Free Web NovelChapter 173: Chapter 154: I’m Fucking Going In
"Crescent Moon Water Arc Cut!"
Facing the Minotaur’s descending giant hammer, he didn’t dodge as he had before. Instead, he let out a low roar. His body was enveloped in blue Combat Qi, and the longsword in his hand—made of some unknown material—glowed a brilliant azure.
Just as the giant hammer was about to land on his head, the Combat Qi he had gathered finally erupted from the longsword.
SWOOSH!
He swung violently, and an arc of blue light traced a path from the Minotaur’s head to its groin, passing through its body in an instant.
With the sizzle of searing flesh, the Minotaur’s massive body split in two and crashed to the ground.
Just as Si Kai let out a sigh of relief, a heavy hand clapped onto his shoulder, scaring him so badly he nearly swung his sword around.
"Old Si, fucking awesome! You cleaved a Minotaur in one strike."
The Lord looked on in amazement.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen Knights who cultivated Combat Qi back at the Southern Arena. But they were all second-rate, only able to focus their Combat Qi into their longswords to increase killing power, or temporarily boost their bodies to achieve power and speed far beyond their normal limits.
Someone like Si Kai, who could project his Combat Qi and wield it with such destructive force, was a rare sight indeed.
’Then again, it made sense. Those with his level of Combat Qi Cultivation would be competing in tournaments held by powerful figures, not slumming it in arenas or gladiatorial matches for country bumpkins.’
Si Kai glanced around and was stunned to find that all the Minotaurs had been taken care of. The Harpies, seeing the battle was lost, had already fled toward the distant horizon. He marveled at the strength of High Cliff Castle’s Beastman Guards, but couldn’t help a weary sigh. "Lord, next time, could you please not sneak up behind people?"
He sheathed his sword and brushed the dirt from his clothes.
’Compared to this Lord, I can’t even hold a candle to him.’
’A glance at the field of Minotaurs, all sliced in half at the waist, was enough to imagine the brutal, inhuman slaughter that had just taken place.’
’Never mind anything else, that widely-circulated moniker, "Blood-colored Waist-slicing Hand," was one Lord Li had definitely earned.’
"Old Si, what’s this sword made of?"
Levi took off his helmet, slung an arm around Si Kai’s shoulders, and whispered.
It was common knowledge that all forms of Elemental Energy required a suitable medium. Mithril, for instance, was an exceptionally smooth conduit for Magic Power.
And while iron could channel Combat Qi, a sword forged from it would inevitably shatter after just a few uses.
’Levi had just seen Si Kai unleash such a "Big Move," yet his longsword didn’t have a single crack on it. It had to be a specially forged Treasure Sword, and a priceless one at that.’
"Huh?"
Si Kai started, clutching his sword for dear life. He shook his head frantically.
"Lord, this sword isn’t worth anything, please don’t get any ideas! Oh, right, yes! Our Legion Commander, Fujero, he’s a Combat Qi Master too! His sword is a famous Treasure Sword. Compared to his, mine is just a piece of scrap metal!"
The Lord feigned a great fury. "Look at you, look at you! Old Si, how could you say that? Am I that kind of person? I’m just trying to learn a little, that’s all!"
’But Si Kai’s eyes clearly screamed: Lord, you are *exactly* that kind of person!’
’First, it was ’getting to know’ his prized warhorse. The Lord said he needed to ’experience it firsthand,’ and ended up just hopping on for a ride.’ freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
’Now he wanted to ’get to know’ his Treasure Sword. Si Kai didn’t dare imagine what would happen next. Would the Lord ask to ’take a look’ and then ’conveniently’ pocket it?’
’And look at your men! They’ve already fucking formed a circle around us, blocking any other soldiers from approaching. Isn’t it obvious what kind of person you are?’
But Si Kai didn’t dare say any of this out loud. He just shivered, clutching the sword to his chest for dear life. freёweɓnovel.com
"Hey, look at you. I really was just asking."
Levi explained with an awkward smile, though his excuse sounded utterly feeble.
Levi smacked his lips, but he did commit Si Kai’s earlier words to memory.
’Of course, he couldn’t just rob someone in broad daylight. But there was no harm in getting acquainted with the merchandise beforehand. It would make it easier to ’collect’ it from the battlefield after its owner made the ultimate sacrifice, right?’
HUUUUUUU—
Suddenly, the desolate, low drone of a horn echoed from a nearby hillside.
The next moment, innumerable Minotaurs came roaring down the slope. Their forms were hazy and blurred, clearly enchanted with some kind of Magic.
"It’s the Misty Skill!"
Si Kai’s face went white as a sheet as he let out a piercing cry.
There had to be at least three or four hundred Minotaurs. It had taken a monumental effort just to deal with thirty of them. An army this size appearing behind the Thorn Corps was a devastating, catastrophic blow.
Misty Skill was a type of concealment Magic. Its effect made the target appear as if shrouded by a layer of White Crystal, causing them to blend in with the surrounding scenery at a casual glance.
To be able to cast the Misty Skill on four or five hundred Minotaurs at once proved the enemy had an incredibly powerful Caster with profound Cultivation.
That was how they had managed to sneak around to the rear of the main army.
"The Minotaur drop and the Centaur ambush were just feints! The real goal was to draw our attention here!" Levi cursed, then roared, "Dammit, fall in behind me!"
The dozen or so uninjured Beastman Guards quickly scrambled into formation behind their Lord.
Facing the massive horde of Minotaurs, they gripped their weapons tightly. They said nothing, but their expressions said everything.
’Against a herd of Minotaurs this size, even his Barbarians, as ferocious as they were, would suffer losses in a direct charge.’
’The Lord couldn’t bear to lose his precious darlings. He would have to act as the vanguard himself, absorbing the brunt of the charge to reduce the pressure on them by at least seventy percent.’
"Si Kai, watch yourself. Don’t die!" Levi patted Si Kai’s shoulder reassuringly. "Just hold on until my men get here. This herd of big oafs is nothing!"
He had rushed ahead with only a dozen of his personal guards to provide faster support.
’He never expected it was all a fucking diversion, a cover for this Minotaur army to sneak around behind them.’
’But none of this would have been possible without a Caster on the enemy side.’
’This made Levi realize just how important High Cliff Castle’s Magic Squad was. He swore that when he got back, he would expand it, no matter what. He’d beg, borrow, or steal—he had to get a few Mages from one of those Church Courts.’
’Dammit, if worse came to worst, he’d use his status as a Holy Knight to get in good with the Holy Light Church. He’d swindle as many Radiant Mages as he could get his hands on.’
Si Kai could only manage a wry smile. He looked around. The Archers of the Thorn Corps were clearly well-disciplined; they hadn’t broken rank even in the face of the Minotaurs’ thunderous charge.
Under the command of their squad leaders, they had formed up at the rear.
Unfortunately, the trembling in their legs betrayed an inner turmoil that was far from the calm they projected.
’Simply put, the only ones who would actually be fighting these hundreds of Minotaurs were the dozen or so of them.’
’Forget holding out until reinforcements arrived; it was doubtful they could even survive for the duration of a few arrow volleys.’
But just as the Lord of High Cliff Castle understood that fleeing now would trigger a total rout, so too did Si Kai.
He gripped his sword with both hands, held it level before him, and stepped up to stand beside the Lord. Ultimately, he was too proud to hide behind Lord Li.
Levi glanced at him but said nothing. ’Just a man’s pride.’
"I’m going in!" the Lord roared, charging forward with everything he had.
He swung his Giant Sword in a great, powerful arc. The imposing Minotaurs in front of him were mown down like sugarcane, a whole swathe of them falling in an instant.
Blood, with nowhere left to pump, gushed from the severed torsos, showering the Lord from head to toe in a gruesome, crimson rain.
GULP.
Si Kai stared at the utterly terrifying scene, his face a mask of horror, as if he’d just seen the Undead. ’Is this *fucking* something a Holy Knight who had just begun practicing the *Glowing Holy Word Treasure Manual* is capable of?’
’Since when could a Holy Knight’s physical enhancements reach this level?’
He silently wiped the blood from his face and took a few steps back, ending up next to Zat, who wore a Horned Helmet. The two exchanged a glance, then silently turned away, a fire igniting in their chests.
’Maybe... maybe... maybe these Minotaurs aren’t so hard to fight after all...’
