Chapter 48
HEL SCANS
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A deafening roar echoed.
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The air filled with rising smoke and dust.
As the vibrations subsided, people who had ducked their heads raised them cautiously.
With the ceiling shattered, the lights lost their glow, plunging the surroundings into complete darkness.
The only source of light was the faint sunlight seeping through the hole in the ceiling.
“What, what the heck!?”
“What fell?”
“Where’s the organizer? Where are they?”
But even that was short-lived.
As the ceiling began to creak precariously, people once again grimaced, throwing their heads under the chairs.
Wood, rebars, and rocks trembled as if they were about to fall any moment.
“Let’s get out! We have to get out of here!”
“It’s too late! Get under the chairs!”
“Save, save us! Please!”
A few seconds that felt like minutes passed by.
Debris started falling.
“No, no!”
Rachel tightly shut her eyes.
‘Please, please, please…! How did I survive so stubbornly until now! I can’t end up dying like this!’
However, she knew.
The slim chance of surviving in this situation.
If those things fell on her head…
Needless to say, it would be instant death.
In an instant, her body would be crushed to death.
A soft chair like this wouldn’t be able to protect her.
“Ah, agh…”
Due to having already tucked her head under the chair, her vision was pitch black.
Nothing could be seen.
Only the ominous roar continued.
Trembling, Rachel awaited death.
Puff pop boom!
Bang bang bang!!
Boom!!!
…It was precisely at that moment when eerie sounds echoed consecutively.
Feeling the dust brushing against her cheek, Rachel suddenly opened her eyes.
Beyond the acrid dust, the back of someone was visible.
“Kasim?”
There, in that place.
The giant sword, which she had dismissed as somewhat of a pathetic attempt at imitation, was swung at an unseen speed.
Boom!!
The compressed air burst, creating a thunderous sound.
A white glow continuously emanated from the sword, finely shredding the falling debris from the ceiling.
‘He’s using sword energy?’
It was the moment when his extraordinary abilities were revealed.
The sword energy kept shooting out, creating a protective barrier as if a light-made umbrella was covering them.
While others were paralyzed by fear and couldn’t witness the scene, Rachel couldn’t take her eyes off his back.
Whooom!
The swirling aftermath revealed the man’s robe that had been pressed down.
…That color.
Confirming that murky hue, Rachel bit her lip.
At the exhibition near Rosenstark.
An unidentified man.
Ashen hair and a massive sword.
As if to strengthen her certainty,
The sword, which had been relentlessly moving, completed its task and came to a halt.
The layers of fabric that had enveloped the greatsword had long been torn to shreds by the sword energy.
‘Ah…’
What entered Rachel’s eyes like that was a pitch-black sword deity that no merchant dealing with materials, or any survivor in this turbulent era, could possibly fail to recognize.
As their eyes met beyond the mask and gaze, Rachel muttered with a dazed expression.
“…Sir Hero?”
* * *
‘Not good.’
While he successfully crushed the falling debris, preventing immediate casualties, it didn’t mean the crisis in this place was over.
The once elegant and cultured auction house had lost its order in an instant.
People pushed and shoved each other, heading towards the exit as if swept away by a flood.
The fragments of the unsteady ceiling stole their composure and reason.
Even the dignified guards who were supposed to always be cool-headed were in disarray, following their master with uncertainty.
“In, let’s get out of here before it collapses!”
A chaotic scene.
It was what Desmond desired, but not what the Hero sought.
“Come this way!”
In such disarray, protecting people from additional falling debris became challenging.
Unidentified villains had appeared, so gathering together seemed like the right decision.
However, the Hero’s voice did not reach the people gripped by fear.
“Run away!”
Fortunately, about half of the people in the auction house realized that the area around the Hero was safe and stayed put.
However, almost all of the participants on the other side, including the central VIPs, had run out.
It was at that moment when Desmond, standing on the stage, looked at the Hero.
“What the heck is that again?”
To cut to the chase, Desmond didn’t recognize the Hero.
In the dimly lit interior, the stage and the corner where he was situated were far away, and the mask added to the disguise.
However, he keenly observed the scene of the Hero dealing with falling debris using his sword energy.
“No wonder there were no casualties under the fallen objects.”
There had to be someone who could manipulate energy.
“Hey, guys.”
Desmond gestured to his subdued subordinates in the background.
Even if they were a capable individual, nine subordinates would be more than enough.
“Seems like we have a troublemaker.”
Even though he could easily create sword energy himself, there was no need to personally face the danger.
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‘It’s best if a few of them die along the way.’
Calculating in such a way, Desmond issued the order.
“Take care of that.”
“Yes!”
Nine subordinates dashed out energetically.
Now, there was no need to pay further attention to that guy.
Desmond turned his head again to look at the VIPs.
They…
“The exit is blocked!”
“Over there! That door seems safe!”
“Hurry, go that way! Before the ceiling collapses!”
For Desmond, luck seemed to follow him.
For them, misfortune seemed to be in pursuit.
The exit was completely blocked by falling debris.
They were in a panic but eventually headed towards the door on the opposite side, leading to a rest area.
“Ugh. They’re trying to escape even though there’s nowhere to run. Quite optimistic.”
Desmond chuckled cheerfully and followed them.
“Time’s up. It’s a hunt!”
A cruel smile crept onto his face.
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The Hero faced the approaching men.
Eyes filled with vitality and bodies hardened by malice.
All nine of them, and none seemed easygoing.
They didn’t appear to take anything lightly, forming an encircling net as they advanced.
“If I make a wrong move, it could be dangerous.”
The warrior looked at his fingertips, which were trembling slightly due to fatigue.
Dealing with the massive amount of debris with only sword energy was impossible.
In the end, he had to exhaust his remaining magical power to create a protective barrier, leaving him with just a handful of magic.
‘These guys are dangerous.’
The Hero assessed the situation, realizing that he had to fight cleverly.
[It seems you have a good habit.]
[What?]
[Before entering combat, you have the habit of gathering and analyzing all the surrounding information. Your speed is quite impressive, and your judgement is accurate.]
Due to lacking absolute strength, it became a habit.
He had faced many battles, where utilizing every element of the battlefield was necessary to win.
[Is it a characteristic of an observant chameleon or a technique honed by rolling relentlessly in a deadly battlefield? If your sword skills weren’t trash, you could have become a pretty good warrior.]
The Hero contemplated the upcoming battlefield, recalling his conversation with ‘Original’ and glancing discreetly at the people behind him who were trembling in fear.
Among them, there seemed to be no one who could be of help.
The sword-wielding guards were assigned to inconspicuous figures and were unlikely to possess noteworthy skills.
Realizing he had to face this alone, the Hero adjusted his mask, putting down the ‘Black Hope.’
“Let me handle it for a moment,” said Rachel, catching the heavy weapon.
“It’s… heavy!”
Not trained in rugged travel, her strength wouldn’t have sustained her if not for her experience.
Feeling the weight, she asked, “Are you going to fight without a weapon?”
The Hero didn’t respond and moved forward.
Already, intense calculations were taking place in his mind.
Even if the Black Hope was sealed, with sufficient stamina and magical support, it was an excellent weapon.
However, if those weren’t available, it became an extremely inefficient burden due to its robust and heavy nature.
The Hero considered the situation carefully, knowing that wielding the Black Hope with current magical power would be ineffective, slow, and cumbersome.
Attempting to swing the Black Hope with the current magical power would not be enough to kill even two opponents, and being surrounded was imminent.
‘Above all, now is…’
The Hero found himself in a situation where he faced multiple enemies in a narrow, obstacle-filled indoor space.
The greatsword was not suitable for a chaotic battle with numerous variables in such tight quarters.
‘If that’s the case…’
The Hero quickly surveyed his surroundings.
Moments before they would explode the ceiling, the attendants were moving the auctioned items for the final inspection.
‘There it is.’
Overturned carts.
He could see auction items scattered around, some half-buried under debris and dust, but they seemed usable with no apparent issues.
Thanks to the auctioneer’s explanations throughout the event, comments about these artifacts flooded his mind.
Recorded Artifacts:
– Yones’s Spear…
– Blaster…
– Portable Colored Smoke…
Confirming the locations of useful items, the Hero immediately stood up, choosing the battleground.
It was the narrow passage between the stage and the empty central seats.
This narrow corridor marked the starting point of the battlefield.
“…”
The assailants had already formed a wide encirclement.
Some were approaching through the stands, while others had taken positions on the right side of the stage.
Even those coming from the front passage were spreading out evenly.
Pushing through the seats, a figure approached.
A robust assailant, approaching from the front, confirmed that the Hero was empty-handed and flashed a sinister smile.
“You look like a coward, are you already surrendering?”
“…”
“Tsk, prepare to die in more pain for making me miss the joy of a fight.”
The brute hefted a mace, showing no hesitation before committing murder.
His expression spoke volumes about the life he had led.
Now that the Hero knew what kind of people they were, mercy would be futile.
With a swift motion, the Hero raised a spear hidden beneath the fallen rocks.
The spearhead emerged at an appropriate height for grasping, catching the attention of the brute.
“Yeah, give it your best shot!”
Swinging the mace diagonally, the brute laughed heartily.
As the brute’s attack began, the Hero tilted the body to avoid it and extended the spear towards the brute’s throat.
Swoosh!
However, due to the lack of infused magic, the speed wasn’t sufficient.
The brute, with a triumphant grin, raised the buckler in his opposite hand.
‘I’ve weakened…’
Though his movements were somewhat agile, it seemed inadequate to be their match.
That’s what the Hero thought.
“Huh?!”
Suddenly, widened pupils stared at the spear piercing through the abdomen.
“What…?”
It happened in an instant.
A faint magical circle appeared on the spearhead, and flames erupted.
The spear, defying the laws of physics, changed direction from the neck to the abdomen.
The brute coughed up blood, muttering, “…Artifact?”
▼
**Yones’s Spear**
“This item is an experimental creation from Yones’s Forge. It utilizes the propulsive force of explosive runes to add speed to attacks or make rapid directional changes. It can be considered a highly useful weapon for generating variables in combat.”
▲
With a smooth pull, the spear was withdrawn, and then it punctured the jugular again.
The remaining eight assailants charged forward, yet the Hero’s actions were quicker than the bodies hitting the ground.
Loud curses filled the air.
“This bastard! Get him!”
“Damn it, kill him!”
They were coming.
The Hero’s eyes moved swiftly.
Their martial arts were well-executed, but not flawless.
It required exploiting subtle timing.
Thunk!
The Hero used the brute’s lifeless body as a shield, lowering it towards the ground.
Just as the leading attacker swung their sword, the tip barely missed the corpse.
Swoosh!
Immediately after evading the attack, the Hero reached for the fallen cart.
Pssht!
The sensation of a sturdy wooden handle met their fingertips.
▼
Blaster
▲
“Heinz Workshop’s special magic bow, the Blaster!”
“Ladies and gentlemen, do you also enjoy hunting? Sometimes it’s quite annoying to carry arrows or quivers, right?”
“Now, just carry one Blaster! This artifact sprays compressed air instead of arrows….”
Holding the Blaster, the Hero poured all his available magic into two rapid actions.
First, he threw his body far to the side. Second, he rose and aimed the bow.
Whoosh-!
Swish-!
The attacks from the enemies narrowly missed.
When the assailants tried to follow the Hero’s agile evasion, the Blaster’s aim was already locked.
The Hero’s target was two men narrowing the encirclement from the spectator stands.
Given their positions, they were the most troublesome foes.
The compressed air from two shots struck their necks with precision.
They were unable to react to it as they did not even know that the warrior had picked up a bow.
With a swift motion, the Hero swung the spear, shattering the assailants who were stumbling.
In the moment of confusion, the Hero thrust the blade of the gauntlet into the spine of the remaining one, turning them into a lifeless lump.
It all happened in about 5 seconds.
The Hero kicked the corpses aside, rolling them, and looked down at the approaching assailants.
Behind the metallic mask, the eyes conveyed undisguised contempt, the thing they hated the most.
“Don’t act all high and mighty!”
“Damn it! Kill that bastard!”
The enraged attackers glared at the Hero with widened eyes, their anger piercing through the mask.
That’s what the Hero wanted.
HEL SCANS
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