I Killed an Academy Player - Chapter 77
[Hwaran (3)]
-Quit! Shut up!
A band of magic bandits running along the road. Hwaran was breathing heavily on the shaking stirrup.
On a running horse. The passing wind is cold, and my hands and feet are shaking and not moving as intended.
Perhaps as a reaction to swallowing a peach tree, my body keeps shaking every time the cold sweat rolls down and hits the wind.
“You… what are you doing?”
The words spoken out of dazed consciousness were cold as usual, but had a lukewarm tone due to lack of strength.
“I heard there was an accident while I was away. I came to rescue you.”
“…A useless thing.”
People are asking what is the meaning of doing something like this.
That’s actually true. They attacked a VIP from Boramae Academy and kidnapped an academy student.
You will be caught soon. Whether this is the will of Joséphine or Chairman Eriu or not, it is only a matter of time before Corinne and herself are caught.
“…….”
Corin was dexterously driving the horse while holding Hwaran in his arms.
At first glance, the eccentric appearance of the attack in the eyes has calmed down completely.
“If you get dragged away, it won’t look good.”
“I know.”
“That’s why I helped you. Are you dissatisfied?”
“You… have nothing to do with it.”
“If you live under one roof, it all has to do with it.”
“…….”
Hwaran did not respond to those words.
“We’ve arrived boss.”
Before you know it, you have left the city and reached the intersection that separates the road from the forest. Corin carefully carried Hwaran and got off the horse.
“As per the contract.”
“I will buy time by leaving as many traces as possible.”
Corin handed over the bag containing the gold coins to the magic bandits.
“Half the advance fee. Half the down payment.”
“It was a good deal Mr. Immortan.”
“If you get paid, live a good life. Don’t live a bad life before meeting me.”
“Yes. We usually work legally too.”
They are mercenaries arranged by the Intelligence Guild. Now they will get as far away from the city as possible to attract the attention of their pursuers.
“…Do you think that’s useful?”
“I guess the odds are half and half.”
Corin holds Hwaran’s hand and enters the forest. However, before he could go even 10 meters, Hwaran collapsed and sat down.
“You’re in bad shape since a while ago. You’re not even chained properly… What did you eat?”
“peach tree.”
“Is it a farming group? It’s going to be hard for a few days.”
It is a magic tool that is fatal to Jiangshi just by touching it. If it’s at the level of a fever, it ends up being just a simple body ache.
Hwaran is now in a worse situation than a girl her age.
Sweat pours down like rain, and my hands and feet are shaking and cannot function properly. The dignity of an absolute powerhouse is nowhere to be found.
“It’s okay. I don’t know.”
“what?”
There is no time for Hwaran to be surprised. This is because Corin suddenly started running while holding Hwaran.
──────
Hwaran was dumbfounded by that sudden act. It was running faster than the speed of a horse, but it was so cold that I couldn’t even care about my skin.
“Wait a minute…”
For Corin, someone with a small body like Hwaran can easily run while carrying her.
That doesn’t change even on unmaintained roads in the forest and dense trees where a momentary mistake can cause an accident.
“I’m going to get off. I can run…”
“Don’t be bluff. Even walking is hard. Well, you’re as light as a feather, so you don’t need to worry.”
“……”
That’s not what Hwaran is concerned about.
It is the act itself of completely entrusting one’s weight to another person.
“………….”
Several emotions were pressed into the back of my throat.
The pride of not wanting to depend on others, the common sense that you should express gratitude in times like this, and even expressions about your weight.
Wouldn’t it be better to swallow one’s pride rather than say it out loud?
I won’t realize for a long time why I strangely liked the light-as-a-feather feeling at the end.
“…It’s unpleasant.”
However, he expressed his displeasure quietly with his animal-like instincts.
“Put it on external credit.”
Corin is good at handling things like that.
-Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-tak!
The speed at which it travels through the forest has already surpassed that of a horse by two times.
Indeed an article. Even though she is rated as a first-class knight, her immediate physical strength is lower than that of Arisha, but Corin is still at the top among knights.
The distance must have been greater than that of the mercenaries who escaped on horseback from the crossroads.
This is why creatures called knights are treated as superweapons. So… what is ‘running side by side’ with Corin?
“already?!”
A black-haired chaser wearing a distinctive Taoist attire.
The sword fairy, leisurely running alongside Corin among the scattered trees, is gazing in this direction.
“It’s slow.”
“You weren’t caught!”
Just when I thought the mercenary I had thrown in as bait had failed to do its job, a sharp dagger was already flying at me.
-puck!
It hits the thrown stone like a thrown dagger. The stone with the runes engraved on it collides with the dagger at an intense speed.
“It was a secret attack. I thought he was a kinder person.”
Although this is not something the person who hit the carriage would say.
In a dizzy forest. Each person prepares a dagger and a stone with runes engraved on it, running at a speed faster than a horse’s sprint.
──! ──! ──!
──! ──! ──!
Daggers and catapults shoot out like lightning.
-Pow!
A long-distance battle exchanged while traveling through the forest. It was Corin who allowed the attack first.
“Huh…!”
Corin frowns when she sees the dagger stuck on her shoulder.
Two of the strikes were offset, but the other one missed. Even with the support of runes, the accuracy of slingshots and daggers is different.
“……are you okay?”
“I’m not the type to put poison on my dagger, so this is about…”
“Do you think it will end with just one sack?”
Countless daggers rain down from behind Kang Yu-hwa. It seems as if the sky is filled with flower rain.
The daggers controlled by Aura detect Corrin’s movement path and are fired.
Corin runs away using a tree as a wall while holding Hwaran in his arms.
A hundred raindrops pour down, even calculating their movement path.
-Papa pak!
Daggers stabbing into the humus of the giant trees of the forest. Corin, barely able to hide behind a giant tree, puts down Hwaran.
“Hold on a moment.”
“Have you stopped running away?”
With the weightless sound of stepping on humus, Yuhwa’s new form approached. Corin leaves Hwaran behind and stands in front of her.
“What…”
I don’t think I can shake it off. Corrin decided to confront her. Hwaran watched that scene with blank eyes.
* * * *
-Kang!
A ringing sword. The collision of steel with steel sparks.
The spearman holding the silver spear fires a fierce forward strike at the fairy of the sword.
Corin Locke’s spear skills are truly subversive.
From the standard spacing of the spear to a lethal swing.
They are skilled and each and every one of them is deadly. Truly a creative master. Even Hwaran could see that each technique involved painstaking repetition.
“Yuhwa…”
Hwaran gazes at the original flesh and blood of her own body. A slender girl who is one head shorter than Corrin. A sword fairy who counterattacks mercilessly barrage strikes.
‘How…’
He deflects the stabbing spear with a single blow and lightly pushes away the swinging spear pole. Every time more spears are thrown, it is Corin who retreats.
heavy.
Yuhwa, who weighs less than half of Corin’s weight, is pressing down on Corin with his sword and sword.
“Sigh…!”
Corin lets out a breath and retreats half a step further.
Hold the spear in your hand diagonally to block Yuhwa’s penetrating blow.
-phut!
Sounds like compressed air exploding. Sparks fly and Corin is pushed back as if he was thrown ten paces.
The identity of that destructive weight is the strong aura that forms on Yuhwa’s blade.
The aura, so outrageous as it can be seen, swirls wildly and throws the opponent away just by touching it.
Swordmaster.
Boramae’s strongest knight, also known as the fairy of the sword, boasts a high level of auror power.
This meant that she had an Auror Core that she had worked hard to acquire.
“You…you probably have an Auror Core, but why aren’t you using it?”
However, this also applies to Corin Locke. He actually has an Auror core twice that of Yuhwa.
The Auror Core obtained by consuming the Silver Mandragora and the Demonic Core inherited from the great hero Sevancia Duke.
“Because I got it through a trick.”
However, since it was not acquired through hard work, its uses are limited.
The silver core is a secret weapon that must be saved until the very end.
The Demonic Core is still a problem that cannot be utilized. It’s like a clogged dam, where a huge amount of aura accumulates and the stopper doesn’t open.
No, if you force it, you can open it… but it’s more like you realize something is different and you instinctively don’t open it.
Therefore, the only Aura that Corin can operate is his own pure Aura. The quality and absolute quantity of this Auror was absolutely inferior to Yuhwa, who had reached the upper level of Auror.
“Well, that’s fine. If you’re saving your strength… I’ll force it out.”
An oil painting that strikes like a thunderbolt. Corin counters this by activating his secret secret.
The three strikes of a spear that penetrates into evil spirits .
An oil painting that draws an arc like a gymnast high jumping to avoid a spear fired like a ghost. The new body shape is elegant, as if it is weightless.
“Sigh…!”
The moment Yuhwa, who caught her breath and landed lightly on the ground, took the lead behind Corin’s back—
Hoecheon-sik (廻天庌式) Hoe-ma-chang (回魔槍).
A tricky surprise attack that swings at the enemy behind your back. The very moment when the spear was about to be lifted up while digging through the humus.
-Park!
“Residual talent.”
Her right foot slams down on Chang’s neck. A spear blade that gets stuck in the ground.
“……?!”
Spleen’s surprise attack was blocked. In that case, all that remains is the defenseless back of the spearman. The lightning-like sword pierced my back.
『 』 ─ Kenaz.
At that very moment, flames erupted beneath the feet of the two men.
A rune stone that had been dropped in advance during the first exchange of attacks. Because it was activated by the silver spear.
“Tch…!”
Oil painting jumping to avoid the rising flames. Corin, who did not miss this, chased after him and fired a series of attacks.
However, Yuhwa was already preparing his big sword as soon as he landed.
────!!
A fleeting moment. A treasured sword that cuts down the head of a highly poisonous snake and the head of a dragon.
Two-faced chest death, dragon blood vessels,
dragon sword technique, grafting and Chamryonggyeok.
────?!!
The agreed upon battle lasted 1 second.
Let them collide fiercely as if they could not stop even after their deadly blows collided with each other. The waveform of the colliding aura blows the two people away.
Corin bounced on the ground and Yuhwa bounced into the air.
Corinne, barely able to avoid kneeling, looks up at the oil painting resting lightly on a tree branch that is probably less than 1cm tall.
The two people’s expressions did not hide their dissatisfaction.
It’s a deadly attack that both sides believe is victory. I guess they didn’t expect that they would cancel each other out so perfectly that they wouldn’t even scratch each other.
The swordsman and the spearman, who had unintentionally widened the gap between them, silently glared at each other. Then, in the end, it was oil painting that raised the question.
“Why are you protecting that child?”
“What do you mean? I’m a kidnapper?”
“…pun intended. I am that child’s cousin.”
“Oh, can I tell you the ransom price now? Let’s think about it if it’s 100 million platinum coins.”
Ignoring the words of the self-proclaimed kidnapper, Yuhwa continued with a distorted expression.
“That’s the monster that took my brother’s body. It’s not someone you should pity. Corin Locke.”
“…Ah, it’s the kidnapping law. It’s called Immortan.”
“Spearmasters like you aren’t common. Did you really think you could fool me?”
Corrin didn’t answer. He has no intention of admitting his identity.
“That is not a human, but a monster. It is a vicious and cruel beast. You probably don’t know about the tragedy at Wolya Castle.”
I know.
The loser of the East. A disaster that left one of the imperial castles in ruins. This is an incident where tens of thousands of people were massacred by just one person, the Dutch.
Right now, Sa Gyeok-hyeok is the victim. She lost her sister and mother, and Kang Yu-hwa lost her younger brother due to the fire that entered her cousin’s body.
“There is someone else in charge, but the subordinates are fighting in the mud.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Nothing.”
Corrin didn’t believe he could convince her here. These are just empty words with no evidence to support the information he knows through game knowledge.
“Kang Yu-hwa. Do you know that?”
“……?”
“The seals in this neighborhood are very cruel. They don’t even make a fuss by breaking each other’s stamps.”
“What is that…”
[The fastest cut, pure light.]
The energy in the form of an auror became a sharp wind and was shot out.
Yuhwa, who noticed the attack, stepped on the step and ran, but what the sharp wind was targeting from the beginning was the tree branch that served as her step.
-Pacak!
A broken tree branch. Yuhwa landed lightly on the ground as if nothing had happened, but her expression was not good.
“……Arisha Aden.”
Candidate for successor to swordsman Aden. Arisha Aden was walking slowly.
“Very openly….”
“Ah, Arisha Arden, the general instructor of Arisha Dojo! I challenge the swordsman Kang Yu-hwa, the swordsman of Boramae!”
“what…?”
A surprising challenge to a duel. Kang Yu-hwa was at a loss for words at the blatantly blatant intention.
“Hey~ As expected, swordsmen think differently! You’re challenging a duel in a remote place like this? You’re so passionate!”
“This makes sense…”
“Chairman Kang Yu-hwa! I’ve always respected Joe! Please teach me a lesson!”
Alisha rushes in with her sword already drawn. By blocking the sword, Yu-hwa inflicts a condemnation of Tong-tong.
“You think this will work!”
“I don’t know who you are, kidnapper! Look at your work!”
“Oh my gosh, I can’t thank you enough. Then, have a good time with the two of you! That’s enough for me!”
“Corrin Lockeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…!!”
The single-word wail that rang out in the forest did not reach the iron-faced Immortan Locke.
………….
…………
……
“Ugh… I lost.”
The result of the duel was disastrous. Arisha Arden’s complete defeat.
There was a difference in capabilities between the two, but it was because Arisha did not fight to the end and quickly admitted defeat.
“Okay then, I’m done!”
Arisha greets her awkwardly and quickly runs away, wondering if she is as cruel as Corin. Yuhwa sighs as she looks at her.
“What the hell…”
Even if I were to chase after him now, the distance was too wide.
The monster forest that spreads outside Merkava City is vast. If you chase after it alone, you will easily get lost.
-Quarring!
In addition, rain clouds accompanied by thunder and lightning began to gather.
No matter how much of a knight she is, tracking her in the forest in this weather is not a good idea.
“First of all, to Uncle Kangryun….”
“There is someone else in charge, but the subordinates are fighting in the mud.”
His meaningful words came to mind on the way back. I started thinking about what on earth that meant.
* * * *
A forest where darkness has come.
-Quarring! Quack!
The sound of rain accompanied by lightning is falling.
It was fortunate that there were no gusts of wind, but civilized people who visited the barbaric forest ended up getting drenched.
“Whew… I don’t know whether to say I caught the blade well or not.”
In terms of escape, this heavy rain is helpful. It will interfere with the keen senses of the guards and knights who will be mobilized to chase the kidnapper.
The search schedule itself may be delayed because the water droplets hitting the floor are enough to sting your ears.
However, the unfortunate thing is that the condition of the kidnapped hostage is not good.
“Are you okay?”
“…….”
There is not a single word of acknowledgment. Now the rainwater and sweat are mixed together, making it difficult to tell what is sweat and what is rainwater.
“Take your temperature.”
He brushes up the hair of Hwaran, who is breathing heavily with a dazed expression. When I touched my forehead with the back of my hand, it felt quite hot.
“You have a bit of a fever.”
I took out Mariese Elixir from the bag I brought with me.
“Open your mouth.”
Support the back of Hwaran’s neck with your left arm and pour the elixir.
Hwaran barely opened his mouth and handed over the elixir, like a baby bird eating a bug from its mother bird.
“Right, right. Skip ahead.”
“You… are loud.”
After receiving the elixir, his condition seems to have improved slightly.
This is a temporary measure. This won’t last long if we don’t find a place to shelter from the rain.
“You…”
“Huh? Shall I give you something to eat?”
“……blood.”
Hwaran’s eyes turned to my right arm, which had blood stains on it.
“Don’t worry. You’re already healed.”
The ability to regenerate is really convenient in places like this.
“Let’s take shelter from the rain first. There will be a place nearby to take shelter.”
“…In a place like this?”
Every direction is full of old trees that are hundreds of years old.
These old trees, which could not be felled by even a simple axe attack, were the reason why even Merkava City expressed embarrassment over logging.
“This is where monsters live. They all have their own methods.”
I walked through the dark forest holding Hwaran and found a suitable old tree. An old tree that had been deeply dug up, as if it had been eaten by a huge insect.
This is the case I was looking for.
“This area is the habitat of owl bears. In places where there are no suitable caves nearby, owl bears dig up large trees like this to make nests.”
It is like a piece of common knowledge passed down orally to the guardians who travel through the forest of monsters.
In the first place, the fact that the Owl Bear lives in it means that it is a habitat for monsters, so it teaches them to escape quickly, but this time, it can be used as a shelter to avoid the rain.
“It’s pretty wide, right?”
Perhaps because it is where the owlbear lives, the interior is quite spacious. Even if Hwaran and I enter, there is still plenty of space.
“…I somehow manage not to fall.”
Hwaran has doubts as he enters an old tree whose interior has been completely gutted.
“The old trees that Owlbears use as nests have long, multi-pronged roots, so it’s okay to dig up the bottom. It’s the beast’s own wisdom.”
Dark entrance. I thought about carving runes to light up the inside, but there was no need to provoke the monsters in the forest.
If we’re lucky, the owner of this nest will come back, so let’s be patient until then.
-Sssshh!
-Kwarung!
In a forest where strong dark clouds and moonlight do not penetrate well. The occasional flash of lightning was a precious light that allowed us to discern our surroundings.
-Kwarung!
A flash of light flashed once, and Hwaran’s complexion came into view as the light entered inside. It’s only a moment, but my complexion is still bad. The trembling body proved that even the skin touching it felt cold.
“It won’t work.”
As I leave my seat, I feel Hwaran’s eyes turn to me.
“Where are you going…”
“To catch a bear.”
“Why…”
They’re trying to at least cover it with leather. There is a decent number of owl bears around here, so you should be able to find them soon.
–
It was then. Hwaran grabbed me by the hem of my pants as I stood up.
-Kwarung!
Lightning strikes and light leaks in. The girl with a pale complexion is trembling as if she is frightened.
“……don’t go.”
Hwa-ran, covered in a wet nun’s robe, was looking up at me with earnest eyes.