Broken Tower Saga: The First Swordsman

After looking around, An Byul could make out that there were exactly thirty-two people in this region of the trial. It was only about a minute ago they were dropped here, just like when she first arrived at the awakening room. Apart from the crowd, there were big and old trees all around making it difficult for the sunlight to cross. So, they were in a deep wilderness.

The racket of the fellows came to her ears, interrupting her thoughts; Byul couldn't comprehend why they were being so loud. It wasn't as if they were on a picnic. She noticed many in the crowd, with the corner of her eyes. And the first thing that came to her mind was that she was at a disadvantage; she was alone in this trial. No, not in the trial. She had two fellow members—she didn't know of. Well, she was alone until she meets them.

She shook her head. She had to be extra careful for being alone and for being a girl. Her inviter had taught her that. She had to be careful of the creature known as Infectors and she had to be more cautious of the creature known as human. Most of the human part—she had learned by herself over the years.

Taking a look at her surroundings, Byul made some judgement of sorts, such as her plan for today and about finding the other two allies. Before she could even think more, her thoughts again broken by some horrendous screams. Her heart skipped a beat. On the other hand, the folks who seemed to have come for the picnic went silent. Well, they went silent for merely a moment, before giving rise to the turmoil and cries louder than before.

"What was that sound?"

"What is happening? Are we going to be all right? Right?"

"... The screams are rising?" The erratic fellows kept on bellowing, even in their terror.

"Mama! What's going to happen to us?"

'I've to run away from here immediately or else.. .' Byul made an instant judgement, seeing the confusion-stricken fellows.

"For fuck's sake," a middle-aged man bellowed out in the confusion. He looked like an experienced mercenary, and he came here well prepared, armoured all over the body. A broad sword was hanging behind his back. "Will you guys shut the fuck up?"

And they did shut the fuck up.

"You guys should be more than capable enough to be here and should know what type of place this is. Screaming and running around would not help. Let's make a constructive plan to deal with this…" A younger man than the other man arrived from behind and spoke out.

Byul looked at the middle-aged mercenary and the younger man with the others. The man in question looked like some trusted yet shady dealer who had a lot of experience in this type of situation. She knew this type of people—they took the mask of a humble being for their own survival. They didn't care about anyone's life as long as they completed their goal.

'I have to leave.' Byul finalised her intention.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Byul quietly slipped from the group. But it seemed the creator had other plans for it. The moment she was only ten metres away from the group, she could see the creatures that caused the screams. Humanoid creatures—its eyes were of a dead man while their skin was ash and pale blue. Abnormal veins were present all over its body. These should be the Infectors. It had extended and cruel claws with tough skin.

"Oh, Maha!" Byul swore. Her blood turned cold, seeing those dead creatures. Thinking nothing, she quickened her pace. There were over two dozen Infectors.

Gritting her teeth, she looked back at the crowd—most of them were panic stricken. There's not much hope for most of them and she didn't like to add her odds with them.

Calming her heart down a bit with a few long breaths, Byul started to flee towards 3 o'clock of the Infectors. If her luck was decent enough, there would be no infector running after her. But she knew better than anyone about her poor luck. Without even looking back, she gripped the wand—she had chosen with the participants' privilege. It came with a small but handy spell. Not many could use it, but it was a perfect tool for her here.

Byul sensed there were over three or four creatures around her. Thank the Lord that this type of Infector didn't have any long-range attacks. If it had then, it would be a life and death struggle for her. Their strengths were inhuman muscle power and resistance. She had done her homework before coming here. Yet she couldn't calm her rising heartbeat as well as the panting.

She sensed the infectors were getting close with each moment. It was quite an easy guess, as they were growling the entire time while chasing. She started to prepare what trick was in the wand—it's a minor spell of air manipulation, quite lethal up close to three metres. She turned around to notice there were four infectors. No, three. One of them was a man–the same size as the infectors. He was fighting against one while the other two were advancing towards her, making those fierce screams.

'The fastest way to kill the Infector was to sever its head from the body,' recalling that, Byul aimed the wand at the one that was only at hands' distance. Her target was its skull. A blade of sharp wind surged out from the wand; it was too close for her to miss as it struck straight at the skull of the infector. The infector got knocked down from the headshot, with a fourth of its head gone. Ash-grey liquid was flowing from it, but she didn't have time for that cause there's another one heading towards her and it's already a few metres away.

She pulled a quick distance between them, prepared for another casting of that wind trick. But this time, the shot was off the mark by a bit, hitting the infector in the shoulder.

"Just my damn luck," she cursed, seeing that the other one—she had shot before crawled back up with its cracked skull. Now she had to face two at the same time. She didn't see any path of life without being heavily injured. She withdrew the wand on her back as two throwing knives appeared in her arm.

"Screw it," she flung the knives at its head, but her luck was off; it got deflected on its hard skull. Neck, she had to target its neck, the most vulnerable spot of its body.

Infectors were a tough opponent for her. No, not only for her—it's for everyone else as well. They might finish it with one-on-one battle, but the equation became complicated when the number was over one.

The scariest thing about the infector was that they didn't feel any pain or fear; apart from severing its head from the body or smashing its heads up, there was no other way to finish them. They would still chase after, even if its limbs were severed—as long as the head remained.

Their only disadvantages it had—were low agility, perception and intelligence.

Byul threw another two aiming at its neck, and this time, it hit where she intended to. But it didn't have enough force behind it to knock that damn thing down. Picking up the knives again, she threw them, aiming at the same spot. She was quite desperate now—two of the infectors were now up close to her.

Byul stroked her thigh and back to notice there were no more knives to throw; she was only left with two knives half the length of her arm. Arming those two in her both arms in a reverse grip, she took a defensive stance with her teeth clenched. She already assumed that there's no hope of winning without being heavily injured.

'I wish there's only one to fight,' Byul sighed inside as she obstructed the incoming claw of the infector. The knife—she threw before was still lanced in its neck. If only she was a bit more adept in mahasaying, she would have finished it with merely that tiny knife. There was no time to regret. She took a quick step 90 degrees to its side and stuck it in the sides of its neck with the knife in her right hand with a reverse grip.

"Growl…"

'Oh, so you could feel pain,' but her thought was cut short as she sensed a fatal danger behind her. Her heart skipped a beat. She tried to roll on the ground to escape.. .. Yet nothing came apart from the growls. She turned around to see that the infector was on the ground with a spear pierced in its skull. The earlier man—she saw—was standing above it while piercing it with the spear. He had a harsh face while tearing it.

Without much thinking, she returned to finish the other one that assaulted her; it didn't take long to sever its neck with the wind blade, as it was mostly injured from the previous attack.

"Thank you.. . " Byul said, panting heavily. In response, the brown-skinned man only nodded.

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