6. Asher the Coward (4)
#6
The goblins who saw the blood went into a frenzy.
Even from a goblin’s perspective the look on his colleague’s face with the mace stuck deep inside him was disgusting. They all picked up their weapons as if they had made a promise.
-Kyaaagh?!
At that time one pointed towards the altar and screamed. About half of the collected tribute had disappeared. The goblins who had completely turned around screamed and ran out in all directions.
Before long they were able to spot a human figure slowly rising into the air.
-Keaaagh!
“I got caught!”
Asher gritted his teeth and concentrated his mind. He had never tried using telekinesis to levitate his own body before.
In an instant the goblins gathered at his feet jumped up and down stepping on each other’s bodies.
“Kwaaaaaak! “Go away!”
All kinds of weapons grazed my pants. Asher struggling desperately finally reached a height that the goblins could not reach.
He threw his body towards the tree next to him. He was able to hold on to an overhanging branch just in the nick of time by stretching out all the joints of his body.
“Huh…! “Huh!”
Suddenly his thighs felt sore and he lowered his head. Blood was seen flowing through the torn pants.
Asher cried out loud suppressing his welling tears.
“Wow Ronan…! “Wow it came up!!”
At that moment a shadow came out from behind the tree where Asher was hanging.
The shadow rushed straight towards the group of goblins. The goblins who were focused on Asher did not notice Ronan approaching.
Suddenly!
As soon as a silver arc was drawn three heads rose into the air. After making his first stroke Ronan was relieved to realize that his senses were not dulled.
Wow! Once again two heads rose up with fresh blood.
-Kyauk? Kyaaaagh?!
Only then did the goblins realize that there was another intruder. Of course it was none of Ronan’s business so he swung his sword without hesitation.
The body of the goblin that was looking around was split lengthwise.
-Wow…!
Blood splattered out like an explosion soaking everywhere. When the severed half of the body was kicked away the twisted intestines loosened and rained down on the goblins’ heads.
Ronan reached the center of the group and stopped in place.
-Kekerreuk…!
“One…two….”
The play of cruelty was a huge success. The frightened goblins could not easily approach Ronan.
Ronan snapped his fingers and counted the remaining goblins. His arms were already throbbing and he clearly felt the need to strengthen his body.
The first thing you see is thirty-one.
“Fifteen times.”
Ronan assuming the number of swings of his sword kicked the ground and ran away.
****
Dawn is coming. The shadows of the trees and grass were getting longer in the slowly falling sunlight. Birds begin to chirp and animals that wake up stretch out.
It was a time when everything became beautiful. Except for the goblin village that was destroyed overnight and Ronan who was covered in blood.
“Are you hurt?”
“Ugh. I’m okay.”
Asher answered while holding his breath as much as he could. The bloody smell that made you lose your mind was everywhere. The area around the campfire was a mess with dismembered Luna Goblins and their contents.
“Good job.”
Ronan tapped him on the shoulder. Asher shook his head soullessly. Ronan’s battle scene was playing over and over again in his head.
‘What did I see?’
It was literally a nightmarish sight. Ronan portrayed this tragedy with exactly fourteen sword strikes. In a way the massacre without any unnecessary elements was even artistic.
Suddenly Asher felt pitiful about himself.
All he did was follow Ronan’s instructions and climb the tree. Ronan would have undoubtedly achieved similar results even without him.
“But… if this is the case doesn’t that mean you don’t need me?”
“You said that practical sense is important.”
“No it wasn’t that it was dangerous or anything like that… I just felt like it was a distraction to you.”
“I did it because it was something I could do. “In the future there will be many things that only you can do.”
It was as if he was telling us that when ice melts it turns into water. Asher nodded his head hoping that would happen.
“And what is that on your leg?”
Suddenly Ronan asked with a straight face. Asher looked down at his leg and noticed a long gash on his thigh.
“huh? Ah this was earlier….”
“You said you weren’t hurt?”
Asher shook his head as if it was no big deal. He got hurt while climbing a tree but it wasn’t that deep so he deliberately didn’t mention it.
However Ronan looked at the wound with a serious expression.
“Do you know how dirty their hands are? “If you catch even a strange disease you just get sick.”
Ronan suddenly headed to the altar and began rummaging through miscellaneous items. When he returned he held a beautifully decorated bottle in his hand.
“Anyway as long as it shines I’ll take it. “Stupid bastards who don’t even know how to write.”
“What is that?”
“Take care of your wounds.”
Asher did as he was told and held out his wound. Ronan sprayed the liquid in the bottle without hesitation. The area where the liquid touched became warm and the wound healed in an instant.
“Four potions…!”
Asher opened his eyes wide. This was my first time seeing a ‘real’ potion.
I didn’t know the exact price but I knew that to purchase this much potion I would have to pay at least gold coins.
“Wow you’re getting better quickly. I also like this workshop stuff. ‘Holy donkey’ you too remember.”
“Is it okay for me to use this precious thing? “I have nothing…”
“What kind of bullshit is that? “So I’m the one who didn’t get hurt?”
“No I didn’t mean that…”
“If you’re all better hurry up and pack your things. “There is a lot of work to do.”
Ronan opened his mouth and threw in the remaining potion. After hesitating for a moment Asher also started filling the sack.
****
It didn’t take long to fill twenty sacks but the problem was moving them. They walked back and forth between the river and the forest sweating profusely. Ronan let out an exclamation as he looked at the sack floating in the air.
“Oh now I can write while moving.”
“Yeah…but…! “It’s a little… difficult…!”
Asher was able to use telekinesis while moving albeit in an inexperienced manner. He was much more unstable than casting from a floating stance but the important thing was that he was able to do it anyway.
“Anyway I’d like to see what kind of idiots they are. Isn’t that right?”
“huh…? Ah yes…!”
Ronan grunted. He was thinking about the shout that woke the goblins. If you think about it it was all the fault of those unknown people that Asher was injured and that he was covered in blood.
Anyway as we talked time passed quickly. The two men were already moving the last sacks. Asher who was walking forward suddenly stopped in place.
“uh?”
thud! Suddenly Asher’s sack fell to the floor. Ronan asked raising his eyebrows.
“what’s the matter?”
Asher narrowed his eyes and looked at the riverside visible through a gap in the trees.
“…Isn’t that our raft?”
“what?”
Ronan turned his head in the direction Asher’s index finger pointed. There was something floating in the middle of the river. A shabby raft that I have seen many times before. Ronan threw down the sack and ran out.
“Holy crap!”
Asher hurriedly followed suit. Eventually Ronan arrived at the river’s edge and was able to spot a floating raft carrying sacks and two men giggling on it.
“Puhhehehe! “We are rich now!”
“It’s a lucky day for that bird too! “We can become executives now!”
Judging from his behavior he looked like an adventurer or hunter. Their voices were so good that I could easily hear their conversation even by the river.
Asher noticed that the men’s voices were the same as those that had awakened the Luna Goblins.
“It’s that voice! Hey! “Stop!”
“These bastards are no bigger than the balls of an orc!”
Ronan jumped into the water without hesitation and shouted.
“Stand there! “You thieves!!”
“Huh? “I guess there was an owner?”
“I guess so. hey! “We can use this!”
“I will kill you all!”
A vein burst out on Ronan’s forehead. He began to swim with the hilt of his sword in his mouth. Every time he stretched out his limbs a rainbow flickered in the rising spray of water.
“Oh my friend is a good swimmer. But this body’s rowing skills are even more amazing.”
“What the hell are you going to do?”
Ronan’s swimming speed was incredibly fast. However it barely reached the speed of the raft riding the current. The men taunted Ronan by twitching his buttocks.
At that time Asher who was running along the riverside along the raft stopped. Because the terrain was rough he could not go any further. He took a deep breath and stretched out his right arm.
“Huh…Huh…! “I told you to stop…”
The image of the raft was obscured by the palm of my hand. The only spell he knew escaped between his lips.
“Ugh!”
At the same time Asher’s body was dragged towards the river.
****
The first to notice the strange thing was the man rowing.
“Huh? what?”
“what’s the matter?”
“No the raft isn’t moving?”
The men looked at the raft in confusion. On the outside there was no problem but no matter how much I rowed I couldn’t move forward. As if someone was holding it.
“Uh…what do you mean?”
Only then could they see the evil spirit approaching with a sword in its mouth.
“Hey!”
The gap that seemed so distant was quickly narrowing. Ronan’s face which appeared regularly through the spray of water was indescribably hideous.
The men sensing danger hastily drew their swords.
“Oh you’re still young! “There’s nothing to be afraid of!”
“Yes you bastard! “If you value your life go back now!”
Then Ronan disappeared beneath the surface. In the silence that suddenly came the men stood guard with their backs pressed against each other. Only the sound of flowing water and the wind could be heard quietly.
-Pong!
At that time a mullet jumped out of the water. At the same time Ronan who rose up with a splash landed on the raft. The sword he was holding was suddenly in his hand.
“You bastards! “I’ll cut off your hand and stuff it in your ass!”
“Kill the Lord!”
The men rushed in. Asher who had been staring at the raft the whole time turned his head.
The sound of metal clashing soon turned into a desperate scream that echoed across the river.
“Gyaaaaaack-!!”
Ronan would definitely keep his promise. If you search downstream tomorrow morning you’ll find two corpses with hands stuck in their buttocks.
It was a terrible sight that I didn’t want to even imagine but for some reason the corner of his mouth kept twitching.
“Ah…hahaha….”
My lower body was cold. His body was submerged in water up to his waist. He was only able to stop the raft after sinking up to his ankles in the riverbed.
with a splash! Asher’s body fell backwards. Like a doll whose strings had been cut he couldn’t lift a finger. The uneducated boy did not know that it was a mana depletion phenomenon.
He was floating in the water and looking at the blue sky. Ronan’s voice seemed to echo in my ears.
He said there would be a lot of things that only you could do but he didn’t know it would be this fast.
“Good practical experience….”
The river breeze was cool. The sun clearly revealed was dyeing the river golden.
The longest night of Asher’s life has come to an end.
****
“Why is this guy like this again?”
“Ugh…Ronan…I can’t move….”
Ronan rowed back alone.
He picked up Asher who was floating on the water like a jellyfish and laid him out on the raft. Even when I tickled his side he just smiled and couldn’t get up as if he was completely exhausted.
There was blood stains in one corner of the raft. Asher did not bother to ask what had become of his men. Ronan put down his oar and squatted down by his bedside.
“You stopped right?”
“huh….”
“Good job man.”
Ronan began poking Asher’s side again. Asher grinned feeling helpless and satisfied at the same time.
In addition to saying that he did a good job he also praised Asher by pointing out that his skills had improved tremendously.
“Hey stop that! “Thank you so much.”
Asher had exhausted all his strength to laugh and only a sound like wind coming out of his mouth came out. Even in his opinion it was an amazing development.
Until a few days ago it was difficult to even lift a child but now I can stop the heavy raft. Everything that happened last night felt like a long dream.
“Ta-da.”
At that time Ronan held out a sack of wen in front of her. Asher tilted his head.
“huh? “I don’t think this is ours?”
“that’s right. “It’s those thieves.”
As Asher said it was a sack that had never existed before. Unlike the ones the boys brought they were made of much thicker and tougher leather. It was an item left behind by the men who tried to steal the raft.
“They protected this desperately. “I guess I stole something else before I came here.”
“Could it have something to do with the yelling in the forest?”
“You’ll find out when you open it.”
Ronan untied the straps sealing his sack. The knot was tied so tightly that I thought it would be better to cut it.
Ronan finally untied her straps and flipped her shaft upside down. Something blue fell down.
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