59 — Chapter 59

Bloodshot eyes glared at me for a moment before the beast let out a guttural roar, raising its massive battle axe high and slamming it down with terrifying force.

I saw it all as if in perfect clarity. The battle axe was enormous.

KWAANG!—

I leapt back lightly and glanced at the spot where the weapon landed. The ground was caved in, the axe buried deep into the earth. With an annoyed growl, the minotaur yanked it free as if it were nothing, dirt and grass falling away.

“Grrr…”

The soil-stained axe rose again. I kicked a stone up into my hand, channeled inner energy into it, and hurled it toward the weapon.

KAANG—

The stone shattered with a sharp crack, the axe knocked slightly off its arc.

“Graaaah!”

The minotaur bellowed and glared at me like it wanted nothing more than to crush me. I cast it a glance, then bolted toward the open plains. The heavy thump-thump of pursuit rattled the earth behind me.

I sensed the axe swinging again and sprang upward.

CRACK—

A tree ahead of me split apart, felled in an instant. The reach of its arm combined with the weapon’s length was enough to strike even from that distance.

“GRAAAAAH!”

THUD—

Missing me only made it wilder. The minotaur howled, hacking at the air with ferocity as it barreled after me.

The mountains gave way to a wide plain. Ahead, I spotted John and the Black Mage walking side by side—or rather, John chattering away while the Black Mage said nothing.

“Hey, Kain, behind you—watch out!” John’s voice rang as he caught sight of me.

“GRRRAAARGH!”

I stopped my Lightfoot technique and turned. The minotaur roared, battle axe clenched in its left hand, muscles bulging with concentrated power.

With a frame over six meters tall and a killing aura pouring off its body, there was no mistaking it: it meant to throw the weapon.

Throwing while running carried an entirely different force than throwing at rest. And that beast was about to put its entire charge into it.

Behind me stood John and the Black Mage. Was it my job to shield them? No. Let’s see what John could do. If my guess was right, the Black Mage would be fine with him there.

“GRAH!”

The minotaur’s roar was sharp, leaving no echo. Its left arm whipped forward.

WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH!—

The colossal axe spun through the air at blistering speed, cutting the wind as it hurtled straight toward me. The minotaur stopped running, watching me with cold eyes from afar, the pressure of the throw alone crashing against me like a wave.

If I dodged, it would fly right at John and the Black Mage.

I planted my right foot, twisted left, and slipped aside.

The axe roared past, the wind from it tearing at my hair. I swept it back with my hand and looked toward John.

His eyes had caught the axe as well. He shifted swiftly from the Black Mage’s left side to his right, his face turning from its usual grin to an icy mask.

Both hands raised, chakrams crossed before him. He meant to split the force.

KWAANG—

The impact shook the plain. For a moment, sparks even flew. It was impossible to believe that sound came from a clash between a giant axe and two small chakrams.

“Ghhk.”

The Black Mage, closest to the strike, winced and clutched his ears, letting out a strained groan. Even his willpower wasn’t enough to endure that noise point-blank.

But John’s lips curved upward into the faintest of smiles. Cold. Merciless.

I liked it. I liked it a lot.

In the distance, more murmurs and heavy steps echoed closer.

THUNK—

But the sound of the minotaur’s axe crashing into the ground drowned them out. Dust billowed high, swallowing the plain in a choking haze.

“What… was that?”

John’s voice had gone cold. From the sound of it, he’d almost slipped into casual speech before forcing himself back into polite form.

I wiped the smile off my face and looked at him, now back to wearing that icy mask.

“It was a simple test. That’s all you need to know.”

“A test?”

He echoed the word in a doubtful tone, then after a pause, nodded as if it made sense. I left him at that and walked toward the Black Mage.

The mage still looked dazed, hands tucked beneath the deep hood of his robe, rubbing at ears that had gone numb from the earlier blast.

THUMP—THUMP—

The minotaur’s footsteps thundered closer, shaking the ground. I ignored it and kept walking. John didn’t seem all that concerned either.

[Why do you have a Black Mage’s mana?]

I sent the blunt question straight into the Black Mage’s mind with voice transmission. The footsteps grew louder as I drew near.

[A contract. Because I made a contract.]

The reply came through telepathy as the mage still clutched at his ears. A contract with demonkin, then. That made sense—it confirmed he really was a Black Mage.

[Did you contract with a demonkin?]

[…]

No answer. Which meant yes.

THUMP—THUMP—

The minotaur’s tread was right behind me now. I infused my sword with inner energy and slashed lightly as I stared at the Black Mage.

“Grrrk?”

THUD—

The beast gave a low groan before collapsing. A golden blade of sword aura had burst from my strike, cleaving its abdomen on a diagonal. The Black Mage flinched.

“…!”

And John’s startled gaze was obvious beside me.

Sword Aura—the external manifestation of refined mana. Only a Sword Master could unleash it. And golden aura at that. The highest grade.

“He’s… he’s a Sword Master!”

“Go—gold!”

Cries of shock echoed from afar. Always with the “gold” nonsense. I ignored them and pressed the issue with the mage.

[So you’re definitely a Black Mage. But then what’s with necromancy?]

[…Remarkable. Remarkable. I am both Black Mage and necromancer.]

Both?

I supposed it wasn’t impossible. And if he could turn even a minotaur into an undead, then his skill was no joke.

This one was beyond ordinary. Born with a natural talent for the dark arts. Him and John—they’d be my subordinates. Because I’d decided they would be. It was more than logic; it was conviction.

“Kain, you’re a Sword Master?”

John asked, his voice trembling, though he wore his usual easy grin again. He must have pegged me as nothing more than A-rank before.

I gave him a small nod, then sent my will straight to the Black Mage.

[Look into my eyes.]

Even hidden beneath the hood, I could feel his gaze meet mine.

[You interest me. Will you follow me?]

The Black Mage gave no reaction to my sudden voice transmission, standing still as if lost in thought. This wasn’t something to be decided here and now. It would take time. A long time.

But he understood what I meant. That much was certain. And the fact that he was hesitating meant he was already leaning toward agreement.

All I could do now was wait. I had no desire to tempt him with anything else. Still, I should at least leave him with a word.

As I passed by his side, I murmured low enough for only him to hear.

“Do you have a sky? If not, I’ll become your sky.”

The Black Mage trembled, if only for a moment. Think carefully, and give me your answer. Though from the look of him, he could barely protect himself right now.

I turned to John, who was still staring at me intently. If he was going to be my subordinate, I couldn’t let him get hurt.

“John.”

John glanced at the Black Mage beside me, then answered in his usual cheerful tone. His emotions really did swing quickly.

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll protect him.”

The way he said “protect” felt a bit off, but it wasn’t wrong, so I just nodded and broke into Lightfoot, running toward the mountain—then stopped.

I felt it. The aura of minotaurs descending the slope. Eleven in total, coming from all directions.

“Oh? I see them!”

A shout of alarm rang out.

“Grrruk!”

Suddenly, the air was filled with both human voices and the guttural roars of minotaurs.

At the center, the man named Altari barked orders, and soon the fighters paired off in twos and threes, creeping toward the monsters.

This was no longer my solitary hunt. The real subjugation was beginning.

As I spread my inner energy throughout my body, preparing, I heard the Black Mage’s voice. Still eerie, but this time firm—without hesitation.

“I’ll go. I’ll go with you. I….”

He trailed off, wavering for a second.

I hadn’t expected him to decide so quickly. I thought I’d have to wait a day, maybe a week.

“…I… I need a sky.”

So that was it. Good. Then I would be his sky. A sky that soared impossibly high.

I met his gaze but said nothing. Just one look was enough to serve as my answer.

“Go with you? What do you mean?”

John asked curiously. But I didn’t need to tell him. He would follow on his own. I brushed it off as nothing and turned my focus back to the minotaurs.

That settled it. Two recruits secured. No reason to waste more time here. Best to finish this quickly and move on.

I dashed forward, Lightfoot carrying me to the nearest of the massive beasts. It hefted a rusted battle-axe and swung down at me.

The air screamed as the weapon cut through it, crashing down with lethal force. I felt nothing—not fear, not awe.

I poured inner energy into my blade, and golden light bloomed. Dazzling, radiant.

Leaping, I brought the golden blade down, meeting the descending battle-axe head-on.

SHRRK—

The edge of the axe screeched as it split beneath my sword.

“CRAAAHH!”

The minotaur roared and let go of its weapon, swinging its massive fist toward me.

I angled my sword forward, just slightly. Bone and flesh parted beneath the edge, vibrating through my grip.

The beast’s right arm was hacked off grotesquely. Light as a feather, I kicked off the air again, rose higher, and severed its thick neck.

“Grrrk.”

With a wet gurgle, the head toppled to the ground.

Three.

I confirmed the fallen minotaur, then turned toward a new disturbance. A surge of mana flared nearby.

The Black Mage stood with arms outstretched diagonally, chanting.

Powerful magic—judging from the torrent of mana swirling around him. His robe whipped violently as the current gathered.

Other-dimensional mana leaked strangely from his staff, thick and heavy.

Impressive. His mental discipline was immense. Just moments ago he’d been torn with doubt, yet here he was, already conjuring