Chapter 135: Welcome to the Hunt
“W-wait! I’ve already taken enough hits!”
Although I appeared to be standing fine, I had taken multiple stabs meant for Elton. My blood-soaked appearance made it clear how battered I was, but judging by Fenry’s eyes, she seemed quite familiar with seeing me in this kind of state.
Her gleaming Crow Blade caught my eye, and for a second, I thought she had finally gone mad.
Bang—! Bang! Bang-bang!
Her Crow Blade sliced through the air behind me, ripping apart the wind in a chain reaction.
A sneak attack?
I turned around to see Jack, his face twisted in frustration, slowly retreating. His disheveled blonde hair flicked through my vision as Fenry pushed it aside and let out an exasperated sigh.
“Haah, how did I end up getting tangled with you…”
She gestured into the air, and shadows rose like black ink from beneath her, lifting Banli onto her shoulder.
Both Fenry and Banli turned their heads simultaneously to glare at me. The way they glared in unison looked oddly comedic, though I knew better than to laugh.
“You called me because of that bastard, didn’t you?”
“I can tell just by your eyes…”
“Shut it. With this, my debt to you is paid. Got it?”
She was referring to the time when I had helped her during Banli’s rampage, which had been caused by the Blessing of the Shadow King.
She remembered that?
I had completely forgotten about it, probably because I had been too busy celebrating my escape from what Retonicalus had called “training” but what was, in reality, torture.
This was one of those times when her calculating personality came in handy.
“Deal.”
“‘Deal,’ my ass. You looked like you were about to keel over and die back then.”
“I had bad luck that day, okay?”
Fenry spread both her Crow Blades wide, her stance radiating an intimidating pressure. Feeling threatened, Jack turned and fled into the opposite part of the forest.
“He’s running?”
“Please chase him down. And if possible, kill him while you’re at it.”
This was exactly why I had called Fenry—to keep Jack in check.
As someone who wielded wind, Jack could easily switch between attacking and retreating. Neither I nor Lochter could reliably keep up with him. Fenry, with her mastery of shadows, was the perfect counter.
“Do I get paid if I kill him?”
“If you can kill him, feel free.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“It won’t be easy.”
“Humph. Pick up the gold coins on the ground while you’re at it. I’ll collect them later.”
“Gold coins? You’re seriously thinking about money at a time like this?”
“Fifty-six gold coins.”
The moment she pointed out the exact amount of fallen coins, I couldn’t help but nod in acknowledgment.
Her name wasn’t Fenry anymore. From now on, she would be Donry—Donry Chaser.
Unaware of the new nickname I had just bestowed upon her, Fenry curled her lips into a smirk and melted into the shadows. A few moments later, the distant clash of steel echoed through the forest as sparks flew.
Jack’s Crow Blade had collided fiercely with Fenry’s.
I could see Jack moving awkwardly, clearly caught off guard by Fenry’s sudden appearance.
“He’ll have to fight for his life now.”
Since Fenry had revealed her shadow abilities, it was essentially a declaration that she intended to kill him. But it wouldn’t be easy.
This wasn’t just any Jack—it was Jack empowered by the Massacre Buff.
“If we team up and catch him off guard, we might be able to kill him.”
“If you have to choose between saving Jack or saving Karl, what will you do?”
“…Where’s Karl right now?”
“For now, let’s get moving.”
To give Fenry the space to focus on her battle, I led Nella deeper into the forest.
After laying Elton down, we quickly prepared to move again.
“His injuries are severe, but nothing life-threatening. He’ll recover soon enough.”
“Thank you.”
I noticed the blue paste smeared all over Elton’s wounds—it seemed to be Nella’s homemade healing salve. Though curious about its ingredients, I didn’t have the luxury of time to ask. Fenry had bought us precious time, and I wasn’t going to waste it.
“Let’s go!”
Leaving Nella behind, we sprinted through the forest.
The scenery blurred as we raced at full speed.
Focusing my eyes, I strained to sense Karl’s aura through the dense trees. While I couldn’t see much due to the thick forest, I could faintly feel his presence.
Karl Bastain’s faint aura.
He was there.
“What was that thing earlier?”
“What do you mean?”
“That intent to kill. It felt like it was trying to snuff me out.”
“That’s impossible. It was just the conditions needed to activate your ability. Lochter used his divinity.”
“…Divinity?”
I glanced at Lochter with my Insight ability activated.
[Lochter Felice – Knight of Betrayal (Void)]
- Master of Swordsmanship
- Master of Fundamentals
- Indomitable Will
“Lochter is the master of a divine spirit.”
Seeing the surprised expression on Lochter’s stony face, it was clear he hadn’t known this either.
He looked like he wanted to ask more, but we didn’t have time to continue the conversation.
Rustle, rustle—
The bushes shook violently, and a familiar figure burst out from the undergrowth.
It was a man who looked exactly like Jack.
Spotting us, he urgently raised one of his Crow Blades.
A crimson Crow Blade, identical to Jack’s.
“It’s his brother, Howell! We can’t let him escape!”
The twin brothers were far more dangerous when they were together than when they were apart. If the two managed to reunite, even Fenry would be at risk of being overpowered.
If Howell decided things weren’t going his way, he wouldn’t hesitate to flee and regroup with Jack for a sneak attack later. We couldn’t give him that chance.
“Lochter!”
Upon spotting Lochter, Howell abandoned his intention to fight and turned toward the direction where Jack was.
But before he could get far—
Thwip-thwip-thwip!
A barrage of blue arrows zipped past, forcing Howell to stop and retreat.
I used the Blood Drain Ring to entangle Howell’s feet, while Lochter charged forward, driving him toward the clearing. Howell had no choice but to retreat further into the open, showing no signs of wanting to engage us directly.
This was exactly what made the twin brothers so difficult to catch. The moment things turned unfavorable, they would retreat, regroup, and strike back later.
“Damn, so close.”
Lochter clicked his tongue in frustration, pulling out a small waterskin from his pouch.
Howell’s trait was Oxidation—a deadly poison. I had prepared the waterskin specifically to counter his poison in case he tried to use it unexpectedly.
“We’re not gaining any ground,” Lochter muttered as we continued chasing Howell through the forest.
“Did you notice anything about Jack during the fight? Any weapons or accessories?”
“A ring. His ring was glowing darkly. After that, his strength increased significantly.”
Then Howell probably had something similar.
“Take this, just in case.”
I handed Lochter two small waterskins filled with water I had collected from the Korun River. Since Howell’s poison relied on oxidation, having water on hand was crucial.
Lochter fastened the waterskins to his belt and resumed the chase.
The underbrush slapped against our legs as we sprinted at full speed.
Soon, we reached a dense part of the forest filled with numerous tracks and footprints leading further in. Howell disappeared into the woods, and moments later—
“Lochter Felice is here! He’s in the area!”
Howell shouted at the top of his lungs, warning everyone in the vicinity of Lochter’s presence.
Suddenly, the entire forest erupted with noise.
A massive wave of footsteps and rustling leaves surged toward us from all directions.
Thousands of hunters.
Dozens of shamans.
Could we really save Karl and get out of here alive?
It all depended on Lochter’s will.
“Can you hold them off?” I asked.
“As long as it takes.”
Lochter nodded firmly, gripping the worn dagger I had given him and his battered sword in both hands.
“You could die here.”
“I made a promise to Karl. Even if it costs me my life, I’ll repay that debt.”
[That’s a noble sentiment. I like him.]
For some reason, I felt like Lochter and the old man Retonicalus would get along well. Without another word, I handed Lochter the whistle, stained with Elton’s blood.
The baton had been passed to Lochter.
With a tired but resolute expression, he placed the whistle in his mouth. Despite his bloodied and battered appearance, he stood tall.
“Leave this to me.”
I turned and disappeared into the opposite direction.
Moments later, Lochter closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, then opened them wide and blew the whistle with all his might.
Fweeeeeeeeeeeet!
A sharp, piercing sound echoed through the entire forest.
And with that sound came an overwhelming wave of bloodlust.
Lochter threw himself into the incoming tide of enemies.
Breaking through the thick forest, he emerged into a vast clearing where hundreds of armed hunters were charging straight at him.
Veteran hunters.
“It’s Lochter Felice!”
“100 million gold is right in front of us!”
“Kill him!!!”
Howell, who had retreated to the back, pointed at Lochter and shouted for the hunters to kill him. Seeing this, the rest of the hunters moved to encircle Lochter.
Swish—
Lochter lowered his arms slowly as he took in the overwhelming number of enemies before him.
Today, his sword felt heavier than ever.
But that was fine.
This battle had meaning—revenge.
“Come.”
He raised both swords, ready to face the onslaught.
At that moment, all eyes were on Lochter Felice.
***
“Lochter Felice has appeared,” reported the shaman.
[What about Alex?]
When the shaman glanced at Howell, Howell quickly nodded. He had seen Alex with his own eyes.
“It appears that the one cloaked in golden light has also arrived.”
[Summon Jack.]
“We’ve sent a signal, but there’s no response.”
“H-he’s alive! Look at this!” Howell raised his crimson Crow Blade.
The twin Crow Blades were originally a set, each given to one of the brothers by Kamel. These ancient artifacts, known as Damascus Crow Blades, could resonate with each other, allowing the brothers to sense each other’s presence.
After a moment of silence, Kamel’s voice returned through the communicator.
[If Hunt’s reinforcements have arrived, Jack may be in danger. Howell, go to him immediately.]
“Y-yes, right away!”
[Take a shaman and a Van Dyke with you. Find out who these reinforcements are and eliminate them if possible.]
“Understood!”
Without hesitation, Howell took a shaman and a Van Dyke puppet with him and disappeared into the forest in Jack’s direction.
***
Meanwhile, in the clearing, only a few shamans, Van Dykes, and a bloodied, barely conscious Karl Bastain remained.
“Shall we extract his memories now?”
[His memories are less important than those of Lochter and Alex. Focus on them first.]
“Understood.”
At Kamel’s command, the Van Dyke puppet approached Karl slowly, raising its massive, steel-clad fist to crush his head.
‘...Is this the end?’
The oppressive tension strangling Karl’s chest vanished.
He felt strangely calm—an eerie peace he had only ever experienced when facing imminent death.
As the Van Dyke’s fist descended toward him, Karl weakly closed his eyes.
BOOOOOM!!!
A fierce gust of wind tore through the clearing.
And then, a familiar voice echoed in his ears.
“Karl, it’s been a while.”
“…Ah…”
Slowly opening his eyes, Karl saw a radiant golden light shining before him, and he let out a low gasp.
The world shimmered with golden waves.
Through his blurry vision, a familiar figure approached—his sharp eyes gleaming, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.
“…Arthur?”
“Shall we go?”
Grasping Arthur’s outstretched hand, Karl weakly pulled himself onto Arthur’s back, wrapping one arm tightly around his neck.
As he clung to Arthur, he finally understood why the suffocating tension had disappeared.
Arthur Clayton.
The moment Arthur had arrived, the danger had vanished.
“You… came to save me?”
“We’re a team, aren’t we?”
“…Were we…?”
“Welcome to the Hunt.”