Chapter 138

Chapter 138

Nighttime reconnaissance proceeded smoothly. Ivan smirked, sensing the constant flickering of line-of-fire detection at the corner of his senses.

Its a technique of aiming the muzzle as if peering through the space, making it difficult to determine the distance and direction. Its a trap for facing superhumans, and for ensnaring them.

For a Tylessian agent, he sure utilizes quite advanced technology. Unexpectedly.

Ivan pretended to move on as if he felt nothing, ostensibly searching diligently for traces of the dragon. Follow current novels on novelb((in).(com)

The more competent the enemy, the more his excitement rose. Competent agents tend to possess more information than less competent ones.

Then, quietly approaching beside him, Eugene whispered,

Big Brother, right now

I know.

Is the detection range on the status screen about 1 km? Not bad. This should be usable even with short-range radar. Ivan nodded his head and spoke.

Dont look over there, 700m at 9 oclock direction. Got it?

Yes, brother.

Pretend not to know until youre within 500m.

Yes, brother.

Ivan placed his hand on the axe handle and walked confidently. Leading the way, like a leader.

-Zap.

The warning of line-of-fire detection became even more overt. Still not coming? Still not avoiding? Whispering as if in that manner.

A superhuman could never resist this temptation. Using a gun at all implied weakness. And superhumans are the ones who rush towards the gunshots the moment the barrels are aimed at them.

Thats the doctrine of the superhumans. Its because superhuman battles greatly enhance the survival of ordinary people. In other words, even to protect ordinary people without line-of-fire detection, superhumans are accustomed to throwing themselves in front of the barrel.

Using techniques that exploit that doctrine in reverse, huh? Thats so outdated, even if Tylesse would consider it quite modern, Krasilov sees it as antiquated.

So, how to handle superhumans. Even when dealing with trained agents within the superhumans domain, let me teach you.

Ivan walked slowly, then suddenly stopped.

500m, right.

Yes, brother.

You seem impatient. Follow slowly.

Ivan nodded with a dry face. The next moment, he disappeared.

?!

With the sound of footsteps blaming, Eugene quickly turned his head and chased after Ivans figure. Between two footsteps, Ivan had already rushed through the bushes.

-Bang!!

Gunshots rang out urgently.

What, whats happening suddenly?!

Who is that man fighting with again?!

Eugene grumbled in disbelief as the group, who had set out for a normal dragon hunt, panicked unexpectedly.

The level difference is too much.

***

Hitting the tree. Directly, forcefully.

Two diagonal lines of fire coming at once in that moment. The response isnt bad.

Ivan twisted his waist in the air, adjusting the angle. With a margin of error of one inch, bullets fired separately grazed his hair.

Ping, the sharp sound of the thread being cut rang satisfyingly. He kicked the ground again, twisting his body onto the tree.

-Crash!

The next moment, he deflected the flying bullet with the axe blade and threw himself. There were no more gunshots. Between aiming and firing, within that momentary gap.

Already, Ivan had seated himself in front of the two men.

What!

-Swish!

The man who was opening his mouth in astonishment collapsed. His cleanly severed torso twisted as it rolled on the ground. Blood, lost and disoriented, spread in a fan shape, covering the man beside him.

The frightened man raised his gun, aiming it at Ivan.

-Snap

The gunshot hit the axe and was deflected. A well-made military pistol of steel, a military product from the Tylesse arsenal. A brand new item, not even stripped of its oil. Ivan watched the falling bullet with a glance as he spun in the air.

His gaze descended.

The forest, asleep in darkness, the moonlight scattered on dry autumn branches. In this small clearing, devoid of torches, the blood-soaked man trembled as he stepped back.

In front of him, Ivan stepped forward, casting a long shadow. A pair of azure eyes glimmered quietly amidst the shadow.

Youre probably not one of Etariques people are you?

Shh.

Eugenes face paled. He had already surpassed the threshold that could be healed with the priests healing and healing potions.

Covered in blood, Ivan slowly got up.

The smell of iron permeated the air. Under the shade of the forest, he closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Now he could be sure. The scattered pieces of information were coming together like a puzzle, forming the shape. The picture of Tylesses downfall.

Eugene.

Yes, brother.

Every country in this world has a switch for destruction.

Yes?

Listen.

With his eyes closed, Ivan spoke.

The previous hero party was too competent. Not only did they prevent the collapse of the alliance, but they also nearly eradicated the threat of demons. Yet, new hero parties have emerged in this world.

Yes.

Thats because there are still threats that warrant their existence. Even if the Demon King were to return, the current Alliance Kingdom would likely prevail. The previous hero party is still active, and the demons suffered greater losses than the Alliance Kingdom.

Yes, brother.

So, how will threats arise to the extent that heroes are needed? Its a simple matter to think about. Weve already experienced it.

Ivan opened his eyes. He looked at Eugene and continued.

Every country in this world has its own reasons for having a switch for destruction, like Krasilovs. In the form of civil wars. In the form of demons. Thats probably why new hero parties, and even possessed individuals, were needed. If the main entity exists, thats what it means.

Eugene shook his head in disbelief.

Brother, this isnt the time to say such things. We should warn the Duke of Etarique right away

Its too late.

-Whiiing! Boom!-

A flare exploded beyond the forest. It was the signal flare they had decided to set off when they spotted the dragon.

The dark night sky turned red. Almost simultaneously with the flare, a column of fire shot up. It was the breath of the dragon. Melting walls and steel.

Had they been careless? It couldnt be. They had made all the preparations they could. They even had confidence. If there was one thing lacking, it was only information. Only that.

But in the end, its all just excuses. They ultimately failed to stop the war.

From now on, theres no time left for explanations. As soon as you return to Jill Ber, you must immediately manage the team and return to Saint Mathilde.

Brother

The capital defense forces here are only half of their full strength. Theres still about that much strength left in the capital. Hold out there with the team. Dont forget my words, and remember them.

-Whiiing! Boom!-

-Whiiing! Boom!-

-Whiiing! Boom!-

Like fireworks at a festival. Like a fireworks display, signal flares exploded in various places in the night sky.

Signal flares indicating the discovery of the dragon, from all directions. All the signal flares each member carried exploded like dominoes in all directions.

The Bernini Mountains were ablaze with spectacular fireworks.

The sky seemed to be on fire. Like in broad daylight, but illuminated brightly by the ominous red light of the flares.

Shadows were suppressed and dwindled. In the numerous lights of the sky, the shadows of the mountains bowed low.

Ivan sighed and closed his eyes.

Save Jill Ber if you can.

The dragon was not just one.

Its arrival was not a mere decoy. It was a trap in itself, as well as the main force of the Counts and the demons.

Tylesse would lose the northeast. The eastern front would now be isolated without supplies to face the demon army alone.

The Counts would only have to deal with the remaining half of the capital legion. If the capital falls, if the royal family collapses, Tylesse is finished.

In Ivans mind, the military map of Tylesse was vividly clear. If the predictions were correct, Tylesses remaining lifespan would not be more than two weeks.

Every map, at this moment, was tinged with red like the night sky over Bernini, where the signal flares exploded.

[Quest Status Update!]

[Objective: Stop the 3 Counts of Tylesse from starting a civil war (Failed)]

[Available Objectives]

[Objective: Victory in the defense of Saint Mathilde. (New)]

[Objective: Maintain the number of destroyed territories to 15 or less. (2/15)]

[Objective: Ensure the survival of Duke Jill Ber de Etarique.]

[Objective: Encounter with Maximilien de Etualle.]

[Objective: Preservation of the Tylesse royal family.]

[Reward: Extension of the existence of the Alliance Kingdom by 10 years.]

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