Shadows in the Mist – 4th Platoon on the Hunt
“Someone’s coming.”
Grein, on guard, murmured the distant sound quietly, his voice low.
Soon the 3rd Squad soldiers held their breath and turned toward the source.
An enemy?
If it was merely a Kar scout, combat would begin immediately.
Everyone stood firm in their assigned sectors, focusing on the direction from which the sound came.
“It’s me. Lower your guards.”
The voice drifted from beyond the bushes, and the 3rd Squad soldiers let out a small sigh of relief.
If it had been a Kar scout, they would have been fighting for their lives right now.
But……
“Grein, move with the squad at once. We’ve located a scout from the enemy faction.”
“Are you certain it’s a Kar scout on this hill?”
“Confirmed. We’ve already taken out two, but…… they’ll be discovered any moment. We must move quickly.”
Arteon’s words left the 3rd Squad soldiers unable to hide their surprise and tension.
He had killed two enemy scouts in the blink of an eye while they were away from their posts?
And the situation was now decided. They swallowed hard, almost without realizing it.
But……
“Understood.”
Grein replied with a calm expression.
They had fought countless battles together.
This kind of fight was only natural. Besides, right now…
“He’s not here with us.”
He could never forget the first time he met Arteon.
Clearly a boy in appearance, but his eyes were fierce, showing no trace of retreat.
A monster capable of injuring the chieftain of the Kar tribe while facing them.
With him fighting at their side, there was no reason for them to be afraid.
Soon every other squad member nodded their heads.
“We’ll follow wherever he goes.”
“Me too.”
“Same here.”
The soldiers who had endured Arteon’s absurdly intense training after he arrived stood tall, confidence shining in their eyes.
Arteon nodded in approval.
Good eyes.
When he had first seen them, he had thought these were well-polished young men.
And now these 3rd Squad soldiers had grown even tougher through training.
Arteon turned his body.
“Until I give the order, move as fast as possible. After that, advance at a low crouch. Pay attention.”
“Yes, understood.”
The voices were soft, but their determination was clear.
Arteon immediately moved toward the scout’s position.
Considering the distance…
If I move quickly, I should be there by now…
The enemy might have noticed.
Still, there was hope that the corpses and traces of the two slain had been completely wiped away.
Pat!
The 3rd Squad soldiers followed Arteon’s movements quickly.
Thanks to the rest they had taken, their stamina was fully recovered.
And near the Kar scout’s location.
Arteon approached, then raised his hand and lightly clenched a fist.
Up.
The 3rd Squad soldiers froze in place.
Soon he used his index and middle fingers to signal for them to lower their bodies.
Slither.
Grein quickly lowered his body and pressed close to Arteon’s side.
Next, Arteon pointed left.
“About fifty meters ahead are the enemy. You take the 3rd and 4th Squads and move over here to set up.”
“Understood.”
“Ten minutes later, report the situation. When I give the attack signal, we strike together.”
“Yes.”
Arteon issued the quick operational orders, then nodded at Grein’s reply.
Soon Grein turned and addressed the squad members.
“3rd Squad and 4th Squad, follow me. Move left.”
Under that command, the 3rd and 4th Squad soldiers moved left with Grein.
During that time, they had practiced the low-crouch movement countless times.
Yet the speed was almost as fast as ordinary running.
Slither, slither-slash.
In an instant, Grein and the squad members vanished from sight. Arteon looked at the remaining soldiers.
“We move too.”
Slither!
The soldiers followed Arteon’s path with sliding motions.
The sight of them pursuing without a hitch made the corner of Arteon’s mouth twitch slightly.
Because even when he was absent, their training had been thorough.
But Arteon’s gaze soon grew cold.
Soon Arteon reached the area where the Kar scout was located and encircled the enemy with the squad, maintaining a safe distance.
Still… they haven’t noticed?
If so, that was fortunate.
If they could seal off the escape route perfectly while surrounding the enemy…
“All ready for battle!”
A sudden voice.
The encirclement was not yet complete.
But simply from instinct, they knew they had been surrounded.
……Two feather tattoos.
From his senses, it seemed he was far stronger than that.
Perhaps he was nearly at the level of three feather tattoos.
Arteon reached toward the 1st Squad leader, Barter, beside him.
“Throw spear.”
His voice was almost a whisper.
But the meaning was clear from his gaze alone.
Barter handed over the spear he carried on his back. At the same time, Arteon’s eyes flashed.
If only he could aim at the one with two feather tattoos.
At this distance, the chance of killing him is low.
Right now, he had to cut one man’s throat cleanly.
“Hmph.”
Arteon took a short breath and gripped the spear with strength.
The mana flowing from his body wrapped around the entire spear, releasing a powerful aura.
And in that moment.
Whoosh!
The spear Arteon threw shot out at incredible speed.
Bam!
One strike pierced through the Kar warrior’s chest and drove the spear deep into the ground.
“Signal! Attack them!”
“Aaaaaargh!”
“Kill every Kar bastard!”
The spear became the signal, and at the same time, Grein and the squad members hidden on the opposite side charged toward the Kar warriors.
At that sight, Korgash’s eyes flickered slightly.
He had not noticed anyone approaching from this direction.
Did he hide his body under the bushes and crawl here?
Damn pests.
Thinking they could crawl to approach this rough hill.
But Korgash soon discarded the thought.
Right now, blocking the enemy came first.
“Imperial filth like you.”
Korgash’s gaze sharpened.
Soon Korgash moved quickly toward the charging 3rd Squad soldiers.
To knock out several at once and open an escape route.
But it was the moment Korgash was about to attack them.
Suddenly feeling a chilling aura from behind, he turned hastily and swung his sword.
Clang!
“……!”
He felt pain as if his wrist had shattered from the strike.
Korgash was pushed back, and he looked at the boy standing before him.
“You…?”
“Your opponent is me.”
Arteon gripped the spear and said.
He could not let this enemy reach the other squad members.
Once engaged, several squad members would die in an instant.
Slurp.
In the short time of confrontation, sweat dripped from Arteon’s hands holding the spear.
But Korgash was tense as well.
The opponent was a monster who had injured the Kar warlord Ulgraak.
“Huuu……”
One, Korgash exhaled a long breath and gathered his mana.
He had considered this worst-case scenario, so Ulgraak had sent him here.
That strike just now…
It had been strong.
But in a place overgrown with bushes, fighting someone who used a spear was like being in hell.
The spear had the advantage of long range, but there were restrictions based on space.
Here it’s hard to swing the spear wide.
If so, what the enemy could do was only thrust.
If he could dodge one thrust and close in…
Pat!
Korgash charged toward Arteon with certainty.
And just as Arteon’s spear extended toward him.
Clang!
Korgash tilted his blade and deflected the spear.
A tense exchange.
If he had been even slightly late in reacting, his body would have been pierced.
But now that he had blocked one attack.
My victory!
Korgash raised his sword high.
He intended to close the distance completely and split the enemy’s head in half.
But at that moment.
Tap.
While retrieving the spear, Arteon shortened his grip and sheathed it at his side.
Korgash frowned at the unnatural motion.
He had never seen a spear user use such movements.
But the next wave of attacks from the enemy far exceeded imagination.
Whir! Pat!
Arteon spun his body, pushed off the ground with a kick, leaped, and rotated rapidly.
The spear blade fixed at his side whipped the enemy’s sword aside in an instant and plunged into his chest.
“Hah, hah!”
Korgash leaped back in fright.
What kind of movement was this?
In response to the completely unexpected strange attack, a long red line appeared on his chest.
Slurp.
One finger’s depth.
If he had only dug that deep, the match would already have been decided.
His entire body was covered in goosebumps from the chilling movement.
Arteon calmly looked at Korgash.
The true greatness of Vargas Northern Spearmanship was overwhelming attack power regardless of distance.
It maximized the spear’s advantage while eliminating its weaknesses and turning them into new strengths.
But Arteon’s body was not yet in a perfect state to perform it perfectly.
Creak, creak.
His entire body felt as if he had been beaten by someone during the recent movement.
Muscles had been overloaded from the explosive speed.
It’s passing through.
One, Arteon endured the pain.
Still, wasn’t the situation far better than during the previous battle?
Slowly.
While constantly restraining Korgash, Arteon quickly assessed the surroundings.
The atmosphere was tense.
There were still no major casualties or deaths, but the balance could shift in an instant.
Finally……
“Huu.”
He had no choice but to overwhelm this enemy.
Arteon rushed toward Korgash without hesitation.
With the strict restraint, the side that moved first was at a disadvantage.
But Arteon had no time to hesitate.
And as Arteon moved.
Pat!
Korgash also pushed off the ground and charged at Arteon.
Although he had been greatly shaken by the unexpected movement from earlier.
Two times won’t work.
Korgash focused on the movement at the tip of Arteon’s spear.
p>The threat was as terrifying as it could be, but surprisingly, the movement itself was simple.
If he knew in advance and countered.
He could dodge it easily.
And that would be the enemy’s last moment.
Pat! Clang! Clang!
Korgash’s sword and Arteon’s spear clashed with sparks flying.
One by one.
The impact was enough to shake the body, but Korgash endured and waited for Arteon to show a gap.
And when Arteon’s spear became hindered by the surrounding bushes and trees.
Slither!
Arteon raised the spear to his shoulder and shortened the grip.
The enemy was trying to fight in close quarters.
Korgash’s eyes flashed.
Pat!
Then he lowered his posture and charged at Arteon.
Once the enemy hooked the spear over his shoulder, the bottom was already unprotected.
Korgash’s body slid as his sword aimed at Arteon’s legs.
He intended to cut off the thigh in one go and seal the movement, then finish it.
But……
Whip!
The spear the enemy had hooked over his shoulder suddenly shortened like a rod.
A mysterious situation as if he had cast a spell, and then the enemy’s mana entered the spear again.
Clang!
“……!”
The spear blade extending at incredible speed rushed toward Korgash’s face.
Korgash quickly tilted his head aside to dodge, but.
Bam!
Soon pain from his side caused him to clench his teeth without realizing.
Because the sound of his ribs cracking echoed clearly.
And in that fleeting moment when he staggered and lost balance.
“It’s over.”
The boy’s voice descended coldly at his ear.
“W-wait…!”
Korgash hurriedly stood up and raised his sword.
He shouted without realizing at the overwhelming feeling.
Slash!
Arteon’s spear severed his neck, spraying bright red blood onto the ground.
A brief silence.
Arteon looked into Korgash’s eyes, who had not yet prepared to accept death.
His eyes were rapidly losing light, complex emotions tangled within.
Soon Korgash collapsed to the ground.
Arteon saw the two clear feather tattoos on his shoulder and gathered his mana.
He was not an easy opponent.
But… much stronger than before.
The first line of defense, it had taken far longer when he first faced a mid-level Kar warrior.
Arteon turned his head.
There was no time to indulge in sentiment.
He had to completely annihilate the enemy here and cut off the Kar tribe’s information.
And……
This attack will definitely bring me the Elbarphiel Lake.
It had taken years in his past life, but everything would change now.
And as midnight approached.
The main force of the 4th line of defense began passing through the road below the hill.