Episode 296 – Pig Hunt (2)
“They scurry off like rats.”
Zarakan frowned as he stared at the vanishing traces.
He hadn’t expected Samuel to recklessly slip through the twisted space using teleportation.
It only proved how desperate he was, so Zarakan moved without rushing.
Corpses floated on the sewer water.
Cleaners who had died trying to corner Samuel.
They thought the hunt would be over quickly if they forced him into the underground sewer, but the standoff had lasted far longer than expected.
‘There wasn’t supposed to be anyone helping him.’
A small group of allies had remained at Samuel’s side.
The Cleaners, unable to resist in the dark, were killed without a sound—the ability to conceal their presence was no joke.
Two teams had already been ambushed and killed while pursuing Samuel.
“Getting interrupted during mealtime, and with terrible intel on top of that... What a frustrating day.”
Zarakan gripped a hand axe in each hand and began to grind the blades.
Seeing the blood still on the edge of the blade, he licked his lips. The meat that came in today had been fresh and tender—the most satisfying texture he’d had in a while.
‘And that damned money grubber ruined my meal.’
Without warning, a massive barrier had been deployed, and an abrupt order had come down to capture Samuel.
Zarakan, who hated having his meals interrupted more than anything, had no choice but to comply—because the captain was currently with that money grubber.
‘I’ll let it slide for the captain’s sake, but they’ll owe me for this.’
First, he needed to capture Samuel and bring him to the captain.
Zarakan scanned the dark sewer interior.
He saw multiple branching paths through the dim view, some completely blocked by white webs.
They were magical webs laid in advance by the Cleaners—difficult to cut even with aura, and if disturbed, they would reveal one’s location.
So anyone being pursued urgently would have no choice but to avoid them.
After glancing at the blocked passages, Zarakan quickly changed direction and charged down an open one.
His movements were swift and unhindered.
He had already memorized the layout of the underground sewer.
‘No matter how hard he struggles, he’s just a rat in a trap.’
Because Samuel used space magic, capturing him required a tedious process.
They needed an isolated place and had to disrupt spatial movement by warping the surrounding space.
Although he had just escaped using teleportation, the barrier prevented him from fleeing the sewer entirely.
All they needed to do was corner him and wait for him to wear out.
“Still, the casualties are mounting.”
Zarakan frowned as he looked around.
Following the third team, the fourth had also been found dead in a corner.
The corpses of the Cleaners were increasingly fresh.
Evidence they had died just recently.
The net was tightening.
“F-Fire the capture arrow!”
“...B-Butter... Kuaagh!”
Hearing the Cleaners’ screams, Zarakan licked the blades of his axes and grinned.
‘Got him.’
They had said as long as he was alive, it was fine.
So he intended to take one of Samuel Barber’s legs as a trophy.
“I wonder how he tastes?”
Murmuring something chilling, Zarakan spread his arms wide.
Vhuung!
As his axe blades swirled with black energy and he leapt from the passage, shadowy figures hidden on the ceiling surged toward him.
Completely merged with the darkness, they didn’t emit a single trace of presence.
The dark daggers they drew even swallowed sound.
Sniff, sniff—
But Zarakan bared his teeth and grinned.
[Butcher’s Sense of Smell]
He crouched with axes in hand, rolling his eyes to track the attackers.
Watching from afar, Elton urgently shouted as he sensed Zarakan’s response.
“Fall back!”
Flash!
“...Kuugh!!”
Zarakan’s axes flashed through the air.
Splurt—
Blood splattered across Zarakan’s face.
The ghosts had twisted midair to avoid fatal wounds thanks to Elton’s warning, but they couldn’t escape the axes entirely.
‘I... I couldn’t see him.’
Arms, chest, abdomen, thighs—
Zarakan’s axes shredded the ghostly forms and inflicted deep wounds.
“Not enough.”
He licked his lips and advanced.
“You look tasty.”
His massive frame filled the ghost’s view as he closed in.
One ghost, bleeding the most, clenched his teeth and gripped his dagger.
If you wait to react, it’s already too late.
Strike first to survive.
Klang!
But the dagger was flung aside effortlessly, and a horrifying axe blade surged under his chin.
He’s going to be cleaved!
Then, in the corner of his vision, a red flame burst.
Fshshshang!
Elton charged toward Zarakan with fierce momentum.
Zarakan’s axes hastily crossed to meet Elton’s flaming dagger.
The burning blade scorched his axes red-hot, but Zarakan’s expression remained relaxed.
“Interesting ability. Might be good for cooking meat.”
Zarakan’s pupils turned black.
Elton’s body stiffened, and pain twisted his face.
A vision of his entire body being ripped apart and disintegrating overwhelmed his senses.
Instinctively, Elton kicked off the ground. Zarakan’s axe vanished into thin air.
Ssskk—
A clean slice took flesh from Elton’s shoulder.
His thigh was cut,
His side sliced like a piece of cake.
It happened in a single breath.
Zarakan’s specialty—[Precision Dismemberment].
“You won’t feel the pain right away.”
Zarakan grinned, baring his teeth.
“By the time it hits you, only bones will be left.”
A 5-star level combatant.
Zarakan was too much for Elton to handle.
As Zarakan leaned in with a wicked grin, Elton gritted his teeth and clutched his sword hilt tightly.
Boom!
The flaming sword exploded in front of Zarakan’s eyes.
In the instant his eyes flinched shut—
Whoosh—!
A sharp sound split the air.
Zarakan’s eyes snapped open and his body spun in place.
An astonishing speed for such a massive frame.
He quickly widened the distance, frowned slightly, and clutched his chest.
Blood soaked his chest.
A small hole had been pierced near his heart.
He turned his head—
There stood his target, weapon in hand, glaring at him.
Samuel Barber.
Blood dripped from the tip of his thin sword.
A silver rapier.
Zarakan curled his lips as he saw the weapon Samuel held.
“You carry around a sword fit for a lady.”
“Fatso, a hole in your heart might change your mind.”
“You think I don’t know that spatial sword of yours is a one-time trick?”
“Tut, sharp as ever.”
Samuel clicked his tongue and wiped the corner of his mouth.
Curse of Fracture.
From overusing his spatial ability, his body’s balance was rapidly breaking down.
He could no longer use his power.
He had chosen the sewer as favorable terrain, but it might become his grave instead.
‘Didn’t think they’d blanket the entire city in a barrier...’
He had fled to Aintrier after realizing Special Captain Richard of the Cleaners was after him, but never imagined even Lord Azonet would become involved.
Samuel slowly retreated, glancing at Elton and the ghosts.
“You alright?”
“Other than bleeding a bit, I’m fine.”
“A bit? That’s enough to knock someone unconscious. How long can you hold out?”
The wounds from Zarakan’s axe were bleeding nonstop.
Elton’s face had already gone pale.
Dangerous.
“Have you found a way to escape?”
Samuel shook his head grimly, and Elton let out a faint groan.
“That path he’s blocking… It’s our only way out.”
“The web?”
“I could manage if left alone.”
Elton looked at the webbed passageways.
Given time, he could burn through them with his flame sword, But Cleaners were outside, constantly shooting arrows that spawned more webs faster than he could destroy them.
“There’s always the option of killing that guy.”
“Didn’t we just try that and fail?”
“That’s the problem. No options left...”
Samuel gave a bitter smile and crouched.
When Elton looked confused, Samuel tossed a silver coin and spoke.
A symbol given to his benefactors.
“I’ve been protected enough. Go.”
“...What?”
“He’s after me. Leave me behind.”
“Don’t say something so stupid.”
“I won’t die. If they really wanted me dead, they wouldn’t have used such clumsy barriers.”
Samuel stroked his mustache.
“I’ll still be alive. So come rescue me later.”
Only then did Elton realize what the coin meant.
“Your leader is strong, isn’t he?”
At the word "leader," Elton thought of Arthur, not himself.
Why, he wasn’t sure.
“It’ll take time.”
“I’ll hold out.”
Samuel grinned and stepped in front of Zarakan.
Then—
“Go!”
Samuel and Elton’s group split in opposite directions.
As expected, Zarakan charged toward Samuel.
Elton and the others vanished down an open path, but Zarakan, having already sized up the situation, smirked at Samuel.
“You think rats can escape this place?”
“Of course.”
“I’m starving. On edge. If you weren’t Samuel, I’d have shredded you already.”
“I’m hungry too. You didn’t even let me eat. So I thought I’d skewer you and roast you.”
Samuel chuckled softly, stroked his mustache, and aimed his rapier.
Then he fixed his expression and declared—
“Come at me, you pig bastard. I’ll skewer every chunk of your fat.”
“You arrogant...!”
Zarakan’s figure vanished.
His massive form appeared before Samuel, who bit his lip and forcefully used teleportation.
He reappeared barely five meters away due to restrictions—
Zarakan dashed like lightning and seized Samuel by the neck.
“...Kuhugh!”
Samuel was slammed into a webbed passageway.
Bound in the sticky web, he couldn’t move.
Zarakan chuckled and sharpened his axe.
“Everyone who calls me a pig ends up tasting their own tongue.”
“You sure squeal like one.”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
Zarakan grabbed Samuel’s ear.
“I’ll start by tearing off both your ears.”
As the axe blade glinted before Samuel’s eyes, he tightly shut them.
A moment of silence.
When he felt no pain, he cautiously opened his eyes.
The terrifying axe blade had stopped just short of his nose.
Zarakan’s expression was one of confusion.
And then—
Vhuuuung—!
Zarakan’s entire body began to glow gold.
Looking down at his golden-glowing body, he turned and glared.
“...Who the hell are you?”
Samuel blinked, not understanding at first.
Then he saw it—
A forearm had intercepted the axe blade.
It had sunk halfway into the arm, blood dripping.
Oddly, Zarakan looked more alarmed than the person struck.
Someone behind him—
Someone had reached through the web and taken the blow in Samuel’s place.
“Ah, fuck, that hurts like hell.”
Flash!
A golden light flared. With a groan, Zarakan’s body was hurled away.
Thud—
Zarakan crashed into the floor.
Staggering to his feet, clutching his face, he groaned.
“Thick bastard. Feels nice to hit.”
“Y-You…”
The man who stepped forward, having dismantled the web—
The voice made it clear who it was.
When Samuel turned his gaze, he locked eyes with the fierce expression of—
Arthur Clayton.
Leader of the Hunt, and commander of the Allied Forces.
Arthur grinned fiercely, dispelled the golden bow, and activated Divine Hunter.
His eyes gleamed golden as he fixed them on Zarakan.
“Time for a proper offering today. So...”
Arthur’s form vanished into the air.
“Hand over your head, you pig bastard.”