Chapter 14

Chapter 14
## Chapter 14: Black Hammer Gang (4)

Crevan was determined to prevent the northman from closing the distance.

Thump, thump!

“Release!”

The moment the stone mallet struck the earth twice, the marksmen squeezed their triggers in perfect unison. The strained cords snapped forward with violent energy.

Twang, twang-twung, twung!

Six dark streaks sliced through the atmosphere, their shafts vibrating slightly against the wind of the tight gorge. Kadim, acting as if he had anticipated the volley, seized Graham by the collar and jerked him upward.

“Gasp?”

Thwack, thwack!

“Wh—urk… Aaaaagh!!”

A bolt buried itself in the ribs, another in the leg. The human barrier absorbed both strikes. Because of this, Kadim pressed forward, not a single projectile touching his skin.

‘Is that lunatic actually…?’

Crevan watched in frozen shock as the warrior used his own employer as a shield without a second thought. Shaking off the stupor, he roared at his archers.

“Aim for the limbs! He’s massive, he can’t hide his entire frame behind that man! Reload and fire on my signal!”

The barbarian’s build was far broader than the captive he held. Targeting the exposed edges should be enough to break his momentum. The crossbowmen hooked their strings to the belt claws and pressed their weight into the stirrups, straining to reset the mechanisms.

However, not every man completed the task safely.

Splat—!

“Guh…”

“…Eh?”

A small axe buried itself in a temple.

The edge was blunt, making a sound more akin to a clubbing blow. The man’s skull crumpled as he slumped into a heap. The weapon, having done its job, separated into head and handle, clattering across the dirt.

“D-dammit, stay low! The savage is throwing steel! Get behind the ridge and reload!”

Cold perspiration ran down Crevan’s spine. That had been the barbarian’s solitary throwing weapon, but the panicked bandits couldn’t know that.

Terrified, they abandoned the idea of a synchronized volley. As soon as a bolt was seated, they fired frantically, like men desperate to relieve themselves.

Twang, twung, twang, twang!

The shots were useless. The most they achieved was a shallow graze on the meat shield’s arm.

Thud!

“Aaaaagh! Goddammit, you monster! What is this?! Just end me already!!!”

Making a hardened survivor plead for the grave was a grim testament to the situation.

The northman was nearly at the base of the dirt wall. Crevan delivered a sharp kick to a hesitant archer and screamed.

“What are you morons doing?! I ordered a volley to ensure a hit! Forget the bows! Everyone else, intercept him now!”

“Raaagh!”

“Waaah!”

The hidden reinforcements burst from the thickets with primal shouts. With allies now in the fray, shooting was too risky. Kadim tossed Graham aside like trash and rolled his neck.

‘Too many targets.’

They were merely border outlaws—poorly equipped rabble without formal discipline.

Yet their sheer volume was significant, and the terrain was unfavorable. Engaging while surrounded meant risking a stray wound at any moment.

‘With “Mosquito,” most cuts will close during the fight…’

However, the vampiric essence didn’t negate exhaustion. If he burnt himself out slaughtering them and took a heavy hit, he’d be finished. He wouldn’t find another convenient group of targets to harvest like those monster hordes.

He needed a faster, more absolute method.

Kadim popped the cap of his canteen and downed the demon blood.

A sickening surge of life scorched his throat and flooded his system. Intense heat flooded his arteries as his heart hammered against his ribs like a caged beast. His thighs, calves, and arms swelled with power, coiled for a burst of unnatural speed.

He had consumed this essence before—during the fight with the blade wolves. He knew it provided an “Agility Boost.”

But this time, the reaction was far more violent.

‘Last time, I was half-dead when I drank it…’

The enhancement worked best when the vessel was healthy. His burning muscles demanded action. A feral instinct pushed him to test this newfound fluidity immediately.

Kadim lunged off the ground.

Before a breath could be drawn, he was in the center of the outlaws.

“Wha—? How did—”

A blade cut the thought short, ripping upward into his jaw.

Crunch—crack!

Blood erupted as severed tendons twitched. The man’s dying eyes remained fixed on the empty space where the barbarian had stood a second before.

Slash, stab—!

The steel took another man’s life as he tried to turn, then plunged through the heart of the one beside him. Their horrified stares were far too slow. The doomed bandits managed only broken sounds.

“Wha—wha…”

“What… what…”

His velocity exceeded their perception. Kadim yanked the steel free and planted a heavy boot into a man’s chest.

Thud—!

Overwhelming force shattered the front line. Choked gasps rang out as the men behind were bowled over, trying to catch themselves. Instead, they collapsed in a tangled mess of limbs.

Kadim tore into the fallen. He skewered those trying to crawl, butchered those frozen in fear, and cleaved those who tried to swing.

He moved as if gliding on the breeze, his sword striking with predatory precision. Heads were detached, blood fountained, and entrails spilled. Once a man hit the ground, he stayed there.

Having slaughtered the front in heartbeats, the slayer leaped toward the survivors.

“Haaargh!”

The bandits finally grasped the horror, their features warping in terror.

“Wha—what? How is he this fa—”

“Shit, what kind of mo—”

“…Ah! He’s comi—”

Broken words. Pointless final breaths. The dancing blade traced sharp lines through necks, skulls, and chests. Every cry was cut short by a spray of crimson.

They had no response. By the time the thought to parry occurred, the barbarian had already opened their throats and moved to the next row. Their desperate swings met nothing but air. The enchanted steel drank deep, stacking the dead high.

Crevan’s jaw went slack. The map piece hadn’t even reached his stomach, yet a huge portion of his gang was already gone. He couldn’t process the reality.

‘…Dammit, that’s not a level you reach through mere training. There’s no way a savage obtained Elga’s holy relic. What did he do? Why is a freak like this out here in the wilderness…’

Regardless of the “how,” Crevan had poked something inhuman. Remorse was a luxury he didn’t have. If he didn’t act, the barbarian would truly cut the map out of him.

Crevan decided to throw everything he had at the problem.

“Hand me that crossbow. And the bolts.”

“Huh? B-but leader, if you fire now, you’ll hit our boys…”

“Screw it, we’re all dead anyway—what does it matter?! Give it here!”

By some twist of fate, the fight had become a chase—panicked men running while the warrior hunted them. This gave Crevan a clear line of sight.

Twang!

“…”

But the projectile was brushed aside.

The barbarian lifted a hand. For a second, Crevan thought it had pinned his palm. It was only when the man flicked it away that he realized it had been caught.

‘No, that’s impossible…’

Twang!

The second attempt met the same fate.

He plucked it from the sky like a fly. The movement was too rapid for the eye to track. Crevan and his remaining men could only stare in shock.

Meanwhile, the barbarian glanced over the barrier and then disappeared again.

“B-boss! He’s heading for us!”

“Wh-what’s the plan, boss?”

They were now the primary targets. Crevan’s grip on his stone hammer wavered. He searched for any viable tactic.

‘Frontal assault is suicide. With that speed, I’m dead before I can swing. Then…’

“Two bows, lock the mechanisms and bring them here. Bolts out.”

“Huh? B-but boss… that monster catches everything we throw—what’s the use…?”

“Shut up and do it if you want to live!”

The bandit set the prepared weapons at Crevan’s feet. Crevan took the hammer in both hands and swallowed hard, tracking the approaching storm.

‘Just one opening…’

When the barbarian reached twenty paces.

Crevan threw the hammer with every ounce of strength.

Whoosh—boom!

The massive stone weapon whistled through the air. But it was far too sluggish for its target. Kadim stepped around the heavy arc with ease.

Crevan hadn’t expected a hit. It was a distraction—the real gambit was next.

He kicked a crossbow into his grip, loaded a bolt, and fired instantly.

Twang!

A failure. Even at this range, it was caught without effort.

But Crevan didn’t stop.

‘One hand is busy with the bolt, the other holds the sword. No hands left.’

He kicked up the second bow, slotted the bolt in a fluid motion, and aimed for the head—a shot that couldn’t be sidestepped—held his breath, and pulled.

Twang!

Thud—!

The barbarian’s head jerked back at the moment of impact.

Crevan pumped his fist.

‘Got him!’

This time, there was no dodging. The bolt was clearly buried in the man’s mouth. He waited for the sword to fall and the body to collapse…

Or so he hoped.

‘Huh?’

The barbarian didn’t stop.

Stab, stab!

“Gaaaah!”

The blade bit deep into both of Crevan’s thighs. His strength vanished instantly. The bandit leader fell, his face a mask of bewilderment.

Kadim finally pulled his blade back. Then, with a loud crunch, he bit down. The wooden shaft snapped, and he spat the metal tip onto the ground.

The truth finally dawned on Crevan.

His eyes shook, his mind reeling.

‘He’s a madman… he caught it with his teeth?! God, Elga… is this really one of yours?’

Ignoring whatever religious crisis the bandit was having, Kadim spoke flatly.

“Clean up the others. Stay put.”

He was a man of his word.

It was a total slaughter. The remaining bandits couldn’t muster a defense before being cut down. The “Black Hammer Gang,” the former terrors of the region, was annihilated in less than an hour, leaving only the leader.

Kadim wiped the thick blood from his face, but it had already begun to crust. As he lifted the hilt of his weapon, Crevan finally felt the terror of a beast in a snare.

“…I know it’s a bit late, but any chance you’d let me go?”

“I’m not killing you for fun. I’m gutting you for the map.”

“…There’s no need for that. I’ve memorized every detail. I’ll give it to you.”

Crevan hurriedly described the landmarks and instructions.

Central Molden Castle, located under a rock shaped like a fist. A deep cavity leads to a dark chest containing a relic of the past.

Kadim narrowed his eyes.

“If you knew where it was, why haven’t you taken it? Scared of the guards?”

The broken leader smiled weakly.

“If we wanted it, we could have slipped in—that wasn’t the problem. But Molden is currently besieged by thousands of troops. That’s why we had to relocate here… we were boxed in…”

“I don’t care about your problems. Who is attacking Molden, and for what reason?”

“…Viscount Adlen’s forces. The official story is they’re executing the ‘Demon Baron’ of Molden for consorting with devils… but there’s likely more to it. If there was proof, the paladins of Elga would have handled it.”

“…”

Kadim clicked his tongue. He had expected the map to be the end of the journey, but the situation was becoming more complex. It was like a task that kept growing new branches.

‘I need to ask the trader about Molden as well.’

He needed to finish this and return. The bandits were dealt with, but leaving a helpless guide who couldn’t handle a few goblins alone for too long was a risk. Kadim gripped his sword.

Crevan scrambled backward in fear.

“Wh-why?! I told you everything!”

“I don’t trust the word of a thief. I’ll check the contents of your stomach myself.”

“…”

“Didn’t I tell you to bring it if you could?”

Death arrived one steady step at a time.

Crevan closed his eyes and let out a final, ragged breath.

This was the result of his own choices. He had challenged a formidable warrior out of arrogance, and this was the price. That cursed map—it wasn’t worth this. He should have just surrendered it…

Stab!

“Ah, damn it…”

Regret came too late. With a final sigh, the head of the Black Hammer Gang expired.