BW C239

Chapter 239

Taemuk looked again at the swarm of Shikgoe pouring in like a cloud of locusts. Now that land was finally within reach, the creatures seemed even more frenzied, charging faster than before.

Splash, splash.

Kieeeeeek!

Kirrrrk!

The sound of countless monsters running across the now-shallow river grew deafening. The earth trembled beneath them.

Cannons still exploded behind and beside them, arrows still rained down, but it was no longer enough to stop them all.

Taemuk slowly curled his fingers tighter around the sword.

The soldier beside him also raised his own blade, preparing to fight. He had been serving at Taemuk’s side throughout this battle, taking Byunguk’s place.

Taemuk gave him a flat look.

“Hey.”

“Yes, Captain.”

The soldier answered sharply.

His young face wasn’t filled with fear.

Only determination.

Taemuk tapped the soldier’s arm twice with the flat of his blade.

“Stop hovering around me and go to the back. Shoot arrows.”

“…Captain.”

The soldier’s brows fell as if wounded.

Taemuk jerked his chin toward the soldiers still standing on the plain.

“Take those guys too.”

“But—”

“Not listening?”

The soldier shut his mouth.

He seemed torn between obeying and disobeying.

Then Taemuk raised one eyebrow and glared.

The soldier lowered his gaze and nodded.

Still, he hesitated.

Only after receiving another scorching glare did he finally turn away.

Then Taemuk called out again.

“Ah.”

The soldier stopped.

“Yes?”

“The spearmen.”

“Yes.”

“Send only them.”

The soldier’s face brightened.

“…Yes!”

He sprinted uphill.

Not leaving Taemuk completely alone seemed to ease his mind.

Soon Taemuk stood alone.

He watched the Shikgoe now almost within arm’s reach.

They were so desperate that they tripped over one another, tangled together, bounced off each other, even piled two layers high.

Disgusting.

“…Hoo.”

Taemuk inhaled deeply and tightened his grip.

He scanned left and right across the river, checking which side would reach land first.

Then—

Something pink flickered in his vision.

Taemuk narrowed his eyes.

At one corner of the riverbank, a cluster of flowers bloomed.

Soft pink petals swayed in the wind.

Azaleas.

After all this chaos—with blood and corpses everywhere—the flowers blooming there alone felt surreal.

Taemuk stared.

And naturally, one beautiful face came to mind.

A faint smile touched his lips.

At that exact moment—

KIEEEEEEEEK!

The first Shikgoe finally reached land and leapt at him.

Taemuk, drenched in blood, swung the sword in a massive arc.

Whooom.

The blade sounded more like a giant club than a sword.

Every Shikgoe struck by it split cleanly in half.

Heads separated from bodies and dropped with heavy thuds.

Krk! Kak! Kak!

The severed creatures didn’t even realize they’d been cut apart.

They still opened their jaws and screamed.

Taemuk kicked them aside and kept swinging.

He aimed only for necks and waists.

He knew crushing their heads was the true killing blow.

But there was no time.

Too many enemies.

Too few soldiers.

Immobilizing them was enough.

If they couldn’t move, they couldn’t attack the soldiers behind him.

That was why he used a sword now instead of fighting barehanded.

Taemuk’s expression remained blank.

Only his eyes burned.

Each time the sword tore through a Shikgoe, he felt everything—the splitting hide, the tearing flesh, the snapping bone.

The crunching sound was horrifying.

And strangely satisfying.

Blood sprayed from severed necks in great bursts.

Unlike head wounds, which mixed with thick brain matter, neck wounds spilled only hot wet blood.

Much easier to tolerate.

“Hoo…”

Taemuk shook his head.

Blood droplets clinging to his hair and lashes scattered away.

Then he cut down another charging monster in one clean strike.

But suddenly—

KRRRRRK!

A Shikgoe lunged at the arm holding his sword.

Taemuk noticed and twisted away.

Losing an arm wasn’t the problem.

Losing the sword arm was.

The moment he stepped back—

Whiiing!

An arrow screamed through the air and pierced the creature through the skull.

The Shikgoe collapsed instantly.

Taemuk glanced back.

Behind the defensive barricade, Jeokudae soldiers fired arrows nonstop.

Many Shikgoe dropped under the relentless barrage.

Cannons still roared across the river.

The water had turned from red to nearly black with blood.

Yet the Shikgoe kept coming.

“YAAAH!”

Behind Taemuk, the spearmen stabbed through the skulls of the monsters he had sliced apart.

By his orders, they stayed behind his shadow, finishing the disabled creatures.

Everyone was drenched in blood.

But none were injured.

Stabbing the skulls of fallen monsters wasn’t difficult.

The problem was speed.

Taemuk sometimes felled two at once.

Sometimes three.

The spearmen struggled to keep up.

Occasionally Shikgoe charged at them—

But Taemuk noticed every single one and severed their necks before they reached them.

Because of that, the spearmen could focus solely on crushing skulls.

For a long time, Taemuk and the spearmen fought without rest.

Around them, corpses piled higher and higher.

It almost looked like dunes made entirely of Shikgoe bodies.

Because of that, even after crossing the river, the Shikgoe struggled to reach the plains.

They had to climb over mountains of their own dead.

Some crawled on all fours only to tumble backward.

Others slipped in blood and crashed down.

Then the ones behind them tangled and fell too.

“Ptui.”

After slicing through two necks, Taemuk spat.

Blood had gotten into his mouth.

The sour, stale taste made him nauseous.

Like chewing rotten meat.

He wiped his mouth with his palm and swung again.

The heavy blade crushed through another neck bone.

Taemuk scanned the battlefield.

Corpses everywhere.

Some killed by cannon fire.

Some by arrows.

Some severed at the neck or waist.

The most bodies lay near the river.

Farther toward the mountain, there were fewer.

Thankfully, no Shikgoe had reached the defensive line yet.

Jeokudae was holding.

At this rate…

Maybe they could survive this without catastrophic losses.

Just like this.

Just keep holding.

Taemuk gritted his teeth and split another creature at the waist.

Kieeeee…

Shikgoe screams echoed endlessly.

Then—

“Kh…”

Taemuk let out a strained sound.

When his blade cut through bone, sharp pain shot through his wrist.

His fingers felt stiff and numb.

He couldn’t even tell if he held a sword or a branch anymore.

Hundreds—

No, over a thousand Shikgoe.

After cutting down that many, his muscles and bones were nearing their limit.

Invisible tears or fractures might already be forming.

Even the sword had worn down.

Its edge was chipped so badly it looked like a saw.

But there was no time to stop.

Taemuk swung again.

Then—

As the blade reached halfway through a Shikgoe’s waist—

CLANG!

The sword snapped clean in half.

KRRRRRK!

The half-cut monster lunged at him.

“Ah, fuck…”

Taemuk cursed.

Then shoved his hand into the creature’s nostrils and ripped upward.

CRRRK—

Its skull split open.

Brain matter burst out.

Chunks splattered over his head.

“Fuck…”

He cursed again.

Then hurled the torn skull plate toward the incoming Shikgoe.

The immense force behind it drove the bone into two creatures’ stomachs.

They rolled backward instantly.

“Haa…”

Taemuk glanced at the sky to steady his breathing.

At first he thought his vision was blurring because of blood.

But no.

The sun had disappeared.

The sky had darkened like ash after fire.

Night had fallen.

Taemuk clicked his teeth.

Darkness was dangerous.

He could manage with his hearing.

The soldiers couldn’t.

He ripped another skull apart and spoke to the spearmen behind him.

“Get back behind the defensive line.”

The spearmen immediately protested.

“But Captain, there are too many for you alone.”

“We’ll fight with you.”

Taemuk turned, glaring.

“These bastards really don’t listen. Want to die?”