T/N: Hi, everyone. I’ve decided to drop the novel for obvious reasons, but I’m really glad I got to share the story with a lot of people while I could. Have a good 2024, everyone ^^
Also congrats to the novel for winning the Ridi 2023 awards 😀
Edited by An Zheee
Nataek frantically looked from side to side, searching for Medeus with his eyes. It was at that moment when he saw Medeus rising from the tall thicket of grass, two large Guti in front of him. Nataek was already generally tall, Medeus taller than him, but the Guti were built even taller than Medeus. It was like they were of a completely different race.
The Guti swung their bludgeons at Medeus, but he was able to dodge them with light movements, almost like he was dancing between the attacks. One would swing, Medeus would spin around to dodge the strike, the other one would also swing, but Medeus would merely sidestep in the other direction to avoid getting hit.
It was a familiar scene to Nataek. Medeus’s smooth movements were reminiscent of the time he watched a slowed-down video of a Border Collie dodging obstacles. His movements were flawless, not a single mistake to be seen anywhere.
One of the Guti must’ve lost their temper enough to cast aside their bludgeon in favor of drawing their sword. Growling, the man gripped the sword with both hands and glared at Medeus. Medeus, who stood by the tree carefully watching his attackers, suddenly raised his hand and beckoned them with his fingers.
“Come here”, he softly called out to the two giants as if they were dogs. One of them charged at him like a rhinoceros, Medeus retaliated with an upward strike of his sword. The man instantly lost his balance and tilted sideways.
With only a single counterattack from Medeus, the man fell over. Nataek had a brief flashback to the aristocratic meeting:
‘General Medeus has achieved nothing but victories on countless battlefields. It’s only thanks to him that Uruk is what it is today. Our city of Uruk has remained undefeated since Medeus became a general. In fact, the reason why the Guti raid outside the walls without hesitation but never breach the walls themselves is because of General Medeus’s presence.’
‘He’s right, Ensi. His dignity as a noble aside, his prowess as Uruk’s general is unparalleled. Who else can defend Uruk as steadfastly as Medeus?’
A foreigner with barbarian blood flowing through his veins. This was the reason why Medeus was still able to maintain his position despite the highly unfavorable conditions of being born in a caste-based society that valued blood ties above all else, not to mention his blatantly rude mannerisms.
Thud—
The other Guti fell to the floor.
But then, a system message window appeared in Nataek’s field of vision.
<SYSTEM> HP reduced by 1%.
…What the?
Nataek blinked. Then, he looked down at his hands and checked over his body. He wasn’t hurt anywhere.
Then, once again, the screen brightly lit up before him.
<SYSTEM> HP reduced by 2%.
…Shit. Medeus!
Nataek lifted his head to look at Medeus. The sound of metal clanging against metal was so intense that it echoed throughout the entire forest. Every time swords clashed, the system would issue another warning.
<SYSTEM> HP reduced by 3.2%
Well. Even with the legend of his undefeated record, he was still a human at the end of the day. As the battle went on, Medeus’s stamina will drop, which will also affect Nataek too. If Nataek were to take a few blows as well, the rate at which their linked HP would deplete even faster. There was a good chance this would also affect Medeus’s combat power.
This damn game. There weren’t any potions like this when Nataek had played Sununki. The whole thing felt like a custom quest made to screw him over.
What should he do? What could he do? Should he really just stand back and watch quietly?
In movies and dramas, protagonists often deliberately did things they’re not told to do, which always ended up causing major problems. That was why Nataek was being very careful and deliberate in his thinking.
…Should he do anything to help? Or should he just stay still like Medeus had instructed?
Nataek bit his lip while lost in contemplation.
<SYSTEM> An unknown sound is coming from the ‘Cedar Forest’.
“…”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Nataek quickly brushed aside the strands of hair that’d been covering his ear. As he listened closely…
Mmh, mmmh!
Rjajfx mbeiv ojlcais tfjg atf rbecvr bo j qfgrbc lc qjlc. Pa kjr mbwlcu ogbw cfjg ktfgf Zfvfer kjr olutalcu.
“…Xb? Tbe wfjc ub cbk? Cgf sbe afiilcu wf ab ub bnfg atfgf?” Rjajfx delfais jrxfv atf rsrafw. Yo mbegrf, atf rsrafw cfnfg jcrkfgfv tlw yjmx.
Ktf vjwc rsrafw bcis fcmbegjufv wbnlcu obgkjgv. Fcifrr sbe erf j rjnf qblca ab ub yjmx lc alwf, atfgf’r cb batfg vlgfmalbc ab ub yea obgkjgv lc j defra. Vb, obiibklcu atlr rbecv kjr qgbyjyis j cfmfrrjgs rafq lc ufaalcu bea bo atlr obgfra.
With a strengthened resolve, Nataek tightened the reins of the kunga to a tree branch once again.
Here I go.
There was a constant groaning noise coming from somewhere, in the direction of where Medeus was facing and some place the Guti had their backs turned to. Nataek crouched as low as he could, creeping closer to the sound like a rat. With the fight in full swing, nobody noticed Nataek approaching.
“Mm, Mmh!”
Nataek could hear the sound clearly. It was coming from the base of a cedar tree hidden in the bushes. Nataek poked his head through the foliage towards the source of the noise.
There, he found a girl. Judging by her physique, she looked old enough to be an elementary school student—no, a middle school student. The girl was tied to a tree like a kunga, her hands and feet bound with rope and her mouth gagged. This must be the child named Haq.
Fortunately, the child didn’t seem to have suffered any major injuries. She looked relatively unharmed.
Nataek quickly approached.
“Shhh, be quiet. I’ll untie you.”
The girl rolled her eyes and nodded her head.
Nataek took out the dagger that Medeus had given him and first cut the ropes binding the girl’s legs. The sound of the blade cutting through the rope was getting on his nerves. He was deathly worried that the enemy might notice, sweat dripping from his hands. When almost all of the rope was cut off, a flash of light came from the direction of where Medeus was fighting. Startled, Nataek reflexively looked up, the light flying straight toward him.
“Heuk…!”
Nataek quickly dropped to the floor. Exactly where Nataek’s head had been, a metal object was embedded in the trunk of the cedar tree behind him.
Before he could even process what had just happened, another flash of light came. Nataek’s body involuntarily rolled on its own. This time, a metal object was lying in the spot where Nataek had just been.
It was a blade that resembled a boomerang, which the Guti tribe used as arrows.
How did he dodge that?
While stricken by surprise at his own swift movements, his question was also answered.
<SYSTEM> The effect of +50 Agility has been triggered.
<SYSTEM> The effect of +50 Luck has been triggered.
It was such an absurd scenario Nataek found himself in, that he couldn’t help but laugh. A potion… for this? System, you’ve really thought this one through, haven’t you?
Nataek tried to assess the situation rationally, but more and more anger kept seeping into his thoughts. Deciding not to hesitate any longer, Nataek quickly went back to cutting the rope binding the child’s hands together.
Then, one of the Guti who’d been fighting Medeus noticed Nataek and charged at him like a raging bull. The Guti warrior wore a leather helmet made from the horns and hide of a bull, that was probably why it felt like Nataek was actually engaged in an encounter against a raging bull.
“I’m losing it! Why isn’t the rope cut yet?”
“Mm, mmmph!”
Nataek’s hands became frantic. It only needed a few more cuts, but the leather rope, which had been soaked in bitumen before being twisted into a tight braid, refused to yield.
“Teresi! What are you doing!?” Medeus shouted. He ran toward Nataek, plunging his sword into Guti he’d been fighting. At the same time, the raging bull-like Guti raised his huge bludgeon high in the sky. Nataek looked up and a clear view of the night sky, which had previously been obscured by the cedar trees, appeared. A sky full of stars.
The bull-like Guti tried to swing the bludgeon down between them, but Nataek stretched out his long leg and kicked the Guti warrior straight in the knee.
Thwack—!
“Arghh!” the bull-like Guti roared, dropping the bludgeon next to Nataek’s side. The bull stumbled backwards before falling to the ground, blood soaking the ground where it laid. All Nataek did was kick him.
Startled, Nataek looked around before finding the source of the warrior’s bleeding. A boomerang-like Gutian blade was carved in the Guti’s Achilles tendon. There was also a dagger stab wound on his thick calf.
Nataek quickly processed what had happened. Apparently, Medeus, having seen the bull charging at Nataek, threw the boomerang blade that was now stuck in the guy’s heel. And the one who dug the dagger into his calf…
“Haq! Take that idiot and get somewhere safe!” Medeus shouted, dealing with another Guti that was charging at him from behind. The dagger that was in Nataek’s hand was now in the child’s hand, the tiny blade stained with blood.
The child vigorously sliced at the rope around her legs and spoke through her gag. “You iffiot. Juss howh slohh caff youh be?”
“What?”
The child was the one who stabbed the bull-like Guti in the calf. An attack that a full-grown adult wouldn’t be able to easily pull off, but the child had done it without any hesitation even with such a tiny body.
The child kneeled down, lifted her legs and cut through the rope that bound her legs together. Nataek was clearly stronger than her in terms of physical strength, but it was more about the skill that was the trick to cutting off those straps. The child twisted the dagger at an odd angle and was able to cut through her leg straps at a much faster speed than Nataek. Of course, Nataek made it easy for her, having already done most of the work earlier. The cords that bound her hands were not coated with bitumen, so it didn’t take long.
Nataek took the sword from the child to cut through the rope binding her wrists. Having just learned from watching the girl, he was able to do it more quickly this time. The freed child yanked the gag off her mouth.
“You idiot, just how slow can you be!” the child snapped at Nataek.
She then tried to tie up the bull-like Guti with the leftover rope she’d just cut. Medeus, who somehow knew, shouted at her before she could finish.
“Stop fooling around and get out of here! Get on the kunga and go home!”
“But, but Lord Medeus—!”
“This is an order. Leave, now!”
However, the child did not heed Medeus’s words. In fact, she puffed up her cheeks with air as if she were pouting.
Haq glared at Nataek. “Idiot. Quickly, finish it off.”
Why was she talking so rudely to an adult?
“Don’t hesitate. Just strike it at its vital point.”
The child nudged her head in the direction of the bull-like Guti crawling on the floor.
Nataek was appalled at the fact that murder was being mentioned so casually, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. He needed to do something, but using his bare hands was dangerous. Martial arts have weight classes for a reason. It was almost certain that he’d be counterattacked if he went in barehanded. You have to use a tool when dealing with such a large opponent.
Nataek looked around, trying to find a weapon to knock the Guti out. Suddenly, the conversation gave him a sense of deja vu. It might’ve been his first time talking to this child, but the words she spat out made him feel as though she’d spoken to him many times already.
“Oh, come on. Hurry up already!”
Nataek’s eyes, which had been restless, narrowed. The child’s tone was eerily similar to Medeus’s. He remembered what Medeus said about the child named Haq.
‘Haq is a talented kid. Though she’s kept outside the walls and can’t see the light of the day, she’ll grow up to be more than those idiots within Uruk if she gets the chance to.’
‘It’d be a waste if she were to lose her life like this.’
Nataek could see what he meant. Her spirit, her bravery, her fierceness. It was all unmistakably reminiscent of Medeus. If Nataek hadn’t met her parents during the day, he would’ve thought she was Medeus’s secret lovechild.
“Ughh…”
The bull-like Guti on the ground gritted his teeth. Nataek, who couldn’t find the right weapon for the job, picked up the stone at his feet.
Thunk—!
Haq used all of her might to drive the dagger into the back of the Guti’s neck. The bull-like Guti collapsed in a pool of his own blood. Red blood stained Haq’s hands. Nataek couldn’t help the shock he felt at the young child’s unreluctant willingness to attack.
“I can’t believe Lord Medeus keeps such a fool by his side. Makes no sense.”
Then, as if his eyes were on the back of his head, Medeus shouted to her, “Haq! I told you to go home. If you don’t listen, I won’t teach you swordsmanship ever again, so leave already!”
“Lord Medeus, I can help!”
At the same time, a system message popped up.
<SYSTEM> HP reduced by 5.7%.
What? Two of the Guti were taken down, why is his HP still going down?
Nataek looked over to Medeus. Sure enough, even though he had just taken down two Guti, Medeus was taking on two more bull-helmed Guti as if they were monsters spawning in the area.
Nataek’s eyes widened. When he looked closely, he saw another guy lurking from behind the action, waiting for an opening. There were a total of three new opponents that Medeus was dealing with.
Just how many of these guys are there?
One of them was the first Guti Nataek had seen, the one he mistook for a boulder.
Another was the dead Guti collapsed in front of Nataek.
And there were three new ones that Medeus had to deal with.
There were a total of five Guti in the cedar forest. Medeus wasn’t going on the offensive, instead choosing to go on the defensive to keep the Guti from reaching Nataek and Haq. A strange-looking boomerang kept flying toward Nataek, but was stopped every time.
Ah. They would only get in Medeus’s way if they stayed here.
Nataek grabbed the child. “Let’s go.”
The child shook off Nataek’s hand, as if the touch burned her.
Medeus shouted to Haq, “I’m counting to five.”
“Lord Medeus!”
“Five.”
“I can help too!” Haq said.
“Four.”
“Really, I can!”
“Three.”
“Damn it…”
“What? Damn it?”
“What was the point of teaching me if it was going to turn out like this!”
Medeus let out a hearty laugh, it was Nataek who was more surprised at her rather spicy remarks. For a child less than half Nataek’s size, her temperament was unusual. She was so full of spirit to the point that her body almost couldn’t handle the amount she had, the youth truly was fearless. Was it possible to survive in this era by living like this?
Haq kicked the dirt floor as if she 8were kicking a soccer ball, clearly frustrated. Then, instead of approaching the kunga, she glanced back at Nataek.
“Idiot.”
Nataek’s stomach turned inside out. The child quickly ran to the kunga and, as if she were an athlete competing in horse vaulting, hopped onto the back of one of the kunga.
“Heeyah!”
Haq slapped the reins down hard, and the kunga raised its front hooves in the air and neighed. The horse’s dynamic posture added with the way that the child on it was riding it so steadily, it reminded Nataek of a portrait of Napoleon he once saw.
Stomping its feet vigorously, the kunga carrying Haq on its back fled into the distance. Like Medeus said, she was a child who was going to accomplish a lot when she grew up.
However, the sound of the system interrupted his thoughts.
<SYSTEM> HP reduced by 6.9%.
Nataek looked back at Medeus. Now was not the time to be doing this.
It was soon going to hit -10% at this rate. There must be a reason why he received a potion like this. A reason why he was given 50 attack, 50 defense, 50 agility and 50 luck.
Nataek wanted to believe that there was something the system must have had in mind.
Why did they give him a quest that didn’t even exist in Sununki? There must be a reason…
Feelings of anxiety, concern and restlessness washed over him. Negative thoughts were putting pressure on his entire body, his intuition sharpening.
He had a hunch. The choice he made at this moment would determine the outcome of the quest.
Should he climb a tree or should he stay in a corner protecting the kunga like Medeus initially ordered him to? Which option would be more helpful to Medeus in the current situation?
As Nataek hid behind a cedar tree contemplating what he should do, he suddenly felt a tremendous amount of pressure tugging at his ankle. Startled, he quickly tried to pull his foot away, but it was like something was glued to it.
His body tilted and he fell to the ground.
<SYSTEM> HP reduced by 10%.
The Guti with the bull-horned helm crawled toward him. “I’ll kill you…”
The one Haq defeated was still alive. Medeus had just killed two of the three Guti he was fighting against.
Nataek, his feet pinned down by the bull-like Guti, felt a sense of helplessness.
In the Guti’s hand was the blade that he pulled out from his Achilles tendon.
The Guti shouted ferociously at Nataek, “I’ll kill you!”
Thank you for the chapter! <3 happy new year
Thank you for the chapter! Wish you a good year.
I had really enjoyed this story, sad it was dropped. But thank you for translations! Btw, where can i read this?