CHAPTER 109

Encrid gazed into the eyes of his opponent wizard, Resha.

'Even a wizard has eyes.'

He also has a nose and a mouth.

In other words, he's human.

"Every human has reflexive actions."

Jaxon's teachings suddenly came to mind.

Something prepared accordingly.

Encrid only needed to stop the raging thorn vines for a moment.

A method to achieve that.

A hidden card up his sleeve.

Something he had practiced several times before.

He had trained enough.

The important thing was timing.

So, right now.

While wielding and deflecting with his sword using only his left hand, one of the thorn vines struck his left wrist with a thud.

The leather gauntlet, obtained from a sewer corpse enthusiast, was torn to shreds.

At that moment, Encrid raised his right hand high.

Resha's eyebrow twitched at the gesture.

Having shown the use of throwing weapons several times, this reaction was expected.

Resha thought there would be no problem regardless of what was thrown.

After all, wasn't she surrounded by a magical barrier that blocks most physical forces?

But instead of a dagger, a stone flew towards her. A thin, crystal-like orb.

Flash!

A sudden burst of light, incomparable to a torch.

Everyone, including Resha, who reflexively looked at the object Encrid's throw, was momentarily blinded.

For a very brief moment, they lost their vision.

"Hup."

Encrid, who had been waiting for this moment while looking only at the ground, moved.

The shining stone, obtained from the sewers, was hidden up his sleeve.

He had struggled to figure out how to activate it.

He didn't know it would be used this way.

The technique of hiding and throwing a weapon was called the Hide Knife.

Showing an empty hand was intended to lure the opponent into complacency, and it worked perfectly.

All these factors combined to create a momentary opening, as thin as paper.

For Encrid, that was enough.

Tap.

He charged forward, a technique he learned from watching a squire one day.

Crouching low, he rushed forward, gripping his sword with both hands and raising it high.

Shifting his weight from his back foot to his front, he brought the sword down in a powerful vertical slash.

At that moment, Resha, whose vision had just returned, screamed.

"Kyaaaah!"

That was her final scream, her dying words.

Swoosh, clang—.

Resha's barrier shattered. A vertical slash, executed with full force, without regard for the consequences.

Resha's head was caught in it.

Thud. Crunch.

As the blade broke through the barrier, it veered off course, peeling off her scalp, severing an ear, and splitting her collarbone, before exiting below.

Squelch.

In the end, the blade cut through part of her intestines and about thirty percent of her upper body, emerging around her waist.

With a thud, a chunk of flesh, including one of her severed arms, fell to the ground.

Standing vacantly, the wizard became a half-dead figure, pouring her entrails and blood onto the ground.

What could someone so grievously wounded say?

The light in her eyes quickly dimmed.

It was clear what she wanted to do in her final moments.

A few thorny vines behind Encrid writhed before losing strength and falling.

"Phew."

Encrid finally exhaled the breath he had been holding. He knew that Resha's barrier would shatter if it took enough impact.

For instance, a weighted strike could easily break it.

The dagger had been ignored, but Finn's axe had affected it.

In reality, it was a culmination of everything he had learned, applied in one moment.

He had even hidden the shining stone using the Hide Knife technique.

"Aren't you going to finish up?"

Encrid said, snatching the glowing stone that hovered in the air.

This light would soon alert the city within the walls, causing a commotion.

It meant they didn't have much time.

Swish.

Finn moved first, followed by Torres.

There weren't many soldiers left.

"Argh!"

The dying screams of the soldiers echoed above the city walls.

The moonlight still shone on Encrid.

Even the enemy soldiers, along with Torres and Finn, saw the moonlight shining like a halo from Encrid's back.

He gave off a different aura, not that of a typical human.

The scent of blood and roses mingled atop the wall.

It was a strange smell, so unique it could have been mistaken for a newly released perfume.

* * *

Once over and down the wall, it was Finn's domain.

As if she had been prepared, she hugged the inner side of the wall, dug up a part of the ground, and pulled out a bundle.

"Supplies for emergencies."

Inside, it seemed like supplies prepared by the spy known as the 'Cat'.

Inside the bundle, a filthy blanket appeared.

She immediately tossed it to Encrid and Torres.

While Encrid and Torres covered themselves with the blanket at the edge of the slum near the city wall, Finn twisted the necks of two nearby beggars out of curiosity.

Watching her skill in subduing them silently, one could only think, "As expected of Finn."

After all, they had seen her do this countless times during their repeated cycles.

Finn's mastery of Ail Caraz- Style Martial Arts was like a ripened fruit, akin to that of a seasoned expert.

Most of the slum's inhabitants paid no attention to their surroundings, so there were no more witnesses.

Thus, the three of them hid within the darkness and under the filthy blanket.

As Encrid followed, he fell into his thoughts.

It was a recurring thought, a routine reflection of the day.

When repeating today, Encrid had three paths before him.

So, was it enough to choose and break through one of those paths?

'Do I really need to choose just one?'

With the tension off his shoulders, he saw things more clearly.

Instead of choosing just one path, he could utilize all three barriers.

It seemed possible.

At the Gray Hound's escape route, he could experience being surrounded by elite troops.

Fighting against the horde of lycanthropes, he could learn to fight and evade in the chaotic battles.

And Resha, with her Rose Vines, was an excellent training tool.

Encrid saw the Gray Hounds, the lycanthropes, and Resha all as training tools. They were good teaching aids.

Encrid had crafted 'today' in this way.

'It wasn't bad.'

His wrist hurt a bit from the blow to the left gauntlet.

He trusted his leather armor to absorb the hits from attacks he couldn't completely avoid.

But there were no fatal wounds.

"Shh, keep your head down. It's a patrol."

At Finn's words, Encrid lowered his head and pretended to be asleep.

Their disguise was complete with some of their equipment hidden and a filthy blanket covering them.

"The smell is driving me crazy."

"Bear with it. Don't you know there's chaos on the city walls? They might have hidden here."

"Then why don't we just sweep this place?"

"Shh, what if they all attack us?"

Listening to the patrolling soldiers' conversation, Encrid squinted his eyes.

"Alright, let's move."

Finn led Encrid and Torres without hesitation, as if she knew the way well.

As they walked, Encrid lifted his head, catching a glimpse of the city.

In the distance, he saw a tall bell tower, dirt roads, faint lights shining from within, but mostly dark alleys.

As Encrid followed Finn, she fell back to walk beside Torres.

When Torres gave her a look, as if to ask what she was doing.

"Are all Border Guard soldiers like that?"

"Huh?"

"Are they all that capable?"

Finn gestured behind them with her thumb.

Behind them was Encrid.

Torres pondered Finn's question for a moment. A swordsman like that? One who could deflect a wizard's bizarre thorn vines with a sword, not a shield, creating an opening and cutting through? A swordsman who, after being taught a few times, could use his specialty, the Hide Knife, in a unique way? One who could evade and endure between lycanthropes and elite enemies, putting his life on the line?

Ultimately, a swordsman who could cut through the attacking opponents, dispatching lycanthrope swarms and elite soldiers alone?

Torres thought about the top fighters in the Border Guard.

Let's see.

Aizen? Barney? Hyoun?

No way!

Purely in terms of skill, it felt like he had crossed a line.

"Could there be?"

"Huh?"

"Could there be more monsters like that just everywhere?"

It was a truly strange feeling.

Not long ago, Encrid was under his command.

Even during their training, they seemed well-matched.

But now, everything has changed. His mastery, his swordplay had evolved.

"Sigh."

Finn sighed in mixed admiration and bewilderment at Torres' response.

Look at what Encrid had done.

'Is this a Platoon leader? Just a Platoon leader?'

She wondered what would happen if she reported this upon returning.

While searching the area for the hidden cipher left by the 'Cat', she worried whether anyone would believe what Encrid had done.

As they navigated through the shadows, avoiding patrols with the help of moonlight, the commotion on the city walls quieted down.

Encrid found the silence more ominous.

Having dealt with the wizard, his instincts seemed to be kicking in.

But if he relied too much on them, he might end up in trouble again.

After all, they had used all three barriers to cross the city walls.

He wanted to face tomorrow with this intact.

So he stayed vigilant.

Alert and ready to react immediately to any trouble.

Finn continued to search until morning.

The three of them felt the fatigue but encountered no trouble.

The commotion that began on the city walls didn't spread into the city.

On the contrary, it seemed to be hushed up.

As they hid around a corner, they overheard two patrol soldiers passing by on the main road, confirming this.

"Did something happen last night? I heard someone crossed the city walls."

"Shh, we were ordered not to talk about it. Don't get yourself into trouble and lose pay over loose talk."

As the two patrolmen moved away, Finn muttered from behind.

"This isn't good."

"Why?" Torres asked.

"The connection's gone. The 'Cat' is dead."

"Does that mean this was a wild goose chase?" Torres asked, but Finn shook her head.

"The message was left, but it's... well, complicated."

"How so?"

In a corner of the alley, Finn sighed and said, "There's a designated spot in front of the city gate. It's buried there."

"Why in front of the city gate?" Torres questioned.

"It must have been urgent. If they failed in their escape, it would be the last place they'd go."

This was a headache.

Torres nudged Encrid and asked, "Any good ideas?"

"We retrieve the item from in front of the gate and then leave. Isn't that the plan?"

"That won't be easy."

'Is this really such a difficult decision?' Encrid thought as he looked at the two.

'Their minds are stuck.'

It was understandable, given everything that had happened overnight. Encrid wasn't aware of it, but his actions had startled both of them. His swordsmanship and the boldness to turn every situation to his advantage were what he had shown yesterday.

"Let's set a fire."

"...What?"

"We'll set a fire under cover of night and escape. On the way, we'll grab the item. The fact that they don't want anyone talking about what happened on the wall suggests they're waiting for any intruders to make a move. So, let's give them one."

Finn's eyes lit up. It was a brilliant plan. At the same time, she thought, 'I should have suggested that first.'

She realized her mind had been stuck, and that was enough for her.

Finn was an excellent ranger.

And a good ranger often became a serious troublemaker, at least from the enemy's perspective.

The three of them stayed hidden until nightfall, then set fire to a pile of hay in front of an inn.

Whoosh.

They set fires in six different places, spreading out to do it simultaneously.

Finn was the most excited. Her feet were quick, her hands agile, and she shouted about the fire first, causing even more confusion among the people.

With the fire blazing behind them, Encrid moved through the darkness, thinking, 'It seems like we resort to arson quite often.'

He felt he might end up becoming an arsonist rather than a knight.

Setting fires seemed to be becoming a habit, but that wasn't the issue at hand. He grabbed a torch and practically ran, throwing it onto the hay, along with an oil bottle he had taken from the inn.

Whoosh.

The fire burned brightly.

He felt like he was becoming not just an arsonist, but an arsonist expert, though the results were effective.

"Fire! There's a fire!"

The sky had been cloudy all day, suggesting spring rain was coming, but it hadn't happened yet.

So, the hay and straw burned well.

The nearby wooden buildings also caught fire easily.

When they knocked over a few torches, the flames roared fiercely.

As all attention was drawn to the blaze, Finn, Torres, and Encrid slipped away quietly.

It happened just before the city gate closed.

Of course, Finn dug up the ground to retrieve the hidden message.

"Looks like we can head back now?" Torres said.

Finn and Encrid nodded.

It was time to return.

"How did you know the wizard's name?"

On their way back, Torres asked.

Encrid had expected the question and gave his prepared response.

"It was a lucky guess. It was the name of a female wizard who had killed many of my comrades during my mercenary days, so I just blurted it out."

Could anyone really believe that?

The explanation seemed so implausible that it somehow made sense.

Torres felt puzzled but soon decided not to worry about it.

'Whatever.'

As long as everything ended well, that was all that mattered. It was the attitude of a good soldier.

* * *

Avnair couldn't help but chuckle.

Sitting in his office within the Cross Guard, he kept breaking into incredulous laughter.

"Hah."

'Everything breached? In one night?'

They had captured an enemy spy and extracted information.

They set a trap based on that.

They even leaked false information, posing as spies.

He thought that if anyone tried to enter, they would be dealt with.

Even then, he hadn't really expected anyone to infiltrate the Cross Guard.

And yet...

'The elite soldiers at the escape route were almost wiped out.'

Resha was dead.

She wasn't supposed to die here.

Resha of the Thorn Vines was a well-known wizard.

"I could understand if a knight had appeared."

But that wasn't the case.

They tried to capture whoever had caused the commotion.

He was prepared to use his own troops if necessary.

But while they were waiting, a fire broke out.

They had considered all possibilities, including an assassination attempt.

And all that happened was a fire.

After that, there was no trace of the infiltrators.

'Did they just set a fire and leave?'

Avnair continued to laugh. It was absurd and baffling.

His mouth was laughing, but his eyes were not—a strange expression.

The genius strategist of Aspen.

That's what they called him.

And yet, he had been completely outmaneuvered.

How could he not laugh?

* * *

"Achoo!"

On the way back to the Border Guard base, Finn thought Encrid was definitely crazy when he suggested another round of training.

Torres politely declined.

"Aren't you tired? I am."

When they arrived at the Border Guard base, Encrid saw a strange scene.

A shabby, bald man, who could easily be mistaken for a beggar, was complaining to a soldier.

It was a sight that made Encrid involuntarily tilt his head in curiosity.

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