Regression Guidelines For the Supporting Character - Chapter 46
Clang!
My sword clashed with the monster’s machete, crossing paths violently. A sharp object whizzed through the air behind me as I engaged the monster head-on.
Kwon Taehyeok’s blade swiftly followed, aiding me by pressuring the monster.
Growl!
The monster, occupied with blocking my sword using its sole machete, was fully exposed to Kwon Taehyeok’s attacks. It growled in frustration, deflecting my blade with tremendous force.
Clang!
“Ugh…!”
After being pushed back, I gritted my teeth as I closed the distance once more. A sharp pain radiated through my sword arm, and fatigue clouded one side of my head, but there was no time to rest. An S-class monster was never an easy opponent. Unlike lower-class monsters, S-class ones had intelligence and varied combat styles, making them particularly troublesome.
In a dungeon, I could have left it to Kwon Taehyeok, but we were in the middle of a city where ordinary people lived. There was no luxury of leisurely taking down an unpredictable S-class monster.
My role was to capture the monster’s attention. I had to pin it down so Kwon Taehyeok could attack more effectively and we could kill it quickly.
‘What a life…’
Sighing, I swallowed my hot breath and continued to swing my sword.
Clang, clang, clink! As my sword and the machete clashed repeatedly, my shoulders ached and the blade trembled slightly.
My lack of strength increased the strain on the blade. Although it was an S-class sword and wouldn’t break easily, if I kept facing it head-on, I would eventually lose my grip or damage the blade.
‘I need another way.’
If only I had some skills, this would be easier. Pushing aside my usual regret in these situations, I called out to Kwon Taehyeok, “Lend me a weapon!”
“What?”
Dodging the monster’s swinging machete by rolling on the ground, I demanded confidently, “A weapon!” leaving Kwon Taehyeok looking exasperated. There was no time to waste. With a hint of irritation, I shouted again, “Hurry!” and Kwon Taehyeok reluctantly sent one of his floating swords my way.
Unlike my regular long sword with a handle and a long blade, Kwon Taehyeok’s weapon had a central handle with sharp blades protruding from both ends. I caught the sword with my left hand and swung it quickly. Swish! The blade sliced through the air, cutting across the monster’s face.
Screech! The monster screamed as a long gash stretched from its left cheek, across its brow, to its right temple.
Naturally, my left arm was less burdened compared to my right, which had been fighting all along. Although awkward since I was right-handed, my left arm moved faster.
The monster, its face streaming black blood, clutched its wound and roared with furious breaths, swinging its machete more wildly.
Thud, thud!
Dodging the machete’s axe-like blows to the ground, I smirked. No matter how intelligent compared to other monsters, it was still just a monster. Especially these human-like ones, prone to aggression and easy to provoke, were perfect targets for taunting.
‘If I keep riling it up like this, its actions will become larger and more reckless, creating more openings.’
Seeing the monster react just as I intended, I felt a surge of confidence that this fight might end easier than I had anticipated. With a triumphant smile, I ducked to dodge an attack and immediately swung Kwon Taehyeok’s blade horizontally.
“…!”
A spray of black blood erupted as the monster’s flesh split open. So far, so good. However, due to my unfamiliarity with using my left hand, my strike landed lower than I had intended.
Screeech! The monster let out an agonized scream and dropped to one knee. Realizing what I had just hit, I stopped in my tracks. Kwon Taehyeok, who had been rushing over, also halted as he witnessed the scene.
He was speechless.
So was I.
Originally, I had aimed to slash the monster’s lower abdomen, but the blade had… unfortunately struck a much more sensitive area.
An awkward silence fell as we faced the writhing monster. Kwon Taehyeok, standing behind it, gave me a look of incredulity, as if to say, “You heartless bastard.” Hastily, I tried to explain, “It’s a misunderstanding.”
“What is?”
“It’s really a misunderstanding. I’m right-handed, so…”
Before I could finish my excuse, the monster suddenly sprang up and let out a piercing roar, Krrrk, screeech! Its muscles twitched, and its skin started to glow a deeper red. Saliva dripped from its elongated fangs as it glared at me with murderous intent. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I sensed its intense hatred, vowing to kill me no matter what.
‘Damn, I went too far…’
Realizing the gravity of the situation too late, I began to back away.
Rumble, a thunderous sound echoed from the sky. It wasn’t coming from the monster. Instinctively, I looked up to see the sky filled with dark, ominous clouds.
Crackle!
A black streak of lightning flashed between the clouds. An eerie feeling crawled over my skin as Kwon Taehyeok shouted, “Get down!”
Boom!
His warning was cut off by a pitch-black lightning bolt striking right in front of me. Instantly, countless bolts of lightning rained down from the sky.
Thud, bang! Boom!
The deafening roar of thunder and the intense energy from the lightning bolts turned the ground into chaos. Hunters nearby, dealing with other monsters, scattered in panic to avoid the strikes.
The street turned into a scene of pandemonium. I couldn’t believe the monster had an ability related to nature, and electrical power at that.
I kept running to dodge the lightning bolts crashing down around me. Each place I passed was struck by a bolt, sending black lightning into the ground. The relentless barrage of lightning filled the air with thick dust. The ground was torn apart, and buildings were collapsing. No matter how much I turned my head and scanned the area, the dense dust and debris obscured my view, making it impossible to locate Kwon Taehyeok.
‘This can’t be happening.’
I’m enduring all this hellish effort, relying solely on Kwon Taehyeok. What am I supposed to do if he’s gone?
While I had successfully drawn the monster’s attention, I had no idea where Kwon Taehyeok, who was supposed to kill it, had disappeared to. Gritting my teeth, I tried to stay calm and sense Kwon Taehyeok’s presence. He knew he shouldn’t stray far from me, so he couldn’t be too distant. First, I needed to find him, and then…
“…Ugh, ah!”
Mid-thought, I instinctively raised my sword to block a piercingly menacing attack.
Clang! Something struck my blade with immense force. Running while being hit threw me off balance, and I was flung backward.
Thud!
“Argh!”
I crashed helplessly into a wall. In the process, I lost my grip on Kwon Taehyeok’s sword, which skittered across the ground far away. Coughing from the sharp pain radiating from my back, I looked up to see the monster approaching, machete in hand.
Growl!
With a guttural snarl, the monster swung its machete at me as I struggled to get up. I barely twisted my head to dodge, rolling to the side just in time. As soon as I escaped, I tried to swing my sword, but the monster was faster.
“Ugh…!”
A massive hand grabbed my calf and yanked me violently. As I was dragged toward the monster, I barely managed to block the machete aimed at my neck with my blade, shouting desperately, “Kwon Taehyeok!”
Clang, clang. My sword wobbled under the pressure of the monster’s strikes, barely holding on.
As my strength ebbed, the machete drew closer. The monster loomed over me, breathing heavily, its bloodshot eyes fixated on my throat. I couldn’t hold on any longer. Just as I was about to lose my grip, I mustered all my remaining strength and shouted Kwon Taehyeok’s name one last time, “Kwon, huff... Kwon Taehyeok…!”
At that moment…
Thwack!
“…!”
A blade shot from somewhere and pierced the monster’s head instantly.
I gasped as two more blades flew from behind and embedded themselves into the monster’s body.
Growl…
The monster let out a bizarre moan and slowly collapsed to the side. The machete it held clattered to the ground.
“Huff, huff...”
Confirming the monster was dead, I unsteadily pushed myself up. I was still gasping for breath, unable to remove my mask, when Kwon Taehyeok emerged through the thinning dust.
“…You found me just in time.”
“With all that yelling, how could I not?” Despite his annoying remark, Kwon Taehyeok extended a hand to help me up. In no condition to refuse, I grasped it and slowly stood.
As the monster died, the dark clouds that had filled the sky vanished as if they had never been. Looking up, I noticed another welcome sight. Just like the disappearing clouds, the rift was slowly closing, its entrance shrinking.
[Main Quest: Survive the second rift. (Time remaining: 6 hours 08 minutes)]
Storyteller Lubai's Words
Good news! Starting September, updates will become twice a week every [MON] and [THURS] UTC+8 at a random time! Thank you for your support!
Comments for chapter "Chapter 46"
NOVEL DISCUSSION
Support Site
"We require funds to enhance and develop additional features for the site! If you'd like to show your support, consider buying us a Ko-fi. Additionally, explore our more affordable subscription tiers for novels under the Teamaster's name."