Chapter 78: Sowhere Between Coincidence and Fate (1)
It’s embarrassing, but could you help us?
Trophin’s voice was trembling slightly.
Calm down and tell the situation first. What’s going on?
Our rcenary corps is isolated inside the castle.
What did you say?
The fiends started falling from all directions and suddenly surrounded us. We’re holding on, but… we’re reaching our limit. A lot of our guys are down.
Surrounded by enemies inside the castle when the walls haven’t even fallen?
It was hard to believe, but Trophin wasn’t the type to lie in a situation like this.
“What is it, Artier?”
“...It seems the Derth rcenary Corps is in danger.”
When I relayed the communication to the party, a heavy silence fell upon everyone.
“What’s the location of the Derth rcenary Corps?”
“We have to go further west from here.”
“West of all places, it’s the complete opposite of the direction we need to go.”
Even now, the barrier was weakening by the second.
Everyone knew there was no ti to delay.
Was that why?
Even though it concerned the Derth rcenary Corps, whom everyone had t, no one rashly stepped forward.
“I will go alone.”
In the end, it was I who stepped forward and spoke.
“You’re not joking, are you?”
“No.”
I took sothing out of my inventory and offered it to them.
[Low-Grade Simple Barricade (Normal)]
Description: A small chanical device compressed to reduce its volu. When infused with mana and thrown on the ground, it installs a simple barricade.
Option: Creates a barricade with a certain amount of durability.
“This is?”
“I bought it at a general store. Being a county, they had a lot of good consumables.”
I poured them out from my inventory.
“Go ahead first and use these to set up a defensive outpost at the east port.”
“What are you going to do by yourself? It’s impossible to even get there alone in the first place!”
“I’ll ride Collie. That way, I can avoid most threats.”
“Ah…?”
Collie’s ears and tail perked up, and he quietly ca and stood by my side.
It was hard to tell in his wild dog form, but he seed to be a mixture of joy and relief.
“I see why you want to go alone. Even for Collie, it would be difficult to carry two people at the sa ti.”
Gerard nodded and accepted the barricades.
“Do you have a rescue plan in mind?”
“Yes.”
“Then go. Be sure to contact us if you need help.”
With those words, Gerard went to Jeina and Tersion.
I imdiately got on Collie’s back.
“I thought you were going to abandon again, sir.”
“I’ve always just given you the role you were needed for.”
“Hmph, I’ve had enough of your smooth talk. Hold on tight, sir!”
Paang!
Collie’s body shot forward in an instant, and the sound of the wind roared past.
With every step, the surrounding view changed in a flash.
‘I feel this every ti, but this speed is truly terrifying.’
My past self would have struggled to even hang on.
I grabbed onto the fur on Collie’s scruff and lowered my posture.
***
“Vice-Leader, we have a problem.”
Inside a building crowded with people wearing the sa patterned armor.
Trophin couldn’t shake his heavy heart.
“We just ran out of our last potion.”
“Do you have bandages?”
“We have so left, but it’s only a matter of ti for those too.”
“How’s the encirclent?”
“It’s no good. It’s actually getting thicker. If they breach now, we’re all dead.”
At those words, Trophin stared at the cold glint in the eyes of the Hellmorphs visible beyond the building.
He wasn’t afraid of their killing intent.
But even confirming it didn’t make his frustrated heart feel any better.
‘We didn’t survive because we were strong. They’re letting us live.’
He couldn’t understand it.
Through several battles, he had learned that the sole goal of those monsters was to slaughter humans.
They had never induced fear or applied pressure to receive a surrender.
“Krom, is there still no support?”
Trophin looked at the leader, who was busy communicating in a corner.
Krom, who had ended the communication with a curse, glared at Trophin and spoke.
“What are you doing, interrupting like that? It’s already hard enough to understand.”
“It’s urgent. He said we’re out of potions too.”
“Already? What about your side? Did you try all the contacts you could?”
“Well… one of them picked up.”
Trophin couldn’t finish his sentence properly.
He was wondering if he had really heard correctly.
“He said he’s coming alone.”
“What are you talking about? He’s coming to commit suicide?”
“My thoughts exactly.”
No matter how highly Trophin thought of Artier, he couldn’t fathom how a single person could break through the encirclent.
“Are there no other guys?”
“None. They all seem to be dead.”
“We’re screwed.”
The conversation was light, but their expressions were anything but bright.
It was then.
Trophin flinched and put a finger to his ear.
“Uh, yeah. What? What do you an, get ready to co out?”
“Leader! Vice-Leader!”
A corps mber ran in from outside with an urgent expression.
“A chunk of ice is falling from the sky!”
“What are you talking about?”
Trophin and Krom rushed outside the building.
An unbelievable sight unfolded before their eyes.
Chwaaaak!
Krrrrack!
Suddenly, a large amount of water appeared in the air and then froze solid.
The giant chunk of ice that was created then fell, crushing the monsters below with its imnse weight.
“Kreeegh!”
The Hellmorphs hastily looked around, searching for the source of the magic.
Soon, they discovered a single swordsman and a large wolf standing on the roof of a building.
“Kyaaaak!”
The swordsman imdiately got on the wolf’s back and began to flee at a trendous speed.
“It’s Artier. What did he do?”
Trophin, who was muttering, quickly ca to his senses.
Long experience told him that he didn’t have much ti right now.
“Krom, gather all the kids!”
“I know! Everyone, get ready to run!”
A single person had created a hole in one corner of the encirclent.
It was a golden opportunity that wouldn’t co twice.
Everyone who could swing a weapon began to run towards it.
“Run as if your life depends on it, because it does if you fall behind!”
Chwaak!
Trophin and Krom pushed back the Hellmorphs charging from the front.
Trophin’s greatsword shattered them before they could even resist, and Krom’s sword and shield beca a wall, completely blocking the Hellmorphs’ approach.
Keep running straight. Follow the wide boulevard.
Trophin moved forward, listening to Artier’s communication.
“Artier!”
Soon, Trophin found Artier standing with two swords.
Where the wolf from just now had gone, a boy wearing a robe stood by his side.
“Is communication still possible?”
“What?”
“The mont I use my skill, tell all the corps mbers to get down.”
Artier said so and took out a peculiar-looking disc from his pocket.
[The Tablet of Strife is activated.]
[Attack power within the area increases by 100%, and defense decreases by 100%.]
The mont Artier threw it into the air, a colosseum filled with a red aura suddenly appeared on the wide boulevard.
“Wh-What is this?”
Even though Trophin didn’t know much about magic, he could tell at a glance that this was no ordinary artifact.
“Are you ready, Collie?”
“This is the first ti I’m using it without enhancent magic, so I’m worried.”
“It’s fine. The power will be sufficient.”
Click.
Artier lowered his stance and crossed his hands.
As flas began to burn from the blades, Artier quietly began to count in his mind.
“Kyaaaak!”
The fiends were approaching.
They were sticking close behind the corps mbers, attacking and felling those who fell behind at the rear.
Those who fell behind or tripped even once could not rejoin the formation.
‘Three, two, one. Now!’
“Collie!”
“Understood!”
[Dual Fla Cleave is activated.]
[Collie copies and uses the Fla Cleave (Lv.2) skill.]
Artier swung both his arms horizontally, and Collie swung one arm horizontally, sending out flas.
Trophin, realizing sothing, imdiately put a hand to his ear and shouted loudly.
“Everyone, get down!”
Kwaaaaang!
Imdiately after, the boulevard was filled with flas, engulfing the approaching Hellmorphs.
“Kieek!”
The carapaces of the Hellmorphs, which had deflected diocre magic and weapons, burned and lted away in vain.
The Hellmorphs at the very front were turned to ash, and the ones behind them were in agony, their bodies engulfed in flas.
“What in the…?”
Krom and Trophin couldn’t believe the scene unfolding before them.
When the bewildered corps mbers raised their heads and looked around, there were no more living Hellmorphs in the vicinity.
***
“That was amazing! How on earth did you do that?”
A mont later, they had moved to a relatively safe place to catch their breath.
Trophin lifted Artier up and shouted with a broad smile.
“Well… thanks to my equipnt.”
The corners of my mouth lifted slightly.
‘I’m glad I got it.’
The Tablet of Strife, which had played its part well in Dorman.
The reason I could wipe out the Hellmorphs in a single blow was because of this.
Though dangerous, the power of an artifact was sothing that could change the tide of a war.
“Vice-Leader, everyone’s condition suddenly worsened.”
One of the corps mbers entered the barracks.
“It seems to be poison.”
“Damn monster bastards. There’s nothing to like about them.”
The good atmosphere instantly turned cold again.
The wounds the corps mbers had sustained from the Hellmorphs were festering, not healing properly, accompanied by terrible pain. It was clear that they had been injected with poison, just as Gerard had been before.
I also beca serious.
‘If we leave them like this, they’ll either die or, even if they survive, they’ll be left with aftereffects like Gerard. We need to treat them quickly.’
I rembered Gerard, who had struggled with not being able to use his arm properly.
Fortunately, he was now walking the path of magic, but not everyone would.
So might fall into despair upon seeing their own bodies not moving as they wished.
“I’ll go get the antidote.”
Trophin said.
“The antidote? From where?”
“There’s a shopping district nearby. If we rummage through a general store, sothing might turn up.”
“Are you planning to be a thief right now?”
When Krom asked back, Trophin was silent for a mont, then clenched his fist and said.
“We have no choice. It’s better than dying.”
“I’m not planning to stop you, but it’s just a bit strange to hear that from you, who’s always going on about conscience.”
Krom shrugged and looked at .
“I know it’s shaless, but could you help?”
“Is it okay? I heard that most of the people here are patients.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect this place.”
Krom raised one arm and smiled triumphantly.
His appearance was so similar to Trophin’s that I found myself smiling without realizing it.
“Then I’ll be back.”
After saying that, I followed Trophin out of the barracks.
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