The Overlord of Blood and Iron (WN)
chapter-163

Lee Gong-Myung was waiting at a canyon 10 kilometres away from the west gate of the Bittermoon territory.

“Immense confidence and terrifying martial prowess with power to match up with that confidence. Looking at this man… he reminds me of a tyrant.”

Standing in front of an altar, Lee Gong-Myung looked eastward. As if someone had set it on fire, the Bittermoon territory was drowning in a sea of flames.

“However…”

“I cannot let you rampage on for so long. For the sake of my lord… I will have to get rid of you.”

The reason that Lee Gong-Myung had even come to offer an alliance to Baruk Al-Yusuf was in order to put pressure on Kang Chul-In. Now that he had a chance to get rid of him, he didn't want to miss it.

“Strategist Lee.”

While he was thinking, an Anatolian commander called upon him.

“The altars are set up now.”

“And everything else?”

“Good.”

Lee Gong-Myung nodded, and then looked up towards the sky.

A full moon was rising.

“1 hour at the earliest, and maybe 2 hours if late…”

Lee Gong-Myung was calculating when exactly Kang Chul-In would make his way over to the canyon, and he predicted that by the time he would get there, it would already be dark.

“Tonight…”

Lee Gong-Myung murmured to himself.

“Will be your very last. I don’t have any bad feelings towards you. It's just… Milord doesn’t need you in his way…”

Lee Gong-Myung considered Kang Chul-In’s death to be inevitable.

Since they had already finished setting up so early, Kang Chul-In was just a dead man to him.

In front of a sea of dead bodies, Kang Chul-In was breathing heavily.

It was a terrifying sight.

Dead bodies, upon dead bodies, upon dead bodies.

“Let’s… rest for a bit.”

Kang Chul-In jumped off the Altaica, and rested his body against the castle walls.

“This is something… I won’t ever do twice.”

Kang Chul-In shook his head because he was sick of the fighting.

Although he had managed to get out of the west gate, it was still extremely tiring.

His seemingly boundless mana and health also seemed to be at a limit, making his body extremely heavy. His muscles were screaming at him, seemingly about to spasm after overworking them so hard.

-Huk… Hu…

The Altaica wasn’t in a good state either.

This was evident by how it was sticking its tongue out and panting.

Its white fur was now covered in red patches, and blood was flowing down from its wounds. It was a truly depressing sight.

“Just a little further.”

Kang Chul-In told the Altaica.

“We just need to get past that canyon.”

-Krr…

As long as they made it past the western canyon, it wouldn’t be too difficult to escape, so that canyon would be their true final test.

“First of all…”

Murmuring, Kang Chul-In looked through his stuff and held up two flasks containing a purplish liquid. They were middle-ranked health potions.

“This is for you.”

Kang Chul-In opened up the flask, and handed it towards the Altaica.

-Krrr?

“Though you might not feel like you drank anything due to your large body… drink up. It’s much better than not drinking it.”

-Krrr… Hng…

As if it understood Kang Chul-In's words, the Altaica thanked him by acting cute.

To think that this is the godbeast of the ancient kingdom…

Speechless at the Altaica’s actions, Kang Chul-In put his hand on the remaining potion,

“Daughter.”

And handed it to his daughter, Arshelly.

“Endure for a little bit longer.”

Kang Chul-In started to pour the potion into Arshelly’s mouth, cautiously.

“F-Father…”

Due to this, Arshelly woke up and called Kang Chul-In with a weak voice.

“Don’t talk.”

Kang Chul-In stroked Arshelly’s hair.

“Father…”

Arshelly tried her best in order to drink the potion. Even though it was tiring for her to do even that, Kang Chul-In’s help encouraged her to drink all of it.

“I will also become… strong like father… will not… be a burden… will become… str…”

Unable to continue, Arshelly’s head dipped down a little bit. She had lost consciousness once again.

Looking at this, Kang Chul-In’s heart seemed to be ripping open again.

“That damned bastard…”

Kang Chul-In gritted his teeth.

This was all because of that damned Sheville Polansky.

“Hu….”

Calming himself down, Kang Chul-In vowed to himself:

“Do not worry, for I will make you strong. And… to save you, this pain is nothing worth mentioning.”

“There!!”

At that moment,

“That man is Overlord Kang Chul-In!”

“Over there!!”

From far away, the soldiers of Anatolia started to rush towards him.

And,

“Kang Chul-In, you bastard!!”

With a large shout, a huge lizard appeared.

"Pfft..."

Kang Chul-In laughed.

“Seems like he’s a little pissed.”

Without even having to check the person’s face, it was obvious that the one riding the giant lizard was Baruk Al-Yusuf.

“Where are you running? Stay right there!”

Shouting, Baruk Al-Yusuf tried to stop Kang Chul-In from fleeing.

“If you surrender now…”

While he was speaking,

“Idiot.”

Kang Chul-In laughed, and concentrated his mana into his right arm.

Kuoooo!

Stronger than ever, a miniature tornado started to roar. It was Kang Chul-In’s full power Vortex.

“Eat this!”

As soon as Kang Chul-In finished speaking, the terrifying storm moved forward, ripping to shreds anything that was swept in its way.

“Ahhh!!”

“Kaghh!!”

The soldiers of Anatolia that were caught up in the Vortex screamed as they were torn to pieces.

However, Vortex wasn’t meant to just take care of the small fry.

“G-Great Khalifa!”

“The Khalifa is in danger!”

That was right.

Kang Chul-In had aimed straight at Baruk Al-Yusuf from the very beginning, so this tornado of destruction was heading straight towards the Lord of Anatolia, ready to swallow anything in its way.

“Welp, I’m going first. Good bye.”

Not caring about whether Baruk Al-Yusuf would be fine after the Vortex or not, Kang Chul-In rode the Altaica, and ran across the forest.

From far away, he could see the canyon.

As long as he made it past the canyon, he would be able to safely get out of this hellhole, and get to the Chermart territory.

“Faster!”

Inside the canyon, Kang Chul-In urged the Altaica.

The canyon was only 2.5 kilometres wide and wasn’t very long. A mountain range awaited them after it.

If they were able to get into the mountains?

No matter how big the Anatolia army was compared to Kang Chul-In, it would be almost impossible to catch him.

That wasn’t the only good news for Kang Chul-In.

Soon, night will fall.

At night while in the mountain range, there was almost no way that he and the Altaica would get caught. The biggest mission for Kang Chul-In was just to get past this canyon.

At that moment, around 1 kilometre inside the canyon, thick raindrops started to fall.

Rain, all of a sudden?

Kang Chul-In couldn’t believe his eyes.

No matter whether it was night or day, there would normally be a sign for rain. For example, dark, drifting clouds.

Since Kang Chul-In had almost superhuman senses, he could usually tell whether it would rain or not depending on the temperature and the humidity.

But, this completely overturned Kang Chul-In’s experiences.

At that moment, a white light flashed.

BANG!

And the sound of thunder shook the skies.

Sss…

Following that, raindrops as thick as one’s fingertips started to fall from the sky.

Something’s off.

Kang Chul-In was confused at this sudden change in weather.

He was under the nuance that rather than being a sudden change in weather, someone was controlling it.

If that was true,

...Lee Gong-Myung?

The face of Lee Gong-Myung flashed through Kang Chul-In’s mind.

The only person Kang Chul-In was aware of that could control the weather was Lee Gong-Myung.

It wasn’t magic, nor was it some weird technique, but this ability to control the weather and change the tides of battle was a specialty of Lee Gong-Myung’s.

No way.

But Kang Chul-In doubted this thought.

Lee Gong-Myung was the strategist of Alex Rothschild. There was no reason for him to be here.

However, if the person behind this change in weather was indeed Lee Gong-Myung, and there were traps in this canyon set up by him…

As if proving his thoughts correct,

Sshhh!

With a large noise, large crossbow bolts started to fly towards him.

The thing was that these crossbow bolts weren’t normal and were almost 3 metres in length, as if they were used to fight against orcs and monsters.

-Krrr!

The Altaica suddenly started to shiver, and roared in pain. One of the bolts had skimmed past a place in between its left hind leg and butt.

Danger!

Kang Chul-In realized that he was in danger.

It was truly a pinch.

They were in a narrow canyon, and it was hard to see past 1 metre due to the sudden appearance of rain and clouds.

Lee Gong-Myung!

Barely managing to dodge the crossbow bolts, Kang Chul-In realized that Lee Gong-Myung was definitely the one behind all of this.

At that moment, from the dark sky, a huge shadow started to fly towards them.

And its identity,

...A net!

It was a tool used in order to stop Kang Chul-In from moving, a steel net.

“Run! Quickly!”

Kang Chul-In urged the Altaica.

Once they were trapped in the net, they would definitely be struck with the crossbow bolts and have no way of escaping.

-Krr!

Ignoring its injuries, the Altaica jumped and dodged the net.

As they dodged the net, the shower of crossbow bolts continued to come.

And finally,

Puk!

Even Kang Chul-In was hit by one of them.

It happened because he was riding on the Altaica while carrying Arshelly on his back.

“...!”

Kang Chul-In felt burning pain in his left waist. Even though he hadn’t been completely pierced by it, some of his flesh had definitely left his body after that terrifyingly large crossbow bolt had skimmed him.

“Overlord Kang Chul-In!”

At that moment,

“Why not surrender here?”

From far away, a familiar voice could be heard.

Kang Chul-In’s gaze headed towards the top of the canyon.

There he was.

It was a man illuminated by the dim moonlight:

Alex Rothschild’s strategist, Lee Gong-Myung.