Swordmaster of the Fallen World

Chapter 13. Shadow Worm, Chara-Tebil (5)

“Jung Hayoung, could you give me a ride in your taxi to the boss?”

“You want the two of us to take down the boss?”

Jung Hayoung glanced at me briefly, then shook her head firmly.

“I thought you were just a fool, but turns out you’re a full-blown lunatic.”

I had anticipated this reaction to some extent, but it still stung a bit.

Alone, she might have a chance to make it out alive.
More than that, isn’t she someone with a deep distrust of people?
Just as I was about to sigh,

“But you know, when gambling, you should always team up with a crazy bastard to win big. If we get any loot, it’s just the two of us sharing.”

Jung Hayoung let out her characteristic weary sigh and stood next to me.

“Will you help?”

“Might as well. The odds of making it out of here alive are garbage anyway. If I’m betting, I’d rather go for the winning hand.”

“Please… Both of you are insane… It’s crazy. There’s no way you can get through that…”

As Shin Taeup whimpered, shadows began to approach.

“Hey, boss man, think we can join the lunatic party?”

It was five nightmare hunters.

At the forefront was Hong Byunggyu, a fellow member of Squad A.

“We also want to do whatever we can to save the captain.”

Had they overheard our conversation?
I was momentarily at a loss for words, overwhelmed by emotion.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Sure, not sure. The captain got hurt trying to protect us. How could we live with ourselves, owing a debt to a junior?”

“If the five of you work together, you might make it out alive…”

At my words, Hong Byunggyu gave a bitter smile and murmured regretfully.

“I’m tired of running. Damn it… We’re supposed to be hunters, right? I want to win for once. Why do we always have to lose to those bastards?”

At that, the other four gripped their weapons with determination.

“I’m Kim Gyesang. I’m a sorcerer-type hunter.”

“I’m Cha Seunghyun. Archer-type. I use chakrams.”

Shin Taeup’s categorization of hunters came in handy.
Despite the urgent situation, they managed to introduce themselves in just a few words.

Next, the vanguard stepped forward.

“I’m Yoon Geonwoo. Warrior-type hunter, and I use a saw spear.”

“I’m Sung Yoora. I’m also a warrior, and my main weapon is a saw-bladed gauntlet.”

Nightmare hunters favored saw-like weapons.

Regular bladed weapons couldn’t effectively hunt the beings of nightmares.
Since they couldn’t be felled in a single strike, blades that could repeatedly rend and sever bones were necessary.

“So, you’re saying that if we somehow create an opening, we have a chance?”

Hong Byunggyu, armed with a saw-bladed axe, stepped forward as the representative. I hesitated, then looked down.

“I said that, but I’m not entirely certain─”

“─The situation is already screwed anyway. We’re just joining the gamble too, so don’t feel too pressured.”

The other four nodded in agreement.

I glanced at Jung Hayoung, signaling her to notice.

Look.

There are still people in this world you can trust.

“Hmph.”

Jung Hayoung raised her palms expressionlessly.

“Ten seconds at most. Hold out that long, or do whatever you want—go inside or die outside. Up to you.”

The five hunters burst into hysterical laughter.

“Well, that’s simple. Just hold for two seconds each, then.”

The next moment, they let out war cries and charged through the wall of fire, plunging into the shroud of human wheels.

Ten seconds.

Jung Hayoung scooped me up in her arms.

It was what they call a princess carry, but this wasn’t the time to be bothered by that.

Seven seconds.

Jung Hayoung’s eyes meticulously scanned the battlefield.

It was as if she was plotting a route.

How reassuring she seemed.

At that moment, Jung Hayoung sighed.

“Damn it, why did I agree to this? I must’ve lost my mind for a second.”

One second.

The path… opened.

Jung Hayoung crouched down at that instant.

“Hayoung.”

“I don’t care anymore. Let’s do it. Let’s go. Just fend off anything that comes flying at us. I freaking hate bugs.”

In that moment, a powerful acceleration surged through my body.

Simultaneously, the surrounding light blurred like spilled paint.

The scenery shifted rapidly.

Through the wall of fire. Past the hunters. And into the darkness.
We were racing at high speed toward the boss.

“Heehee, hello, hello, hi-hi-hi-hi!”

“Found you, hehe! Over here, haha!”

Human wheels swarmed endlessly, and I ceaselessly swung the Dawnblade.

I gave it my all, yet damage continued to accumulate on Jung Hayoung.

Just a little further.

A little further, and it would appear.

Finally… a pitch-black figure stood at the end of the passageway.

At that moment, the collective movement of the human wheels sent chills down my spine.

Hundreds of them clustered together, forming a wall.

…Were they trying to stop us from reaching the boss?

To my horror, the wall was being constructed at a speed that rivaled 《Hyper Acceleration》.

It had already grown a meter tall.

At this rate, we’d be too late.

I urgently spoke.

“Can you make it back alone?”

“Two uses left… One remaining…”

Jung Hayoung was quick-witted and capable of realistic judgment.

She didn’t waste time asking what I meant.
There was no room for hesitation.

The next moment, I was launched into the air.
Jung Hayoung had thrown me.

The combination of a hunter’s strength and the inertia from 《Hyper Acceleration》 coming to an abrupt halt.

To exaggerate, I had become a human jet.

The wall of human wheels had already risen to my eye level.

But,

‘We’ were one step ahead.

──Shaaang!

The Dawnblade tore through the air.

The agonized cries were deafening.
Amid the spray of blood and scattered flesh, the pitch-black figure came into view.

It was entirely shrouded in shadow.

A body and wings reminiscent of a mantis.

Scythe-like forelegs.

The revulsion it inspired was beyond words.

Its hind legs were shaped like human hands and feet…

And its face… I lacked the courage to describe it.

「…HIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHI…」

The creature stared at me with countless bug eyes—each an unnerving cluster of human pupils, packed tightly together.

In that instant, I was certain.

This was the boss.

=====

[■■■■■, ■■■■■, ■■■■□]

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Above its head.

A name and a health bar appeared.

Perhaps due to Shin Taeup’s fire attack, one segment of its health was already gone.

Here we go.

I spun my body midair like a top.

“Haahhhhh!”

The Dawnblade swept through the air, tracing a golden arc.

It clashed with the scythe-like forelimbs, scattering sparks.

The hunt had begun.

If I could take this thing down,

I could save everyone here.

Chaang!

A crisp metallic sound.

The blade burned crimson.

「HIAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHAAA!」

Chara-Tebil let out a scream and staggered.

I didn’t miss the opportunity and spun in the air, landing behind it.

This was it.

A good position to fight.

Behind me, Shin Taeup’s flames surged like a barrier.

The lighting was secured, and I didn’t have to worry about being ambushed by shadows or human wheels.

I caught my breath.

Even just facing it, the overwhelming presence bore down on me.
Every joint in my body creaked under the pressure.

Before I could even fully recover, the fight resumed.

「HIHAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

Chara-Tebil charged with terrifying speed.

In the blink of an eye, it was in front of me, slashing its scythe at my neck.

──Chaaang!

It was a hair’s breadth away.

If I hadn’t raised the Dawnblade at that exact moment, I would’ve been dead.

Clang, clang, clang!

A relentless storm of attacks followed.

I deflected, rolled, dodged, retreated, and advanced.

At first, we exchanged dozens of blows, sparks flying with each clash, but soon I began to falter.

This thing… it was insane.

Every strike felt like it could crush the bones in my wrist.
The power and speed left no room to counterattack.

But.

I had prepared a few trump cards, knowing its abyssal nature and large size.

The combat memory from 《Sacred Fire Succession》 had provided advice.

Deflect its offensive to create an opening.
Its scythe came at me again.

Just as it was about to collide with the Dawnblade, I twisted my blade and redirected the attack.

Shaaa!

The scythe narrowly grazed past my shoulder.

The sharp sound of air being torn chilled me to the bone.

The blade left a crater-like gash in the platform floor.

The creature smirked mockingly.

「…HIHIHIHIHEEEEEE…….」

But everything was going according to plan.

Its forelimb was lodged in the ground, unable to pull free.

This was the opening.

As I charged straight at its massive body, it counterattacked with its other forelimb.

Should I block it? No.

I pushed forward.

Kagakagakak!

The Dawnblade ground against the scythe, sending sparks flying.

The light attribute of my weapon was the natural enemy of its abyssal attribute.

As expected, the area where my blade passed turned bright red with heat.
Chara-Tebil let out an ear-splitting scream.

Now was the time.

A chance to land a decisive blow.

I kicked off the ground and leapt, gripping my sword with both hands.

Just before the tip of my blade reached its body──

──Huh?

Where did it go?

As confusion set in, the lights dimmed.

No, the lights hadn’t dimmed.

A massive presence had blocked the flames, casting a shadow between me and the barrier.

…Damn.

I realized too late what had happened.

Its scythe was already slashing at my side.

Sssshk, the sound of armor and flesh being torn.

Clang, the crash of metal.

Agonizing pain consumed my body as the Dawnblade flew upward and I was hurled into the air.

How did this happen?

I rolled across the floor several times, coughing up clotted blood as the situation became clear.

This thing…

It had slipped into the shadows.

Just as it hid in the torch’s shadow earlier.

The moment I passed, it emerged again and struck from behind.

“Haah… Haah… Damn it…”

My head spun.

Blood poured endlessly from the deep wound in my side.

If the combat memory hadn’t instinctively deflected its scythe with the Dawnblade, I’d be dead already.

The only fortunate thing was that the human wheels didn’t attack, as if wary of the boss.

「…HIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…….」

Chara-Tebil let out a scream that sounded like a woman’s climax.

It slowly, but deliberately, approached me.

The Dawnblade.

Where was the Dawnblade?

It was lodged in the ground between me and Chara-Tebil.

I crawled toward it.

Somehow, I managed to grasp the hilt, using it as a cane to force my battered body upright.

──Kaaang!

Another vicious blow hurled me into the air.
This happened three, maybe four times.

Each time, I crawled back to the Dawnblade.

Even as my mind raced.

Even as the sensation drained from my body.

I gripped the hilt and forced my dying body to stand again.

Had I underestimated it?

No, I had known from the start that the odds were against me.
So why did I keep getting back up?

「Ssssshsss…….」

Chara-Tebil made an eerie sound, toying with me.

「What… what Ssssshh… folly is this…….」

Its insect-like hissing conveyed its meaning clearly.

Was this another transcendental power?

「Arrogant fool… Do you dare Ssshhss… challenge me, believing you can win?」

I pointed my trembling sword at it.

And with blood-stained lips, I spoke.

Perhaps, it wasn’t an answer for the creature but a response to my own question.

“I’m not fighting because I think I can win…”

My voice quavered, as did the sword in my hand.

With a fractured wrist, even holding the blade was a struggle.

But I didn’t let go.

“I’m fighting because… because I have to fight you here and now…”

By not letting go of the sword, I wanted to say.

“If I don’t bring you down… I can’t save everyone.”

You may destroy a human’s flesh.

“…But you’ll never break a human’s spirit, you bastard.”

「HIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

Chara-Tebil laughed maniacally.

At the same time, it raised its terrifyingly sharp scythe overhead.

「That folly… Ssshsss… is what I call arrogance, you fool…….」

Sshhhiiing!

I…

I, Kim Baekjun, would never bow.

I stared it down and tried to move my body once more.

[《Sacred Fire Succession》: Humanity stat increased by 450.]

Humanity: 228 → 678

Brilliant strings of radiant text unfolded before my eyes.

[《Sacred Fire Succession》: Inheritance Progress Improved (5% → 10%)]

Combat memory synchronization: 5% → 10%

Physical ability synchronization: 5% → 10%

Unique Skill 《First Liberation: Morning Light, Dawnblade》 acquired.

[Unique Skill 《First Liberation: Morning Light, Dawnblade》 is activated!]

The Dawnblade began to blaze more brilliantly than ever before.