Chapter 21: That kind of life
Valkrun died and the orc became quiet. It’s not that there hasn’t been any attack after that, but it seems like something is missing, they just pretended to attack and turned around.
Thanks to this, the fortress was peaceful. Even if it is not eternal peace, but like thin ice that will soon be broken.
before the storm hits, there’s such a chill in the stillness of now.
Ivan stood on the wall, looked over the forest where they were hiding, and turned his head.
Tak tak tak!
The sound of horseshoes and the murmur of people could be heard. Two weeks had passed, and reinforcements had arrived from the center.
When I checked the number at a glance, it was enough to change all the soldiers remaining in the fortress now. Of course, that doesn’t mean to let the current soldiers play around.
“They said it would be different when reinforcements came, but it’s not a lie, there’s quite a lot.”
Billy’s expression, who had been yawning with a bored expression next to him, brightened. It was the face that said, it was over now.
“Hmmm, I’ll have to go back to the guild now. Anyway, I don’t fit in the field. Are you planning to leave too?”
He spoke to Ivan in a friendly tone. It’s because we got a little closer since we had a quest for the past two weeks and a pretty intense battle together.
“This is enough. I’m not a war mercenary, and such long-term quests don’t really suit my taste. I am not used to receiving instructions from anyone,”
“Where are you going? If there is nothing, go with me. We still have a lot of good quests.”
“Aren’t you trying to make me as your achievement?”
“Heh, that’s my intention too. If you’re going to carry out someone’s quest anyway, isn’t it bad to move on my recommendation?”
At Billy’s smirk, Ivan simply smirked.
“I have a place to go.”
“Then there is nothing I can do. Is it a dangerous place?”
“Is there a place not dangerous if you live by the swords? I’m just leaving because it’s time to go.”
There were three ways Ivan could become strong. Level up, equipment, or learn skills.
Among them, the one that could be strengthened most immediately and efficiently was the equipment. Plastering himself with higher grade, better performance items.
However, it was very difficult to find good items in the real world. The rare class was literally rare, and the unique class was literally unique. There were similar items, but none of them were the same, and the overall number was very small.
In the game, the unique thing that is thrown away as a miscellaneous is an heirloom of a certain historical family here, so what can he do.
There was only one way Ivan could get such a good item.
Digging out the dungeon and excavating artifacts.
He has been avoiding it so far because it’s dangerous, but now that the situation is like this, there’s nothing he can do about it. He can’t avoid a little risk and face a bigger risk.
“Looks like a rough road. I saw that your eyes were serious. Take care. People like us who live off their body should actually take care of themselves the most.”
“I don’t know if it’s because you’ve lived such a rough life. I’ll appreciate your advice.”
Ivan looked up at the sky.
It rained for a few days, but today the gloomy energy has completely disappeared and it was a clear, cloudless day.
‘I wish my life was as clear as this.’
Ivan laughed at the thought.
Calling the names of the thunder god and the storm god so many times on a clear day, it’s a joke. The weather with rain, wind, thunder and lightning was perfect for his life. Maybe he will have to keep fighting and surviving until he dies.
In order to call an outstanding warrior Valhalla, the myth that Odin made war constantly break out in the human world suddenly came to mind.
Maybe Odin placed such a curse on his life now.
“..Odin, you damn bastard.”
It’s the truth. Anyway, after swearing like that, Ivan felt a little relieved.
bum bum.
Ivan headed north and kicked it. He wished he could find even a horse in the middle, but it was not easy to find a horse because of the war.
It was quite boring to just walk alone like that. Once he starts moving, he has to move for at least a few days without a word. In this case, it would be nice to have a contracted spirit or a pet.
Of course, he didn’t think that way simply because he was bored. He decided to attack the dungeon, so the existence of a trusted companion was absolutely necessary.
It is very difficult to attack that dangerous dungeon alone. It was difficult not only to fight, but also to prepare for camp and do everything by yourself.
However, finding a reliable colleague was a problem.
When there are five people, one of them must be a trash.
Ivan regarded the words as gold and jade.
In his experience, he was mostly right.
What happened when you attacked the recently abandoned monastery? After many years of evaluation by the Mercenary Guild, the two mercenaries who were recommended to the Blue Tower because they were reliable not betrayed them. Even one of them was a martial artist who had to be light on desire.
It was extremely rare for an existence that did not change even when the treasure was in front of them. It was not easy to find a reliable and competent comrade to entrust his back during battle.
Spirits, Summoning, Training. It was only natural that Ivan’s attention was drawn to that direction. Among the many dungeons, it is also the reason why Ivan headed north.
“That’s why you need a colleague.”
Ivan looked ahead at a sudden presence.
There were those who hid their body. Looking at the harsh and suspicious momentum, they are used to cutting people.
‘Who is it?’
Ivan thought for a moment that it might be Greenskin trying to assassinate him, but then that thought was erased from his mind faster than it came to mind. If they had, they wouldn’t have been as clumsy as now.
Perhaps bandits, robbers, and anyway, people with cognitive impairment who cannot distinguish between their pockets and their own money.
As Ivan stopped walking, they showed up with giggles of laughter.
“He’s a quick-witted guy. But it’s already too late since he’s come this far!”
No matter how much he covered himself with a cloak, he was wary of the size of Ivan. But the guys showed up without much fear. They believe in their numbers and experiences. It wasn’t an experience they had brushed off once or twice.
‘It’s not that they just ran away to the mountains because they couldn’t pay their taxes, or they became robbers because they had nothing to put in their mouths.’ (dlazarturead.wordpress.com)
Ivan slightly turned to check them out.
Twelve are revealed and five are hidden. Armed with a sword, spear or bow. The armor doesn’t matter, and if you look at the posture while holding the weapon, it’s a skill that has been wielding quite a bit, but it’s not that great.
“Huh, a big, distracted guy is so scared…”
Pop!
That guy’s head exploded while he was talking. Suddenly, the ax Ivan threw hit the guy’s head and passed by.
“Uh, what?”
While the guys were bewildered by the sudden situation, Ivan drew his sword and ran.
[Thunder step!]
Blue lightning bounced off in all directions, and the limbs of the guys surrounding Ivan were cut off one by one.
No one responded properly. Not long ago, while dealing with orc warriors, meeting these guys felt like cutting some sort of scarecrow.
To-do-duduk!
The arrow that was shot in a hurry did not even hit Ivan.
Thunder step is the basic skill of Martial Arts Thunderwolf, and Ivan’s level of honing it was much higher than most Thunderwolf disciples.
It was not for nothing that Julia Miller recognized Ivan, who had mastered only thunder steps, as a disciple of Thunderwolf.
Of course, that’s what she to make Ivan’s guard down.
Pak pak!
The daggers are stuck in the bodies of those trying to escape. When the dagger with proper lightning stuck on their legs, the guys trembled and fell to the floor.
Only a few breaths, even if it was easy. It took only that much to defeat the seventeen bandits.
Ivan gathered the survivors together as he retrieved his thrown weapon. It was easier to handle than I thought, probably because they were terrified.
“Are you all bandits?”
“That’s right, ugh!”
He stabbed the dagger in the neck of the guy who answered and then pulled it out.
The figure of the guy falling down with his blood gushing out.
There was a deep fear in the eyes of other bandits who couldn’t even die at once and saw them shake and gradually calm down.
‘I asked and he answered, then, why?’
They seemed to be thinking like that, so Ivan said softly.
“I don’t want to spend a lot of time on you guys. So, don’t lie.”
Seventeen is not a small number, but the attitude they showed when they first appeared was too relaxed. They’re so clumsy.
They must have done it because they believed in something.
Even if it’s not, it doesn’t matter, since I cut off one’s head and made the other obedient.
As Ivan pointed to the next, he replied trembling.
“Mo, more. There are more!”
“How many?”
“Kuu, about thirty people, ugh!”
Ivan’s dagger pierced someone’s throat again and returned.
“I don’t listen to inaccurate information.”
After a few more people fell to the floor, he was able to properly get information. The total number of people was fifty-three, and among them there were officers from mercenaries and captains from knights.
I wondered why a former knight was a bandit here, but, well, must be a criminal bastard. It was a common story.
“Hmm…”
Ivan looked back at them carefully.
Neat clothes, well-maintained weapons, and a fat face. In many ways, it was doubtful that they were ordinary bandits.
Bandits may not be a more profitable business than you think. Even with a large number of them.
swish.
He wiped the blood from the dagger on the living man’s clothes. The guy trembled and trembled, but Ivan didn’t care. Instead, his eyes narrowed at another question.
‘You’re hiding something.’
They weren’t the loyal type. But what the hell is the secret that they hide until the very end?
Ivan wasn’t the type to meddle so much.
But he thought that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to find out since he’s been entangled like this.
Tuk!
The last surviving guy was kicked and lifted. As he looked at him trembling, Ivan pointed his chin in front of him.
“Let’s go to your base”
He looked at the corpses rolling on the ground and bit his mouth. The guy who was left alone walked slowly without asking anything.
Ivan hurried him, glanced back at him.
It was full of blood, death and corpses. It was a scene liked by gods with a dirty personality somewhere.
‘…I also got a lot of stains.’
Indeed, like eating rice with vegetable.
Ivan’s self-mock laugh was scattered in the air.