Chapter 14 - The Crokes Hunt
"F*ck, what is that thing."
A half-rotten baby alligator was rampaging in the swamp. But when that baby alligator swung its fist once, a Murloc exploded like a balloon.
It was a relief that it was a Murloc that exploded. If I had been hit by that directly, goddess's blessing or not, I would have been turned into a bloody pulp.
"Get a grip, everyone! We have to stand and fight here. If we get pushed back, the village will fall!"
Even in the face of that disaster, Kim Hong-seop did not lose his light.
He gripped his sword tightly and commanded everyone.
But what leader could control their fear in the face of a catastrophe?
The kids were already abandoning Hong-seop and running away.
Even seeing that, Kim Hong-seop didn't blame them but instead raised his sword.
He was a true madman.
"H-hero. Let's go. We can't stop that monster. We have to run."
"Hold on, you brat. I'll handle this."
I'm different from Kim Hong-seop.
I don't have a life to wager for others in a situation where even I'm not safe.
Instead, I was observing the being called Crokes.
How it moves.
What kind of being it is, and what habits and tendencies it has.
"Is that about the extent of it?"
I took out the items from my side and put them on.
[Golden Mogu's Shamanic Mask (Rare)]
[The Golden Mogu's mask is imbued with a spell that hides one's identity.]
[It will be helpful when you wish to hide your identity.]
[However, you must not trust it blindly. In this world, there are many beings who can easily see through a spell of the Golden Mogu's level....]
[Golden Mogu's Fur Clothes (Rare)]
[The Golden Mogu's fur clothes are imbued with a spell that hides one's identity.]
[It will be helpful when you wish to hide your identity.]
[However, you must not trust it blindly. In this world, there are many beings who can easily see through a spell of the Golden Mogu's level....]
'I can't believe the day would come when I'd actually use these.'
Of course, it was less to hide my presence and more to hide my identity.
Since I now had to step onto that battlefield where the others were.
"Hero, don't tell me you're going to fight?"
"It's now or never."
"That thing is a disaster! It's not something an individual can stop!"
"Well, is that really the case?"
I thought so too at first.
I had met many monsters, but this was the first time I had felt such an oppressive aura.
But once I got past that initial pressure, I saw it differently. It was certainly a powerful and huge enemy, but it wasn't strong enough to crush and kill Hong-seop in a single moment.
Let's say it was strong enough to kill Hong-seop in the next 5 minutes? Hmm, maybe that's not so hopeful.
"You're crazy, you're crazy. It's obviously vicious. A monster like Crokes is legendary."
"That would be true if it were in a normal state. But it's obviously not, is it?"
That was the reason I thought now was the best time.
Crokes had regenerated with the flesh of the Murlocs, but right now, it couldn't regenerate because it was fighting Hong-seop.
As the time it couldn't regenerate grew longer, I could see its body slowly starting to collapse even without being attacked.
"This is a fight we can win just by stalling. Besides, that thing doesn't originally fight with its bare hands."
Crokes had its hands clenched into fists, but it didn't punch straight. Its fists moved in large arcs. It must have originally held a weapon, not just its fists.
'Judging by the swinging motion and size, maybe an axe?'
The still-incomplete Crokes hadn't even noticed the fact that it had no weapon in its hands. Thanks to that, the kids were managing to stay alive, albeit barely.
"Listen up. From now on, you fight exactly as I tell you."
"Ugh… To think we really have to fight a monster like that."
"If you didn't want to, you should have run away sooner. Anyway, focus. We don't have much time."
"Krrrrr!"
"Kuaaak!"
It happened at that moment.
The thoroughly annoyed Crokes spewed out its rotten breath.
Conversely, a sword imbued with blue mana headed for Crokes, and the two energies clashed for an instant.
It was certainly a perilous moment, but in other words, it was the best opportunity.
Because Crokes had left its back wide open while making a big attack.
"Dagger Storm!"
[Dagger Storm (Lv.1) - Assassin Exclusive Ultimate Skill]
[Daggers rage like a storm. The number of raging blades increases as your proficiency rises.]
The blue mana flashed like a star in the darkness.
The most powerful skill I could use, Dagger Storm. The blades, flashing like meteors, flew towards Crokes's wide-open back.
The half-regenerated flesh was sliced away in chunks, and even the bones were shattered.
'It's alive.'
As I had experienced dozens of times, an assassination's first attack was the strongest.
There is no moment more defenseless than when they are unaware of my existence.
I even threw in an ultimate skill at that moment, but it didn't die and immediately counterattacked. It seemed this was no ordinary madman.
I immediately created distance. I had been forced to reveal myself, but I had no intention of making a grand entrance and drawing attention.
But Crokes was, as expected, no ordinary monster. It accurately pinpointed the location I had hidden in and started throwing punches.
'This is a truly crazy bastard.'
But something was strange.
Hong-seop, Hyung-seok, and Joo-hye, who would normally not even notice my existence, were all staring at me in unison.
"It's the mask! The mask is revealing you, Hero."
"What? You said it was a mask that hides my identity."
"I told you. Your own ability is superior. By covering it with the mask, you reveal yourself to beings who are strong enough to see through the mask."
"This is..."
No, still, for a Rare grade item to produce this result. It was baffling, but I couldn't take it off right now.
"It's you? The one who killed the Goblin Shaman."
"We thought it was one of us, but are you a local?"
"Look at those clothes. They're different from what we received in the village."
Those insider bastards had recognized me. If I took off my mask and showed my face here, I would be flooded with countless offers to join them.
I hated that more than death.
Ah, of course, real death is quite close.
If I don't take it off, Crokes will kill me.
'Ah!'
A good idea flashed through my mind.
"I'll take it from here."
I had already learned Crokes's patterns enough. The odds of winning were higher if I hid alone, aimed for its back, and attacked according to its patterns, rather than revealing my presence and fighting alongside the others.
"I'll fight with you!"
This crazy protagonist was overflowing with courage even at a moment like this. There was no choice. I flatly refused Hong-seop.
"Get out of the way. As you are now, you're no help at all."
"I know that. But even someone like me can help. I'll draw its attention."
"You think that'll work?"
Crokes was looking only at me. The reason was simple. Because I was the most threatening one here.
No matter how much Hong-seop tried to draw its attention, it was a futile effort.
"Get a grip. The world doesn't run on willpower alone. You need to look at the situation accurately, make a clear judgment, and then move."
"That's..."
"You there. You know what I mean, right?"
I looked at Choi Joo-hye.
Among the kids who were nothing like me, Choi Joo-hye was the one who thought most similarly to me.
"You mean we'd be a burden."
Choi Joo-hye bit her lower lip.
It seemed she took my words as a humiliation.
The mood was one of dejection.
I don't know how to offer comfort, but I do know how to say something positive.
"You all are too good to die here. You can become much stronger and do much more. For now, be satisfied with engraving this defeat in your minds."
The sense of crisis I felt while fighting Rankol was what kept me from dying today. I hope today becomes a similar day for the kids.
"I'll be sure to repay this debt next time."
"Forget it, just hurry up and go!"
Crokes also began to move.
To fight that thing properly, I needed to throw off this mask and clothes right now.
Fortunately, the kids followed my words well.
They began to move, led by Choi Joo-hye, and Hong-seop made sure no one was left behind as they escaped the swamp.
"Ugh… you're crazy. It would be better to get help from those people."
"We have a meat shield here anyway."
"What? If that's the case, then at least give me back my Mithril armor."
"There you go nagging again. Just go and do what I told you."
Mosilian swung her giant mace. Against a Crokes that didn't have much flesh left anyway, a mace was more effective than a bladed weapon.
I immediately threw off the armor and mask.
"Kuoooooh!"
As my presence faded, Crokes attacked in a panic.
'Two steps back from here.'
Whoosh. Crokes's fist grazed past my face. But it didn't touch me. It meant the distance I had judged was correct.
"You're dead."
I stabbed Crokes's neck with my dagger. But what was this? The deathly aura surrounding Crokes melted the entire dagger away.
"This crazy alligator bastard."
"Hero!"
Crokes's next attack followed. I twisted my body to dodge, but the distance was too close.
"Keuk..."
The fist definitely grazed me. Because of that, the clothes I was wearing disintegrated, and my body was violently shaken. The Mithril armor, which hadn't even budged when hit by Rankol, was severely dented.
"Don't bully my Hero!"
Mosilian's attack struck Crokes's arm. To think it would just take an attack like that. This thing wasn't in good shape either.
"Smoke Bomb!"
I created distance and took out Rankol's sword. Since I had already used Dagger Storm, this was the best weapon I could choose with what little mana I had left.
Although it had ended in futility, Crokes, having been attacked in the neck, had changed its demeanor. A frenzied gale swirled around it.
A gale of flesh and bone fragments. The bizarre wind protected Crokes like an orb. It meant that Crokes had taken a big hit, but breaking through that gale wouldn't be as easy as I'd like.
It was because I had also used Dagger Storm from the start and had almost no mana left. As a test, I tried stabbing Crokes with Rankol's sword.
"Tch..."
Fortunately, the sword didn't disintegrate, but I couldn't break through the gale of slaughter either. Even Double Step wouldn't be enough for this. It meant I needed an attack at least on the level of Dagger Storm.
An ultimate skill twice in one day. The mere thought made my body ache, but I had no choice. I wouldn't have come out in the first place if I wasn't confident.
"Mongshil-i. We're going with the second plan."
"Ugh, do we really have to?"
"I wouldn't have made the plan if we didn't. Get in position!"
"Yep!"
All preparations had to be finished before the smoke cleared. Because now, I had to save every last drop of mana.
"Krooooh! Krooh!"
Having lost my position, Crokes began to completely lose it. It swung its arms randomly and spewed its breath. It even let out bizarre screams I had never heard before.
That thing, it's terrified right now. Sure enough, Crokes's body was withering away in an instant.
'That's right. If you're a living being, you should know what fear is.'
The moment the smoke cleared. Just as the red-eyed Crokes frantically searched its surroundings to find my location, I unleashed the attack I had already prepared.
"Dagger Storm!"
My chest throbbed, and my nose started to bleed. To use Dagger Storm, which made my chest ache after just one use, twice. It was no wonder it was taking a toll.
But I had to endure. This was the end. My mana, my stamina, and all the tricks I had.
[Dagger Storm (Lv.1) - Assassin Exclusive Ultimate Skill]
[Daggers rage like a storm. The number of raging blades increases as your proficiency rises.]
Perhaps due to the lack of mana, the number of daggers was reduced to seven.
But the Crokes that the seven stars were raining down upon was in a much more pathetic state than before.
"Kuoooh!"
Crokes focused all of its defensive barrier to the front.
Thanks to that, five of the daggers were used up just in offsetting the barrier.
But there were still two daggers left. The daggers tore off half of Crokes's neck and deeply pierced its heart.
"Kreuk."
Crokes's voice almost vanished.
Crokes too realized its own death.
But its gaze alone did not die.
"Kuoooooh."
Crokes prepared for a final, desperate struggle.
The offering for that struggle was its own rotting flesh and bone fragments.
"You persistent bastard."
"Kuoooh!"
The death that burned away Crokes's own life poured towards me. But I couldn't dodge. My legs were staggering, and my heart was throbbing.
It was a moment where my vision was turning black, but for some reason, a laugh came out first.
"Now, Mongshil-i."
It was time for the second hidden plan to be revealed.