Chapter 28: Akar
Among the three Second-Tier Bloodline Users from Red Lion Peak, one had been beheaded by Yam; another had been caught in Akar's fireball explosion, his fate still uncertain; the last, even upon seeing Yam and the others, dared not intervene, pretending not to notice them.
Naturally, he wouldn't step forward to stop Yam and Akar from leaving with their group.
As for the remaining three hundred or so soldiers, even if they had the courage to obstruct them, Yam alone could slaughter these ordinary men like chopping melons and vegetables, without needing Ken or Ster's assistance.
He hadn't trained in the Kingdom's Military Swordsmanship for nothing.
Even though he hadn't officially mastered the [Eagle Strike Swordsmanship] yet, his weapon and bloodline ability [Flame Stream] left him without a worthy opponent.
At this moment, Yam wielded not the longsword Giggs had exchanged for him, but the rusty sword his eldest brother had once acquired in the city.
Yam had managed to kill that Bloodline Knight so effortlessly because he exploited the opponent's unfamiliarity with his weapon's special effects.
After severing the enemy's weapon with a single strike, he unleashed [Flame Stream] to disrupt the opponent's balance, then swiftly decapitated him, giving no chance for retaliation.
Of course, this was also because the rusty sword in Yam's hand no longer appeared as dilapidated as before.
Previously, the sword's hilt was too short for a two-handed grip and too long for a single hand, making it unwieldy.
Moreover, the blade was heavy, often leading the wielder rather than being wielded, likely due to the missing balance stone in the hilt, disrupting the sword's equilibrium.
Now, with the hilt restored and the balance stone replaced, the sword's balance had been corrected, eliminating the previous top-heavy feel.
Most notably, the rust on the blade had completely fallen off, revealing a lustrous, dark sheen that clearly indicated it was no ordinary weapon.
Though this might draw attention, it was preferable to the suspicion that would arise from wielding a rusty sword in battle.
The only drawback was the increased weight of the sword.
Despite Yam's extensive training, wielding it single-handedly was challenging.
He estimated that only a Third or Fourth-Tier Bloodline User, with further enhanced physical attributes, could handle it with ease.
Even if he struggled, his father and younger brother stood no chance.
Ion's awakened bloodline was the [Flame Hound], which didn't excel in strength but offered slight advantages in reflexes and speed.
Akar, like Yam, had awakened the [Flame Demon Hound] bloodline, slightly stronger than the [Flame Hound] but still not known for brute strength.
Akar's talents lay in manipulating fire, so he naturally didn't invest effort in swordsmanship. The ancestral longsword in his hands was like a pearl covered in dust.
Thus, Ion decided that Yam would wield the longsword and accompany Akar, while Ion, having trained in the Kingdom's Military Swordsmanship, used Yam's Rare Iron Longsword to rendezvous with Yam, Akar, Ken, and Ster at the border.
Ion led the way, flanked by Ken, the Bole Family's Knight Commander. Their breakout was swift and unimpeded. The allied forces, now led by the sole remaining Bloodline Knight, were too demoralized to pursue.
After breaking through the enemy camp, Ion halted outside the mountain path, transitioning from vanguard to rear guard, allowing Ken to lead Ster and the remaining troops ahead.
Soon, Akar appeared.
"Brother!" Akar called out excitedly upon seeing Yam, rushing forward.
However, Yam's expression darkened upon noticing the Rare Iron Longbow slung over Akar's back. "Didn't I tell you not to covet such things? What if you'd been ambushed? According to our plan, I wouldn't have been able to rescue you!"
Chastised, Akar looked sheepish.
He didn't believe anyone could ambush him successfully; even Bloodline Users struggled against his fireballs, let alone ordinary soldiers.
But he knew his brother's concern stemmed from care, so he refrained from arguing.
Instead, he proudly raised the longbow and demonstrated.
"Brother, I thought my bloodline ability might synergize with a longbow, so I took it."
Akar gripped the bow with his left hand, then used his right index finger to draw a thread of flame from his left thumb, forming a fiery arrow on the bowstring.
"See," Akar beamed, "I tested it earlier. It's less powerful than my firestones but has a much longer range."
Yam couldn't hide his surprise.
After reuniting, he'd learned about Akar's development of his abilities over the past year.
Unlike Yam, who focused on swordsmanship and integrating [Flame Stream] into his techniques, Akar dedicated himself to mastering fire manipulation, developing fireballs and firestones. Firestones had strong penetration, akin to armor-piercing arrows, but limited range.
Fireballs lacked penetration but had explosive power comparable to the Kingdom's gunpowder barrels, though their range depended entirely on Akar's throwing strength.
"How far can you shoot?"
"A hundred paces!" Akar replied, visibly excited.
He was acutely aware of his abilities' limitations.
Fireballs' range was constrained by his arm strength, risking self-injury.
Firestones, while throwable over longer distances, required skill and still had limited range. After hearing about Yam's [Eagle Strike Swordsmanship], he realized that ten meters was negligible for Bloodline Users.
So, when he saw one of the enemy Bloodline Users wielding a Rare Iron Longbow, he had already set his sights on it.
Thus, the fireball that Ster and Ken had witnessed was Akar exploiting the chaos caused by the fire and their breakout to distract the enemy archer, allowing him to approach and seize the bow.
In essence, Akar had used Ster and the others as bait.
He hadn't told Yam because he knew his brother wouldn't approve of using Ster and the others as decoys.
Not wanting Yam to risk himself, Akar took matters into his own hands, leveraging his importance in the support mission to secure more benefits for himself.
The outcome was undeniably successful.
With no further words, the brothers quickly rejoined the main group.
Upon hearing of Akar's return, Ster personally came to meet him.
Both he and Ken were exhausted, their strength nearly depleted. They had prepared for death during the breakout, so this unexpected turn of events brought a renewed hope for survival. Ster, recognizing their reliance on Yam and Akar, wisely chose to show respect.
After all, the brothers' strength was evident. Ster and Ken had witnessed a fireball kill the troublesome enemy archer, whose weapon now belonged to Akar.
Another Second-Tier Bloodline User, wielding a war halberd and accompanied by two First-Tier Bloodline Users, had been slain by Yam.
Ster's greatest fear now was that the brothers might turn on them in the wilderness. Thus, he made a point to approach them personally.
Fortunately, Yam had no such intentions.
Perhaps due to the psychological impact they had inflicted on the enemy camp, their journey northward back to the White Mountain Territory was unchallenged.
Nevertheless, Ster and Ken dared not rest for long. Apart from brief pauses, everyone pressed on with determination.
Two days later, they neared the border between the Red River Territory and the White Mountain Territory.
There, they encountered a stationed force.
Approximately a hundred men, led by two First-Tier Bloodline Users from the Forest Territory.
These soldiers hadn't anticipated a force approaching from behind, especially not Ster's troops, previously turned back at Red Lion Peak. Panic ensued in their camp.
Ken observed as the enemy began organizing and advancing toward them.
Their intentions were clear.
"They want a fight."
"Understandable," Ster, pale from exhaustion, still had sharp eyes. "They think we barely escaped, heavily wounded and fatigued. To them, this is an easy opportunity for merit. Even if they can't defeat us, delaying us until reinforcements arrive still earns them credit. It's a win-win for them."
Yam remained silent.
He didn't understand military formations or strategies. Even the plan to rescue Ster had been devised by his father and Giggs. Initially, Giggs hadn't intended for Yam to participate, but Ion insisted, leading to Yam and Akar's involvement.
Yam and his father had then gone to Old Mountain Village and Fisher Village to mobilize the militias, waiting at the territory's border.
But the strategic considerations were beyond Yam's comprehension.
Soon, the enemy had formed ranks, blocking Ster's path.
Neither side had cavalry, simplifying the formations.
What angered Ster was the enemy's audacity to approach within tens of meters, clearly underestimating them.
Seeing this, Akar chuckled.
"Brother?"
Yam nodded slightly. "Father said to make it swift."
"Perfect," Akar replied, relaxed.
Previously, he might have needed to charge alongside his brother to achieve the desired deterrent effect.
But now, with his newly acquired weapon, he was more than ready.
Moreover, Yam supported his plan.
Akar stepped forward, unstrapped his longbow, stretched like an ape, and drew a fiery arrow on the bowstring.
The two First-Tier Bloodline Users, who had previously dismissed Ster's group, halted in surprise at this unexpected display.
A sense of unease and fear gripped them.
Instinctively, they wanted to flee.
But Akar let out a maniacal laugh. "Too late!"
He drew the bow.
The fiery arrow materialized.
Akar released the string, and the arrow shot forth.
There was no thunderous whoosh.
But the arrow blazed like the sun, the air reeking of scorched odors.
Amidst his laughter, Akar loosed eighteen arrows in rapid succession.
The intense heat made it feel like midsummer.
Under the horrified gazes of all—
A hundred paces, piercing the willow!