Chapter 71
Erich was well aware of his own limitations.
No matter how great the difference in skill, it would be nearly impossible for him alone to kill the head hunter amid countless barbarians and walk out as if it were his own home.
'Well, maybe someone like Mikhail could manage it.'
So, instead of gambling on slaying the head hunter among thousands of barbarians, Erich devised a different strategy.
First, he would act alone, displaying his martial prowess and drawing the attention of all the barbarians in the camp.
Second, he had Gustav, Frederick, and Barnes—each commanding a part of the 500 troops provided by the fortress—charge into the camp and set it on fire.
That way, barbarians with families would be forced to return to the camp to put out the fire, creating an opportunity for a one-on-one situation with the head hunter.
Defeating every single enemy head-on VS Facing the leader in a one-on-one.
It was obvious which option would be easier.
The result that followed proved Erich's predictions correct. As soon as flames and smoke appeared, barbarians began to leave one by one.
'Of course, since their families are in the rear.'
Naturally, not all the barbarians left. Though the encirclement had thinned, nearly a hundred barbarians still remained.
Yurtan stared intently at Erich with sharp eyes.
[Was this what you were aiming for?]
[Even for me, it would be tricky to kill you with so many barbarians around, right?]
[... Do you really think you can kill me just by doing this?]
Erich noticed the change in the flow of Yurtan's aura. That clearly meant he was about to use the head hunter's other power—his 'ability.'
As if to prove Erich's suspicions, Yurtan drew up aura throughout his entire body. Gripping his axe in one hand,
–Clack.
he rested it on his shoulder to bear its weight, striding purposefully toward Erich. But wielding such an axe one-handed would only slow him down.
It was a peculiar stance.
However, to Erich—who had already anticipated Yurtan's tricks—it was not odd at all.
–Fwoosh!
Yurtan dashed at Erich with blinding speed. As soon as their weapons clashed, he raised his empty hand into the air.
–Crunch!
Thick bone tendrils shot out from his elbow, raining down upon Erich.
But—
–Clang!
As if he had expected it, Erich parried the bony tendrils and advanced.
–Shwaaa!
The two barely missed each other. Yurtan, realizing his decisive attack had failed, wore a look of utter disbelief.
[... You predicted this?]
A crimson stream trickled from Yurtan's side. It seemed he had tried to shield his ribs with bone tendrils, but it was insufficient to withstand Erich's powerful aura.
With a flick of his wrist, Erich shook off the droplets of blood from his sword. The golden aura on his blade wavered like fire.
'To think he really awakened his ability. Even if head hunters can manifest abilities faster than swordmasters, this is troublesome.'
The supernatural power Yurtan had just shown was a new strength awakened upon reaching the level of a head hunter.
Both head hunters and swordmasters are granted innate abilities.
If using their eyes is the first step for a swordmaster, using aura is the beginner stage. Awakening a supernatural ability like that is a trait possessed by swordmasters who have reached mastery.
Yet, in this moment, Erich felt a strange sense of incongruity. No matter how he saw it, Yurtan was at best comparable to a beginner swordmaster. And yet he'd already awakened his ability?
'Unless he's a regressor like me... That makes no sense.'
Erich slowly shook his head. This was one part of the unease he felt.
'Someone who's awakened an ability shouldn't be this weak.'
Conversely, if Yurtan were a truly awakened head hunter, there's no way Erich's sword could have wounded him.
Most of all, if such a monster had continued to grow, the future Erich would surely have known of him.
–Crack!
Yurtan's body began transforming rapidly. Bony spikes broke through his skin, following the lines of his muscles until they covered his body, like armor. But Erich sensed that wasn't all.
'... Clever.'
Imperial swordmasters envelop their weapons in aura, but these ones surround their bodies with it. Through bony tissue imbued with aura, Yurtan had essentially added an external muscle layer.
Yurtan smiled coldly.
–Boom!
Yurtan rushed in for another powerful strike. At the same time, the barbarians near him launched a pincer attack.
–Dududuk.
Erich cut down the intent of several of them, parried Yurtan's assault, and increased the output of his aura.
Erich's attack landed on Yurtan. Though it only pierced the bony armor shallowly after two or three strikes, golden flames lingered on the surface, scorching it.
Yet, driven mad by rage, Yurtan continued to pursue Erich. Even with flames burning his skin. Even as Erich's sword tore his flesh. Yurtan's attacks never ceased.
–Whoosh!
Flames erupted from Erich's sword. The tangible flames blocked access from all sides.
'... Around this time, they should be arriving.'
A smirk played on Erich's lips. Beyond the heads of the barbarians opposite him, dust was rising.
[... You sly bastard.]
[It'd be nice if you just called it a strategy.]
This was the last part of the plan Erich had devised: after setting the camp alight and splitting the barbarians, to have the returning soldiers strike those who remained.
So, even with fewer troops, in each fight they could maintain a local numerical advantage.
Gustav shouted with all his might.
"All units! Form up! Align the ranks!"
"Align the ranks!"
The main force, having completed their flanking maneuver, returned from the fortress. They reformed lines and charged at the barbarians who had surrounded Erich.
"Charge!"
"Wipe them out!"
But even with the mass of barbarians, those spread thin to encircle Erich—
–Crack! Snap!
[Ugh!]
—could not withstand the concentrated force of the Watchmen. Their formation crumbled at once, and bewilderment spread across the barbarians' faces as they found themselves surrounded.
[... Th-this can't be!]
[Yurtan! They're surrounding us!]
Yurtan glared at the advancing members of the Watch. Their long sword blades were trained on the barbarians. Erich sensed the time to end this situation had come.
"Frederick and Barnes, take the flanks. Gustav, break through the center with the main force."
–Clack.
Instead of responding, they thrust their swords toward the enemy. Erich was the first to shoot forward. The tip of his sword was aimed straight at Yurtan.
[... Not a chance!]
–Crunch.
Yurtan's bony protrusions grew harder still. Aura overflowed from him, seeping through gaps in the exposed bones as his body grew flushed with heat.
Erich and Yurtan charged at each other head-on. At the same time, Erich's eyes flashed crimson.
–Voom.
Switching to a swordmaster's vision, Erich could now see the deadly intent emanating from Yurtan, connecting them by a taut, invisible thread of killing intent.
–Shrrrr!
Bone-tendrils shot simultaneously toward Erich's right and left, snaking from Yurtan's flanks like serpents.
–Ssshhk!
With barely a meter remaining between them, Erich braked and slid forward.
He slashed his sword diagonally a single time at the incoming bones. They bounced off his blade and guard.
–Whoosh!
Then, Erich's golden aura scorched the bone tendrils black. Yet, as if expecting this, Yurtan followed up with a swing of his axe.
–Screee!
But Erich, seeing this, simply raised the tip of his sword.
At first it seemed the barbarian's crude axe blade would strike first, but as the axe became caught on Erich's upward guard—
–Crunch!
Erich's sword plunged right into Yurtan's throat. It was swordsmanship that achieved both attack and defense at once.
Blood dripped from between the blade lodged in Yurtan's neck, foaming at his lips.
[Y-Yurtan!]
[Yurtan is down!]
The barbarians, faces drained of color, were swept away by the charging Watchmen. Barnes skillfully stabbed his sword into every nearby barbarian.
Frederick smashed the skulls of fleeing, demoralized barbarians.
Gustav, the commander of the fortress guard, led his troops to shatter the front lines.
Those barbarians still standing quickly became corpses. For those who fled without resisting, the only difference was dying with a sword in their backs.
With Yurtan's death, the rest of the barbarians' formation completely collapsed, and a one-sided massacre unfolded. Erich, feeling victory boiling within him, twisted the sword lodged in Yurtan's neck.
–Crack.
Yurtan's greenish eyes slowly faded. Yet even in death, his gaze remained locked on Erich. The thread of killing intent connecting them was still taut and full of malice.
'... What incredible tenacity.'
Although he was an enemy, Erich felt respect for Yurtan's resolve. To keep his eyes open even with a sword in his neck—certainly not an easy opponent.
'Either he held a grudge, or he had a powerful sense of purpose.'
But since Yurtan surely didn't have a personal grudge against Erich, this was likely the emotion of someone with a strong objective. Erich pondered over Yurtan's existence.
'It really...is strange.'
These barbarians were organized around their leader, Yurtan. Yet to Erich, it seemed as if the barbarians who remained by Yurtan's side and those who had retreated belonged to different groups.
Above all, what felt odd to Erich was Yurtan's strength.
'Ordinarily, a head hunter of this level shouldn't be able to awaken their ability.'
Several hypotheses began to form in Erich's mind.
Yurtan was not a local barbarian. In that case, someone must have sent him to support the others.
In Erich's experience, there was only one barbarian with such influence and organization.
'Mountain King, Ungrim.'
If he was involved in this incident, then these strange circumstances made sense—the dispatch of barbarian hordes to other regions, the existence of a low-level head hunter.
For some reason, before his regression, Ungrim commanded many head hunters—even ones that gave off a "mass-produced head hunter" vibe.
Among them were some even weaker than the current Yurtan, so it wasn't all that strange to encounter such a weak head hunter now.
As Erich was piecing together the events, Frederick, Gustav, and Barnes—covered in blood—approached him. Most of the barbarians had already been killed or had fled, leaving the battlefield largely cleared.
"Boss, it looks like we've finished up here."
"Amazing. How did it all come together so perfectly?"
Gustav spoke as he tallied numbers. Even with a rough count, losses seemed minimal. A faint smile appeared on Erich's lips.
"Stop harping about the fortress commander and get used to trusting people a little."
"... Tch. I'll give credit where it's due. So, what now? Should we push into the camp and finish them off?"
"No, this advantage was only possible due to a temporary edge and surprise. If their forces regroup, it'll turn against us. We've achieved our objective. With the head hunter gone, this camp will soon fall apart."
"Hmmm, I see."
They had completed everything the fortress commander had asked. What he'd demanded, in exchange for payment, was to rout the barbarian camp.
Erich had no intention of working beyond what he was compensated for.
'No, now it's time to collect on what we were owed for the job.'
Erich's gaze turned once more in the direction of the fortress.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】