A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! - FSAGW Chapter 124 (Part 2)

Considering the time the spirits signaled, the swamp should have drained by now, but it remained unchanged.
 
[Kaiyan! Maybe it’s time to back off? You’re too exhausted! We don’t know when the swamp will disappear!]
 
Rieka, having used all her scrolls except for the ones saved for when the swamp disappears, stomped her feet in frustration, urging Kaiyan to retreat. But, Kaiyan didn’t want that.
 
“If I leave now, the Kuma will escape the moment the swamp drains. They might even block the hole. That would render all our preparations useless.”
 
[But…]
 
“I’m still okay.”
 
There’s no reason for the spirits to have lied to him. There must be another reason for the delay.
 
“Krrr! Kuwaak!”
 
“Ick…! Haaap!”
 
Pfwah!
 
Continuing to fend off the charging Kuma, Kaiyan racked his brain, but couldn’t think of a reason. The only possibility was that the swamp’s bottom was too solid, taking longer than expected.
 
‘Let’s hold out for another 10 minutes.’
 
If there’s no change in the swamp after 10 minutes, he’d have no choice but to retreat. Even with a potion to restore his stamina, facing thousands more of the Kuma was daunting.
 
“Huh…! Use Random Skill!”
 
Ding! [Ice Wave (C): When used, the temperature within a 3 meters radius drops sharply] [One-time use]
 
Opting to use a random skill, sparing the ones saved for after the swamp drains, he got magic related to ice, similar to Ice Spear.
 
He had hoped for a skill that would slaughter these creatures, but…
 
“…Lowers the temperature, huh. Well, it’s not bad. Haaap!”
 
Boom!
 
As he surged aura into his legs and kicked off the ground, the muddy terrain gave way, lifting him into the air. The Kuma brutes, targeting him, pushed their faces forward.
 
“Kraaak!”
 
“Ice Wave!!”
 
Extending his hand towards the brutes with wide-open jaws, he used the skill, and a white current rapidly cooled the surrounding 3m area.
 
Crackle!
 
“Kuwa…?”
 
The Kuma, screaming, suddenly clutched their whitely frozen snouts.
 
Despite his low expectations due to his bad experience with Ice Spear, this higher-circle magic turned out quite effective.
 
Pssh!
 
“Huh… It feels like I can survive now that I’ve escaped the swamp.”
 
Above all, part of the swamp directly below him froze creating a small platform for him which was really useful.
 
“Now, try sticking out your filthy mouths again.”
 
Using the shaky ice as a platform, Kaiyan swung and swung his sword again at the Kuma struggling towards him.
 
Certainly, escaping the swamp and adding Haste magic allowed his sword swings to be faster.
 
Pfwah!
 
Focusing all his attention on the sword, he swung it in all directions, preventing the Kuma from getting close, causing them to clutch their throats and sink into the swamp.
 
Now, hundreds of Kuma corpses floated in the swamp.
 
The bodies of their kin actually hindered their movement.
 
“Kraaak!”
 
Of course, it didn’t seem to be a significant problem as thousands of the Kuma continued to charge.
 
“Powerful Downward Strike!”
 
Pfwah!
 
“Hyap! Penetrating Stab!”
 
Pwook!
 
He moved back and forth on the dwindling ice platform, cutting down the Kuma.
 
The sword, unfamiliar at first after so long from using one, felt familiar again.
 
“Huh… Enough already…”
 
Ding! [You have leveled up.]
 
Just as he considered retreating due to his dwindling stamina and before becoming more vulnerable, a level-up notification sounded.
 
A level-up was a rare occurrence even during his 30 days in Havnheim, and it came at such an opportune moment.
 
“…Let’s inflict as much damage as possible with aura and then retreat.”
 
However, just because his stamina was restored, repeating that madness was out of the question.
 
Without any signal from the spirits, dragging out time was pointless. As long as the swamp exists, eradicating the Kuma brutes is impossible.
 
“Regrettable, but… Huh!”
 
“Kraaak!”
 
Ignoring the charging Kuma, Kaiyan closed his eyes and gripped the sword’s handle tightly, preparing to deal a significant blow.
 
“I’ve never used this technique before.”
 
Like the Aura Armor, which he knew theoretically but hadn’t used.
 
The difference between the two techniques was that, unlike the Aura Armor, which he could have used if he wanted 30 days ago, the current technique, despite theoretical knowledge, was beyond his capability due to insufficient skill.
 
“Kraaak!”
 
Facing the Kuma, close enough to smell their foul stench, Kaiyan extended the sword held tightly in his grip.
 
Unlike usual swings or thrusts, it was a simple gesture of extending.
 
“…Sorry.”
 
Kaiyan apologized to the sword.
 
Wooong!
 
The sword, turning a radiant white to the point of steaming, vibrated increasingly, with the Kuam’s snouts just a palm’s width away,
 
Crack!
 
Boom!
 
The white sword shattered into hundreds of cracks and exploded, its fragments, wrapped in aura, piercing through the bodies of the surrounding Kuma.
 
Puck! Pwook! Pwook!
 
“Kuek!”
 
“Kaa…!”
 
Not merely piercing but, like Penetrating Stab, it devastated everything in its path, including brutes coming from behind, with terrifying power.
 
A single attack inflicted fatal wounds on hundreds of gathered Kuma.
 
“…Terrifying. In many ways. Especially the aura consumption.”
 
Though he somewhat expected it, the fact that over half of his total aura evaporated after just one use was surprising.
 
That’s why he hadn’t used it before. 30 days ago, he lacked both the precise control of aura and sufficient aura to execute the technique.
 
“Aura Break. It’s a shame to lose the sword, but… it’s a good technique.”
 
The technique, unlike simply pouring out aura, involved stacking it layer by layer on the sword and then detonating it at its peak, thus sacrificing the weapon. However, considering the scene unfolded before him, that sacrifice seemed more than worthwhile.
 
“Krrr…”
 
“Kaa…!”
 
The Kuma, previously charging fearlessly even after hundreds were cut down, began to hesitate.

Hyung_Otaku

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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