Episode 51: The Wizard’s Way of Survival (2)
“Come!”
“Get ready!”
Above the walls, the guards who were preparing for the monster’s entry pressed their bodies firmly against the shield they were holding, and at that very moment, the Werewolf landed.
A guard, who appeared to be the captain, shouted, “Charge!”
“Charge!”
Hwaak.
A strong light arose from the shield. It was not a normal shield but an artifact that was harboring magical powers. The mighty power in it burst from the shield and struck the Werewolves hard.
Quaang!
Raawgh!
The Werewolf screamed and bounced back. The purpose of charging is not to inflict physical damage to the opponent but to temporarily push it back. The Werewolf pushed off the wall’s high edge, had no choice but to fall. No matter how high the Werewolf’s class, there was no way to counter the force of gravity without flight.
“Get ready again!”
It was still too early for relief. The fortress was firm at first, but soon enough, Werewolves succeeded in entering the walls.
Kyaak!
Boom!
“Argh!”
Many guards fell following the Werewolf attack. There was also a charging limit, and the Werewolves tried to push back against the wizards, revealing their fierce, yellow fangs. Thankfully, their attack didn’t work. As with the guards in front, there were several defense devices on the wall.
“Attack!”
Swooosh
Papa-pa-pa-papa!
Whoah!
Dozens of arrows were fired from a magic crossbow and were lodged in the Werewolf’s body. It was a turret-type defense device. When a monster exceeding a certain line appears on the wall, the target is automatically detected. Arrows fired from dozens of turrets flew toward the Werewolf.
“Lightning Blade!”
“Rock Cannon!”
“Chain Lightning!”
“Shit!”
Quaang!
Magic kept on coming, simultaneously and repeatedly swarming over the enemy. Care had to be taken to avoid injuring the guards, so fire magic had to be used with great caution, if at all. A concentration of power was the main goal if a disaster were to be avoided. The students’ response showed a well-honed system, expressing that this situation had happened before, and they continued to cast without losing their composure under any circumstances.
The fight on the wall was fierce between those resisting penetration and those thirsty for it. The Werewolves scaled the wall at the expense of the lives of hundreds of their own; they still struggled to reach their goal.
“Charge!”
“Charge!”
The moment the guards rushed forward with their shields; an A-class Werewolf sprung into the air.
“NOW!”
The opponent evaded the attack. When the magic crossbow was focused on the A-class Werewolf, its fur swelled. A Werewolf is a bipedal monster, usually half-human, half-wolf, but these creatures had lost all human traits and appeared to be full beast.
“Agghhhhhhh!”
“Ahh!”
“Ouch!”
Some wizards knelt on the floor, consumed by fear, and the intense arrow attack on the Werewolf didn’t work. Most of the arrows ended up being clogged by thick, matted fur, and although a few arrows penetrated the flesh, it was not enough to defeat the beast.
An aperture appeared in the wall as the defense system finally collapsed, and the Werewolf quickly rushed to a wizard.
“Rrooaaaar!”
The wizard’s face turned pale. He was Klinssman’s classmate. He tried to react quickly, casting a spell, but composure was hard to regain when you’re nose-to-nose with a dreadful, gnashing Werewolf; anxiety slipped its cold fingers into his mind. He trembled at the thought that his third-circle magic might miss…
“Am I going to die here?”
He thought. Death was an inevitable consequence of a disaster. As he accustomed himself to the idea that it was his time to go, a strange sight unfolded before him.
Quaaang!
“Wait!”
Klinssman rushed between the wizard and the Werewolf, obstructing the attack with his sword.
* * *
Kyaak!
The Werewolf was angry. As punishing Kang Min-hyuk for interfering, he swung his huge, filthy nails in quick succession.
Slash slash!
Kakakakang!
Sparks flew from the sword as the monster tried to tear into the metal. Kang Min-hyuk held on tight; his expression never shifted, although tremendous shock was transmitted through the blade.
‘It’s working.’
He murmured, straining against the attack.
The technology of reinforced civilization was manifest in Klinssman’s world. Thanks to this, even though Kang Min-hyuk’s Werewolf attack was prevented, it was not broken. The gaze of a classmate stained with shock caught up with him, but Kang Min-hyuk had no time to pay attention to it.
Whoosh!
A narrowly missed blow sent a ricochet of disturbed air into his face. He raised the aura against it.
“Raaah aggghh!”
The Werewolf screamed as the aura emitted from Kang Min-hyuk’s sword broke its hard, layered shell. Then Kang Min-hyuk’s eyes gleamed with confidence. Even in his world, you need a certain level of higher aura to deal with A-class monsters. If Klinssman’s aura hadn’t been trained, there would have been no way to defeat the Werewolf.
Such physical prowess developed over such a brief time seemed almost absurd.
However, Werewolf and Kang Min-hyuk’s bodies were intertwined without having time to appreciate the intricacies of the situation.
Pow!
“Wow.”
A Werewolf hit Kang Min-hyuk around his head, sending ripples of shock through his skull – the strike was followed by an opening of the beast’s stinking jaws as it moved to bite Kang Min-hyuk. Before the fangs could sink into him, Kang Min-hyuk responded swiftly, smashing his aura-wrapped fist into the throat of the monster. He avoided the counter-attack with a swoop akin to a bow and plunged his blade deep into the Werewolf’s abdomen. At the touch of the sword, the monster’s flesh cracked and crumbled back.
Pushshok.
Blood splattered, staining Kang Min-hyuk’s hands and clothes.
Suddenly, the Werewolf’s feet crashed into Kang Min-hyuk’s stomach.
Boom!
The Werewolf exposed its fierce teeth. Kang Min-hyuk’s counter-attack was effective, but the A-class Werewolf is not just a solid outer shell; the wound began to heal as soon as it was formed, and although it still gaped open like a bloodied grin, it was slowly drawing together. Class A monsters tend to fight to the end unless they are surely finished.
It was a strong opponent.
Severe pain filled his abdomen, but a smile rose to Kang Min-hyuk’s face as he writhed on the floor. It was funny…upon seeing the enemies, Kang Min-hyuk had tasted despair, but Klinssman’s body, which he had trained for only a few days, had the potential to beat them! How ridiculous it was! The past years felt hollow in comparison to the life-changing events unfolding.
Kang Min-hyuk tightly grasped his sword as a flaming aura surrounded the blade. As the Werewolf approached, poised to attack, he hit the beast head-on.
* * *
The memory of the battle became blurred from there. A class monsters were knights of death. The Werewolf darted past Min-hyuk toward one of Klinssman’s classmates, who fell in a heap on the floor…the sight of a fallen ally due to the failure of his attack brought thick mist into his mind. It didn’t matter how good a swordsman he was; without mana-talent, there are defined limits. His friends had followed him loyally, and the fact that he won several martial arts competitions gave him a reason to believe he had what it took to be the successor. But now he knew for sure: he didn’t have the right to the Guardian Gate.
Since the Guardian Gate secret is based on mana, there was a limit that could not be overcome for Kang Min-hyuk. It wasn’t apparent when he was young. He didn’t need a lot of mana at that time, but as he grew, Kang Min-hyuk’s weakness became more prominent. In the world of Yak-Yuk Kang-sik, not having a gift was fatal. Nevertheless, Kang Min-hyuk made his own decision to put down his sword. He never expected the day that he would grab the blade again would come around. Now, though, a vivid aura burst out of his blade.
Rrraaahhhh!
The Werewolf shrieked. It was fast and strong, but Kang Min-hyuk’s response was faster. The senses of forgotten days were ignited. Since Kang Min-hyuk had a sword that works even with A-class monsters, he had no reason to withdraw from the fight. Just as his friends defeated A-class monsters based on mana talent, he was confident that he would win.
Splice! Squelch!
He slashed into the monster’s stomach and dragged the blade upward through its torso.
Aggghhhh-wooo!
A tearful scream rose among a bloody downpour; Kang Min-hyuk stood, grinning; his eyes filled with joy.
“It worked!”
He had wished for this for so long…if his aura had always worked against A-class monsters, Kang Min-hyuk would never have thrown down his sword…but it worked now. He’d devoted the early years of his life to the sword, then turned away from the earnest wind. Now, less than two months after Klinssman’s personal training, he showed tremendous talent as a reinforced warrior.
The aura he remembered was not so strong. He felt different…he felt good, and he could not stop wielding his sword.
Swoosh!
Kakakakang!
Blade and beast clashed violently. He and the Werewolf were nearby, and each expressed their own techniques as classmates stood around them, staring. They were afraid that Kang Min-hyuk might be hurt if they used magic quickly.
Finally, though, Kang Min-hyuk’s sword cut through the Werewolf’s chest. The moment it lost power and stepped back, Kang Min-hyuk rushed forward and cut his opponent’s neck.
Pugh!
Blood scattered in the air. No matter how good the regeneration ability was, a Werewolf couldn’t stand if his neck was blown away.
Thud!
The Werewolf fell. Kang Min-hyuk calmed his beating heart as he was hit by the blood pouring from the sky.
“Hoowook, hoowook.”
He wasn’t tired, just happy. Even though it wasn’t his body, Kang Min-hyuk was elated to have an indirect experience of true swordsmanship.
“Get ready!”
“Damn!”
It wasn’t over yet. Werewolves constantly appeared at the gate, and they climbed up the walls with eerie speed. Kang Min-hyuk wiped the blood off his face. Then, he stepped forward and said:
“From now on, I will defend from the front.”
He said it to all near enough to hear. Kang Min-hyuk raised an aura from his sword when he saw a Werewolf clambering up again.
It was time to use his Guardian Sword.
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