Chapter 16: Hunting The Sabertooth Tiger (2)
by AfuhfuihgsOriginally, the plan was for Grace to handle the Silver Sabertus.
The ranking system of monsters is very simple.
Strength. That’s it.
The charisma of someone commanding this many monsters, the powerful magical energy felt from afar, and the terrifying appearance—it was clear from the start.
Everyone in the army agreed that this wasn’t an ordinary monster.
If it had been a moderately strong one, the Northern Duke wouldn’t have come on an expedition himself.
Thus, the core of the operation was simply put as: “How can we safely get Grace to the front of Silver Sabertus?”
To achieve this, we would lure its minions and have the Northern Army capture them, while the escort squads and elite soldiers would protect Grace, ensuring she conserved as much energy as possible.
The delivery of the super-powerful bomb that is Grace to Silver Sabertus was a success.
Once the delivery was completed, Rider Ilane billed the customer for the delivery tip.
Since monsters have no money, they must pay with their bodies.
Seolhan Sword, First Snow.
With a high-speed thrust aiming for Silver Sabertus’s face.
“Khhuuuuuugh!”
Silver Sabertus let out a mighty roar, signaling the start of the battle. But it wasn’t just a roar to announce the beginning of combat.
“Ugh!”
The sound seemed to contain a surge of magical energy, sending out waves that shook the area. It was meant to threaten with sound while also attempting to dominate the area with magical pressure.
Not just me, but my comrades flinched as the wave of magic pressure overwhelmed our bodies.
Fortunately, the monsters were affected by the magical wave too, and they froze for a moment, stumbling.
“Tch.”
The wave of magic negated the power stored in my sword, and Ilane clicked her tongue, about to switch to another attack just as…
“Kyaaaaa!”
Silver Sabertus let out a sharp cry, leaping and charging toward Ilane.
Seeing its mouth wide open with sharp fangs bared, I thought to myself, ‘This is dangerous!’
I rushed to assist Ilane, but my body hadn’t fully recovered from the lingering effects of the magic wave, and I broke into a cold sweat.
Ilane, however, remained calm, spinning her sword and gripping it tightly.
Seolhan Sword, Snowflake.
A heavy strike filled with magical power hit Silver Sabertus’s fangs.
Phew. I breathed a sigh of relief.
As expected, Silver Sabertus’s fangs were incredibly tough.
How could any beast’s fangs withstand a sword charged with magical energy without leaving a single scratch? Ilane also looked uneasy, perhaps feeling the abnormal strength of those fangs as she furrowed her brow.
“Fall back, Sir Ilane.”
At that moment, Grace’s voice rang out from the air.
“One.”
Silver Sabertus hurriedly turned its head in the direction of the sound.
And there, above its head, was Grace, who had approached unnoticed during the battle.
“Don’t raise your head, beast.”
Grace swung her sword as Silver Sabertus looked up.
Lion Sword, King’s Roar.
As her sword swung, her magical power transformed into a white sword energy that descended toward her opponent, aiming to crush it.
With the massive sword energy descending, Silver Sabertus looked up at the sky.
“Kaaaargh!”
Its fur bristled, and it let out an even more intense roar than before.
Kaaa-BOOM!
The sword energy Grace released hit Silver Sabertus head-on.
Grace landed next to me, glancing at me before speaking.
“You don’t seem relieved at all.”
“Forgive me, but I don’t think that was the end.”
“Sharp eyes. Or perhaps cold judgment? Either way, you’re right.”
Of course. Even with Grace’s attack, there’s no way Silver Sabertus would fall from a single strike.
Most of all, that strange smoke…
This place is on a frozen lake, meaning there’s no dust.
If there’s no dust, and there’s a sandstorm, it doesn’t make sense scientifically.
Therefore, that smoke must have been an unnatural phenomenon caused by the clash of magical powers.
The beast’s scream before the sword energy hit was likely a magical release.
With such powerful magic, it’s likely that the beast survived.
“Still, I wanted to make it kneel. How annoying.”
As the magical smoke cleared, Silver Sabertus reappeared, standing firm without a scratch.
Grace let out a dry laugh.
“It seems it’s more troublesome than I thought.”
I nodded instinctively at Grace’s murmur.
Those fangs that penetrate everything are undefendable.
Not to mention, it knows how to use magic for defense.
It can nullify attacks with magic waves and then use its fangs in a continuous biting motion. A formidable opponent with both strength and brains.
“Your Excellency, I’ll provide cover again.”
“Alright, this time, go left and right. I’ll go first, and you’ll follow half a beat behind, targeting its legs.”
“I’ll use the Great Claw technique.”
Having been in sync for a long time, the two quickly formulated a plan.
“Luke, thanks for coming this far. You’re to withdraw and join the other members now.”
Before the attack began, Ilane tried to push me back.
It seemed like she was trying to protect me, aware that my current level was too low for me to safely join the fight.
I would have wanted to do the same.
Could I, someone who hadn’t even properly coordinated with Grace, really fight against a monster that the two of them would be facing together?
If it weren’t for Ilane, that recent bite attack would’ve made me an excellent source of protein.
Even so…
“I’ll help.”
I grabbed my sword and stood confidently beside them.
“I know I can’t fight alongside you both, but I can still be a nuisance to the monster, like an annoying fire ant.”
“Fire ant?”
Although there are ants even in the cold northern regions, Grace, being an aristocrat, probably hasn’t encountered one, so she didn’t seem to understand.
Ah, the gap between the rich and poor.
It was embarrassing to correct myself after acting so confidently, but I decided to leave it as it was.
“I’ll block the monsters trying to join Silver Sabertus. If an opening appears and the two of you are unable to act, I’ll fill that gap and make sure the monster doesn’t get a chance to breathe.”
In short, I was telling them I’d help if an opportunity arose while they were fighting Silver Sabertus.
It was a bit bold for a low-ranking member to speak this way in front of the Duke of the North and the captain of the guard.
But…
“I have a way to deal a real blow to it.”
When I declared this with certainty, Grace smirked as if she found it interesting.
“You have a strange way of speaking, making others expect great things. What do you think, Ilane?”
“…”
Ilane, who had faced Silver Sabertus head-on, stared at me with a rigid expression.
She must have felt the monster’s strength more acutely than anyone else here.
Seeing the conflict between her concerns and the curiosity in my eyes, I decided to ease her worries.
“You know what I have, Captain.”
“!”
Ilane’s eyes widened as if something clicked in her mind.
Then she said…
“You know what happens if you break my trust, right?”
“I do.”
“Good. I’ll trust you, Luke.”
She nodded, regaining her composure and showing me her trust.
“Heh, if even the steadfast Ilane trusts you, it must be something worth seeing. But I won’t intentionally create an
opening just to give you a chance. You’ll have to make your move on your own. Split-second judgment is important
for a knight.”
“No need to worry about that. In fact, your sword is probably stronger than my method.”
“Ha, I don’t think you’re flattering me.”
“It’s from my experience witnessing your sword up close.”
I knew well from the descriptions in the novel how powerful the Lion Sword was.
And as I mentioned earlier, I’d also witnessed its power firsthand.
So, it wasn’t difficult to make an objective judgment.
However…
As I spoke, both Grace and Ilane blinked and then exchanged a glance.
“After just one experience, you already… Hmm, now I’m really starting to think you might be worth trusting.”
“Yes, I agree… I’m of the same mind as the Captain.”
I didn’t fully understand what they were saying, but there wasn’t time to think about it.
“CRAAAHHH!”
Silver Sabertus let out a terrifying roar.
This time, the roar was filled with magic, attempting to suppress our movements.
“Such arrogance. Do you really think that one trick will work on me?”
Grace swung her sword, and before Silver Sabertus’s magical shockwave could reach us, it was cleaved away.
“I’m going first.”
“I’ll follow.”
Grace dashed to the left with incredible speed, and Ilane followed precisely half a step later, darting to the right.
I looked around, watching their backs as they focused on Silver Sabertus.
The monsters, sensing their master’s peril through the magical clash, were slowly making their way toward us.
However, our allies, including the warriors, were keeping the area around Grace clear, so the numbers were not too
overwhelming. Still, a few monsters had slipped through the cracks.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
Just then, a Wolffang was charging toward me, drooling.
Its eyes were bloodshot, indicating it was a particularly strong one from the pack.
I braced myself like a batter aiming for a home run, gathering strength in my lower body, and pulled my sword back.
“GRRRAHH!”
The Wolffang leaped at me, aiming to devour me whole, and I exploded with all my stored energy, launching the most powerful strike I could muster.
Snow Blade, Snowstorm.
A sweeping horizontal slash filled with all my power raced toward the wolf’s head.
Swoooosh!
The snowstorm sliced through the protruding snout of the Wolffang.
Amidst it, the creature turned its head to minimize the damage—impressive battle instincts for a monster.
There was some damage.
To a wolf, the mouth is both a breathing and digestive organ, as well as its main weapon, much like a human’s.
However, unlike a human’s primary weapon, its mouth isn’t made of metal.
“Cough!”
With its mouth slashed, the Wolffang landed, shaking its head violently in agony. I seized the opportunity to launch a follow-up attack.
Searing Sword, First Snow.
A thrust aimed at the beast’s neck shot out like a bullet, and in that moment.
“1”
Is it because it’s a monster?
A sparkling mist, resembling steam, surrounded the Wolffang, forming a barrier of ice.
Clang
The ice barrier shattered easily from the impact of First Snow, but the problem was that the timing had been lost due to the earlier exchange.
“Grr!”
The Wolffang, with blood dripping from its mouth, demonstrated resilience.
Once my attack paused, it opened its jaws wide again, baring its sharp teeth.
“Your breath stinks, you bastard.”
The Searing Sword is strong but focused on offense.
So here…
Kaaang!
The Wolffang’s teeth barely collided with the defensive motion of the Winter Sword.
“72222”
The wolf, confident in its biting strength, refused to release the sword.
It seemed like it was trying to break the blade.
If I attacked, the sword was still gripped.
If I countered, letting my guard down could risk me being pushed back.
If I tried to defend, a prolonged battle of strength would be hard to win against a monster with superior physical specs.
If I have to fight this way…
Right.
‘Keep holding on tight.’
There was one thing I learned about dogs in my past life.
When they hold onto a toy and you exert force, their competitive instincts make them bite harder.
At first, I thought they were offering me a gift, only to be startled by a growl.
A friend of mine explained it was called “tug-of-war,” where it triggers a dog’s hunting instincts.
Though I’m not a dog expert, I understood the concept.
At any rate, this wasn’t a playful situation, but since tug-of-war stimulates a dog’s hunting instincts, this wolf might behave similarly.
‘Earlier, the magic wave caused a brief loss of focus, halting the loading… but.’
While conversing with the two, I resumed the download and finally gathered everything.
Throughout history, the one thing that beasts fear most is…
Fire.
“Khuh?”
The Wolffang, still holding the sword, seemed to sense something was off, letting out an unexpectedly cute sound.
I ignored it and tightened my grip on the sword, focusing.
“Searing Sword.”
The blade began to glow red-hot, and I heard a sizzling sound as something was cooking.
“Kang!”
The Wolffang, feeling its mouth heat up, quickly released the sword.
But it was three seconds too late.
“Snowstorm!”
The mouth is a breathing organ, digestive organ, and a beast’s main weapon, as well as a vulnerable weak point due to its delicate skin.
The “Salamander’s Scales” ability, enhanced by heat manipulation, heated the blade like a branding iron.
The sharp, sturdy sword forged by the legendary blacksmith Bill.
Following the aggressive swordsmanship style, “Searing Sword” taught by Elaine, I made a diagonal slash.
The blade plunged into the Wolffang’s mouth.
Swwwwwwww!
The fully red-hot blade cleaved the Wolffang in two.
The Wolffang, overwhelmed by the pain from the laceration and burns, rolled its eyes and flailed helplessly.
Schwak
As the sword passed through the beast’s body, it slumped lifelessly to the floor, confirming its silence.
Only then did I exhale a breath I had been holding.
“Huff.”
I had every reason to be confident. The wolf’s bite strength was formidable.
If the blade hadn’t been so tough, I might have lost it even without breaking it.
Forcing the mouth open had strained my muscles, and my arm trembled.
But…
‘It works even in real combat.’
This technique, which I had practiced ever since obtaining the Salamander’s Scales, seemed to have paid off.
Technically, my ability is “heat manipulation,” not flame magic, so it had failed repeatedly in the past.
But one day, I remembered a scene from an old hero movie where a superheated sword cut through Adamantium. I had a change of mind.
Rather than emitting fire, focusing the heat only on the blade to increase its destructive power seemed to work.
It’s not a flame sword, but perhaps I should call it a heat sword.
It was difficult to measure its power, so it wasn’t a technique I could use as my main one.
Indeed, crises help people grow.
While struggling against the terrifying wolf, I had an epiphany on how to split its mouth wide open.
“That should be enough.”
Watching the Silver Sabertooth struggle in the distance against Grace and Elaine’s combined assault, I placed my hand on my waist.
“Alright, here it comes. Fire injection.”
I grinned as I drew a dark-bladed dagger.
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