A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression – 162



Episode 162

Rick said in a trembling voice.

“Oh you say it’s awkward?”

Zeke spoke still holding his sword away from Rick’s neck.

“Everything from A to Z is awkward. Honestly I don’t know how I survived until now. I guess it’s because of the help from my colleagues.”

Rick’s face hardened as if his pride was hurt by Zeke’s words.

But Zeke didn’t stop talking.

“The swordsmanship you showed me earlier was great. But that’s all. When and how are you going to use it? The enemy won’t wait until you properly display your swordsmanship.”

Rick’s face turned red at Zeke’s words.

“I did that just now to show you my skills…!”

“Rick how fast you can swing your sword doesn’t really matter in an actual fight.”

Zeke slowly lowered his sword.

Gulp!

A drop of blood ran down Rick’s neck.

That was when.

Whoosh!

Zeke suddenly swung his sword again.

Crunch!

Rick raised his sword in a hurry and blocked Zeke’s sword.

Then Zeke threw the dirt he was holding in one hand at Rick.

“Ugh!”

Rick stepped back embarrassed.

Zeke kicked Rick’s leg knocking him down and then put his sword to his neck.

“He died again Rick.”

Rick was breathing heavily.

“This is…..”

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“Are you going to say it’s foul play just because I threw dirt at it?”

Rick shook his head and shook his head at Zeke’s words.

He also knew what Zeke was talking about.

‘Half an article.’

Rick described himself as such.

He himself was neither an adventurer nor a knight.

At that moment Zeke’s voice struck Rick’s ear.

“If you think Rick is a half-baked article you’d better stop thinking like that right now.”

Rick looked up in surprise and looked at Zeke.

He said looking down at Rick with his sword in his hand.

“Honestly Rick I can see right through you what you’re thinking. Someone who was trained as an advanced knight became an adventurer because they thought that if they rolled around in real combat they’d be able to break something that had stagnated.”

Rick was speechless because Zeke’s point was so accurate.

He told Rick.

“You should abandon the idea that knights swing their swords nobly and fight under fair rules. Of course there are times when that happens. When sparring comfortably. But when fighting for one’s life knights and mercenaries alike have to roll around in the mud and fight. Swordsmanship on the battlefield? That’s all bullshit.”

Zick continued sitting down.

“On the battlefield the ones who pretend to be knights and just stand there and take unnecessary poses are the easiest prey. They just show off by using their auras and end up getting shot down by a few poisoned arrows.”

Rick cringed completely at Zeke’s rapid-fire words.

It felt like I was stripped naked in front of Zeke.

Rick slowly raised his head and spoke to Zeke as if venting his anger.

“Mr. Zeke everything you said is right. I’ve always been a clumsy guy. I… honestly don’t know what I should do to change.”

Looking at Rick like that Zeke clicked his tongue inwardly.

In fact cases like this were common among knights from prestigious families in the Central Continent.

If Rick was great for trying to overcome that by becoming an adventurer then he was great.

Zeke looked at Rick and said.

“Don’t try to refine your skills but first calm your mind. If your mind wavers the sword will waver as well.”

It may have sounded like empty talk but Zeke was sincere in giving it to Rick because he thought it was the advice he needed most.

After hearing Zeke’s words Rick bowed his head in silence for a long time.

Then as if he had come to his senses he nodded and said.

“Thank you Zig. You were really helpful.”

I couldn’t tell if it really helped but Rick looked a little more relieved than before.

It was a way to show your limits to the bottom and make a new start the moment you break them.

Zeke figured that if Rick didn’t stop here he could probably get past the Purple Knight’s Wall and maybe even get to the Blue Knight’s Wall quickly.

‘Those who are too talented will have a harder time the further they go. Like Rick the more you worry now the faster you can grow into a Blue Knight.’

Zeek could sympathize with Rick’s feelings because he had also been through it himself.

That was when.

The dragonfly outside sent out an alert signal.

Zeke drew his sword and spoke to Rick.

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“Rick wake the others up. Something is coming.”

Rick was surprised and entered the cave in a hurry.

Zeke placed his dragon teeth around him and shared a glance to check the situation.

Something was approaching from beyond the forest along with the fog.

‘what?’

Woof! Woof!

A short while later a huge pack of wolves were seen surrounding the cave and trying to enter.

The other group inside the cave quickly gathered their equipment and approached Zig.

Zig spoke to his companions from behind the cover he had placed in front of the cave.

“A pack of wolves surrounds us. And something is coming from the forest.”

Zeke placed Claire an archer behind the cover and placed Jason and Arin the wizards behind her. Then he quickly relayed a rough plan.

Zeke and Rick drew their swords and waited in front of the cave for the enemy to come.

Krrrr!

A wolf howling was heard outside the cave.

Zeke raised his hand and signaled for them to wait.

Woof! Woof!

Soon wolves rushed into the cave.

As Zeke gave the signal Claire shot an arrow.

puck!

The wolf hit by Claire’s arrow fell to the ground with a groan.

But then a dozen or so other wolves came running quickly.

Zeke sent a signal to Jason.

Jason used the magic of the earth.

“Stone Edge!”

As the 2nd circle magic Stone Edge was activated a pillar rose from the ground.

The wolves that were running fast hit a pillar and fell to the ground.

Arin fired fireballs at the fallen wolves and Claire fired arrows at rapid fire.

Zeke and Rick ran forward with their swords in hand swiping away the hesitating wolves.

Boom!

Rick swung his shield struck the wolf in the head and decapitated it with his sword.

Zeke also swung Bahamut and killed the wolves that were rushing at him with one stab.

Wake up!

The wolves were unable to enter the cave any further due to the attacks of Zeke and his party who responded with perfect breathing and retreated.

That was when.

Fog began to creep in outside the cave.

[Detected the fog of the fallen forest.]

[The constitution’s invincibility neutralizes the fog’s effects.]

Zig who checked the message shouted at his group.

“Don’t breathe the fog! It’s poisonous! Arin! Put up a fire wall in front of the cover!”

At Zeke’s words Arin opened up a fire wall.

Whoosh whoosh!

As a huge wall of fire appeared the fog could no longer spread and began to gather at the front of the cave.

As the fog grew so thick that it was impossible to see ahead something began to enter the cave.

Krrrrrr!

A strange sound which sounded like the laughter of a child or the screams of a mad old woman echoed inside the cave.

As the noise grew louder Rick and his companions staggered clutching their heads.

“Ugh.”

Zeke noticed that even sound had some kind of magical effect.

Claire who was behind him fell down first covering her ears.

“Eww! Please stop! Stop!”

Not only Claire but Rick and his group were also suffering from the strange laughter.

Zig realized that the skill that protected him was ‘Solid Mental Defense’ and quickly deployed it as an area-of-effect buff.

Woohoo!

As the strong mental defense was applied Rick and his group who had been suffering were able to gradually regain their senses.

Jason sat up pressing his temples.

“Ugh what is it? I suddenly feel better.”

While Rick and his party were barely able to pull themselves together Zeke scanned the fog with his dragon’s eyes.

And we figured out what was bringing this fog.

‘tree?’

What was in the fog was none other than a giant tree.

That was when.

Kwakwakwakwa!

Suddenly a tree trunk shot out from the ground and tried to wrap itself around Zeke and his group.

“What what!”

Rick and his party who had regained consciousness thanks to Zeke’s buff were barely able to avoid the tree trunks that had sprung up from the ground.

Zeke cut off the stem that was trying to wrap itself around Bahamut.

Squeak!

Red sap like blood gushed from the cut trunk.

Jason dug into the ground where tree trunks sprouted from the earth’s magic.

Kwakwakwakwa!

Then dozens of tree trunks were seen crawling through the ground.

Arin fired a fireball straight into the ground.

Whoosh whoosh!

The burning tree trunks twisted and screamed all over my body.

Kieeeeeek!

It was clear that the fog and noise were shaking the mind and trying to secretly wrap itself around the tree trunks and suck out the life.

Zeke shouted to his companions.

“It seems the sorcerer has summoned the ghost of the evil tree.”

Rick and his group’s faces hardened at the mention of the tree’s ghost.

In the mountains the tree ghost was one of the more difficult monsters to deal with.

If it was something a sorcerer had summoned it was likely an ancient ghost that had been eating people for a long time to grow its strength.

Rick stepped forward holding his sword and shield.

“While I hold back the ghost take cover outside with the others!”

It meant that he would use himself as bait to create an opening.

Zeke tapped Rick’s shield with his sword as he watched him throw away his life without hesitation.

thud!

Rick looked at Zeke with a surprised expression.

Zeke said to Rick with a sharp expression.

“It’s good to play hero but if you’re the party leader you need to learn to make more cool-headed judgments.”

The plan to become bait yourself is the worst plan and it is the last resort that must be chosen in an unavoidable situation.

At first glance it seemed like a noble sacrifice but if you think about it differently it was resignation and an escape.

Rick nodded as if he realized something at Zeke’s words.

“You are right Mr. Zeke. I was foolish.”

“Even if it’s a ghost its body is still made of wood. It will be weak to fire so if you use Arin’s magic you can easily deal with it. Claire light a fire here and prepare fire arrows. Let’s prepare for when Arin’s magic runs out.”

Zeke then gave instructions to Jason.

“Jason if you can’t stop the tree spirit use your magic to collapse the front of the cave. When the sun rises the spirit will go back to where it came from so just hold out until then.”

With Zeke’s clear instructions Rick and his group gained confidence that they could survive.

Kookookookookook!

At that moment the fire barrier that Arin had spread out wore off and the fog gradually began to creep inward.

“Arin Yang! Please maintain the fire barrier to keep the fog from coming in!”

Arin straightened her posture and opened the fire barrier again.

Whoosh whoosh!

The key was to adjust the intensity just enough to keep the fog from coming in and maintain it for a long time.

‘The ghost of the evil tree. If it’s that kind of ghost there must be a sorcerer nearby.’

Of course if Zeke had used his original powers he could have quickly gotten rid of such a ghost.

But what Zeke was aiming for was to barely hold off the ghost and make the hidden sorcerer come out on his own.

Zeke and Rick continued to monitor the surroundings using the dragon teeth outside while preparing for the wraith attack.

They were in a state of complete silence with a minimum number of people in case they noticed the dragon’s teeth and ran away.

Krrrrrrrr!

Again the ghost of the tree began to laugh strangely.

But a curse much more powerful than before filled the cave.

If it weren’t for the strong mental defense buff Rick and his party would have already fallen and died having their vitality sucked out by the tree wraiths.

It was around this time that Arin’s fire barrier was slowly weakening.

Pavabababak!

From beyond the fog pieces of wood flew in as fast as arrows.

puck!

Zeke and Rick hacked away at the pieces of wood with their swords.

That was when.

“Fools. You will die here today.”