The spearpoints aimed by the guards wavered threateningly before my eyes.
I could almost feel the metallic scent of blood brushing my nose.
The back of my neck grew stiff.
I wanted to throw an [Explosive Jar] from my bag and blow away the bastards in front of me right now.
“Kain. They’re here.”
Rion aimed her crossbow toward the wheat fields while I pushed her upward.
It was the newly commissioned crossbow we had received.
Unlike her previous Hand Crossbow, it was large enough to require both hands, but [Weight Reduction] and [Tension Reinforcement] magic circles had been engraved into its slender frame.
It was a weapon one tier below an enchanted weapon.
The magic circles carved into the crossbow wouldn’t activate unless Rion supplied them with Mana.
Even so, it was quite expensive.
‘Rion’s debt increased again.’
We had purchased it for three Gold Coins and several magic jars I had made.
When I asked whether she wasn’t taking on too much debt, she said she could repay it while exploring.
This wasn’t some ‘win it back and repay the debt’ scheme…….
-Even if that woman dies, recovering that crossbow alone would still leave you ahead.
‘I must be hearing nonsense because of stress.’
“Oh, fu—”
The bandits were approaching.
At their head, a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat decorated with a feather and a red cloak smiled at us.
He held his rapier toward the sky as though he believed himself to be a general.
In reality, he was riding behind the mounted bandit who had dragged away the woman with a lasso.
They weren’t moving particularly quickly because they were matching the pace of the foot soldiers.
‘The Artist, Tortien.’
The man leading the bandits was the most unpredictable madman among their officers.
He was the enemy I least wanted to face and the ally I found most unbearable.
‘In the game, that bastard never brought the bandits here by himself.’
When encountered as an enemy, the moment he found himself at a disadvantage, he used his abilities to escape and attacked again without hesitation.
Every one of those ambushes became a decisive blow.
Even when he somehow joined your side, he caused all kinds of trouble while ranting about his peculiar “Art! Art!! Art!!!” like a psychopath.
That was why users called him an artist wannabe and an art troll, among many other things.
‘Looks like it’s time for his shitty art again. Is he putting on a play right now?’
He called the joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure of humans art.
From my perspective, all he did was fuck with other people.
In any case, he had given us time, so I had no choice but to use it.
“Keep them in check.”
“Okay. Should I bring out Mungchi?”
“…No. Not yet. Conserve your Mana.”
Rion nodded silently and aimed the crossbow at the Artist.
Apparently, he looked like the greatest threat to her too.
I glanced at Rion’s shouldering posture, which now looked reasonably proper, then glared at the guard squad leader.
“…What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
“We received orders from above. We are to defend the wall until reinforcements arrive.”
“And what does that have to do with pointing your spears at us? Give me one more bullshit answer, and I’ll blow off your heads before I care whether you’re a squad leader or anything else. Answer properly.”
“…B-Bullshit?”
One of the guards behind the squad leader groaned.
It was the older man I had become acquainted with.
I had only ever shown him a mild smile before, so he seemed shocked by my hostility.
“Cooperate by using the magic you wield to stop the enemy. If you do, we will reward…….”
I didn’t listen to the rest of the squad leader’s words.
Ah, damn it.
I hadn’t managed to open the portcullis, and now they had me by the nose.
“Furthermore, the territory has gathered mercenaries and explorers to form a militia. You are also subject to—”
“This is suicide!”
“Fuck that.”
“Who do these bastards think they’re exploiting?”
“Do not act rashly.”
The explorers and mercenaries standing behind me fell into confusion.
An older mercenary managed to calm his excited companions.
He had to, because they looked ready to charge with the maces in their hands.
‘Militia, my ass. It’s conscription. We aren’t even residents of this territory, yet they’re telling us to fight for it.’
-Just kill all these bastards and join the bandits.
Come to think of it, what level were guards?
Around Level 8?
Bandits started at Level 10.
-Right. These ones would be easier to kil—
‘Killing the bandits gives more experience.’
-???
There was no benefit to killing all the guards here.
It wasn’t as though the bandits had promised to accept us if we killed them.
Ten Level 8 guards wouldn’t even be enough to raise me by one level.
“What’s the reward?”
“That is…….”
“I will make the promise.”
“G-Guard Captain!”
The man who appeared was a white-haired old man without even a suit of armor.
Aside from the eyepatch over one eye, what stood out was his straight back and robust physique, sturdier than those of most young men.
‘Guard Captain Jakal.’
Judging by his appearance, he hadn’t been on duty and had probably been resting.
Then the incident at the gate occurred, and he rushed here.
Even in the game, he had a good disposition and always kept his word.
If this were the game, a quest window would have appeared.
TWANG.
“Waaaaah-!”
The bandits shouted as Rion fired her crossbow.
I had told her to conserve Mana, but I hadn’t meant that she couldn’t even use Wind Path.
The bolt struck the head of the bandit running at the front instead of the Artist.
Judging by the way Rion clicked her tongue, she had missed her intended target.
Still, several of the excited bandits stumbled over the corpse and fell.
Their advance slowed as fear entered them.
Perhaps this would be easier than expected because most of them were new recruits.
SMASH—!
I threw a [Purification Jar] from my bag onto the ground.
Green particles of light sank into the mercenaries and explorers.
I had used the [Purification Jar] to prevent any accidental friendly fire.
“How long do we have to hold?”
“…Ten minutes.”
As I listened to the Guard Captain’s answer, I hurled [Poison Jars] one after another at the approaching men.
THUD. SMASH! CRACK!
The jars struck the heads of the bandits who courageously charged past the hesitant men and burst apart.
The shattered fragments became glittering powder and swirled through the air.
“Ghk!”
“What is this?!”
“G-Grrrrk.”
I had made those jars using poisonous herbs purchased for a considerable price.
If they were unlucky, they would die instantly.
Even if they were fortunate, they would at least become paralyzed.
The magic jars I had used until now—and would continue to use—were like grenades.
When a jar shattered, its magical powder caused a special effect on every character within range.
‘Whether they’re allies or enemies.’
The game had conveniently distinguished between them, but reality was different.
Thanks to that, I was able to test the power of debuff and attack jars on Mungchi.
In other words, the Jar Warrior I had possessed could instantly become a troll if he used the wrong jar.
‘What a shitty reality patch. Tsk.’
“A-A mage!”
The man who appeared to lead the mercenary group listening to our conversation looked at me.
He had the face of an old soldier who seemed to have experienced every kind of hardship.
“We have a mage! There’s nothing to fear!”
Whether he had extensive battle experience or mages truly held that much prestige in this world, an inexplicable confidence instantly filled the eyes of the allies around us.
‘I’m not a mage.’
We were outnumbered by more than ten to one.
Their morale needed to be raised somehow, so I kept my mouth shut.
As the poisonous powder thinned, roughly twenty bandits lay motionless on the ground.
Meanwhile, the men behind them were aiming arrows at us.
Whoosh. WHIZZ—!
Dozens of arrows flew at once.
“Protect the mage first!”
At the veteran’s shout, his mercenary group raised their shields and surrounded Rion and me.
All five or six of them seemed to be melee Warriors.
Wow.
What an absolute garbage party composition.
CLINK. CLINK. CLINK.
I found myself staring at arrowheads that had punched through the shields.
The allied explorers, who had gained some composure while listening to my conversation with the Guard Captain, blocked the arrows using their own methods.
The guards had already hidden behind the rubble of the collapsed wall.
“Brother, do you have a magic item that can break this situation?”
The veteran mercenary asked me a question.
Apparently, he knew I wasn’t a mage.
He had only lied to raise morale.
Considering that my equipment clearly belonged to a Warrior, perhaps that was obvious.
I assessed the situation while considering the jars I had left.
“Let’s charge.”
“What?”
“If we stay huddled here, we’ll be trampled to death when they all charge at once. Let’s hit them and withdraw while they’re still frightened of my magic.”
The veteran frowned, clearly disliking my plan.
Of course he did.
This was a method you used when you had several lives to spare.
It was something I had only done in a game.
Using it in reality was suicidal.
But I had one reason for suggesting it.
‘The Artist is their only officer.’
In the game, when the bandits attacked the city wall, roughly one thousand bandits came with three officers and the bandit chief.
But now there were only around two hundred—if that could be called only—and the Artist was their sole officer.
The Artist’s command ability was terrible.
‘He probably won’t command them. He’ll fight individually.’
Even now, he might use his ability to ambush us as soon as the rain of arrows ended.
“Think of them as a goblin horde. Their combat power is probably around the level of Goblin Mutants. Their loot should be better, though.”
The arrow barrage had already stopped.
I stepped out from between the mercenaries holding the shields.
“Guard Captain! Do we get a larger reward if we kill more bandits?”
“…O-Of course! We will pay one Silver Coin for each bandit’s head! If you eliminate many of them, I promise an additional reward as well.”
At the Guard Captain’s promise, the fear in the mercenaries’ and explorers’ eyes gradually changed into greed.
There were countless types of NPCs in this world, but those appearing as mercenaries and explorers shared one trait.
‘They’re insane for money.’
There was only one reason they risked their lives entering dungeons filled with monsters.
Money.
And now, bandits worth one week of living expenses per head stood in front of them.
‘They’re practically Golden Goblins.’
Furthermore, someone resembling a mage was on their side.
I took out a jar and shattered it in my hand.
Pink powder seeped into our allies.
“The buff lasts twenty minutes.”
No one misunderstood what I meant.
They had already experienced the purification effect from the [Purification Jar] I shattered earlier and now felt the magical powder sinking into them.
In reality, the pink powder’s effect lasted only five minutes.
As I spoke, three [Poison Jars] left my hand in arcs and burst among the bandits.
“Let’s go!”
“Kill just ten of them, and we won’t have to worry about money for months!”
“Kill them all-!”
Our allies charged as they watched the bandits who inhaled the poisonous powder collapse.
We had only just met, but our coordination was surprisingly good.
Perhaps it was because explorers and mercenaries often formed temporary parties and fought together after meeting inside dungeons.
People might stab a friend in the back for money, but for money, they would also join hands with an enemy.
Around thirty guards carrying spears and shields ran to the front behind the Guard Captain, who wore no proper armor but carried a shield.
Thanks to the guards, I worried less about being crushed beneath the overwhelming difference in numbers.
‘Fortunately, they’re working together.’
Those holding shields pressed their shoulders together and pushed back the bandits.
Behind them, people capable of ranged attacks fired arrows and throwing stars.
Spearheads and blades thrust through the gaps between the shields toward the bandits.
I grabbed Rion’s shoulder when she tried to run forward with the others in her excitement.
“Rion, I’m sorry, but give us covering fire from here.”
“…Hm? But I can fight too.”
“You’re the only person I trust to watch my back right now. Please.”
“If that’s the reason, I understand. Don’t worry!”
I patted Rion’s shoulder in thanks, then turned away.
The jar containing the pink powder was the [Frenzy Jar], a debuff-type magic jar that impaired judgment.
Its duration was short, but its effect was powerful.
The game classified it as mind manipulation rather than poison or Demonic Energy(魔氣), so Purification had no effect on it.
It was originally used during battles against human NPCs to induce skill failures and bizarre behavior.
No matter how obsessed they were with money, it would be impossible for sane people to charge nearly ten times their number after hearing only a few words from me.
‘Shall I level up a little?’
I put on a helmet with a nasal guard.
I equipped the buckler on my left hand and held my sword in the other.
Then I charged a bandit hammering against the shield of a mercenary at the edge of the formation.
STAB.
I drove the blade deep into his side.
Without even proper armor, he collapsed without managing a final scream.
I recovered my sword and thrust it into the chest of another bandit forcing his way around the shield.
An unpleasant sensation traveled through the blade.
The feeling of steel breaking bone and tearing through flesh was horrible.
-Liar. You’re enjoying this too.
‘If these hallucinations keep going, I’m going to develop a mental illness. Is this why the NPCs in the game kept doing that worthless shit? I need to manage my Stress carefully.’
I ignored the nonsense and pulled out the sword.
I struck the heads of the men giving orders among the bandits with [Frenzy Jars].
The powder spreading from the shattered jars clouded their rational judgment and simplified their behavior.
SWISH.
I used the steps I had learned over nearly a month and flowed between the bandits like water.
With superhuman reflexes and refined movement, I lightly avoided their attacks.
I swung my sword at the same moment I dodged.
The blade swept across the carotid artery or windpipe like a knife passing through butter.
Small Fry 1 collapsed.
Next came Small Fry 2, charging with a spear extended before him.
I quickly stepped forward.
The distance closed in only two steps, stealing the breath from the excited man charging at me.
“Ghk.”
The tip of my descending sword smashed the head of the hooded bandit like a head strike in kendo.
I stepped to the left and avoided the short spear thrust toward my back.
Then my sword drew a semicircle and sent the arm holding the spear flying.
“Aaa—”
I grabbed the collar of the man trying to scream after losing his arm and threw him.
He became tangled with another man who had been swinging a double-bladed battle axe before the weapon could complete its arc.
I kicked off the ground and thrust my sword.
The blade pierced the left eye and emerged from the back of the skull.
CLANG.
I deflected a dagger thrown at me with the buckler.
My heart beat violently.
Apparently, the [Monsterization] buff had begun to activate.
My field of vision expanded.
My feet grew faster.
My sword moved more smoothly than ever before, yet every swing carried unprecedented ferocity.
Despite its small size, the buckler perfectly blocked the stray arrows and blades coming toward me.
THUMP. THUMP.
I could see the dilated pupils of a nameless bandit.
His trembling mouth looked ready to cry from fear.
Blood rushed into my thighs.
I kicked off the ground again and swung the sword horizontally.
The heads of the bandits caught in its path flew away, and something pale sailed through the air.
-Stop showing off and get a grip!
The voice sounded inside my head once more.
But this time, it wasn’t scratching at my nerves.
It sounded like a warning.
‘Stay crushed down there if you don’t know anything.’
I felt invincible.
Right now, I thought I could even defeat the Elite Orc who had beaten me into bloody pulp.
SLASH.
A man charged desperately with eyes widened to twice their normal size.
I cut through his chest along with his curved sword.
At that moment, a rapier thrust through the corpse’s stomach.
“Oh, fuck.”
Had I become too confident in my sharpened senses?
It seemed as though the background color peeled away behind the corpse.
Drunk on omnipotence, I had briefly forgotten the Artist’s existence.
More precisely, I had forgotten the [Stealth] ability of the cloak he wore.
-Stupid bastard. You knew and still fell for it. You clearly have a problem with your intelligence.
CLACK.
Even so, my heightened senses allowed me to react by a hair.
The Artist’s cloak fluttered behind the bandit.
Taking in the sight, I hurriedly swung the buckler.
But the thin blade instead knocked the buckler aside.
Fortunately, its path twisted slightly, and the point aimed at my solar plexus changed direction.
STAB.
“Ghk.”
The exhilaration that had made me feel superhuman crashed into the ground in an instant.
The slender sword, wet with my blood, withdrew before I could stop it.
I thought it had fortunately missed my organs.
Instead, my sharpened senses multiplied the pain several times over.
“Ghhk.”
I clutched the bleeding wound.
My body curled inward on its own, and I dropped to one knee.
A hand immediately seized my hair and forced my head upward.
The man I saw wore a wide-brimmed hat.
Madness burned within his flashing eyes.
“More. Just a little more.”
The Artist urged me as though something were still lacking.
What the hell was this madman saying?
“AAAAARGH-!”
The Artist slapped away the hand clutching my wound and reached inside.
His rough fingers dug through the injury.
The indescribable pain turned my vision white.
“Haaah—good. That expression twisted in pain. The sight of a confident strongman falling from grace. Artistic.”
SPLATTER.
The Artist withdrew his hand and shook the blood onto the ground.
He straightened and aimed his rapier.
-Beg! Plead for your life. You’re about to die!! Lick his shoes if that’s what it takes to survive!!!
‘What the hell are you saying?’
The nonsense echoing inside my head kept me conscious.
I looked past the swordpoint aimed before my eyes and stared at the Artist.
He looked down at me with an expression full of superiority.
It had been inside a game, but I knew this man.
He wasn’t the kind of person who would spare me even if I begged for my life.
I recalled the Artist’s personality from my memories and searched for a way to reverse the situation.
“Y-You ambushed me like a coward, huff—and now you’re acting so proud, ngh—.”
“Kekeke. You aren’t begging for your life. Even those who prattle about honor and pride cry for mercy before death. I enjoy seeing those tearful faces too… but this is a fresh reaction after so long. It will give me new inspiration.”
He twitched his sword, urging me onward with amusement.
It was as though he wanted to hear what I would say next.
My heart pounded and released adrenaline.
Even so, the damned pain didn’t lessen.
Watching the blood flow, I had only the absurd thought, ‘Did my body always contain this much blood?’
The surrounding situation was changing rapidly.
Reinforcements had arrived and were confronting the bandits.
The frenzy effect had ended, and the guards and explorers who returned to their senses had withdrawn.
The number of reinforcements dragged here as a militia was smaller than expected.
There were only several dozen.
Useless bastards.
And a single path of wind was extending toward us.
WHIZZ—!
An arrow cut through the air.
FLUTTER.
The Artist’s cloak moved on its own and knocked away the arrow.
As though the interruption had ruined his mood, he swung the rapier like a switch.
The blade descended toward the crown of my head.
I involuntarily closed my eyes.
At that moment, his head turned at a familiar roar.
“GRAAAAAH-!”
Mungchi used [Charge], sending the bandits flying like bowling pins.
Even then, the Artist didn’t look surprised in the slightest.
The Artist was in the early Level 20s, similar to the Elite Orc.
At that level, he was little different from a superhuman.
He might have been a psychopath, but he was also a veteran who had crossed countless battlefields.
-Stupid bastard!
At the internal curse, the blood spilling without restraint temporarily stopped, and endorphins exploded through my body.
As the pain weakened, my arms and legs began to move.
I pulled a magic jar from my crossbody bag and charged the man retreating from Mungchi’s mace.
Mungchi swung the mace in his other hand again.
Before his arm could complete the swing, the tip of the Artist’s sword severed the wrist holding the weapon.
Why was that blade so damned fast?
“HISSSSS-!”
Miyu, who had been clinging to the back of Mungchi’s head, launched herself at the Artist with a vicious hiss.
This time, even the Artist looked startled.
To be fair, I would also be surprised if a black cat suddenly sprang from behind a Hobgoblin.
THUD.
Miyu swung her claws.
But the Artist reflexively punched her and sent her flying.
Unfortunately, Miyu’s limit was leaving a scratch on the back of his hand.
Even so, the two of them had done their jobs.
I stepped on Mungchi’s back and leapt.
Distracted by Miyu, the Artist reacted too late.
In midair, I threw a jar at him and shouted the words I had wanted to say.
“Art is—”
The red jar left my hand and reached directly before his face.
“AN EXPLOSION!!!”
CRASH—!