Chapter 223: Kim Yoora
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 223: Kim Yoora
"They're gone."
"Yes."
I replied to Goff's voice. A brief silence fell over the hall after the young Green Skins had left. Looking at Goff's face, I could tell he had complicated feelings.
While Black Spear had many children, Goff's situation was a little different. Gogh, who had just left, was his first and only son. Kim Yoora wasn't my biological daughter, but I suspected Goff was feeling the same strange sense of pride that I was.
"I want to see outside."
As did I. It wasn't for nothing that I'd come to the top of the castle. I slowly drew Levatain and rose slightly from my throne.
After pouring all my mana into the blade, I swung it in a circle. With the sound of something being sliced, the walls blocking our view split in two. Jung Hayeon's roots blocked all the falling debris, and it felt as if we were now standing in a place with a spectacular view.
The wide-open sky was visible, and a cool breeze blew in. From below, a constant stream of screams could be heard. The smell of blood from within the castle seemed to spread in all directions, and for some reason, it put me in a good mood.
Some parts were still obstructed by buildings, so there were places my vision couldn't reach, but with the entire city laid out before me, I could begin to see where each group was headed.
Hakajin and the other strategists began to speak.
"The trainee Green Skins were sent northwest of the castle, and the young warriors were sent southeast."
"Hmm..."
I didn't think I needed to worry about the northwest. Though they were treated as trainees in the Brother's Land, they were adult Green Skins who endured hellish training every day. Giant Scream, for instance, was arguably better than I had been in the past.
The same went for the battle-sorcerer Crugar, and there was no need to even mention Little Finger, who had recently shown an unnervingly explosive rate of growth. After taking the Curse Sorcerer class, he seemed to have become more sinister and cruel than before. The forces currently inside the castle would not be able to stop our trainees.
The problem, as expected, was the young warriors.
As if reading my expression, Hakajin spoke again.
"As you commanded, each clan's group of young warriors is accompanied by one of the tribe's best shamans. At key points, elite Orc swordsmen are on standby to deal with any variables, and we have also assigned Hobgoblin assassins to them."
"What about the escape route in case of an incident?"
"Elite Ogres from the Goff Clan will block the path, allowing them to retreat under the cover of spear-throwers."
Since this was a joint operation between the three clans, it seemed a team consisting of an elite Orc swordsman, a shaman capable of healing magic, an elite Ogre, and spear-throwers from the Black Spear Clan was on standby at each point. I figured that if anything went wrong, a rescue operation would be launched immediately.
"Reliable."
They might get hurt, but they wouldn't die. The shamans were on constant standby, and a significant number of personnel had been assigned to protect the young warriors. As I was lost in thought, a voice spoke up from beside me again.
"You seem worried."
It was Goff, smiling with his fangs bared. He had clearly been worried himself, so I was a bit taken aback when he suddenly spoke to me like this. It was Black Spear who answered him, and it was amusing to see him open his mouth, looking at Goff as if to ask what he was talking about.
"I am not worried. They may not be adults, but my son and daughter... Shakajin's skill with the spear is beyond question, and my daughter, Shakara, has awakened the ability to imbue her thrown spears with arcane sorcery."
"My son will not kneel before such meager foes either. I guarantee he could take a hundred arrows and still be standing."
Goff's confidence was a little reckless, but their pride in their sons and daughters was quite excessive. Goff's son was a warrior just like him, with a very similar fighting style. He was the type to charge in and smash everything in his path. I was starting to look forward to seeing how he would fare against the Japanese summoners.
Their boasting was almost laughable, but I wasn't too worried either. What I was considering were the unexpected variables.
They were bragging quite a bit, but neither Gogh nor Shakajin and Shakara had ever beaten Kim Yoora in the children's training battles. Of course, a real battle could be completely different, but at the very least, the Kim Yoora I knew was not so weak as to be hopelessly outmatched by their children. I looked at Goff and Black Spear and opened my mouth.
"We'll know when we watch."
I focused mana into my eyes, and Kim Yoora came into view, riding a wolf at the head of the Blood Dagger Clan's young warriors.
"Individual strength is important, but so is group combat."
"Are you saying your young warriors lack individual strength?"
Goff started to needle me with a slow grin. It was less of a simple joke and more of a look that said, 'Spit out what you're hiding already.'
Of course, he would be curious. The entire clan had put a lot of effort into raising Kim Yoora, and I had never spoken of her abilities myself. Goff has gotten quite shrewd in his old age, I thought, as I began to speak.
"Not at all... Kim Yoora is..."
I smiled, baring my fangs.
*
"Nicole."
"Yeah! Gogh went to the center, and Shakajin's group went left."
"Good. We'll move to the right, just as we planned. First, don't get excited. Second, follow my orders. That's all. Let's make sure no one gets hurt."
"Understood, Yoora! Victory! For victory alone!"
"For Blood Dagger."
Kim Yoora sped off on her Giant Wolf. As she scanned her surroundings, various things came into view. She had followed Blood Dagger and participated in small battles, but this was, of course, her first real fight without any adults.
It was the first real battle for Nicole and her other friends behind her, too. It was easy to get excited in one's first fight. Wildness and instinct could be helpful, but they could also be a hindrance, especially if the enemy was clever or intelligent.
That's why Nicole's unique ability was necessary. Of the various buffs Nicole could grant, Kim Yoora had chosen the one for a calm mind.
'There's also Swift Feet and Strong Power. Are you sure just one is okay? If only I could draw a little more...'
A smile touched Yoora's lips as she recalled Nicole's words. Swift Feet, Strong Power, Increased Mana, Concealed Presence—they were all good buffs. But Kim Yoora believed the point of this test was survival, not just hunting.
'They were strong.'
The humans were by no means weak. It was just that Hark, the swordsman who was second to none in the tribe, and the Goblin Three Sisters, who always treated her with playful expressions, were overwhelmingly powerful.
If asked whether she could neutralize every attack like Mister Hark had when surrounded by elves and humans earlier, she would naturally shake her head. That kind of swordsmanship wasn't built in a day. It was not her domain.
Humans were not weak. She couldn't let her guard down. They were warriors, too. She believed it was right to give it her all.
Just then, the sound of drums began to echo from the center.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
"Looks like Gogh has started."
"We're going too."
Just in time, she saw humans approaching. As expected, once trouble broke out in the castle, adventurers had hastily formed parties and were now rushing toward the inner castle. They probably couldn't leave the city, so they had no other choice.
"We'll deal with them before they can group up."
"Got it!"
A group was naturally strong. The breakthrough power of her unit, centered around Kim Yoora and Nicole on their Giant Wolves, was especially formidable. A standard-bearer raised a flag drawn by Nicole, and everyone's movements quickened slightly.
".........!"
".....................!"
She heard the panicked voices of the humans. She could see a magician hastily casting a shield.
"Shaman!"
Immediately after Kim Yoora's loud shout, she leaped from her Giant Wolf. A young shaman neutralized the enemy's magic, and Yoora landed right in the center of the enemy formation. They stared with shocked eyes at her body, which was covered in bright red tattoos, but she had no time to play along with their surprise. She immediately thrust the spear in her hand into the neck of the man at the front.
"..........!"
The man collapsed with a scream. A woman behind him lunged with a spear, but Kim Yoora dropped low to the ground and slashed the woman's ankle with the sword at her waist.
She paid no mind to the large man charging her in the meantime. Instead, Kim Yoora shouted loudly.
"Irui!"
"Grrrrrrowl!"
The large wolf pounced on the big man, and in that opening, Yoora pushed off with her feet and drove a dagger into the man's neck.
"Go!"
The warriors of the Blood Dagger Clan began their charge. Just then, she saw arrows raining down from the sky. Seeing this, Kim Yoora shouted.
"Shields!"
"Uhm!"
The warriors, who had been spread out, quickly huddled together and raised their shields high. Kim Yoora smiled at the turtle-like formation. The results of their training were showing in a real battle. How could she not be pleased?
"Irui!"
After the storm of arrows subsided, she grabbed the fur of the approaching Giant Wolf and leaped high once more. Dealing with the rear guard always came first. She could see the Orc friends and younger ones who had shown impressive performance in their games following close behind her.
Kim Yoora grabbed the bow and arrow from her back and drew the string, aiming for the eye of an archer who was aiming at her.
Fwish
With that sound, the arrow flew true, and a scream followed. Kim Yoora dismounted from the Giant Wolf again, threw her spear at the enemies, and dashed forward. All she had in her hands were a single sword and a shield, but she didn't care.
Unique Ability: Mana Materialization.
Unique Ability: The Queen Always Stands at the Front.
She didn't understand how, but Kim Yoora had obtained two unique abilities. 'The Queen Always Stands at the Front' enhanced her physical stats when she was leading a group from the very front.
However, the ability Kim Yoora preferred was the former: Mana Materialization.
When she stomped her foot, swords and spears made of mana began to rise from the ground. What she liked most was that the mana was red.
The enemies screamed at the sight of weapons sprouting from the middle of the battlefield, but Kim Yoora didn't react. She grabbed the nearest mana spear and charged toward an archer's heart. After piercing the enemy, the mana spear vanished with a strange sound, but everything she could see around her was a weapon.
"................!"
A collapsing body, spurting blood. She didn't block the attack coming from behind. It was already a planned move. Her Orc friends had her back.
"Advance!"
The warriors coming up from behind raised their shields high and continued to push the humans back. Nicole was constantly using her shamanism to heal the wounded warriors or block magical attacks.
"Spears!"
The humans screamed as the Orc spearmen thrust their spears out from behind the shield wall.
"Advance!"
"Spears!"
"Advance!"
"Spears!"
"Shields down! Go!"
"For Blood Dagger!"
After the storm had passed, the situation devolved into a melee. Orc swordsmen emerged from behind the shield wall, clashing with the enemies with their own swords and shields. The fight was over.
The humans who had lost their will to fight turned and began to flee, and the Orc archers diligently fired arrows into their backs. Kim Yoora also raised her bow and was about to draw the string on one of them, but she soon lowered it.
'So young...'
It was a young soldier who had lost the ability to fight. There were no casualties. Kim Yoora clenched her fist.