209. King of the North (3)
#209
“Damn, what happened?”
Torn screams were coming from outside the tent. Ronan quickly ran out, clutching the hilt of his sword. Adeshan and Jager followed suit.
“This is…?”
“oh my god.”
The moment they came out, they instinctively knew something was going wrong. An evil, sticky energy was clinging to my skin. The air I breathed in tasted bitter, like bug intestines.
“Ugh…! And, the air…?”
“Damn, the curse has gotten stronger.”
My fingertips were tingling. The shadows created by buildings and people were abnormally dark. I don’t know why, but the curse placed on the tribe had become stronger overall. What kind of trick did Barca do?
“Aaaah!”
“S-Stop it!”
Meanwhile, screams were still being heard. Ronan quickly turned to the direction the sound came from. The bodies of the deformed werewolves were shaking and changing. The sight of limbs swelling or teeth tearing through the jaw was not a very sight to behold.
“Okay…! “Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!”
“Brother, come to your senses! brother!”
Werewolves that looked like family were stomping their feet around them. It seemed that as the power of the curse became stronger, the body changed more quickly.
I had a feeling that if we didn’t resolve it quickly, something very unpleasant would happen. He suddenly goes berserk and tries to tear her family apart. Ronan, who had been shaking her head for a moment, shouted loudly.
“Sita!”
“Bwait!”
An echo rang out. Sheeta, who was circling in the sky, landed in front of Ronan. Ripping off the hem of her own clothes, Ronan scrawled her short letter with his pen. He said as he tied the hem of her robe around Sita’s legs.
“If you go west from here, there is a city called Rundalian. Find Professor Secret there and bring him back. Its fur has become mushy, but you can probably tell by its smell. Hurry.”
“Bye!”
Sita nodded once and flew up without delay. Given the circumstances, it was best to bring in an expert. Ronan turned to Ade Shan and opened her mouth.
“Senior, please prevent deformed children from running away. “Can you do it?”
“huh. “Just leave it to me.”
Adeshan immediately ran to the deformed son. The mana of the shadow spread in the curse-stained air. The deformed son, who had been acting like he was going to explode at any moment, became calm for a moment.
“… That’s amazing.”
Jager muttered in a voice of admiration for his surprisingly flexible handling of the situation. I thought that perhaps these humans might be able to confront Barca. Suddenly, a young voice came from behind him.
“Ahhh.”
“hmm?”
Jager turned his head. A werewolf boy was staring at him from about ten steps away. His arms were limp and he was dragging one leg, looking somewhat uncomfortable. The nails that had not been trimmed at all looked like ten daggers.
“Are you also a resident of this village?”
No answer came back. Jager, thinking that this was also a deformed child born under a curse, twisted his lips. Then the boy asked, pointing at him with his index finger.
“My…this?”
“okay. I am mine. “The surrounding atmosphere is unusual, so quickly enter the building.”
“···Jager. Jager.”
However, the werewolf boy ignored Jager’s words and began to approach him. Then Ronan turned his head towards the boy.
“What is that?”
He was a boy who gave off a different impression from the deformed children I had seen so far. It was unusual to feel an inexplicable ominousness. Ronan was about to give a warning. The figure of the boy who had approached three steps away from Jager disappeared from sight for an instant.
“Wait a minute, it’s dangerous!”
Ronan shouted urgently, but it was already one step too late. The boy’s figure, which had been blurred for a moment, reappeared behind Jager. Jeiger, unaware of the situation, tilted his head.
“what?”
“Jager. Jager. Jager. Jager.”
The boy muttered at rapid intervals. Suddenly, five long red lines were drawn diagonally on Jager’s chest.
“Huh…!”
Jager’s eyes widened as he felt a sensation similar to when his limbs were cut off. That was before he could scream anything. Sigh! Five streams of blood spurted out along the stab wound. Ronan’s voice was heard through the shaking vision.
“Fuck, Jager!”
“Huh… billion.”
It was unrealistically excessive bleeding. The blood that fell in a parabolic curve soaked the snowy field. Steam was rising from the red puddle. Jager could instinctively feel that his internal organs were being torn into pieces. thud! His large body, which was slowly leaning, fell backwards. The sky covered with gray-white clouds came into view.
“Jager. Jager. Jager. Jager. Jager. “Grrr.”
Meanwhile, the boy was muttering to himself. He was looking at Jager from afar and raised his right hand. It seemed like he was planning to deliver the final blow. The boy’s appearance was about to blur again. Ronan leapt at once and landed, blocking him.
“넌 뭐야, 이 개새끼야!”
“Kyaarak?!”
Ronan swung his sword horizontally. The werewolf boy dodged the attack by pressing the back of his head against his heel. Crack! A loud cracking sound rang out as if his spine was breaking.
“what···.”
Ronan raised his eyebrows. It was a bizarre movement that did not resemble a living thing. However, the attack itself did not miss. A black line was drawn on the boy’s neck and blood spurted out.
“Kyaaaaaak!”
Because the sword strike was so fast, it seemed like he couldn’t dodge it completely. The boy who grabbed his neck fell and hit his butt. A few drops of blood jumped up and landed on Ronan’s cheek.
‘Are you cold?’
Ronan frowned at the strange sensation. Her blood, which should have been hot, was as cold as ice water. The color was closer to black than red and did not resemble living human blood. At that time, the boy jumped up and ran towards me, screaming.
“Jager! Kyaaaaa!”
“what?!”
Ronan, who quickly took a defensive stance, narrowed his eyes. The boy was flying towards Jager, ignoring Ronan.
As expected, something was strange. Ronan turned to look at him and activated his aura at the same time. Seaaaa… The blade’s body glowed scarlet, and the flying body of the boy appeared in front of Ronan’s nose. For the first time, a look of confusion appeared on the face of the boy who had experienced an inexplicable phenomenon.
“Kyareuk?!”
“It’s okay.”
Ronan pulled at the hilt of his sword. A clear straight line was drawn over the boy’s stomach, which was hovering in the air. Phew! Black blood spurted out like an explosion, drenching everywhere. A body cut in half rolled around on the floor.
“Ugh…!”
Suddenly, an unpleasant odor stung Ronan’s nose. It was the smell of a corpse that I had grown sick of in my past life, produced by decaying blood and flesh. Suddenly, the boy’s voice rang out from beneath my feet again.
“Garr! “Jay!”
“What the fuck?”
It was truly a bizarre sight. The boy, with only his upper body remaining, was moving towards Zeiger, using his arms as legs. A trace made by black blood was being drawn along the boy like a calligrapher’s calligraphy. Ronan laughed as if he was shocked.
“···Is this a living corpse?”
Suddenly, the neck I had cut first came into view. It was not a survivable injury to begin with, with half of it cut off and shaking.
Ronan leapt and trampled the boy and swung his sword again. Suddenly! His head, where his teeth were chattering, split into dozens of pieces and burst. Rotten brains and flesh flew everywhere. The remaining body parts stopped moving and became limp.
I could feel it when I looked up close. Barca’s mana was oozing from the boy’s body tissues. Ronan, who was looking down at the meat, twisted his lips.
‘It’s clear that he was an assassin sent. They probably wanted to get rid of it because it had served its purpose. Anyway, this is definitely…’
Information about necromancy that I once heard flashed through my mind. I wanted to find out what happened right away, but unfortunately, there was something else I had to do now. He put the knife away and immediately ran towards Jager.
“Damn it, I can’t die now.”
“Huh…Huh…Huh…”
Jager was panting as if he was going to die at any moment. The blood from his chest was flowing non-stop. He tried pouring the remaining pain potion, but the wound was so deep that it had little effect.
Ronan gritted his teeth. I never thought something like this would happen when Sita left. Suddenly, Jaygeo, who was looking at the sky, opened his mouth.
“hey···.”
“Don’t say that, idiot. “It hurts.”
“Look at my… inside pocket…”
“Inside pocket?”
Jager nodded slightly. He didn’t know what he was talking about when everyone was dying. Ronan was rummaging through his inner pocket and pulled out an item. It was an octagonal compass, but it was stationary and did not point in any direction. Jager said.
“The thing I tried to give you earlier… he probably used it to track me… Damn it… he somehow took my blood…”
“What is this?”
“It’s something called a blood needle… it’s a precious magic tool that points to the owner of the blood applied to the needle…”
It is said that blood acupuncture needles refer to tracking targets within a certain range. Jeiger said that on the day Barca joined his staff, he saw him taking his own blood and applying it to the acupuncture points.
“But… just like he wouldn’t trust me… I didn’t trust him either… It will definitely help.”
He chuckled in a voice mixed with blood. Jager explained that he once secretly collected a trace of the animal’s blood and put the blood on a needle. He was truly a suspicious and cunning man. Ronan, who had taken the blood measure, nodded his head.
“OK. “Use it well.”
No answer came back. Only the faintest sound of breathing could be heard in the wind. It was a candle of life that would be extinguished in less than ten minutes. Ronan, who was quietly looking at Jager, spat on the floor.
“no way. “Fuck.”
He was a bastard without fail, but I couldn’t help but feel bitter. It seemed like it wouldn’t end peacefully. Ronan was in the car trying to move to help Adeshan. Suddenly, a loud shout rang out from behind.
“Woah! “Save people!”
“what?”
Ronan turned his head. Something was flying fast in the sky far away. The black outline resembles Sita, but there is something a little more attached. Before long, Ronan’s eyes widened as he recognized its identity.
“Damn it, Secret?”
“Gyaaaa!”
A pure white werefox was riding on Sita’s back. The fox who was screaming and clutching his feathers with all his might was someone he knew well. Sita, spotting Ronan, dived at an angle close to her vertical.
“Bwaaaaaaa!”
“Oh my god! oh my god! Unbelievable!”
A louder scream rang out. The moment Sita landed, braking suddenly with her four wings, her three crits tumbled down. As he was lying down and out of breath, he cursed at Sita.
“What a mean bird. “You really thought you were going to die!”
“Bwahahaha!”
Sita flapped her wings and giggled. Ronan opened his mouth as she stared at the blank sight.
“···thank you for your effort.”
“Yes, I know! “He recklessly told me to get on his back and I was like, ‘Oh my god!’
Secret stood up. It was ten times faster than expected. He joked that he could carry people, but he never imagined he would actually be able to. Ronan snapped his fingers once and pointed at me.
“That’s right, this is not the time. Sita. “Please fix this bleached tiger.”
Jager was still alive. I bet it wouldn’t have lasted more than five minutes, but for now, he was alive. As if responding, Unsita spread her four wings.
“Bye!”
A red mist surrounded Jager. Soon the bleeding stopped and the wound began to heal. The blood that had flowed out of his body was flowing back into his wound. The Jager’s snout, which seemed like it would never move again, moved happily.
“Wow, it’s really… amazing.”
“Did you survive? “Close your mouth and lie down.”
“···thanks.”
It seemed like the urgent crisis had been overcome. After saying thank you, Jager lost consciousness. When he turned his head, the three crits were already looking around with serious expressions.
“Right. The curse has definitely gotten stronger. “I guess we have to deal with it urgently.”
It seemed like the situation had already been figured out. Secret immediately started preparing for Haeju without even asking about the circumstances. Ronan asked.
“Is it okay to not have seaweed ingredients?”
“It would be nice to have it, but I have to try it like this. Ronan, I just want you to make sure no one gets near me.”
“yes?”
Suddenly, Secret ran into the middle of the village. He picked up a twig and started drawing geometric patterns on the snow. It didn’t take long to realize that it was a magic circle.
“This···.”
“Rzinka. Lanaviel. Terado.”
As Secret chanted the spell, the magic circle began to emit a soft light. The white light that seeped out of the magic circle gradually expanded, gradually removing the darker shadows. Soon, a hemisphere composed of light slightly brighter than the surroundings covered the tribe.
“Well, purr….”
“Daughter. “Are you out of your mind?”
“What is this light?”
The deformed children stopped changing. The screams coming from all directions quieted down. The bitter air and the darkened shadows had returned to their original state. Secret sat down in his seat and sighed.
“Whoa… I guess I took a breather.”
“That’s amazing. “Is this what you’ve done?”
“Unfortunately, no. This opponent is much stronger than I thought. “Rather than that, let me ask you one thing.”
Ronan seemed to know what Secret would ask. His eyes stayed on Jager, who was lying face down and out of breath. Ronan nodded his head.
“Anything. Instead, please listen to my explanation first before asking.”
“explanation?”
“yes. I’ll explain it as briefly as possible. therefore···”
Ronan briefly explained what he had experienced and heard. The real dark figure is Barca Turgen, and the fact that we have to follow him to Heyran. Secret’s round eyes opened wide.
“oh my god. The Sword Saint had a brother. Besides, that Chi is a curse spellcaster?”
“Not only that, but I think he also uses necromancy. “Do you have any more questions?”
“···no. “There is nothing at all.”
As expected, Secret did not know about the existence of Barca. Ronan, who did not want the story to get longer, asked a question.
“professor. What should I do to completely remove the curse? “I don’t have time.”
“…There is no choice but to have the caster lift the curse or kill him. “This is truly something that makes no sense…”
Secret was mumbling something to himself and establishing his hypothesis and future plan. It was an action that resulted from a wizard’s unique desire for knowledge. It was obvious that it would probably be like that for a while.
“In the end, you have to see blood.”
Ronan took out a blood needle. Perhaps because Barca was not within range yet, the needle was not moving. After he finished his work, Ade Shan came to his side.
“You worked hard, senior. “It seems like things have gotten bigger.”
“···huh.”
“what. are you okay?”
Ronan asked worriedly at his unusual tone of voice. This time there was no reply. Adeshan’s gaze stayed on the blood gauge needle where Barka’s location was marked. His large eyes were a dark, dull charcoal gray.
“···senior?”
Ronan asked again, but this time there was no answer. She couldn’t look into her head, but it seemed like she was never thinking positive thoughts.
Barka’s cruelty in sending a child’s corpse to be killed was also cruel, but we learned that he was the one who masterminded the massacre that took place on the night of the canine. He would have been as much hated as the incompetent commander.
“···huh. are you okay. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”
Adeshan raised his head late and smiled slightly. However, it was not a smile that came from kindness as usual, but a smile that was like a pressure stone to suppress emotions.
After finishing the work, the three people and one horse returned to Rundalian. Thanks to this, the werewolves who escaped the crisis saw them off. Jager took some of the tribesmen to their home base in the Najun Mountains.
“Then, shall we leave?”
“huh.”
There was no time to waste as the curse was growing stronger throughout the area where the stakes had been driven. Ronan and Adeshan spent just one day in Rundalian before beginning their new journey. The destination is Heiran. It was the northern tip of the continent, and the polar region where Barca Turgen was based.
