Chapter 11
Soldiers armed with spears and shields stood in front of the castle gate.
Sir Brown readied his bow atop the walls, loading an arrow to the string.
The reservists also arrived in force.
They weren’t armed with bows, but with stones.
Some had loaded their slings with them.
While the soldiers clashed with the goblin group, I dropped to the ground.
I could still summon Inferno using my fire-attribute aura, but only for a short time.
The strength of a spirit summoner was not needing to fight directly.
From a safe position in the rear, I could refine aura and replenish the energy the spirit consumed.
‘Even if the spirit does the killing…..’
There wasn’t time to think too deeply.
A surge of energy from the slain goblins suddenly flooded into me.
Even though it was Inferno who had destroyed them, the goblins’ death essence flowed toward me.
I wasn’t even sure if what I was receiving was proper energy, but this wasn’t the time to question it.
A dull ache pulsed from my lower abdomen—my dantian,
It was a tight sphere of condensed energy and was on the verge of advancing again.
“Hoooo.....”
A cold breath escaped my lips.
My skin flushed red, and shimmering heat rose from my shoulders—I was radiating intense heat.
“Inferno, burn out their eyes.”
Even from a distance, Inferno heard my command and acted without hesitation.
He and I were linked now, as if our souls had been bound. We shared intense emotions and focused thoughts.
The flames beyond the walls faded.
Instead, Inferno darted among the goblins, setting their eyes ablaze.
KEEEEEK!
Each time the goblins flailed and resisted, a portion of my aura drained.
From the moment we made our pact, Inferno had become a physical entity within this realm, able to deal—and take—real damage.
“We brought you pouches!”
A middle-aged woman shouted, carrying an apron full of leather pouches. Behind her, more women lined up.
Those pouches had been made at my request.
“Reservists, drop the stones! Take the leather pouches! They’re filled with oil, so be careful not to spill them!”
The reservists rushed over, receiving the pouches from the women.
By now, the goblins had reached the base of the castle walls. Fewer than a hundred remained, but some had only just arrived, having fallen behind while charging through the flames. Dozens of them had already been blinded.
“Throw!”
At the command, the reservists hurled the leather pouches. They burst upon impact, splashing their contents over goblin heads and the ground.
Splack! Sssshhh!
The air filled with a rancid stench—it was oil rendered from the fat of beasts and monsters.
“Inferno!”
Inferno didn’t overexert himself.
Wherever he passed, the oil ignited and tall pillars of fire rose.
KEEEEEK!
The goblin group split in two.
Half turned and fled. The rest began to climb the wall in desperation. But now, less than a hundred remained.
“Throw the spears!”
The soldiers killed the goblins attached to the wall with their improved spear throwing skills.
Shhhk! Thud!
Sir Brown struck goblin heads with accuracy, his archery was as refined as ever.
“Open the gates!”
At my command, the soldiers pulled away the wooden gates.
On the other side, goblins surged forward.
Inside, our troops had formed a concave semicircle—shields up, spears at the ready.
As the gates swung open, the goblins poured in.
“Inferno, fire!”
I poured every last drop of aura into the command.
Flames surged in a straight line through the open gate, cutting all the way to the rear of the goblin group.
The goblins it touched were charred black in an instant.
“Attack!”
The soldiers shifted formation. Dropping the encirclement, they switched to a wedge and pushed out beyond the gate, mercilessly stabbing the scorched goblins.
“Inferno, support me.”
—You’re stepping in yourself?
Inferno’s reluctant emotion washed over me. They say that mid-tier and up, spirits can think and feel like humans, and it seemed that was true.
“Just standing around is too frustrating.”
But that wasn’t the only reason. I simply didn’t have enough aura left to continue wielding a mid-tier spirit.
At this rate, I’d collapse from exhaustion before the battle ended.
—Hmph.
Inferno’s snort wasn’t a protest. It was more like a deep breath taken before unleashing his strength.
Flames from Inferno wrapped around my sword. At first, a wave of searing heat radiated from the blade, but it quickly settled into a warm, steady burn. Inferno was shielding me from the spirit fire with his power.
Beyond the castle wall was a mess. The darkness still obscured much of the view, but in the areas lit by the torches and fading fires, goblin corpses and piles of ash were strewn across the ground.
I shouted to the soldiers guarding the gate.
“Drive the goblins out, but stay within the boundaries of the fields! Close the gate as soon as you’re out—we need to be ready for any surprise attacks!”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers charged out. There were no real threats left in the vicinity.
They moved in teams of three. That was a new rule established within the Hebron forces.
What unfolded next was far from a battle.
It was a massacre—completely one-sided.
I also gave chase, using Inferno’s flame to light up the surroundings. Wounded goblins didn’t make it far before being caught and killed by me or the soldiers.
Dawn began to break. A reddish glow spread across the horizon like fire, pushing back the shadows and expanding our field of vision.
Only then could I get a clear look beyond the eastern wall.
“So this is the power of a mid-tier fire spirit.”
—Hmph!
Inferno sounded proud, and I didn’t mind it. He had earned that pride.
‘Still… I need to be more careful with Inferno from now on.’
We had defeated the goblins, but in the process, the eastern fields were ruined beyond use.
Still, it was a successful defense. More than 400 goblins had been killed in this battle.
We stopped our pursuit at the edge of the eastern forest. A few goblins had fled into the woods, but we could regroup and track them later. It wouldn’t be too late.
‘They’ve already lost their power. The eastern forest is as good as cleared.’
Shiver!
Why?
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. Goosebumps prickled across my skin.
I turned toward the forest. Someone—something—was watching me.
I tried to trace the gaze… and then, I met its eyes.
I drew in my aura, enhancing my physical senses. My vision sharpened, and I could clearly see its face.
“….A goblin?”
It was definitely a goblin in appearance.
Small, just like the others—nothing about its build set it apart.
But there was one thing that made it different. A symbol was seared into its forehead. Not a tattoo—more like a brand, a slave’s mark. Someone had burned that pattern into its flesh with a heated iron.
‘Is it… trying to lure me?’
The goblin turned and disappeared into the darkness.
‘That mark….it’s familiar. Where have I seen it before?’
It was two interlocked triangles—one upright, one inverted.
I dug through my memories, but nothing surfaced.
It was a limitation of Louis de Hebron’s intellect. It wasn’t nearly as sharp as Louis de Breio’s.
‘So this is what it’s like living with an average brain. Tch.’
“Everyone, stay here and hold position.”
“Young master, it’s dangerous. We’ll accompany you.”
“No. I can handle this alone. You—go to the wall and bring Sir Brown. The rest of you, clear out the goblin bodies nearby.”
“Yes, sir!”
‘Maybe I should’ve recovered more aura first.’
A wave of dizziness washed over me. My dantian felt hollow.
If I kept pushing, I might pass out again like last time.
Rustle!
The goblin made its presence known again. It stood among the bushes, glaring at me.
Shiver!
Fear gripped me again. I was scared… of a mere fucking goblin.
Its eyes were rolled back, bloodshot and wild.
I steadied my stance.
It was the basic posture of Antaria swordsmanship.
Just by pointing my sword at the goblin, my heart calmed a little.
“If you're trying to lure me out, forget it. I won’t follow you willingly. But don’t think I’ve given up on you either. This is Hebron territory. As long as you remain here, I will find you—and I will kill you, within the next few days.”
The goblin didn’t respond.
Not that I expected it to. It would be strange if a lowly goblin could understand human speech.
“Inferno.”
“—I’ll burn out its eyes.”
Inferno had grown accustomed to my combat style. Like a fireball shot through the air, he launched straight at the goblin’s head.
At the last second, he twisted mid-flight and struck the goblin square in the face.
Swoooosh!
Inferno engulfed the goblin’s entire head in flames.
And yet… it survived.
Its hair and eyebrows were reduced to ash, and its skin shriveled and cracked—but the goblin didn’t so much as flinch. Not a gasp, not a cry.
“Inferno! Dwell into my sword!”
I shouted as I sprinted forward. Inferno glared at the goblin, clearly displeased—then vanished like a snuffed-out candle.
A moment later, he reappeared, his flames spiraling around my sword.
KEEEEEEK!
The goblin charged at me.
Its scorched scalp made the mark on its forehead even clearer now.
Two interlocking triangles, one inverted, one upright—missing the base. And now I saw it: a single dot was stamped right in the center of the diamond-shaped intersection.
‘Where have I seen that before…?’
It was as if someone had poured fog into my skull. The harder I tried to remember, the denser the haze became.
CLANG!
I almost lost my sword.
The strength behind the goblin’s dagger exceeded mine.
SWOOSH!
If the flames had not risen from the sword and burned the goblin’s face, I would’ve been overpowered right then and there.
I quickly summoned more aura, reinforcing my body.
“…..Inferno, return.”
—Hmph. Be careful.
It couldn’t be helped. I didn’t have enough aura to sustain him. Even after Inferno left, my body continued to radiate heat.
CLANG!
We clashed again. This time, I managed to hold my ground, using the reach of my blade against the goblin’s short arms.
I took a quick step back and extended my sword.
The goblin defended. From there, I pressed forward with a flurry of attacks.
CLANG! CLANG! SWISH! SLASH!
One by one, wounds began to open on the goblin’s body. Its skin split, and thick, dark blood oozed out.
Aside from Sir Brown, this was the first time I’d ever had such an extended duel.
‘This isn’t swordsmanship. It’s pure reflex and brutal strength. How can a goblin possess such power?’
I deflected its next strike using Antaria swordsmanship.
Then I dove in, aiming for the gap that followed.
SHHK!
The goblin dodged the decisive blow.
It narrowly avoided a critical hit and immediately began searching for a counter. Once or twice, it even managed to strike back.
‘Tchh!’
I was starting to get injured as well.
My leather armor was shredded like rags, and sharp stings flared from the cuts beneath.
‘The longer this drags on, the worse it gets for me.’
My movements were slowing down. The goblin’s dagger was coated in paralysis venom. I needed to circulate my aura to force the poison out, but I didn’t have time.
GRRCK!
I bit down on my lower lip until blood filled my mouth.
The pain brought some clarity back to my clouded mind.
I forced down the urge to collapse.
Suddenly, countless sword techniques flashed through my head. Through all my studies, I’d come to understand something: Each sword art shone brightest when paired with its matching aura cultivation method. However, they all shared the same foundational movements.
Only a few core techniques remained once the excess was removed.
And in that moment—I saw one clearly.
No… not just saw—I reproduced it.
Not merely imitated—it was flawless, exactly as I’d always dreamed of achieving.
SWOOOOOSH!
It felt as though I’d sliced through the wind itself.
