Chapter 442: Proof of Existence(30)

0% It was a night so quiet that not even the sounds of birds could be heard.

The group, having approached the cabin under the cover of darkness, quieted their breathing. Upon closer observation, numerous suspicious details became apparent.

First, the signs of human presence around the cabin were unusually scarce.

It wasn’t that the presence of humans had become faint; rather, all the merchants who were around the cabin had vanished.

At best, there were only a handful of mercenaries standing guard while yawning.

It was unlikely that dozens of people had simply left the area; if they had, we would have surely spotted them long ago.

The only possibility lay in that ‘cabin’.

That tiny cabin had swallowed all the merchants whole. It was the only theory left that made sense.

Naturally, it was ridiculous.

I quietly held my breath and put my ear to the ground. By closing my eyes and focusing on my hearing, I soon began to catch faint sounds of wind.

The attention of the group naturally focused on me. Deliberately using only the movement of my lips, I communicated with them.

There’s a basement.

No further conversation was necessary.

After our silent agreement, we all nodded.After each of us designated a mercenary to deal with a glance, four figures shot forward, kicking off the ground.

Ugh, Argh, Guk!

The crackling sound of someone being electrocuted followed.

Another mercenary, who was struck on the back of the neck with the pommel of a sword, couldn’t even scream properly. He just rolled his eyes back and collapsed face-first.

It was the same for the mercenaries handled by Yuren and Celine.

The mercenary who was directly hit by Senior Elsie’s lightning almost managed to scream, but the current that invaded even his tongue completely blocked his airway.

The surprising thing was that Celine’s performance was better than expected.

She was originally someone who relied on power rather than speed. Naturally, I had considered the possibility that she might not be able to subdue her target in one go, but she accomplished her task without even drawing her axe.

When her elbow struck his solar plexus, the mercenary’s expression looked as if he would vomit blood.

She was improving at an astonishing rate. If she continued to do well, she might be able to reach greater heights.

It depended on her effort.

Only after dealing with the mercenaries around the cabin did we dust off our hands and regain our voices.

“That was surprisingly easy?”

“Be careful, Senior Elsie.”

Because this was just the beginning.

Since that was something everyone knew without me saying it, I walked steadily to the front of the cabin door.

Naturally, Yuren and Celine positioned themselves on either side of me, while Senior Elsie guarded the rear.

I suppressed a hollow laugh.

It was clearly a formation prepared for battle. Deep down, everyone realized it.

The fact that once we opened this cabin, there would be no turning back.

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.

Fragments of memory drifted through my mind.

I recalled the first attack by the faceless assailants. It was a somewhat unexpected event at the time.

Why had the demonic beasts become so ferocious on that particular day?

And why did they target Ria instead of the figures from the Holy Nation?

Ria had clung to me while crying at that time. It was understandable after surviving a near-death experience.

With a thunderous bang, my kick satisfyingly shattered the cabin door.

A cloud of dust rose along with the wooden splinters. The scene that appeared before our eyes was of merchants resting, eating snacks and drinking tea.

Their attention was focused on me.

It was no surprise, considering I had entered the cabin while clapping my hands.

I tried to smile as harmlessly as possible.

“Is there anyone here who has no connection with the Dark Order whatsoever?”

Blink, blink.

The merchants, who had been staring at me blankly, repeatedly opened and closed their eyelids. Among them, many exchanged puzzle glances.

That was why I provoked them again.

“……Try saying ‘Delpirem is a fucking son of a bitch.'”

Then, silence followed.

The heads of the stunned merchants tilted in unison. The sight of dozens of pairs of eyes moving simultaneously gave me a sense of deja vu.

The merchants remained silent for a while, and then…

“Kuaah, Kiheeeeeeeeek!”

They screamed, their eyes turning red.

Suddenly, all the merchants stood up. There was no reason to wait any longer.

With a thwack, a flash of light shot through the air.

It was a hatchet.

Its straight trajectory caused it to embed itself into the forehead of the leading merchant. Blood sprayed into the air like a trumpet announcing the start of war.

Of course, this was just the beginning.

The silver hatchet’s edge reflected the lamplight as it danced in the air. Following that, the shadows of two knights charged forward, kicking off from the ground.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

Every time the hand axe twisted its trajectory like a swallow, blood splattered, and I sprinted through the gaps it created. Countless silver lines were etched onto the body of one of the merchants blocking my way.

It happened in an instant.

With just one flash of Yuren’s sword, the merchant’s body was scattered after being cut into pieces. Additionally, the axe that Celine swung with all her might severed the upper bodies of two other merchants.

It was a strike that felt no resistance whatsoever.

Thud!

The battle axe embedded in the wall caused a strong shockwave. From the vibrating cabin ceiling, dust rained down.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaak!”

Screams erupted everywhere like fireworks. Blue lightning bounced between the merchants, emitting a burnt smell. it was enough for me to just occasionally slash through the chest of any remaining enemy.

Kicking with my feet, slashing with my sword.

With every step I took, blood and lightning ravaged the area. A merchant with his chest pierced by Yurien’s sword would choke and vomit blood, or another would be split in half from the crown of his head by Celene’s battle axe.

Amidst that festival of blood and flesh, I traced my memories.

It was the day I had dueled the Archmage.

That day, I saw an unfamiliar scenery. A path I must someday take, a boundary I wanted to split open.

And then, I caught a scent.

The fishy smell of blood, the distinctive stench of the Dark Order.

Time gradually slowed down.

Before I knew it, my sword was tearing through the time lag and butchering flesh. The tip of my blade pierced through a solar plexus without even making a sound, and the merchant’s eyes widened with resentment and shock.

Another merchant was already closing in behind him.

With a squish, an arm shot out–ramming straight through the chest of the now-deceased merchant. In that same breath, my empty hand snatched the hatchet flying through the air.

That was the last one.

Bright red brain matter scattered across the room along with skull fragments.

Twisting my body to narrowly avoid the arm, I finally slammed my weight into the corpse without hesitation. Drenched in a fountain of blood, I shoved the two corpses away at once.

Crash!

Startled by the corpses that suddenly fell, three merchants rushing toward me jumped up in surprise. A beastly shadow instantly pounced on one of them.

It was Yuren.

Unable to withstand the sheer momentum, the merchant’s body slid back and fell.Then, without a moment’s hesitation, Yuren reversed his grip on his sword and drove it straight through one of the merchant’s throats.

Simultaneously, a hatchet was thrown, drawing a diagonal line of light.

The body of a merchant struck on the side by the hatchet’s edge was split in half and scattered. And the remaining one didn’t even require my attention.

Because a girl who had suddenly flown in from somewhere crushed his entire body with a bang.

Celine, now soaked in blood, was blooming with a radiant smile.

“Phew, it’s over now!”

As if on cue, the hatchet returned to my hand with a snap.The carnage created by three knights was utterly brutal.

Severed limbs floated atop streams of blood. It was rare to find a corpse that had escaped instant death.

A whistle of admiration slipped out from Senior Elsie’s lips.

“Looks like I don’t even need to step in?”

“It’s too early to relax. We still have to deal with whatevers underground.”

At my banter, Yuren scratched his head with an annoyed expression. He was making it blatantly obvious that he had zero desire to go underground.

“Ian, haven’t we done enough? Can’t we head back now? Nobody knows what kind of monster could be lurking down there.”

Of course, it was a futile plea.

I’d already found the hidden passage tucked behind a bookshelf and a long staircase soon greeted us in the darkness.

The light from a torch illuminated the way.

With each step down the stairs, memories clawed at my mind.

My little sister–Ria.

She had been timid since childhood. When we first met, she was so reluctant to open up that she constantly gauged my reactions daily.

Due to her sensitive nature, even a single fright would leave her shaking for days.

Several scenes passed through my mind in succession.

Ria, smiling brightly at the mention of money and kissing my cheek.

Ria, trembling on the ground before the masked assailant.

And Ria, laughing and chatting with the merchants in the city.

“……Ian?”

I snapped back to reality at the quiet call.

Yuren was looking at me with a worried expression. Of course, Senior Elsie and Celine were as well.

“You okay?”

I wanted to answer immediately with, ‘Of course,’ but…

For a moment, the words were caught in my throat. However, the hesitation didn’t last long.

Soon, a bitter smile formed on my lips.

“…..Of course, you fool.”

Yuren silently withdrew his hand. We were already almost at the bottom of the staircase.

Just as a heavy silence began to settle between us–

“Kyaaaaaaaaaah!”

A scream burst out from somewhere. It was clearly a sound originating from the place we were heading towards.

My gaze met Yuren’s. After nodding to each other, we rushed down the remaining steps. A surprisingly vast space had been created in this deep underground area.

On the ceiling, a blood-red sphere reminiscent of the sun asserted its presence.

Along with unidentified children, one pale-faced girl was sprawled on the ground. She was the child who was supposed to be adopted through the arrangement of the Shylock Trading Company.

Another girl was crouching and trembling in place.

Fear was vivid in her golden eyes. Following her gaze stood a man with his hands behind his back, facing away.

Perry Quartz.

The man we’d been chasing.