Chapter 136 : Who Are You!?

“Keuk.”

Anthony staggered, weakly bringing down the sword he had raised.

The mana of fire, which had soared as if it would split the world, scattered powerlessly in all directions.

“Krrr…….”

When one of the Hydra’s heads, which had opened its eyes wide, fell asleep again.

He followed the exact same path Muno had taken the day before.

“Uweeeek!”

“……I will heal you.”

The slit-eyed holy knight, who had approached the blood-vomiting Anthony, spread four pairs of wings visible only to Muno’s eyes and poured out his holy power.

“So, it was true.”

Rantor let out a deep sigh as he watched.

Next to him, Muno spoke in an irritated tone.

“Do you have to see it for yourself to believe it?”

“What can we do? Your words sounded so utterly absurd.”

“No, even so……”

“Try putting yourself in our shoes.”

“Yes?”

“A magician summoned a legendary monster, but that monster just slept. But when we tried to launch a bigger attack, it opened its eyes and launched a mental attack……. Would you believe it?”

“……Ugh. Shit.”

He was convinced in one go.

“Surely you’re not cursing at me?”

“Ye, yes. I’m not. Ugh, really. So what are you going to do about that thing? Since it has nine heads, are you planning to bring about ten people who are skilled enough?”

It was a truly simple solution he had thought of.

That monster probably reacts in advance to attacks above a certain level—that is, attacks that could injure it—and launches a mental attack with its nine heads.

So, wouldn’t it work if they brought more than ten people who could split such a monster in one go and attacked all at once…… was a statement born from a truly ignorant idea.

However, since it wasn’t entirely impossible, it was worth considering.

“We could match the numbers by mobilizing the members of our Red Iron Knightly Order, but they are all busy. Besides, other skilled people are likely in similar situations.”

Iron, the nation of knights.

Ultimately, those with great martial prowess usually held high positions, making it difficult for them to make time all at once.

The Red Iron Knights, who were the most mobile, numbered only fourteen.

“Let’s mobilize all the Red Iron Knights just in case, add a few more, and take care of it. Before that thing wakes up.”

“……Do you think it will wake up?”

Drrrrrrng.

At Rantor’s words as he looked at the snoring monster, Muno sighed deeply once more.

“The flow of demonic energy the creature is breathing in and out is becoming calmer. It will surely wake from its sleep before long.”

“Can you predict when it might wake up?”

“I don’t know for sure. But it’s certain that the flow of demonic energy is much calmer than yesterday. So we must hurry as much as possible.”

“And you can’t absorb its demonic energy with that artifact of yours?”

“I already told you! The rate at which it recovers is faster than the amount I can suck in. That thing is an absurd monster! It’s like it has some kind of demonic energy recovery trait!”

“……If that really is the Hydra, it might be possible. Ha……”

“Then what’s the problem!?”

When he shouted in frustration at Rantor, who still seemed to be deliberating, Anthony, who had finished his treatment and approached them, replied with a bitter smile.

“To mobilize all those personnel, we’d have to pull them from His Majesty the King’s guard duty. It’s not a matter for someone who doesn’t know the situation to speak of so easily.”

It was a much kinder reply from Anthony than before, but it only made Muno feel more frustrated.

‘No, we have to solve this first. If a legendary monster wakes up, the country will be devastated.’

– ……I must report this.

Victon, who seemed to hold a position in the Empire, had left with a serious face.

Yet these people didn’t seem to have any intention of actively resolving the situation, even though a monster had appeared in their own country.

In that situation.

“The Temple can also lend a hand.”

“Sir Maier?”

The slit-eyed holy knight, who had shown unconditional favor from the beginning, smiled brightly and lent his support to Muno’s words.

“By the Temple, you mean……?”

But his face, as he asked back, was only crestfallen.

He had seen this man, upon seeing the Hydra, shout ‘Monster extermination!’ and charge in with his subordinates.

And yet, the Hydra hadn’t even opened its eyes.

All it did was twitch a few times, as if the holy power felt unpleasant.

Well, in the fictional works he had encountered in his past life, holy knights were more famous for their survivability than their combat power, but he couldn’t help but lower his expectations.

However, Maier unexpectedly delivered hopeful news.

“It won’t be to the level of that Blood Knight, but I can think of a few people who can deliver a critical blow to the monster. Including the Silver Knight, Sir Elorang, whom Sir Muno has also seen.”

“Ah…….”

Was that guy who looked like a dry twig that strong?

Come to think of it, the only priest he had seen who could spread six wings was that man.

“Then that’s great!”

A response came out naturally.

But he was displeased with Anthony, who was smiling bitterly even after hearing the whole story, and Rantor, who was still contemplating.

Muno ignored them and spoke to Maier.

“Fortunately, I can also think of two people. Myself, and one other person who probably doesn’t have much to do right now, so he’ll come if I call. Though he’s a bit far.”

He said this while thinking of a certain middle-aged man who was probably getting plump with a full belly and a warm back in his cold but warm hometown.

He had said it in an attempt to somehow match the numbers.

At that, Anthony and Rantor made eye contact, sighed simultaneously, and began to exchange glances.

‘Is there something they want to say?’

Soon, Rantor, who seemed to have lost out in rank between the two, sighed again and hesitantly spoke.

“Actually, there is a simplest solution. One that we all know of……”

“……Yes?”

“We call our commander.”

At those words, Muno briefly turned his gaze toward Anthony.

Then he soon recalled the Red Iron Knightly Order’s ‘nominal’ commander and let out a cry of realization.

“Ah! His Excellency, the Dragon Sword Duke?! Ah, right!”

Why had he forgotten?

The Seven-Star that people sang such high praises of.

The great man who could supposedly subdue even that Anthony with his bare hands—there was one in this country too.

“Then just call him. What’s the problem! A legendary monster is breathing right before our eyes!”

“Truthfully, we knew from the beginning that this was the only way. But why do you think we hesitated?”

“Then……”

“We were trying to calculate if there was any other way.”

“No, why……”

“That’s what I’m saying. But in the end, we’ll have to call him. I’ll contact him right away.”

Although Rantor had presented a clear solution, his face was only dark.

The sight of Anthony sighing with a bitter expression also kept weighing on his mind.

Only a few days after that day did Muno come to understand the reason with his own body.

* * *

Paaaang.

The greatsword that cut violently through the air left behind a grayish, flame-like afterimage.

Thud.

Immediately after, the greatsword, swung again in the opposite direction, distorted and passed through the lingering afterimage as if to detonate it.

A speed unbelievable for the movement of a giant two-handed sword.

The grayish mana blade flickering over its entire length held a destructive power that would have been hard to imagine when Muno had left the capital.

However, the expression of the person executing those successive sword strikes was not so bright.

‘This isn’t enough!’

He had witnessed firsthand the overwhelming power of a giant monster he had never even imagined before.

In such a situation, it was only natural for his own martial prowess to feel relatively shabby.

“Daaamn it!”

Whenever he was stressed, he had always trained like this and broken a sweat.

But now, that alone was not enough to completely erase the sense of defeat in his heart.

‘To think I’m just waiting for someone else to solve it.’

The moment he realized that just swinging his sword wasn’t relieving his frustration.

“It’s too small!”

Muno kicked open the door of the spacious barracks he had been assigned and went outside.

– You must return soon!

“I know!”

The shouting knight’s voice went in one ear and out the other.

‘The monster’s demonic energy is still calm. It won’t wake up anytime soon.’

From the base located above the Hydra’s lair, he ran down the mountainside.

“Hup!”

The moment Muno, who was running through the field, took a short breath.

Chwareureureuk.

The two chains from his ankles, extended nearly 100m, instantly pushed his body high into the air.

Paaaaang!

As he, having soared to an incredible height in an instant, fell in a parabolic arc.

The retrieved chains extended again from his right leg, becoming a whip that lashed out in a 100m radius and was swung forward.

Paaaaaaang!

Woojigeun.

The small trees on the hill were swept away by the chains and shattered into pieces.

It was a wide-area attack with enough power to severely damage a 1-Star Corporeal Arts user, performed by a fellow Corporeal Arts user.

But Muno’s expression was grimaced.

‘I can’t use this in a real fight.’

The preliminary movement of the chains was too large, and if the opponent managed to block it, he felt that he would be the one to lose his pace.

In fact, even now, just from the impact and the wind resistance, his body was staggering in mid-air.

However, it was too early to be disappointed.

“Ha!”

Muno immediately shot out another chain from his hand, touched the ground, and maintained his balance.

Repeating the process of extending and retrieving the chains, he flew around acrobatically at a height an ordinary person could never reach.

At a certain moment when he reached the highest point he could.

“Hap!”

He let out a single sharp cry and fell vertically and rapidly toward the ground.

And.

Kwaaaaaaaaaang!

With a loud roar, a cloud of dust rose from the spot where he had crashed.

“Yes, this is it!”

A single sentence that would have made anyone who heard it think he was out of his mind shot out from within the dust cloud.

Muno, who had created a small crater in the dirt floor of the hill, was once again shooting out his chains and throwing his body into the air.

“Heh. Hehahahahaha!”

The feeling of looking down from the air was exhilarating.

‘What’s so special about flying? This is flying.’

Was this what bungee jumping, no, skydiving, which he had only heard about in his past life, felt like?

Although the height was a bit lower, it didn’t matter.

It felt like the stress that had built up from seeing an unbeatable monster was finally being relieved.

He felt sorry for Rauel, who was probably still keeping watch on the Hydra.

‘I should just blow off steam like this until it’s my turn to switch with Rauel.’

The moment he thought that.

“You’re an interesting fellow.”

A person’s voice, which shouldn’t have been audible from a hundred meters in the air, suddenly seemed to ring in his ear.

‘What?’

Thinking it couldn’t be, he turned his head in the direction the voice came from.

What he saw was the claw(?) of a giant monster that he had no idea when it had approached.

“Wh, what!”

The moment he urgently tried to swing his ‘Blade’.

“You’ll get badly hurt if you resist for no reason.”

Just as he thought he heard that voice again, his body suddenly stiffened.

As if he had been hit by a paralysis spell without any warning.

‘Wh, what is this!?’

The moment he felt bewildered by the situation where he couldn’t even open his mouth.

“If you like flying so much, I’ll let you fly high.”

Paaaaaaang.

He felt the claw that had grabbed him suddenly increase its altitude.

Muno, who had shot up through the clouds in an instant, struggled with his stiffened body.

Woodeudeudeuk.

“What is this……!”

He somehow broke the strange binding and forced the claw open.

“Krrrrrr.”

Suddenly, as if a monster’s cry rang out from somewhere, he saw the head of a giant snake-like monster looking at him.

A brutal lizard’s head, similar to the monster’s head he had seen not long ago.

But strangely, he didn’t feel any hostility.

‘What is this……?’

His reason seemed paralyzed by the utterly absurd situation, and his head didn’t seem to be working properly.

No, it felt like the energy that had stiffened his body had invaded his head as well.

As he barely managed to release that energy and his mind, which had been foggy as if in a mist, began to clear up little by little.

That same voice was heard again.

“Hoh? You already broke free of the ‘Pressure’? You certainly have talent.”

“Who are you!?”

He shouted towards the direction of the voice above his head, but.

“It’s a greeting, Muno Drasen.”

A greeting? What……?

The moment he was bewildered by the answer he couldn’t possibly comprehend.

“See you again soon. You can jump up here, can’t you?”

Along with the short, playful voice, he felt the claw release his body.

In the distant sky, at a height where only clouds were visible below.

“You, you, you bastard, who……”

Paaaaaaang.

The cold wind brushed past his entire body.

His body falling without resistance.

In a fear that went beyond exhilaration.

“……Who the hell are you, you bastard!!!”

Muno had no choice but to grind his teeth, spewing his anger at the unidentified foe.

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