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Chapter 101
The battle with the monsters, which had begun in broad daylight, showed no sign of ending even as the sunset approached.
Moreover, Enoch and Kaiden were backed against the river, surrounded with nowhere left to retreat. Their spirits were flagging, battered and bruised as they were.
Kaiden cast a glance at Enoch, who was covered in blood, and nervously bit his lower lip.
“Are you alright, Your Highness?”
Enoch instantly understood the meaning behind the question. Kaiden’s concern was whether he might lose control and go berserk.
“I’m fine.”
Enoch wiped the blood off his chin with the back of his hand and replied,
“I can control it.”
He could—no, more accurately, he had to.
The situation was urgent; Margaret’s life was still unconfirmed.
And considering what happened the last time he intentionally went berserk to clear out monsters—she had nearly been hurt. Until he confirmed Margaret’s safety, losing his mind was out of the question.
He had to overcome this. Succumbing to despair would solve nothing.
Enoch clenched his sword tighter, the veins on his trembling hands standing out from the strain.
The monsters surrounding them had grotesque forms he had never seen before. They were on a different level compared to the monsters from the southern island.
One of them broke through the pack and charged. It was a bizarre, fish-like creature with legs.
“Kyah!”
It leaped toward Kaiden, opening its massive mouth.
Seeing its sharp, tightly packed teeth, Kaiden spun halfway around and gave Enoch the attack opportunity. Enoch immediately thrust his greatsword upward from under the fish’s maw.
The fish monster’s attack signaled the others, and the previously hesitant monsters charged at them again.
“Kwaaaak!”
“Kaaak!”
Even as the sun set and deep night fell, the battle showed no signs of stopping. They remained surrounded, and the monsters kept coming.
“Damn it… it’s embarrassing, but should we just run?”
Kaiden panted heavily, struggling for breath.
Enoch, still bloodied and pointing his sword at the monsters, exhaled wearily. He scanned the monsters calmly, frowning.
“That might be the best choice.”
But the number of monsters surrounding them was enormous. Finding an escape route seemed almost impossible. Things were not going as they hoped.
Enoch couldn’t help but worry. At this rate, they might actually die—without even finding Margaret.
“Damn it! There’s no way out!”
Kaiden shouted, his voice laced with frustration. Enoch, expressionless and chilling, cut down another charging monster with ease, then glanced at Kaiden.
In that instant, tension snapped. Through his vision, Enoch saw Kaiden wiping blood from his forehead. Almost immediately, Enoch slipped into a seizure state.
“Damn it! Trying to break through by attacking just one side… Your Highness?!”
Kaiden’s scream faded into the distance.
Enoch’s ears filled only with the pounding of his own massive heart and the heat of his breathing.
Ha… sss… ha…
His vision turned blood-red. Enoch saw nothing but the crimson hue, like a hallucination.
His turbulent emotions slowly calmed, leaving him feeling strangely relaxed. A creeping sense of losing control over himself came over him.
Helplessly dominated by his unconsciousness, just as his awareness of who he was began to fade beneath the surface…
“Don’t worry about protecting me. Worry about yourself first. Without me, you wouldn’t survive even a day on this island.”
“Stop apologizing. I know it’s not your fault.”
A clear, refreshing female voice whispered in his ears.
“Enoch. I want to live. I want you to survive too. I mean that.”
It was Margaret’s voice.
The moment he recalled her face, the crimson hue slowly began to fade, and his vision started returning to normal.
He had to maintain control.
Even if going berserk could kill all the monsters, it wouldn’t bring him any closer to truly overcoming his trauma.
Sure, it might save him in the immediate danger, but someday, it could put Margaret at risk.
That must not happen.
Even if he died being torn apart by monsters, it was better to die thinking of Margaret with his mind intact.
His focus sharpened, and his blurred consciousness returned.
He felt it—he could now fully control the berserk state. Perfectly.
As soon as Enoch regained his composure, he noticed two monsters had driven Kaiden to the edge of the river and were charging at him.
Enoch ran immediately. He swiftly sliced one charging monster with his sword and roughly pushed Kaiden aside.
Another monster lunging at Kaiden bit Enoch’s shoulder.
“Damn it! Your Highness!”
Kaiden’s scream ended as Enoch, holding the monster, plunged into the river.
He sank deep with the monster but didn’t relent. Grabbing its nape, he drove his sword through its body.
After discarding the dead monster, Enoch swam to the surface. Beyond the rippling water, he saw a raging inferno.
Puhah!
As his face broke the surface, a massive fire erupted into the dark sky.
Fwaaah!
The towering flames swept through the monsters surrounding Kaiden by the river.
“Kwaaaak!”
The shrieks of the monsters writhing in pain filled the air. Kaiden temporarily covered his ears, scanning the surroundings.
Enoch emerged from the water, blood dripping from large shoulder wounds, and walked toward the riverbank.
“Damn… you made it. I knew you would, but sometimes… Your Highness, you’re scarier than those monsters.”
Kaiden breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him.
Enoch flicked water off his sword and nodded toward Kaiden. The fire had created a gap among the monsters.
“Lord, this way.”
Kaiden and Enoch moved through the opening. In the distance, a silver serpent was spewing flames.
“Of course it had to be you. Hey, Eunji.”
Kaiden called to it, and the serpent, seemingly understanding its name, glanced at them.
It peeked sideways because it hadn’t finished burning the monsters completely.
Kwack!
But there were too many monsters for Eunji to kill alone.
Enoch and Kaiden ran toward Eunji. The serpent tilted its head, remaining silent, and the flames stopped.
Kaiden, puzzled, scooped up Eunji and ran alongside Enoch.
“Kaaak! Kwaak!”
They could hear monsters’ screams behind them.
Kaiden glanced down at Eunji as he ran.
“Where have you been?”
Eunji blinked innocently, not understanding, and stayed curled up in his arms.
Kaiden clicked his tongue at the pure look on its face. Without Margaret, he had no idea what it wanted, so he quickly gave up on communication.
“Lord, wait.”
While panting heavily, Enoch blocked Kaiden’s path.
They had reached a dead end. The monsters’ screams grew closer behind them.
“Damn it.”
Kaiden muttered as Eunji slipped down his wrist and landed on the ground with a thud.
“Huh? Hey!”
Kaiden reached out, but Eunji ignored him and wriggled somewhere, turning toward them. Enoch observed it quietly.
“It seems like it’s telling us to follow.”
Kaiden suddenly remembered that Eunji had been imprinted by Margaret.
“Oh, right. This one has been following Margaret since before it hatched.”
It had tracked her perfectly even as an egg, so it would know her location even from a distance.
Enoch nodded toward Kaiden again as he watched the approaching monsters.
“Go.”
Kaiden adjusted his dagger, nodded, and said,
“Let’s go.”
They followed Eunji.
* * *
“I have no idea what kind of monster wrapped around my waist.”
It had an elephant-like long nose, no eyes, and only sharp teeth in its vision.
I was dangling upside down three stories high, completely immobilized. From the third-floor window, Zenas spoke to me.
“By the way, there was a saint among Meg’s group.”
“Damn it, what?”
“You swear well.”
Zenas laughed. Was that supposed to be funny?
“Watch closely.”
“Say it so I can understand! Let me go!”
“I’m just borrowing the monster’s eyes, not controlling it. It just likes you.”
Zenas shrugged. The monster didn’t move. I shouted at him while dangling upside down.
“Why would a monster like me?”
“Must be the delicious smell from Meg. Different from others.”
So it thinks I’m a delicacy! I grabbed my head in frustration. Damn it.
Zenas leaned against the window, watching me, clearly skipping any further explanation.
“What did you mean about watching the saint carefully?”
“Just… that saint seems to know something.”
“Know what?”
“Ask her yourself. I’m curious too.”
Damn it!
