Hard Carried by My Sword-Chapter 39

It was pitch-dark inside the barrier-enclosed District Twenty-Five. Not a single ray of sunlight reached the ground. Perhaps it was just Leon’s imagination, but even the air felt... chilling. The atmosphere was like a graveyard at midnight.

They passed between collapsed buildings—casualties of the catapults’ barrage. Despite the debris-strewn ground, not a single footstep echoed from the five of them.

Even Caesare and Conrad, clad in full plate armor, made no clanking sounds. It was proof that their level of movement was on a completely different tier. Realizing that, Leon clenched his teeth in frustration.

He thought, I’ve still got a long way to go.

After several more minutes of advancing, the rush team came to a halt in the center of District Twenty-Five. Karen, who had been in the lead, suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Before anyone could ask, she muttered, “Stairs...”

Just as she said, there was a staircase exposed at the heart of the only intact buildings they’d seen—completely open and unhidden. Was Evil not even bothering to conceal themselves anymore?

It was steeped in a dark crimson aura, ominous and reeking of foul energy. It practically screamed, “I’m where the evil plot is happening!”

Conrad, Khan, and Caesare voiced their thoughts in turn.

“Hm. That’s suspicious.”

“Trap?”

“Even so, we can’t just ignore it.”

It was a situation that required caution. The force emanating from below wasn’t ordinary. If this was truly the path to the enemy’s base, all was well, but if it was a trap, they’d be in serious trouble. While the others deliberated, Karen scouted the area and returned.

“There’s nothing else here besides these stairs. Looks like we don’t have a choice but to go in.”

There were no alternatives. Everyone’s faces stiffened as they understood what that meant. Was this situation just a coincidence? Overestimation of an enemy wasn’t good—but underestimation was worse.

When it came to the Evil, there was no such thing as being “too careful.”

Caesare asked carefully, “Karen, can you tell if there are any traps?”

“Hmm...”

Karen studied the staircase for a moment, then shook her head.

“No good. The space beyond the stairs is completely different from out here. I won’t know anything until I go in.”

If an A-rank rogue couldn’t determine it, no one else would. It was a simple binary choice: go in, or don’t.

“Let’s go in,” Conrad said, stepping forward first. “Wasting time here won’t do us any good—only make it worse. It would be better to move quickly.”

He was right. With no argument to refute him, the others agreed. Conrad descended the stairs first, followed by Karen, Caesare, Khan, and finally Leon. The Keeper’s presence was still undetectable—whether he was following or not, no one could tell.

And the moment Leon set foot on the stairs, an unpleasant echo sounded. Then, suddenly, the space surrounding the five of them warped.

It was a phenomenon he’d never experienced before. There was no room for resistance. All they could do was fight off the dizziness and try to maintain their balance. Thankfully, the nausea lasted only a few seconds.

“Whoa!”

Leon staggered and barely managed to catch himself. Then, as he looked up to question why the stairs had disappeared beneath him—

“Huh?”

No one was there.

As the last in line, he should’ve been able to see the others, but they had vanished without a trace. Even his Aura Sense picked up nothing, so it wasn’t just that they were invisible. All around him was nothing but red-tinted walls and corridors. Not a soul in sight.

El-Cid recognized the situation immediately and said, —A spatial maze, huh? Bit of an old-school trick. They warped and expanded the space to make their base larger. The others are probably somewhere in this maze. If you’re lucky, you’ll run into them soon. If not...

Thankfully, luck seemed to be on Leon’s side. A familiar voice called out behind him.

“Hey, rookie!”

Turning, he saw Karen emerging from a corner, waving cheerfully. She approached casually and took his hand.

“Looks like we weren’t put too far away from each other! Thank goodness. Being alone in a creepy place like this would suck, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah. Were you by yourself too, Karen?”

Karen gave a sly smile and replied, “Nope. Creepy guy tagged along.”

There was no need to ask who she meant. Her shadow rippled, and a voice rose from within.

“Who’re... you calling... creepy?”

“Who else? If you don’t like it, get out of my shadow already. You’re grossing me out just squirming around in there.”

“......”

The Keeper let out some unintelligible grumbling, then fell silent as if to say he was done talking. Clearly, the two didn’t get along well.

Still, Leon was relieved. He may have wielded the Holy Sword—a natural counter to exolaw—but he wasn’t strong enough to move around alone. With Karen and the elite assassin Keeper at his side, he could rely on their hit-and-run strengths.

Honestly, Bishop Caesare, Khan, and Sir Conrad are out of my league—I just need to take care of myself.

Regaining his composure, Leon gripped the sword at his hip and said, “Alright, then. Let’s get moving.”

“Oooh, look at that confidence. Can I trust you, rookie?”

“You won’t be disappointed.”

Karen let out an exaggerated cheer. Despite her dazed-looking eyes, she was remarkably upbeat. Leon chuckled and began to walk.

Thus began the raid of the underground labyrinth, the nest of Evil.

***

A-rank adventurers were top-tier forces, found in fewer than one out of a thousand. Warriors of that rank rivaled the captain of a noble’s knight order or a royal guard commander, and a mage could be appointed court mage of a mid-sized kingdom.

So then, what about a rogue?

“Ah, this way.”

Karen glanced at the five-pronged fork in the corridor and, without even a few seconds of hesitation, picked a path. It seemed almost faster than instinct.

At first, Leon was skeptical of her speed, but El-Cid reassured him.

—She’s gotten them all right so far. Not a single mistake, so just follow her. That rogue’s tracking skill outclasses even forest elves.

Seriously? She’s that good?

—Probably due to her Aura attribute. The dark environment is helping her. If we weren’t underground, she might be fumbling a bit. And don’t ask what it is—figure it out yourself.

Even now, El-Cid’s lessons continued. Grumbling internally, Leon followed Karen’s lead, but right as they approached a bend, Karen abruptly raised her hand in a signal to stop.

The three of them froze in place. Then she whispered, “Enemies. Three of them. No way to go around. What do you want to do?”

Leon spread his Aura Sense. About twenty meters away, just past the corner, he detected them. It sent chills down his spine.

These were nothing like the enemies in District Twenty-Three. His body instinctively tensed up. Even with the Holy Sword, he couldn’t guarantee victory. That’s how dangerous they were.

“Let’s do this,” he said.

Karen chuckled at his answer and replied, “Pretty bold for a C-rank. You know if you start crying for help after that, it’ll be really embarrassing, right?”

“If you end up finishing after me, that would be even more embarrassing, Karen.”

“What? Ahaha! Okay, let’s see who’s better.”

With a cheerful laugh, Karen pulled out her daggers. Eight sheathes—shoulders, thighs, calves, and sides. She gripped two daggers, green Aura flaring along the blades.

Green?

It wasn’t a color one saw every day. Before he could think further, Karen was already on the move. Like a lizard, she scaled the wall without a sound and clung to the ceiling, crawling forward upside down.

It was unreal.

That’s an Aura skill too? Leon asked El-Cid.

—Yeah. She’s using Aura to create adhesion along her skin. Not easy to pull off—you can bet she went through brutal training.

Half-listening to El-Cid, Leon focused on following at her pace. He had to stay sharp with his footwork and Aura control. Ever since his encounter with Khan, he’d practiced masking his presence—but it was still shallow. If his concentration wavered even a bit, he’d be found out.

And sure enough—

“Intruders!”

He was spotted just five meters away. There was no helping it. The corridor the enemy sorcerers had secured was straight, and Leon, unable to fully conceal himself, had gotten too close to the torchlight.

Then, three daggers shot down from the ceiling.

Thrown by hand, but faster than arrows. Most average adventurers would die without even realizing it, but these exolaw wielders were not average.

One blocked with tentacles extending from a crimson robe. Another snapped one midair with his teeth. The last didn’t even flinch—the dagger struck his forehead and bounced off harmlessly.

“How dare you intrude here? Do you even know where you are?!”

The exolaw wielder with four tentacles bellowed at the ceiling—then froze at Karen’s smile. The truly cornered didn’t smile. That was a universal truth.

“Of course, I know where I am. I’m in the slums. The place that has no owners.”

Mocking him, Karen flicked her hand—and a rope came from somewhere, snaring his ankle.

“Kek?!”

“See? You were too focused on the daggers.”

Before he could react, she yanked the rope and brought him crashing down. She pinned him mid-fall, striking from the ceiling to the ground.

Leon read the field and charged forward.

“Graaaagh!”

The beast-like roar came from an enemy who crouched low, preparing to leap.

Then, from behind, a shadow impaled him through the neck. The blade dug into his spine, and blood sprayed out. Like slaughtering a pig, the Keeper carved his skull apart.

He had brought down instant death to an enemy who had made Leon all tense.

That’s scary.

Had they not been allies—if they met under different circumstances—it would’ve been a nightmare. Swallowing hard, he turned to his own opponent.

Leon’s enemy was the one whose skin had repelled Karen’s dagger without a scratch. The exolaw wielder glared at him with a vacant, lifeless gaze.

—Tough luck, Leon. This one’s the strongest of the three.

“You couldn’t have told me that sooner?!”

—Stay sharp. Let your guard down for a second, and you’re dead.

With El-Cid’s warning, Leon surged with power. Activating Rodrick’s Vision and circulating Aura at full capacity, he temporarily pushed all physical capabilities two levels higher.

He had thirty seconds. If this gamble failed, there would be no second chance.

And less than a third of a second later, he narrowly dodged something piercing toward his face.

“Tch!” 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

His neck ached from the forceful twist and blood trickled from a cut along his cheek. Leon finally understood what had struck him.

“Thorns?”

Barbs had launched from the exolaw wielder’s body, and it wasn’t just one or two. Bulging nodes all over the body—like launchers—had fired.

The familiarity hit him.

Just like the Rock Slimes.

The Rock Slimes only shot stone shards. This one fired high-speed thorns strong enough to pierce tower shields. It was a whole different level of danger.

Still, that prior experience made a big difference.

Here it comes again.

In a world that was slowed down dozens of times, twelve thorned tentacles shot out at once. Their sheer power rendered Aura defense meaningless.

According to El-Cid, exolaw that had been fused with the materials or lifeforms of this world could not be nullified by the Holy Sword alone. The exolaw portion had to be dealt with the Holy Sword, but Leon had to subdue the rest with his own skills.

I can do this! He shouted inwardly, encouraging himself.

His teacher was the greatest hero of mankind. Losing to some nameless villain would be a disgrace to that title. Leon’s eyes lit up as he accelerated once more.

With one strike, he severed four thorned tendrils. The ones cut by the Holy Sword didn’t regenerate. For the first time, the exolaw wielder’s face twisted in alarm.

More.

Eight tendrils remained. Leon stepped further into the hellscape—closer, not further away. A chill ran up his spine, the sensation of death brushing against his throat. However, he overcame that dread and swung his sword.

Crisis was but another word for opportunity. Against the remaining eight thorned tendrils, Leon’s lone blade raged like a storm.

If it hadn’t been the Holy Sword, he couldn’t have cut them. If not for the Sun Aura, he couldn’t have endured. If not for Rodrick’s Vision, he couldn’t have reacted. If any of those three pieces were missing, he would have undoubtedly lost, but Leon prevailed—through all his experience and effort.

With the final thorn struck down, the exolaw wielder stumbled backward, his face gone pale. A hastily cast spell formed a barrier of sorcery, but the Holy Sword cut through even that last act of desperation.

The same defenses that had deflected Karen’s daggers melted like butter under Leon’s blade. The enemy, now cleaved in half diagonally, died without any last words.

“Hah...! Hah...! Hah!”

Leon staggered, completely spent. He’d overexerted himself more than intended. He had accelerated himself a bit too much due to the thorn barrage and sometimes slashed more times than necessary, so his energy had drained too quickly.

If anything had gone slightly differently, he would’ve lost.

“Wow, you’re done already?” Karen asked, patting his back. “You were a few seconds slower than me, but that was seriously impressive! A C-rank taking down an exolaw wielder like this one-on-one? Oh, I get it—you’re one of those people whose track record hasn’t caught up with their skill. Must be because you’re new.”

“Think... what you want...”

Leon replied with an exhausted face, turning his gaze to check the enemy Karen had dealt with.

“Ugh.”

It was grotesque. The thing’s tendrils were staked into the floor like spikes, and its entire body was riddled with holes—as if stabbed dozens of times. Probably a method to nullify its regeneration.

Blood had pooled into a slick beneath it. It had clearly been stabbed again and again until it died. By Leon’s estimate, she must’ve struck at least five times per second. It was like being caught in a point-blank hail of arrows.

Hm...?

Then, Leon felt something strange. There was a corpse that was cleanly beheaded, and another was riddled like a beehive.

They were two very different modes of elimination, and yet... the cuts felt oddly similar. Especially under Rodrick’s Vision—the shapes, the depths, even the angle of the wounds.

No way.

—You figured it out?

El-Cid’s voice confirmed the suspicion with a pleased tone, —It’s exactly what you’re thinking.

Karen sheathed her freshly cleaned daggers and turned toward Leon with a grin.

“Whew, I guess things will be easier now, huh? Honestly, I thought you’d be deadweight—unlike that creepy guy. But looks like I was happily wrong!”

Unfortunately, Leon could no longer smile back.

Show me, he asked El-Cid without any elaboration.

Understanding the request, El-Cid brought up the stat window, the absolute scoring sheet used by the Holy King Rodrick—the man who called himself humanity’s strongest—to evaluate others.

Name: Karen

Title & Class: “The Keeper” Assassin

Level: 45

Strength: B

Endurance: C

Agility: A

Aura: A

Skills: Dagger Mastery III (5), Throwing Mastery II (MAX), Shadow Step (9), Shadow Clone (8), ?????, Aura Wielder III (7)

One of the three most notorious figures in the Blaine slums had reached out her hand to Leon and said, “Well then, shall we head to the next one, rookie?”

Leon didn’t have it in him to refuse, so he held the hand and replied, “Yes, Karen.”

In the daylight, she was Karen the A-rank adventurer. In the shadows, she was the top-class assassin known as the Keeper.

This was the moment Leon finally learned her true identity.