Chapter 3: Milbrook (2)

Millbrook was a natural fortress.

Even I, ignorant of military strategy and tactics, could discern that Millbrook’s terrain was nothing short of miraculous.

Its location, for one, was extraordinary.

Millbrook was a city encircled by mountains on all sides.

Moreover, the inner terrain was remarkably flat, perfectly suited for constructing a city and its fortifications.

Numerous streams originating from the mountains ensured an ample supply of water.

The sole issue, therefore, was the presence of monsters lurking in the surrounding mountains.

Yet, oddly enough, Millbrook had never considered these monsters a significant concern.

This was largely due to the imposing, sturdy city walls, coupled with a sizable population that deterred monsters from ever venturing near the city.

Now, however, the situation had drastically changed.

A monster, appearing abruptly from an unknown origin, had disrupted the mountain’s ecosystem.

Consequently, monsters that would ordinarily never approach the city began appearing with unsettling frequency.

“Be careful. That one is no ordinary monster. There’s a high probability it possesses both immense power and advanced intelligence.”

So grave was the situation that even the knight conveyed these words to me with a visibly tense expression.

Having received a steel sword and a gambeson, I set off, diligently ascending the mountain.

All the while, I ceaselessly pondered the monster the knight had described.

Though I had never before faced true peril against a monster, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this time, I might finally encounter a formidable adversary.

Of course, even if the monster proved powerful, I had no intention of simply succumbing.

Unlike before, when I relied on daggers or logging axes, hadn’t I now acquired a steel sword, the kind knights wielded?

If I could sever its neck with a single strike, and then pierce and crush all its vital organs—its heart and lungs—it would surely perish, as all living beings do.

Therefore, my task now was not to worry.

“Hmph…”

I gathered my resolve.

I focused my mind.

Taking a deep breath, I drew the sword from its sheath.

My honed senses now missed not even the slightest insect.

I was prepared to strike down any monster, no matter when or where it might appear.

Fully prepared, I scoured the mountain paths, seeking out the powerful monster.

“…So, it’s you.”

And then, I finally encountered it.

The formidable entity that all other monsters in the vicinity feared, the undisputed possessor of the greatest power in this mountain.

Its body was strangely similar to that of a human.

However, this resemblance was superficial, limited merely to its general form.

Its bulk, larger than a bear’s, and its more monstrous appearance than any other creature I’d seen, utterly precluded it from being called human.

Its glossy black skin, shimmering as if clad in metallic armor, gleamed.

As its bulk, roughly three times my height, rose to its full stature, the sunlight filtering through the leaves was obscured.

Its sharp teeth and claws appeared dangerous at first glance, and its blood-red eyes gleamed, fixed solely on me.

“Similar to a human, yet not human at all.”

The moment I blinked, my vision shifted.

My eyes no longer perceived the world as an ordinary person’s would.

These were eyes that could pierce through the flesh of living beings, revealing hidden weaknesses.

The instant I viewed the world through this unique sight, which only I possessed, a hollow laugh escaped me in sheer disbelief.

The creature’s internal anatomy was eerily similar to that of a human.

Not only its skeletal framework and muscle composition, but even the placement and form of its organs within the peritoneal cavity.

The sight, as if a human had undergone a monstrous transformation, instinctively made me frown.

It was then.

“Hoh, what an interesting human.”

“…?!”

The monster opened its mouth.

It spoke human language.

The clear display of intelligence, engaging me in conversation, caused my eyes to widen in an instant.

“Is this your first time seeing a talking monster?”

“What are you?”

“This young one has good instincts. And seems utterly fearless.”

“I asked what you are.”

Monsters were, surprisingly, intelligent beasts.

This was evident from their ability to recognize my presence and exploit my absence to attack Greenford.

But if one were to ask if monsters possessed true intellect, the answer would be no.

They were cunning, but lacked wisdom beyond that.

Naturally, they couldn’t even comprehend human language, let alone speak it.

Yet, what was this monster before me now?

It transcended mere comprehension of human speech; it was actively articulating and conversing.

“Unfortunate for you, runt. Our existence must not be revealed yet, for the sake of His plan.”

Though I had no idea what it truly was, I instinctively knew it was an infinitely more dangerous entity than any ordinary monster.

I was certain I could not let it escape from this place.

“Die here.”

The monster extended a hand, attacking.

Yet, its movements appeared agonizingly slow to my eyes.

This was the power to peer through a target’s body, clearly discerning its sequence of weaknesses.

This extraordinary vision, which I had possessed since birth, I termed ‘Contemplation’ (TL Note: A Korean term, ‘gwanjo,’ referring to a state of profound observation or insight.).

‘Observe well, evade well.’

That was the fundamental principle of my combat, executed through Contemplation.

The twitch of muscles, the velocity of blood flow, the expansion of lungs, the direction of gaze.

With a vision that could discern and interpret all these elements, I could predict every single movement of my opponent.

This time was no different.

I observed the monster’s actions several steps ahead, moving out of the range of its attack.

I ducked beneath its outstretched fist, evading it, then lunged forward, burrowing into the monster’s guard.

─CRASH!

A thunderous roar erupted behind me, accompanied by a cloud of dust.

Such was its might that a single punch could rupture the very ground.

Swallowing hard at the terrifying destructive power, I nonetheless kept my gaze fixed on the monster before me.

After all, no matter how potent an attack, it was inconsequential if it didn’t land.

Since I had successfully evaded its first strike, all I needed to do was sever its neck before the second attack could be launched.

I landed with a soft thump directly in front of the monster.

Realizing I had evaded its attack, the monster lowered its head in astonishment.

Immediately after, the monster’s leg began to move.

Its knee joint bent, and its thigh muscles contracted.

My Contemplation revealed that it intended to kick me directly.

Having pierced through all its intentions and movements, I immediately straightened my bent knees.

My body shot upwards vertically, rapidly ascending to the vicinity of the monster’s chest.

The kick, now devoid of its target, slicing through empty air, was precisely as predicted.

‘Focus.’

I opened my eyes wide and intensely focused my mind.

In the world viewed through Contemplation, time seemed to flow at a sluggish pace.

Within this time granted only to me, I sought out the most vulnerable part of its neck muscles.

Bones were surprisingly tough and not easily cut.

This was even truer for monsters, whose physical capabilities far surpassed those of ordinary creatures.

Therefore, I precisely targeted the cartilage nestled between its cervical vertebrae.

I knew exactly when, where, and how to strike.

Just then, a thought flashed like lightning through my mind.

‘Now.’

In that instant, I extended my arm without the slightest hesitation.

The sword, swung like a bolt of lightning, sliced through the monster’s skin and ripped apart its muscles.

The soft cartilage, lodged between rigid bones, was cleaved by the keen blade.

With a single stroke, the monster’s severed neck flew into the air.

Unable to even utter a death rattle, the monster thus perished.

****

Having dealt with the monster, I collected its head and corpse and returned to Millbrook.

“Wh-what in the world is this?!”

“This is the monster I spoke of. It was the primary culprit, driving away other monsters and causing turmoil in Millbrook.”

I laid down the monster’s head and corpse before the city gates.

The knight, who had been conversing atop the city wall, nodded and ordered the gates opened.

It seemed they had acknowledged my contribution.

The people of Greenford scurried inside through the opened city gates.

Of course, the soldiers’ gazes still held a wary suspicion towards them.

Yet, despite this, the soldiers could not actively impede their entry.

This was because I was steadfastly observing the Greenford people.

“Ahem, allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Gilbert Pecto, a knight serving Count Silverthorn.”

“Aither.”

“Do you not belong to any particular family or organization?”

“Not at present, no.”

Although I was the eldest son of the Astrius family, that status had been lost the moment I was cast out.

Moreover, I felt there would be no benefit in mentioning my family name here.

Thus, I simply revealed to Gilbert that I was unaffiliated.

“Oh! Is that so! To possess such skill despite being unaffiliated—you are truly an unparalleled genius!”

“…Is that so?”

I blinked in surprise at Gilbert’s unexpected reaction.

Frankly, I had expected him to at least frown.

After all, being unaffiliated typically signified a commoner without the protection of any faction.

Yet, far from displaying a negative reaction, Gilbert seemed pleased by my lack of affiliation.

“More importantly, Sir Gilbert, there is something I must tell you urgently.”

“An urgent matter? Did something happen during your fight with the creature?”

“Yes. That monster possessed intelligence. It could understand and skillfully speak human language.”

“…Is that true?”

Gilbert’s expression immediately hardened.

And it was only natural. The emergence of a monster capable of wielding human language was typically an ominous sign.

Humans had always formed groups by communicating through language.

There was no reason monsters couldn’t do the same.

“And it spoke some rather significant words.”

“Significant words?”

“Yes. It said, ‘Our existence must not be revealed yet, for the sake of His plan.’”

There were no clues in the monster’s words to discern who ‘He’ might be.

Nor was there any way to determine how many intelligent monsters it referred to as ‘us.’

But one thing was certain.

“…It seems I must report this to Count Silverthorn.”

The crisis brought about by this unknown monster was only just beginning.