Mev ran out and caught the collapsing body in her arms. It was then that Ian saw the dagger handle protruding from Philipâs left shoulder and quickly looked up.
â...!â Beyond the blurry black trail, Alfwyn, who had thrown the dagger used by the maids, became clear. As Ianâs eyes turned dark with anger, a terrified scream and the sound of gagging came from the gardener behind him.
âUghââ
Ian hesitated and turned around. The gardener, surrounded by smoke, was struggling and turning. Vines were crawling back together, reforming into the barrier. However, it wasnât far, and Ian could easily pass through now. Instead of running, Ian clicked his tongue and tightened his grip on his sword.
Swoosh.
Just as he was about to turn back toward Alfwyn, a golden barrier rose, blocking the vines. The rose vines touching the sacred power began to burn, and Philipâs voice followed.
âGo, my lord. He must not escape....â
Ian, frowning, looked at Philip. In Mevâs arms, being moved to the side, Philip, despite his pale complexion, was extending his right hand. The dagger in his shoulder remained unpulled.
With a face like youâre about to die, what are you talking about?
âStop talking nonsenseâ-â
âItâs okay, Ian. Go.â It was Mev, who carefully laid Philip down, who interrupted.
She stood up and turned toward the approaching maids. Her entire body was now covered with dark red holy power.
She readied her sword and added, âLeave them to me. I wonât let a single one survive.â
Her voice was as cold as ice. As Charlotte looked at Ian, Philipâs urgent voice continued.
âHurry, my lord. The relicâs power is nearly depleted...!â
Finally, Ian clicked his tongue and turned.
âHold on. Both of you.â
He threw himself through the vines that were burning but still creeping toward him. Charlotte, nodding to Philip, quickly followed behind him.
Whoosh!
As soon as they passed, the barrier shattered. The wall was swiftly reformed, pushing aside the charred vines. The screams of the maids echoed from beyond the wall, followed by flashes of red light. Though the sound felt distant, Ian ran without looking back.
The distortion of senses was nothing surprising. His focus was solely on the gardenerâs retreating back. He wouldnât let him out of his sight for a moment. The gardener could change the mazeâs shape at any time. If he lost him, heâd be failing the comrades he left behind.
âUghhhâ-â
Though the gardenerâs awkward and clumsy run was surprisingly fast, he couldnât outrun Ian, who had activated the Blessing of Battle.
âArgh!â
The gardener, looking back in fear as Ian approached, soon entered a wide clearing. He frantically clacked his shears, and the vines on either side of the path began to crawl together.
Without hesitation, Ian kicked off the ground. He passed through the narrowing entrance and swiftly crossed the clearing, swinging his sword at the gardener. The Wind Blade, amplified by chaos power and infused with holy power, slashed through the gardenerâs thick legs.
âGahhh!â The gardener, both legs severed below the thighs, collapsed to the ground.
Charlotte, following close behind, barely made it into the clearing as Ian jumped up. Aiming for the gardenerâs head, Ian raised his sword.
Whooshâ
â...!â
Suddenly, a dark streak flew at him. Ian twisted his body and swung his sword. The dark streak was severed and dissipated almost immediately. As Ian landed and rolled, a grating voice echoed from atop the barrier.
âCutting that? As expected, impressive, hehe...!â
A man with a thin, elongated frame clad in dark, tight-fitting leather spoke. He wore a mask stitched together from two pieces of leather, covering his face up to his nose. The thing that had interrupted Ian was a whip in the manâs hand. The handle and the whip seemed to shimmer black as if made of shadows.
â....â
[Torture Specialist.]
Ian stood up without acknowledging the quest window that popped up, closing it immediately. He lunged toward the gardener again.
âUgh, ughâ-â The gardener, who had picked up his severed legs and was crawling away, cowered.
Swishâ
A black shield formed a circle around the gardener. Ian struck it hard, but the shield did not break. Instead, it was his sword that shattered.
Why are there so many interruptions? Fuck you all, Ian inwardly muttered, tossing aside the broken sword.
âI never thought the day would come when weâd have to save that idiot.â
âThe Dragon Slayer is scary, isnât he, sister?â
A whispering voice echoed from behind.
â...!â Charlotteâs eyes widened, and her fur and mane stood on end as if in alarm.
Ian, retrieving a new sword from his pocket dimension, saw two platinum-haired vampires standing side by side on the barrier.
There was no need to ask if they were the twins; they looked identical as if cast from the same mold. Another quest window appeared.
[The Shadow Sisters.]
Ian closed the window and launched himself forward.
Swish!
A shadow whip swept the area where Ian had been standing. The torturer, now running along the wall, looked at Ian with a sinister smile.
âYour face looks like itâs wearing a mask...! I canât wait to see it twisted in pain, Dragon Slayer!â
They really are the classic lunatics.
Ignoring the taunt, Ian circled the shield surrounding the gardener. Of course, there were no gaps. It seemed they were stalling for time until the gardener could recover.
Should I just keep smashing it until it breaks?
â...!â
Ianâs eyes narrowed right after. One of the twins suddenly poked her head over the wall. It was the older sister. The moment their eyes met, Ian felt his vision distort around her red eyes. The inside of her red pupils undulated with a strange wave pattern.
They say you get hypnotized when you make eye contact.
However, she couldnât completely take over Ianâs consciousness. Simply drawing on chaos power, Ian instantly restored his senses.
As his vision cleared, Ian flicked his left arm.
Thud!
A dagger embedded in the sisterâs forehead caused her head to snap back. The next moment, she disappeared below the barrier, only to reappear beside her sister.
Pulling out the dagger from her forehead, she muttered, âIt didnât work, as expected. But I didnât think youâd shake it off this easily. Heâs different from you, right, kitty?â
As the twins turned their heads simultaneously, a smirk spread across their faces. Charlotte, now with an eyepatch covering her eyes, held both her fang sword and a silver sword.
Her mane, emanating a quiet murderous intent, swayed as the younger sister burst into laughter.
âDid you bring that as a countermeasure? Do you even think you can fight in that condition?â
Charlotte responded by throwing herself forward.
âOh, so you can fight, huh?â
âI wonder what kind of tricks youâll show us this time.â
Contrary to their cheerful tone, the sistersâ eyes were cold as they stepped back.
âHaha! Youâre finally paying attention to me!â The torturer, who had swung his whip again, laughed as he looked at Ian charging at him.
He swung his whip arm again. The whip, changing its trajectory as if alive, elongated and aimed for Ianâs side. The Magic Force Field flared up around Ian.
Crackleâ
The whip, blocked by the field, didnât stop; instead, it climbed over its surface and reached Ian. Almost simultaneously, Ian extended his left arm into the whipâs path.
Swishâ
The whip, as if waiting, wrapped around Ianâs arm. The magic contained in it spread through Ianâs body.
With a crack, as the Magic Force Field shattered, the torturer laughed.
âGot you...! Now you canât escape the pain Iâve createdââ The torturerâs voice trailed off.
Although his magic was supposed to inflict extreme pain on Ian, Ianâs expression didnât change. He wasnât even being dragged forward.
Crackâ
Planting his heel firmly into the ground, Ian grabbed the whip with his left hand and pulled hard. The torturer, clutching the whip handle, was yanked toward Ian. While infusing them with magic, the whip couldnât stretch infinitely like it usually did.
âAre you enduring theââ As the shocked torturer blurted out, Ianâs eyes filled with red holy power.
Slashâ
The blade that touched the center of the torturerâs pupil sliced horizontally through his head. Ian extended his left arm, grabbed the torturer by the collar, and slammed him into the ground. Ianâs eyes turned red, and a fireball ignited in his grip.
Boom! fr(e)ewebn(o)vel
The fireball exploded from his hand, blowing a hole straight through the torturerâs chest. Ianâs hand, imbued with holy power, remained unscathed. Ian finally spoke in a voice tinged with irritation.
âThe pain? Yes, Iâve just endured it.â
The pain had been severe. It had caused him to waste unnecessary holy power. But it wasnât a total loss. This time, he had completely incinerated the true blood.
The torturer, his chest blown open and half his head gone, began to turn to ash. The shadow whip wrapped around Ianâs left arm vanished, leaving only the handle. Dusting off his left arm, Ian turned his gaze to Charlotte, who was rampaging on the barrier opposite him.
Crash! Slash!
The twin sisters were darting back and forth between each otherâs shadows, but Charlotte relentlessly pursued them, swinging her sword. She paid no mind to the thorns embedded in her body or the shadow blades slicing her flesh. đ»đłđŠđŠđ€đŠđ·đŻâŽđŁđŠđ.âŽđłâ
âRawr!â
The more she was hurt, the louder she roared and rampaged. Instead of rushing to help her, Ian just turned his gaze away. She had dreamt of revenge, replaying that dayâs events countless times in her mind. He intended to let her have this chance to resolve it with her own hands, whether she succeeded or failed.
Well, I wonât let her die.
At least, not right now. With that thought, Ian moved toward the cracking shield. Inside, the gardener was rampaging.
Crack, crackâ
The shield shattered, and the gardener, holding up his shears, leaped out. His body was fully healed as he howled.
âUghhhââ
The surrounding barrier walls writhed like waves.
Swishâ
A red streak flew toward the gardenerâs center. His eyes widened beneath his mask.
âArghhh!â The gardener flailed his shears in desperation.
***
Crackâ
The sound of flesh tearing echoed.
The older sister, who had been watching her sister dodge Charlotteâs attacks, widened her eyes and turned to the side.
â...!â She saw the gardener with one shoulder entirely severed. Ian had rolled past him and was now on the ground.
âArghhhh!â The gardener let out a scream of pain. The uncontrolled magic he released drew the surrounding vines toward him. Ian dodged the thorny vines extending like tentacles, darting his body here and there.
âYou should have stayed quiet, you fool....â Clicking her tongue, the older sister placed a rose petal in her mouth and began to draw in magic.
Whooshâ
Suddenly, a breeze blew over her head. When she looked up, she saw a black mane fluttering and sharp, gleaming fangs.
When did she get here?
Internally shocked, the older sister extended shadow thorns while diving into the shadows. But this was exactly what Charlotte had anticipated.
Thud!
The fang sword, slashing across the ground, speared through the chest of the older sister, who was falling into the shadows.
âUrgh...?!â
The older sisterâs eyes widened.?? The pain was dizzying. But it wasnât too late yet. It wasnât a silver sword. She hurriedly clenched her hands. The two hesitating shadow thorns immediately extended again and stabbed into both sides of Charlotteâs waist. Then, as if pushing, they drove in deeper. But Charlotte did not back down.
Crunch!
She bit into the older sisterâs neck. The bite was so powerful it nearly crushed her neck.
âSisterââ The younger sister screamed from behind.
The older sister wanted to shout for her not to come, but it was already impossible.
Sssâ
Charlotteâs silver sword was slowly cutting into the older sisterâs abdomen, burning her flesh. The blade inched toward her throbbing heart.
â...!â The older sisterâs eyes widened as if they would tear apart, and the shadow thorns that had pierced through Charlotteâs sides withered. Feeling the older sisterâs strength leaving her body, Charlotte finally released her neck. Her mouth was filled with the vampireâs blood and fleshâa taste of revenge she would never forget.
âNooooo!â A ripping scream echoed.
Charlotte turned with the sister still impaled on her sword. Though she couldnât see, her other senses were sharper than ever. She felt the rush of the approaching shadows and the crying figure charging at her as clearly as if she were seeing them.
â....â Charlotte smiled, baring her fangs. She swung her arm, tossing the older sister, now turning to ash, toward the oncoming shadow thorns. In the next instant, she leaped forward, her grip tightening on her sword as a beastly roar escaped her lips.
***
Crackâ
The sword that fell in the middle of the wooden mask stopped as it cut vertically down to the gardenerâs neck.
âUh... ugh....â The gardenerâs head, letting out a low groan, split open from side to side.
Likewise, the shattered wooden mask fell off. Beneath it revealed a grotesque face that strangely had a childlike impression. The face, emitting sounds of blood and phlegm, was filled only with pure pain and fear. Ianâs eyes, which had been flickering a gray hue, calmed down immediately after that.
Boom!
The Vacuum Explosion blew the gardenerâs head and chest apart, scattering fragments of flesh everywhere. Ian pressed his sword deeper into the exposed flesh and conjured a fireball.
Boom!
The gardenerâs swollen chest exploded, shattering the blade again. Ian kicked the gardenerâs still-kneeling body, causing it to collapse.
Thud.
As the gardenerâs body fell lifelessly, the surrounding vines began to revert to their original forms. Ian tossed aside the broken sword and drew another from his pocket dimension. Only three longswords remained, and the only dagger left was the fairy dagger.
Confirming the completion window for the quest before him, Ian reached into his pocket dimension again, retrieving the last two throwing daggers and securing them to his belt.
â...!â
Another quest completion window popped up.
[Butler and Maids.]
It didnât surprise Ian that Mev had killed Alfwyn; the fact that a quest completion window appeared was what caught him off guard.
So as long as I accept the quest, it doesnât matter if I donât kill them myself...?
Perhaps it was possible because he recognized Mev as a comrade. His thoughts didnât last long.
âEeeeekâ-â
It was because a piercing scream erupted from the distant barrier. He turned to see Charlotte impaled by several shadow thorns, while the last twin screamed in agony as she was skewered by Charlotteâs silver sword. The screams soon subsided, and the shadow thorns piercing Charlotte dissipated into smoke. The quest completion window popped up once more in front of Ian just as Charlotte collapsed.
ââ!â She looked up at the sky and howled. Her body was a mess, but at that moment, she seemed to have regained her primal nature.
...I didnât think sheâd actually succeed.
Ian thought, rushing forward.
Charlotteâs body, having finished her roar, tilted and fell off the barrier. Even then, she didnât let go of the swords in both hands.
Whoosh!
Ian caught her and stopped, his back hitting the barrier. Charlotte, still wearing the eyepatch, revealed her bloodstained fangs. It was a relieved smile.
âIâve succeeded... Ian.â
âYes. I saw.â Ian replied curtly, examining her condition.
Her body was riddled with thorns. There were especially many on her bare feet and legs, exposed beneath her tattered boots, and on her forearms. Additionally, there were numerous cuts and stab wounds all over her body. Even for a beast-person with superior vitality, recovering in a short time seemed difficult, especially in the middle of the demonic realm.
Ian immediately summoned the holy power from his tattoo and infused it into her body. It wasnât a difficult task. For someone skilled in handling both magic and chaos power, it wasnât much different.
â...This is?â Charlotte flinched briefly but soon spoke.
âSave your strength, Ian. I just need a little rest.â
"Shut up. Iâm going to leave you here, but I canât just abandon you, can I?"
âIf itâs something like that....â
Karhaâs holy power, which had flowed into Charlotte, didnât dissipate but slowly spread throughout her body. Perhaps it recognized a warrior who had completed her own battle. Charlotteâs expression began to relax.
âDamn... Iâm too late....â A low sigh echoed from the opposite passage.
A low sigh echoed from the opposite corridor. As Charlotte jerked her head up, Ian pressed it down firmly again and looked toward the source of the voice.
Unlike the vampires they had encountered so far, it was a gaunt and unimpressive middle-aged man. His lack of hair, eyebrows, and beard gave him an even more eerie appearance. Moreover, the shadow cast at his feet was unusually large.
âWell... it wouldnât matter....â He muttered without enthusiasm as he raised his arm.
Immediately afterward, a gigantic form rose from the shadow. It was a massive experiment, composed of multiple human torsos stitched together into a large mass, with numerous limbs protruding haphazardly.
â...!â A quest window appeared before Ianâs eyes, but he paid no attention to the words. His gaze was fixed on the lone upper body protruding from the massive experiment. Pale silver hair, gaunt shoulders, and familiar features. Ian instinctively held his breath as red eyes glowed.
"Youâre finally here... Iâve been waiting."
At the sound of the voice, Charlotte, who had been lying down, jerked her head up again. This time, Ian did not stop her.
"Then now...."
Thesaya, alternating her gaze between the frozen Ian and Charlotte, who was fumbling to grasp her eyepatch, wore a smile that seemed on the verge of tears.
â...Please, save me, guys.â