LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 45
Chapter 45
“Yeah, alright.”
Lucia listened to Kang Jin-hyuk’s explanation of the whole situation and immediately looked around for Jeong Dae-yoon.
“A dinosaur emblem on the shoulder…”
Muttering what she had heard, Lucia moved her gaze around and belatedly realized an important fact.
“But what’s a dinosaur?”
She, who came from another world, had no knowledge of dinosaurs.
Based on the sound of the word, it felt like a creature similar to a ‘dragon’.
The information given was too scarce to imagine its appearance.
While Lucia was contemplating whether to reconnect the communication to ask, she spotted a Hunter that caught her eye.
That Hunter had a different emblem on his shoulder than Titan’s and was fighting against Hunters with the same emblem as hers.
“That must be the guy Jin-hyuk saved.”
It so happened that Jeong Dae-yoon was in a crisis.
“You damn bastard!”
“Where the hell have you been? You were in cahoots with those Titan bastards?!”
The Tyrant Hunters, facing the traitor, rushed towards Jeong Dae-yoon with fierce momentum.
Moreover, the Titan Hunters, instead of helping Jeong Dae-yoon, seemed to be intending to use him as bait and stepped back.
Lucia thought it was fortunate that she found him before it was too late.
“Those Titan guys, whatever they are, I don’t like what they’re doing.”
Even if they were from a different guild, weren’t they supposed to be fighting together now?
Judging by the way they were abandoning him like cutting off a lizard’s tail, Titan could never be seen as a proper organization.
Just before Tyrant’s blades fell upon Jeong Dae-yoon, Lucia raised her bow and pulled the string.
It was a moment that would have been far too late for an ordinary person, but she was an exception.
For Lucia, the time required for aiming was sufficient with the brief moment given while pulling the bowstring, less than a second.
“Gah!”
An arrow accurately struck the Tyrant Hunter’s forehead, who was about to behead Jeong Dae-yoon.
The remaining Tyrant Hunters were also hit by arrows in turn, without even a moment to be surprised by the sight.
Even with their stats greatly increased by Alraune’s powder, they were nothing more than slightly faster moving targets to Lucia.
While Jeong Dae-yoon and the Titan Hunters were surprised by the sudden turn of events, Lucia descended from the tree.
She approached Jeong Dae-yoon and relayed Kang Jin-hyuk’s message.
“He said it’s the final stage now.”
Jeong Dae-yoon, who was momentarily stunned, soon understood Lucia’s words and regained his composure.
“Aha. You must be the person Mr. Kang Jin-hyuk mentioned.”
He said you were a master archer, and indeed you are.
Jeong Dae-yoon was impressed by Lucia’s skills, which he had never seen even within Tyrant.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Jeong Dae-yoon.”
“Yeah, yeah. Skip the introductions and hurry up with what you have to do.”
“Haha… Alright.”
Lucia watched Jeong Dae-yoon run off and once again grabbed her bow.
Her target was Ha Jin-hwan, the Tyrant Hunter facing off against Baek Jin-wook.
Because Baek Jin-wook was rampaging with the Berserker skill, Ha Jin-hwan’s movements were also difficult to follow with the naked eye.
Lucia calmly observed Ha Jin-hwan as he darted around, anticipating his actions.
As she roughly pictured where he would move, she pulled the bowstring and shot the arrow without hesitation.
The arrow, cutting through the wind fiercely, reached its target without a single inch of error.
“Kraagh!”
Ha Jin-hwan, his ankle pierced by the arrow, screamed and lost his balance.
As it happened while he was dodging Baek Jin-wook’s axe, that momentary stumble could only be a fatal mistake.
Baek Jin-wook, instinctively recognizing the chance, swung his axe with all his might, drawing a diagonal line.
“Euryaaaah!”
Blood spurted as the thick blade of the axe passed from Ha Jin-hwan’s left shoulder to his right side.
With his heart and other major organs sliced in half, Ha Jin-hwan collapsed and breathed his last.
Baek Jin-wook, confirming his opponent’s death, slammed his axe into the ground and roared towards the sky.
“Uoooooh!”
As Baek Jin-wook loudly announced his victory, the morale of the Titan Hunters rose.
The Titan Hunters became aggressive.
The Tyrant Hunters began to falter, having lost their commander.
As these two situations intertwined, the tide of the battle turned instantly.
“Kyaaagh!”
“Keugh!”
With two of their comrades critically injured after being pushed back, only three remained on the Tyrant side.
Even with their stats boosted by Alraune’s powder, it was impossible for a mere three to face off against over twenty Hunters.
“Wh, what do we do?”
“What do you mean what do we do?! We have to survive!”
“Damn it!”
The remaining Tyrant Hunters chose a tactical retreat.
They had stats that were more than doubled.
Even if fighting back was impossible, they believed that if they ran with all their might, the Titan Hunters wouldn’t be able to chase them.
Han Young-seok, seeing the Tyrant Hunters suddenly turn their backs, realized their plan and shouted urgently.
“They’re trying to escape! Don’t let them get away!”
If they escaped and reported to their headquarters, a war would break out immediately.
With the Guild Leader overseas at the moment…
If a war broke out with Tyrant, Titan would literally be shattered.
“We must stop them!”
As if responding to Han Young-seok’s desperate cry, skills launched by Titan’s Magicians filled the sky.
But the Tyrant Hunters had already started running.
At this rate, they were about to get out of range before the skills could even reach them.
In the end, Lucia, unable to stand by and watch, picked up her bow once more.
“Can’t these guys do anything without me?”
Lucia took out three arrows from her quiver and nocked them onto the string.
Not one at a time, but three at once.
The arrows, launched simultaneously, spread out in a fan shape, each chasing after the Hunters who had fled in different directions.
The Tyrant Hunters ran faster than the wind, but even they couldn’t avoid Lucia’s arrows.
All three Hunters, at the same moment, clutched their right thighs and collapsed to the ground.
And as if it were planned, the skills the Magicians had launched rained down on their heads as they fell in the same way.
Kwaang!
The gigantic pillar of fire that erupted with an intense explosion was truly a spectacular sight.
“Guess we don’t need to go looking for the bodies.”
The Half-Elf’s excellent eyesight clearly captured even the pieces of flesh flying amidst the pillar of fire.
It wasn’t a pleasant sight, even though she was used to seeing it often during her life as an adventurer.
Lucia, not wanting to feel nauseous, turned her gaze and spotted Han Young-seok, who was clapping and laughing.
“Hahahaha! Well done! Well done!”
The sight of him laughing heartily, oblivious to the fact that he was spitting, was no less repulsive than the body parts.
It was just as unpleasant to look at.
Jeong Dae-yoon approached Han Young-seok, who was laughing for a while, with a serious expression.
“This is not the time to be happy. We need to get out of here quickly!”
“Get out of here? What are you talking about? We need to investigate the building that the Tyrant bastards are guarding right away!”
Han Young-seok was convinced by the existence of ‘Alraune’s Powder’ and the sharp scream that had just been heard from the building.
That Alraune was hidden in that very building.
‘Maybe they’ve even completed the Elixir!’
Han Young-seok wanted to get his hands on the Alraune Elixir no matter what.
It was a banned item due to its inhumane production methods, but there was no rule that it had to be traded in the open.
Just selling it on the black market would allow him to get his hands on an amount equivalent to five years’ worth of the guild’s budget.
“What are you all doing?! Investigate the building right now!”
“No!”
Jeong Dae-yoon spread his arms and blocked the Hunters who were about to move.
“You crazy bastard!”
Han Young-seok, expressing his displeasure, grabbed Jeong Dae-yoon by the collar.
“Are you trying to protect them now because you’re from the same guild?!”
“No!”
“Then why the hell are you doing this?!”
“I just received a report that the Guild Leader is coming from headquarters with reinforcements!”
“Wh, what?”
“If we delay any longer, we might have to engage in an all-out war with Tyrant!”
Thud.
Han Young-seok, his legs giving out after hearing Jeong Dae-yoon’s words, collapsed on the spot as if it were his own living room.
“Ty, Ty, Tyrant’s Guild Leader is coming? How did you know that?”
“They don’t know I’ve betrayed them yet. So I’ve just received orders to stall for time until they arrive.”
Han Young-seok buried his face in his hands.
Tyrant’s Guild Leader, Jo Won-cheol.
He was a monster who ranked 2nd among S-rank Hunters in Korea.
Even with Seo Sang-ho, it would be a tough fight, but to face him with less than 50 A-rank Hunters?
It would be more likely to survive by carrying a gasoline tank and jumping into a fire.
‘Could he be lying?’
Han Young-seok looked at Jeong Dae-yoon with a sliver of hope.
His flushed face and urgent expression…
No matter how he looked at it, he didn’t seem like someone who was lying.
‘No, but what if!’
Hoping for a one-in-a-million chance, Han Young-seok selected the fastest among his guild members and ordered them to scout.
The scouting guild members stealthily hid themselves and ran in the direction Jeong Dae-yoon had indicated.
While some time passed, Han Young-seok clasped his hands together in his mind and prayed.
Please let it be a lie.
It was too cruel to come this far and return empty-handed.
While Han Young-seok was praying to all sorts of gods, a message came from the scouting guild members.
Upon hearing the scouting report, Han Young-seok’s delusion shattered in an instant.
‘Well, it makes sense if Alraune’s Elixir is really here…!’
They might even be coming with the intention of killing everyone to bury the truth about Alraune.
Jo Won-cheol was definitely capable of doing that.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!”
The risk was too great to bear.
Han Young-seok didn’t want to lose everything because of a moment of greed.
In the end, Han Young-seok bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.
To have to retreat without any spoils of war after winning…
It was incredibly frustrating, but none of the Titan Hunters stepped forward to suggest holding their ground.
After hearing Jeong Dae-yoon’s words that Jo Won-cheol was coming, there was no Hunter present who could bravely step forward.
“What are you going to do? Are you coming with us?”
Jeong Dae-yoon shook his head at Han Young-seok’s question.
“I’ll stay here and come up with an alibi.”
“An alibi?”
“If I disappear like this too, they might find out that Titan was behind it. So I’ll stay and make a false report.”
“You mean you’ll frame someone else?”
“That’s right.”
Han Young-seok was greatly impressed after hearing Jeong Dae-yoon’s plan.
If he could shift the blame for this situation onto someone else…
Not only could Titan avoid war, but he could also make someone he didn’t like a target of Tyrant.
Han Young-seok, a cunning idea coming to mind, smiled slyly and made a suggestion to Jeong Dae-yoon.
“Then how about using Kang Jin-hyuk’s name? He happens to be still in that building, so it would be easy to deceive them.”
“…I’ll think about it.”
“It’ll definitely be the most effective method. Be sure to consider it positively.”
Han Young-seok, realizing his mistake for a moment, belatedly looked around.
Only after spotting Lucia, who was standing far away, did Han Young-seok breathe a sigh of relief.
‘She couldn’t have eavesdropped from that distance, right?’
Han Young-seok believed that the fact that Lucia hadn’t immediately shot an arrow was proof of that.
“Then I’ll trust you.”
Han Young-seok patted Jeong Dae-yoon’s shoulder as a sign of trust.
But in his heart, he didn’t trust him at all.
Tyrant’s Guild Leader wasn’t a fool, he wouldn’t fall for such a lie.
‘He’ll obviously try to find out the truth, whether through torture or whatever.’
He didn’t know how long Jeong Dae-yoon would last.
He had already betrayed his own guild once, so he might spill everything with just a bit of intimidation.
Han Young-seok thought that the best preparation he could make in that short amount of time was to prepare for an all-out war.
‘After all, we have righteousness on our side.’
As long as they had the data obtained from investigating the Tyrant branch and the hostages who were being held…
Titan could drag Tyrant’s image through the mud at any time.
Even if Tyrant, enraged, declared an all-out war, how much could they rampage when public opinion had turned against them?
‘I need to finalize the contract with that guy before it’s too late.’
Han Young-seok thought of the S-rank Hunter he had been persistently courting.
If he could successfully recruit that Hunter, they could withstand Tyrant.
They would endure Tyrant’s initial offensive and in the meantime, use their righteous cause to form an alliance with other guilds.
And then, Titan would lead the charge in defeating Tyrant, who had become a common enemy!
“Hehehehe.”
Han Young-seok imagined the numerous benefits he would gain from dismantling Tyrant.
Even if he didn’t get Alraune’s Elixir, he would gain benefits comparable to it.
It would be foolish to be greedy and weaken their forces here.
Han Young-seok thus soothed his somewhat regretful heart.
“We’re retreating from here! Move quickly, don’t dawdle!”
To expedite matters, Han Young-seok began the full-scale retreat with his guild members.
They tidied up the scene that had been turned into a mess by skills and removed as many traces of Titan as possible.
To finish before Tyrant’s reinforcements arrived, the Titan Hunters had to run around without even time to treat their injuries.
While the guild members were busy, Han Young-seok approached Lucia, who was standing alone.
“Your colleague still hasn’t come out of the building. Did something happen?”
“He’s probably found a treasure vault and is rummaging through it.”
When Lucia responded sarcastically, even using honorifics she didn’t normally use, Han Young-seok’s expression twisted.
Han Young-seok felt his stomach churn with envy at the thought of Kang Jin-hyuk getting his hands on Alraune’s Elixir.
‘Of all people, it had to be him…!’
Kang Jin-hyuk was a thorn in his side, not only for sending Ahn Do-yoon, whom Han Young-seok was backing, to the hospital but also for monopolizing the new type of monster.
It wasn’t a pleasant thought for Han Young-seok to see such a person become even stronger by obtaining the Elixir.
‘No. Even if he got it, it’ll surely be taken away by Jo Won-cheol, who’ll be here soon.’
It was an item that permanently doubled one’s stats.
If Jo Won-cheol found out that someone had taken it, he would chase them to the ends of the earth and kill them.
Even if Kang Jin-hyuk, a mere C-rank Hunter, showed some strength, it was like a mayfly trying to shake a tree in front of an S-rank.
Furthermore, if Jeong Dae-yoon shifted the blame onto Kang Jin-hyuk as requested, it would be even harder for him to survive.
“Excessive greed invites disaster.”
“I don’t need your advice, so go back to what you were doing.”
“Tsk. Birds of a feather flock together.”
Han Young-seok turned his back and left, as if he didn’t find her worth listening to anymore.
If possible, he wanted to recruit her into the guild because of her excellent archery skills…
But such an arrogant person would only be a headache to deal with.
“Let her die here if she wants.”
As soon as the Titan guild members finished their retreat preparations, Han Young-seok left the area.
It was like they vanished in the blink of an eye.
Like seasoned Hunters, they didn’t leave a single clue that could be traced back to them.
Without any witnesses, it seemed unlikely that anyone would suspect Titan was behind it.
Except for Jeong Dae-yoon and Lucia, no other presence could be felt in the desolate countryside, devoid of even a convenience store.
Jeong Dae-yoon cautiously looked around, just in case.
After confirming that not a single person remained, even after searching the forest…
Jeong Dae-yoon burst into laughter that he had been holding back.