Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Black Hammer Gang (4)
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Crevan had no intention of letting the barbarian get close.
Thud, thud!
"Fire!"
As the stone hammer slammed the ground twice, the crossbowmen pulled their triggers in unison. The taut strings snapped back with full force.
Twang, twang-twung, twung!
Six straight lines cut through the air. The bolts wobbled faintly in the narrow valley's breeze. Kadim grabbed Graham by the scruff of the neck and hoisted him up as if he'd been waiting for it.
"Ack?"
Thwack, thwack!
"Wha—urk... Graaaah!!"
One bolt to the ribs, one to the thigh. Two hits struck the human shield. Thanks to that, Kadim advanced without so much as grazing a single arrow.
'No way that bastard...?'
Crevan stared in stunned disbelief at the sight of the man using his employer as a meat shield without hesitation. He shook off the shock and barked orders at the crossbowmen.
"Target the edges sticking out! The guy's huge, but he can't cover his whole body! Once you're reloaded, fire on my command!"
The barbarian's frame was far larger than the man he was using for cover. Aiming for the protruding edges should halt the charge. The crossbowmen hooked their bolts onto the strings with claws attached to their leather belts and stomped the stirrups, laboriously pulling back the strings again.
But not every crossbowman managed to reload unscathed.
Splat—!
"Guh..."
"...Huh?"
A handaxe smashed into the temple.
Its dull blade made a thud more like a club than a blade. The crossbowman's skull caved in as he collapsed in a heap. The spent axe split from its head and handle, rolling across the ground.
"Sh-shit, get down! The barbarian's throwing axes! Hide under the earthen wall and reload!"
Cold sweat trickled down Crevan's back. That had been the barbarian's only thrown weapon, but the crossbowmen had no way of knowing.
Panicking, they forgot the order for a volley. As soon as they reloaded, they fired wildly like they were pissing in a rush.
Twang, twung, twang, twang!
Those shots had no chance of hitting. The best they managed was grazing the meat shield's forearm.
Thud!
"Gaaaah! Fuuuck, you bastard! What the hell is this?! Just kill me alreadyyy!!!"
...Well, forcing a survival expert to beg for death was an achievement in its own right.
The barbarian was nearly at the earthen wall now. Crevan kicked a crossbowman in the side and bellowed.
"What the hell are you idiots doing?! I said volley fire so you actually hit something! Goddamn it, stop shooting! Everyone else, charge now!"
"Raaagh!"
"Waaah!"
His men hidden in the brush charged with roars. Now that allies were mixed in, shooting was too risky. Kadim hurled Graham aside and cracked his neck.
'...Too many of them.'
They were just frontier bandits. Poorly armed rabble with no real training.
But their numbers were overwhelming, and their positions weren't great. Fighting while surrounded like this could lead to an unexpected wound at any moment.
'Well, with "Mosquito," most injuries will heal mid-fight...'
Its vampiric effect couldn't restore fatigue, though. If he wore himself out finishing them off and got hurt, that'd be it. Where was he supposed to find dozens more people he could slaughter without a hitch, like those monster packs?
So, a swifter, surer way.
Kadim uncorked his leather waterskin and gulped down the demon blood.
A foul vitality burned down his throat and spread through his body. Scorching heat raced along his veins as his heart thrashed wildly beneath his ribs. His quads, calves, biceps, and deltoids swelled massively, primed for explosive speed.
He'd drunk this demon blood before—against that pack of blade wolves. He already knew it'd grant an "Agility Boost" buff.
But this time, the surge was incomparably fiercer.
'Well, last time I was a total wreck when I drank it...'
Buffs worked best when your body was in peak condition. His heated muscles howled for frenzy. A fierce urge burned to test this body's nimbleness right now.
Kadim stomped the ground hard.
Before he could even exhale, he was in the midst of the bandits.
"Wha—? How di—"
A blade silenced him, slashing up into his throat.
Crunch—crack!
Blood sprayed as severed neck muscles twitched. Eyes still uncomprehending drifted aimlessly toward where the barbarian had been moments ago.
Slash, stab—!
The blade severed another's nape as he turned, then pierced the heart of the one beside him. Gazes of horror caught up too late. The doomed men uttered belated last words.
"Wha—wha..."
"What... what..."
His speed outpaced their awareness. Kadim yanked the blade free and kicked the man's chest with brutal force.
Thud—!
Terrifying leg strength crushed the front line. Gack—short gasps followed as the men directly behind fell, clutching at those behind them to stay upright. Instead, they all lost balance together, toppling like dominoes.
Kadim plunged into the collapsing ranks. He stabbed the scrambling ones, slashed the frozen, and cleaved the slow ones swinging clubs.
His advance was unhindered as if treading on wind, his blade striking like a predator on prey. Severed heads, gushing blood, and shredded guts flew. Once down, none rose again.
After butchering the fallen in seconds, the berserker leaped toward the rest.
"Haaargh!"
The bandits finally grasped the situation, their faces twisting in horror.
"Wha—what? How's he so fa—"
"Fuck, what kind of mo—"
"...Ah! He's comi—"
Scattered syllables. Meaningless final cries dissolving into nonsense. The rampaging blade carved sharp strokes through throats, skulls, lungs, and hearts. Every exclamation ended in a red blood drop.
They couldn't react. By the time they thought to counter, the barbarian had already slit their throats and was tearing into the rear. Their belated swings whistled through empty air. The enchanted blade devoured blood, piling up corpses.
Crevan's jaw dropped. The map fragment hadn't even fully gone down his throat, yet dozens of his men were already dead. He couldn't believe his eyes.
'...Damn it, that's not a realm you reach just by training your body. No way a barbarian got Elga's divine relic. What the hell did he do? Shit, why's a monster like that out here in the sticks...'
Whatever his origins, Crevan had provoked something beyond human. Regret was pointless now. At this rate, the barbarian really would "reclaim" the map from him.
Crevan resolved to use every trick he had.
"Give me that crossbow. And the bolts."
"Huh? B-but boss, shooting now might hit our own guys..."
"Fuck, we're all dead anyway—what's a few more?! Hand it over!"
Whether misfortune or luck, the melee had turned into panicked men fleeing while the barbarian pursued. It let Crevan aim solely at him.
Twang!
"..."
But the bolt was casually blocked.
The barbarian raised a hand. Crevan first thought it had pierced his palm. Only when he brushed it off did he realize it'd been caught barehanded.
'No, that's impossible...'
Twang!
The second was the same.
He snatched it from the air like a fish. The motion was too fast to follow. Crevan and the crossbowmen gaped in shock.
Meanwhile, the barbarian peeked over the wall and ducked back.
"B-boss! He's coming this way!"
"Wh-what do we do, boss?"
They'd become priority targets. Crevan's hand trembled on his stone hammer. His mind spun for a way out.
'No chance head-on. At that speed, my head's gone before I swing. Then...'
"Two crossbows, lock the strings in place and bring 'em now. Bolts separate."
"Huh? B-but boss... that monster catches every bolt we shoot—what're you gonna...?"
"Damn it, no time to explain! Do it unless you wanna die!"
The man rigged the strings taut and set the crossbows at Crevan's feet. Crevan gripped his hammer in both hands and swallowed hard, watching the charging berserker.
'One shot...'
As the barbarian closed to twenty paces.
Crevan hurled the hammer with all his might.
Whoosh—boom!
The heavy stone hammer flew with massive force. But it was too slow for the barbarian. Kadim easily sidestepped the clumsy arc.
Crevan hadn't aimed to hit. It was just to check his movement—the real attack was this.
He kicked a crossbow into his hand, loaded a bolt, and fired instantly.
Twang!
Miss again. Point-blank, and still caught effortlessly.
But Crevan didn't falter.
'One hand on the bolt, one on the sword. No hands left.'
He kicked up the other crossbow, slotted a bolt smoothly, aimed dead center at the head—unavoidable—held his breath, and squeezed the trigger.
Twang!
Thud—!
The barbarian's head snapped back the instant it fired.
Crevan clenched his fist.
'Got him!'
This time, the barbarian couldn't dodge. The bolt was clearly lodged in his mouth. He expected the sword to drop as he collapsed...
So he thought.
'Huh?'
But the barbarian kept charging.
Stab, stab!
"Gaaaah!"
The blade tips pierced both thighs like arrows. Leg strength leaked from the wounds. Crevan collapsed, face blank with confusion.
Kadim finally withdrew his sword. Then crunch—he bit down. The broken shaft fell, and he spat out the arrowhead.
Only then did Crevan understand.
His pupils shook wildly, his mind going white.
'Insane... he caught it with his teeth?! Goddamn, Elga... is that thing really your creation?'
Whether the bandit pondered theology for the first time or not, Kadim muttered indifferently.
"Finish off the rest. Wait here quietly."
He kept his word.
A one-sided slaughter. The survivors offered no meaningful resistance before being culled. The "Black Hammer Gang," which had nearly dominated the area, was wiped out in under an hour, leaving only their leader.
Kadim wiped his blood-caked face. The crusted gore wouldn't come off easily. As he raised his sword hilt with his other hand, Crevan finally grasped the terror of livestock at the slaughterhouse.
"...I know it's late to say this, but could you spare me?"
"Not killing you. Just gut you and take the map."
"...No need to bother. I've memorized the whole thing. I'll tell you now."
Crevan described the map's drawings and text in earnest.
Central Molden Castle, beneath a fist-shaped rock. A deep hole leads to a black chest hiding an ancient treasure.
Kadim's brow furrowed in suspicion.
"If you knew the spot, why not grab it yourself? Bandit fear of the lord's guards?"
The lone leader gave a bitter smile.
"If we wanted it, we'd sneak a few guys in—no issue there. But Molden's surrounded by hundreds of soldiers now. That's why our 'Black Hammer Gang' had to shift base here, narrowing our options..."
"Don't care about your sob story. What force is besieging Molden, and why?"
"...Viscount Adlen's army. Officially to execute Molden's lord, the 'Demon Baron,' for his devil pact... but probably more to it. If there was real proof, Elga's paladins would've moved immediately."
"..."
Kadim clicked his tongue silently. He'd thought grabbing the map would end it, but things were getting messier. Like a chain quest branching into more.
'Gotta ask the merchant about Molden too.'
Time to wrap up and hurry back. The cave bandits were cleared, but leaving an unskilled guide who couldn't even handle goblins alone too long wasn't wise. Kadim gripped his sword hilt.
Crevan flailed in panic.
"Wh-why?! I told you everything!"
"I don't trust a bandit's word. Need to gut you and check the map myself."
"..."
"Didn't I say bring it if you can?"
Inevitable death closing in step by step.
Crevan squeezed his eyes shut and groaned.
It was all his own doing. He'd picked a fight with an arrogant barbarian out of bravado, and now this. That damn map fragment—what was the big deal? He should've just handed it over...
Stab!
"Ah, fuck..."
Too late for regrets. With his final breath, the Black Hammer Gang's leader passed.