Chapter 12:

Chapter 12:

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule:

Illustrations: None.

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'Bloody John' is not a name won in a card game.

It's because he usually messes around like a s*x maniac.

John is a skilled mercenary.

"Die! Die!"

John charged at the bandit in the lead.

Although the bandit's face was covered with cloth, John realized that his opponent was also a sellsword, just like him.

"Damn you, you little sh*t, for my brother!"

John swung his sword at the bandit like a raging boar.

With no choice, the bandit threw their target onto the ground and drew his sword to block John's attack.

"Boss! We're going in!"

"Yaaaaaaah! Damn bastards!"

John's brothers also charged fiercely, following their leader.

They didn't care how many enemies there were or who they were targeting.

It was too dark to see anything anyway.

They just clung to anyone who looked like an enemy and beheaded them.

That was all.

The sound of cold steel clashing, human screams, and blood spraying were chaotically loud.

Perhaps because of that.

In the midst of the turbulent chaos, the mercenaries failed to notice a woman escaping the battlefield.

Having gained her freedom, Cassie sprinted through the darkness with all her might.

Screech!

"The target is escaping!"

The bandits chased after Cassie like magnets.

"Where do you think you're going, you bastards!"

Leaving the mercenaries behind, Cassie ran.

Heading straight for the wizard.

She didn't stop her legs.

---

---

"Sir Wizard! Sir Wizard!"

Startled by the urgent calls, Ian opened his eyes.

'What's going on?'

As soon as he regained his senses, Ian heard the ground thumping.

The earth seemed to be warning him with a roar.

[Humans! Humans are coming!]

"What's happening?"

"Big trouble! Bandits! We're surrounded by bandits!"

Rick rambled in panic.

The other workers were hastily preparing to flee with the bare minimum of their belongings.

'Bandits?'

It seemed strange, but Ian thought it was possible.

This area was known for Drake sightings, but for someone starving and near death, a Drake was the least of their concerns.

They had chosen to gamble their lives - either die at the hands of a Drake or survive.

Ian and his group were just unlucky.

'The mercenaries... they must be fighting.'

Ian guessed the mercenaries' situation from the rumbling sound.

Judging by the sound of people scrambling nearby, they seemed to be still fighting.

"The mercenaries are buying us time. You need to get to safety now!"

Rick ruthlessly wrote off the mercenaries.

No one thought Rick's decision was strange.

Mercenaries are hired precisely for such situations.

It's good if they repel the enemy; if not, so be it.

'Sigh. This sucks.'

Ian slowly regulated his breath, calming his pounding heart.

Being attacked by a band of armed robbers in the middle of the night was a truly unique experience.

'Unique' is too mild a term.

It was closer to a terrible experience.

As if drenched in cold water, he painfully realized the fact that he had reincarnated in this godforsaken medieval fantasy world!

"Rick."

"Yes, yes! Wizard sir!"

One bandit bravely stepped into the darkness.

"[Earth, rise!]"

Ian summoned a small stone to trip the bandit, causing him to fall.

Blinded and now tripped, the bandit's morale plummeted, and they dared not continue the chase.

"Sir, Sir Wizard..."

"Everyone, keep quiet. Don't make any noise and follow slowly."

The company workers were occasionally startled by the sound of footsteps, but they trusted Ian and moved slowly.

The strategy was paying off.

Moving quietly, shrouded in darkness, and confusing the enemies...

They scattered in all directions, unable to continue their pursuit.

"Damn it! Find them! Find them somehow!"

The bandits lit torches belatedly, but there weren't many.

A few torches were no match for Ian's magic.

"[Wind, arise!]"

Ian created gusts of wind to snuff out each torch as it appeared.

Groans and cries like screams filled the air among the bandits.

"A wizard! It's a wizard!"

"Damn it! The wizard is over there!"

"Light the torches again! He must have his limits!"

Despite the odds, the bandits persisted like mad dogs, refusing to give up the chase.

At this point, Ian became curious.

Really, what's with these guys?

The company has a wizard, yet they still don't give up.

What honey did they put on the company?

"Over here! This way!"

Finally, one of the bandits managed to dispel the darkness with a torch.

[Ouch! No!]

The darkness cried out shrilly.

Ian immediately targeted the torch-bearing bandit and uttered the magic words.

"[Fire, blaze up!]"

Whoosh!

The torch flared up explosively, gruesomely burning the upper body of the bandit.

"Aaaaah! Aaaaaah!"

The sizzling sound and the acrid smell of burning flesh filled the dark forest.

'It's time to escape.'

Ian sighed.

After showing off such a performance, burning a man alive.

Will they still come at us?

You fools?

However, while their comrade was burning alive, the rest of the bandits were stealthily approaching.

"Here! Kill the wizard!"

'Are they completely insane?'

Ian was dumbfounded.

Strangely, the bandits didn't flee.

What kind of bandit risks their life to attack someone?

Is this the norm for bandits in this era?

"Everyone... prepare for combat."

Ian took a deep breath and calmly issued the combat orders.

Now that they were this close, they had to resolve the situation through close combat.

Yes, the last resort of a wizard who has used all his magic... becomes a warrior wizard.

Breaking the enemy's skull with a weapon!

As Ian's command was given, the company workers drew their daggers and clubs, their hands trembling.

Amidst the suffocating tension...

"Kill them!"

The bandit's order was issued.

And in that moment, as the bandits charged in unison...

Crunch!

Out of the darkness, a massive maw snapped forward, tearing apart the upper half of a bandit.

"...Huh?"

The light from the burning corpse illuminated the monster.

Glistening scales.

A terrifying face that sent shivers down the spine, and a massive body like a moving boulder...

It was a Drake.

The true master of the mountain appeared, crunching the bandit's torso like a chicken leg...!