Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Itzriel (2)
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Mountain bandit stronghold meeting room.
I sat in the highest seat and looked at the people seated on either side.
To my right were Irriel and Allen, and across from them sat the mountain bandit leader, Gakwen, and Pitol.
The two had come as representatives of the mountain bandits.
I slowly opened my mouth.
“The plan is simple. While I stir up the garrison, you rescue your captured comrades.”
It wasn’t clever or meticulous.
But if we didn’t move today, I couldn’t guarantee Cracker’s life.
The most reliable and efficient plan right now was to rely on my own strength.
“But will that really be as easy as it sounds?”
Gakwen asked hesitantly.
The place where Cracker was held was the headquarters of the Horned Deer Unit stationed in Cartusi.
In short, it was crawling with imperial troops.
There was no way they could easily extract Cracker from the heart of that.
Unless I was there.
I asked him.
“Do you know why we’re all gathered here?”
“……Well.”
Gakwen broke out in a cold sweat and fidgeted.
Allen shot his hand up and said.
“To accomplish that difficult task.”
The kid had learned a bit from watching, and was somewhat better now.
I nodded and said.
“Right. You all need to figure out how to use the chaos I create. You’re the ones who have to take the risks. If you want to rescue them and survive, come up with your own ways.”
I left the detailed planning to them.
It wasn’t just because it was a hassle.
These weaklings knew their own limits best.
The desperation to survive would make them devise better plans.
Something I couldn’t do.
“Then first, we need to find out where Cracker is being held.”
Irriel said determinedly.
“I’ll tell you that much.”
I planned to help with that at least.
It was quicker and easier that way.
Several sheets of paper with large circles drawn on them lay on the long table in the center of the meeting room.
I asked Gakwen.
“The prisoners?”
“They should be brought in. But will they tell us willingly?”
……This bastard.
Would they tell us willingly? We had to make them somehow.
Sigh. My already poor patience was being tested.
I stared silently at the guy repeating pointless questions.
“Looks like you don’t need much brain to function.”
“N-No, sir.”
“Think before you ask. Before I misunderstand.”
“Yes, sir!”
The guy, pale as a ghost, hurriedly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
A moment later, the tightly bound prisoners were led in, chained together one after another.
There were four in total.
These were the ones we had captured after knocking them out.
Half their faces were covered by blindfolds, but their firmly shut lips were all resolute.
“You all go out and plan until I call you back.”
For the sake of my allies’ mental health, I sent them out and planned to have a light chat with the prisoners.
I had an efficient conversation method called Bone Shattering Palm.
It involved injecting internal energy into the opponent to disrupt their meridians and muscles—a technique whose agony was indescribable, perfect for opening people’s hearts.
Sure enough, soon the prisoners were as meek as lambs.
If I asked for their wool, they looked ready to skin themselves.
Bone Shattering Palm never disappointed me.
“No long talks.”
I pointed to the paper on the table and kindly explained what I wanted.
“I’ll give each of you a sheet with a circle. Fill it in with the internal layout of the garrison. Mark the locations of buildings and detail their purposes.”
I added a kind explanation to these already eager participants.
“I’ll compare the four drawings to verify accuracy. The most diligent one gets to walk out on two intact legs as a reward. The laziest gets to walk the afterlife as punishment. Do your best.”
* * *
A crescent moon peeked through the rain clouds at night.
Deeply sleeping Cartusi was silent.
I gently stroked the stone wall blocking my path.
A wall about 3 meters high.
This stood between me and the Horned Deer Unit.
The surrounding security wasn’t tight.
No madman would assault an imperial garrison inside a city.
But life doesn’t always go so simply.
The unexpected happens, and the improbable becomes reality—that’s life.
For that reason, they should have tightened security even more.
Then the current situation might have been a bit less bewildering.
Boom!
As my palm struck the wall, a massive roar echoed, and a 5-meter-wide section exploded.
Debris scattered like a volcanic eruption.
The billowing white smoke swirled into the sky with a single wave of my hand.
My clear view now revealed the garrison’s interior.
Despite reinforcement magic that normal strength couldn’t breach, the wall had shattered cleanly.
Urgent clamor arose within the garrison, as if an alarm had been raised by the sudden blast.
Amid the noisy bells, the sleeping barracks awoke in panic.
I strolled inside leisurely, listening to the sounds.
Soldiers rushing with weapons drawn froze at the sight of me in the white lion mask.
I ignored them and kept walking.
I had already memorized the layout.
I headed slowly toward the center of the garrison—the command post.
Itzriel would be there.
“Halt!”
Soldiers shouted, aiming spears and swords at me.
I met them bare-handed.
Whoosh!
I twisted to dodge a thrusting spear and grabbed the shaft.
Pulling it yanked its owner stumbling toward me in surprise.
I swung him around spear and all, regardless. He crashed into other soldiers, tangling them in a heap.
I hadn’t brought a sword since there were plenty of weapons here— theirs were mine now.
I began wielding the spear skillfully.
I’d never trained formally, but I’d sparred countless warriors who used spears, so I could mimic decently.
A sword or spear was just an extension of the hand.
And above all, it was more than enough for these guys.
Spear strikes whirled like a windmill, ravaging the enemy lines.
Those sliced or pierced by the tip sprayed blood as they fell; those struck by the shaft screamed and flew into walls or rolled across the ground with comrades.
I swept through the enemies as deftly as Zhao Yun of Changban with my spear.
The pile of soldiers around me grew quickly, but none stopped my advance.
I’d certainly drawn attention.
“…….”
And there were those watching the scene from hiding.
Irriel and Allen, plus five mountain bandits.
A meager force to assault an imperial garrison, but if they exploited the distraction, rescuing the captured bandits wasn’t impossible.
Jenes hadn’t used the main gate and instead breached the wall because this spot was closest to the prison holding the criminals.
“Time to move.”
Irriel’s eyes gleamed in the darkness.
Rustle.
They moved swiftly and stealthily, relying on the shadows.
The infiltrated garrison interior was littered only with corpses, as Jenes had drawn all the soldiers away.
Traces of something sweeping through once.
Roars and screams mixed with shouts continued from afar.
They clicked their tongues at Jenes’s monstrous prowess.
How could a person be that strong?
Even after witnessing his divine might at dawn today, they couldn’t get used to it.
“This way.”
Allen, leading, nodded to indicate the direction.
Irriel and the group followed him toward the prison where Cracker was held.
* * *
“……Is he insane?”
Itzriel watched the battle through a wide window.
The command post towered like a spire in the garrison’s center, giving a full view.
Soldiers swarmed toward one point like a typhoon, with a single man at the eye.
The garrison was chaos amid thunderous booms and soldiers’ screams.
Watching, Itzriel wondered if this could even be called an ambush.
“……A monster.”
Itzriel muttered in brief admiration.
He’d expected strength, but not to this degree.
Where had such a powerhouse come from…?
“Lord Itzriel, the horse is ready.”
His adjutant’s voice came.
Itzriel, observing, nodded.
The enemy he’d thought exhausted from night battles was full of vigor.
He’d come for one reason.
Either his own head or Cracker’s.
Unsure of a frontal fight, better to escape.
“Did you relay the message to the prison?”
“Yes. Kill them all.”
Itzriel twisted his lips.
Their numbers were known anyway.
He regretted not publicly executing them, but he couldn’t give the enemies what they wanted.
Itzriel glanced one last time at the white lion rampaging through soldiers.
Even from afar, his movements were clear.
“Rampage all you want. You still won’t get what you came for.”
He hardened his expression coldly.
Soldiers’ deaths didn’t matter. Such a powerhouse couldn’t be stopped anyway.
He’d return after it ended.
He’d prepared excuses for his superiors.
His merit from crushing the ‘Three Brothers of Kreisan’ would dilute, but survival first.
As Itzriel scowled and turned from the battlefield—
For a ridiculous moment, his eyes met the distant figure’s.
Thinking he’d misseen, he spotted something slicing through the dark toward him.
Itzriel ducked reflexively.
Boom!
A fierce gust brushed overhead as something smashed the ceiling with a roar.
“W-What?!”
Brushing away the dust, he saw it embedded high through the ceiling.
It was clearly a spear.
“……I-Impossible.”
Thrown that far with such precision?
Startled, he scanned the battlefield again.
The man who’d been there vanished. Soldiers milled about searching.
Itzriel leaned over the railing, scouring everywhere. Then he spotted a shadow approaching across rooftops.
He pointed and yelled to the aimless soldiers.
“Stop him! He’s coming there!”
Itzriel’s voice boomed through the night.
Hearing it, soldiers chased the shadow desperately.
“Protect Lord Itzriel!”
But the black shadow evaded them effortlessly, leaping to the command post.
Swallow-like agility.
Divine skill rendering outer guards powerless in an instant.
“Damn it!”
Facing the white lion hurtling straight at him, Itzriel paled and hastily drew his sword.
The sharp blade hummed, igniting blue flames.
The shadow was upon him.
“Die!”
He roared and swung vertically.
A crescent aura rent the building.
Boom!
Exploding debris flew.
But his sword felt light.
Itzriel twisted urgently after the blurring shadow passing sideways.
Suddenly, the white lion mask flashed before him, followed by a heavy impact slamming his gut.
The swung spear shaft had struck true.
Bang!
Itzriel burst through the wall, out of the command post, and crashed into the adjacent building.
“Gah!”
Rolling on the ground, he couldn’t breathe from the shock, coughing raggedly. Forcing himself up, he steadied his breath and shouted into the air.
“Block him! Stop that guy!”
Soldiers clambered over the building, rushing desperately.
But before them, the white lion landed in front of him.
“Damn…….”
Itzriel’s face twisted savagely.