Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Gale Squad (2)
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Kan.
He was the vice-captain of the Gale Squad.
At level 230, he was the highest-leveled soldier in the Arahan territory.
He was skilled enough to win even against a knight in a real fight.
He had deliberately positioned himself beside Hyun-soo, acting as his guide.
It was to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
*'If he doesn't have much strength beyond that special power, I'll have to protect the soldiers.'*
The soldiers were afraid.
When soldiers were in danger, it was none other than the knight who was supposed to save them.
But if that knight couldn't even take care of himself, the soldiers would die.
It was then, as they walked side by side.
*Saaaaa-*
Kan wore a puzzled expression.
*'What is this? The atmosphere feels different, unusual.'*
Kan had been stationed in the Arahan territory for nearly ten years.
The Arahan territory continuously spawned giants, centered around the Giant King sleeping in the place of green leaves.
In other words, they respawned.
An unknown energy seemed to permeate this forest, a place Kan had patrolled countless times.
The first reason was the vibration in the ground.
“Sir Knight, could you wait for a moment?”
Kan pressed his ear to the ground.
*'What in the world...?'*
For users who had received the title of baronet, coming to the Arahan territory was a kind of nobility tutorial.
They were always supposed to hunt a set number of monsters with soldiers within a designated area.
*'What is with the number of footsteps?'*
His expression turned grim. Something was wrong.
Moreover, the subjugation party had already reached the midpoint, yet they hadn't encountered a single giant.
*'Why aren't any giants showing up?'*
It was strange.
The subjugation party was supposed to hunt ogres that appeared in small groups and then finally kill the Ogre Chieftain.
But not a single one of the ten or so ogres they should have hunted by now had appeared.
*'Don't tell me...!'*
Kan felt massive vibrations coming from a distance.
It was the sound of dozens of massive beings charging forward together.
The ones they hadn't hunted along the way were now rushing them all at once.
“Sir Knight…”
Kan looked up at Hyun-soo beside him with trembling eyes, and Hyun-soo asked.
“Kan, are you aware that outsiders hear mysterious messages?”
He was talking about the notifications.
Kan knew of them as well.
Because sometimes, even those who lived in this land, like himself, would hear those mysterious messages or notifications.
“A message just appeared.”
“What did it say?”
“The Giant King has awakened.”
Kan's face twisted in despair.
***
Special User Management Team.
Team Leader Kim Tae-seok had said this to employee Lee Ji-hee.
“Even if user Hyun-soo achieves excellent results and raises the subjugation rate, it will ultimately cap out at around 35%.”
It was inevitable. That was the limit of the knight tutorial.
However, a particular incident forced Team Leader Kim Tae-seok to change his mind.
The incident began with an arrogant knight.
Kim Tae-seok and Lee Ji-hee had been continuously observing that knight NPC.
His name was Lukkeu. None other than the son of Marquis Lükburg.
Lukkeu, Marquis Lükburg's only child, was one of the kingdom's five most outstanding talents.
This title collectively referred to those who had shown exceptional promise from a young age.
Having steadily honed his swordsmanship, Lukkeu had recently joined the Royal Knights.
Despite his background as a Lükburg and already being a noble, he walked that path to become a talent worthy of the Nation of Swords.
In any case, it was true that Lukkeu, a knight far superior to those who had just received their titles, was somewhat arrogant.
And then, his father, Marquis Lükburg, was demoted.
Having received his knighthood, Lukkeu felt a sense of crisis.
As his father's son, he had to ensure he didn't tarnish his father's reputation.
*I'll show them the power of my family here.*
The Arahan territory, a place all new knights must visit.
With his outstanding leadership and exceptional skill, he swiftly completed his share of the subjugation.
The problem started here.
*I must achieve an even greater feat.*
*I must make my name even more renowned.*
And thinking it would be easy, he set foot in the place of green leaves with his soldiers.
The soldiers couldn't stop him.
Who would dare defy the son of Marquis Lükburg, the new lord of the Arahan territory?
The place of green leaves was an area only the skilled could enter, and there was a manual for it.
But Lukkeu entered without even knowing that.
Because of that complacency, the Giant King, a boss monster that had been sleeping for a long time, was slowly beginning to awaken.
“I take back what I said earlier. It's now possible to raise it by more than 40%.”
There was a reason Kim Tae-seok said this.
“The respawn rate of giant-type monsters has doubled. If he hunts more monsters in a situation like that, the subjugation rate is bound to go up.”
Lee Ji-hee wore a bitter expression.
“But that's *if* he can raise it. It's all based on the premise that he can actually hunt them.”
Tae-seok replied with a wry smile.
“Right. That's a story for if they survive, first.”
***
[The Giant King, long asleep, is awakening.]
[The monster respawn rate has doubled.]
[Giant-type monsters are gathering for their king's arrival.]
[The gathered giant-type monsters are growing ferocious.]
[Receiving the command, the giant-type monsters begin their charge.]
Hyun-soo couldn't help but be flustered.
As the leader of the subjugation party, he had thought something was strange as he rode on horseback.
*'Why aren't there any monsters?'*
The reason for the lack of monsters was revealed through the notification just now, and it was flashing red.
[Warning.]
[Warning.]
[An immediate retreat is recommended.]
This was the kind of notification that appeared when users encountered an unpredictable situation.
Usually, this type of notification occurred when the situation far exceeded the level of the accepted quest.
[Kingdom Quest: The penalty for failing to hunt the Ogre Chieftain is the revocation of your title.]
But there was a trap in this notification system.
*'Even if an unmanageable situation suddenly arises, the penalty doesn't change.'*
Failing to hunt the Ogre Chieftain could perhaps be seen as this.
*'A total wipeout.'*
It was a bewildering turn of events for Hyun-soo, who had intended to show his true worth to those who doubted him and easily raise the subjugation rate.
And the soldiers, too, spotted the horde of giants approaching from a distance.
“H-Hieeeek…!”
“W-What is that!”
“Don't tell me the Giant King has awakened? According to legend, strange things happen when the Giant King wakes.”
The soldiers' faces grew even paler.
“W-We're going to die.”
[Soldiers' morale has decreased by 10%.]
[Their Attack Power and Defense Power have decreased by 7% each.]
Hyun-soo's face contorted. The soldiers looked utterly terrified.
Just then, Kan, who was standing beside Hyun-soo, spoke.
“We must retreat. If we don't retreat now, we'll all die. We usually hunt them in groups of two or three.”
Kan groaned as he looked at the creatures visible in the distance.
“Just the ones we can see now number around twenty. Please give the order to retreat immediately!”
Hyun-soo said in a firm voice.
“No.”
“…This is not the time to be concerned with your pride as a noble.”
Kan swallowed his anger. *Is he worried about his title being revoked?*
*Does he think it's acceptable for thirty soldiers to meet an unjust death over something so trivial?*
“We'll die even if we retreat.”
But then Kan realized.
*'What…? This man…?'*
He was calmly assessing the current situation.
Only then did Kan mentally calculate the giants' running speed against the soldiers' speed.
*'If we show our backs, we'll be caught and killed in no time.'*
The probability of dying helplessly was higher.
The difference between being caught and killed while fleeing and dying while fighting prepared was huge.
The odds of victory were higher if they fought prepared—that was the current calculation.
In truth, even those odds seemed incredibly slim.
In other words, they were caught between a rock and a hard place.
In that moment, Kan showed his spirit of self-sacrifice.
“…Take the soldiers and flee.”
Kan could exert as much power as a decent knight.
Knights could handle about three ogres on their own.
Of course, since he would be fighting twenty of them alone, it might only buy them a few minutes.
Still, it would increase the chances of survival for the soldiers and Hyun-soo.
And in Hyun-soo's mind, the gears were already turning rapidly.
Distance between the giant horde and them: 400m.
350m.
300m…
“Give the order…!”
The terrified soldiers and the urging Kan.
And amidst the charging horde of giants, the world around Hyun-soo grew quiet.
*'I will fight as a knight, and also as a blacksmith.'*
The way a blacksmith fights.
Although Hyun-soo had never led anyone before, his understanding of weapons was exceptional.
“Soldiers with spears, take the positions I designate.”
Kan was startled by his sudden charisma.
“Those with bows, take a kneeling stance to increase accuracy.”
Then he pointed to the tops of dozens of trees.
“Those with swords, climb the trees and wait.”
There was no time.
Therefore, he decided to be much more forceful, giving them no room to resist.
“That's an order.”
Hyun-soo didn't know much about leadership.
But he knew what had to be done in a situation like this.
“I brought you here, and I will not let you die a dog's death. I can't promise that no one will die.”
Hyun-soo gave a wry smile as he looked at the terrified soldiers.
“Still, it will be a far more worthy challenge than dying while running away.”
Kan felt an inexplicable sense of pride in those words and knew he had to get the soldiers moving.
So he stepped forward and said.
“I will obey!”
Following his lead, the terrified soldiers also began to prepare for their survival.
Kan stood right beside Hyun-soo.
Soon, 150m.
Kan asked.
“What are you going to do?”
130m.
“Kuhwoooooo!”
“Kraaaaaaaah!”
“Krrruuuuh!”
[Ogre Lv. 275]
110m.
“I'm going to wipe out the ones rushing us now.”
As he said that, Hyun-soo took out the Thousand Geun Bow.
Seeing it, Kan's face contorted.
“Even so, you'll only be able to fire two shots at most.”
Considering the speed of the giant horde and the time it took to draw and release the bowstring, it would only be two shots.
Could one or two shots create an opportunity?
Kan denied it.
He had just seen the makings of a strong commander in Hyun-soo.
But now he knew.
It was arrogance, a misguided assumption.
There was no way to handle those creatures with just two arrows.
Just then, tiny minerals and something like a tree branch floated above Hyun-soo's head.
The branch was swiftly carved, forming a long, sturdy arrow shaft.
Then, a sharp arrowhead combined with the shaft.
*Clack-*
Hyun-soo knew it too.
A single arrow couldn't stop them.
[Time of a Thousand Geun.]
[The weight of a thousand geun is applied.]
40m.
“H-Hieeeek…!”
“Hieeeek!”
“He's crazy!”
“Commander, how do you plan to stop the ogres with a single arrow!”
The ogres were already nearly upon them.
A four-meter-tall ogre was charging at Hyun-soo, its giant axe swung back.
30m.
Strength flowed into the arm Hyun-soo used to draw the bowstring.
“U-Uwaaaah!”
“Save me!”
“W-We're gonna die!”
*Twaaaaang-*
“Hold!”
Despite the soldiers' screams, Hyun-soo said.
“Wait… A little longer. Just a little longer…”
20m.
Sweat beaded on Hyun-soo's face.
The soldiers screamed or cried out the names of their families.
The word "Dammit…" escaped Kan's lips.
15m.
*Thwip-*
Finally, a single arrow was fired.
The arrow, fired with the ingenuity of Emergency Production, flew toward the foremost ogre.
The eyes of the disbelieving soldiers widened as they watched the arrow.
The power Hyun-soo had infused with Emergency Production.
This was inspired by a legendary Vietnamese bow.
*Yeonggwanggeumgwisinnno.*
A bow whose single arrow could strike a thousand enemies.
One arrow instantly duplicated into twenty.
And then, the moment each of those arrows made contact with an ogre.
*Tiiing-*
*Ting, ting*
Not a single one penetrated, all of them bouncing off.
Just as the soldiers sighed in despair at the twenty futile arrows.
*KUUUUUNG—!*
It slammed all twenty ogres into the ground simultaneously.
At that moment, Hyun-soo raised his arm and commanded.
“Begin the subjugation.”