the center of the space.
The heavily armored female knight, covered in blood and wielding a great sword, seemed to embody war itself.
Quietly follow to the deepest part of the dungeon.
Kuhuhu, to interfere without a word, how excessive.
Gorgon, facing such a powerful being, leisurely reattached his regenerated joints.
After straightening his twisted head, he turned his hollow eyes to her and asked.
Knight of War, why do you obstruct me?
The one who had intruded at this moment was also a loyal servant of the same lord.
And one of the knights in a position equal to himself.
If you, too, are a being obsessed with your own attachments, surely you would understand my desire that even death could not quench.
That desire is nothing more than a tool of our mother.
In response to his question, the Knight of War bluntly answered, once again pointing her red greatsword towards him.
Gorgon Zola. Mother sent us to this dungeon to investigate and harvest what is necessary.
The red light seeping from beneath her helmet was surely a reaction to her ominous magical power.
The fighting spirit to prove her loyalty as a creature molded by the hands of their mother.
And anger towards the fool who, though being of the same created kind, constantly defied her will and whimsically acted out.
You, sustained by Mothers power, dare to defy her command?
Kuhuhu, indeed. Its best to end this deviation here.
As she said, their original purpose was to conquer this dungeon.
Humans could be killed and their bodies and minds seized at any time, but being disturbed during important tasks should generally be avoided.
If human attention was unnecessarily heightened, there was a risk that it could disrupt their plans due to the annoyance.
What a pity. A little more, and a very interesting talent might have emerged.
Swiftly, Gorgons gaze shifted towards the talent he coveted.
His nervous grip tightened on the spear under Gorgons gaze.
His efforts must seem desperate, but to such transcendent beings, they were as endearing as a mouses futile struggle.
For the time being, at least.
To the living being with unwavering will. I look forward to the day we meet again, when the seed Ive planted in you begins to sprout.
But crops show their true value not when they are planted but when they are harvested.
Hoping that his current anticipation would lead to the resolution of his attachment, Gorgon began to lead the undead under his control towards the passage.
Eo, eoeo
Shireoeo, jugyeojyeoeo
Her old companions, with their drawn-out voices, left the scene and disappeared into the darkness.
The Knight of War, watching them emotionlessly, gestured to the undead around her and began to follow behind them.
Indeed, originally, that should have been the end of the friction.
Wait!
The man, finally releasing his held breath, shouted.
Upon hearing this, the Knight of War momentarily paused and turned her head quietly to look at the man pointing the spear at her.
Just what
A human man who only held an Ego Weapon in his hand.
Apart from being from another world, he was no different from the insignificant beings they had turned into undead.
Just why are you sparing us?
The man who had summoned a calamity akin to war itself did not do so, thinking he could defeat her.
Because it was incomprehensible.
With the party annihilated by the sudden disaster, it was crucial to know why they were retreating, given the risk of something worse happening.
Arent you the enemy of humanity?! Then why are you sparing us instead of killing us? What are you planning to do next?!
Is your life more important than Mothers command?
But she felt no obligation or intent to sympathize with such desperation.
For any reason, she found it very displeasing that a trivial being like a human had detained her.
What?
Do not be mistaken, human. Your survival here is not because you are a being of value.
A rough and fierce voice from beneath a rusted iron helmet.
Her hand tightened fiercely around her sword, but still, its tip was not pointed at him.
I am not going to kill you because Mothers command is more important than someone like you. To teach that fool, unlike humans who can be disposed of anytime, he is necessary for Mothers plan.
Yes, a few humans were not even worth the swing of her sword.
She could easily kill anyone who annoyed her, but for some reason, this individual had caught Gorgons interest.
Killing him here could cause unnecessary trouble, so she focused only on stopping him and then on her mission.
For that reason
Just for that reason.
Even though he fought desperately, risking death, he felt insignificant, as his struggle seemed to go unnoticed.
Or can you fight?
The red light that flowed at the moment he felt the indignation rising from the contempt.
The red light from the cracks in her armor and the greatsword in her hand indicated the countless humans she had slaughtered who had obstructed her before coming here.
As if to flaunt that she herself symbolized war.
Can you muster the courage to resist those who threaten your worthless life, even for a few seconds?
Such a being spoke to him in this moment.
To refrain from entering a meaningless fight if they understood each others status and limits.
If you cant even muster bravado right now, then quietly leave.
For a small fry like you, there will be plenty of opportunities to slaughter later.
The Knight of War left those words and turned away, disappearing from the scene.
The man who was the subject of those words remained frozen, silently watching her departing figure.
The silence was broken only after a considerable amount of time had passed since the oppressive atmosphere around them had lifted.
Sa
The abandoned hero, Yi Ga-ram, who had been watching everything frozen, gradually released a heavy breath and slumped to the ground.
Are we alive?
It was unbelievable.
To have survived in the face of an enemy that had annihilated her party in the blink of an eye.
For a moment, she wondered if this was just an illusion seen after death, but her heart pounding in her chest at this moment proved she was alive.
There
I.
Nevertheless.
The man who miraculously survived this moment couldnt consider his survival as mere luck.
He lacked the courage to rush in indignantly at being called a small fry.
Why am I not a hero?
Even if he exerted his will to stand against the calamities at the pinnacle of this world.
He felt a bitter disillusionment with the reality of being swayed by their mere words, as before.
Yes, it was the same this time for me.
I had survived, and surviving was everything.
In a world where people died like trash, was I too greedy to feel dissatisfied with the excessive reward of facing two disasters and surviving?
Tadak, tadak.
In the late hours, as we made our way to the dungeons exit and lit a campfire with the barely salvaged camping equipment, such thoughts began to surface in my mind.
There was enough leeway at that moment for such thoughts to arise faintly in me.
Though four out of six were dead and we could no longer continue the dungeon assault, we had gathered the necessary tools and food for escape.
With my experience as a scout, I could dismantle traps, and if dungeon monsters attacked, we could respond with Ga-rams abilities.
If we followed the roughly drawn map, we could escape the dungeon by the next day, and the mission would be considered complete once we delivered the report we had written so far to the guild.
Of course, since the dungeon was effectively occupied by the undead, the report might become meaningless No, since the undeads goal was to conquer the dungeon, they probably wouldnt bother capturing those of us who escaped.
Here, please have this.
As I was tending to the campfire, Yi Ga-ram handed me a cup filled with stew.
Her face, as the only survivor of our party, had become significantly gaunt compared to when we had entered the dungeon.
It was likely due to the stress and anxiety of the immediate situation, rather than depression or overexertion.
Thank you.
I thanked her for the stew she offered, and I spent time quietly consuming its contents.
It was a preservation food made of starch-based powder in water. But it was rich in nutrients needed for activity, so it was necessary to gratefully consume even this to survive.
That, um
As I was eating the stew, the girl sitting in front of me looked at me intently and opened her small lips to ask a question.
Youre the Hero Killer, right?
That time at the tavern, when you met me
Perhaps I had forgotten to put my mask back on during the chaos.
I thought I had finally done it, but in a way, it also felt liberating.
Now that I no longer needed to hide, I felt I could tell this child everything I was feeling.
My name is Woo Hyo-sung.
What?
Woo Hyo-sung. Thats my name.
Oh, right.
Having introduced myself face-to-face, Yi Ga-ram, gazing at me intently, repeatedly sipped from the cup of stew, bowing her head.
She responded after emptying the contents of the cup.
Can I call you brother?
Her words held an emotion far from resentment or fear towards me.
Can I continue to call you brother in the future?
Rather, it was a cautious approach from the young girl, as if she was worried about being impolite.
Her more passive approach, unlike typical heroes, was surely because she too had realized something from todays events.
In a place beyond the realm of humanity, both heroes and outsiders must put aside any hatred or disdain for each other.
Do as you feel comfortable.
Yes, to survive, we must band together.
Relying only on the light and warmth of a single campfire, the darkness spread across this world was too vast and cold.
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