Chapter 63 – Ruined Village (4)

Veloc clicked his tongue. A Red Demon had nimbly caught the dark elf who was falling to the ground. He shook his head, looked at Veloc, and smirked. Then, controlling the demon he was riding, he stealthily descended to the ground.

Membranous wings fluttered, and the wind pressure blew the dirt on the ground in all directions. Soon, the dark elf stepped onto the ground, stroked the demon’s back, and spoke.

“Good work. Wait up there.”

Just as the demon, having heard the command, was about to fly up again, a rain of arrows poured down from the surroundings.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

It was shot by Isabel and the expedition members. The dark elf man smirked once more. The moment he reached for his waist, light flashed. Dark trajectories whooshed and deflected the arrows. Isabel gritted her teeth, and the expedition members were taken aback.

“Shit, wh-what…”

“Deflecting arrows?”

The dark elf’s boot stepped firmly on an arrow fletching lying on the ground. He looked around once, a grin spreading across his face. Soon, he sheathed his sword with a click and spoke.

“Your welcome is quite harsh. First you cast a spell out of nowhere, and now arrows. Is this the way of surface dwellers?”

…

Weren’t they the ones who attacked first? And a spell? Verbose bullshit reached their ears, but for a moment, no one could say a word.

Adel was busy leading the soldiers along with the surrounding knights, and Cara was chanting a real spell. Isabel? Realizing the man was a swordsman who could deflect arrows, she was changing her target. That was why Veloc stepped forward. He took a few steps forward and spoke.

“It’s you. The one who was grinning.”

The man’s gaze turned. He looked at Veloc, his eyes gleaming.

“Ah. Yes, it’s you. The mage who killed my subordinates using a strange spell. Hmm? Something’s strange.”

As he spoke, the man looked at the sword and armor Veloc was wearing and tilted his head.

“Judging by your attire, you look like a knight… What was that spell just now? An artifact? Or a muscle-bound mage?”

Veloc also tilted his head. What on earth was this guy talking about? At that moment, Isabel, who was reloading an arrow beside him, whispered.

“I think he mistook the stone you threw for a spell. Then again, who would think of that as simple stone-throwing? It crushes a skull in the blink of an eye.”

“Hmm…”

Veloc smirked, feeling a bit dumbfounded. A guy who could deflect arrows couldn’t distinguish between stone-throwing and a spell? What was he? A clumsy master? Or did it mean my strength had increased that much?

Watching the two, the dark elf drew his sword again. It was a black sword, boasting a blue gleam that showed its sharpness. He tensed his body, watching Veloc’s mouth. The muscles of his thighs and both arms bulged, and his leather boots scraped the ground as he prepared to spring forward.

In his mind, he was calculating how many steps it would take to cut off the neck of the strangely dressed mage, and when he should order his subordinates to attack. The man spoke, his lips curling into a wide grin.

“A secret rendezvous between a human and an elf blooming in hell? Quite a picturesque scene. But what’s the point? Soon, both of your heads will roll together by my sword.”

Veloc did not bother to reply. He simply bent down and swept the ground once more. He picked up things that were in better condition than before. He rotated his shoulders and clenched and unclenched his fists. The rough sensation was transmitted through his gloves.

“What are you doing?”

Just before the dark elf charged, Veloc spoke.

“It’s a spell. Try blocking it.”

His shoulders blurred. Immediately after, the black sword rang out with a thud, and sparks flew. Something flashed past like an arrow, and blood spurted from both cheeks of the fallen elf. Still holding his sword, the elf shrieked as intense pain shot through various parts of his body.

“Aaargh!”

Bearing the pain, the man retreated and whistled. At that, the Red Demons floating in the sky shrieked and charged. A few of them flew down bravely to save their master. Of course, Veloc did not wait. He drew his sword, which had been planted in the ground, and charged headlong.

Veloc’s massive build, stride, and nimble footsteps allowed him to face the dark elf much faster than the elf had anticipated. Briefly turning his head to look at the stones that had been split in half, the dark elf grimaced and pushed himself up. Panting heavily, he gripped the black sword tightly with both hands, staring at the dark shadow approaching him.

“You crazy bastard! Stones? You threw stones?!”

“O raging north wind!”

Leaving behind the elf’s shocked voice, Cara cast the frost storm spell once again. A blizzard raged in the sky. At that, the monsters folded their wings and charged at the expedition like cannonballs. Adel, drawing her scimitar, shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Brace for impact!”

With wide eyes and gritted teeth, the soldiers and mercenaries screamed. Even though their arms trembled, they raised their shields and spears. The knights also held their respective weapons, burning with fighting spirit. Light flashed, and the priests’ blessings and the paladins’ prayers enveloped the bodies of the expedition members.

It was a defensive formation made up of a ragtag group serving different gods, different commanders, and different factions. Soon, the hastily built human wall collided with the talons and claws of the fiends. A spearhead pierced deep into a red body. Yet, even as its intestines spilled out, the demon swung its claws and managed to slice off a human’s head.

“You son of a bitch!”

Along with an angry voice, various weapons rained down on its body. The demon was instantly reduced to minced meat. Elsewhere, the opposite situation occurred. A multitude of demons swarmed a small number of humans. Blood and flesh splattered, and the fiends smacked their lips as they feasted. It was a battlefield—a scene of utter pandemonium.

Spurted blood, the smell of iron, the stench of monsters, and even the adrenaline pumping through their veins. Under the ruins lit by the red moon, the expedition fought like mad. Among them, the performances of the flame-wielding paladin, the red-haired mage, and the elven archer were absolute highlights.

Whenever their hands reached out, the monsters were simply pulverized. Veloc’s transcendent senses could map out all these surrounding circumstances as if they were right before his eyes.

He was briefly lost in thought. It had been just like this when he first fell into this land. Screams and shouts never ceased, and they struggled desperately to take each other’s lives. Fighting and fighting again, there was never a day when the blood on his body dried. Well, except for the opponent being monsters, had anything really changed?

Leaving his homeland behind, the stranger who came to live in a world filled only with conflict shook his head. Then he raised his sword.

“Pant, pant… You monster.”

With his hair in disarray, a battered dark elf glared at him. The smile on his lips was nowhere to be seen. He was merely gripping his sword hilt, his eyelids trembling. As the blood dripping from the guy’s body dyed the snow red, Veloc took a step. Terrified, the elf retreated in startle.

Veloc wore a listless expression. It was a reaction he was all too familiar with. Somehow, he could even predict what the guy would say next. The man spoke.

“You, human. I have a proposal for you. We could…”

“I’ve heard this so much I’m sick of it. I refuse.”

At the sharp refusal, the fallen elf closed his mouth tightly. Soon, he spat out a low curse and sheathed his sword. Did he give up? While Veloc was thinking, the man’s trembling eyes grew deep and steady. His rough breathing also stabilized.

In his eyes, this was not the behavior of someone who had given up on life. It was a persistent determination to unleash a trump card and carve out a path to survival. Indeed, he was a swordsman who could deflect arrows. It would be too anticlimactic if it ended like this. Veloc adjusted his stance, feeling a competitive urge as a knight.

The elf bent his upper body deeply, spreading his feet shoulder-width apart. He gripped the scabbard with his right hand and the hilt of the sword with his left. It looked familiar. At that moment, the elf’s eyes narrowed, and a clicking sound was heard. Veloc’s sharp senses detected it first. He threw his head back. A flash of light swept past his eyes. His crested helm vibrated. Watching the sleet brushing past his body, Veloc laughed internally because he remembered what this sword style was. ‘Not bad.’

“Not even… a single scratch?”

Vomiting blood, the dark elf looked down. A massive greatsword had already pierced his stomach. Veloc had dodged and stabbed him in that brief split second. Veloc pulled the sword out and flicked the blood off. Dropping his black sword with a clatter, the dark elf slumped to the ground. His face was growing as pale as the white breath escaping from his mouth. Veloc uttered a word.

“A quick-draw technique. It’s a pretty good skill. Should I teach it to Adel?”

The dark elf tried to speak. ‘Who are you teaching? You know our family’s secret?’ However, that question only echoed emptily in his mouth, as Veloc’s swung sword cleanly took off the fallen elf’s head.

Veloc was about to sheathe his sword but shook his head, as there was still plenty of experience points in sight. A moment later, the snowfield was dyed crimson. He leveled up once again.

#

Just because the battle was over did not mean everything was finished. Post-battle cleanup was just as important as killing monsters.

“Mother…”

“Argh!”

“Please hold on a little longer.”

“Please move the seriously wounded this way.”

Wounded soldiers groaned, and priests capable of casting healing spells ran around busily. However, holy power was limited, and the number of priests was small. Furthermore, even the surroundings did not cooperate. There were no tents and no stretchers. Blankets and hot water were also scarce. In the end, most of the wounded, except for those with minor injuries, buried their bones in the ruined village.

“The corpse shall soon return to the soil, by His side.”

Covering the faces of the deceased with cloth, the priests drew the sign of the cross. It was a simplified funeral. A few soldiers and mercenaries rummaged through the belongings of the dead, avoiding the priests’ eyes. It was to secure food. Of course, gold rings and gems found their way into their pockets much more. Eventually, the hesitant knights also joined in the looting. Watching this, Cara clicked her tongue.

“They were fighting together just a moment ago, but once they die, they’re strangers. It looks like they’re ready to strip them down to their underwear. Are we just going to leave them be? Won’t it affect morale?”

Adel, standing nearby, remained still. She replied in an indifferent tone.

“War is originally like this. The weak cannot survive. And spoils of war are the natural right of the victor. Trying to stop them is what would actually lower morale.”

Adel paused for a moment before speaking again.

“Moreover, aren’t they just pawns? What does it matter what they do? As long as they hold out until we reach the Greater Demon, they will have played their part sufficiently.”

Cara said nothing in response to the cold reaction, which was a stark contrast to her passionate commanding earlier.

“It seems you’ve never been on a battlefield, Cara?”

When Isabel, who was listening quietly, asked, Cara nodded readily.

“I spent all my time studying at the Magic Tower before settling down in the fief. Well, then I was accused of being a witch and was at death’s door, but now I’ve ended up in this Greater Demon hunting party.”

Isabel smiled slightly, recalling the conversation she had with Cara last night.

“Was it a bit too excessive a sight for a princess in a cradle? That’s what war is, after all. A sort of… where rape, murder, looting, and arson are legally permitted…”

Isabel trailed off. She seemed to be thinking about something. Soon, she clapped her hands together and spoke.

“Yes, it could be seen as a game.”

A game, she said. What a screw-loose elf. Veloc, who was allocating stats while entering his inner world, opened his eyes in disbelief.

“Hmm…”

Cara also looked at Isabel with a dubious expression. Before any more nonsense could come out, Veloc spoke.

“Since there’s nothing blocking us anymore, we should leave. It looks like things have been sorted out to some extent over there as well.”

The three looked around. The members of the order had finished the funeral, and the soldiers, having finished their looting, were staring blankly at them. No matter what the group thought of the expedition members, they were already the center of this crowd. Veloc’s martial prowess kept them united. Adel shouted loudly.

“Resume movement. Scouts, forward!”

The newly selected scouts shot forward, and the expedition set off once again. Everyone except Veloc’s group shared the same thought. They only prayed that their heads would remain attached until this battle was over.

Carrying a wriggling anxiety, the combat boots marched forward. Eventually, emerging from the ruined village, the expedition arrived at a new location. It was the village where fire burned in all directions, just as the now-deceased mercenary captain they had seen from the cliff had described. However, several early arrivals were already visible from the entrance. The expedition came to a dead halt.

Embers crackled, and the cuirasses reflecting them shone brilliantly. Beneath them lay a giant, easily five meters tall, bleeding and collapsed.

The knights who spotted the unfamiliar strangers turned their gazes. They were sitting comfortably, using the monster’s corpse as a chair. One of them stood up, leveling his weapon. He then spoke threateningly.

“Identify yourselves. Otherwise, we will consider you enemies.”