novelraw Chapter 138*: Engagement - Trials*
Chapter 138*: Engagement - Trials*
*138. Engagement - Trials*
“... it's gone.”
“Unbelievable. The beast. If it had attacked, we would have been in big trouble.”
Lena breathed a sigh of relief as she stoked the campfire. Ran and Anne nodded in agreement.
The five of them recalled the imposing presence of the horned reindeer in battle stance.
Initially, it didn't seem so threatening, but up close, the Sulgak Saro was enormous.
Its blue horns grew long, making its body appear even larger than an ordinary reindeer.
That alone was intimidating, but when its feet stuck to the ground, fear set in.
“How do we capture it? Oh, by the way, Leo, you seemed fine?”
“... indeed.”[ Quest: Magic Slayer 10/10 - {Magic Resistance} ability has increased by one level. ]
Leo kept his thoughts to himself as he looked down at his still frozen sword.
Not only had his feet not stuck to the ground, but he also held the frost-covered sword that had touched the reindeer’s horns without issue.
He only felt a slight chill.
The previous childhood friend scenario had ended horribly, but he had gained much.
{Leadership}, {Grace}, {Royal Blood}, and {Magic Resistance}... all abilities acquired through the achievement of killing people.
There was also a ‘Duelist’ quest that would increase his {Swordsmanship} ability by one level.
972/1000, he had killed so many knights that it was almost full.
This was thanks to annihilating the royal knights and noble knights of the Kingdom of the Right, two knight orders dispatched from the Kingdom of Conrad, and the church's extermination squad.
These quests had nothing to do with ‘offering.’ Unlike the counter of killing achievements decreasing with offerings, the numbers for these quests did not decrease.
“How curious. I had trouble just walking. Look at your shoes. Huh? They’re the same as mine, so why...”
“More importantly, let’s discuss how to capture the Sulgak Saro. Everyone, gather around. I have a good idea.”
Leo quickly changed the subject. Diverting Lena’s attention, he spoke, recalling the recent events.
“The Sulgak Saro is weaker than it looks. It can be easily caught with a trap... Ah, I know we can’t use a trap. But using a bit of equipment should be fine, right?”
Leo calmly explained his plan, and the four of them agreed and disagreed as they discussed it.
After that, they visited the horned reindeer a few more times. They provoked its docile nature and conducted some experiments, then challenged it again on a day with light snowfall.
The five of them crossed a frozen stream, their peculiar shoes standing out.
From the side, they looked like wooden clogs in the shape of 'ㅠ.' Leo had designed them to easily lift off the ground even when it was frozen by attaching wood to their regular shoes.
He wished he could also make spears or nets to catch the horns.
But due to the strong opposition from Ran and Anne, they only made minor adjustments to their shoes and equipment.
“There it is. Over there.”
The horned reindeer was scratching its horns against a tree. The tree shook as it noticed the uninvited guests and cried out.
- Ok! Oook!
As it bellowed, seemingly asking why they had returned, Leo stepped forward.
“Be careful, Leo.”
“Don’t worry. Everyone get ready. Here we go.”
Leo charged. As he struck the horned reindeer’s antlers, he shouted.
“Ran and Anne to the left! Lena and Urok to the right, aim for the legs!”
The horned reindeer shook its head wildly. As its elongated horns swung, an abnormal chill enveloped Leo.
“Stay still!”
Leo raised his sword.
With his gloved hand gripping the blade, he pushed hard against the horns until the Sulgak Saro's neck folds touched his nose.
- Ooooooook! Gooooook!
Though it was weaker than it appeared, it was still stronger than Leo. Hesitating for a moment, the Sulgak Saro pushed forward, driving Leo back.
Its hooves began to glow blue. Urok Ainar shouted.
“Jump!”
As the Sulgak Saro stepped, a white wave spread across the ground.
Walking on all fours, the concentric circles from its steps intersected and spread out, and the four others leaped, striking down with their weapons.
Blood flowed. When the hot blood hit the white ground, steam rose. However, the wounds were not deep.
“The hide is too thick!”
“Keep targeting the wounds! I’ll buy time!”
As Leo was dragged, he wedged his sword between the erratically protruding antlers and jumped up. Clinging to the sword, he wrapped his legs around the Sulgak Saro’s neck.
The fluffy fur brushed against his cheek. Drool from the Sulgak Saro’s snout dripped onto Leo.
“Haaap!”
Leo twisted the sword hard.
Using the sword as a lever, he intended to break the horns, but it was a futile thought.
The horns didn’t budge.
Even so, as he hung from the horns, the horned reindeer thrashed. It shook its head wildly to throw him off, but when that didn’t work...
It suddenly stopped.
Ignoring the attacks from the others on its body, it stared at Leo with terrifying eyes.
Its eyes, deep as the abyss and blazing blue, met Leo’s at close range.
“Damn...”
“Leo!”
- Goooook! Gooooooook!
The horned reindeer charged. Raising its head as if certain of its body's hardness, it rammed into a tree.
Intending to crush the pesky fly clinging to it.
- Thump!
“Ugh!”
Under its massive weight, the tree creaked and leaned.
Just before the collision, Leo let go of the sword and unwrapped his legs from the neck.
Kicking the Sulgak Saro away, he was thrown far but hit the ground hard due to the speed.
Still, he was lucky to have ended up with just that. Leo grasped his aching shoulder, trying to get up, but rolled away hurriedly. The horned reindeer’s hoof struck the air where his head had been.
Leo, now weaponless, shouted.
“Urok!”
This time, Urok blocked the horned reindeer’s path. With a thick round shield, he pushed against its horns and obscured its vision.
The Sulgak Saro needed to remain still.
Thanks to his {Magic Resistance} ability, Leo was fine, but whenever the Sulgak Saro stepped, the others' feet stuck to the ground. Even with modified shoes, walking was not easy.
While Urok held off the Sulgak Saro, Leo quickly ran to retrieve the sword that had fallen to the ground. He wanted to switch with Urok immediately, but Urok shouted.
"I can hold on! Just attack quickly!"
"Ran! Anne! Help Urok!"
Urok's shout was a mix of bravado and responsibility.
The shield touching the antlers was freezing. Despite having fur on the handle and wearing thick gloves, Urok's lips turned blue.
He was forcing himself to endure the cold pouring from the antlers.
Thinking they needed to switch immediately, Leo changed his mind when he saw the wounds the four had inflicted on the Sulgak Saro's legs.
They were too shallow. There was a bleeding wound, presumably inflicted by Lena, but it wasn't fatal.
There was no chance of victory like this.
Leo took a deep breath.
While Urok, Ran, and Anne blocked the horned reindeer and Lena slashed from the opposite side, Leo firmly gripped his sword, recalling {Swordsmanship.3v: Bart Style}.
Seeing Bart swing his sword alternately with both hands made it seem like that peculiarity was all there was to his swordsmanship, but it wasn't.
Perfect cutting.
Paradoxically, Bart pursued a sword strike that did not lean to either side. It's unknown why he ended up swinging the sword one-handed.
Leo Dexter grabbed the sword handle with his right hand on top.
His right hand was still more comfortable.
"Haah!"
Holding his breath in his lungs, Leo raised his sword high and pushed off the ground with both feet. Shouting, he exhaled in one burst.
Without the slightest tilt, the sword struck down. Leo was drawn into a somersault by the force of the swing, and when he landed, blood splattered on his face.
Across the Sulgak Saro's back, Lena stopped her awkward slashing and stared at him in amazement.
“Wow…”
Beautiful.
A sharp gust from the delayed sword swing stirred her hair.
The small snowflakes gently falling scattered roundly in response to his spin.
I've never seen a vertical slash like that. The strike, even if directed at herself, was perfect enough to be admired.
"Lena! Step back! Now!"
"Ah!"
- Gook! Ook! Ook! Ook! Ook!
The horned reindeer, its flank deeply cut to reveal ribs, cried out urgently.
Shaking its horns to fend off Ran and Anne's axes, it raised its front legs, but the action was different from before.
"Everyone, get back!"
The horns had grown immensely.
They had become huge, like trees growing over its head, and a terrifying chill enveloped the five.
Rising with a whirl of wind, the horned reindeer stomped the ground.
- Thud!
“Argh!”
As its blue hoof struck the ground, sharp icicles suddenly shot up to knee height. Urok, unable to retreat in time due to being frozen, grabbed his leg and rolled.
"It's desperate! This is the end! Lena, pull Urok out! Ran and Anne..."
“Hahaha! Yes! This is a trial!”
Ran proudly straightened her shoulders. She shouted boldly in front of the wildly snorting horned reindeer.
“Is this all? This kind of cold is summer where I come from, on the 'Ice Island!'"
Ran threw away her shield. Grabbing her axe with both hands, she jumped.
“Die!”
Her sister, Anne, jumped with her.
Two heavy weapons struck the horned reindeer's antlers. Blood flowed down its head from the wounded area.
Leo didn’t miss the opportunity either. He put his weight behind his sword and stabbed where the heart should be.
- Oook! Oook! Gooooooook! Oook oook!
Though the sword plunged deeply, the horned reindeer did not fall. It was a Sulgak Saro that tenaciously clung to life even in extreme conditions.
Blue sparks flickered from its eyes as it raised its front legs.
“It's the same as before! Step back for a moment! Now we can cook it slowly...”
“No way!”
“What? Oh no!”
Ran jumped in again.
Not just her, but Anne also threw herself at the horned reindeer.
“We didn’t come to hunt!”
Recklessly, they plunged through the fierce snowstorm, aiming at the beast's wide-open chest.
The horned reindeer's hooves and body covered them, but Ran rolled to the left, Anne to the right, barely escaping.
Leo watched them tumble through the shattered icicles in disbelief. Barbarians...
"Damn it, just retreat and... alright, Anne! Don't stay behind it! That's dangerous!"
Seeing Ran and Anne's fierce battle, Leo joined in too. Urok, having quickly bandaged his leg, limped into the fray, and Lena also shouted and aimed at the Sulgak Saro's throat.
Without any tricks, the five humans and the horned reindeer clashed head-on, shedding sweat and blood. By dusk, with the forest filled with ice spikes, achievements appeared.
[ Achievement: Beast Hunt - '3', Mana faintly imbues your body. ]
[ Achievement: Expert - Leo's body becomes more resilient. ]
“Pant... pant... is it dead? It’s dead, right?”
Lena, covered in sweat, asked incredulously.
The horned reindeer, even after spilling its guts and having its heart pierced multiple times, had struggled fiercely. Lena poked the fallen beast with her sword.
It didn’t move.
“Uaaaaaaah!”
“Uaaaaaaah!”
Ran and Anne roared.
Raising their fists to the sky, they screamed primitively, as if liberated from something.
“Uaaaaaaah! Uaaaaaah!”
“Oh, be quiet! Stop it already! You’re not animals...”
“Waaaaaaaah!”
“Lena! If you start too... oh well, do whatever you want.”
Leo, trying to calm Lena, gave up when Urok, still on the ground, began shouting too.
Barbarians.
Born and raised in Barnoul, a so-called civilized place, Leo couldn't understand them. Even without past memories, such behavior was biologically incompatible with him.
Still, thinking their cries were somewhat refreshing, Leo gathered firewood, and that night, the five of them sat around a roaring campfire, celebrating their achievement.