Savage Ascension: Starting with God-Tier Plunder Ability-Chapter 75: I Was Getting Tired of Waiting

Close combat broke out. Rowan tried to create gaps to use his secret technique more effectively, and Gulliver did the same. Of course, in that fight, Rowan had to concede a point.

’Damn. Even if he’s a knight!’

Like cracking thin ice, it slightly scraped past the helmet’s eye hole. The fortunate thing was that it didn’t reach his eye. The reach was short.

That wasn’t because Rowan’s evasion went well.

It was because Gulliver himself was mistaken about his own reach. Because his body wasn’t composed of muscle and flesh but only bones, his living reach was useless. It was shorter than that.

[You’re lucky.]

It was also an exchange where Rowan clearly realized that beating Gulliver in the realm of swordsmanship was nearly impossible.

’I can’t delay any longer.’

In the end, Rowan used a secret technique on Gulliver, who stood upright maintaining balance without a single gap.

The arrangement Sturm rausch (Storm Rush) of Wie ein Pferd (Like a Light Horse) that knight Cedric Gerald had in the mural for Gulliver Alastor who died falsely accused—it poured out through Rowan’s body.

Ta-da-dat!

Light footwork. It brought to mind a boxer’s movement, but was more explosive than that. Because of the armor, weapon, and armor’s weight. Because body weight was high, naturally to achieve lightness required greater strength.

Rather than a horse’s movement, like a bull’s hind legs produced. Explosive muscles were no different from rocket engines. But what mattered was moving in succession with very small strides. There was the advantage of being able to have great power over balance while moving steadily.

Running meant balance easily crumbled. But Wie ein Pferd was a method of approaching through light footwork like running on four legs. That could be used front-back and left-right.

"Hup!"

Even in the movement instantly shifting from left to right, Gulliver Alastor precisely used his secret technique through the longsword raised to upper stance.

Hals Ausfuhrung (Neck Execution).

The longsword precisely struck down the round shield. The essence of technique achieved in that moment of sharply moving left-right. Impossible accuracy. Like striking down a tennis ball whizzing past sideways with just one wooden stick.

Essence of technique.

Thunk!

Nevertheless, Rowan had the advantage. Ironically, the blind spot possessed by the secret technique Hals Ausfuhrung, Neck Execution itself that Gulliver Alastor used appeared.

The longsword was the most popular weapon showing destructive power at the level of tearing apart chainmail in medieval times. Popular meant most Europeans used longswords.

Neck Execution was a secret technique through such longsword’s destructive power. Striking down the opponent’s shield, forcibly tearing away the guard, then taking the neck—a simple ignorant downward strike. But it was never simple. Striking the round shield of an opponent explosively moving left-right in front was crazy.

Because the round shield forming a gentle curve could deflect even the strongest downward strike. Just hearing the loud striking sound without that happening, Gulliver Alastor’s level could be known.

"Haah!"

’The strength is weak! This is the chance!’

However, his body was composed only of bones. He couldn’t produce strong force. That was the fatal mistake. Rowan fiercely struck Gulliver’s upper body with the shield as is. Even as ribs broke and scattered, Gulliver’s lower body moved as habit dictated.

He lowered his height to not lose balance. Like small people enduring shaking more easily than tall people. Even in bent knees, he attempted counterattack. The pelvis twisted and the body moved to the opposite side of the shortsword relatively.

Scraaape!

Rowan’s shortsword just scraped past the side of the neck.

’Even striking the upper body, he won’t fall!’

The longsword stabbed toward Rowan’s shoulder. If it hit, he’d drop the round shield as is. But Gulliver’s confident counterattack instantly became a mess.

Clatter!

The brown wolf Dono bit the spine in one go. Biting so even the inner molars went in fully. Gulliver staggered as is. From the front, Rowan was applying force, and from the side Dono charged in, completely twisting body balance.

Slash!

The shoulder leather armor tore violently and blood spurted. Rowan abandoned weapons and shield in both hands and roughly grabbed Gulliver’s head and spine inside the broken ribs with his hands, falling to the floor.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

He head-butted. The helmet shook greatly, making it impossible to confirm vision. The longsword struck Rowan but with pathetic destructive power. Gulliver’s left hand in a fist striking the lower jaw was useless. Arm strength wasn’t as great as expected.

It was endurable.

"Uaaaah!!!"

Meanwhile, the wolf Dono shook his head to tear off the arm’s joint, then swiftly went elsewhere, crossing over Rowan’s head to tear off the remaining arm too.

"Huff! Huff! Urgh!"

When the sensation of colliding with the skull greatly disappeared, only then did Rowan back away. He adjusted the helmet. He saw the skull smashed to pieces.

Gulp.

He swallowed and checked his shoulder. Even though it was a part protected by leather, blood was gushing.

’Damn it.’

Holding his shoulder, he turned his gaze down. The undead knight slowly crumbled, then all bones turned to powder. The heaped powder disappeared by the wind flowing from below. What remained was just one longsword and torn knight’s clothing.

Rowan first gave emergency treatment. He meticulously washed away blood with a leather pouch containing water, applied herbs to block the wound hole. He sewed using thread and needle.

"Ahhurg."

The pain was maddeningly severe. Nothing hurt more than directly touching your own wound. Rather, if someone else had treated it, it wouldn’t have been this painful.

Each time he stabbed the wound area with the needle, it felt like getting burned. He sprinkled a bit of alcohol on the sutured swollen area.

"Ughhhh!! Uuurgh!!"

He squeezed his eyes shut and trembled. Next, he sprinkled crushed herbs. Because it caused numbness, within dozens of seconds Rowan regained peace. He wrapped it tightly with bandages. He had to do all sorts of things like biting with teeth.

But he was skilled. Because he’d practiced quite a bit alone. Black Mountain Village was a more boring place than expected, so even bandage wrapping practice was fun.

’I even put in some situation roleplay.’

That’s how it was then. After treating the wound, he gathered the longsword and knight’s clothing. Though not particularly good quality, it was essential for Rowan. If someone asked about secret techniques, it could be evidence. The longsword pleased Rowan’s heart fully just by performance alone.

Especially, Elastisch Zerstorung (Elastic Destruction) that Gulliver Alastor showed seemed usable only through this longsword. That’s how much the sword had significant characteristics.

’A famous sword? Maybe.’

The black smoke that had thickly pervaded the surroundings had disappeared before he knew it. Rowan investigated the tomb a bit more closely, but nothing came out.

One gold ring and 10 silver ornaments. No different from obtaining value of 130 silver coins in one shot.

’Why didn’t Rakson open Gulliver’s coffin?’

There was the possibility he mistook the patterned door for a wall because his eyes opened wide at secret techniques. How much must he have enjoyed it, telling made-up settings each time teaching secret techniques?

’Son of a bitch.’

Rowan, who cursed strongly, burned Rakson’s secret manual straight away by gathering firewood outside the knight’s tomb. He felt nothing but deceived. If only Rakson had told even a bit of truth...

Rowan shook his head. He drove deeper that weak self trying to give such leeway.

The longsword had no scabbard, so he had to wrap it round and round with spare clothes. Inspection wasn’t difficult. Because he’d received a mercenary badge. Though there were patterns on the sword handle’s guard part, because it looked no different from an ordinary longsword, the soldier didn’t make an issue.

Even seemingly perfect inspections became habits of only looking at big things because many people came—that was Torch Fortress’s inspection. Especially because Rowan was connected to Skull Mercenary Group’s Yuval, some soldiers remembered.

Also easy to remember because Rowan traveled with a wolf.

Rowan who returned before evening trained in the small yard attached to Merein’s house in the outer wall area’s outskirts while waiting for the two. He exercised only other body parts excluding the wounded arm.

"You arrived early today."

Merein spoke with a tired expression while holding food. Rowan naturally carried Merein’s luggage. In his previous life, he had grown up with two older sisters in a family where his mother held authority. Consideration for women was ingrained in his spirit.

"Oh, thanks."

"Don’t mention it. Why’d you buy so much? Someone coming?"

"One or two showed quite a bit of interest. Don’t know if they’ll come though. Bounty hunters are considered dangerous. Even confident guys hesitate."

Merein gave Rowan another piece of information. So Rowan could understand why Yuval had proposed recruiting him. Even with little experience, Rowan had fairly above-average combat power. He had modesty himself and good social skills, so little discord.

For a mercenary captain, Rowan was a good mercenary to employ without trouble.

Looking at how she even brought alcohol, she seemed to have told the mercenaries she was trying to recruit to have drinks. But whether the pressure bounty hunters carried was considerable, even after evening preparations were done after Yuval came, not a single person came.

"Is recruiting normally this hard?"

Yuval shrugged.

"It varies each time. Just come to our mercenary group. Isn’t it hard to know a mercenary group’s workings with just once or twice?"

Rowan chuckled. Today’s meal was also debt.

"Tomorrow, I’ll put in even a greenhorn to do something."

"I sincerely hope so."

When Yuval raised his drink, the other two also raised theirs.

"For Rowan’s successful success."

Rowan quickly stood.

"For the mercenary group’s quick recruiting."

Laughter escaped from the house. But they absolutely didn’t drink until drunk. A bounty hunter’s sorrow. Rowan also enjoyed alcohol moderately and entered his room.

’Yuval’s offer is appreciated, but I don’t want to operate under him.’

It was a decision made because he’d seen his disposition and actions.

Falling asleep, Rowan had a black dream.

The right arm submerged in the floor still had only one finger sticking out. There weren’t many black doors. No, only one. But it was clearly different from before.

[Hehe. You’ve finally come. I was getting tired of waiting.]

"Gulliver Alastor..."

In front of the black door. At the place where black smoke puffed out, a knight stood upright. It wasn’t the skeleton knight seen at the knight’s tomb. He had vibrant bronze skin glowing with vitality, and red hair like thick red blood color came down to his shoulders.

Emerald-colored pupils were so different in color from bronze skin they looked artificial.

Sturdy build. Separate from the thick heavy armor on chest and legs, both arms wore leather protectors. House Alastor’s crest coming down from the neck’s breastplate was drawn on thick wool and hung swaying down.

"How?" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

[I can’t tell you that. If you want my power, I’ll give it to you. But there’s something you must do instead.]

Seeing the knight getting straight to the point without preface or conclusion, Rowan’s expression crumpled. Because he had to obtain abilities through the black door, but this time was different.

’This is troublesome.’