Helag returned to find the battle still raging.
Emil was fighting both the female knight and Marco. Both Emil and Marco were injured, but the woman seemed unscathed.
The three moved with incredible speed, surrounded by a group of archers who dared not shoot for friendly fire.
Helag assessed the terrain and found a strategic position. He nocked an arrow and killed an archer.
"Someone's here!" The archers quickly took cover.
Unable to see Helag, they blindly shot arrows into the dark forest.
Helag counted eight archers left and decided to eliminate them all.
Whoosh! Another arrow took down an archer hiding behind a boulder.
Helag moved to a new position and killed another archer behind a tree.
The archers were terrified, unable to locate Helag. No matter how they hid, arrows always found them from unexpected angles.
Marco and the female knight were too engrossed in their fight to deal with Helag. The battle between the three had reached a fever pitch, leaving no room for distractions.
A one-sided slaughter ensued, with Helag becoming a reaper, taking down one archer after another.
Ten minutes later, all the archers were dead.
Helag remained hidden in the forest, bow drawn, waiting for the right moment.
The three fighters moved too quickly, but Deep Blue was calculating their movements. Helag waited for an opportunity.
The female knight seemed aware of Helag, keeping some distance, making it hard to find an opening.
Marco, however, was consumed with rage, determined to kill Emil. Helag saw this as a potential weakness.
After all, they were human, not machines. Humans made mistakes, and Deep Blue would catch them.
"Marco, you're close to becoming a great knight. This job cost me a lot. I need more money," the female knight said softly.
Marco, infuriated, shouted, "Shut up! If you fought with all your strength, he'd be dead by now!"
"If I did, he'd fight us to the death. This way, he'll tire out and die eventually. Why take unnecessary risks?" the female knight replied with a smile.
The battle continued for an hour, with all three showing signs of fatigue. Their speed and strength had noticeably decreased.
Marco took a deep breath and shouted, "This ends now!"
His muscles bulged as he used some secret technique, gripping his greatsword with both hands and leaping for a powerful vertical slash. Emil had to block it with all his might.
If Emil blocked, the female knight would have an opening.
Whoosh!
At that moment, an arrow shot through the air. Marco, mid-leap, couldn't dodge.
Marco screamed, clutching his eye, as an arrow pierced his left eye.
Emil seized the opportunity, slashing horizontally and decapitating Marco.
The female knight, about to attack, leaped back and sheathed her slender sword.
"Hmm?" Emil was puzzled, ready for a fight to the death.
The female knight explained, "I was hired by him. Now that he's dead, I have no reason to continue. I'm not a battle maniac. Besides, he only paid me to fight, not to die."
With that, she left without a glance at Marco's head.
"Sir Emil!" Helag ran over.
Emil sighed in relief and smiled wryly, "I thought I was done for. That was a great shot. And you're alive?"
When Sean went after Helag, Emil had thought it a pity, not believing Helag could escape a knight-level assassin.
"My arrows were poisoned. He got a scratch," Helag said with a smile.
Emil remarked, "Even poisoned, he could have easily killed you. You've got some skills to survive."
He sighed and continued, "Check how many horses are left. Tie Hagen's body to one and let's head home."
Helag found eight horses still alive, untouched by the battle.
He tied the bodies of the two guards to the horses. He and Emil each rode a horse, with the rest following.
Two days later, they met Baron Buck on the road.
Baron Buck was a burly middle-aged man, dressed in practical gear, not looking like a noble.
After Emil reported, Baron Buck said, "It's more complicated than just targeting you, Emil."
"What else happened, my lord?" Emil asked.
"Marco was a subordinate of that scoundrel Simon next door. While attacking you, they also hit the southern mine. They thought they'd kill you and weaken my forces," Baron Buck explained.
Simon was the lord of the Beharad territory, and also a baron.
But his territory was resource-poor, with low taxes, and he often caused trouble for neighboring lands.
Baron Buck continued, "Beharad had a drought and famine this year. Their territory is in chaos. Meanwhile, our Dur Valley had a bountiful year. They'll likely make more moves. We need to stay vigilant."
"I understand, my lord," Emil nodded.
Baron Buck turned to Helag, "Your name is… oh, Helag, right? Good job, kid!"
Helag's feat of killing twenty men and a knight-level assassin had spread.
The guards with Baron Buck were skeptical, but Emil's confirmation left no doubt.
Helag didn't care about their opinions or praise.
He only wanted to improve his strength. Facing Sean, a single mistake or bad luck would have meant his death.
"Deep Blue, scan Baron Buck's body data." Helag was curious about a great knight's strength.
[
Buck Salla:
Strength 3.8
Agility 3.5
Constitution 4.1
Spirit 1.3
Body filled with unknown energy.
]
Such stats would be considered superhuman in his previous life.
What intrigued Helag more was that Baron Buck's body was filled with unknown energy.
While knights like Emil and Sean only had unknown energy within them.
When Sean used his unknown energy, his stats increased significantly, even piercing a tree with a dagger.
"Does Baron Buck's body filled with unknown energy mean his casual strikes surpass Sean's bursts?" Helag wondered.