CHAPTER 29

"You're going further? This is madness."

The stern-looking soldier who was closely following Encrid spoke up.

After their initial successful ambush, the scout unit, now led by Encrid instead of Andrew, attempted two more ambushes.

The second battle was against a group of five soldiers, and in the third battle, they encountered more than fifteen soldiers.

Both were tough fights.

In the second battle, there was a skilled enemy among them.

In the third battle, they were outnumbered.

In the midst of it all, the number of surviving soldiers was seven.

They lost two more.

'No more can be saved.'

No matter what they did, some things were just impossible.

Encrid knew he wasn't a saint.

Repeating today to save the three who died here was like the sound of a fairy gnawing on bones.

It was thanks to Encrid's efforts that they managed this much.

Of course, the allied soldiers fought fiercely too.

Though they survived, one lost an eye.

Andrew had a scar on his face.

He wrapped his left cheek in a linen bandage, a wound that would make a good medal if he survived.

Despite the situation, Encrid headed further inwards.

It was like a reckless charge without considering the retreat.

From a general perspective, it was indeed madness.

The stern-looking soldier was neither lacking in skill nor experience.

Even in this situation, he hadn't completely lost his sense of direction.

He realized that Encrid was heading towards enemy territory.

Seeing this, Encrid nodded to himself.

'Not bad.'

Compared to Rem or other squad members, he was far behind, but still a useful asset.

If he sets his mind to it, he might at least become a platoon leader.

"From now on, we can catch our breath a bit."

When Encrid spoke, the stern-looking soldier frowned.

"That's not what I meant."

"As I said earlier, insubordination is..."

"Insubordination or not, if it's a path to death, I'll find a way to survive even if I have to stab the squad leader in the back. I will."

This bastard was spouting dangerous words recklessly.

How did he plan to face everyone if they made it back alive?

He stared boldly, unflinching. Shameless.

And rightly so.

Human lives come first, before any mission.

Especially for someone like him, serving with a special purpose, it was undoubtedly the case.

Andrew and his own lives would be his top priority.

Encrid looked up to check the position of the sun, then stopped walking.

Naturally, his allies stopped too. Everyone listened to the conversation between Encrid and the stern-looking soldier.

Encrid spoke among the group of soldiers, who were catching their breath with their shoulders heaving.

"If we go back now, we'll die anyway. Behind us, there's nothing but enemies gathered like a pack of mad wild dogs."

As he spoke, Encrid loosened the guard on his hand.

The leather-padded guard was undoubtedly useful, but wearing it for too long made his hand muscles feel crushed.

If he wore it loosely, it would certainly be dangerous during battle.

"How do you know that? They don't even know we exist. How could they have already blocked the retreat?"

The stern-looking soldier, glancing at Encrid loosening his hand guard, furrowed his brows deeply.

He didn't seem to like Encrid's calm demeanor.

Encrid had faced this moment dozens of times.

'Today' has been repeated dozens of times.

The enemy had superior numbers and, as soon as they confirmed an ambush, they always cut off the retreat route. And very persistently at that.

He didn't know who their commander was, but it seemed they were desperate to avoid showing they had been ambushed here.

That was always the case.

The allied soldiers, crouched low in the tall grass, looked uneasy.

They were following blindly, but listening to the conversation, they felt as if they were standing in the middle of a dangerous battlefield.

Even so, no one stepped forward easily.

They just perked up their ears.

Encrid glanced up again, calculating the time in his head.

In three or four hours, darkness would fall.

Then a way out would open.

But first, he had to convince them here.

It would be good if he could just force them, but they weren't the type to be subdued easily.

It wasn't a problem that could be solved with coercion either.

Coercion and violence had pushed them this far, but that was the limit.

Ambush, escape, ambush.

He had driven the squad relentlessly to this point, but now it was time to wait.

As they waited, such doubts arose.

There was no need to go to great lengths to persuade them.

"Don't you realize it's too late now that we've come this far?"

He was right. Time had already been wasted.

Going back now was even crazier.

The stern-looking soldier chewed his lip.

What kind of crazy bastard is this?

He seemed to want to say.

But instead, he rolled his eyes and asked,

"You have a plan, right?"

Encrid looked into the eyes of his counterpart and then met the gaze of each of his allies, including Enri and Andrew.

Their eyes were filled with doubt and anxiety.

As their breath returned, so did their composure.

Composure led them to start thinking.

They must have realized it was already too late.

Encrid had no intention of providing a rational explanation.

In fact, he couldn't provide an adequate reason.

How could he say it?

That he had seen the future by repeating today?

That to end this repeated day and move forward to tomorrow, they had to follow his words unconditionally?

Who would believe that?

So, there was only one thing he could say.

"I want to live too."

It was a short statement, but it contained everything.

It meant he wasn't struggling just to die.

The desire to live.

Wouldn't everyone have that same desire?

He wanted to remind everyone that he felt the same way.

Of course, if Encrid died, he would simply repeat today again.

'I will not remain stagnant.'

No matter who that ferryman was.

No matter how high and solid the wall is standing before him.

He had no intention of stopping.

For Encrid, today, repeated over and over, was a mountain to climb and a challenge to conquer.

Therefore,

"Trust me. This is not a path to death."

Skipping any explanation, he aimed to earn their trust.

Based on their trust, he intended to twist today enough to escape it and greet tomorrow.

The desire to live, repeated battles, the anxiety that arose after the excitement faded— in such a situation, people would cling even to a straw.

To such people, Encrid's brief words conveyed an indescribable depth of trust.

He wanted to live too, so he asked them to believe him.

Moreover, they instinctively knew there was no other way.

What could they do right here and now?

The enemy was swarming all over the tall grass.

There seemed no way to escape from here.

In such times, trusting someone might be the only solution.

"I really want to live."

Enri mumbled.

His words started a chain reaction as everyone turned to look at Encrid and nodded in agreement.

The stern-looking soldier remained the most composed, but he too had no other options.

Andrew was the most shocked among them.

Beyond his skills, Encrid seemed like a person who had achieved personal maturity.

Wasn't Encrid now resembling the person Andrew dreamed he would become in the future?

'Staying composed even in this situation.'

He didn't give up and earned everyone's trust.

How magnificent was that?

"I believe too. I also believe."

With that, Andrew spoke up. His tone had naturally risen, and it didn't feel awkward.

A warm, intense feeling seemed to arise among the allies, reaching Encrid.

"Then everyone."

Receiving everyone's gaze, Encrid began to speak.

"From now on, until you receive my signal, lie down like moles and stay silent."

Having gained their trust, it was time to use it.

He led by example.

He lay down flat on the ground and held his breath.

Everyone followed Encrid's lead.

Though they wondered what he was doing instead of running away immediately, what could they do? They had just shared a profound moment.

It was the time to trust, even if just for five minutes.

The stern-looking soldier watched a small insect hop over his nose and disappear, feeling both amazed and exasperated.

'This guy, he's an incredible tactician.'

His skill in handling people was extraordinary.

Was he moving that troublemaking squad with this kind of skill?

Naturally, such thoughts arose.

Rustle, rustle.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps on the grass could be heard.

Everyone began to breathe cautiously.

They sensed the presence of people around them.

They weren't too close.

The tall grass was like a dense thicket. Unless someone approached right in front of them, it was difficult to spot people.

It was a good place to hide.

The sound of grass being trampled echoed loudly around them.

The direction of the sound moved from front to back.

Those who had stopped couldn't see the situation.

But if there had been a bird flying above the tall grass witnessing the scene, it would have seen something astonishing.

The grass around where Encrid's group had stopped was shaking and moving in all directions. All of them were enemies.

However, they avoided the exact spot where Encrid's squad was hiding, moving around the central area where Encrid's group remained still.

In other words, the place where Encrid had halted was like a safe island amid enemies, an uninhabited zone.

Even if luck was on their side, it would have been impossible to find such a gap amid the enemy's movements.

It was as if the goddess of luck had not just kissed them but poured out all her blessings.

Of course, this wasn't luck.

It was a trick learned through the maddening repetition of today.

As the sound of footsteps faded, making it difficult to discern the enemy's position, Encrid spoke again.

"Move out. Advance in single file."

It was time to move.

Encrid stretched his crouched body and walked slowly until the numbness in his legs subsided.

As he did, he realized how useful the sensory training he had learned from Jaxon was.

Judging distance and direction by sound.

It wasn't a skill that could be acquired through ordinary training, but Encrid had learned it by offering his neck to an assassin, and by repeating today in the grassland, he could distinguish the sounds.

'We've passed the second target.'

Repeating ambushes and escapes, letting the enemies pass by.

This was the second key to the escape route he envisioned.

Now, the final third step remained.

That required the help of time.

Once the numbness in his legs had eased, he increased his pace a bit.

Instead of complaining, everyone followed well.

Inwardly, they were all quite amazed.

No matter how they looked, it seemed like the enemies were everywhere, yet they were wondering how they were evading them so well.

Thinking back, the pattern of their battles was peculiar. They attacked as if they knew the enemy's positions.

Every battle had begun with an ambush by their allies.

Thanks to this, they could fight from advantageous positions. In all those battles, Encrid took the lead, showcasing mad skills.

He seemed like someone who disregarded his own life.

All the squad members following him knew that Encrid fought with his life on the line. He took the most risks at the front.

In the quiet grassland, a strange heat arose again.

It was the warmth of the flame that ignited in the hearts of the surviving allies.

Encrid did not feel that heat.

He only thought about what came next.

'Up to this point.'

It was easy.

To be honest, it wasn't difficult.

It shouldn't have been difficult either.

He had already experienced this 'today' more than fifty times up to this point.

So, this was the expected result.

Why had he experienced this 'today' over fifty times?

It was all for the next operation.

They were few, the enemy many.

Their intentions were unknown.

There was only one thing he could be certain of.

The enemy commander intended not to let a single person who approached this place leave alive.

In the first few attempts, he gritted his teeth and tried to break through to secure a retreat.

Naturally, he failed every time.

Would the outcome change with the help of the squad members?

Not a chance.

After that, he shifted his thinking.

'What if something more troublesome than catching us happened?'

The sun was setting. As the sunset began, the orange glow of twilight descended.

As the setting sun illuminated the tall grass, it felt as if they were entering a lake glowing orange.

At this moment, this place felt less like a green field and more like an orange pearl.

Today, the sky was clear, and the setting sun cast an incredibly warm glow.

The sun quickly disappeared beyond the western horizon.

And then darkness fell.

It was time for Encrid to take the third objective of his escape route.