Chapter 164

Chapter 164:  The Dead Don’t Speak (2)

“Kill them, kill thooose!”

“Ahahaha! Look at how scared they are!”

A deafening roar rang out in the circular arena packed with thousands of pirates.

On a dais at the front, a man dressed as a clown held a wooden horn and shouted.

“Comrades of the pirates! Do you know what crime those prisoners inside the arena committed?”

Booming.

His voice reverberated throughout the arena.

Beryl and Mikkelsen covered their ears, and Jerry furrowed his brow.

Seeing that, Hardin snorted and lifted the corner of his mouth.

This sight was not the first time.

‘I lived long enough to come back here again.’

The circular arena.

Thousands of pirate spectators.

And a clown in the middle amplifying his voice with a magical device and shouting at the top of his lungs.

The smell, the sound, the scene before his eyes.

Nearly ninety years had passed, but it was exactly the same as that day he had experienced when he had been Varlach.

As Hardin steadied his breathing and smiled to himself, the clown continued.

“Among them… there is someone who stole Lord Redhoop’s tomb map!”

At that, mouths in the stands dropped open.

“…What? Lord Redhoop’s?”

“Ssss, aren’t they insane.”

“Argh, kill them! Kill them! Kill them quickly!”

Angry shouts erupted, and all manner of trash and clumps of stone flew into the arena.

Mikkelsen and Beryl turned pale and broke into a sweat.

‘Ah… this time we’d really die for sure.’

‘God Faeron, if we die here… please let the Great Young Master fall into hell.’

But regardless of prayers.

Hardin looked at Jerry with a calm face and asked.

“Halfling.”

“…….”

“Hey, not answering?”

“Ah, stop bothering me. We’re all going to die anyway.”

Jerry answered reluctantly, shooting a look full of resentment.

Hardin slapped a hand on his shoulder and asked.

“Why did you steal the map?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The tomb of Redhoop—there’d be hardly any profit from looting it… why did you steal it? Also, why did you steal it from us?”

Hardin showed the quartz skull and asked.

For a moment, Jerry’s brow creased; he let out a shallow breath and answered.

“Why should I tell you that?”

“Why, you know? If I liked you, I might spare your life.”

Jerry snorted.

“Nonsense. We’re all going to die here anyway.”

“Why would we all die?”

“Don’t you know, ‘the dead do not speak’? In the decades that people have entered this arena, not a single one has ever come out alive.”

Hardin stroked his jaw and looked around.

Skulls were scattered throughout the arena.

As that man had said, it was obvious that many who had entered here had died.

The dead did not speak.

This festival — a pirate diversion and gambling ring — was in effect no different from an execution where prisoners were killed.

‘Well, I had gotten out alive.’

Hardin’s mouth twitched into a smirk.

The clown laughed until his mouth split, then leapt in place, raised his hands high, and said.

“Now, comrades of the pirates! Calm down! Beyond that gate there are countless friends prepared to punish these abominable bastards!”

The clown pointed with his hand at a huge iron gate nearby.

It looked many times the height of a person.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

Something seemed to be waiting behind it.

The iron gate shook as if it would break, and the grinding of metal was audible.

Mikkelsen and Beryl flinched.

“What, what’s that? Damn……”

“……Great Young Master, what on earth are these bastards planning to do?”

Hardin folded his arms and replied nonchalantly.

“Nothing special, we just have to beat up the monsters that swarm out.”

“Eh?”

“The monsters those pirate bastards prepared back there. If we kill them all, we live. Simple, right?”

“…….”

Simple……right?

Really, someone ought to sew that man’s mouth shut.

As the two faces turned sour.

“Then, let’s begin the festival!”

The clown shouted again and jumped in place.

Chaarrrr!

The pirates pulled chains and opened the massive iron gate.

Then, from behind it….

 키에에에엣!

A gigantic shadow revealed itself.

“…What is that?”

“Big, very big.”

Mikkelsen and Beryl stared into the gate with trembling eyes.

The silhouette and even the cry.

Somehow… it felt oddly familiar.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

‘It’ stepped into the sunlit arena.

“Ooooooh! It’s here!”

“Ughhh, starting strong right from the beginning!”

The pirates’ cheers grew even louder.

 끼에에에엑!

At the very moment the monster behind the iron gate proudly revealed itself.

Mikkelsen’s and Beryl’s eyes went wide.

“That is……”

“Kreveion, isn’t it?”

A monster with the shell and carapace of a giant crab, marked with skull-like symbols.

The seafolk’s nightmare, the cursed spider-crab Kreveion.

Only a year ago, Hardin had fought and beaten that ferocious monster on Rocky Isle, and now it stood before them proudly.

“Damn it……. it’s all over!”

At that moment Jerry tore at his hair and cried out.

But.

“……Hmm.”

“Hmmmmmm.”

Beryl and Mikkelsen stroked their chins with strange expressions.

‘If that gentleman stepped forward, could he catch it?’

‘He took it down by himself ages ago… maybe it’ll be even easier this time?’

They were saved.

With a sigh of relief, the two men let their shoulders drop.

Naturally, they turned their heads toward Hardin and spoke.

“Great Young Master, let’s go.”

“What?”

Hardin tilted his head as he replied, and Mikkelsen responded.

“We’ve got to take that thing down, don’t we?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“So come with us.”

Hardin grinned and said.

“Don’t feel like it.”

“…What?”

Then, while picking his ear with his pinky finger, he continued.

“Why should I step up to take care of something like that? You guys do it.”

“……Us? Just the two of us?”

“If you really don’t like it, then take this guy with you.”

Hardin patted Jerry’s back with his palm.

“D-Don’t be ridiculous! Why the hell would I—”

Jerry flinched and snapped, clearly annoyed.

 Kieeeeek!

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Kreveion came charging, its eight legs moving rapidly in their direction.

“It’s—it’s coming!”

Flinch!

Beryl and Mikkelsen turned their heads to face it directly.

The distance had already closed significantly.

“Great Young Master, are we seriously doing this alone?”

“Yeah, I told you.”

“For real, really?”

“You’re not joking, are you?”

“If it sounds like a joke, just sit back and watch.”

The two of them instinctively understood.

‘…He’s 100% serious.’

‘That damn man, right to the bitter end!’

Their spines turned cold, every hair on their bodies stood on end, and their hearts began to pound violently.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Kreveion came ever closer.

At this rate, it wouldn’t even take ten seconds before one of its massive claws would fly in and rip their limbs apart.

Was it the countless battles they’d survived, or just pure survival instinct?

“Beryl, bro!”

“Y-Yeah!”

Their gazes whipped toward another direction.

A rack lined with weapons—swords, spears, maces.

Without a second thought, they sprinted toward it.

“Uaaaaagh!”

Live or die, do or die!

They dashed forward and each grabbed a mace and a sword from the weapon rack.

Then, at that moment—

 Keeik!

A web shot out from Kreveion’s mouth like a cannonball.

“Hyah!”

“Eeek!”

The two of them instinctively dodged to the side and charged directly at Kreveion.

“I’ll take the front! Mikkelsen, get the rear!”

“Yes, sir!”

As Beryl rushed in head-on with his mace, Mikkelsen immediately veered to the side.

Laughter crept onto the pirates’ faces in the stands.

“Idiots, they’re charging it head-on?”

“They won’t last long.”

They all knew how strong Kreveion was.

And how many cocky swordsmen had been torn apart by that monster’s claws.

But then—

“Raaaghhhhh!”

Beryl stomped hard with one foot and swung his mace.

An all-out strike, fully empowered with Weapon Enchant, his body bursting with muscle.

 Kiiiii!

In response, Kreveion’s massive claw shot toward Beryl with lightning speed.

Claaang!

As the mace collided with the claw—

“Hmm?”

“Huh?”

The pirates’ eyes widened in disbelief.

They had expected Beryl to be reduced to a pile of flesh and blood, yet he was standing perfectly fine.

 Kkigigig!

The claw Kreveion had lashed out with was now shattered at the tip, spewing blue blood into the air.

Even seeing it with their own eyes, they couldn’t believe it.

And during that moment—

“Uaaaaagh! Die, you crab bastard!”

Claang!

Before they knew it, Mikkelsen had flanked from behind and slammed his sword into one of Kreveion’s joints.

Once again, with a single blow, the carapace cracked and looked ready to give in.

Struck from both front and back, Kreveion’s eyes trembled violently.

 Kieeeek!

“Over here! I’m over here, you bastard!”

Claang! Claang!

As Mikkelsen relentlessly unleashed a barrage of attacks, Kreveion, unable to endure any longer, began to turn its body.

But Beryl didn’t give it the chance and rushed in again.

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

This time, Beryl aimed for its abdomen.

Claaang!

Its opposite claw clashed with Beryl’s mace once more, pushing them apart.

“Mikkelsen!”

“Yes, sir!”

Mikkelsen immediately struck again from behind, slashing Kreveion without mercy.

 Kkigigig!

Enraged, Kreveion began to spit webs and thrash its limbs wildly.

As the fight dragged on—

“Wait, wait… are they actually winning?”

“No way, right? That’s Kreveion we’re talking about!”

Just moments ago, the stands had been roaring with noise, but now they were as silent as a library.

And Hardin, arms crossed as he watched, had a pleased grin on his lips.

‘See that? I told you, they’ve gotten a lot better.’

……With the teacher they had, this much was the least they could do.

Clang! Claang!

 Kiiieeeek!

“Mikkelsen, swing around to the right!”

“Now’s your chance, bro—go in!”

The battle continued for a while like that.

 Kiiiii……

Maybe exhausted by the relentless attacks from both sides.

The once-raging Kreveion now sagged and backed away.

“Mikkelsen.”

“Yes, bro!”

The two men locked eyes and nodded.

Mikkelsen stepped between Beryl and Kreveion, who had been pinned from behind.

Beryl’s gaze locked on Kreveion’s face.

Where the eyes met the mouth.

It was the same spot Hardin had pierced with a halberd to kill it before.

‘Right now… I can do it too.’

Beryl gripped his mace tightly, channeling all his strength into the end.

As he rapidly drew mana from within and focused it to one side of the mace—

Ka-gak! Ka-gak!

The sound of grinding metal rang out, and the mace shook violently like a fish out of water.

Then—

 Kiiiii…?

Had it sensed something unusual?

Kreveion, which had been catching its breath, suddenly charged forward again.

But—

“You’re not getting past me!”

Claaang! Claaang!

Mikkelsen blocked its path, swinging his sword to keep it from approaching Beryl.

“Eeek!”

Of course, the force of Kreveion’s strikes made Mikkelsen’s arm tremble, and blood oozed from his hand gripping the sword…

But with his eyes blazing with fighting spirit, he refused to back down.

However, not long after—

Claang!

In a burst of sparks, Mikkelsen’s sword collided with the monster’s claw—and shattered.

“Damn it…”

 Kieeek!

Kreveion immediately lashed out again, not missing the opening.

“Move, Mikkelsen!”

“Yes!”

At Beryl’s shout, Mikkelsen rolled to the side just in time to dodge the attack.

“…Die.”

With a grim face, Beryl swung his mace with all his might.

Vwooooom!

At that moment, the ground beneath him sunk into a perfect circle, and a flash of light shot out from the tip of the mace.

Jerry, who had been silently watching from the back, opened his eyes wide.

‘Shockwave? That bastard… he knows how to use that?’

A technique said to be attainable only by 3-star Knights—those with perfectly honed mana reserves and control.

The ultimate technique, Shockwave, was unfolding from Beryl’s fingertips.

The flash burst upward in a sharp diagonal slash.

 Kkiet?

Right at the center where Kreveion’s eyes and mouth met—

Kwa-jijijik!

It pierced through mercilessly.

Chunks of flesh and blue blood burst into the air like a fountain.

 Kiiii… kii….

Thuuud!

Kreveion’s massive body crashed to the ground, twitching.

Of course, the movement didn’t last long.

“Huff, huff, huff… We did it.”

Beryl wiped the sweat from his forehead, catching his breath.

“Bro!”

A bright smile spread across Mikkelsen’s face.

Meanwhile…

“…They took it down? Kreveion?”

“What the hell?”

The expressions of the pirates in the stands were frozen in shock and disbelief.

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