Overpowered Sword Chapter 61

Level up with swords (61)

Three shadows cross the desert.

Former ranger and top assassin. Either way, since they are skilled in tracking techniques, they don’t waste even a moment. All Leon had to do was run after him.

Hamel and Karen.

If there was only one of the two, it might have taken a little more time. Hamel’s tracking technique is specialized for forests and mountains, so it is difficult to demonstrate its abilities in environments such as deserts. However, the tracking scent that Karen buried gave us a general direction, so everything was smooth sailing from then on.

As they continued to run for several dozen more minutes, Leon and the others felt that the surface, which had been soft just a moment ago, was becoming increasingly hard.

There are two main types of land in the desert area.

Sand desert and rocky desert.

Most people think of a sandy desert when they think of a desert, but in reality, the rocky desert was larger and more numerous.

“It seems like you followed along well.”

Hamel, who carefully examined the ground while moving his feet, smiled coolly. Unlike sandy deserts, rocky deserts were easy to leave traces. There were several strange-looking footprints, as if they had ridden something immediately after leaving the battlefield.

Karen also found the trace and nodded.

“Oh, it’s a camel.”

“camel? “Isn’t it slow?”

Only Leon asked back at that unfamiliar name without realizing it.

It wasn’t that I didn’t know what a camel was.

For some reason, he had the perception that camels were slow animals, so it was strange that he used them as a means of escape.

Hamel chuckled and corrected his mistake.

“Everyone thinks so, but camels are never slow. Since you’ve never seen it run, you’re mistaken by its appearance. Why would nomads in the West use camels instead of war horses for no reason?”

“A camel is a war horse?!”

“okay. As you said, the maximum speed is a bit faster than a horse or a camel. However, thanks to its physical strength, camels have an advantage in long-distance marches, and for short distances, they can achieve speeds similar to horses.”

In old literature, there is also a record of a cavalry team riding camels chasing the enemy for nearly 800km over 8 days.

Endurance several times greater than that of a horse, and speed comparable to that of a horse.

Moreover, unlike horses, their hooves do not sink into the sand, and they have the ability to survive for several days with just a sip of water. In the desert, camels were a much better vehicle than horses.

Leon admired him and diligently played with his feet.

‘The thieves probably don’t know we’ll come after us this far. ‘The scattered footprints are gradually coming together, and if this continues, we will meet in one place.’

It’s not that it wasn’t, it was just as I thought.

If the bandits were really concerned about being tracked, they would likely have dispersed again after coming out of the rocky area. If the gathering place was not discovered, there was no choice but to be missed by a few people in pursuit.

But they ran in one direction without any thought.

It is a complacent escape that does not even assume the presence of a pursuer. As expected, other than the leader, they were clearly insignificant people.

“for a moment.”

At that time, Karen, who was running in front, raised her hand.

There was no need to ask why.

It was a canyon.

A canyon appeared that was deep down, not up, and whose existence you couldn’t even tell was visible when viewed from afar. It is closer to a crevasse hidden in the ice than to a desert.

“… Here it is. “The base of those rats.”

Hamel looked down with thinly opened eyes and muttered.

There were clear footprints on a ridge that was gentle enough for a camel to go down.

But Karen seemed to be more concerned about something than that.

“what’s the matter? “Is there anything suspicious?”

When Leon asked, she said while looking around the inside of the canyon.

“It is not a place created naturally. A human hand touched it. It seems like it was made quite a long time ago… . “I have no idea what it was made for.”

“An artificial canyon?! this?”

The depth alone appears to be over 30 meters.

Even if hundreds of workers are mobilized, it will take years to dig it all out. Moreover, there was no reason to believe that the construction would be carried out in the middle of a rocky desert.

The three people talked as they slowly descended to the ridge.

“It’s a facility that’s at least 100 years old. “It looks like something was carved on this wall too, but it’s all worn away so I can’t see it.”

Karen’s slender fingers swept the wall.

As he said, strange shapes and engravings were visible, but they were not at a level that could be read or restored.

It seems that the thieves discovered this abandoned facility first and used it as their base. Who in the world would have thought that there would be an underground facility of this scale in the middle of a rocky desert?

‘Wait a minute, if you say it was 100 years ago… !’

[hmm.]

El Cid, who was examining the canyon with his eyes, agreed.

[You’re probably right. It appears to be a facility related to desertification in this area. I don’t know if there are any clues left.]

‘But can desertification occur just by selling some land?’

[No way. So all mining areas are deserts? This isn’t just a wasteland. It is the center of the spirit vein that flows throughout the grassland. After digging it up, it became land where not a single weed could grow.]

‘You dug up the spirit vein, why?’

[You should find out the reason now.]

Leon clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath.

Before we knew it, the three people had approached the front of the cave at the bottom of the canyon. As the presence of the Aura Sense gradually increased, approaching 100 people, I naturally felt nervous.

Those who attacked the Storm Summit weren’t all of them.

“There are three watchmen, what should we do?”

Hamel, looking beyond the rock, asked subtly.

Although he knew that killing was the easiest, Leon was not yet sure of his values.

So I hesitated for a moment, and then I heard their voices.

“Hey, I heard today’s work was completely empty?”

“Don’t say anything. “Half of the people who left were killed there, and the leader killed two more to vent his anger.”

“As expected, you shouldn’t touch the top. If you get it wrong, you all die. “It’s perfect for travelers who come in groups of five or six.”

“And if you see a nice girl, why don’t you take care of her?”

“Kkeukkeuk, I know very well.”

For them, it must have been the same small talk as always.

Hamel and Karen were unmoved by the obscene remarks, but a strong flame burned in Leon’s eyes.

I was already looking for a reason not to kill him, but he confessed a reason to kill me. The Auror boiling inside her body cheered for her cause and guided her hand to the hilt of the sword.

‘ah.’

The decisive moment came next.

Past the bandits standing around the entrance, there was something strewn about in the corner of the wall where trash had been piled up.

A human skull rolling around with a crack in it.

“—Let’s begin.”

Leon’s voice sank low.

With that as a signal, the three shadows jumped over the rock at once and landed on the backs of the bandits who were a few meters away.

They couldn’t figure out the presence until the end.

Sigh!

Blood spurting from the nape of the neck wets the stone floor.

Three corpses fell, and the group entered the facility without even looking at them.

A damp and musty smell emanating from the basement. It is narrow, dark, and has a complex internal structure. The occupation that showed the greatest activity in this space was the assassin.

“This way.”

Karen, covered in shadow aura, hid herself and guided the two people with her voice. Even if we were a ragtag group, 100 people were too many. We had to find the magic bandit leader while dealing with as few enemies as possible.

It would have been a fairly difficult mission for an ordinary B-rank trio, but for Leon and the others, it was no big deal.

Sigh!

Karen’s movements, which allowed her to climb the sides, the ceiling, and walls in all directions like a lizard, were truly extraordinary.

It can hide in places that don’t seem to be blind spots, and even when it seems obvious, it can approach behind your back without being detected. The number of thieves defeated without being detected has already exceeded double digits.

Contrary to Hamel, whose main weapon is a bow, and Leon, whose stealth is poor due to a long sword, Karen was the perfect weapon.

“Phew, I’m finally feeling better now.”

Karen, who broke another guy’s neck, grinned.

“Isn’t your body stiff from riding the carriage all the time? “I have to move like this so I don’t lose my senses.”

“… … .”

“… … .”

A beauty who could break a man’s neck as a warm-up, the two looked at each other without thinking about who would go first.

Hamel secretly asked a question with his eyes instead of words.

―Are you that type from the beginning?

-yes.

―… Thank you for your hard work, master.

cheer up! As her eyes darted to her raised thumb, Karen popped her head in, asking what was going on.

Leon was startled by the approach and reflexively stretched out his hand.

“Wait a minute, there’s blood on your face.”

“huh? oh… .”

Perhaps because of her dark elf bloodline, Karen’s skin was brown as if it had been tanned by the sun. She wiped the blood from her cheek with one swipe of her finger, and the feeling of the firmness of her healthy-colored skin against her thumb returned.

Karen stood there blankly for a moment, and only after shaking her head a few times did she start walking again.

Leon is puzzled by this reaction as he sees it for the first time.

“What, you’re doing well.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“You will find out later, master. “Very well.”

Hamel patted his back a few times and laughed heartily.

The former ranger’s sharp appearance was gone, and his face resembled that of a sly man.

Leon didn’t know yet.

The gap between the assassins is ridiculously narrow. She may have approached herself, but it was an unfamiliar experience for someone to approach her first. So much so that one touch can cause confusion, even if only for a moment.

“after… ! after… !”

Karen, who had not made a single sound, took a deep breath, and then her eyes narrowed as if she felt something.

Personal emotions take precedence in battle.

She quickly regained her composure and gave a hand signal. She opens and closes one of her fingers, and after squeezing it a few times, she makes a fist.

―Target discovery. Battle is inevitable. 15 people.

Leon and Hamel read the signal and agreed.

It is an unavoidable fight.

The space that can be felt in Aura Sense is quite large. It was wide enough for Leon and Hamel, who were holding long swords, to demonstrate their skills. Even though they are greatly disadvantaged in numbers, each person has different capabilities.

Other than that boss, there aren’t many people who have the skills to go head-to-head with a C-rank, let alone a B-rank.

“I’ll take care of the boss. “Please take care of the small children.”

It was an appropriate decision.

This guy can deceive even an A-rank’s presence detection, so if he sees an opening at any time, he will immediately run away. But if Karen were to mark him, he could greatly limit that margin.

Karen, who untied the rope around her waist and held two daggers in both hands, melted into the shadows without a sound.

“Huh, I have no idea even though it disappears right before my eyes.”

Hamel stuck his tongue out at the secret maneuver. I knew that A rank was great, but when I met him in person, he was on a different level.

“Let’s move slowly, too.”

Unless they could hide themselves like she did, the two had no choice but to charge in from the front.

I don’t know why, but there was only one entrance to that room.

Could it be an area with a special purpose?

It was a problem that I couldn’t find an answer to even if I thought about it on my own.

“I start first.”

Preemptive strike is the role of Hamel with the bow.

He stepped in front of Leon, walked lightly like a cat, and suddenly entered the room, pulling his bowstring.

Before the thieves could see him and start yelling.

ping!

One arrow made a sharp sound of wind.

What is contained in the blunt arrowhead is a piece of iron and gunpowder. This is an explosive arrow that was used once before.

The arrow soared to the ceiling and immediately ignited the aura.

Quaaaang!

Debris raining down from above tore several people’s skin and penetrated into their bodies. The wound itself is not a big deal, but the pain that comes with binge drinking causes even more panic.

Even though I have checked the enemy, my attention is focused on my own body.

Although it was only a few seconds of confusion in terms of time, it was a gap large enough to be fatal for a B-rank swordsman.

“Who, who… .”

“I don’t know anything.”

Leon responded coldly and cut down one person with his sword.

There is no need to use aurors. The accurately swung blade tore off the man’s neck and sprayed blood on the face of the man standing next to him.

Because of that, as soon as I close my eyes, I pass by while cutting my waist.

El Cid said.

It is said that a swordsman grows every time he cuts. One Sangareon was able to estimate her fatal wounds without even looking. Read how the opponent will respond and insert the sword according to that movement. If the opponent is three moves lower, you can defeat him with one sum.

“Those top guys! “How did you chase me!?”

The leader, who recognized the two people belatedly, shouted loudly.

He did not care about the lives of his subordinates. Since they were not raised properly, they were intended to be used as consumables. Even if there were a few fewer people, it was enough to fill them up again.

The guy looked at the two with emotionless eyes like a snake.

‘Swordsman and archer. Either way, it’s above mid-level B rank. ‘They are not people you can deal with head-on.’

The compatibility is not good.

Assassins are those who fight in the dark. He was the one who attacked first, not the one who was attacked first.

Since I have no pride or anything, I have no hesitation in running away.

The bandit leader was thinking of backing away, but suddenly the back of his neck went cold.

“Huh!?”

I desperately rolled to the side, but my ankles were hot.

“What about you—!?”

“You dodged it well. “I was planning to cut it off by the ankles.”

Karen came out from behind without any sign and laughed at him.

The dagger hanging on that finger glowed bluish.

The leader, sensing that he was in desperate danger, opened his eyes wide. It wasn’t completely cut, but it cut deep into the tendon. Even if I strengthened myself with aurors and moved around, it was impossible to beat that woman.

“It looks like they are going around stealing. “If it had been four years ago, a surprise attack like this would have been avoided.”

“… what?”

The leader’s eyes shook greatly.

There was no way I knew.

His past was not known to anyone. He never made a fuss on his own. Everyone I knew was dead.

No, there was one.

There is only one person alive who knows his past.

“It’s been a while, <Mole>.”

Karen said with an expression that did not please her at all.

“I would have told you. Wash your hands on this floor. “Otherwise, I will kill you with my own hands.”

“… 〈Guardian〉.”

The assassins who met each other for the first time in several years glared at each other.

They were in the same situation.

Growing up in the slums with no one to turn to, he was raised as a member of the Assassin’s Guild and got his hands dirty. When Karen broke the chain, there were those who had already become irreversible.

A person so distorted that it is impossible to live in a bright place.

Nevertheless, I turned a blind eye to it.

Because I know that I too could have been like that.

“Not twice.”

Shadow thorns slowly rose from beneath Karen’s feet.

The ‘Guardian’ looked at him with an expressionless face.

“die.”