Chapter 98

This ghoul was fast despite its hunched back. Its claws were longer than the ones he’d seen before.

But it wasn’t faster than a harpy.

And its claws weren’t sharper than Rem’s axe.

‘Point to point.’

Connecting the lines. He encompassed all surrounding movements within the realm of his sixth sense.

Watching the approaching ghoul, there was only one thing to do.

Draw the sword and swing it.

Ching.

The blade that left the scabbard did its job.

Kaa!

Encrid’s sword, gauging the steps of the ghoul that reeked of rot, fell downward.

Crack. Split!

A direct hit to the crown.

In a stance with his left foot forward, the sword swung down from above split the ghoul’s crown precisely.

Drawing back the sword embedded to the forehead and retrieving it in one motion.

He repeated this three times.

With the sword tip angled diagonally towards the sky, it swung downwards.

In an instant, three ghouls lay on the ground, all with their crowns split.

Meanwhile, Torres threw a dagger from the side.

With a twang, the flying dagger lodged into the head of a ghoul.

It was one trying to flank to the left.

Encrid’s steps quickened.

He stepped forward and slashed the neck of the approaching ghoul.

He punched the head of a ghoul that had closed the distance.

Then, with a one-handed thrust, he pierced through another ghoul’s head.

Desperation? There was none of that.

Thirteen ghouls died in an instant.

And as he killed them all, Encrid felt something peculiar.

‘A pattern.’

The ghouls attacked in a certain pattern, as if they had learned how to fight.

This made them easier to deal with.

If he didn’t have overwhelming skills, he might have been quickly surrounded and killed.

‘What is it?’

These ghouls were different from the ones he’d seen in the sewers before, or the ones he’d killed along the riverbank.

Ghouls, the most common man-eating monsters among the creatures.

They were monsters that didn’t use their heads more than beasts did.

‘Can creatures like these use tactics?’

No. It was impossible. Unless they formed a colony.

A group of monsters led by a leader is called a colony.

But there were no signs of that.

So, there was no need to worry. It was just something that felt off within the realm of his sixth sense.

Should he wash the ghoul’s blood off his blade in the stream?

Thinking so, he turned to say the cleanup was done.

Finn approached briskly.

“What the hell are you?”

Finn stared intently at Encrid.

The question held many implications, but it was likely about his ability to handle the ghouls.

Encrid spoke.

“I mentioned that I am in charge of an independent platoon, and it’s an extreme combat platoon.”

It wasn’t a lie. Initially, he expected the Company Commander’s intention to be such a role.

Who would believe that the platoon consisted of only nine members?

Yet it could still be maintained.

Each member’s skill far exceeded the general standard.

While the Border Guard Reserve Unit might overshadow their reputation, it was not the case from Encrid’s perspective.

‘There’s no comparison.’

Rem, Ragna, Audin, Jaxon.

Even with the ability to cut down ghouls like this, it was still difficult to match their skills.

‘Still far off.’

Even after seeing the direction the milestones pointed to.

Those four still seemed beyond reach.

In contrast, what about Torres of the Border Guard?

He was manageable. Though in a life-or-death fight, Encrid might die, he didn’t easily think he would lose.

“You’re really good at fighting.”

“Outstanding.”

A soldier who had kept watch during the early hours responded to Finn’s words.

A few members approached and looked at Encrid. Encrid wondered if this treatment was warranted.

Such situations were rare, making it awkward.

That’s why he spoke up.

“We don’t need to move the encampment.”

“Right.”

Finn replied.

They then decided to return to the encampment, and on the way, a soldier with drooping eyes pointed towards the stream.

It wasn’t far from the temporary encampment they used as a dining area.

“Hey, I killed three too.”

On the way back, Torres grumbled beside him, but no one paid attention.

Well, except for Encrid, who did respond.

He patted Torres’s shoulder.

“Thanks to you, it was easier.”

In truth, Torres knew as well.

What he did was merely to ease the discomfort.

‘He could have handled it all alone.’

A sudden realization.

‘He hid his true abilities.’

No, Torres thought again.

It wasn’t that Encrid hid his abilities, it was that the intensity of sparring and real combat were different.

What if they fought for real, risking their lives?

‘I think I’d lose.’

Even within the elite soldier ranks, the Border Guard Reserve Unit had its own standards.

In terms of combat power, Torres was about average among the elite.

Encrid seemed to be higher than that.

Realizing this,he regretted teaching him the hide knife technique.

“Hey, don’t practice that.”

Torres said, watching Encrid, who had just retrieved his sword after the battle, fiddling with a thin stone out of habit.

“Why did you so eagerly teach me then?”

“…I was just saying.”

Encrid couldn’t possibly understand Torres’s feelings.

How it felt when someone you thought was far beneath you suddenly surpassed you.

It wasn’t a good feeling.

Of course, Encrid truly couldn’t understand that sentiment.

For him, it was a daily occurrence.

Everyone had overtaken him due to his lack of talent, passed him by, and never looked back.

Yet he didn’t give up on his dream and swung his sword until his palms bled.

That’s the kind of person Encrid was.

“Let’s go wash our blades.”

Ghoul blood reeks of rot.

The smell is unpleasant, and blood is inherently greasy.

Leaving it would damage the blade.

“Got it.”

Feeling somewhat deflated, Torres and Encrid were excluded from the hunt.

“We’ll prepare the meal, so why don’t you go do some laundry?”

Thanks to that, they could wash their sweat-soaked clothes by the stream.

Drying them would be a problem.

Usually, they return to the cave by nightfall.

If they dried them all day by the campfire here, they would be fine.

He had already washed the leather armor he wore underneath yesterday, so he left that alone.

Although they sweated again during the march, maintaining cleanliness as they would in the city wasn’t possible.

It’s common sense that not washing leads to illness.

Especially in the military, cleanliness and hygiene are fundamental.

The stream’s water was clearer than expected, and the current quickly carried away the dirt downstream.

Finn said the water was safe to drink, so they filled their leather flasks and took a sip.

Their stomachs growled.

“You too? Me too.”

Torres said, hearing the sound.

They gathered their belongings and returned with the tightly wrung clothes.

“Here you go.”

The soldier, who had become twice as friendly since they took down the ghouls, brought a long branch and hung their clothes on it.

Next to the campfire, another soldier was skinning a snake they had somehow caught.

“Quite a find, huh?”

The soldier skinning the snake said.

It did make their mouths water.

Despite its appearance, snake meat was a protein-rich food.

Hadn’t Audin said it himself?

It’s a type of meat that’s eaten up whenever available, but hard to come by.

“Indeed.”

He replied and sat down beside him.

Torres sat down next to him, and Finn sat across from them.

The campfire crackled, emitting almost no smoke.

‘That’s a skill.’

He had seen hunters and scouts do this skillfully a few times.

They start a small fire with bark and leaves, then add well-chopped, flammable wood.

Of course, this also required a certain knack.

Whenever Encrid tried, he failed repeatedly.

For these soldiers, it seemed like an everyday task, as the smoke disappeared almost instantly.

Soon, one of the soldiers placed charred coals under the logs stacked in a lattice pattern.

“Burning logs creates a lot of smoke.”

So, they had to be cautious when starting the fire and continue to be cautious every time they added logs.

Though it was unlikely that smoke would be visible from Cross Guard,

Being cautious was a habit for scouts.

Soon, two soldiers grilled the snake meat while others roasted jerky.

One of them brought a large pot and boiled water.

They added various fruits to the boiling water and then removed them a little later.

“His nickname is ‘Chef’.”

Sitting on the ground, Finn said. She was sharpening the blade of her hand axe with a whetstone.

Seeing her do that made Encrid think of Rem.

‘Hope he’s not causing any trouble.’

After Encrid nodded absently, they soon began eating.

The snake meat was more tender than expected, and the seasoning was just right with the added salt.

To be honest, it was delicious.

Especially the tail part.

“When I get back, I’m opening a restaurant.”

The soldier who had been involved in all the cooking said. The firelight made his face look bright.

His face was younger than expected. When asked about his age, he said he was twenty-two.

“You brat, you should aim to be an excellent ranger.”

“I prefer being a chef, Captain.”

The soldier nicknamed ‘Chef’ responded to Finn, who laughed heartily and nodded in agreement.

There was a strong sense of camaraderie among them.

Encrid chewed on the snake meat and heated some jerky to eat.

When he shared some seasoned jerky, the soldier nicknamed ‘Chef’ lit up.

“Wow, what is this? Why is it so good? Where did you get it?”

“In the city. I’ll tell you when we get back.”

At Encrid’s words, the soldier nicknamed ‘Chef’ nodded several times.

“Promise.”

After eating heartily, they split into two groups to take a rest.

“Resting well is part of being a ranger. Besides, scouting around here is meaningless. The priority here is survival. And for that, stamina is essential.”

Finn said.

There were designated resting spots.

They had carved out a large tree to create a shelter.

Some climbed up the tree to rest.

Others stayed by the campfire.

After splitting up and taking a rest, they reconvened.

As the sun began to set in the west, Finn got to the main point.

Finn stood in front of Torres and Encrid and spoke.

“There are three ways to get inside the city walls. Let’s discuss them. The first is through a small hole.”

Finn continued his explanation.

“Well, it’s a route used by those involved in black market trading within the city, so some people know about it, but it’s not exactly well-guarded. As you can guess, some people are aware of this passage.”

He added that it was easy but came with corresponding risks.

“What’s next?”

Torres asked.

Finn continued.

The second way was to climb over the walls at night.

The third way was to disguise themselves as a merchant group moving at dawn and sneak in.

“The fastest way is the first, the safest is the second, and the most comfortable is the third.”

It was clear from the description.

The order of risk was the third, first, and second.

But judging by Finn’s tone, it seemed she didn’t consider any of them particularly dangerous.

Her tone wasn’t serious at all.

“Actually, getting past the wall isn’t that difficult. The problem is what comes after, like encountering the ‘ca’t.”

Encrid also saw this as a tricky issue.

What if they were detained? If they were already caught, they wouldn’t be able to leave any marks.

Would they have to go to the prison then?

“If we can’t find any traces inside the city, we’ll return immediately. The entire scout team will head back to the main unit.”

“That was expected.”

Torres said as if he had been waiting for it, and Finn responded.

It seemed Torres had received additional instructions from the main unit.

“Only the three of us will go in. Which way do you prefer?”

Finn asked.

“You should choose. You know the situation best.”

Finn nodded, crossing his arms at Torres’s words. It was true. Encrid agreed, and Finn suggested they go through the small hole.

“Unless we’re really unlucky, we won’t get caught. We’ll set off tomorrow morning.”

“Not at night?”

Torres questioned.

Traditionally, infiltration was done at night.

“Morning is better. They’re more vigilant at night. Climbing the wall tomorrow night is a better option too.”

Encrid simply observed the situation as it unfolded.

After that, he spent the entire day eating, training, and practicing taking the stone in and out of his sleeve. Before he knew it, the day had come to an end.

It was time to go back into the cave and sleep.

There was less danger than he had anticipated, and the situation felt surprisingly peaceful.

‘Is there no Aspen scouting team in this area?’

Such a question crossed his mind.

The next morning arrived.

“Let’s go.”

With Finn leading, the three of them headed towards Cross Guard.

He expected a large detour, but that wasn’t quite the case.

“The west side of Cross Guard is considered a natural barrier due to the monsters and beasts. Scouts? They do roam around. If we run into them, it won’t end well. Unless they’re highly skilled, they don’t send scouts here.”

It seemed like the Aspen scouts wouldn’t move without a clear objective.

Finn’s pace was fast.

She was indeed a ranger.

Her ability to identify and avoid the traces of monsters and beasts was impressive.

Encrid noticed Finn’s unique way of walking. She stepped carefully, pressing her heel into the ground first.

“We’ll need to take a detour here.”

There was a path through a small hill full of bushes.

Finn cleared the way with the axe on her belt.

Encrid also swung his sword to cut through the obstructing bushes.

‘I forgot to check my blade.’

He realized he hadn’t inspected his equipment in the morning, having been too engrossed in his training.

‘A mistake.’

Not a significant one, but it could be important.

As he slashed through the bushes, he saw some red berries inside.

“They’re poisonous. Don’t eat them.”

Finn said, mixing in a bit of humor.

“Understood.”

“Why don’t you speak casually to me too?”

Finn said.

“Alright, I will.”

When suggested, Encrid rarely refused—except for the proposition of staying in the cave together.

Unable to resist, Finn asked Encrid while watching him.

“Want to sleep with me after the mission?”

“No.”

“Tch.”

“Hey, I’m walking right next to you.”

Torres added at the end.

“Yeah, I know.”

Finn was unapologetic. It was just her bold nature.

They arrived at a small hill from where they could see the city wall.

If they passed the hill and headed west, they would reach the gate.

The distant city wall was visible, but there was no moat.

“Do they really need a moat? It’s nearly impossible to get here avoiding the monsters and beasts without some extraordinary skills.”

In other words, Finn was no ordinary ranger.

Indeed, if she wasn’t at this level, she wouldn’t be in charge of this region.

Encrid thought as he followed the hole.

“The ranger goes first.”

Ahead, Finn entered the hole, chanting the ranger’s motto.

It’s like saying infantry is the flower of the battlefield.

Finn glanced back.

Encrid could see Finn’s smile, her thin leather helmet, and the orange hair peeking out from under it.

Encrid and Torres followed her in.

What happened next was completely unexpected.

“Stupid fools.”

After walking for a while, they were greeted by a unit armed with long spears and shields.

It was a fairly spacious passage, wide enough for the three of them to stand side by side.

A unit armed with long spears and shields would be well-suited for this space.

And behind them,

Creak.

There was the sound of bow strings being drawn.

Looking back, they saw a unit armed with short bows.

They hadn’t even walked half an hour through the hole.

It was a trap.

Spearmen and shield bearers in front.

Behind them, dozens of arrows nocked and ready.

It was a perfect trap, impossible to escape unless you were of knight rank.

“Damn it.”

Torres’s voice was filled with frustration.

“I really wanted to catch you, you wildcat.”

The enemy commander said.

Finn’s expression changed upon hearing this.

“You bastard!”

Finn’s words were the last.

Arrows flew and spears thrust. Encrid put up a semblance of resistance.

He held a buckler in his left hand and swung his sword, but what could he do? They were overwhelmingly outnumbered and had lost the advantageous position.

Thwack.

A spear pierced his thigh, then his head, killing him.

Feeling the full extent of his injuries, the agony surged, but death was inevitable.

Of course, he didn’t go down without a fight.

“You bastard.”

Even in such dire straits, his sword and whistling dagger claimed several lives.

He wouldn’t be journeying with them, though.

As pain accompanied the encroaching darkness in his vision,

He heard the ferryman’s laughter.

With that, Encrid opened his eyes.

It was early morning, the start of a day destined for death, the beginning of another repeat.

Today began anew.

The mission was to confirm the life or death of a spy, but they faced obstacles even before scaling the city wall.

‘Weren’t there three ways to get over the wall?’

He knew the small hole was a blocked path.

So, what were the remaining options?

As Encrid greeted the start of another day, he got to his feet.

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