Ch.77Hawk’s Eye, Kaufman Theosis (2)

Najin’s abdomen was pierced by an arrow.

One, two, three. Three arrows embedded in succession. Najin’s eyes widened. There had been no preliminary movement before the arrows were fired. Kaufman hadn’t made any gesture of drawing a bow or raising a weapon.

It was only when the fourth arrow was fired that Najin realized they were being shot from the small crossbow attached to Kaufman’s hand.

Though his judgment was delayed by one second due to confusion, allowing three arrows to hit, he had no intention of permitting a fourth. Najin swung his sword and deflected the arrow. While doing so, he took a step toward Kaufman.

The distance was narrow. One step and his sword would reach.

Why had he attacked him? How did he know about the underground city Attman? Najin put such questions aside. He needed to act first.

Swish!

Najin closed the distance in an instant and swung his sword. At this range, a swordsman has the advantage over an archer. Hadn’t Ivan said that invisible rangers were frightening, but visible ones weren’t so scary?

…Najin’s judgment wasn’t wrong.

However, what Najin overlooked was…

The fact that Kaufman Theosis was on a completely different level from ordinary rangers. An arm shot out from under Kaufman’s poncho. In that hand was a machete with a rough blade, and when the machete and Najin’s sword collided—

Clang!

With a loud noise, Najin’s arm was forced back. Kaufman’s strength exceeded Najin’s. Najin’s abdomen exposed after he deflected the sword, allowing Kaufman to kick it. The arrows, which hadn’t penetrated deeply due to his armor, made a cracking sound as they were crushed under Kaufman’s combat boot.

The arrow shafts broke, driving the three arrows deeper.

Najin frowned and gritted his teeth, adjusting his grip on the sword. He crouched and swung his longsword, aiming to drive it into Kaufman’s leg, but—

Seal release, rupture.

BOOM!

As the spell engraved on the arrowheads was released, three consecutive explosions erupted from Najin’s abdomen.

“Kuhk!”

Metal fragments scattered like shotgun pellets from the exploding arrowheads, embedding deeply in Najin’s body. The direct hit from the explosion sent Najin’s body floating in the air, off-balance.

Creating yet another opening.

Kaufman’s right hand, which had been hidden in his poncho, now held a throwing dagger. As he threw the dagger, Kaufman swung the machete in his left hand. These movements happened almost simultaneously, making it extremely difficult for Najin, whose posture had collapsed from the explosion, to counter or respond.

But difficult doesn’t mean impossible.

With bloodshot eyes, Najin had predicted what attack Kaufman would make. Because of this prediction, Najin responded even with his collapsed posture. Forcing his pain-stiffened body to move, he swung his sword.

Clang! He deflected the machete.

Swish! He ducked to avoid the thrown dagger.

But he couldn’t avoid everything—one dagger lodged in his shoulder joint. Realizing that the dagger stuck in his shoulder was glowing blue, Najin leaped backward and pulled out the dagger from his shoulder, throwing it away.

BOOM!

Fortunately, his reaction wasn’t too late.

Watching the dagger explode immediately after he threw it, Najin gritted his teeth. His abdomen throbbed with pain. Blood leaked from his mouth with a cough. Spitting out the blood that had filled his mouth, Najin frowned.

He had made a wrong judgment.

He had created distance.

Creating distance when facing an archer is the worst possible move. Najin now stared at Kaufman’s great bow aimed at him. An arrowhead gleamed at its tip.

Twang, then swish.

The moment Kaufman released the bowstring, Najin simultaneously swung his sword. When the massive arrow and the sword collided, Najin felt pain as if his shoulder was being torn off. The stopping power of the arrow fired from the great bow, almost as thick as a longsword, was beyond Najin’s imagination.

Kakakakakakak!

Sparks flew between the sword and arrow. Despite firmly planting his feet on the ground, Najin’s shoe soles scraped as he was pushed far back. When Najin finally managed to shake off the arrow with all his strength—

Swiiiiish.

Another arrow was already coming at him. An arrow flying at just the right height where he couldn’t dodge by tilting his head, lowering his posture, or jumping. Unable to swing his sword immediately, he had to sacrifice part of his body.

Gritting his teeth, Najin twisted his body.

The arrow grazed his side as it passed. Though it only grazed him, his flesh tore open with a thud. Blood poured from the wound. Though his expression contorted with pain, Najin didn’t close his eyes, which allowed him to see—

Kaufman drawing his bowstring once more.

His opponent was a hunter who would never relinquish the initiative once he had it. In the end, Najin chose to flee. He judged that he couldn’t gain the upper hand fighting Kaufman here. Showing one’s back to a ranger and giving them time was the worst possible move, but…

To survive, he had to choose escape.

While narrowly avoiding the incoming arrow, Najin dashed toward the depths of the underground waterway. Watching Najin’s retreating figure, Kaufman exhaled deeply before beginning his pursuit.

The hunter’s eyes gleamed in the darkness.

2.

Kaufman Theosis is an experienced hunter.

Having served for many years in the Tetzel Mountains along the border, hunting down those who opposed the Empire, he was well-versed in the act of “hunting.”

Knights of the imperial family attempting to defect.

Magicians trying to sell imperial technology to foreign countries.

Numerous fugitive criminals, and sometimes even kingdom soldiers.

Having hunted various individuals, strong and weak alike, in diverse environments, Kaufman knew better than anyone how to begin a hunt. Hunting begins with observation. Especially when fighting against the strong.

The characteristics of the prey. Minor habits.

Movement and reaction speed.

The weapons and combat style of the prey, and so on.

The more information, the easier the hunt becomes. That’s why Kaufman gathered as much information as possible about the adventurer called “Ivan”… no, the young man named Najin, and observed him with his own eyes.

‘He’s properly insane.’

During the information-gathering process, Kaufman couldn’t help but be amazed. According to the information from his client, the young man was eighteen years old. At just eighteen, he was approaching the level of a Sword Seeker. It was an impossible feat, a talent that defied common sense.

Even Charon, a genius among geniuses, only became a Sword Seeker at thirty. A Sword Seeker at 18 years old. Kaufman knew how absurd that was.

And that wasn’t all.

Exterminating a Fallen Knight, surviving a duel with the knight commander of the Albania ducal family… he had a record of repeatedly surviving challenges against those stronger than himself. This was impossible for those intoxicated by their own talent.

That’s why Kaufman observed with his own eyes.

And he had to acknowledge it.

The young man possessed not only talent, but also instantaneous judgment and the boldness to charge forward. He had the qualities to reach those lofty heights.

…And Kaufman had to kill such a Najin.

Because he had accepted the request. Because he couldn’t refuse that request. While pursuing the fleeing Najin, Kaufman put tobacco in his mouth and lit it.

“…Damn it.”

After inhaling deeply and exhaling the smoke, Kaufman clicked his tongue. His mood was terrible, and he wanted to grind the client’s face, but the hunt had already begun. Once started, it had to be seen through to the end.

Otherwise, he would die.

Kaufman never lets his guard down.

Even if he has the upper hand and is in the position of strength… he has experienced situations being completely overturned many times, and has overturned situations himself.

Above all, the young man he was pursuing had the talent and judgment to turn the tables. After all, even after receiving a fatal wound from Faube, he had managed to turn the tide and deliver a decisive blow—a feat beyond the realm of ordinary people.

‘He ground down the black magician Faube in a direct confrontation.’

He must have more hidden means.

So drive him thoroughly into a corner.

With that thought, Kaufman followed Najin’s traces. Since Kaufman was blocking the way up, Najin had gone deeper into the underground waterway.

And there…

BOOM!

A thunderous sound shook the waterway. Kaufman scratched the back of his neck as he threw his finished tobacco into the water. It seemed his prey got caught in a trap.

Kaufman had arrived in this city the previous night.

And the hunt had begun from that night.

Kaufman had set traps throughout the underground waterway. While he had hoped the black magician would fall into them, it didn’t matter who got caught. Whether it was the black magician or Najin, both were prey to Kaufman.

Scratch.

Blood flowed as the skin on his scratched neck flaked. Scratching the brand on his neck, Kaufman walked toward the source of the sound.

3.

Rangers are really fucking bastards.

Why are they fucking bastards? Because the traps they set are severely annoying. Setting traps like that is also a talent. In my view, a ranger’s level is determined by how “fucking” well they set traps.

That guy called Horse sets some damn good traps.

Ah, his methods are truly creative.

It’s hard to screw people over like that. I’m a very gentle person, but my blood pressure rises just looking at the traps he sets. What? I don’t seem that gentle?

Tsk. The fact that I’m not hitting your head right now proves my gentleness, doesn’t it? Huh? You brat.

Well. Anyway.

Rangers are scariest when you can’t see them. And if they’ve revealed themselves to you… the hunt preparation is already complete. You know what they call Horse, right?

Dusk.

That’s similar to the derogatory term they use for rangers in the upper town, actually. Some of my seniors called rangers “spider bastards.”

They spread their webs and slowly kill their prey.

When the prey is completely exhausted, they sink their fangs in. That’s why they’re called spiders.

It’s similar, isn’t it? The hunting method.

That’s the rangers’ hunting style.

Well… you probably won’t have to fight Horse, but just know this. The longer you fight with a ranger, the more disadvantageous it becomes. Either end it quickly or run far away. You have to do one of the two.

If you can’t do either?

Well, what can you do?

You’ll have to gamble.

“Huu…”

Najin exhaled deeply while clutching his side. The fatigue accumulated from the battle with Faube and the injuries sustained from the fight with Kaufman were gnawing at his mind.

Blood flowed from his side, pierced by arrows.

His abdomen, which had taken a direct hit from the explosion and had arrow fragments deeply embedded, throbbed with each step.

Nnnngh…

Groaning, Najin removed the arrow fragments embedded in his body and continued walking. It would be fortunate if these were his only injuries, but due to stepping on a trap while fleeing, his injuries had increased. Now he had to be careful even when taking steps.

This underground waterway is full of traps.

It’s filled with traps whose operating principles are unknown and which are hidden everywhere, invisible. Being vigilant against them while moving doubled his mental fatigue.

But he didn’t give up on thinking.

Najin repeatedly went over the information he knew about rangers and what he had overheard from Ivan. He had to find a way to overturn this situation.

“Don’t play on the board they’ve set up.”

“You have to do something crazy to flip the board.”

Ivan and Ofen had told Najin so many things. Even if they were just casual conversations over drinks to them, to Najin, their stories were his world. That’s why he remembered their stories clearly.

“Hey, Ofen, you know that story.”

“Which story?”

“The story about screwing over a ranger. No better drinking story no matter how many times I hear it.”

“I don’t know how many times I’ve told it.”

“Najin here is hearing it for the first time. Tell it one more time.”

The stories of the outside world that Ofen had told.

Ivan’s interjections, clapping his hands and exclaiming “this guy was completely insane” in admiration. The image of his two masters clinking glasses under the sunset-colored light, and himself picking at the snacks, swirled in Najin’s mind.

There was a clue in that story.

Najin made his choice.

‘Merlin.’

-Speak.

‘Find me a path.’

Najin asked Merlin, his guide who shared his perspective and thoughts, to find a way to make this plan succeed.

The plan Najin had conceived.

A plan with only the framework.

Merlin added flesh to it. She completed the unfinished picture. That was her role.