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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
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Chapter 66
Zeke followed Big Fist towards where he smelled the Gaguk.
As expected of a barbarian who ran through the Giant Mountains as if it were his backyard, Big Fist swiftly moved through the trees like a wild animal.
Then, he suddenly stopped and crouched low to the ground.
Zeke also crouched next to Big Fist.
Big Fist pointed somewhere.
Zeke enhanced his vision with Dragon Eyes and looked where Big Fist was pointing.
'A cave.'
His master had said that the Gaguk hated light and preferred dark, humid places, and it just so happened to be sunrise.
It seemed the Gaguk had fled into the cave to avoid the sunlight.
Zeke asked Big Fist in a low voice,
"Have a way to catch it?"
Big Fist opened his palm and slammed his fist into it.
It meant he planned to just go in and grab it without any plan.
Zeke inwardly clicked his tongue.
'That's why you keep missing it.'
He quickly surveyed the surroundings and explained the plan to Big Fist.
However, Zeke's explanation was difficult for Big Fist to understand, as barbarians didn't have much concept of strategy.
Zeke decided to just move on his own.
"Big Fist. Go and hit the prey. Then I'll hit it from behind together."
When he spoke simply, Big Fist finally nodded with a satisfied expression.
Barbarians' bodies didn't need any strategy.
They would swarm and smash everything, ending the fight as soon as it started, so what need was there for strategy?
Big Fist slowly entered the cave in a low stance.
Blessed with a barbarian's physique, he could see clearly even in the dark cave.
He followed the Gaguk's scent deeper inside.
It was then.
Thud!
The ground beneath Big Fist's foot collapsed.
"Whoa!"
Big Fist let out a shout and jumped into the air using the elasticity of his body.
He jumped over the trap and landed on the other side.
Looking down at the collapsed ground, he saw sharp animal bones and human weapons densely embedded in the bottom.
The clever Gaguk had set a trap in preparation for intruders.
Big Fist continued deeper into the cave, following the scent.
And at some point, he reached a dead end with no further path.
Big Fist noticed the Gaguk's scent was strong at the bottom of the wall.
Looking closely, he saw something black curled up in a ball.
Big Fist took a deep breath and quickly ran towards the Gaguk.
Then, he grabbed the Gaguk with his thick arms like a log and tried to rip its head off.
Crack!
The head did come off, but something was strange.
Looking closely, Big Fist realized it wasn't the Gaguk, but a dead bear curled up in a ball.
The Gaguk had covered the dead bear's body with its own scent.
As Big Fist was startled and about to turn around, something wrapped around his ankle.
Rustle!
"Ugh!"
The Gaguk, which had been hiding underground with its scent masked, stretched out its long tail and wrapped it around Big Fist's ankle.
When Big Fist tried to jump at the Gaguk, it used its camouflage to hide itself in the darkness.
At the same time, it continued to suck Big Fist's life force through its tail.
"Ugh!"
Even a barbarian couldn't withstand having his life force continuously drained.
Conversely, the Gaguk's body grew larger as it absorbed Big Fist's life force.
Big Fist gritted his teeth, lifted the dead bear's body, and threw it at the Gaguk.
Crash!
But the Gaguk easily dodged the bear's body that Big Fist threw.
Then, it split its mouth wide open and mocked Big Fist, who was gradually losing his life force.
At some point, the Gaguk emerged from the darkness, stretched its body, and walked towards Big Fist.
"Keureureuk!"
The Gaguk was a beast that looked like a pitch-black ape.
Its arms were longer, and its claws and teeth were sharper than those of an ordinary ape.
The Gaguk approached Big Fist, extending its sharp claws.
"Keureureuk!"
With a chilling laugh, the Gaguk swung its claws at Big Fist.
Slash!
The Gaguk expected Big Fist's body to be torn apart by its sharp claws, but the result was completely different.
"Keureureuk?"
The Gaguk made a strange expression as it looked at its severed wrist.
It was then.
Whir!
A barrier unfolded around the cave.
As the Gaguk was startled and tried to flee by blending into the darkness,
"Water Sword."
Zeke's sword cut through the Gaguk's body as it tried to melt into the darkness.
"Kieeek!"
The Water Sword was a sword that could even cut through formless things.
The Gaguk was surprised and tried to escape, but it was blocked by the barrier Zeke had already set up and couldn't get out.
Seeing Zeke who suddenly appeared, the Gaguk bared its sharp teeth.
Then, as if realizing it couldn't escape, it swelled up its entire body and transformed into a giant ape.
"Graaagh!"
Zeke held up Bahamut as he looked at the enlarged Gaguk.
'Cornered, it swells up its body, just like in my past life.'
The Gaguk charged towards Zeke, shaking the ground with its heavy footsteps.
Zeke swung his sword and cut the Gaguk's leg.
"Kaaagh!"
But even though its leg was cut, it quickly reattached itself, blending with the darkness and returning to its original state.
He hadn't realized it when he was using Healing Factor, but facing an enemy that continuously regenerated was starting to annoy Zeke.
'What a nuisance.'
As Zeke and the Gaguk faced each other, looking for an opportunity,
Big Fist, who had collapsed on the ground, suddenly got up and grabbed Gaguk's waist.
"Kugh!"
Gaguk slammed its elbow into Big Fist's head.
But Big Fist held on and didn't let go.
It seemed it couldn't blend with the darkness while being held.
Zeke didn't miss this opportunity.
Wheeik!
Zeke leaped into the air and swung his sword at the Gaguk.
Dragon Slayer Style, Dragon's Sword Technique
Second Stance, First Verse
Earth Splitter
Zeke's sword drew a long horizontal line.
At the same time, a red line appeared on the Gaguk's neck.
"Gurg!"
A gurgling sound came from the Gaguk's neck, and then its head fell to the ground.
Before the Gaguk could regenerate, Zeke used Gluttony.
Rumble!
Zeke's shadow crept up and sucked in the Gaguk's head that had fallen to the ground.
At the same time, the Gaguk's body, still held by Big Fist, slowly sank into the shadow.
[You have devoured a corrupted Ancient Species completely eroded by tainted energy.]
[Your consumed stamina, mental strength, and mana are restored.]
[You have absorbed the bloodline ability of the devoured corrupted Ancient Species and gained the active skill Camouflage (A-rank).]
'Camouflage skill?'
It seemed to be the Gaguk's ability to blend with darkness.
Zeke cut off the Gaguk's arm, which was still sticking out of the shadow before being completely absorbed, with his sword.
He took one of the fingers from the severed arm and put it away, then handed the rest to Big Fist.
"Proof of the hunt."
Big Fist, holding the Gaguk's arm in his large hand, had tears in his eyes again.
He looked up at Zeke and said,
"Sob. Zeke brother. Thank you!"
Big Fist hugged Zeke.
After wiping his tears, he said to Zeke,
"Zeke brother. Come visit our village. I'll catch a delicious ogre and grill it for you."
Come to think of it, barbarians lived by hunting the monsters around them.
The toxins in the monsters' bodies had no effect on the barbarians' physiques.
Zeke, in his past life, understood the barbarians' culture and sometimes traded monster hides and food with them.
As if remembering something, Zeke asked Big Fist,
"Big Fist, which tribe are you from?"
Big Fist proudly patted his chest and said,
"Strong Rock Tribe."
Zeke was a little surprised to hear the name Rock Tribe.
This was because the Rock Tribe was the largest and fiercest of the barbarian tribes, with many powerful warriors.
'It wouldn't hurt to befriend a Rock Tribe warrior.'
Zeke warmly grasped Big Fist's hand and said, "Hunting. Awesome."
He wanted to say something cool and impressive, but the barbarian language was limited in its expressiveness.
However, it seemed to have gotten through to Big Fist, who teared up again.
As if remembering something, Zeke used his Area of Effect Buff to cast Healing on Big Fist.
Woooong!
Big Fist watched in wonder as his body was enveloped in golden light. Then, as if deciding it was time to move, he said to Zeke,
"Zeke brother. Must visit our village!"
"Okay!"
Big Fist ran out of the cave with the Gaguk's arm.
Zeke also exited the cave, but Big Fist was already out of sight.
It seemed like there was no creature in the forest that could properly deal with a barbarian.
Zeke put the Gaguk's finger he had taken earlier into his pocket for safekeeping and headed towards the campsite where Felix was.
He arrived at the campsite soon after, but Felix was nowhere to be seen.
"Where did he go?"
Just then, Felix emerged from the nearby forest.
"Sir Zeke!"
He ran towards Zeke, panting.
His hair was covered in fallen leaves, and his legs were covered in dirt.
Zeke scanned Felix with sharp eyes.
"Where were you in such a hurry?"
Felix awkwardly scratched his head and said,
"W-Well, I was in a hurry and slipped while... taking care of business..."
Zeke looked at the shape of the dirt on Felix's knees and feet and felt something was strange.
'Did he watch my fight with Big Fist?'
During the battle, he couldn't sense any presence from afar, so even if Felix had been hiding near the cave, it would have been difficult to notice him.
And if he had received special training to hide his presence, it would have been even more difficult to detect him.
Felix brushed the fallen leaves off his head and shoulders and casually asked,
"Did you catch the beast? But what about the barbarian who went with you...?"
Zeke, still suspicious of Felix, answered the question.
"I caught the beast. The barbarian took the body back to his village."
Felix's face brightened at Zeke's words.
"Oh my! You caught the beast in one day! That's amazing, Sir Zeke!"
"It's not over yet. We'll search the area as we go down the mountain, just in case there are other beasts around."
Felix admired Zeke's preparedness, even though he could have boasted about his achievement.
But Zeke only looked at him with suspicion.
***
After that, Felix had to spend a few more days searching the mountain with Zeke.
Thanks to this, they were able to achieve the feat of catching a few monsters hiding here and there.
After thoroughly searching the mountain, Zeke finally came down to the village.
The village was in a festive mood at the news that the beast and monsters had been caught.
The joyful villagers stopped Zeke, who was about to leave for Atlas immediately.
In the end, Zeke decided to stay for a day and participate in the feast.
The village headman set a table at the village hall, laden with food until the legs almost broke, and seated Zeke at the head of the table before giving a toast.
"To the knight who protected our village!"
"Cheers!"
The villagers ate and drank to their hearts' content.
Zeke also drank to match the mood, and the villagers were amazed to see that he didn't get drunk at all.
The heaviest drinkers in the village came to challenge Zeke, but they all fell one by one.
Zeke kept up with the mood for a while, then excused himself, saying he was tired, and returned to the prepared lodging.
But then someone followed him.
Zeke already knew who was following him.
"Felix."
Felix, who had been following Zeke from the village hall, flinched and revealed himself.
Zeke spoke to Felix in a sharp voice.
"Why are you following me?"
"W-Well, that is..."
Suddenly, Felix knelt before Zeke.
Zeke said to Felix,
"What are you doing?"
Felix suddenly shouted towards Zeke,
"Please accept me, Sir Zeke!"
Completely unexpected words burst out from Felix's mouth.
Zeke looked at Felix with a suspicious expression and said,
"What do you mean, accept you?"
Felix looked at Zeke with a serious expression and said,
"Please take me as your s-squire, Sir Zeke!"
"Squire?"
Felix nodded and stood up.
Then, he suddenly drew his sword.
Woooong!
A clear ringing sound came from the sword.
With a determined look, Felix began to swing his sword.
Wheeik!
Zeke was surprised to see the swordsmanship Felix displayed.
'That's... the Holy Kingdom's Paladin inherited swordsmanship?'
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
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