Memorize Chapter 248

Rumble… Rumble…

A faint vibration shook the ground. The sound of multiple footsteps mingled chaotically, but upon closer analysis, they maintained a consistent rhythm. I gently closed my eyes and placed my palm on the grassy earth. I could feel the faint presence at the edge of my detection rapidly closing in toward the center of my spread-out senses.

'The sound of the ground shaking is strong. Four legs. Highly agitated.'

A flood of information from my mana detection poured into my mind. As the presence crossed the halfway mark, I finally lifted my hand from the ground and stood up.

“User Go Yeon-Joo, do you know of any four-legged monsters that appear in the Wailing Plains?”

“Huh? I don’t remember every single one. But aside from the Wailing Girl, I thought monsters rarely show up here anymore… Why the sudden question?”

“I’ve detected a monster approaching from the northeast. It’s likely a Rhynocerus, and there are about eight of them.”

“Rhynocerus? Why would those be in the Wailing Plains…? Aren’t they supposed to live in the region beyond the plains?”

As I spoke with Go Yeon-Joo, the surroundings became silent in an instant. But the quiet lasted only a moment. Starting with An-Hyun leaping to his feet, the clan members hurriedly stood up.

Yun-Jung quickly moved to An-Sol’s side, drawing her Sculepf and dagger, and asked, “Oppa, what kind of monster is a Rhynocerus?”

“Hm? You didn’t face one back in Monica?”

“Nope.”

“…Well, to put it simply, think of it as a rhinoceros.”

I tried to give the most accurate analogy, but Yun-Jung tilted her head, clearly unable to picture it. Instead of explaining further, I slowly raised my hand and pointed in a diagonal direction.

“Heighten your vision and look where I’m pointing. Seeing it once will be better than a hundred explanations. Oh, and everyone, get ready for combat.”

The moment my order was given, the clan members swiftly began forming a defensive formation.

During expeditions, Mercenary’s standard tactic in combat is to always adopt a defensive formation. I walked toward An-Hyun, who stood at the front, gripping his Raven spear tightly. But instead of stopping beside him at the front, I continued past him to the center. An-Hyun, mid-deep breath, turned his head with a startled expression.

Without a word, I positioned myself to the right of An-Sol and Baek Hangeol. Then, Go Yeon-Joo’s sharp voice rang out from behind.

“Oh? Wasn’t I supposed to be the keeper?”

“The left flank is exposed. Yeon-Joo, cover that side.”

“Hmm~ And the front?”

“An-Hyun is the main tank.”

The moment I said that, the clan members—especially the kids—had a noticeable shift in their expressions. By designating An-Hyun as the main tank, they seemed to grasp why I had stepped back from the front.

I paused briefly before speaking in a calm, low voice.

“The Rhynoceruses have entered within 250 meters. They’re approaching from 53 degrees northeast. Their trajectory isn’t perfectly aligned with ours, but if they come near, they’ll charge at us 100%.”

Thud-thud-thud. Thud-thud-thud.

At 250 meters, they were close enough to see with enhanced vision. As I finished speaking, I felt the vibrations shaking the ground grow stronger. A few seconds later, the sound of clan members swallowing hard echoed around me.

In the direction I indicated, thick clouds of dust were billowing up. As the distance closed, the dust clouds grew larger, and soon, massive Rhynoceruses burst through, their imposing forms charging forward.

Thud-thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud!

“Roooaaarrr!”

“Roooaaarrr!”

As expected, upon spotting us nearby, the Rhynoceruses let out ferocious roars and veered slightly, charging toward us.

They were about 3 meters long and weighed roughly 1.5 tons. Their tough, keratin-covered skin was striking, and the yellowish horn protruding from their snouts shook menacingly. Standing at a shoulder height similar to An-Sol’s, they pounded the ground relentlessly with their four legs as they rushed at us.

'Something’s off.'

As I sharpened my vision to observe them closely, I noticed several anomalies.

First, their eyes were unnaturally bloodshot, far beyond what you’d expect from an agitated monster. That wasn’t all. Their bodies were drenched in sweat, as if they’d been running day and night without rest.

As I pondered this, another of their roars pierced my ears, snapping me out of my thoughts. Too many strange things had happened since dawn. My mind was filled with unanswered questions, but I needed to deal with the immediate threat to clear my head.

Just in case, I drew the Sun-Moon Divine Sword from my waist but didn’t unsheathe it yet. Glancing at Kim Han-Byeol, who was fidgeting with her gemstones, I barked sharply, “Kim Han-Byeol, what are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“Are you planning to take that charge head-on? The battle’s already started.”

“Oh, right! ───. ───. ───.”

'Let’s see what you’ve got…'

Kim Han-Byeol immediately began chanting a spell. My sharp command spurred not just her but the kids into action, each assuming their combat stances. I tapped the sword’s scabbard with my fingernail and spoke again.

“Remember when you first took down the scorpion in the Midnight Forest?”

Boom-boom-boom! Boom-boom-boom!

“For the record, in a one-on-one fight, the scorpion is stronger than a Rhynocerus. But in a group battle, it’s a different story.”

“───. ───. ───. Radiant (Brilliantly Shining). Hugging Dawn (Embracing the Dawn’s Light).”

As I finished speaking, Kim Han-Byeol’s spell continued seamlessly. Her left hand shot into the air, and the crystal resting on it floated upward.

Flash!

The thumb-sized gem, as per the spell, emitted a radiant light, so bright it seemed to dispel the dawn’s dimness. As the light intensified, Kim Han-Byeol pulled her right arm back, mimicking the motion of drawing a bowstring. With a fierce cry, she unleashed the magic.

“Driving Hit (Strike Fiercely)!”

Swish-swish-swish!

It was a wave of bluish light. As Han-Byeol spread her hand wide, the gem shattered into pieces, unleashing waves of light that surged forward, engulfing the Rhynoceruses. The radiant tide enveloped their bodies and exploded with a flash.

“““Roooaaarrr!”””

The light was so intense that even An-Hyun, standing at the front, had to avert his gaze. Unlike Ha-Yeong’s meticulously crafted spells designed for chained explosions, Han-Byeol’s magic was a single, one-shot spell. Yet the power of the gem mage, revealed in that moment, was enough to make the clan members stir in awe.

Of the Rhynoceruses charging fiercely, the three in the lead were now rolling on the ground without exception. Their tough keratin skin was torn to shreds, and blood oozed from multiple wounds. One of the fallen beasts tried to crawl back up, but its barely lifted body collapsed again, limping on its legs.

The remaining five had also halted their charge. Judging by how they were flung in all directions, the explosion’s shockwave had forcibly knocked them back. But seeing them quickly stand upright, it seemed those in the rear had taken less damage than the leaders.

“Rooar! Rooar!”

The standing Rhynoceruses immediately resumed their charge. An explosion of that magnitude should have left them reeling with mental shock, but they showed no hesitation. They charged toward us like frenzied warriors driven by an insatiable urge to kill.

I deliberately stayed silent. Han-Byeol had done her part by blunting their charge and rendering three of them nearly incapacitated. Now it was the melee fighters’ turn. I planned to issue minimal orders during combat on this expedition, intending to see how much the team had grown through this battle.

The moment the five surviving Rhynoceruses, emerging from the explosion, finally closed in on our defensive formation—

“Protect!”

Sol’s cute voice rang out, having pre-chanted her spell. As she thrust her staff forward, a round, transparent barrier formed in front of An-Hyun. Three Rhynoceruses slammed their horns into it, but the shield didn’t budge. An-Hyun, as if waiting for this moment, thrust his spear at the beast in front.

“Spear Barrage!”

Clang-clang-clang! The spear seemed to split into multiple prongs, each long blade mercilessly piercing the beast’s body. It appeared to be one of the abilities of an energy-spear master, though his mastery was still low, not yet drawing out its full potential.

A pitiful scream echoed, but An-Hyun was facing three beasts. The two Rhynoceruses on the outer flanks veered to the sides, then charged toward the center.

“Stay put.”

Go Yeon-Joo moved to intercept, but I pressed the Sun-Moon Divine Sword against her stomach, stopping her. She gave me a knowing look before glancing at the beast charging from the right. Keeping my eyes on Yun-Jung, I slightly shifted my body and extended my right foot forward.

I felt the sharp horn graze past my abdomen. The moment I sensed something heavy catching on my extended foot, I redirected the incoming force and kicked upward with all my strength.

Thud! Whoosh.

A sound of something scattering through the air reached my ears, and a dark shadow soared high above. Still keeping my gaze fixed, I slowly gripped the hilt of the Sun-Moon Sword.

Uncharacteristically for Yun-Jung, she wore a face of intense focus. The Sculepf and dagger in her hands glowed with pure, bluish mana, radiating sharpness.

As the gap between Yun-Jung and the Rhynocerus narrowed to striking range, she stared at the beast charging her and suddenly spun her body sharply. Stepping forward, she drove both daggers into its flank with force. But she didn’t stop there. As she leaped slightly off the ground, still gripping the daggers, two black shadows shot out from below, seizing her feet.

“This is something she and I practiced. So don’t complain, or I’ll get mad.”

Go Yeon-Joo pouted slightly, muttering, and pointed at the shadows.

“Roooaaarrr!”

Yun-Jung’s waist bent into a semicircle as she was lifted, flipping over the Rhynocerus’s back like she was doing a handstand before descending on the other side. Despite the beast writhing in pain, Yun-Jung gripped her daggers tightly, viciously raking them along its body.

It took just five seconds for the Rhynocerus to collapse. Go Yeon-Joo’s role was significant, but it felt like watching a circus act. Yun-Jung landed in a crouched, monkey-like stance and immediately launched herself toward An-Hyun’s flank.

I nodded once or twice in approval, then drew the Sun-Moon Divine Sword and extended it to the right. The shadow that had soared earlier was now closing in. Of course, I didn’t forget to angle the blade upward.

“───. ───. ───. Shackles!”

The initial protective barrier was starting to crack. But with timely support from An-Sol and Kim Han-Byeol, and An-Hyun having already felled one beast, he was now gleefully swinging his spear against the remaining two.

Crunch-crunch-crunch!

As the gruesome sound faded and the sensation of slicing flesh ceased along my right arm, I glanced downward. There lay a Rhynocerus, neatly cleaved in half.

Looking forward again, a yellow bolt of lightning zigzagged through the air, striking a Rhynocerus directly in the eyes. Seizing the moment as it recoiled, An-Hyun thrust his spear into its neck without hesitation. With a wide swing, he wrenched the spear free, and the Rhynocerus collapsed.

“Hohoho! Hahaha!”

And beside him, I saw Yun-Jung gleefully hacking away at the last beast, now bound by shackles.