Chapter 38

It has been over a year since then.

Xiaoming's talent for the sword was lacking, and his techniques only grew more numerous. They were dull, and even after receiving the license of mastery, they were useless against the dojo's students.

Kalil, who was forced to realize that he could only become a second-rate swordsman with his limited skills, still couldn't give up.

It was then that a direct request from the Adventurer's Guild came in.

"---A group of unknown beasts that seem to have moved from the Demon Forest of Rihelan have disappeared. Since then, there have been a series of missing persons in the surrounding area. We seek an investigation."

It was a clearly dangerous request. The Guild had ordered multiple high-level parties to prepare thoroughly, and the request that came to Kalil and his group was to ensure a safe retreat as a supporting role.

Kalil and his party members, who had set up camp at the designated location, saw off the main force.

About two hours later, a carriage came racing down the road behind them.

The plan was to exterminate the group of unknown beasts, which were likely to use magic, and the road should have been blocked.

In front of the wary Kalil and his group, the carriage stopped, and a blood-covered woman tumbled out, clinging to Kalil's leg.

"---My child has been kidnapped by bandits!"

The woman was in a hurry to get to town, to issue an emergency request to the Adventurer's Guild and ask the guards to mobilize.

However, due to the large-scale operation, the guards were unable to move to defend the town, and the adventurers were all out.

Kalil left the situation to Foulau and entered the forest. Rescuing the child was not the goal; the official purpose was to alert the adventurers to the possibility of bandits intervening as a third force.

Kalil ran through the forest, trying to catch up with the leading high-level adventurers, but suddenly his vision distorted, and he was stunned by the scene that appeared before him.

Seven men lay dead on the ground.

Beyond the pile of corpses that had not existed a moment ago, a group of strange creatures was present. They were a group of reptile-like creatures that had built simple huts by combining branches and leaves in the trees, and were peeking out from them.

They walked on two legs, had three eyes and an abnormally sharp claw on one hand, and their physique was twice that of the ten-year-old boy they were about to tear apart with their claws.

"---What the hell are you doing, you damn lizards!"

Ignoring the difference in numbers, Kalil charged in, shielding the boy while engaging in a fierce battle in the hidden village. By the time the high-level adventurers arrived, he had lost his right arm.

※

Kalil clicked his tongue as the past he didn't want to remember overlapped with the current situation.

"---Weaving a blind net in the nameless void"

Shiraha muttered and clapped his hands once. As the sound spread, there was a sense that something was spreading around them.

An invisible dome covered the three of them, Kalil, Shiraha, and Rio. The unique presence that could be instinctively confirmed was likely a defensive magic.

"Defensive magic, huh. How long will it last?"

"I don't know. It depends on the enemy's power."

Shiraha looked at the beast with a lack of confidence. Then, he continued.

"It can only defend against magic."

"---!"

At the same time as Shiraha's words, Rio deflected a stone that had penetrated the defensive magic with his sword. He probably didn't want to do it, but with the sheath broken, there was no other option.

If only magic could be defended against, the apes would charge in.

"Kalil, do you have any ideas?"

"No, we're stuck."

Kalil's voice betrayed his anxiety as he searched for a way to survive.

They had managed to kill a few apes while breaking through the encirclement, but there were still nearly twenty of them. Moreover, there was the beast mage who had been transformed by the turbid flow magic, and the disparity in strength was hopeless.

Even if they managed to escape, they would likely suffer serious injuries or die if the turbid flow magic was cast from behind while they were descending the mountain slope.

If reinforcements came from the village, the turbid flow magic would be a problem. In the worst case, villagers or knights who were off-duty in the village would become victims of the turbid flow magic, unaware of the situation here.

Rio glared at the beast with a bitter expression.

"Can we cut through that turbid flow magic?"

"The mage isn't experienced, so the core of the magic is likely in the center. However, you'll be swept away by the turbid flow before your blade can reach it. It's better to think it's impossible to cut through."

Rather, it would be more realistic to cut down the beast that uses magic.

It was about the same size as Rio, but it was positioned at the back of the group and was not easy to reach. The fact that it showed no signs of casting the turbid flow magic, perhaps because it was seeing the defensive magic for the first time, was a relief.

As he was thinking about this, the beast opened its mouth wide towards the sky. As he wondered what it was doing, Rio and Shiraha looked behind them in shock.

"Kalil, a group of apes is coming from behind."

They seemed to be communicating with their companions in a way that Kalil couldn't hear.

But it was within Kalil's expectations.

"If we had continued without changing our course, we would have run into the group that was left behind at the turbid flow site. There are at least ten of them."

"Maybe the beasts aren't attacking because... "

"They're surrounding us to ensure we don't escape after learning about the hidden village, and then they'll finish us off."

The fact that they had created a hidden village suggested a very cautious nature.

There was no time, and there were no options.

Unlike last time, there was no hope of rescue.

"---Ah, this is the worst. Rio, Shiraha, make peace with dying now. We'll take out the beasts, at least the three of us."

In the current situation, death was inevitable.

But if Kalil and his group died, the apes would retreat to the hidden village and increase in number.

If they were to die, it would be more reasonable, albeit reluctantly, to eliminate the threat to the village.

In other words, to prioritize the elimination of the beasts that posed a threat to the village.

Rio seemed to have read Kalil's thoughts and nodded seriously.

"---Well, I don't think we can survive in this situation anyway. If we can, it's better to strike back and do something for everyone in the village."

Kalil chuckled at Rio's unusually mature resolve.

Rio always saw through the essence of things. His stubbornness, which sometimes pushed him to his limits, never wavered.

It was a shame for Kalil, who had co-developed it, that the self-taught swordsmanship that Rio had built up through his resolve would be lost here.

"What about you, Shiraha? If you and Rio, who have made up your minds, take a desperate gamble, we can also try to escape."

"I want to stay with Rio."

"I thought so."

Kalil also thought that Shiraha, who was a mystery, would not leave Rio's side.

Thinking about it, the two here were not just protection targets but were also fully capable swordsmen and mages.

If they were to die together, it might be a rather good selection, and Kalil smiled.

He had lost an arm and had been wallowing in self-pity, but he had somehow cooperated in the creation of self-taught swordsmanship and had managed to create it, albeit imperfectly.

If he were to die here as a user of self-taught swordsmanship, as a swordsman, it would be a fitting end to his life.

"If you've made up your minds, it's easy. I'll charge in. Shiraha will defend with magic, and Rio will protect Shiraha."

Assigning roles, Kalil stepped in front of Rio and the others. He lowered the tip of his sword to the ground and took a stance, glaring at the group of apes.

Immediately, the area around Kalil wavered like heat haze. He had activated the body enhancement magic to its maximum.

Perhaps sensing his resolve for a short, decisive battle, the beast ordered its companions to defend.

The moment a stone thrown as a feint penetrated the defensive magic, Kalil moved.

In the next instant, an ape that had thrust a spear to protect the beast was rolling down the mountain slope, spewing blood.

"If I go all out, I can kill half of you."

Kalil kicked off the ground, his eyes fixed on the next target, and the apes let out a roar, forming a shield to protect the beast.

Kalil clashed his sword with the stone sword wielded by the ape, ignoring the wear and tear on his weapon, and entered the ape's guard, turning his wrist.

He lifted the ape's jaw with the pommel of his sword, slashed its exposed throat, and spun his body to attack the next ape.

To avoid injuring his enhanced body, Kalil did not suppress the inertia and other forces acting on him but used them to his advantage.

His movements, which were based on rotation, incorporated the initial killing technique of the Enro style and the footwork of Rio's self-taught swordsmanship, accelerating continuously.

He did not worry about the safety of Rio and Shiraha. It was partly because of the desperate situation, but more so because of the support they provided.

The black mist magic that Shiraha seemed to have cast confused the apes behind Kalil.

A stone that Rio had thrown back hit an ape's side. The accurate support, which he had learned from a knight, was surprisingly reassuring.

It's possible, thought Kalil as he stepped on an ape's foot with his left heel and slashed its eyes. It was not a fatal wound, but being unable to escape with its foot stepped on and suddenly losing its vision would cause panic.

Kalil kicked the ape's abdomen and backed away, inducing panic. As expected, the panicked ape swung its weapon and screamed.

If the panic spread, it would create an opening to take down the beast.

Kalil glanced at the beast.

"Shit."

A stone like a turtle shell was shot from the beast's hand, shattering the brain of the panicked ape.

The apes, sensing the turbid flow that followed, hurriedly moved away from the straight line between the beast and Kalil.

Naturally, Kalil also retreated to the defensive magic that Shiraha had set up.

However, the apes had no intention of letting Kalil escape. They redirected the stones they had been throwing at Shiraha towards Kalil.

Kalil had no choice but to deal with the stones, and the moment he stopped to dodge them, a turbid flow erupted from in front of the beast.

Kalil jumped back to escape the turbid flow, but it was moving faster than ever.

Sensing that he would be caught, Kalil decided to take a desperate gamble and tried to cut through the magic with his sword.

"---!"

As he shouted to psych himself up and was about to step forward, he was pulled back by the collar.

He immediately realized that Rio had pulled him down.

"---Shiraha!"

As Rio called out the name, a defensive magic spread in front of Rio and Kalil, colliding with the approaching turbid flow.

The moment the core of the magic touched the defensive magic, the turbid flow disappeared.

Kalil blinked several times as he watched the small stones and dirt lifted by the turbid flow fall to the ground.

He couldn't believe what he had just seen.

He looked at the location of the defensive magic and the spot where the turbid flow had disappeared, replaying the scene in his mind.

Rio stood in front of Kalil, sword in hand.

"Kalil, what are you doing? Get up!"

Responding to the call, Kalil slowly stood up and pushed Rio's shoulder away.

As he recalled the phenomenon he had just witnessed, Kalil smiled quietly.

"Kalil?"

Rio looked puzzled at Kalil's smile.

"Rio, Shiraha, be happy. I've found a way out."

That move was probably something he couldn't pull off.

He had no talent and no training. It would be impossible for him to master a technique he had just thought of in such a situation.

But there was someone who could do it, even without talent.

Kalil took a deep breath and pointed his sword at the beast.

"I'll probably fail, but Rio should be able to succeed. Watch this!"

If he failed, he would likely die. He had no confidence in succeeding.

Rio frowned but focused on Kalil.

Everyone in the situation was already prepared to die. It was a matter of how to use their lives.

Then, Kalil smiled.

"---If I can create a technique and die, that's a good way to go, isn't it?"

He jumped out of the range of the defensive magic.

It was right after the turbid flow magic, so the apes had not yet solidified their defense around the beast.

Kalil ran down the straight path, pushing his center of gravity forward and not thinking about stopping, at full speed.

The beast, perhaps surprised by the sudden charge, immediately aimed its palm at Kalil and released a stone like a turtle shell.

The preparatory motion for the turbid flow magic.

Kalil used the footwork of Rio's self-taught swordsmanship to shift his body a fist's width to the side without slowing down. The stone grazed his temple, and blood flowed, but Kalil did not flinch.

He stared directly at the beast, confronting it with his killing intent.

The beast narrowed its eyes and took a step back, intimidated by Kalil's killing intent, even though it was confident in countering with the turbid flow magic.

"Roar!"

Realizing it had been intimidated, the beast roared in frustration and activated the turbid flow magic.

A turbid flow that could easily engulf a house erupted. Symbolizing the beast's frustration, it was clearly larger than before.

Kalil pointed his sword at the turbid flow, lying flat, and opened his mouth without slowing down.

He activated the body enhancement magic even more excessively than before, enveloped in a heat haze-like magic, and spoke.

"Get lost, you bastard!"

Magic rode on his voice, similar to the defensive magic Shiraha had used.

The magic in the air in his lungs and throat also rode on the voice, causing it to waver like a heat haze.

The moment the heat haze-like voice collided with the turbid flow magic, Kalil thrust his sword at the tip of the turbid flow with all his might.

As everyone had imagined, Kalil's sword was deflected by the water pressure of the turbid flow. His left arm, which had thrust the sword, was caught in the turbid flow, and Kalil was swept away, being hit by the stones and branches lifted by the turbid flow.

The beast looked puzzled, wondering what he had intended to do.

Kalil sneered at the beast.

He had made eye contact with Rio for a moment while being tossed around by the turbid flow, and Rio had understood what he had intended to do.

"---Damn, you have good eyes."

Swept away by the turbid flow and slammed into the ground, Kalil lay next to where Rio kicked off the ground.