Chapter 179 - Escape (6)
Flap, flap, flap—!
The Sllows flitted through the forest, their noses twitching as they searched the area.
Their movents were erratic, disordered—as if they had lost control.
It was like watching a swarm of dragonflies scatter in confusion.
‘They must be in complete chaos.’
With [Madness Control] erased, the knights afflicted with madness would be rampaging uncontrollably.
And if Kal was right in the middle of it?
They wouldn’t have ti to worry about anything else while protecting their lord.
“Looks like I’ve secured my escape window.”
There were too many knights for the situation to be resolved quickly.
By the ti order was restored, we would already be gone from the mines.
I didn’t need to worry about Kal’s group chasing —
The real problem was Wiley Gris.
A 5-star knight whom Kal had undoubtedly sent to the mines.
I recalled Wiley’s Divine Na list from the novel.
[Wiley Gris – The Sword of Loyalty (Wind)]
[Comradeship]
[Beast’s Roar]
[Instinct to Guard]
Unlike the others, Wiley’s Divine Na list was likely unchanged, even after being brainwashed.
Wiley was a knight specialized in support.
With Kal not nearby, Lochter and Karl should be able to hold him off.
But… Kal was the one who sent him.
He had allowed himself to be injured, even made himself bait.
Would he really be satisfied with just Wiley?
I had already experienced firsthand just how twisted the Butcher’s sches could be.
Back when I was just a ssenger, he had assigned a 3-star observer—
—while secretly planting a real 4-star observer to monitor from the shadows.
A ticulous bastard through and through.
I had a bad feeling that he had prepared sothing else.
The worst scenario would be if Wiley was carrying a Theramore Bomb—
Or if another hidden ally was waiting in ambush.
“…No, the absolute worst-case scenario would be both.”
Another unpredictable factor was Arcane.
But I shook off the thought.
“The Arcane I know would never interfere directly.”
In the novel, Arcane almost never physically appeared.
Yet, his na was the most frequently ntioned in dialogue by the main cast and supporting characters.
A figure who was always connected to the wielders of Divine Nas, either directly or indirectly.
And yet—he had never once been seen taking action.
‘Now that I think about it, even his Divine Na was never revealed.’
He was a character impossible to fully grasp from the novel’s perspective.
To learn more about Arcane, I’d have to go to Ordor Forest—
The witches there would know more about him.
Tap, tap, tap, tap!
I clenched my teeth and increased my speed.
I wasn’t taking the mountain path—I was sprinting along the fastest route to the mines.
Even so, I still needed more ti to reach it.
What’s happening at the mines right now?
‘Damn, I’m itching for Burst Strike.’
I ran like a madman, desperately hoping for just one thing—
Please, don’t let that bomb explode.
***
KWAAAAAAANG!
A brilliant burst of flas erupted at the mine entrance.
A flickering storm of fire and sparks raged in the air.
It was the aftermath of blades clashing violently.
“…Tsk!”
Lochter stood firmly at the entrance, locked in a frantic exchange with Wiley’s sword strikes.
Wiley’s attribute was Wind.
His sword was like a storm, violent and overwhelming—
At tis, it was razor-sharp, like a relentless gale.
But what worried Lochter more than the attacks was the risk of losing sight of Wiley.
If Wiley slipped past him with that incredible wind-enhanced speed, chasing him down would be nearly impossible.
‘I cannot let him through. No matter what.’
Was it because he had shared Karl’s sense of crisis?
Lochter instinctively fortified his stance, guarding the entrance like an impenetrable wall.
But with all his focus on defense, he couldn’t properly counterattack.
Wiley weaved in and out, exploiting every opening to stab precisely at weak points.
His attacks were like a drill—sharp and relentless.
CLANG!
“…!?”
A vicious slash landed—Lochter’s shoulder turned red.
The wound from his fight with Lyon, pierced by an ice sword, had reopened, and blood began to pour.
Drops of his own blood dripped from the tip of his sword.
The ground beneath them was soon soaked in red.
Lochter gritted his teeth.
He wanted to dodge or counter, but—
Wiley was holding a bomb.
Moving recklessly was too dangerous.
WHOOOOOOOSH—!
Wiley widened the distance, and his Aura Blade flashed ominously.
A storm of rapid slashes followed—
The air itself split apart, sending razor-sharp gusts of wind at Lochter.
An invisible barrage of Aura Blades surged forward.
Lochter hesitated for a mont before activating his bracelet.
A transparent shield ford, deflecting the wind blades.
But then—
CRACK, CRACK!
“…What!?”
The barrier cracked, then shattered completely.
Lochter roared, swinging his Aura Blade wildly.
Flashes of wind and fire clashed—
Blood splattered in all directions.
“Guh—!”
He was losing ground.
Lochter admitted it.
If this were a normal fight, it might have been different.
But after his brutal battle with Lyon, he was already at his limit.
“…This is seriously rough.”
Lochter spat out red saliva and tightened his grip on his sword hilt.
Whether it was against Lyon, or Wiley now—
Nothing had changed.
He was always struggling just to endure.
SWOOSH!
His sword felt too heavy.
Ever since joining the Hunt, he had constantly been pushed to his breaking point.
He was always covered in wounds.
Was this all Arthur’s fault?
No—Lochter didn’t bla anyone.
Instead, he felt ashad of himself.
‘Because I’m weak.’
He thought he hadn’t worked hard enough.
But he didn’t despair.
Because next ti, he would be stronger.
He was sure of it.
“He’s here.”
Between the flashes of Aura Blades, Lochter’s eyes sharpened.
He felt the presence of an ally—a hero’s companion.
Karl was nearby.
It didn’t matter if he was weak now.
Because he had comrades.
“LOCHTER!!!”
A voice rang out—Karl, appearing in a throwing stance.
The mont their eyes t, Lochter understood his plan.
A crazy plan.
But the die was cast.
“KRAAAAAAH!!!”
Lochter unleashed the full power of his magic sword, surging forward.
For the first ti, he stepped out of the entrance.
A full-force strike.
BOOM—!
The clash sent Wiley staggering backward.
Lochter pressed the attack, forcing Wiley on the defensive.
When Wiley tried to escape, Lochter cut off his retreat.
CLANG!
A second collision.
Lochter’s magic sword cracked—then broke.
But at that mont—
A dagger flew through the air and lodged itself at Wiley’s feet.
From the embedded dagger, a blinding light erupted—
Arthur had prepared a Clown Dagger, just in case.
Five cursed daggers exploded in rapid succession, engulfing everything in their radius.
“Guh—!!”
Even though I had dodged in advance, the shockwave alone was trendous.
Lochter was hurled into a wall, his body slamming into the cold rock.
It felt like every bone in his body had shattered.
His limbs refused to move properly, but at least he was alive. That much was a relief.
Monts later, a familiar figure appeared over him, scratching his head.
“You good?”
“…Y-You crazy bastard.”
“What? That was badass.”
“He was holding Theramore.”
Karl glanced at Wiley, then leaned in and whispered into Lochter’s ear.
“Arthur can’t know about this.”
“…As long as it didn’t explode, it’s fine.”
Lochter let out a dry laugh as he pushed himself upright.
One of their party mbers hoisted him onto their back, while two others helped escort him toward the mine entrance.
“Go ahead. I’ll handle things here.”
“I can still move—”
“You barely have enough strength to suck your own fingers. Don’t be a burden. I got this.”
“…And him?”
“He’ll co. I’ll bring him. Now get so rest.”
Karl motioned with his hand, and before Lochter could protest, his companions swiftly disappeared into the depths of the mine.
Exhaling deeply, Karl turned his gaze forward, his expression tight with tension.
Beyond the thick dust cloud, Wiley lay sprawled on the ground.
His body was charred black from the explosion.
Just in case, Karl pulled out a dagger.
PUHK!
The dagger sank deep into Wiley’s back, but he didn’t react.
‘Is he dead?’
Karl had rushed back to the mine as fast as possible, following Arthur’s orders, but he never expected to find Wiley attacking the place.
Karl checked his coat.
No more daggers left.
Cursing under his breath, he cautiously approached Wiley’s body.
Lochter had said that Wiley was holding Theramore.
If it was still intact, he planned to retrieve it.
Beep. Beep. Beep…
“…No way.”
A white sphere pulsed with a sinister red glow.
That eerie sound—
“…Oh, fucking hell.”
Theramore had activated.
Karl didn’t know much about mana bombs, but he knew one thing from experience:
Whenever he heard that sound, the area around him turned to dust.
He quickly scanned his surroundings.
If this thing detonated here, the entire mine entrance would collapse.
Without hesitation, Karl snatched the sphere and sprinted downhill.
His only thought—throw it as far away as possible before it explodes.
His heart pounded, and sweat beaded on his forehead.
For the first ti, he saw his mother’s face flash through his mind.
Thoughts raced wildly in his head, but then—
Karl stopped dead in his tracks.
His expression twisted in confusion.
“…What the hell?”
The red glow flickered in his hand.
He studied the sphere, his brows furrowing.
“…Why don’t I feel anything?”
If it was about to explode, his danger sense should have been screaming at him.
But—nothing.
As he stood still, trying to make sense of it—
A dark shadow rushed toward him.
“What are you doing?!”
Arthur.
“I was going to throw it before it blew up—”
Arthur snatched the Theramore from his hands and inspected it rapidly.
His expression darkened.
Then, he suddenly called out—
“Reto!”
Muttering to himself, his focus sharpened.
Karl recognized that look—Arthur was consulting his Divine Na.
Arthur’s face suddenly twisted in realization.
“Shit!”
He hurled the sphere onto the ground.
“The entrance! Who’s guarding the entrance?!”
“…The entrance?”
“Is anyone there?!”
“No one. Lochter and the others have already crossed over. It’s just us.”
At that mont, Arthur shoved Karl aside and sprinted toward the mine entrance.
“It’s fake! It’s a trap!”
“What?! Why the hell—”
“How long have we been down here?!”
Since Theramore’s blast radius was huge, they had run pretty far downhill.
In terms of ti, it hadn’t been long.
But when they reached the entrance—
All thoughts vanished.
“…He was right here.”
Wiley was gone.
And his trail didn’t lead to the entrance.
The drag marks stretched into the forest.
But instead of following those, both Arthur and Karl bolted toward the mine.
Because fresh footprints had just entered the tunnel.
Soone had taken Wiley.
And soone else had gone into the mine.
As they raced through the dark corridors, Arthur’s mind worked rapidly.
‘Lyon is out of commission. There’s no way Kal would abandon a 5-star knight.’
The Theramore was a decoy.
Kal had never intended to discard Wiley.
Arthur had assud Wiley was the real hidden piece—
But there was another layer to the trap.
A hidden accomplice.
Upon entering the mine, Arthur’s eyes swept the surroundings.
The once crowded tunnel was now empty.
A long, hollow passage stretched before them.
The torches on the walls flickered weakly, their flas dying out.
Darkness.
At least, it seed like everyone had crossed over safely through the passage.
Just as they reached the open cavern ahead—
A faint sound registered in Arthur’s ears.
A sound he recognized—
A sound that should never be heard.
Beep. Beep. Beep—
“…We’re so fucking screwed.”
Arthur’s gaze snapped to the flashing red glow in the distance, and Karl cursed under his breath.
In the center of the cavern, a slender figure stood frozen.
Her disheveled hair suggested she was a woman.
She was gripping the activated Theramore, staring directly at them.
The mont Arthur saw her face, a groan escaped his lips as he lunged forward.
A brainwashed Black Market branch leader.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
It was too late to run.
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