Chapter 15: Hunting The Sabertooth Tiger (1)

“On the frozen lake, the Sabre-toothed Tiger is lying down.”

“Hmm? Did you just say something?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Hmm, did I mishear? No, it’s nothing.”

I averted my gaze as I noticed Elaine’s puzzled look.

The moment I saw it, a melody that I had unknowingly become familiar with in my past life popped into my mind.

Maybe it was because I was nervous.

The target, the massive Sabre-toothed Tiger, was positioned as though it had made its nest in the center of the Crystal Lake.

And surrounding it were all sorts of monsters, as if they were protecting their king with a fortress.

It could be compared to the guards protecting Grace.

But really, they were gathered in such a disgusting way.

Considering that monsters are drawn to areas with high concentrations of mana, it seems the ice magic in this place is especially potent. It gives me even more reason to acquire it.

The operation to hunt down the Silver Sabre-toothed Tiger had begun.

“Waahhh!”

As the northern army forces deliberately made loud movements, the monsters in Crystal Lake reacted all at once.

“Grraaa!”

The biggest difference between humans and animals is not their appearance, surprisingly.

It’s the utilization of intelligence.

In professional terms, it’s called “cunning.”

If these creatures were obedient to the Silver Sabre-toothed Tiger, they wouldn’t just sit idly by. They would try to drive off any intruders to protect their master. But like beasts, they would rush in without strategy, charging recklessly.

“Roar! Roar!”

The wolf-like monsters, the Wolffangs, were the first to charge with bared teeth, followed by monsters resembling foxes and elk.

But they weren’t just a mindless herd of beasts.

Why are they called “monsters”?

It’s because their bodies are infused with mana, which has either terrifyingly altered their physiques or allowed them to instinctively harness that power.

Some of these monsters, originally herbivores, had even developed carnivorous appetites!

“Everyone! Shield formation!”

At the commander’s shout, the soldiers immediately stopped, lined up, and formed a solid defensive wall with their large shields.

The unyielding barrier was formed in an instant.

Boom!

A Wolffang that had charged to the front slammed its head into the shield, but it didn’t budge an inch.

The strength of a stone head against a steel shield is a clear hierarchy.

“Fire!”

At the command, the archers, who had been waiting, fired in unison.

Arrows shot from behind and struck the monsters. The monsters, whose paths were blocked by the shields, were hit by the incoming arrows.

“Yahh!”

Though their bodies were strengthened by mana, and a thin arrow couldn’t cause serious harm, it still hurt.

It’s like how stepping on a tack doesn’t kill you but still causes pain.

The monsters, with arrows embedded in them, became even more enraged. They roared and charged again, eager to tear through the humans behind the shield.

And then…

“Spikes!”

At the commander’s signal, the shield warriors suddenly grew sharp spears between the gaps in their shields.

Fwoooosh.

The monsters leading the charge were caught off guard by the spears and were impaled before they could adjust their speed.

“Now’s the chance! Open the gates!”

With a loud crash, the shields parted, and the defense was broken open. Through the gap, the heavily armored warriors emerged.

The northern assault unit.

Among the rugged, wild northern men, they were the most beastly in both size and ferocity. Each one raised their weapons, burning with fighting spirit.

And in front of them, standing even more imposing, were others.

The knights.

The core force of humanity, warriors capable of defeating a hundred foes alone.

With their mastery of weapons and mana, they could alter the flow of battle, like human weapons.

They released their mana and unleashed their might.

The battle between humans and monsters began in earnest.

While the northern army led the battle against the monsters…

“Your Excellency, the monsters have scattered to the left and right. The remaining ones near the target number about one-third of the original force.”

“I understand.”

After receiving the report, Grace surveyed the surroundings and shouted.

“A lightning strike! From here, we march straight to where the Silver Sabre-toothed Tiger is. Remember, our swift actions will determine the survival of our comrades and the outcome of this operation. Are you ready?”

“Yes!”

This was the key to the plan.

Once the northern forces lured the monsters away and reduced their numbers, Grace and the elite forces would charge to hunt down the Silver Sabre-toothed Tiger.

Considering the animal instincts, if the leader, the Silver Sabre-toothed Tiger, was defeated, the rest of the monsters would lose their focus and flee.

“The vanguard will be led by Gyeong.”

“Hehe, understood.”

“Advance!”

With Grace’s booming command, the third squad of the guards and the elite soldiers moved in unison.

Gyeong, who had been tasked with leading the vanguard, dashed forward and landed on the Crystal Lake, running with a surprising speed for someone of his large size.

“Ha! Ha!”

With his mouth wide open, he charged through the remaining monsters, swinging his great sword.

Boom!

With a powerful downward strike, he cleaved through a gorilla-like monster, entering the battle.

“Raaaagh!”

The monsters, enraged by Gyeong’s appearance, let out furious roars as they rushed toward him.

“Uraahhh!”

He advanced without showing the slightest sign of fear, cutting down another monster in his path.

His winter sword, honed to the extreme, performed the task with a simple movement, but its power was anything but simple.

Though there had been some apprehension about fighting on the lake.

The Iceblade was truly impressive.

Gigga swung his greatsword with force, sending monsters flying in all directions, yet the ground beneath him showed no sign of damage.

It seemed even harder than most terrain.

“The assault has begun. Sir Gunter, please handle the rear.”

“Understood.”

“Lady Rine, take care of the left and right flanks.”

“Leave it to me!”

Gunter, the leader of the elite soldiers, and Rine, the deputy commander of the third squad, responded and moved.

Following their orders, the elite soldiers and third squad members swiftly moved to their assigned positions, forming

an assault formation.

“Lady Elaine, as always, I trust you to handle this.”

“Yes.”

With all orders given, Grace drew her sword and increased her speed.

Since I was assigned under Elaine, I glanced at her briefly.

“Luke, can you match my speed alongside me?”

“To be honest, it will be difficult.”

“In that case, I’ll guard the front, and you take care of the rear. In a blitzkrieg, I won’t be able to protect you, so stay on alert at all times.”

“Yes!”

I gripped my sword even tighter.

Though I had already experienced several battles since arriving in this world and wasn’t as restless as during my first real combat,

I still felt the tension whenever I held a blade.

I took this tension not as a negative, fear-inducing element, but as a positive force that kept my focus and prevented

complacency.

Swoosh!

Elaine sliced through a wolffang monster with a single clean strike.

Her Iceblade, clean and swift, was far beyond my abilities.

She was so fast and precise that not even the monster’s blood splattered after the kill.

‘Before swinging the sword, she plants her feet firmly to stabilize her posture, delivers a perfect strike, and

immediately follows through with a push to maintain speed.’

I barely understood the principle, but I was a bit concerned about whether I could pull it off.

Well, what can I do? I’ll have to practice hard.

‘Better stay alert!’

I quickly blocked an attack from a bat-like monster aiming to ambush us.

‘Block with the sturdy winter sword, then counterattack with the swift Iceblade!’

I rapidly processed the movements in my mind and immediately executed them.

Slash!

My Iceblade cut through the bat monster’s wings, inflicting a wound.

‘Got it!’

Though my skill level wasn’t high enough to down an opponent with a single blow like Elaine,

“This is good enough.”

Though we were called the “escort corps,” we were actually a close-combat guard force, carrying out direct orders from Grace.

That’s why, in case of an emergency, the second squad of the escort remained in the rear while two of the four squads

took over the defense of Winter Cannon, which was temporarily left unguarded.

However, our primary duty was still to protect Grace.

This meant that at this moment, it wasn’t just Elaine and I protecting Grace—

Thud, slash.

The two members of the third squad, who had been following closely behind, flawlessly handled the bat monster I had wounded.

Once I blocked its attack and severed its wings, one member pierced its heart, and the last one decapitated it.

It was a seamless, impromptu cooperative attack, even though we hadn’t practiced it beforehand.

I gave them a thumbs up before quickly following Grace’s lead to maintain our position.

I wasn’t here to train, so it was only natural that Grace and Elaine maintained their usual pace.

Though it was difficult to keep up, I wasn’t in danger of dying, and even while my breath grew heavy, I had time to observe Elaine’s movements.

‘It’s not about focusing solely on taking them down with one hit. The goal of Iceblade is to incapacitate enemies

quickly. Got it, there’s no need to narrow my vision by obsessing over hitting vital spots. The key is to aim at places

that can reduce the enemy’s combat ability.’

Elaine would aim to kill the monsters in one strike whenever possible, but when that wasn’t feasible, she would

target their legs or sides to temporarily disable their movements.

Of course, her goal was to reach Silver Sabertus quickly by minimizing the fight time, but it was useful for me to

observe. Unlike her, I couldn’t overpower an enemy in such a short time, so targeting the legs or sides was a strategy

that could increase my chances of winning by even 1 percent.

‘Grace is conserving her strength for the battle against Silver Sabertus.’

If we were to choose the strongest among the northern army, there would be no doubt—it was Grace, whose strength was guaranteed in the novel.

In reality, she possessed overwhelming combat power, so much so that other factions called her a “one-woman army.”

However, despite her immense power, Grace fought with minimal effort while being protected, advancing cautiously.

If she had unleashed her full power from the beginning, even without the mythical sword, she could have easily

wiped out the remaining monsters.

But she didn’t.

‘Truly cautious.’

Grace may not rush in alone and make mistakes, but what if she pours all her energy into dealing with the smaller enemies?

What if, by some unlucky turn of events, an unexpected formidable foe intervenes mid-battle?

What if just a single breath’s worth of delay causes us to be pushed back in combat?

There’s an old saying: “You don’t use a slaughtering knife for chickens.”

It made sense why Grace was being so cautious.

‘The dagger Grace used in the novel, Silver Sting…’

It had the best piercing power, able to penetrate anything, and it was made from the fang of a Silver Sabertooth.

There must have been processing in its creation, but the original material, the Silver Sabertooth’s fang, was incredibly powerful, making it a prime material for crafting.

That meant if it bit someone, it would be “the end.”

Unlike me, Grace probably didn’t know much about the Silver Sabertooth’s fangs, but being a born warrior, she seemed to instinctively recognize the danger it posed.

Still, I wondered if I should offer a word of advice.

I called out to Grace, who was running ahead of me.

“Your Excellency, its teeth, especially the fangs, look far from ordinary. Be careful.”

……Did I come off too blunt?

But in the middle of this swift charge, there wasn’t really time for long conversations.

She could probably take it as just a concerned subordinate’s warning.

Grace glanced back when she heard me, then turned her head forward again and responded.

“Thanks for the advice.”

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to think it was strange.

Now, I thought it would be a good idea to warn Elaine too, just in case.

I was trailing behind Grace, and the two ahead were moving so fast that there was no good opening to speak.

‘I’ll tell Elaine once the battle starts.’

Once we reach the Silver Sabertooth, this running will stop.

The efforts of the left and right northern troops were proving highly effective.

Before long, we had broken through the monsters and reached the center of the Crystal Lake.

“……”

The Silver Sabertooth, who had been heavily focused on the invasion of noisy humans, slowly began to rise, clearly starting to be annoyed.

In an anime I’d seen in my past life, a sabertooth tiger was large, but compared to the mammoth beside it, it was small.

This one, however, was as large as a mammoth.

I was suddenly curious about how they had forged its fangs into a dagger.

“Ha! Terrifying!”

As the leader of the monsters, the Silver Sabertooth made its move, emitting a violent roar and preparing its large sword. With a booming battle cry, it swung a horizontal slash toward the creature.

The slash carried enough destructive power to match Grace’s Lion’s Sword, not even faltering upon impact.

Bang!

“Ugh?!”

Something darted in and intercepted the attack.

“Ha! Mountain Bear, you guys were still around?”

A massive, beast-like monster larger than the bulk of the warrior’s body, the remnants of the Mountain Bear from the last hunt, had apparently joined forces with the Silver Sabertooth.

Forced to deal with the Mountain Bear blocking our path like a bodyguard, I had no choice but to take it down.

“Captain of the Third Division, defeat the Mountain Bear and join the other troops. You’ve used up a lot of stamina.”

“Ugh, unfortunate. I’ll take a breather then.”

Thanks to the effort of the warrior, we had been able to make our way quickly to the center of the lake.

The human equipment, now low on energy, followed Elaine’s orders and distracted the Mountain Bear without a word.

As the warrior pulled back, the lead position passed to Elaine.

With the Mountain Bear out of the way, there was nothing left to stop us from reaching the Silver Sabertooth.

Elaine adjusted her sword, preparing for the first strike.

The Silver Sabertooth bared its teeth upon spotting Elaine.

“1”

At that moment, a thought suddenly flashed in my mind.

The Silver Sabertooth has two fangs.

But the Silver Sting from Brave Road…

It’s one dagger.

If there are two fangs, shouldn’t there be two daggers?

In the descriptions of the story, Grace, the sub-heroine, never received any injuries in her battle against the Silver Sabertooth.

However…

Elaine, the captain of the guard…

She was an extra character in Brave Road, so her actions weren’t explored in detail.

Despite her skills being second only to Grace, her role in the Northern episodes hadn’t been significant.

When I read the novel, I never thought much of it, but now that thought struck me.

What if, for some reason, she had been in a condition where engaging in an intense battle was difficult back then?

‘Crazy!’

I’m not sure.

It could just be a simple thought.

But if this dissonance is real…

‘This is more important than finding the Ice Crystal!’

I could feel the heat gathering in my hand, gripping my sword.