Chapter 99: A World Unseen (3)

The pursuit continued.

The Kingdom of Hector was always one step behind.

By the time they arrived at the scene, only the cold, lifeless bodies remained, and Roman had already left.

The damage was severe.

Fear began to rise in the soldiers' minds.

The commander of the Ranger Corps, Jackson, appeared.

"Here it ends!"

He had caught Roman off guard.

Without hesitation, Jackson summoned his aura and attacked Roman.

Rumble.

The aura exploded outward.

In that instant,

Roman realized.

That this man, Jackson, was a 4-star swordsman.

Bang!

Boom!

Their swords clashed, creating a powerful shockwave.

The aura that erupted from Roman's sword did not yield to Jackson's attack, and the look of shock on Jackson's face grew as Roman blocked his attacks multiple times.

Roman Demitri was known to be a 3-star swordsman.

But if he could block Jackson's attacks like this, he was at least on par with a 4-star swordsman.

'Roman Demitri has been underestimated.'

A chill ran down his spine.

His actions up to this point.

It seemed clear why Hector's soldiers had been massacred so one-sidedly.

From the 4-star level onward, it was a disaster, and there was no way for ordinary soldiers to stop Roman.

Just like now.

"Help Commander Jackson!"

"Attack!"

Hector's soldiers.

They saw an opportunity and charged.

While Roman and Jackson were engaged, they aimed to strike from behind and deal a fatal blow. Their attacks targeted the blind spots with precision.

Jackson, engaged in a fierce battle with Roman, had no time to look behind. But as he deflected Jackson's attack, Roman swung his sword behind him without looking.

Thwack!

With a single strike,

The soldiers fell one by one.

Roman, who dealt with the danger as if it were nothing, kicked off the ground and immediately pressed the attack on Jackson.

'This guy!'

Jackson's expression hardened.

The ease with which Roman handled the soldiers while fighting him was unsettling.

While it was surprising that Roman was stronger than expected, Jackson's instincts, honed through countless battles, were warning him of something else.

Jackson is a 4-star swordsman.

While it is only known publicly that he is the commander of the Ranger Corps, the true strength of Jackson as an aura swordsman is not widely known.

Therefore,

Jackson's name does not appear on the Kingdom of Hector's ranking.

Jackson chose practicality over fame, and he needed Roman Demitri to show a flustered reaction to his attacks.

Contrary to expectations,

Roman remained calm.

His reaction seemed more like he had anticipated Jackson's strength rather than being surprised by the fact that he was a 4-star swordsman.

Jackson, while pressing the attack, felt an odd sense of unease.

Roman Demitri was clearly trapped, and with his own movements restricted, there was no way for Roman to escape alive.

Yet,

How could he remain so calm?

'Your schemes don't matter. The moment you met me, you lost any chance of escape.'

He suppressed his doubts.

The battle was over.

In the minute Jackson had bought,

Squeal—

"There he is!"

"Surround Roman Demitri!"

Behind Jackson,

Numerous lights were rapidly approaching.

A perfect encirclement.

A sea of people.

Enemies quickly surrounded the area.

Despite only a few minutes of pursuit, the Kingdom of Hector's encirclement had Roman Demitri cornered.

"Surrender now."

Jackson's eyes were fierce.

If Roman continued to resist,

He would have to kill Roman, regardless of the casualties.

For the Kingdom of Hector, it was ideal for Roman to surrender voluntarily, so he gave him time to choose.

"Surrender? That's amusing."

Roman laughed.

As Jackson had expected,

Roman was not surprised by the appearance of a 4-star swordsman.

It was reasonable to expect that he would bring strong allies to attack the Kingdom of Cairo, and Jackson's presence was not a significant variable.

Thus, Roman could remain calm and face him.

While he was certainly not an easy opponent, the situation was within his expectations.

Jackson.

He was confident of victory.

The confidence on his face was based on his belief that he had cornered Roman.

Seeing this,

Roman sneered.

"Even if I surrender, you'll kill me as a dangerous element. But tell me, didn't you find something odd during the pursuit? Why did I enter a trap when I could have avoided it? Why did I draw your attention while wandering through the mountains? There are three reasons. First, the fragments on my body cannot bind me."

Whoosh.

He summoned mana.

As the mana from his dantian circulated through his body, the light fragments that clung to him fell off effortlessly.

It was a shocking scene.

Jackson's eyes widened.

The reason Roman was caught.

His ability to hide in the dark was nullified by the light fragments.

If he could solve this problem so easily, the current situation didn't make sense.

A sense of foreboding grew.

Fear gripped him as he wondered what Roman would say next.

"Second, I am confident that I can escape any encirclement. You'll see. No matter how many of you surround me, you will never catch me."

And,

The last reason.

Roman, looking directly into Jackson's eyes, said,

"The last reason is that I hoped you would be distracted by me and forget something important. Jackson, commander of the Ranger Corps, a powerful figure in the Kingdom of Hector. Your presence here means that Edwin Hector's guard is severely lacking."

In that moment,

Jackson's eyes widened.

His heart sank.

The ominous thoughts that flooded his mind made him kick off the ground in a panic, trying to stop Roman's plan.

But,

It was too late.

As soon as Roman finished speaking, he leaped into the air with a movement that defied human capability, kicking off a tree.

The pinnacle of lightness skills.

He made a fool of everyone who had formed the encirclement.

As he disappeared quickly through the dense trees, Jackson shouted in frustration.

"Damn it! Head to the prince immediately! The prince is in danger!"

A reverse strategy.

Roman had taken a bold gamble.

* * *

Guerrilla tactics.

There are limits to a strategy that wears down the enemy.

At first, he could enjoy the advantage because the enemy underestimated his strength, but once experts like Jackson got involved, he knew it would become difficult.

Roman is not a Heavenly Horse.

While Bai Zhongxue, the Heavenly Horse, could take down all who challenged him, the current Roman Demitri would be in mortal danger if several figures like Jackson appeared.

Therefore,

A plan was needed.

A plan to use his abilities to disrupt the Kingdom of Hector's plans.

'There is only one way to end a war with a small number of people. The enemy's leader. If I kill Edwin Hector, the mastermind behind this operation, the Kingdom of Hector will lose its justification for continuing the war.'

He shifted his gaze.

Edwin Hector.

He was the entirety of Hector.

From that moment on,

Roman deliberately communicated with the enemy to instill fear while using the communicator to track the flow of mana.

'The magical communicator transmits voices through a connection of mana. If I can trace the flow from the communicator to its destination, I can find Edwin Hector. If I can establish contact even once, I won't need to reconnect. By memorizing the unique flow of mana from Edwin Hector's communicator, I can find him with my abilities.'

He outlined the plan.

From start to finish.

Roman's actions were thoroughly calculated.

He contacted the enemy with a specific purpose, tracked the flow of mana, and deliberately fell into the enemy's trap.

Then, he led the enemy around.

To make the enemy, who believed he was cornered, relax, and to make the experts guarding Edwin Hector leave their posts to catch him.

He subtly shook the tail.

Even though he had the ability to shake off the pursuit and escape, Roman risked his life to face the enemy.

A reckless plan.

But,

It was worth trying.

High risk, high return.

On the battlefield, the boldness to decide the outcome was a powerful weapon of the Heavenly Horse Bai Zhongxue.

* * *

The scenery around him passed quickly.

Lightness skills.

His body, empowered by mana, moved like a mountain beast, swiftly cutting through the mountains toward his goal.

The flow of mana.

He could sense it nearby.

Edwin Hector was definitely there.

And as expected,

"Ah!"

"It's Roman Demitri!"

He spotted Edwin Hector.

The guards, startled, rushed to block Edwin Hector, but in an instant, their heads were severed.

Thwack!

The wall crumbled.

Now,

It was time to deal with Edwin Hector.

Just as he was about to behead Edwin Hector,

"……!"

Edwin Hector.

His cold, calm eyes met Roman's.

* * *

After deciding to pursue Roman,

Edwin Hector said,

"Roman Demitri might have anticipated our pursuit and set a trap. At first glance, it seems he is acting spontaneously, but the Roman Demitri I know would never show up without a plan. This operation will inevitably result in casualties. Many soldiers will die in Roman Demitri's traps, but we must pursue him. We need a clear victory, not just a defeat by a mere two hundred soldiers, but a decisive one where we slaughter all the resisting enemies."

A chill ran down his spine.

The moment he stepped into the mountains,

The war began.

No matter who the enemy was or what plans they had, Edwin Hector wanted to win every war.

Especially against a monster like Roman Demitri,

He had to cut off his lifeline.

If left unchecked, he was certain Roman would return as an even greater threat.

"Roman Demitri is like an unbridled calf. He definitely has a plan, but we can't predict his actions. We must focus on one fact: the enemy's objective. If I were Roman Demitri, what would be the most important part? They want to prevent us from taking the southern front within three days. But in fact, there is a simpler way to end the war than setting traps to reduce our numbers."

"…You can't be serious."

Jackson's eyes widened.

Their thoughts aligned.

Edwin Hector and Jackson had the same idea.

"Yes. Killing the commander of the Kingdom of Hector, me. In the chaos of pursuing Roman Demitri, he might decide that killing me is the easiest way to end the war. It's a reckless plan that only a madman would choose. But seeing Roman Demitri reveal his hostility through the communicator, I thought he might actually attempt such an absurd plan."

It was a possibility.

It might not happen.

But if it did,

Edwin Hector believed he could use it to his advantage.

"The soldiers of Hector have risked their lives for the kingdom. And I, too, will become a decoy for the kingdom. If Jackson's pursuit of Roman reveals that I am unprotected, Roman Demitri will think of the only way to quickly end the war."

He, too,

Was a reckless man.

Knowing the danger, he boldly took the gamble.

"The moment Roman Demitri appears before me, we will have a clear opportunity to deal with him."

And now,

Roman Demitri had appeared.

As expected.

An incredibly bold judgment.

Faster than expected, he dealt with the guards and charged.

Edwin Hector used the move he had prepared.

Whoosh.

Mana surged.

But it was

Completely different from the way an aura swordsman would use it.

"Inferno (Inferno)!"

Whoosh.

Rumble.

Intense flames erupted!

Edwin Hector.

The legitimate heir of the Hector royal family, a being blessed by the heavens.

He was a mage.

Boom!

Rumble!