Chapter 17 – To Higher Places (4)

Around the portal lit by purple lights, there were already 30 Awakened members.

The intensity of the vibrations coming from the portal’s markers was 13! Thus it was a level 13 portal.

Most of them were warrior class, holding swords and spears, axes and spears, and a few were healers holding one hand staffs and shields.

They should be people who were hunting from the level 12th dungeon, probably level 45-60 Awakened.

Instead of running in, I decided to observe the situation.

I had information, but I needed to be careful as this was my first real combat.

It was then.

-Lewd laughing.-

A sharp female’s laughter rang, nearly giving me goose bumps.

Thankfully I didn’t arrive late.

The source of the laughter was a ‘succubus’.

From what I found out, a succubus is a doll-like monster that looks like a female with two small horns on their head, wings on her back, and a tail.

As the laughter ended, succubi started to pour out from the portal.

The Awakened around the portal gripped onto their weapons tightly and prepared to fight.

“Let’s not mess with the corpses!!”

-Generic combat yell from expendable background character.-

“Let’s do well.”

Several Awakened surrounded the portal entrance, swinging their weapons toward the stream of succubi pouring out.

-Slicing/chopping.-

Did they become aware of me? From time to time, I felt as if I was being watched.

Easily, the succubi were spilling red blood and being ripped apart.

As they fell one by one, without even being able to move past 5m they all started to fall apart.

There was no surprise, since these are veteran hunters who ran the level 12 dungeons as if eating rice.

With many years of combat experience, they should be able to perform such prowess.

However not everyone was a veteran.

A few hunters came without any experience, following the promise of money.

I could tell just by looking at them that a few of them were useless like that.

-Somewhat generic footsteps.-

In a single moment, the Awakened moved forward.

But then.

-Generic stepping.-

A few idiotic-looking people stepped on the succubi’s corpses.

As soon as the noise was made, the hunters in the front turned around and glared at them.

And then…

“Who was the nincompoop who stepped on the succubus!”

“Ah shit. We’re doomed!”

“Why would you come here without even knowing about succubi!”

Everyone looked at the succubus’ corpse, freaking out as if they’ve messed with something of great importance.

Following their gazes, I also looked at the succubus’ corpse.

It was at that moment.

From the rag-like collapsed bodies of the succubi, a red light began to spin around it.

The light shot out towards those who’ve stepped on the corpse.

-Stabbing.-

-Generic character screaming in pain and regretting being born as an extra.-

Witnessing this, the fashion terrorist yelled.

“Turned into a shit show! Everyone wake the fuck up!”

Others who heard the screams used skills and struck with their weapons at the red light embedded in the backs of the fallen.

According to the strategic information for level 13th dungeons, one could block the charging lights but ordinary strength could not cut or slice through them.

The lights embedded connected to the bodies of the other fallen succubi like a hose, and the bodies of the Awakened that fell from the attack began to deteriorate.

It seemed that blood was being sucked from the Awakened to recover.

-More generic panicking sounds.-

The nearby healers used recovery magic to no avail.

It was like putting water on poison.

Unlike the fallen Awakened who continuously shrank, the fallen succubi rose up, looking bigger than before.

Only one or two corpses were stepped on, yet all fallen succubi were affected.

“Retards! Thanks to the newbies, we’re all going to die! It’s a ‘revival succubus’! Prepare yourselves!”

Taking account of the succubi’s speed, escape was impossible. We could only fight them.

Those who lost their lives and came back are twice as strong.

It was a phenomenon that occurred when the fallen were subjected to any physical force.

I was able to witness the succubus’ ‘bloodsucking revival’ that I learned only in text.

In the strategies for clearing level 13th dungeons, not touching the corpses of the succubi was a crucial rule.

While it rendered one immobile in the midst of aggro’ed mobs, it was much better being sitting ducks than meeting a revival succubus.

What I got to witness personally wasn’t just the bloodsucking resurrection.

-Another generic scream of pain.-

“Pl-please, let me live…!”

People were pathetically dying in front of me.

Not monsters, but people like me were dying.

I’ve committed genocide against countless monsters, but it was my first time seeing people dying.

-Puking.-

Looking at the situation, I threw up without realizing.

I could only look at the cruel scene hopelessly.

Behind were revived succubi, while from the front came a stream of succubi from the portal.

With a single mistake, this place became a living hell.

The revived spun quickly, shredding apart the Awakened with their tails and wings.

-Ripping and slicing.-

Thanks to the mistake of the Awakened who simply followed the promise of money, the entire group was being slaughtered.

Within minutes, the situation had reversed.

Everyone struggled against them.

Not for money, but for their lives.

Since the situation escalated like this, the dispatched members from the association only waited.

The man who came with me swore, stabbing at the succubi.

His shout woke me up from the daze of having to look at human corpses.

It was a shout directly aimed at me.

“You pieces of shit! Die! Die! Kid! Don’t just watch and run out of here!”

Recovering from my momentary hesitation, I put on my skull ring from my pocket and ran crazily towards the portal.

‘Frozen Shield!’

While running, I cast Frozen Shield.

I ran towards the Awakened who were pinned due to the attacks of the revived succubi.

Then I grabbed an owner-less sword and halberd from the corpses, equipping one on each hand and blocking the portal entrance.

If I used ‘Eye of the Storm’, the Awakened with low magic resist could be pulled in, so I only cast ‘Piercing Sword’. Well, even if people weren’t around me, these succubi wouldn’t be affected by a magic skill anyways.

Suddenly, a ridiculous amount of swords and halberds dispersed in a stream.

It was an amount that could block out the portal perfectly.

-Flying weapon sound.-

“Don’t worry about the portal and cover the rear!”

“You’re crazy! I told you to run, but did you come here to die? Run kid!”

“…..”

Maybe he sensed something from my eyes as I looked at him silently, since he stopped talking and pointed his sword at the rear.

Looking at us with the thoughts of ‘I must survive’, other Awakened pointed their swords and spears towards the enemies at the rear.

The survivor count was only 12! I was holding my ground casting Piercing Sword continuously, so there was no chance another could make the mistake of stepping on a corpse.

Despite our differences, they were people like me.

Most would have a family and something they want to take responsibility for or protect.

I had no thoughts of being a man of justice.

But at least for today…

“I’ll rip you to shreds and kill you!”