Chapter 50: Black Spear
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 50: Black Spear
[Bows lack a certain satisfaction. Anyone who sees foes drop with every throw would want to pick up a javelin. - Black Spear]
I could definitely feel his presence over there. But if he evolved his unique ability or continued to refine his skills, he would surely become stronger.
A moment later, the first brother reappeared, an expression on his face that said even he didn't know what had just happened. He looked a little exhausted, suggesting the ability consumed a lot of mana.
“Uwoooar…”
It was baffling. Utterly baffling. I had been lucky enough to awaken my unique ability early, but that was a case of pure luck. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was supplemented by my ten years of experience, however pathetic they were.
As the Green Goblin had said, the standard time to awaken a unique ability was about three years. I couldn't even begin to comprehend how this goblin had overcome his limits simply through his will to follow me. To be honest, I had thought the next person in the clan to awaken a unique ability would be Mev, or perhaps Jung Hayeon. Of course, the five loyal siblings were strong, too. But my personal judgment was that they were a step below those two.
That judgment had just been completely overturned.
It was, of course, a welcome development for a subordinate to grow stronger. But seeing a goblin who was already talented awaken such an ability, I, too, began to feel a sense of urgency.
Deciding that I first needed to grasp the situation, I spoke to him.
“The God of the Battlefield has granted you an ability. What is it?”
“Krrrrk. I don’t know either, Chieftain.”
As I showed great interest in the first brother, beads of sweat trickled down the second brother’s face. Though nothing was decided yet, he seemed to sense that the scales of their contest had tipped.
“Try to recall it in your mind. Krrk.”
At my words, the goblin began to concentrate, trying to remember the ability he had just used. Soon, I was able to confirm its identity.
[Wind Walk]
[You can hide your body for a short time. Your movement speed does not change, but the ability is canceled the moment you swing your sword.]
Excellent.
This was incredibly good. The fact that his movement speed remained unchanged was particularly impressive. It was a shame that the ability was canceled upon swinging his sword, but for a swordsman, this was an absurdly powerful skill to obtain.
“Krrrrrrk.”
He looked at me, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Honestly, I had wanted to take the second brother and leave the first, but with things as they were, the first brother was now an indispensable asset for launching ambushes. In the end, I had no choice but to look at everyone and speak.
“For this hunt… Gark will join us.”
“Uwoooaaaaaaaargh!!”
The moment my voice rang out, Gark began to beat his chest and roar in celebration. In contrast, the second brother’s expression became noticeably gloomy. He looked so utterly wronged that I slowly approached him and spoke, naturally placing a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m entrusting the remaining warriors to you. I’m counting on you, Hark.”
They were simple creatures; this much would be enough to make him happy. As expected, Hark shouted back.
“Blood Dagger trusts me! I… I want to go with you, but I will repay Blood Dagger’s faith! For Blood Dagger!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
In the end, the personnel selection was finalized only after the goblins bid me farewell with hot tears streaming down their faces and I decided on a few more to take with me.
I ultimately decided to bring Jung Hayeon. I figured there would be no problem as long as she stuck close to me. The fact that she had a strangely faint presence, likely because she was fundamentally a plant despite being a demi-human, was another reason I could take her.
I still can’t forget the joyous look on her face when I added her to the roster last.
If we were human, we would have had many things to pack, but we only needed two things: food and water. Unlike humans, who spend days preparing for an expedition, Green Skins were incredibly efficient. I reported to the Green Goblin chieftain that I was leaving for a long hunt, and thanks to his ready nod, we were able to depart immediately.
“For Blood Dagger!”
It was a night where Hark’s voice, echoing from the receding village, sounded particularly heart-wrenching.
The distance wasn’t far, but it wasn’t short either. I had heard from the Green Goblin that there was an independent Green Skin village nearby, so we decided to impose on them for a short while. We needed a place to hide until we could confirm that the humans had entered the ‘Ancient Warrior’s Grave.’
The tribe, settled near the small city of Legius, was the Black Spear Clan, led by Black Spear. I’d heard from the Green Goblin that he was a rather wise troll, and I began to feel a bit of anticipation.
We didn’t encounter any humans since we traveled through a large forest. I suspected the reason was Lee Youngdon’s gruesome death. It was highly likely that the city of Aia was restricting its adventurers until the situation calmed down.
Having been subject to such restrictions myself in the past, I could roughly guess how the city was operating right now.
“Krrrrk.”
Lost in useless thoughts, we walked for over three days before the village of the Black Spear Clan finally came into view. As if he knew we were coming, we could see Black Spear himself had come out to greet us.
“Welcome to the village of the Black Spear Clan, Blood Dagger, the warrior who lost his honor.”
“Thank you for the welcome, Black Spear.”
He extended a long arm and placed a hand on his chest.
I returned his greeting, extending my own arm to place a hand on my chest.
“Strength, Wisdom, and Honor.”
“Strength, Wisdom, and Honor.”
This was how Green Skins who had passed the Great Tribe Leader’s exam usually concluded their greetings. I slowly took in the troll called Black Spear. He carried a large, quiver-like basket on his back, overflowing with black spears.
They looked like they were made for throwing, not for wielding in close combat. His body wasn't packed with muscle; he seemed a bit lean, but that made him look all the more agile. His slightly dark skin also showed that he was no ordinary troll.
What stood out most were his remarkably intelligent eyes. It was a different look from the mischievous Green Goblin.
“I’ve heard much about you. They say all the Green Skins who set foot on the Land of Glory this time are special. The belligerent warrior Goff with his massive frame, and the honorless warrior Blood Dagger. You were the center of all the talk.”
“Krrrrk. You flatter me. But Black Spear, I don’t recall seeing you in the Land of Glory…”
“I couldn’t go. It hasn’t been long since I established this village.”
I wasn’t certain, but it seemed that clans that had only recently become independent were excluded from the list of clans we could choose. It made sense. A tribe that had just struck out on its own would naturally be weaker. I found myself nodding, thinking it was a way to ensure the safer growth of the newcomers who had reached the Land of Glory.
In fact, I had been looking forward to raising the next generation of Green Skins after my own independence, so I felt a little disappointed. We continued our conversation with the members of the Black Spear Clan outside before finally being led into their village.
The first thing that caught my eye were the skulls piled up at the entrance.
As if to show off that this was Black Spear’s territory, countless skulls of both beasts and humans were impaled on their banners. It wasn’t that I hadn’t seen such things in the Green Goblin Clan’s village, but this clan was quite blatant about it.
But that was no concern of mine right now. As I continued to look around, I also saw naked humans locked in a wooden cage.
“Krrrrk. Humans.”
“Provisions.”
It seemed the Black Spear Clan hunted humans and brought them back to the village alive. I didn’t know if it was fortunate or unfortunate for the captives, but at least this clan didn’t seem to have any ‘peculiar tastes.’
It was only after seeing the large number of humans that I understood why the Green Goblin had called Black Spear a smart troll. From a human perspective, it was a horrific sight, but from a Green Skin’s point of view, that wasn’t necessarily the case.
In a place with many humans and monsters like the western city of Aia, there was no need for this. But near a small city with a relatively sparse population, this method wasn’t bad. If you were unlucky, it could be difficult to even encounter humans. Curious about his intentions, I naturally had to ask.
“You gather them… Krrk.”
“That’s right, Blood Dagger. Our Black Spear Clan experienced severe starvation during the Warrior’s Exam. We watched our tribe members collapse as we crossed wastelands and deserts, barely managing to reach the Land of Glory.”
“…”
“Combat is important, of course, Blood Dagger. But we learned from the Great Tribe Leader that there are other things that matter besides combat. That’s why I couldn’t help but nod when I heard your story. Most Green Skins are not so wise. You have the makings of a great chieftain.”
He praised me, but in truth, he was quite remarkable himself. There were certainly Green Skins who failed to grasp that simple fact. Moreover, though his subjects were human, what he was doing was, strictly speaking, ‘husbandry’—a way of thinking that an ordinary Green Skin couldn’t conceive of. Though he praised me, this troll called Black Spear also had the makings of a fine chieftain. I nodded at his words.
“Black Spear is already a fine chieftain. A chieftain who recognizes his own mistakes and acts for the sake of his tribe members. If anything, I have learned much from you. Thank you.”
He looked rather embarrassed by my words. My first impression of him was good, and I started to feel like we could become quite close.
In any case, I looked over at the humans again. Seeing them shivering, perhaps wondering if they would be today’s sacrifice because of the new Green Skins who had arrived, I felt nothing. It was clear that I had changed.
Judging by the killing intent radiating from Jung Hayeon’s eyes behind me, it seemed she was the same.
Thinking that the reason I kept staring at the humans was because I was hungry, Black Spear spoke to me again. I naturally shook my head.
“Do you need provisions, Blood Dagger?”
“I appreciate the offer, but I must decline, Black Spear. I’m already grateful that you’re letting us stay here for a while; I can’t impose on you further.”
“Just say the word anytime, and I’ll give you as many as you need. For now, let me show you to the place where you’ll be staying.”
“Thank you, Black Spear.”