Chapter 177 - Escape (4)
"This worthless..."
As a pile of fallen trees blocked the path, Rengua waved his staff.
A moment later, figures clad in blood-red armor stepped forward, drawing the weapons strapped to their backs.
They were all heavy weapons—massive axes, hammers, and halberds.
KWAJAK! KWAJAAAK—!
The knights mercilessly hacked through the obstructing trees. Their movements were somewhat awkward, like clothes that didn’t quite fit, but they compensated for their lack of finesse with brute strength.
It didn’t take long to clear the path.
The knights resumed walking down the now-opened road.
The path ahead was a mess, littered with broken tree debris.
As some of them stepped past the wreckage, a dagger was thrown from the trees above.
KWAJAK—
The moment the dagger lodged itself into the debris, a crimson glow exploded outward.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAAANG—!!!
A chain reaction of explosions.
The detonation of the clown daggers caused the ground to collapse.
Some of the knights were caught in the blast and sent flying, while the path was swallowed in pitch-black dust.
Under the cover of darkness and dust, where visibility was poor, Karl made his second move.
"UAAAAAAAH!!!?"
Karl let out a battle cry and, along with his group, charged toward the right side of the carriage.
There were only three of them.
But they were powerful warriors—ranked 4-star and 3-star. The moment Karl's group unleashed their fierce aura, the shamans reacted swiftly, forming defensive stances.
At the very instant when all eyes were on Karl—
A shaman positioned at the rear urgently shouted.
"Behind! Behind!!!"
"Block it!!!"
From the opposite side, the left forest, a massive arrow suddenly shot out, aiming directly for the carriage.
The shielders rushed to intercept, raising their shields in haste, but only one managed to successfully block it.
KWAJAK—
"GGUAAAAAGH!"
The shielder’s arm was severed along with the shield, and the arrow slammed directly into the carriage at an angle.
UJIKEUN—
A gaping hole was torn through the carriage, causing it to sink downward—the wheel was cleanly pierced.
TUTUTUTUNG!
From the Blood-Drinking Chalice, five crimson arrows were fired once more toward the ruined carriage.
KWAANG! KWAKWAKWAKWAAANG—!
A barrage of explosive arrows detonated around the carriage.
I sprinted forward, drawing my bow in rapid succession, unleashing a continuous hail of small explosions that battered the carriage.
The carriage was utterly destroyed, leaving nothing recognizable.
Moments later, through the thick dust, a faint red barrier shimmered. I clicked my tongue and took a step back.
Rengua had already moved to protect Kamel, his staff extended.
There was a flicker of bewilderment in his eyes, and I soon understood why.
A familiar voice came from behind.
Through the sinister barrier, dry, lifeless eyes stared at me.
Kamel Blazer.
Blood stained his face.
Kamel wiped the cut on his cheek and smirked before speaking, his gaze locked onto me.
“To think I’d be wounded by an assassin who once groveled before me... How amusing.”
“I don’t find it funny. You son of a bitch.”
I was just as surprised as he was that he had taken a hit.
I had assumed destroying the carriage was the best I could do.
My eyes quickly scanned Kamel’s surroundings.
I had to check his Divine Name list whenever the opportunity arose.
That was why I had risked exposing myself and closing the distance—but I still couldn’t read his Divine Name glyphs.
Why?
I checked the people inside the carriage.
Kamel was at the front.
And in the back...
"Arcane?"
A white-haired man with an amicable appearance was fiddling with his earring while staring at me.
Arcane, the Prophet of Fate.
A completely unexpected figure was inside the carriage.
Why was Arcane traveling with Kamel in the middle of a battlefield?
It seemed like Arcane was interfering with my abilities. After all, he knew more about Divine Names than anyone else.
Behind Arcane, a knight wearing a helmet stood protectively, as if acting as a bodyguard.
There weren’t just two people in the carriage—there were three.
The moment I scrutinized the knight, thinking it was Wiley, I froze.
There was no Aura, no Divine Name glyphs.
My chest tightened.
He wasn’t the owner of a Divine Name.
That knight wasn’t Wiley.
Could it be that Kamel was injured because…
My thoughts were interrupted—
[An unusual energy has been detected.]
At Reto’s warning, my mind immediately jumped to Arcane’s earring. I quickly shut down my consciousness.
It was a defensive action to block Divine Name interference—knowledge I had learned from Nella and confirmed with Lily.
Arcane narrowed his eyes, stroking his chin as he watched me.
Had he managed to check my Divine Name list?
Lily had told me that my information was impossible to see without my permission.
‘What’s his game…?’
I blocked my Divine Name information and ran my fingers through my hair twice—a signal to Karl.
No questions asked, retreat to the mines.
Wiley, who I had expected to be at Kamel’s side, was missing.
A 5-star knight’s location was completely unaccounted for.
That was why I had sent Karl’s group back to the mines.
Karl and his team swiftly vanished into hiding, but now that I was alone, the pressure was suffocating.
‘This is... rough.’
SWOOSH!
"......!"
Crimson tendrils shot out in all directions, ensnaring me. It was an ambush from the shamans, taking the initiative.
But the moment I unleashed a golden sigil, the tendrils withered, and the shamans coughed up blood, collapsing.
However, the golden glow was blocked before it could reach Rengua’s staff.
A Master really was different.
"I should have crushed your skull back then."
"Getting senile? You were too scared to even try, old man."
"This bastard... I’ll tear you to pieces."
Rengua ground his teeth and swung his staff.
That staff was really starting to piss me off.
The blood-red knights were quickly closing in, moving to encircle me.
FLASH—
When I released another golden burst, they flinched and backed away instinctively.
But as if by some cruel joke, the golden light began to shrink.
I turned to Rengua.
He was suppressing my glyphs.
Struggling to hold my ground, I slowly retreated.
If I got completely surrounded, it was over.
The only fortunate thing was that, if I tried to escape at full speed, the only one fast enough to catch me was Rengua.
And I was confident in handling him.
Our powers were polar opposites, making it possible for me to resist his suppression.
I turned toward the forest and started withdrawing, but suddenly, the oppressive force vanished, and the knights' encirclement loosened.
What the hell?
Just as I questioned my enemy’s intent—
“Alex Marcia.”
“...??”
“I have a proposal for you.”
Kamel called out to me.
He wanted to talk? In this situation?
At the same time, strange creatures floated into the air.
Flap, flap, flap—
The shamans released winged monsters, about the size of a fist, with snout-like structures.
Smellows.
They were tracking monsters that followed specific scents, commonly used to locate traces of witches.
These Smellows were searching to see if Lily was nearby.
“Releasing scent trackers? Paranoid, aren’t you?”
“That’s quite the dismissive remark about Lily Base. Since when did you know her?”
“…Is she also part of the Hunt?”
Seeing Kamel deliberately dragging things out with questions, I let out a bitter smile.
Damn it. I got baited.
Kamel had no idea about my abilities related to Divine Names.
He didn’t know that I had identified Wiley’s presence or that I was aware he wasn’t here.
It was something only I could infer because I knew the story.
In other words, Wiley was Kamel’s hidden card.
"Wiley is the real threat."
He had just played his hidden card.
Drawing attention to himself as bait, then striking the enemy’s heart with his concealed weapon.
If it weren’t for me, no one would have realized it.
What a terrifying bastard.
Now I was certain—if I fought him without any information, I would lose without question.
Should I rush to the mine immediately?
After a brief moment of deliberation, I stopped in place and faced Kamel directly.
I had no choice but to trust Lochter.
The only one who could stop Wiley.
Leaving Lochter at the entrance had been a stroke of genius.
If anyone could hold Wiley back, it was him.
The problem was how long he could last.
Lochter was already in poor condition from his battle with Lyon.
If Wiley was at full strength, he wouldn’t be able to endure for long.
Lochter had the magic sword Vega and a shield ring, but all I could do was pray that he lasted until Karl’s group arrived.
In the end, time was the most crucial factor.
I couldn’t make any rash moves right now.
I looked up at the night sky.
Judging by the waning moon, I roughly calculated the time.
The agreed-upon moment hadn’t arrived yet.
If I acted prematurely, Kamel would immediately react and adjust his strategy.
Dragging him to the mine now would be the worst possible timing.
“A proposal?”
I smirked. “Sounds interesting. Let’s hear it.”
I never thought I’d have time to chat with this butcher.
But just like Kamel, I also needed time.
At my response, Kamel bared his teeth in a savage grin.
“You think things are going your way?”
It was a situation of different dreams in the same bed.
***
“How many are left?”
“About 300 now.”
At Lochter’s question, Heinz, who was monitoring the situation at the entrance, reported back.
The passage was narrow, but they had been sending people through in an orderly manner, and now, only a few remained.
Since it was time for the key figures to start moving through the passage, Heinz had come out to the entrance.
Beyond the tunnel, the one leading the group was the young man whom Lochter himself addressed as Commander.
A man with fierce eyes, leaving a strong impression.
Without him, all their efforts so far would have been for nothing.
Heinz didn’t know his name, so he simply referred to him as "that man."
“…And him?”
“He’ll be here soon. The people on the other side are anxious, so you should cross over quickly, too.”
“I will move with you, Sir Lochter—”
At that moment, Lochter grabbed Heinz’s shoulder and yanked him back.
Lochter drew his magic sword, Bega, pointed it forward, and shouted with a firm expression.
“Get the remaining people through immediately! And you, cross over now!”
“B-But, Sir Lochter!”
“Hurry!!”
Lochter’s urgent command made Heinz feel an ominous foreboding. He immediately ran inside the mine.
Around the entrance, shadows stretched from the dense forest.
Lochter felt the chilling wind.
Moments later, from the depths of the darkness, a lone figure slowly emerged.
A familiar face.
Lochter let out a low groan.
The last person he wanted to fight here.
Wiley Grimes.
They had never been particularly close, but they were once rivals, always aware of each other.
Lochter quietly called his name, but Wiley’s face remained blank, devoid of emotion—like a lifeless puppet.
Without a word, he drew his sword and summoned his Aura Blade.
No murderous intent, no emotion—only the pure mechanical efficiency of a man who had been programmed to kill the enemy before him.
Seeing Wiley like that, a fleeting sadness passed through Lochter’s eyes.
“…You’re already dead.”
The blade of Bega gleamed as Lochter’s energy surged like a brief inferno.
He took a stance, Aura Blade poised, as he analyzed Wiley’s movements.
In one hand, Wiley held a sword.
In the other, a small, white sphere.
Lochter suddenly recalled a name Arthur had once mentioned.
"Theramore, the Death Flash."
Lochter’s face twisted into a grimace.
If that thing detonated inside the mine…
His grip on the sword tightened involuntarily.
Losing was not an option.
Lochter aimed his blade at Wiley’s heart.
“…Rest in peace.”
Clenching his teeth, Lochter swung his sword.