Chapter 52: Sword Swallower

Chapter 52: Sword Swallower

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The situation seemed quite dire at the moment. Huxley getting kidnapped, Edrick getting injured, Titus suffering from some wounds during his reckless charge.

Something doesn't add up.

"Why were most of these monsters on fire? And who are those hunters I just killed?"

Rivals, that's the obvious answer. Titus mentioned something about a woman called Pearl and Leon looked at the only one who could speak right now.

"Cenric, what's happening?" Leon asked.

As the middle-aged man kicked a goblin in the chest and struck it down with a javelin, he panted quite heavily and glanced backward towards his brother Edrick and then to Titus who was stabilizing Edrick's wounds. As he struggled to swallow his saliva amidst the dryness of his mouth, Leon's question popped up in his mind and he lagged as he turned to reply.

"Someone had problems with Huxley no, with all of us." He said.

"Where did they take him?" Leon asked.

"I don't know! The Goblins other monsters as well kept flooding us from that direction." Cenric picked his javelin back and kept on guard for another monster that may come out whether it is by the strange fire that pushed them towards the team or by the stench of blood from other monsters, "Also, those people are bad news. They won't leave us be now that we killed two of theirs."

"I killed two of theirs." Leon said, "Listen up, we need to move Edrick from here and retreat. You know the way back to the camp, right?"

"Yes."

"You two carry him on his shield, I will cover your retreat." Leon said.

"But"

"You're tired, Titus is injured. We need to get to Vadim. No questions asked. Once the team is in safety, we will go back for Huxley with support." Leon decided.

His leadership skills were nothing to laugh at and he was able to make those decisions quite easily. An evacuation is important when a team can proceed then the extraction operation shall follow swiftly.

"We can't move recklessly." Titus spoke as he broke the arrow piercing Edrick's lung and drenched the wound with medicine, "Thank the Light Edrick passed out but he might be bleeding from inside. Moving his is a bad option."

"Then you fucking not tell anyone of what I am about to do."

Leon pushed Titus away from Edrick and took out a Healing Potion from his bag.

"This won't work unless we take out the arrow. Also, the potion is ineffective on inner organs that can't hold liquids." Cenric said while trying to hold Leon back.

"I am aware." Leon spoke, "But Magic can still stabilize him."

"Magic?"

Leon ignored the concerned pleas and focused on pouring a few drops of the potion carefully while pressing with his hand around the wound.

*Screech*

At the same time, a Goblin ran off the bushes with a burnt head looking around frantically to see corpses of his own kind and a few humans in the vicinity. Between the horror that was chasing him and the less threatening humans ahead, the Goblin made a run for it through the humans which were on his way swinging its crude axe at Leon.

"Get rid of it."

As Leon shouted, both Titus and Cenric pushed forwards and held off the monster to finally send its head flying. This worked in Leon's favor as he focused his [Light Magic - Heal] and cast it while the two men were busy.

"Perfect."

The spell was cast, the potion was applied, the inner bleeding seemed to be halted and the wound won't get infected. Sadly, Leon can't pull out the arrowhead else he may risk Edrick bleeding to death or for his blood entering his lung.

What is left is a surgeon's assistance and there are a few of them back in the camp.

"I'm done. Take him away." Leon kept Edrick in a stable state as both Titus and Cenric came and carried him on the shield.

The three then started retreating as Leon was walking behind them facing the place they escaped from with a bow and an arrow aimed at whatever moves.

*Swoosh*

He let loose of the first arrow then the second and the third. His aim wasn't ideal but out of the three shots, he got two instant kills on goblins while the third required him to switch to a spear and rush it down.

< [Archery Technique Lv.1] has been added to your status. >

< [Archery Technique Lv.1] is being combined with [Throwing Technique Lv.1] >

< A new skill shall be given. Do you confirm? Y/N >

And amidst this mess, the system decided to make things easier.

"If it's good then yes." Leon spoke.

"What?" (Titus)

"Never mind." (Leon)

< Confirmed! >

< [Marksmanship Technique Lv.1] has been added to your Status. >

< Error! System Upgrade is required to pull out the full potential of the skill [Marksmanship Technique]. Functions "Crosshair" and "Trajectory Sight" are not granted yet. >

"I don't really need them anyway." Leon shooed away the system screens with a bothered expression as they were blocking his sight.

Still, a Crosshair? Really? Why need a skill then?

*Swoosh* *Swoosh*

Yet the skill proved him wrong in an instant. The first swoosh he heard came from the nearby pushes as goblin threw a javelin at Leon while the next was the one Leon reacted with. The goblin was hit exactly between his eyes.

And that's just a level 1 skill.

Leon, who dodged the javelin thanks to a sixth sense that grew on him just a second ago made him look between the javelin, the arrow he shot, and the bow he's holding.

"Bows might be deadlier than guns after all" He said giving the matter a thought before shrugging his shoulders, "Who am I kidding?"

Just like that, Leon's interest in archery grew up a few notches even though he still complained from his sore shoulder after shooting.

"We are on safe grounds now." Titus shouted, "A company ahead."

At that moment, the team finally met a Mercenary patrol that was securing the outer area of the forest. As soon as that happened, the two companies immediately reacted to one another seeing that there's an injured colleague.

"Medic! Get to him right away." The other team's leader called for his team's medic to approach and start the first aid treatment.

As soon as the medic started working, he was soon baffled as the wound was mostly taken care of. The only thing he needed to do is to make sure the arrowhead didn't go deeper and thus he started working on it.

"We're done." He called.

"That fast?" Titus asked.

"He already has some magic cast on him. Let's get moving." The medic replied impatiently which left both Titus and Cenric looking at each other.

Leon mentioned magic just before they go and as he took care of securing Edrick but what kind of magic would assist the first aid operation this quickly? Water Magic can do that but this requires opening the wounds and doing a surgery process. The other magic that can do miracles like this is simply unthinkable to think that a Mercenary has it.

The thought came to their minds just an instant but they brushed it off almost immediately. Only a holy man can utilize this sort of miracle. Still, they both turned towards Leon who is behind them who should have been behind them who was not there at the moment.

"Leo!"

"Hey, where's Leo? Our archer?"

Cenric called and Titus asked the people assisting them.

"Motherfucker!" She snorted, "The way his sword filled my throat was what is the word?..."

As she was about to speak the word, a menacing sound made the world almost feel unreal around her.

*Swoosh* *Brrrrrrrrrrnnn!"

An arrow rested in the eye socket of the man who was behind Huxley penetrating the skull and pushing the body to a tree resting with its full force in its truck as the arrow shaft kept vibrating.

*Swoosh*

"TAKE COVER!"

*Swoosh*

Almost immediately, two Crossbow Bolts flew in straight yet trajectories claiming two lives as they landed.

Three members of Pearl's team lay on the ground in less than a moment without a breath. She seized the moment to take cover behind a tree trunk and check out on the last member of her team that also did the same.

"What is that? Who dares?" She shouted as she managed to get her shield and spear close to her.

"These are not goblins." Her team member whispered, "It's probably those motherfuckers!"

"Fuck!"

Instantly, Pearl looked around for a way out of this mess and fixed her eyes on Huxley who was tied down not too far from her. On the other hand, Huxley realized that she was going to take him as a hostage.

"Titus! Get her! She's over there!" Huxley tried to shout but Pearl was fast enough to use [Combat Magic - Leap] and cover up the distance between her and Huxley in an unexpected trajectory to confuse the shooter and managed to cover her body with her shield and press her spear against Huxley's throat.

"Motherfuckers! Come out!"

She was in a total cover behind her shield and reflexively reacted to every leaf moving around with her eyes. Seeing her in this state of focus, Huxley felt like he can no longer escape this.

"Fuck off!" He used his lower half and tried to push her off balance to open her for the shooter but she was in total control and descended on his torso with her knees with a [Combat Magic - Power Attack].

"Argh!"

"I said come out! You won't get him in one piece I swear." She roared, "Titus! How's your buddy Edrick? Dead, I reckon. Come out and face me, you coward."

She didn't seem to be worried regarding her combat skills or blocking an arrow she can see. If it is her, she's one of the best mercenaries in Karanberg's branch.

"COME OUT!"

And as she shouted that, something out of her expectations happened.

Her last follower which was still hiding started to fly all of a sudden, his legs were frantically swinging in the air as if he was trying to get back to the ground but he flew across the clearing she stood in and kept rising until he reached a certain height before completely settling above.

All Pearl and Huxley could see was the man just being hung to death without a sound before his body getting lowered slowly with a rope around his neck and his eyes staring out with a shock.

*Gulp*

Pearl understood that this is nothing natural. The archer just now and this ambush she didn't feel anything or anyone moving around which means that she is dealing with someone far too dangerous.

Her back is exposed! That idea came to her mind almost at the same time as an attack came from behind. She quickly jumped off Huxley and a spear came out of a nearby bush where she was standing.

If she moved half a second later, she would have been a goner.

"You fuck"

*Screech* *Creek*

As she was about to throw insults, a strange sound came from beside her and with the edge of her sight, she saw a large tree trunk falling at her.

Before being inflated, she used [Combat Magic - Rush] and retreated by a hair's width.

This was unmistakably Earth Magic and it was used to uproot a nearby tree.

A sinister move.

But that was far from the end. She felt a presence coming from her side and as she reacted with a dodge, a strong blast of wind sent the shield off her hand as a young mercenary, wearing a light full and a steel closed helm, suddenly swung his sword at her.

She chose to strike with her spear and fall backward instead of meeting the cunning opponent, but her spear fell short and the blade cut its shaft.

"I know you." Leon, who walked slowly towards the retreating girl, spoke with his sword swinging at her leg cutting behind her knees.

Pearl fell on the ground with a scream and unsheathed her sword while pushing the ground with the other leg and aiming the sword towards Leon.

"You! You freak! Back off!"

"Hmmm." Leon narrowed his eyes, "You said you were moving up in the world, huh? I saw you with that blonde idiot from the noble academy the other day. Did you think that fucker is your ticket up the world?"

"You know nothing! Fuck you!" She shouted, screamed, struggled, and sweat from the burning pain coming from her torn knee.

"Yeah sorry, with that dumb fucker spreading his seed left and right, I don't think the royal family would tolerate a bitch like you with their seed up her pussy."

Leon said so and amidst confusion, he struck away her sword to fall off her hand.

"Shit!" She panicked and put all her effort to jump back up on one leg then started making a run for it.

Still, Leon recovered a javelin from his storage and threw it towards her other knee making her howl from pain but ended up muffling it as she fell on her face. He then turned to Huxley who was struggling.

"The other guys are alive." He said.

"Th thank the light and thank you, Leo."

Leon then picked up the sword she had which was a nice short gladius and walked over to Pearl who was still trying to escape only to end up resting her back on a tree as she gave up.

"Last words?" He asked.

"Spare spare me! I I was just looking after myself."

"How classy!"

She looked tired but in a split of a second, she took out the javelin that penetrated her leg and stabbed at Leon.

"Fuck"

But he was faster and stabbed at her with her sword while avoiding his javelin. The blade went through her skull all the way inside the tree.

< LEVEL UP! >

"Wait" Huxley spoke but it was too late.

"Mercy doesn't fit these situations, Huxley." Leon spoke.

"I just" Huxley looked at the ground with a broken expression, "I just wanted to ask why. Why did she have to go this far and kill Edrick? Why did she"

Leon walked to him, cut his ties, and helped him up.

"Edrick is alive." He said.

The word caused Huxley's face to brighten up as he nodded and felt better about it. He accepted Leon's help and walked by leaning on him.

As they passed by Pearl's corpse, they stopped and took a look at her. Huxley then narrowed his eyes and gazed at Leon.

"What?" Leon asked, "She's the one who said she likes big swords filling her throat."

Strange enough, the sword rested all the way through Pearl's mouth and throat in the tree. A nightmare to see when a certain prince discovers the corpse.

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