Chapter 40: Wolf Hunt #2

Chapter 40: Wolf Hunt #2

“To think there’s a path leading to a place like this.”

Mitchell said, whistling.

We are inside the underground sewers.

A secret passage extends between the precarious cave walls, which look like they could collapse at any moment.

We had already confirmed beforehand that its end leads to the Vigilantes’ secret hideout.

“Tell me immediately if you hear anything, Mitchell.”

“Okay. Don’t worry.”

Mitchell’s ears are like living radar.

The superhuman hearing unique to elves detects threats ahead.

Combined with my 「Thousand-Mile Sight」 ability if needed, the possibility of us being ambushed in the darkness is practically zero.

“Senior.”

“Yes.”

As she followed behind, Flora’s eyes sparkled when I called her.

She looked visibly tense.

It’s understandable.

This is her first real combat against humans, not monsters.

Mitchell and Wagner have plenty of experience, so there’s no need to worry about them, but I’m still a bit uneasy about Flora.

“If we don’t defeat them, countless innocent people will die. You know that, right?”

“Ah, don’t worry. I can distinguish between right and wrong.”

“The greater good is on our side. So don’t hesitate to fight.”

“Understood!”

Flora nodded firmly.

Fortunately, there was no longer any wavering in her eyes.

“Shh.”

Mitchell, who was walking ahead, raised a finger.

We immediately stopped in our tracks.

“There are people ahead. Probably three.”

“Are they coming this way?”

The secret passage cannot be used exclusively by one side.

Just as we are infiltrating their hideout, they can also attack through the sewers.

Just like Max did.

“No. They’ve stopped where they are. They don’t seem to be on guard. I’ll know more when we get closer.”

“Then I’ll check.”

Now it’s my turn.

I focused mana into my glove, drawing out my foresight ability to see far ahead.

My vision races towards the passage leading into the underground cave.

“I see them.”

I muttered softly.

As Mitchell said, there are three Vigilantes. However, they don’t give off a threatening aura.

“They’ve lit a campfire and taken out their cooking pots… Are they here to eat?”

“Why would they come all the way here? They must be slacking off. Those little brats.”

“Right? What do you want to do? We can wait until they leave.”

Mitchell pouted at my words, as if asking what I meant.

“Are you kidding me? We should take down at least one of them while we have the chance. Let’s go and ambush them first.”

“I agree with Mitchell.”

The taciturn Wagner also nodded.

We slowed our pace and approached them, muffling our footsteps.

When we got close enough to see them with our own eyes.

“Uhehehe- This looks delicious.”

We heard the laughter of the Vigilantes.

We hid behind the cave rocks and watched them.

“Look at the oil floating on the broth. Wow- it’s making my mouth water.”

“Hey, add plenty of chili powder and pepper. That’s how it tastes best.”

“I know without you telling me, you jerk.”

The Vigilantes had their cooking pots placed over the campfire, completely engrossed.

The stew bubbled, and a savory aroma wafted over to us.

“But Dawson doesn’t know, right? If they find out we stole food from the pantry…”

“Don’t worry. That guy won’t go to the pantry and count every piece of meat or bag of rice. He’s a VIP, would he do such boring work himself? He’ll never find out.”

“True.”

“Enough talk, let’s eat.”

The Vigilantes buried their faces in the steaming pots.

They moved their spoons as if competing, and slurped the broth, getting it all over their mouths.

“They’re completely defenseless.”

Wagner whispered quietly.

“Should we attack now?”

Mitchell said in a chilling voice.

Although they look pathetic, the men in front of us are clearly Vigilantes.

If we were to fight them head-on, it might be a bit troublesome.

However, they were completely focused on their meal.

This is the time when anyone, human or beast, becomes most vulnerable due to decreased attention.

“I’ll choke their necks. You guys finish them off.”

“Okay.”

I gathered mana at my fingertips.

I plan to use the 「Telekinesis」 magic.

While I don’t yet have the power to strangle necks with telekinesis like Darth Vader, it’s enough to subdue three humans.

‘If they don’t know how to resist, they won’t be able to escape on their own.’

I extended both hands forward and opened my palms towards them in a posture to shoot a blast.

It would be different if they moved around, but since they are sitting still in one place, aiming is easy.

Squeeze.

I clenched both palms.

The formless mana, extending across space, grasped their necks.

“Kuh, cough-“

“W-what’s happening, Khh-“

The Vigilantes groaned, unable to breathe properly.

The half-eaten meat broth dripped from their mouths.

The Vigilantes desperately felt their necks.

As if struggling like that would somehow detach whatever was strangling them.

However, the power of telekinesis is intangible. There are only two ways to escape.

Either interfere with me, the one casting telekinesis, or break free with a power stronger than telekinesis.

“Ugh…”

Both were impossible for them.

Tap.

Wagner and Mitchell rushed out from behind the rocks. Their movements were as swift as leopards.

Crack!

Maces and kicks rained down on the heads of the Vigilantes, who were writhing in agony from telekinesis.

With the sound of bones breaking, their eyes quickly turned dull.

“Fuck!”

As two of his comrades fell, the remaining Vigilante’s eyes changed.

With bloodshot eyes, he moved his hand to the hilt of his sword.

“Damn you bastards-“

Even while suffering from telekinesis, the Vigilante moved his body like a malfunctioning doll, creaking.

“They say even dogs don’t get bothered during mealtime-“

Screech.

Foamy saliva dripped from his mouth. He drew his sword with eyes full of hatred.

The next moment.

Bang-

A magic bullet flying from afar struck the Vigilante’s face.

He could no longer speak and collapsed onto the ground.

“Phew.”

Flora took a deep breath.

「Magic Arrow」. It wasn’t the clumsy power she showed in the sewers before.

Flora had also gained experience in real combat and increased her stats with magic stones.

Now, Flora’s magic also possessed destructive power capable of taking a human life.

“Well done, young lady.”

Mitchell said with a grin, patting Flora’s shoulder.

“This cloak will be very useful right away.”

Wagner said, stripping the cloaks from the Vigilantes’ bodies.

The Vigilante emblem was prominently displayed on their backs.

If we put on the hood, we could conceal our identities perfectly.

Mitchell, Flora, and I put on the Vigilante cloaks.

Wagner was already wearing Vigilante armor, so he didn’t need a cloak.

“Then let’s keep going.”

“Ah, wait.”

I crouched down in front of the simmering stew.

I tasted a spoonful.

“Hmm.”

It tasted quite good.

The broth was a bit greasy, but it was seasoned spicy, giving it a flavor similar to gamjatang (pork bone soup).

“We’ll be busy soon, so let’s have a hearty meal here. They’ve already set the table.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Mitchell said, sitting down next to me.

We ate the food that the Vigilantes couldn’t even touch.

We have to eat. We do this to live.

People may have sins, but food does not.

***

The underground cave was a natural fortress.

Even in the game, it was quite difficult to clear with a frontal assault, but seeing it with my own eyes, the difficulty was absurd.

If the guards had entered without any countermeasures, they would have been annihilated in an instant.

“Hurry up, you brats! It seems the guards are planning to fight.”

“Let’s crush their faces while we’re at it.”

The Vigilantes ran around the hideout with grim faces.

By now, outside the cave, the guards would be drawing aggro according to the pre-arranged plan.

I could vividly imagine Dawson’s enraged face.

“Fortunately, it seems no one has noticed.”

Wagner said, carefully observing the surroundings.

The Vigilantes were all busy preparing for battle, so they didn’t pay attention to us, who had infiltrated stealthily.

“But there are quite a lot of them. Forty, no, fifty… This won’t be easy.”

Mitchell narrowed her brows from under her hood.

Even though Mitchell is confident in a fight, if there are dozens of heavily armed Vigilantes, she wouldn’t dare to charge in recklessly.

“It’s okay. If we follow the plan, we can take them down in one go.”

We began our operation.

From now on, speed is important. To move more quickly, we divided the party into two groups.

Flora and Mitchell in one group. And Wagner and I in another.

The goal is simple.

Rescue the dwarf technicians who were forcibly conscripted and, with their help, seize the Vision Cannon.

“Then I’ll see you guys later.”

“Kid, be careful.”

“You too.”

I unfolded the map. I had already grasped the structure of the underground cave with Thousand-Mile Sight.

I also know where the dwarves are imprisoned.

Wagner and I are responsible for the right section of the underground cave.

As we quickened our pace and moved through the maze-like passages.

“Hey, big guy.”

Suddenly, a Vigilante appeared in the passage and spoke to us.

Wagner and I stopped in our tracks.

“What is it?”

Wagner replied in a low voice.

The Vigilante, not noticing anything unusual, continued speaking.

“What are you doing here? Didn’t you hear? Dawson said to gather at the central common area. Is it okay to be wandering around here leisurely?”

Wagner glanced at me.

“Ah- of course, I heard. I forgot one piece of equipment, so I’m just grabbing it. I’ll join you shortly.”

“Is that so? Hurry up. Dawson will kill you if you’re late.”

“Mhm.”

The Vigilante drew a thumb across his neck and stuck out his tongue provocatively.

Leaving the Vigilante behind, we continued down towards the prison where the dwarves were held.

“Just as you said, it seems all the troops are gathering in one place. But, Estel, how did you predict that? Do you have precognition?”

Wagner tilted his head.

Well, if you ask why, I can’t exactly say.

I can’t answer, “Because it happened that way in the game.”

In a way, Wagner was right.

To the people of the “Nine Stars” world, I must seem to have precognition.

“I just had a feeling.”

“I don’t know for sure, but that’s amazing.”

Wagner accepted my vague explanation and didn’t object further.

“Hey, you guys! We’ve finished the work we were assigned. So give us some beer. We’re dying of thirst.”

“It would be great if you could give us a piece of boiled dog leg as a snack too… Khlkl.”

As we approached, the dwarves imprisoned in the cell shouted loudly.

“We are not Vigilantes. We have come to rescue you.”

Wagner said, but the dwarves didn’t look particularly pleased.

One of the dwarves, who seemed to be the leader, twirled his beard and grumbled.

“Now? You should have come earlier.”

“Right? We worked hard to build the cannon, and now we have to leave it behind?”

“Oh dear. Not even getting to fire it once…”

The dwarves clicked their tongues and lamented.

‘As expected, they’re not right in the head.’

Dwarves are a craftsman race blessed with exceptional dexterity.

Even if they were kidnapped by Dawson and forced to build the cannon, they wouldn’t have built it carelessly.

It seems they took pride in their creation, having used all their skills.

‘Just as I expected.’

However, I had already anticipated this characteristic of the dwarves.

There’s a specific way to handle these stubborn dwarves.

“Don’t worry. I’ll let you fire the cannon as much as you want. Shoot until you’re sick of it.”

Rest assured, dwarves.

I’ll set new targets for you to shoot from now on.