novelraw Chapter 107: Escaping the City Part II
Chapter 107: Escaping the City Part II
No, looking at their position, they don’t seem to know our exact location, I thought. Perhaps Homuraz and Dolton only suspected our places of escape and stationed guards accordingly. If that was the case, then we still had a chance to slip away unnoticed.
The wall closest to us was heavily guarded by soldiers, and the streets leading to the other gates were equally secured. Jumping over the wall like before was impossible in this condition. This time, it wasn’t just the five of us; there was Istellise as well, and she was clearly not a powerful fighter. She might be great at escaping, but there were too many instances in which she could be killed. If she were to die, the scenario would fail, and we would lose our lives with it.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to think. The only viable option was diversion. If I drew their attention, the others could escort Istellise toward a quieter section of the city. From there, they might slip through the gaps in the patrols. As for me, I had the skills to shake off pursuit and rejoin them once they reached safety.
With that in mind, I faced the others. “Listen. We can’t all move together. I’ll create a diversion and draw the guards to me. While they’re distracted, the rest of you escort Istellise toward a less-guarded sector. Once you’re clear, I’ll regroup with you.”
Michelle’s eyes widened. “That’s too dangerous! If they corner you—”
“They won’t,” I cut in. “Trust me. I can handle this like I always did in the past.”
Boris frowned, clearly torn. “Lad, I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone. But… you’re right. Someone needs to take the heat, and you’re the fastest among us. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the objective’s done and that everyone—especially her—gets out.”
“I know I can trust you to take charge, Boris.”
Lucian snorted but didn’t argue.
Istellise bit her lip, glancing between us. “Why go that far for me? You could all just abandon me here and save yourselves.”
“That’s not an option.” I shook my head. “You’re the key to this scenario. If you fall, everything ends.”
“S-Scenario?” She frowned, confusion clouding her face.
Tuilë finally spoke, sliding a smoke canister into my palm. “Take this, Maxim. It’ll buy you a few seconds if things go south.” She bumped my shoulder with a quick, reassuring punch.
I tucked the canister into my inventory and nodded. “All right. Once I move, don’t stop. No hesitations. Get her out of here.”
They all met my gaze and nodded; the decision was made. Now it was time to put it into action.
I waited ten seconds, long enough for them to move into position, then walked toward the approaching guards. Next, I changed my cursed coat to my other magic coat—the Runed Cloak of Lesser Haste. Immediately, they spotted me, raising their spears. I slowed my pace, letting them see me plainly.
“Hmm, I wonder if I can do that to attract these guards,” I mumbled.
Closing my eyes, I gathered mana into my palms. Then I invoked Weapon Manifestation in tandem with Cryo Magic. In an instant, dozens of thin, needle-like blades of ice materialized, each one no thicker than a fingernail. Instead of using them as weapons, however, I wanted to use them as a signal.
Immediately, I thrust my hands skyward. The icy blades shot upward in a spiraling column, whistling as they tore through the night air. Each carried a chilling aura, leaving faint trails of frost that shimmered like streaks of silver fire. When they reached the peak, I detonated them. A thunderous crack resounded, and the icy blades burst apart in a dazzling explosion. Frost scattered in every direction, and from the fragments bloomed a radiant icy flare that was refracted from every nearby torchlight.
The guards blinked at the scene, startled. A dozen throats called out. “There! Over there!” Someone barked orders I couldn’t hear over the flare’s crackle, but their heads turned toward me—exactly as planned.
As their eyes locked on me, I caught a glimpse of Boris and the others breaking into a sprint toward the darker quarter of the city. Good. Now I could let loose and go all out.
I didn’t hang around and bolted in the opposite direction. Shouts erupted behind me as dozens of guards gave chase; the thunder of their pursuit rolled through the narrow streets. They were easy to spot by the torches they carried, orange halos bobbing over armored shoulders.
“Don’t let him escape!” one of them barked.
Arrows whistled past my ears as I weaved through alleys, Predator’s Step activating and turning my movements erratic. Still, I couldn’t run forever. More bodies poured from side streets, cutting off escape routes. A wall of armored figures closed in, blades flashing under the moon. Worse, some of the Templars had joined the hunt. There were simply too many of them.
“Damn it…” My grip tightened on my sword. If running wasn’t an option, I’d carve my path through them.
Although they were merely constructs of the scenario, the city guards were only following orders, not conspiring to murder. Unlike the Templars, they were more innocent. Still, once someone raised a blade against me with the intent to kill, then I would answer in kind with no hesitation.
“He’s here!”
“Let’s catch him!”
“No, kill him. The prince ordered the intruders dead,” said a knight in silver armor, who was clearly a Templar.
With my back to the wall and nowhere to run, I turned around to meet them head-on. Steeling my heart, I unleashed the skill that I’d been holding back. “Berserk!”
You have entered Berserk Mode.
Power surged through my limbs like boiling lava, my blood roaring like fire in my veins. The world around me sharpened as sounds, sights, even the guards’ heartbeats felt clearer.
“Out of my way!” I roared, bringing my blade down with explosive force. The strike cleaved into the Templar before me, rending through his armor and splitting his body clean in two before he could even react.
You have hunted [Third Order’s Templar Lv.82].
You have gained 1,420 EXP.
The sight must have been horrifying, since the soldiers were all frozen in complete horror. Their hands carrying torchers trembled as they struggled to comprehend what they had just witnessed. The bisected Templar lay in two neat halves at my feet, blood spurting on the cold stone.
“Come at me if you dare!” I roared at them.
[Desperate Willpower Lv.8] has activated.
Your combat power has increased by 24%.
“M-Monster!”
For a moment, no one dared to take a step closer. Their eyes darted between the bodies at my feet and the blood dripping from my blade. Then one of the guards tried to force courage into his voice, shouting, “H-He’s just one man! Don’t be afraid! Surround him!”
With that strained rally, a dozen men continued approaching, blades raised, hoping to overwhelm me by sheer numbers. One lunged from the side, but I slammed my shield into him, sending his body crunching against the wall with bone-snapping force.
You have learned a skill: [Shield Bash Lv.1].
My blood boiled with the power of Berserk. The world felt like it was in slow motion, with every swing of their swords like a child’s toy. I sidestepped another guard’s attack and cleaved downward. My blade cut through helm, flesh, and breastplate in one single swing.
You have hunted [Saharan City Guard Lv.60].
You have gained 700 EXP.
A second guard leaped at me with his spear desperately, but it only grazed my armored shoulder. I drove my elbow into his throat in retaliation before finishing him with a backhand slash that tore him apart.
You have hunted [Saharan City Guard Lv.59].
You have gained 690 EXP.
Weak. Pathetically weak.
“You fools… You think numbers will save you?” I snarled at them as their formation was beginning to crumble with cries of shock.
Still, more and more came to surround me. The narrow alley left me cornered, yet it also kept my rear safe. They could only come at me head-on, and that meant mowing them down one after another.
Three more charged at me in unison. With a roar, I unleashed Heavy Slash, my sword sweeping in a wide arc, fueled by Berserk’s raging strength. Their shields shattered like rotten wood, and the men were thrown sprawling in bloody heaps.
You have hunted [Saharan City Guard Lv.58].
You have gained 680 EXP.
You have leveled up.
You have hunted [Saharan City Guard Lv.57].
You have gained 670 EXP.
One survivor tried to crawl away, sobbing, but I stomped down with enough force to crush the cobblestone beneath his body. His final scream died in his throat before it could leave his mouth.
You have hunted [Saharan City Guard Lv.60].
You have gained 700 EXP.
The incoming guards still rushed at me, even now, as the Templars were barking orders from the rear. Like frightened sheep driven by wolves, they were forced forward into the slaughter. They must have realized by now that I was no ordinary intruder, yet retreat was no longer an option left to them.
You have hunted [Saharan City Guard Lv.58].
You have gained 680 EXP.
You have hunted [Saharan City Guard Lv.58].
You have gained 680 EXP.
You have hunted [Saharan City Guard Lv.58].
You have gained 680 EXP.
You have leveled up.
Your Stamina has increased by 1.
You have hunted [Third Order’s Templar Lv.83].
You have gained 1,430 EXP.
…
Blood spattered hot across my face, dripping down my chin. My chest rose and fell in exhilaration, lungs burning with the intoxicating rhythm of combat. Every heartbeat thundered like a war drum. In this state, I felt like I was destruction incarnate. Even as small wounds accumulated over my body from the stronger Templars, I didn’t feel the pain at all.
Blood! More blood! The craving boiled inside me, a searing hunger clawing at my mind, urging me to cut, to kill, to drown this alley in red. For a moment, it felt like I was on the verge of exploding, my reason slipping away beneath Berserk’s madness.
Then, as if plunging into cold water, a sudden calm pierced the haze. My hand snapped up, striking across my own face with a sharp slap. The sting grounded me, dragging me back to reality.
“Fuck…” I muttered through clenched teeth. “This skill almost consumes me… fills me too much with irrationality.”
If not for the Calm Mind skill anchoring me, things could have gone badly quickly. Berserk carried a strict time limit—one and a half minutes at level two—and that time was already close to running out. Once I was no longer in Berserk Mode, I would be hit with intense exhaustion.
All of a sudden, a harsh voice cut through the rows of enemies from the backline. “Useless trash! You can’t even bring down a single cornered rat?!”
Then I spotted Dolton striding forward at an unhurried, almost arrogant pace, his hand resting casually on the hilt of his longsword. “Tell me where your comrades are, and I’ll grant you a painless death.”