Chapter 734 - The Semi-basement
"Hold the line, hold it!"
This happened right after Enkrid discovered the village.
His keen hearing picked up human voices.
He couldn't just ignore it.
Curiosity was one reason, but his heart was also drawn.
After all, this place immediately reminded him of where he had grown up in the past. Climbing up into the trees and leaping from branch to branch seemed faster than hacking through bushes or pushing past undergrowth, so he chose that route.
He had a backpack slung across his back and carried two swords at his waist, so it wasn't as if he was unencumbered, but scaling a single tree was nothing to him. Enkrid dug his fingers into the thick trunk and sprang upwards. With only the tips of his toes pressing for leverage, he climbed up, moving even more nimbly than a squirrel.
For a Knight, this was nothing out of the ordinary.
Using the branches as footholds, he jumped toward the source of the voices.
The distance closed in an instant.
Every time Enkrid kicked off a branch, leaves and twigs scattered, and the startled mountain birds flapped noisily away.
"If it breaks through, we're dead. We have to hold them here."
The cry was laced with fear. Enkrid located the source of the voices and came to a halt. He placed his right foot on a slender branch, gripped the tree with his index and middle fingers, and pressed his left toes lightly into the trunk for balance. He had climbed the tree to move quickly, but as it turned out, this vantage point allowed him to take in the situation at a glance from above.
A stick with a sharp piece of metal affixed to the end becomes a spear. There were more than a dozen people armed with such makeshift spears. Behind them were several wielding slings, swinging them in circles, and further back were others nocking arrows to their bows.
'A sloppy formation.'
Roughly speaking, the spears were up front, the slings in the middle, and the archers in the rear. But in reality, they were all just bunched together. In particular, the people with spears were standing much too far apart from each other. If they fought like that, the wild dogs would break through their line in the first charge, and those behind would have to face the oncoming monsters.
In short, it was hard to see them as having received any kind of proper combat training. Even counting everyone there, their numbers didn't exceed fifty.
Opposite them, a pack of wild dog beasts had formed a loose line with about the same number.
'Weak.'
Their numbers, and the people who had stepped up to fight, both looked that way. Even if a fight broke out as things stood, not everyone would die. He judged that the humans had the upper hand.
'But some will die.'
If luck turned against them, more than half might be killed. It seemed they were well aware of their situation, judging by how many of them were gritting their teeth. This was especially true for those at the front, clutching their crudely made spears.
After quickly taking in the scene, Enkrid didn't hesitate—he had nothing to deliberate over. He pushed off the tree with a light motion and dropped down. For an ordinary person, jumping from that height would've meant broken bones, but of course, nothing of the sort happened to him.
Before hitting the ground, Enkrid drew Samcheol and embedded it in a log.
Crack.
Leaving a long scar in the wood, he touched down with a light thud. His dramatic entrance naturally captured everyone's attention.
Both the group of humans and the pack of wild dogs had their eyes fixed on him. Unfazed by the sudden stares, Enkrid dashed forward.
A knight's charge is almost impossible for an ordinary person to follow with the naked eye, and this wasn't even Enkrid going all out. What's more, his physical conditioning was vastly superior to that of the average knight.
It was no wonder that to onlookers, he seemed to vanish in an instant.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash that shattered the earth, his charge didn't even leave an afterimage.
Even as he sprinted ahead, Enkrid felt completely at ease.
He could analyze the unnaturally developed shoulder muscles and fangs of each wild dog in the pack with his eyes, even watching their movements as they reacted to him. He could even allow himself to zone out for a moment.
But when the opponent was a beast, it was a real fight. There was no need for the soft, sparring strokes of practice.
The wild dog pack and Enkrid moved through time at different speeds.
Back at the House of Yohan, there wasn't a scabbard that fit Samcheol perfectly, so he'd fastened it into a slightly loose one with a leather strap. Now, in a single motion, he drew it and swung upward.
Snap.
Only Enkrid heard the noise of the strap snapping.
Slash, splatter.
The sound of flesh being cut, and of blood and viscera gushing out, also reached only his ears.
As he drew Samcheol, he slashed from chest to head, then continued the rhythm—cutting, striking, breaking, over and over.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
The sound trailed behind his sword strokes. Enkrid's blade split the wild beasts' skulls faster than the noise itself.
He was far more skilled and precise at it than any woodcutter splitting logs—despite having spent his life splitting nothing but firewood.
Everything inside the beasts' heads shot upward in a vertical spray. Black blood, shattered skull fragments, brains—bits of it so ruined, you'd wonder if they ever had a thought at all—rose like some kind of gruesome fountain made from wild beasts.
To the people watching, it looked like a man suddenly dropped from a tree and vanished; then the earth exploded upward, and all that remained was wild beasts' skulls shattering and their deaths.
What on earth is this, without realizing it, loosened their arms and let their spear tips droop, while others tensed up even more, their bodies stiffening with anxiety.
Ting.
One woman was so startled, she loosed an arrow five steps ahead of her.
"Ah."
A short gasp escaped. It was a reaction that couldn't truly be put into words.
Enkrid swung Samcheol in a wide arc to fling off the flesh and fat clinging to the blade.
Thud, thud, thud.
Chunks of flesh and clots of blood splattered off to one side.
Animals, by nature, have better reflexes and physical abilities than humans, and when one's blood is mixed with that of a monster, turning into a demon beast, its abilities surpass those of normal animals. Of course, compared to a knight, these creatures are still clumsy.
Not all demon beasts are the same. Just as there are exceptional humans among men, sometimes a wild beast can be more dangerous than a demon beast, and at other times, a demon beast can be weaker than a regular predator.
Just look at Weird Eyes. A single wild horse managed to resist the monster blood and establish its own will.
Among the feral dog demon beasts, there was one that was particularly bold and swift.
After witnessing its kindred's heads getting smashed one after another, it reacted. It kicked the ground with its hind legs and sprang forward.
That human was busy killing its packmates at the moment.
And, fortuitously, from where it stood, the human's back was in clear view. Its movements were unlike any ordinary demon beast. If it had survived this day, it might have been given a name—a rare specimen.
Enkrid pulled his sword with force, changing its direction without shifting his torso. Pivoting on one foot, his waist twisted and the blade traced a level arc.
Whish, thunk.
The line Samcheol drew sliced through the demon beast's neck. The severed head spun through the air with a dull sound.
Click, click.
Unaware it was already dead, the beast's jaws snapped at nothing, desperately biting at empty air.
Enkrid's blade could cut even the most fearsome among demonic beasts. No matter how special a creature might be, compared to him, it was no more than a chick just breaking out of its shell.
A demon beast facing death is left with two options: either scatter and flee, or, lost to their monstrous instincts, charge forward in a frenzy.
But these beasts didn't choose either option.
Aside from his initial charge, Enkrid hadn't moved much from his position—he simply cut down and burst the demon beasts as they came.
In the midst of this, a few of the feral dog beasts broke away—not charging at Enkrid, but instead circling around to target the group of humans.
Enkrid, swinging his sword, drew the throwing spear he'd gotten from Rhinox and swept it down.
Ta-ang!
He swung it so hard, the spearhead burst forth with a sharp, ringing sound. He hurled the drawn spear just as it was.
Shaaak! Bang!
The thrown spear crashed into the head of a demon beast that was sneaking around, smashing its skull and embedding itself in the ground at an angle. The shattered head sprayed brain matter and bone fragments in all directions.
Then the pack of demon beasts did something even more nonsensical. Enkrid could understand if they simply scattered and fled, but—
"Rear guard? Delaying action?"
Even if it was instinct, it looked like they were forming a strategy. Enkrid had also learned the basics of tactics—picked up during those times when he did whatever it took to survive.
Some of the demon beasts fled while others stayed behind to attack. Despite their kin's corpses littering the ground, there was no hesitation in their black eyes.
But then, Enkrid's sword didn't hesitate, either.
With Samcheol, he slashed upward, stabbed, and cut, turning every beast that approached into nothing more than meat not even fit to eat. Demon beast flesh was always tough and poisonous anyway, impossible to consume.
Enkrid watched as the remaining wild dog beasts scattered, then cast his gaze into the distance. His pupils, trained for close-range focus, contracted and then widened—a common reaction when he swept Will around to spot something far away.
Could that be… a spotted wild dog in the distance No, it's a leopard.
Anyway, he saw a creature at least three times larger than any wild dog beast staring in his direction.
'Just outside the range of my senses.'
He spotted another pack of demon beasts far off in the distance, but they were too far away to chase.
There was a reason he hadn't bothered to pursue the wild dog beasts that had just run away.
If he'd left the remaining ones behind and moved out to handle the beasts farther off, those left behind would have had to deal with the nearby pack themselves, and that could have led to unnecessary casualties. Especially since those people—startled at the sight of him—were slow to react.
'On the other hand, that pack of demon beasts was already fully prepared to fight.'
There were several things that struck him as odd. Didn't the last wild dog beast pack seem to conduct a delaying action, as if to cover a retreat? The fleeing beasts hadn't scattered wildly—they had retreated in an orderly fashion.
'Even running a rearguard sacrificial unit?'
A unit set for delaying actions is often called a rearguard sacrifice unit. Was it just a coincidence? No. He didn't think so. His gut told him otherwise.
Of course, this wasn't something he needed to dwell on right now.
Enkrid wiped the remaining fat and blood off of Samcheol, grabbed a handful of dirt, and gave the blade a rough cleaning. He'd swung it quite brutally, so he'd need to oil it thoroughly later. He had received a jar of high-quality flaxseed oil when leaving Yohan, so he could use that.
"Who are you?"
At last, someone addressed him. Even if he introduced himself as Enkrid of the Border Guard, he doubted anyone here would recognize it.
"Let's just say I'm a passing swordsman."
"…Thank you for your help."
The one holding a spear stepped forward to speak, but was clearly tense. He could understand why. Anyone would be frightened if a knight suddenly appeared in a village built by those forced to live in hiding. It's just how the world is—the weak are always on edge. If a powerful stranger suddenly harbored ill intent, there would be little these people could do. None among the group even blinked comfortably.
They all stared wide-eyed at the warrior who'd fought off the demonic beasts, unable to tear their eyes away. Enkrid sheathed Samcheol in its roomy scabbard and retied the broken leather strap. Normally, he would've left right away, but something about the situation weighed on him.
Or rather, to be honest, He couldn't help but recall all those he'd failed to protect in the past.
Among them was even an entire village. And this place was very much like the one where he had once lived.
'Let's take the long way around.'
Judging by what had just happened, if he left now, everyone before him would surely die. That's usually how things ended for people forced to live in hiding.
He'd heard stories that such people sometimes banded together and made underground cities. But most villages of hermits ended up as a meal for monsters or beasts, disappearing without a trace. Some even claimed that people like these were the cause of monsters and beasts forming colonies.
They said that when these groups became a single source of food for the creatures, their numbers swelled. Whatever the case, Enkrid couldn't turn his back on these people.
"Since I helped out, may I rest here for a while?"
But when he asked, no one answered readily. Even the spearman who'd spoken earlier, although not raising his spear, watched him with open suspicion.
It seemed this was a village of hermits especially wary of outsiders. After a few moments of silently working his lips, the thick-browed spearman in front finally spoke.
"…This way."
He seemed to have struggled with the decision.
Enkrid sheathed his sword and moved forward slowly. He didn't want to appear threatening.
There was no visible entrance to the village These people aren't pioneers. They have no interest in clearing the land around them. The only reason they stick together is to survive. That's why their homes are arranged in a very particular way. They dig into the ground to make burrows and then cover them with thick brush. They make lids over the shelters, similar to huts, and then crush Nightmare Herb Fruits to scatter on top—nightmare-inducing stuff that monsters and beasts tend to avoid. Enkrid himself had used the same trick on his way here.
'They really know what they're doing.'
If you mishandle Nightmare Herb Fruits, your fingertips could rot away.
Even if you're luckier, breathing in the wrong fumes means you're in for a week of vivid hallucinations, if not worse.
It's not called "Nightmare Herb" for nothing.
The scent drives away monsters, beasts, and demons, but to use it properly, you have to mix the herb and its fruit in just the right proportions.
Just as these people had done.
"My name is Hartvent," said the man leading the way. It was a distinctly southern name.
"Enkrid."
Hartvent spoke in a tone that was anything but friendly, then invited him into a place that was half underground burrow, half aboveground shelter.
'You could call this a semi-basement, I suppose'
That seemed safe enough.
***
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