Chapter 268

Both their advance and retreat were blocked.

A desperate situation, a complete deadlock.

It was unbelievable.

Unacceptable.

Even in his worst-case scenarios, he had never imagined this.

It was an impossible situation unless their plan had been completely compromised.

But who could have possibly seen through such a bold and daring plan?

“Impossible! This is impossible!”

Darkhan roared, unable to shake off the shock, his voice filled with disbelief.

The suffocating situation, closing in on them from all sides, was pushing him to the brink of despair.

“Die! You cursed barbarians!”

“Keep pushing! Wipe them out!”

“Victory is ours!”

The Ernbert heavy cavalry pressed their attack from both sides, their morale soaring.

The White Eagle warriors fought back desperately, but they were outmatched.

“Aaaaaargh!”

“Ugh!”

Screams of agony filled the air as the barbarians were impaled by lances.

The ground was already stained crimson with blood.

And on top of that blood, the bodies of the barbarians piled up, one after another.

It wasn’t a battle, but a one-sided massacre.

Darkhan bit his lip so hard that it bled.

Blood also trickled from his clenched fists, his nails digging into his palms.

He couldn’t end like this.

Never.

He was a king.

The King of the Snowy Plains.

The King of the North.

A king wouldn’t fall here.

He would survive and rule.

Darkhan’s eyes blazed with determination.

His senses, heightened by the crisis, felt the air.

He felt the flow of the wind.

And at that moment,

“Fire! Set it on fire! Now!”

Darkhan shouted urgently.

Setting a fire when they were surrounded?

Was he insane? Was he trying to commit suicide?

No.

Darkhan had realized something.

The wind was blowing west.

Towards the Ernbert heavy cavalry who were blocking their retreat and closing in from behind.

*Whoosh! Crackle!*

The barbarians immediately set the fire at their king’s command.

Regina’s expression turned cold as she saw the flames.

Because she knew.

What the consequences of that fire would be.

That’s why she gave a quick order before the fire could spread further.

“Rear units, retreat immediately! Withdraw and regroup at the rendezvous point!”

As soon as Regina’s order was given, the Ernbert cavalry turned their horses around and galloped away.

It was an impressive display of discipline and responsiveness from well-trained elite troops.

They disappeared into the distance before the fire could engulf them.

“Tsk.”

Darkhan frowned, disappointed that his plan hadn’t worked as well as he had hoped.

But he had achieved his primary objective.

He had driven away the enemy from behind.

It meant that they were no longer under pressure from one side.

Now they were in a desperate situation, their backs against the fire.

They had to break through the enemy in front of them to survive.

It was also a situation that could boost their morale to the extreme.

“Break through if you want to live! Die if you fail!”

Darkhan roared.

“Waaaaaargh!”

“Break through! Break through!”

“Trample them all!”

The barbarians’ morale surged once again.

* * *

“He’s not going down without a fight.”

I muttered.

They were in a desperate situation, their plan completely compromised, surrounded by the enemy.

And yet, Darkhan had made a desperate gamble.

Fire attack.

Very few people would be able to read the wind and come up with a fire attack in such a dire situation.

But Darkhan had done it.

He was truly worthy of being the Great King of the Barbarians.

He had instantly turned the tables, changing the tide of the battle with his desperate, do-or-die spirit.

Even a rat could bite a cat if it was cornered.

And these were fierce barbarian warriors.

Their morale was so high that it could move mountains.

But.

“We can break their spirit with our own strength, right?”

I said to Regina.

Our troops’ morale was already at its peak.

They were burning with the desire and determination to win.

I knew the power of such an army.

“You know it.”

Regina drew her sword.

She wasn’t the type of commander who stayed behind and gave orders.

Her prowess on the battlefield was their greatest weapon.

That was Regina Ernbert, the Blizzard Knight, feared by all barbarians.

However,

I wasn’t going to rely solely on her now.

Because I had changed.

I wasn’t the old me anymore.

I would prove it to everyone.

That I was worthy of being Regina Ernbert’s husband.

I drew my Turtle Sword.

“I’ll take the left.”

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”

We exchanged a brief glance.

But that was enough for me to know.

How much Regina trusted me.

That was the current state of our relationship.

“Let’s go.”

I said with a faint smile and charged forward on my horse.

* * *

I could see them.

The humans’ weaknesses.

Thanks to the unlocked hidden trait, “Hero’s Eye.”

Monstrous eyes that could see through all weaknesses.

The detected weaknesses were marked with red dots, like warning lights.

The larger and more numerous the dots, the more vulnerable the opponent.

Of course, such opponents were meaningless.

They were just small fry.

But even a well-trained human would inevitably have at least one weakness.

My experience so far had proven that.

The only ones who didn’t have any visible weaknesses were true monsters like Princess Oscar and Regina.

‘I can see them. I can see them clearly.’

Right now, I could clearly see the weaknesses of the barbarian charging towards me, his spear poised to strike.

A large red dot was clearly visible on his right hand, which was gripping the spear.

It wasn’t an uncommon case.

People often let their guard down when holding a weapon, thinking that it was a safe area.

I knew exactly how to deal with such opponents.

“Die!”

*Whoosh!*

The barbarian thrust his spear, his attack filled with murderous intent and power.

Spear versus sword.

The spear had the reach advantage.

But if the spear had the reach advantage, I just had to turn it into a sword’s advantage.

I knew how to do it.

*Clang!*

I parried the incoming spear with an Executioner’s Strike.

It drained my stamina, but using this powerful technique for defense had a clear advantage.

It would stagger the enemy.

It meant they wouldn’t be able to recover immediately.

I seized the opportunity and closed the distance.

I had turned it into a sword’s advantage.

*Swish!*

My sword slashed upwards, aiming for the barbarian’s right hand.

*Slice!*

“Aaaaaargh!”

His right hand was severed, and he dropped his spear.

Of course, I didn’t give him a chance to recover.

*Thwack!*

This time, I aimed for his neck.

A fountain of blood erupted from his severed neck.

His body collapsed to the ground.

“Next!”

I roared, my voice echoing across the battlefield.

My sword didn’t stop.

Weakness.

Weakness.

Weakness.

I could see the enemies’ weaknesses, one after another.

And I didn’t miss a single one.

I exploited their weaknesses with lightning speed, cutting them down.

“Aaaaaargh!”

“Ugh!”

“Aaaaaargh!”

I slashed, and slashed, and slashed.

Until my entire body was stained crimson with the barbarians’ blood.

Until my lungs burned and my exhausted body screamed in protest.

And then, at some point, a gap appeared before me.

“Eek!”

“M-Monster!”

The barbarians trembled, their eyes filled with fear.

I realized.

That my relentless sword, reaping a harvest of death, had broken the barbarians’ momentum, their charge like a storm.

Of course, it wasn’t solely my achievement.

The Ernbert soldiers and Celtrine knights around me had also fought bravely, pushing back the enemy.

But my role had been significant.

I could feel the Ernbert soldiers’ gazes on me, their eyes filled with newfound respect.

Instead of their previous wary looks, they were now staring at me with admiration, impressed by my performance.

Good.

At this rate…

Hmm?

The enemy’s momentum surged again.

I immediately realized that it was due to someone’s presence.

The King of the Barbarians.

Darkhan was right in front of me.

He was riding a large, fiery red horse.

A legendary steed, said to be able to travel a thousand li in a day, Darkhan’s symbol.

‘As expected of a king.’

I narrowed my eyes.

His presence was overwhelming.

And his only weakness, on his left flank, was so small that it looked like a mere dot.

It meant that he had almost no weaknesses.

‘It’ll be difficult to exploit his weaknesses in my current state.’

As I was contemplating my next move,

“He’s the leader!”

“If we take him down!”

Two excited Ernbert soldiers charged forward on their horses.

They couldn’t contain their excitement at the prospect of ending the battle in one fell swoop.

“Stop!”

I shouted, trying to stop them.

But.

It was too late.

They had already launched a pincer attack with their spears.

Two thrusts, aimed from both sides, ripped through the air.

At that moment,

“Jump.”

Darkhan muttered.

His red horse leaped into the air.

“Ugh?!”

“N-No?!”

Their attacks missed.

The soldiers were stunned.

Darkhan’s spear flashed.

Twice, in an instant.

*Thud!*

*Thud!*

“Ugh!”

“Aaaaaargh!”

Blood splattered everywhere.

The soldiers, their vital points pierced, collapsed to the ground like felled trees.

*Thump!*

*Thud!*

My expression hardened.

“H-He’s strong!”

“Ugh, how can he ride like that…?”

The other soldiers seemed intimidated by Darkhan’s strength.

I knew.

That I had to be the one to take him down.

It might have been difficult a few months ago.

But I was different now.

– Hero’s Growth.

Thanks to that hidden trait, which greatly accelerated my growth, I was getting stronger every day.

It was time to unleash all the strength I had gained.

“You’re the king?”

I rode towards him.

“So what if I am?”

“The north doesn’t need two kings. The Ernberts are the only rulers here.”

“Insolent!”

Darkhan’s red horse moved.

It wasn’t a straightforward charge.

It weaved left and right, its movements dazzling.

It was incredible horsemanship.

And then he unleashed a barrage of lightning-fast thrusts.

I already knew.

That I couldn’t defeat him on horseback.

*Thud!*

I leaped off my horse.

Darkhan’s expression flickered with surprise.

I spun in mid-air.

– Falling Slash Form.

A lightning-fast downward slash.

*Whoosh!*

My blade ripped through the air.

But Darkhan reacted incredibly quickly.

His red horse retreated in an instant.

My blade sliced through empty air.

Darkhan seized the opportunity and thrust his spear.

*Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!*

Each thrust was a powerful attack aimed at a vital point.

I countered his attacks.

– Net Slash Form.

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

My ultimate defensive technique blocked his spear thrusts.

But I was at a disadvantage.

By abandoning my horse, I had lost both mobility and reach.

However,

I had also gained something.

My feet were firmly planted on the ground.

With my feet supporting me, I could unleash powerful attacks with my full strength.

“Fool. Did you think dismounting would make a difference?”

Darkhan pressed his attack, pushing me back relentlessly.

It was impossible to stand my ground.

I was forced to retreat.

But it was all part of my plan.

‘He’ll come closer.’

Darkhan approached.

‘He’ll thrust his spear.’

Darkhan’s spear thrusts rained down like a storm.

‘And he’s never seen this before.’

– Spin Slash Form.

I spun my body.

A counterattack that exploited openings.

“Tsk?”

Darkhan frowned.

But his reaction was still incredibly fast.

“Jump.”

His red horse leaped into the air.

The pinnacle of his horsemanship.

My sword sliced through empty air.

But.

‘I’ve been waiting for this.’

I quickly adjusted my stance.

‘To defeat him, I have to kill his horse first.’

I held my breath.

And I surrendered to the murderous intent.

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.

Death, death, death, death, death.

My sword disappeared.

I disappeared.

Only death remained.

The secret technique of Sword-Human Unity.

– Killing Slash Form.

Death severed the air.