Chapter 20
Episode 20
“The streets are quiet.”
Namgung quietly nodded at Myung-hoon’s words.
Normally, there would have been a lot of people going to exercise along the Han River even in the early morning, but because of yesterday’s incident, the streets were as quiet as a ghost town.
“It’s a good thing for us. Rather, it would have been dangerous if there were people.”
“Well… I guess so.”
“Let’s get ready.”
When the sun slowly began to shine through the clouds, the three people stood in their respective seats at Namgung’s words.
▶ It is time for twilight.
▶ The special curtain of the 1st Carnival has opened.
▶ All remaining goblins will be summoned.
Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…!! pop!!
At that moment, white fireworks rose up in the sky as if a gun was being set off.
At the same time, the space in front began to distort.
“come.”
As soon as Namgung finished speaking, goblins began to appear one by one in front of them, as if monsters in a game were respawning.
Gulp –
Seeing the monsters starting to surround him, Somin swallowed dryly as if he was nervous without even realizing it.
Shuuk-!! puck!!!!
It was then.
An arrow flew through the tense atmosphere and stuck in the goblin’s head.
The arrow, which was stronger than expected, pierced through the monster and remained lodged in the ground, trembling as if it could not overcome its strength.
“I should try using the new items I got.”
“then. then!! of course!”
Myung-Hoon swung his sword.
As the name suggests, a pure white aura stood on the blade, and the moment the sword cut the goblin, cold ice powder scattered around.
“Please come as often as you like. “You monsters!!”
Myung-Hoon’s voice gave off a strange sense of uplift. Maybe that too is one of his qualities.
“okay. “We are not weak.”
The group’s hearts seemed to feel a little lighter at his shout, and they each grabbed their weapons tightly.
“dad. But I don’t have a weapon…”
Unlike the three, Somin, who was empty-handed, asked in a trembling voice as if she was still anxious.
“Somin. “You don’t have to worry.”
“…huh?”
Gyeong-in said with a grin at her anxious face.
“You’d be stronger than me even without a weapon, right?”
Somin still looked nervous at his words, but nodded.
“Stay behind Dad.”
At the same time, Namgung leapt forward holding the penitent sword.
Seang…! Suddenly!!
Even when he jumped into the middle of a horde of summoned goblins, he dodged their attacks and began taking down the monsters one by one.
The rest of the people couldn’t help but be amazed by his natural, flowing body movements.
▶ Absorbs the goblin’s spirit.
▶ Soul absorption Lv2 was used.
▶ Goblin characteristics: Agility increases.
Among the goblins cut by the penitent’s sword, black souls occasionally flowed from the corpses and seeped into Namgung’s body.
Although Namgung was weak, he felt as if his steps were becoming lighter.
‘It’s okay.’
He thought to himself as he cut down the goblins, seeming to really like his newly acquired weapon.
[Kyaaaa!!]
At that moment, two goblins rushed from behind him at the same time.
bang-!! Kwakang–!!
But before their swords could reach him, a red lightning struck him.
Tsuzuzu…
In an instant, the black, charred corpses of the goblins fell to the ground.
“That’s okay. Somin. “Dad will collect enough heads.”
“no. “I will fight too.”
Namgung wanted to say something, but kept his mouth shut.
‘okay. Somin is right. ‘I can’t protect you forever.’
Now that he has realized his daughter’s qualities in a world where he doesn’t know what kind of situation she will face, what he must do now is not protect her, but help her grow.
‘But… it doesn’t work out as expected.’
He couldn’t help but click his tongue as he looked at the corpses of the monsters lying scattered on the floor.
As a father, his reason and emotions were intertwined, making his state of mind complicated and confusing.
“You have to be careful.”
Looking at Somin nodding, Namgung began to organize the remaining monsters.
Kwaang—!!
It was then.
Explosions with loud noises began to occur here and there.
“Ahh!!! “It’s a monster!!”
“help me!!!”
The quiet street suddenly became noisy, as if the people inside the building were running away from the monsters that suddenly appeared.
“Why are people suddenly…”
“It seems like monsters are being summoned inside the building as well.”
“Oh my… If you don’t close the door, monsters will continue to come out.”
Myung-Hoon swung his sword at the goblin chasing after the fleeing people.
“When you close the door, all the remaining monsters are summoned at once. “Really, this is terrible no matter what you choose.”
“However, it is nearly impossible to leave the door open, kill only the monsters that reach the head count, and then close the door. “You choose the lesser evil rather than the worst.”
Namgung looked at the noisy street and answered Myunghun’s words.
“But not everyone took to the streets. “At least they are in a safe zone.”
I saw people looking down at the street from inside the apartment. Certainly, compared to the atmosphere at the National Cemetery when the gates of hell first opened, there was a sense of calm even though it was chaotic.
“Because there is a difference between suffering without knowing and suffering after learning.”
bang-!! Valid–!!
And then the sound of a gunshot is heard.
Cops patrolling the streets could be heard getting out of their cars and shooting at the goblin.
“Everyone please evacuate inside the station!!!”
The number of police officers dispatched from the small police station was not large, so at most only two people were able to come this way.
However, the people who were confused by their appearance started running towards one place all at once.
“Myung-Hoon. There is an elementary school a little far from here. Somin will know. You take the kids there and go there. “I’m going to the park on the other side.”
“All right.”
Namgung opened the bundle of yaksha.
An opaque window appeared and he quickly scrolled through it as if it looked familiar.
No numbering.
Name: Forest pig’s defecation
Grade: Normal (best)
▶ Defecation of a forest pig living in the Norsan Forest. It has a uniquely sweet smell and low-level monsters like it.
Price: 100 heads
He bought two and a small bottle fell onto his hand.
“this.”
I handed one to Myung-Hoon.
“You lure the goblins.”
The expression on his face when he took the bottle just by looking at the name was not good, but the moment he opened the lid, a sweet scent like rich cream instantly spread throughout the area.
[Cruk?]
[Crrrrrrr…!!!]
In no time, the scent spread, and the remaining goblins began running toward them as if possessed by something.
“Everybody run!!”
Without hesitation, Namgung sprinkled the feces in the bottle on his clothes and shouted.
A strong smell of feces wafted from his entire body, and goblins quickly gathered around the corner of the alley where he disappeared.
“…Let’s go too.”
As dozens of goblins disappeared in an instant, Myung-Hoon sprayed the bottle on himself and said to Gyeong-In and So-Min.
* * *
‘This should be enough.’
Namgung crossed the park and looked around.
Because it was quite large, there were quite a lot of trees growing around the road.
He stopped walking when he arrived at the place he had seen a few days ago.
It was a playground in the park.
Fortunately, there seemed to be no damage and the slides and other play facilities were still intact.
“good.”
I was able to hide myself well thanks to the trees surrounding me and the play equipment in the middle.
“Now. “I can fight properly.”
Buung –
He drew his sword in the air.
Wow…!!
Then three soul soldiers appeared behind him. They all drew their swords and cut the goblin apart.
[Wow! Kyaaaak!!!]
[Kyaaaak!!!]
The goblins shouted as if they were embarrassed by the soldiers who suddenly appeared.
‘It’s a much better ability than I expected. At this level, it will be enough to reach the second gate of hell without having to strengthen it separately.’
Namgung thought as he looked at the soul soldiers cutting down the goblins.
‘Rather, the problem is me.’
This was because the number of soldiers that could be commanded increased as the level of necromancy increased.
Of course, in order to improve your necromancy, you have to consume a lot of necromancy.
‘The lowest grade is the monster’s soul. Next is the soul stone that can be purchased from the bundle. And the thing that had the most powerful effect…
was the human soul.
This is why Choi Hwi-soo, who was a necromancer in his previous life, conducted various experiments with humans.
‘It is true that the souls obtained by hunting monsters are not enough to improve necromancy…’
That was then.
The black smoke of the soul soldier cutting down the goblin seemed to waver somewhat vaguely.
Namgung knew what that meant.
‘Because they probably hope I don’t commit murder.’
Although he could not communicate with the spirit soldiers to the degree of conversation, he could feel their emotions to some extent due to the influence of necromancy.
Phew-!!
Namgung’s sword stuck out through the last goblin’s back.
“Whoa…”
He finally let out a breath.
The number of goblins that flocked to the park seemed to be around 50.
When I sat down on the corpse of the last monster, the playground floor was covered in blood.
“Using 100 heads and catching 50… It wasn’t a very efficient fight.”
He smiled bitterly.
However, it was not a matter of simply comparing heads.
Unlike when the gates of hell were opened, only a limited number of monsters were summoned now, so it was important to catch at least one more.
‘Still, thanks to the sword, I was able to absorb the goblin’s soul twice more…’
He picked up the runestone that had fallen on the floor. As he tightened his hand holding the
rune,
green light slowly seeped into him.
▶ Lowest level rune: Agility was used.
▶ Your nerves become a little more sensitive.
Namgung slowly took a breath and began to store the power of the runes within his body.
Rustling…
At that moment, he felt a strange sensation, as if the texture of the wind touching his skin had changed slightly.
‘I was lucky. The Rune of Agility is difficult to obtain. Even though it is the lowest level rune, it is definitely effective.’
When he opened his eyes, he felt that the information he was receiving was different from before.
However, continuing to absorb runes could have negative effects.
‘Because too much sensation sometimes overloads not only the brain but the entire body.’
Appropriateness was important in everything, but people’s greed always tended to shake the balance.
“Hmm.”
A result like this in one hunt is quite satisfactory.
Namgung moved to change the location for the next hunt. No, I tried to move it.
“…hmm?”
At that moment, I heard someone’s voice.
“Please… help me…”
‘I didn’t think there would be anyone…’
Namgung frowned slightly as he looked at the woman crouching in the corner.
Normally, the park would have been crowded with people coming for a walk or exercise, but things were different now.
“Please help me…”
Namgung approached the fallen woman.
Her clothes were a mess, but it didn’t look like she had been forced by anyone.
“Why are you here? “They made a broadcast telling us not to go outside.”
“I was on my way home. “I couldn’t find a taxi and had no other way, so I had to walk all day…” As
if to prove her words, her feet, visible from inside the holey stockings, were covered in blisters and bloody.
“Then the goblins suddenly appeared… I think I sprained my ankle while running away.”
“Where is your home?”
“It’s right in front of Daehan Apartment.”
She pointed to the apartment at the back of the park and looked at Namgung.
“I’m sorry, but please help me…”
Then he stretched out his hand towards him.
In normal times, it would not be unusual to help someone who has fallen.
But is it because of the effect of the Rune of Agility?
Or is it because of the feeling that I have been living in hell until now?
“you.”
Namgung looked at her with strange eyes and said.
“You’re telling a foolish lie.”