Reincarnated as the Descendant of a Fallen Noble

Chapter 63: Subjugation of Kreveion. (6)

A moment later.

"Grooooaaaan……."

"Ugh, daaaamn."

One by one, those regaining consciousness slowly lifted their heads.

Was this heaven? Or… were they still alive?

At that moment, Manton staggered to his feet, looked around, and quickly counted heads.

‘Ten, twenty… thirty-one.’

Everyone was here, not a single person missing.

Once he confirmed that all were safe, Manton finally let out a sigh of relief and sank to the ground.

"We… we survived."

"God really did help us."

Everyone gradually grasped the situation and soon let out sighs of relief.

It still didn’t feel real that their bodies were intact and alive.

They all looked dazed, unsure if they were dreaming or if this was truly reality.

"Heh heh, hehehehehe……."

"God Faeron, thank you. I’ll live a good life from now on."

They all collapsed onto the ground, letting out hollow laughter, praying, or pinching their cheeks and thighs.

Just then, as everyone remained in a daze, a quiet voice drew all their heads in one direction.

"Goddamn……."

They saw Hardin sitting on a rock, catching his breath.

His hair drooped like seaweed, and even at a glance, he looked utterly exhausted.

‘…….’

Everyone's expressions turned solemn as they looked at Hardin.

When the bait ran out, he had become the bait himself, and he was the one who summoned the water column to let them all skip over the whirlpool.

They all knew.

If it hadn’t been for Hardin, every one of them here would’ve become drowned corpses.

‘Incredible.’

‘…Young Master.’

Their faces showed a mix of awe and a bit of admiration.

Of course, it was Hardin who had shoved them into the sea in the first place, but that was another matter entirely.

Then it happened.

"Whooooooo……."

Hardin suddenly sprang to his feet and marched forward with energy.

Everyone’s eyes sparkled with admiration at that moment.

"You goddamn ungrateful bastards!"

SMAAACK!

"Aaack!"

Hardin smacked Mikkelsen on the head.

"Wh-Why did you hit me?!"

Mikkelsen cried out, rubbing the swelling on his head, and Hardin frowned as he replied.

"What do you mean why, you bastard, what did you just say?"

"Just now? Uh, what did I say again…?"

"You said something about God Faeron just now."

"Oh, yeah… So what?"

What was the problem?

Mikkelsen tilted his head in confusion, prompting Hardin to cross his arms and shoot a crooked look.

"I’m the one who saved your asses, so why are you all thanking a god?"

"Excuse me?"

"I’m the one who went through hell for you, so why are you thanking a god! If you're going to say thank you, say it to me!"

Hardin jabbed his thumb at himself as he spoke.

"Th-Thank you."

SMAAACK!

"Oww! Why’d you hit me again?!"

"There was no sincerity in that, none at all!"

"How would you even know that?! Are you a mind reader or something, Young Master?"

"Oh? Talking back, are you?"

As Hardin and Mikkelsen bickered back and forth, the admiration on everyone else’s faces shattered like glass, as if it had never been there at all.

‘Of course, what did I expect.’

‘…Give me back my tears.’

It didn’t take long before Mikkelsen’s scream rang out.

Crack!

"Aaaagh, my shoulder! My shouldeeeer! It hurts! It huuurts!"

"You think I did all this for fun? Didn’t I do it to save Mudside? Huh?"

"Y-Yes, that’s right! I’m sorry! It’s my fault, so please let me go, Young Master!"

"If anyone else has complaints, step right up! I’ll snap your damn necks!"

As Hardin snapped his gaze around and practically breathed fire out of his mouth—

‘…Let’s keep quiet.’

‘That guy’s not human. Definitely not.’

Everyone awkwardly smiled and desperately avoided his gaze.

---

A while later.

The mercenaries and knights slowly crawled up a narrow, steep hill between jagged coral cliffs.

"…Damn it."

"Haaah, haaah…"

Everyone looked exhausted, their faces pale and worn.

They were worn out from completely draining their stamina at sea, but what really made their expressions dark was…

‘Damn it, Kreveion?’

‘Is this seriously okay?’

The thought that the infamous Phantom Spider Crab actually lived on this rocky island made it hard for them to take another step.

‘Can’t I just run now?’

‘Why bother? It’s just defending its own territory, right? Do we really have to go this far?’

‘Damn it, damn it, damn it.’

What made things even more dismal was the fact that their ship had been wrecked—they couldn’t escape even if they wanted to.

Their faces looked as if they were being dragged to their execution.

The only ones who were in relatively decent shape were…

"Here, take my hand."

"Thank you."

Thud!

Manton, who led the way up the trail and helped others as they climbed.

"Move, move! Hurry it up! What are you, slugs? Planning to camp out here all night?"

"Eeeek! I’m moving! Just please don’t swing that thing around!"

Hardin, who was at the rear of the line, swinging his halberd and driving everyone forward.

‘That guy’s scarier.’

‘Why’d I have to get stuck with someone like him…’

Ahead of them was the Phantom Spider Crab, Kreveion.

Behind them was the mad Young Master, Hardin Daphne.

It was a combination so crushing, it didn’t swell their chests with determination—it made their hearts sink and their noses tingle, like tears were about to fall from sheer dread.

Just how far had they climbed up the rough path?

"Whooooo… So this is the place."

Hardin, who had been at the rear, stepped up to a certain spot atop the rocky island and lifted his head.

Ahead of the group stood a massive cave.

Cave might be an understatement—the ceiling was high, and beams of light filtered through various holes in the stone.

"The scenery…"

"Kreveion lives in a place like this?"

Everyone looked at the sight with puzzled expressions.

Green moss grew in patches, and emerald-colored streams flowed between the rocky cliffs.

With sunlight pouring down through the gaps, it didn’t feel like a monster’s lair at all. If anything, it seemed like a place where some sacred being might live.

Hardin scratched his head and let out a deep sigh.

"We’re going in. Grab your weapons. Keep your heads on straight."

"……Yes."

Everyone nodded while gripping their halberds tightly.

Seeing how tense they looked, Hardin added a word of warning.

"Be careful not to get cut by the halberd blades. If you get nicked, forget Kreveion—you’re as good as dead."

"……."

Everyone’s eyes darted toward the blades of their halberds.

What had been a dull gray before now shimmered with a faint violet hue.

Gulp.

The sound of swallowing echoed here and there.

‘…Skull Puffer poison.’

During their short rest, Hardin had applied Skull Puffer poison—something he had prepared in advance—to every halberd blade.

Since they were about to face Kreveion, he had made thorough preparations.

"Whooooo… Let’s move."

Hardin advanced into the cave.

The deeper they went, the more spacious the interior became, with similar scenery repeating itself.

Everyone remained on edge, turning their heads this way and that, keeping their eyes peeled in every direction.

‘Please don’t come out, please don’t come out…’

‘Dear god, pleaaaase.’

It was so quiet, they could hear their own heartbeats.

They walked and walked under suffocating tension.

Yet, there were no signs—nothing that could be definitively called evidence of Kreveion.

A little later—

Thud.

"Young Master, I think this is the end."

"……Hmm."

Their steps halted abruptly in front of a dead end.

On the tall wall covered in moss, clusters of violet flowers clung densely, forming an arch all the way up to the ceiling. With sunlight shining down, the scene sparkled like amethyst.

"Oooooh…"

"……."

Everyone stared in a daze, mesmerized by the sight.

And at the same time, similar thoughts drifted through their minds.

‘Kreveion… maybe it doesn’t exist after all?’

That terrifying Phantom Spider Crab, living in a place like this?

Shouldn’t the environment be far more sinister?

At that moment, Mikkelsen, who had been glancing around with a skeptical expression, asked,

"Young Master, are you sure Kreveion is really here?"

"Why? You don’t think so?"

"There weren’t any clear signs as we came in. Isn’t it stranger for a monster that big to not leave a single trace?"

"Hmmmm…"

Hardin scratched his chin.

If this really were Kreveion’s nest, there should be webs all over the place and bones scattered around.

That was the kind of landscape he had seen when he first spotted this island through the telescope.

At the very least, there should’ve been some evidence left behind…

‘Did it abandon its nest in the meantime?’

Well, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

These things had been observed changing nests from time to time when hunting for food.

But still…

‘It’s too clean… and that’s unnatural in its own way.’

Hardin nodded to himself, then spoke again.

"Alright, everyone spread out and search the area thoroughly. If you find anything, don’t engage—come back immediately."

"……Understood."

At Hardin’s command, the mercenaries and knights split into small groups and began inspecting the inside of the cave.

"Uuugh… Anything here?"

"Nothing over here either."

They meticulously searched every nook and cranny to see if there were any hidden spaces or traces of monsters.

About dozens of minutes passed like that.

"Hey Beryl, doesn’t… it look like there’s really nothing?"

"Yeah. If it were Kreveion, it’d be massive. Not finding a single trace is what’s strange."

As Mikkelsen slumped on a flat rock near the wall and shook his head, Beryl responded.

Everyone began to relax to the point of even seeming comfortable.

Similar thoughts filled everyone’s minds.

‘Seems like it really isn’t here.’

‘Phew… thank god.’

Mikkelsen patted the cave wall with his palm as he spoke.

"Forget Kreveion or whatever, I just want to get back and have a drink. What the hell kind of hell-trip was this?"

It seemed the other knights and mercenaries felt the same.

"Phew, let’s rest for a bit."

"Yeah. My legs are killing me."

"Wake me up when the Young Master gets back."

Some sat down inside the cavern, while others even lay down and closed their eyes.

If Kreveion wasn’t here, then so what?

– Kiiiiieeek!

Crackle!

"Eeek!"

"Wha–what the hell! Shit!"

Just then, a swarm of bats suddenly swept past Mikkelsen’s group.

Thud!

Startled, Mikkelsen fell sideways, and the others quickly retreated with wide eyes.

A moment of silence.

The Maw mercenaries tensed up for a second, then burst into laughter.

"Ahahahaha! What’s that, Mikkelsen? You fell over from some bats?"

"Come on, you guys were startled too!"

Goddamn bats, out of nowhere…

As Mikkelsen frowned and slowly stood up—

"Huh?"

He suddenly felt like the surroundings had gotten oddly darker.

…What was that?

Mikkelsen and the others nearby looked up toward the ceiling.

Above them, in the large hole letting sunlight in from above the cavern—

Something black and spherical was floating in the center of it.

Due to the backlighting, they couldn’t see its shape clearly.

‘What is that?’

Sploosh—thwack!

Something fell from above and landed on Mikkelsen’s face, hitting him with a sticky sensation.

"Ugh! Ptuh, ptuh! What the hell is this?!"

As Mikkelsen grimaced and tried to wipe the gooey substance off his face—

"Get back! Move, you bastards!"

A rough shout rang out from nearby.

Turning his head, he saw Hardin standing there, his expression deadly serious.

Hardin’s wide-open eyes were filled with intensity.

‘What’s going on with him?’

– KIEEEEK!

At that very moment, a bizarre shriek erupted from the air, echoing thunderously throughout the cavern.

"M-My ears!"

"Aaagh!"

Everyone clutched their ears and looked up toward the source of the sound.

‘W-What the…?’

Something was descending rapidly, almost as if falling straight down.

A grotesquely twisted, violet body like the face of a vengeful spirit.

Eight massive pincers protruded from it, along with two vacant, unfocused eyes above them.

‘K-Kreveion?’

The terror and despair of the sea, the monstrous beast known as the "Phantom Spider Crab"—

It was falling through the hole in the ceiling.

‘…….’

Was it the shock of the sudden turn of events?

For a moment, everyone froze, legs stiff and immobile.

Then it happened.

"Goddamn it!"

Dash!

Hardin shot forward like a bullet—

SMAAACK!

"Guhh!"

—and kicked Mikkelsen square in the chest, sending him flying.

Immediately after—

KWA-RANG!

Kreveion landed exactly where Mikkelsen had just been, shattering the stone floor and sending fragments flying in all directions.

CRACK! CRACK!

– KIEEEEEEEK!

It let out a monstrous roar, pounding its body with its massive pincers.

Each strike sent sparks into the air, the sheer force overwhelming just to behold.

Sticky fluid dripped from its maw, and then…

– KIIIIEK…!

– KIIIIIIIIEEEEEK!

Five baby crabs, which had been riding on its back, leapt down in perfect unison and lined up on the ground. Each one began swinging its pincers in the air threateningly.

Though called "babies," they were already the size of a typical large monster.

Facing them, Hardin narrowed his brow.

‘It was waiting for the right moment.’

It had cleared out the entire cavern and remained hidden all this time.

Clearly, it had been waiting for the perfect timing to ambush.

Just as Hardin gripped his halberd tightly—

"U-Um… oh no…"

"……."

Everyone else stood frozen as if turned to stone.

They instinctively staggered back, blinking in stunned silence.

Hardin had explained this situation multiple times beforehand.

But now, faced with that overwhelming presence—

‘We’re supposed to take that down?’

‘W-We can’t beat that thing.’

‘We’re going to die… all of us are going to die here.’

There wasn’t a shred of fighting spirit left.

They had a plan, Hardin had told them exactly what to do…

But their minds were wiped blank, like clean white paper.

As everyone stood there, clueless and paralyzed—

THUD!

Hardin stomped his foot and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"What the hell are you doing, you bastards?! Spread out! Stick to the plan!"

"Ah… y-yes!"

Only then did it seem to click.

The mercenaries and knights began scattering in groups of four or five, dashing toward the walls.

Leaving only Hardin in the center of the cavern.

At that, Kreveion began frothing violet foam from its mouth.

"KIEEEEK!"

Something shot out like a cannonball.

In a flash, it hurtled toward where Mikkelsen and the mercenaries had gathered.

Slaaash!

A blue light slashed vertically through the air, scattering thread-like strands.

"You fight me."

Below it all—

Hardin furrowed his brow, blue light blazing from his eyes.

The halberd gripped tightly in both hands glowed ominously with a cold blue hue.

He had cut down the web-like projectile that had just been launched.

– KIIIGIGIGIGI!

Enraged, Kreveion changed targets and began firing multiple shots at Hardin.

But—

CLANG! CLANG! CLAAAANG!

Each time, Hardin’s halberd slashed through the air with a sharp blue arc, striking down the web projectiles mid-air.

Every time the threads scattered, a shockwave so fierce it stung the skin burst through the cavern.

‘Holy shit… he’s cutting all of that?’

‘He’s not human.’

Everyone watching was left gaping, eyes and mouths wide open.

They had always known Hardin was strong.

But this battle—it felt like it belonged to another realm altogether.

Relentless exchanges of offense and defense.

Just watching it made it hard to breathe.

It was as if they were witnessing not a man, but some spectral, transcendent being.

"……."

Hardin continued parrying attacks as he advanced, step by step, closing the gap with Kreveion.

– KIEEEK?!

Was the beast startled? Its two eyes narrowed as it gradually retreated.

– KIKIKIK! KIKIK!

BOOM! BOOM!

Eventually, unable to endure it any longer, the creature charged forward.

Each of its steps shook the ground, bits of stone crumbling from the ceiling above.

Finally, it reached Hardin.

"KIEEEEE!"

Its eight pincers all shot out at him at once.

"Huup!"

Hardin’s eyes blazed brighter as he hurled himself to the side.

THUD! THUD! BOOOOM!

The pincers, unable to keep up with his speed, crashed into the ground.

The very last pincer swung for Hardin’s head.

KRAAANG!

With a grinding clash, the halberd deflected the blow.

And just as Kreveion hesitated, struggling to yank its embedded pincers from the floor—

Hardin didn’t miss his chance.

He held the halberd like a spear, pulled his arm far back, body arched like a bow.

"Hrrrgh!"

FWOOOOM!

He released with explosive force.

The surrounding air was sucked into the wake of the shot as a powerful gust surged forward.

SWEEEEEESH!

The halberd flew straight for Kreveion’s mouth.

Just a hand’s width away from the exact spot where Kreveion’s brain—its weak point—was located.

It pierced forward with uncanny precision, as if it were a magic missile cast by a high-ranking mage.

– KIEEEEK!

Startled, Kreveion jerked its upper body down in a hurry.

KRZZZZZK!

Instead of smashing into its brain, the halberd burst one of its eyes and embedded itself deep into the cavern wall.

"Tch."

Hardin clicked his tongue in disappointment, though his eyes still burned with deadly intent.

‘Crazy… I didn’t even see that.’

‘Is that even humanly possible?’

Knights and mercenaries alike couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed, even with their own eyes.

After seeing that, it all made sense.

Hardin hadn’t just said he was going to kill Kreveion—he truly meant it.

And then—

– KIKIKIK! KIKIKIK!

Sensing danger, the baby Kreveions that had been waiting nearby suddenly rushed toward Hardin all at once.

Manton, who had been observing the situation, bit his lip hard and shouted,

"Spread out! Don’t let those babies get anywhere near the Young Master!"

"Yes!"

The knights and mercenaries scattered immediately and charged toward the baby crabs.

Slaaash!

Hardin drew the sword from his waist and spoke—

As if declaring it directly to Kreveion.

"You ready to die?"