The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 129

105. Southern Disaster (4)

Swish—!!!

Kahlil, who had been gripping the Minotaur’s neck, sheathed his Ice Claws at his waist and drew Agnel instead.

To others, the short dagger might seem incapable of piercing the tough hide of a monster, but Agnel, made entirely of Azure Steel, was a weapon even Alun Zabis recognized.

‘It’s an S-class monster, but its structure is ultimately no different from a beast. The weakest point is the joint between the atlas and axis vertebrae [the first two vertebrae in the neck].’

As Kahlil infused mana into the hand holding Agnel, a milky white aura condensed on the dagger’s blade.

Thwack—!!! Thwack! Thwack!!

Slash–!!

Without mercy, he plunged the dagger into the Minotaur’s neck with all his might.

Fizz……!! Fzzzzzz……!!

As he poured arcane power into the blade, from which the aura was erupting, purple lightning flashed from where the dagger was embedded, as if shocked by electricity.

[Krooooooooaaaaaaarrr—!!!]

The beast roared in agony as the searing pain coursed down its spine, thrashing wildly.

“Get back!!”

“Everyone, move away!!”

The soldiers, who had been mesmerized by Kahlil stepping on the Minotaur’s head with his right foot like a bullfighter, gripping its mane and stabbing it repeatedly, began to scatter hastily.

‘After immobilizing it, I’ll damage the muscles on both sides of the spinous processes [bony projections along the spine] to prevent it from counterattacking.’

As he twisted the embedded dagger, the Minotaur’s red muscles were exposed with a cracking sound.

Crunch……!!

Crack!!

When Kahlil pulled on the beast’s hide, the flesh moving like it was breathing could be seen on both sides of the bone running from its neck to its back.

Without hesitation, Kahlil plunged the sword into it.

[Kuaaaaaaa……!!]

Each time he swung the sword, the beast’s flesh fell away in all directions as if it were being butchered.

“Ugh……!!”

“Waaaaaack……!!”

The soldiers screamed and retreated from the chunks of flesh and red blood pouring over their heads.

Thud……!!

With all the muscles inside the shoulder blades severed, the Minotaur gasped for breath and dropped the axe it had been holding to the ground.

‘Finally, if I strike inside the ribs…….’

Kahlil stepped on the staggering beast’s shoulder and jumped down, putting Agnel in his mouth and pulling out the Ice Claws.

Stab……!!

Slash–!

Before landing on the ground, Kahlil plunged the sword into the inside of the Minotaur’s ribs and rotated his body, slashing horizontally with all his might.

With the gruesome sound of flesh being cut away, red blood poured from the beast’s side.

[Krooooooo……!!]

The Minotaur, in agony, tried to counterattack Kahlil, but with all the muscles in both arms severed, it could not even lift its axe and could only roar.

‘Amazing…….’

Aven couldn’t help but admire Kahlil’s fight with a pure heart.

The way Kahlil sequentially targeted the weaknesses of a monster that even the Knights would have difficulty defeating, and hunted it down in an instant, was more than just skillful.

“Finish it. Cut off its head and put it on the flagpole to show it to the Empire bastards.”

Kahlil, who had landed on the ground, said to Aven.

Because Kahlil did not forget to cut the last Achilles tendon, the Minotaur was struggling, losing its balance and collapsing.

‘W, was he such a young boy?’

Aven was genuinely surprised after admiring Kahlil up close.

“Ah, I understand. What are you doing!! Cut off the Minotaur’s head right now!!”

Waaaaaaa—!!

Waaaa–!!

As if regaining his senses, Aven nodded hastily and ordered the soldiers, who shouted in anticipation and beheaded the fallen monster.

The Minotaur’s head, as tall as an adult male, was cut off with its eyes wide open.

“You’re really amazing. I’ve never seen such a hunting method before……. I’m amazed at how well you know about monsters. Thank you again for saving us.”

Aven held the sword hilt up and clasped his hands together, showing respect to Kahlil.

Although a small country, Marze and Aven were famous knights on the continent.

The fact that someone with the power to overturn even the king’s orders if he judged his own ideas to be correct showed respect to Kahlil meant that he acknowledged him.

“You’re welcome.”

But Kahlil smiled bitterly.

The hunting method of sequentially piercing the monster’s weaknesses and blocking each movement.

After reaching the rank of Sword Saint, he had rarely caught monsters in this way.

And even after returning, he had never caught monsters like this.

There was no need to.

It wasn’t because the Minotaur was a strong monster.

In his previous life, he had fought even more monsters than that, and in this life, Kahlil had fought against those who made the Minotaur look ridiculous.

‘Honestly, compared to Alun Zabis or the Flame Tyrant, he’s too easy an opponent.’

Twitch-

At that moment.

Kahlil felt a throbbing sensation on the back of his right hand holding the Ice Claws. The back of his hand was swollen red as if a lump had formed. The right arm, where the Ein Trigger obtained from the Fire Dragon’s lair was implanted, seemed to be twitching as if it didn’t like his sword.

Ice and fire.

The two incompatible forces were like this every time Kahlil drew up his magic power, as if they were arm wrestling.

‘Just wait a little longer, Lamine. I’ll get a sword that you’ll be satisfied with.’

Nevertheless, there was another reason why he used such a cumbersome method to hunt the Minotaur.

His hunting method was taught to him in his childhood by his father, Kaliak, the chief of the Black Eyes tribe.

Waaaaaaa—!!!

As the Minotaur’s severed head was stuck on the flagpole, the people watching the scene shouted in unison.

That’s why.

Regardless of the presence or absence of magic power, the fact that he could catch an S-class monster was enough to uplift the soldiers.

“Beykan, Kinu. Gather the troops. We’re going to subjugate the Demon Nest right now.”

“Understood.”

“Yes.”

After a moment of joy of victory, Kahlil ordered the Free Army without delay.

“Are you saying we should subjugate the Demon Nest? I know your skills, but…… with the Imperial Army still here, shouldn’t we retreat from the front line first?”

Viola and Grace had expressions that said, “As expected,” at Kahlil’s words, but Aven had a bewildered expression.

Although they had retreated from the battlefield, Luon’s 70,000 troops were still aiming for Twin Armor.

But Kahlil shook his head.

“You know. You can estimate the size of the Demon Nest by the number of monsters coming out of the Demon Nest. There’s no time to wait. We have to eliminate the boss before the Demon Nest is completely settled.”

“That’s true, but…….”

Aven still had an uneasy expression.

The reason was simple.

The monster summoned to the field before the Demon Nest was even created was the Minotaur.

“Compared to the owner of the Demon Nest in the innermost part, they must be weak. To subjugate it, we’ll have to use the troops of Twin Armor. But if they know that the troops are leaving…….”

Aven couldn’t estimate how many troops he would have to allocate to subjugate the Demon Nest. There were also people in the castle who had barely saved their lives.

If he made a mistake, their lives might be in danger again.

“Hoo.”

He let out a low sigh.

Since the monsters outside were that strong, he couldn’t even guess how powerful the owner of the Demon Nest inside would be.

“Don’t worry. Only the Free Army will go to the Demon Nest.”

At that moment.

Looking at his worried face, Kahlil said in a calm voice.

“……!!”

“……!!”

At his words, everyone around him looked at him with surprised eyes.

“W, we’re going too!”

Viola said in a hurried voice, afraid that Kahlil would refuse.

Kahlil smiled faintly at her appearance.

‘The King of Monsters. Minos.’

Unlike them, Kahlil knew very well what was inside that Demon Nest.

The owner of the Minotaur’s Demon Nest, which had almost destroyed the Three Kingdoms in his previous life.

He had never fought him at that time, but Kahlil had met him on the 34th floor when he climbed Pharel to return.

He caught him after two days of fighting.

He, who had reached the position of Sword Saint, won only after fighting day and night.

‘Of course, he’s not an easy opponent. But…….’

Pharel could be said to be an aggregate of all Demon Nests.

All the Demon Nests that had been created on the continent were inside it, and the difficulty increased exponentially each time he climbed the floors, and later he had to fight monsters that he had never seen on the continent.

The Minotaur, called an S-class monster, was only a guardian of the 34th floor in Pharel.

Perhaps his current ability is lower than when he was a Sword Saint before entering Pharel in his previous life.

But Kahlil didn’t think he would fail to hunt or lose to Minos.

No, he was confident in any Demon Nest, not just the Minotaur’s Demon Nest.

It’s not just because he gained magic power.

It’s not because he has Ice Claws and received arcane power from Alun Zabis. It wasn’t arrogance from the power of the Flame Tyrant either.

“…….”

Kahlil smiled as he stared blankly at the black Demon Nest.

‘When I think about it, I’ve gained a lot.’

He had climbed countless floors of Pharel for eons to return.

Kahlil’s attitude towards monsters was completely different from that of the knights of the continent from the beginning.

The reason he is strong comes from there.

Just by not having fear or tension, he can use his skills to the fullest.

Such an appearance of Kahlil was passed on to other soldiers as well.

In addition, the reason why his Free Army is strong is also because of the hunting ability unique to the barbarians, but also because Kahlil was at the forefront.

‘But there’s still a lot to gain.’

Kahlil bit his lip as if he was licking his lips slightly. To him, the terrible Demon Nest, which was called the Southern Disaster, was just a treasure trove.

“If Lord Marze returns, Lord Aven, please help him clean up the remaining monsters.”

Kahlil pointed to the Ponaan River, where the Imperial Army was located.

“And the burned rice paddies can’t be helped, but……. We should get compensation for that from the Imperial Army.”

“What does that…….”

Marze and Aven looked at each other and tilted their heads at Kahlil’s words.

“The supplies of 70,000 troops will be enough to get through the winter.”

Kahlil raised the corners of his mouth as he looked at the two of them.

* * *

“Is this the right way to do it?”

Suan muttered as he parked the boat in the strait where the river met the sea.

“That’s right, it’s amazing. As the Master said, the currents seem to be calm. It’s weirder because it’s not the raging Ponaan.”

“Stop talking nonsense and do what you’re told. We have a lot to do. We have to go to the South right away.”

At Dushala’s nagging, Suan Hazar scratched his head and untied the token he had wrapped around his wrist.

‘What the hell is that for?’

Aidan, who had gone to the South with Kahlil, was puzzled as he looked at the Token of the Awakened King that he had entrusted to Suan.

As far as he knew, it was made from the fangs of a monster called the owner of the Demon Nest.

But that was it.

It didn’t have any significant magical power, nor was it cursed.

“Okay.”

Suan nodded once and threw the token into the water with all his might.

Splash.

Tense gazes were focused.

“…….”

But the river was too calm for all the worrying.

Nothing happened.

Dushala reluctantly opened her mouth as she watched the token slowly sink.

“Is that it?”

“Well……. That’s all the Master told me to do.”

Suan shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t know either.

That’s when it happened.

“U, uaaaaack!!”

“Kuek?!”

The calm river began to surge as if it had returned to its former state.

The three hurriedly grabbed the ship’s railing.

Splash—!!

Thud……!!

As the bow of the ship shook violently, something suddenly rose high from the water.

[Krrr…….]

At that moment.

Behind the waterfall of falling water droplets, red eyes flashed. The three stared blankly at it with blank faces.

“Crazy…….”

“The Token of the Awakened King was used like this?”

“That’s what the Master does. It’s foolish to even imagine it.”

Everyone said something.

Among them, Suan Hazar muttered quietly as he looked at the familiar figure.

“Water King…….”

The Serpent slowly lowered its head towards the three.

As if.

Waiting for orders.

The three felt a chilling thrill.

The forehead of the monster called the owner of Ponaan was marked with the mark of the Awakened King, as if it had been burned with fire.