I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 96

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#96. Bait (1)

Hounded and Skullsage, knights of the Mörsolt Family, were breaking through the ice frozen over the river again today.

…Bang!

They had to break through ice over 30cm thick using only pure physical strength without using any mana at all.

Breaking ice that wouldn’t crack even if ten large Northerners stood on it at once, alone and with bare fists no less, was pure torture.

Hounded raised his fist.

“I’ve been pounding this hard ice so much that it doesn’t even bleed anymore.”

“Look at these calluses. Are these human fists or a monster’s exoskeleton?”

Skullsage also whistled as he looked down at his own two fists that seemed to have doubled in size.

As a result of repeatedly swelling from frostbite, splitting, healing, and developing calluses, their fists had turned a dark purple color while doubling in size.

Even if they rested in a warm place, these fists would probably never shrink back down.

“This is almost at the level of human body modification. Simple and crude, but effective. I can intuitively feel that I’ve gotten stronger.”

“Maybe it’s because I haven’t gone without using mana since I first sensed it, but it feels like something that was stagnant has burst open. They say you only become more desperate when you’re apart. Since my body is being trained purely with physical strength alone, it feels like my mana is getting restless wanting to grow along with it. Like a proud woman who comes looking for you asking to meet after you cut contact for a few days?”

“How would you know that feeling? You’ve never met a woman.”

“Shut up, Hounded. Don’t insult my honor. I know thanks to specialized books I borrowed from the library.”

“…Anyway, it’s true you’ve never met a woman. You’re from the Mörsolt branch family so your status is pretty high, so why are you like this?”

“You’ve never met a woman either.”

“Ahem— I’m different. I spent half my life stationed at the Frontline Assault Outpost fighting monsters.”

“What about the other half of your life before that?”

“…Back then our village was a male-dominated society. There were no women at all.”

“Hey, now that I think about it, there are tons of guys at the frontlines who get it on with monsters in the form of human women, right? You know, like how shepherds do it with sheep…”

“Hey! That’s slander spread by those honey-sucking rear guard bastards to diminish the sacrifices and hardships of the warriors fighting at the frontlines, diluting their own guilt and sense of debt!”

“Oh, really? Sorry about that. Must have been a false rumor.”

“Complete nonsense. Extremely many? Those guys are at most less than thirty percent.”

“….”

“Three point five percent? Anyway, that’s better than nothing.”

Hounded and Skullsage get along well today too.

Though they came from different backgrounds—commoner and minor noble—they had grown quite close as Knights of the same age belonging to the Mörsolt Family.

Just then.

“You brats! What are you whispering about!”

A sharp rebuke came from right beside them.

Startled, Hounded and Skullsage turned their heads.

But there was nothing there.

Just some large Ice Block….

“Hurry up and break the Ice to carry it! Slack off and you’ll get a beating!”

But that Ice Block was nagging at Hounded and Skullsage.

Looking closer, Sir Dvorak was standing behind that large Ice Block.

Who would think he was an Old Man over seventy?

His shirtless body seemed composed entirely of muscle and scars.

“Yes! We’ll work hard!”

“We weren’t slacking! We were really just talking briefly! About Training!”

Hounded and Skullsage answered while tensed up.

Sir Dvorak clicked his Tongue while shaking his beard covered in Ice fragments.

“If you want to have conversations, submit your retirement papers and go sip tea at social parties. Young Master Featherback is graciously training you all, so where do you find time for this?”

“I’m sorry! I’ll go break the ice right away!”

Hounded and Skullsage hurriedly ran over and punched the surface of the Frozen River with their fists.

Dvorak shook his head once more and went down the Hill, pushing the ice chunks.

After confirming he had gone far away, Hounded and Skullsage wiped their cold sweat.

“That man must be a golem. How is that the body of an Old Man? Did you see those muscles earlier? He’s over seventy with that body? I don’t believe it.”

“When Sir Dvorak was young, about 40 years ago I think? Back then he once killed a bear with his bare hands.”

“I could handle one bear somehow too.”

“But did you hear? About a week ago, Sir Dvorak went to the Forest and caught two bears with his bare hands.”

“What? Why is he getting even stronger?”

“Bears tear people apart, but Sir Dvorak tears bears apart, that’s what I’m saying.”

The two giggled as they split the ice.

Just then.

“Hey. You brats.”

Dvorak’s voice came from right behind them.

Hounded and Skullsage were startled and jumped up from their spots.

“Eek!? We’re, we’re sorry!”

“It wasn’t mockery! It was gossip meant with respect!”

But Dvorak raised his finger to his lips as if uninterested.

‘We’re screwed. He won’t even listen to excuses!’

‘He’ll tear us apart like bears. How horrible!’

Hounded and Skullsage squeezed their eyes shut.

But Dvorak’s reaction was unexpected.

“From now on, absolutely do not look back. And keep your voice down.”

“…?”

“Act natural. Just turn your head slightly to the side and look in the 11 o’clock direction. Do it.”

Dvorak’s voice was lower and more serious than ever before.

Hounded and Skullsage slowly rolled their eyes to look in that direction.

But there was nothing there.

A snowy field where snowflakes and ice fragments swirled through the air.

Snow hills gently covering the rough ice sheet where waves had frozen solid.

Nothing moved among the withered dead trees that sprouted here and there.

Swoosh—

Except for one thing.

“Wh-what is that?”

“Shh!”

At Hounded and Skullsage’s question, Dvorak held his breath once more.

Finally, Dvorak spoke.

“It’s an Owlbear.”

“…!”

At those words, cold sweat beaded on Hounded and Skullsage’s foreheads.

Owlbear.

A high-ranking monster with an owl’s head and a brown bear’s body.

It lives by hunting Sasquatch as its main prey, and even Yate, which are superior to Sasquatch, back down and flee before this creature.

It far surpasses bears in strength and speed, but since all its fur consists of owl feathers, it makes absolutely no sound when moving.

By spreading wide the membrane feathers connected to its arms and legs and leaping from high places, it can even achieve brief flight.

Dvorak furrowed his brow.

“Originally, that thing lives only in the Northern Frozen Tundra, so why has it appeared here?”

“I still can’t see it well. I can only catch glimpses of something like a shadow. And aren’t Owlbears originally brown?”

“That’s what I know too. But that one is white as snow. I only discovered it by chance when I saw its shadow.”

“Among the Monsters of the Frozen Ground, there are occasionally ones with white fur and red eyes. Could it be such a rare specimen?”

“Shut up. Do you think I’m a biologist? If you want to live, just follow me quietly. Don’t show any sign of agitation.”

At Dvorak’s serious tone, Hounded and Skullsage nodded their heads.

…But their wish was not to be fulfilled.

The Owlbear began charging toward them.

“Damn it, draw your swords!”

Dvorak drew the sword at his waist and created an Aura Blade.

Hounded and Skullsage also hastily drew the swords strapped to their backs and coated them with Aura.

Blades made of bluish energy pointed forward.

Soon, the blizzard blowing before their eyes was torn apart like a curtain.

What charged through from beyond was a massive monster the size of a cargo wagon.

[Groooooooooo!]

Dvorak was horrified.

“Wh-what is this!? This isn’t just an Owlbear! Is it the king of Owlbears!?”

And for good reason, as the severed head of the Owlbear that appeared tearing through the blizzard was twice the size of ordinary Owlbears.

Its body was also packed tight with muscle and high-density feathers, looking as though even an Aura Blade wouldn’t penetrate it.

At the ends of its two arms, thicker than the logs embedded inside castle walls, five sinister claws shaped like harvest scythes protruded.

…Thud!

Hounded was sent flying backward by a single swipe of the Owlbear’s front paw.

“Damn brat! Try to hold on! Show me the results of your Training!”

Dvorak shouted, but it was useless.

…Bang!

Skullsage, hit by the Owlbear’s Headbutt, flew through the air like a doll that Girls play with.

“Oh my, these damn fools. Must this old man who’s already received his death sentence drag his aged body into action!”

Though he pretended to be nonchalant, Dvorak’s nerves were stretched taut.

The Aura Blade rising from his Sword Tip began to condense more and more, starting to take the form of a thin liquid.

Crash—Bang!

Dvorak’s Aura Blade clashed with the Owlbear’s claws.

But surprisingly.

Clang clang clang!

Only fierce sparks flew, but the Owlbear’s claws were not severed.

Grip—

The Owlbear pressed down on Dvorak with its strength.

Then Dvorak’s entire body muscles swelled frighteningly.

“Hraaaah!”

Amazingly, Dvorak held his ground even against the Owlbear.

Truly befitting the Old Knight rumored to have the greatest strength in Mörsolt Territory.

“You brats! Hurry up and help! Do you want to watch this old man die!”

“Yes sir!”

Hounded and Skullsage, who had been knocked backward, came rushing over in haste.

They too had been tough fighters even before the training.

Hounded was a battle-hardened veteran who had hunted Yates and Sasquatches like eating meals at the Frontline Outpost, and Skullsage was a renowned general who had fought alongside Featherback to the end of the Purosange Battle, conquering various castles including Tochika Fortress.

Since these two had endured the Ice Cutting Training that Featherback had seriously put them through, the results couldn’t be bad.

Thwack! Crack!

Hounded and Skullsage flanked Dvorak on both sides and began pushing back the Owlbear.

“Hiyaaaaaaah!”

Fighting Monsters is all about momentum.

The three began pushing back the Owlbear while letting out thunderous battle cries.

The spirit of the three exploding all the Mana in their bodies was so intense that it made the surrounding ice crack and split.

…Then.

[Hmm. It’s difficult to hold my breath any longer.]

Suddenly, the Owlbear spoke.

Dvorak, Hounded, and Skullsage were so startled that they momentarily looked up with blank expressions.

At that very moment.

…Flash!

The Owlbear’s body disappeared along with a burst of white light.

And what remained was.

“You pass. You’ve trained hard.”

Only a Boy with White Skin standing naked in the middle of the Snowy Field.

Hounded and Skullsage screamed.

“Aaah! It’s a Wendigo!”

“It’s the Witch of the Snowy Field!”

“You idiots, look carefully!”

Dvorak shouted in exasperation as if they were pathetic.

Soon after, he respectfully knelt on one knee before the boy.

“I greet the Young Lord.”

The identity of the boy who had transformed into an Owlbear was none other than Featherback.

While Dvorak unfolded a cloak from his pants pocket and covered Featherback with it, Hounded and Skullsage stood there with bewildered expressions.

“But Young Master. Do you have such hobbies? Outdoor exposure even in this weather… quite frequently…”

It looked like Dvorak’s nagging was about to continue again.

* * *

In the Northern Region, frost forms on everything.

On wine cups, on bread, on half-burned firewood.

Names are no different.

Frost Wolf, Frost Lizard, Frost Viper…

The names of Northern Region beasts always include frost.

‘Then I suppose I’d be something like a Frost Owlbear.’

Owlbears originally have dark gray or brown feathers and yellow pupils, but strangely, the Owlbear that Featherback transformed into had pure white feathers and red pupils.

This resembled how beasts living in the Northern Region generally choose white as their protective coloring.

‘White is convenient for fighting in the Northern Sky where snow always falls.’

Featherback returned to the Main Castle while having various thoughts.

The druid’s ring that Quinbits had given him as a gift was more satisfying than expected.

He had transformed into a white cat of the ‘Mörsolt Forest’ breed and ran across the snow-covered plains, and neither the Knights in training nor the Soldiers noticed Featherback’s presence.

Only when he transformed into a large Owlbear to test his combat abilities did one particularly sharp-eyed veteran barely manage to notice.

‘Being able to overwhelm one 4-Star Knight and two 2-Star Knights is sufficient. My combat power doesn’t drop much even in Monster form.’

However, the problem was that he couldn’t breathe after transforming.

Featherback had inhaled as much air as possible before transforming and succeeded in maintaining the Transformation for about 1 hour and 34 minutes.

‘If I hadn’t been running across the Snowy Field or fighting the Knights, I could have lasted 3 hours.’

Anyone who heard this would evaluate it as truly monstrous lung capacity… but this level was nowhere near enough.

Before Regression, Featherback could inhale for 48 hours straight, then exhale for the next 48 hours.

‘I need to train harder.’

Featherback thought as he looked at his fingernails that had been wounded by Dvorak’s Sword.

Just then.

“You should get your nails trimmed.”

As he was walking down the Corridor, Rorschach suddenly popped out from the side.

Being an old Castle, there were many blind spots like this throughout.

Featherback asked.

“That place has no path, so why are you coming from there?”

“No path? It’s right there. The Underground Passage where Water ripples.”

Rorschach pointed to the dead-end Alley at the end of the Corridor.

On the Floor there was a Pond where Water was gently pooled.

While it appeared to be shallow Water pooled on the surface, there were actually Stairs leading deep Underground beneath it.

Come to think of it, Rorschach was wearing a black Diving Suit perfect for Diving, and Water was dripping from the ends of his Hair.

Featherback frowned.

“That’s a flooded area from age. Didn’t you see the No Entry Sign?”

“My hobby is finding old secret passages within Mörsolt Castle. During my breaks, I wander around various parts of the castle like this.”

“What a terrible hobby. Closed places are closed for a reason. If you carelessly wander around old underground corridors, you could get caught in a collapse accident.”

“I’ve lived climbing up and down cliffs hundreds of meters high using the stalactites of Narok, you know?”

“That’s true enough.”

Featherback quickly accepted this.

Rorschach, soaking wet, followed alongside Featherback as he walked toward the office.

“More importantly, Lord Featherback. A guest has arrived.”

“A guest?”

“Yes, he said he came to give an interim report on the task you assigned him.”

“Who is it.”

When Featherback asked, Rorschach answered.

“He says his name is Sancho. I remember seeing him when we were selecting laborers to go to Beauvoir Abandoned Mine.”

A subordinate who had briefly worked together during the subjugation of Beauvoir Abandoned Mine.

Though their time together was short, the loyalty he had shown was quite solid.

Featherback nodded.

“Bring him here.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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