I thought they were going to sweep up the fallen leaves.
If anyone saw a person flying away so helplessly, they probably would’ve thought the same.
“Kyaaak!”
“Huff!”
The guards protecting the nobles could do nothing but scream.
The guy was flaunting the might of the Transcendental Tribe without holding back.
“Ah, Sir Isaac!”
Jonathan urgently blocked Isaac’s path and shouted.
“You need to run!”
If you stay here, you’ll die.
But Isaac’s gaze was fixed solely on the Transcendental Tribe member, who had the form of a tiger.
‘Swinging a greatsword?’
Isaac stared intently at the greatsword, not even hearing Jonathan’s calls.
Even after being shaken several times, Isaac didn’t respond.
Thud!
Silbern Caldias’ spear pierced the Transcendental Tribe member’s back.
“You… bleed too, huh.”
Silbern forced a smirk as she pulled out the spear.
Drip, drip.
The unusually heavy blood of the Transcendental Tribe flowed down his back as he slowly turned toward Silbern.
“Not bad for a human.”
Even after being stabbed, he didn’t seem to be in much pain. Instead, he smoothly swung his greatsword through the air, as if finally warming up, and prepared to face Silbern.
Meanwhile.
The other nobles were running away.
It was clear from the brief exchange that victory was impossible, and the innate fear the Transcendental Tribe instilled was too much for the rookies to handle.
“Sir Isaac! You need to run, now!”
Seeing Isaac standing still, Jonathan couldn’t hold back and tried to carry him on his back.
“Jonathan.”
Isaac pushed him away and asked.
“You’re confident in your stamina, right?”
“Huh?! Suddenly? What are you talking about?!”
“Can you carry me all the way to the Malidan Wall?”
Jonathan’s eyes widened, and he thumped his chest with his fist.
“I’ll definitely do it. I’m a knight sworn to protect you, Sir Isaac! So let’s go right now—!”
“Good, then wait.”
“Huh?”
Jonathan, who had been feeling proud of the heroic moment, was baffled as Isaac walked past him.
“Sir Isaac?!”
“Get ready to run. We need to go now.”
“What do you mean—!”
Jonathan’s words were cut off.
Because Isaac had stepped in front of the two who were fiercely exchanging blows.
“Isaac?!”
Silbern, who was struggling to block the greatsword, looked at Isaac in shock.
Even when asked why he didn’t run, Isaac didn’t respond.
‘There’s only one way to win here.’
The Transcendental Tribe would never let any human who saw them live.
If he finished off Silbern and started chasing the fleeing nobles, they’d be caught in no time.
Realistically, even if they started running now, the Transcendental Tribe might reach the Malidan Wall first and wait for them.
So.
He had to draw attention.
He had to show that there was a human who couldn’t be overlooked.
Isaac stepped forward to take on that role.
How?
To the Transcendental Tribe, who saw all humans as the same prey.
How could Isaac make himself stand out as special prey?
“Run! Isaac! This thing’s a monster! It’s not just any beast!”
Despite Silbern’s cries, Isaac didn’t falter.
Instead, he was cross-verifying whether his judgment was correct to the very end.
Finally.
Just one word.
As his breath carried it on the wind.
“……”
The Transcendental Tribe stopped his greatsword.
“What, what’s going on?!”
Silbern, who had been struggling to block the greatsword, was stunned.
She didn’t hear what Isaac had said or why the creature suddenly stopped.
But.
The Transcendental Tribe’s gaze was already fixed on Isaac.
“Just now.”
His brow twisted grotesquely, and an uncharacteristically faint tremor could be heard in his voice.
“What did you say?”
Isaac met the beast’s blue eyes with a mocking sneer.
“Raven Swordsmanship. A sword style taught exclusively by the Blackhand family.”
The Blackhand family was one of the noble houses of the kingdom, and some of the dispatched nobles were from there.
“At first, I was confused. Because you were swinging a greatsword, I thought it was greatsword techniques. But no, considering your size and strength, I should’ve looked for one-handed sword techniques instead.”
A human’s greatsword wasn’t much different from a one-handed sword to him.
“The unique traces of that swordsmanship are everywhere. Especially the way you intentionally widen your stance to balance your weight.”
“……”
“Want me to tell you something? Your foot structure is different from humans, so you don’t need to widen your stance that much.”
“Grr.”
The Transcendental Tribe involuntarily glanced down to check his stance.
“Do you know what this means?”
Despite Isaac’s meaningful smile, the Transcendental Tribe couldn’t respond.
Because there was no need to think too hard.
“It means the Blackhand family taught you swordsmanship. They were probably the ones trying to trade Holstein’s artifacts too.”
But it seemed the Blackhand family had no intention of making a fair trade.
Sending a Transcendental Tribe member instead of gold coins proved that.
Even if the grave robbers hadn’t disturbed the beast colony, they would’ve met the same fate.
“I’ve always wondered how the Transcendental Tribe obtained information about the kingdom and acted on it.”
A question he’d had since his past life was finally answered.
“There was a traitor in the kingdom.”
The Transcendental Tribe tightened his grip on the greatsword.
Veins bulged as he licked his protruding teeth with a long tongue.
This was someone who absolutely couldn’t be let go.
Not prey.
This man had to be killed.
“All I did… was swing a sword.”
The Transcendental Tribe muttered, sounding somewhat aggrieved.
He hadn’t done anything that would reveal his identity.
His words were short, and his swordsmanship with the greatsword made identification nearly impossible.
“And with just that, you figured out our identity… and even uncovered the traitor?”
Isaac crossed his arms and laughed.
“If you think that’s all it takes, then that’s as far as you’ll go.”
“Hah.”
The Transcendental Tribe let out a hollow laugh.
He admitted it.
This man was, quite literally.
“A sage of the sword.”
Despite only swinging a sword a few times in front of him, he had effortlessly reached the truth.
“I’m impressed by your deep wisdom and knowledge. May I ask your name?”
“Isaac.”
“Right, Isaac.”
He was clearly different from the other insignificant prey.
“You’re someone I must kill.”
“Isaac!”
Silbern’s urgent voice.
She desperately thrust her spear toward the Transcendental Tribe’s back, but it only cut through empty air.
The Transcendental Tribe had already kicked off the ground and charged straight at Isaac.
Everyone else could be let go.
But this man had to die.
In just one battle, he had figured out this much.
With a single swing of his sword, he had deduced dozens of things.
‘I must kill him!’
If he were allowed to live, it was terrifying to imagine how many times he’d hinder their plans in the future.
The Transcendental Tribe wasn’t ready yet.
They needed time for their kin to drive out the humans and swallow the continent whole!
“Sir Isaac!”
But just like Silbern’s spear, the Transcendental Tribe’s greatsword also cut through empty air.
Because Jonathan, emitting a faint red aura, was already running with Isaac on his back.
“Jonathan, what kind of weak aura is this?!”
“T-this isn’t the time for that!”
Isaac couldn’t help but sigh at Jonathan’s pitiful aura.
A knight of Helmunth.
This guy can’t handle Helmunth’s unique ‘Descent’ like this?
“Get your head straight! Right now, you’re the only one who can even escape from that thing!”
The overwhelming physical ability of Helmunth’s direct lineage.
They were the only humans who could rival the Transcendental Tribe without falling short.
Training with those direct descendants and using the Descent is what makes a Helmunth knight.
“Ah, got it!”
Hearing Jonathan’s response, I turned around.
The Transcendental Tribe, running on all fours with a greatsword in its mouth.
“Crazy.”
Isaac cursed at the insane speed.
It’s way faster than I thought.
Even though Jonathan, being a Helmunth knight, had considerable speed and stamina.
It felt like the Transcendental Tribe could catch us any second.
Running on the snowy ground without slipping, even the trees sprouting around seemed like toys to it.
“Jonathan! We need to head to the rear wall! That’s the way!”
“Huff! Huff! Huh?! What did you say?!”
“The rear wall! Where the demon beasts are swarming! We need to go there!”
“Huh?! No! Huff! That place is crawling with demon beasts! Huff!”
“That’s the only way we can survive!”
“Huff! Huff!”
Jonathan looked like he wanted to argue but was too exhausted to continue.
Just as Isaac was about to check how far they’d come.
“Grrr.”
“……!”
It was already right behind him.
Close enough to reach out and touch, Isaac gulped in shock.
‘It’s this fast?!’
Unable to hide his dismay, Isaac drew the sword he’d brought.
Even if he swung it while being carried by Jonathan, it wouldn’t have much force, but he had to try.
“Grrr!”
The creature holding the greatsword in its mouth swung it down.
The destructive power to slice both Jonathan and Isaac in one go.
But Isaac managed to deflect the greatsword by tilting his blade.
“Ugh!”
Thanks to bracing his other arm against the blade, he managed to do it once.
“Ah, damn it!”
His grip failed, and he lost the sword.
Just one twist, and he was disarmed.
“I won’t deny the greatness of your knowledge.”
The Transcendental Tribe muttered with hatred.
It had realized that Isaac’s blocking of its sword was due to his mastery of the Blackhand’s Raven swordsmanship.
“But now, it’s over.”
As the Transcendental Tribe prepared to swing its greatsword again.
“Sorry, Sir Isaac!”
Jonathan let go of Isaac’s butt.
Then, lifting his arms, he supported Isaac under his armpits.
“For the glory of Helmunth!”
“Whoa?!”
And with that, he threw Isaac forward.
The single strike condensed with all of Jonathan’s Descent was truly impressive.
Isaac flew through the air like a bird.
He almost hit some branches but managed to avoid crashing by curling up.
However.
“Jonathan!”
He was worried about Jonathan, who was left behind.
The creature might not focus much on chasing him, but it had enough time to swing its greatsword and behead him.
Given the Transcendental Tribe’s bizarre hatred for humans, Jonathan’s survival seemed unlikely.
As Isaac was about to accept Jonathan’s sacrifice.
He finally hit the ground.
“Ugh!”
He didn’t land directly.
Instead, he sank into something squishy.
Isaac belatedly realized it was the blood of demon beasts.
The corpses of demon beasts were scattered everywhere.
And in the distance, the Malidan Wall was visible.
It seemed they had successfully defended against the demon beasts’ assault.
“Grrr!”
At that moment, the Transcendental Tribe descended from the mountain.
Running on all fours, it quickly began chasing Isaac.
It seemed intent on killing Isaac before he reached the wall.
To make Jonathan’s sacrifice meaningful.
Isaac desperately ran toward the wall.
Not to survive.
But to kill that thing.
* * *
The Transcendental Tribe, Baek.
That was his name.
His pure white fur was striking, earning him the name.
“Grrr!”
He was now running across the snowy field under the moon.
To catch and kill the black-haired man in the distance.
‘The wall is still far. I can definitely kill him!’
He spurred himself on.
That man must not be allowed to live.
Even if he died here, Baek vowed to tear the man’s throat out.
Reaching the ground where the snow had melted due to the blood and corpses of demon beasts, his speed noticeably increased.
In an instant, the distance closed.
Arrows rained down on him from above.
‘They noticed from the wall.’
It seemed they were covering the man with suppressive fire.
‘These puny arrows.’
His thick hide deflected the arrows. As he reached a certain distance.
The Transcendental Tribe stopped running and gripped the greatsword in its mouth.
“Roar!”
With a fierce roar, it swung the greatsword back and then hurled it forward.
The spinning greatsword flew straight toward Isaac.
Just before it hit.
Swish!
Bang!
A massive spear fell from the sky, splitting the greatsword in half and deflecting it.
“What…?”
His blue eyes filled with confusion.
A spear was embedded in the ground.
As the Transcendental Tribe slowly looked up, on the wall.
A giant man stood with his arms crossed, looking down at him.
“Ah.”
Before coming here, the Blackhand nobles had warned him several times.
‘You must never meet him.’
‘He is considered equal to the head of Helmunth.’
‘The hero of the north. Called the guardian deity of the wall.’
The Border Count.
“Uldiran, Caldias…”
The Transcendental Tribe realized it was trembling at the sight of a human for the first time in its life.
His cold, sunken eyes looked at him no differently than the scattered corpses of demon beasts.
“Roar!”
The Transcendental Tribe roared and charged forward again.
Even if it died, it had to kill Isaac.
Thud! Thud!
The sound of its feet hitting the ground like drumbeats.
Seeing Uldiran grab another spear, it charged even more fiercely.
“Roar!”
As the distance to Isaac closed, it leaped.
Swish!
Again.
The spear cut through the northern night air.
Thud!
Something entered its vision.
The spear shaft.
It realized the spear had pierced its body, skewering its heart.
“Ah, ah-.”
It reached out in despair.
“Isa…ack!”
Because it had let him live.
How many of its kin would die because of this?
With a final breath mixed with regret, Baek’s body went limp, his head lolling with wide eyes.
