The Terminally Ill Young Master is the Mad Dog of the Underworld-Chapter 124

[Translator - Pot]

[Proofreader - Kawaii]

Chapter 124: Fear Approaches

“Ah, that’s a relief.”

After effortlessly wiping out the disgusting monster without a single drop of blood staining my clothes, I calmly infiltrated the cave.

“It feels kind of… anticlimactic.”

“A few slashes from a distance, and it’s over. No need to get up close and personal with those disgusting creatures, right?”

Leaving a bewildered Venion behind, I used the Scarlet Cloud Ghost Path technique to scale the high cliff.

“Swoosh!”

Disgusting multi-legged sea bugs flew at me, but I calmly sliced them apart.

“Ugh, gross. I almost closed my eyes.”

But I couldn’t do that, Allenvert. Closing your eyes is a swordsman’s shame.

“You say they’re gross, but you’re still doing everything you need to.”

Venion, who had climbed the cliff as if he were taking a stroll in the mountains, commented. It was an absurd level of agility, even by his standards. A mountain goat couldn’t climb a cliff that easily.

“They’re gross, so I need to get rid of them quickly.”

I replied curtly, then spread my senses to survey the interior of the cave.

“…I sense faint traces of life.”

My expression hardened as I cautiously ventured deeper into the cave. It was so vast and tall that it felt less like a cave and more like passing through a massive gate.

The light grew dimmer, and a horrific stench mixed with the smell of seawater assaulted my nose. After passing through the long cave…

“Oh-ho.”

There, piled up like a mountain, were the glittering treasures, the remains of rotting corpses, and the things the sea serpent had swallowed.

“This bastard kept humans stored here, pulling them out to eat whenever he got hungry.”

I immediately understood what had been happening here upon seeing the gruesome scene.

“He swallowed them, then spat them back out.”

“Yes. Like a cow regurgitating its cud.”

Whether they were humans or fish, their bodies were half-dissolved by stomach acid. The final state of the corpses, with their muscles and bones exposed and their eyes wide open, was horrifying.

“Your Highness, over there.”

In a corner of the cave, I saw a middle-aged man whose body was partially melted, yet he was still shielding a child.

His tanned muscles, hardened by labor, hinted that he had once been a strong and proud fisherman, but now he was nothing more than a corpse on the brink of death.

‘No way.’

I recalled the words of the old man who had begged me to save his nephew and grandson.

“…Is… is the child alive?”

The man, his consciousness fading, blinked weakly as he looked at me.

“Ah, uh…”

His incoherent response made me clench my teeth. Even in such a state, he had done everything he could to protect the child.

Thanks to his efforts, the child, though exhausted and barely conscious, showed no signs of injury.

“Damn it.”

In that child, I saw Karzan’s childhood, and in the man, I saw Moritz and his brother from yesterday.

“…I promise.”

I looked into the man’s dilated pupils and spoke.

“I’ll make sure your son survives. Your death won’t be in vain.”

Did he hear me? A faint light flickered in his pupils before fading away completely.

The father who had ultimately saved his son from the jaws of the monster has now died. It was an exceedingly feeble and quiet death.

"......"

How could one not feel emotions boiling over at such a tragic sight?

"I’ll kill this bastard."

I felt a strong surge of murderous intent.

Just as it is repulsive for a human to kill another human, it is equally devastating to see people dying at the hands of a calamity like a monster.

I carefully pulled the child from the dead father’s embrace and held him.

"......It would be a disgrace if I couldn’t save this child."

I glanced at Venion.

His expression remained eerily calm even in the face of such a tragedy, making it impossible for me to guess what he was thinking.

"Your Highness. What will you do now?"

Venion asked.

"It seems there are still some survivors clinging to life."

"Really?"

"Yes. But the situation isn’t favorable for taking all of them with us."

Once again, I found myself at a crossroads.

In the journey of life, it’s impossible to always encounter clear-cut choices between right and wrong. Sometimes, what seems like the best choice leads to the worst outcome, and what appears selfish or cruel might turn out to be the lesser evil.

‘But the idea of the ‘best choice’ is often just an illusion.’

I know this. That’s why, to make a good decision, one must first determine what can be sacrificed.

‘And also what must never be sacrificed.’

I won’t let these people die. If I make that my guiding principle, the decision becomes much easier.

"Even now, it would be right to call for reinforcements, evacuate them, and then proceed with the extermination."

"Would it?"

Venion pressed.

"Time is running short, it seems."

From afar, the terrifying roar of a monster echoed.

Nepherus.

"It seems Nepherus noticed what’s happening here. It’ll arrive soon."

"That seems to be the case."

I nodded and said.

"First, I’ll deal with that bastard and then handle the situation."

"Will you fight here? Engaging in battle inside a cave doesn’t seem like a wise decision."

"I’m aware."

The risk of the surviving casualties getting caught up and killed was high.

"We’ll need to change the battlefield."

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"Have you thought of a way to lure it elsewhere?"

I felt irritated by the way his question seemed to assess and judge me.

"Damn it."

I glanced at Venion, somewhat annoyed.

"I’ll handle it, so stop prying. You’ve been persistent since earlier."

Venion seemed about to respond but shrugged and stepped back.

"Very well."

Had I been a bit too emotional?

But it didn’t matter. If living like an emotionless doll, suppressing even this frustration, is what it means to be truly wise, then I have no intention of becoming that kind of smartass.

‘The characteristics of Nepherus, as compiled from testimonies, are as follows.’

First, it is highly aggressive, reacts to shiny objects, and has a short temper.

Second, it dislikes soil but has no issue with rocky terrain.

Based on this, I formulated a plan.

"There’s a suitable rocky island not far from here. We’ll lure it there and fight."

I pointed to a rocky island floating in the middle of the sea.

"Hmm, it seems like a suitable battlefield, but how do you plan to get there?"

"If there’s a place to step, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?"

"I don’t see any such place."

"I’ll create one now."

I handed the child to Venion.

"Take care of this child."

"Don’t worry."

Venion took the child without hesitation.

"Thank you."

Though I had been a bit irritable earlier, I wasn’t so foolish as to not distinguish between work and personal matters.

"Don’t mention it."

I looked down the cliff and then jumped off.

Thud, thud, thud!

I ran down the cliff as if descending a steep slope and then leaped toward the sandy beach.

Crash!

Even though I protected my legs with mana, my knees ached. But there was no time to hesitate. Even now, Nepherus’s roar was drawing closer.

I gathered the shattered shells of barnacles and turtles left by my slashes.

Swish!

Like skipping stones, I repeatedly threw them onto the sea.

The projectiles landed precisely where I intended. I’m quite skilled at throwing techniques.

"Good."

While the barnacle shell fragments sank due to their weight, the turtle shells floated surprisingly well, creating a scene reminiscent of the wreckage of a shattered ship drifting on the water.

"Ah, are you planning to use those as stepping stones?"

Venion, who had lightly descended the cliff, asked. The child was now sleeping more peacefully than before.

"That’s right."

Though my current level of footwork technique was far from allowing me to run on water or grass, I could still lighten my body and use floating objects as stepping stones to move across.

"Quite resourceful. To come up with such a method in an instant."

"If you’re not going to help, you can save those compliments for your own private musings."

"Well, if you say so, I suppose I can lend a hand."

With Venion’s assistance, a path of stepping stones leading to the distant rocky island was quickly formed.

"Venion."

I looked at him and said.

"Then I have one request."

"What is it?"

"I don’t mind if you don’t help me, but if the survivors are in danger, I hope you’ll step in then."

"Hmm."

Venion looked at me with a somewhat serious expression.

"That is the duty of a human being. However, if it results in receiving an unfavorable score on the 'test' what will you do?"

Without flinching at his question, I held up two fingers.

"First. Just as the test is judged by your standards, I will act according to my own. And second. If I defeat that monster in this fight, the score will undoubtedly be a perfect one, if not higher. A minor deduction here and there wouldn’t matter much."

"Is that so?"

Venion smiled, seemingly pleased.

"Then I shall follow Your Highness's will. I won’t let it lay a finger on the survivors."

If Venion stepped in now, Nepherus would undoubtedly be sliced to pieces in an instant. So even if I failed here, there was no way the survivors would come to harm.

"Good."

I grinned. It was a relief to have one less thing to worry about before the fight.

"Let’s move."

Nepherus’s massive body had already come into clear view.

* * *

I ran across the sea, using the turtle shells as stepping stones.

The water reached up to my ankles, and there were a few missteps and close calls where the distance was too far, but I managed to reach the rocky island.

"You seem to have a talent for running."

"I suppose so."

The rocky island was shaped like a basin, with high rocks surrounding a flat area. It wasn’t too steep, with plenty of places to step.

‘This should make for a decent battlefield.’

For something hastily chosen, luck seemed to be on my side.

"Your Highness, Nepherus is nearby. But it seems to be struggling to pinpoint our location."

Venion said.

"How do you plan to lure it?"

"Anything shiny should do, right?"

Then it’s simple.

I raised my sword and ignited the aura like a torch.

Whoosh!

Immediately, Nepherus, which had been tearing through the sea like mad, changed its course.

Kieeeeeee!

The giant sea serpent let out a deafening roar.

Splash, splash, splash!

The force of the massive sea serpent cutting through the water was as awe-inspiring as the approach of the kingdom’s greatest warship.

"Come at me, you fucking snake."

It wasn’t just the light that drew it.

‘A beast’s senses and instincts are sharper than a human’s.’

It must have sensed that I had slaughtered all its minions, which is why it was charging so desperately.

I had to face this enraged monster with nothing but a single sword.

Kieeeeeee!

The giant sea serpent straightened its body and glared down at me.

Zing!

The monster’s gaze, radiating killing intent and pressure, made my body shrink involuntarily.

‘Monster Fear.’

It was the power to intimidate lower-level enemies.

‘Then it’s clear.’

That thing has crossed the threshold of the 5th-tier. Just as the standard for the 4th-tier is ‘cleaving,’ ‘intimidation’ is the standard for the 5th-tier.

‘This is insane.’

I recalled memories from my past life.

"A 5th-tier giant monster? You’d need more than one or two 5th-tier humans to even think about taking that down."

A hunter with a prosthetic arm, while drinking free alcohol, had once shared that story.

"Mr. Karzan, as you know, tiers are just a standard, not an absolute measure of combat power."

"That’s true."

"If you’re up against an enemy of similar tier but a different weight class, there’s no winning. Against something like an ogre, you could surround it with a group and rain arrows and spears, but what can you do against a monster as big as a mountain?"

"It’s hard to imagine."

"That’s why multiple hunters need to work together systematically, each taking on their own role. Being too fixated on the concept of tier only shortens a hunter’s lifespan."

Back then, I had asked him this:

"What if you have to fight alone?"

"Then you die, simple as that. If you’re lucky, you end up like me, a cripple missing an arm."

Now, as I recalled that conversation shared over drinks, the lesson was clear.

‘If you’re up against a monster of the same tier, it’s difficult for a human to face it alone.’

And if that monster is as massive as this one, the odds are even worse. Especially since I’m of a lower tier than that monster.

……A tough fight awaited me.

‘I’m not a fearless berserker.’

The cold sweat on my trembling hand warned me.

‘This fight won’t be easy.’

But that doesn’t mean I’ll cower in fear or run away like a coward. This kind of fight isn’t unfamiliar to me. Karzan was often in the position of the weaker one compared to his enemies.

"Venion."

"Yes?"

"Courage doesn’t mean the absence of fear."

At my sudden remark, Venion, without showing any sign of confusion, asked.

"Then what does it mean?"

I grinned and answered.

"It means overcoming fear."

Here comes the fear.

It takes the form of a monster.

[Translator - Pot]

[Proofreader - Kawaii]