Roaring Heroes Battle the Overlord (Ainz)

Chapter 107: The Blood-Colored Duel

Behind the Koccus Ironworks, near the low storerooms, a guard carrying a spear rounded a corner, scanning the surroundings. The sound of his leather boots clacking against the stone floor echoed alone through the night.

As he reached a door, he stopped and pulled a pipe from his pocket, preparing to light it and take a drag. Suddenly, a large hand slithered around his neck from behind like a snake and swiftly covered his mouth.

The pipe fell to the ground, scattering tobacco. The guard reached for the short knife at his waist, but a dagger slashed across his throat, spraying blood into the thick, ink-like darkness of the night.

Barrett gently lowered the guard's lifeless body to the ground. The only sound during the entire assassination was the soft clink of the pipe hitting the floor. He continued to move like a shadow, silently creeping forward. Looking up, he saw the silhouette of someone holding a crossbow standing atop a rooftop.

Barrett took a throwing axe from his spatial ring. The curved moon-shaped grip told him it was a "Nightsaber" axe, forged by Baharuth. The blade was coated with black paint, enchanted so it wouldn't glow.

He tested the weight of the "Nightsaber" in his hand, then threw the axe. The black weapon merged with the black night, and the figure atop the roof plummeted to the ground.

Barrett leaped forward in a smooth slide, catching the falling body in his arms with the grace of a ballet dancer cradling their partner. He held the corpse in a bridal carry, making no sound whatsoever.

Suddenly, the silence of the night shattered. Cries of battle and clashing steel rang out, mingled with the chanting of spells. From the direction of the noise, it was clear that a one-on-many fight was happening at the front gate of the ironworks. Barrett understood immediately—EeDeChi had indeed launched the main attack.

The footsteps of mercenaries grew louder, accompanied by the angry shouts of commanders barking orders for them to sheath their weapons and rush to the front gate. The area behind the ironworks immediately became quiet. Barrett was pleased by this turn of events. He had no concerns about the captain handling the lesser opponents.

He slipped around the magical defenses, moving through a narrow alley, and entered a large, empty hall. The hall was spacious, with large braziers burning brightly in each corner. Piles of scrap metal were stacked like small mountains, scattered with swords, knives, and arrowheads.

Several bags of coarse rye bread and beer bottles were scattered haphazardly around. A pile of bricks formed a small pit, with a stew pot resting on top. The embers of a campfire smoldered beneath it, and bubbles were rising from the pot, indicating it was still cooking. It seemed the mercenaries had temporarily turned this hall into a supply base.

Barrett inhaled gently. His keen sense of smell was sharp enough to identify that the stew pot contained dried beef from a Dire Bull. Dried beef was a favorite food of adventurers, rich in nutrients and easy to preserve, though it could be tough on the teeth if kept for too long.

For a moment, Barrett felt distracted. He realized he hadn't been on an adventure in a long time. He had stayed in the capital of the kingdom for too long, and this peaceful life was starting to make his bones feel rusty.

A speck of dust fell onto his nose. Barrett brushed it off, then suddenly rolled into the ground with a swift movement!

Right above him, the roof shattered, and a heavy sword fell, accompanied by chunks of brick and crumbling wall debris, landing exactly where he had been standing moments before.

Barrett sprang to his feet, drawing his sword as the dust settled. He saw the man who had jumped down from the roof to attack him—Slam Daguerre.

Slam was enormous, towering like a troll. Even Barrett, who was no slouch in size, had to tilt his head back to see his face. Standing with his sword, Slam seemed like a mountain blocking the way.