The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 52

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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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The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front (52)

 

As night gradually deepened, the darkness grew thicker.

 

Gray mist covered the surroundings like a silver curtain beyond the darkness.

 

Swoosh.

 

Arteon, who was at the center of it all, quietly raised his hand and clenched his fist.

 

At that moment, the soldiers following behind stopped simultaneously and looked at Arteon’s back.

 

From the 4th Defense Line to this place.

 

Though they had moved without rest, the unfamiliar commander never once showed signs of fatigue or lost concentration.

 

‘…What the hell is this bastard.’

 

‘He’s definitely… supposed to be new here… but he knows all the routes…?’

 

They were able to arrive faster than expected because he had used shortcuts that even they were unfamiliar with.

 

But…

 

“…Whew.”

 

Arteon calmed his ragged breathing and looked at the Kar Tribe below.

 

‘Did I barely make it in time.’

 

Their advance was faster than expected.

 

If he hadn’t taken the shortcut, he might have arrived at the point location later than them.

 

Arteon turned around to face his unit members and spoke.

 

“Squad leaders, step forward.”

 

Swoosh!

 

Ten members per squad.

 

As the predetermined squad leaders approached, Arteon spread out the map.

 

“This is where we are. And this is the route the Kar Tribe is currently taking.”

 

Arteon traced the map with his finger as he spoke.

 

With the enemy right before their eyes, the unit members’ concentration was considerable.

 

Everyone was listening seriously to Arteon’s words as if they wouldn’t miss a single word.

 

Then Arteon looked at the squad leader in front.

 

“Bruel, you and your squad members move to this location and hide.”

 

Nod.

 

“Dran, you go this way.”

 

Nod.

 

“Tormant. You go this way and take position.”

 

Nod.

 

As all three squad leaders nodded, Arteon handed them two pouches each.

 

They were pouches containing Blue Sun Stones and Red Heat Stones respectively.

 

“The quantity should be sufficient. When I create smoke first, immediately follow by lighting fires to burn the Pima Herb.”

 

And most importantly.

 

“Once they inhale the smoke, their formation will break in some way. Until I give the signal, you must absolutely do nothing. Remember this.”

 

That ended the conversation.

 

Arteon came down below the shallow hill and immediately pointed directions to the three men with his finger.

 

Bruel, Dran, and Tormant nodded and slowly moved to their assigned positions with their squad members in low postures.

 

And…

 

“…”

 

He could feel them gradually approaching through the mist.

 

Though they couldn’t be accurately identified due to the darkness and fog.

 

‘About… 50 meters or so.’

 

With their presence approaching to a distance where you could touch your nose if you fell, Arteon watched quietly, even suppressing his breathing.

 

But…

 

Stop.

 

“…?”

 

The approaching enemies suddenly stopped their advance and began reorganizing their formation.

 

Arteon’s brow furrowed slightly at this.

 

‘If they just come a little closer…’

 

When he checked from above earlier, their numbers were approximately 400.

 

To completely engulf them at the current point location, they needed to come within at least 30 meters.

 

‘…I’ll wait.’

 

Arteon gathered his mana while hiding his body in the bushes.

 

He was being cautious in case there was an enemy commander who could sense his energy.

 

And how much time had passed.

 

Though it was slow movement, they were gradually approaching.

 

And…

 

“If we advance just a little more, there’s a place where we can establish a base camp. If we fully construct our formation there… they won’t even be able to move near the lake anymore.”

 

The voice of a Kar Tribe member came from beyond the mist.

 

From the content, not the supreme commander but still an officer-level.

 

Arteon carefully took out the Blue Sun Stone and Red Heat Stone.

 

‘Is the commander at the front.’

 

Considering the characteristics of the Kar Tribe, it was quite possible.

 

It was common for the strongest commander to lead warriors from the front.

 

The sound of their conversation continued to be heard.

 

Arteon heightened his senses and slowly brought together the Blue Sun Stone and Red Heat Stone in both hands.

 

‘Just a little… just a little more…’

 

The moment he created smoke here, the unit members positioned at the rear of the enemies would also create smoke together.

 

Smoke rising from four directions would instantly mix with the fog and swallow them up.

 

At that moment, a Kar Tribe member stepped forward.

 

“Everything they have will become ours.”

 

It was an atmosphere as if silent cheers were erupting.

 

Right at that moment.

 

Scritch scritch scritch scritch!

 

Arteon quickly rubbed the Blue Sun Stone and Red Heat Stone in both hands and began lighting the Pima Herb growing on the ground.

 

The sparks created by the friction between the Blue Sun Stone and Red Heat Stone had much more intense heat than ordinary flames.

 

It began spreading rapidly, devouring the moisture-laden Pima Herb and all the surrounding Pima Herb as well.

 

Hissssssssss.

 

Along with that, smoke covered the view ahead.

 

Arteon immediately moved to the side and created smoke in another location.

 

And in response to Arteon’s signal, all three squads lit the Pima Herb and created smoke.

 

Hissssssss.

 

“Search the surroundings! Quickly!”

 

The panicked Kar Tribe warriors spread in all directions and began searching.

 

But the smoke had already completely risen.

 

‘Got it…!’

 

Seeing the smoke seeping into the mist, Arteon quickly retreated and moved to the designated meeting point.

 

Thud! Clatter clatter clatter!

 

“Over there! There’s some sound coming from over there!”

 

“I hear it from this side too! It’s an enemy ambush!”

 

The Kar Tribe warriors shouted at the sounds of Arteon and his unit members moving.

 

But the enemies who seemed like they would chase immediately soon became quiet.

 

And…

 

“Aaaaaaahhhhh!”

 

“Gaaaaaahhhhh!”

 

Screams of Kar Tribe warriors echoing from beyond the fog.

 

But Arteon paid no mind and waited for his unit members at the designated meeting point.

 

Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud!

 

Soon, unit members came running from both sides.

 

Arteon looked at the three squad leaders at the front and said.

 

“The first operation is a success. But the really important part starts now.”

 

“Aren’t we attacking now?”

 

“But those screams we heard earlier… what were they?”

 

Tormant, the 3rd Squad leader, asked Arteon.

 

As the other guys also looked at Arteon with curious expressions.

 

“It means our operation worked perfectly.”

 

Arteon still kept his senses sharp while watching the front.

 

Judging from these screams…

 

‘True to their nature as a warrior tribe, they fell for the hallucinations… quite spectacularly.’

 

They were probably recognizing their own allies as enemies and fighting each other.

 

If things continued this way, it might become easy without needing to step in…

 

‘But things in this world are never that simple.’

 

If the Kar Tribe could be wiped out with just some Pima Herb smoke, this northern conflict would have ended long ago.

 

‘Five minutes at most.’

 

That was the time they could inflict damage on those guys due to the Pima Herb’s hallucinations.

 

Once that time passed, they would essentially develop some immunity and the effect would be halved.

 

Therefore…

 

‘When those guys try to recover from the damage…’

 

That’s when they had to strike.

 

Arteon drew the throwing spear from his back. Along with him, the squad members also raised their throwing spears and bows they had brought.

 

“1st Squad follows me, the rest spread out wide here and attack on my signal. If those guys approach, avoid close combat at all costs and retreat to the next point.”

 

“Understood.”

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

When 2nd Squad leader Dran and 3rd Squad leader Tormant answered, Arteon looked at Bruel, the 1st Squad leader.

 

The moment Bruel nodded.

 

“Move out. Keep your posture as low as possible while moving.”

 

Thud!

 

As Arteon quickly threw his body to the side, Bruel followed Arteon with his squad members.

 

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

 

“Uaaaak!”

 

Screams of the Kar Tribe continued to echo from within the fog.

 

It seemed like commanders were intervening to mediate.

 

‘Controlling over 400 guys completely is impossible from the start.’

 

However, the hallucination effect would be minimal on intermediate-level warriors and above.

 

‘The chaos will end soon.’

 

Before that.

 

Thud!

 

Arteon lowered his body and quickly moved to the side formation of those guys, using the bushes as cover.

 

And…

 

“…Crazy.”

 

“Huff… huff… huff…!”

 

The breathing of the squad members following Arteon was gradually becoming rougher.

 

They had to move while crouching under bushes that only came up to about waist height.

 

‘How can he move so fast like that…?’

 

‘I’ve never seen such a posture. Is he… running while sitting?’

 

Arteon’s speed while moving in that strange posture was incredibly fast.

 

Unlike themselves who were running while bending their waists, wasn’t he running in a duck walk with bent legs while keeping his head up to secure vision?

 

Come to think of it, they remembered soldiers who had been training in strange postures around the training ground lately.

 

Bruel bit his lips tightly.

 

‘All of this… was it for things like this?’

 

He was becoming more and more curious about the person called Arteon.

 

If such movement was possible, wouldn’t optimal movement be possible at least around the lake area?

 

“Let’s hurry and catch up.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“Understood.”

 

At Bruel’s words, the squad members answered quietly and picked up more speed to follow Arteon.

 

And when they finally moved to the location where Arteon had positioned himself.

 

“Huff… huff… huff…!”

 

Their breathing burst out as if their lungs would explode, and their backs ached as if they would break.

 

To run fast while keeping a low posture, bending their waists was the only method available to them.

 

Then Arteon said calmly.

 

“Steady your breathing. The most important thing in spear throwing is breathing.”

 

At Arteon’s words, the unit members hurriedly steadied their breathing and looked forward.

 

Unlike the front that was obscured by fog and invisible, from here they could clearly see the battlefield that had become complete chaos.

 

‘…This is what the Pima Herb smoke caused?’

 

Even seeing it with their own eyes, they couldn’t believe it.

 

Weren’t the Kar Tribe guys killing each other as if they were under dark magic?

 

But soon.

 

“Ugh…”

 

“What, what have I done…?”

 

“Pa, Pakutarun!”

 

Those who began returning to their senses blamed themselves for what they had done moments ago and showed expressions of despair.

 

In a way, this was when their morale was most broken.

 

“Now!”

 

Arteon stood up above the bushes and threw the throwing spear he was holding toward the warrior in front.

 

Swoooooosh! Thunk!

 

The spear Arteon threw pierced through the Kar Tribe warrior’s chest and protruded out the other side.

 

With destructive power enough to penetrate the body, the Kar Tribe warrior who was hit by the spear was flung backward and died instantly.

 

“En, enemy!”

 

“It’s an ambush by the Empire bastards!”

 

The battlefield instantly became pandemonium.

 

The 1st Squad members who stood up following him also threw spears toward the Kar Tribe warriors in front.

 

However, only Bruel gripped his spear tightly while waiting for Arteon’s command.

 

‘When I charge out to capture the enemy commander, throw your spear at that guy.’

 

Bruel possessed outstanding ability in spear throwing.

 

It was an operation he could devise because he had seen the information of soldiers being selected in advance when the unit was formed with elite troops.

 

‘Just dealing with small fry won’t solve anything.’

 

If they couldn’t kill the supreme commander, those guys would eventually advance again.

 

Arteon drew Iglis from his waist and injected mana into it.

 

At the same time, he quickly turned his gaze to survey the battlefield.

 

And the four feather tattoos on his shoulder.

 

The moment his eyes met with Ulgrak, who was holding a giant axe.

 

Whoosh!

 

Arteon began charging toward Ulgrak.

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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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