[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 145
Zeke immediately woke Boris up.
"Is it the enemy?"
"Yes."
Zeke and Boris stealthily left the cave and moved towards where the Dragon Tooth Soldiers sent the signal.
They carefully climbed the canyon.
After moving for a while, Zeke signaled Boris to stop.
Then, he looked ahead with Dragon Eye.
Figures appeared within his sight range.
As the sun rose dimly, he could clearly see the strangers.
Zeke checked their unique attire.
'Green coats.'
All five of them were wearing dark green coats that seemed to be from 300 years ago and green triangular hats that old soldiers would wear.
Zeke recalled what he had heard during the interrogation of the Scorpion Clan mage.
'They said those dispatched from Abyss always wear green clothes.'
Even from afar, he could sense an unusual aura from them.
Zeke said to Boris,
"Boris, wait here and detonate the magic bombs I set up if I'm at a disadvantage. If you see those from the Holy Kingdom, fire the signal flare."
"Understood, Boss."
Zeke left Boris and followed the people in green clothes.
Just like their attire, their movements were also like soldiers.
They moved in formation without disorder and went deeper into the Death Valley canyon.
Zeke checked the map and saw that there was a suitable place for an ambush inside the canyon.
He immediately retreated and quickly entered the canyon.
Zeke, who had grasped the surrounding terrain through the map, planned to lure them to a place advantageous for him to fight.
Zeke entered the canyon he had checked beforehand and secured a higher position.
Then, he summoned the Dragon Tooth Soldiers.
"Everyone, to your positions."
Twenty Dragon Tooth Soldiers spread throughout the canyon, each taking their positions and aiming their bows.
Zeke equipped his Hercyon in advance.
He needed to be thoroughly prepared because he didn't know what abilities the people in green clothes possessed.
He sent one of the Dragon Tooth Soldiers to lure the people in green clothes.
Whoosh!
The Dragon Tooth Soldier on the higher ground shot an arrow to draw their attention.
Clang!
The people in green clothes deflected all the Dragon Tooth Soldier's arrows with their shields.
They identified the Dragon Tooth Soldier's location and started chasing after him.
Zeke grasped their movements through the Dragon Tooth Soldier's vision.
The people in green clothes were catching up quickly.
But surprisingly, they were chasing the Dragon Tooth Soldier by running, not using magic.
'Aren't they mages?'
It was different from the Abyss mages he had seen so far.
Soon, the people in green clothes entered the canyon where Zeke had lured them.
It was a terrain disadvantageous for mages, surrounded by cliffs on all sides and with an empty space inside.
Zeke hid behind a rock and checked the figures in green clothes.
'They're entering so confidently from the front?'
If it were Zeke, he would have split half of them to go around the back of the canyon, but these people boldly stepped forward.
Their behavior was more like knights than mages.
Then, the people in green clothes stretched out their hands and created something from them.
'What's that?'
Wooden swords sprouted from their hands.
Then, one of them turned his head and looked exactly at where Zeke was.
'Did they deliberately fall into the trap?'
As Zeke was thinking that, the one in the middle stepped forward.
"Zeke Draker, I am a faithful servant of the 'Clear Green Aspiration' and a Green Warrior."
Surprisingly, they openly revealed the name of the demon they worshipped.
'What are these guys doing? That's unusual.'
He shouted towards Zeke,
"I heard Draker is the knight of knights. As a Green Warrior, I request an honorable duel with you."
It was a completely unexpected offer.
Zeke examined the surroundings through the Dragon Tooth Soldiers.
He was suspicious that there might be a trap.
However, even after checking with the Dragon Tooth Soldiers' vision and Dragon Eye, there was no sign of one.
'If it's not a trap, they're really saying they want to fight head-on.'
It was a stark contrast to the Abyss mages he had seen so far.
Zeke slowly got up and shouted towards the Green Warriors,
"Green Warriors! I would like to accept your honorable offer. However, the servants of the 'Harbinger of Blood and Madness' and the 'Lord of the Lowest Depths' that I have faced have never shown me an honorable side. Can you swear that you are different from them?"
Zeke threw out the question, imitating their old-fashioned way of speaking.
The leader of the Green Warriors nodded and said,
"As you said, those servants do not know honor. However, we Green Warriors are different. I swear that we will face this duel as honorable warriors."
Zeke grinned.
As he expected, they were closer to knights or warriors than mages.
'Good. Those stubborn types are the easiest to handle.'
Zeke was trying to deceive the demon's subordinates.
He jumped down from the top of the canyon.
Up close, the Green Warriors had a strange appearance.
Not only were they holding swords that looked like tree branches with bark still attached, but they also had bark on their faces, making them look like they were wearing masks.
Zeke said to them,
"Green Warriors, what is the purpose of this duel?"
One of the warriors behind the leader spoke up.
"If you lose, tell us the location of the relic and die honorably."
"And if I win?"
"We will grant you what you desire."
"What I desire..."
Zeke slowly raised his sword.
The Green Warriors also pointed their swords at Zeke.
Seeing this, Zeke said,
"Didn't you say this was an honorable duel? Five warriors against one knight doesn't seem very honorable."
Suddenly, the Green Warriors spoke in unison,
"We are separate, yet one."
Zeke chuckled inwardly.
Despite talking about honor, they were still subordinates of a demon.
It was a mistake to think they would uphold the honor of an ordinary knight.
The five Green Warriors, as if they had nothing more to say, charged towards Zeke.
Whoosh!
Their movements were no different from those of Blue Knights.
As the Green Warriors charged, the wooden swords they were holding began to extend forward.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Five long wooden spears reached towards Zeke.
Zeke deflected the wooden spears with Bahamut.
Crack!
With Bahamut's strength, he not only deflected the wooden spears but also cut them, but Zeke's expression wasn't good. The heavy feeling wasn't like that of ordinary wood.
'It felt like cutting through a lump of iron.'
It didn't matter that the wooden spears were cut.
The Green Warriors created other weapons from their other hands.
One created an axe, and another created a curved sword-like weapon.
Then, as if they were one body, they lunged at Zeke simultaneously.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Zeke threw himself to dodge the spears, swords, and axes flying from all directions.
Thud!
A wooden spear he couldn't avoid pierced Zeke's body.
However, the Hercyon blocked the wooden spear and activated its shield, throwing the warrior back with the rebound.
"Ugh!"
The warrior who was thrown back regained his stance and created another wooden spear.
While the warrior in front swung his spear, the warrior with the axe went behind Zeke, aiming for his blind spot.
As if they could read each other's minds, their attacks flowed seamlessly, relentlessly pouring down on Zeke.
Clang!
Zeke swung his sword, deflecting the spear and axe at once, and retreated.
There, a warrior with a thorny wooden sword was waiting for Zeke, who had retreated.
Slash!
While dodging, the thorns on the wooden sword grazed his cheek, which wasn't protected by a helmet.
[Detected the deadly poison of thorny vines that grow in the demon world.]
[All Poisons Immunity negates the poison.]
The All Poisons Immunity he gained after consuming the Hydra neutralized even the poison from the demon world.
'They're tough opponents.'
Zeke dodged the attacks and analyzed the Green Warrior's movements.
The Green Warriors gathered as one and pointed their weapons at Zeke.
It takes tremendous training for five people to move as if they were one body.
Attacking with a joint formation was much more difficult than it seemed.
That's why Zeke couldn't help but be puzzled by their coordination. He asked the Green Warriors,
"Hey, how can you move like that?"
In his previous life, when Zeke was in the north, he tried to use this joint formation to fight knights while training the relatively weaker northern mercenaries.
The result was half successful.
The joint formation alone wasn't enough for mercenaries to face knights.
However, the joint formation training helped increase their survival rate.
And now, the movements the Green Warriors were displaying were the ideal form of the joint formation that Zeke had envisioned.
The Green Warriors spoke.
"We are many,"
"And one."
"With the power of the great 'Clear Green Aspiration,'"
"We have transcended human limitations."
"Fear the power of our master."
They spoke as if they were one person.
Zeke realized that their joint formation was the power of the subordinate.
'So they can use the power of demonfolk in this way, not just through black magic.'
If the power of demonfolk could be used in this way, it meant that knights could also receive unholy power.
Zeke thought of Cain, whom he had consumed.
'Did Cain also make a contract with a demonfolk?'
If it were possible to become stronger with the power of demonfolk, many knights would surely find it hard to resist the temptation.
Zeke gripped Bahamut tightly and glared at the Green Warriors.
'If I catch those guys, I think I can learn more about the identity of Abyss.'
As soon as he finished his thought, Zeke dashed forward.
Slash!
Even with a perfect joint formation, the difference in power couldn't be completely closed.
Each of them possessed the power of a Blue Knight, so considering the power of the joint formation, they could easily subdue a Red Knight.
But Zeke wasn't an ordinary Red Knight.
"Will of Strength."
Zeke, his whole body covered in Hercyon, including his helmet and boldly charged forward.
Clang!
The Hercyon, imbued with the Will of Strength, deflected all the weapons the Green Warriors swung.
The Green Warriors were flustered when their attacks didn't work.
Zeke didn't miss the opportunity.
Having grasped the flow of the joint formation to some extent, Zeke began to fight the Green Warriors in earnest.
Whoosh!
As Zeke swung Bahamut widely, the Green Warrior's balance was shaken by the force of the wind.
Zeke activated the Barrier to add weight to his sword.
Rumble!
Zeke swung his sword at the warrior in front.
Crack!
The wooden weapon shattered.
"Cough!"
Not only was the weapon destroyed, but the warrior was also pushed back by the impact of the sword strike.
"Haaaat!"
The weight of the Barrier increased with each swing. Therefore, Zeke didn't stop and unleashed an even stronger sword strike.
Crash!
The warrior who received the increased sword strike head-on also had his axe shattered.
Rumble!
One of the warriors was completely blown away and crashed into the canyon wall.
The Green Warrior's eyes changed as they were pushed back by Zeke's attacks.
Unlike before, when they were calm and restrained, green lights flickered in their eyes.
"We are many,"
"And also one."
Like fanatics, they muttered spells and charged towards Zeke simultaneously.
"Come."
Zeke transformed Bahamut's shape, extending the length of the blade.
Slash!
Zeke, biding his time, swung Bahamut horizontally, extending it to over three meters.
Whoosh!
As the blade lengthened, the power contained within also increased.
Crash!
The warriors hit by Bahamut were all thrown against the canyon wall.
Zeke, looking at them embedded in the wall, shouted,
"Honorable Green Warriors, is this all you've got?!"
Then, the Green Warriors embedded in the wall slowly crawled out.
Green lights flickered in their eyes, visible between their wooden masks.
At the same time, an eerie spell flowed from their mouths.
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[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]