Starting a Reversal in Life From the Time of Release

50 – Heading North with the Knights (4)

“1st platoon, hold the line! 2nd and 3rd platoons, front and center! Don’t break formation!”

“Yes!”

[Roar!]

The knights shouted incessantly, and the beasts roared in pain as their heavy hooves struck the ground.

Not only large-sized beasts like black rhinos but also bears, tigers, and even large-sized beasts like jaguars were mixed in.

Fortunately, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinoceroses, which were even heavier, didn’t show up.

Whenever those guys popped up from time to time, it was more than a handful.

The Dakiana Galia Knights moved to the left and right, each responsible for guarding their respective sides.

Seo Haneul, Miss Lee, and I were the only ones facing the front.

It wasn’t that we were superior to the knights; it was because of the nature of our abilities.

The knights might find it difficult to launch attacks that cover a wide area, as they mainly used swords, but we didn’t.

For example, it goes like this.

“Push!”

I swung the air forcefully, creating vibrations, and those vibrations triggered a chain reaction, spreading forward.

As a result, the herds of beasts rushing from the front had their faces pressed against the vibrations and stumbled back.

They didn’t die or suffer significant injuries.

However, no one considered the effect of the vibration wall to be negligible.

Just by looking at the beasts colliding with the vibration wall, swaying like intoxicated people, it was clear.

It was similar to hitting a person’s jaw to cause a concussion.

“I’ll take the left!”

“Yes, understood.”

With that, they momentarily incapacitated the demons, and Seo Haneul and Lee Yeorum divided to finish them off.

Lee Yeorum pierced the demons’ foreheads and throats with light.

It might sound funny, but it could be considered a somewhat humane ending in its own way.

On the other hand, Seo Haneul used rapidly growing thick plant stems to strangle the demons’ necks or jab them into their throats.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it was much more brutal than what Lee Yeorum did, cutting off their airways in an instant.

[Roar…!]

As the demons’ sizes increased, their resistance to mana also grew.

Not to mention their life force.

The fact that the black bear roared fiercely and charged on all fours was thanks to this.

Although it was commonly referred to as a black bear, it was a completely different species.

“Step back!”

I ran towards the two of them while shouting.

Their compatibility with these demons wasn’t great.

Although they could eventually defeat them with a bit more time than usual, the issue was the time itself.

Unless it was a one-on-one fight, it was better to minimize the time it took.

You never knew when and how other demons might come swarming.

The black bear charging on all fours always looked terrifying.

Especially when it pounded the ground and leaped, swinging its claws so fast that it seemed to blur.

I felt like I was even starting to imagine that it was like a missile with feet.

Perhaps, if my experience and abilities were lacking, I wouldn’t have known how the attack was coming and would have had my head crushed by those massive paws.

“Huff!”

As I narrowly dodged to the side and avoided its paw, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

The blurry silver thread that barely grazed in front of me was so terrifying.

Kwung! It resonated throughout the nearby area like a bomb had just exploded.

The bear, thrown into the air, fell onto the road, and I was the one who made that noise.

The bear seemed unfazed by the enormous impact, as if saying it was in no rush despite its furious gaze.

I took advantage of that moment and quickly climbed onto the bear’s neck in one go.

[Woah!]

The bear roared and leaped to its feet.

With all the more determination, I held the bear’s neck tightly with my two legs.

Not willing to let go.

Despite my efforts, the bear shook its body vigorously, attempting to stretch its front paws backward in any way it could.

But it didn’t manage to bend them backward.

Strangely, the bear, swinging its front paws, looked quite adorable.

[What the heck?!]

I inserted a vibrating needle into the bear’s throat, causing it to tremble as the vibration spread through its body.

It felt as though it was electrocuted, not just due to the vibration.

Amidst this, the vibrations coursing through the needle continued to incessantly stimulate the bear’s insides.

It was like toppling a building with vibrations or sabotaging the bear’s inner workings.

It’s akin to what’s often portrayed in martial arts novels or infiltration scenes from comic books.

As the bear, which had been going wild, progressively vomited blood and stiffened, it eventually collapsed with a loud thud.

When I removed the vibrating needle and checked, it was clear that the bear had breathed its last.

While we were busy dealing with the bear, the two of them kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings, occasionally fending off wild animals that approached.

They either evaded the knights’ gleaming blades or boldly confronted them head-on.

“You did well.”

As I removed the vibrating needle from the bear’s throat, Seo Haneul spoke to me, approaching.

She gazed intently at the dark, thick blood on the tip of the vibrating needle.

“No, you did well.”

“That’s why… It feels like we’ve truly gone back in time. Back to before we made our mistakes.”

Her voice, reminiscent of the past, subtly stirred my emotions.

Kneeling on the ground, lowering her head to seek forgiveness.

Both she and Yiyeo Summer had indeed served diligently.

Whenever money was needed, they provided it without hesitation, and when labor was required, they didn’t spare their efforts.

It was apparent to anyone that their dedication was remarkable.

However, for some reason, it was still difficult for me to fully forgive.

It was difficult, but the thought that I could try to look at it more positively was growing stronger.

“It seems like most of the monsters in this area have been taken care of, right?”

Seoyeon approached me, picking up the remaining thread of light like an echo.

I had the same thought.

Perhaps it was because we were on the same team, and we were still A-class hunters.

“Yes, I think the same.”

As we descended below the black bear, Seoyeon chuckled and said,

“That’s a relief. But are we going to camp here today? It’s a bit too undeveloped.”

Low-key rural houses were scattered around, with dilapidated buildings and dirt roads that were wide enough to be called roads.

It was convenient to move around, but as Seoyeon said, it was also too dangerous.

At least one side should be blocked off for easier defense in case of emergencies.

“We should go a bit further ahead. It looks too dangerous to camp here.”

“Right? Then let’s keep that in mind. But what about this bear? Since it’s a large one, would it be okay to extract some magic stones?”

The magic stones from a large monster.

I couldn’t help but salivate.

Especially considering that I wasn’t someone completely devoid of greed.

“Shall we take it?”

“Then I’ll extract it.”

“Thank you. But are there any injured soldiers?”

Even though the members from the Knights Order were supposed to protect the soldiers, we didn’t know for sure.

So, worriedly asking that, Seoha-neul, who was beside me, answered,

“No. I heard there are none. We have to be careful because they are important individuals.”

If the soldiers responsible for transportation and supply in the Knights Order were injured, it wouldn’t just be a simple problem.

Above all, if ordinary people who risked their lives were injured, it would weigh heavily on our hearts.

That’s why I felt relieved when I heard that they were safe.

“How is Mari?”

From Noble mtl dot com

“Princess… She’s like a fish that has finally found water.”

After finding out Mari’s true identity,

Both Seoha-neul and Seoyeon called her Princess Mari.

It wasn’t just a simple nickname, but her actual princess status was truly resonant.

“I’m glad.”

Charlotte, Mari’s sister, had a somewhat pushy side to her as well.

However, she wasn’t as reckless as Mari, who wielded a sword on the scene.

Still, it was like water under the bridge… there was nothing more to say.

Even though I already knew she had such a personality.

“I’ve pulled them all out.”

This summer, Seeyoung jumped down from the bear with blood on her hands.

Her bloodstained hands had quite large, pitch-black marbles embedded in them.

I closed my mouth for a moment and took out a purification stone from my waist pouch.

“Let’s wash your hands first.”

*

“Is that so? It’s going very smoothly?”

Park Sanghoo, who received a report in his office, laughed heartily.

With things going well, there was no reason not to be pleased.

Moreover, due to an unexpected opportunity, they had conquered the northern territory and as a result, their approval ratings had soared.

The aide who submitted the report nodded slightly in response.

“Yes. There shouldn’t be any major supply issues. The hunters hired by the workshop are working alongside the relief team, greatly improving safety.”

“They are doing it voluntarily, so it’s difficult to provide support. If we did, the hunters we support might become dissatisfied.”

“Even so, we keep emphasizing that point. It’s believed there won’t be a significant issue.”

The technicians in the workshop that made artifacts were quite interested in the corpses of abandoned mausu in the northern lands.

Initially, it was difficult to dispose of the mausu corpses, so they burned them all and advanced. However, due to their suggestions, they started leaving behind one or two corpses.

Thanks to this, the workshop got materials for free, and the punitive force had one less troublesome task to deal with.

Although marbles like these were precious, the journey was too long.

“Even though it’s someone else’s achievement, it’s one more accomplishment to brag to the kids.”

Desire for power is one of the desires of those in power.

And Park Sanghoo was no exception to such a desire.

Moreover, if it could be obtained almost for free and had such a significant impact, even more so.

The aide knew his psychology, so he flattered him appropriately.

“It will definitely happen. Furthermore, just by looking at the marching speed now… there is a high possibility that we can reclaim the entire northern territory before the end of the president’s term.”

“It would be great if that happened. However, if it wasn’t for the one who did this in the first place, this situation wouldn’t have arisen.”

Park Sang-hoo sighed as he thought of the regime that ruled over the northern land before it became a paradise for horses.

It had been a division and war caused by ideology, but in the end, it had all gone to ruin.

“Instead of being greedy.”

But, thanks to that greed, he could achieve great feats.

That’s why it was even more subtle.

Park Sang-hoo cleared his cluttered mind and asked his aide.

“By the way, where is the expeditionary force located right now?”

“According to the report…”

The aide skillfully operated the tablet PC in his arms and displayed a enlarged map of the current operational area.

“Currently, they have reached the Kimchaek area in Hamgyeongbuk-do. After stabilizing Hamgyeongbuk-do, their plan is to head straight towards Baekdu Mountain.”