My Demons - Chapter 46

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The preparations were swiftly completed.

Luke and Arnal were astride a lengthy-maned yellow horse. Its legs were short, yet it was a sizable, robust-looking steed. It appeared unfazed even with two riders.

Grania opted for a petite gray horse with thick fur on its lower limbs. It was nearly the size of a pony but exhibited a very docile temperament.

There were also a few hunting horses with sleek builds, but no one selected them. While they might be speedy, they were quite aggressive and lacked the necessary strength, making them unsuitable for our needs.

Naturally, this wasn’t my opinion but rather the assessment of Luke, who possessed a certain expertise in horse matters.

By shedding unnecessary items like shovels and axes, we lightened our load as much as possible and soon urged our horses out of the camp.

Then, we traversed the ‘Salt River.’ Thankfully, the water level was quite low, allowing us to ford it while still mounted on our horses.

Speaking of which, I recall Daria mentioning that there hadn’t been rain for a while. We were fortunate in this regard.

As we crossed the river, the brownish glow on my body had significantly dimmed. It was still discernible in the darkness, but compared to its initial brilliance, which resembled a spotlight, it was now more subdued.

On the other hand, the forest along the river featured a variety of trees, including sizable water oaks, decaying walnut trees, and small persimmon trees.

It wasn’t overly dense, but it didn’t provide an environment where our horses could run freely.

Whenever we lost our way, Luke, who was leading us, would gaze up at the night sky and decipher the constellations. Although we were heading north, the labyrinthine forest paths frequently led us astray. Consequently, our progress was sluggish.

A small silver lining amid our misfortune was that we had yet to encounter any bandits.

It’s possible that by loading the bodies onto the remaining horses at the camp and setting them off in various directions, we had temporarily thwarted our pursuers.

Nonetheless, we couldn’t afford to let our guard down, as we remained uncertain when the bandits might catch up.

Particularly disconcerting was the prospect of encountering the second boss in Chapter 2, ‘Raid Chief Pageno.’ In the game, you’d typically encounter him while en route to meet reinforcements.

Pageno aside, I’d much prefer avoiding the horse archers under his command.

Given the substantial shift in our circumstances, it was conceivable that we might not encounter him at all.

Well… Let’s hope for the best but remain vigilant.

Despite our heightened alertness, there was no sign of the bandits even after an hour of wandering through the forest.

Finally, as we departed the forest and entered the open plains, our field of vision expanded significantly beneath the moonlight, eliciting a collective sigh of relief.

It was then.

“…Hmm?”

“What’s going on?”

“No, I just thought I heard something-“

Just as I was about to respond to Ellen’s question…

Peep! Eeeeeeek!

A sharp horn sound pierced the night sky.

A chilling sensation washed over us, and soon, there was a stir in the forest.

“There!”

“Capture them! Don’t let them escape!” The furious shouts seemed to emanate from every direction except ahead of us, likely due to the echoes in the forest.

Shortly thereafter, torches were ignited in all directions, and the bandits emerged, crashing through the underbrush.

The echoing cries were no mere illusion or misunderstanding.

Looking back, we could see at least fifty of them.

Why were there suddenly so many? Where had they all come from?

And judging by the distant horn’s sound, this likely wasn’t their entire force.

The speed and scale of the pursuit exceeded our expectations, causing us to abandon the plans we had formulated before crossing the river.

“Everyone, flee!”

My cry marked the commencement of a full-fledged chase.

Screeeak!

A sharp whistling sound.

Thankfully, the arrow missed, but the fact that pursuers were shooting arrows at us made my heart race. Horns and shouts reverberated incessantly, and arrows periodically whizzed in our direction.

“Hyah, Hyah!”

I urged my horse forward, shouting. Recognizing my urgency, the horse began to gallop.

“Phoenix, to the left!”

“Huh?”

Upon Ellen’s urgent command, I instinctively raised my shield. In the very next moment, a substantial bolt struck the shield with a resounding thud.

The pointed tip of the bolt embedded itself right in front of Ellen’s eyes.

“Hu-“

Startled, Ellen couldn’t even let out a scream, so I urgently shouted at her.

“Don’t just sit there, fight back!”

“Ah, h-hold me.”

With her arm entangled in the shield’s strap, I embraced Ellen.

Despite the surge of unease stemming from holding the reins with only my right hand, I skillfully controlled the horse.

Ellen began channeling magic, reciting incantations and deftly weaving hand signs.

Those who had been shooting arrows from a distance or hurling spears were met with flaming arrows in return, and those who dared to approach too closely were knocked back by gusts of wind aimed at their horse’s legs, causing both rider and steed to tumble.

“Ugh!”

“Damn it, she’s a wizard!”

After dealing with the tumbling enemy riders, I scanned the path ahead.

In an all-out sprint, both man and horse quickly tire. Grania’s and Luke’s horses were already showing signs of fatigue. However, the spotted horse still surged with energy, seeming to glide across the terrain. But, “Damn it-”

I clenched my teeth and slowed down.

Maintaining this pace would inevitably leave someone behind. Any comrade left trailing would be vulnerable to arrow fire and potential capture.

It made more sense for Ellen and me to safeguard the rear.

Then, Luke, who had been leading the charge, pivoted around and yelled.

“Give the signal!”

Understanding Luke’s intent immediately, I hastily seized a straw ball and clutched it near the spotted horse’s mane.

Simultaneously, Ellen, who had been chanting a spell, frantically rummaged through her satchel and produced the signal. In that very moment, an eerie cry reverberated across the plains.

“Yaaal-!”

The ‘Abyssal Whistle’ cast in the wide-open expanse dramatically illuminated the scene with the faint moonlight and the flickering torchlight.

Horses caught in the inky vortex panicked and stampeded, while a flock of birds startled from their slumber in the distant forest took flight.

The frozen enemy riders were thrown from their mounts, either trampled or desperately scrambling away with their legs entangled in their horses’ necks.

It was as though the entire world had awoken in terror.

While Luke’s spell provided some relief, it was no time to relax.

“Ugh- what’s this?”

“There’s another wizard! Pursue them!”

Some of the more formidable enemy riders resisted the spell, calming their startled horses and resuming the chase.

These tougher foes typically held higher ranks and consequently possessed formidable horses and menacing weaponry.

In essence, Luke’s spell had shaken off only the weaker adversaries, failing to deter those of a certain caliber.

“Target their horses!”

“Keep your distance! Throw your spears from afar!”

Despite their fierce threats, they executed their attacks with remarkable composure.

I exerted all my strength to deflect their assaults with my shield, while Ellen, with mana at her fingertips, unleashed her spells.

The spotted horse, despite sustaining two arrows in its hindquarters, stubbornly pressed on.

Eventually, the enemy riders redirected their focus to the group ahead, bypassing us as we fiercely resisted.

Heeheeheeheeng!

At the heart-wrenching cry, I turned my head to see Grania tumbling on the ground. The pony she had been riding had its throat impaled by a short spear and had fallen.

“Grania!”

“Keep going!”

Thankfully, Grania, who had sprung to her feet and screamed, appeared relatively unharmed.

She had donned a lightweight leather armor scavenged from the enemy after her own had been dissolved by a slime, which seemingly allowed for a safe landing.

“Damn it-!”

In that moment, instinct overruled my weary mind. My conscience vehemently protested against abandoning Grania and ignited a fervor within me.

The fire within me, fueled by anger toward the raucous enemy riders and the shame of being pursued like prey, burned intensely.

In the end, I pulled on the reins.

As I brought my horse to a halt, Ellen exclaimed in surprise.

“What are you doing!”

“Hold the reins!”

“What?”

“Hold the reins!”

I dismounted swiftly and yanked the harpoon that had lodged itself in the shield.

Ellen, who hastily took the reins, turned pale.

“You’re not…”

“Hold on tight!”

Thwack!

I slapped the spotted horse on its rear, and it let out a long cry before sprinting forward. Gripping the harpoon tightly, I hurled it with all my might at the enemy rider chasing Ellen.

“Kuhuk!”

Ah, the tingling sensation in my hand…

A bandit, struck by the spear in the chest, hovered momentarily in mid-air before rolling pitifully on the ground.

Before I could even celebrate the victory, a few more of their horsemen started tailing Ellen.

Luckily, the nimble spotted horse was running close to the ground, making it difficult for them to catch up easily.

Even if they did manage to close the gap, I trusted that Luke or Ellen could handle a few bandits with their magic.

With my decision made, I drew my blood-red blade swiftly, staining my vision red as I let out a roar.

“Over here, you thieving bastards!” I pounded my hole-riddled shield with ferocity.

Naturally, the bandits’ attention shifted toward me, creating a spectacle with a faint glow.

Damn, there are quite a lot of them. I must be out of my mind.

Despite the regret echoing in my mind, my body, filled with the intense scent of blood, shook off fatigue and came alive.

“Kill him!”

“No, let’s keep one alive!”

Spotting my commotion, the bandits charged without hesitation. The sight of a heavily armored horseman, raising a cloud of dust, was undeniably intimidating.

“Huff.”

My muscles tensed. The lead bandit was charging at me, intent on running me down.

Just before the collision, I held my breath and dug my feet into the ground, slashing at the neck of the passing horse.

Neigh!

“Uh, ack!”

As the horse sprayed blood and toppled forward, the bandit riding it crashed to the ground.

The moment I turned away from the one with the broken neck, whose eyes had rolled back…

Bam!

A tremendous impact struck my chest, as if a giant hammer had slammed into me. Somehow, I had been hit by a charging brown horse.

“Gah.”

I gasped for air. My vision blurred.

I rolled violently on the ground and, struggling to my feet, desperately tried to catch my breath.

If I had stayed down, I would have been trampled.

As I managed to stand, eerie laughter echoed around me.

“Oh, he’s not dead.”

“Hehe, quite a sturdy one.”

My mouth was filled with the taste of iron. Pain was spreading. Damn it, I had bitten my tongue.

Thanks to raising my shield in time, I seemed to have survived the collision.

The shield, which had borne the weight of several hundred kilograms, was shattered, with only the dragon leather hanging loose.

Damn, it cost me eight silver coins…

“Ptui.”

Spitting out bloody saliva, I discarded the ruined shield and charged.

“Hey, this bastard- Gack!”

Perhaps he let his guard down because I staggered for a moment? The nearby bandit couldn’t react in time and ended up stabbed in the side.

At the same time, I sensed something flying from behind and quickly rolled to evade it.

“Rat-like bastard!”

Who’s the rat here, you thief?

Infuriated, the bandit retracted his missed lasso.

I surged forward, seized the lasso, and the bandit, unable to withstand the sudden force, tumbled from his horse.

“Cough, this lunatic,”

Before he could complete his sentence, my blood-soaked blade cleaved through his neck.

“Damn it, what’s with this guy?”

“We’ve got the woman, just kill him!”

What? Whom did they capture?

I was scanning the bandits around when I suddenly spotted her.

“These bastards.”

The exhausted Grania was being bound with ropes by the horsemen. Her helmet was nowhere in sight, and blood trickled down her bright red hair.

Ha, nothing is going well.

Even as I clenched my teeth, I drew an axe from the waist of a corpse with a split neck.

After twirling the axe a few times to adjust to its weight, I hurled it at the approaching horseman with all my might.

“Kheuk!”

The axe lodged itself in his thigh.

No, to be precise, it embedded itself in the horse after severing his thigh.

I had aimed for the chest, but it hardly mattered. He’d bleed out either way.

Alright, who’s next?

As I glanced around, my fighting spirit ablaze, the horsemen whose eyes met mine hesitated for a moment, then gritted their teeth and bellowed.

“That insolent bastard!”

“Kill him! Tear his throat out!”

The battle raged on.

I grasped the belt of the charging horseman, pulled him down, and thrust a knife beneath his beard.

I was struck in the back of the head by an arrow from an unknown source. The helmet rang with a ‘clang.’

I seized the spear aimed at my neck, flipped it back, and thrust the tip into the eyes of the spearman.

After rolling and rising from a second collision with a horse, I was momentarily unable to control my body.

Then, an airborne axe exploded against my shoulder from somewhere.

Due to my twisted upper body, my face remained unscathed, but my shoulder armor crumpled under the impact of the iron ball from the galloping horse.

For a moment, I lost sensation in my left arm –

A horseman, uttering an odd war cry, swung his curved blade at me.

I swung my sword to meet his, shattered his blade, and traced a line straight to the horse’s hind legs.

The dismounted horseman pleaded for his life before his throat was slit.

I dispatched five more horsemen and two horses.

In return, an arrow lodged in my thigh, a mace struck my head, and a spear pierced my left hand.

Pain persisted, and my strength began to wane. The once-boiling blood that fueled my fight started to cool as the situation turned against me.

“Hoo, hoo-“

I’m gasping for breath. My head spins, and my entire body feels leaden.

The instinct that had driven the fight now whispered for me to flee.

Is this loathsome and cowardly nature Phoenix’s, or is it Kim Seung-soo’s?

Damn it, I’m not a berserker, why does this happen every time? Rational judgment vanishes, and I rampage like a dog in heat.

I raged to drown out my regrets. I wrung out the heat, the scream.

“Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

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