Chapter 140: The End of Training
Chapter 140: The End of Training
For three days, we marched without a single battle against monsters. We encountered a few monster packs, but they were usually some distance away, and our marching pace was so fast that we often just passed them by.
What I was teaching the others was the Rapid March. During a Rapid March, you avoid any monsters you meet as much as possible, or you simply ignore them. The entire point was to reach the target destination as quickly as possible.
The others struggled immensely on the first and second days, but by the third, they looked relatively stable. They weren't just blindly forcing themselves to keep up anymore; they had learned to manage their own breathing, pace, and magic.
When we crossed three mountain peaks and set foot on flat ground again, everyone rejoiced. But I immediately turned toward the next mountain peak in the distance. (As an aside, I felt like I heard silent screams from behind me.)
Until now, we had managed to avoid monsters thanks to the Rapid March and a fair bit of luck. (The group was highly suspicious of Ahn Sol regarding this point. Her only answer was to hang her head low.) However, monsters often build settlements in the mountains, and if our path led through one, a confrontation was inevitable. And if those monsters recognized us as "invaders," a battle was unavoidable. Just like right now.
“Oppa. What the hell are those hideous monkeys? I don't think I've ever seen them before.”
“Aren't they Mangki?”
Seeing Yoojung and Ahn Hyun’s blank faces, I shook my head.
Before us stood a group of monkeys boasting shaggy fur. There were about twenty of them, each standing a little over two meters tall with solid muscles. They made Mangki look skinny by comparison.
They were quite strong and knew how to use their heads, but they were still just monkeys. I slowly drew my sword and answered.
“Hairy Monkeys. Think of them as a higher-tier species than Mangki. Their fighting style is similar, but they’re superior in every way, so don't let your guard down. We'll use the formation I explained before we left. And Yoojung, you're on free role.”
“Yahoo! I love you, Oppa.”
Shing, sh-shing.
At my signal, I heard the sound of weapons being drawn from behind. This was the first battle where the others would showcase their skills. Listening to their eager, mumbled incantations, I raised a single finger toward the monkeys, then made a cutting motion with my sword. I added a deliberate sneer for good measure.
Hairy Monkeys were a peculiar species where females drastically outnumbered males. Their reproduction rate wasn't very high, either. As a result, males were born under the strict protection of the females and never left the settlement. They were nothing more than seed-supplying machines.
Having provoked the females with a gesture that meant I'd cut off their males' genitals, there was no way they would stand by. They immediately shrieked, their eyes turning bloodshot as they began to pant heavily. I just stood there with a calm expression and flicked my sword. This time, I planned to relax and appreciate the others' skills rather than step in myself.
“Kree-kree!”
A few of the Hairy Monkeys shrieked and leaped into the air, preparing for a Leap Attack. But the monkeys that soared into the sky soon stuck their tongues out and plummeted straight to the ground.
I glanced back and saw Ko Yeonju casually spinning a dagger. There had been no presence, no sound. I gave a wry smile at her relaxed demeanor and turned back to the front. The monkeys seemed a little surprised, but their eyes burned even brighter. They appeared to be enraged by the deaths of their kin, but honestly, I didn't find it frightening. And it seemed the others felt the same way.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The crimson blood flowing from the monkeys that had fallen to the ground soaked the earth. That was the signal for the battle to begin.
“Kik-kik-kik! Kik-kik-kik-kik!”
The Hairy Monkeys charged, screaming like mad. In response, the magic users raised their voices, their incantations growing louder. It was then…
Just as I was about to move to the front to obstruct their path, I saw Yoojung leap forward.
As the Hairy Monkeys charged with their hands raised high, Yoojung weaved through an exquisite gap between them. A brand-new katana was now in her left hand. As one of the monkeys beside her faltered, she quickly got behind it and leaped onto its back.
“Kree?”
The charging monkey shook its head, feeling something on its back. But Yoojung had already secured her position. With her now-empty right hand, she grabbed its head tightly while pressing the katana in her left against its throat. The Hairy Monkey tried to twist its body, but Yoojung’s legs were already locked around its torso and thighs, pinning it completely. Having perfectly taken its back, Yoojung let out a cruel smile and slit its throat.
“Screeeech!”
With a mournful scream, a fountain of blood burst from the monkey's neck. The other monkeys, finally snapping to their senses, changed direction with astonishing speed and rushed toward Yoojung. The katana seemed to be stuck in the monkey's neck, so Yoojung lowered her left hand slightly, licked her lips, and released her grip. At this rate, she would be attacked from all sides. But her eyes showed no panic; instead, they were scanning her surroundings, looking for an opportunity.
The reason for her confidence soon became clear. A long arm shot out from her shadow, pulled the katana from the fallen Hairy Monkey's neck, and swung it in a wide arc. The quicker monkeys hastily retreated, but one or two were caught by the surprise attack and suffered long gashes. The ink-black hand placed the katana back in Yoojung's hand and then, as if its job was done, quietly faded back into the shadow.
“The little one's really showing off today, isn't she? Hoho.”
I heard Ko Yeonju’s cheerful laugh. As if in response, Yoojung immediately summoned the Demonic Sword, Skurepf, into her right hand. She took a stance as the Hairy Monkeys charged at her again, and the thought of finally seeing her dual-wielding style made me watch her with interest.
Her body was slightly bent, the katana held low and Skurepf held high. In that position, she let out that strange moan of hers and waved her swords around. She wasn't standing still; she was moving her feet. Sidestepping a monkey charging from the front, her sword flashed once, and a long line of blood trickled from the monkey's neck.
After finishing one off for good, she began to swing her daggers wide like a windmill. She couldn't kill them in one hit like before, but it seemed her intention was to damage several at once. After successfully making two monkeys scream in pain, she failed to notice another one rushing in from her blind spot and took a direct hit.
Thwack!
A powerful fist slammed into Yoojung’s back, and I saw her body fly through the air.
“Ah, fuck.”
Yoojung tumbled toward our side, spat a quiet curse, and immediately got back on her feet. Ahn Sol quickly tried to cast a healing spell, but Yoojung waved her hand a couple of times, signaling that she was fine. Well, with how much her gear was worth, she could probably just shrug off a hit like that.
Soon, she was back with the group, a slight smile on her face. Her gaze was fixed on me. I let out a small laugh at her silent protest and turned away.
In a way, Yoojung had been making a statement to me. She had charged into the enemy ranks before the clash, neutralizing their initial rush and returning after killing or injuring several of them. And her greatest achievement was buying time for the mages to cast their spells while maintaining a safe distance from the front-line tankers.
As expected, just as Yoojung returned, the voices of Shin Sangyong and Hayeon echoed through the air.
“Gust of Wind!”
“Land of Aqua!”
A fierce wind blew toward the Hairy Monkeys, and Hayeon cast a water spell into it. Seeing the monkeys thoroughly soaked by the wind-powered water, Hayeon cast the next spell she had prepared.
“Cone Of Ice!”
Crack! Cra-crack!
Long shards of ice shot out from the water covering the monkeys' bodies, piercing deep into them. As they all knelt, screaming in agony, Yoojung, who had approached from behind, tapped Ahn Hyun on the shoulder.
“Why don’t you go clean up, Ahn Hyun-ssi—our Rare-Class Aura Spearman?”
I instinctively turned to look at Ahn Hyun. But, surprisingly, his expression was calm. An undeniable competitive spirit flickered in his eyes, but he countered her taunt in a quiet voice.
“I’m the off-tank. I can’t leave my position yet.”
“Hmph. No fun.”
Yoojung glanced at me for a moment before turning her gaze to the front. The area ahead was already littered with the corpses of the horribly mangled Hairy Monkeys. The caravan had dealt with the monsters splendidly without me, Vivian, or Ahn Hyun having to step in. Hearing Ko Yeonju's whistle from behind, I lightly patted Ahn Hyun's shoulder. It was a signal for him to go warm up on the one or two that were still left.
*
Before long, complete darkness had fallen. I ordered the group to make camp and calmly studied the map. At our original pace, we wouldn't have even covered 10% of the distance, but we had already traveled nearly 30%.
We hadn't fought any monsters on the first and second days, and only had two battles on the third. Yoojung had excelled against the Hairy Monkeys, and Vivian against the Landmoles, so we faced no major difficulties. Yoojung, as if trying to get back at Ahn Hyun for everything he'd put her through, provoked him several times, but he didn't budge. He was likely prioritizing my orders, and was probably also inwardly surprised by her drastic improvement.
After securing a spot and having a simple dinner, the group fell into a deep sleep. The fatigue from the Rapid March was likely greater than the fatigue from battle.
“Leader. Time for the shift change.”
I had just closed my eyes when I felt someone gently shaking me. I lifted my head and saw Shin Sangyong smiling brightly. I calmly got out of my sleeping bag and cracked my neck from side to side. A pleasant ache spread from the cracking sound.
“Anything to report?”
“No. I set up mana detection and an alarm spell just in case, but I haven't detected any presence.”
“Good work. I've got it from here, so you should get some sleep.”
“Yaaawn… Yes. I’ll turn in, then.”
Shin Sangyong, looking tired himself, let out a big yawn and clumsily squeezed into his sleeping bag. Watching him, I slowly scanned the dense thicket around us. As he had diligently reported, I couldn't sense any monsters. I turned my head back to the group and located Ahn Sol. Then, I carefully closed the distance between us.
Looking down, I saw Ahn Sol had buried her face in her sleeping bag, her brow slightly furrowed. Listening more closely, I could hear her letting out faint, pained whimpers. I reached into my pouch, grabbed a potion, and carefully slid my hands under her armpits to lift her up.
“Uungh… O-Orabeoni…?”
Ahn Sol’s eyelids fluttered open, and she looked around in surprise. But as soon as she saw my face, her eyes relaxed. I gently soothed her, and she seemed to feel safe, her body going limp as she closed her eyes and automatically leaned against me. I gently pulled her out, lifted her slender legs, and took off her socks.
“Tsk. You should have at least used a healing spell.”
Her feet, once white and flawless, were now cracked and blistered from the forced march. I clicked my tongue, opened the potion I had prepared, and began to carefully apply it to her feet. As I watched them return to their original pretty state, I decided to do a little more.
Focusing on the red, inflamed spots, I massaged her entire foot. Even in her sleep, Ahn Sol seemed to feel my touch, wiggling her toes as she pushed her feet deeper into my lap. She must have been cold after being taken out of her warm sleeping bag.
After placing her back inside, I gently stroked her hair. She was breathing evenly, as if having a pleasant dream, and rubbed her head against my hand.
In the past, she would have cried and said she couldn't keep up, but this time, she had endured and followed along. I was proud of her. After confirming that her breathing was even again, I let out a deep sigh.
I had a feeling things were going too well. Far too well.