Future Knight [EN]: Chapter 103

퓨쳐나이트 103화

“Kkeueuk!”

“Kwaeeek!”

“Hey! Are you trying to kill someone? Pull it gently!”

“Hold still, if it’s too loose, you’ll die from the gas.”

At the mention of dying from gas, Anais silently endured the pain, eagerly awaiting her turn to tighten Hollis’s straps.

And, as expected, when it was her turn, Anais began to tighten his leather straps with all her might.

“Heeup!”

“Hey! Hey! Gently!”

“Th-This is all… for you! Just bear with it! Kkeueung!”

“Aaaagh!”

“Stop fooling around and put it on quickly!”

“Ah, yes!”

After being scolded by Kang Chan, Anais, feeling disappointed, thought, ‘You’re lucky, you know,’ and quickly tied Hollis’s straps.

And then came the moment to apply the greasy oil….

As the jar filled with dark, murky oil was opened, a repulsive smell vibrated in all directions, and the team members, grimacing, began to generously apply the oil to each other’s helmets with feeling.

“Hey… I think I got a bit too much?”

“No, the Captain said you need to apply this much to keep the gas out.”

“Huh? Really?”

Hollis scooped up a handful of oil and placed it on top of Anais’s helmet.

Thwack!

An even more viscous sound came from the already greasy lump of oil.

“Hey! This is a bit much, isn’t it?”

“It’s all for you. I’ll spread it out evenly for you.”

“Oh-ho? Really?”

Anais grabbed the jar and poured the oil over Hollis’s head.

Hollis then asked in a chilly tone,

“Isn’t this a bit too much?”

“Actually, the entire jar is for one use. Didn’t you know?”

“Kkeueuk! Anais!”

Seeing the two oldest members of the team acting like the youngest children, Kang Chan looked at them with a pathetic gaze.

“Are you two not done yet?”

“No, sir!”

“We’re all done.”

Having perfectly attached the filters, they had become perfect chemical warfare soldiers.

The filters were enchanted with cure magic that neutralized the poison gas.

Kang Chan gave the final check on the team members’ mask-wearing status.

“Everyone, check your masks!”

“Top strap! Bottom strap! Middle strap! Hoo-hoo! Haha! Gas! Gas! Gas!”

“All masks are normal!”

“Alright, let’s begin the operation.”

“Um, I have a question before that.”

“What is it?”

“I’m curious why the Captain isn’t wearing a gas mask like us.”

At Jaizen’s sharp question, Kang Chan confidently said,

“That’s because the armor I’m wearing has a built-in gas mask function.”

“Then, can’t we wear the same armor as the Captain?”

Jaizen’s request was something that could never be granted.

Where could he find this expensive armor that only he had been issued back in Red Mas [presumably a military unit or organization]?

However, to convince Jaizen, who couldn’t possibly know that, Kang Chan made up an excuse.

“This is a relic from ancient times, so it’s the only one in the world. That’s why I can’t provide it to you. Any more questions?”

“No, sir…”

Jaizen answered with a slightly disgruntled expression, thinking that only Kang Chan was wearing such good armor.

However, they didn’t know that any poison was useless against a knight who had reached the level of Sword Master.

But even Kang Chan himself, who was a Sword Master, didn’t know that.

“If there are no more questions, we move out.”

“Yes, sir!”

Kang Chan, along with the team members wearing gas masks, climbed up a high hill and stood with their backs to the wind. Then, he placed the second mass-slaughter weapon that Zikyon had created, the Poison Magic Bullet, on the ground. It was a weapon that even Zikyon had strongly warned not to use carelessly.

Because poison gas was a weapon of mass destruction that could go anywhere with the wind, killing both allies and enemies alike. But Kang Chan, who was skilled in chemical warfare, knew how to use it properly, and the time had come to show its power to the fullest.

“Everyone, don’t let your guard down. Let’s go!”

As Kang Chan activated the Poison Magic Bullet, a tremendous amount of purple mist began to rise from it. It was Death Fog, a 7th circle poison magic [a high level of magical ability].

This magic was originally a type of black magic, but Zikyon, an Ancient Dragon who was proficient in all magic, had exceptional knowledge of black magic, so he could use a considerable level of black magic without the help of the Demon King.

The Death Fog, carried slowly by the wind, began to slowly cover the enemy’s smithy, and the green elves sniffed at the suddenly blowing fragrant smell.

“Sniff! Sniff! What is this smell?”

“It smells like some kind of fruit? Hmm? Heeup!”

“Haaack! Keh! Keheck!”

“Hey, what’s wrong? Keueok!”

The Death Fog, which spread quickly on the wind, covered the smithy area, and the green elves guarding the entrance began to foam at the mouth and collapse one by one.

Then, Kang Chan and his team members, who had been hiding in the darkness, drew their swords and slowly approached the enemies who had been neutralized by the Death Fog.

“Keremion-nim! 7th circle level magic has been detected!”

“Good! I’ve got you! Yes, I knew you guys would target this place next. You guys hurry and send word to the main camp, and the rest, follow me!”

“Yes!”

Keremion, who had been directly assigned the mission to eliminate the intruders by Nemitz, led 10 Arc Shadows and 20 Dark Blades and rushed towards the enemies.

However, Keremion and his subordinates could only watch the detestable intruders.

Because the cloud of death was covering the vast smithy. Beneath that poisonous cloud, countless green elves were foaming at the mouth and dying.

“Damn it! We’ll strike when they get out of the smithy area.”

The dark elves nodded and melted into the darkness one by one. It was their ability, Blind Hide, that had forced the Allied Forces to engage in an all-out war.

Soon, the enemies, who had installed something here and there, began to flee quickly.

The dark elves hurriedly chased after them. However, their speed was as fast as their own, who were known for their agility, so the gap was not easily narrowed.

It seemed that the enemies were at least on par with them. However, Keremion had confirmed that the number of enemies was around 10, so he was confident of their victory, as they outnumbered them significantly.

‘A guerrilla unit composed only of Sword Experts, they came prepared. But your plan ends here! I won’t let a single one of you survive!’

However, he did not know. That there was a Sword Master among them… and that he was Kang Chan.

‘Hmm, there are pursuers.’

Even while running, Kang Chan could feel the presence of pursuers chasing them. It was thanks to his senses, which had become dramatically sharper as he became a Sword Master.

Kang Chan informed the team members of the enemy’s presence through the earpiece.

『Everyone, listen carefully. We have a tail behind us.』

At the news that enemies had followed them, a murderous intent flashed in the eyes of the team members. It was the first engagement since the creation of the Black Wyvern unit.

『Judging by the fact that they’ve chased us this far, all of them are at least Sword Experts. The numbers are several times ours, are you all prepared?』

『Captain, why are you even asking that?』

『If we can’t shake those bastards off, we can’t go home anyway, right?』

『Let’s give them a good hit and go back feeling good, Captain?』

『You guys…』

Kang Chan looked at his subordinates, who were not afraid of the enemy at all, and said.

『Then we should repay them for chasing us this far, right? Aster, Pleta, spread the caltrops [small, spiked devices designed to puncture feet].』

『Roger!』

At the order to spread the caltrops, two team members spread the caltrops they had around them.

It was the same one that the green elves had used to hinder the march of the Eastern Kingdom support troops in the past, and it goes without saying that it was coated with deadly poison.

『Everyone, conceal and take cover around the area.』

『To your positions!』

The Black Wyvern team members, united as one, quickly moved behind cover and concealed their bodies as much as possible in stealth mode.

And they waited for the enemies to appear, holding their breath as much as possible.

* * *

Duke Sachsen, who had rushed with his subordinates, could not close his mouth as he looked at the field hospital.

“Heut! Is that the field hospital?”

“Yes, Commander!”

The appearance of the field hospital was completely different from before.

The hundreds of Healing Wards installed by Zikyon to accommodate the overflowing patients emitted a subtle yellow light, creating a fantastic beauty.

It was enough to create the illusion of being in a fairy world.

The subtle yellow light made the body and mind feel warm and cozy.

The patients lying under the Healing Wards were all terribly injured, but they were all sleeping peacefully.

“So many Healing Wards… Has a goddess really appeared?”

Duke Sachsen’s face was filled with awe beyond surprise.

Even if he scraped together all the Healing Wards left on the continent, this amount would never be possible.

Only after confirming with his own eyes did Duke Sachsen truly begin to believe in the existence of the goddess.

“Yes, where is the goddess now?”

“I’ll go find out.”

As his subordinates left to find out the location of the goddess, Duke Sachsen knelt in place and offered a prayer of gratitude to the god who had sent the goddess.

“Oh, thank you, Pionessa.”

Meanwhile, Zikyon, who was diligently installing Healing Wards without knowing that Duke Sachsen had come, looked a little tired.

“Goddess, wipe the sweat off your forehead.”

“Ah? Thank you.”

Zikyon, who received the towel, wiped her face, which had become covered in sweat and dirt.

However, no matter how much dirt and sweat was on her, Zikyon’s beauty was dazzling, and the towel she used and handed back became the target of all the men.

“Goddess, please rest now. This should be enough.”

“Hoo… Should I? I’m a little tired too.”

“You’re only a little tired now… As expected, the goddess is amazing.”

She single-handedly created a whopping 300 Healing Wards in 5 hours.

The Saints who looked at Zikyon treated her with even deeper awe.

Because thanks to her, half of the seriously injured had survived.

Although the 300 Healing Wards she created could not accommodate all the many injured, it was possible because she distinguished and accommodated minor and severe patients.

While Zikyon, the number one contributor to saving countless patients, was surrounded by people who worshiped her and was having a late dinner, an uninvited guest, Duke Sachsen, burst in.

“Duke Sachsen is here!”

“Heut! Pueup!”

At the sudden appearance of Duke Sachsen, Zikyon coughed as she choked on the bread she was eating.

“Keh! Keh!”

“Goddess, eat slowly. Here, have some milk too.”

‘No! Sibal [a Korean swear word, roughly equivalent to “damn it”], why, why is that bastard coming here and falling down?’

Zikyon’s face hardened coldly.

She was enjoying a little fun for the first time in a while, but she was not happy that someone who knew her identity had appeared.

“No! What brings the Commander-in-Chief to such a humble place?”