Awakening the Great Chapter 11

Ch.11: The aning of Existence

Although they had ford a formation, the 'Mountain Rabbits' were fundantally a rcenary band. Naturally, they tended to rely more on individual abilities than on organized combat.

"Inno-om!"

What had briefly taken the form of group combat was short-lived. As the dwarf Basim charged out with his massive axe, the battlefield instantly turned into a chaotic lee.

Puwhaaak!

Huduhduk!

As he pushed away the thief's extended sword with pure brute force and slashed open his abdon, blood imdiately splattered, and the organs inside ca out to see the world.

Shuuuk, teueong!

Zahira also proved that her nickna as a combat specialist wasn't empty words, first throwing a short spear to catch the enemy's attention. Imdiately after, she unleashed the chain sword that had been wrapped around her waist like a belt and rushed into the heart of the enemy formation.

Seureureu, swaralarak!

"Aaak!"

The long blade that writhed like a snake extended to places one couldn't even imagine it would reach, wounding the thief's knee.

It wasn't fatal, but it was an injury that forced withdrawal from the battlefield.

However, among them all, the most impressive was undoubtedly Vice-Captain Marik.

Peueok, puk! Chwaak!

The man with the long nose bridge and thick beard ramd his opponent with the shoulder guard he wore, then severed the opponent's nape with a single sword stroke.

It was the sa afterward.

Like a wolf that had jumped into a flock of sheep, he proved his skill by finishing off every enemy he faced with three or four sword strokes.

Even so, Calix couldn't feel completely at ease. There were quite a lot of enemies to be intoxicated by his allies' strength.

"Euheuheuheu, so this is where the rookies play!"

"Heueu......"

"Everyone snap out of it!"

Unfortunately, his comrades were being overwheld as if they had never participated in territorial warfare.

Perhaps it was because experiencing a chaotic battle was their first ti.

That was understandable, as this battlefield wasn't a confined space like fighting on castle walls, but an open clearing, and above all, they were crushed by the bandits' montum.

Primal killing intent, raw unfamiliarity, fear from the unknown.

Fortunately, Gregor was maintaining his composure.

"Is the sharp tallic sll flowing through the battlefield from spilled blood, or is it rising from my shield?"

"......"

"Either way, my plate is solid. The cook comrade guaranteed it."

Even so, his mind wasn't entirely sound, so Calix also couldn't recklessly charge around like before.

'First defensively. Securing Gregor's safety is the priority.'

Moving actively would co after that.

As expected, when opponents matching their caliber attached themselves to the Vice-Captain and the rcenary band's strong fighters, soon two bandits charged toward where Calix stood.

"Let's see! Which little brat will taste the best, let's have a look!"

"Euheuheuheu!"

One was wielding a rusty sword, while the other gripped a long wooden spear.

'I can't block both. Then I'll face the familiar weapon first. The one with the sword first.'

And his choice was a preemptive strike.

Seuik.

Left foot forward as a rudder, right foot comfortably positioned. Practicing exactly what Zahira had taught him—

Kkuuk, paang!

Montarily bending his left knee for a light, short advance. At the sa ti, he tilts his body's center forward and kicks off the ground with his right foot.

What Gregor had taught him.

Nothing like special swordsmanship, just a movent of extending only the sword while leaping forward..., but sotis simple movents are the most effective.

Now was such a ti.

"Hm?"

The bandit who had charged first turned his head and recognized Calix's presence, but that was as far as it went.

Comparing neural accelerator output, '1.6' versus '1.4', a re difference of '0.2'.

However, due to this minute difference, the movent of raising his sword was delayed, and soon the blade was embedded in the bandit's nape.

Chwaaaaak.

"Keuhk...... Kkeup, kkulleok!"

What followed was the unpleasantness of murder.

As the sensation of piercing lungs lingered in both hands like embers, Calix unconsciously wiped his face. On the back of his hand, cold sweat and the opponent's blood droplets ca away.

But there was still one more remaining.

"......Jora? Damn, that tiny little bastard! You just wait!"

"......"

The bandit glared with gleaming eyes and reached toward Gregor. His plan was to deal with the old man first, then take revenge for his comrade.

Calix charged at his opponent without delay.

[Combat Enhancent Activated]

[Output Adjustnt, 1.7x]

As the neural accelerator output montarily increased, ti around him seed to flow more slowly.

The sharp spearhead and the grip holding the shaft, the writhing of forearm muscles, and eyes gleaming with killing intent. The bandit was turned around, attacking in a half-defenseless state, so he could kill him if he wanted.

'This person is also gray. Against gray-tinted enemies, there's definitely an advantage with the neural accelerator.'

However, before that, there was sothing he needed to confirm.

'Is Gregor really soone who needs to be protected at all costs?'

It was a natural question.

From what he had observed, the old rcenary was treated as an important combat power in the rcenary band. Then wouldn't there be a reason for that?

'A rcenary band is a place where people gather according to their individual needs. No matter how close they are, they can't stay together with an old man whose mind isn't sound. There's no reason to care for him without cause, and even if that were true, surviving until now wouldn't make sense.'

There was a purple magic stone embedded in his nape, but was it right to conclude that a mory-lost old man was still excellent based on that fact alone?

Calix observed the bandit's attack to complete his incomplete reasoning, and the spearhead thrust toward Gregor's torso.

If he couldn't react, he would imdiately slit the enemy's throat. But nothing worth worrying about occurred.

Deudeudeudeuk! Tuwoong!

The bandit's spearhead slipped along the slightly tilted shield surface toward the outside of his body. And imdiately after, pushing it away with precise timing and force caused the opponent's balance to waver instead.

Puuk!

"Keu, kkeueueu......"

Calix imdiately dealt with the bandit as soon as he confird this.

"......Cook comrade!"

"Gregor, you blocked well."

"Of course, isn't it my plate! Handling it well is natural!"

"Then can you also use weapons?"

"Weapons?"

"I'm asking if you can kill enemies."

"Eueu...... I don't like red things."

His guess was half right.

The purple magic stone that briefly emitted light and his skilled handling of the shield. However, the magic stone's light quickly subsided, and the old man was shaking his head with a deathly pale complexion.

'......He's afraid of blood. He can block but can't kill.'

For Calix, it was a satisfactory result.

Anyway, he had learned about Gregor's condition, and this gave him confidence that he could fight a bit more actively.

"Gregor, let's fight together from now on. I'll thrust, and Gregor will block. Is that okay?"

"Of course it's possible!"

"Then let's go help our comrades."

It was ti to move.

***

A short while later.

While intense combat continued in the village center, the veteran rcenaries had been conscious of a particular person's presence from so point on.

'......Not bad.'

'Was he soone who learned swordsmanship before joining the rcenary band? Otherwise, he couldn't be charging around like that.'

'His performance in the territorial war wasn't just boasting after all.'

Undoubtedly, among the newcors, none stood out as much as Calix.

'Plan carefully but execute boldly.'

Kwaak!

"Kkeuaaaak!"

Classifying the fragnts of light entering his vision by color and completing his own combat rules according to each stage—

His movents in dealing with bandits were without hesitation.

'Gray ans one-on-one combat is possible. I can read all their movents, so I can finish them quickly. Don't let my guard down, though. Instead, from green onwards, I need to lead them to the veteran rcenaries for disposal. Gregor's safety is the top priority.'

When you think about it, it wasn't that surprising.

Though he was said to have lived with illness in his childhood, Calix was still born with the blood of a knightly family. After regaining his health and awakening Ashapel Raimund's abilities, his combat sense also blood earlier than others.

"Volga! This ti you take the lead!"

"......Vo, Volga is going!"

At the sa ti, he didn't forget to look after his fellow newcors.

He constantly stimulated Volga, the leader figure, making him lead the newcors—

"That bastard needs at least two people! If that doesn't work, drag him toward the veteran rcenaries!"

"......"

"Answer!"

"Huh? Oh, ah, got it!"

He twisted the flow of battle in the sa way he had perford in territorial warfare, including balancing the neural accelerators of enemies and allies so they could fight at roughly similar levels.

Also, even if neural accelerators were the sa color, their levels would differ according to how light or dark they were, so he would directly join coordinated attacks against strong enemies.

However, despite all these efforts, it was impossible to save all his comrades.

***

Kaang, peu-eok!

On one side of the battlefield, a nacing bandit who had penetrated between groups deflected a rookie rcenary's sword and ramd him with his shoulder, slamming him to the ground.

The victim tried to counterattack with his sword sohow, but the murderer, who had once been a soldier, dropped his main weapon and instantly drew the dagger from his chest.

Puk, puk, puk, puk.

"Keuheuk, kkulleok......"

Four stabs with consistent force and rhythm, and life drained out through the hole in his nape.

"Now you look sowhat decent. Who told you to thrust a sword at ? Damn bastard...... Aaak!"

Calix charged from behind and severed his shoulder blade, then swung the broken spearhead to slash the enemy's nape...... But it was too late.

'He wasn't that strong an opponent.'

In his eyes, both allies and enemies were similarly gray, but in reality, the difference was being determined by battlefield experience.

'I can't rely only on neural accelerator performance. If the opponent has the sa output as I, the outco will similarly be decided by experience. It's ultimately a matter of how well you utilize it.'

However, the small realization was soon pushed away by chaos rushing in from the rear.

Piiiik! Piiiik! Piiiik!

A familiar whistle sound.

Looking around at the rcenary band's signal whistle, he had experienced just before combat, he saw veteran rcenaries gritting their teeth.

"Fire!"

"Ha, these fucking bastards. The villagers...... Uitcha! It must be the villagers who betrayed us, right?"

"High probability. Not sothing we didn't expect."

"Damn it, why is there never a case that goes smoothly just once!"

The fire that started from the rear quickly approached the battlefield vicinity, using dry straw as fuel.

But the real problem wasn't the flas but the smoke.

"Breathing control! Acceleration output is dropping!"

"Everyone, be careful with your breathing!"

This ti, even Calix was confused about what the problem was when text that appeared before his eyes inford them of their situation.

[Warning, breathing change detected. Heart rate change detected]

[Mana circulation in the body is decreasing]

[Caution: neural network overload and muscle response speed may be delayed]

Even if the villagers betrayed them, they couldn't possibly fight the rcenaries. For those who couldn't even attach neural accelerators, it would truly be a aningless death. Instead, they chose to set fires following the wind direction, and constraints were placed on the fighters' movents.

And this ant that a truly chaotic brawl was about to unfold.

"Damn it, don't scatter!"

"We need to gather in one place...... Kkeup, this damn bastard!"

"......Gregor, please stay by my side!"

"What do you an!"

In the chaotic situation, Calix looked around while taking care of the old rcenary.

The pitch-black night. The village clearing that had been relatively bright under moonlight was covered in flas and smoke, looking like a theater stage.

In the midst of this, as neural accelerator output decreased all at once, the rcenary band's skilled fighters like Marik, Zahira, and Basim couldn't rampage like before. Consequently, veteran rcenaries were also having difficulty dealing with the bandits.

"Kill them, kill them all!"

"You don't want to go easy, is that it? You damn bastards!"

With this, the bandits who had regained montum targeted those who showed signs of inexperience first.

From those coughing after inhaling smoke, to those who couldn't grasp their position and awkwardly jutted forward, or those who clumsily clustered in groups of five or six.

The savage predators rcilessly charged at the weak, who were abandoned to fear, terror, and unfamiliarity. Quite cunningly, they slowly separated veteran rcenaries from rookie groups.

And in that gap were Calix and Gregor.

"Gregor! The distance from veteran rcenaries is widening! We need to go that way!"

"Cook comrade, abandoning comrades and leaving is not sothing to do. I can say this with certainty. Though my body isn't like before, we must struggle together. Going into the flas is the way to live."

"......I'll co back to rescue them, Gregor. After putting you in a safe place. I promise."

"......"

He tried to suggest alternatives to sohow get him to a safer place, but the old man didn't budge with turbid eyes.

'There's no ti. But I can't force soone who doesn't want to go and break through, dragging them.'

"Euhihihihi, co here, you this thing!"

Just as he was devising a solution in his head, Calix threw his body at a bandit charging from behind Gregor. Urgently ramming with his whole body as he was about to be cut by the blade.

Peueok!

"......This fucking bastard!"

He saved the old man who had been spacing out, but he too imdiately recognized that his body wasn't the sa as before.

'From left to right, slashing diagonally!'

[Warning, neural network transmission speed delay detected. Caution]

He had long since read the opponent's aim, but his own reaction speed had slowed, preventing him from extending his sword in ti.

Kang! Geudeudeudeudeuk!

As a result, blade t blade with sparks flying, and subsequently their weapons locked where the edges had chipped, leading to a contest of brute strength.

'If I let go, I'll be cut! I can't be pushed back any further......'

[Mana flow adjustnt complete. Response speed error has decreased]

Just then, the neural accelerator automatically adjusted sensations and restored physical response speed to normal, but since the swords were already locked, he couldn't withdraw.

Pushing would lack strength, and retreating would risk allowing a fatal attack.

Either way, it wasn't a desirable result for Calix.

"Cook comrade!"

Kung!

"Keueok!"

Suddenly, a round form rushed over and sent the opponent's entire body flying. It was such a powerful collision that the bandit hit by the shield sprawled on the ground and foad at the mouth.

"Are you alright?"

"......"

What he held in his hand was only a shield. Calix quietly stared at the old man who didn't have a single wound on his body.

The puzzle pieces suddenly fit together.

'Gregor is strong.'

The purple magic stone was glowing at his nape.

A body that didn't receive a single wound, even in chaotic battle.

Finally, the physical ability that sent an opponent's entire body flying.

Therefore, Gregor was 'definitely' strong.

If there were just an opportunity to regain his mories, he would beco even stronger.

'Besides, the bandits'encirclent is already complete. Breaking through now would be impossible. Rather than that......'

They had to fight.

Once the direction was set, the basis for judgnt accumulated one after another.

'There are people who went to the forest too. Since a big fire blazed in the middle of the night, the Captain will return soon. Even if there are problems, it won't take long. Even if Gregor doesn't co to his senses, as long as the Captain appears in ti, the problem will be solved.'

No matter how much he thought about it, he reached the sa conclusion, so Calix focused on drawing the big picture of the fighting arena.

'Of course, I can't reverse the war situation with my strength alone. It would be good if Gregor quickly ca to his senses, but he probably won't feel a sense of crisis easily. The key is to drag out ti without receiving coordinated attacks from the bandits.'

It was the right judgnt. The combat situation was turning very unfavorably, so he couldn't just settle for ordinary resistance.

So, bigger than that.

'......I need to target the leader. Gregor also said his body felt strange. Since everyone equally inhaled smoke, the bandit leader's neural accelerator probably isn't in normal condition either.'

Strike the head.

That was Calix's conclusion.

And.

"Gregor, we need to buy ti!"

"Ah, cook comrade. Are you saying we should step forward?"

"Would it be difficult?"

"Difficult! It's not about being able to do it! If it must be done, then we do it!"

The old rcenary responded with a quite stylish smile.