Chapter 58: Human? (4)

Is this a characteristic of the barbarian from the White Snowfield? Or is it unique to Ketal himself?

the Tower Master thought. He wanted to study Ketal and he wanted to dissect that body piece by piece and uncover the principles within.

However, he knew he couldn’t. He had to hold back on his urges. Suppressing his desires, the Tower Master began to speak. “You’re truly wonderful. I didn’t think you could defeat the knights so easily.”

“Is that so?” Ketal showed little reaction to the Tower Master’s compliments. “I’ve heard such remarks often, but I don’t find them particularly meaningful. I merely did what I needed to survive.”

“To survive,” the Tower Master muttered. He could not comprehend that such immense strength existed solely for survival.

The White Snowfield had to have been an extremely dangerous place. It was known as the largest and most formidable of the Demon Realms, but if even someone as powerful as Ketal required such strength to survive, the horrors that resided there were beyond imagination.

The Tower Master wished to ask about the dangers of the White Snowfield and analyze every detail. However, he held himself back, knowing that he was currently nothing more than an ordinary admirer of Ketal. Suppressing his curiosity, he restrained himself.

***

The next day, the group resumed their journey toward the Denian Kingdom. Having already been discovered, they no longer avoided the gazes of others and moved confidently along the main roads. Their boldness attracted the attention of the knights, who appeared to block their path.

Ketal could hear the air whistle as the knights shot out arrows. He extended his hand and caught an arrow mid-flight.

“This time, they are employing guerrilla tactics. It seems they have judged that direct confrontation is futile. I think it’s not a bad decision,” Ketal remarked.

Dozens of arrows followed in rapid succession. Ketal waved his hand lightly, as though swatting away flies, and the arrows fell to the ground without causing harm.

A loud crash echoed as three knights emerged from the bushes, rushing toward Ketal with swords drawn.

Ketal raised his fist calmly in response. “However, I never said it was a right decision either.”

With a resounding crunch, the knights’ swords shattered, and their armor crumpled under the force of Ketal’s attack. The knights were sent flying, coughing up blood.

“You, monster...” The knights gritted their teeth and retreated.

Elene, watching the scene, could not suppress her amazement. “You’re extraordinary. Those knights are not weak by any means, yet you handle them as if they were children...”

During the previous battle, Elene had been too overwhelmed to fully comprehend Ketal’s strength. Now, with time to observe, she could understand his overwhelming power.

Elene understood why the knights called Ketal a monster. Ketal had displayed his strength by defeating the Blue-Green Knights barehanded and even catching an Aura-infused sword with his teeth. Even Elene, who lacked knowledge of Myst, could grasp the magnitude of his feats.

Ketal’s strength surpassed the level of an ordinary human and reached that of a Transcendent. His decision to work as a mercenary was baffling given his extraordinary abilities.

This thought compelled Elene to ask the question weighing on her mind. “Why do you let them live?”

The knights continued to attack in turns, and Ketal defeated them each time. However, he refrained from killing any of them. Although he destroyed their armor and weapons to render them powerless, he did not take their lives. Considering that the knights sought to kill him, his mercy appeared almost saintly.

Elene spoke again, her tone subdued. “If you are sparing them out of consideration for us, there is no need. They are no longer the people we once knew. They are something imitating them.”

The knights had once been people Elene and Aron were familiar with. It was clear that Ketal refrained from killing them in front of the two out of respect.

Ketal, however, shook his head. “It is not for your sake.”

“Oh, I-I see...” Elene stammered, her expression awkward.

Ketal muttered as he walked, “There is something I want to confirm. What you have told me about them is that they do not fear death. Is that all you know?”

“Yes, that is all,” Elene replied hesitantly. She knew that was a bit underwhelming.

“I believe you, but that alone is insufficient evidence. I need to uncover more.” Ketal continued moving forward, humming softly as if already planning his next move.

The knights continued taking turns to block their path. After a certain point, Elene noticed something strange.

“Their armor is completely intact...,” she remarked.

Every time the knights appeared, Ketal smashed their armor and weapons. He destroyed them so thoroughly that repairs were impossible. The number of broken armor had exceeded fifty by now. It would not have been an exaggeration to say that Ketal had destroyed the equipment of every knight in the Blue-Green Order.

However, the knights kept appearing. Each time, they arrived with armor and weapons in perfect condition, fully equipped as they had been the first time.

“Could they have brought spare equipment? They are certainly going to extreme lengths to capture us,” Elene muttered through gritted teeth. Aron’s expression was equally grim.

Ketal, however, smiled as if he found the situation fascinating. “I don’t think that’s the case.”

“What?” Elene asked.

“They do not have spare equipment. I can guarantee that much.”

“Then how...”

“That is what makes this interesting,” Ketal replied.

Not long after, the knights reappeared. This time, three of them charged at Ketal from different directions, their swords pointed at him.

Ketal raised his fist again. “They certainly don’t tire of this, do they?”

With a crunch, two of the knights were sent flying. The remaining knight, who had not been thrown, found himself caught in Ketal’s grip.

“Ugh, Let go of me!” the knight shouted.

Ketal calmly examined the knight's armor. “This armor... it’s the same one I broke a few hours ago.”

“Excuse me?” Elene replied.

“I remember the scratches on this armor. They’re exactly the same.”

Knights were not pampered nobles living in luxury within the palace. They were warriors who faced enemies in battles. Unless they were part of an order made up solely of aristocrats’ offspring, their armor would naturally bear countless scratches and marks.

The Blue-Green Order, being the kingdom’s elite knights, had fought in numerous battlefields and Dungeons. Their armor was no exception, riddled with signs of combat.

“How fascinating,” Ketal remarked, letting the knight go.

The knight, panicked and gasping for breath, stumbled away and ran.

“Wait a minute,” Elene said, her face pale and trembling. “If those weapons are not resupplied, then...”

“It means their broken armor and weapons are being restored,” Ketal finished. “Could such a thing be possible through magic?”

“It is theoretically possible,” Elene replied, “but it would require significant facilities, and the restoration process would take at least a day.”

“The armor I broke was destroyed only five hours ago, so that’s unlikely,” Ketal said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “There is clearly something unusual happening.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying! It’s not just my paranoia. Something is truly wrong with them!” Elene exclaimed.

The knights continued appearing. Each time, Ketal repelled them, capturing one of them for questioning.

“These knights wield Aura, correct? Would they be able to survive a fall from a significant height?” Ketal asked.

“It depends on the height but they could endure most falls,” Elene answered.

“I see,” Ketal said with a smile as he grabbed one of the knights. The knight’s face turned pale.

“Wait!” he shouted.

“Let’s see if you can come back,” Ketal said before hurling the knight far into the distance, well beyond the forest’s edge. Even running at full speed, it would take at least a day to return.

Two hours later, however, the knight reappeared, fully armored and unharmed.

“You bastard! How dare you throw me! Prepare to die!” the knight shouted, his sword drawn.

Elene and Aron’s faces stiffened. Something was undeniably wrong.

Ketal turned to them. “Is this something you were unaware of as well?”

“Yes,” Elene admitted. “All we knew was that the air around them felt different and that they had changed somehow. We didn’t know anything more specific.”

“Then this must be new information for you as well,” Ketal said.

“Did you spare them just to confirm this?” Elene asked.

“I knew something was off, so I decided to observe and verify it gradually,” Ketal explained.

“That is... impressive,” Elene said, her voice tinged with awe.

What Ketal had discerned in a single day had eluded them despite spending a year with these knights.

Patrick, who had been silently watching, couldn’t help but admire Ketal.

His ability to identify Anomalies is remarkable.

This level of insight was not something one could expect from arrogant fools who fancied themselves intelligent. Of course, Ketal’s deductions were not baseless.

The knights he repelled always retreated a certain distance. Then, once they had moved far enough, they would vanish entirely, only to reappear later.

The process was so swift that it seemed to happen in an instant, but Ketal had been able to detect it clearly.

The knights disappeared and then reappeared, as if being refreshed. No matter how many times Ketal broke their armor, shattered their weapons, or hurled them far away, they always returned, perfectly restored.

There was only one final test left. As the knights once again blocked their path, Ketal did not raise his fist this time. Instead, he wielded the axe.

“Elene,” Ketal said.

“It’s okay,” Elene replied calmly, realizing what he was about to do.

“You bastard!” one of the knights shouted.

“Release the prin—”

Crunch!

The axe crushed their armor. The knights collapsed to the ground, the axe buried deep in their chests. They were killed instantly. The group moved forward without hesitation. Exactly five hours later, the knights reappeared in front of them once again.

“Release the princess!’ “Damn barbarian!”

***

That night, with the sun set and no moon to illuminate the sky, the world was engulfed in darkness so thick that not even an inch ahead could be seen.

Elene and Aron sat with pale faces, their expressions filled with dread.

“They were definitely dead...,” Elene muttered.

Their chests had been split open, and their pupils had gone lifeless. There had been no need for a physician to confirm; their deaths were indisputable.

Yet, they had returned. They reappeared with unblemished faces, shouting demands to release the princess. It was as if they had never died at all.

Stirring the contents of the pot, Ketal spoke calmly. “Aron mentioned it before. That girl, Cassie, didn’t feel fear when a statue almost crushed her.”

This explained that death meant nothing to them.

Ketal stroked his chin thoughtfully, finding the situation fascinating. “Is this possible in this world? Is it possible to resurrect the dead with magic or alchemy?”

“It’s not entirely impossible, but...,” Elene hesitated.

“So, it’s possible,” Ketal remarked with a grin. To him, it was only natural that in a world of fantasy, even death could be overcome.

“However, the conditions for resurrection are strict, and the limitations are significant. Returning in perfect condition so quickly is not feasible,” Aron explained.

“So, what exactly have we been living with?” Elene said, biting her lip.

For an entire year, they had laughed, talked, and spent time in the royal palace with beings like those knights. The thought sent shivers down their spine.

“If what you’ve said is true, they are certainly not human,” Ketal said.

The aroma of food filled the air as Ketal served the meal into bowls. Elene stared blankly at the dish, poking it with her spoon. Even though it was a dish she had loved before, it tasted like nothing to her now.

“Then what exactly are they?” Ketal asked.

“I... have no idea,” Elene replied, shaking her head. “At least to my knowledge, no such beings exist. To return from death... such beings are not human.”

Hearing this, even the Tower Master’s perspective began to shift. The princess was telling the truth. The Tower Master smirked to himself. He had come to observe the barbarian of the White Snowfield, but he had unexpectedly stumbled upon an even greater discovery.

These beings regenerated their inanimate equipment. They also regenerated their own lives. At the same time, they imitated humans, wielding Aura and displaying human emotions.

As far as the Tower Master knew, no race or monster like that existed. These creatures were something entirely unfamiliar to him.

After a moment of hesitation, Elene spoke cautiously. “I suspect that they may be connected to the Demon Realms.”