Ch.96The Crossroads Mountain Range. Crucis (4)

The day after we arrived at the inn.

I was just doing some stretching to help digest my breakfast.

BANG!

“Everyone, listen up!!”

Suddenly, the inn door flew open violently, and a stocky dwarf burst in, shouting loud enough to bring the place down.

Thinking the inevitable had come, I gathered my party members, and other adventurers nearby, apparently thinking the same, began assembling into their parties.

“The Yetis have started moving. They’ve probably run out of food and are coming to raid the villages. This area has plenty of food.”

“Bullshit.”

An adventurer who had bought alcohol last night despite the exorbitant price muttered under his breath.

“I’ll leave the practical matters like strategy planning to you adventurers. The Yetis number roughly 100 to 120. You don’t need to kill them all—just eliminate the threatening adult Yetis and the rest will retreat. We just need to reduce their numbers enough to clear the avalanche risk. Don’t push yourselves too hard.”

The adventurers nodded at the dwarf’s words.

This was technically an extermination request, but in reality, it was a defensive mission. With villages behind us, how we defended each route would be crucial.

“Our Iron Walker Party will take the side path.”

After saying that, I led the Iron Walker Party outside, and behind me, I could hear the voices of other adventurer parties assigning their defensive zones.

“Our Sarvente Party will intercept them head-on…”

“The Masquerade Party will use spells from the rear…”

“The Raven Party will attack from high ground with ranged weapons…”

*

“This is my first time hunting Yetis.”

“It’s a first for all of us. As long as our teamwork holds, we shouldn’t worry about dying. Don’t be too tense. If things get dangerous, we can always call other parties for help.”

“Understood.”

“Did everyone get their potions? Tie them securely so they don’t spill.”

I steadied my trembling voice as best I could and gave orders to my party members.

I’d hunted Ogres before, but that was in a forest where we had relative safety. This was on a mountain.

A mountain covered in snow and ice, where slipping was all too easy, and one wrong move could send you tumbling down the steep slope to your death…

To keep everyone in the party alive, we needed to fight a little dirty.

“Alright. Get your weapons ready now. Lucia and Casia?”

“What?”

“Don’t hold back on the special arrows. We get 100 silver coins per Yeti anyway. Use all your special arrows—even killing just one Yeti puts us in profit.”

“Got it.”

With that, Lucia and Casia reinforced their bows and loaded them with special arrows.

Finally, I looked at Simon, who whispered something to his staff and then nodded to me with a determined expression.

“Good…”

I twisted around to look at the other parties.

Everyone was in position with weapons drawn, watching the front carefully. On the main road, spearmen had formed a wall of spears as a barricade.

Behind them, archers were nocking arrows and standing by. If they had been wearing matching uniforms, they could have passed for an army rather than adventurers.

Clatter! Clatter!

Soon, a scout arrived on horseback from the distance, and the wall of spears quickly parted to make way for the messenger who had traveled far.

“What did you see?”

“The Yetis… those damn things. They’re not coming alone—they’ve brought Frost Wolves with them.”

“Frost Wolves too?”

“Yeah… about 200 of them, I’d say… The wolves will probably arrive first, with the Yetis following behind.”

“Damn it… now we have wolves too?”

“Archers! The wolves are coming!”

According to the messenger, we would be facing not just Yetis but also about 200 Frost Wolves.

I didn’t know what Frost Wolves were, but it was clear they were wolves adapted to the cold, and probably stronger than ordinary wolves.

THUD!

I slammed my greatsword down and looked at the side path in front of me.

They say when the mountain winds blow strongly, they travel up and down this side path, but to me, it was just an annoying defensive point.

Rumble! Rumble-rumble-rumble!

Gradually, the sound of something rushing toward us began to echo from the distance, and I turned around to order the elf sisters to nock their arrows.

RUMBLE!

The rushing sound soon transformed into a snowstorm, and now the glowing eyes and blue fur of the wolves became visible.

“Fire!”

As the battler at the front swung his sword, the rangers behind released their arrows in unison.

With a soft bursting sound followed by the whistling of arrows flying into the distance, wolves charging through the sleet began to fall with arrows embedded in them.

Yelp!

The death cries of dogs and wolves sounded much the same. I watched the group moving toward the side path with eagle eyes and stepped aside to give the elf sisters a clear shot.

Whoosh!

As soon as I moved, two arrows flew past me… and two wolves fell dead.

They quickly drew more arrows from their quivers and began firing rapidly. With each release, Frost Wolves tumbled down the mountainside like eggs skewered on chopsticks.

“Kerhung! Kang!”

“Awooooo!!!”

At the front, the wall of spears and the wolves’ teeth engaged in a fierce struggle. Our side path was also gradually being overrun by wolves, causing our firepower to be divided.

“Hmm!”

Slash!

I cut the throat of a Frost Wolf lunging at me, and another wolf trying to bite me to death had its life ended by Raisha’s halberd coming down on it.

After Raisha and I had killed three or four wolves like this.

The wolves’ howls gradually began to diminish, and the battlers started clearing away the corpses of wolves impaled on their spears.

[WOOOOOARRR!!!!]

“…They’re here.”

A massive roar from the distance, like the whistle of a steam ship.

I suspected the avalanche might have been caused by the snow finally rebelling against these noise polluters and their thunderous voices.

“Yetis!”

“The Yetis are coming!”

“Battlers, prepare!!”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The Yetis’ footsteps gradually drew closer.

The massive, heavy sound that seemed capable of shattering thick ice in a single blow approached steadily, and soon, things even whiter than the snow revealed themselves.

“Damn. I hate things with thick skin.”

“Me too…”

Though they had reinforced their bows, the sisters hadn’t used their special arrows yet.

Elven pride wouldn’t allow them to waste special arrows on mere wolves, let alone Yetis.

[GROOOOARRR!!!]

“Here they come!!!”

“Aura! Aura quickly!”

In the distance, I could see the tips of some spearmen’s spears glowing blue.

As the snow settled, the glowing spearheads instantly turned the snow to water, and the frozen spearheads quickly retreated to make way for swordsmen whose blades were tinged with blue.

“So that’s Aura…”

Seeing a realm I had yet to reach was always awe-inspiring.

Soon, light-wrapped blades collided with white giants, and with each movement of swords and spears, the Yetis’ thick skin split like well-roasted chicken skin, spilling blood.

Thud! Thud!

“!”

“Damn… the Yetis are coming!”

And in this battlefield, we couldn’t be the only ones not killing Yetis.

As the elves fired their arrows, a Yeti entering through the side path took special arrows to the face while reaching for us. Seeing this, Raisha and I cut off the Yeti’s fingers with our spear and sword.

Though our weapons weren’t wrapped in Aura, cutting through thin fingers was entirely possible.

[WOOOARRR!!!]

With arrows continuously firing and the pain of severed fingers, the Yeti began to convulse. The ice of the narrow side path started to crack, and the path gradually widened.

“This isn’t good! More Yetis will be able to get in!”

Simon blanched at the cracking side path, realizing it might soon become as wide as the main road. To prevent the path from widening further and allowing more Yetis in, I cast Behde on the Yeti.

Whoosh!

The Yeti’s feet were temporarily bound, and Raisha and I moved further into the path to launch a fierce attack on the Yeti.

Slash! Slash!

Stab!

[GROOOOARRR!!!]

Cut, stabbed, and hit by arrows and fire arrows, the Yeti, consumed with rage, swung its arms wildly. When one hit the ice wall directly, sharp ice fragments formed.

If those pieces were to fall, they would cause severe injuries.

Thud! Thud!

“Damn it!”

And at that moment, another Yeti entered behind the rampaging one, and Raisha and I turned to retreat.

Slip.

“Whoa!”

But then, the blood from the Yeti and the water formed from ice melted by fire magic made me slip.

CRASH!

“Ugh…!”

I fell face-first onto the ground in an undignified heap, and the enraged Yeti wouldn’t leave me be.

[WOOOARRR!!!]

The bleeding Yeti lifted me up, and despite my summoning a dagger to hack at its arm, it crushed my entire body in its grip.

CRUNCH!!!

“AAAAARGH!!!”

Terrible pain engulfed me, and as I activated Pentin at maximum intensity to grit my teeth and endure the agony, the even more enraged Yeti threw me against the ice wall. Before I could even fall to the ground, it struck me again with its massive fist.

CRACK!

Even in that state, I was still alive, and the last thing I saw through my half-crushed eyes was the Yeti impaling me on a sharp protruding fragment of the ice wall.