Chapter 31
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Black Lion Pursuit
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Becoming a member of the Black Lion Knights was no easy feat.
From a young age, one had to be recognized for their potential and endure over a decade of grueling training to become a true Black Lion.
Heron was a genuine powerhouse acknowledged as one of the elite even among those knights.
Even among Sword Experts, he was worlds apart from greenhorns like Gawain.
As a top-tier Sword Expert, he was the finest agent, expected to reach Sword Master within five years.
'The security's surprisingly lax, huh?'
Scaling a single wall was child's play for him, of course.
The ancient walls that had guarded Trvente Village through the ages were no more than a pebble in his path.
'If my hunch is right, Trvente Village is a prime suspect.'
Slipping into the village undetected, Heron immediately began gathering intel on anyone wielding a greatsword.
It didn't take long before he overheard talk of a certain mercenary.
'A mercenary who's made a name with a greatsword...'
There might be more than a few using greatswords, but true standouts were rare.
This was worth investigating. The base of that wandering "Greatsword" who roamed the nation could very well be here.
'Raiding the mercenary guild should turn up something.'
Heron headed to the guild undetected by any prying eyes.
But just as he was about to step inside, something unexpected happened.
Something sliced through the darkness, hurtling toward him with ferocious speed.
Shiiik.
Even Heron, forged in brutal training, couldn't react in time.
Kwaak.
The moment Heron flinched, a long rod was already lodged between his legs.
'An ambush!'
His heart plummeted, but he bit back any groan and calmly retreated.
'An arrow?'
Crouching low and scanning his surroundings, Heron finally spotted the weapon before him and his eyes flashed.
'No way...'
This wasn't the work of an amateur. The arrow had been lethally threatening, beyond even his ability to react.
One name instantly flashed through Heron's mind.
'Ruyan, that bastard!'
The demon who, five years ago, had turned an entire city upside down with just a bow.
Only he could pull this off.
'This is bad. I'm exposed.'
The enemy had him in their sights. But Heron hadn't spotted Ruyan yet.
At this rate, he'd lose a hundred battles out of a hundred.
'Can I escape?'
He couldn't even guarantee that.
Yet contrary to those grim thoughts, Heron was already launching himself forward with all his might.
Paat.
A single push off the ground propelled him over 30 meters.
'I have to warn the vice commander.'
That was the only thought in Heron's head. He had to relay this situation no matter what.
Gritting his teeth as he sprinted, Heron pulled out his magic crystal orb.
But just as he was about to infuse it with mana—
A gust of wind grazed his hand.
Shiiik.
What he'd mistaken for wind was razor-sharp. And excruciatingly painful.
'Kuuhk.'
Swallowing a scream amid the dizzying agony, Heron stared at his hand in horror.
Nothing was left.
A ravenous storm of blood had devoured his right hand clutching the orb whole.
'Damn it. This guy's beyond me!'
Confirming the overwhelming gap, Heron couldn't even fathom facing the enemy.
'At this rate, I'll die before I can warn the vice commander.'
Even in death, he had to get the message out.
Cornered and hyper-focused on his mission, Heron overlooked one simple fact.
Why had these deadly arrows spared his life twice now?
Failing to entertain that rational doubt was Heron's first mistake.
'If I can't reach the vice commander directly, I need to link up with the other agents.'
Turning sharply from his path to Hatchling Village, Heron raced elsewhere.
To rendezvous with nearby Black Lions on assignment.
'Please, just Sotton Village...'
He didn't dare look back, fleeing desperately from the death closing in behind him.
Was it the sheer desperation?
In just one hour, he reached the nearest city.
-Soton Village.
Covering two days' journey on foot in an hour spoke volumes of his urgency.
'I made it. Now I can warn the vice commander.'
His face pale from excessive blood loss, Heron gazed at the approaching walls with a wistful smile.
'Did you think you could target a Black Lion and get away with it?'
If the vice commander came personally, a punk like Ruyan wouldn't last a second.
Heron was certain of it. The bastard would regret being born.
Approaching Soton Village openly without hiding, a shadow suddenly emerged from the walls.
"What happened?"
A Black Lion on assignment in the city.
The knight approached with a stern expression, then widened his eyes at the blood-soaked Heron.
"Those wounds..."
"The crystal orb! Contact the vice commander now!"
Despite the horrific pain, Heron had kept his lips sealed—until he unleashed his fury in a shout.
And then... he blinked just once.
But...
His comrade, who had approached with concern, froze in an unnatural pose.
'What's wrong with him all of a sudden?'
Death arrived without a sound. The grim divine punishment finally descended.
"What are you doing? Get the crystal orb out..."
Panicking, Heron raised his voice to berate his comrade.
But in that instant, crimson blood trickled from between the fellow Black Lion's eyes.
'My God! What the...'
A small hole was already pierced through the Black Lion's forehead.
Heron didn't need to check for a pulse to know.
He was dead.
How was this possible? It felt like a nightmare.
But it was stark reality!
As he stared at his comrade in shock, a sharp whoosh finally reached his ears—belatedly.
Shiiiik.
Heron definitely heard it. Yet strangely, nothing happened.
Death beyond the speed of sound.
The sound of the arrow piercing the Black Lion's forehead had only now reached Heron.
And trailing the whoosh came a low voice.
"Good work."
A young man slinked into view before Heron's eyes.
It was Ruyan.
"Now rest."
Ruyan gazed at Heron impassively before flicking his hand.
Tuk.
Already on the brink from blood loss, Heron crumpled from the mere nudge.
In a tragic twist, Heron's desperate flight had guided Ruyan straight to his comrade.
'So they weren't zeroing in on Trvente Village specifically.'
Looking down at the two Black Lions, Ruyan calmly stroked his chin.
He'd suspected as much from their swift movements, but now it was confirmed.
The pursuers were scattered across multiple villages on assignments.
'He made a beeline for the nearest comrade.'
Heron had bypassed a couple of small villages without stopping, pushing all the way here.
'So they're focusing searches on larger cities?'
The picture was coming together.
Ruyan smirked and snapped his fingers.
Crack.
Samadhi True Fire
Pure flames conjured solely from internal energy—a pinnacle martial feat.
Whoosh.
The Black Lions vanished without a trace in the Samadhi True Fire's blaze.
'Now, let's see how far their reach extends.'
Having erased all evidence, Ruyan picked up the magic crystal orb one of the Black Lions had dropped.
Chiiik.
Infusing a touch of mana, the orb glowed brightly, projecting a hologram.
'Tonight will be long. Don't blame me—this is the price for ignoring the warning.'
They would learn just how merciless the moonlight could be.
Ruyan tossed the orb aside and turned away.
Cage, vice commander of the Black Lion Knights, could scarcely keep his composure.
"Damn it! Answer me!"
He bellowed, but no response came.
The hologram from the magic crystal orb showed only a dim night path.
The first contact had come around midnight.
A Black Lion on assignment in Soton Village had sent an urgent message.
But what was this?
-Chiiik.
Only the telltale static of the magic crystal orb filled the air—no sign of the subordinate knight.
Cage realized immediately something had gone wrong.
'There's something in Soton Village.'
If a rigorously trained Black Lion had been taken down, it was no ordinary matter.
'Guess I have to check it myself.'
Decision made, Cage bolted toward Soton Village without delay.
Papapaat.
The speed of a man who had lived his life in shadows, a non-entity, was astonishing.
Cage surged forward 100 meters per step—far beyond what mere knights could match.
The Black Lion Knights' number two!
Hidden in Rodolph's towering shadow, Cage was no pushover.
He had entered Sword Master realm a decade ago and was now hammering at mid-level walls—a terrifying powerhouse.
His lightning-fast sword strikes were lethal enough that even Rodolph couldn't ignore them.
As Cage pushed his speed to the limit, his body began outpacing the wind itself.
Yet despite his haste, was he too late? At some point, horror began unfolding for Cage.
-Chiiik.
Before Cage even reached Soton Village, the orb lit up again.
"What happened?"
Not slowing a beat, Cage raised the orb to eye level as he ran.
But that was it.
Once more, no voice came from the other end.
'Damn it! Another one down!'
The faintly bloodied screen was proof enough.
'What the hell? Not Soton—this is the complete opposite direction.'
This contact was from a shadow operating on the far side from Soton Village.
In the end, Cage had no choice but to halt.
Which way should he go?
Standing at the crossroads, lost, he could only watch his subordinates' final moments in vain.
-Chiiik.
That night, Cage received eight contacts. Bloody screens lit up from every search zone he'd ordered.
'This isn't the Greatsword's doing!'
He had to admit it now. A massive, unforeseen variable had blindsided the Black Lions.
'Did we misread from the start?'
The Greatsword had never acted this boldly before. They lacked the capability.
'Damn it! What's really going on?!'
In rage, Cage crushed the glaring magic crystal orb in his fist.
Crack!
The orb shattered to pieces, blood dripping from Cage's hand.
Something was terribly, terribly wrong.