The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 265
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Mad Spearman of the Northern Front (265)
Daren and Mort.
The two warriors standing before Arteon had only recently crossed the threshold into the 7-Star Realm.
Even as 7-Stars, they were incomparable to Baolent or Svein.
I knew this truth well enough myself.
Yet the mere experience of shattering the 6-Star barrier had inflated their pride and confidence to excessive levels.
That was precisely what displeased me.
Two of us against one.
Especially when that one was a young spearman standing in the very heart of a Magic Circle that suppressed Aura.
The fact that he had come this far alone deserved commendation, yet I questioned whether we truly needed to launch a combined assault.
And this battle… we should have overwhelmingly crushed him.
That was how it should have been.
Clang!
“Ugh!”
Daren’s body flew through the air.
Despite blocking Arteon’s Spear head-on, the impact traveled straight through his arm.
Daren’s pupils dilated sharply.
‘What… is this strength?’
But before Daren’s thought could finish—
“To your side!”
Mort’s cry erupted.
In an instant, Daren’s eyes widened in alarm as he turned his head.
Arteon had already slipped into Daren’s blind spot.
A movement so natural, as if he had been there from the start.
The tip of the Iglis Spear extended toward Daren’s flank.
“Tch!”
Daren reflexively raised his Sword. But in that instant—
Whoosh!
The Spear bent at an abnormal angle, aiming for Daren’s thigh.
Daren gasped and threw his body backward, the situation unfolding far too quickly.
He had never imagined a Spear’s attack angle could curve so drastically.
Screech!
The Spear Blade grazed past his thigh, tearing through the specially-forged armor as if it were cloth.
Fortunately, there was no direct wound, yet the mere fact that his armor had been torn made Daren’s face turn cold.
Daren rapidly threw himself backward, creating distance from Arteon.
The figure who seemed ready to pursue at any moment suddenly halted, standing in place.
“Haah…”
It had been the perfect moment to exploit his opening.
Arteon exhaled sharply.
With each passing moment, the compression from the Magic Circle grew more pronounced.
Each muscle felt heavy, as though weighted down by lead.
Every time I drew up my Aura, an invisible hand pressed down upon me.
‘Far more formidable than I anticipated…’
An absolutely tremendous Magic Circle.
I could instantly understand why it was installed only at the very heart of the Imperial Palace.
Had they laid the Magic Circle all the way to the outer reaches of the Imperial Palace, the Empire’s treasury would have been completely drained.
But precisely because of that, its effect was absolute.
Arteon’s eyes grew dim.
‘Time…’
The longer this dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became.
Moreover, in this moment when distance separated me from those guys.
Whoosh!
Twang! Twang! Twang!
Arrows rained down from both sides.
Whenever Arteon changed direction to deal with the archers, Daren and Mort would rush in with ghostly precision to block his path.
Following the Combined Attack of Daren and Mort came the relentless barrage from the archers, allowing no moment of respite.
It was a near-perfect formation designed to bring down a single enemy stronger than themselves.
Their coordination was flawless—the extent of their training was beyond estimation.
But…
‘Just once.’
Precisely because it was so refined, I needed only to create a single crack.
Arteon clenched his lips tightly.
It was time to steel my resolve.
And in that moment.
Crash! Bang!
Daren and Mort rushed toward Arteon simultaneously.
Arteon’s eyes darted left and right as he observed them.
The same pattern.
Their Combined Attack was certainly fierce and sharp.
‘But they lack experience from actual battlefields.’
There was none of that razor-edged sensation that only comes from fighting on a real battlefield.
Which meant.
‘They’ve grown strong purely through rigorous training.’
Because of that, I believed that if an unexpected situation arose, a gap would appear.
Having organized his thoughts, Arteon immediately pivoted his body.
And…
Whoosh!
“…!”
Arteon hurled his Spear directly at Mort.
“What?!”
Mort reflexively batted the Spear away.
An unexpected move.
Discarding his weapon? At this distance?
“Is he insane?!”
Throwing away his weapon like that.
Was this some ploy to create an opening?
Mort gritted his teeth and searched for Arteon.
But he couldn’t see him.
“…?!”
Arteon was hurling himself not toward Mort, but toward Daren.
Watching his opponent charge forward without a weapon, Daren’s face twisted with sinister intent.
“Do I appear so easy to defeat?”
Fury amplified his movements.
Large, powerful sweeps.
Against an unarmed opponent, there was nothing to fear.
But the moment Daren swung his Sword toward Arteon—
Clang!
Arteon’s hand struck the flat of Daren’s Blade, deflecting it as he burrowed deeper into his guard.
Though he’d wrapped himself in Aura, Daren had never anticipated parrying a Sword with a bare hand.
Daren’s eyes widened.
“This bastard!”
Watching Arteon bore into his space, Daren snapped his Sword back and thrust it forward in a short, vicious arc.
Slash!
Blood erupted from Arteon’s Left Arm as Daren’s Sword caught him in a belated swing.
And in that same instant, both their bodies tangled together and tumbled to the Ground.
In that moment—
“Gaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”
Thud!
With a dull impact, Arteon’s body was launched backward.
Daren, sprawled on the Ground, had driven his heel into Arteon’s abdomen.
Arteon, sent flying more than ten meters, staggered as he rose to his feet.
The force of that impact had been considerable; his entire skeleton throbbed with pain radiating from his abdomen.
And beyond that….
“….”
He’d thought it was merely a graze, but the wound on his Left Arm was far worse than expected.
Had it been any deeper, the Blade would have reached bone.
Arteon immediately withdrew a Potion from his pocket, sprayed it on the wound, and tore the inner collar of his garment to bind it tightly.
“Ugh…!”
With his right hand and teeth securing the knot, Arteon’s brow furrowed.
This should have been the moment when the Archers and Mort unleashed their assault, yet for some reason, those guys simply stood frozen, their faces etched in shock.
And at that moment.
“Grrrraaaaaahhhhh… Aaaaaaahhhhh… You damn bastard!”
A deranged scream pierced the air.
Daren, who had been sprawled on the ground, lurched to his feet and shrieked like a madman.
Mort’s expression hardened gravely as he watched Daren.
“D-Daren…!”
Daren was pressing his left eye with his left hand, shielding it, and blood was streaming down from the inside of his palm.
Mort’s gaze then shifted toward Arteon.
To his right hand, which was pressing firmly against the wound.
“….”
His right fingers were stained crimson with blood all the way to the roots.
“Daren!”
“Grrrraaaaaahhhhh!”
When Mort cried out toward Daren, he slowly lowered his left hand.
In that instant, a grotesque wound became visible.
Blood was flowing from Daren’s left eye.
In the chaos of that brief close-quarters exchange, Arteon had gouged out Daren’s eye with his fingers.
Daren screamed at Arteon with wild, frenzied eyes.
“You damn bastard…! I’ll tear you limb from limb and feed you to the pigs!”
He had lost all reason.
Yet to his outcry, Arteon reached toward the Iglis Spear that lay distant.
And….
Whoooosh!
The Iglis Spear flew into his hand as if being drawn by an invisible force.
Mort’s face went rigid.
Even they could not move their weapons at this distance.
Mort could not hide his bewildered expression at what appeared to be the use of magic.
But Arteon, now gripping the Spear, turned his gaze upon the two men.
His eyes were cold and serene.
“Now… the second round begins.”
In that instant.
A chilling sensation, as if a blade were being leveled, began to press down upon the entire hall.
* * *
“Damn it… Damn it!”
Rumack ground his teeth as he yanked the carriage reins with brutal force.
The wheels shrieked against the stone floor with a piercing sound.
Toward the West Gate, as fast as possible. There was only one thought in his mind now.
Distance myself from that monster.
The lingering presence of the battle that had occurred at the South Gate moments ago still ran down his spine.
The tremor shaking the ground, the momentum tearing through the air.
This was no ordinary human battle.
‘They say anything 6-Star and above is a monster….’
Svein, who stood at the 7-Star Realm, was not an opponent they could dare face.
The gap between them was so vast that a single swing of his sword could kill them all.
I couldn’t fathom why he’d let us live, but now that we had, fleeing was the wisest course.
‘You fight a monster with a monster.’
For now, moving the hostages elsewhere took priority.
But in that moment.
Whoooosh!
A black staff came flying through the air, cutting through it with a piercing sound.
Thud!
“Ugh…!”
The staff struck Rumack’s chest with perfect precision.
Even through his armor, the impact transferred completely.
His breath caught in his throat, his vision spun, and he tumbled from his horse without even a scream.
Thump.
The moment he hit the ground, the impact knocked Rumack unconscious.
The soldiers nearby gasped in shock, their eyes fixed on Rumack.
“…!”
But seeing the group that emerged from the darkness, they couldn’t hide their bewilderment.
In an instant, dozens of soldiers surrounded them, and they hastily raised their spears.
One….
Screech!
A blue light flashed, and in a heartbeat, the spear one soldier held was severed.
The soldier whose spear was cut cried out loudly.
“An, an Aura!”
The blue Aura flickered menacingly.
And the one wielding that sword spoke to the soldiers.
“Resist and I’ll kill you all. Step back.”
“Ugh…!”
At Isaac’s threatening voice, the soldiers flinched and retreated.
With their commander Rumack unconscious, what could they possibly do?
Soon, Bartell beside him approached the carriage and carefully opened the door.
After exchanging a few words with someone inside, he nodded toward Isaac.
“Confirmed.”
A short, low voice.
With those words, the Silent Spear Unit members swiftly surrounded the carriage.
As if escorting it.
Seeing this, the soldiers under Rumack’s command couldn’t hide their unease.
In a sense, those riding in the carriage had become the leash held by Prince Sedrian’s faction.
But could it really be taken so easily?
Complex thoughts flickered through his mind, yet there was nothing they could do in this moment.
Dozens of soldiers stood before them.
Each one of them radiated an aura so formidable it was incomparable to their own strength.
Especially the one who appeared to be their commander—wasn’t he emanating a deep blue Aura?
This meant he was no mere novice who had just entered the 4-Star Realm, but someone of far greater ability.
“…Continue your patrol. I’ll check inside.”
“Yes, sir.”
Once Isaac confirmed that the surrounding soldiers had quieted, he carefully opened the carriage door.
Inside were men, women, and children with pallid faces.
Luxurious clothing, rings adorning their fingers, and eyes frozen with terror—all were starkly visible.
“Sub-Commander Isaac Duraik of the Silent Spear Battalion, at your service.”
The moment I saw those inside, the situation became clear.
They had been attempting to escort them out toward the South Gate.
‘It seems Svein handled his task properly.’
Yet the thunderous sounds still echoing from afar indicated the situation was far from over.
Isaac spoke to those in the carriage.
“You are safe now. Please be at ease.”
At Isaac’s words, a woman inside the carriage spoke.
“The… Imperial Palace… my husband….”
Isaac nodded.
“Do not worry. The Imperial Palace… our most trustworthy commander went there personally. So please wait just a little longer.”
After finishing those words, Isaac immediately turned his gaze toward each of the city gates.
‘The South Gate….’
Svein was still finishing his work there, while the other three gates had been completely secured.
Isaac raised his head.
“Raise the flags. Escort Prince Sedrian into the Capital.”
“Yes, sir!”
At Isaac’s command, the squad members moved immediately.
Moments later, flags bearing Sedrian’s symbol rose in succession above the North Gate, East Gate, and West Gate.
The emblem and colors were clearly visible even in the darkness.
Once the Main Force entered, the rebellion would be virtually complete.
Yet….
“…The Imperial Palace remains.”
Isaac gazed toward where the Imperial Palace stood.
The image of Arteon, who had entered alone into the most dangerous place in the Capital, flashed through his mind.
Though I trust him.
“Silent Spear Battalion.”
The squad members responded immediately.
“We join the Unit Commander.”
“Yes!”
With that brief affirmation, the Silent Spear Battalion surged forward in a rapid charge toward the Imperial Palace.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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