Episode 26-Ordeal (6)
“Oh, no. This can’t be happening. “This can’t be happening!”
Intense yet short battle. Since the numbers were not that large, a single collision decided the winner or loser.
The shaman, Garon, muttered helplessly as if he could not believe it when his confident ally fell and fell all at once. It felt like I was dreaming.
‘Who the hell is that girl?!’
His eyes fell on Riena, who was fighting alone against the warriors even after falling from her horse.
Although he was clearly an experienced and strong elite warrior, it was unbelievable that the captain, who had no idea about skills, was subdued by Riena’s sword. However, even in such a situation, the biggest shock was that her magic was instantly purified by the power she possessed.
For him, who thought that the magic he had learned was the same as magic that could not be dealt with in this grassland, Riena’s existence and her power were beyond common sense.
“Holy sh*t!”
Gritting his teeth, he resisted by casting a spell at the opponent who was now running towards him. The bursting flames spread out like a fan and spewed out towards those approaching, but at the forefront was Varun, who was learning about magic on his own.
Just like when he fought the bug before, Varun made a pillar of earth rise to block the flames. And at the same time, the arrow flew into Garon’s shoulder.
“aaah!”
As Garon screamed and got down on one knee, holding the arrow stuck in his shoulder, those who came running pointed their weapons at him.
The captives around them were unable to escape or resist thanks to the ropes they were tied to, and could only watch as the powerful predator that tried to eat them was defeated by even stronger predators.
“Who the hell are you?”
“hehehe, that’s what I’m going to say. You weren’t the people beyond the wall. “Are they petty traitors!”
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Varun asked Garon, who was shaking, his identity, but Garon just laughed and gritted his teeth. In Garon’s eyes, Varun and his gang could not help but be seen as stooges who had joined hands with the local residents.
“We are not their stooges. But hasn’t that discipline already disappeared in this area a long time ago? “Right now, you are attacking your own people and taking them as slaves.”
Varun clicked his tongue and shook his head at Garon’s words. It’s literally survival of the fittest. A time when you have to do something to survive.
The sense of kinship that we are all one has long since disappeared among the grassland tribes.
“gibberish…”
‘There is still a chance.’
Gritting his teeth, Garon was sweating profusely and his eyes sparkled as he saw Riena approaching here, holding the reins of her horse.
It was decided that there was still one move left. In fact, the magic he secretly prepares is black magic that destroys the opponent’s mind and turns him into a temporary puppet.
He was confident that he could get out of this crisis by making her, a strong warrior, his doll.
Although she showed herself purifying the evil spirits, this was the only means she had left. The only thing I believe is that the plains warriors, who are well-versed in physical training, have no resistance to mental attacks.
“Don’t ignore it! “It’s not over yet!”
As soon as Riena came into range, Garon stretched out his hand toward her and cast a spell.
“what?”
Intense light bursting out at the same time. Due to the power of Heavenly Protection, which grants immunity to all mental debuffs, his spell disappeared immediately after being cast, and nothing happened to Riena, who frowned.
“Wow, there were a lot of things to ask and hear. “Where on earth did this seemingly insignificant guy learn such things?”
“What on earth was he doing?”
Varun lamented. For some reason, Garon, who failed the spell, frothed at the mouth, convulsed, and died before the surrounding soldiers could kill him.
It was one of the side effects of black magic, which was as powerful as it was expensive, but no one knew about it right now.
“But the battle is over, so what’s left now is to settle things down?”
In the end, Varun quickly gave up thinking about Garon and looked around. The battle, filled with shouts and shouts, ended quickly, and in the quiet surroundings, countless eyes were trembling as they watched them.
‘I’m embarrassed.’
From the prisoners’ point of view, they too are just objects of fear. Varun, who had tried to appease the captives and make them part of the tribe, laughed helplessly at the sight of the captives being afraid of him.
“You don’t have to worry too much. Because I have no intention of treating you harshly. “It may be hard to believe, but we too are fugitives fleeing from marauders.”
Still, he opened his mouth and comforted the prisoners. Talking to them didn’t lessen the prisoners’ wariness, but when Varun personally untied the ropes that bound their bodies, the cold, rigid atmosphere quickly began to change.
***
“We have settled down deep in the east. There is plenty of food there. Let’s go there and live together.”
Varun convinced them. Even if they were taken by force and made into slaves, they had nothing to say, so the fact that they were able to persuade them like this was enough to win their favor.
There was no choice either. Their hometown has been devastated for a long time anyway. Even if you return to the village that has been reduced to ashes, you will only be attacked by other looters.
I am a weak person who will be eaten wherever I go. In that case, it would be a wiser choice to become one with those who treat them properly.
‘awesome…’
As public opinion changed in favor, fear soon turned into awe. This was especially true for simple-minded children.
The same goes for Shuri, a young girl who was weak and angry at the looters who took everything from her. Shuri’s eyes were especially focused on Riena.
Riena’s power, which defeated the evil spirits and terrible spells summoned by the shaman with brilliant light, clearly had the power to shake people’s hearts.
Riena, who was startled by the gaze staring at her, smiled faintly at her, to the point where she flinched for no reason.
“Chief. “Look at this.”
“Oh, that’s the stuff they looted from our village.”
At that time, someone shifted their gaze from the people to the baggage and called Varun.
The representative of the prisoners who was talking to Varun noticed that the things piled up in the cart were loot from the village.
“There are some interesting items.”
“Chief, take it. “Aren’t you our chief now?”
“No, I didn’t mean it that way. Huh.”
The representative, who had a bandage on his arm, took the initiative and told Varun to take all the loot. They wanted to pay for Varun’s favor by going against custom and accepting them as members of the tribe rather than slaves.
“There is no reason to abandon it.”
Varun mumbled absentmindedly and picked up a small gold ring among the luggage that contained only cloth, ironware, and other valuable items. Literally an ordinary gold ring. This precious metal, which flowed from a civilization somewhere beyond the Wall, was a truly ordinary precious metal that arrived here through the hands of various tribes.
But they also know the value of precious metals. It’s not very useful in the grasslands, but the local residents are thrilled.
“Were you interested in gold jewelry?”
“That’s not it, Riena.”
Riena smiled at the sight of her father, whom she had never seen, holding the gold and looking at him in agony for a while.
But Varun shook his head. He wasn’t looking at this gold ring for himself.
“I haven’t told the new residents who will join me yet, but you know it, right? “We were able to win this battle because of his blessings.”
“Well, that is.”
She was shocked when Varun mentioned Him.
This was because her shoulders had risen strangely after winning against the opposing warriors, who were by all accounts strong veterans, and this was something she had not thought about at the moment.
“Until now, I have only received it from Him. Even if I wanted to return the favor, I didn’t have the chance. But how long will this last? “You can’t take it all for granted.”
Varun gave advice to his daughter in a serious voice. Riena opened her mouth as if trying to make an excuse, but was unable to open her mouth in the end.
As the number of times I received help from him increased, I unconsciously began to perceive that help as natural.
“Then how can we repay him?”
“I do not know either. Because I don’t think a trivial offering would be meaningful to him. Still, if he is watching us, I plan to show him at least some sincerity.”
Varun decided to hold a memorial service. In their tradition, there was definitely a custom of offering offerings to divine beings in hopes of victory in war or success in hunting, etc.
Unsure of whether it would work or not, Varun planned to offer up this gold ring, one of the trophies he had obtained in this battle, as a sacrifice.
Even if he didn’t receive the gold ring, it didn’t matter. It was enough for them to recognize their sincerity and intentions. If he wanted something else, he would give it some indication and Varun was determined to carry it out.
“Everyone move. “It will take some time to go back.”
Soon Varun moved everyone. The direction is opposite to the direction it was originally going. This is where their new home is.
“Let’s talk on the way. “You guys were able to help because our scouts stumbled upon it, but the truth is we don’t really know what’s going on around here.”
“Of course, Chief.”
On the way, Varun received information from the prisoners. What happened to their village, who were the marauders they just fought, etc.
“The tribe of Karun.”
“They continue to plunder east, in this direction, and increase their size. Some of the people who lived around here voluntarily went under his wing. “From what I heard, there are thousands of people, many warriors, and hundreds of strong soldiers.”
“Are these strong people also being pushed out of the center and coming to the east?”
Varun fell silent after hearing the accurate information of the marauders. According to the story, the looters are also increasing their power through looting to avoid being attacked by other looters.
If the radius of action continues to expand, it is certain that conflicts will arise.
‘We must also increase our strength until then. Is it possible?’
Since you have decided not to run away anymore, you must fight when it comes to fighting. It was for that purpose that we risked the war and took action today.
However, Varun still felt that it was not enough. They have acquired special powers through miraculous connections, but the existing strong are going too far ahead.
Even their enemies are not just other tribes. I also had to fight against unexplainable monsters, glitches and bugs.
‘I don’t think it’s impossible.’
However, Varun was convinced that he had seen hope to overcome that reality, so he held on to the gold ring he was holding tighter.