Traveler: Derek Walker 8
“Catch that bastard! That rat-like fucker! Your fancy tricks end here!”
A roar that seemed about to split the sky in two blanketed the mountain. A territory army commander with a furious expression aimed his well-maintained spear at a man wearing an incongruous fedora. Judging by the commander's crisp uniform and the insignia on his shoulders, he was a decurion in charge of ten soldiers under him.
The man the decurion's spear was locked on was a slovenly guy with his clothes haphazardly thrown on. He had a striking mustache, a goatee tracing his sharp jawline, a scar adorning his face instead of a beauty mark, dark circles like those of a laborer who hadn't slept in ages, and an infuriating smirk that seemed to mock his opponent.
The decurion saw the man before him as trapped prey but didn't let his guard down for a second. And for good reason—this sly bandit had been cornered like this more than once or twice. But the fact that the bastard was still roaming free meant they'd never managed to finish him off properly.
No matter how you sliced it, this damn bandit was too strong when it came to bad luck.
“Jack Crow! Today’s the day you die! If you want an easy death, just accept your fate!”
“Hey, Norington. I’ve told you a million times—call me Jack Crow Boss, okay? It matters to me.”
“You mad fuck! Your leisure ends here! We hired two mages from the mercenary guild just to catch you! Your rat tricks won’t work anymore!”
Norington gripped his spear tighter. His soldiers moved swiftly, sealing off all directions. Jack Crow’s underlings had already all been captured. So, the last headache left for Norington was this one guy.
It was like a game where he just had to shout “checkmate” with the opponent’s pieces all dead—but Norington didn’t loosen his tension.
“Marked him!”
The mage hired for this operation spoke up. No sooner had the mage finished than Crow’s feet glowed brightly. Crow stomped around dramatically, leaving glowing footprints on the ground where he stepped.
If Walker had seen this, he’d have thought of some Tom and Jerry slapstick comedy.
“Man, leaving such flashy footprints like this. Am I in trouble or what?”
Crow said with a giggle. He didn’t look like a guy in crisis at all. Norington’s rage boiled over even more. Clearly, the one cornered was the enemy, yet he was the one getting impatient. He knew it was all part of the bastard’s strategy, but that didn’t stop the anger.
“Even if you fell into the deep sea, that mouth of yours would still float. Guess your cockiness ends here.”
“That’s impossible. I’m a beer bottle, after all.”
With that, Crow pulled something from the inner pocket of his worn jacket. Norington urgently shouted to his soldiers.
“Grab him! He’s up to something!”
“Hoi!”
Bang!
Acrid smoke billowed everywhere. It was so thick you couldn’t open your eyes, and even breathing was agony. But Norington, who’d fallen for Crow’s tricks countless times, calmly wrapped a wet cloth over his mouth. He was a pro at this ambush shit now.
“I’ve got all your cheap tricks figured out. Let’s see how far you can run!”
“Hahaha! If you’ve figured it all out, aren’t you falling for it way too easy? Come and get me, then. Playing tag with you is always a blast—I welcome it!”
Jack Crow bolted with quick footwork. But thanks to the mage’s spell, his footprints remained vivid on the ground. Norington and his soldiers chased after them.
This was a rabbit hunt.
“Hahaha! Reacting so fast to my special Crow Bomb. You haven’t wasted those years, huh.”
“Urgh! When I catch you, I’ll cut that mouth off first!”
“If you can catch me, that is!”
This was one of the most treacherous spots in the Hermes Mountains of Coolong Territory. Monsters lurked everywhere, and one misstep could send you plummeting into an abyss. Even the territory army guarding the land couldn’t afford to relax here.
Jack Crow moved through it like it was his own home—which it pretty much was. No one knew the terrain and ecology better than him. And that knowledge had let him shake off the territory army’s relentless pursuit for years.
Over logs and rocks, rolling down steep slopes, crossing small streams, into dense old-growth forest. Crow’s zigzag path left and right was already an art form. No matter how fast you were, this chaotic terrain cut your speed in half.
But Norington, who’d let Crow slip away right in front of him time and again, chased with experience and sheer grit. His soldiers had already fallen far behind. Now it was one-on-one tag between Norington and Crow.
But Norington’s breathing grew ragged first. Crow taunted him now and then by glancing back and sticking out his tongue. In these mountains, he was nearly invincible.
“Grrrh! You bastard! You Hermes rat! I’ll kill you when I catch youuu!”
“Hahaha! That heat’s gone right to your head! But you won’t catch me like that, will you?”
Crow had been fleeing cockily, but a massive cliff blocked his path. He had no choice but to stop, looking up at the towering wall stretching to the sky.
Norington approached with a triumphant grin, watching the dumbstruck Crow. His face looked like it could chew up a few men easily.
“Kuhahat! You rat! Go dig around for your mouse hole! Today’s finally your funeral!”
“Oh. There’s a cliff here? First time for me too.”
There wasn’t a hint of crisis in Crow’s voice. A guy who roamed the Hermes Mountains like his backyard wouldn’t take a wrong turn. He pulled a small flask from his belt and chugged it down.
Norington ground his teeth at Crow’s dismissive leisure.
“Last supper? Yeah, drink up. Last drink for a booze-loving bastard like you.”
“Booze has no end, friend.”
“No time for your dogshit puns! First, I’ll smash your legs and cut out your tongue. You get special treatment—unlike the other bandits.”
Norington glared with eyes full of murder. Jack Crow—one of the big-shot bandits operating around Coolong Territory’s Hermes Mountains centered on Coolong County—was like an archenemy to Norington.
When Norington first enlisted in the territory army, his mission had been to catch Jack Crow. And three years later, he’d been promoted to decurion, but Crow was still free.
Coolong County had seven massive bandit groups centered on the Hermes Mountains. Jack Crow’s White Pearl Bandits were one of them—a bold crew operating near the metropolis of Coolong with Crow at the center.
Coolong metropolis was the territory capital with the lord’s castle. Countless attempts had been made to capture these fearless bandits operating there, but not one had succeeded.
The reason was almost comical: the prankster bandit’s skills were real, but the decisive factor was his freakish luck.
Jack Crow bragged he was sleeping with the goddess of fortune himself. Especially in crises—his luck was insanely strong. Norington had lost him right in front of his eyes more times than he could count.
“Hm. About time.”
Crow smiled and said that, making Norington bite his lip and aim his spear.
“Time for you to die? Lame last words.”
Just then, the lagging soldiers and mage arrived at the standoff. The soldiers nocked arrows at Crow; the mage aimed his staff.
Crow winked at them.
“Break every arm and leg. He’s sly—don’t want him pulling some scheme.”
“““Yes, sir!”””
The soldiers shouted in unison. But Crow showed no fear, spreading his arms wide and yelling,
“Remember this, you idiots! The day you almost caught Jack Crow Boss!”
“That fucker!”
Grrrrumble!Thud!
Suddenly, a massive monster leaped down from the cliff above. Covered in muscular green skin, it was an ogre—the fantasy staple known as the king of the forest.
“An ogre!”
“Damn it! Battle stations, everyone!”
“Hahaha! Decurion Norington! This game of tag is my win again!”
He scattered mocking laughter as he vanished. Norington stomped in fury, bellowing in anguish.
“Grrrh! You bastard!Jack Crowwww!”
*-*-*
Teasing that idiot decurion was always a riot. But damn, he’d gotten all my underlings captured this time. That was a pretty big hit even for him.
Of course, to Jack Crow, underlings were disposable anyway, so I didn’t sweat it much. I could just recruit more. A bit of a hassle, but not impossible. Idiots idolizing bandits were a dime a dozen in any era.
Plus, unlike other bandits, I’d built my infamy on personal strength, not some gang. As long as my head stayed on my shoulders, the White Pearl Bandits wouldn’t vanish.
“Gotta gather new ones. Better lay low for a bit.”
No matter how great a bandit I was, strutting around when the territory army was this pissed would get me wiped out quick. I’d toyed with Norington, but I was a calculating bandit at heart.
“I’ve been waiting.”
My steps halted on the way back to my hideout. Under a massive tree, leaning against it, a woman I didn’t recognize stared at me with a sullen expression.
When did she show up? I swallowed hard. As a sneaky bandit, I was damn good at sizing up opponents.
I opened with a smooth voice. “This rough mountain ain’t fit for a beautiful lady like you.”
“Sadly, I’m no beautiful lady.”
She drew her dual scimitars as she spoke. Her waist-length brown hair and skin-tight thin combat gear evoked the famous dancers of desert nations. If she were a real dancer, a gold coin for the night wouldn’t be too much.
But the razor-sharp killing intent on those blades told me this beauty had claimed countless lives. Dangerous swords to face.
I backed away slowly. My instincts screamed: don’t fight this disaster.
“I’ve got zero interest in fighting a lady.”
“I’m here to capture you. Surrender quietly, and there’ll be no clash.”
“This is… tricky.”
The moment I spoke, I yanked a special Crow Bomb from my shirt pocket and detonated it. A loud bang and acrid smoke filled the air. Anyone without experience like Norington couldn’t handle this ambush easily.
“Blade Dance.”
Luna crossed her arms holding the scimitars in an X, crouched, then spun rapidly on her left foot as her pivot, thrusting both arms out. The powerful mana on the scimitars sparked and whipped around wildly. A storm of mana filled with deadly blades formed around her.
“Kuhk!”
Even as I fled, I felt Luna’s sharp mana on my back. She blew away the painful smoke enveloping her in one go. Her eyes locked precisely on me as I ran.
Luna’s knees bent slightly, and in the next instant, her body sprang like a coiled spring. With superhuman elasticity, she kicked off the ground and caught up to my agile escape in a single breath.
If the earlier chase between Crow and Norington had been slapstick comedy, this was straight horror.
“Urgh!”
I ducked. Luna’s blade whistled over my head. It grazed my fedora slightly.
“Whoa! Don’t touch the hat! This is an important hat!”
Even in a life-or-death flight, I fretted over my hat. Luna’s eyes pursuing me were utterly emotionless. Her mission from Master was simple: capture Jack Crow Boss alive.
His hat was none of her concern.