Chapter 29

["... A Philosopher’s Stone?"]

True to his standing as an archmage, Ratan recognized the stone in Woojin’s hand at once.

"That's right. Then you know what I can do with it!"

WHOOOOSH!!!

As he crushed the stone, white smoke began billowing furiously from it, as though heat had been packed inside.

'Please...!!'

It had to summon something useful.

With apprehension in his eyes, Woojin stared at the [Philosopher’s Stone], now reduced to ash.

THUD.

When the smoke cleared, a massive knight stood before him. It looked a full two meters tall. Holding a round shield in one hand and a thick halberd in the other, the knight swung its weapon at Ratan.

KABOOM!!!

Even at a glance, it was a weighty blow. Ratan’s tentacles burst into pieces beneath the Guardian’s halberd.

["Guh...?!"]

Apparently startled by the unexpected blow, Ratan hastily retreated.

"Hooo..."

Drawing the deepest breath he could, Woojin hid behind the Guardian, then darted toward Ratan’s back as the monster reeled away.

PAT-PAT-PAT!!

His figure faded, leaving an afterimage. [Presence] had activated.

'Now.'

As though connected to Woojin’s thoughts, the Guardian raised its shield and hurled itself at Ratan.

CRUNCH!!

The instant the Guardian drew Ratan’s attention, Woojin drove his sword into the monster’s back with all his strength.

ZZZT...! ZZZZZT...!!

Electricity poured from the blade, surging straight through Ratan’s body.

"... Huh?"

It happened then. As if to prove he was no longer human, Ratan twisted his neck a full 180 degrees and looked down at Woojin behind him.

Woojin sensed something strange in the monster’s gaze.

"Ghack!"

Red blood spurted from Woojin’s nose and mouth.

'Why...?'

He was the one who had attacked...

Just then, something came back to him: a post someone had uploaded to the community forums, which he had scoured for any possible solution during the dozens of days he had spent trapped in the game.

It contained information about the major NPCs in [Evil Tale]. Ratan Gray had been among them.

Head of the [Red Tower].

▶ An archmage who distinguished himself in the great war known as the Night of the New Moon and united the continent’s three great magical societies.

▶ Achieved a major victory during the great war by creating an unprecedented spell called [Blood Balance].

[Blood Balance] was a debuff spell. Whenever the caster was attacked, a designated target took a portion of the damage in their place.

At the time, he had read it and moved on without much thought...

'Being on the receiving end fucking sucks... Damn it.'

Perhaps because he had lost too much blood at once, Ratan seemed to blur into dozens of overlapping images before him.

CRUNCH.

The Guardian stepped in front of Woojin.

CRAAACK!!

A moment later, Ratan’s tentacles crumpled its shield in a single strike.

BANG! BANG!! CRASH!!!

Tentacles extended from Ratan’s body and began battering the Guardian. Under the indiscriminate onslaught, the shield it had raised to protect Woojin was shredded in moments.

THWACK!!!

The shield flew away, and the tentacles seized the opening, piercing the Guardian all over.

The difference in physical strength was overwhelming.

TAP.

Ratan placed a hand against the Guardian’s chest, and flames erupted—flames as black as pitch.

And he had magic, too.

With its armor half melted, the Guardian shuddered as though in agony.

"This is insane..."

CRUNCH!!!

Ratan stamped on the Guardian’s head, crushing its helmet with a dull crunch. The Guardian stopped moving.

Looking down at its limp, seemingly lifeless form, Ratan sneered at Woojin.

["Not much of a trump card."]

He kicked the shattered helmet aside and slowly approached Woojin.

"You monstrous bastard."

How much time had passed? It felt like an eternity, but perhaps it had only been a few minutes.

Could he hold out?

Woojin swallowed, turned his eyes away from the fallen Guardian, and gripped his sword.

There was nothing to debate. If he couldn't hold out... he would die.

"Damn it. I didn't want to use this."

Dark red energy surged around Woojin’s entire body.

"Aaaaaaagh!!!"

The ancient orc’s soul began filling his mind.

["Fight... Fight...!!!"]

As his vision turned red, unbearable rage began boiling within him. Madness welled up.

CRRRACK.

His muscles twisted unnaturally as he launched himself at Ratan with tremendous speed.

* * *

His mind was utterly blank.

'What's that?'

Woojin turned his head and looked at his shoulder through his blurred vision. Something that should have been below his left shoulder was missing.

'... My arm?'

Every time he swung his sword, he had felt strangely off balance... That must have been why.

THWACK!!

Suddenly, Woojin’s head snapped back. Like something out of a comic, both his legs swung into the air, and he slammed straight down.

"Gah!!!"

Perhaps he had no blood left to cough up; only a ragged breath escaped him as he fell. Lake water rushed into his nose and mouth.

"Ah... Uh... Uhh... Ah..."

His mouth wouldn't move properly. He flailed, letting out a strange, broken scream.

SWISH!!

Ratan’s tentacle stabbed into his thigh.

SWISH! SWISH-SWISH!!

Sharp tentacles rained down from above the water, piercing his arm, shoulder, and flank.

'... Ah.'

Each time a tentacle pierced him, his body jerked upward. The arm with which he had struggled so desperately lost its strength and dropped.

'I'm sleepy.'

His eyelids felt heavier than the sword he had swung so wildly.

'What am I doing here? I...'

He wanted to go home. He had piles of paperwork to deal with and a contract to finalize...

Was his mother doing well? His youngest sibling’s college entrance exam was coming up soon...

Memories flashed past like his life passing before his eyes.

GRIND.

Woojin clenched his teeth hard enough to crumble them.

'What am I doing...?!'

To get home...

'That's why I'm doing this!!!'

SPLASH!!!

He kicked off the lake bed with all his strength and burst above the surface.

THWACK!!

Ratan’s tentacle pierced his shoulder.

"Aaaaaagh!!!"

His sword fell to the ground. Even his one remaining arm hung limp and useless.

CRUNCH!!!

Yet he did not slow down. Instead, he charged straight into Ratan.

["...?!"]

For the first time, Ratan looked flustered by his reckless assault.

CRRACK...!!

Wrapping both legs around Ratan’s waist, Woojin barely managed to fling his powerless arm up and around the monster’s neck.

["Aaaaaagh!!!"]

Clinging to Ratan’s back, Woojin bit into the nape of his neck with all his strength.

The stench of rotting flesh was enough to make him gag. Yet he tore into the monster’s flesh with his teeth again and again.

["You madman!!!!"]

Ratan frantically tried to pry Woojin off.

KRA-KA-KA-BOOM!!!

Just then, an arrow roared across the lake’s surface and struck Ratan squarely in the head.

["... Gah!!!"]

The force of the impact sent Ratan flying backward.

BOOM! BOOM!!

KABOOM!!!

Lightning struck his head. At the same time, wind spirits swooped in and severed both his arms.

["Aaaaaagh!!"]

The power was utterly overwhelming.

Even through his hazy consciousness, he heard it clearly.

BOOM!!

KRA-KA-KA-BOOM!!

The thunderous roar of the arrows, and...

["Guh... Gah..."]

Ratan’s groans.

"Hah... Hah..."

Clenching his hand, Woojin hauled himself upright again. Then he fumbled for the sword lying on the ground and picked it up.

"Are you crazy?! Stay where you are!!!"

Seeing him, Irurin shouted in alarm. Despite her cries, Woojin began walking.

It wasn't because of the ancient orc’s madness ringing through his mind.

His foot came down firmly. He raised his sword over the fallen Ratan.

"I..."

As though making a vow to himself, Woojin spoke from deep within his chest.

"I will survive. No matter what."

CRUNCH!!

Like a nail being driven home, Woojin’s sword plunged vertically into Ratan’s neck.

SLICE.

He drew the embedded blade sideways, cleanly severing the monster’s head. At the same moment, his own body collapsed, as though he had spent everything he had.

"... Khan!!!!"

Someone caught him as he fell.

There was a scent of grass.

* * *

He opened his eyes.

Woojin stared blankly at an unfamiliar ceiling.

'I didn't die...?'

"... Ugh."

He tried to sit up, but it felt as though every bone in his body had shattered into pieces. The pain left him unable to move.

He barely managed to turn his head, revealing unfamiliar surroundings. Preserved corpses mounted here and there on the walls told him he was still inside Lake Darin.

"Are you awake?"

Noticing his attempt to sit up, Goun hurried over to support him.

"... What happened?"

"Everything worked out. I got my revenge, and Lady Ruen’s treatment is complete."

Irurin spoke from beside Goun.

"... Really?"

Woojin clicked his tongue at her reply.

"Looks like I'm the only one who lost out."

Remembering the broken cross and the shattered Guardian, Woojin gave a wry chuckle.

"Isn't staying alive enough? You shouldn't push yourself right now. We only just reattached your severed arm."

"My arm? Oh... Right."

Woojin lifted the arm that had been cut off. He moved it this way and that and flexed his fingers. Fortunately, nothing felt out of place.

"Nice work."

The wound on his arm had healed, but the memory remained vivid. As the battle with Ratan came back to him, Woojin shuddered involuntarily.

'Right. It's a miracle I'm even alive.'

Perhaps expecting a reward on top of that was asking too much.

"It wasn't my skill. We got lucky. We found a hidden storeroom beneath the laboratory."

"A storeroom?"

"Yes. That's where we are now. It seems to be where my teacher and Zion Muren kept the magical implements they used for their dark magic research."

She pointed to a small glass vial.

"Luckily, there was some elixir, too. Of course, it's been diluted about ten thousandfold... but reattaching a severed arm is no problem."

"... Elixir?"

Woojin slowly raised his head and surveyed his surroundings. Just as she had said, unfamiliar chests sat beneath the preserved corpses.

"So those are all Ratan’s magical implements?"

"Yes."

At that moment, Woojin’s eyes lit up.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

As he stood up, Goun spoke in a worried voice.

"I'm fine. A moment ago, it hurt so much I thought I'd die, but now I feel perfectly well."

"What?"

If wanting a reward was greedy...

No, hell, what was wrong with being a little greedy? Not after all the shit he'd been through.

CLICK.

Woojin opened the chest.