The More the Healer Gets Hit the Stronger He Become

47 – This Can’t Be

It couldn’t have been like this from the beginning.

Since at that time, at the entrance of the mountain, there had been no sight of such corpses while cautiously surveying the surroundings.

‘Damn it.’

Turning around, just like in front, animal corpses hung from the branches.

The exact moment couldn’t be determined.

Considering that Jang Taehan had only recently smelled the scent of the corpses, this bizarre phenomenon couldn’t have started long ago.

‘Short, maybe 2 or 3 minutes, long, about 10 minutes.’

Kang Woo looked at the remains of the mountain animals, now only heads, evoking a sense of dread.

Seeing how bone-dry they were, not a single drop of blood dripping, it seemed like they had been dead for quite a while.

‘For now… the likelihood of the culprit who did that being nearby has slightly decreased.’

However, it was still insufficient for complete relief.

Literally, the odds have just slightly decreased. It was an unpredictable situation, as we didn’t know when the culprit who did that insane act would discover us and come rushing at us.

“…A monster who is either big enough to display a corpse on a tree branch 5 meters above the ground, or skilled enough to climb trees.”

The party members, who were frozen by Kang Woo’s voice, gradually regained their senses.

“…We should be on guard both on the tree and in the surroundings, considering both possibilities.”

“I’ll watch the tree with Jaejoon, and the rest of you can keep an eye on the surroundings. If it’s big, it will be noticeable even from a distance, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Park Sungcheol summarized the situation and divided the roles with Jang Taehan.

Just as they were about to resume moving,

Jaejoon, who couldn’t take his eyes off the corpse, spoke as if he was groaning.

“…Incredibly brutal and vicious at the same time…”

“….”

“…They seem extremely merciless towards those who trespass their territory, don’t they…?”

Looking at the faces of the wild beasts tainted with fear, Jaejoon’s face turned pale.

“To the point where they decorate the surroundings with the heads of these wild beasts….”

“Hee, hee hee!”

Upon realizing, it felt as if the rotten odor of the corpse was resonating through the tip of my nose.

Choi Taehyun trembled, clutching his shield.

Kang Woo opened his mouth, observing Park Sungcheol, who remained silent, Jaejoon, who seemed to have lost his mind, and Jang Taehan, who surveyed the surroundings with a more serious expression than ever before.

“Starting now, let’s give it our all and escape from here without making loud footsteps. If you don’t want to meet a miserable end, everyone needs to stay focused.”

Upon hearing the word “miserable end,” Choi Taehyun and Jaejoon, startled, tightened their grip on their weapons, and Kang Woo, seeing this, began to stomp on the ground.

The five men started sprinting along the mountain path, muffling their footsteps.

***

“Darn it.”

Ten minutes into the chase after discovering the corpses displayed on tree branches.

The complexion of Kangwoo, who had been running ahead at the pace of the party members following him, darkened.

“They’re increasing.”

The number of corpses of mountain beasts hanging on tree branches was gradually growing.

It was as if they were warning him to turn back now.

From Noble mtl dot com

“But it’s not like we can cross the mountain and go back by leaving the mountain trail.”

The terrain was steep, making it difficult to establish a center during battle, and there was a high probability of getting lost in the mountains for days due to not knowing exactly where the portal was beyond the mountain.

And above all.

“We can’t know how far the enemy’s territory extends… and the Tower probably hasn’t prepared for that level of contingency.”

In the worst-case scenario, there was a high chance of being surrounded by enemies on a steep path.

So if they were going to encounter enemies anyway, meeting them on a well-paved mountain trail was the best choice.

As Kangwoo gathered his shaken senses and was about to take a step.

“Um, it’s increasing more and more…!”

A voice tainted with fear echoed.

It was Choi Taehyun, who was running from the very back.

“Shouldn’t we go back now…! There, there’s even an Owl Bear corpse…!!”

The corpses of ordinary mountain beasts were gradually transforming into monsters such as Owl Bear, Hop Goblin, Lizardman King, and more.

And it wasn’t just one or two; there were dozens of corpses.

Soon after, Choi Tae-hyun spotted the head of a Grade C monster, a flame-spewing fire wolf. He raised an alarm.

“This, this doesn’t seem right…! At this rate, all of us-!!”

“Enough.”

At the escalating tone, Jang Tae-han glared fiercely at Choi Tae-hyun.

“If you want to go, go alone. Only if there’s enough food and rest here for a lifetime.”

“…!!”

Kang Woo, looking back, increased his speed.

It was when they swiftly crossed the mountain trail at such a pace that the uphill path gradually transformed into a flat ground.

Kraaah!

On the steep path.

A massive roar erupted from a higher point than where the party was positioned.

It was a roar so immense that one could believe it even if it happened right in front of them.

“Hu, huaaargh!”

Caught.

The moment Kang Woo realized this, he pressed the ground even faster.

“I’ll speed up!”

Once enemies trespass the territory, it’s no longer the time to pay attention to footsteps.

“Run, you bastard!”

Jang Tae-han, holding onto the torn piece of Lee Jae-jun’s clothes, quickly followed behind Kang Woo.

“aaah!”

“Do not scream!”

In a state of frenzy, Park Seong-cheol calmed down Choi Tae-hyun, who was running like crazy, whether it was stamina accumulation or whatever.

As the five of them ran through the mountain path at a speed incomparable to their past experiences.

Thud, thud!

The sound of large footsteps began to echo and spread throughout the mountains.

“Damn it…! What the hell! What is it!!”

It wouldn’t have been this frightening if they had just faced the enemy’s face.

The culprit who terrified so many mountain beasts and monsters to the point of fear.

As the enemy roared and the sound of footsteps approached, Lee Jae-joon, unable to withstand the tension, screamed.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

So for a minute, two minutes, three minutes…

When the flat mountain path turned into a downhill path.

Kraaah-!!

With a deafening scream, an unknown enemy revealed itself on the mountain slope.

“Insane…!!”

Even from a distance, the giant size, covered in armor-like muscles, and the eerie red eyes emanating a palpable hostility.

“Oh, oh, oh, oh, orc…!!”

A presence emitting a force incomparable to the sickly orc encountered by the awakened ones in the tenth trial.

It was a ‘real orc warrior.’

“…Wow.”

Kangwoo, mesmerized by the appearance of the orc, stopped in his tracks as he exclaimed in awe.

“What I encountered on the 10th floor was a real ‘sick orc.'”

Despite the distance exceeding 200 meters, Kangwoo’s flesh tingled with the orc’s enraged hostility.

The difference in strength was incomparable to the 10th floor, which was truly painful and seemed appropriate to view the orc on the 10th floor as an orc about to collapse.

Park Sungchul, nodding subtly at Kangwoo’s admiration, spoke with a trembling voice.

“Perhaps that’s why… he’s holding an axe, not a wooden club.”

“An axe…?”

With no time to scrutinize the orc’s fierce demeanor, it was only now that those who had been observing saw the gigantic double-edged axe carried by the orc.

“Well, that makes sense. On the 10th floor, he was too busy running around to even think about the sturdy wooden club, but that looks quite tempting.”

“Oh, the numbers keep increasing. It must be a dilemma for you to find a good weapon.”

“Ho ho, indeed. Especially the Morning Star held by the orc next to him looks quite sharp.”

Not only sharp but also, as soon as that thorn hit like a large spear, it seemed to cause instant death, leaving the whole body riddled with holes.

“…”

With Jang Taehan’s words, a heavy silence descended.

Party members, realizing that the orcs had increased to eight, urgently pounded the ground without pointing fingers at anyone.

“aaargh! Shiiit—!!”

Choi Taehyun, with no focus in his eyes, sprinted like a madman with the shield on his shoulder.

But now, no one was there to stop him.

“Screams echoed in unison.

A loud roar!

As the intruder attempted to flee, enraged orcs swiftly descended the mountain.

Pounding footsteps echoed at the intersection, racing as fast as the pounding heartbeats.

“Scream!”

Joining the chorus of screams, Kangwoo hurled vulgarities toward the tower.

“These ＜beep＞ set this up to break like this, ＜beep＞! I’ll smash your ＜beep＞ head!”

This wasn’t a trial set up to break. Not just one or two trials set up in such a manner, but something entirely…

“This is insane! You ＜beep＞!”

A renowned orc among C-grade monsters, challenging to hunt.

Eight properly trained orc warriors…

“Damn, more keep coming.”

How could a mere five C-grade Awakened ones handle over ten orc warriors?

This tower was beyond madness.

Five gathered to struggle with just one orc, while over ten were strategically placed…!

Pounding footsteps continued…”

The thunderous sound of orcs’ footsteps approached rapidly.

It was something with legs as long as its massive size, narrowing the distance with brisk strides.

“Uh, what do we do now?!”

“I don’t know! Just run, Dongsaeng-aeng!!”

“Oh, my goodness!”

The gap was closing in as if they could be caught any moment now.

100 meters, 80 meters, 50 meters…

“aaahhh!”

It was truly imminent now.

Kangwoo faced the oncoming threat.

Although the downhill path suggested that the end was near, his racing thoughts seemed faster than descending the remaining mountain trail.

‘What should I do…!’

Amid the urgent situation that felt like every minute and second mattered, he tried to think of a plan to overcome this crisis.

Bwoooooooong-

The orcs allowed no room for even a brief pause.

“Hu, huuueeeok!”

A massive double-edged axe, producing a solid splitting sound, swiftly flew towards them.

Avoiding the sturdy trees arranged like obstacles, it soared in a graceful arc, almost resembling art.

“Aish.”

As Kangwoo, holding the shield “Trice” of protection, was about to rush towards Choi Taehyun, who was recklessly running while oblivious to the flying axe.

Inyoung, a giant, blocked the way one step ahead of Kangwoo.

“Bow down!!”

Kwaaang-

The clash of the greatsword and double-edged axe echoed, a terrifying sound spreading from the collision point, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind.

“Ugh!!”

Flames burst between the greatsword and double-edged axe.

Jang Taehan, his muscles swollen to the limit, pushed back the massive double-edged axe with his momentum and spirit.

Thud!

The double-edged axe, staggering on the ground, produced a hefty noise.

“Crazy….”

Just the sound of it hitting the ground was astonishing.

“How heavy is that thing, anyway….”

Amidst everyone’s shock, Jang Taehan, breathing heavily, weakly laughed.

“hahahaha, if I knew I’d be panting at this level, I should’ve saved that protein shake from earlier.”

“… To say that now-“

“It was quite thrilling. It’s a shame for a game of tag to end like this, though.”

Seokgwang Lee Jaejun, who was expressing dissatisfaction with Jang Taehan making jokes even in this situation, froze his expression at the subsequent words.

‘Tag game is over…?’

“… Can’t be.”

Only then did it register in his eyes.

The weapons of the tense party members are pointed in one direction.

“….”

Was the mountain ever this silent?

In the hushed silence where not even the flutter of a bird’s wings could be heard.

What entered the eyes of Lee Jae-jun, turning his stiffened head with a creak, was

Krrr-

Suddenly, Orc warriors, surrounding them in a circle about 10 meters away, came into view.