Chapter 49: Trial V

The battle continued for several more exchanges.

The Guard Captain tried to regain the initiative by changing his fighting style. His sword moved quickly, targeting the gaps in his opponent’s armor. However, the heavily armored man seemed completely unconcerned by his attacks.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Sparks flew as the sword struck the black armor.

The Guard Captain managed to land several clean hits, but none of them caused any significant damage.

"Is that supposed to hurt?"

The armored man laughed and swung his battle-axe again.

The Guard Captain quickly raised his sword, but the force behind the attack sent him stumbling backward.

His boots scraped against the ground as he struggled to regain his balance.

’This isn’t good.’

The middle-aged knight watching nearby clenched his teeth.

He had been hoping that the Captain’s arrival would turn the situation around. However, it was becoming increasingly clear that their strongest fighter was at a disadvantage.

"Captain!"

He wanted to rush forward and help, but several masked attackers were blocking his path.

The situation was no better for the other knights.

They were already struggling against the attackers, and the sudden appearance of another Tier 3 expert had made things even worse.

Meanwhile, the armored man continued pressing his advantage.

"What’s the matter? You were quite confident just a moment ago!"

He brought his battle-axe down once more.

The Guard Captain barely managed to dodge, but the axe struck the ground beside him, sending chunks of earth flying in every direction.

Before he could recover, the armored man stepped forward and delivered a powerful kick.

BAM!

The Guard Captain was sent several meters backward.

He crashed into the side of a damaged wagon, causing the wooden structure to collapse.

"Captain!"

Several knights shouted in alarm.

The armored man rested his battle-axe on his shoulder.

"How disappointing. I expected more from the person responsible for protecting this merchant group."

The Guard Captain slowly pushed himself up.

His breathing had become heavier, and blood was flowing from a wound near his forehead.

However, he still managed to stand.

"Don’t get too carried away..."

He wiped the blood from his face and tightened his grip on his sword.

"I’m not finished yet."

"HAHAHA! That’s the spirit!"

The armored man seemed delighted.

"Come on! Show me everything you’ve got!"

Liam watched the exchange with a neutral expression.

’He’s quite persistent.’

However, his attention soon shifted away from the two fighters.

Something had changed.

The masked attackers were still fighting the knights, but their movements had become noticeably more organized. Some were deliberately keeping the knights occupied, while others were moving toward the merchant wagons.

Liam narrowed his eyes.

’Now that’s interesting.’

Until now, the attackers had concentrated most of their efforts on eliminating the escort team. But a few of them were finally approaching the merchants.

He glanced toward the wagons.

Several merchants were hiding behind them, while a few guards desperately tried to keep the attackers away.

’If their objective was simply to kill everyone, they wouldn’t need to be so careful about the wagons.’

Liam looked toward the fallen tree blocking the road.

Then he remembered the strange markings carved beneath it.

’Could those markings have something to do with the ambush?’

He didn’t have enough information to reach a conclusion yet.

Beside him, Miriel was still watching the battle.

"Shouldn’t we help the Captain?" she asked.

"Why?"

Miriel turned toward him.

"He’s clearly losing. If he dies, the entire escort team might collapse."

"That’s possible."

"Then shouldn’t we do something?"

Liam gave her a brief glance.

"You’re free to help if you want."

Miriel hesitated.

"You’re not coming?"

"I haven’t seen anything particularly interesting yet."

"You’re unbelievable..."

Despite her complaint, Miriel didn’t immediately move.

She looked toward the Guard Captain, who was once again exchanging blows with the armored man.

After a moment, Liam spoke again.

"Besides, there’s something else you should pay attention to."

"What?"

"The attackers."

Miriel followed his gaze.

"What’s wrong with them?"

"Look at their movements. They aren’t simply trying to overwhelm the knights anymore."

She observed the battlefield more carefully.

A few masked men were moving around the wagons, while others were preventing the knights from approaching them.

"Are they trying to capture the merchants?" she asked.

"Perhaps."

Liam smiled faintly.

"Or perhaps they’re looking for something."

Miriel looked at the wagons again.

Before she could ask another question, a loud scream came from the rear of the caravan.

"HELP!"

A merchant stumbled out from behind one of the wagons, desperately trying to escape from a masked attacker.

The attacker raised his dagger and moved to finish him.

However, before the blade could reach its target, a silver streak flashed across the battlefield.

CLANG!

A sword struck the dagger aside.

The masked attacker staggered backward, surprised by the sudden interruption.

Miriel stood between him and the merchant, her Blue Moon Fairy Sword held firmly in her hand.

"Don’t worry. I’ll protect you!"

The merchant stared at her in disbelief.

Liam watched her for a moment before shaking his head.

’So much for just observing.’

He casually looked toward the remaining attackers.

’Well, I suppose it’s time to see what this scenario has prepared for us.’

The masked attacker quickly recovered from his surprise.

"Another one wants to die?"

He tightened his grip on his dagger and charged toward Miriel.

Miriel calmly raised her sword.

She had already reached Level 60, and with all her skills maxed out, her combat ability was considerably higher than that of an ordinary Tier 1 fighter.

Even without considering her equipment, she was more than capable of handling these attackers.

The man swung his dagger toward her neck.

Miriel tilted her head slightly and stepped aside.

At the same time, her sword moved.

[ Sword Saint Art: First Style — Crescent Moon! ]

A curved sword arc flashed through the air.

The masked attacker froze for a moment before a thin line of blood appeared across his chest.

His body fell to the ground.

Miriel glanced at the fallen man before turning toward the merchant.

"Are you injured?"

The merchant shook his head repeatedly.

"N-No! Thank you, Sir Knight! You saved my life!"

"Then stay behind the wagons. Don’t come out until the fighting is over."

Miriel turned back toward the battlefield.

However, before she could take another step, several masked attackers noticed her.

"There’s another knight over there!"

"Take her down!"

Three men immediately changed direction and rushed toward her.

Miriel tightened her grip on her sword.

’Three of them...’

She wasn’t particularly worried.

The first attacker approached from the front, while the other two tried to surround her from either side.

Their coordination was decent, but their movements were far too predictable.

Miriel moved first.

Her sword flashed, forcing the man in front to retreat. Before the other two could close in, she shifted her position and avoided their attacks.

[ Triple Strike! ]

Three consecutive sword strikes swept across the battlefield.

The first attacker barely managed to block the opening strike. However, the remaining two passed through his defenses and struck his body.

He collapsed with a groan.

The other two men hesitated.

They hadn’t expected their opponent to be this strong.

"She’s not an ordinary knight!"

"Don’t let her use that sword technique again!"

Miriel frowned slightly.

’They’re getting annoying.’

She raised her sword, preparing to attack again.

Meanwhile, Liam continued watching from a short distance away.

’Her movements have improved.’

He could clearly see the difference between her current swordsmanship and the way she had fought before reaching Level 60.

Her attacks were more precise, and she was making better use of her attributes.

Of course, she still had room for improvement.

But considering how recently she had reached her current strength, her progress was acceptable.

Liam shifted his gaze toward the Guard Captain.

The situation there had become even worse.

The Captain was now struggling to defend himself against the armored man’s relentless attacks. His swordsmanship was still more refined, but his opponent’s strength and defensive capabilities were gradually overwhelming him.

’He won’t last much longer.’

Liam wasn’t particularly concerned about the Captain’s survival.

However, he was interested in the reason behind the ambush.

The attackers had already gained a considerable advantage. Yet, instead of immediately finishing off the remaining knights, they were gradually spreading throughout the caravan.

Their movements were too deliberate.

’They’re definitely searching for something.’

His gaze moved across the wagons.

There were several merchants, a few injured guards, and numerous wooden crates. Nothing immediately stood out.

Then Liam noticed something.

One of the masked men had separated from the others and was heading toward a wagon near the rear of the caravan.

Unlike the other attackers, he wasn’t carrying a weapon.

Instead, he held a small black object in his hand.

Liam’s eyes narrowed.

’What’s that?’

The man looked around briefly before climbing onto the wagon.

He then placed the black object against its wooden surface.

A faint purple glow appeared.

Liam watched silently.

A moment later, the markings beneath the fallen tree began glowing with the same purple light.

’Oh?’

A small smile appeared on his face.

’So the markings are connected to that object.’

He finally understood why the attackers had blocked the road with a fallen tree.

It wasn’t simply to stop the caravan.

They had prepared something beforehand.

However, Liam couldn’t determine what it was just by observing the markings.

He was about to investigate further when a sudden disturbance caught his attention.

The middle-aged knight who had been fighting near the front of the caravan suddenly shouted.

"Protect the rear wagons! Don’t let them get near the supplies!"

Several knights immediately tried to move toward the back.

Unfortunately, the masked attackers intercepted them.

The man holding the black object ignored the commotion and continued what he was doing.

A faint purple light spread across the wagon.

Then, a strange vibration passed through the ground.

Liam’s expression became slightly more interested.

’This should be worth watching.’

He glanced at Miriel.

She was still occupied with the remaining attackers, but she seemed to be handling them without much difficulty.

Liam decided not to interfere just yet.

After all, he wanted to see what would happen once that object was fully activated.