Survival Story of a Sword King - Chapter 90

Sword King Baotolt (1)

In an underground ruin covered with gray darkness, a huge monster moved silently between the collapsed buildings.

It was a large lion that’s 6 meters in length and more than 2 meters in height. It had long, sharp claws, blood-red skin, and a scorpion tail.

Its wrinkled face was embossed with teeth that stretched out like a shark’s.

[Race: Manticore. Lv. 100.

It combines long front claw-cutting attacks with double-toothed bites.

Special ability: Uses multiple Aura skills. A poisonous sting that paralyzes the muscles and nervous system can be fired like an arrow.]

As it was secretly walking in search of prey, the Manticore suddenly looked up and stared over a building.

‘……!’

It could see four humans coming over to the other side of the darkness.

They were female and male barbarians, a Mage with red hair, and a silver-haired girl.

The Manticore was delighted.

It was the first human flesh it had seen in a long time.

It aimed its scorpion’s tail carefully over the building and right above their heads.

He then waited for them calmly.

The distance from the prey began to narrow.

They walked into its extremity calmly, seemingly unaware that a Manticore was hiding here.

It propelled itself forward.

Whooooooh!

With incredible speed and with perfect timing, it shot the sting of its tail forward and swung its dagger-like foreclaws swiftly!

At that moment, the human figures disappeared.

They weren’t real.

It was just an illusion.

“You got caught.”

A red flash of light approached from behind the Manticore as a cold voice rang across the place.

-Pinch!

A hole was drilled into the red monster’s body, causing blood to burst like an explosion.

He killed a level 100 monster instantly with a single blow.

Ryu Han-bin retrieved his sword.

“This neighborhood has a lot of things that look like lions. Is it because it’s a place where lion-shaped monsters roam?”

Artis surveyed the surroundings.

Fortunately, there was no sign of more monsters.

Only then did he open his mouth with confidence.

“Don’t let your guard down, Han-bin. If it weren’t for the element of surprise, it wouldn’t have ended this easily.”

“I know. That’s why I did my best.”

In response, Ryu Han-bin glanced at Artis’s fingers.

“It’s good that you’re over level 70. You can use those items, too.”

[Vision ring (Magic Tool)

Within a radius of 50 meters of the user, it can randomly position and project an illusion.

Level Requirement: Lv. 70. Number of uses: 21/30]

Although it was extremely expensive, it was so useful in many ways that most Hunter teams that targeted the Grand Maze were equipped with it.

Using that magic ring, Han-bin and his party used their illusions as bait to lure nearby creatures, dealing with them one by one.

Thanks to it, though their travel speed was slower, they still managed to enter the area without any risk.

“Why didn’t you use this in Katrack?”

Artis shook his head at Han-bin’s dissatisfaction.

“That was too much. It was too bright because of the glowing moss. The Vision Ring is based on magic, not spiritualism.”

Even if it was the same illusion skill, magic and spiritualism had different ways of usage.

Magic manipulated light. Spiritualism controlled the mind.

Therefore, spirit illusion art was powerful, but if the opponent’s level were too high, it wouldn’t be accepted at all.

In comparison, illusion magic took place regardless of the level.

It was based on what the eyes saw, not what the mind perceived.

However, there was an awkwardness in the movements and color of hallucinations.

So if they looked closely, they could easily find a loophole.

“So when you use magic, the surroundings are essential. It’s pretty good because it’s dark around here.”

Kibie also added information to Artis’s explanation.

“So it’s like putting computer graphics in a budget-limited movie with a night background on purpose.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

Han-bin nodded.

As expected, she seemed to have a deep understanding of Earth’s civilization.

Of course, Artis and Effir were confused.

“What do you mean the computer?”

“What are you talking about, sister?”

“You don’t have to know about it.”

Kibie walked away with a slight hand gesture.

Someone had left a trace of mellowing out of the shattered Manticore’s body.

“It’s been so long that I don’t know if shadow redirection will work.”

Mumbling, Kibie concentrated her mind.

After a while, she smiled.

“Found it. It’s the remnants of Baotolt and Gabe.”

* * *

The sword king Baotolt singlehandedly destroyed the monsters of Kaltan.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t have a colleague.

He was a Valtara warrior who refused to use Magic Tools.

However, no matter how strong a Valtara warrior was, he could still get hurt.

If he were injured, he should be treated.

There was a limit to the use of healing potions alone.

Since he didn’t use a Magic Tool, he couldn’t use a Space Pouch. So he couldn’t carry a lot of healing potions.

He also needed to take a rest and sleep.

But sleeping alone in such a dangerous place was too reckless even for the Sword King.

So Baotolt had a servant who was willing to take orders.

Level 99 Spiritist, Gabe Martin.

People might wonder what nonsense it was to say that a high-ranking level 99 Spiritist was just a servant. But the Sword King was so powerful that even that level wasn’t enough to fight on equal grounds with him.

So Gabe just followed him around like a real servant, hiding in battle and helping with treatment after combat.

By using Shadow reading, Kibie confirmed that Baotolt and Gabe had passed by about six months ago.

She also discovered the fact that the two kept heading south.

Kibie got up.

“This way.”

* * *

As they went down to the lowest floor of Kaltan, the movement of Han-bin and his party became more cautious.

There were many monsters across the Dungeon that was over level 100.

There were usually more than three. Furthermore, they were top monsters. They were hard for even Ryu Han-bin to deal with.

Moreover, they should consider the worst-case in mind.

Kibie repeatedly reminded the party.

“When you meet Kruse Murg, you hide no matter what. Don’t even think about running away. It would be impossible to escape.”

The Golden Lion, Kruse Murg.

It was one of the three great masters of Kaltan and one of the most powerful monsters that killed more than 200 top hunters over a decade ago.

Most Dungeons were targeted by a small force consisting of four or five members.

Ordinary people, not Hunters, often asked a simple question.

‘Why not mobilize the army to destroy the Dungeon systematically? Isn’t that the best way to protect Latna from the threat of demons?’

That was due to the characteristics of the Dungeon.

Most Dungeons had many monsters, and they never left their territory.

So Hunters destroyed each local monsters and expanded the Clean Area to close the Dungeon sequentially.

However, there were times when that rule was broken.

Whenever large numbers of humans clustered together in a Dungeon, all the monsters within a radius of several kilometers attacked in unison.

The excessively large human presence stimulated their primitive instincts to leave their habitats.

More than a decade ago, hundreds of top hunters joined forces at the same time.

For some reason, Kruse Murg, one of the three Gods of the Grand Maze, escaped Kaltan and appeared in the wilderness on the ground.

It was a terrible catastrophe.

They had no idea how much blood would flow if that formidable monster reached human territory beyond the wilderness.

But at the same time, it was also an opportunity for military combat, which was impossible in Kaltan.

Unlike in Dungeons, there was no problem to bring as many forces as possible in the outside world.

All the strong Hunters of Serkaltan united for the opportunity to slay Kruse Murg.

More than 200 Hunters joined the hunt for Kruse Murg.

“They were annihilated. Only three survived, I think.”

It wasn’t a battle.

It was just a one-sided slaughter.

Countless Hunters had been swept away and killed without being able to launch a single physical or magical attack.

Satisfied with their blood, Kruse Murg returned to the Maze.

Thanks to that, they were able to avoid the worst disaster possible.

“He’s the Sword King. His power is beyond common sense, so he can go hunting monsters in the open. But we will die at our level.”

Artis quivered as he concluded his speech.

Just imagining it made him shiver.

‘It’s best to find the Sword King as soon as possible and get out of here.’

Ryu Han-bin asked Kibie.

“Did you find any other leads?”

“Not yet…”

She replied calmly.

Suddenly, Effir leaned down and gestured to the party.

‘Hide!’

They moved before even asking why.

Han-bin’s group quickly ran to the dark side of a nearby building.

He then looked at Effir with questioning eyes.

‘Why?’

Effir pointed a finger over the windowpane.

‘That one!’

Everyone’s eyes were on it.

Something huge could be seen in the middle of the ruined city.

It had a yellowish fuselage, a sunken golden mane, thick forefeet, and ghastly fangs.

It looked like a perfect lion, but it was extremely different in size from a real lion.

Though it stood at nearly 30 meters tall, the monster laid quietly on its stomach as if it had fallen asleep.

Artis turned pale.

‘Kruse Murg!’

* * *

“…”

Han-bin and his party remained immobile.

They dared not move even a finger.

They couldn’t even breathe.

Kibie swallowed her saliva.

“I didn’t know I was this close.’

She could only say that she was lucky not to be caught on that street.

‘Do you think it’s sleeping…?’

Quietly retreating was their best option.

She pointed behind them, asking them to move backward.

At that time, Ryu Han-bin tilted his head.

“Something’s wrong…”

Effir urgently pressed her finger against her lips to tell Han-bin to be quiet.

However, Han-bin stuck out his head.

He frowned at the window frame carefully.

Frustrated, Artis whispered.

“What’s wrong, Han-bin? It’s dangerous!”

Ryu Han-bin answered back.

“Nothing’s coming up. No level, no race.”

Like most Aliens, he also became accustomed to using the Guideline whenever he met a new enemy.

He had been looking at it for a while.

But there was no response.

There was no notification of ‘unknown’ or ‘error.’

It didn’t react at all.

Based on his experience, he could only think of one possible answer.

“… It’s dead, isn’t it?”