LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 66
Chapter 66: The Pursuit
Whooosh!
Signals blared incessantly from all directions as the scouts sounded their alarms.
We had eliminated a few during our escape, but most were swift-footed, and it was now clear we couldn’t dispatch them all.
Whooosh!
Vanishing from their sight was not an option.
Grrrrrr!
The ground trembled…
Crrrrick… Crack…
With Moam, the colossal summon beast, moving with us, pinpointing our location from afar was hardly a challenge.
“Good! They haven’t caught up yet!”
Jakim, perched atop Moam due to his injured leg, had the best view of the procession.
Pant… Pant…
We had been moving quickly for over 30 minutes. Breathless, yet not fallen, for we hadn’t sprinted with all our might.
Everyone understood the stakes. The Great Forest teemed with human presence.
Capture meant death or a fate worse than death.
A simple equation.
“What’s the precise plan?”
Amon’s query came at a time when clarity was essential.
I shared everything I knew, what I anticipated, and even the variables, including those I hadn’t considered.
“So, the essence is… crossing the Great Forest northwest to escape the Empire and cross into the Small Kingdoms Alliance?”
A neat summary.
“Exactly.”
I handed Amon the map with information about our new refuge. As she scrutinized it, she remarked,
“Indeed… If we make it that far, they won’t be able to follow.”
“We’ll vanish there and grow stronger.”
“A sound plan. Though there are vulnerabilities… For instance…”
Beep-beep-beep!
Another signal from the scouts, followed by something falling from a tree.
“Ha, caught you, rats…!”
One of the extermination squad members plummeted from the sky.
Clearly, he hadn’t received a detailed briefing from the scouts. His eyes widened in shock as he fell.
Boom!
“Phenex!”
Phenex cleaved the squad member in two, starting from the head.
Thankfully, it was sheer strength and skill, but if pushed further, she might draw upon demonic powers.
That must not happen.
“This is exactly the kind of vulnerability I’m talking about.”
“…”
“Someone has to swat the incoming flies.”
Neither Amon nor Phenex could take on this role.
If we deviate now, Skala might pursue us, but if Amon and Phenex’s true identities were exposed…
Then the Empire would come hunting.
No single force could withstand the Empire.
A decision had to be made.
Before it was too late.
“Amon.”
“You’re telling me to go ahead?”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
I must guard this crossroads to the future.
“Don’t worry. Fight without holding back.”
“What…?”
I had thought going all out would strain my core, but apparently not.
“It doesn’t matter. Even if we get through unscathed, your core will deplete before we arrive.”
“Does that mean… I’ll die?”
“I have a way.”
Trust Amon to have a plan.
“Just survive by any means. Crawl to me if you must.”
As she turned to rejoin the procession, she said,
“I’ll ensure you live to see tomorrow.”
My pace slowed, and Ruby exclaimed in alarm,
“I’ll stay too…”
I shook my head and told her,
“Protecting the procession is more important. Ruby, don’t let anyone near it.”
She drifted further away.
“Okay…!”
The procession vanished from sight in an instant.
Ssssshhh…
Leaves swirled in a gust.
Snap!
Three presences brushed past simultaneously. I expected them to attack, but they passed as if they hadn’t seen me.
‘Why? …Ah.’
The red cloth on my arm.
To them, I must’ve appeared as an ally, marked by the exterminator’s insignia.
I contemplated striking while they were unsuspecting but decided to let them go.
They were merely close by chance, not strong enough to halt the procession. Ruby could easily handle them.
Then, my target should be…
Flash!
Flash!
When the presences increased to five, I sensed an anomaly.
‘This one’s different!’
Flash!
I aimed my sword at a concealed spot in the trees.
Thwack…
“Ah… Argh…”
Caught off-guard by an ally, the figure met an unexpected end.
Beep-beep-beep!
The scout’s signal.
Then three more from the extermination squad fell.
“What’s this guy doing?”
“Isn’t that the guy?”
Twitch!
One of the three spotted the body I had just slain.
“Everyone, be careful, this…”
Boom!
I lunged at the one who seemed most cautious.
“Uh…!”
He blinked in surprise.
Clearly not a seasoned adventurer.
Slash!
I split his chest in two and immediately turned to the others.
“Crazy!”
“What is he…”
Clang!
Swoosh-
They drew their weapons in haste.
Slash!
And with that, fountains of blood erupted from their necks.
Thud!
Thump!
Three.
‘No… Four?’
In less than a minute, I had claimed their lives.
“Ha… Hahaha! Such a novice, aren’t you? Never killed a man before, have you?”
“You dare stand in my way when you can’t even wield your sword freely!”
These were the last words of those who had died by my hand in the spring.
Swish…
I shook off the blood clinging to my blade, feeling the passage of time. Those who had perished at my inexperienced hands would be aghast if they saw me now.
Bang!
A sound like gunfire.
Whoosh!
I twisted my waist to dodge something flying at me.
Ssssh…
Crash!
Crackle!
Not only did it pierce through one tree, but it also toppled another.
‘…An arrow?’
[German uses Noisy Sniping.]
[He fires an arrow imbued with magic, dealing 210% of his attack power as physical damage.]
[It penetrates until all damage is dealt.]
“Whew… Did it miss?”
A voice from the forest.
The one capable of firing such a destructive arrow…
‘…The troll hunter, German.’
I had memorized his face before we set out.
He was a target worth watching.
‘I’ll take him down!’
Zoom!
Before he could fire another arrow, I charged straight at him.
“Ugh… Calm down, hey!”
Crash!
An entity burst out from the side, unannounced. Its size was monstrous, but it was not a man; it was a hunting hound.
I swung my elbow, thrusting it into the beast’s chest as it tried to bite my neck.
Crash!
Screech…
“Levi! You damn dog!”
Though monstrous in stature, Faust was born a weapon. I felt the hound’s life slip away with that single blow.
“There! He’s targeting German!”
“Found him!”
[Murphy uses Magic Bullet.]
[He fires a magical projectile that follows any target in sight.]
[The bullet deals physical damage based on magic.]
Ratatat!
A technique also known as Magic Missile.
A staple for novice mages.
Not a significant threat. However, I noticed his party members swarming in.
Whoosh!
I immediately hid atop a tree.
A massacre is different from an extermination.
The difference in combat style between those who understand this and those who don’t.
I think.
The enemy thinks.
It’s a natural law.
“Where do you think you’re running!”
Whoosh!
The party’s vanguard leaped up, locking eyes with me. He was the most foolish of them all.
“No! If you go up alone…”
Slash!
“Gah…”
Thud!
He fell from the height, his neck sliced open.
“I’ll burn you with the tree!”
[Murphy uses Fireball.]
[He launches a sphere of magic covered in flames.]
Fwoosh…
The burning fireball pierced through the dense leaves and exploded somewhere in the distance.
Crash!
“The fool!”
The mage’s reckless spellcasting had ignited a disaster.
Whoosh…
Flames spread like rain, scattering embers where the enemy stood.
Cough…
Smoke billowed, not inhaled but enough to blind us with the fire catching on fallen leaves.
‘Now!’
Zoom!
I dropped from the tree, aiming for the troll hunter German’s neck.
He knew he was a target, releasing an arrow at my descent with impeccable timing.
Boom!
His mistake was underestimating me, thinking his specialty would be my downfall.
Crash!
“What…?”
My blade shattered his incoming arrow, slicing downward.
Shing!
A silent slash, and German’s head split in two.
Snap!
“Cough…!”
Between smoke and sparks, I launched a dagger, felling another bewildered foe,
Boom!
Whoosh!
And through the flames, two more.
“Jo…”
Slash…
Thud…
A hunter fell backward.
Drip, drip…
Blood spilled as an uninvited guest emerged from the flames and smoke.
“Valphus… what in the world…”
It was Blanco.
“What have you done!”
Like Pio, he had been a brief companion during the hunt. He survived Urea’s wrath, which is why he could appear here.
“Flee from this place.”
“…What?”
“Anyone who comes here dies.”
Blanco knew I had just extended the utmost courtesy.
I didn’t want him dead.
But if he obstructed my path… I would have no choice.
I don’t live to kill.
I kill to live.
“…Seems this isn’t where I die yet.”
Zoom!
Blanco vanished into the forest.
His quick wit was why he’d survived as a veteran for so long.
Sigh…
A suppressed sigh found relief, if only in my heart.
Indeed, he made the best decision.
The hunting party is no bastion of justice.
There’s no eradication of evil in the adventurer’s cause.
Both Blanco and I are content with this conclusion. We’re spared from the upcoming battle.
Whirl!
Crash!
A halberd flew past, embedding itself in a tree.
Groan…
Its owner pulled it free once more.
“This is the end.”
The boss of Episode 5’s final act, the investigation team.
“Was all this… your doing?”
The leader of that team.
It was Captain Neil.
“And if I say it wasn’t?”
He surveyed the bodies around him before replying.
“I don’t believe in unconvincing words.”
“…Well, what if some of it is true?”
Humming…
The halberd vibrated with anticipation.
“I’ll kill you until you spill everything.”
“…”
“I never liked you from the start.”
Can I win?
“Now that we’re here…”
Click…
I raised my hand to the blade.
I must win.
I must… to see tomorrow.
Swoosh-
Whirring…
Like ink spilling forth, dark energy flowed from the sheath along with the sword.
“What…”
The lake had concealed it, the true power now unleashed.
“I never liked you either.”