Chapter 100

The labyrinthine city, where people came and went day and night, was now overflowing with death. Few people prepared daily for the sudden death that descended without warning. Worm, wielding a halberd, cut down the undead that devoured the living from behind, sending them back to the underworld. He stared at the crowd of the dead.

The bodies of citizens and ghouls that had turned into monsters were mixed together. The troublesome ones wore old, moldy armor. When the ghouls spotted Worm, they changed from their sluggish movements and charged, holding their swords at mid-level. Worm dodged the blade aimed at his head with a flick of his nose, and while swapping positions, he struck the side of the head with the axe head. The fragile skull was easily shattered by the iron.

The uneven blades of the subsequent undead stabbed at Worm but missed, slicing through the air. Worm thrust the spear tip under the chin of a ghoul that had leaned forward. He twisted the blade, which had reached the brain, along with his wrist, and stirred the contents. He shook off the filth that clung to the blade as he pulled it out. The undead, who desired the living, were drawn to Worm like moths to a flame, yearning for his flesh. Each time he swung his halberd carelessly, heads and limbs were scattered.

Worm continued to vent the hatred that swirled in his heart toward the undead. It did not calm him. The undead that had blocked the street in the city of the dead were now piled up on the roadside. Although Worm had purified one street, the sounds of battle did not cease. It was as if the city itself had been violated and was screaming.

"Are you human...?"

In the city that had become a city of the dead, a living person asked Worm. In the midst of this turmoil, if someone wore a bad-looking mask, it was easy to suspect that Worm was not human. From the dirty armor, it was clear that he was a guard who maintained the city's security.

"Yes."

With these words, soldiers, adventurers, and citizens, who had armed themselves, cautiously appeared before Worm. The motley group, armed with various weapons, had barricaded themselves in a large tavern, pushing the powerless citizens inside. The entrance was heavily scarred from the battle. The remains of the shattered door were replaced with tables and chairs, forming a makeshift barricade integrated with the dead. Through the broken windows, the inside of the tavern could be seen. Inside, people from the elderly to infants huddled together.

"These things suddenly overflowed from all over the city. No matter how many I killed, the dead citizens turned into undead. There was nothing we could do."

The soldier said this with a sense of shame. Perhaps he regretted that the soldiers, who should have protected the people and property and repelled the enemy, had barricaded themselves with some of the citizens. Worm had just failed to save his benefactor. He had no right to blame the soldier. To the soldier, whose face was pale from fatigue and tension, Worm said:

"Considering the numbers, you fought well. The guild branch in the labyrinth has gathered a substantial force. It's safer there."

"I'm sorry for everything. What will you do?"

"I have something to do. Do you know the exact way to the slums?"

"That's an easy request."

Worm, having obtained detailed directions from the soldier, ran again. The monsters that stood in his way were dispatched by his halberd. To reach the slums outside the city walls, he had to pass through the city gate, which also served as a checkpoint. As he followed the directions, the smell of death in Worm's nostrils became even more intense. His mask was affected by the stench, and his excitement grew.

"We're close."

The city gate visible at the end of the street was enveloped in death. The traces of intense battles were clearly visible, but the victors were not human. The undead wandered, blocking the entrance. Although their numbers were significant, there was a sense of unease. The undead, who possessed some pre-war skills, were indeed a threat, but the defensive facilities near the city gate were not weak. The entrance to the city, which also served as a checkpoint, was guarded by a force of appropriate scale.

They had been annihilated in a short period. Upon closer inspection, there were traces of human bombs and unnatural wounds that could not be attributed to the undead. Worm smiled darkly. The messenger who had rushed into the grand hall had reported a group of armed forces of unknown affiliation.

The role of the undead was to use their numbers to strengthen and create chaos by using the general populace as fodder. The small number of armed forces engaged in guerrilla warfare, and the checkpoint, which controlled the city's entry and exit, was undoubtedly an important target for the attackers. Several plans came to mind for Worm, but the method he chose was simple.

A frontal assault. He crushed the surging undead head-on. After surpassing dozens, Worm stopped counting. He burned the ghouls, who spread the stench of decay with blue flames, and smashed their brains with his halberd. His condition was the best it had been in a year. When he had taken a bite of the crimson grass, he had swallowed a small amount. Although far from a complete cure, it was enough to unleash his full power for a short time.

He gouged the skulls of the undead that reached for him with the butt of his halberd and swung it in a large arc, wrapping it around his back. The axe head, imbued with magic, severed three undead at once. He crushed the undead, who still desired flesh even with only their upper bodies, with the soles of his shoes.

A battle axe approached from the front. Despite the rotten body, the strike was sharp. Worm tightened his elbow and thrust the butt into the ground, blocking the handle with the branch blade of his halberd. He dove into the ghoul's embrace, trying to remove the branch blade from the handle, and burned its throat. Blue flames leaked from the esophagus and mouth. The undead, which should have been devoid of pain, writhed but were soon sent back to the underworld by the blue flames. He continued to slash, smash, tear, and crush. Gradually, the number of undead blocking his path dwindled.

When the spear tip pierced the eye socket of an undead that lunged at him, Worm heard the sound of a bowstring. He rapidly tilted his body to the side and leaped back. An arrow pierced the cobblestones. He would not forget the fletching and shaft of the arrow he had experienced in the labyrinth. Worm growled.

"Faust, is that you!!"

Having identified the shooting point, Worm used a wind magic to propel himself onto the roof of a civilian house. As he kicked up the roof tiles, a second arrow flew. The aim was precise. He lowered his head and deflected the arrow with his halberd, which whizzed past with a high-pitched sound.

Worm thrust his halberd. The tip missed the shooter's body and broke the bow that had been thrown. The shooter retreated and drew a short sword. Worm, who was about to launch a counterattack, sensed a faint presence and slowed down, pressing the sole of his shoe against the roof. A spear approached from the side. Worm's murky eyes saw the world clearly today. He blocked the spear tip with the butt and deflected it upward.

Worm struck back, but the attacker, whose ambush had failed, took a step back, and a distance was created as they probed each other. In the stalemate, a shield-bearer joined the attackers on the roof. There was no need to confirm. Faust and his group, with whom he had fought to the death in the labyrinth, had reappeared before him.

"We can't afford to lose any more ghouls."

Faust said this in a flat tone. Worm's emotions exploded.

"Faust, was it you!!"

"What's with that strange mask, Worm? Did the three demons die in a ceremony?"

"Shut up, what do you want!!"

"It's all for revenge. A rematch for the war that took everything from us."

The absurd reasoning fueled Worm's passion. It was a deliberate conversation. Even as they spoke, Faust's followers were looking for an opportunity to attack and spreading out to the sides.

"Are you calling this a war, involving innocent people?"

"There are no innocent people in a war. This is our homeland. In the unification war, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians grieved, lamented, suffered, and died in despair. It's as if none of that ever happened, trampled upon carelessly, the people, the land, the gravestones. Who could bear it!!"

Faust, baring his fangs, changed his expression for the first time. Worm, too, had lost his country. He had lost his comrades in a unit on the front lines and engaged in senseless slaughter. Still, he could not understand involving people who were not even parties to the conflict a hundred years later.

"You must have your reasons, but that's worse than shit. You're a hundred years too late!!"

"Yes, it's late. Still, the complacent island nations and the opportunistic forest alliance are afraid and trembling. We can give them a scare. Our allies have not forgotten the ancient pact from a century ago."

"The Republic?"

Worm had heard from the guild employee, Rocco, about the blood-soaked history of the city. The only alliance that had once ruled the labyrinthine city was the Republic, one of the three major countries.

"Indeed. But if Bergana falls, the times will move again."

"Ridiculous. Do you really think it will fall with these numbers?"

Even if they gained temporary control of the area, the numbers were different. With the border and surrounding regions, and the reorganized defense forces, it was easy for Worm to imagine that they would be ultimately suppressed.

"You're not in a position to laugh. Hyserk, who lost his country, expose your true feelings, Worm!! Do you have no hatred for the enemy country that burned your land and buried your people!?"

As a fellow defeated soldier, Faust threw these words at Worm. If they had met in the labyrinthine city without the slaughter, there might have been a certain level of empathy. Still, Faust had hurt and killed his comrades and benefactors in the labyrinth. They were already irreconcilable.

"Don't be ridiculous. After a hundred years, can you justify involving innocent people?"

"A hundred years may have passed, but we are still alive. The war is not over. It will not end until one side is completely wiped out!!"

"You are war-obsessed ghosts. You have lost the people and country you should protect. What kind of soldiers are you? You are mad killers."

"Yes, that's right. A century of waiting for revenge can drive one mad. Worm, have you never wanted to burn the enemies who killed your comrades and family? If your enemies were in the city and you could kill them all, would you surrender quietly?"

"That's a non-existent scenario, and you're acting like a teacher."

Faust heckled the agitated Worm.

"Your words don't match your composure. What can change, fellow failed soldier who died in vain?"

"I don't have lofty ideals, but at least I'm not as backward as you. I've done what I can. Don't think you can die easily."

"That's what I want. Show me you can kill!!"

The verbal confrontation was over. The real battle, where iron and blood would be exchanged, began.