Chapter 63 (2/2)
Below the tall cliffs that might cause one to faint when peering over the edge, the Parasite horde was chasing down the youth in a ‘Bong s.h.i.+ Jin', looking a lot like a deadly-sharp drill. (TL note at the end)
If Seol Ji-Hu was seen as the most important person in his plan, then the second most important person would be Ian.
The youth had exceeded all expectations and carried out his part of the plan. As for the rest, all Ian had to do was pretty similar to enjoying a nice, luxurious meal provided free of charge.
Ian's current location was on top of a ma.s.sive triangular rock formation jutting out of one of the cliffs. On the surface below his feet, some kind of white powder had been thickly laid down to form a straight line over eight metres in length.
Ian vigorously swung his staff.
”Liquefaction!”
Something amazing happened, then. The white powder suddenly transformed into liquid and soaked the ground.
Bubble, bubble!!!
The liquid then began boiling over and rapidly melted the rocks below to seep deeper into the cliff. Soon, a thin, lengthy fissure the width of two finger digits formed on the ground.
”Crack!!”
Ian immediately slammed his staff down on the ground. From the fissure that continued to cut deeper into the bedrock, visible fractures began spreading out.
”Crack!!”
Ian chanted out the same spell once more. The fissure visible on the surface widened faster and faster, and it spread out rapidly like the webbing of a spider.
By this time, Seol Ji-Hu had entered the ravine.
Right then, Ian pulled out an envelope and poured its contents out in the air. Yellowish green powder scattered in the wind, before disappearing from the view as if they had become one with the sky. And the Sorcerer activated his fourth Memorised magic.
”Ventus Gladio!!”
Sharp, ear-screeching blades of winds gathered around the tip of his staff.
From here onwards, Ian could not afford to make a single mistake. White smoke rose up from the newly-formed cracks and blocked his vision, but they failed to blind a Sorcerer who had raised his concentration to the extreme. Sweat trickled down his face, but he still continued to look on with slightly bloodshot eyes as rapid calculations took place in his head.
And when he confirmed that Seol Ji-Hu had run past the entrance of the ravine to enter the midway point, he didn't hesitate and slammed his staff down once more.
The blades of winds continuously condensing near his staff suddenly lashed out to below. More specifically, they disappeared into the deep cracks formed by the liquid on the ground. And then, slice!
The noise of something being cut came out from the gap.
Creak, creeeeaaaak!
Next up, the giant triangular rock formation spat out huge chunks of dust and it began gliding downwards at a diagonal angle. It was cleanly separated from the rest of the cliff, revealing a smooth cutting plane as it got ready to gently slide down, but then….
Smash, crash, rumble, boom!
Craaack!!
The triangular formation smashed into the cliff walls three, four times, before it broke up into several tens of ma.s.sive pieces.
The sharp, pointy rocks plunged to the ground. Each and every one was as big as falling meteors, and they proceeded to crash-land on top of the Parasite horde chasing after Seol Ji-Hu in a b.l.o.o.d.y frenzy.
This was a precise attack performed after many calculations later. The Parasites had been driven into the berserk state after the youth made an utter fool out of them, and so, they could not evade in time and had to receive the falling boulders in full.
A short while later….
Boom!! Kaboom!! Boooooom!!
The ravine quaked violently with frightening explosions as the boulders. .h.i.t their targets.
The boulders crashed down on the Bugs, crushed past their carapaces, and slammed into the hard ground below. The gravity-a.s.sisted momentum caused the boulders to explode into countless shards like a hand grenade as soon as colliding with the earth. Those Parasites that luckily evaded the initial fall were all swept away by the stormy whirlwinds of the shrapnel-like rock shards.
And so, after the first ‘crash', the ravine had transformed into a living h.e.l.l.
Those that got killed in the initial crash were the fortunate ones. As for the rest, some simply exploded after being crushed by the bouncing pieces of the boulders, or their bodies were torn asunder by the shrapnel. The jutting rocks spread around the greenish bodily fluids and chunks of their victims in the air.
Seol Ji-Hu had managed to escape out of the ravine in the nick of time, but he still continued to run non-stop.
He couldn't hear anything at all anymore. Tinnitus caused by the incredible impact force behind him rang loudly in his ear. He could only use his intuition to roughly guess.
Suddenly, he realised that time had slowed down. His vision began shaking abruptly, and his entire body felt like it weighed a ton.
Only then did he figure out that time hadn't actually slowed down, but it was his speed that had returned to normal, instead. The effect of ‘Boost' had run its course.
And then, the familiar sense of alienation came cras.h.i.+ng down.
”Uh, uh….”
Seol Ji-Hu faltered about in confusion and took a look behind him, before his eyes shot up wide. n.o.body could tell how it managed to escape, but a single c.o.c.kroach was rus.h.i.+ng towards him like a fired arrow.
Reflexively, Seol Ji-Hu's hands searched for his spear but he belatedly remembered not bringing it with him. But at the same time, a spear flying in from out of nowhere skewered the wayward c.o.c.kroach into the ground.
Seol Ji-Hu was stunned out of his skull and finally tumbled down on his rear - only to sense something hard and metallic supporting him from his back, as well as someone gently embracing him.
Rose-coloured strands of hair tickled his face. When Seol Ji-Hu's eyes met a pair of deep rose-gold irises, all he could do was to blink several times in a daze.
It was Teresa. She was staring at him with pa.s.sionate eyes of a young maiden falling in love for the first time.
”….! ….!!”
Her lips moved rapidly, so she must've been saying something, but Seol Ji-Hu couldn't hear her, as his ears were still ringing loudly.
The princess knight saw his dazed expression, closed her lips and quietly stared at him. However, she still couldn't disguise the pure happiness burning brightly in her eyes.
She then suddenly pressed her face close enough to touch his. Their noses pressed tight, and he could even feel her rough breathing, too.
She swept back her waterfall-like hair and spoke again.
”Did you know??” (Teresa)
Her voice sounded rather flushed just then.
”I said, did you know??” (Teresa)
In the next moment, Seol Ji-Hu felt a pair of hands tightly grasping the back of his head.
”You, you're so f*cking hot and super s.e.xy right now!!” (Teresa)
Teresa yelled out and pressed her face to his. Seol Ji-Hu formed a stupid expression. Only after about five seconds went by did he realise that soft and moist sensation rubbing against his lips happened to be her lips.
”Wu, wuup?! Mu, mupp, smooch~.”
Smooooch.
Teresa swallowed saliva as if she was trying to suck his lips in, and after that she let his face go. She snorted in satisfaction and even licked her lips slightly, too.
She carefully put the dumbstruck youth on the ground in the sitting position, and then, with a still-excited face, she s.h.i.+fted her gaze towards the ravine.
The triangular rock formation crashed into the front and the middle of the enemy horde, and as a result, the Parasites making up the rear fell into a state of pure chaos.
However, they were no better than rats stuck in a trap. Around Teresa, a dozen or so Earthlings and hundred-plus soldiers stood by, waiting. The important thing was, though - this wasn't the only place where the army was waiting.
”Looks like a feast has been prepared for us.” (Dylan)
From Dylan, who quickly came here after successfully sniping the Medusa….
”I wonder. Isn't it more like someone else's leftover?” (Cho Hong)
Even from Cho Hong….
”Who cares if it's leftovers?! I'm always up for any types of tasty treats, you know!” (Hugo)
Even Hugo, too.
From the countless side paths leading out of the ravine, the concealed Earthlings and elite soldiers revealed themselves one by one.
Once the net had been cast, Bugs and c.o.c.kroaches faltering around in confusion in the rear belatedly began looking around. By then, it was well beyond ‘too late'.
*SFX for a sword being energetically unsheathed*
Teresa pulled out her beautiful longsword and raised it to the sky.
And staring from above the cliff, Ian was filled with admiration. From the very beginning till this moment, everything played out according to Seol Ji-Hu's plan.
‘He really has managed to create this miracle!!' (Ian)
”Chaaaaaarge!!” (Teresa)
In that moment, Teresa's spirited roar resounded throughout the ravine.
*SFX for many people roaring out at the same time*
”Ho-oh!!”
Ian's eyes sparkled brightly.
The army that had been separated into ten groups and lay in ambush….
”s.h.i.+b Myun Maebok Gye!!” (TL note at the end)
….Began their simultaneous attack on the lured enemy.
< 63.=”” the=”” first=”” turning=”” point=”” (2)=””> Fin.
(TL: ”Bong s.h.i.+ Jin” – ”鋒矢陣” Mister author used these Hanja words to describe the formation of the chasing Parasites. It literally translates to ”Blade-like arrow formation”. I couldn't find a suitable English alternative, but I'm sure there is one. Google failed me on this one, though, and I don't have the time to trawl through the internet to find it. Sorry.)
(TL: ”s.h.i.+b Myun Maebok Gye” – ”十 面 埋伏 計” This time, these Hanja characters literally mean ”(from) ten sides lie in ambush tactic”. I decided not to use that translated version, because it sounded a bit too… lame. Hope you understand.)