How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 273

304. The Stolen Center (4)

If I don’t finish off the main body, there’s no end to fighting them.

“…I see why fighting those things is a losing proposition.”

“We need to find an opening and get out of here first.”

While we were briefly engaging them, Yoon Han was looking for a way to escape.

The moment they gestured for us to come.

“Stone Wall!”

“Gnome! Block the path!”

Cruse’s magic and my spirit art simultaneously created crystal stones that blocked their approach.

We retreated without looking back.

“That’ll buy us about five seconds.”

“How far are we running?”

Since I’m not good at running, I flew low while flipping my body around and showering the pursuing enemies with mana bullets.

But they won’t be very effective against them.

The enemies wielded their crystal-honed, sharp arms and cleaved all the mana bullets in half.

Simply running away won’t cut it.

“I’ll try to shake them off.”

It’s not entirely impossible to escape, but I don’t want a long chase.

I readjusted my grip on the sword and took out the Bloody Staff in my other hand, gripping it tightly as if snatching it.

“…Come on.”

The two leading ones dove from the sky, aiming at my left and right as if to attack in concert.

“Haa!”

I took a deep breath and put strength into my whole body, using only one hand to receive each of their descending attacks.

‘It’s annoying, but their combat power is… clearly below mine.’

Plus, with the sword’s ability to recreate techniques and experience, I can attempt somewhat reckless acrobatics.

Two more crystal stones charged at me from the alleyway, trying to strike at my blind spot.

I narrowly dodged the blades by twisting my body slightly.

“And if I deflect them…”

I poured mana into the Bloody Staff in my other hand, not the sword, with explosive force, channeling sword energy.

The instantly converted spirit energy swirled around the staff and exploded.

KWAANG!

The four crystal stones couldn’t withstand the impact and were knocked away.

“Fluorite!”

Without missing the chance, the shadow whip extended, wrapped around the enemies, and flung them into the air with a single swing.

“Next is this!”

I leaped toward the falling enemies.

Activating gravity control, I slammed an anti-gravity field diagonally.

“Fly away!”

PAANG!

A burst of sound, as if my ears were about to burst, rang out, and the crystal stones, directly hit by the gravity field, were sent flying.

The enemies, flying away at speeds too fast to see, disappeared into the sky beyond the city.

“…Just send them flying far away.”

Of course, they’ll try to return here according to their programmed commands, but by then, we’ll have evacuated.

It’s simple, but there’s no better way to respond.

‘…If I wasn’t being interfered with space control, I could just open a gate and send them away…’

It’s troublesome, but I can keep sending them away like this.

‘But will that be the end of it?’

It would be fortunate if there were only these crystal stones.

More will definitely come.

As if to confirm that hunch, I clearly felt a separate movement.

“Yoon Han! Duck down with the kids!”

When I shouted, Yoon Han hugged the two kids without a moment’s hesitation and ducked down.

I gave Cruse a signal with my eyes to block the crystal stones instead, and with my sword in hand, I jumped onto Yoon Han’s back, who was ducking down.

I entrusted myself to the sword’s ability.

Naturally, the experience engraved in Killmuris sensed the killing intent and immediately responded to the attack.

KKAANG!

The unique sparks of colliding auras flew.

“An ambush?! Who?”

Yoon Han finally realized that someone was targeting them from behind and shouted.

This ambush is not something that can be achieved with mere inanimate objects moving according to set actions.

Clearly a human, and a highly skilled one at that.

“Come out already!”

I immediately fired Sprite’s lightning.

I don’t know the exact location, so it’s just a warning shot.

Fortunately, I seemed to have hit the mark.

The flash of lightning that was extending collided with something and scattered.

“Oh dear… that’s quite dangerous… So, you’re a spirit caster?”

There was a man standing there, casually sizing us up with his gaze.

He looked to be in his late 30s, skinny but with an impression that he had honed a sharp killing intent rather than being weak.

I scanned the top of his head to confirm his identity.

“Ah? Is that the mercenary Zelhart, who’s rumored to be terrible? I heard he’s been getting beaten up everywhere?”

I provoked him while pretending to recognize him.

Zelhart.

One of the villains who rampaged in the Forellos Empire-related story.

He’s classified as a supporting character, but his skills mentioned in the original work are not to be underestimated.

He was formerly an S-rank mercenary in the Empire Mercenary Guild.

He was stripped of his rank for causing trouble, not because he lacked skill, so he’s dangerous.

“So, you’re the one who took care of our youngsters.”

He instantly saw through the spirit art and other things, and he seems to have recognized my identity as well.

I was sure he would show up the moment I ran into the Zelhart Mercenary Corps, so it doesn’t matter.

“Did you miss the Empire that much?”

“Who knows? I do miss it. There was no better place to run wild than here. The nobles were corrupt, and there were quite a few enjoyable requests. Haha.”

He laughed coolly at my provocation and retrieved his weapon.

A spear shaft with a long chain attached.

It’s a weapon made specifically for him.

It can be used as an ordinary spear, and when the built-in chain is extended, it can exert a reach beyond that of an ordinary spear, allowing him to catch opponents off guard.

The ambush that targeted Yoon Han and the kids earlier was also launched by swinging the chain of that spear.

“Our youngsters were defeated, and you caused a commotion. You’ll have to pay the price…”

He jumped lightly from the building, making a deliberately feeble sound. His actions were full of composure.

“Should I beat you down and then ask for details?”

“Considering that, it seems like you were just trying to kill those kids?”

I’m sure because I received the attack directly.

If that attack had been left unchecked, even Yoon Han’s protection wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.

The three of them would have been torn to pieces.

That’s why I can’t help but be annoyed.

“I won’t say anything about targeting the enemy’s back. I do it often too. But I can’t understand involving the kids.”

“Hahaha. Does it matter? It’s enough to spare one of you instead of the brats and interrogate them, right? And…”

Zelhart retrieved the extended chain by simply shaking the spear shaft, returning it to its normal spear form.

“Personally, I don’t like brats very much. They’re noisy.”

“Oh dear… that’s a shame… isn’t it!”

Needless to say.

I charged forward and swung Killmuris.

“Hmm? Wasn’t he a spirit caster?”

He was surprised that I charged in for close combat from the start, and he whistled, swinging the spear shaft to parry my attack.

KWAANG!

The impact of the two auras colliding spread, as if shaking the surrounding air.

“The momentum is good. Unexpected. The movements aren’t bad either. You’re quite talented.”

“Tch…”

As expected, it’s difficult to crush him with the first move.

Even if he’s washed up, he’s still a former S-rank mercenary.

He’s definitely a master that ordinary knights can’t even compare to.

“Poison Fog.”

I activated the magic I had prepared.

A dark, poisonous cloud spread around us, enveloping us both.

Zelhart noticed that it was a poisonous cloud and said in a dumbfounded tone.

“Poison cloud? That’s absurd. Do you think that’ll work here?”

“It won’t work!”

Neither I nor that guy have enough resistance to be affected by such low-level smoke.

“It’s just to obscure vision! And to catch you off guard.”

The embers of the summoned Salamander reacted.

The spell for the poison cloud I released earlier had been slightly modified to make the cloud itself flammable.

If the embers react to it.

PAAAAAANG!

If flames ignite in the cloud enveloping us, it becomes a cloud of fire that contains heat, not just dark smoke.

“You crazy bastard… are you out of your mind?”

“This is what it takes to make a surprise show!”

Either way, this level of flame won’t work because of the aura.

However, sudden actions are bound to attract attention.

Ignoring the flames, I thrust Killmuris, delivering a heavy stab.

The blade of aura cut through the flames and aimed for Zelhart’s neck.

“Haha. It’s just a trick for the kids.”

Zelhart easily parried it with the spear shaft.

“Too bad! A shallow trick!”

“Then get hit by that trick.”

Either way, it’s natural to defend.

It’s easy for them to do that much.

That’s why I raised my ability with the stab blocked.

A purple reverse field swirled at the end of the aura.

“Pierce!”

I activated the gravity control ability, limiting it to the end of Killmuris, and fired a blade of anti-gravity.

A blade-shaped reverse field was launched.

I roughly named it Gravity Blade.

It won’t pierce the aura’s wall, but it has enough power to push away the weight of an adult man.

“…Kugh?!”

Zelhart’s toes were pushed back, and he was blown away by the anti-gravity blade, slamming into one side of the building.

Not yet.

“Salamander! Sprite!”

Drawing out the power of the two spirits, I concentrated a large amount of fire and lightning on the building where he was buried.

So much firepower that it would melt even the stone and turn it into a thick porridge.

‘…It would be nice if it ended with this.’

Unfortunately, that won’t happen.

Zelhart walked out, breaking the completely melted and solidified building debris.

“That was… a bit hot… I thought I was going to suffocate.”

Contrary to his words, he was full of composure.

He seemed to have suffered some burns, but that was all.

So he’s a top-notch mercenary, even like that.

‘If it becomes a prolonged battle, I might not be able to win…’

The situation isn’t that simple.

If I were just fighting Zelhart, the odds would be high.

I have a grasp of his capabilities to some extent.

The problem is that it’s useless to only fight him.

There are crystal stones, and if it becomes a prolonged battle and I push Zelhart further, other guys will crawl out too.

I could end up surrounded.

That’s not desirable.

‘…This is annoying.’

Making a decision now isn’t the top priority.

Getting information, finding it, and aiming for an opening is the priority.

‘First, I’ll draw attention with a big technique… and then make an opening to escape?’

I was about to set up a plan and execute it.

“…Huh?”

I looked around without realizing it.

It felt like a huge shadow was rising.

A giant crystal stone, or rather, hundreds of stones, combined and fitted together, becoming gigantic.

“…This might be a bit difficult.”

Meanwhile, Cruse, who was dealing with the crystal stones, frowned and pondered.

He could defeat them.

But it would consume more mana than necessary.

Is it really the best course of action to exert all his strength here?

Plus, if he were to defeat that, the rest would definitely swarm in.

“…I have no choice. I’ll have to break through by force and retreat.”

Let’s retreat using forceful measures.

That’s when I was about to make up my mind.

Sreung.

A sharp sword rang out.

For a moment, it seemed like a red diagonal line flashed.

“…Huh? Uh, uh, uh, uh?”

Soon, the upper half of the giant crystal stone seemed to sway, and then it was cut diagonally and collapsed.

Sword energy?

But I didn’t do it.

Above all, can I produce such a clean sword energy at my level?

I’ve never tried it, but I don’t think it would be easy.

Above all, the red line I saw a moment ago.

If that’s sword energy…

That means…

‘…Come to think of it, this is the capital.’

As I recalled where this place was, I reflexively raised my head.

The human who unleashed that sword energy a moment ago was falling.

A female mercenary with red hair fluttering in the gravity, landing skillfully.

“Ha! She’s finally here! El…”

Zelhart recognized her and tried to shout in an excited voice.

“Shut up, third-rate trash. Who said anyone would deal with you?”

She ignored him and kicked him away, sending him far, far away, out of sight.

In the distance, a mournful echo rang out, “Ellauteeeeeeeee!”

‘Wow, that must hurt.’

Admiringly, I shifted my gaze back to her.

A sinister-looking magic sword, like a snake, wrapped around her left arm, as if to devour it.

There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize it.

“Ellaute Eselneus?”

When I confirmed her appearance, the memory of the previous fight came to mind, and my body reflexively tensed up.

I don’t know if she’s an enemy or not.

Meanwhile, she was shaking her head in annoyance.

“…Those young ones are always more energetic. Those kids. They ran out to check on their house, making people run around… Huh? What?”

She was complaining, but she recognized me and frowned.

However, unlike me, it took her several seconds to recognize my face.

“Ah! That kid!”