Chapter 59 – Witch’s Forest (3)

‘She certainly has a good voice. Is it because she is a monster?’ Belloc’s eyes pierced through the darkness once again.

A shriveled old crone, whose bulk was likely two meters tall, was clutching one eye and shouting something. Her voice was loud enough to be heard clearly by the party.

“Arrrrgh! You bastard whose guts I’ll rip out and kill! A stone? Did you just throw a stone at me?!”

The old crone, whose eyeball had exploded, shrieked while dripping fluid. Along with the physical pain, the mental shock seemed to be great as well.

The fact that what pierced her shield was not a special relic or a mage’s spell, but a mere stone.

In return for the old crone’s curses, Belloc flicked his hand once more. Along with a beam of light, the sound of tearing air rang out, but a soldier from the expedition who blocked the path in front at just the right timing took the hit instead. ‘A pity.’

Thud!

On top of the corpse of the soldier with his head split, that spider leg stuck out.

The crone did not miss that gap. In a raspy voice, she chanted a bizarre spell. At that, the heads of the expedition members trembled, and one by one, they cracked open with thuds. Some had their bellies or backs split open with tears.

The humans who were being parasitized by the monsters screamed. Soon, those screams turned into the monsters’ shrieks. Because they did not intend to hide their appearances under the shells anymore.

Kweeeeek

Dozens of spider-humans revealed themselves under the moonlit night. Seeing this, Kara was startled and swung her staff frantically.

“Don’t come! I said don’t come!”

“You idiot! Cast a spell!”

Adel slapped Kara’s forearm. Once again, letting out a sharp cry, Kara shed a tear. Soon, perhaps regaining her senses, she shook her head and chanted a spell.

Adel stood in front of her. A flying black line bounced off her shield. It was a bolt from a crossbow fired by a spider-human.

“They even use weapons?”

At the same time Adel gritted her teeth, they swept in from all directions.

The one at the absolute front crawled using its spider legs. The human corpse hanging on top struggled and swung a weapon. ‘A novel bastard.’

Belloc, who was watching, swung his sword down. The beast tried to evade by bouncing its legs like springs. However, his sword was faster. Light flashed, and the monster was cut in half.

Leaving behind the rising dirt and leaves, Belloc examined the corpse of the monster.

Beneath the sliced human body, a spider corpse as large as a human head was also contained. Inside it, white eggs stained bright red could also be seen. ‘Shit.’ Belloc felt his stomach turn for the first time in a while and dashed forward.

It was to secure space to swing his greatsword. For he could only finish off that monster like a witch hiding in the forest after first dealing with the bastards surrounding them.

Kweeeeek

The spider-humans crowded toward Belloc as their priority. They intended to catch the prey that was isolated from the group first. Four spider-humans lunged. One ran, and three crawled. The running one mumbled with its mouth and spewed out thread.

Judging by its shooting momentum and sticky viscosity, it seemed he would not be in a good state if hit.

Belloc thought about dodging, but recalling his companions fighting in the back, he rotated his blade and blocked the thread with the flat of the sword. The four pairs of eyes on the spider head drew arcs. It seemed to be sneering.

“Are you laughing?”

Smiling back, Belloc swung down the sword wrapped in threads. The monster was sliced to pieces with its laughing face intact. It did not matter whether the blade was sharp or blunt. This sword held in his hand was already a weapon by its weight alone.

Silencing the arrogant monster, Belloc lowered his posture fully and spun his body. A storm swept, and arrows bounced off. The lunging spider-humans were also crushed with thuds.

The corpses fell in heaps, and a few surviving spiders wriggled and escaped from the hosts’ bodies. The moment they were about to lunge, a huge shadow fell.

Kieeek?

Four pairs of eyes turned upward. Under the red moonlight, steel boots engraved with a bizarre pattern were falling. Along with a crunching sound, body fluid squirted out, and the monster’s thoughts cut off.

Belloc rubbed his boots hard on the dirt ground and shook his sword with a flick. He turned his head.

The monsters did not lunge at him anymore. Instead, they were attacking the flames like flying moths.

“O Helena!”

Adel, who drove her sword into the ground, was emitting holy power. It was a shield of flames. Acrid smoke rose, and sparks flew here and there.

Kara, standing beside her, used a spell while extending one hand. A violet beam was shot and clashed with the green smoke coming out of the forest.

Sparks crackled, and the green smoke also billowed as if exploding. It was a duel of spells. Kara’s gaze turned toward Belloc. Perhaps because she was emitting an arcane beam from her hand, her face was of a strange color. She gestured with her eyes toward the forest.

It could mean that if he followed the smoke, the witch who was the caster of the spell would be there, or it could mean to stop staring blankly and do something. In Belloc’s mind, it was clearly the latter. Because her face was crumpled. So, clutching his sword tightly, he ran forward quickly.

Before entering the forest, a monster blocked the front. It was that mushroom monster.

It must have come because its eyes were sold to the party’s flashy play of fire. Before he could swing his sword, the sound of tearing wind echoed.

Swish!

The beast, with a hole pierced with a thud, struggled after being stuck in a tree. Belloc did not look back. Because his five senses painted the elf archer who fired the crossbow standing in the back.

‘Where on earth did she get that? Did she pick it up?’ Isabel, who smirked, waved her hand, and Belloc submerged into the darkness.

Thud, thud, thud

Twigs stepped on by steel boots snapped. Trees and bushes shook violently. The Black Knight ran forward simple-mindedly without hiding his presence. When the noisy clattering sound echoed, the host of the party also seemed to have noticed it.

The smoke that was being shot from the forest went out with a fizzle. Soon, the raspy sound of a spell echoed again. Belloc had no intention of leaving it be. With the momentum of running, he swept the ground once and threw it.

Several beams shot like arrows. The sound of the spell stopped. The sound of flesh being crushed with thuds was also heard. However, Belloc clicked his tongue. The thrown stones only punched holes in the bodies of the monsters lined up in front of the old crone.

‘Right, you prepared meat shields. Should I be satisfied with stopping the spell?’ Originally, a secret weapon exerted its effect greatly when the opponent did not know about it. As if agreeing with this, his crest armor also glowed faintly.

As he was running, he suddenly stopped. It was because a wide clearing appeared. There was a bonfire lit, a bubbling pot, the witch with one eyeball exploded, and monsters. The crone growled. Her few remaining teeth were loosely set in her gums.

“Right, you fucking knight. Where did you sell your companions? Don’t tell me you came alone?”

“If so, what are you going to do?”

The old woman’s single eye stared at the solitary Belloc and the forest where flames rose. The crone, who had been distorted in anger, suddenly smiled.

“Just because you have some strength and swordsmanship, you do not know how high the sky is. That arrogance will strangle your neck.”

‘Well, I don’t know who is the foolish one.’ Belloc chuckled, spread his feet, and raised his sword. Tightening his thighs as well, he took a posture to spring forward at any moment. He said.

“I think I alone am enough.”

“Giggle, giggle. You lunatic.”

Smirking, the crone gestured. Dozens of monsters blocked the front of her. Soon, before chanting a spell, she added a word.

“How can a fellow like you, who is neither a paladin nor a mage, endure against a spell? I will cut off your limbs and chew them up!”

Raising her crooked staff, the crone chanted a spell in a loud and clear voice. Using that as a starting point, the monsters around the crone also rushed toward the human knight. The ground rumbled, and terrible shrieks swept in from all directions.

Belloc tilted his head and dashed forward. Soon, he focused his five senses. The world slowed down, and his sword flashed without fail.

A giant spider, the size of several people combined, was sliced open. Leaving behind the pouring organs and blood, Belloc stepped on its corpse and leaped high.

That specter tree swung its branches. It felt as if a huge wind was blowing. He swung his sword in midair. Although it was an unbelievable art, the monster was shredded in an instant. Along with the falling firewood, Belloc landed on the ground with a thud. A deep furrow was gouged out. He did not stop. He moved incessantly.

Dodging by a step the monster trying to crush him with its body, he swung his sword down. Blocking the lunging monster’s teeth with the flat of his sword, he struck it as it was.

Sparks and flesh scattered, and blurred trajectories swept in endlessly.

Under the ominous moonlight, the Black Knight continued to fight like that. He dodged, blocked, countered, stabbed, and slashed. It did not take much time before a blood storm rose in the air and dozens of monsters collapsed.

“What on earth…”

The crone twitched her single eye. It was because the combat power of the man in front of her far exceeded her expectations. It was to the extent that fear rose. However… the crone smirked. Because the spell was complete. And it was the most powerful spell among those she knew. Raising her staff, she shouted.

“In His name, I command! Strike down!”

The staff was swung as if smashing the ground. The dark red sky rumbled, and a noisy sound echoed. Soon, the surroundings flashed, and a huge bolt of lightning struck down. The target was, of course, the knight who was driving his sword into the monster’s chest.

Along with a ringing sound in her ears, a pure white afterimage blocked the crone’s field of vision. She enjoyed the current clamor without erasing the smile from her mouth. Because in a little while, only a pile of black ashes would be in front of her. And when she opened her eyes, the crone’s single eye widened at the sight revealed.

“W-what is it? Just how did you…?”

The man was fine. Moreover, he didn’t receive a single wound. No way… The spell was definitely… At that moment, there was something that caught the crone’s gaze. It was the armor the man was wearing. A bizarre pattern flashed and emitted an unknown power. The old crone, who was a mage, recognized it at once. ‘It absorbs spells? Nonsense.’

“What is th… ugh.”

The crone tried to say something. Her Adam’s apple moved, and she revealed her hideous teeth again. Not wanting to see that, Belloc swung his sword down. Leaving a thin line, the crone split open and rolled on the ground. The Great Demon’s gardener, the human-eating monster, the old witch who tamed the ghouls to mock the expedition died just like that.

Belloc shook his sword to flick off the blood and flesh, and stuck it into the ground. Then, leaning against it, he fell into thought.

He was equally surprised. By the power of the spell that suddenly dropped lightning, and the performance of this armor that blocked it. He shook his hands and carefully touched the armor. ‘This is damn cheat-like.’

Once this matter was over, he felt he should compensate Kara properly. What should he give her? Since she was a mage, would she like magic tools? Or since she was also a woman… jewelry-embedded accessories or clothing would also be fine.

Belloc chuckled. It was because he felt unfamiliar with himself having such thoughts in a basket of monsters’ corpses. ‘I’ve become a person of this place now.’

Ending his brief thoughts, he checked his status. It was because he had leveled up after catching the crone and the monsters. Soon, he was startled. Not only had all his stats increased by one, but his skill levels had also risen by one stage. ‘What on earth is this?’

His body had become even more powerful, and his senses had also become sharp like awls. It was definitely a good thing. However, Belloc felt uncomfortable. Because before he fell into this world, when he only experienced it through a monitor, he had never experienced anything like this. It was, so to speak, the fear of the unknown.

‘Does raising the difficulty give you more rewards? No, is this really the game I used to know in the first place? If I just kill the Great Demon as the Goddess foretold, will the clue to return home really open?’

‘Was I truly a modern person?’ The anxiety that bit its own tail continued. It was an emotion he had never felt since entering this body, even when facing any monster or demon. At that moment, voices were heard from behind.

“Lord Belloc!”

“Why are you spacing out?”

“Are you okay?”

Belloc turned his head. Helena’s paladin, the red-haired witch, and the liar elf were approaching. Every single one of them had a gruesome appearance soaked in blood, but Belloc felt the agitation that had risen in his heart gently subside.

Why was that? Because they were companions he could entrust his back to? Because they felt like real, living people rather than a chunk of polygons? If so, then perhaps this world too… No, in the end, it was important that he had become stronger. Since he was guaranteed the certainty of survival.

Belloc stopped thinking. Moving his hand slightly, he clicked up his visor. After looking at his companions for a moment, he spoke. It was a dry voice as usual.

“Everyone worked hard.”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Adel approached and examined his body with a cautious touch, and Kara smirked while looking at the charred corpses of the monsters and the astonished eye of the old crone.

“How is it? Amazing, right? That armor. It is truly a product like the natural enemy of mages. It would block anything unless it’s a meteor summoning spell.”

Belloc readily nodded.

“If there is something you want later, tell me. I will get it for you as long as it is within my reach.”

“Really?”

Kara’s eyes shone, and Adel looked at her with an envious expression. Kara laughed arrogantly, enjoying that gaze, but when the corners of Adel’s eyes grew increasingly fierce, she quickly lowered her eyes. At that moment, Isabel spoke.

“Everyone, come and look at this.”