The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 434

263. Plague of Procreation (1)

Taptap……! Tadatadak……!!

The sound of footsteps tearing through the forest echoed loudly. The irregular pace suggested desperate urgency.

“Hah……. Hah…….”

The soldier, running for his life, was a sorry sight. His armor was riddled with holes as if it had melted, and the spear shaft he clutched instead of a staff looked ready to snap at any moment.

“Mo, monsters…….”

He muttered in a daze, glancing back as if possessed.

[Kar륵…… Kar륵…….]

A grotesque sound, like a mix of frog croaks and a child’s wail, echoed from all directions.

“Hiiiik?!”

The soldier trembled in terror, his legs giving way as he scrambled along the ground, trying to escape.

[Karreureureuk……! Kar륵!!]

In that instant, glowing eyes surrounded him, closing in.

“I, I don’t want to die!!”

Panicked, the soldier forgot to hide and instead screamed as he tried to flee.

[There.]

At that moment, a heavy voice sounded.

Kar륵! Kar륵! Kar륵! Kar륵!!!

As soon as the command was given, the sound of frogs croaking filled the air from all directions, as loud as cicadas in midsummer.

“Ugh…… Uwaaaaaaaa!!!!!!”

It was then.

Kwaaaang—!!!!

Along with the soldier’s scream, a Sand Serpent appeared just as monsters were about to tear him apart, baring its massive fangs and blocking the creatures.

Clang! Kwagagagang……! Kwagagang!!!

The Sand Serpent writhed, crushing dozens of monster frogs.

“……!!!!”

The sight of monsters confronting each other was rare, but the soldier, formerly of the Twin Armor, recalled that monsters had fought for them before.

“Could it be…….”

The soldier slowly turned his head.

“Y, Your Majesty!!”

The soldier, forgetting his near-death experience, quickly knelt upon seeing a figure emerge from the forest.

“What unit are you with?”

“F, Four-Nine Defense Garrison!”

“Who is the commander there?”

“Lord Marze!!”

Buzz…… Buzz…….

The soldiers behind Carryl began to stir at the soldier’s cry.

“Lord Marze? Isn’t he the famous general once known as the Shield of Istan? Could it be……. Has the defense garrison he protects already fallen?”

“No way……. Even though it’s close to Four-Nine, only half a day has passed since the disaster began…….”

Kuggeugeugeugeug…….

As if echoing their unease, the red moon in the sky slowly began to move. The red moon, which had risen with the start of the disaster, looked as if it were stained with blood.

“I see.”

Unlike the murmuring soldiers, Carryl remained calm despite the news of the defense garrison’s fall.

“Anthem.”

“Yes.”

“Do you believe this soldier’s words?”

“No.”

Everyone looked at the soldier in surprise at Anthem’s answer.

“Certainly, the Four-Nine River is located close to the defense garrison. Therefore, it was expected that the Four-Nine Defense Garrison would be the first place affected by the second disaster.”

“And?”

“The fall of the defense garrison is simply unbelievable.”

“L, look at those monsters……!! The defense garrison has fallen, and they are advancing now. I received orders to prepare thoroughly, but……! The power of the monsters is too strong…….”

The soldier cried urgently.

“You escaped alone?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t sense any life signs around, but conversely, I don’t sense the aura of the dead either.”

Kay Rothschild said, removing her hand from the ground. Dozens of threads connected to the ground surrounded her.

[Keu keu……. You moronic monster.]

Zarka Hochi sneered at the soldier lying on the ground.

[Who do you think we are, trying to trick us? If the defense garrison had fallen, this area would be filled with all sorts of spirits by now. It would be the land of the Empress of the Dead.]

He smirked.

[There is no aura of the dead. That means the soldiers of the defense garrison are not dead. No…….]

Zarka Hochi pointed to where the defense garrison should be.

[They weren’t even attacked in the first place. This is just an illusion created by you.]

“It’s too easy to see through.”

Nine Darhon, standing behind Zarka Hochi, extended his hand as if introducing the person behind him.

[Get lost.]

Aln Zabis warned the soldier.

[Stay in the water where you belong. Show yourself, you reptile bastards.]

“Frogs are amphibians.”

Kay Rothschild hushed Zarka Hochi, who was shouting excitedly.

[Whatever. Kay, you’re not going to argue about reptiles and amphibians after seeing that mess, are you?]

[Keureuk……. Keureureureuk…….]

[Kkireureuk……. Kkiruk.]

[Keugeugeugeugeu…….]

The sounds echoed from all directions. The appearance of the monsters that revealed themselves was shockingly grotesque.

[You noticed.]

The face of the soldier who had collapsed earlier split vertically, peeling off like a molted skin. A frog’s head popped out from within, its upper body transformed into moist skin, and a massive monster with human legs slowly straightened up.

“…….”

Kay Rothschild frowned at the sight, and Zarka Hochi slightly covered her eyes.

It was so huge that it was hard to understand how it had been hiding inside a human body. The monster spoke to Carryl in perfect human language.

[It speaks?]

Aln said in amazement, looking at the monster.

In terms of appearance alone, the first disaster, Blood, was more human-like.

But Blood could not hold a proper conversation.

[Are you Hekht?]

[That is correct.]

Hekht, on the other hand, was speaking directly to Carryl with a bizarre face.

[This is interesting. Does the intelligence of corruption increase with each iteration?]

Aln Zabis said, scanning him as if examining him.

[But you have a disgustingly ugly face.]

[How dare a lowly human soul judge anyone?]

[Every one of them calls humans lowly. Who was it that tried to deceive us with ridiculous tricks?]

Aln stretched out both hands forward.

[You don’t know what happened to those who wagged their tongues in front of a lowly being, do you?]

Then, black smoke gathered and a staff appeared.

Thud-!!

[You can’t know. Because they’re all dead.]

He slammed the staff hard on the ground and growled.

[Insignificant thing!!]

Despite Aln’s sharp words, Hekht raised a large trident and pointed it at him, spitting out a long tongue.

[You will all die out. You will die until your bones turn to dust and you will never have eternal rest……!!]

Crack-!!

It was then.

As if a meteorite had fallen, a massive shadow appeared from the sky and crushed Hekht’s body.

[Keok…… Keokeok?!]

The creature, who had been pointing at Aln with his trident, was now a mangled mess, his lower body burst like a balloon and sprawled on the ground.

The remaining half of his upper body was slowly lifted.

[Cough.]

Hekht’s shoulder twitched, and thick blood flowed from his large mouth. Dozens of large teeth were deeply embedded in his remaining upper body.

Wagdeuk……! Wagjak……!!

The moment a dark shadow loomed overhead, dozens of sharp teeth mercilessly crushed his entire body.

The sound of bones being chewed was eerily clear on the battlefield.

[It tastes as foul as the words it spewed.]

Toscah said, devouring the living disaster, and licked his lower jawbone instead of his lips.

[Carryl, send that lizard somewhere else. The battlefield is getting cramped.]

At his appearance, the Sand Serpent bowed its head to the ground as if prostrating before a king.

“…….”

“…….”

The appearance of the Bone Dragon itself was astonishing, but people were speechless at the sight of him killing the second disaster in one blow.

[Hmm? You weren’t thinking of listening to what that guy was babbling about until the end, were you?]

Toscah asked nonchalantly, feeling their gazes.

“No. He was going to die anyway.”

Carryl smirked at him.

Changreung-!!

[That’s a relief.]

Toscah spat out Hekht’s trident, which had been in his mouth, and nodded.

Shwaaaaaak—!!!!

As he spread his massive bone wings with all his might, dust scattered everywhere.

[If the level of the enemy is this much, it won’t be a big deal.]

Having killed Hekht in one blow, he unexpectedly thought that the disaster was not so frightening.

[Or has it changed because I’m here?]

“It’s not that easy. Your power is certainly unexpected, but it’s not enough to turn the tide alone.”

[Hmm?]

At Carryl’s words, Toscah tilted his head, slightly offended. Although he was now a Bone Dragon, he was still a Lord who had reigned as the strongest among dragons.

He spoke as if showing off his power, but Carryl’s assessment was cold. At Toscah’s question, Carryl climbed onto his head and gestured. Then, the soldiers hurriedly prepared to depart as if they had been waiting.

Paahhhak……!! Kwaang!!!

With a loud noise, Toscah ascended into the sky. Carryl said, facing the cold wind.

“This is just the beginning. They are not alone and appear all over the continent.”

[So there are several of these guys.]

“The scary thing about Hekht, the Plague of Procreation, is that he doesn’t disappear even if you kill the main body. The moment he appeared above the river, he already spread his clones all over the continent along the river.”

[Hmph, I see. That’s why you divided the troops into several places.]

Toscah began to pick up speed.

“That’s right. If that was the end, I would have handled it alone. I wouldn’t have waged such a large-scale war. There are commanders who look exactly like him all over the continent.”

Carryl looked down.

“The problem isn’t just their physical strength. They seduce people and create illusions like now, and then devour humans.”

[If there is no absolute faith, it is certainly a problem that can be shaken. In that sense, I am thinking once again about the significance of your existence.]

Toscah felt how much trust Carryl’s existence gave the soldiers. It was like the aura he had seen in the first Blader in the past.

“They claim to be the real ones, but the main body is separate. It won’t end unless we catch it.”

[The main body…….]

“He continues to divide. The reason why humans are at a disadvantage as the war drags on is because of that. Even after the battle ends and the next day comes, their numbers don’t decrease. Rather, most will experience an increase in the number of enemies.”

[The number of enemies increases the more you fight……. Just listening to it is terrible.]

Carryl smiled bitterly at Toscah’s words. He had already experienced that terrible thing in his past life.

[What if I chew up all those guys?]

Toscah said, opening his mouth wide as if he had swallowed the creature earlier. But Carryl shook his head at his words.

“Unless you kill the main body, his division speed will exceed your speed of eliminating the clones. As always, no matter how strong you are, our body is only one. We can’t cover the entire continent.”

[So, we have to leave it to the humans. That means they have to fight on their own without you as the center.]

“They will endure. No, they can win. My soldiers are not that weak.”

[Then what should we do?]

“Of course, while they are stopping Hekht, we must find his main body.”

[The main body……. How do we find it?]

“Don’t worry.”

Carryl gave a strange smile.

“I have already prepared a plan to find him at the same time as the war.”

At that moment, Toscah felt a chilling thrill despite already being the body of a dead man.

[You are truly amazing. How many steps ahead do you see the big picture? Even against monsters that God cannot handle. I have never seen a human like you.]

“It’s too early to be surprised.”

[Really? Then should I prepare to be surprised from now on?]

Carryl lightly tapped Toscah’s head and pointed in one direction.

“No. You have to prepare to enjoy it.”

Then Toscah smiled strangely, as if he knew where it was.