106. Counterattack 1
Near Trist, a fierce waterfall cascaded down the cliffside.
Splashhh.
The roar of water filled their ears. That was when it happened.
Thud! Crack!! Rumble.
A deafening boom shook the surroundings. Cracks spiderwebbed across the rock face, and chunks of shattered stone tumbled down.
Directly below stood Bin, eyes closed, letting the torrent pound against him. His shirt was off, exposing broad shoulders and a torso rippling with lean muscle—the result of his singular drive to grow stronger.
But there was something new on his body: faint black patterns etched across his back and neck.
With eyes still shut, Bin probed the magi churning within him.
'This is only about half the power?'
He had absorbed a portion of Bellatan's body at around 30 percent saturation. Yet the sheer dominance of it was hard to fathom.
Thump-thump.
His heart raced on its own. If he unleashed the full 50 percent, he might lose his mind entirely. And it wouldn't end there—the power came laced with an insatiable bloodlust. The moment reason slipped, he could snap anyone's neck without a second thought.
'Focus once more...'
Black magi erupted from his body again.
Crack! Rumble.
Just like before, fissures raced across the cliffside. Bin grimaced at the overwhelming energy surging inside him.
Soon, the black patterns faded from his skin.
'About ten seconds...'
Maintaining that level of magi was no easy feat. The stamina drain alone was worlds apart from handling his previous reserves—like sprinting full-tilt with sandbags strapped to every limb.
Meanwhile, Irin Taia and Zeke, watching from afar, could only gape in awe.
"M-Magi strong enough to shatter the cliff...!"
"Terrifying, ain't it..."
Crunch.
A chilling dread gripped their chests, forcing them back a step. The aura was so repulsive they couldn't even approach. This was leagues beyond the magi Bin had wielded before.
Endaran Teia, head of the Taia family, reacted much the same.
'That kind of power from a 2nd Class knight...'
They all fell silent, staring at Bin, who had now ascended to 2nd Class.
Endaran's gaze drifted involuntarily to the cliff. The ground around Bin was fractured like shattered glass, with deep gouges no ordinary knight could inflict with a weapon. And he'd done it with magi alone.
Their jaws wouldn't close. It looked like a landslide had ravaged the area.
'To reach this realm at such a young age... If he masters that power fully...'
Endaran's eyes hardened with conviction. The Gana Continent might one day revolve around this young man.
As everyone reeled from Bin's overwhelming magi, Codic alone threw his head back and cackled.
"As expected of my lord...! It sends shivers down even this demon's spine—my hairs stand on end! Hahaha!"
At the entrance to Trist, Bin faced Endaran Teia, Irin Taia, and Zeke. It was time to part ways.
The Nemean lion pelt he'd claimed as reward was already tucked into Codic's mouth.
Bin looked to Endaran and spoke.
"Then I'll be heading back."
"Thanks to you, the Taia family stands intact."
Sincerity filled Endaran's eyes. Without Bin, not only his life, but his precious daughter Irin and the entire Taia family might have been lost.
As Endaran expressed his gratitude, Irin and Zeke chimed in.
"Thank you for everything, Young Master."
"Ain't my style to get sappy between males, but..."
Whoosh.
Zeke couldn't quite spit out a proper thanks. He just thrust up a thumb instead.
But then—
Unable to stomach Zeke's cocky attitude, Codic leaped high from Bin's belt and chomped down on the slime's thumb.
Click!
"How dare you cockily flash a boneless thumb in my lord's presence!"
Startled, Zeke bristled and yelled back.
"You little shit, right to the end... Wanna go?!"
As Zeke's brows shot up in an inverted V, Codic bellowed.
"Anytime! Click! Click!"
While Zeke and Codic glared daggers at each other, Endaran gave Bin a meaningful look.
And once more, he voiced his wish.
"Let me ask again. No thoughts of taking my daughter? Has your heart wavered at all in the meantime...?"
But contrary to Endaran's hopes, Bin looked thoroughly unimpressed.
"Not in the slightest."
"Doesn't Irin seem any different to you now?"
"Same as always."
"Not even the scent of her hair...?"
"Why even ask that?"
"Hmm..."
As Bin's expression soured, Endaran smacked his lips in regret.
'It's not like I'm feeding him something bad for him...'
Convinced Bin's future was limitless, and that no other son-in-law could compare, Endaran's disappointment lingered.
Irin, meanwhile, flushed red again at her father's aggressive matchmaking.
'Father...!'
The more proactive he got, the more mortified she felt.
As Irin shot her father pleading glances—
Flap. Flap.
A massive blue bird descended from the sky. None other than the Taia family's legendary monster bird, the Thunderbird—summoned to carry Bin on his long journey.
Near Danel's residence in Plentel Castle.
Countless black-armored figures lay arrayed at Bin's feet—armor sets commissioned from the Bascon family's blacksmith, Itos.
In his hand was a mask eerily lifelike, mimicking a human face.
'Been a while since I made one of these.'
Before his regression, as a master blacksmith, he'd taken requests for them: human skin masks.
Human skin masks. Crafted from specially treated pigskin to resemble human faces. The quality depended heavily on the maker—amateurs produced obvious fakes, while experts made them nearly indistinguishable.
As the pinnacle of blacksmithing, Bin could disguise himself as anyone. He'd learned countless techniques from the dwarf master Ront.
Gazing at the mask, Bin's face hardened with resolve.
'The worst day of my life approaches soon.'
The worst day of his life.
Bin recalled it vividly.
A hulking man loomed before Danel. A long scar slashed across one eye—the mark that let Bin remember him clearly.
He swung his sword.
Slash.
Blood erupted from Danel's body.
Splurt!
The young Bin watched from hiding.
'M-Mother...'
She'd already lost so much blood, yet more blades rained down on her.
Splatter! Splatter!
In the horrific scene, tears welled in Bin's eyes.
But nothing changed. He could only watch.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
"...!"
He couldn't forgive their actions. His fists clenched; he wanted to charge them right then.
But—
His mother's promise flashed in his mind.
'Bin, no matter what, don't leave this spot. It's my dying wish. Please... keep it.'
Death itself didn't scare him. Bin gritted his teeth, forcing rationality.
Losing his life now would be foolish. Revenge later was wiser.
He swallowed his boiling rage, again and again.
Recalling his fallen mother's final moments, tears flowed.
He'd waited for the day to repay her kindness... but fate offered no such mercy.
I should have said more. It was so easy—just open my mouth—but I couldn't.
Regret clawed at his heart. If only once, he wanted to tell her.
That she'd suffered so much because of my one arm...'
Tears burst from Bin's eyes. And in them reflected the man: massive frame, long scar over one eye.
Hiding, Bin clenched his fist.
'I won't let you off. Even if this body is torn apart by blades. I'll take you down.'
He vowed countless times to return this humiliation.
Memories flooded his mind endlessly.
That day of pure regret.
The day the Grander family's ambush began.
When he lost his most precious person, his mother.
The day vengeance consumed his every thought.
Days later.
A pitch-black fog shrouded the night sky, blotting out even the moon.
Bin dismounted the Thunderbird in the mountains near Plentel Castle and scanned his surroundings.
One of his eyes had taken on a monstrous gleam—to pierce the darkness farther.
Then, knights began massing around Plentel Castle.
'You've come, Grander family.'
Bin had sent countless skeleton knights to scout the area beforehand.
The result: he knew the moment the Grander forces arrived.
At his feet, hordes of skeleton soldiers gathered in ranks.
Bin assessed their formation and approach vector, then issued orders to the skeletons.
"To your positions, all of you."
The skeleton soldiers roared in response.
"Yes, my lord!"
"We obey the king's command!"
A cold glint ignited in Bin's eyes.
In his mind flashed the faces of Helden Grander and the Grander executives from before his regression.
Grip.
His fist clenched on instinct. He was resolved to exact revenge.
And his eyes fell on the preparations he'd made for this day: boulders wrapped around tree trunks on the high ground, and a river frozen solid, blocking descent.
Recalling his plan, Bin's gaze turned ominous.
'I'll etch today's nightmare into your skull, no matter what.'