Surprise Chapter!!!!
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Chapter 4 Part 17
Translator : PolterGlast
Proofreader : John4891
"GI,
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
The
black demon beast pushed Tom to the ground and ate his arm. The demon beast's
fangs pierced his flesh, and Tom screamed in pain.
"Tom!!!!!
This! Let gooooooo!"
Mimuru
screamed and leaped at the demon beast, but it was all in vain. Her knife was
blocked by the demon beast's armor-like skin and repelled. She desperately
tried to help Tom, but the demon beast didn't even look at her.
"Fuh~!!"
Nozomu
caught up from behind and rushed in from the other side, with Mimuru and the
demon beast in between.
Nozomu's
target was the demon beast’s jaw. While sheathing the katana he drew, he struck
with the Qi technique [Breaking Strike] at the joint between the upper and lower
jaws.
"Gugyau!!"
The
Qi and shock waves that struck the jaw destroyed the structurally fragile
joint, and the jaw lost its power. The demon beast, with its weakened jaw,
dropped Tom's right arm.
Nozomu
pursued further.
He
held both hands on his hips and compressed his Qi. He slammed the Qi technique
[Cannon] into the demon beast.
The
released [Cannon] couldn’t blow the black demon beast away, but the intense
torrent of Qi released at such a close distance succeeded in making the demon
beast falter. With that gap, Mimuru retreated with her lover, who’d fallen to
the ground.
Nozomu
also kept a distance from the demon beasts, but still put himself between Shīna
and the demon beast.
"Tom!
Tom!! Hang in there!!!"
"U~Uu
..."
Mimuru
called out to Tom while crying. His condition wasn’t good. The shock from the
severe pain and bleeding knocked him unconscious, and it turned out that he was
in a very dangerous situation.
"Gubya~,
Gehya~au!!!'
The
black demon beast couldn't close its lower jaw because Nozomu crushed its jaw,
so it stuck out its tongue, letting out a scream.
When
Nozomu looked at Shīna, she just stood there stunned.
"Oi!
Oi!! Snap out of it!!!"
"I-I-I
am ........."
She
was in a state of confusion. Not in a condition where she’d be of any use.
Nozomu
slapped her face as he raised his voice.
"Kuh,
Snap out of it!! Shīna Juliel!!!"
"………………
Ah"
Light
returned to her eyes as she was hit on the cheek.
After
Nozomu confirmed that she'd regained senses, he faced the black demon beast
again. The demon beast had endured the destruction of its jaw. It spat blood
and saliva onto the ground and stopped moving.
"Let's
get out of here!! Just hold on a little more!"
Nozomu
looked towards Mimuru without a care for Shīna. Mimuru agreed and nodded her
head many times. She was also quite upset with Tom being injured.
"Okay,
we'll get away from here soon ... Wha!!"
As
they were about to leave the place, they couldn’t believe the events unfolding
before their very eyes.
There
was a vertical line on the demon beast's face. The demon beast's head began to
vertically tear apart while making a noise.
"What
on earth is going on ..."
"Aah
........."
While
Mimuru watched in a stunned manner and Shīna had a horrified face, the black
demon beast changed its appearance even further.
While
its own blood squirted around itself, the demon beast's head to neck broke
vertically, and countless fangs began to grow on the torn wound. In the place
where the head used to be, three big fangs grew to make a huge mouth, and a
pair of huge eyes appeared on the sides of the neck.
The
bloated body became even bigger. The claws became larger and sharper. It no
longer looked like a wolf. It was an abomination.
"GIGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
!!"
The
demon beast roared with its huge mouth open to the left and right.
“…………………….”
After
taking one look at that, Nozomu decided that it was impossible for four people
to escape at the same time. It was even more difficult to escape while
protecting the injured.
(At
the very least, we’ll need a decoy to distract this guy … Mimuru is protecting
Tom, and Shīna … It wouldn't be possible for the current her … When it comes to
it, I'm the only one …)
Mimuru's
hands were full from protecting Tom. While glancing at Shīna, he didn't think
it would work.
They
have to survive without losing anyone. The most likely way for that ...
"Oi,
Shīna"
"Eh~?"
While
keeping an eye on the transformed demon beast, Nozomu took a map out of his
butt pocket and handed it to Shīna.
"It's
a map of the area around here. If you go to the hut written on it, you'll find
all the treatment tools you need. If you treat Tom there, you'll spend the
night in that hut, and when the sun rises tomorrow, you'll return to the city
and report about this demon beast. "
Nozomu
gave instructions to Shīna in a tone that made her fall silent. The place
mentioned in the instructions was Shino's hut. That was the only place where
treatment could be done.
In
a situation where the number of people were small, there was no room to treat
the injured Tom by using magic on the spot. They couldn’t waste time as his
condition could worsen at any moment.
"B-But,
then you are ..."
Shīna's
line of sight went back and forth between Nozomu and Tom. Her eyes trembled.
She seemed helpless due to her sense of responsibility and guilt.
However,
Nozomu couldn't afford to care for her right now.
"I'm
the only one who can be a decoy here! And look at Tom's condition! I don't
think we have enough time to care about me!! Just give priority to your
friends!!! "
Nozomu
yelled at Shīna who was still hesitating. Her body jolted because of his loud
voice.
Nozomu
fully raised his Qi and strengthened his whole body. Because it sensed the
raised Qi, the demon beast in front of him lowered its posture and put itself
on guard.
Nozomu
lifted his leg up and slammed it to the ground with all his might.
At
the same time, he sent his Qi to the ground and blasted it away, the blasted
cloud of dust blocked the demon beast's sight, so the direction of escape for
Shīna and the others wouldn’t be known.
"Go!!!!"
"...
Sorry! Nozomu-kun!! I leave it to you!!"
"!!!!!!"
As
Nozomu shouted, Mimuru started running with Tom on her back, but Shīna still
showed a moment of hesitation.
She
closed her eyes tightly and her facial expression displayed a perseverance
through some kind of pain; however, she turned her heels back and disappeared
into the woods.
Beyond
the smoke, the demon beast, which had completely transformed, rushed toward
Nozomu and the others at the same time as the cloud of dust blasted away.
However,
Nozomu had already predicted it.
Nozomu
didn't keep an eye on Shīna until the end. He thrust towards the smoke, reached
for the pouch on his waist, and threw what he took out at the demon beast.
He
threw a Flash Ball and a Noise Ball. Nozomu, who was pretty poor, couldn't buy
the Depth Charge Ball he had before because it was too expensive. However,
these two balls could be purchased at the same price as recovery medicine.
The
Flash ball and the Noise Ball that were thrown by Nozomu exploded in front of
the demon beast that rushed in. A tremendous flash of light and a bursting
sound echoed around.
"Gugyan!!!"
The
flash and bursting sound that exploded in front of it made the black demon
beast stop. Nozomu ran to the side with all his might and jumped toward the
forest in the opposite direction of Shīna and the others.
In
order to gain time for the others, Nozomu chose to be a decoy and guide it in
the opposite direction rather than fight it head-on; however, he couldn't let
the black demon beast catch up to Shīna and the others, so he purposely rushed
in from the front for the black demon beast to see and taunt it.
"GIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!"
Nozomu
made the right decision. With a terrifying roar from its huge mouth, the black
demon gave chase.
"GIGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
!!!"
The
roar shook the surroundings. Each of the demon beast’s footsteps seemed to even
shake the ground.
====================================
"Haa,
haa, haa, haa !!"
About
10 minutes after Nozomu led the demon beast away, his escape was still ongoing
in the forest.
Considering
the difference in ability between Nozomu and the demon beast, he would’ve been
overtaken and eaten by the demon beast in less than a minute. The reason he was
able to escape was simply because Nozomu had the upper hand in land knowledge.
This
was the forest where he ran around back when Shino trained him. It was a place
where he was constantly attacked by demon beasts, yet he survived. Nozomu knew
more about this place than the adventurers in the city.
Nozomu
chose to escape to a place in the forest that was overgrown with trees to some
extent. The black demon beast, which had a large and bloated body, was
obstructed by the overgrown trees due to the narrow distance between the trees,
thus it was unable to catch up to Nozomu.
However,
Nozomu couldn't completely shake off the demon beast, and the distance between
the two had barely changed.
Obviously,
Nozomu was at a disadvantage in this situation.
(I'm
about to reach that place soon, but it still takes time to get there. At this
distance, it might catch up before I get there ... Can I make it in time?)
When
he glanced back, there was still the black demon beast chasing after him with
its huge mouth fully open.
(Daaaaaaa!
So persistent !! Just give it up already!)
The
place Nozomu is aiming for. There is still a long way to get there. If he gets
there, he has a chance to escape, but as of now, it'll probably catch up to him
before then.
At
that moment, something crossed Nozomu's mind
(...
That's right! If I use that, I might be able to stop it!! The question is
whether it will work...)
Nozomu
changed his direction. It was a bit of a detour to the destination. If he
stayed on the path, he would definitely be able to reach his destination;
however, if the black demon beast couldn't be stopped, it would definitely
catch up to him and he would have no other choice but to fight.
"
!! "
Nozomu's
face was slightly distorted. He thought about releasing his Ability
Suppression. Certainly, it was necessary to fight and win against the black
demon beast.
However,
Nozomu hadn't been able to get rid of his hesitations yet.
It
was the “him”, who murdered and killed every life he saw, that scared him.
Yesterday's scene shook his head, and above all else, the fact that he had once
given in to his own anger made him hesitate to unleash his power.
As
Nozomu ran, the scene in front of him changed.
The
distance between the overgrown trees widened, and tall trees with thick trunks
began to grow around them.
(!!
Damn!)
Currently,
Nozomu was unable to release his Ability Suppression. He only set his sights on
a location, but the black monster chased him from behind, shortening the
distance.
Eventually,
the flatland was cut off in the middle, and a steep slope came into his eyes.
Nozomu
ran down the slope with all his might.
If
he slipped and fell, he would roll down in a straight line and suffer serious injuries,
but still, he couldn't slow down.
The
black demon beast also came down the slope to chase after Nozomu.
The
distance between Nozomu and the demon beast was further shortened, and finally,
it was right behind him.
The
demon beast opened its jaw wide. The huge mouth that was opened was dyed bright
red, and countless fangs made a creaking noise, and another circular mouth
appeared behind it, lying in wait for its prey.
Nozomu
tried his best to escape from the demon beast, but he clearly couldn't escape.
Just
as the demon beast's jaw was about to bite Nozomu, Nozomu disappeared from the
demon beast's sight, intense pain ran down one of the demon beast's forelegs,
and fresh blood splattered.
"GYAN!!!"
The
demon beast suddenly lost its balance. It tried to regain its posture, but it
fell to the ground unable to stand on one leg, and rolled down the slope.
"GUU!!"
Nozomu
also lost his balance and wasn't sure of his footing, but he managed to regain
his posture and ran down the slope while moving away from the demon beast that
had rolled down.
What
Nozomu did was change the running direction while lowering his posture by
applying [Instant Move -Curve Dance-] at the exact moment the demon beast
entered his attack range. He moved to the demon beast's side and slashed its
forefoot with Qi technique [Phantom].
With
one of its weight-bearing forelegs injured, the demon beast couldn't support
its own weight and couldn't stop its momentum, causing the abomination to
simply roll down the hill.
"Haa,
haa, haa ........."
It
was certainly a terrifying walk on this tightrope-like situation.
If
the timing was wrong by even one step, he would either roll down the slope or
be eaten.
Nozomu,
who was running down the slope, couldn’t afford to check what happened to the
demon beast and continued running.
(The
demon beast is probably still ...)
"GIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"
The
demon beast's roar rushed into Nozomu's ears again.
Looking
behind his shoulder, the demon beast chased after him once again.
(Damn!
As I thought, It's still not enough!!! Just a little bit longer, so please be
quiet!!)
At
first, he didn't think the little maneuver would help that much, but he was
able to gain some distance. Nozomu kept running and saw a tree in front of him.
(There
it is!! Please! Make it work!!)
Nozom
ran to the side of the tree and kicked the boulder near the tree trunk.
After
the boulder was flung aside with a *Bish!* sound, ropes woven in a square
pattern appeared one after another between the demon beast and Nozomu at that
momentum.
The
demon beast that was chasing Nozomu fell down after being caught by a rope
woven in a grid pattern. It struggled to escape, causing more ropes to
become tangled with it.
Back
when Nozomu was left in the forest by Shino, that trap was set up to escape
from the demon beast that attacked. It was made for stalling time.
He
thought it would be bad if other adventurers got caught, so the trap itself had
no killing power, and he tried to prevent it from working unless he moved the
stone he had placed as the key. The only real issue was that Nozomu was worried
whether it would actually work. After all, he made it such a long time ago.
Nozomu
had set such traps for stalling time around the forest.
In
order for Nozomu, who had worse physical abilities, to survive, it was
necessary to use such methods. This was the wisdom of survival.
That
said, it was a trap for stalling time. Moreover, it hadn’t been used for a long
time, and the material used to make the woven rope was grass, so it wasn’t
sturdy at all.
Sure
enough, the rope couldn't handle the demon beast's power and started to tear
apart.
"It
didn't work after all!"
He
thought the trap wouldn’t endure, so Nozomu was already running.
When
Nozomu was barely visible from behind the trees, the demon beast finally
escaped the ropes that were in its way and went back to chasing Nozomu.
(Just
a little bit more. A little bit more!!)
Nozomu's
destination was drawing near, but the black demon beast that had once separated
was also approaching in the distance.
Eventually,
Nozomu could see the destination visible through the gaps between the overgrown
trees.
There
was a little green-skinned man there. Tents made of trees, leaves, and bark
were lined up, and the skulls of prey pierced at the ends of sticks were lined
up. Fires were lit here and there, and the prey caught was roasted.
It
was a village of goblins.
This
village was previously discovered by Nozomu in the forest, but when he found
it, he had just started training with Shino. This meant at the time, he thought
it’d be bad to be found by the goblins, so he left it alone.
At
the entrance of the village, a goblin guard found Nozomu running.
"Gyagya!!!"
At
first, the goblins thought that only one person was coming their way, so they
called out to their friends with grins. They might have thought of eating the
stupid human, who came to their village, for dinner today, but when they saw
the giant beast behind him, their complexion turned blue and flustered.
The
moment the other goblins called by the guards saw the black demon beasts
heading towards them, their expressions changed, and they started to flee.
Nozomu
didn't care about the goblins at all and plunged into the goblins' village with
the demon beasts behind him.
Just
as expected, the goblins' village was falling apart.
There
were those who rushed out with weapons, those who fled at a glance, and those
who panicked without knowing what to do.
Goblin
screams could be heard here and there, and it was a dreadful sound.
Meanwhile,
Nozomu and the black demon beast were moving back and forth within the goblin
village, causing more confusion.
Nozomu
rushed into the goblins' village with the demon beast. He caused panic, and
decided to take advantage of the chaos and escape.
However,
the black demon beast was still chasing Nozomu with its huge mouth fully open.
(That's
it!)
In
front of Nozomu, a big tent could be seen. Maybe this was the village chief's residence.
From the entrance of the tent, a goblin significantly larger than the
surrounding goblins appeared. Goblin Lord, the chief of this village.
The
Goblin Lord came out with an expression that seemed to be saying something, but
when he saw Nozomu and the black demon beast rushing to his place, he opened
his mouth and shouted loudly the next moment.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAA
!!"
"UOOOOOOOOOOOO
!!!"
"GOAAAAAAAAAAAAA
!!!"
Nozomu,
the Goblin Lord, and the Black Demon Beast rushed to the chief's tent.
The
two of them rushed into the tent, but Nozomu fled to the edge of the tent with
[Instant Move -Curve Dance-] as he entered the tent. The black demon beast lost
sight of Nozomu again due to the darkness in the tent, and attacked the Goblin
Lord in front of it, mistaking it for Nozomu.
While
the Goblin Lord was screaming, Nozomu immediately went outside, cut the ropes
supporting the tent, broke the tent, and covered the demon beast with it.
Originally,
Nozom had intended to block the demon beast's sight with the big tent and flee
in the meantime, but the Goblin Lord who happened to be in front of it got
involved, and the pitiful Goblin Lord ended up taking hits from the demon
beast.
While
the demon beast was rampaging under the collapsed tent, Nozomu ran away.
"Haa!
Haa! Haa!!"
Nozomu's
physical strength had reached its limit. Moreover, the angry goblins on their
way to escape noticed Nozomu and shot arrows, but he mustered the last of his
energy to escape.
After
shaking off the goblins' pursuit, Nozomu managed to escape into the forest.
The
black demon beast that was under the tent crawled out.
The
demon beast, who noticed that he lost sight of Nozomu, attacked the goblins as
if to vent its anger.
While
hearing the screams of the goblins that echoed behind him again, Nozomu
continued running.
