NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 8
Chapter 8: A Dangerous Person (3)
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Silence descended.
No one could move.
Even though Carlson, with the dagger embedded in him, was gasping and clutching his neck, no one in the vicinity could even think of moving.
It was because they had encountered a situation far beyond their expectations.
‘What is happening?’
‘Carlson was taken down?’
‘By whom?
By that brat?’
‘No. That can’t be right.’
‘Is this real? Isn't it a dream?’
Some denied the event itself, while others couldn't even properly process the information due to the immense sense of disparity.
Everyone wore blank expressions, struggling desperately to comprehend the current situation.
Only Harang continued his next actions without pause.
Hwoong
Chwaaak-!
Chwaak-!
“Kkeueok!”
“Kuaaaak!”
“……E-Everyone attack!”
Nick, the Vice-captain of the Carlson Mercenary Corps, belatedly gave the order.
Two allies had already fallen.
Only then did the mercenaries snap out of it and charge forward, shouting, "Waaaaah!"
For some reason, Nick thought their appearance resembled insects leaping into flames.
Hwoooong-!
Shweeeeek-!
“Die!”
“Die, brat!”
A crude but heavy iron mace flew in, followed by an axe descending towards the crown of his head.
Harang’s eyes didn't waver.
Surveying the entire scene with a wide field of vision as if observing the landscape, he took two steps back and thrust his sword behind his flank, as if performing seppuku.
Pook-
“Kkeu…… Heup!”
One man knelt due to the unexpected attack.
The one who had been trying to attack his back from the side alongside him panicked, his gaze momentarily drawn to his comrade.
He didn't miss the opening.
Harang, having already reversed his stance, added rotational force and slashed the man's neck.
Seogeok
Pinggeureureureu-
Teodeok
“Eu, euaaaaaaaaah!”
Seeing his comrade’s head fly towards his feet, the mace-wielding mercenary screamed fiercely.
His voice was filled with fury, but fear was simultaneously present.
The attack swung again was extremely ferocious, but that was all.
Harang, having pinpointed the location by sound, shot forward rapidly without even looking back.
And swung his sword like lightning.
Hwooooong-!
“Kkeueo!”
“Keok!”
“Kkeuaaaaaak!”
“Crazy!”
“You fucking son of a bitchhhh!”
Right after the mace cut through the air, three mercenaries lay sprawled on the ground.
It was terrifyingly fast swordsmanship.
The surrounding mercenaries retreated at the movement so fast that none had even heard a sound, but the two mercenaries wielding an axe and a mace were different.
They grew angry seeing the young man continuously ignore them, and a little confidence also blossomed.
‘He’s avoiding us!’
‘He thinks we’re troublesome!
Because we’re top-tier among Bronze Plates!’
It wasn't a rational reason at all, but the excited pair wanted to believe it anyway.
It was because they couldn't possibly charge at that monster-like fellow without deceiving themselves.
Shouting vigorously once more, the two charged simultaneously, sweeping at his legs and upper body at the same timing.
At that moment, an astonishing thing happened.
Taak-
Shweeeeeek-!
“……What the.”
“This…… is impossible……!”
Harang jumped briefly, twisted his body horizontally parallel to the ground, and swung his sword simultaneously.
An acrobatic movement where even a slight mistake could result in a fatal wound!
But his face, performing this feat, was utterly serene, and the result was also successful.
Unable to block the attack, the upper and lower bodies of the axe and mace wielders were severed.
Chwaaaaak-!
Hudududuk……
Blood and entrails poured out, but they didn't stain Harang’s clothes.
Because he landed lightly like a cat and quickly retreated backward.
And all of this happened in barely 10 seconds.
Thus, silence fell once again.
‘……He’s a crazy monster.’
‘What do we do?’
Vice-captain Nick and the third-in-command Zepin simultaneously hardened their expressions.
He was not an easy opponent.
No, even that expression felt like severely underestimating the opponent.
Even if it was a surprise attack, he had instantly incapacitated Carlson, and in the subsequent battle, he had sliced down seven Bronze Plate Mercenaries in an instant.
Although he didn't show an Aura Sword, judging by mercenary standards, it was safe to consider him possessing skills at the highest level of Silver Plate.
‘Still, it’s not like there’s no chance of winning…….’
Nick tightened his grip on his sword.
Woowoong, an incomplete Aura Sword bloomed, and the strands flickering like a heat haze thickened.
It was thanks to focusing his energy.
It took a long time and was unstable for use in actual combat, but in a situation like this where many surrounded one, it was a viable move.
‘With this Strong Sword technique learned by paying a hefty sum to a prestigious swordsmanship hall……!’
There had been times before when Zepin and Carlson drew attention while he gathered power, allowing them to defeat formidable opponents they couldn't have otherwise challenged.
Although the captain was becoming a cold corpse…….
“Zepin! I’m counting on you!”
“Got it. Damn it…… Hey! Everyone, don’t chicken out, form ranks! That guy is human too! We can win if we overwhelm him all at once! Guys with shields, step forward!”
Kwang!
Kwang!
Zepin said, striking his shield and sword together.
Then the mercenaries, who had been in a state of panic, regained some composure and began to form a circle.
As ordered, those armed with shields stepped forward, and spearmen, whose weapons had longer reach than swords or blades, supported them from behind, making it look less vulnerable than before.
‘Good. Even if we can’t win, this is enough to buy time.’
Nick gently closed his eyes.
He trusted his subordinates and Zepin.
If they could just buy time for at least 1 minute, no, even just 30 seconds, he could complete the technique.
If he could unleash a blow as powerful as a typhoon from afar, he could surely crush even a monster like that fellow into pulp.
Surely, he thought so.
It was then.
Seuk
Harang lowered his stance.
Bending his legs as much as possible, even his upper body stooped as if touching the ground.
It resembled an animal crouching in the bushes, yet there was none of the prickly feeling of wildness or aggression.
Rather, like looking at a still life object placed statically, no presence was felt at all.
It felt disparate, extremely alien.
While everyone's minds were half-gone due to that strange sensation.
Pat
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”
The target vanished from sight.
It was astonishing.
Even though they were staring intently without even blinking, he disappeared from the encirclement as if he had never existed in the first place.
The mercenaries hurriedly darted their eyes around.
Looking up at the sky, there was nothing; looking down at the ground, not even a trace could be seen.
The question didn't last long.
A short distance away from them.
A chilling sound coming from where Vice-captain Nick was located drew everyone's attention as if grabbing the backs of their necks.
Seogeok-!
Tuk
Degureureureu……
For the third time, silence fell.
Neither the first nor the second instance lacked shock.
But the third silence that now settled pressed down on the hearts of the Carlson Mercenary Corps with a pressure of a different dimension.
Cannot win.
No, cannot even comprehend.
Fear and dread stemming from incomprehension tightened around the hearts of the Carlson Mercenary Corps.
Black clothes.
Black hair.
One of the mercenaries, staring at the jet-black death god like a nightmare, started screaming and running somewhere.
“Eu, eu…… Euaaaaaaaak!”
“……God damn it!”
“Fuck!”
Others did the same.
Everything is difficult the first time; the second time onwards is easy.
Fleeing was like that too.
Carlson, who had managed the corps strictly like an army, was dead, and even the second-in-command, Nick, had departed this life without even leaving a scream.
It was a situation with absolutely no reason to hesitate.
More than fifteen people joined the fleeing procession that started in an instant.
As if having no will to resist, they were throwing away weapons and equipment entirely to run even slightly faster.
Thanks to this, their speed was incredibly fast.
However, Harang had no intention of letting them go quietly.
Because he had to fulfill the contract.
‘These guys will be a danger to the merchant guild later on too.’
Harang nodded his head.
And watched the rapidly distancing figures.
A considerable distance had already opened up, but it didn't matter.
Approaching Fernando's corpse, he took out nine daggers and began throwing them with the speed of light beams.
Shweeeeek-
Puk!
“Kkeuaak!”
Shweeeeeek-
Puuk-!
“Keoeoeok!”
Throw, hit.
Throw, hit.
In an instant, the nine daggers ran out, but it was fine.
Because there were plenty of things to throw.
Scanning the surroundings, Harang picked up stones.
Shweeeeek-
Peok!
“Kkeueok!”
Shweeeeeek-!
Ppeoeok-!
“Kkuaaaaaaak!”
Ordinary stones, merely playthings in a child's hand, became terrifying hidden weapons when held by Harang.
Flying at speeds comparable to crossbow bolts, the stones crushed the mercenaries' heads, sometimes their legs.
Unfortunately, Zepin belonged to the former category.
Peogeok-!
Kudangtangtangtang-!
Brain matter splattered from his corpse as it tumbled several times due to inertia, his skull shattered.
And that sight was clearly witnessed by everyone poisoned by the paralysis toxin.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Yet again, silence returned.
Through the dread that some might find sickeningly familiar, the faint groans of the survivors flowed.
Harang paid no mind.
The newbie guard, having finished his task, surveyed the surroundings with his usual calm face, then nodded and approached the Merchant Guild Leader.
“I think I’ve fulfilled my role for the most part…… What should I do now?”
“…….”
“Excuse me, Mr. Merchant Guild Leader?”
“Ah, ah! Right, sorry. I was lost in other thoughts for a moment, hmm…….”
“Other thoughts?”
Harang wore a puzzled expression.
From what he had observed, this person called the Merchant Guild Leader had a remarkably quick mind.
He was someone he had thought quite favorably of, impressed by how he maintained a certain level of courtesy while dealing with others without revealing any openings.
But why was such a person looking so dazed?
“Perhaps, were you poisoned?”
“Ah, no…… No, I wasn’t.”
“Right? From my perspective, Merchant Guild Leader doesn't seem poisoned either. Ah, come to think of it, the antidote must be important. It doesn't seem like a life-threatening poison, but it must be uncomfortable to remain stiff like that.”
“…….”
“Uh…… am I wrong?”
“Uh, uh? Ah! Right! Right. You’re right.”
“……Then, I’ll look for the antidote?”
Harang asked, and the Merchant Guild Leader nodded, still with a vacant expression.
Harang, watching him for a moment, scratched his head and came to his own conclusion.
‘Well, he almost died and then survived.
This must be the normal reaction.’
In the village where he lived, death and near-death crises were nothing but daily occurrences.
But, apparently, such things didn't happen often outside in the world.
It was fortunate.
If this place too had been such a dreadful place, he would have only cried tears.
Letting out a sigh of relief, he approached a mercenary far away, who had collapsed after being hit in the leg by a stone while fleeing.
“Hello?”
“Eu, euu……”
“Sorry to bother you while you’re hurt, but I need the antidote. If you have any, could you give it to me?”
“You, you bastard…… F-Fuck off!”
“Hmm…….”
“M-Maybe, maybe you don't know! If you promise to let me, let me live, I can tell you where the antidote is……”
Puk
“Krreuk……?”
He didn't listen to the answer.
Harang, having stabbed the mercenary’s neck with his sword, muttered as he approached the next mercenary.
“Looks like it exists somewhere. Well, there are still six more people alive, so……”
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”
The surroundings froze.
All the mercenaries groaning with broken legs heard Harang's words and turned to look at him, unable to even breathe properly.
They weren't the only ones.
‘What on earth…….’
‘That person…….’
Merchant Guild Leader Barjean and Bianca, the guild employees, and the mercenaries other than the Carlson Mercenary Corps, all watching this situation from afar…… were looking at Harang as if facing something more terrifying than death itself.