Ch.88Kanpf’s Raid #5

As the air began to tremble, I felt the hair all over my body stand on end.

I knew something unsettling was there, but I couldn’t tell exactly where or how many.

Unlike Helena or Ellen, I had no real sense of it.

One thing I knew for certain was that they were targeting me.

Even though I wasn’t particularly skilled, I could use mana too.

“You are all valuable assets to the domain, so please take care of yourselves. Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

I ended the conversation as naturally as possible, then turned around and headed straight for the mansion.

It was quite a secluded spot, perfect for them to ambush me, and more importantly, I wanted to minimize the chance of involving the domain’s residents.

There weren’t many people around, but there were still some.

I walked away from the fields and people, strolling alone.

Though I couldn’t see them, I could feel the gazes directed at me growing sharper.

“Hmm…”

I was tempted to confront them, but that wouldn’t do.

It was almost time to meet Ellen, and heading in that direction would be much safer.

So I’m the bait.

Those spies were clearly targeting me from the beginning, and I could guess why.

I must have seemed like an easier target than those monsters who could effortlessly handle multiple opponents.

In the past, I might have been offended at being underestimated, but now I just quietly accepted it as reasonable.

Perhaps living this long had killed much of the stubborn pride that normal people tend to have.

“Huff.”

After a short sigh, I drew up my mana in one breath, just like when I sparred with Helena.

A prickling sensation, like being stabbed with needles, stimulated my skin.

They must have been startled by my sudden strange behavior.

They were probably quite confused.

Taking advantage of that moment, I pushed off with such force that the ground sank beneath my feet, and sprinted toward the mansion.

“Did he notice?! Catch him!”

I clearly heard a faint but urgent shout.

Not only did the air stir, but the trees beyond the farmland began to sway their branches as if dancing.

It was clearly due to the mysterious pursuers closing the distance by stepping on branches.

They ran diagonally while I ran in a straight line.

I figured they were doing this because running parallel would prevent them from losing me, but wouldn’t allow them to catch me either.

I could tell because I kept checking behind me as I ran.

The sound of the pursuers grew closer, and their echoing shouts became more distinct.

That meant they were getting closer.

“Shoot!”

Shoot.

Naturally, this is a command used when attacking from a distance.

In this world, ranged attacks were limited to bows, magic, or siege weapons like catapults, but in this case, siege weapons were out of the question.

No one would be crazy enough to drag siege weapons into a chase, and even if they did, they would be inefficient due to their lack of agility.

In other words, arrows whistling through the air was entirely possible.

“Elves…!”

I swallowed dryly and rolled on the ground to avoid an arrow flying directly toward my heel.

Fortunately, the arrow that had nearly caught up to me struck the ground, but the vibration it caused was ominous.

It wasn’t a simple arrow.

This sniping technique, which increased power and speed by wrapping wind around the projectile, was favored by Ellen and her mercenaries, and more broadly, by elves.

Though terrifyingly threatening, its distinctive aura made it easy to identify.

As if they had heard my muttering, they began to unleash an even more intense rain of arrows.

It was already impressive how accurately they shot while jumping between trees like fleas, but what truly sent chills down my spine was that each arrow was precisely aimed at me.

Shit!

Swallowing the curse that tried to escape my throat, I ran desperately to avoid the arrows.

Despite being covered in dirt from rolling on the ground, I was grateful to be avoiding the arrow rain.

If an arrow pierced my leg, it would be over.

I rolled on the ground and sometimes pushed off to spin through the air.

They seemed to be having trouble with their sniping, perhaps because my running speed was faster than they had anticipated.

Seeing them emerge from the rear and chase after me, that’s the impression I got.

It seemed they had decided to come down because they couldn’t maintain proper speed just by moving through the trees.

Pointed ears and universally beautiful features.

The arrows in their hands and the distinctive flow of elemental magic.

They were clearly elves, a race beautiful in appearance but with an underlying arrogance.

Anyone, not just me, would identify them as elves without hesitation.

Though this was my first time seeing regular elves rather than dark elves, I had no time to marvel at this fact as I ran.

They didn’t seem able to enhance their bodies with mana like knights, but they boasted great strength from the blessing of the spirits.

The elves ran with wind swirling around them, but fortunately, they weren’t faster than Ellen, nor did they perform extraordinary feats like flying through the air.

Simply put, they just ran faster.

So while I couldn’t widen the gap significantly, I wouldn’t be caught immediately either.

The problem was that these guys weren’t just running, and the pursuit from the forest direction continued.

“Tsk.”

Finding the increasingly tight situation far from pleasant, I clicked my tongue and pulled out the dirk from inside my clothes.

Seeing how desperately they were trying to capture me, they clearly had something major planned.

That’s why I absolutely couldn’t let myself be caught.

Since the situation had changed, I had to change my assessment that I wouldn’t stand a chance if it came to a fight.

I judged that it was time for a gamble.

Even if that gamble meant taking someone’s life.

“Kuhek?!”

Swish. The dirk flew straight through the air and precisely pierced an elf’s throat.

Though they were wrapped in wind, it apparently wasn’t dense enough to block an aura blade.

That was quite fortunate for me.

“So he can do more than just close combat! Everyone, beware of flying weapons!”

As soon as two elves at the back fell, everyone shouted.

I couldn’t tell exactly how many elves remained, but I could feel the pressure from behind had lessened considerably.

That was only natural, as they had gone from five to three.

They seemed too busy chasing me to even think about retrieving their comrades’ bodies.

There was no sign of anyone breaking off during the pursuit.

I had thought one or two might split off to recover the bodies, but that was completely wrong.

Three, three of them.

I pondered as I watched the elves still chasing my tail.

Though they were skilled with elemental magic and bows, they would likely be weak in close combat involving knives or fists.

It might be a big mistake, but I still had a long way to go.

I needed at least 10 more minutes of running.

In normal circumstances this might not matter, but in such an emergency, 10 minutes could feel like an hour or more.

Though I had been dodging well so far, I couldn’t guarantee this luck would continue.

This thought grew stronger each time arrows, fireballs, stone projectiles, and water bombs flew at me.

Though smaller than Ellen’s, they formed quite a dense barrage, making them extremely troublesome.

“Ugh!”

When a small fireball exploded at my feet, I inevitably staggered and lost my balance.

I went with the flow rather than forcing myself to recover, fearing I might twist my ankle.

I saved my ankle, but the price was considerable.

The pursuers from behind seized the opportunity and increased their speed, while the group shooting arrows from the forest began unleashing magic to block my path.

I was essentially surrounded.

Magic from the front, elves with arrows nocked running from behind.

In old terms, I was caught between a rock and a hard place.

“Huff…”

I’d done well just to run this far.

If I struggle recklessly here and accidentally die, I’ll be in an even more dangerous situation.

So I should surrender and keep my options open.

It’s easy to think that way when you’re in a desperate situation with no way out, but it wasn’t time to give up yet.

Given the circumstances, my selfish human instinct for survival and cold rationality emerged, even if it meant being ruthless.

I narrowed my eyes like sharpening a blade on a whetstone and threw myself not toward the front blocked by the barrage, but toward the direction of the pursuing group.

“What is he…! Huk!”

Running toward the bow that just released an arrow is madness.

It was like openly asking to be shot dead, as if attempting suicide.

But my action was far from suicide, and even further from surrender.

While it was impossible to predict and deflect the trajectory of incoming arrows, I could at least try to move my body out of the way as much as possible.

In the process, the outer parts of my arms and legs were torn by rough wind and arrowheads, causing intense pain, but it was bearable.

It was much less painful than the twisting of my insides when I drank poison, and since no joints or muscles were completely pierced, I could still move.

The elves were startled but quickly tried to prepare their next arrows. This time, however, I was faster.

Before they could even use pure magic to hold me back, I ran with all my might and stabbed one of them in the neck.

“Keu, keureureu…!”

The one on my far left spewed foaming blood when the knife pierced his neck.

The blade and bloody foam must have blocked his airway, as he couldn’t utter a single proper word.

I confirmed he was dead and glared at the remaining two.

I had hoped they would hesitate in shock, but their response was very quick.

With expressions of horror, they immediately fired wind and water.

The blade could cut human skin but probably not sever it completely, and while the water bombs were fierce, they wouldn’t tear my body to pieces.

In other words, even if I charged using the dead elf as a shield, I couldn’t be harmed.

“Using a corpse as a shield?! How can you commit such a demonic act…!”

Charging forward while holding the dead elf’s collar and waist like a two-handed shield, I pierced the stomach of an elf who was gasping for air.

More precisely, I closed the distance and then thrust my dirk, infused with aura, into the corpse with all my strength.

As a result, my arm became like a skewer used for sausages, and I could feel the wet, heavy sensation of blood and entrails.

“H-how… t-this…”

I reached out with my left hand beyond the corpse and tore at the neck of the elf who was spitting blood.

Blood gushed from the deep, ugly wound that looked as if a beast had torn it with its teeth.

When I pulled my arm out from the corpse, my sleeve, soaked in blood, was revealed.

The flesh had been pushed away during the extraction process, leaving no trace.

I felt an untimely sense of relief that there was no more grotesque sight to see.

That’s one down.

I threw the tattered but still useful corpse shield as if pushing it away.

My target was, of course, the remaining elf who had frozen in the middle of casting magic.

He gasped at the suddenly flying corpse.

It was understandable to be startled by a blood-spraying corpse with a gaping hole in its stomach.

I would have been shocked too if I weren’t in this situation.

However, this was a critical juncture where avoiding a greater crisis was paramount, more important than my own life.

If I made a mistake here, everything I had done so far and everything I would do in the future would be ruined.

Therefore, I didn’t hesitate to thrust my dirk into the head of the elf who had instinctively deflected the corpse.

“…”

After stabbing the blade into his head and twisting it once, he died without even leaving a scream.

It had been quite a skirmish, so fortunately the barrage from the forest had temporarily ceased, but it was clear as day that the rain would start again.

However, I thought it might be much better than dodging the rain alone until just now.

As if to prove this, I picked up the cleanest of the scattered corpses, lifting it onto both shoulders.

Though my breathing had become quite rough due to my injuries and my right arm was trembling, I felt I could hold out until I reached the meeting place with Ellen.

After all, I now had a sturdy umbrella in hand.