Chapter 152 – Hero Lochter Felice (1)
Lily stood next to with a disappointed look on her face.
“Ugh. That was boring.”
“What was?”
“He got hit by my spell, but there was no reaction.”
She pointed toward Lochter, who was sitting in the driver’s seat. Even though he had been affected by the spell, he didn’t have a big reaction like Karl.
Was it because of [Indomitable Will]?
Even under the illusion, he remained composed.
“That’s why that old guy is fun to ss with.”
“Haha…”
Judging by her expression, it seed Karl was in for a rough ti.
Lily and I both looked at Karl with different thoughts in mind. Misinterpreting our gazes, Karl seed to assu it was finally his turn to share, and he started boasting about everything he had seen during reconnaissance.
Well, whatever worked.
I focused on his report.
“The intel was all accurate.”
“How many of them are there?”
“You’ll see for yourself soon enough.”
He gestured for us to follow him.
The location wasn’t far.
We climbed a steep hill, and when we peered over the edge, we could see a massive group gathered below.
A camp along the Korun River—
There had to be at least two to three hundred of them.
Most of them lounged around a large tree, chatting idly, seemingly waiting for their al.
It was a hunter encampnt.
The ones preparing the food were won, all of them looking frightened, moving carefully as if forced into servitude.
“There are captives locked inside three massive wagons. Two are filled with won and children. The last one has craftsn—blacksmiths and artisans, I think.”
“They must have spared the craftsn to sell them for a high price.”
“They also have villagers they brought as an example.”
Karl pointed to one side, and Lochter’s brows furrowed slightly.
Around the large wagons, there was a ring of other carriages forming a barricade.
Tied to so of the wagon wheels were corpses—villagers who had been executed and left there. Their bodies were riddled with arrows.
These bastards killed like it was nothing.
“They did this to instill fear. If you see soone executed in front of you, you won’t even think about running away.”
“They’ve completely lost control. If Kal had stayed in his territory, things wouldn’t have gotten this bad.”
“The lord of Blyer?”
“He probably never expected this either.”
There was no way Kal foresaw that the hunters he lured with the totem would rampage across his land like this.
“He could still send a suppression force.”
“He won’t make any hasty moves because of us.”
I had broadcasted a direct challenge through the communication gate, so he knew that his elite pursuers had been wiped out.
Jack, Howell, the hunting dogs, the shamans—they were all dead.
After my provocation, what stance would the Slaughterer take?
Attack? Defend?
If he hesitated or chose to defend, then my plan was working.
Of course, we had already clashed once, so I couldn’t let my guard down.
But he was in the sa boat.
Right now, he had no intel on us.
Until he figured out our position, he wouldn’t dare move recklessly.
To deal with us, he’d need Lyon or Rengua leading a main force.
Just stay holed up in Etor for one week.
If he vacated Blyer for even that long, I could set up the foundation to fracture the territory.
And with Lochter here, that plan could beco a reality.
But first, we needed to clean up these rampaging hunters.
In a way, this was helping Kal.
But if it led to sothing bigger, I didn’t care.
“When do we attack?”
“Just a mont.”
I gripped the Ring of Blood, drawing my bowstring.
The bow began to glow red, and the arrow nocked on the string slowly grew in size.
Lily, fascinated by the transformation, stared at my bow with wide eyes.
First, we needed to set the mood.
By the river, the captive won were carrying bread and soup, distributing food to the hunters.
There were about thirty won—far too many.
Their torn clothes and trembling bodies spoke volus about the horrors they had endured.
The food distribution ended.
Aside from the won being held captive, the rest moved toward the large wagons, likely to feed the other prisoners.
I quickly gave out orders.
“Karl, secure the won outside.”
“Move them to the carriage?”
“Yes. Lily, use your magic around the wagons.”
“Got it.”
“And Lochter.”
“Speak.”
At my call, Lochter raised his sword.
I nodded and ran my thumb across my neck.
“Kill them all. Every single one you see. Even the air they breathe is wasted on them.”
“…I like the way you think.”
“But keep your Aura Sword hidden as long as possible. If they see it and run, it’ll be a pain.”
“Understood.”
We moved at the signal.
I aid at a large tree.
Maximum output—Ring of Blood.
It’s common courtesy not to bother soone while they eat.
But these bastards weren’t even worth the courtesy given to a dog.
Thwoom—!
The giant arrow tore through the air.
The mont it struck—
KWOAAAANG—!
A massive, blood-red arrow slamd into the center of the great tree.
The sheer force of the magic-enhanced shot triggered a powerful explosion, shattering the wood into countless splinters and sending a deadly shockwave outward.
Nearby hunters, lounging in the shade, scread as they were impaled by the flying debris.
“Wha— Guehhk!”
“Sh-shit! Take cover!”
The massive tree, unable to withstand the impact, slowly began to tip over.
Kuuuuung—!
The massive trunk crushed the hunters underneath like insects, their screams silenced instantly.
A thick cloud of dust billowed into the air, obscuring the battlefield.
In an instant, their peaceful camp turned into hell.
“W-we’re under attack!!!”
A hunter who had been harassing a woman jumped up and shouted—
Only to collapse the next second, a dagger embedded in his throat.
“Should’ve thought about where you were putting your hands.”
Karl retrieved his dagger and slung an unconscious woman over his shoulder. Another woman was already strapped to his back.
He sighed.
“Do you know how hard it is to carry this many people with just two arms? Why do I have to—”
His complaints were cut short.
“Block him! It’s just one guy!”
“Kill him! Everyone, charge!”
“UAAAAAGH!”
A swarm of hunters charged at Lochter, their figures vanishing into the dusty air.
The sounds of steel clashing erupted, blood and flesh flying everywhere.
Lochter, already bloodstained before the fight began, was now drowning in it.
“…Poor guy.”
Karl coughed and adjusted the won on his back.
“Where the hell is Arthur?”
He soon disappeared into the smoke, making his way toward the large wagons.
Thunk!
“Kugh—!”
The hunters guarding the slaves fell one by one, unable to react to the arrows flying through the mist.
Shields and swords did nothing—the enchanted arrows pierced through their gear as if it were paper.
From the top of the largest wagon, I could hear terrified cries coming from inside.
The captives.
Lochter would have rushed to free them.
But I ignored them.
Not yet.
If we freed them now, it would only create chaos.
Lily, anwhile, landed on a neighboring wagon, her broom vanishing.
“Here?”
“Yes. This is the spot.”
“Alright.”
Lily stood atop the central wagon, casting her spell.
A small mirror in her hand glowed red, its light spreading out and enveloping the wagons in a soft, eerie hue.
It was a sign that the illusion magic had been activated.
“AAAHH!”
“Ughh!”
As proof, the won who had approached the wagons to distribute food suddenly staggered, as if trapped in a hallucination.
Karl was already moving swiftly, gathering them up.
I shifted my attention to assess the battlefield.
Half of the hunters had rushed toward Lochter.
They must have thought he was just one man and charged in without a second thought.
They’d soon realize they had stepped into a slaughterhouse.
And the rest?
As expected, they sward toward the wagons we were on.
Their precious rchandise, after all.
“Get the slaves out!”
Hunters poured in from all directions—dozens at a ti.
There were a lot of them.
If we had tried to fight while protecting the captives, it would’ve been a tough battle.
But now?
I pulled back my bowstring with a wicked grin.
“Welco to the Anthill.”
The defenses were already set.
Lily’s illusion spell had spread across the battlefield.
The mont the hunters stepped into its range, chaos erupted.
So scread in rage, others fell to their knees sobbing, while many simply stood frozen in terror.
They flailed in place, completely disoriented.
Karl and I struck them down with ease.
Thunk.
Shluk!
Arrows and daggers pierced their bodies before they even had a chance to feel pain.
Like rotten hay, they toppled over, dying while trapped in hallucinations.
But a few managed to resist.
They pushed through the spell’s effects and advanced toward the wagons.
They had to be Aura users.
Judging by their movents, there were about fifteen of them.
Mostly 1-star and 2-star, but among them—
A 3-star stood out.
“Kill that bitch!”
A man with a scarred face raised a sharp axe and pointed at Lily.
Realizing she was the one casting the spell, he led a squadron and charged at her.
“Oh, no you don’t.”
Twtwtwtwtwung!
A rain of arrows shot out from , forming an intricate web of death.
Those climbing toward Lily were forced to retreat, rolling off the wagons to avoid being skewered.
The axe-wielding bastard growled and instead started smashing the wagon below with his weapon.
With his 3-star strength, the reinforced wood shattered like paper.
“Kill them all! Every last one!”
“Kyaaaah!”
They’re taking hostages?!
I leapt off the wagon, sprinting toward him—
But before I could reach him, the man suddenly stiffened.
Slowly, he fell backward.
From behind the wagon, Karl appeared, casually spinning his dagger.
“This ugly bastard thought he could get away with that?”
Karl shot a playful wink.
I let out a small chuckle and turned toward Lochter.
This side was under control.
Now it was ti to clean up the rest.
"He's a fucking monster..."
"We—We can't win! We can't win! We're all gonna die!"
"AAAAHHH!"
A man in tattered clothes, wielding nothing but an old, worn-out sword—
The hunters had laughed at him as they charged in.
They thought he’d go down in an instant.
But the man refused to fall.
Dodge. Cut. Dodge. Cut.
Every ti he moved, three or four hunters clutched their throats and collapsed.
The fight dragged on—
And soon, the surviving hunters realized sothing.
Every single one of their dead comrades had their throats slit.
A terrifying level of precision.
Once fifty, then a hundred corpses littered the ground, the smarter ones started shoving their allies aside, trying to flee.
Fear spread like wildfire.
“R-RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!”
The desperate screams reached Lochter’s ears—
And at that mont, Wuuuuung!
The glow of an Aura Sword burst forth from his blade.
There was no reason to hide it anymore.
The eerie light no longer just severed throats.
Limbs.
Necks.
Entire torsos.
The hunters were shredded apart, their bodies torn into pieces.
“GGGAAAHHH!”
“P-Please—!”
Only then did they realize—
This place was the true graveyard.
The few survivors scattered in all directions, fleeing in sheer panic.
So waded into the river.
Others mounted horses, galloping up the hill.
There were simply too many for Lochter to kill them all.
But I was different.
My specialty is ranged combat.
Thwip!
Shlunk!
I began picking off the fleeing ones.
Those who dove into the river had their skulls pierced.
The ones on horseback were shot off their saddles.
And I didn’t stop.
I chased them down relentlessly.
Not a single one can escape.
My goal was the complete annihilation of the hunters.
Hunters move in packs.
They share information before regrouping.
I couldn’t allow them to carry word of us to another group.
Just four of us.
We were outnumbered, and their delayed retreat had sealed their fate.
"Hah..."
A while later, Karl surveyed the battlefield—
Then plopped down onto the ground.
Only three of us remained standing.
Lily.
Lochter.
And .
The hunters had been completely wiped out.
“Let’s begin.”
“…When the hell did you get here?”
Karl groaned as he stretched his back before standing up.
It was ti to begin.
The real work—
Turning Lochter into the hero of Blyer.
A job that required careful planning.
“…What about the restaurant?”
Of course, there was also a job that required zero planning.
User Comments
0 comments from readers