Chapter 13

#013 Episode

“…….”

It wasn't supposed to be a series of elite monsters popping up one after another.

While Ian muttered to himself.

“They must have been causing chaos in the kingdom for a long time, enough to spread rumors.”

Maeve said in a low voice.

“But today will be the last.”

The spoils will be mine.

Ian swallowed the rest of his words.

Maeve nodded and drew her sword.

“I'll take the lead, Ian.”

“I'll gladly yield that position….”

Ian looked at her with a peculiar expression and added.

“Why don't we observe first?”

“…Observe?”

“It feels off, doesn't it?”

He nodded toward the Dullahan.

“It's as if they're waiting for us to attack.”

“…….”

Maeve's gaze returned to the hill.

The Dullahan still stood in place, revealing its ominous presence only through the contaminated magic and silhouette.

After a moment of contemplation.

“Even if they are powerful, there's no need to walk into a trap.”

“I agree with the mercenary, sir.”

With Ian and Philip's additional input, Maeve finally nodded.

“Right. Overconfidence is dangerous. I understand, Ian. I'll follow your lead.”

“Wise decision.”

Ian finally cracked a slight smile and turned to the Dullahan.

The creature's appearance hadn't changed much from the game.

Even the standoff situation was the same.

‘…So, if we make the first move, it'll be just as troublesome.’

Back then, if the player made the first move, the Dullahan would enter a defensive stance and start the battle.

A series of tricky and dangerous patterns.

Conversely, waiting for the Dullahan to attack first was the easier strategy.

The Dullahan's attack stance had a much simpler pattern.

Of course, Ian was confident he could handle any stance the Dullahan took.

But there was no need to choose the harder path when an easier one was available.

Especially when the spoils were at stake.

“…….”

Thus, a silent standoff continued, even with Philip remaining silent.

The silence was broken when Ian thought the time was right.

“It's done! Finally!”

A rough shout suddenly erupted from the direction of the tomb.

“……!”

Ian raised an eyebrow and turned his head.

Miguel, the source of the voice, approached with a cheerful wave of his shovel.

“I really did my best. Now we just need to gather our things and leave….”

His smile froze as he noticed the situation.

Maeve, with her helmet on, and Philip, with his mouth agape, and Ian, with a cold gaze, all stared at him.

“Is, is there a problem…?”

“There wasn't one until now.”

Ian, who had been glaring at him, sighed and turned his head.

“…Thanks to you, there is now.”

The silhouette of the Dullahan became clearer in his eyes.

The silhouette was now fiercely flickering like flames.

As expected, it had taken Miguel's shout as a declaration of war.

“What is this…? H-Huh?!”

Miguel, turning his head late, also froze upon seeing the Dullahan.

The headless knight raised one arm high.

On the palm, visible only as a black shape, a pair of crimson glowing orbs appeared.

“■■ ■■■■- ■■■■-!”

A strange voice, a mix of high and low tones, echoed.

Though it was an incomprehensible language.

“Ugh?!”

“H-Huh…?!”

The sound's vibrations alone made Miguel and the mercenaries clutch their heads and stagger.

Philip also frowned.

Only Ian and Maeve were unaffected.

Maeve muttered.

“What is this…? A spell?”

“Just wait. It's cursing humans for desecrating the land of the fairies.”

Ian replied matter-of-factly.

Philip, who had been catching his breath, suddenly looked up at him.

“Can you understand it?”

“To some extent.”

“How…?”

At Philip's sigh, Ian shrugged one shoulder.

“Just happened.”

Ancient linguistics.

A skill he had leveled up to level 2 to solve ancient civilization events that could have been resolved with a guide.

Of course, it was just one of the many skills he had mistakenly chosen.

Even now, in reality, it was not particularly useful.

He wasn't the least bit curious about the Dullahan being the ghost of an ancient swamp fairy.

“■■! ■■■, ■■ ■■■■!”

“Can you understand this too?”

But it didn't seem that way to Maeve and Philip.

At Philip's admiring question, Ian spoke indifferently.

“It's cursing all humans who step on this land. Saying they won't be free even in death.”

“Such ominous….”

“■■- ■■■■, ■■■!”

Philip, muttering, clutched his head at the continued roar.

“Sir? This is different…?”

“Of course. That's a spell.”

Ian, frowning, turned his head toward the tomb.

“Get out of there immediately. The corpses will soon come back to life…. Oh.”

He stopped speaking when he saw the mercenaries.

“Huh… huh.”

“Huhuhuhuh….”

The mercenaries were already not in their right minds.

Dilated pupils and vacant laughter.

“You, you idiots! Get over here now!”

Miguel, who was still in his right mind, shouted instead.

Plop! Plop!

The warning was already too late.

Limbs suddenly burst out from the tomb, quickly digging through the ground and crawling out.

Ghouls. The reanimated dead twisted their limbs grotesquely and lunged at the mercenaries.

They were only able to regain their senses after being grabbed and rolled on the ground.

“Wh… what?!”

“Ugh! Ughh!”

Their screams came too late.

The gaping mouths and limbs mercilessly covered them.

Having thrown their weapons nearby, they had no means to resist.

The sounds of biting and chewing and terrifying screams.

“No! You ungrateful bastards!”

Miguel screamed and lunged forward.

As he picked up a fallen dagger and ran.

“What do we do now, sir?”

Philip, pale, asked.

What else, we fight.

Ian tightened his grip on his sword instead of answering.

The look in his eyes, now as calm as usual, was fixed on the Dullahan.

Though the outcome was different from what he had hoped, he was all too familiar with such sudden situations.

Let's try to turn it around.

He said calmly.

“According to the agreement, I'll yield the lead.”

Maeve turned to Philip as if she had been waiting for it.

“Help them, Philip.”

Philip's eyes widened.

“Alone, sir?”

Maeve was already galloping far ahead, spurring her horse.

Philip's gaze naturally turned to Ian.

But Ian also ignored him.

“Please, kill me first before I die, sir.”

Philip, resigned, left with a heartfelt plea.

Ian finally snorted.

“Making a fuss.”

How strong could ghouls be?

Though the situation was chaotic, he calmly watched Maeve's charge.

First, he needed to see her true strength.

Since he had to fight on horseback, he wanted to avoid a prolonged battle.

He needed to know her capabilities to formulate a plan accordingly.

Even if the situation changed, he had no intention of giving up the spoils.

‘Might as well find out her true strength, too.’

Beyond the blue light on Maeve's sword, the Dullahan's form became clearer.

The quietly burning headless knight.

If this monster was the opponent, Maeve would have to reveal her true strength.

The Dullahan's silhouette flickered as Maeve passed the midpoint of the hill.

Swoosh!

Black thorns shot up along the hill's ridge.

Right in front of the charging Maeve.

Just as she and her horse were about to be impaled, she thrust her sword forward.

Flash!

The blue light cut through the thorns.

As the thorn wall shattered, Maeve, filled with divine power, soared up.

She charged like a bolt of light and rammed into the Dullahan.

Plop!

The blue trajectory pierced through the Dullahan and extended to the other side of the hill.

In the scattered trajectory, the silhouette, tattered like it had been hit by a cannon, was revealed.

“Ha….”

Ian finally chuckled.

‘As expected, I should have chosen a knight.’

Her combat power was enough to make him think so.

It might take some time.

But with this, she could handle the Dullahan alone.

‘…Might as well be for the best.’

Of course, he didn't plan to leave it at that.

‘I never intended to drag it out anyway.’

Ian's grip on his sword tightened.

He had decided how to deal with the Dullahan.

Not his usual preferred method.

‘Might as well try it now.’

Swish, he swung his sword to detach Andolph's head from the saddle and immediately spurred his horse.

“…This won't be easy.”

Maeve clicked her tongue, turning her horse.

The weight she felt at the moment of impact was abnormally light.

Swoosh. The sound of a snake's breath came from behind. Recognizing it, Maeve bent her body as if performing a trick on the saddle.

Her horse moved as one with her, making a sharp turn that would have been impossible otherwise.

Maeve immediately swung her sword.

Swish!

Blue sparks flashed in front of her.

The sword trajectory, which had come close, was cut off.

The horse kicked up dirt and moved back.

The trajectory that fell to the ground instantly evaporated.

A few pieces were revealed. Unidentifiable black bone fragments.

The bone fragments flew in one direction and were sucked into the running black silhouette.

The Dullahan. It had returned to its original form as if it had never been pierced by Maeve.

And it still looked like a pitch-black silhouette.

Not hidden by darkness, but its true form.

A clump of resentment and curses.

Though running in parallel with Maeve, it made no hoof sounds.

Swoosh, the black trajectory, which had returned to its original form, enveloped it.

As experienced just now, it was a whip. An incredibly long-range one.

“■■■, ■■■!”

With an irritating shout, black thorns sprouted in a line along Maeve's path.

“……!”

Maeve lowered her body and pulled the reins.

Her horse nimbly ran left and right, avoiding the thorns.

Of course, she couldn't avoid all of them.

Swish!

Maeve unleashed the divine power in her sword, cutting through several thorns that blocked her path.

As the thorns were cut, they evaporated.

Swoosh!

Through the gap, a black whip aimed for Maeve's forehead.

Without time to recover her sword, Maeve leaned to avoid it.

The trajectory that passed her bent like a snake and returned.

“……!”

Maeve quickly raised her left arm.

Swish, the whip, aiming for her helmet, instead wrapped around her forearm.

Clang, blue sparks flew as the whip's magic power pierced through the divine power on her gauntlet.

Maeve gritted her teeth and raised her sword.

Swish!

Suddenly, a gust of wind, and the taut whip lost its power.

The magic power seeping into her arm evaporated like mist.

Catching a falling bone fragment, Maeve reflexively turned her gaze.

“Ian…!”

Relief she hadn't even realized was in her voice.

Beyond the scattered thorns, Ian's figure, having cut the whip and passed by, was visible.

Ian also turned to look at her.

His magic-infused voice reached her ears.

“Collide with it again. With all your strength.”

Without waiting for a response, Ian turned his horse.

Swish, the black whip fell where he had been.

Maeve's gaze returned to the Dullahan.

It was now focusing on the unexpected intruder.

Maeve's eyes darkened.

Swish, crushing the bone fragment in her hand, she moved her lips.

“Even a lowly sword tip will willingly face it….”

Whoosh!

Her dim sword regained its light. The divine power on her armor became clearer, and strength surged through her body.

The breath of the warhorse, which had been panting, steadied.

Maeve gripped the reins tightly.

The warhorse, forgetting its fear, charged forward.

The Dullahan, chasing Ian's tail, drew closer.

“Haaa-!”

Maeve, with a battle cry, unleashed divine power and rammed into the Dullahan.

Plop!

The Dullahan scattered.

Despite piercing it again, Maeve furrowed her brow.

‘Another failure.’

It was light again.

The sound of Ian's approaching horse hooves reached her ears.

Turning her horse, Maeve looked at Ian.

He was charging into the Dullahan's mangled form.

His sword, tinged with dim magic, flashed for a moment.

Swish!

A sharp arc cut through a corner of the Dullahan's form.

An inexplicable position.

“……!”

But in the next moment, Maeve's eyes widened.

Whoosh.

The Dullahan's silhouette evaporated like a mirage.

Only a small piece cut by Ian remained in the air.

Immediately after, Ian kicked off the saddle and leaped. With his sword in both hands, he raised them above his head.

Soaring to the front of the black piece, he brought his hands down with all his might.

Smack!