Traveler: Derek Walker 23
Surprisingly lax security. This Bastrey Barony was a land overflowing with luxury and debauchery, yet its public order was abysmal. Back-alley stabbings seemed as commonplace as breathing, and the guards didn't even bother showing up for that sort of thing. With gambling dens packed everywhere where fortunes changed hands, it was no wonder that lives were just as expendable. The coliseum's defenses were no different—aside from a handful of soldiers at the entrance with swords on their hips and spears in hand, there weren't any real forces to speak of. Deeper inside, there were handlers for the monsters and slave gladiators, but even they were just item specialists dealing with things like slave collars, not combat powerhouses. On top of that, the guards' discipline was a joke; they got one-shotted by Sera's claws while she wore her Black Mask.
←Item→
●Black Mask (B-rank)
↳A mask that perfectly conceals the wearer's identity. It can even modulate the voice.
※Essential for those whose anonymity is life or death.
Sera and I donned our Black Masks and stormed the coliseum. Most of the facility was built underground, with only one entrance. After killing the guards, we descended and massacred the spectators watching the fights.
'The coliseum doesn't have a separate VIP section. Still, there could be dangerous foes there, so stay sharp. Who's the heavy hitter in Bastrey Barony? ...Who was it again?'
No particular character came to mind right away. Of course, that didn't mean I could let my guard down. It was a gambling den the barony took seriously, so a few experts popping up wouldn't be strange. The folks in the general seating were mostly lowlifes addicted to gambling and vice. Among them, anyone with proper swordsmanship could be counted on one hand. And without weapons to boot, slaughtering them was a breeze.
"Darkness Arrow."
Arrows of shadow streaked through the air, piercing the spectators' chests. Few even registered them, let alone dodged. Most died without knowing what hit them. Sera dyed her claws red with mana and danced her massacre. The crowd realized something was wrong and tried to flee in panic, but it only backfired. Too many people jamming the narrow passages caused a bottleneck, and Sera and I exploited the gaps to rack up more kills. We cleared the general area in no time.
'About time for the barony troops or knights to show up.'
If the regular forces swarmed in, even I'd be in danger. There might be some skilled ones among them. A barony like this should have decent knights, at least. But I hadn't come without insurance. The reason I'd personally dive into something this risky was crystal clear.
"Thanks for the assist, Crit."
"Don't forget our deal. Until Kelly grows enough to formally contract with me, you provide top-tier support. I hope you won't be foolish enough to break a promise with a spirit king."
"Of course."
I had the Earth Spirit King on my side. To put it simply, Crit's presence alone could take on an entire human kingdom. Of course, that assumed Crit was at full power, which required a ton of prep. Awakening a spirit king was an event so intense it could be sensed hundreds of kilometers away. In the game, it even triggered a server-wide alert. Crit wasn't there yet. Especially in places lacking natural power, spirits needed a contract with a spirit mage to perform at full strength—otherwise, their power halved or worse.
'Even that halved power is more than enough to crush a single coliseum.'
Not for nothing was he a spirit king.
"Just collapse this massive coliseum, yeah? Perfect—it's underground, so no trouble."
"Request accepted. Plenty of heavy hitters must've gathered inside by now. Bury them all alive."
"Music to my ears."
Sera and I left the rest to Crit and slipped out of the coliseum. Right on cue, the guards who'd caught wind of the commotion arrived, aiming spears and bows at us. They sized up the situation quick.
"Those are the terrorists! Attack! Attack! How dare they cause chaos in Lord Bastrey's coliseum! Don't let them live!"
The moment the guard captain finished shouting, a volley of arrows rained down on us. Their training seemed solid—miles better than the city's thuggish vibe. Makes sense; guarding a den of vice like this required real discipline.
"Wind Wall."
The simplest way to block arrows: a barrier of wind. The aggressive barrage got caught in the turbulent airflow from my Wind Wall and scattered everywhere. Not a single one hit its mark. Sera bristled her tail and claws, charging the guards. Her stats were already beyond a full knight. Spotting the dark-red mana coating her claws, the guard captain drew his own mana-infused sword and stepped forward. Their eyes locked, radiating pure killing intent. Neither backed down.
Clang! Like shattering glass, their blades clashed—Sera's claws against the captain's sword. He retreated a step, but his stance held firm. He reset and bellowed,
"Damn! You're no ordinary scum!"
Unlike his ragtag underlings, the captain was a solid swordsman with excellent fundamentals. He parried Sera's strikes for a full ten exchanges. Probably his job to chase off rowdy mercenaries. But he wasn't knight-level; on the eleventh attack, her claws pierced his chest. That was his limit.
"Gahk!"
"Captain Robidolf! The captain's down!"
With their leader dead so pathetically, the guards scattered in disarray. I wanted to hunt them all down, but no time.
'Can't drag this out. Variables could pop up.'
Best avoid a straight fight with the knights if possible. There might be aces I hadn't scouted. Rumble rumble boom!
"E-earthquake!"
"What!? A quake out of nowhere?"
Suddenly, the ground shuddered violently. Crit was unleashing. As the embodiment of the vast earth's will, Crit wielded terrifying power. The massive tremors started at the coliseum and spread across the city. It was so intense, standing was impossible. Even at half strength, flattening a building was child's play. The spirit king's might hit home again.
'That took some real juice from Crit. He'll need time to recover.'
Earthquakes were among Crit's most mana-hungry techniques. But the payoff was guaranteed: structures shook, cracks spiderwebbed the ground, people toppled, debris rained dangerously. Even Sera and I struggled to move. I prioritized shielding my head from falling junk. The quake lasted about three minutes.
'Way more power than I expected. Appreciated, but could've waited till we were clear.'
I hadn't thought Crit would go this hard, even after asking directly. The epicenter—the coliseum—caved in completely. The shoddy build helped, but Crit's power was insane.
"Nngh! A quake... Bastrey Barony's never seen one since I was born."
A one-eyed man in crude armor appeared before me, muttering that. More rough-looking mercenaries gathered behind him. I knew they were Bastrey Barony's Dice Knight Order.
'Much weaker than I thought.'
Visually, the Dice Knights matched Coolong's full Race Knight Order in skill. But unlike the flawless Race Knights, these guys screamed trash from head to toe.
I hurled magic at them. What a waste of the knight order name.
"Filth. Die. Darkness Arrow."
Ten black arrows flew at the ten sleazy knights. But even rotten fish have teeth—their reactions were sharp, unlike the civilians I'd massacred. They drew swords, slicing my arrows with mana blades.
'Gotta revise that. They're not as useless as they look.'
Prime example of looks not matching skill. Come to think of it, same for me.
"Who are you? Why wreck Lord Bastrey's sacred establishment? Remove the mask and show yourself!"
The Black Masks kept Sera and me anonymous.
"No need for an extra like you to know."
Ten not enough? Make it twenty. I unleashed Darkness Arrow again. Double the arrows, but the knights stayed cool. Five swung mana swords to block, while the other five charged with blades drawn. Precise, organized movements—proof of solid training despite their thuggy looks. They knew how to handle a mage: close the gap.
Duh—of course knights knew mages' weakness was melee. But I had Sera. Every mage needs a guard knight to cover that blind spot.
Sera dove fearlessly into the five knights. Her dark-red mana glowed fiercer on her claws.
"Rapid Claw!"
Left, right, up, down—Sera raked every angle without blind spots. Five knights, five swords, but ten claws. They could only desperately block her onslaught.
"This bitch! Upper Sword Expert level!"
"Why's someone like her masked and terrorizing...? Another lord's orders?"
"No way—Ernest Count!? Nngh!"
Sera's melee prowess was blinding. She read their sword paths instantly, slipping between them. Their strikes hemmed in their own allies, even friendly-firing. With acrobatic flair, she dropped them one by one.
"Gaaah! My eye!"
A knight lost his left eye to her claws and crumpled. The one-eyed captain—probably the leader—swung at Sera.
"Damn it! I'm a Sword Expert too! I'll lop your head off!"
His sword hummed with vibrating mana. Sera sensed him charging power and lunged, but three knights blocked her.
"Darkness Cannon."
I fired a condensed orb of shadow at the one-eye. He cleaved it like a pro, but I hadn't expected a hit anyway. Interrupted mid-charge, he took internal damage defending and dropped to one knee. Sera vaulted over the three knights and slashed.
"Crescent Cut!"
A dark-red crescent blade of mana sliced the air toward him—hot enough to melt anything short of mithril. Mana needed mana to block. Already injured, he couldn't react.
"Gaaaaah!"
The razor crescent pierced his right arm. His sword hand hit the ground like a Lego piece. Clean cut—no blood at first.
"Captain!"
The others checked him, but that was a luxury. Sera's claws plunged into the unguarded knight's chest.
"Kek!"
"Gaaak!"
Three down in a flash. Captain was one-armed, half his men dead. The remaining six trembled and dropped swords.
"F-fuck! Run... run!"
"Damn it! Fall back!"
No loyalty whatsoever. Solid basics, but they acted more like veteran mercs than knights. Mercs and routs go hand in hand. We didn't bother chasing.
Our goal wasn't killing knights—it was demolishing the coliseum. Mission accomplished. Physically.
"Time to pull out. We got what we came for."
I said that, but suddenly a burning pain flared in my chest. I looked down.
"Ngh!"
A long gash across my chest. I'd been attacked. Without even noticing.
'Who?'
The question hit before the pain.