Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Snail Hunt (4)
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These fortress soldiers must have had their heads stuffed full of snails too, because they reacted the moment I climbed onto the ramparts.
"Take that bastard out first!"
"Don't let him rampage up on the walls!"
"Pressure him all at once!"
Following orders from guys who looked like Squad Leaders or higher, the serf soldiers started swarming toward me.
Cheap iron maces and swords, flails used for threshing, sickles—guys wielding all sorts of random junk weapons.
'Pathetic scum pretending to be soldiers.'
"Crack that guy's skull first!"
"Send him straight to the Lord's side in one hit!"
"Die!"
Their words, their trembling shoulders, their faces draining white—it was downright ridiculous watching them charge like that.
They were such worthless trash I didn't even feel like engaging...
'But on the battlefield, anyone pointing a weapon at me is an enemy.'
I circulated aura through my entire body and gripped the sword in both hands tight.
Then, the blue aura mist symbolizing the Expert realm rose from my blade.
One soldier behind the serfs bellowed out in a loud voice.
"He's an Expert!"
At those words, the guys in front of me started shaking their jaws.
"I'll make it easy for you, you snail bastards!"
With that, I swung my aura-infused sword.
Stepping forward with my right foot, twisting my waist, arm, and wrist with full power in a wide arc to the right.
Up to this point, it was just a standard spinning slash.
But in my state—having reached the Aura Expert realm and consumed spirit medicine even—this basic attack displayed power that made it look like a secret technique.
With just one swing, I bisected the few soldiers blocking my path.
"M-Monster..."
"...I don't wanna die."
"Crazy..."
The torsos of those slashed by my blade fell to the ground like felled logs.
Even I smirked in satisfaction at the impressive power.
"White Beard Mercenary Corps Senior Platoon Leader Martin Meyer was the first to reach the ramparts! Everyone, follow me!"
Deep down, I wanted to keep slashing through the soldiers blocking my way and push forward, forward...
Even Aura Masters, thought capable of facing one to hundreds, don't rampage alone in war.
What if a mere beginner Expert like me tried it here?
'I'd be surrounded by dozens and die like a dog.'
"Only the brave ones who aren't afraid of death, come at me! I'll send you honorably to the afterlife!"
As I spat those words and unleashed my aura, the serf soldiers hesitated for a moment.
Right then, our mercenary soldiers started clambering up the ladders behind them.
"Follow Platoon Leader Martin!"
But the enemy wasn't incompetent, so they kept raining arrows and rocks toward the ladders where our guys were climbing.
"Die, you mercenary dogs!"
Those hit by rocks fell from the ladders with the impact, their bodies shattering.
Those struck by arrows held out at first but eventually succumbed to the relentless focused fire, losing strength and dying one by one.
"Argh, fuck."
Unlike fighting on flat ground, even in close quarters, ranged attacks kept coming—making it far from easy.
And the commanders behind the soldiers were desperately trying every trick to kill me...
They swung their swords wildly from the back, shouting.
"Expert or whatever, just push him now! If more mercenaries pile up behind him, we're all dead!"
"Request reinforcements! Send every reserve soldier here!"
"Hurry if you don't wanna die!"
At those words, the serfs and soldiers charged me like hot coals had fallen on their feet.
Individually, each one was weaker than our rookies or at best rookie level weaklings.
Handling them one by one was no problem at all, but the issue was they came in hordes...
"That bastard's got an opening!"
"Hit his arms or legs with everything you've got!"
"Kill him!"
On the narrow ramparts, movement was restricted, and facing multiple foes alone, I started getting pushed back bit by bit.
'So that's why they offer such huge bounties for the first one up the walls?'
What I was facing now wasn't even regular troops but mostly worthless soldiers—and I couldn't even imagine how tough it'd be against a real major fortress later.
"Fuck, this is insane."
Still, with the resolve that I couldn't be pushed back here, I kept swinging my sword.
Focusing so intensely it felt like the sword was swinging me, not the other way around.
"Push him slowly!"
"Fuck, argh."
"Monster bastard..."
Dozens of these weaklings surrounded me, but in the end, they couldn't land a proper hit.
And right on cue, I heard our mercenary guys climbing up the ladders behind me.
"Platoon Leader Martin!"
"Fuck, sorry we're late!"
They were pretty damn late, but with the enemy going berserk hurling rocks, arrows, and even magic...
It was unavoidable.
"Gather behind me!"
They immediately clustered into a tight formation behind me.
"Kill the trebuchet operators, mages, and archers first!"
In a siege, the real maddening part wasn't the soldiers staunchly defending the walls.
It was the sneaky bastards hiding behind the walls and soldiers, sniping with magic and arrows.
'And those are the ones who actually kill the most soldiers.'
I scanned around and spotted the fortress watchtower raining arrows and magic like rain.
"Kill those sneaky bastards first!"
With that, I circulated aura through my body once more.
"Die, you weak-ass plow-pushers!"
Swinging my aura-charged sword, I advanced, and their heads fell like leaves in the wind.
Still, attacks from those trying to kill me kept surging like a river.
But since the skill of those swinging weapons was so abysmal...
It was just momentum, nothing burdensome for me, Martin Meyer.
'Attacks without aura or weight—I can just tank them with my armor.'
As I gripped my sword tight again and slashed indiscriminately through the enemy...
Suddenly, someone bellowed from the side.
"Tin can bastard! Die!"
The guy smirked, swinging his mace full force at my vitals.
A heavy impact transmitted to my body, but it didn't really hurt.
"Felt like a fly landing, punk."
Then I slashed his neck in a straight line.
Shoulder-checking the corpse aside, I immediately hacked at the guys swinging weapons from behind and the sides.
My breathing was starting to quicken a bit, my body feeling heavier little by little.
'Did I overdo it?'
But hearing the voices of the guys following behind me gave me a surge of strength.
"Follow the Platoon Leader! Kill every head up on these walls!"
"Fall behind and you're dead!"
"Open the gates today and take 'em!"
I didn't look back, but seeing them keeping up without issue...
Thanks to me drilling them like dogs, they were probably smashing these weak serf soldiers like cold porridge.
'Can't collapse in front of them.'
With that, I steadily advanced toward the watchtower, slashing through enemy troops with my aura blade.
Once atop the watchtower, the gazes of the enemy archers, mages, and trebuchet operators all locked onto me.
"Kill that dog!"
"Defend the watchtower! Hold until reinforcements arrive!"
"Turn him into a porcupine!"
A few archers I could handle, but with mages mixed in, it was honestly risky like this...
'Get in close.'
I lowered my stance and poured aura into my right foot, stomping the ground.
My body shot forward like an arrow—no, a bullet.
The guy I was targeting now: that mage leisurely chanting up front.
"Flames that burn the enemy, Fireball!"
True to the spell firing a fireball, a scorching blaze hurtled toward me, sending chills down my spine...
But the hastily chanted magic was clumsier than I'd expected.
If I'd reached mid-level Aura Expert, I could've infused aura and slashed the spell itself...
But no need for risky gambles now.
Instead, I charged aura into slamming a guy on the other side dead, dodging the fireball.
"What the fuck?"
After evading, I spun wide and cleaved through his staff and waist in one go.
The soldiers on the watchtower no longer dared use ranged weapons to suppress us.
"Fuck, is this for real?"
"Dodging magic shot right in front of him?"
"Is that even human?"
Savoring the enemy's shocked praise, I issued the next order.
"Kill everyone on the watchtower! Smash the trebuchets!"
At my command, our mercenary soldiers immediately butchered the sneaky arrow-snipers.
"Die, die! You worthless dust specks!"
"Sneaking attacks from behind? How's that feel?"
"Drop dead!"
After fully securing the watchtower, I grabbed a torch and waved it wildly to signal.
It wasn't over yet, but this was pretty damn good.