Chapter 145 : Rematch for Revenge
Rematch for Revenge
The happiest barbarian ever—Barkal trembled all over, making a fuss.
Watching the guy from behind, I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh at how absurd it all was.
Still, he had appeared out of nowhere to resolve our crisis. I couldn't help but feel grateful to Barkal for that.
He even felt reliable.
"Have you found Serena?"
Barkal didn't shrivel up, even when looking at the 'dark knight.' When I asked him about Serena's whereabouts—figuring he must have regained his wits first—the guy shook his head.
"I haven't found her. But I'm not worried! Serena is nuts! She won't die!"
And since Serena wasn't here, Barkal continued talking.
"To kill that monster of a woman, you'd have to bring down a god! That gorilla of a woman!"
From this, you could tell exactly what Barkal thought of Serena.
Leaving Barkal's blunt assessment behind, I kept my eyes on the dark knight. The guy still hadn't moved.
Was it due to the shock of Barkal's blow smashing through the ceiling earlier? Or was he just observing us?
Either way—
'We've bought ourselves some time.'
Tendons and the dark knight.
To see so many beings you'd only ever see in an 'Abyssification' dungeon...
For the time being, I don't want to see even a single syllable of "Abyss".
I turned my gaze to the dark knight. Those frigid eyes were still fixed on me.
There was one thing I wanted to ask this guy.
"Nameless knight, if meeting twice like this is fate, then so be it. Can we talk?"
"...... Sage?"
The most startled by my question was Gor. He clearly thought that such a creature—one like a natural disaster—would never possibly respond to conversation.
But I thought differently.
If he had no sense of self, he'd have no emotions;
If he had no emotions, he wouldn't have recognized me either.
As I predicted, the dark knight's fiery eyes connected with my gaze.
"Are you the one with the Seven Abyssal Brands?"
What I wanted to ask was whether he helped Melissa create this 'Abyssification' dungeon.
And furthermore, what was 'Abyss' exactly, and who was the dark knight in truth?
There was a lot I wanted to ask.
But despite my questions, the dark knight only stared in silence, giving no answer.
"He's a timid one, unlike his appearance."
With those words, Barkal broke out into a wide grin.
"All right! Overtime!"
Overtime.
I was surprised to hear that word.
You even know the term overtime, Barkal?
My moment of admiration was short. Since I didn't know when the dark knight might move, I quickly got to work.
"Barkal, look here."
"Hmm?"
At my words, Barkal turned his body to meet my gaze.
I splashed the blood of the 'Blood-Colored Awl' on the guy, drawing a crude makeshift tattoo.
"Ooh... Thrag's armor?"
"That's right."
"Reliable!"
Having seen the 'skeleton exoskeleton' before, Barkal didn't need much explanation.
― Master."
Meanwhile, chunsik reported that the dark knight was on the move.
The black horse stamped the ground, and at the same time, the dark knight's halberd slashed through the air.
"Kuhahahahat!"
Barkal reacted first. He raised the 'World's Precipice' and blocked the dark knight's attack.
KANG—!
A deafening clang of metal against metal echoed through the living wall.
"Ah, this is the thrill!"
Barkal was actually smiling as he was pushed back.
Crazy bastard.
But thanks to him, we bought time.
"Uhaaaah!"
While Barkal and the dark knight clashed, Gor circled around and pulled out his spear.
But the dark knight, as if predicting that Gor's attack would be ineffective, kept his eyes only on Barkal and me.
It was then—
Pook!
Gor's spear pierced through the gap in the dark knight's armor and dug into his thigh.
Hiiinnnnh!
As his master was struck, the black horse neighed in fright, kicking its hooves wildly.
"Kh, kgh!?"
Before Gor could be trampled by that hoof—
* 【You use Skeleton Summon.】
I encased Gor's body in a 'skeleton exoskeleton' for protection.
"Th-thank you, sage."
"Gor! Your combat skills are still lacking! Only when you anticipate every attack can you call yourself a barbarian!"
While Barkal scolded Gor, who had nearly been hit, I couldn't help but let out a wry chuckle.
You.
Didn't you once get beaten up and KO'd by that dark knight, too?
But why did Gor's attack work? There was nothing unusual about his spear.
No matter how I looked, it wasn't a 'divine' item like the 'Blood-Colored Awl'.
* 〈The Shard of Vespers calls the 'Dark Knight of Famine.'〉
Just as my head was about to spin, a new text popped up.
The Shard of Vespers.
I'd obtained it from a 'Player' in the past.
An inscription I'd never seen before.
'Dark Knight of Famine?'
So that was this guy's name.
Anyway, the dark knight, whom I'd thought was invincible, was wounded.
It seemed the 'Shard of Vespers' effect of revealing Abyssal beings had activated.
"Gor! Your combat skills are outstanding! To think you managed to wound that monster!"
Barkal, almost repeating his previous comment but in a different tone.
Gor only gave Barkal a puzzled look in response.
"Barkal, now your attacks will work too!"
"What!?"
Barkal asked in surprise.
How was I supposed to explain this?
The 'Shard of Vespers' stuff sounded too boring and pedantic.
"It's Thrag's blessing!"
So, let it be Thrag.
"Of course! Was it your prayer that worked? Gor! You should keep honing your combat skills!"
Barkal gave another not-really-advice to Gor before swinging his axe again.
The axe clashed with the halberd, and another boom shook the surroundings.
* 〈Aura of Famine activates.〉
What the hell is that!
But an ominous air swept over us.
"Barkal, pull back for now!"
Before my unease turned to disaster, I yelled to Barkal.
He swung his axe, pushing the halberd aside, then hurried back to my side.
Chiiiik!
Around the dark knight, a creepy sound came—like raw meat searing on a burning hot iron plate.
"What is that...!?"
Barkal turned to look at me at the sight of the wall of flesh bubbling up.
I'd seen it before. The sensation like a burning pain upon touching the guy's body. Apparently, that was the infamous 'Aura of Famine.'
"How did you know that?"
"Thrag told me!"
"Thrag! I will fight for you!!"
I just nodded roughly at Barkal's fuss and committed the fact—this 'Aura of Famine'—to memory.
I didn't know how it worked.
I didn't know how I should react either.
But the one thing certain was, text would appear when it activated.
'If I see the inscription, it's time to get out.'
That was all I could think of, but at least there was some warning.
"Monster, your end draws near!"
"It's not too late to say that after we win."
"There's no need to say it after we win!"
Kuhahat.
Barkal laughed.
"If we win, the guy won't even be able to hear it!"
* * *
It was a good sign that victory was starting to show on the horizon.
Maybe that's why—
My mood was lifting too.
But a crisis always comes when least expected.
"Hmm?"
The dark knight turned his gaze deeper into the dungeon.
Since he showed so little emotion, even the smallest shift in his eyes had me unconsciously following his gaze.
"...... Melissa."
Standing there was Melissa—the one at the heart of all this.
Covered in blood.
I had no idea how she'd managed to get here.
Had she gotten caught up in the dungeon that opened at the healinghut?
Anyway, she could barely hold herself up due to her serious wounds.
'Why is she making eye contact with the dark knight?'
Melissa and the dark knight stared at each other.
Of course, the dark knight was overwhelmingly more powerful.
He seemed to be commanding her as if urging her to fulfill her mission.
The thought made anxiety surge in me once again.
Hadn't every famous prophet said so?
If you think it's too late, then it's really too late.
"Gor, capture that woman."
At my words, both Gor and Melissa jumped in shock.
"W-we're in the middle of battle, sage. After this fight is over..."
"Kuhahat! Gor! The Sage is just telling you in a roundabout way that you're just dead weight!"
Barkal mocked Gor, but kept his eyes on me.
"Do what you can do now."
"Gor! There's nothing left for you to do here."
Hesitating, Gor finally collected himself and took off after Melissa.
Melissa, in turn, ran toward the sound of a heartbeat, fleeing Gor's pursuit.
"Melissa!"
As Gor called her name and caught up, the dark knight started to move.
Seemingly intent on preventing Melissa from being caught, the dark knight galloped toward Gor with a clatter of hooves.
"Let useless Gor handle his own business!"
Barkal charged forward to intercept, but—
"A-Argh!"
The dark knight vaulted off his horse and in an instant closed the gap with Gor.
At this rate, the dark knight's halberd would tear Gor to pieces.
Neither I nor Barkal was close enough to intervene. That's when it happened.
Bang!
A shadow leaped out from inside and instantly twisted the dark knight's arm, spinning his huge body twice in midair.
And with a slam—
I was only briefly impressed by the MMA move, because soon I saw a familiar face and blurted out the name instinctively.
"Serena!"
I didn't know what she'd been through, but her cleric robes were in tatters, while not a single wound marred her body.
"Am I late!?"
No, you came at just the right time.
"With this, the gathering of cowards who ran from that monster is complete!"
Good grief.
Barkal, try to use less offensive language, will you?