Chapter 118 – Rematch (2)

The octopus monster appeared behind the windbreak forest.

A strange sight unfolded with swaying pillars and what looked like a 10-story building rising up before us.

The navy personnel on the hovercraft immediately panicked seeing this sight.

“Good lord. What kind of monster…”

“We’ll die. We need to run.”

The ship’s captain was equally terrified.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

The captain screamed from the bridge, and the navigator cursed while responding:

“Damn it, we can’t! Direction change isn’t easy after leaving water!”

In that moment when everyone fell into panic.

*whoosh*

A soft light flowed from Ye-rim’s body.

The warm light enveloping people pushed back the black fog covering the beach and wrapped around the entire hovercraft.

As Ye-rim’s holy power enveloped the hovercraft, the panicked crew began regaining their senses.

Soldiers looked at each other with messy faces, along with crew in the bridge.

“Are you coming to your senses? Take your time, it’s okay. Just retreat slowly. That monster will be blocked by the knight and his companions!”

David had somehow run to the bridge and shouted beside the captain.

“R-reverse engines! Pull back! Everyone brace for impact!”

*vroom*

The two huge propellers attached to the back of the hovercraft started spinning in reverse.

*screech*

The advancing ship slowed then finally stopped.

I glanced at the bridge then jumped off the retreating hovercraft.

“Ye-rim stay on the ship and protect the crew! Hoffman guard Ye-rim too!”

Ye-rim and Hoffman nodded at my words.

Seemed like this happened every time moving with other people.

Though unavoidable to protect people from strong death energy, the whole party rarely fought together.

“From now on should try to move just with party members.”

“But we’re going on vacation with people from this world too.”

As I muttered while stepping into knee-deep mudflats, Jahina spoke beside me.

Unlike me with legs buried in mud, Jahina stood walking on water.

For once I envied her ability.

While pulling my feet from the mud I asked Jahina:

“Come to think of it, will vacation be okay for you?”

Though I wanted the whole party to vacation together, returning to our world might not be a vacation for Jahina.

It wasn’t returning to her world, and many of her race had crossed to our world.

Having seen elves ignore her, I couldn’t help being somewhat careful about going together.

“It doesn’t matter. They’ll keep ignoring me anyway. I can just ignore them too.”

An unexpected answer came from Jahina gliding over water.

Thought there might be some way to smooth things over, but instead complete avoidance…

Her expression was extremely calm while answering.

Though I thought I’d gotten somewhat better at reading her expressions, now I couldn’t sense any emotion at all in her face.

Though her answer differed from my thoughts, I had no words for her with such an expression.

Moreover, now wasn’t the time for conversation.

After not running long, the mudflats ended.

And the moment we stepped onto the beach, the sky darkened.

*whoosh*

Could tell without looking up.

A massive pillar was stabbing down toward me.

Unlike the sand of the south coast, the sticky soil of the beach grabbed my feet, but I could easily launch myself to dodge the massive tentacle stabbing into the ground.

Could sense Jahina following me also dodged the tentacle.

“I’ll support from behind!”

Jahina left those words and retreated.

Simultaneously her presence rapidly diminished.

Though unsure what ability, seemed she started hiding herself.

Could tell because the octopus monster revealing itself while destroying the windbreak forest focused attacks on me.

‘Or is it just blind with rage at me?’

The octopus monster was so angry its black skin had a reddish tinge.

Understandable though.

A third of the octopus monster’s many tentacles were already cut off.

Though a monster with good healing ability, seems it couldn’t recover tentacles cut off by me and the Sword Master.

Black smoke still rising from the cut tentacle ends suggested it still felt pain.

“I wasn’t the only one who cut your tentacles.”

Actually, what made the octopus monster flee wasn’t me but the Sword Master, Count Schönheim.

“Well, if the Count were here, it wouldn’t even dare approach.”

I continued such idle thoughts while dodging flying tentacles.

*boom* *boom* *boom*

The tentacles kept pounding the shore where I stood, sending beach soil, sand and mud flying up.

Dirt, dust, sand and muddy water scattered through the air.

Unlike before, dodging tentacles was quite easy.

Not just because some tentacles were cut off.

Before I could barely dodge by moving reflexively in a mindless state, but now I could dodge while thinking other thoughts.

*boom*

‘Is this thanks to the Count too? I can even tell how they’ll fly.’

Had such thoughts while moving a few steps aside dodging stabbing tentacles.

Wasn’t visible to eyes. Couldn’t fully sense the entire path through feeling either.

Just became able to predict when and where tentacles falling from above would strike.

Though clearly learned swordsmanship that one night before the Count returned, could it predict monster movements too?

If true, seemed I needed to add another place to visit during vacation.

While I dodged tentacles like that, the beach was destroyed.

The beach could no longer be called a beach.

The tidal flat became uneven with ditches and holes protruding everywhere.

*bang*

A gunshot rang out from the ruined tidal flat.

Such a gunshot sound before a 10-story tall massive monster.

Seemed like futile resistance, but the result wasn’t.

*thud*

Black smoke rose with sparks from the monster’s eye.

Though small smoke, the octopus monster hurriedly closed one eye.

But the octopus monster had more eyes.

*bang*

Unfortunately this time the monster’s tentacle was faster… Jahina’s bullet got stuck in a tentacle blocking the eye.

Though the bullet pierced the monster’s thick death energy and eye, it couldn’t pierce that thick entire tentacle.

One of the monster’s tentacles stretched out toward the sea where the bullet came from.

But the tentacle couldn’t reach the tidal flat where Jahina hid.

*boom* *crash* *crash*

Shells falling on the tentacle pushed it back.

Shells didn’t just fall on tentacles.

Shells and rockets also hit the monster’s black body.

*boom*

All shells and rockets fired from the hovercraft fleeing across the sea.

Though such shells couldn’t defeat a monster wrapped in death energy, they were enough to block the monster’s remaining one eye.

Though not planned, this was an opportunity.

I started running across the ruined beach.

*thud* *thud* *thud*

Thanks to the octopus monster approaching while destroying the beach, reaching the monster’s body wasn’t difficult.

Tentacles moved frantically around the monster’s body.

Struggling to block incoming shells and bullets.

Actually, shells and rockets from the hovercraft couldn’t harm it, but having an eye pierced by bullets it couldn’t know that.

Giant tentacles passed before me, and approaching tentacles struck where I had been.

Shockwaves from colliding tentacles toppled trees, and heat from exploding bombs in air heated my armor.

Seemed hard to dodge all the bombs raining everywhere even using mana detection and senses maximally.

But I kept moving through it.

Stepping on the octopus monster’s main body I kept launching upward.

Like that could reach the monster’s head above its eye.

Unlike before wasn’t moving instinctively. Though covered in mud, sand and muddy water, took no injuries here.

This time reached this head with just my skill.

After last fight with the octopus monster, had prepared for fighting again.

Had kept thinking how to fight, dodge, where to attack if faced it again.

And now was time to realize those thoughts.

I stabbed my sword into the monster’s head.

Though a broken greatsword might have stabbed deeper, this mass-produced sword barely pierced the death energy and monster’s skin.

At this rate would have less effect than Jahina’s bullets.

Would it even feel like a toothpick prick?

Perhaps because of that, it still focused more on incoming shells and bullets.

That was its mistake.

Though the sword I stabbed in its head was military issue, it was still a knight’s sword.

Much stronger than normal swords and conducted mana well.

Though weaker than my other swords, such swords had their uses.

Especially when needing to break like now.

Not my sword anyway.

I pushed mana into the sword.

Mana usage method gained from training.

Maintained that sensation of cutting dozens of undead beyond sword reach while pushing mana into the sword.

*whoosh*

The sword stabbed in the monster’s head shone brightly.

Simultaneously black smoke began rising from where the sword was stabbed.

*roar*

The monster started screaming.

Couldn’t help it.

Must feel like the sword in its head endlessly lengthening.

Wonder if it felt like a toothpick continuously extending to stir inside its head?

But sorry, this was just the beginning.

I didn’t stop, kept pushing in mana.

Poured all my mana into the sword.

Though using mana now would make mana usage difficult for a while, didn’t matter.

Naturally the military sword couldn’t withstand it.

Fine cracks started forming across the blade.

Light leaked from countless cracks and the gripped handle shook violently.

But I didn’t let go of the sword. Didn’t stop pushing in mana.

Couldn’t even hear the monster’s screams.

Instead, tentacles fell at tremendous speed.

Ignoring bombs, moving tentacles blocking its eye, aimed only at me with stabbing tentacles.

If I dodged now would end up striking its own head with tentacles, but then couldn’t defeat this monster now.

Might not get another chance if not now.

I didn’t let go of the sword or leave my position even seeing falling tentacles.

Instead looked toward the opposite side of the beach, the remaining windbreak forest.

Next moment,

*whoosh*

A huge rock flew from the windbreak forest striking the falling tentacles.

*crash*

Though just a simple rock without mana, enough to change the tentacles’ direction.

The tentacles struck air, and simultaneously I released the sword and launched myself.

*flash*

The sword shone and shattered.

Handle, body, blade,

All broke to pieces.

The broken fragments shot everywhere.

To sky, surroundings, inside monster’s head.

*pop* *pop* *pop*

Popping sounds came from inside the monster’s head.

Then holes opened all over its head.

Black smoke spewed from everywhere.

Black smoke blocked the sky and frantically moving tentacles fell to ground.

Finally the octopus monster collapsed.

I who had launched into air landed on the fallen octopus monster.

And looked toward where the rock had flown from.

The mana in the windbreak forest that felt angry was gradually moving away.