Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Intercepting the Shamans
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Chapter 153
Combat was ultimately a battle of momentum, no matter what.
Even if they were slightly disadvantaged in objective strength, a surge in morale could achieve the impossible, while being superior yet losing momentum led to repeated blunders and inevitable defeat.
Knowing this well, Jeong-hyeon had leaped into the air, pushing himself to the limit, to snipe the shaman.
The warriors, whose morale had seemed ready to pierce the heavens with the shamans' return, fell silent.
It appeared shamans held a fairly high status in lizardman society.
'That's one more reason to take out the shamans first.'
He had initially targeted them for purely tactical reasons, but now the stakes were different.
Ignoring the warriors who showed no sign of attacking him, Jeong-hyeon dashed straight into the forest.
One trait came to mind with regret in this situation.
'It would've been a big help if I'd leveled up Stealth.'
It was the E-rank Stealth trait, which he'd swapped for Mana Sensitivity after using it a few handy times without any sign of ranking up.
Stealth was so situational that it wasn't often useful when available, yet sorely missed when absent.
In truth, Jeong-hyeon's movements alone could produce a decent ambush effect most of the time.
Still, who knew if raising its rank might make Stealth worthwhile.
It certainly would have come in clutch right now.
Whish—
Feeling that needless regret, Jeong-hyeon crossed the forest at high speed anyway.
It hardly looked like a path for a human-sized creature, but that didn't apply to him.
Tree roots barely breaking the surface, hanging vines, and horizontal branches blocking the way everywhere—all appeared as tools for mobility to him.
The synergy of Combat Sense and movement traits let Jeong-hyeon glide through the forest like the wind.
Meanwhile, since he was running parallel to their path, lizardman warriors were sporadically visible off to the side.
They were still quiet for now, but they'd move soon.
Even though he'd killed one shaman, plenty remained.
'Once the rest return, something's bound to happen.'
Sure enough, a shaman's resounding cry echoed from straight ahead.
Ker-ruk—
Once more, the warriors raised both arms high and roared.
"Hirr-ruk!"
"Hir-ruk!"
As if it were the charge signal, the slowly advancing warriors picked up speed.
It wasn't a reckless rush like ordinary lizardmen, but for heavy infantry of that mass, it was quite fast.
The warriors facing off against the sanctuary clearing were probably doing the same.
Could they hold even with a barricade of lizardman corpses?
Boom— Boom—
Massive explosions began from behind Jeong-hyeon.
It had to be Ji-hee's magic.
Fortunately, her cooldown seemed to have ended.
That eased one worry, but the situation remained urgent.
Jeong-hyeon's movements grew busier.
'But how far do I have to go to find the shamans?'
Then a sudden doubt arose.
Racing through the forest to shake off the warriors was fine so far.
But how far back until the shamans appeared?
Should he just keep going blindly?
The voice that had drawn the warriors' cheers earlier came from ahead, but pinpointing the location was tough.
Circumstantially, though, the shamans were likely gathered in one spot.
Otherwise, they couldn't have countered Ji-hee's massive spell at the start.
"Annoying..."
Jeong-hyeon decided to advance while observing the nearby lizardmen.
With luck, he might spot a shaman among them.
And then, an odd sound caught his ear.
Ting-a-ling—
Faint, but like a bell.
In this situation, only one thing would make that noise.
No sane warrior would shake a bell.
Pausing to locate the sound, Jeong-hyeon soon pinpointed the direction and resumed running.
It was fairly distant, but not for him.
'Stay right there.'
If he could handle the shamans, the rest wouldn't be hard.
Jeong-hyeon's leg muscles tensed.
***
In lizardman society, shamans were the true ruling class.
Of course, they weren't at the absolute top, but they were exceptionally special.
Lizardman shamans generally lived basking in the admiration of other lizardmen.
"Ker-ruk—"
Ting-a-ling—
One shaman danced amid the others seated around it, shaking a bell.
It was a ritual to rally the lizardman warriors and wish them fortune in battle.
Just performing it strengthened the warriors, and completion would nearly double their combat power.
Once finished, slaughtering the humans holding the precious sanctuary would be effortless.
"Ker-rek!"
"Kir-rur!"
The ritual neared its peak.
Elite guard warriors stood vigilant around the shamans.
There were eight shamans present.
It should have been nine.
If not for that human who slipped through the warriors, caused chaos, and killed the one who had cursed him, their numbers wouldn't have dwindled.
Reports painted him as vicious.
He'd fled into the forest after killing the shaman, so he might reach here— the ritual had to finish first.
Any risks of disruption needed blocking.
But then.
"Hir-um?"
One guarding warrior suddenly clutched its throat with a weird noise and collapsed.
A dagger was buried deep where it gripped.
Even full plate armor couldn't cover from the jawline down to the face.
"Hir-rur!"
The warriors panicked briefly but snapped to at the veteran warrior's shout.
The veteran scanned the forest where visibility was poor.
The intruder who'd entered the woods had come all the way here.
Knowing an enemy approached, their duty was clear.
Despite heavy armor, the warriors pushed into the forest in the dagger's direction.
Throwing skills meant the foe wasn't far.
Dense trees shortened range even more.
"Hir-uk?"
But the veteran, checking the fallen comrade hit by the dagger, tilted its head.
The dagger, deeply embedded in the throat moments ago, had vanished.
"Huk—"
Unbelievable even seeing it, the creature panicked— then another warrior clutched the same spot and fell.
From a direction far from the first dagger's origin.
Not quite opposite, but over 90 degrees off.
How fast was it moving in that forest?
Just two throws terrified them.
Unable to see daggers flying from the dark woods.
"Ker-rur—"
Meanwhile, the ritual shamans grew anxious in their own way.
So close to finishing, yet trouble struck.
Failing meant backlash for the warriors, worse than before.
The ritual had to complete, no matter what.
But would the human allow time?
Thud— Thud—
Two more throws felled two warriors.
The elusive projectiles flew from all directions.
Even fearless warriors panicked, unsure what to do.
Heavy infantry weren't meant for thrown weapons anyway.
If daggers pierced plate easily, why invest so much in armor?
"Hir-ruruk!"
The veteran bellowed.
The enemy targeted the one open spot under the helmet: the jaw.
Hitting it perfectly was ghostly skill, but covering it would leave the foe helpless.
Warriors raised arms to shield jaws.
No more cheap deaths to throws.
Or so they thought.
Boom—
"Hir-uk?"
What was this?
A roar echoed, and one warrior's body flew back.
Sneaky magic?
But seeing the flung corpse, the veteran paled.
Same dagger.
Yet impossible for one dagger.
It hadn't just pierced the breastplate— it cratered the area like a mace strike.
The veteran's mind reeled.
A mere dagger did this?
One dagger?
Then, a human voice from behind.
Not very threatening, but chills ran down its spine.
"I didn't even throw it hard, and it turned out like this?"
Turning, there stood a black-armored human smirking, pickaxe in one hand, that dagger in the other.
"Hir-uk!"
Whoosh—
An enraged warrior swung its halberd at him.
A clean, perfect arc— but the veteran doubted it'd land.
"Whoops."
Sure enough, the human dodged by slightly bending at the waist.
Boom—
Next instant, the halberd warrior's head exploded in a roar.
Only then did the veteran realize the pickaxe swing, swallowing hard.
Monstrous strength.
Even all warriors together might not withstand.
Meanwhile, the human, interest in them gone, turned to the shamans.
"Looking at it, we can't leave those be, right?"
They couldn't understand words, but the vibe was clear.
"Hir-ruk!"
At the veteran's cry, warriors rushed to block between human and shamans.
Little time until ritual completion.
Even if it finished, they might not kill him— but they could retake the sanctuary.
Shamans would aid after, so who knew.
Warriors just had to hold until then.
Resolve filled the lizardmen's vertical pupils.
"Hmm..."
The human seemed to ponder.
Dreading so many warriors at once?
After tense standoff.
As if decided, he spoke.
"Looks urgent, so let's kill those in back first."