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Chapter 85: The Battle of the Abyssal Rocks (2)

Allen glanced at the creature that had instantly killed dozens of knights.

[Why does no one acknowledge the prowess of my sentinel? It crushed more of those foolish idiots than this creature did!"] He circled around Mikhail, his tone laced with displeasure.

Karyl chuckled softly at Allen’s comment. "Nareel is not one to be taken lightly. If word gets out that the Imperial Guards were defeated by barbarians after the issuance of the Imperial Decree of Heresy Extermination, what do you think will happen? He may not have given up yet."

Karyl spoke as if discussing someone else’s affairs, his nonchalant demeanor masking the gravity of the situation."There were fewer than fifty knights on the Abyssal Rocks, far fewer than what Kayla Spear had seen. They likely stationed more troops down below to attack the Four Great Families."

"Umm..." Mikhail interjected. "Will they launch another attack?"

"It’s not entirely impossible. Or they may target other barbarian tribes instead."

[It worked out quite well. Take this chance to wipe them out. Whatever debt of gratitude you believe you owe those scoundrels, to them, it means nothing more than a future they have yet to face.]

Karyl sheathed his Freezing Talon and looked at the sentinel guarding the Fountain of Vision. "But first, we need to finish what we started here."

[You\'re not even pretending to listen to me.] Allen sighed, shrugging his shoulders. A faint violet light emanated from the sentinel’s chest as if agreeing with him.

Everyone exchanged tense glances. Though the ambush seemed to have been effective, apart from Karyl subduing the knights, no one else had managed to take even a single life.

Beikan and Kinu Mukari, having crossed swords with the knights, had come to realize the stark difference in their abilities.

The numbers and strength of the enemies are not to be underestimated. Can we truly advance to the center with such formidable enemies?

I’m not sure how far my current strength can take me. This isn\'t nearly enough. I need to become far stronger.

It was a pressing concern, especially for Beikan and Kinu Mukari, who were considered to be the finest warriors within their tribe.

Karyl nodded as if he had already anticipated their worries. He had experienced the same doubts after all. Despite being an immigrant, he had been chosen by the Oracle and had to prove his worth among the Imperials. Superior skills were essential, not just slightly but overwhelmingly superior, to quell any and all objections regarding his origins.

Excruciating training, far more intense than others, was necessary. Karyl’s swordsmanship was exceptional, irrespective of his mana, and so were Beikan and Kinu Mukari, deserving the title of great warriors.

Think about this hard and find a way. You, too, can become stronger. Even without magic, becoming a warrior superior to them is not impossible, he thought, having gone through it himself.

And you too, Karyl thought, turning his head slowly to face a figure concealed beneath a hood.

Hashir.

As he reached out, the forces that had surrounded the Fountain of Vision, bows drawn, vanished without a trace. Karyl could hardly detect their presence.

Truly fitting of the Wolf-Fox tribe.

"Was it you who sent that sorcerer to us?" Hashir asked.

"A sorcerer?" Karyl feigned ignorance.

"Don’t play dumb. He called himself Thompson."

"Ah... So he moved by himself, huh? He sure is quick on the uptake, as expected from his experience."

Karyl couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. The situation had become quite intriguing. Thompson had really lived up to his expectations, proving himself to be quite reliable.

He must have wanted to show proper results. Moreover, his timing was impeccable, which works in my favor, Karyl thought.

"I’ll admit it. I did send him to the North. As you know, the North is currently facing the threat of extinction under the Imperial Decree," Karyl explained.

"You wanted us to flee. Us Northerners would rather die gloriously in battle than flee," Hashir exclaimed.

"But... you did come to the South, right?"

Hashir furrowed his brows at Karyl’s nonchalant response, his yellow-tinged eyes gleaming as he pulled down his hood.

Mikhail and Aidan couldn’t help but stare curiously at the unusual color of his eyes.

That’s an unusual color... Wasn’t the biggest distinction among the immigrant tribes their eye color...? I thought all northerners had black eyes, but it seems that maybe it’s not all of them, Aidan mused to himself, his thoughts interrupted when Hashir sharply glanced back at him.

"It seems you are the leader here. Let me ask you one more question. Did you also leave the markings on the path to here?"

"Yes," Karyl confirmed without hesitation.

Click—!

In a swift motion, Hashir moved his hands, and arrows emerged from the darkness, aimed at Karyl, while three sharp talons simultaneously extended from his knuckles with almost unperceivable speed.

"Who are you? How the hell does an Imperial know the techniques of an immigrant tribe?"

Despite being targeted by dozens of arrows, Karyl remained undeterred.

“It’s problematic to say that the mark of the Corpse Spider is exclusively Northern. It originated in the South, and as you know, the Northerners are called immigrants because they migrated from the South to the North.”

“What? Of course, it’s a problem. You’re neither Southern nor Northern; you’re a bloody Imperial!”

Karyl’s expression showed a flicker of regret. The very magic he had so desired had paradoxically made him an Imperial in the eyes of his fellow Northerners.

“Hah, I know everything already! The integration of the North and South into the Empire, that\'s your hidden agenda, isn\'t it? And when you achieve it, you do a big reveal!”

Eh? No, not really. I just want to roam the continent freely.

[This idiotic brat... sigh] Though he didn\'t express it, Allen, spiritually connected to Karly, could sense his regret.

“There was a time when the Northerners crossed into the Central region, and their blood was mixed with the Imperials. Though they are called hybrids, there are children between immigrants and Imperials. This method isn\'t exclusively ours... or rather, the barbarians’ anymore.” Karyl paused, turning his attention to Hashir, who remained skeptical.

“Then what about that message? How do you know about it? And... that sorcerer mentioned the name Karyl. What’s your relation to that child of the Black-Eyed tribe of the North?”

The mention of Karyl’s name sparked curiosity among the others. They all turned their attention to him. Their voices filled with surprise and speculation.

“Huh? Isn’t that the same as the captain’s name?”

“If it’s the Black-Eyed tribe, then... Wait, isn’t that the tribe led by the Great Warrior Karliak?”

“But I heard they were slaughtered by the Imperials...”

While the others voiced their thoughts, Aidan just stared intently at Karyl and quietly studied his expression.

“You all must be surprised that we have the same name,” said Karyl.“I can’t explain in detail, but I do have a connection to the Black-Eyed tribe. Me and Karyl grew up under the same master.”

“You are crazy... Don’t spout nonsense. If the master you speak of is who I think, he would have never accepted an Imperial. No, if it really were the Black Eyes, you would have been killed on the spot.”

“Hah... You’re the one who’s ignorant, Hashir.”

“...What?”

Karyl let out a soft chuckle.

“Karliak of the Black-Eyed tribe and Kuwell MacGovern, the Imperial Sword Master, were the closest of friends. Though their affiliations were different, they were connected by the sword.”

“What nonsense are you saying...?”

“Many may not be aware, but Karliak desired peace with the Imperials. Unfortunately, the Emperor rejected his offer. As a result, Kuwell was forced to end his friend’s life with his own hands...”

Hashir’s expression contorted in disbelief, unable to accept this unbelievable tale.

“The Black-Eyed tribe, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t recklessly spill Imperial blood. I cannot speak for other tribes, but they accepted me as one of their own. And this,” Karyl said, pulling out a rough dagger—Agnel, from within his cloak, “is the proof.”

“Karliak gave this to me before he died. It was his last wish.”

Seeing the familiar rough dagger, Hashir’s eyes wavered. “Enough with the jokes. I cannot bring myself to believe this. You could have easily extorted the blade from them, couldn’t you?"

Karyl waved off the accusation with a dismissive gesture. “This is just additional proof. The most concrete evidence lies in the words I already told you. The words imparted to me by my master, Alteman. Words he always said.”

Hashir stared blankly at Karyl, at a loss for words.

“I chose the Wolf-Fox tribe among the Northerners based on Alteman’s words. You, too, owe him a debt, even if you have never laid eyes on him.”

Allen chuckled, amusement sparkling in his eyes. [Your acting is simply impeccable. Why didn’t you just become an actor? You are so good at effortlessly weaving your words.]

“Whether you choose to believe me or not is entirely up to you. However, one thing remains certain. I sent Thompson to relay the message, and you answered the call. Do you truly believe I would have sent him to you for no reason?”

“...”

“I chose the Wolf-Fox tribe among the Northern immigrants because I believed they would be astute enough to grasp the meaning behind my message.”

While Karyl spoke with conviction, doubt still filled Hashir’s eyes.

To avoid the blizzard, stand under the thunder. Alteman used to say that as if it were a habit. He often said he missed the heat of the South more than the cold of the North, and talked about the Abyssal Rocks.

Regardless of all the other claims, just knowing the stories about Alteman, who was called the grand master of the Northern immigrants, was significant.

“When you eventually learn the truth, you’ll be very grateful that you heeded my message,” Karyl said, casually patting Hashir’s shoulder while maintaining a relaxed expression.

“Since you’ve come this far, continue to follow me a bit longer. It won’t be too late to turn back then.”

“...”

Beikan and Kinu Mukari exchanged looks and let out a chuckle. They both followed Karyl for the same reason—he saw everyone as a person first, whether they were barbians or immigrants. “Beikan, you and the others will head to the secret location Kayla Spear mentioned. The locals know the geography better, so join them. After you meet up, let me know if there’s any movement from the knight brigade.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll stay here, okay?”

As others prepared to leave, Hashir remained silent, pulling his hood over again. “Suit yourself. But finding your way back down will be challenging,” Hashir said with an irritated expression. “Hmph, I had some of my people follow that woman when she went down. I already mapped out the terrain.”

Karyl’s smirk widened as he nodded.

Despite the chaos, Hashir had prepared by pulling some forces back to check on Kayla Spear.

“Thorough as always. Truly living up to the name of the Wolf-Fox tribe. Good. I’ll leave the pathfinding to you later then.”

“...”

[Hehehe! Finally, it’s our chance.] Allen Javius stretched as if he had been waiting for this moment, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

[The process is quite simple. Do you see the core inside of the sentinel’s chest?]

Yeah, I see it, Karyl replied, his gaze fixed on the violet light flowing from the giant sentinel standing in front of the spring. It was the essence of Allen Javius, known as the Visionary Art.

[If you absorb that into your mana veins, some of the blocked meridians will open. It\'s not as good as the dragon\'s method, but the effect is certain.]

Are you sure about this?

[You are most probably the first to ever doubt the words of one of the Seven Elders...] Allen retorted, with a face that looked like he wanted to smack him. [Sigh... It\'s a shame to destroy something crafted with such care and effort... but it can\'t be helped. The situation demands it. Right now, you\'re far more important.]

It seems you have a talent for flattery. You could’ve been a great actor too. Such a pity.

[Quiet, you brat!]

As Karyl looked at Allen shamelessly, a low mechanical groan could be heard from the Sentinel. It was as if the Sentinel was frightened.

"Very well, then," Karyl slowly raised his mana and spoke in a low voice, "I\'ll gratefully accept this gift."