Chapter 23
The Way of Trampling Someone
The horde of monsters seemed to be looking for something .
It’s like they’re looking something that ought to be around here .
They are clearly looking for me .
Maybe they traced me by my smell .
Though, it looks like this foul-smelling zone had hidden my scent .
But… I can’t take action against them .
Something is different from these minotaurs and birdheads .
They are certainly giving off the impression of a “flock of animals” .
However, I can feel a hint of intelligence from them .
The monsters stepped on the bones that had been scattered .
Pekkiii!
[Kaaaahheeeeee, guuuooooohhh, gggeeerrrriiii, ggeeeerrrriiii? Gguuee, guueeguuueee, gguueegguuee gggguueeeeeerrriiiihhhh!
Pekkii! Pakkii! Beekkkiii!
“gwhere!? gwhere!? gwhere!?”
That’s how their calls sound to me .
[It would be impossible to escape from here without being noticed–]
I pull out my body from the hole between the bones .
[In the end, it’s not like I plan to run anyway . ]
I didn’t take any measure to hold this fort .
It’s not possible to specifically target all of them from here .
The nest is slightly elevated than the surroundings .
There’s also a rock wall on the back .
It seems that the circ.u.mstances this time is favorable .
Most of the monsters I see are humanoid lizards .
It looks like they were the so-called “Lizardman” .
But they look worse than the Lizardman I know .
There are those black objects protruding out from its shoulder that strangely looks like tentacles .
The tentacles looks like they’re twisted rag as they’re moving about in the air .
There’s also those liquid that were dripping from the tip of those tentacles .
Drip, drop…
Shuuuuuuu…
Are those acid too?
I think it’s better if I give up on the thought of eating this monsters here .
Their pupils are colored like a muddy gold .
While the area around his eyes are completely black .
That opening in its forehead— is that another mouth?
Does it have two mouths, one above and another below?
Their leg parts are more remarkably developed compared to their arms .
Their size is also bigger than the others .
It was even bigger than the minotaurs, which were already gigantic .
There were 20 of such monstrosities, or so I estimate .
[Gii gyuueehh?]
The first lizardman who noticed me made a hoa.r.s.e cry .
[Giiguuueeaaahhh!!!]
All of the monsters looked at me at once .
Their killing intent is spreading even from where I stand .
But it’s not just pure killing intent .
[Giiyooo, giiyyooo, giiyyyooiiiihhh!!!]
[Hmm?]
Someone from the back lifted something in its hand as it moved forward .
That something is stuck on a long pole .
It was a skeleton .
It’s probably a human skeleton .
What’s more, the skeleton was dressed .
No– is it dressed by them?
[Uuueeehhh, uueeehh, uueehhehhehh~ ♪ ]
The lizardman swings the bones it’s raising left and right .
The guy next to him makes a gesture as if it’s planning to play a trick .
It’s squinting its eyes and it seems that it’s acting like it’s crying .
The guy who is imitating a crying child looks up towards the sky .
[Iiyaaaahhhhhh!!!]
It feels like it’s trying to change it’s voice .
Is it imitating someone screaming this time?
[Ah…]
I see, so that’s what they’re doing .
It’s an imitation of the dressed skeleton, a woman’s skeleton .
This time, another lizardman holding a soot skeleton came forward .
The skeleton this time is dressed like a man .
This skeleton certainly looks more solid than before .
A soot-colored skeleton .
That’s what I imagined .
One of the lizardman lied down on its back .
[Giieehhh, ggiiieehhhh, gggiiyyyooeeeeehhhh!?]
It’s swinging around it’s limbs as it screams loudly .
The lizardmen around it looks like they’re speaking with each other happily .
[Guueee, ggiiiyyaaa, giiiyaaa, giiyyaaaahhh ♪ ]
[Gggeeee, ggeeeee ♪ ggeee hhiiiiihhhh ♪ ]
They’re laughing at it .
The plight for life of a dying disposed person .
That disposed person probably is burned or beaten to death .
These guys enjoyed seeing the disposed person’s shriek of agony .
Doshhiiinnn!
After a few moments, another one with a bigger body came out from the back .
That guy put a skull near its feet .
The skull was also from a human .
Meryii—beekkkiii!!!
The big guy trampled the skull with the sole of its foot and crushed the skull .
Its eyes narrowed down and looked as if it’s squinting .
Its sharp fangs could be seen and the corner of its lips are visibly raised .
It’s smirking .
Now, be frightened!
We will kill you this way .
We will crush you to pieces .
We will trample you like so .
Or so I think what they’re trying to say .
Even if I’m clueless about their language, the thought completely came through .
I had already understood .
The lizardmen haven’t started attacking yet .
Their making light of me .
An E-Rank with a low correction value .
The growth of all my stats except for MP is really bad, even if my level has greatly increased .
It is overwhelmingly inferior compared to the other disposed persons .
They had already judged the “weakness” of the disposed people .
Even back in the past, they had already encountered the strongest of the low-level disposed people .
Therefore, there had no need to kill immediately .
There is no need to take initiative .
Why, you ask?
It’s because they could kill you anytime .
It’s because those people from the bottom can never get out of this predicament .
A cruel preference along with their killing intent .
I see… it seems they’re a bit different from the other monsters I’ve encountered so far .
I don’t think they’ve even thought that I have killed the dragon zombie here .
I’m just a “human” who had been secretly hiding in the dead carca.s.s of the dead dragon .
Perhaps, that’s what they have perceived .
[……… . ]
They look the same .
The current situation is just like the scene before I had been sent here .
Those guys from 2-C .
Kirihara, Oyamada, Yasu, that sh*tty G.o.ddess…
An air full of scorn and curses, as if they’re throwing stones to those who were weak .
The air of someone who looks down on the weak .
The air of those who howl unsightly looking for hope .
Suuu…
I raise my arm and held it forward .
The lizardmen were feeling excited .
I get the feeling like they’re jeering at me .
Raising my arms forward may have given the impression of someone saying, “Please wait a moment!” .
[To all you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, I give my thanks . ]
[Ggiiyyoo?]
The lizardmen glare at me with cold eyes .
[For simple trashes like you all, I could kill you without hesitation . ]
Kuuuoooooooohhhhhh—
At that moment, one of the lizardmen’s eyes lit up .
A strange high-pitched cry reverbrated .
The back of its forehead and its eyes were shining red .
The upper mouth of the lizardman also became more reddish .
[]
[Gguuoo, guueee…? Geehh, ggeeehhh . geeehhh!? Ggeeggeeeehhh—]
Boggaannn!!!
The lizardman’s head that were turning red have exploded .
It had blown out everything above its neck .
The energy that it was about to release has lost its bearing and went out of control .
Did it get angry and was trying to threaten me?
Or is it that it got bored with me and now trying to kill me?
Whichever it is, I do not know .
I glance at the lizardman who has lost its neck .
[It begun, huh… when the enemies can use something like projectile weapons . ]
I had begun to take notice of something at this moment .
It’s thanks to the fact that I had pa.s.sed a battle of life and death against those birdheads and minotaurs .
Have I become too sensitive as a result of my continued nervousness?
Have I become too adapted with this situation, that my instincts had adapted to the environment?
My reflexes to the opponent’s movements had been surprisingly high .
Now, I was able to react in just a moment .
I am now able to perceive their movements .
To put it in other words, I had gained the ability to forestall .
The sense of getting stronger by being placed beside death .
The reaction speed is not based on the correction values .
I think…
The thing that I, who had been always beside death, gained .
It’s a status(self-made) outside the status(correction values) .
Anyway, the key to this abnormal skill is that I had to apply this skill to them before they were able to move .
Victory is almost confirmed if I released my skill before the opponent could attack .
Therefore, improving my reflexes and prediction of the enemies’ initial movements were more important than anything else .
In that sense, it can be said that this place is perfect for honing my reflexes .
For a moment though, I suddenly felt lost for words .
The best training ground, heh .
Because this is such a place, even just a step forward made me keener .
[Guuu, ggiiieeeeehhh]
[Giii, giiggguuuu…?]
The group of lizardmen spread out like forming a fan in front of me .
Everyone of them seems to be feeling uncomfortable .
I can somehow get what they are thinking .
“How did that fellow miss that shot?”
The guys in the front row aren’t sure of what happened behind them .
They’re just stiffly standing there while facing me .
Yes— the lizardman can’t move already .
The composure in their face has long been lost already .
Perhaps that kind of face, is one expressing confusion upon their current predicament .
[Because I can now endow on multiple targets, it will be decided that I will endow it to them all together . ]
The lizardmen is confused as they felt the coming crisis on them .
[Ggggiii, gggeee, gggeeee…!]
[… . that’s quite a good expression, isn’t it? I see—]
Is that the expression of someone knowing they’re about to be trampled?
[Hmm?]
Something is coming…
Dododododododododododo… . .
A group of quadruped lizards which had string like tools wrapped around it’s neck .
It sounds like a muddy stream is approaching in here .
Maybe it’s that explosion before that might have attracted them here .
Are these the lizardmen’s pet mount?
Its eyes were golden .
There’s orange lines flowing within its black skin .
They number about twenty .
They also have those tentacles that squirts liquid from the tip .
It was those eyes though that caught my attention, it’s full of killing intent .
Its line of sight has caught me .
This lizard gives off the same feeling as those minotaurs and birdheads .
This guy, purely wanted to kill me .
[Ggiiiiyoooeeehhh! Gggiiggiiiyyyooooeeeeeehhh!]
[Iggiieeeeehhh! Eehhehhehhhhehhhh!]
They’re scrambling to rush towards here .
It’s like they’re trying to say that I were their prey .
[Ggyyooo, gggueeehhh!?]
The first lizard blows away the lizardman who were paralyzed in the furthest row .
…are they not their owner?
Furthermore,
Doooo—gggaaannnn!
Doooggaannn!
It happened around the back of the approaching quadruped lizard .
[[Ggiiiiyyyaaaaoooohhhh!!!]]
Two more dragon zombies appeared by destroying the walls .
Was it also drawn by the sound of explosion from earlier?
With its momentum when it broke through the wall, they opened their mouths and rushed towards here .
[Geez…]
…is everyone r.e.t.a.r.ded these days?
[Why the heck are you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds coming here just for you to pretend like you’ll kill me?]
I guess he’s going to kill me .
I guess he’s going to play around with me .
I still believe that the monsters here were the strongest .
They may not have thought of being defeated of such a meager human .
[Though I’ve said that earlier… it seems that having a low correction value is surprisingly not bad at all . ]
They can estimate the strength of their opponents that were weaker than them .
I look down on the lizardmen who had been ridiculing me just now .
A super strong enemy that gives off an enormous amount of EXP you may be, your splendid negligence had been the cause of your conclusion .
[Well then— good work on coming here, you sh*tty monsters . ]
I raise both of my arms forward .
[]
With my bared teeth — I can feel a crooked grin on my face .
[]
Thank you everyone, it’s now time for your death .