The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 278: Chapter 277: I Will Buy Us Time (4)



Harold nodded with a satisfied expression. Baron Hutton was one of the top fighters in the Desmond side in terms of individual combat ability.

"Good. Don't worry about anyone else. Just kill that one first."

"Understood."

Baron Hutton immediately mounted his horse and rode off. Even as he approached the fortress, he kept his eyes fixed on Gillian's movements.

The one who was ruthlessly slaughtering the knights and soldiers on this side without pause.

If they had met under normal circumstances, even Baron Hutton wouldn't dare to guarantee his victory against him.

But now, it was clear that the other's strength had greatly diminished from the continuous battles. His momentum was still fierce, but his power and speed had visibly waned compared to the beginning.

The tension of war and the fatigue of battle were not easily overlooked.

'Now should be fine.'

When he reached near the fortress wall, he jumped off his horse and climbed the ladder in just two leaps, lightly scaling the fortress wall.

Then, he drew his sword as he faced Gillian.

Clang!

The sharp sound reached Gillian's ears, making him slowly turn his head.

Just from the sound of the sword being drawn, he could tell this was no ordinary opponent. 'At last, a real one has appeared.'

Though walking lightly, every step the opponent took radiated waves of immense power.

Gillian adjusted his stance and stared straight at Baron Hutton.

Baron Hutton, now seeing Gillian up close, hardened his expression.

'Perhaps... today might be my last.'

The one before him was a wounded and furious beast. One mistake could lead to him tearing through his throat.

The ferocity pouring out continuously made it difficult to even approach him.

Both immediately recognized each other's skills.

Without a single word, they raised their weapons toward each other.

Claaang!

As the axe and sword collided, a sharp, deafening noise echoed, accompanied by sparks flying wildly.

Their weapons moved so fast they were barely visible. Every time they clashed, intense shockwaves rippled outward.

Boom! Boom!

At some point, there was no one left around the two. Unable to withstand the shockwaves, everyone had retreated.

Swoosh!

Gillian's axe swung down toward Baron Hutton's crown. Baron Hutton raised his sword to deflect it.

Clang!

The fierce recoil caused both of their stances to waver, creating a brief opening.

Baron Hutton stared at Gillian with sharp eyes and opened his mouth.

"I've heard most of Count Fenris's subordinates are mercenaries... What's your name?"

"Gillian."

"A lowly mercenary, yet impressive. I am Baron Hutton, the man who will kill you today." Gillian smirked as he glared at Baron Hutton, his eyes still filled with fierce hostility.

"You little brat, spewing arrogant words."

At the coarse retort, Baron Hutton's eyebrow twitched slightly.

Though the man before him appeared older, Baron Hutton himself was already middle-aged. He was not at an age to be called "brat."

But Gillian wasn't finished. As a mercenary who had lived a rough life, Baron Hutton's words didn't even count as provocation.

"There have been plenty of bastards who said that to me. Now, they're all buried in the ground. A blade doesn't care about age or status."

From a young age, Gillian had survived countless life-threatening situations. He had encountered plenty of arrogant strongmen like Baron Hutton.

But in the mercenary world, survival determined who was strongest.

Gillian had lived long enough for his hair to turn white. That alone was a testament to his pride and the life he had led.

Baron Hutton smiled faintly and replied.

"A discourteous fellow. We'll see who gets buried."

Boom!

The two clashed again. It was as if the space where they fought had become another world.

The knights and soldiers of Fenris and Desmond alike paused their battles and retreated.

The range of the two combatants' movements continued to expand. Staying too close risked getting caught in their fight and torn apart.

Boom! Boom!

The ground cracked and stones flew. The impact was so strong that a soldier hit by the debris collapsed immediately.

Baron Hutton's swordsmanship was flawless and precise, a display of knightly textbook techniques.

Fenris and Desmond knights alike couldn't help but admire his restrained and dignified

swordsmanship.

Especially the Fenris knights, who were most astonished.

'Amazing...'

'It's like watching a swordsmanship manual in action.'

"There are so many exceptional people in the world.'

Their most familiar swordsmanship was Ghislain's. However, Ghislain's movements were on

a level they couldn't comprehend.

At times, his swordsmanship was so elegant it moved them. At other times, it was so savage it tore everything apart. His unpredictability made it impossible to learn from him.

But Baron Hutton was different. His swordsmanship exemplified how a knight should wield

their blade.

Boom!

In contrast, Gillian moved like a ravenous beast.

Even a moment's distraction could lead to him tearing through their throats and pulverizing their bodies. His ferocity and savage killing intent were palpable.

Desmond's knights, instead of fearing Gillian's attacks, found themselves admiring them.

'It's utterly practical.'

"There's no way to predict where the next strike will come from.'

'How is that even possible?'

Each attack felt like a lightning strike from the heavens. For them, evading or blocking such

blows was out of the question.

From their perspective, both fighters were monsters of different styles but equal caliber.

Swoosh!

Baron Hutton's sword grazed past, leaving cuts on Gillian's arms and legs, drawing blood. Meanwhile, Baron Hutton remained unscathed. His face, however, was tense.

'I can't land a critical blow.'

The opponent's attacks were so aggressive they almost seemed reckless. Many strikes were

absorbed by his body as he relentlessly pushed forward.

Though the other had sustained more wounds and was covered in blood, it was Baron Hutton

who felt increasingly cornered.

Gillian's axe carried merciless power and struck at sharp angles. A single hit wouldn't result in

a minor wound-it would be fatal.

Gillian glared at Baron Hutton with burning eyes.

'A slippery bastard.'

Ordinarily, such relentless pressure would make an opponent grow desperate and falter. But

Baron Hutton maintained the calm of a tranquil lake.

Such composure, despite overwhelming odds, was something only those with extraordinary

skill and self-control could exhibit.

For Gillian, Baron Hutton was the most challenging type of opponent.

Boom! Boom!

As their weapons clashed again, both thought the same thing.

"This won't end like this.'

It would come down to a battle of endurance, with one of them exhausting first.

But this was a war. The only reason the combatants weren't intervening was the customary respect for a knightly duel.

Each side waited for the fight's conclusion, glaring at each other with hostile intent. Dragging

this out would be dangerous.

The victor of this battle would greatly boost their side's morale and could push the enemy

back.

Gillian realized he needed a bolder approach to kill his opponent.

'I'll give him an opening.'

Boom!

Their weapons clashed and recoiled. Gillian stepped back slightly, baring his chest while

gripping his axe tightly.

"Come on."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

It was both a taunt and a trap. Baron Hutton saw through it but accepted it anyway.

'Let's end this.'

Baron Hutton's eyes shone as he lunged to stab Gillian's heart. At the same time, Gillian

swung his axe at Baron Hutton.

A simple and primal exchange.

Victory would depend on who was stronger and faster.

Swoosh!

Baron Hutton's sword, infused with mana, shot forward like a beam of light.

Thud!

Before Gillian could complete his swing, Baron Hutton's sword struck deeply.

Feeling his blade pierce flesh, Baron Hutton smiled.

'It's over.'

But he didn't know what kind of man Gillian was.

"...?!"

Even with his heart pierced, Gillian didn't stop. Instead, he smiled like a demon and brought

his axe down.

Baron Hutton instinctively let go of his sword and stepped back.

Boom!

Crunch!

Baron Hutton's chest plate shattered, and his chest split open. Feeling searing pain, he looked

at Gillian in disbelief.

'How...? I pierced his heart.'

Baron Hutton glanced at his blade's position and frowned. The sword had missed its target by

a slight margin.

'Did he... adjust his stance mid-swing?'

It was a calculated gamble. Gillian, betting his life, had altered his position just enough to

avoid a fatal blow.

Only someone who had lived through countless life-or-death battles could make such a bold

move.

Splurt!

Baron Hutton, coughing blood, staggered and fell to his knees.

"Ugh!"

"Baron!"

Desmond's knights rushed to support the bleeding Baron Hutton. The wound was severe, but

he was still alive.

"Get the Baron out of here!"

As Desmond's forces retreated with Baron Hutton, Gillian staggered back and pulled the

sword from his chest. His hands trembled as he gripped his axe.

'I didn't kill him.'

Baron Hutton's quick retreat had left the axe's blow shallow. Even in that situation, his

judgment was exceptional.

"Instructor!"

The knights of Fenris rushed over to support Gillian. Although he stood upright, it was

obvious that his condition was far from good.

Blood continued to seep from the gaping wound in his chest, and a trickle of blood flowed

from his tightly closed lips.

If he were truly fine, he wouldn't have hesitated to follow up with another attack.

Both sides once again raised their weapons and glared at each other. Somehow, the battle had come to an uneasy halt. Around the two warriors, an intense killing

intent began to rise, and both were brimming with fighting spirit.

The Fenris knights swallowed the blood pooling in their mouths and steeled themselves.

'Damn it... my body feels like it's falling apart.'

"There's really not much time left.' 'Hah... I'll take down as many as I can before I go."

They had already reached their limits. Most of them were bleeding from their mouths.

The only reason the enemy hadn't noticed was because they were wearing black helmets.

Gillian, aware of this, was forcing himself to remain upright. If he showed any signs of weakness, the enemy would only attack with even greater ferocity. Thump! Thump! Thump!

The sound of drums rang out again. However, unlike before, the Desmond forces began to

retreat slowly.

They particularly surrounded Baron Hutton to protect him tightly. He was an important figure they couldn't afford to lose.

Seeing the Desmond army retreating to the sound of the drums, the Fenris forces sighed in

relief.

"Thank goodness."'

'We got lucky.'

'If it weren't for the instructor, we would have been doomed.'

If Baron Hutton hadn't been taken down, the Desmond army wouldn't have retreated so

easily.

Of course, if they had known the true condition of the Fenris forces, they might have pressed

harder, but thanks to Gillian holding his ground, even Harold had been deceived by Fenris's

bluff.

Once it was certain that the enemy was retreating, Gillian spat out blood and slowly began to

speak.

"Set up a perimeter and make sure everyone rests. Stay ready to join the battle at any

moment."

He was still standing tall. Seeing this, the knights asked him,

"Instructor, are you really okay?"

"You should lie down and get treated right away."

"Hey! Where's the medic? Bring some bandages here!"

As the knights bustled about, Gillian raised his hand to stop them.

"It's fine. You all rest and recover your mana first. I'll take care of my own wounds."

He gritted his teeth and endured the pain, speaking in a stoic tone.

Even when he went to the command post, he had to walk there alone. He had to treat his

wounds on his own.

He couldn't afford to show weakness. Every soldier was looking up to him.

With slow and heavy steps, Gillian began to walk away.

Meanwhile, Harold, who had been observing the battle all day, came up with a new strategy.

"It would be better to mobilize all weapons and mages to destroy the fortress." [T/L: Please support me and read 320 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans]