20th Episode
The waters of the Styx River flow majestically.
020 – <The waters of the Styx flow majestically #3>
“sh*t, you stalking bastards, long time no see!”
“Kukukuk!”
I slammed my fist down toward the head of some guy whose jaw I just broke.
The fist flung out like an iron hammer, amplified by the weight of gravity and armor, boosting its destructive force!
“Kkhh!”
The guy who had his jaw broken and was grimacing in pain shrieked his final moments while smashing his head into the ground and foaming at the mouth.
“You, this sh*t!”
Reacting to that was the swordsman.
“You-!”
Just as the guy was about to swing his sword at me, I struck a blow to the back of his head, smashing it.
Phek-.
“!”
The guy who met solid armor only managed to let out a m*an before his head slammed into the muddy ground. There’s a big difference when you’re going against someone armed and armored.
Moreover, when they see their attacks are ineffective against my armor, they hesitate—this was the flaw among them.
Thus, spending on expensive armor saved my life. That’s why you need to invest in quality gear for your body.
“sh*t, you barbarian.”
Now the only one left was the leader of the group, a bald guy. But, he wasn’t even showing any signs of surprise or anxiety as he saw his underlings being defeated effortlessly. Being the leader must mean something, right?
“Not to speak of my subordinates, but you would do well not to underestimate my capabilities, Lord Uter. I have been favored by the Grace of the God of Light.”
At the mention of someone possessing Grace, my shoulders involuntarily trembled. That ruffian-looking guy receiving divine Grace? The God of Light doesn’t bestow Grace onto just anyone, right?
“God of Light and the Sun, grant me your strength! Your humble servant Uter earnestly prays!”
When he began reciting his prayer, the gray clouds that had been heavily covering the sky gradually parted, letting bright sunlight fall over the world.
Ziiing-.
The front of his balding forehead, which was halfway peeled off, reflected the bright light straight into my eyes.
“Ugh-.”
It was an unexpected type of attack, forcing me to squint and furrow my eyebrows. sh*t, eye dazzling—this is ridiculous.
“Cowardly baldie!”
“This is the Light of the Sun God! The light of truth is something that a barbarian like you dare not even look at!”
“sh*t, baldie! Coward!”
“This is not baldness but the Grace of the Light! All you know is to call me bald, you barbarian! And baldness is a symbol of vigorous male vitality-.”
“sh*t, bald guy!”
“d*mn brat, perish already!”
In the brief moment my vision was obstructed, I heard the sound of him kicking up muddy water as he sprang forward. I swung my fist toward the sound.
But all I felt was my fist swiping through the air.
“That kind of blind attack isn’t something I’ll be hit with!”
“sh*t!”
My eyes were so dazzled that I couldn’t regain control of my sight. Still, I couldn’t let him have the attack advantage.
So, like a raging gorilla, I wildly swung my fists and flailed my arms and legs.
“Guaaaaah!”
“That’s a fine ferocity indeed, befitting a warrior of the wilderness! But even such clumsy maneuvers won’t land a hit on me, urgh-!”
Pek-.
I felt a solid impact from my punch. Swinging my arms toward the sound of his voice must have struck his torso or head by pure luck.
“Uughh-.”
After that solid hit, I thought the dazzling chaos would finally come to an end. But instead, it became even brighter, to the point that it hurt to keep my eyes closed.
As if the sun had descended upon the ground. While his form looked ridiculous, the brightness at this level truly deserves the claim of receiving Grace. sh*t, this is totally a Sun Fist.
“Wha, bloody nose? You brat! I’ll k*ll you! I’ll offer you as a sacrifice to my dual swords!”
Jjiit-.
Coupled with his furious roar, I felt a tingling sensation at the back of my neck.
That’s my hard-earned danger sensor, honed over the past two years while dodging all sorts of perilous situations. The way it’s wailing now clearly tells me I’m about to meet a very dire situation.
My breath grew short from the random flailing of my limbs. Vision completely blocked.
I suddenly remembered what the witch Nemea said about being careful with the light. This was a life-or-d*ath situation. sh*t, what do I do!
“Hey, hey! Get them! Hurry! Help Hassan!”
Then, a rather familiar voice rang out, followed by screams from all around.
“Yaaahk! It burns! Something’s biting me!”
“What the hell’s happening! The glare is too bright to see anything!”
“What is that? Bees! Where did the bees come from?!”
I don’t know exactly what it was, but it seemed chaos erupted while taking advantage of my blinded vision, and among the voices were screams from the bald guy I had been fighting.
Buuu-.
And the unmistakable sound of a propeller reached my ears. Of course, in this world, propellers don’t exist, so the source is one thing for sure.
“sh*t, Luna! d*mn, this hurts! They are stinging me too!”
d*mn, it burns. These little creatures latched onto my body yesterday too, biting and stinging with their venom—it’s happening again just a day later!
“Mi, sorry Hassan! I intended to help!”
“Screw that! It’s getting inside my clothes!”
With the stinging pain, I was wriggling around when—
“Fucking sorcery! I won’t lose to these bees! d*e, mage!”
“Khk!”
Pakgeoc-. Thud.
The roar of the enraged man was followed by the familiar scream of a girl.
After the sound of something solid breaking, there was the heavy thud of something falling to the ground.
Confusing though it was, I could tell that Luna had been defeated by the bald guy. That was undoubtedly the sound of a skull cracking.
We’d only met for a day, but she was a pretty girl who even talked to me. And she might have had a clue to undo the curse of the Oath of the Styx that I had sworn. To d*e like this? I’m incredibly pissed off.
But without any other viable means, I could only furrow my brows and clench my teeth.
Sseuuuuk-.
The dazzling light source began to weaken gradually.
I peeked slightly, and the sun in the sky was being covered by gray clouds again, its beams thinning.
Only then could I see the situation clearly.
Bees buzzing all around, people running away.
And Luna, lying on the ground with a shattered mask, with the bald guy standing in front of her, wielding dual swords high above his head.
“Hey, sh*t, baldie.”
“sh*t, has the duration already ended!”
“Using strange tricks. Get lost, b*stard!”
I pushed off with my legs and delivered a powerful punch toward the bald guy’s head.
The man, hit squarely in the jaw, collapsed onto the ground like a toppled bowling pin with a thud.
“Gueeek-.”
“You brat is being a nuisance.”
“That…Almighty God of Light, grant me your eternal light, lead me with your resplendent wisdom, and protect me from the hands of d*ath and foes-! Ku, Grace of the Light…”.
“Give up.”
“…What?”
The shadow created by my towering body fell over him, and I could almost feel his crumpled eyes glaring at me.
“There’s no light here.”
“Haa….”
I delivered another punch to the head as the guy sighed and wiped the bl**d flowing from his nose.
Pek-!
“Kkhh-.”
*
“Hassan, here! I found 2 coppers in his pocket-!”
Luna and I scavenged the pockets of the defeated stalkers, gathering items and money that looked usable. In the end, we only managed to find about 10 coppers combined from the three of them and three swords.
“sh*t, they’re broke bastards.”
Spit-.
Even so, obtaining three swords was decent enough. I had bought armor but couldn’t afford a proper weapon until now, so my only blade was a daggers.
The axe was too rusted and toothless to be usable, so I decided to just discard it.
Anyway, once I pocketed the 10 coppers and secured the plundered blades and sheaths to the belt on my waist,
That made me a swordsman with three swords, Hassan! It gave me the unmistakable feeling that my combat power had greatly increased.
Of course, I’ve never learned swordsmanship and can only wildly swing a blade. But I do understand their power well.
Even just having the blades with their sheaths worn can be advantageous due to the sheer intimidation factor, regardless of whether or not I actually draw them.
Since I’ve secured three, I could sell two if needed.
“Ka, don’t take my swords… It’s my livelihood-. Each one’s worth 5 silvers….”
The bald man pleaded even though he hadn’t lost consciousness after all those punches, showing his resilience as the gang’s leader.
“But, without them, I’ll starve to d*ath….”
Seeing his weak side almost softened my heart when—
“This guy is still conscious!”
Luna, spotting the opportunity after a yelp, grabbed a nearby rock and smashed it down on the guy’s head. With a solid thud and a flash of whites, the man collapsed unconscious.
Without hesitation, she bashed someone’s head with a rock. Clearly, she’s not normal.
sh*t, he’s not dead, is he? Even if there was provocation from them, committing m*rder inside the city comes with significant risks.
If a killing occurs in the city, we’d be in for some serious interrogation from the guards.
Without connections or money, I could easily be thrown in jail, so I’m nervous regardless.
So, I put my hand on the unconscious men’s necks to check if their pulse or breathing was there—
“Hey, look! He’s about to finish them off! He’s going to strangle them!”
“Ah, that’s not it. He’s trying to peel off their faces! They say Samaritans flay the skins of those they’ve slain—.”
Hearing this chatter among the few onlookers who hadn’t fled from the bee chaos, I immediately stopped my actions. No matter what I do, people misunderstand.
Squeak, squeak.
“What’s the commotion?”
Not long after, the city guards clad in swords, round shields, and red capes arrived, settling the disturbance.
“Wait, so those guys started it on us. They wildly swung their swords. They’re just bad guys. These are Daphne’s stalkers, yeah.”
“Hmm-.”
I had to explain to the city guards that my actions were in self-defense, not excessive retaliation, breaking a sweat. The law is stricter on beasts with dark hair like me, even if both parties committed the same crime.
“Those are well-known troublemakers around here.”
“I saw it too! Those guys were the ones who started it! Midway through the fight, my eyes were dazzled, so I had to shut them—but they were creating a real nuisance in the streets!”
Fortunately, the onlookers spoke up in my defense, saving me from being dragged off to jail.
In this world, without surveillance cameras, the testimonies of bystanders have significant sway. They can be a curse, but sometimes they also save you.
The simple duel inside the city concluded the matter.
“According to the laws of the gods and the palace, the ones who lost this duel will be imprisoned.”
“And barbarian, don’t start unnecessary trouble. Unlike the lawless wilderness, the righteous gods’ laws watch over everywhere.”
“No, no, let me go! I’m Uter, the son of the Sun God—blessed by the Sun God’s grace!”
“Your father runs a textile shop at the North Gate, kid. Come on quietly!”
The guards handcuffed and led the three men away. Watching their backs as they disappeared, my legs trembled.
My senses, heightened with adrenaline, were returning while the terrifying word “prison” loomed over me.
If the duel loses send you to prison, then in a world where prisoners’ rights are disregarded, being imprisoned is almost as good as being dead.
“Huh.”
Anyway, it ended well. Even though I fought three armed men at the same time, there wasn’t a single cut or stab wound to show for it, which was nothing short of extraordinary luck.
My fists ache from hitting people, and the bee stings on my body are irritating, but considering I faced off against three armed thugs, it was a cheap victory.
“Hassan, y-you, it wasn’t on purpose, right? Bees don’t know who’s on their side… and my Voodoo skill isn’t advanced enough to fully control small creatures just yet…”
Luna hesitated to speak as she gauged my reaction, remembering how I had snapped after being stung by her bees yesterday.
“Thanks to you, I survived, though.”
“R-really? That’s good, right?”
I sincerely thanked her. If it weren’t for the time she bought me when the Sun Fist’s dazzling effect hit, it might have been me being dragged off by those guards—or even worse, ending up as a corpse.
“The bees could have sold for at least 20 coppers, yesterday or today. I keep releasing the ones I catch, which makes me sad. And my protective mask broke too…”
Seeing the broken wooden splinters on the ground, Luna frowned. It was pretty much destroyed after being trampled by people after getting shattered. I remember her cherishing that mask so much that she would try to protect it first when attacked by goblins.
It must have been quite precious to her, judging by how broken up she looks over it.
Should I give her the 10 coppers we took from the bandits? But since my nose is already three inches long from lying, I decided to keep it in my pocket. There’s no need to give if she didn’t ask for it, right?
So I changed the subject, turning the mood around by engaging in conversation.
“How’d you find me?”
“Ah, I’ve been looking for you. I went to the Guild first, and then to the inn, but they said you had already vacated your room. I went back to the Guild and learned you went to the library. Then at the park near the library, I heard what sounded like your voice-.”
She explained in one breath how she’d managed to find me.
“Anyway, you were looking for me?”
“Yeah, we agreed to make a kid today. We swore by the Styx River, didn’t we? Don’t you remember?”
Ding-.
“Oh-, that’s coming back to me.”
