Apocalypse Saga 63

Chapter 63 Carnad Mountain

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Edited by: Kanaa-senpai

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 Babellion’s Western Region. The southern border of the Carnad Mountain Range.

 This mountain range, with its high peaks, is home to many humanoid monsters like Goblins and Ogres, as well as powerful beast-like creatures such as Wyverns and Lizards.

 Because of this, the forests that keep civilization away seem mysterious, as if they haven’t changed since ancient times, with giant trees rising from the mossy ground in a deep green world.

 However, right now, there are those who are crossing the forests of the Carnad Mountain Range. They are the “Beastars (Beast Brigade)” sent from Babellion.

 The smallest unit of the “Beastars” is a squad of 5. Even now, they are separated into groups of 5, searching for traces of enemies within the Carnad Mountain Range.

 ”Even a small trace is fine. One hair, a footprint, a faint scent… never let anything slip by.”

 A man with a black panther head walked at the center of the group, giving orders. On his back, his armor was crossed with a silver curved sword. His name was Totomes, the vice commander of the “Beastars.”

 Totomes’ squad had been searching for over half a day. As they climbed higher beyond a place called the depths, the temperature began to drop.

 At the same time, the types of plants and animals also changed. The deeper they went into the mountain, the stronger the monsters became. They were exploring while avoiding or fighting these monsters.

 The “Beastars” is a special army made up only of carnivorous beastmen. They are not specialists in exploration, but they use their keen sense of smell and strong legs to uncover the secrets of the Carnad Mountain Range… but so far, they have found nothing.

 But the situation changed in the early afternoon after a short break.

 ”Vice Commander.”

 called Bongo, the red lion beastman, as he touched the trunk of a giant tree.

 ”What’s wrong?”

 ”This tree… smells.”

 ”…Christopher!”

 At the sound of his name, the bear beastman named Christopher turned around. He remained crouched down, not moving.

 ”I want you to see this first.”

 Hearing those words, Totomes walked over to Christopher and looked down at the ground he was pointing to.

 ”There’s one footprint. The smell isn’t here, but…”

 ”Isn’t that from the troll we saw earlier?”

 interjected Rob, the gray wolf, who was on guard nearby.

 Totomes’ squad had encountered a wild troll about half an hour ago. Since there are many humanoid monsters living in the Carnad Mountains, footprints that aren’t from beasts aren’t that rare.

 However, Totomes shook his head while staring at the footprint.

 ”No, this is from a shoe. There are no toes.”

 At that moment, the atmosphere in the squad became tense. Totomes signaled Rob, who was on watch, and Gladio, the black wolf who was sniffing the ground a bit away, to be more alert with just a glance. They wouldn’t make rookie mistakes and get distracted by clues.

 ”Christopher. Check the tree that Bongo is concerned about.”

 Standing up, Christopher quickly made his way to the tree where Bongo was waiting. Then, he got back on all 4s and began sniffing around the roots and trunk with his black nose.

 ”How is it? Can you smell anything, even faintly?”

 A bear’s sense of smell is among the best in the animal kingdom. It’s sharper than that of Bongo, the lion beastman, or Rob and Gladio, the wolf beastmen.

 ”…I can. Just a little, but… chamomile… no, I can’t be sure… a woman’s scent… maybe?”

 Christopher tilted his head, but his keen sense of smell definitely picked up a scent that wasn’t from a wild monster. He followed the smell and clawed at the tree trunk. Then, with ease, his large body climbed up the tree.

 About 30 seconds later, Christopher came down to the ground and nodded at Totomes.

 ”There was a scent left in the tree. It smells like perfume or something. There’s no doubt someone was here.”

 ”Was it just one person?”

 ”I can’t say for sure.”

 ”I see.”

 Totomes thought. Whether the scent belonged to a man or a woman… it wasn’t unimportant. But what mattered was that someone had been here.

 Of course, it wasn’t the scent left by another squad of the “Beastars.”

 The “Beastars” had entered this mountain to chase the enemy that attacked the Commander of the Second Army, Goldgang, at the old Suals Fortress.

 However, the identity of the enemy was unknown, and they didn’t even know where it was or if it really existed. They were looking for any trace that someone had been here.

 ”I remember the report said the monster was an owl. It wouldn’t be strange for it to be up in a tree.”

 ”It seems we’ve hit the jackpot.”

 Finally, Bongo nodded.

 They stepped into the Carnad Mountains almost at the same time the night ended. The sun had reached its highest point in the sky and was slowly starting to tilt.

 ”Rob!”

 ”Awoooooo!”

 The wolf beastman, Rob, howled at the sky. It was a signal for finding a clue and a warning.

 They had found wild wolf tracks along the way, so his howl blended into the sounds of nature. But it was definitely a signal that reached the members of the “Beastars.”

 Most importantly, if they’re going to be found out, they don’t mind. If the enemy attacks, that’s even better; they’ll just crush them with their strength.

 ”From here on, we need to raise our alert level. We might face a surprise attack from the enemy.”

 It’s good news that there are traces left behind, but at the same time, it could be a trap meant to lure them in. Especially since they already know that this mission is likely a trap set by the enemy before they even set out.

 ”For now, let’s wait here. We’ll resume the search once the support team arrives.”

 The initial action is at the squad level. Once they find a clue and get the report to raise the alert level, the two squads will merge and search with ten people while staying alert. And that earlier howl from Rob was indeed the signal to merge.

 Now that they’ve grasped the first clue, it will be a battle to follow that lead. Everyone nodded, determined not to let the only lead on the enemy slip away.

 ──Then it happened suddenly.

 A warm wind rustled the trees, and Totomes felt a slight chill. That’s when a black shadow suddenly entered their view.

 At first, Totomes didn’t understand what was happening. But the black shadow landed like a bullet from the tree and dove into Christopher’s arms, unleashing a flash of the sword.

 ”Ugh!!”

 Christopher screamed as he recoiled.

 Totomes’ eyes clearly caught the identity of the attacker. A humanoid assassin, cloaked in a black mantle, slashed at Christopher with a longsword.

 He felt a chilling connection as his gaze met the terrifying skull mask hidden beneath the hood.

 ”Christopher!!”

 A massive amount of blood gushed from Christopher, who had been slashed across his heavy armor.

 Christopher staggered, crying out in intense pain. But in the next moment, he stomped the ground hard and swung his battle axe toward the assassin in his pocket. His muscles bulged, and blood gushed from the wound in his chest like a fountain, but Christopher never let go of the battle axe with his log-like arms.

 Just raising it made a sound like the air had burst. It spoke of the weight of the blow that was about to come from the battle axe.

 ”[Twilight’s Offering Strike].”

 The assassin’s body flipped. It was as if he was dancing a social dance, gracefully moving behind Christopher.

 In the next moment, the assassin’s sword sparkled in the sunlight. The tip of the pitch-black sword peeked through the gap in the fluttering cloak and was drawn toward Christopher’s back.

 ”Christopherrr!!”

 The huge battle axe cut through nothingness, and the giant bear (grizzly) fell forward. With a single stab to the heart, his body sank into the ground with a rumble.

 Then, like a pile of dust blown away by the wind, the giant body disappeared. There was no one present who didn’t realize that Christopher was dead.

 Rob howled at the sky again. This time, it was a high-pitched howl filled with urgency, a signal for confrontation and rescue.

 Hearing that howl, Totomes and the others readied their weapons and took their positions against the assassin.

 They couldn’t move until their comrade was killed.

 The members of the “Beastars” were a group that feared peace more than the battlefield. They weren’t a berserker group, but as carnivores, their instincts… the survival of the fittest, the instinct to fight over territory craved the brink of death.

 It wasn’t that fear had frozen their bodies. They simply couldn’t keep up.

 It all happened too quickly; by the time they realized it, their comrade, with whom they had exchanged words just minutes ago, was already dead.

 They defeated a level 150 [Golden Bear (Frisos Grizzly)] with just 2 Tachi (long swords). Everyone here understood what kind of person could pull off such a feat.

 The assassin is definitely level 200.

 ”We’ll hold on until reinforcements arrive!!”

 Totomes inspires his teammates. Rob’s distress signal has reached their scattered allies in the mountains.

 What Totomes and the others must do is simple: survive. It’s tough to take down a level 200 enemy with just 4 people, especially with one missing. So, they need to hold the enemy back while calling for help, and capture this enemy to bring back to Babellion.

 And above all, there are level 200 members in the “Beastars”──

 But then, in an instant, the assassin closed the distance with a pitch-black long sword. That incredible speed brought a strike down on Totomes.

 ”Ugh!”

 A groan escaped as the overwhelming strength hit him. The shock traveled through his body like lightning from the twin swords he was holding, and when he was struck, the weight made Totomes’ knees and elbows creak.

 ”Ooohhh──[Castle Breaker (Castro Bash)]!!”

 Bongo’s roar echoed as he tried to help Totomes.

 The moment the assassin was hit by Bongo’s large shield, his body flew through the air, and Totomes rushed to chase the assassin.

 [Castle Breaker (Castro Bash)] has a 50% chance to stun. Even if it didn’t stun, they had a perfect understanding of each other’s movements to take advantage of the moment the assassin landed.

 The assassin twisted his body in mid-air to regain his balance. He wasn’t stunned. However, Totomes took advantage of the slight opening in the assassin’s stance and swung his curved sword.

 He didn’t think he could cut the assassin in half.

 But when Christopher’s curved sword struck the assassin’s long sword, he was left speechless by the sheer weight.

 The weight shows the difference in strength. Even though his stance is off, it feels like he’s hitting a huge iron block with a twig. No matter how hard he tries to push, it won’t budge.

 He can’t see the expression under the mask. But from the unmoving long sword, it seems like there’s a confident smile.

 ”This is it!!”

 Totomes jumps back to create some distance. Then, with a burst of energy, he lunges forward and slams his twin swords down at the assassin.

 Four strikes in the blink of an eye. The assassin blocks all of them. Even without using skills, the beastman’s strength makes his sword not waver at all. It stands firm like a steel object.

 But the strength of the “Beastars” isn’t just in individual abilities.

 ”[Mountain Tempest]!!”

 Behind the assassin, Gladio swings down his war hammer. A dark brown effect bursts forth, and the cracked ground erupts, wrapping around the assassin’s body.

 ”[Sorestudi: Holy Sword Dance].”

 ”Run!!”

 As the assassin’s sword glows gold, Totomes shouts. His body instinctively moves back. He rolls away as fast as he can, escaping as if even a rabbit would be amazed.

 In the next moment, the slash blows away Gladio’s skill. The whirlwind created by the slash turns into a tornado, cutting down the surrounding trees.

 ”…!”

 Totomes gasps, turning pale. His tail literally bristles and becomes twice as thick.

 Where he stood just seconds ago, dust clouds are rising. The place where the slash tornado happened is empty, leaving a big hole in the lush green canopy, letting sunlight pour in like a stage in the forest.

 A sharp pain shot through his cheek. When he touched it, bright red blood smeared on his gauntlet. The aftershock of the slash left several marks on Totomes’s armor, cutting into his unprotected cheek.

 ”…Vice Commander.”

 ”Yeah.”

 Rob, who had also managed to escape, growled with hatred as he glared at the dust cloud. The anger on his wolf-like face was mixed with deep sadness.

 It was just the two of them… Gladio, who had attacked from behind the assassin, and Bongo, who had blown the assassin away with his large shield, were nowhere to be seen. Probably still missing even after the dust settled.

 Totomes gritted his teeth.

 In just a few minutes, 3 of his comrades had died. They hadn’t even dealt a significant blow to the enemy, and they didn’t even know what the enemy was.

 Blood flowed from the wound on his cheek like tears. Totomes’s dark fur was getting soaked in red.

 He had only exchanged a few blows with the enemy, but he understood that they were terrifyingly strong. However, there was one thing he couldn’t comprehend. It was the mechanism that had taken down Christopher with just 2 strikes.

 Christopher, a bear beastman, had excellent stamina and high physical defense. Even at level 200, there was no way he could be easily cut down by a single sword.

 The assassin’s sword felt so heavy that it seemed to send shockwaves through the ground, as if it could break bones.

 That’s why, unconsciously, he had excluded that option from his mind. But it wasn’t Totomes’s fault. A normal person would exclude it right away; in fact, the more clever someone is, the more they fall into the traps set by the enemy and their creator.

 The moment he struck with his twin swords, the assassin was so close that he could hear their breathing. Beneath the hood, the eerie skull mask had glowing red eyes that were staring right at him.

 In that moment, everything connected in his mind.

 Looking up at the sky, sunlight streamed in through the remnants of a tornado. And from Christopher’s cut, an unusual amount of blood sprayed out, as if it had been sucked out. Then there were the eyes of Totomes, flowing like fresh blood────.

 From the dust, a shadow appeared, revealing an assassin. The assassin, with a gleaming black sword, closed in on Rob instead of Totomes in an instant. But this was not a surprise attack. The wolf beastman (Wolfslope) had sensed the assassin’s presence through the dust.

 Rob stared directly at the assassin. Instead of dodging, he glared at the approaching enemy with his hawk-like eyes, raising his sword high and stomping the ground as if performing a ritual.

 ”[Shadow Step].”

 Was it coincidence or fate… The swirling slash created a stage in this battlefield, illuminated by sunlight filtering through the deep forest. The assassin’s body was lit up like a spotlight.

 A soulless body does not reflect in a mirror. An existence that is pure darkness casts no shadow. Darkness never mixes with the sun. When sunlight shines on the ground, night fades away, and morning comes.

 ”No!! Dodge it!! That guy is a [Vampire]────!!”

 At the same time Totomes shouted, Rob, who had stomped the ground, seemed to realize the enemy’s true identity. He cannot step on the shadow of an enemy that has no shadow. And the fact that he couldn’t activate the skill to disrupt the enemy’s attack by stepping on a shadow meant the outcome was inevitable.

 Only Rob’s eyes caught the assassin. Their profile was calm, as if they understood everything, but their eyes strongly urged him not to waste his life.

 ”[Vanat Adetorfe: Dragon Beast Slayer].”

 The pitch-black deadly blade unleashed a horizontal flash of light. The wolf’s head flew through the air like a kicked ball. Just one wrong judgment, or rather a misreading, easily took Rob’s life.

 Right after, a black shadow spread across Totomes’ vision. Realizing it was the cloak thrown by the assassin, Totomes instinctively swatted it away.

 But that became a fatal mistake.

 ”Shit!!”

 He used his left hand, which wasn’t his dominant hand, to brush off the cloak. Just that simple action.

 However, in that brief moment, the assassin closed the distance. When Totomes’ vision cleared, he found himself exposed to the assassin, who had discarded the cloak and was now in dark, lightweight armor.

 ”Ugh.”

 He barely managed to block the attack, but the assassin relentlessly continued the assault. He couldn’t even blink, let alone counterattack. A split-second hesitation or a wrong decision led to a barrage of strikes that could mean death.

 ”[Beast’s Speeed──!!].”

 Totomes, convinced he would be cut down in his unstable stance, tried to create some distance, but the assassin’s continuous strikes left him no room to activate his skills.

 ”You’re a [Vampire], aren’t you!? How can you have this much power in broad daylight!?”

 ”Our conversation is pointless, as we are enemies.”

 The voice that came from behind the mask was that of a young woman. The assassin, a female vampire, closed the distance even further… and Totomes finally reached his limit while on the defensive.

 The first strike shattered his knee.

 The second strike caused the bone in his forearm to protrude.

 Then Totomes’ body fell face down.

 ”I’ll commend you for enduring my sword this far, despite being an ordinary person… but──.”

 ”Ughhh!!”

 Totomes screamed in agony from the searing pain.

 The female vampire’s sword slashed off Totomes’ limbs at the joints. However, the exposed stumps formed a membrane of blood, and not a single drop fell. It was clear that this was not an act of mercy.

 ”I won’t let you die. I’ll take you back to my country and torture you until you spill everything.”

 Hearing those words, Totomes thought, “I knew it.” All the soldiers of the Beastar unit received one command before going into battle. To the enemy, capturing was more valuable than killing. So, when they were about to be captured, they were told to take their own lives.

 But Totomes did not try to take his own life. Instead, he looked up at the female vampire and let out a small laugh.

 The female vampire wondered if he had lost his mind due to his strange behavior. However, Totomes remained face down on the ground, relaxing his cheeks and smiling at her.

 ”…That’s my line.”

 ”What did you say?”

 ”It’s the boss’s (Ma’am) order. Sleep trembling!!”

 Right after that, the furious roar of a wild beast shook the trees of the forest.

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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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