Chapter 168: The Backstab Behind the Backstab Behind the Backstab (4)

“Black Deer approaching from the left!”

Those who had escaped through the secret passage were now battling monsters in the forest.

They had entered the forested stretch of the Rolarsen Mountains, which stood like an iron wall guarding the western border of the Mineta Kingdom.

“There are Hobgoblins riding on top of the Black Deer!”

In response, the knights under Harlan Mineta formed a defensive circle and fought desperately.

Their swords swung in all directions.

Even while drenched in monster blood, they focused solely on protecting their king, Harlan Mineta.

Slash―!

A knight’s sword split a Hobgoblin cleanly in half with a vertical slash.

Then it happened.

Between the two halves of the falling Hobgoblin, a massive, blood-red fist came crashing down.

Boom―!

The startled knight didn’t even have time to summon his aura before it struck.

A sharp pain surged through his leg as his left shin bent backward unnaturally.

“Aaaaaargh!”

The knight’s anguished scream echoed through the battlefield.

Those nearby turned their eyes toward the creature that had attacked him.

“Blood Ogre? It’s a Blood Ogre!”

A towering creature over four meters tall, its entire body was swollen with crimson muscles—

the Blood Ogre.

Even one could annihilate an entire village in moments.

Ten ordinary Ogres together couldn’t defeat a single Blood Ogre.

Naturally, while ordinary Ogres were ranked as A-class monsters, the Blood Ogre belonged to the S-class.

As that horrifying scene unfolded, a man stepped forward, drawing his scimitar.

“Well, well… A Blood Ogre here of all places? It’s been quite a while.”

“You’re stepping in, sir?”

It was Rashid.

Behind him, Charoen, who had been directing the troops, sighed in relief.

“That kind of opponent—always welcome.”

Rashid infused his scimitar with a bright white aura.

At the same time, he dashed toward the Blood Ogre at blinding speed.

Tap-tap-tap! Slash―!

The Blood Ogre noticed him and swung its enormous fist.

Rashid ducked low, the blow grazing just above his head, and sliced the Ogre’s calf as he passed.

“Kraaaagh!”

The forest quaked with the creature’s deafening roar.

The Black Deer and Goblins nearby shrieked and scattered in terror.

Even the knights, who had been busy fending off other monsters, froze in shock.

“Strong, but not nearly enough!”

If there were ever someone consumed by battle, it was Rashid at that moment.

He swung his scimitar in wide arcs as he charged again at the Blood Ogre.

“Kraaaagh!”

The monster once more swung its mighty fist.

Its timing was so precise it hardly seemed like a beast’s attack.

It was like two great weapons—an iron mace and a slicing wind—colliding head-on.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Rashid’s figure glided past the Ogre’s arm as if curving around it.

At first glance, it seemed he’d merely passed by.

But the Ogre’s right arm split open in multiple places, dark red blood spraying wildly.

“Aaaaargh! Grrraaagh!”

In a fleeting instant, Rashid had cut through and moved on.

He didn’t stop there.

His blade, glowing with white aura, shredded the Ogre’s flesh like a child toying with a doll.

Watching from nearby, Raion’s lips parted slightly.

“He’s got some twisted hobbies.”

“His swordsmanship reeks of arrogance,” Patrick muttered as though analyzing a technique. “But his skill is undeniable.”

Raion nodded slightly in agreement.

“Think you could beat him, Patrick?”

“At the very least, he’s an upper-level Swordmaster. There’s no way I could handle someone like that.”

“Hmm… I think you could win. What about you, Turklan? Think you could take him?”

Turklan, who had been quietly observing Rashid, turned his gaze toward him.

He knew Rashid better than either of them.

“Judging by his aura alone, he’s above my level. His swordsmanship, built on dazzling movement, combined with that aura, produces devastating power.”

“You’ve fought him before, haven’t you?”

“I have. And I lost every time.”

Rashid had a peculiar habit—he would always pick fights with anyone he deemed strong.

And as far as anyone knew, no one had ever defeated him.

A berserker of dance.

That was what they called him, because his battle style looked both wild and graceful, like a madman dancing.

The Blood Ogre did not fall easily.

Its colossal, muscular frame—bigger than two grown men standing side by side—endured Rashid’s relentless attacks.

“Been a while since I’ve faced a Blood Ogre. I was worried it’d die too fast, but it’s tougher than I thought!”

Rashid grinned, leaping onto the Ogre’s knee.

Slash-slash-slash-slash!

His scimitar traced dozens of arcs before raining down upon the monster’s head.

Dark crimson blood burst out through the lattice of fresh wounds.

“Kraaaagh! Aaaaaaargh!”

Thud! Thud-thud!

Driven into a frenzy, the Blood Ogre charged—not at Rashid, but at the nearby knights who were still battling other monsters.

“Kraaaagh!”

Boom! Crash! Boom―!

Thwack! Thud!

Its fists and arms swung wildly, sending armored knights flying in all directions.

Some barely managed to block with aura, but blood dripped from their lips, suggesting serious internal injuries.

“Rashid! Finish it already! This isn’t the time to play around!”

That was Charoen’s voice.

Rashid frowned in irritation, glaring at him.

“You’re interrupting my fun?”

“We can’t afford any more delays here!”

Even the normally calm Charoen’s face was twisted with anger.

“Tch―!”

Rashid clicked his tongue and moved swiftly.

Meanwhile, the Blood Ogre, blinded after having its eyes slashed, went berserk as it thrashed about wildly.

“Kaaaagh! Kaaagh!”

Boom! Thud-thud!

Its movements were erratic and unpredictable, forcing the knights to dodge frantically.

Swoosh! Tap-tap-tap-tap!

At that moment, Rashid kicked off the ground and closed in on the Blood Ogre at incredible speed.

Flinch―.

Perhaps it sensed the killing intent instinctively.

The frenzied Blood Ogre twitched its ears, then turned its head toward the direction where Rashid was charging like a streak of light.

“Kraaaaaaaaagh!”

But this time, it wasn’t just a roar.

Before its mouth, a cluster of crimson energy rapidly gathered like smoke, then burst forward like a blazing flame.

“A Breath? From an Ogre? More like a belch!”

The blade of Rashid’s scimitar gleamed, a white aura blazing like holy fire.

It was a realm of aura only attainable by those who had reached the pinnacle of Swordmastery—the rank of Grand Master.

Shwaaaaa!

The white flame-like aura split the Breath attack cleanly in two.

Boom-boom-boom!

The divided flames shot toward where the knights and Raion were standing.

Shwaaa! Boom―!

Charoen leapt forward and deflected the split Breath with his own aura.

Raion swung his sword forged of Blue Mithril.

Swoosh―!

The blade’s path curved gracefully like a reed swaying in the wind, wrapping around the Breath and redirecting it.

Boom―!

In that same instant, Rashid reached the Blood Ogre and swung his scimitar upward, releasing a surge of white flame aura.

A brief stillness followed.

“Grrkh―?”

The Blood Ogre tried to move again—only for its head, torso, and waist to split apart in sequence.

Thud―!

Its massive body finally collapsed, and only then did the surrounding knights let out sighs of relief.

“Tch. I could’ve played with it a bit longer.”

“The situation isn’t favorable. Do you need to hear an order from above to take this seriously?”

“Fine, fine.”

Most of the remaining monsters had already been subdued.

Confirming that, Harlan Mineta issued new orders.

“We’re moving immediately.”

“There are wounded.”

“How many?”

“Eight knights with severe injuries.”

They had been fine against the earlier monsters.

The problem began when the Blood Ogre appeared.

Eight knights had broken limbs, bones protruding from their legs or arms.

Almost half of the twenty knights they had started with.

It was a significant loss.

“Leave them behind.”

“……Understood.”

No one argued or showed resentment.

Even Charoen knew rescuing the kidnapped individuals was the priority.

“Let’s move.”

“Shouldn’t we at least rest for a moment?”

At Charoen’s concerned question, Harlan Mineta shot him a cold glare.

“Rest? Because of whom are we in this mess? The main force is still intact, isn’t it?”

Thanks to Rashid handling the Blood Ogre alone, most of the Swordmaster-class fighters hadn’t expended much strength.

Of course, murmurs of admiration spread through the ranks for Rashid—who had single-handedly slain an S-class Blood Ogre.

“This way.”

They found the faint wheel tracks of the wagon again, nearly erased by the battle.

The trail still led westward.

.

.

.

By the time dawn broke, sunlight filtered through the dense foliage.

As they continued to follow the wagon tracks, a faint smile crossed Harlan Mineta’s face.

“So, the wagon intends to pass through Naviadal Valley?”

At the end of the trail lay a tall gorge.

Even within the Rolarsen Mountains, the western iron wall of the kingdom, Naviadal was infamous for its rough terrain.

Not only treacherous, but also a place where monsters like the Blood Ogre they had just faced might appear again.

Even mercenaries and adventurers often avoided that region.

Beside him, Charoen nodded.

“Judging by the trail, it seems that way.”

“There are plenty of routes—why go through such a dangerous one? Though direction-wise, it does lead toward the Boluzan Kingdom.”

“They’re likely avoiding the border patrols. Still, if it’s Naviadal, the wagon wouldn’t have been able to move fast.”

“With all those marshes, we might be able to catch up.”

It seemed the kidnappers’ caution had turned into a mistake.

Perhaps because he believed they were close, Harlan Mineta’s lips curled upward.

“Judging by how shallow the tracks are, it hasn’t been long since they passed through.”

“That’s fortunate. I’ll increase our pace.”

Harlan gave Charoen a sharp nod.

It meant that the Black Crescent Moon subordinates should advance together.

Beside Raion, Turklan nodded in response.

Clack―!

Everyone gripped the hilts of their swords tightly and dashed into the valley.

The inside of the gorge was narrow and winding, twisting like a maze.

There were even several branching paths—without the wagon tracks, they might have easily gotten lost.

Trailing a bit behind, Raion spoke in a low voice.

“Stay alert. There’s an ambush up on the cliffs.”

Instantly, Patrick and Turklan focused their senses in that direction.

They extended their aura perception outward.

Though the distance made it unclear, faint presences could be felt.

“A perfect trap.”

“They must be waiting for Harlan Mineta.”

After running a bit farther, the group in the lead suddenly stopped.

They had found the wagon they’d been tracking.

But they didn’t approach immediately—they waited.

“Check it.”

The surroundings were eerily quiet.

And around the wagon, countless footprints were scattered chaotically.

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