Reincarnated with the King’s Power

Chapter 80

“Crimson Wolf.”

Serena said coldly, enduring the Haki.

“Yes, I heard you were looking for me?”

Crimson Wolf grinned, channeling red mana to his index finger.

That alone exuded a murderous intent incomparable to Zhairo’s.

He pointed his index finger at Serena's neck.

“……”

Serena's face stiffened.

It was a speed she could normally dodge with ease, but her reaction was slowed by enduring the Haki.

“Is this how Hennessy treats its guests?”

“A guest? That’s strange. I thought you came to apologize for the transgression you committed three years ago.”

“The letter sent by His Highness, the Fourth Prince of Eurasia. I’m here for the reply.”

At her cold response, Crimson Wolf shrugged his shoulders.

“You were causing a ruckus in my hideout, so I thought you wanted to lose a limb.”

“Crimson Wolf possesses the backbone to set aside minor misunderstandings for the benefit of his guild. Am I mistaken?”

“You are correct.”

Ssk.

Crimson Wolf dispersed the mana gathered on his index finger.

The Annihilation Squad and Hennessy had similarities in that they both dealt with information.

Because of this, they had previously formed an intelligence network by exchanging the Annihilation Squad's information on the eastern frontier with Hennessy's information on the continent.

“But if I don't like the terms of the deal, you’ll have to greet these friends of mine in a new way.”

Crimson Wolf said, motioning with his chin towards the frozen Roland.

“I heard that Sir Bastian has fallen. I offer my deepest condolences.”

“……”

Serena answered with silence.

It had been quite some time since she had let go of her anger over Bastian’s death.

What was important to her now was the future of Eurasia, which had declared itself a kingdom.

And for the kingdom, Hennessy’s intelligence capabilities were necessary.

“I came to receive a reply to the Fourth Prince's letter.”

“The Fourth Prince… you mean Killian Eurasia, who has become the new Annihilation Squad Leader?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm……”

Crimson Wolf glanced Serena up and down for a moment.

“Zhairo.”

“Yes.”

“What happened to the ones who stormed into our guild claiming to want a deal?”

“We cut off all their heads.”

“So I've heard.”

“That’s an interesting way of expressing your refusal.”

“There are no exceptions. If you truly wish to establish a friendly relationship with us, then prove your strength first.”

Thud.

Crimson Wolf went to a nearby chair, sat down, and crossed his arms.

“If you manage to land a single attack on me, I will accept the proposal.”

“……”

“Or else.”

“……?”

“Will you reconsider the deal as a woman, not a knight? If you wish, I might change my mind.”

As Crimson Wolf laughed, the surrounding guild members and customers burst into laughter with him.

“……”

Serena's expressionless eyes twitched.

“A knight speaks with her sword.”

Sreung.

She drew her Aether without hesitation.

“Let’s see if the Annihilation Squad’s skills are as rumored.”

[Grrr!]

Crimson Wolf’s gaze shifted from Hazard to Serena.

“Zhairo, rough her up a bit and bring her over.”

“Understood.”

Zhairo, who had drawn his dagger, stepped forward.

He channeled red mana into his blade.

It was no match for Crimson Wolf’s, but as expected of someone who had reached 6-star, it was mana mixed with sharpness.

At the same time, the surrounding Walkers also began to emit their respective manas.

Most were at a level where they hadn't even awakened their own mana color, but in that moment, they concealed their presence in the blink of an eye.

“For Walkers, you have terrible eyes.”

Serena said as she reinforced her green mana.

“I told you he’s a wolf, not a dog.”

Hwaaak.

Carpe spread throughout the area.

Crimson Wolf, sitting at a nearby table, whistled in admiration.

“She’s throwing a tantrum.”

He savored the pressure weighing down on his entire body.

‘Three years ago, I heard she was at best a mid-level 6-star, but now she’s a master… no, is she on the verge of it?’

It was clear that her enduring the Haki a moment ago was no coincidence.

‘Zhairo might actually lose.’

The Walker guild was a group specialized in information gathering rather than combat.

They learned footwork with the goal of evasion over defense, and defense over offense.

Of course, they sometimes received requests that included assassinating knights, but in those cases, they carried out the mission with thorough preparation, which was a far cry from the current situation.

‘The Annihilation Squad is said to be superior in swordsmanship and mana handling than ordinary knights.’

Serena was one who stood out even among them.

To the Walkers who hadn't learned Carpe, every single one of her sword strikes would be a threat.

It was when Crimson Wolf was considering the possibility of his subordinates’ defeat.

Zhairo sprinkled a potion he took from his pocket onto his sword.

Shiiiik.

It reacted with the mana, creating a smokescreen.

A Mana Neutralizer. It was a potion used to reduce the power of Carpe and disrupt one's presence.

Sssss. Ssssss.

The Walkers who had been concealing their presence nearby hid themselves in the smokescreen one by one.

Serena reinforced her Carpe with sunken eyes.

“Hazard.”

[Grrr.]

“Bite.”

[Grrr~]

Hazard rushed out and bit the leg of a Walker who was hiding his presence.

“This son of a bitch!”

The Walker, whose stealth was broken, aimed his dagger at Hazard, but.

Kwang.

Serena, who had approached in an instant, struck his head with her scabbard, causing him to collapse like a puppet with its strings cut.

Ssssss.

Green mana flowed out from the scabbard and enveloped Hazard’s body.

It was a Sword Membrane transformed into the shape of armor.

“Hazard, their swords can't reach you. From now on, find them one by one.”

[Grrr!]

The pattern of Hazard sniffing out the hidden Walkers and Serena incapacitating them with her scabbard repeated.

By the time six Walkers were rolling on the floor.

Kwang.

Suddenly, Hazard was sent flying into the air.

It was because Zhairo had gotten close enough to kick Hazard.

Subsequently, Serena deflected Zhairo’s sword that was aimed at her.

“Poison.”

Serena muttered as she checked the purple liquid on her Aether.

“You wouldn’t call this cowardly.”

A voice came from an unspecified direction.

“……”

[Grrr!]

Serena swung her sword in the direction Hazard had cried out.

Kkwang.

“Keok……”

Zhairo, whose stealth was broken, rolled on the floor, spitting up blood.

Even though he had parried the sword to defend himself, it felt like his internal organs were shaken.

‘This is… Haki…?’

The question of ‘how’ that popped into Zhairo’s head was fleeting.

In the brief opening created by the Walkers, he concealed his form once again.

‘I don’t know how Serena Constantine is using Haki… but the only way is to cut the lines of her mana.’

At his hand signal, the Walkers reinforced their vision with mana.

The second possibility a Walker trained for to deal with a knight using Carpe.

It was the ability to see the lines that made up the Carpe.

If all those lines were cut, the Carpe, which had formed a solid density, would unravel like a broken thread, and the caster would fall into a reflux.

‘There are quite a few.’

Zhairo confirmed the hundreds of strands that made up the Carpe.

The Carpe of an ordinary 6-star knight was composed of less than a hundred lines, but Serena Constantine’s Carpe was several times that.

The fortunate thing was that this was not a mission he was undertaking alone.

The Walkers, under his command, began to cut the lines to break through the Carpe.

The green mana of the Carpe weakened rapidly.

“Cheap tricks.”

Contrary to her seemingly relaxed attitude, there were still many Walkers left.

At this rate, the Carpe would be broken and the reflux would begin before Hazard could find all the Walkers.

‘I have no choice.’

Kwak.

Serena stabbed her scabbard, which was brimming with green mana, into the floor.

Chzzzzzz.

The space shimmered, and green mana began to newly manifest the area.

“Carpe Illusion.”

Constantine Style.

“Green Zone.”

The feet of the Walkers were bound by the jungle scenery that suddenly filled the inside of the pub.

Zhairo, who had been cutting thirty strands of mana lines, was just as bewildered.

It was because the lines of mana that made up Serena’s Carpe had become thicker than before.

‘This… can’t be cut unless one is at least 5-star.’

Right now, there were less than five 5-star Walkers in the hall.

It would be faster for them to be discovered and taken down than for them to break through the technique…….

Deobseok.

“……!!”

[Grrr!]

When he looked down in pain, Eurasia's detection dog was biting his foot.

“Well done, Hazard.”

Serena, who had approached at some point, aimed her Aether at him.

Vines that sprang up from the area bound Zhairo’s entire body.

Chzzzzzz.

Mana was being drained through the vines.

‘Damn it!!’

He tried to release his mana to burst them, but every time he did, the absorption speed increased.

At this rate, he would be the one to fall into a reflux.

Just then.

“How boring.”

Crimson Wolf’s dry voice was heard.

Simultaneously.

Seogeok.

A part of Serena’s Carpe Illusion split open, and through the gap, Crimson Wolf walked in himself.

His eyes were enhanced with red mana.

Serena launched a sword ki.

Sreureuk.

Crimson Wolf’s body, slashed by the sword ki, vanished like an illusion.

“From the looks of it, you haven't overcome the wall yet.”

“……!!”

At the voice coming from behind her, Serena hurriedly formed a Sword Membrane.

Kwang.

The Sword Membrane, which had blocked Crimson Wolf’s Haki-imbued sword by a hair's breadth, scattered around.

In an instant, Crimson Wolf was launching sword ki in all directions, cutting the lines of mana.

In a brief moment, fifty lines were cut.

“The Carpe Illusion seems to be the effect of the sword and scabbard. How do you use Haki?”

As she deflected the sword ki and asked, Serena asked back.

“Are you finally thinking of accepting the proposal?”

“You are mistaken. Your attacks have yet to reach me.”

Crimson Wolf swung his Haki-imbued sword wide.

Jjeok.

The space split, and the Carpe Illusion was broken.

‘As expected… unless it’s fully deployed, trapping a Superhuman is impossible.’

Serena bit her lip and stepped back.

She hated to admit it, but Crimson Wolf was clearly a master of several levels above her.

If she allowed even a single attack, it would be difficult to survive.

“What difference does that make?”

Kugugung.

Crimson Wolf froze Serena’s body with Haki.

A sword ki was shot from the dagger he swung.

The green-haired knight deflected the incoming sword ki by imbuing her own sword with Haki.

[Grrr! Grrr!]

“Hazard, stand back.”

As Serena gave the command, Hazard, who had been showing hostility towards the enemy, reluctantly retreated to her side while still remaining vigilant.

“Your skills are impressive. A knight who has achieved that much at your age would be counted among the top ten on the entire continent. But.”

A murderous intent was added to Crimson Wolf’s Haki.

Enjoying Serena’s distorted expression, he continued.

“I don’t know what your scheme is, provoking me with just that level of skill. Well, it seems the proud knight wouldn't talk even if I cut off her arm.”

Crimson Wolf’s lips curled up as he turned his gaze to Hazard.

“What about that mutt?”

“……!!”

Sreuk.

In the blink of an eye, Crimson Wolf’s body disappeared and reappeared behind Hazard.

It was the moment the mana blooming on his index finger was about to pierce Hazard’s body.

Kugugung.

A sudden Haki began to press down on the area.

Everyone in The Howling Wyvern, including Crimson Wolf, stopped moving.

The only one allowed to move was one of the customers, who had been frozen solid.

Deureuk.

A middle-aged man with no particular distinguishing features, who had been sitting without drawing any attention, stood up from his seat.

He trudged over and sat at the table where Crimson Wolf had been sitting just a moment ago.

“I was worried because they said you were hard to see.”

The pendant around the man’s neck glittered with a violet light.

“We met more easily than I thought.”

He beckoned with his index finger towards Crimson Wolf, who was staring at him.

“Come and sit down, Crimson Wolf.”