116 – Unleashing the Joker Residents in the Research Lab.
After defeating the strange monster, Lian urged the group forward with quickened steps. Although strange monsters appeared from time to time, they were easily dealt with.
“….! I found it!”
As expected, the alley from the original work was still intact. It seemed wider than described in the original, allowing more than 60 people to form a line and move.
Lian immediately handed the officers a map indicating the destination after leaving the forest.
The officers, while weaker than Lian, were not lacking in strength, so there should be no problem reaching the next destination.
“I will take the others and join you there.”
“Yes, please return safely.”
“Please save Lily!”
Like the members of the organization who were chosen for their personality, everyone expressed their concern for Lian and the disappeared group with serious faces.
“Take this. It will be helpful.”
Mukan, who was part of the group, handed Lian a small bag containing only a fist-sized pouch. Inside were medicinal herbs and bandages for emergency treatment. After expressing his gratitude, Lian parted ways with the group. Once the group had completely left, Lian began walking in the opposite direction.
“If I keep going like this, I’ll reach the abandoned house… no, the building Lily mentioned.”
The large road they were originally walking on passed by the abandoned house and led out of the forest, while the alley connected to the outside of the forest from behind the abandoned house.
If Lian walked back along the alley, he would arrive at the building where Lily had screamed.
“There are probably other groups that haven’t been discovered there… Everyone should be safe.”
While Lian was worrying about his precious people, he heard a voice from the Divine Sword.
[hehehe! Finally, it’s my turn to shine! Now that brat is gone, I can show off my cool appearance without restraint, right?]
The Divine Sword emitted a voice filled with excitement. The sword, which was initially somewhat glamorous, gradually transformed into a dangerous weapon. The crimson energy began to flicker, and the gem embedded in the hilt mesmerizingly glittered, captivating people.
The sword deity, which had a color similar to a regular iron sword, was dyed crimson like it was being soaked in darkness. Even from 300 meters away, it was a sight that instantly revealed itself as a demon sword.
“Isn’t it too conspicuous?”
[This is not enough! Make it more dazzling and beautiful! Yes! Like an explosion!]
As the demon sword shouted like a madman, the energy surrounding the sword trembled violently. Hearing the laughter of the demon sword, “Mwahahahaha!” my worried heart felt a little better.
“Fine, do as you wish.”
After spitting out those words, I looked ahead. There was no longer anyone in our party that I needed to pay attention to, so we must have picked up the pace and moved. As a result, the building that Lily mentioned was right in front of us.
“It’s really not an abandoned house.”
While Lian examined the building, the demon sword, covered in a red glow, released a stream of blood.
[hehehe, I’ve been waiting for those words.]
In response to Lian’s thoughtless remark, “Do as you wish,” the enraged demon sword created a pool of blood beneath Lian’s feet.
Squelch, squelch.
With each step Lian took, the shallow pool of blood made a sticky sound. Lian briefly glanced down at his feet and lightly dismissed it, thinking, “Gargandoa, Gargandoa again.”
He believed that the demon sword would never harm him, no matter what it did.
“We were going to surround the building and make our way to the place where Lily disappeared… Should I just ask those people instead?”
At the end of Lian’s gaze, he saw two men with a strong build guarding the entrance. Both of them were so massive that they could be mistaken for orcs.
“Well, let’s ask them once.”
Lian immediately began to approach what seemed to be the back entrance of the building.
***
“Hyung, who’s coming over there?”
“They said no one was coming today, right?”
“But he’s coming. The storm.”
“What’s with that flimsy guy?”
The two men with large builds were twin brothers. From the moment they were born, they had been notorious mercenaries, eating their meals with knives and building their reputation.
With their massive muscles and immense strength, they preferred fights where they could crush their opponents with brute force. From their perspective, Lian, who was approaching confidently, was nothing more than a small fry.
“Did he take the wrong path?”
“Judging by his appearance, it seems likely.”
Even if it wasn’t an ambush or intrusion, there were often cases where travelers or mercenaries would get lost in the forest and stumble upon a new path, eventually reaching this place. The location of the research facility was classified information, so anyone who found it would end up as a mere puppet.
“Hyung, hyung, can I kill him?”
“No, you can’t. Last time, you killed someone. This time, it’s my turn.”
Guarding the entrance to the research facility was a relatively easy task compared to the rewards, but it was also boring. For the two men who had lived every day shedding blood, it was even more so.
If they hadn’t lost all their money in gambling and ended up penniless, they would have been frolicking on the battlefield, not here.
For those who couldn’t leave this place immediately, playing with a stupid fool who had taken the wrong path and killing him was the only remaining amusement.
“Then let’s play together.”
“Don’t get so excited that you break your head.”
“Got it, hyung.”
As the distance between them narrowed to the point where their faces could be seen, the two men quickly reached an agreement and stared at Lian with bloodshot eyes.
Thump, thump.
Even though it wasn’t raining, the sound of stepping on a puddle could be heard. At the same time, the sharp scent of blood reached their sensitive noses. The two men immediately regained their senses at the ominous feeling of an attack.
“Hyung…”
“What’s that…?”
The gaze of the two individuals turned towards the dark crimson aura emanating from the cursed sword. They were mesmerized, as if possessed.
“Brother, I want that.”
“…Me too.”
As ignorant as they were strong, the brothers quickly fell under the spell of the cursed sword.
Crack.
The sound of stepping on a puddle grew louder, like the sound of lightning striking, as the puddle beneath Lian’s feet began to tremble violently.
Dark red blood, darker than wine, splashed onto Lian’s feet and clothes, crawling up and staining them. Soon, the blood surged up as if to engulf his entire body.
Ssshhhhh…
From Noble mtl dot com
The blood, which had soared up to the sky, poured down over the heads of the brothers and Lian. In an instant, Lian’s clothes had transformed into a perfectly tailored uniform that suited the taste of the cursed sword.
The rain of blood, pouring down from the sky, ceased before five seconds had passed. The brothers were drenched in blood, but Lian remained immaculate.
Normally, the brothers would have been on edge due to such a bizarre phenomenon, but their bloodshot eyes were fixed solely on the cursed sword. They were completely oblivious to their surroundings, captivated by the cursed sword.
“Give it to me! It’s mine!”
Impatient, the younger brother swung the great sword forcefully.
Thud.
“…!”
Lian spread out the cursed sword, holding it with his left hand. With movements as light as blocking a child’s fist, the younger brother’s momentary return to reason was futile. But it was too late.
Crunch!
As Lian exerted his strength, the great sword cracked and split in half. Faced with the overwhelming difference in power, the younger brother stumbled backward. In that moment, the older brother swung his dagger.
“Die!”
The attack aimed precisely at Lian’s throat.
Kigigi.
Due to the magic sword blocking his neck, everything was ruined. The veins in his red eyes bulged as he exerted more strength in his arms.
Puh!
“Snap!”
But it was faster for Lian to kick him in the throat.
“Kek, Uweak!”
The man who took the blow to his throat sat on the floor, clutching his stomach and retching. His younger brother, who had regained consciousness, ran towards them with a clenched fist, only to receive blows to the throat and jaw and faint.
Lian frowned as he watched the two men on the floor, writhing in pain.
“Why did you try to block with your hands! You were scared!”
[Because that’s the true ‘coolness’.]
Lian said to the man who was looking up at him, feeling nauseous and trembling, leaving the strange sensation of the enchanted magic sword behind.
“I have a few questions… Can you answer them?”
“..Eep!”
Lian’s gentle and angelic smile was beautiful, but it lacked warmth, making him seem less human. The faint aura of the magic sword added to the intimidation.
“Ah, I’ll tell you everything I know, everything!”
In the Demon King’s territory, where the law of survival of the fittest ruled, mercenaries immediately spilled out all the information they knew while babbling.
After hearing all the information worth listening to, Lian cleanly knocked the man’s head to make him faint. Then he made a shovel out of the magic sword and dug the ground, leaving only the head exposed, burying the rest. He had only put his life on the line because he willingly gave up the information.
Lian brushed off his hands and headed towards the door that the two men had been guarding. The magic sword, with only the neck exposed, looked at the lifeless bodies and thought.
[If I leave them like that, the monsters will surely tear them apart… My partner seems to have a more cruel nature than I expected.]
The magic sword spoke with a voice full of pride.
[hehehehe, as expected, it’s my part.]
“Hmm?”
Unable to understand the words of the Dark Sword, Lian tilted her head in confusion and then thought it must be nothing important, heading towards the laboratory. No, she tried to head towards it.
“Huh?”
She slightly stepped inward, but the door, which looked like a door at first glance, didn’t open. She even knocked on it, but there was no response.
“Ah!”
Lian pushed the door with a doubtful expression. It still didn’t budge. Then, she pushed it to the side.
“Oh?”
It started to move slightly. Lian exerted more force and continued to push it to the side. And finally, the door moved a little.
[I’ll help you!]
As the aura of the Dark Sword enveloped Lian’s body in earnest.
Crack, thud!
The door was pushed to the side as if it had been kicked by a giant. It was more accurate to say that it broke open rather than opened.
The programmed door, which was designed to only let people with the mark enter, creaked and made a sound.
{ Intruder… intruder… }
The door that was supposed to spread a loud alarm sound suddenly went silent. Lian looked at the damaged door and said,
“As I thought, it was a side-opening door. They should have put a sign or something.”
After saying that, she passed through the broken door and entered the inside of the laboratory.