His rough grip threw me down against the ground.
Guh!
And… I might have landed on a rock. While I was rubbing the aching area, the two predators seemed to be lost in their discussion.
"Do you not have any self-control?"
"I was merely defending your ass! You were about to die."
"Just because I got swung over doesn't mean you need to be reckless."
"A 'thank you' would have been fine!"
Honestly, these two are ridiculous. Are they seriously squabbling in front of their prey? Like a bunch of rabid dogs tearing at each other rather than the target.
But seriously… I've got to stop staying on the ground. This has been my third time getting knocked out by unforeseen events.
I lifted myself from humiliation before interrupting their pointless argument.
"Excuse me—"
Both their eyes snapped right back at me.
Well, that was one way to catch their attention.
But as if realizing the sudden shift in position here, they began their interrogation once again, lifting their weapon at me.
"What's your name?"
"Show us some identification."
Uhh…?
After tracing me down and choking me, they dared to request my ID. These kids need to learn some manners, I swear.
But I guess it is better than losing my life after reincarnation. I should have an ID somewhere…
I hurriedly searched every single one of my pockets in fear that they might just pierce that sword right through my guts.
Damn it… Why couldn't I find anything?!
"Uhm… I don't exactly carry my ID with me."
"Bullshit. I might just take you down right now."
Fortunately, this angry bird was held back by his partner.
"My apologies. We thought we crossed paths with an Inebriant."
"An Inebriant?"
"Are you lost or what?"
"Back off, Geonsu."
They mentioned Inebriants. I had a vague memory of those inhumane species.
Inebriants are beings that have been consumed by uncontrollable power from the constellations. It is another way of saying that the power was stronger than the user. Some constellations abuse that knowledge to toy with the helpless.
But at this rate, I could take advantage of their invulnerability.
Grrr… If only I had some items and a weapon.
"Excuse this little Chihuahua. He barks and bites."
"You fuck—!"
An abrupt shove momentarily interrupted the dog's bark before the owner resumed his introduction.
"Anyway, I'm Goo Seok. Well, I'm assuming that you know already."
That's right. I recognize this guy by the mole under his nose and his narrowed eyes. Despite his intimidating appearance, this guy was a self-righteous man of honor.
He was one of Shen Haoyu's fallen companions in his first battle. A man proven to carry the burdens of lost fellows, declaring to be the shield of others, and pushing himself to his limits all the time.
Unfortunately, he didn't make it past Shen Haoyu's first battle. That was always the fate of Goo Seok.
[Understanding of the character "Goo Seok" increased.]
[Affinity raised 0]
[Constellation Inactive Companion sponsored 100 coins.]
Huh?
"My mate over here is Lee Geonsu."
Lee Geonsu—an irrational guy with good intentions. His feisty personality is a defence mechanism to hide his inferiority complex.
Surprisingly, he never became Shen Haoyu's companion. To think that a guy with just redeemable skills would not join someone like the main character.
But his reason was valid. So, I've got to respect that.
I didn't like him as much as I did before because I found him a hassle to deal with, but he had some good qualities that I admired.
"I think I can introduce myself just fine."
Yeah… that's highly unlikely. Knowing how wary and ruthless that Chihuahua treated people, he was totally going to end up devouring me.
[Constellation Last Believer Of Humanity shook his head.]
Ghkk!
I hadn't expected a constellation to eavesdrop or even bother wasting their time on this conversation.
"Uhh, I'm Du— I mean, Woo Hyunho."
Right. Du Gaein is gone. It's now Woo Hyunho.
But as we were beginning to come on good terms, the ground trembled violently, and tall shadows emerged from multiple areas of the bushes.
Eyes that glimmered an irritating color of purple—steadily approaching at a menacing pace with claws that stretched out longer than a lion's.
"Inebriant Ravishers! Stay back."
Oh, Inebriant Ravishers. There are many different types of inebriants. They are all ranked by difficulty, and right now we are dealing with an uncommon species that had been manipulated by the devil of lust and wrath.
These things hardly had any useful items, but anything would be fine for me at the moment.
I took a step back, allowing those in front of me to strike at those beasts.
Finally, the battle began!
Goo Seok summoned… Perseus's Shield?!
[Constellation Son of the King of Thunder proudly brags about his shield.]
It's a B-class weapon that could withstand basic physical attacks but defend against harsh mystical attacks.
I never thought that he would acquire such an item in the early stage, but considering Shen Haoyu's regression, he must have made a desperate move.
Goo Seok raised his shield on time when one of the Inebriants released their cursed venoms. Fortunately, he had the shield of Perseus, capable of dismissing such venom.
But while the shield lifted itself, the sword of Lee Geonsu came into action, taking advantage of the mirrored armor—he was able to predict the enemy's position by the reflection.
"Geonsu, on your left!"
It was like watching a video game live in action. The way they swung their sword was formed strategically and communicated synchronously.
Ahh! This was my dream. The fantasy I've been longing for.
But getting lost in admiration turned quickly into a chase for survival.
Ugh… I should've known letting my guard down for a moment wouldn't do me any good. An Inebriant snuck up to the right before eagerly chasing me down.
"AAAHH!!!"
An armless and vulnerable person such as I could not defend myself with anything other than a stupid branch!
It shouldn't be as hard as I expected, right?
My grip on the branch felt firm as I ran for my life deeper into the forest.
Damn it! Did I really have to lose the only people who could've protected me?!
It doesn't matter. I'm going to end this cat and mouse.
I paused in my movement before ducking down to avoid the beast's venomous spit, then swiftly swung the branch as hard as I could below the knees.
One thing I am aware of, Ravishers, is that their killer switch is their nape.
As the Ravisher fell flat on their face, I punctured the back of their neck. In the end, their head exploded with an unknown substance.
「You earned 500 coins for killing an Inebriant Ravisher.」
That was kind of disgusting, but it was worth it.
"Hey, Hyunho! Are you alright?"
"Calm down, Seok. It wouldn't really matter if he were dead."
Huff… Huff…
That was… incredible! What was I thinking? Who said you needed brawn when you've got brains?
[Constellation Man-eating Pig giggles at your delicacy.]
Ugh, who am I kidding? I only know these things because I wrote them. It feels like cheating.
"I'm fine. I just need… a break."
Here I was, back on the muddy ground, and with the rain pouring down on me.
"Jeez, if it took one Inebriant to take this dude out, imagine how he would feel about the rest."
"You're not wrong… He wouldn't be able to survive on his own."
A moment of victory turned into devastation. Their words weren't exactly wrong, but they certainly took a hit at my pride.