Children of the Holy Emperor Chapter 31

031. Channeling (1)

Boom, boom, boom –

Thick pseudopods jump out here and there, pounding on the stone walls. The caterpillar, which was deprived of food and accidentally stabbed, switched to its maximum attack posture to exclude enemies.

Boom.

Seongjin clicked his tongue as he quickly lowered his stance to avoid one of the pseudopods that had swung wide to the side.

If Seongjin was in his prime, he would have closed the distance in a single step and shattered its core with a single punch, but in his current state, it wasn’t easy to get close to the caterpillar. Thanks to the roots becoming even more shaky, it is difficult to even step on them properly.

Seongjin turned to the side and hit one of the pseudopods flying in front of him with his sword, and then slid backwards as if doing a back-tumble, dodging the pseudopods that flew after him. After beating him up like this, a sense of crisis came over me that he might actually attempt an incomplete metamorphosis.

Even if you only know where the guy’s head is.

Seongjin frowned as he rolled to the side to avoid the successive attacks.

It looked like someone had chewed gum and spit it out, but surprisingly, it also had a basic digestive system and nervous system. This means that it has a mouth, eyes, and a part that can be called a head. And there’s a vital organ in the back of his head that he must destroy first.

Bartosz. The official name is Bartolomeo Institute.

It is a nervous system modification organ commonly found in swarming monsters.

In the early days of the Gehenna Gate incident, there were times when research was actively conducted, such as dissecting monsters and analyzing specimens.

Of course, after learning that there was no solution other than beating up all the superhumans, the research faded away. The reason was that intellectuals capable of systematic research were dying out one by one.

Anyway, after it became known that the transparent tube-like crystal found in the back of the monster’s head was a channeling organ, hunters first learned the location of Bartosh and how to destroy it when they first went out hunting.

This was because when the monsters started a linked attack through channeling, the difficulty of the hunt became twice as difficult.

‘First, let’s shave off as much of the covered flesh as possible.’

Seongjin made his decision by cutting off the two long protruding pseudopods with one sword. If most of that rubbery, clay-like lump of flesh is peeled off, you will be able to tell where the head is.

The good news was that the sword he was holding had a fairly sharp blade, so it wasn’t too difficult to cut the caterpillar’s outer skin.

Of course, the quality of the knights’ supplies was good, but there was no way that a simple piece of metal could easily cut through that thick monster’s flesh. This was possible because the blade of the sword was covered with aura.

Seongjin didn’t realize it properly, but he was already adding aura to the blade of his sword as a way to control the monster’s energy.

‘Somehow, I think my cutting skills have improved compared to before.’

Is this an effect of formally learning swordsmanship?

While I was vaguely thinking about this and neatly trimming the roots of the caterpillar, I heard urgent footsteps in the distance and Masain came running into the room.

“Hey!”

Masain’s eyes widened as he ran towards me, shouting with vigor. This is because the prince was jumping around and swinging his sword among the shaking black dough-like things.

Sir Kurt, who followed behind and ran into the room, also found Seongjin and the larvae and opened his mouth with a dumb expression on his face. My jaw is dropping.

Seongjin quickly ran towards the entrance of the room. The caterpillar, sensing a new intruder, threw out its huge pseudopod with all its might.

Suddenly.

Fortunately, the Wijok did not move very fast, so it was easy to cut it down before it reached Masain and Sir Kurt. Seongjin blocked their path and warned them.

“Be careful not to touch that black thing as much as possible. “You’ll be pulled into the body in an instant.”

For a moment, I felt angry and my body was pulled back. Masain grabbed the hem of Seongjin’s robe and quickly pulled him backwards.

With a stern look on his face, he stepped between Seongjin and the caterpillar and pulled out his sword.

Sir Kurt, who came to his senses, also drew his sword and reflexively cut off one of his pseudopods and asked.

“… “What on earth is that?”

“It’s the caterpillar of the bantra moss! “It’s a monster!”

“A monster? What is it? “Is it different from sea water?”

Maybe it’s different? First of all, monsters do not exist in this world.

Just as he was about to straighten his sword again and rush towards the caterpillar, his shoulder was suddenly grabbed by a strong grip and his body was thrown sideways. The person who turned his back on him was Masain, who had an ugly face that looked like he was going to yell at him at any moment.

“What on earth were you doing here to make something like that pop out?”

Why do you think it’s my fault, Lord Martha?

I feel wronged! This is what Kenneth Diggory grew up with! I don’t even know where it came from!

Meanwhile, Sir Kurt rushed towards the caterpillar and shouted.

“Is it okay to just cut them all down, sir?”

“ah! Be careful there… … !”

Sir Kurt, who was running toward the center of the caterpillar while avoiding the pseudopods, was momentarily scared and backed away. A round mouth suddenly appeared in the center of his body.

The large mouth, which had two layers of ugly hook-like teeth, was rapidly engaged, making a terrifying friction sound. Sigh!

Sir Kurt, who almost jumped into the caterpillar’s mouth at once, muttered like a moan.

“Lord… … .”

Masain quickly ran to Sir Kurt’s side and cut down one of the pseudopods that was aiming at him. Meanwhile, the caterpillar’s mouth disappears again into the black flesh, as if it had never appeared before.

Seongjin stuck his head out through the entrance to the stone wall and gave a belated warning.

“Sometimes a mouth sticks out from the middle of the body! “Be careful because if you get bitten and receive even a little bit of nutrients, you might turn into a pupa!”

“… “Is that a creature with a mouth or something, sir?”

Masain asked with a pale face.

Why are you surprised with your mouth?

Seongjin suddenly became very curious about how they would react if he asked them to accurately find and destroy the 5cm diameter organ attached to the end of the central nervous system that runs through the larva’s larvae.

The caterpillar’s resistance was tenacious. Although it has become noticeably slower than before, a large number of pseudopods are still flying in without stopping.

Seongjin, whose body was itching, tried to take advantage of the confusion to enter the room, but Masain, who had also noticed this, glared at him with harsh eyes.

Oh Mr. Okay, I got it. He said he was quiet.

How did Lee Seong-jin, humanity’s last hunter, end up like this?

It was probably their first time dealing with a monster, but they were indeed high-ranking knights. Masain and Sir Kurt quickly adapted to the random attacks from the pseudopods and swung their swords skillfully.

Their swords had a distinct external energy that was clearly visible even to Seongjin’s eyes, and perhaps because of this, their power was different from his clumsy swordsmanship.

With one sharp swing, three or four pseudopods flew away, and the body of the caterpillar itself, which was a little away, began to be cut into pieces.

However, it seemed like it had aroused a sense of crisis in this monster. Seongjin swallowed his saliva when he noticed that the caterpillar was occasionally shaking as if it had received an electric shock. That’s a sign of an attempt at incomplete metamorphosis!

“We must quickly find its core and destroy it! Sir Masaine! Sir Kurt!”

At Seongjin’s shout, the two people’s faces turn into a strange look.

yes? Pick something out of that rotten dough and attack it?

But I don’t have time to explain it in detail.

“Can you give me a blow so strong that its outer shell is pushed away in one go?”

It is difficult to distinguish them because they are wrapped in a thick, highly deformable outer shell, but once you push off one layer of the outer outer layer, the caterpillar also has a certain shape with its own distinct structure.

As long as the head was exposed for a moment with a strong attack, Seongjin was confident that he would immediately crush Bartosi. Of course, it wouldn’t be any better if the attack destroyed the core at once.

“strongly… “What do you mean?”

Masain’s face became serious. When he suddenly stopped moving, Sir Kurt, who was quick to notice, blocked the space between the caterpillar and Masain and took cover.

Wooooow.

As Masain concentrated his mind, the blade of the sword began to faintly emit a sword name. I thought the aura creeping up from the blade was becoming more and more clear, and the external air surrounding the blade became even stronger.

Then, what slowly appeared was an Auror blade shining in bright gold.

The outer energy, which extends about an inch longer than his sword, shines brightly, symbolizing a clean sword blade.

It was said that he was about to become a Dekaron Knight, and indeed, among the imperial knights, he was a level that only a handful of people had reached.

He took a step forward holding that long golden sword.

wickedness.

For a moment, I swung it so fast that I thought a solid yellow line appeared horizontally. It was a silent blow without even a sound.

Kwagwagwagwagwa!

As Masain was sharpening his sword, a strong shock wave hit him belatedly. The stone wall shakes as if it is about to collapse, and pieces of the severed limbs are thrown here and there.

It was an incredible power, comparable to Seongjin’s fist in his prime. The monster’s thick outer shell is instantly pushed back, revealing the outline of a caterpillar that appears to be covered in a thin rubber film.

It wasn’t just the outer shell that was pushed out. Masain’s attack cut off not only the caterpillar’s ugly snout, but also about a third of its body in one go.

However, the long, horizontal sword cut narrowly missed the core. Since it was a sword swung without a clear goal, it was probably unavoidable.

And Seongjin did not miss the light that began to blink brightly on the guy’s head. He raised his sword and ran towards the caterpillar’s head.

“Lowering!”

Leaving Masain’s surprised cry behind, Seongjin jumped onto the caterpillar’s head and stabbed the blade of the sword precisely at the point where the body joints and the back of the head connected.

The outer shell that had already been pushed back into place was instantly covered by the blinking light, but his long experience allowed him to accurately pinpoint Bartosh’s location.

Crackling.

I can feel the familiar sensation of something like a hard pipe hitting the tip of the sword.

However, the depth of the attack was too shallow to completely destroy it with one blow. This is probably because the amount of Aurors in operation is too small.

Lee Seong-jin lost face several times today.

“Lord Masaine! Destroy its core!”

Kwasik.

Seongjin shouted as he pushed the auror onto the stuck sword and stabbed it a little deeper. I felt a crack in Bartosi, but it was too early to feel relieved. To completely prevent channeling attempts, you must destroy the core and completely eliminate the creature.

Fortunately, the caterpillar, which had part of its body blown off by Masain’s attack, was unable to completely cover its glowing core even though it was covered with an outer shell. Sir Kurt instinctively plunges his sword towards the faintly glowing spot inside the body.

Bye.

At that moment, the caterpillar started shaking like crazy.

“Lowering!”

Wow!

Masain’s voice cries out like a scream, and the caterpillar’s deathly vomit shakes the room.

Seongjin gave strength to the stuck sword and clenched his teeth as he stood on the guy’s head. Which comes first, the Bartholomew’s organ being destroyed, or the core being completely deactivated? He could not let down his guard at all until the bastard fell completely silent.

Secretly.

Something began to wrap around Seongjin’s body. These roots are starting to become more active as pupation progresses.

Bleep. Its outer shell trembles with a strange ringing sound.

Degurrr. Suddenly, the guy’s round eyes are exposed outside the outer shell, and his eyes are focused solely on Seongjin.

Bartosh, with his sword stuck in it, blinked.

The light blue light in its core also blinks.

Blink. Blink.

and.

At some point, the caterpillar completely stopped moving.

In an instant, like a lie, the son-in-law is enveloped in serene silence.

“… omg!”

Seongjin let out the breath he had barely been holding.

It was breathtaking. The channel was just about to open.

Ironically, what supported Seongjin’s body, as his legs lost strength and almost slipped, were the roots of Bantra that were wrapped around here and there.

“Lowering!”

“Are you okay, sir?”

Masain and Sir Kurt rushed towards Seongjin. In particular, Masain’s face was completely white, and it looked as if he was about to suffocate at any moment.

This person is secretly not worth his weight. Seongjin waved his hand excitedly at him.

“It’s okay… “It’s okay.”

It was then that Seongjin’s ears caught a strange sound.

[…] Seongjin… Sane… … .]

‘… … ?’

At first, it was difficult. Who in this world knows Seongjin and calls his name?

[this… Seongjin… … .]

But I really hear a voice calling his name from somewhere.

Seongjin looked around his head and suddenly looked down.

This is Bartosi with his sword stuck in it. A monster’s channeling organ with a hazy light hovering around it.

[Lee Seong-jin… … .]

Beyond Bantra’s organ, where a faint light still remained, something was calling to Seongjin.

fantasy,