Chapter 138: How a Veteran Shakes Up the Battlefield (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 138: How a Veteran Shakes Up the Battlefield (1)
"Human, just... who are you?"
Caracal asked once more.
His eyes were still shaking with shock, but that wasn't what mattered right now.
How did this guy...
How on earth did he know about the Frostblade Tribe's...
"Are you curious about the soul-infused essence? Is that what you're wondering?"
"Y-yes."
The soul-infused essence.
Literally, it was a jewel containing the blessings of the Frostblade Tribe's ancestors.
Well, to borrow the Ice Trolls' phrasing, at least.
In reality, it was a crystal that gathered the residual mana left behind when battle-crazed maniacs fought to the death.
I'll have to play this off smoothly.
Jinhyuk spun a plausible scenario on the spot.
Let's see.
The genre... should be 'medieval fantasy'?
[Lv1 'Faint Body Scent' has been activated.]
The scent drifting from Jinhyuk's body gradually faded.
"Could this be...!"
Caracal's eyes shook with shock.
He wasn't surprised simply because of a skill that hid one's scent.
He was shocked by the unique mana emanating from the skill itself.
Just as expected.
The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
As expected of someone at the 'Hero' rank, he couldn't help but recognize the origin of the skill.
"Were you... affiliated with the Empire?"
A gasp escaped Caracal's lips.
At the same time, his mind began to race.
I see.
If that was the case, everything made sense.
The opponent's absurd strength.
His knowledge of the Frostblade Tribe's Essence.
It all fit perfectly under the assumption that he was a member of the Empire, which possessed vast power and information.
"Yes. I came from there. I've just been blending in with the Players for the past few days."
'Faint Body Scent' was a skill he had acquired from the Caladium Kingdom, one of the kingdoms under the Empire, during his raid on the psychiatric ward.
Since it was a skill primarily used by imperial assassins and had exerted a strong influence on the 5th floor, the skill itself was imbued with the Empire's distinct mana.
Caracal had recognized exactly that.
Of course, Jinhyuk had anticipated even this.
"Since you inherited the position of chief, you must have also inherited the knowledge of the previous chief. So you should know."
Jinhyuk continued, his expression completely deadpan.
"As you know, our Empire is strong. Naturally, as someone sent directly by the Imperial Family, I possess strength befitting that status."
There was no need to explain why he was with the Players, or why he had descended to the lower floors instead of climbing to the middle floors of the Tower.
Keeping it vague would only solidify the other party's conviction.
Besides.
The first condition for copying:
-1. Make your opponent submit in the duel against Caracal.
This sentence didn't specify that he had to physically overpower him.
In other words, he just had to break his opponent's will by any means necessary.
The second condition, drinking together, won't be possible until this is all over. For now, this is enough.
And as if to support his prediction...
The battle spirit radiating from Caracal's body subsided in an instant.
The tip of his spear pointed downward.
"What do you want from us, going to such lengths?"
A voice filled with resignation, yet carrying a faint sliver of hope, drifted out.
With those final words...
[The first copy condition has been met.]
A blue status window appeared before Jinhyuk's eyes.
* * *
Just as expected.
Now, all that was left was to drive the wedge home.
"What I want is war," Jinhyuk said flatly.
Caracal's expression darkened instantly.
"W... war?"
"Yes. Those pale vampires and those annoying Demonic Humans. I'm going to clean them all out this time."
He intended to deal them a blow so devastating they wouldn't dare show their faces for a long time.
It suited them better to huddle in their hideouts, licking their wounds.
"If we join hands with you, do you truly believe we can win against them?"
"I can't promise you much. If you stand with me, you will lose many of your tribesmen."
Against the Blood Clan and the Demonic Humans, even the mighty Frostblade Tribe would inevitably suffer heavy casualties.
Half of their warriors... no, perhaps even more, might die.
"Our warriors are always prepared to die. The problem is the non-combatants. If our betrayal is discovered... and if we happen to lose, our entire tribe could be wiped out."
"You're right. That is certainly a possibility."
Jinhyuk didn't deny it.
In the worst-case scenario, they would have to accept even that.
Even so...
"Are you really okay with things staying like this? I'm asking if you're truly satisfied with merely scraping by to survive."
"How could we be okay with it! But that might still be better than our lineage being completely severed. At least..."
"No," Jinhyuk interrupted. "That is a life worse than death."
There was no meaning in living as a slave.
It was far more valuable to fight back, even if it meant dying in an ugly struggle.
"Yes. Perhaps... you are right."
Caracal looked as if he were swallowing molten iron.
At those bone-deep words, drops of blood dripped from his tightly clenched fists.
"Then, if we stand with you, can our tribe survive?"
"As I said before, I can't promise you much."
But...
Just one thing. This, at least, he could guarantee.
"Honor and pride."
And...
"Freedom. I will make sure you can protect them."
"……!"
It was just a few words strung together.
Yet, the weight of those three concepts was incomparable to anything else.
"Honor, pride... and freedom."
Caracal slowly chewed over the words.
Though they were considered a strong race on the lower floors of the Tower, there was always a bigger fish.
The Trolls had always been exploited by stronger races and factions.
Used at their whim when needed, and discarded the moment they outlived their usefulness.
They were nothing more than disposable pawns used by the strong to expand their territory in the Tower.
That was the life they had lived.
And the destiny they were bound to follow.
But now...
A human had appeared, offering to break those chains.
It had been a brief encounter of less than an hour. Naturally, it was far too short a time to trust someone.
Yet, why?
Caracal felt that the weight behind those words was by no means light.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Caracal's heart began to beat wildly.
Because for the first time, he believed that a life of hopeless submission could change.
A heart that had long since withered and lost its function was now pounding.
"From the moment I first saw you... I thought you were an interesting human."
He was different from the loudmouths who were all talk.
There was a strange allure to Jinhyuk's words.
And he possessed the strength to back up that charm.
"I do not care whether you are a Player or someone from the Empire."
Even if this was the wrong choice.
Even if this led them to an even more miserable end.
"We..."
Caracal made his decision.
"...will no longer live as slaves."
The Frostblade Tribe would fight.
"Kroooar!"
"Ohhh!"
"To battle! Take up your weapons!"
"For freedom! Death to our enemies!"
A massive roar echoed along the lakeshore.
Now, the counterattack begins.
* * *
A considerable distance away from the Freshwater Lake.
In a place where the white snow was stained black, several men and women were gathered.
The first to catch the eye were Bertion and Ophelia.
And beside them stood Hosenbelt from the Demonic Human Association.
The grim expressions on their faces were undoubtedly because things hadn't gone according to plan.
Right then.
A man perched on a boulder spoke.
"...Was he truly that strong? That human, Kang Jinhyuk?"
Bertion and Ophelia were beautiful in their own right, but they could not compare to this man.
Silver hair cascading to his shoulders, and eyes as crimson as rubies.
The aura radiating from his pale skin was nothing short of breathtaking.
If anyone were to cross paths with him on the street, they would undoubtedly turn back to look at least once.
But...
This man's greatness did not stem merely from his appearance.
'Black Wing'—a title granted only to those who directly served the six Great House Heads.
And this man, Michael, was a pureblood who made up one of those wings.
Flinch.
Bertion and Ophelia's bodies trembled slightly.
Michael's status was so absolute that even these two proud members of the Blood Clan dared not make eye contact.
"Yes. It is frustrating, but it felt as though the two of us combined would barely be enough to face him."
Ophelia, bowing her head, answered politely.
On the other hand, Bertion immediately protested.
"Ophelia! What are you saying...! No, that is not true. He was certainly a bit troublesome, but that was only because we let our guard down. If you give me just one more chance, I will surely slit his throat."
"Oh? You want another chance?"
"Yes."
Bertion ground his teeth, his fighting spirit burning.
"I would like to do that for my cute subordinate, but since things have already deviated significantly from our original plan, we cannot afford to waste our moves on useless endeavors."
"Pardon? We were pushed back slightly, but we are still far superior..."
"No."
Michael's gaze drifted toward the distant sky.
The others followed his gaze and looked up.
Focusing their senses, they could see tiny machines, barely larger than specks, flying in the air. It would have been difficult to notice them if not for Michael.
"Amusing. Spying on us using little rats..."
"C-could it be... have they located us?"
"It seems so. They appear to have mapped out all the key strategic points in the forest. I figured anyone with half a brain would eventually find this place, but this is far too fast."
Michael smiled faintly.
It was an innocent smile, as if he had just found a fun new toy.
"I will order my subordinates to shoot down those drones immediately. We will also capture the one controlling them alive."
This time, Hosenbelt stepped forward.
An ability like that would only be effective within a certain range of the user.
In other words, the enemies had to be nearby those drones.
But Michael shook his head once more.
"Don't you find it strange? That those who pinpointed our exact location in this vast forest would expose themselves so carelessly?"
"...Are you saying it's a trap?"
"It wouldn't make sense otherwise."
And the reason they are distracting us like this...
"They must be targeting the Ice Trolls."
Yes. That was the only explanation.
While a detachment kept our attention fixed here, the rest of their forces would have headed to the Freshwater Lake where the Ice Trolls reside.
Perhaps that Kang Jinhyuk fellow thought he could defeat Caracal, the chief of the Frostblade Tribe. Or maybe...
He thinks he can win them over.
Considering how harshly the Blood Clan had treated the Trolls, the latter was far more likely.
Does he intend to make them turn their spears against us?
If he could dismantle one part of the three-race alliance, the humans' chances of victory would rise, if only slightly.
Furthermore, seeing how recklessly he behaved, he surely had more tricks up his sleeve.
The possibility that he had another faction backing him besides Alice could not be ignored either.
Interesting.
Piecing the situation together, it meant his opponent had prepared his own countermeasures for victory.
But all of that only worked if his underlying motives remained hidden.
"You've underestimated me far too much."
Michael stood up.
He had to admit the human had used his head, but that was all.
The one who had experienced countless battlefields and crossed the threshold of death...
And the one who was still breathing and alive in the end...
Was none other than himself.
"Now, let me explain what we must do."