novelraw Chapter 103 : Chapter 103
Chapter 103 : Chapter 103
Chapter 103
Ian, instead of heading straight to the Demonic Beast Forest, stopped by the training ground to check the Special Mission Unit.
“Everyone is excellent, huh?”
“We still have many lacking parts!”
Although they said that, the faces of the Special Mission Unit soldiers were full of confidence.
The soldiers swung swords and spears skillfully, and the knights were proficient enough to choose bows and crossbows as secondary weapons.
Lastly, the shield wall formation utilizing the tower shields carried on everyone's backs was also excellent.
‘With this, the basic armament of the Resistance Army is practically finished.’
The core of the Resistance Army’s basic armament is survival.
While engaging in long-range combat as a basis, it’s the armament with the highest survival rate that allows anyone to help each other during close-range combat.
“Starting today, we will proceed with training in the Demonic Beast Forest for 3 days.”
No soldier was surprised by the sudden notification.
“Before going to the Demonic Beast Forest, let me ask. Thomas.”
“Yes!”
The most important armament of the Resistance Army isn't solid shields or diverse weapons.
“Who is our enemy?”
“…It is Orcs!”
Thomas, who had seen Orcs personally, shouted with a stiff face.
“Orcs, you say? Then if it’s not an Orc, is it not an enemy?”
“Yes? Ah! Orcs and Trolls and…….”
As he seemed about to list all the monsters in the forest, I shook my head.
“Our enemy is monsters. So we are hunters who catch monsters.”
I asked facing Vergil and the knights standing in front.
“You all must have heard what other knights call Moner’s knights.”
“…….”
Seeing the knights chewing their lips as if they heard a severe insult, I smirked.
“The knights outside the fortress call you a ‘pack of wild dogs’.”
The fortress doesn't consider origin when selecting knights.
Unlike other knight orders composed solely of noble bloodlines, the fortress's knight order is mostly commoners or lowborns who became knights purely through skill.
The derogatory term ‘pack of wild dogs’ is an insult to the knights' lowly status and simultaneously an insult to Moner, called the Guard Dog Family .
‘Anyway, nobles are serious about things like this.’
But like all nicknames, the important thing depends on how you take it.
Because someone’s insult can be high praise to someone else.
“It seems Commander Vergil doesn't like that nickname either.”
“…Yes.”
“I like it though.”
In an instant, the knight order’s spirit turned sharp.
Because Moner’s knights are all thirsty for recognition without exception.
‘So prickly.’
Unfortunately, what I need are wild dogs that bite the enemy, not noble knights.
So mental armament is more important than any armor or weapon.
They need to become wild dogs that bark vigorously but tuck their tails and run if it looks even slightly dangerous, and then gather other wild dogs to bark despicably.
They must engrave deeply in their minds that the most important thing is my life, next is my comrade, and nothing else matters besides that.
“To kill monsters, neither honor, justice, nor chivalry is needed. Cross swords, thrust spears. Even if you have to spit, throw sand, and roll on the ground, bite off the enemy’s neck.”
Glory does not shine upon the battlefield.
“If you can survive even by doing that, if you can protect the fortress, fight like wild dogs.”
* * *
I didn't think the entire Special Mission Unit would change overnight with just a few words.
Because for a person to become a wild dog, they need venom.
“Captain, if we go in a little further, it’s the Serpent’s swamp…….”
“Tell everyone to get ready.”
Near the fortress, there is a Serpent’s territory.
Serpents are monsters resembling giant snakes with deadly poison and scales harder than steel.
Since they are docile monsters as long as their territory isn't invaded, the fortress also respected the Serpent’s territory and chose coexistence instead of hunting.
‘They probably left them alone because hunting them is hard and doesn't even cover the cost of antidotes.’
Moreover, since the number of monsters heading to the fortress decreases as the Serpent’s territory expands, it must have been more beneficial for the fortress not to hunt Serpents.
The problem is that Serpents don't give up their territory.
“We can't come all this way and let Orcs eat snake meat.”
For the next 3 days, we plan to dry up the Serpents' seeds.
* * *
Hoodwock, after checking the coiled Serpent, gestured behind him.
- 1. Sleeping.
Then he slowly backed away, nocked an arrow on the Knight Slayer, and gave an order with hand signals.
- Team 1 move, Team 2 nock arrows and standby.
Three knights of Team 1, who had taken off their armor, carefully approached the Serpent.
- Team 2 standby.
The soldiers belonging to Team 2 held their breath and waited for the timing.
‘Not faster, nor slower than the knights.’
The moment the experienced knights raised their swords silently.
“Fire!”
Simultaneously as the knights' swords struck down on the Serpent’s head, dozens of arrows poured down.
Kadeudeudeuk!
- Shaaaaaak!
The Serpent, attacked in its sleep, let out a ferocious roar and raised its head.
‘Damn it, it was shallow!’
The knights' swords cut more than a span into the Serpent’s head, and the heavy arrows shot by the soldiers were embedded all over its head, but they couldn't kill it in one go.
‘If it flees into the swamp, we lose it. Before that, we must kill…….’
Assessing the situation, Hoodwock saw the unarmored knights. If the battle prolonged, the knights were in danger.
‘…No need to kill it right now.’
Since they said they would dry up the seeds of Serpents in this swamp, even if they miss the Serpent in front of them now, they would be able to catch it soon.
Hoodwock, having made a decision, shouted with all his might.
“Team 1 retreat! Team 2 covering fire!”
Hoodwock, waiting for the retreat, saw the knights correcting their grip on their swords.
‘Those idiots!’
He didn't know what the knights were thinking.
They might have been hit by paralysis poison while he wasn't looking, or they might have judged they couldn't run from the large monster moving right in front of them.
‘It’s a Serpent that chews even iron. If bitten by that thing without armor……!’
Even if hit by poison, they said it could be treated, but there would be no way to treat a body split in two.
“Damn it! Team 2 standby here! Watch the situation and support! Derku, let’s go!”
It didn't cross Hoodwock’s mind that other teams were waiting nearby, nor that Ian would be watching from somewhere.
Just to save the stupid knights in front of them right now, Hoodwock and Derku threw themselves towards the Serpent.
* * *
Aaron was a knight.
A knight who took pride in his sword.
So even when the captain said spears were more effective for hunting Serpents, he held a sword instead of a spear.
‘Using a spear I’m not familiar with is more dangerous.’
To him, a knight, the sword was like his hand, and he believed there was nothing his sword couldn't cut.
The reason he positioned himself above the Serpent’s head was also that his sword was the most outstanding among the three knights.
‘I’ll cut it head and all in one go.’
Thinking so, the moment he swung the sword at the sleeping Serpent, Aaron knew intuitively.
‘Shallow!’
The sword swung aiming for the gap between scales only dug deep into the head but wasn't a fatal wound.
“Aaron! It’s still alive! Dodge!”
Before the Serpent raised its head, he pulled back and checked its condition.
‘Damn it! It’s perfectly fine! Because of me!’
Hoodwock was an excellent team leader, but he was too timid.
Just catching any Serpent would do, but he wandered around the swamp for over 3 hours saying he would catch a sleeping Serpent.
The retreat order was heard from afar, but Aaron closed his eyes and thought.
If he misses the Serpent in front of him, he would have to wander the swamp for hours again.
‘I will correct my own mistake.’
Showing his back to the enemy, causing trouble to comrades due to his mistake, neither was knight-like.
The sensation remaining in his hand, the blood of the beast on his sword, the experience built up by swinging the sword for countless hours shouted.
Just once, just one more swing, and he could cut its neck.
The moment he made a decision and gripped the sword again.
- Shaaaaaak!
The Serpent rushed at him at a speed several times faster than he expected.
“Uwat!”
He threw his body back as soon as he saw it, but catching up to the Serpent’s speed was impossible.
‘Damn it, damn it, damn it!’
Its teeth, which had approached right in front of him, lunged at him.
‘If I just block this trivial thing!’
Only then did he remember the shield strapped to his back.
With no time to take out the shield, he laid the sword sideways and braced for impact.
“Heueup!”
Kwadeudeuk!
With a gruesome sound of bone and flesh splitting, Ian walked down from the split head of the Serpent.
“C-Captain!”
Aaron, saved from the brink of death, called Ian with a trembling voice, but what returned was a gaze as cold as the Serpent’s yellow eyes.
Jeobeok, jeobeok, jeobeok.
As Ian got closer, Aaron unwittingly moved his feet backward.
‘W-Why am I…….’
The moment Aaron straightened his body at Ian’s cold eyes looking at him, Ian’s foot kicked his chest.
“Keo, keook! Captain, Captain!”
* * *
Hoodwock led the team efficiently.
He chose the most advantageous battle in the safest situation, and preparations were also thorough.
‘Once this battle is over, other teams will have a lot to learn.’
It was the most ideal battle I wanted.
Despicably ambushing while it’s sleeping.
Hitting where it hurts again and digging only into weaknesses.
‘Not that there aren't regretful parts.’
Compared to other teams that hunted before, it was practically a great success.
Because other teams had at least three people poisoned.
‘Tsk, can't kill it in one go.’
The only regretful part is not having fully grasped the opponent.
Serpent scales are harder than steel and slippery, so it’s not easy to hunt with a bow.
It seems they prepared heavy arrows mainly used for monster hunting, but the advantage of those scales lies in slipperiness that deflects arrows, not hardness.
‘Seeing that guy holding a sword, it seems he doesn't know how small a Serpent’s brain is.’
Unless he intends to embed it deeply giving up on the sword, it’s difficult to create a fatal wound by cutting.
‘Ah, started.’
Simultaneously as the knight who finished preparations moved his sword, dozens of arrows targeted the Serpent.
And as soon as the wounded Serpent raised its body, Hoodwock immediately chose to retreat.
“That’s it! That’s the way!”
This is truly the textbook of a perfect ambush.
Hit while sleeping, and run if it doesn't seem to work.
Our goal isn't a life-and-death struggle, nor gaining byproducts or hunting monsters to gain honor.
Our goal is strictly to inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy while minimizing damage to allies.
Just as I was about to clap for Hoodwock’s quick judgment, I threw my body at the sight of the knight clutching his sword.
‘That stupid bastard!’
Hiding my presence using 『Dark Emperor 』 and using Ghost Step to approach the Serpent, I raised the sword and struck down with all my might.
Kwadeudeuk!
The clumsy secret sword art split the Serpent’s head in half, and beyond that, I saw the pathetic knight closing his eyes tightly.
* * *
I looked down coldly at the knight rolling in the swamp after getting kicked in the chest.
‘Torturer bastard.’
There were many cases like this in the game too.
Decads, centurions, and sometimes unit-sized troops were wiped out by sudden unexpected actions.
Just looking at Derku or Hoodwock rushing towards the Serpent, saving an ally in danger due to stupid actions entails greater danger than the unexpected action itself.
If this were a battlefield, Derku, Hoodwock, and Hoodwock’s entire team, having lost their commander, would have died in action because of the stupid guy in front of me.
“Hu…….”
I saved him somehow this time, but it would have been dizzying if I were even a little late.
“Aaron, listen to me clearly.”
To Aaron, who clutched his chest and sprang up, I spoke growlingly.
“Yes, yes!”
“If you want to play knight, go to another unit.”
Seeing one knight endangering the entire team, I couldn't wait for other guys to change their minds.
“Vergil!”
“Yes! My Lord!”
“Tell other knights too. If they intend to play knight, tell them to go to another unit even a day sooner.”
Ian’s cold voice dug into the ears of the Special Mission Unit and the Knight Order.
“You say you're so dissatisfied with being called wild dogs, but what are you going to do if you're worse than dogs?”