Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Red River Battlefield
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Clop! Clop! Clop!
A steady rhythm of hoofbeats.
Damian drove his horse onward without rest.
Southeast.
The fastest route to the eastern front.
And at the same time, the most dangerous path.
No time to lose.
He had been riding for days without proper sleep.
The injury from the Sword User hadn't fully healed.
But strangely...
My body feels light.
He was battered all over.
Yet his movements were unhindered.
His stamina had noticeably improved.
There was only one reason.
Mana.
Acquired mana sensitivity.
The ability he'd stolen from the empire's knight.
It was gradually changing Damian's body.
Amazing.
The world looked different.
Countless specks of light floating in the air.
The flow of the wind, the life force pulsing through the living earth.
All of it felt like something called mana.
Is this how the world looks to those born with mana sensitivity?
Damian glanced at his hand gripping the reins.
When he focused his mind, the mana in his body responded.
A warm, gentle power that was violent at the same time.
How do I use this?
He concentrated even harder.
Like how the legion commander had infused power into his quill.
Like how the empire's knight had poured strength into his body.
"......"
Nothing happened.
It was, in a way, the expected result.
Not an easy task, huh.
He had the water, but no vessel to hold it.
He needed the technique to contain mana and give it form.
'Mana breathing method,' was it?
A breathing technique.
Or a cultivation method.
A power secretly passed down only within families or knight orders.
An area unknown to a commoner like Damian, and a farmer at that.
And besides...
Even if he knew the method, there was a problem.
Handling mana was a matter of talent.
Guess I'll have to settle for this much.
His physical abilities had risen thanks to mana sensitivity.
He was faster, stronger, sharper.
His recovery was at an absurd level.
That was more than enough.
For now.
But he couldn't be satisfied forever.
If there's no way...
He'd just have to take it.
That was the only path.
Hurry.
Damian Winter hardened his resolve.
The moment he spurred his horse forward.
"......!"
A creeping sense of unease.
An instinctive warning signal.
Bowstring being drawn.
Twang!
A sharp sound sliced through the air.
The harbinger of death flying from the darkness.
"Hup!"
Damian instinctively twisted his body.
He yanked the reins hard to evade.
By a hair's breadth.
But.
Pfuk!
With a piercing sound.
"Piiiigh!"
The horse screamed and collapsed.
An arrow was deeply embedded in its neck.
Damn it!
Damian leaped off the horse swiftly.
He rolled on the ground to absorb the impact.
Thud!
The massive horse body crashed into the ground.
Dust billowed thickly.
Ambush.
Damian lowered his stance.
His heart began pounding rapidly.
Where?
He calmly scanned using the dead horse as cover.
Searching for the enemies hidden in the darkness.
Five.
He clearly sensed their killing intent.
And their movements.
"Is he dead?"
"No, only the horse got hit. He's still alive."
Rough voices carried over.
Empire soldiers.
Black light armor and masks.
And bows in their hands.
Trackers.
Hunters dispatched to catch the messenger.
They had already caught up this far.
"Found him! Over there!"
One tracker spotted Damian and shouted.
At the same time, arrows rained down.
Twang! Twang! Twang!
Arrows embedding into the dead horse's body.
Dangerous.
At this rate, he'd be turned into a pincushion.
He had to close the distance somehow.
Take out at least one first.
Damian drew a dagger from his bosom.
Proficient Dagger Throwing.
The ability gained from the fake patrol.
Time for it to shine.
The one on the far left first.
Whoosh!
Damian dashed diagonally to close in.
He hurled the dagger.
Whish!
A sharp gleam cutting through the darkness.
Pfuk!
The dagger lodged into the tracker's throat.
A new sensation washed over him with the blue text.
The forest's scent, the smell of blood, the enemies' body odor.
Everything became vividly clear.
"That bastard...!"
The trackers panicked at the unexpected counterattack.
Damian had already ducked behind a tree.
Momentary disruption, instant strike.
The experiences of countless people he'd absorbed.
That extraordinary talent enveloped Damian.
For example, a rock on the ground where he rolled.
The moment he threw it out from behind the tree.
Twang! Twang! Twang!
Arrows flew toward it.
No, luring them like that wasn't something a farmer would think of.
And not just that.
Now!
The judgment and courage to charge the opposite way.
Damian rushed toward the nearest enemy.
Kingdom Swordsmanship.
And.
Imperial Swordsmanship.
The two styles blended naturally.
A truly erratic movement where defense and offense coexisted.
"Kugh!"
The remaining trackers drew their weapons.
But it was already too late.
Slash!
Dawn traced a silver trajectory.
The tracker's arm was severed.
"Arrrgh!"
The tracker rolled away screaming.
Damian swiftly stabbed his heart.
Pfuk!
Another new sensation struck his body.
His bones, muscles, and tendons tightened strongly.
"You monster...!"
Three enemies left.
Terror filled their eyes.
They'd lost two comrades in an instant.
"Scatter! We'll finish him with arrows!"
The one who seemed to be the tracker leader shouted.
His subordinates moved swiftly at the command.
Not happening.
Damian picked up the spear dropped by the dead tracker.
He hurled it at the floundering subordinate.
Pfuk!
The third casualty.
A useful ability acquired.
"Damn it all!"
The tracker leader charged in rage.
Faster and more controlled than expected.
A leader worthy of his position.
Clang! Clang! Cliiing!
Swords clashed in the air.
Lethal strikes aimed only at vitals.
This guy's strong.
Damian's eyes darkened.
An opponent he couldn't afford to underestimate.
"I'll kill you!"
The tracker leader pressed aggressively.
His swordsmanship was sharp and relentless.
But.
Damian could see it.
The opponent's movements, the sword's trajectory, and the openings.
His enhanced physique from mana sensitivity made it possible.
Now!
The moment the tracker leader's attack deviated slightly.
Damian twisted to dodge the sword and.
Street Brawling.
Slipped in and tripped his leg.
Thud!
The off-balance leader hit the ground.
Damian didn't miss the opening.
Pfuk! Pfuk! Slash!
Savage hacking.
And the result.
The fourth casualty.
Only one enemy left.
"S-spare me!"
The last tracker dropped his weapon and fled.
The moment he tried to vanish into the forest in terror.
Twang!
An arrow struck the back of his head.
From the longbow he'd just picked up.
With the technique he'd just learned.
Thud!
The final casualty.
Situation over.
The empire tracker team of five annihilated.
Again, by his power alone.
Survived again.
And grown stronger.
A huge harvest this time too.
Crucial abilities directly tied to survival.
Time to move again.
Damian searched the bodies for food and water.
And the most important item.
The secret letter.
He checked the secret letter tucked in his bosom.
Fortunately, it wasn't wet or torn.
With the horse dead, I'll have to run until I get another one.
His destination was the capital, Fairs Petra.
Still a long way to go.
One week.
He ran day and night without stop.
He hadn't slept properly in ages.
He ate on the move.
Kill, steal a horse, kill again, steal another horse.
In that process, he killed dozens.
Thirty? Forty?
At some point, he stopped counting.
No point.
He cut down everything blocking his path.
Absorbing new abilities each time.
Minor but useful ones piled up.
"Haa, haa..."
Finally breaking through all obstacles, Damian climbed the last hill, breathing raggedly.
And at last.
...There it is.
His destination came into view.
The eastern front, Red River basin.
It was already hell.
"......!"
A far more horrific sight than imagined.
The defensive line stretching along the Red River had collapsed.
Black smoke and the stench of blood blanketed the sky.
Kaboooom!
An explosion shook the earth.
Screams and shouts mixed in pandemonium.
Red River.
True to its name, the water was dyed red with blood.
Countless corpses floated downstream.
No front lines anymore.
With the lines broken, only melee remained.
Soldiers tangled in a frenzy of killing.
Find the supreme commander.
The one to deliver the secret letter in this chaos.
The top commander responsible for the eastern front.
If he's alive, he has to be somewhere.
Damian strained his eyes.
Mobilizing 'Innate Vision' and 'Sensitive Senses' to the max.
And he found him.
A veteran rampaging like a madman.
"......That guy's a real monster."
Damian muttered unwittingly.
A giant man clad in golden armor.
Each swing of his sword flashed with blue light.
Sword Expert.
A realm similar to 6th Legion Commander Christian Veil.
No, the mana waves felt even stronger.
Kaaa!
Dozens of enemy soldiers flew back, spraying blood.
A sight unbelievable for human power.
The supreme commander of the eastern front.
Damian steeled himself.
He leaped down the hill.
Throwing himself into the heart of hell.
"Coldwood bastard! Kill him!"
Empire soldiers spotted Damian.
Their eyes gleamed with murder.
In the way.
From now on, it was a race against time.
Move as fast and efficiently as possible.
Shing!
Dawn thirsted for blood once more.
Slash!
The first charging soldier's head flew.
A new sensation with the blue text.
Strength filled his shoulders.
His sword strikes grew heavier.
"You!"
Spears and swords flying from all sides.
Clang! Ching!
Damian permitted none of those attacks.
Proficient Kingdom Swordsmanship and Imperial Swordsmanship.
The two danced a deadly waltz.
Pfuk!
The second.
Slash!
The third.
"Block him! Block that guy!"
"Where the hell did this monster come from?!"
The empire soldiers responded late.
But they couldn't block Damian's blade anyway.
Slash!
"This monstrous bastard...!"
Terror-stricken soldiers backed away.
But there was nowhere to run.
Pfuk!
The fifth.
Another sensation hit his body.
Tireless stamina surged.
Still far.
Damian looked around.
Endless empire soldiers swarming.
This place was a land of opportunity for him.
An infinite hunting ground to devour.
"Haaaaap!"
Damian roared and charged.
With the intent to cut down every enemy in the path to the commander.
Slash after slash, dozens of times.
No more obstacles now.
Damian dashed toward the commander again.
Even in the hell of blood and flesh.
He was at its center.
"Haaaaap!"
The supreme commander of the eastern front roared.
His swing mowed down empire soldiers.
Kaaaa!
Overwhelming force.
The very image of a war god.
Now.
Damian approached him at high speed.
"6th Legion, 1st Infantry Division, Damian Winter!"
Did that desperate voice reach him?
The commander's gaze turned to Damian.
"I've come to deliver the will of the 6th Legion!"