Becoming a Hunter in a Dark Fantasy - Chapter 114
Only Noblemtl
Episode 114 Gnaud vs Gnaud
“I trusted you, but you betrayed me right away. What a shame, Hake.”
“… … Chief.”
The mountain old man turned his gaze away from Hake, who was quickly getting on guard.
“And it’s been a while, Zerap. My brother.”
“you……!!”
Zerap’s voice gradually became like a beast’s growl. His eyes, filled with murderous intent, became sharp.
The old man in the mountains spoke with a faint smile on his lips, not knowing whether he knew it or not.
“You’re alive. That’s surprising. Shouldn’t you have told me the news?”
“-Gerard!!!”
As Zeraph began to attack with a roar of anger, the mountain man… …Gerard Gnaud smiled.
“Oh, dear. You’re calling me by a name I’ve long since abandoned.”
Kwakwakwakwa-!
A threatening tree trunk that rises from deep within the ground and attacks fiercely.
Thickness, speed, and strength have all become incomparably stronger than before.
Plus, there are sharp, threatening thorns that cover the surface of the tree trunk and secrete venom.
“You’ve gotten stronger, brother.”
The old man in the mountains quietly exclaimed in admiration. What on earth happened that made the once weak brother so strong?
At that, Zerap shouted in frustration.
“Don’t you dare call me brother! My brother died long ago. You, a monster, have no right to call me that!!”
“A monster… … .”
The old man in the mountains tilted his head blankly, as if he didn’t understand what he had just heard.
“Why do you call me a monster? I have no idea.”
Then, as if he had guessed something, he turned his lifeless eyes.
“Oh, right. Is it because I deceived you? I’m sorry about that. I didn’t want to deceive you, my brother, and push you to the path of death. I’m serious.”
“Then why… …!!”
“Of course. It was sad, but it was something I had to do. You, who came to visit me at that moment, were the perfect person for the job.”
The old man in the mountains spoke without any tone in his voice.
“If you hadn’t said that, you would still be obsessed with useless things. Like, how about saving that woman whose sacrificial predation has reached the end?”
“Gerard, you little brat… … !!”
“But your hard work and sacrifice have been of great help to our glorious cause and the bright future of our clan.”
“Stop talking nonsense! I didn’t sacrifice myself for my fucking clan!”
The reason Zeraph Gnaud committed the greatest madness of all time, freeing an ancient monster from its seal, was not simply for the sake of his clan.
-I’m fine, Master. Thanks to you being by my side, I was truly happy to have spent my days with you. So… …Please live happily, Master.
It was only for love.
Although others might point fingers, he was truly willing to give up everything and take risks for just one person.
“Hmm? What does that mean? Willing to sacrifice one’s life for one’s clan… … isn’t that the natural course of action for a member of the same clan?”
The old man in the mountains looked genuinely puzzled.
“Although you, Zerap, were foolish and could not understand the noble purpose of the clan, you left the clan at a young age and went astray… … Still, the blood flowing through your veins is Gnaud’s. Dying for the clan would be the greatest honor that could be bestowed upon you.”
“Hahaha! Seriously, shit.”
Zeraph muttered a curse, realizing that it was no longer worth talking to. His old family was crazy, but they were crazy as hell.
“Die, Gerard. Let’s see who will end up dead today, you or me.”
“Oh, my dear brother and I risking our lives. How sad. But if this is also a trial I must endure for the sake of a greater cause… … I must endure it.”
No further words were needed.
Doo doo doo doo doo!
At the feet of Brother Gnaud, separate tree trunks rose up. The Zerap trunk, covered with sharp thorns and venom, and the Old Man of the Mountain trunk, much thicker and as hard as a rock.
The trunks of the trees clashed violently against each other, trying to eat each other’s food.
Kkwadduk!
With just a slight collision, the ground split open like a net. A large hole was created around the two people.
Roots clashed with roots, and people clashed with people.
“Put the pressure down!”
Zerap stretched out both hands, exhaling cold air from his mouth. Two magic circles appeared before him.
From one magic circle, a flesh-piercing ice arrow emerged, and from the other, a giant ice scythe emerged.
Zerap grabbed the scythe and swung it sharply.
Kaaaaang!
At the same time, the pitch-black scythe collided with the ice scythe. The shockwave spread and a strong wind blew.
Surprisingly, the two scythes look almost identical, with only differences in color and material.
Crackle! Crackle!
The scythe clashed fiercely with the sickle, creating a sharp metallic sound.
Unlike the pitch-black scythe, which was clearly made of solid iron, the ice scythe showed considerable strength despite being made of ice.
‘If it were like the old days, it would have broken in an instant!’
It was evidence that Zerap’s magic had become even stronger.
“You’re quite powerful as a wizard, little brother.”
“Thanks to you, my brother, you’re doing great!”
Chaang─!
Zerap, with bulging tendons on his arms, managed to push away the Old Man of the Mountain’s scythe.
Pavababak!
Thanks to the ice arrows enchanted by Zerap targeting the place where the mountain elder was, he was able to find an opening.
“There’s something I’ve come to a painful realization since I was young.”
“Oh? What is that?”
“Even if you are a magician who specializes in long-range combat, you need to have at least one secret weapon to prepare for close-range combat.”
Zerap, who had always lost to his brother who pushed him physically when he was young, could not forget the painful memory of that time.
That is why, although he was a magician, he did not neglect physical training.
‘My weapon handling skills may not be as good as Gerard’s, but I can make up for it with magic.’
Although Zerap had become incomparably stronger than before by absorbing the power of the Manticore, the Old Man of the Mountain was a formidable opponent.
The blade of the mountain old man’s sickle stuck stickily to my ice scythe. His obsession seemed to be conveyed, and it sent shivers down my spine.
‘But… … it’s worth a try!’
Zerap, whose eyes were strangely swung, approached the mountain old man while swinging his ice scythe sharply. The mountain old man tried to respond leisurely, but
“… … !!”
Suddenly, I felt a creepy sensation on my spine and quickly stepped back.
“Oh, what a shame.”
Zerap clicked his tongue briefly. The ice scythe, bubbling venom dripping from its tip.
The poison that reached the ground corroded the soil. The old man in the mountains laughed bitterly as he looked at the pitch-black contaminated soil.
“Really. You’ve gotten a lot stronger, little brother.”
Since leaving his clan, Zerap has devoted all his energy to researching ways to restore Prieh to its original state.
I didn’t forget to practice magic or physical training from time to time, but…
In contrast, the mountain elder devoted his life to training and becoming stronger, even to the point of cutting and trimming his bones and flesh.
“Khuhuhuk!!”
For a moment, the old man in the mountains did not move at all, as his body vision could not keep up with his speed that was beyond recognition.
But it was obvious what he did.
“Ugh… …!!”
Before he knew it, the tree trunk of the mountain old man who had crushed Zerap’s tree trunk was engulfing Zerap’s entire body.
The old man in the mountains opened his mouth in a soft voice.
“But you are still lacking and foolish. Do you believe that even if you suddenly become strong by some means, the time you were lazy in the past will be filled?”
A huge pitch-black scythe was placed around Zerap’s neck. If the mountain elder had just put a little more strength into his hands, Zerap’s head would have been blown off.
Shhhh!
At that moment, a dark energy flew towards the old man in the mountains from somewhere.
It wasn’t just one. From all directions, east, west, north, south, and all at the same time!
The ambushes were fired at incredible speed, blocking the escape route.
“this.”
The old man in the mountains knew the master who had performed that amazing feat. He had just met him face to face.
“Is it annihilation?”
The old man in the mountains just rolled his eyes and looked a little way off.
There were his men lying around, probably subdued by Hake or dead.
Chaeng, chaeng chaeng!
The corners of the mouth of the mountain old man, who had been hastily cutting down the tree trunks and the dark spirits with the sickle that had been strangling Zerap, twisted coldly.
Meanwhile, Zerap was free and gained some distance, causing a tree trunk to sprout from just below the ground where the mountain old man was standing.
“Ugh!”
The posture of the mountain old man who jumped into the air to avoid this collapsed.
Sling-
Taking advantage of that moment, Hake approached the mountain man from behind and aimed his knife at him.
“Chief, please die.”
The blade touched the nape of his neck and pierced the mountain old man’s skin.
Ss …
‘hmm?’
When the carotid artery was cut, strangely, no blood gushed out or flowed out. Haake was puzzled.
But it wasn’t as if the blow had not hit him, and the old man in the mountain, holding the back of his neck, staggered back.
“… … Phew, I didn’t know I’d end up in such a dead end.”
“Surrender now, Gerard. You are no match for us. And besides… … .”
Zerap spoke coldly and approached the mountain man who was on one knee.
“Aren’t you reaching your limit too!”
“… … .”
“I know! When our clan is in a state suitable for ‘sacrificial feasting,’ our whole body becomes completely dry and hard. And our hair turns white.”
Then, Zerap grabbed the mountain man by the hair and pulled him.
What looked like white hair like snow had a light green tint to it when looked at closely, and beneath the dark black clothing, the trained body was extremely skinny.
It was evidence that the sacrificial predation had almost reached its end.
“Gerard! Are you willing to sacrifice yourself as a sacrifice?!”
“… … Yes. I was thinking of doing so if necessary. The strongest Gnaud is the most suitable sacrifice.”
And later, the mind was reformed by the Black Moon, and the White Moon was to be entrusted with the task of making all medical choices for Depicio.
It was a perfect plan, but… … .
‘How did it end up like this?’
The old man in the mountains had no idea where and what had gone wrong.
“Gerard, you crazy bastard… …!! Do you really think that sacrificing the present for the distant future is the right way?!”
Zerap tried to shoot, his face distorted.
“… … !!?”
“omg!!”
“what?!”
But at that moment! Something eerie passed through the three of them.
That was the omen.
KWAAAAAAHHHHHHH──!!!
The stone pagoda exploded spectacularly, and a wave of wild magic spread out.
All three turned their heads in shock.
“… … What, what is this?”
“What an incredibly evil aura… …!! Even worse than that manticore!!”
From the basement of the stone pagoda… … a terribly ominous and evil ‘something’ was felt.
It was a feeling of extreme danger, making the hairs on my body stand on end.
“……game?”
Hake muttered absentmindedly. The fiercely swirling magical power brought Hake to mind the ashen-haired man.
Although his usual behavior was a bit shabby, he was naturally kind and affectionate to people.
Even to Hake, with whom I hadn’t been with for a few days, he was the one who quietly shared the empty space in his heart.
-Hake. Why are you so scared? You said we’re on the same side now, huh? … … Oh, you’re not going to betray me again this time, are you? Is it your dream to become the icon of betrayal?
-No way!!!?
When he joined after pretending to be dead, Haque was inwardly intimidated, but Gale’s attitude, which was no different from that in the labyrinth, gave him a little comfort.
But why did I suddenly think of him on the airship?
“……no way?”
At that moment, the old man in the mountains, who was blankly staring at the place where the magic power was surging, muttered.
He had a strong intuition that something, something was wrong.
“Oh, no. No!! That can’t be happening!!”
There must have been a hitch in the resurrection of King Suin. The old man in the mountains ran madly toward the stone pagoda.