## Chapter 309 – Lingering Scent of Flowers
“You won by a surprise attack? Don’t talk nonsense. I can’t believe it.”
“No, I’m serious!”
I cut through the vines and pushed through the thicket.
I felt intermittent internal pain, but if I just curled up in pain, I would never escape the jungle.
I had to endure the pain and move forward.
“That bitch was so careless, thinking she could just devour us. More than anything, her sorcery didn’t work on me. Besides, she hadn’t been awake for long, so she wasn’t in her normal state. That’s probably one of the reasons the surprise attack worked.”
In many ways, the situation was just right.
Alaune was planning to devour us in two senses, so she didn’t go all out from the start to kill us.
And this is just my guess, but I suspect she wasn’t in perfect condition because she hadn’t been awake for long.
Above all, the illusion she cast…
It awakened the power within me.
In conclusion, Alaune was a cruel queen of flowers, but she was not a warrior.
A warrior, when encountering an enemy, should cut to the chase and only think about killing the opponent.
In a true bloodbath where life and death are at stake, if you think about anything else, you’ll die. Alaune died for that very reason.
I won for that very reason.
From the beginning, she never even considered the possibility of losing.
That carelessness creates an opening.
A true warrior never lets their guard down, even if the enemy is a baby. They always fight with all their might, and if they can gang up, they will, and they won’t hesitate to use poison, hidden weapons, or even take hostages.
A truly capable warrior can do it all at once.
“Like most sorcerers, her combat power was terrible. Similar to a dryad. That’s why the surprise attack worked. And the collapse of the garden happened naturally when she fell.”
I continued.
Explaining the Celestial Demon Death Beam to Copson would be pointless, and he would firmly believe that my head had been blown open by the shock.
The story I made up was a plausible explanation, even to me.
“Hmm… is that so? Well, I fainted from the middle, so I don’t know much, but if the sorcery didn’t work, it could be.”
“Yeah, it was an extreme match in many ways.”
—Rustle.
There was no end to the vines, no matter how much I cut them.
Fortunately, we didn’t encounter any monsters, so we were able to move forward without much physical exertion, so it wasn’t too difficult.
“But how did you resist the sorcery? I don’t think I resisted at all. I just lost consciousness.”
What a weakling.
It’s all a matter of willpower.
“—The Master did not speak of strange forces, violence, or chaos.”
Clearing my throat, I said, swinging my sword.
Strange forces, violence, or chaos.
That’s right. Sorcery belongs to strange forces, violence, or chaos, and Confucius, the foundation of fusion Confucianism, said that it didn’t exist, so it was only natural that it didn’t work on me.
Alaune.
You had the worst possible opponent.
If it weren’t for me, the Celestial Demon from beyond the heavens and a seeker of fusion Confucianism, you would have achieved your goal long ago.
You would have sucked out my nutrients and taken my chastity to your heart’s content.
“What? Strange forces, violence, or chaos?”
“In short, it’s just thanks to my faith.”
“You have a very strange faith. You’re a being from a mysterious, savage land… There’s so much I don’t know.”
“Hehehe. Shut up, Copson.”
“Kekeke.”
“Oh, right.”
I took out the flower I had obtained after killing Alaune from my pouch.
It was well wrapped in leaves, and it looked so fresh, even though I had been unconscious for two days.
“What’s that flower?”
“This is the trophy. I guess you could call it Alaune’s flower.”
“Alaune’s flower?”
Copson took the flower and examined it closely.
He didn’t seem to know anything special about it. I explained to him that when I killed Alaune, a flower bloomed in its place, and I picked it.
“Hmm… it’s a very beautiful flower.”
“It looks expensive. Want to sell it and split the money?”
It looks quite expensive.
After all, it’s a trophy from Alaune.
Could it be that if you plant this and grow it, Alaune will grow back?
Anyway, it seemed to be worth dozens of silver.
I should ask Winia to sell it for a fair price… Ah.
Damn it.
What am I going to say when I get back?
Thinking of the girls who must be looking for me, my heart sank. I didn’t want to worry them, but I had been delayed for too long.
My heart burned in an instant.
It hurts more than internal injuries.
“No.”
Copson opened his mouth, returning the flower.
“Let the barbarian have it.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“It’s almost all thanks to the barbarian. Think of it as the price for saving me. Besides, you need to heal your body, don’t you? Just buy me a drink next time, and that’ll be enough.”
“You… Okay. I will.”
“Hehehe, I’ll look forward to it.”
What a decent guy.
We chuckled and continued through the jungle.
—Cough.
Even then, phlegm mixed with blood flowed out. The internal injuries are serious… I felt that if I didn’t get treatment soon, it would be fatal.
But if I just get back, I’ll be fine somehow.
—Rosario.
I still had the rosary around my neck.
In the last holy war, I was revered as Saint Kim Kat and received this rosary from each church as a token of gratitude.
They said they would help me at any time if I showed it to them, so if I go to the church, they will definitely treat me for free. I should go to the Brass Heaven Church.
I could go to the relief monastery, but I should use this if I have it. As a saint, they would surely heal my internal injuries completely.
“Hey, Copson. Let’s take a break.”
“Is it hard after all?”
“Yeah, it’s a little tough.”
I sat down for a moment to recover my strength.
Am I getting a fever? My body is so hot that I can’t tell. I used up all my future strength in the fierce battle. In fact, I was a little dazed. My vision was also blurred.
If I could feel any mana, I would try to restore my body to its original state, but I couldn’t because it was all gone.
Overall, my body is a mess.
I drank some water, ate, rested for a while, and then moved on. Hoping to get out of the jungle before sunset.
—Rustle.
As I was walking, I noticed the bushes in front of me shaking. Without a word, Copson and I quickly hid behind a tree and lowered our bodies, as if it were an instinct.
—Then.
“Ah, damn it. It’s so hot. And there are so many bugs.”
“I can’t see anything useful either. Is this a waste of time?”
“Let’s go a little further. Something will come out.”
The ones who appeared were adventurers who looked like criminals at first glance.
There were five of them in total, and judging from the fact that they were holding sacks and weapons, they seemed to be thugs who came to make a fortune by illegal poaching.
“…”
I thought I would be happy to meet people, but my body was in such bad shape that I just felt like shit. They might be robbers, so Copson and I held our breath and waited for them to pass.
“Hey, let’s collect something around here. I heard there are a lot of expensive things? If we get some poisonous mushrooms or something, it’ll be useful.”
What the hell did you just say?
Does this bastard not know the word “environmental destruction”?
“Then I’ll rest, so you go collect some.”
“What? You’ve been acting up since yesterday, you son of a bitch?”
“Hey, hey. Don’t fight. We’re a team. Should we be fighting?”
Watching their hot-blooded selves bickering with each other made me feel like I was going crazy. Copson and I quietly whispered our opinions.
“Hey… they’re looking for something here?”
“We’ll be found soon…”
“Should we just go out?”
“Five is a bit much, isn’t it? In a place like this, human conscience tends to drop significantly. I have a feeling something bad is going to happen.”
“But if they start looking, there’s no way out.”
“We’re in a dilemma. Let’s just retreat quietly.”
—Rustle.
We tried to leave the scene very carefully, walking backwards.
But how easy is it to not make a sound? My body is in such bad shape that I can’t silence the sound as much as I want.
The same was true for Copson.
“Sound? Hey! There! Who is it! A monster!”
Damn it.
In an instant, the five thugs raised their weapons and lined up.
“I said come out!”
The brown-haired thug who seemed to be the leader shouted loudly. We had no choice but to show ourselves.
“Oh, hello.”
“People? Why were you hiding there?”
“You guys suddenly rushed in, so I reflexively hid, thinking you were monsters. I’m so glad you’re adventurers.”
The thug glared at me suspiciously.
“Is that so?”
“Anyway, good morning. I hope things go well. We failed. Hehehe.”
At my words, the five adventurers started whispering to each other. Even though I greeted them first, they started spitting out swear words, so I had a bad feeling.
Usually, I get this bad feeling before things go to shit.
“You failed?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hmm, I see…”
“Then goodbye. We’ll be on our way.”
As Copson and I tried to bypass them, —Clang. The thugs moved with our steps and pointed their weapons at us.
A thick killing intent and a lack of conscience emanated from them.
“Wait a minute. We met in a place like this, so let’s talk for a bit before you go.”
From his cocky attitude, I could tell that this guy was a degenerate who didn’t receive proper home education. Why is this son of a bitch wandering around outside instead of going home and sucking his mom’s marrow?
“By the way, our friends look like beggars. It doesn’t seem like you’re lying about failing.”
He scanned our appearance and said playfully.
I guess we looked so much like beggars that they looked down on us. That’s why they drew their swords.
“But I have a hobby of receiving charity from beggars.”
What a terrible hobby.
Are you even human?
“If you don’t want to die, take out all your valuables. Oh, and take off all your armor. Hehehe.”
—Hehehe.
—Hihhihi.
—Kikiki.
At the same time, the robber gang began to laugh vilely like demons from hell. As always, these guys I met in places like this were all like this.
“Barbarian?”
Copson poked my back with his finger.
“Ah, damn it. Yeah, that’s right. Nothing good ever happens. How come you guys never miss my expectations?”
“What?”
“You’ll let us go if we give you money, right?”
“This guy understands. That’s right.”
—Rummage.
I immediately took out a wallet full of copper coins from my pocket.
“Take it, you bastard.”
—Whoosh.
I threw it at him, and he snatched the wallet with a satisfied expression and checked the inside. He smiled greedily and continued.
“No, is this all the money you have? It’s all copper?”
“Just take that and let us go. We’re partners, aren’t we? I don’t have any rent money.”
“It’s not enough. Take off your armor and hand it over.”
“My armor is my business capital.”
—Rummage.
Adventurers carry a lot of wallets.
If you put all your assets in one wallet and lose it or get it stolen, you’re screwed.
I took out another spare wallet with change in it.
“This is about 4 silver. Is that okay? You should let us go for that much.”
“4 silver?!”
At that, the robber gang shouted in surprise and joy. It’s a lot of money. He smiled brightly and waved his hand.
“Yeah! Of course we’ll let you go! I swear on my mother’s name that I’ll save you!”
“Thank you. Then take this.”
—Whoosh.
I threw it at the same time—
“Instead of money, take a stab in the neck, you son of a bitch.”
—Flash.
I kicked off the ground.
My body was a mess, but it was nothing to pierce the neck of a robber who was distracted by the money bag.
Suppressing the pain that burst out from near my solar plexus, I stabbed the knife in. The movement was so natural, like water flowing, that he didn’t even react.
—Thwack!
“Cough… cough?”
By the time my leg stopped, the knife was already firmly embedded in his neck. This guy was so blinded by money that he was careless. He’s not cut out to be a robber.
“You’re too greedy, you son of a bitch. Don’t you know that greed is the road to hell? Your funeral money will be replaced with a stab in the neck, you son of a bitch.”
—Thwack.
As soon as I pulled out the embedded blade, bright red blood gushed out. I immediately used footwork to slide sideways and lightly cut the neck of the guy next to me.
The guy who didn’t even react had a look in his eyes that said he didn’t even know why he was dying.
—Thud.
—Thud.
In an instant, two people fell to the ground, their heads buried in the dirt.
“Cough…! Cough!”
Because their lives were not cut off at once, they grabbed their necks with both hands and spewed blood foam. But that wouldn’t stop the bleeding, and they couldn’t survive.
“Huh, huh?”
The remaining three robbers looked at their friends, who were turning into corpses in real time, with shocked faces.
“What do you mean, ‘huh’? You son of a bitch robbers. Hey, Copson. Let’s kill them all. We’ll make a fortune just selling their equipment.”
“Hehehe. You’re a barbarian after all. You’re still running wild like a wild horse even when you’re dying!”
—Flash!
Copson and I immediately pounced on the remaining three. We had already established dominance and showed our terrifying power. Judging from their clumsy reactions, it wouldn’t be too difficult.
“Ugh, ugh!!”
One of the swordsmen, consumed by madness, raised his sword high and honestly swung it down vertically.
“I can’t believe it. You don’t use a sword like that.”
—Swoosh!
I blocked his attack with my sword in a cross guard and pierced his Adam’s apple. The trajectory was too obvious. Even the power and speed were lacking. This must be the average level of robbers.
Even without mana, I’m confident that I can turn these guys into raw meat in three seconds. I didn’t learn swordsmanship for nothing.
“Cough!”
At that moment, Copson stabbed a guy deeply in the abdomen, leaving only one person left. Four robbers had died in an instant.
As short as our meeting was, the speed at which they lost their lives was also fast.
“Hee! Save me! I’m not close to these guys! I’ll give you all the money!”
—Thud.
The last remaining guy dropped his sword and begged.
This guy is giving up his weapon in front of the enemy?
He’s doomed to survive.
“The money, you son of a bitch. I can just kill you and take it.”
“Oh, oh… I mean!”
What should I do… That’s right.
I can ask for directions.
“Hey, I’ll let you live if you tell me this. So answer honestly.”
“I’ll tell you everything, no matter what it is!”
“Good. You have a very good attitude. Actually, we’re lost. Which way should we go?”
—Flick.
Reacting immediately to those words, he pointed to the other side of the bushes with his finger.
“That way! That way!”
“Really? You’re not lying?”
“It’s true, I swear! We just came from that way! Please believe me!”
“I don’t believe you. It seems like we don’t have enough trust. Let’s cut off your finger first for a sincere conversation. Hehehe.”
“Aaaaaah!!!!!!! It’s true!!!!!!!!”
After throwing out a threat, he screamed, foaming at the mouth.
He doesn’t seem to be lying.
“Okay. Thanks for telling me.”
“Then you’ll let me live…”
“—Evil Be Gone!”
The lightning-fast blade cut off his neck.
Why would I let you live, you crazy bastard?
“You killed them all. I feel like we’ve become famous serial killers.”
“It’s just a feeling, you idiot. Let’s take off their clothes quickly.”
Copson and I immediately took all of their sacks and possessions.
People are supposed to leave items behind when they die. Fortunately, they had brought sacks, so there was no problem safely taking their possessions. I can just put everything in here and take it with me.
Money and equipment. And weapons and shoes… After taking everything I could, they were naked. I felt good because it seemed like I would make a great profit.
I don’t need to clean up the bodies.
It all goes back to nature.
“Ugh…!”
Ah.
I felt a deeper pain from moving too much.
But it was better than dying from the robbers’ knives, so it couldn’t be helped.
“Hehehe, how much is this all worth?”
“The hard work paid off.”
“Hehehe!”
“Kekeke! Cough! Ah, damn it. This hurts so much.”
In the end, we killed them all warmly and took all of their possessions and left the jungle. My internal injuries seemed to have gotten a little worse, but I felt comforted because I thought I had done a good thing.
As I pushed through the bushes for a long time in the direction he had told me, I saw the walls of Isvant, which were more than welcome.
I’m out.
I finally escaped the jungle.
A fatal joy enveloped my body, and Copson and I hugged each other and laughed happily as we passed through the gate.
The sun was setting.
We had survived.
