Night Crawler (5)

“Orcs and nagas, huh.”

Azadine watched the scene unfold, piercing through the darkness. An orc in a wheelchair emerged from the outpost, with several nagas standing behind him.

“Do you recognize anyone, Shati?”

“W-wait. I can’t see that far.”

Shati rummaged through her belongings and pulled out something surprising—a pair of glasses.

“Huh?”

Azadine blinked in astonishment.

“Glasses? Wow, that’s the first time I’ve seen those.”

“Us Aragasa have great eyesight, you know.”

“Quiet down. The nagas might have poor eyesight, but their ability to sense presences is phenomenal.”

Shati adjusted her glasses and scrutinized the nagas at the outpost, her brows furrowing. She couldn’t tell exactly who they were, but she had a hunch about their affiliation. However, revealing that to Azadine and his group would be considered treason against her own kind.

‘Is there no way I can bluff my way out of this? Probably not….’

As she mulled over her options, Azadine spoke.

“You look like you’re scheming something shady.”

“This naga is useless; let’s just kill her.”

Mediam and Ismail’s distrust of Shati grew palpable.

Casually throwing out threats to kill her left Shati offended. Other than Azadine and Brand, everyone—including the Holy Knight Zebec and the Messenger Clan’s Mediam and Ismail—seemed to detest her. Their desire to kill her wasn’t just talk; it carried a hint of sincerity.

“Hey, wait a minute! I healed you all, didn’t I? That was pretty useful, wasn’t it?”

“Even so, if you’re blatantly lying….”

“I haven’t lied yet!”

“Not yet? So, you’re planning to lie?”

Cornered, Shati turned to Azadine for help.

“Can you do something about these people? Why are they so hot-headed?”

“Can you identify those nagas or not?”

“I told you, my eyesight isn’t great. But… they’re probably a Heavenly King’s Book retrieval team.”

“Heavenly King’s Book retrieval team? Does this attack have something to do with the Book?”

“The Book tends to reveal itself when you humans suffer.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Azadine was baffled, though the notion wasn’t entirely foreign to him. In the past, he had acquired copies of the Heavenly King’s Book in moments of human suffering, sometimes with the aid of spirits of the dead. Even during the Mezerry Apostles’ tortures, he had seen the Book emerge amidst the carnage.

“What’s the principle behind it? And where exactly is the Heavenly King’s Book located?”

When Azadine asked, Shati shrugged.

“I don’t know the exact principle. I only know what the higher-ups told me. Maybe a proper researcher would know.”

“Then perhaps interrogating that orc would be faster.”

Azadine observed the orc in the wheelchair as it moved out of the outpost. Likely dissatisfied with the undead’s performance, the orc was climbing a nearby hill to get a clear view of the situation.

Azadine had anticipated such a scenario and placed Mediam and Ismail in ambush positions.

“The orc is within arrow range. What should we do?”

Ismail sought Azadine’s instructions.

“Shoot to kill. Not that it’ll die from this, anyway.”

At Azadine’s command, Ismail and Mediam enchanted their arrows and fired. Azadine himself nocked an arrow, and the three of them launched their shots simultaneously, utilizing their Messenger Clan two-stringed bows.

Shati watched the scene with dismay. Their arrows were as deadly as thrown spears. If a naga, even with its regenerative abilities, were ambushed with such arrows, it would likely sustain critical injuries. As for the orc sitting defenseless in the wheelchair, survival seemed impossible.

Shati dreaded continuing under Azadine’s control, and it appeared this ambush would end things decisively.

But then, something unexpected happened.

Orcs often tried to extend their lifespans by minimizing movement. However, most couldn’t achieve that dream. The enormous amount of food required to sustain themselves necessitated physical activity, which, in turn, led to increased muscle mass and hastened their decline.

In such circumstances, necromancers sought ways to avoid overexerting their bodies using necromancy. But this reliance made them vulnerable to ambushes. Lying motionless or relying on a wheelchair, like Scott McGreen, left them exposed to sneak attacks.

To mitigate this weakness, Scott had forged a contract with the malevolent and unpredictable wraith, the Night Crawler. In exchange for protecting him in critical moments, he agreed to pay a steep price upon achieving results.

Only master necromancers could command a Night Crawler, and among orcs, such individuals were rare. Scott’s reputation as a genius necromancer stemmed from his ability to wield the Night Crawler at will.

As the shadowy wraith materialized, the six arrows flying toward Scott were intercepted. Two of the arrows, imbued with magic, caused the Night Crawler visible pain, as it let out a tortured wail.

“Argh?!”

Scott only realized he was being ambushed after the initial volley. More arrows followed, but the Night Crawler, now fully manifested, swatted them away with its shadowy limbs. The demon-like form of the black shadow deftly blocked the incoming projectiles.

“Enough!”

Scott summoned zombies and ghouls to form a defensive barrier around himself and attempted to dismiss the Night Crawler. While grateful for the wraith’s intervention, its mere presence demanded an immense cost.

‘No need to waste the Night Crawler’s power on post-ambush attacks!’

Scott suppressed the Night Crawler and contacted the nagas.

“We’re under attack! Intruders are here, snake-heads!”

“What?”

“Where?”

The nagas emerged, ready to respond.

“Damn it… we should’ve killed him this time.”

Azadine gritted his teeth in frustration, furious that the orc necromancer had survived the attack. They had launched six arrows in a concentrated assault, but a massive black shadowy giant had appeared and blocked them all.

The necromancer was more skilled than anticipated. Although Azadine had been wary because the enemy was an orc, he hadn’t expected to face someone of this caliber.

“What the hell is that thing? It’s a terrifying monster.”

The shadow wraith was so dreadful that just glimpsing it made one’s hair stand on end. If they were to confront it directly, the battle would come at a heavy cost.

“That monster must also be a burden on the caster. Let’s keep firing!”

Mediam suggested as she launched another arrow. However, the enemy was now fully prepared. The corpses of the villagers surrounded the orc, forming a perfect shield. Even the powerful bows of the Messenger Clan couldn’t pierce through the bodies to injure the necromancer from such a distance.

“This won’t work. You two keep attacking. I’ll move in closer.”

Azadine turned to Shati.

“Me? No way! Absolutely not!”

Though Shati had been forcibly cooperating with Azadine, it was purely out of coercion. While she could provide healing or offer information to survive, directly helping to fight her fellow nagas was unthinkable.

“Don’t worry, Shati. Your presence alone is a great help. Now, transform into your naga form.”

Azadine spoke in a calm tone as he hoisted her onto his shoulder.

“Ahh! You warm-blooded brute! Where do you think you’re touching?!”

Shati screamed in indignation as Azadine lifted her.

“Transform into your naga form now. You don’t want your kin mistaking you for a human and killing you, do you?”

“Ugh, damn it!”

Reluctantly, Shati shed her human form and transformed into her naga form. With her snake-like tail now revealed, Azadine carried her and began running toward the enemy.

“…….”

For a moment, Shati considered strangling Azadine with her tail. However, as if anticipating her thoughts, Azadine pulled a dagger from his belt and subtly concealed it against his wrist.

If she tried to constrict him, he would undoubtedly slice her apart with that blade.

‘Maybe I should hold off and see how things unfold.’

While Shati hesitated, Azadine ran forward, carrying her on his shoulder.

“Huh?”

Scott, the orc necromancer, noticed a man running toward him carrying a female naga.

“Help me!”

The man shouted, appearing to protect the naga as he swung his sword to deflect incoming arrows.

“……?”

“What the hell is that?”

“It’s obviously a snake-head. Does that mean the man is one too?”

“No, our agents aren’t stationed in this area. And that’s no civilian naga.”

But the man was unmistakably carrying a naga.

“Could that be one of the operatives sent to Count Salasma?”

“Oh, maybe?”

The nagas exchanged glances, recalling that some naga operatives had been sent to Count Salasma in exchange for a copy of the Heavenly King’s Book.

“Is this one of the survivors? At this timing?”

“Hmm.”

The nagas pondered. The circumstances seemed to align, but the timing felt suspicious.

“For now, let’s support them.”

“But don’t let them in too far.”

“Tch. If the leader were here, they’d know for sure.”

The nagas muttered and cast a spell, causing vines to grow and form a barrier behind the man carrying the naga.

‘This is bad.’

Shati realized Azadine’s plan and was horrified. This man intended to disguise himself as a naga to infiltrate the group.

By revealing Shati as a naga, he had likely convinced the others that he was merely a fellow naga in human form. The nagas would never suspect him to be a real human.

‘This is a disaster!’

Even though her life was being threatened by Azadine, allowing him to deceive her people felt like an act of betrayal. If she didn’t act now, the nagas would never forgive her once the truth came to light.

‘But if I try anything now, I’ll be killed on the spot.’

Azadine wasn’t unarmed. He was ready to cut her down with the hidden dagger the moment she made a move.

‘Even if I reveal his identity now, I’ll just die while he escapes.’

Having witnessed Azadine’s skills firsthand, Shati knew that exposing him at this moment would only result in her death. He would likely escape unscathed.

‘It’s better to wait until we’re deep in the midst of the nagas and the undead. I’ll expose him there. But… am I making this decision out of rationality, or is it just fear of this man?’

Shati was unsure about her decision. As she wavered, Azadine drew closer to the orcs and nagas.

“Phew, you saved me.”

Azadine said in mock relief.

“Hold it!”

The orc necromancer interrupted, addressing Azadine directly.

“Drop your weapon and don’t come any closer. We can talk from a distance, can’t we?”

“…….”

The orc’s caution prevented Azadine from getting too close, much to Shati’s relief.

‘Orcs really are as smart as they say. Truly living up to their reputation. Thank goodness.’

The nagas approached shortly after.