Chapter 255

The Gray Dwarves were focused solely on the rear, where the initial surprise attack had come from.

This left them vulnerable to another attack from the side, exposing their weakness.

*BOOOOOM!*

A tremendous explosion.

The blast was as deafening as it was powerful.

The Gray Dwarves, clustered in a tight formation, were blown away like leaves in a storm.

Their bodies were mangled and broken.

Limbs severed, torsos ripped open, bones shattered.

Crimson blood painted the ground, turning it into a sea of gore.

“D-Damn it, from the side too?!”

“S-Shit! Fall back! Fall back!”

The surviving Gray Dwarves scrambled to retreat, like a receding tide.

But only a handful remained, maybe six or seven.

Compared to their previous imposing force of over twenty, they were a pitiful sight.

The two surprise attacks had decimated them.

“Raaaaaargh!”

Kalkus roared in frustration, unable to contain his rage.

His voice boomed through the air, shaking the very ground.

The Gray Reaper, who had been so nonchalant, was finally showing his raw fury.

It meant he felt threatened.

A beast wouldn’t flinch from an ant bite.

But if its flesh was torn and its bones broken, it would lash out in a frenzy.

Because it knew that if it didn’t hunt, it would be hunted.

“Ugh, Dispel!”

The Messenger, momentarily stunned by the second unexpected attack, finally cast a Dispel spell.

The power of Dispel spread rapidly in all directions.

Their gazes darted around, searching for the attackers.

The intruders’ forms would soon be revealed.

But.

It was the attackers who moved first.

Both of them.

*Whoosh!*

An arrow flew towards them with lightning speed.

Natasha, on high alert, immediately swung her invisible sword.

A perfect reaction.

However,

*BOOOOOM!*

“Ugh?”

The arrow exploded upon impact.

The unexpected explosion caused Natasha to stumble slightly.

Smoke filled the air, obscuring their vision.

In that split second,

Hiresia was already moving.

Or rather, she had anticipated the situation and moved in advance.

*Thud!*

She kicked off the ground and leaped high into the air.

Her vision was clear.

Nothing obstructed her view as she moved a step ahead of Natasha, who was momentarily stunned.

She had a clear view of the remaining Gray Dwarves, now reduced to a mere handful.

Her hand moved with blinding speed, firing arrows.

*-Void Arrow.*

Firing arrows from an unstable position in mid-air was impossible, even for skilled archers.

But Hiresia could do the impossible.

And not just one arrow, but several.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Five arrows in total, fired from mid-air, hurtled towards the Gray Dwarves like a hailstorm.

But before they could reach their target,

Max was already charging.

*-Speed Slash Form.*

The fastest draw technique in Baker’s Swordsmanship.

The Dispel spell was meaningless.

Because his blade was already drawn by the time he became visible.

*Screech!*

His scabbard screeched as it rubbed against his blade.

And then he unleashed a lightning-fast strike.

*Swish!*

*Slice!*

A Gray Dwarf’s head flew through the air, severed cleanly.

“Raaaaargh! It’s you!”

“Die!”

Despite losing another comrade, Kalkus and the remaining Gray Dwarves charged towards the attacker, their fury ignited.

Max didn’t even blink, swinging his sword without hesitation.

*-Net Slash Form.*

An impenetrable net of blades filled the air.

Defense, not offense.

A passive choice.

It was also a risky choice, as he could be surrounded and overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies.

Had he chosen to evade their attacks first?

No.

He was trusting.

Trusting someone he believed in more than anyone else.

*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Weapons clashed violently.

Even though he was blocking their attacks, he couldn’t withstand the combined might of so many enemies.

Max stumbled.

Kalkus and the Gray Dwarves pressed their advantage, trying to finish him off.

But then.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Hiresia’s Void Arrows struck the Gray Dwarves from behind.

*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Four arrows pierced their necks with deadly accuracy.

“Ugh?!”

*Clang!*

One arrow, with a different sound, was deflected by Kalkus, who had barely managed to swing his hammer in time.

‘Now!’

Max seized the opportunity created by Hiresia’s attack.

*Bang!*

*Whoosh!*

*-Executioner’s Enhanced Strike.*

*Crack!*

His powerful strike shattered a Gray Dwarf’s helmet and severed his head.

Only three enemies remained.

Their surprise attack had decimated the Red Rain group.

An eerie silence fell over the battlefield.

It was the high elves who broke the silence.

“P-Princess!”

“Oh, you’ve finally arrived, Princess!”

Hiwyn and the elder shouted, their voices filled with emotion, as if they had finally found a beacon of hope in the midst of despair.

Hiresia calmed them down with her cold voice.

“Get a hold of yourselves. It’s not over yet.”

“Raaaaaargh! Yes! It’s not over! Never!”

Kalkus, the sole survivor of his tribe, roared in fury.

His eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his face bulged, but a flicker of reason still remained in his eyes.

It was an incredible display of mental fortitude.

He was in a situation where it would be perfectly understandable for him to lose his mind and go berserk.

It was the true spirit of a warrior, burning bright even in the face of adversity.

“Ha, seriously. We were completely caught off guard.”

Natasha frowned.

She fixed her gaze on Hiresia, her expression serious.

“But it’ll be different from now on. Very different.”

Natasha knew.

That the high elf standing before her was a different class of fighter compared to the others.

That’s why she was going to give it her all.

She had to eliminate this threat to complete her mission.

“Try me.”

Hiresia met her gaze with equal coldness, nocking an arrow on her bowstring.

The tension in the air was palpable, as if a spark could ignite a massive explosion.

The Messenger, his face contorted with rage, suddenly exploded.

“Damn it! This is bullshit!”

He seemed to be furious that his plans had been thwarted.

*Gnash!*

He gritted his teeth, the sound echoing through the air.

“I’ll kill you all! I’ll make you suffer! Starting with you, bitch!”

The Messenger glared at Hiresia.

But.

“Stay out of this.”

Natasha shook her head.

“…Huh?”

“You’ll only get in the way. She’s not someone you can handle.”

“Ah… I-Is that so?”

The Messenger scratched the back of his head, his expression filled with confusion.

Anyone would be flustered if they were flatly rejected after trying to act tough.

The Messenger’s gaze shifted to Max.

“Y-You! I’ll kill you first!”

“No need! I’ll kill this bastard myself!”

*Bang!*

Kalkus roared and slammed his hammer on the ground, shattering the earth.

“…”

The Messenger’s expression froze again.

He was completely out of sync.

“R-Right, of course?”

He awkwardly turned around.

His movements were stiff and unnatural.

He tried to act nonchalant, but the muscles on his face twitched.

“U-Um, right, I should kill you guys! The old man and the spearman!”

“…”

“…”

“Damn it, just die!”

The battle resumed, with the Messenger attacking as if he wanted to forget everything that had just happened.

* * *

The surprise attack had been a resounding success, exceeding our expectations.

We had managed to escape the worst of the situation.

But it was still far from over.

The most dangerous enemies remained.

Natasha, the last dark elf.

Kalkus, the Chief of the Gray Dwarves.

The Messenger of the Red Rain.

…Honestly, I had no idea how strong the last one was, but it was clear that the two injured high elves wouldn’t be able to handle him.

‘Divide and conquer.’

I ignored Natasha.

She seemed to be focused solely on Hiresia.

I would leave her to Hiresia.

Besides, I couldn’t afford to be distracted.

Because I knew exactly who my opponent was.

Chief Kalkus.

All Gray Dwarves were strong warriors, but Kalkus was on a different level.

He was a living weapon, possessing incredible strength, monstrous durability and stamina, and refined skills.

His nickname, the Gray Reaper, was well-deserved.

‘No backup.’

There was no one to help me.

I had to finish this fight alone.

It would be the most dangerous and difficult battle I had ever faced since possessing this body.

But I had to do it.

For myself.

And for her.

I calmed my mind, my thoughts racing.

I was already planning my opening move and how to follow up.

*Swish.*

I quickly organized my thoughts and drew my Marcus Bow.

The distance was sufficient.

“You bastard! Don’t try anything funny!”

Kalkus roared and charged towards me.

Just as I had expected.

He would naturally try to close the distance against an opponent with a bow.

But it was enough.

Enough time to fire an arrow.

*Whoosh!*

*Thwack!*

I quickly released an arrow.

It would be great if it hit.

The Marcus Bow fired cursed arrows, so it would inflict a significant blow.

But I wasn’t expecting it to hit.

He wasn’t someone who would be taken down by a single arrow.

“Pathetic!”

Kalkus swung his massive warhammer as if it were a twig.

He accurately intercepted the arrow’s trajectory with his hammer.

But that was also…

‘Part of the plan!’

*BOOOOOM!*

The arrow exploded upon impact with the hammer.

Because I had fired an explosive arrow, not a regular one.

The explosion, not the hit, was my true aim.

‘Now!’

I immediately charged forward.

My hand had already switched to my sword.

*Screech!*

*-Speed Slash Form.*

The fastest sword technique I could execute.

I aimed for an opening, attacking Kalkus with my fastest sword.

*Whoosh!*

My blade flashed, slicing through the air.

But it was blocked by a hammer that suddenly emerged from the smoke.

*Clang!*

‘Tsk.’

I frowned.

It seemed like I had overestimated my chances of gaining an advantage.

My hand tingled from the force transmitted through my sword.

I retreated, creating distance to alleviate the pressure.

“You dare try to trick me!”

*Whoosh!*

Kalkus roared and swung his hammer with terrifying force.

The air vibrated from the sheer pressure.

Even a glancing blow from that monstrous attack would shatter my bones.

I retreated again.

“Stop running like a rat!”

*Whoosh!*

This time, he swung his hammer downwards.

I had been waiting for this attack.

*Thud!*

I kicked off the ground and spun my body.

*-Spin Slash Form.*

A counterattack that exploited openings.

It was a technique that would catch anyone off guard if they were facing it for the first time.

*BOOOOOM!*

I narrowly dodged his attack and unleashed a spinning slash.

“Ugh, you little…!”

Kalkus, realizing that he was too late to block with his hammer, dropped it and lunged towards me, his body like a coiled spring.

‘Damn it, he’s short.’

I frowned.

His dwarven physique prevented my Spin Slash from connecting properly.

*Slash!*

My blade missed.

“Hahaha!”

Kalkus laughed triumphantly.

He seemed intent on headbutting my ribs.

“Not if I can help it!”

I quickly delivered a knee strike to his head.

…Or rather, I aimed for his head, but my knee connected with his neck.

*Thud!*

*Bang!*

My knee strike and his headbutt landed simultaneously.

“Ugh!”

But it was only Kalkus who staggered, groaning in pain.

Ran’s special mithril armor.

The treasure had finally proven its worth.

“How do you like that!”

I gained the upper hand for the first time.