Chapter 17 Chapter 17: Internal Guards
Chapter 17: Internal Guards
Hoo—
Step, step, step.
Pozëmka pressed down on the hood of her cloak; the thick winter clothing somewhat blocked the infiltration of the wind and snow.
The snow was getting heavier and heavier.
This weather was very unusual.
Sensitive as she was, she seemed to sense something from this strange weather, but due to a lack of necessary clues, the fog shrouding her heart remained dense and unresolved, ultimately leaving her with no choice but to let it go.
After several days of travel, Kevin and Pozëmka had already reached a place close to the Ursus border. Along the way, they had encountered almost no signs of human habitation, only passing by one small village.
During their journey following the guerrilla force, having roughly learned what these Ursus troublemakers were like, the two did not make contact with that village.
"Hmm, probably about one more day's journey to Kazdel."
Fiammetta glanced at the map. Perhaps some detailed aspects were not entirely clear, but at least they wouldn't be wrong about the general direction.
"Hmm."
The lightweight combat suit and trench coat were not typical attire for this snowy terrain, but such low temperatures were nothing more than a complete lack of sensation for Kevin.
The heavy snow grew increasingly dense, and within it, there seemed to be a few strands of black mixed in, adding a touch of filth to this pure and biting wind and snow.
Dark, profound black ice shattered the thick snow covering the ground, piercing through the boundless, swirling snowscape. In the blink of an eye, a sharp, exposed killing intent replaced the tranquility of the wind and snow.
At the point where the black ice landed, a black figure revealed itself. While rapidly retreating, his excellent combat instincts allowed him to instantly draw his weapon—a red longsword nearly half a meter in length.
Slash!
A dark red spell attached itself to the longsword—a fierce horizontal slash!
The excessive speed drew a long trail of blade light through the air.
Clang!
A sound akin to metal clashing rang out. The blade cut nearly three-quarters into the ice pillar, but the recoil force transmitted through the weapon caused the red light in the eye sockets of the Internal Guard's helmet to flash rapidly.
Clearly, his mind was not at peace.
Several more black ice pillars shot through the air. The Internal Guard exerted force but was unable to pull out his longsword in a short time. Reluctantly, he abandoned his weapon and retreated again, avoiding the piercing ice pillars.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Apart from this figure, three other figures were also forced out of hiding by the black ice, each employing their own means to protect themselves.
"Only four?"
Blue currents swirled around Kevin's body. With each step he took, an endless stream of black ice erupted from the ground, pushing the Internal Guards into perilous situations.
Only then did he clearly see the somewhat strange attire of his enemies.
A helmet resembling a gas mask concealed their faces. Their black coats resembled military uniforms but were slightly different. Long breathing tubes twitched rapidly with their heavy breathing.
Snowflakes fell onto their coats, turning into filthy black at an extremely fast pace and flowing down like sand grains.
Special forces?
These people who had been tracking him and Pozëmka for a long time gave off a very discordant feeling.
Kevin pondered in his heart, but his attacks showed no intention of stopping whatsoever.
Crackle—
Black ice crystals attacked from all directions, seemingly endless, pressing down on the Internal Guards until they could barely breathe. Since undergoing their modifications, they had never felt such immense pressure from any single individual before.
"Huff! Target is extremely dangerous. Permission granted to activate 'Nation'."
The Internal Guard's helmet was equipped with an earpiece from which the squad Amiya's command came through.
"Third squad encountering powerful enemy. Requesting support."
Under Kevin's indifferent gaze, these Internal Guards suddenly changed direction. Instead of fleeing outward, they turned their weapons toward Kevin and charged at him.
Sharp black ice tore through their coats and pierced their bodies. The splattering blood did not cause their steps to waver in the slightest.
With their swords knocked away, they condensed "black spears." Their life-disregarding attack methods increased their breakthrough speed severalfold.
"Presumptuous tactics."
The tactical objective was obvious. Kevin lightly raised his right hand.
He never enjoyed stories where someone got careless for a moment and then was overturned from a desperate situation. That wasn't combat; it was child's play.
Just as he confirmed they had been tracking him all along and carried that intense sense of discordance on them, Kevin acted without hesitation. There were no questions or declarations; drawn weapons were the best response.
Since their actions were like rats in a sewer, they must have been prepared to be crushed as easily as rats. Going all out was the best respect he could give them.
The density of black ice crystals appearing skyrocketed wildly, forming a hundred-meter wave within seconds!
It blotted out the sky and covered the earth! Under this wave, a massive shadow enveloped them—along with their trembling hearts!
The faces beneath the Internal Guards' masks froze almost instantly; their breathing stopped. Was this level of skill really something a human could master?
They hacked through thorns and brambles with their longswords, but with each strike, those ice pillars remained as strong as the initial ones—unable to be severed in one blow. There was absolutely no decrease in strength due to the increase in quantity!
(Kevin-brand ice maker: guaranteed quality and quantity!)
A despair-inducing gap!
The Internal Guards finally realized this: before this man, they had no chance to activate "Nation" at all.
The wave of black ice crystals pressed down; they didn't even manage to stir up a single ripple.
Step.
Kevin's foot landed on the ice surface. Several lifelike ice sculptures stood erected on the icy plain; one could vaguely make out their combat postures from when they were alive.
The legendary "Face-Destroying Witch-Monsters" of the northern plains, Ursus's guardians, "the Emperor's Blades"—were just that easily sealed away here.
"That strange thing... is this?"
Kevin's gaze penetrated through the ice surface, through their coats and skin, "seeing" that restlessly rolling black mist.
At the moment Kevin saw "it," "it" also saw Kevin.
As if smelling some trait on Kevin's body, that black mist could no longer restrain its chaotic excitement.
The reason why the Internal Guards had targeted Kevin was precisely because of the abnormal activity of the evil fragment within their bodies—an unprecedented craving and excitement. Since such a situation had never occurred before, the Internal Guards misjudged Kevin's circumstances, ultimately leading to their demise here!
Finally, when that craving reached its peak, "they" actually surged frantically toward Kevin's direction through the tears in the Internal Guards' military coats.
Almost simultaneously with those four masses of black mist moving, indistinct murmurs sounded in Kevin's ears, trying to instill something into him.
Yin-cold! Indescribable!
Thousand hands and hundred eyes! Foul-smelling long limbs!
"Boring tricks."
Kevin shook his head. All murmurs in his ears vanished in an instant.
Indescribable shadows were burned to ashes by fiercely blazing calamity flames.
A "beast" claw descending from the sky grasped an object resembling a lantern and slightly lowered it. Rippling fluctuations swept away all twisted, foul-smelling monsters cleanly. A lofty will looked down upon these insects daring to provoke its "domain."
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