Returner of the Colosseum

Episode 25 . The other side of the light (6)

I hurriedly stepped out and looked around.

Apparently, it was just a dirt floor, but the moment I put my foot on it, I was sucked into it in an instant.

“No, a swampy area spreads out in a place like this?”

Gavin was also surprised and was gently touching his feet.

I thought it would be a hard earthen floor because the trees are full.

‘What do we do?’

I took a few steps back and looked around.

The entire basin is made up of forests, and you had to cross the forest and go up the mountain to enter the safety zone.

I hastily spread the map on the floor.

Mountains with safety zones must pass through peaks connected to forests.

In a word, it means that you have to cross the forest to climb up.

‘sh*t. I don’t think the forest will work.’

However, it was a problem because it was impossible to know where the swamp was formed.

That’s why you just break through by force?

It was easy to get killed by a dog.

That’s a story I can say because I don’t know the fear of the swamp.

Should I go down the basin again now?

“How are you? Can you pass?”

At Gavin’s words, I shook my head.

“I guess I’ll have to go down again.”

“You came all the way here?”

“Of course it won’t be easy, but you can’t go through a swamp unprepared. Going down again would be a little more likely.”

“damn. I can’t help it.”

Gavin sighed heavily.

I don’t think I’ll be upset, but at the moment, I’m in charge of this party.

I had no choice but to move forward on a path that seemed to have even a small possibility.

Even the time to feel disturbed was a luxury to me.

It was time to prepare to go down the basin again.

“Is it a mountain of mimosa?”

The sacrifice that had awakened before I knew it, no, Lucia, opened her mouth.

“Do you know anything about this place?”

I asked her with some anticipation.

“Of course I know. It’s a mountain right in front of Aden Macha. I used to come here when I was little and play often.”

“There was a swamp ahead?”

“Ah, water veins flow under the basin. It has been raining a lot lately. That’s why swamps and puddles are formed, so all you can see is the dirt floor, but if you step on it incorrectly, you can get sucked into it silently. Still, it’s not to the point where I can’t get past it.”

At her words, my eyes widened.

“Is there any way to get past?”

“yes. The rocky terrain runs through the forest. If you go there, you can pass enough. I’m sure my feet will come off to the knee.”

At her words, I clenched my fists.

done.

As long as we can get through this forest, it won’t be long before we reach the safety zone.

Only then can the mission be completed successfully.

“I’m sorry, but I need to guide you right away.”

“Yes, could you drop me off?”

I immediately put her on the floor.

Looking closely, one of her shoes was missing, revealing her bare feet.

It probably fell off during the getaway.

“You’ll have to throw away your shoes anyway to cross the forest.”

She tossed the remaining pair of shoes on the ground and began walking barefoot into the woods.

“Gavin!”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Me and Gavin chased after her.

snug- snug-

As soon as I stepped into the woods, my feet went deep.

But, like before, I didn’t know the end and was dragged into it.

As she said, up to about knee height.

“How do you know how to find the rocky terrain?”

“See that moss-like thing over there?”

As she slowly crossed the swamp, she pointed with one finger to a rock built beside a tree.

Upon closer examination of the rock, it was covered in green.

“I can see it, but why?”

“That’s a moss that only grows on rocks. If you look closely at the floor, you will see moss like that. That is the terrain where the dike flows.”

I gasped at her words.

This was really valuable information.

Also, in a situation where you don’t know when and in which mission you will encounter a quiet swamp.

This experience will definitely be of great help to you then.

“Really, it’s amazing to see you again. It must be a dirt floor, but when you step on it, it feels like a puddle in mud.”

Gavin also muttered in a small voice as if it were strange.

It was when I was walking for about 10 minutes following her.

Tagdak-Tagdak-Tagdak-

The sound of countless horse hooves began to be heard outside the forest.

The knights came up to the top of the basin at some point.

What if they know how to cross the swamp?

Those worries were completely dispelled by Lucia’s words that followed.

“Do not worry. I won’t be able to follow you anyway.”

It was as if he had read my thoughts.

“How do you know?”

“It wasn’t long before the Church of Light occupied Aden Macha. They probably don’t even know that this is a swamp?”

As if her words were true, soon followed by the neighing of horses and the sound of the chasing party falling over.

“Hee hee hee!”

“Ugh! Mo, everyone stop! stop all! There is a swamp ahead! Back off!”

“Lord Rune! my hand! Hey, get the rope! I can’t reach you!”

Their cries echoed through the quiet forest.

‘I’m glad.’

Seeing the guys wandering around, it seemed like they wouldn’t be able to pass this place.

No, it didn’t matter if it passed.

Even if you knew how, you wouldn’t be able to chase it quickly in the swamp anyway.

“Hey, sacrifice. Is there a swampy area on top of that mountain?”

Lucia slightly frowned at Gavin’s question.

Well, even though I gave the name, calling it a sacrifice is bound to make the listener feel bad.

“no. This is the end.”

But she didn’t show off her bad feelings and told Gavin in a kind voice.

“Ooh, then I guess we can just pass here. Let’s go.”

We retook our steps.

There was a loud sound of something exploding behind me.

It was a signal firecracker fired by the chasing Knights.

At the end of that sound, silence crouched in the forest.

in a quiet forest.

It’s a swampy area, so it wouldn’t be suitable for animals to live in.

Only the occasional chirping of birds filled the forest.

After walking for a while, we came to the end of the forest.

“after. I’m going to live now Land that gets sucked into a swamp the moment you step wrong. I thought I was dying of trembling.”

Gavin sighed as they pulled out of the swamp.

All that remains now is the last mountain peak.

After that, you can enter the safety zone.

“Lucia, can you walk barefoot? If your feet hurt, lift them up.”

“Ah yes. are you okay. It’s worth walking.”

“Tell me right away if it hurts. I’ll pick you up.”

At my words, Lucia smiled brightly.

Even her face, which had been pale from motion sickness, was returning to its color before she knew it.

It was when I was climbing the mountain again toward the safety zone.

Click-click-click-

I started to hear the sound coming from the joints in the armor.

The epicenter of the sound is on top of the mountain.

sh*t.

There must have been enemies.

‘There is no swamp, the troops returned from the other side of the mountain.’

If they went out through the north gate, they were probably the troops they should have dealt with.

Seeing the firecrackers used to signal the Knights who were chasing us, it seemed that they were running towards us.

When I suddenly lowered my stance, Gavin and Lucia looked at me with puzzled eyes.

“Why?”

“The enemy is coming down. The number is about 40.”

“what? I can’t hear anything.”

“You will hear it soon. The ground trembles like a paladin in heavy armor. We’ll just hide nearby and move again when they pass.”

At my words, Gavin shook his head.

“Then how about doing this? I’ll ask for the bait. If the white robes worn by the sacrifice were filled with leaves, wouldn’t it be enough to fool them from afar? In the meantime, take your sacrifice and make a detour.”

“Can you do that?”

I was delighted with Gavin’s words. In fact, it could be said to be the best method for now.

Gavin nodded confidently.

“Your destination is not far away. A little bit will buy me enough time.”

At Gavin’s words, Lucia immediately took off the robe she was wearing.

The white robe was covered in mud in places from crossing the swamp.

I immediately spread my white robe on the floor. Then, he gathered a lot of leaves and put them in, and tied the hem, sleeves, and hat part.

When Gavin received it and put it on his shoulder, a clumsy but human figure came out.

At a distance, it would be enough to fool them.

“Please, take the sacrifice safely to its destination.”

“I wish you luck.”

I took Gavin’s outstretched hand.

It was a surprisingly soft hand that did not suit the appearance of a mercenary.

“Lucia, we go this way.”

Seeing Gavin spurt off the ground with his white robe on his back, I grabbed Lucia’s hand and started turning to the right of the mountain.

After a while, “It’s a sacrifice!” Firecrackers exploded in the sky with a shout.

‘It started.’

Lucia’s hand trembled.

I held her hand tight and waited for the sound to fade away.

‘now!’

“let’s go.”

As soon as the enemy’s presence faded away, I immediately started jumping up the mountain carrying Lucia on my back.

We need to get into the safety zone ASAP when Gavin buys us time.

It was time to climb up the mountain at full speed.

‘Has it been caught already!’

The distant sound began to approach again.

sh*t.

I’m only half way up yet.

‘Should I hide in a nearby tree right now?’

“There it is!”

I was thinking about that, but I was discovered by the enemies at exactly the right time.

The Paladins started running toward us in a wide formation.

Phew! Papababak!

Firecrackers exploded in the sky again, creating a roar.

I can’t.

At this rate, I’m surrounded by guys.

After dealing with them in the right place…

‘cave!’

At that time, I saw a cave at the end of a rocky cliff.

The cave was quite deep, but the deeper you go, the narrower the space becomes.

There won’t be a structure as good as that for dealing with many alone.

Of course, the space is too narrow, so I can’t take out the window.

I turned and headed towards the cave.

In this place, you can fight one-on-one without being surrounded.

“Go inside as much as possible.”

“Yes, be careful not to get hurt!”

As soon as I pulled out my sword with Lucia at the entrance of the cave, the Paladins started attacking me.

“This guy is the last one!”

“Kill!”

Three swords flying towards me.

I calmly fell back and dealt with it while not letting the sword rush at once.

“It’s strong! Deal with each other calmly so as not to be defeated individually!”

The defense was good because it was definitely at the level of a paladin.

kang!

I saw a gap after cutting off the swords and inserted the sword right away, but the sword bounced out without penetrating the heavy armor.

damn.

The narrow space allowed it not to be enclosed, but instead it could only move back and forth.

As a result, the problem was that the route to attack was too monotonous.

‘Still, it’s much better than dealing with them all at once surrounded by them.’

I calmly blocked their attacks and waited for a gap to open.

I had no choice but to go to the long battle.

‘Let’s see if you win or I win.’

I grabbed the hilt of the sword until it was crushed.

No matter how many times I kill, the paladins flood in endlessly.

The basics of swordsmanship were solid, and he was wearing heavy armor, so it took too long to deal with each one.

Thanks to that, my stamina also quickly went away.

Tring!

[Your HP is recovered by 1% with ＜Recovery of Blood＞ ability.]

[Remaining HP: 28%]

“Isn’t that bastard even tired!”

“A monstrous child.”

“Okay, push a little harder! He’s at his limit now!”

The few paladins shouted.

There are now three paladins left.

You just have to suffer a little more.

“Hee-eok, hee-eok, hee-eok, hee-eok.”

My breath went up to the tip of my chin.

“Hey!”

Before I could hold my breath, three Paladins rushed at me at the same time.

I slipped backwards, threw away my sword, and took out the dagger from my belt and threw it.

After attacking with only one pattern, they got used to it.

I needed to make a change.

“Sometimes a sloppy attack, kuck!”

While I was distracted by the flying dagger, I pierced the neck of one.

now two.

From now on there were no problems.

“This guy!”

I couldn’t move because I didn’t have enough space, so I only moved back and forth.

square-

As soon as there is space, attack patterns will become more diverse.

Iron flip.

I dug into the side and cut off the head of one in an instant, then immediately rushed at the remaining one.

Even the three of them couldn’t compete against each other, and there was nothing to talk about alone.

“sh*t······.”

Tring!

After decapitating the remaining one, the cave fell silent.

“Huh, uh, uh, uh, uh.”

When the sound of fighting subsided, Lucia, who had been hiding inside, came out.

“Are you okay?”

“uh. Sleep, heo-eok, wait a minute.”

I threw away my sword for a moment, put both hands on my knees and caught my breath.

There are no more enemies, but you never know when and where they will appear again.

You need to catch your breath as quickly as possible.

After resting for about 5 minutes, my shortness of breath slowly began to calm down.

“Let’s go now, okay?”

“Why are you like that?”

“wait for a sec.”

I was about to go out holding Lucia’s hand, but I saw purple light coming from inside the cave.

‘Come to think of it?’

He moved violently, and when the fight was over, he was out of breath, so he didn’t know it, but his mask was shaking.

if?

I hurriedly walked into the cave.

Then, the fine purple light gradually grew stronger, and soon I began to see something like a small surface.

It looked like a broken piece with a hole in the middle.

this is it!

‘Check the item.’

Tring!

[＜Consumed Item: Fragment of Mask (Purple)＞]

[A fragment from which a part of a mask fell off. I don’t know what kind of mask it is. Wearing it for a long time, it contains some of the owner’s abilities.]

[This is an item that can be synthesized if you have the original mask.]

[Rating: Unknown]

After checking the item information, I picked it up with trembling hands.

I thought I couldn’t find it because I ran out of time.

I would have been in a place like this

I hurriedly brought the fragment of the mask to the white mask.

‘Item synthesis.’

Tring!

[Do you want to combine ＜Mask: White Mask＞ and ＜Consumable Item: Mask Fragment (Purple)＞?]

[Once synthesized, it cannot be undone.]

[Yes / No]

Tring!

[Successfully synthesized ＜Mask: White Mask＞ and ＜Consumable Item: Mask Fragment (Purple)＞!]

[Obtain ＜Mask: Vladimir’s Mask＞!]

[＜The Mask: The Mask of Vladimir＞]

[This is the mask worn by the devil, Vladimir. Wearing it for a long time, it contains some of the owner’s abilities.]

[You can use the ＜Recovery of Blood＞ ability when equipped.]

[When equipped, ＜Evil Eyes＞ ability can be used.]

[＜Recovery of blood＞ – HP is restored by 1% each time a creature is killed.]

[＜Evil Eyes＞ ― Partial glimpse of the target’s status window. You can spot someone’s lies. You can see it as brightly as daytime even at night.]

[Rating: Rare]

Along with the notification window, I felt the fragments of the mask in my hand being absorbed into the white mask.

after. it’s okay.

‘It’s the devil’s eyes.’

Can you peek at some of the status windows?

This was a really great ability.

Now in Aden Macha, I got everything I could get.

All that remains is to take Lucia to the safety zone.

‘This is not the time to be like this.’

It’s not too late to go back to the farm to see what abilities have been added.

First thing is to get out of here.

I hurriedly took Lucia’s hand and headed towards the entrance of the cave.

It was then.

“Huck, huck. wren! I’m glad you’re safe! The Paladins, who realized that I was the bait, flocked there and were very worried.”

In front of the cave, Gavin was gasping for breath as he entered.

Then Lucia greeted Gavin.

“You are safe.”

“Because I don’t have that many paladins. Anyway, I’m really glad you’re safe.”

Gavin smiled broadly and approached me.

‘what?’

Why is Gavin glowing red?

‘Evil eyes.’

Tring!

[Check the opponent’s abilities.]

[Name: Legia Litribehen von Callista]

[Alignment: Absolute Evil]

[Muscle: 49] [Agility: 48] [Stamina: 42]

[Spirit: 35] [Intelligence: 16] [Magic Power: 41] [Sacred Power: 33]

[Awakening Ability: ＜Advanced Swordsmanship＞ ＜Advanced Life Skills＞ ＜Intermediate Mana Management＞ ＜Advanced Horsemanship＞ ＜Lesser Box Fighting＞ ＜Lesser Healing＞ ＜Advanced Torture＞]

‘What is this?’

With trembling eyes, I looked at Gavin, or rather, at the guy named Legia.

“Why? Did you put anything on my face?”

Legia was walking slowly with a bright smile.

‘f*ck.’

How the hell did this happen?

In an instant, goose bumps all over my body.