Chapter 151
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 151.
A group of soldiers appeared ahead.
Yoo Baek-jun, hidden in the shadows, watched them closely.
“Is that the elf village?”
“Yeah, I’ve been nearby once before, so I know. I came here escorting merchants.”
“Looks like it’ll burn well once we set it on fire. Captain Roben! Can’t we just torch them all right now?”
A man with a frivolous appearance turned around.
At the end of his gaze stood a bald man who looked like a textbook mercenary.
“Not yet! You’ll have your fun later. Wait for the Royal army.”
“How long? I’m bored out of my skull!”
“Hey, watch your mouth. There are ears listening.”
“Ahem!”
Captain Roben gestured toward the soldiers with his eyes, signaling the man to shut up.
Indeed, the knight leading the soldiers coughed uncomfortably.
“It’ll take time for the Royal army to arrive. Unlike you, we’re not used to these forests.”
“Yeah, yeah. Sure. I understand. Besides, those damn elves put up quite a fight……”
“Right. These bastards, they attack using the forest’s terrain and then flee—it’s not normal.”
“That’s why you need experts like us.”
The elves in Halpeon aren’t the only ones.
Elf hunters—seasoned in slaughtering elves across Halpeon—were indispensable here.
“Our job is to surround that village. We don’t have enough numbers to push recklessly. Just make sure they can’t escape!”
“Yes, sir!”
The knight issued the command, and Captain Roben followed up with additional orders to his men.
Yoo Baek-jun observed everything.
‘I need to capture those two.’
Captain Roben and the knight.
They must have useful information.
‘Especially the leader of the elf hunters…’
A mixed group of soldiers, mercenaries, and elf hunters.
But it seemed the elf hunters’ leader was the one mainly leading them.
A target that must be captured.
‘…….’
Yoo Baek-jun waited for the right moment.
Given the terrain of the Ruwinid Forest, there was a point where the group would inevitably bunch up.
A moment when they’d be clustered together, unable to evade.
‘Now!’
That was the time to strike.
Yoo Baek-jun released his stealth.
No one noticed his presence as he emerged from the shadows.
He gripped his Thunder spear tightly.
“Hup!”
“Huh?”
Yoo Baek-jun stepped forward, gritting his teeth.
At the sound, a mercenary turned around, belatedly noticing Yoo Baek-jun’s presence.
But it was already too late.
“Who the hell are you……!”
Yoo Baek-jun swung his arm back forcefully.
The Thunder spear in his grasp scattered golden lightning.
The Power of the Thunder God coursing through his body.
He hurled the spear with all his might.
KWA-BOOM!
With a deafening roar, the spear shot into the sky at an incredible speed.
And then, the Thunder spear split apart.
Like a massive thunderbolt dividing, a single spear fragmented into countless streaks of lightning, painting the sky.
“What the….”
“…What is that?”
The trees blocking their vision burned away.
The Kingdom’s soldiers stared blankly at the sky, stunned by the sudden turn of events.
And that was the beginning of the disaster.
CRACKLE!
The fragmented Thunder spears changed direction targeting the ground below.
WHOOSH!
“AAAAAHHH!”
Meteor Shower.
Hundreds of lightning spears rained down mercilessly, piercing the soldiers standing below.
Piercing screams echoed.
The falling spears, like a meteor shower, incinerated everything they touched.
“My, my body…….”
“AAAHHH!”
Trees, even people.
Those struck by the spears burned instantly, white smoke rising from their bodies.
A scene of utter devastation.
The cascading lightning seemed like divine punishment from an angered sky.
“What the hell! What’s happening?!”
“Captain! Ugh—!”
“Damn it! Gather around me! I have a scroll!”
Captain Roben frantically rallied his men, layering defensive spells.
The barrier shook violently with each strike but held firm.
“Captain! Our forces are being annihilated!”
“You think I’m blind?! I know! The question is who the hell did this!”
An utterly unexpected attack.
A literal ambush from behind. The soldiers of the Baim Kingdom couldn’t even retaliate, helpless against the onslaught.
“Everyone, find cover! Those who can’t, raise your shields! Unless you want to burn!”
“Magic! The enemy has a mage!”
The Kingdom’s soldiers scrambled in panic.
Amid the chaos, Roben desperately searched for the one responsible.
And finally, he found him.
“That bastard……!”
A figure standing leisurely behind the soldiers, watching the carnage unfold.
Yoo Baek-jun and Roben locked eyes.
“You! You did this!”
“So what? Gonna do something about it?”
Yoo Baek-jun taunted, flicking his fingers. Roben growled, gripping his weapon.
“I’ll kill you with my own hands.”
“Try it if you can.”
Roben advanced with his men, defensive spells active.
Yoo Baek-jun drew his sword.
‘It’s about time to move.’
His gaze shifted toward the elf village.
* * *
“Wh-what the hell is that…?”
“D-did the humans turn on each other?”
Ignasil and the elves watched the scene in stunned silence.
To them, it just looked like a human had suddenly appeared and started fighting his own kind.
“No! That’s not it!”
A familiar voice rang in their ears.
“That voice…!”
Ignasil whipped his head around.
There stood Delowin, the one he’d been searching for.
“Delowin! How…! You’re safe!”
“No!”
“Huh?”
“They’re not fighting each other! That man is helping us!”
“Helping us?”
Ignasil stared blankly past the fallen soldiers, past the storm of lightning bolts raining down like a meteor shower—and saw a lone man standing there.
Yoo Baek-jun.
“We have to go help him now! If we leave him like this, he’ll be isolated…!”
“Argh! This is frustrating! Why are you all just standing there gawking? Now’s the time to strike while they’re in chaos!”
“……!”
Baimar, frustrated, roared. Only then did Ignasil snap out of it.
“Cease use of the Verdant Magic Stones! Everyone, grab your bows and climb the trees! Aim for the heads of those cursed humans!”
“Yes!”
“Move quickly!”
Ignasil and the elves dashed through the trees, charging in an instant.
The soldiers’ formation had completely collapsed. In this state, hunting them down would be too easy.
The elves’ arrowheads gleamed.
“GYAAAAAHHH!”
“Ar-arrows! The sky’s filled with arrows!”
“Captain! At this rate, we’ll all di— GACK!”
And then, the arrows rained down.
Though few in number, the elves’ extraordinary archery made them seem far more numerous.
Soldiers fell one after another.
“Damn it! Now the fucking elves too!”
“You think you have time to worry about that?”
“GRAAAHH!”
Roben seethed with rage.
A blade came rushing toward him.
Yoo Baek-jun unleashed a furious assault.
His subordinates, who had surrounded Yoo Baek-jun, were already down.
‘Damn it! Where the hell did this monster come from?!’
They all fell by his sword.
The moment he closed in, he unleashed something akin to aura and slaughtered them all in one go.
‘No one said there’d be a monster like this!’
He didn’t have the strength to fight an aura-wielding monster.
The only knight who might’ve stood a chance was busy dealing with the elves.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”
Yoo Baek-jun’s sword gleamed coldly. His icy gaze met Roben’s trembling eyes.
“I have a lot to extract from you.”
A deeply ominous statement.
* * *
The battle didn’t last much longer.
The army having their formation completely shattered, stood no chance against the elves.
Moreover, Roben, who could’ve led them against the elves, had already fallen to Yoo Baek-jun.
“Tch!”
“How did this happen…!”
Of the 700 soldiers, fewer than half remained.
The rest had either fled or surrendered, throwing down their weapons to survive.
“Now, we have things to discuss among ourselves.”
Yoo Baek-jun took Roben and the knight to the elf village’s prison.
Originally used to hold elves or beasts guilty of serious crimes, it had rarely been used.
Now, Roben and the knight were locked inside.
“I am an honorable knight! I’d rather die than betray the Kingdom!”
“Oh, really? Is this what knightly honor looks like?”
“Just kill me, you trash!”
“Who are you calling trash?”
The knight roared furiously.
He had wounds all over his body from the elves’ arrows.
Though temporarily treated, he’d lost a lot of blood and was likely dizzy.
“What about you?”
“No matter how messed up my life is, I can’t betray the kingdom. I won’t talk.”
“Huh… That’s kinda cool.”
Yoo Baek-jun nodded.
Under normal circumstances, someone like him might have demanded gold in exchange for information.
But now, he was officially employed by the kingdom through a royal decree.
One wrong move, and they’d be hunted by the Kingdom.
“Alright. Neither of you will talk, huh. I like your spirit. Then…”
His hand reached toward the knight.
The knight stared warily at the approaching hand.
Was he going to torture him?
But with bare hands?
“Let’s see if you really won’t talk.”
Tendon-Shattering Bone Crush unfolded from his fingertips.
The knight’s eyes widened. He felt something invade his body, his magical power surging uncontrollably.
And then, moments later.
“GYAAAAAHHH!”
A scream tore from the knight’s throat. But something even more horrifying followed.
CRACK! SNAP! CRUNCH!
“Guh… Huh… UGHHH!”
His joints twisted, and his bones ground against each other with sickening crunches.
The magical power Yoo Baek-jun had infused into his body was now distorting his muscles and bones.
The pain was indescribable.
“P-please… spare… me…!”
The knight’s eyes were bloodshot, tears of blood streaming down as he writhed in agony.
Yoo Baek-jun ignored his desperate pleas.
“What? Sorry, I can’t hear you.”
The knight’s screams grew even more pitiful.
Though it looked brutal, Yoo Baek-jun had controlled the intensity to avoid killing him.
Probably.
“I was going to ask some questions, but you’re in no shape to answer now. Hmm, what to do…”
Yoo Baek-jun turned his head towards Roben.
To Roben, it felt like the Grim Reaper beckoning.
“Guess I’ll have to get my answers from you…”
“I-I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”
Before Yoo Baek-jun could even approach, Roben screamed in terror.
Seeing the knight’s body twisted in agony shattered any defiance he had left.
“I’ll talk, just don’t do that to me! Please!”
“Good.”
Yoo Baek-jun lowered his hand.
“Then answer my questions now.”
It was time for interrogation.