Future Knight [EN]: Chapter 104

퓨쳐나이트 104화

During the Commander-in-Chief’s visit, a high-ranking priest, assisting the Divine Maiden, approached him.

“I heard the Divine Maiden is here. Where can I find her?”

“Ah! You’ve come to pay your respects to the Divine Maiden. She’s right over there.”

“Ah! Then, allow me to offer my greetings… Huh!”

Duke Sachsen’s expression contorted as he looked in the direction the priest indicated.

Standing there was a woman he desperately wanted to avoid.

‘D, D, Dragon!’

He was momentarily speechless, frozen like a statue.

Jikyon approached Sachsen with a gentle demeanor, greeting him with a bright and friendly voice that contrasted sharply with her intense gaze.

“Hello, Commander-in-Chief. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“…….”

When Sachsen remained speechless, Jikyon subtly pinched his side.

“Ah! Yes! N, Nice to meet you!”

The scene was strangely awkward. Everyone watched with puzzled expressions as Jikyon attempted to lead Duke Sachsen away.

“Shall we step aside and talk for a moment?”

“Huh? No, let’s just talk here.”

“No, I have something important to discuss with you, Commander-in-Chief.”

“C, Can’t we just stay here?”

Even as the Allied Forces Commander-in-Chief and a Sword Master, he found her, the Dragon Lord, an intimidating presence, showing no inclination to follow her.

Jikyon’s brow furrowed, and she threatened Sachsen.

“The gods have a revelation specifically for you, Commander-in-Chief.”

Here, ‘gods’ referred to herself, but upon hearing those words, the onlookers rejoiced, believing a divine revelation was at hand.

“A revelation has descended!”

“The gods’ revelation has arrived!”

Capitalizing on the commotion, Jikyon whispered into Sachsen’s ear.

“Just come along when I ask nicely.”

“…….”

At Jikyon’s veiled threat, Duke Sachsen was led away by the hand like a lamb to the slaughter, to a secluded spot where they were alone.

Once they were alone, Jikyon’s demeanor shifted abruptly. She crossed her arms and declared.

“Attention!”

Flinch!

At the command ‘attention,’ Sachsen, the Allied Forces Commander-in-Chief, snapped to a perfect, rigid posture, one he wouldn’t even assume before the Emperor.

“You should have cooperated when I was being polite. Why are you being so difficult? Huh?”

“I, I’m sorry.”

“Who am I to you?”

“You are Jikyon.”

“If you know that, you should follow my orders immediately! Just you wait, I’ll…”

Flinch!

“Huh? Who told you to move? Attention!”

Who would have imagined that the esteemed Duke Sachsen would be dragged to a hillside and reprimanded by a woman in such a manner?

But no matter how powerful the Allied Forces Commander-in-Chief was, he was merely a puppy before the ill-tempered Ancient Dragon.

Moreover, this wasn’t just any Ancient Dragon.

She was the Dragon Lord.

She possessed the power and authority to resolve the ongoing tribal war in a single day.

“I won’t say much. I’m just enjoying myself here, so behave accordingly. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Then, I’ll ask you one more time. Who am I?”

“You are Jikyon.”

Thwack!

“Gasp!”

A superhumanly powerful fist connected with Sachsen’s abdomen.

“Ah! You blockhead… Who am I?”

“Kuh, Y, You are the Divine Maiden.”

“Yes, yes, remember that and treat me accordingly from now on. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good, that’s right. Oh? Wait a minute…”

For a moment, Sachsen instinctively reached for his sword as an unimaginable murderous aura emanated from Jikyon. However, Jikyon ignored Sachsen, turned her back to him, glared into the opposite forest, and said.

“Those rat bastards dare to eavesdrop!”

“Cough! We’re caught! Damn it!”

“Run away!”

But those were their final words.

The instant Jikyon’s hand moved, a 100-meter radius of the forest in front of them was crushed by immense pressure.

It was the ultimate gravity magic of the 9th circle earth element, Reverse Gravity.

Wuzzzzz! Crack!

“Kuaaack!”

“Kaaaack!”

The forest, flattened as if a giant had stomped on it, left a circular clearing 100 meters in diameter, littered with 30 unrecognizable, black lumps of meat.

Duke Sachsen, witnessing Jikyon’s divine power from behind, stood with his mouth agape.

‘I didn’t even realize those guys were hiding…’

She effortlessly detected the Dark Elves who had evaded even his, a Sword Master’s, senses and obliterated them with terrifying magic. She was indeed an Ancient Dragon.

Now, only one thought consumed Sachsen’s mind.

‘Defy her and you die…’

32. Reunion with Keremion

As Keremion and his subordinates frantically pursued the intruders, screams suddenly erupted from their left and right flanks.

“Aaaagh!”

“Stop!”

Keremion halted his subordinates with an outstretched arm, causing them to skid to a stop several meters away.

Keremion picked up a shining object from the ground and said in an angry voice.

“Caltrops. Those damn bastards! They knew we were tracking them…”

The enemy’s ability to detect the pursuit of the Dark Elves, who were supposed to move with the utmost secrecy, was unnervingly acute.

“What’s the damage?”

“Two Arc Shadows, one Dark Blade, three in total.”

Fortunately, only three individuals had stepped on the caltrops.

However, those who had stepped on the caltrops quickly exhibited symptoms of poisoning and collapsed.

“Using poison, you cowardly bastards!”

They were the first to employ poison in the war, but when they were targeted, the word ‘cowardly’ escaped their lips without conscious thought. That’s how vile poison was considered.

Seeing the Sword Expert assassin displaying symptoms of poisoning almost instantly indicated the potency of the toxin.

However, Keremion couldn’t afford to tend to them.

Because the enemy was gaining distance with each passing moment.

“The injured will be cared for upon our return! Everyone, move above the trees to bypass the caltrop field.”

“Understood!”

The Dark Elves, as adept at climbing trees as Elves, utilized the surrounding trees to circumvent the caltrop field and attempt to resume the pursuit.

However, they no longer needed to ascend the trees.

Because the enemies had revealed themselves.

The intruders stood in a line on a low hill. Their numbers were a mere 10.

Only 10 of them setting up booby traps and waiting for them, who numbered 30… It was absurd to Keremion.

“Those guys have lost their minds.”

The Black Wyvern members deliberately positioned themselves with their backs to the moon, causing the Dark Elves to squint against the glare. Despite their attempts to adapt, the moonlight was as blinding as the midday sun to them.

“Keremion, shall we surround them and wipe them out?”

“Good, we’ll eliminate them in one fell swoop! Charge!”

As Keremion’s command to charge echoed, 30 Dark Elves dispersed in all directions.

They attempted to conceal their presence using Blind Hide [a technique to blend into shadows] and encircle the members.

Night ambushes utilizing the power of darkness, Blind Hide, were their most formidable tactic.

However, the Black Wyverns were not easily outmaneuvered. They were a specialized unit meticulously trained for combat against the Dark Elves.

『Stealth Mode!』

The Dark Elves couldn’t suppress their surprise when the enemies suddenly concealed their presence, mirroring their own technique.

That was undeniably their specialty.

“W, What the hell, what are these guys, what are they?”

The Dark Elves who were advancing were instantly thrown into disarray.

They couldn’t attack an invisible enemy.

However, the stealth cloaks weren’t as flawless as their Blind Hide.

Because it was merely a cloak, their black armor was subtly revealed with each movement.

The Dark Elves didn’t miss it.

‘Hmph! Their Blind Hide isn’t as perfect as ours after all.’

The Dark Elf, having identified the enemy’s location, confidently charged, assuming the enemy couldn’t see him.

However, it was a grave miscalculation.

The moment the strange glasses the intruders were wearing focused on him, the Dark Elf’s vision turned red and darkened.

“Kuh… H, How can you see me?”

Thud!

The Dark Elf, who bravely charged without realizing that the night vision goggles the Black Wyvern members were wearing had the capability to detect transparency magic, became a lifeless corpse, courtesy of Jaizen’s aura sword [a sword enhanced with magical energy].

Subsequently, the Dark Elves realized that Blind Hide was ineffective against them and revealed themselves.

They abandoned the plan for a hidden surprise attack and opted for a frontal assault.

They swiftly encircled the area, leveraging their numerical advantage.

As the encirclement tightened, the Black Wyvern members stood back-to-back in a circle, bracing for the attack. Then, one Dark Elf spoke, his tone laced with curiosity.

“How could you see us?”

Jaizen responded to the Dark Elf’s query.

“Your butts are too big, so I could see you just fine?”

“Heeheehee.”

“Hehehe.”

The members couldn’t help but chuckle at Jaizen’s playful taunt, and the Dark Elf, his murderous intent intensifying, retorted with a cold expression.

“You’re just a kid with a big mouth. I’ll personally cut that mouth off with my own hands.”

Just as the Dark Elf was about to draw his strangely shaped dagger and attack, the voice of the Grim Reaper of Hell echoed beside him.

“You can’t lay a finger on my subordinate.”

“Gasp!”

Before the words could fully register, the Dark Elf’s head was shattered.

Kang Chan had delivered a backhanded slap.

Splat!

As blood gushed like a fountain from the Dark Elf’s neck, Kang Chan’s appearance, now splattered with blood, was revealed to the enemies.

“There are still guys hiding…”

The enemies appeared visibly unnerved by Kang Chan’s sudden appearance. They harbored concerns that there might be other ambushes besides Kang Chan.

However, those worries were completely dispelled after witnessing Kang Chan’s subsequent display.

Because their opponent was a Sword Master.

Kang Chan, having deactivated Stealth Mode, generated an aura blade from the high-frequency blades in both hands and declared.

“Not a single one of you will leave this place alive.”

Simultaneously with his pronouncement, a violent blood storm swept through the forest.

“Kuaaaaaaack!”

Chwaaaack!

“Kkieeeeck!”

“I, It’s a monster!”

As nearly 10 Dark Elves perished instantly due to Kang Chan’s aura blade, panic seized the Dark Elves.

Because they were no match for the Sword Master before them.

If they were alone, they might attempt to overwhelm him with numbers, but his subordinates, who were stronger than them, were emitting blue aura swords behind him, further pressuring them, leaving them without a viable solution.

In this situation, the leader of the group should have assessed the situation and issued a retreat order, but Keremion, their leader, was not in his right mind.

“This can’t be. This can’t be…”

He repeated the same words like a madman, staring at the unidentified enemy Sword Master before him.

“How can that guy be… This can’t be.”

The enemy Sword Master who was massacring their subordinates before his eyes was undeniably that guy, no matter how he looked at it.

He could never forget. That strange armor and the daggers in both hands that seemed to have grown from his hands… There was no way there could be another identical set unless that guy possessed it. Because it wasn’t from this world.