Destructive Retribution Activated
Shwaaaaa—! Thud!
A deafening roar that threatened to burst eardrums rang out as the anglerfish monster thrashed violently.
It was probably writhing in agony. Destructive Retribution was tearing through its internal organs, grinding muscle and bone to dust.
Graaaaah! You damn parasite!
The monster’s telepathic waves made my head spin. It must have hurt quite a lot.
But I had no intention of stopping here.
“You swallowed me whole and you’re calling me a parasite? I have no plans to live inside your body, you know?”
Shwaaaaa—! Thud!
I swung Hector Punisher relentlessly. I was determined to use Destructive Retribution continuously until I cut off its life completely.
This thing is most likely a demi-god or demi-demon.
There was no way an ordinary monster could be this strong. And judging by its appearance, it wasn’t a legendary dragon either.
Demi-gods and demi-demons were fragments of authority lost by gods or demons. Completely destroying such beings was extremely difficult.
Even Feltron, who had once been Abel Carius’s enemy, couldn’t be fully eradicated.
But that didn’t mean there was no way.
I just had to think simply.
Any material will break if you keep hitting it hard enough. Even Feltron had eventually lost most of his authority and retreated on his own.
Diamonds boasted overwhelming hardness, yet they were weak against impact and heat. No matter how strong something was, it always had a weakness.
The anglerfish monster was no exception.
Thud! Thud!
Kyaaaaah! S-Stop…!
“Let’s see who wins, you or me!”
—I-I admit defeat!
“I will fight until the very end!”
You crazy bastard! You’re not listening at all!
“Haaaaaap!”
Damn it!
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwaang!
I activated Destructive Retribution in rapid succession.
In truth, I had never used this skill so frequently before. Most fights ended in one or two strikes, so I didn’t know where my limit was.
Of course, I had a rough idea. Controlling Destructive Retribution had become much easier as time went on. I figured I could handle three or four uses without issue, but anything beyond that was uncertain.
This is a good opportunity. Might as well test exactly how many times I can use it.
I could clearly hear the monster’s telepathic screams. I was simply too busy casting the skill to respond.
I swung Hector Punisher while pushing through its blood, flesh, and organ fragments. Each strike released brilliant blue beams of light that illuminated my surroundings.
It wasn’t just brighter—it actually helped me see better.
Thud! Fwoosh!
“Oh! It broke through?”
The monster’s hide tore open, and I could finally see outside.
Shockingly, its body was already in tatters. Well, after being ravaged by Destructive Retribution more than a dozen times from the inside, that was to be expected.
“Pwah!”
As I poked my head through the hole, crisp, refreshing air greeted me. I had been holding my breath to the limit inside the monster. The stench inside its body had been unbearable.
“Looks like it’s almost over.”
My body was swaying violently from side to side. The anglerfish monster was thrashing hard. It seemed Destructive Retribution had dealt it a fatal wound.
But now’s not the time for that. I need to get out of here quickly.
If I was unlucky, I could end up crashing into the sea or the rocky island along with it.
I quickly escaped and looked for a place to leap to. The top of the rocky hill where the ballista had been installed looked the safest. The distance was close enough to reach in one jump.
I immediately kicked off the monster’s body and shot upward.
But an unexpected turn of events occurred.
Whoosh!!
Something grabbed me mid-leap.
“What?”
I looked back in confusion and saw the tattered arm of the anglerfish monster clutching me. Where was it getting this strength from? To stop my escape even while on the verge of death—its tenacity was truly terrifying.
—Krrrrrr! Did you think you could pull such a stunt and then run away?
“Ah! I thought it would work. Too bad.”
—You’re still acting relaxed? Fine. Let’s both die here today.
“Sorry, but I still have a long life ahead of me.”
Kyaaaaah!
Crackle!
The monster’s eyes turned blood-red as an ominous sound rang out. Massive explosions always followed that noise. It seemed determined to hit me with the skill even if it meant sacrificing its own arm. If it didn’t hold me tightly, I would dodge it.
—It’s over!
KWAHAAAAAANG!
A tremendous shockwave, roar, and scorching heat engulfed me.
Any ordinary person would have given up in despair. It was an attack impossible to block or evade.
But I didn’t give up.
I simply raised Hector Punisher silently.
Fwoosh!
The warhammer tore through the monster’s fingers and pointed forward. A brilliant flash of light erupted.
Shwaaaa—! Thud!
At the same time, I was caught in the explosion.
Kwarararararara—!
Cordell McNeil, who had been watching the situation from the Billigert hideout, stood with his mouth wide open, staring at the rocky hill.
This is insane. This battle is on a completely different level from anything before.
Even the fight against Delria, the guardian deity of Delriat, had been intense. But this was beyond comparison.
How could anyone defeat a monster that nullified every attack?
“Oh no! He got swallowed!”
“The hero has lost… Now we’re all going to die to that monster.”
The freed prisoners sensed defeat.
But Cordell thought differently. Duke Carius was someone who surpassed everyone’s imagination. He wasn’t the type to be devoured so easily.
Sure enough, the anglerfish monster clutched its chest and stomach in agony. Soon, with a massive boom, a huge hole was punched through its body.
At that moment, the people raised their hands high and cheered wildly.
“Yes!”
“We believed in you, hero!”
But the very next instant, Duke Carius was grabbed by the anglerfish monster and took the explosion attack head-on.
“Ahhh!”
“No way!”
The faces that had been filled with hope were now covered in despair. If Abel Carius lost, they were all as good as dead. There was no way the monster would leave the prisoners in the cages alone.
Of course, this was merely their misunderstanding. The anglerfish monster was only targeting Abel.
“We’re finished.”
“I thought we could escape slavery or death…”
People gripped the iron bars and cried.
Cordell frowned as he stared at the monster. At this point, it seemed he had no choice but to step forward himself. The noble-born ladies were looking at him with eyes full of expectation.
“No choice, then.”
Shing!
Sword drawn, Cordell walked forward with a solemn expression.
Urgent voices called out from behind.
“Please win, Sir Knight!”
“You are our only hope!”
The women’s desperate cries sounded like beautiful music to his ears.
Cordell McNeil glanced back and smiled.
“Don’t worry. A true hero never retreats.”
“Kyaa! So cool!”
Clack! Tap-tap-tap!
The handsome knight gripped his sword properly and dashed forward.
The women waved their hands in ecstasy.
Cordell approached right in front of the anglerfish monster and…
Swoosh!
He vanished into the same trap Abel had fallen into earlier.
“……”
The people stood there speechless. They had just witnessed the knight they trusted run away in a truly pathetic manner. The sense of futility was so strong that no one could say a word.
But at that exact moment—
Sliiiiiing!
A sharp noise rang out as the anglerfish monster’s head flew into the air. The person who landed in the slave trading area was Abel Carius.
“Haah! Haaah!”
As he caught his breath and looked around, a thunderous cheer erupted.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
“The hero has returned!”
I looked around with a slightly dazed expression. Everyone locked in the iron cages was cheering like mad.
Is it really that big a deal?
I found it strange, but soon nodded in understanding. The people captured here hadn’t been slaves to begin with. They had been merchants, escorts, sailors, or travelers aboard merchant ships. Now that they had regained their freedom, of course they were overjoyed.
I waved my hand roughly in acknowledgment and stared straight ahead.
My condition isn’t great.
The moment I had been grabbed by the anglerfish monster and hit directly by the explosion attack, I had instantly switched Extreme Choice back to defense enhancement. Such a rapid stance change required enormous energy. For a brief moment, my vision had blurred so badly I nearly lost consciousness. But thanks to that, I had prevented my body from being torn apart.
The problem was that I had used Destructive Retribution one more time right after.
This is my limit now. Maybe one more time? Even that, I can’t be sure.
Even though its head had been severed, the anglerfish monster still wasn’t dead. How did I know? I could still feel its sharp killing intent.
Amazingly, its body was in the middle of retrieving its head from the sea. It looked exactly like a dullahan, the headless knight.
—You bastard! How dare you reduce me to this state! I will make you pay dearly!
“How persistent.”
The monster’s voice was full of vigor, as if the injuries were nothing.
In that case, there was only one method left.
Instead of the neck, I’ll aim for the head itself. If I completely destroy it, it won’t be able to yap anymore.
Of course, I wasn’t sure if it was possible while in the defense-enhanced state from Extreme Choice. If I switched stances again here, I might not be able to use Destructive Retribution at all.
In the end, I had to bet everything on one final strike.
I don’t have time to hesitate. I need to charge while it’s still disoriented.
I gripped the handle of Hector Punisher tightly.
Then, suddenly, someone’s voice reached me.
“Nameless hero. You don’t have to push yourself too hard.”
“Hm?”
When I turned around, I saw the faces of the people in the iron cages. Their expressions were varied. Some were crying and begging to be saved, others were demanding I open the cages first.
But the person who spoke to me had no emotion on his face. It was as if he had resigned himself to everything.
“The knight who came with you has already run away. The one who was charming the women by saying he would definitely save them.”
“So please save your own life first. You’ve already done more than enough.”
To him, my desperate resistance must have looked futile. That was understandable. After fighting the anglerfish monster, my body was in tatters.
Of course, retreating here was never an option. Even if I got on a ship, I wouldn’t be able to escape its grasp. It was better to settle this decisively and leave in peace.
Still, I continued listening because the content was quite interesting.
“What did you just say? The knight ran away?”
“I don’t know what his intention was, but he disappeared down there. Looking back now, maybe it was a mistake.”
A high-level knight like Cordell McNeil slipping and falling during a fight that wasn’t even underway? That was nonsense.
I smiled coldly and said,
“I am different from that despicable man.”
Jajaja