Colliver

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Colliver (柯利弗)
Alias(es)	Old Colliver
Gender	Male
Affiliation	City of Abundance; Black Rider Army; Meredith Earl's Territory
Occupation/Role	Mercenary; swordsmanship instructor; cavalry commander; Legion Commander
Status	Active
First Appearance	49

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Intermediate Warrior	56	Began his guard career at this level after several years as a mercenary.
Battle Qi Warrior	56	Advanced during nearly twenty years in the City of Abundance's guard.
Intermediate Battle Qi Warrior	53	Identified by Renard's System during their first sparring session; he defeats Renard without using Battle Qi and with less than ten percent of his strength.

Background / History

Colliver is a native of the City of Abundance and the son of a nobleman. A gifted swordsman in his youth, he first worked as a mercenary before entering the lord's guard through his father's recommendation. He served there for nearly twenty years, rising from an Intermediate Warrior to a Battle Qi Warrior. At age thirty-two, he became commander of the Black Rider Army. 56

During his guard service, Colliver met Lady Donna and became embroiled in a long rivalry with Brad, another suitor. Colliver's status and eventual command of the Black Rider Army kept Brad politically and socially beneath him. 56

The Demon Disaster devastated his family. Colliver's father, then the City of Abundance's tax official, was killed by demons; his sixteen-year-old son Laurien died while protecting his grandfather. The loss drove Colliver into alcoholism, and mistakes made while drunk led to his expulsion from the Black Knights. He returned to mercenary work to support Donna and their surviving daughter, Ariel. 57

Brad later became tax official after sending his daughter to become the city lord's mistress. His nephew James delayed payment for missions completed by Colliver and Ariel, both to retaliate for Brad and to pressure Ariel into accepting his pursuit. Colliver sent Ariel to the Constantinople Empire for safety and regularly funded her studies at Constantinople Academy despite his own financial hardship. 57 58

By the time Renard meets him, Colliver is an impoverished, heavily drinking adventurer with a reputation for bravado. He accepts merchant work during a blizzard and presents an ogre fang as a trophy, only for another adventurer to expose it as purchased. 49

Appearance

Colliver is a broad, burly older man with a square face, red eyes, and salt-and-pepper hair. His body bears extensive scars from beasts, thugs, and demons encountered throughout his career. 49 60 574

• A massive scar runs diagonally across his back, inflicted by a Scythe Demon. 60
• Other scars came from a Sharp Claw Beast, a Silver Mane Beast, and fights with thugs. 60
• Often carries a short sword strapped to his leg and uses a longsword in combat. 56 59
• Later fights and commands from horseback as a cavalry officer. 293

Personality

Colliver is proud, blunt, and quick-tempered. He reacts badly to humiliation, threatens James over unpaid wages, and can become destructive when frustrated, such as cutting through a sewer lock rather than continuing to search for the proper key. 49 56 59

Despite his roughness, he is a conscientious mentor. He identifies Renard's tells, corrects his stance and hand placement, teaches him to prioritize precision over brute force, and stops him before overtraining permanently damages his arms. 54 63

His hatred of demons is deeply personal because they killed his father and son. This makes him eager to fight, sometimes recklessly so, but he can be persuaded to prioritize his soldiers' lives and the wider campaign over immediate slaughter. 57 294 431 656

Colliver is also loyal and fundamentally fair. He distributes mercenary rewards according to contribution, gives Renard most of the proceeds from selling the Demon Worshipper's staff, and supports Renard and Heidi through political and military crises. 60 67 83

Abilities & Skills

Battle Qi Swordsmanship

Colliver is an Intermediate Battle Qi Warrior whose speed, reactions, and sword control vastly exceed Renard's early abilities. 53

• Defeats Renard in a spar using a branch, without activating Battle Qi. 53
• Can kill large forest predators with precise throat strikes. 62
• Charges directly into kobold formations and creates enough chaos for Renard to eliminate enemies at range. 64
• Detects danger quickly enough to evade a fireball ambush. 64
• Uses Battle Qi to confront a Demon Slave before being restrained by magical chains. 65

Swordsmanship Instruction

Colliver is an experienced instructor who teaches combat through observation, demonstration, and practical field training. 54 63

• Exposes Renard's emotional tells, including eye movements and leg positioning that reveal his intended attack direction. 54
• Demonstrates changing hand positions for different slashes and explains how skilled fighters identify openings. 54
• Emphasizes wrist movement, waist-driven force, controlled reach, defensive awareness, and concentrating power at a single point. 63
• Guides Renard to master Swift Sword, which increases sword-drawing speed by 20%. 63
• Uses massage techniques after intense exercise to prevent muscle and skeletal damage. 64

Mercenary and Wilderness Expertise

Years of mercenary work give Colliver practical knowledge of contracts, monsters, sewers, and the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest. 55 59 61

• Selects and accepts high-risk missions on Renard's behalf through his mercenary registration. 55
• Identifies the difference between friendly and hostile native tribes by their totems. 61
• Advises against camping near water sources and uses a tribe's water supply to weaken hostile kobolds before attacking. 62
• Changes from lethal poison to a laxative after Renard raises the risk of harming uninvolved creatures downstream. 62
• Recognizes Demon Slaves by their fiery skull emblem and understands their use of living sacrifices. 65

Cavalry Command

Colliver is a veteran Black Rider commander who later leads cavalry and serves as a Legion Commander. 56 241 431

• Uses ranged attacks effectively during the campaign against the Chesterton Family's forces. 243
• Leads cavalry squads in repelling demon incursions into Meredith Earl's Territory. 293
• Directs cavalry protection and demon-clearing operations alongside infantry units. 294
• Volunteers eagerly to lead a vanguard during a night operation against enemy rear territories. 406
• Oversees construction of Meredith's third defensive line. 367
• Restrains his cavalry from entering the battle for Ignatz City prematurely after learning that numerous Legendary Demon Slaves are present. 431

Beast Hunting Crossbow

Colliver owns and operates a Beast Hunting Crossbow, a large magic-powered weapon whose metal frame, mithril formations, and magic-crystal power source make it comparable to mobile artillery. 69

• Kills a Shadow Tiger with a single shot. 70
• Requires ground setup before firing. 69
• Its destructive power is feared by Heidi and Fat Henry, who believe they would be killed instantly if targeted. 70

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Longsword — his principal weapon in sword demonstrations and field combat. 54 62
• Short sword — carried at his leg and used in confined spaces such as sewers. 56 59
• Beast Hunting Crossbow — magic-powered heavy crossbow used to kill the Shadow Tiger. 69 70
• Ogre fang — an intimidating trophy he displayed at a tavern; it was exposed as something he had purchased. 49
• Fireball Ring — temporarily received from Renard amid the succession struggle in the City of Abundance. 83

Relationships

• Renard — student, friend, and later commander; Colliver trains him in swordsmanship, adventures with him, and becomes one of his trusted military leaders. 54 63 241
• Lady Donna — wife and the person whose care kept him alive after the deaths of his father and son. 57
• Ariel — daughter; Colliver sends her to the Constantinople Empire to escape James's harassment and supports her academy education. 57 58
• Laurien — deceased son, killed by demons at sixteen while protecting Colliver's father. 57
• Brad — longtime rival for Donna's affection; Brad's rise to tax official fuels their continuing feud. 56 57
• James — Brad's nephew; withheld mission payments from Colliver and pursued Ariel, making him a target of Colliver's hostility. 57
• Heidi — political ally during the succession struggle in the City of Abundance and later a leader whose military decisions he serves. 83 294
• Henry — fellow veteran officer and friend; Henry often tempers Colliver's impulsiveness in command. 293 296 656
• Julia — sister and founder of the Field Merchant Guild; she sheltered Ariel in the Constantinople Empire. 216 219
• Alex — grandson, whose ambition to become a general is inspired by Colliver. 574

Story Role / Major Arcs

Renard's Mentor and Mercenary Partner

Colliver becomes Renard's martial arts teacher after easily disarming him in a spar. He hosts Renard for half a month of training, accepts paid tuition only after running out of money, and takes him on mercenary missions for real combat experience. 53 54

The pair clear Hyena-toothed beasts from the City of Abundance sewers, hunt hostile kobolds in the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, and survive an attack by a Demon Slave seeking to capture Colliver as a sacrifice. 60 62 65

City of Abundance Succession Struggle

When the City of Abundance's lord nears death, Colliver supports Heidi alongside the lord's old guard faction. Brad supports Charles, putting Colliver's old rivalry at the center of the conflict. Renard offers Colliver a Fireball Ring for protection, though Colliver urges him to stay out of the dispute. 83

Black Rider Commander

Colliver returns to military leadership as the Black Rider Army expands under Renard's rule. He takes visible pride in his enlarged cavalry force and remains eager for battlefield action. 241 548

He leads cavalry against demon incursions, assists in the occupation of Green Leaf Town and the defeat of Chesterton forces, and helps organize the defenses of Meredith Earl's Territory. 243 293 367

Legion Commander in the Ignatz Campaign

During the crusade against the Upper Reaches, Colliver joins Trollope and Coverdale in planning the capture of Ignatz City. 424

As the Legion Commander during the siege, he refuses to send his cavalry into a chaotic engagement against numerous Legendary Demon Slaves, choosing to preserve his subordinates until the right moment. 431

Veteran General

By age sixty-four, Colliver remains determined to fight despite Donna and Heidi's concern that he should retire. Renard instead considers helping him break through to the Legendary realm, which could extend his fighting years by decades. 574

Renard later attempts to move him away from the front lines by assigning him to recruit mercenary divisions, offering assistance with a Legendary breakthrough if he recruits two full divisions. Colliver accepts after confirming Renard's promise. 639

Even afterward, Colliver continues fighting demons with extreme aggression until Henry persuades him that surviving to expel the demons completely matters more than pursuing additional kills. 656

Trivia

• Colliver once claimed that if he had become a Battle Qi Warrior, he would have traveled beyond his homeland to see other continents and races. 51
• He considers riding horses, wielding swords, and charging across battlefields to be his greatest pleasures, making retirement especially difficult for him. 574
• Renard worries that Alex has picked up bad habits from spending time around Colliver. 574