Reset Life – Chapter 22

KR Translators:

・StarrySkySailor
・KawaiiKage
・ImmortalInk
・KingPotato
・SugoiSenpai

Chapter 22: That’s Not It. No, It’s Not! (3)

The denizens of darkness are said to be connected to the gods of that realm, and dark priests can control them. However, the cults of the dark gods were already destroyed in the first year of the Empire, so their influence isn’t that great, is it?

Levidian spoke quietly.

“It seems someone has found a sacred object.”

“A sacred object?”

“Yes. A sacred object containing the power of one of the dark gods. A relic that the followers of the dark gods carry around instead of a temple to worship. Someone must have found something like that. It’s reasonable to think that they are using it to control the monsters. It’s hard to believe that a dark priest has actually appeared.”

I nodded. However, I couldn’t come to any conclusion inwardly. Because I had never heard of such an incident before I died.

Although the delegation ended in failure, it was said to be peaceful until they arrived in Ast. But suddenly, a port is reduced to ashes, and monsters are swarming.

Strange. Am I really back to 10 years ago and starting over?

“Hurry up and get in!”

“Damn it! How are there so many of them?!”

The return of those who had gone out was also being completed. And behind them, I could see hundreds of monsters rushing in. Things that are other than the three types Brizel mentioned……

“Beast Dogs, Wild Wolves, Giant Cats……”

“They’re all coming together, even though they hate each other.”

Three types of humanoid monsters and three types of animal-type monsters. These are guys who can never get along. Nevertheless, they are chasing after the Imperial Knights so amicably.

Really, it feels like I’ve gotten caught up in something strange.

“Heave-ho!”

“We’re back! Block the barricade! Archers, retreat to the second barricade!”

“Woo-hoo!”

Joey, who was waiting, used his strength and a part of the high piled barricade collapsed, completely blocking the entrance. Joey quickly retreated, and archers with crossbows lined up at the second barricade, which was set up right in front of the alley’s exit.

“Imperial 7th Knight Order! Azot Royal Knights! All prepare for battle!”

“They’re coming!”

Ki-r-r-r-k! Ka-ka-k! Kya-o-o-o!

The sounds of various monsters could be heard beyond the first barricade. And the ones that could jump over it were the first to show themselves. Frogmen and Giant Cats.

“Fire!”

Pi-bi-bi-bing!

The arrows from the crossbows flew, shooting down all the creatures that had jumped up hastily. And the freely fired crossbows were hitting and shooting down the creatures trying to cross the barricade one by one.

“Your Highness, what should we do next?”

“We can’t finish them with arrows. We need a place to fight, but……”

Crown Prince Lymant lowered his head and fell into thought.

I was still looking at the monsters that turned into corpses as soon as they crossed the barricade and thinking. It’s fortunate that there’s only one entrance, but this way we can only defend. We need to attack first, but……

Looking at the barricade, I soon came up with an idea.

I said to Crown Prince Lymant.

“Your Highness, we attack!”

“How?”

“We attack them from the rear! While they are focused here, we attack from behind and finish them off!”

“How? Are you saying we should swim back through the sea? There’s no way, is there?”

“No! There is! Hey!”

The eyes of the Crown Prince and his aides widened as they turned their heads to where I was pointing. There was a warehouse building with its doors open to take out materials.

Naturally, there are back doors on both sides of the warehouse.

“That’s an idea! Alright, Azot Royal Knights! Imperial 7th Knight Order! Each group charge into the warehouse! Secure a path to the rear!”

The Crown Prince gave the order, and the two groups quickly began to move.

Levidian placed her hand on my shoulder and said.

“Well done. You have a good grasp of the terrain. Let’s go too.”

“Yes! Joey, come this way!”

I called Joey and headed towards the warehouse where the Imperial 7th Knight Order was headed. Even though the inside is packed with cargo, if we clear it out, it will make a great path. Moreover, if we clear it out well, we can use this place as a defensive base, can’t we?

Levidian, looking at the quickly forming path, said.

“Let’s take care of the shamans first. And we need to find the one controlling them. If we can just block that control, they’ll fall apart on their own.”

“Understood. I really want to see that guy’s face. What he looks like.”

I really want to see. What kind of guy is he, to cause this incident that’s not in my memory?

Surely, history isn’t flowing in a direction I don’t know, is it?

Inside the warehouse, sacks of grains like flour, rice, and barley were piled high. It took a little time to rearrange them into a barricade form and create a passage for people to pass through.

Joey’s strength shone brilliantly here as well. Instead of lifting and moving the sacks, the power to push and move dozens of stacked sacks was truly amazing.

Levidian and I stood at the entrance of the warehouse, waiting for the preparations behind us to be completed. I felt a bit uneasy just standing around while others were working, but neither she nor I had the physique suited for hard labor.

When things were roughly organized, the 7th Knight Commander, Ronen Trigger, approached me. He spoke to me with a serious expression.

“Sir Herduke, I have something to discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

“I would like you to provide rear support.”

“Why should I just stand back and watch?”

Ronen Trigger made a troubled expression for a moment, then nodded and said.

“You are our Knight Order’s escort target. Of course, the knights acknowledge your skills. It’s rare to find someone your age with the talent to defeat 18 knights. The skills of your teacher, Ms. Ibi, are also the same. However, what’s happening now is war.”

“So?”

“If the escort target gets involved in the war and something happens, it will be a serious problem. Above all, you, who are still sixteen, don’t need to earn any merits. Focusing on rear support would be sufficient.”

Suddenly, I felt like smoking a cigarette.

I only started smoking when I was twenty-one and it became a habit, but I’m refraining from it now because it doesn’t suit this body. But right now, I want to light one up and puff out smoke while talking.

That way, I can at least change my mood.

“Ronen Trigger……are you the Chief?”

“First Sword.”

I held up three fingers in front of his eyes and spoke in a condescending tone.

“First Sword, there are three mistakes in your current statement.”

“What are they?”

“One. I haven’t been granted the title of ‘Lord’. I’m the second son. Just call me by my name, or if you’re unwilling, call me ‘Sir’. Two. I’m not seeking out achievements. I have my own reasons. I’ll take care of myself. I promise to retreat if it’s dangerous. And three.”

Just then, all preparations were finished.

The knights and Joey came to the front of the door and began their final checks.

I smiled wryly and said,

“Do you think I don’t know war?”

“What do you mean……”

“Joey, open the door.”

“Yes!”

“No, wait a minute……!”

Before Ronen could say anything, Joey unbolted and pushed the warehouse door. The huge door swung open, and the monsters that were moving about randomly all looked towards us at once.

I said to Ronen,

“I’m so familiar with war that I’m sick of it.”

Drawing my longsword and dagger simultaneously, I charged into the dozens of monsters. And immediately following, the Empire’s 7th Knight Order rushed towards the monsters with a loud roar.

Cut.

Stab.

Strike.

Slash.

“Cha-at!”

If there’s anything I’m doing right now for the opponent, it’s just that. There was no praise or thanks, no feel-good world-making.

Slice! Thud!

I slashed the Giant Cat’s waist with my long sword and deeply stabbed the Frogman’s head with my dagger. They convulsed and died without even screaming, and Beast Dogs and Bearmen filled their empty spots.

Woof woof!

Ku-o-o-o-r-!

Beast Dogs are no problem, but Bearmen are a bit much.

The Bearman, which makes a good contrast with Joey, roared thickly and tried to strike me down with its clawed forepaws.

Whee-ing!

I narrowly avoided it by taking half a step back.

It’s quite fast, but still slower than when Levidian was deliberately hitting me. Moreover, the interval is much shorter.

Kuu-ung!

The Beast Dog barked shortly and rushed at me, but I solved everything by drawing Iperfect once from bottom to top. The monster, with its lower jaw split from its chest, collapsed without a whimper.

Ku-o-o-r!

At the sound of the Bearman that followed immediately, I bent my knees and pulled my head in tight. As expected, its forepaws, which would have ripped me apart if they had hit me, passed over my head.

Whooosh!

A terrifying wind blew, and I jumped to the side, cutting down a Frogman and taking its place. And I brushed off my sword once, looking at the white spot on the Bearman’s crown.

It’s a famous weakness of the Bearman, whose entire body is covered in black fur and whose appearance is closer to a bear than a human. That’s why they don’t usually crawl on all fours like a bear.

They need to put their weakness in a higher place.

Other vital points are the same as a normal bear, but the sword doesn’t pierce easily due to the hard muscles. Moreover, their vitality is so tough that they can survive for 30 seconds even if you stab their heart. So the only way is to stab that spot on top of their head.

“Now, what should I do?”

I smirked and looked at the slowly approaching Bearman.

At that moment, two Wild Wolves rushed in from either side of the Bearman.

Kua-a-a-ang!

Looking at the creatures rushing in with low jumps, I held my long sword in front of my eyes. I took the basic stance of my family’s swordsmanship and muttered lowly.

The ‘Sword’s Incantation’ of the Herduke family, which calms my heart.

“My sword. It dances, playing with space.”

It’s just meaningless words, but it calms my heart.

They’re charging.

I put all my strength into my right hand and arm holding the long sword and throw my body forward. Towards the two ferocious monsters drooling between their white, gleaming teeth, I thrust my sword forward, along with my body.

“Ha-at!”

I swing in a large circle from the upper right to the upper left. The necks of the two Wild Wolves that rushed at me are severed at once.

Ka-r-r-r-k! Kya-r-r-k!

The lipless second mouths on the bellies of the Wild Wolves make strange noises.

Blood gushes from their necks like a fountain, but their bodies are still alive.

“Haa……!”

I twist my body and legs so hard that the ligament in my right knee feels like it’s going to tear. And I match my left leg to that movement. My body spins, and I pull my lagging arm as it is and cross it.

Chwa-jak! Chak!

The interval between the sounds is very short.

But that’s enough to take the second lives of the two Wild Wolves.

Ku-o-o-o-r!

Just then, the Bearman cast a shadow in front of me. It roared, raising both arms, and swung them down at me.

Whack! Ku-ung!

I barely dodge the blow by bending my waist back and tumbling. When its two forepaws slammed into the ground, it felt like an earthquake was about to happen.

This is my chance!

“You stupid bear!”

I accurately stabbed the white spot on the crown of the creature that had bent its waist to strike with its forepaws with the dagger in my left hand.

Ku-deu-deuk?!

The murderous instrument digs into the gap between the bones, playing a strange tune.

The Bearman trembled and then collapsed, motionless, as I pulled out the dagger.

“Hoo……”

With this, the surrounding 10 meters are cleared.

Up ahead, the Azot Royal Knights and the Imperial 7th Knight Order were pushing back the monsters, working together in formation. And through the space between the two warehouse buildings, the sailors of the Blue Dragon’s Horn were running over, having finished off the remaining monsters.

“Risel, are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. Heave-ho!”

I pulled the dagger from the Bearman’s crown and wiped it on its fur. The bits of brain matter that had stuck to it were cleanly wiped away. Levidian wiped her sword on the fur of a nearby Wild Wolf and looked at me.

She looked at me with a strange glint in her eyes, the same glint she had when we first crossed swords. She said.

“Risel, you really seem to be accustomed to war. You seem more comfortable fighting multiple opponents.”

“I’m just used to swinging my sword recklessly.”

“No. That’s not it either. You look like an experienced warrior……a soldier. Like what you said to Commander Ronen just before the battle. Do you have such experience?”

“Well, what do you think?”

I shrugged. She had a dissatisfied expression, but didn’t press further. Not pushing too hard on serious matters is also one of her strengths.

She sighed lightly and said.

“If you don’t want to talk, I won’t ask. But now I understand. During our first spar, you really couldn’t keep up with the techniques with your body. Thinking about it now, it was a brilliant trick.”

She gave a wry smile.

Although unintentional, I did deceive her, just as she said. No, maybe it was intentional. Because I did it on purpose to lure her into my range.

I asked cautiously.

“Are you disappointed by any chance?”

“No. I’m even more intrigued.”

She shook her head and smiled brightly. She said.

“It would be quite interesting to teach a student with so many secrets. And being interesting is quite important. You must have a lot more hidden, right?”

“Uh, you could say that.”

“Good. I’ll see how much longer you can deceive me. You seem to be a more and more interesting person the more I get to know you. Maybe you, Risel, could actually beat me. I look forward to it.”

“Yes……? Thank you. I wonder if that’s the right thing to say……?”

I could only answer awkwardly. I have a feeling that the reason she’s teaching me isn’t because I beat her once, but for some other reason.

Hmm. Well, it’s quite interesting that we both have things we’re hiding.

And as she said, being interesting is quite important.

“Hyung-nim, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Joey, how about you?”

“I got a few scratches, but I’m fine.”

Joey’s exposed arms had a few claw marks that looked like they were from a Giant Cat or a Beast Dog. However, the bleeding had already stopped, so they didn’t look like serious injuries.

“Still, make sure to disinfect those wounds later. By the way, the guys controlling these creatures……”

I stopped mid-sentence.

The fallen corpses all twitched and started to move.

Joey flinched back in horror.

“W, What’s this?”

Twitch. Twitch.

The monster corpses convulsed as if their hearts were beating, and then they started to move. It wasn’t just one or two, but all the surrounding corpses, numbering over a hundred, were moving at once.

Levidian bit her lip and shouted.

“Resurrection of the Dead?”

“Shamans! Damn it! Everyone be careful! The corpses are rising!”

I shouted loudly and raised my sword in a defensive stance. Levidian raised her sword and shouted to Joey.

“Joey, look over there. At the clustered monsters. Are there any that are different? Ones holding staffs or something.”

“Huh? I don’t know! I can’t see well because of the Bearmen……Uh-huh?!”

Levidian bit her lip and climbed onto Joey’s shoulders in an instant. Having secured a high vantage point, she surveyed the area where the formed ranks were holding their ground.

A frustrated word slipped from her lips.

“50 meters……intersection……seven of them. What kind of place is this? Six different types all using the same spell at once.”

“What?”

This time, I couldn’t help but be horrified. It was shocking enough that monsters with a cat-and-mouse relationship were attacking together, but now they’re using spells together.

I immediately cut off the legs of the Wild Wolf corpse that was rising right in front of me. However, its torso was still twitching.

“Joey, listen to me and do as I say.”

Levidian, who had come down from Joey’s shoulders, pulled his ear and whispered something to him. And Joey, with a bewildered expression, asked her.

“A, Are you really going to do that?”

“It’s possible. You just need to swing straight.”

“There’s no way that’s possible……”

“Do you want to do it or not? Just tell me that.”

“Ah, I’ll do it. We don’t have time.”

The monsters had almost all risen and were ready to attack. Those who were fighting in formation were slowing down their swords, worried about the attack coming from behind, and the people from the Blue Dragon Unit were diligently tearing apart the rising corpses, but time was running out.

I was also trying to prevent it by cutting off the limbs of the surrounding monsters, but they were still twitching.

How do you kill something that’s already dead twice?!

Meanwhile, Joey was standing in a posture as if he was about to strike down with his spear drawn back, and Levidian was standing with her sword drawn, one foot on the spearhead and the other on the shaft.

She looked at me and smiled brightly, saying.

“Risel, come as quickly as possible. If you’re late, even I might be in danger.”

“Huh?”

“Joey!”

“Ah, what the heck, I don’t know!”

Joey hesitated for a moment, then closed his eyes and put all his strength into his hands gripping the spear. And then he swung the spear as if to strike down in front of him.

Oh my god! Is he going to throw a person by putting them on a spear shaft?!

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