A Spectacular Sight

Darwin looked suspiciously at them, unsure what these Barbarians were up to, but his guard was at its highest.

The man in front also wore a horned mask. Compared with the tall Barbarians around him, he was much smaller, though still quite strong by the standards of people like Darwin, who lived within the Great Wall.

The man behind him wore only a black mask, and his build was perfectly ordinary, about the same as the knights'. Through the mask, Darwin could even see his blue eyes.

A Star Empire man?

The sight of those blue eyes suddenly gave Darwin the thought, but he couldn't be sure. He couldn't even imagine how someone from the Star Empire could be with the Barbarians.

The rider on the horse wearing a skull mask stopped a dozen or so meters from Darwin and the others. The man behind him stopped as well.

Seated atop his tall warhorse, he could easily look down on Darwin and the others.

Darwin raised his head to meet the Barbarian's gaze. He could see the arrogance and mockery in the man's lofty eyes.

"Master, what would you like to do with them?"

The man following the Barbarian asked, speaking with a pure Star Kingdom accent.

At the sound of his flawless Star Kingdom accent, all the knights, including Darwin, were taken aback.

There was someone from the Star Kingdom here besides them.

"Of course we'll capture them and make them a gift for my father."

The Barbarian sounded young, perhaps around sixteen. He spoke with the man behind him in the language of the Star Kingdom, and he spoke it fluently.

"Then congratulations, Master. The chieftain will surely be proud of you and value you even more than before."

Their conversation completely disregarded Darwin and the others, as though these elite knights posed no threat at all.

"You bastard! You're from the Star Kingdom, so why are you with these Barbarians? And why do you serve that little animal? Don't you know they're our sworn enemies?"

Russell, who had been on the verge of exploding with anger, stepped forward and shouted. He had heard every word of their conversation, and his short temper kept him from holding back.

"Hmm? Who did you just call a little animal?"

The young Barbarian demanded coldly. Russell's words had clearly offended him. A man as proud as him couldn't possibly stomach such an insult.

"You, you little animal! You mongrel! Just you wait—I'll tear you limb from limb!"

Russell roared, never passing up a chance to get under an enemy's skin, even if only by getting in his head.

The blue-eyed man behind them warned, "How dare you! Do you know who you're talking to? This is Lord Dark of the Wolf Fang Great Tribe!"

At his words, the surrounding Barbarians began to stir, their weapons shifting in their hands. The Barbarian as huge as a mountain bared his teeth, looking ready to attack.

"Heh, so this is the little bastard? You're just a bunch of Barbarians barely scraping by out here, and you call yourselves a great tribe? Come on, take me on! Let's see who kills who. And you, you traitor—calling you a dog would be an insult to dogs."

Russell's lips curled in scorn, his mockery plain to see. He didn't seem to care that the balance of power had quietly shifted.

Darwin's mouth twitched. This guy really didn't care how quickly he died. Still, Darwin had to admit it was satisfying.

"Someone, cut off his head. I'll make it into a drinking cup."

Dark's expression turned icy. He couldn't stand being insulted by someone from the Star Kingdom.

As far as he was concerned, these cowards who hid behind their towering walls deserved only to be enslaved—or crushed at will.

He still remembered how the so-called Star Kingdom had trembled when the Barbarians were at the height of their glory.

Now they were on the verge of rising again. In the not-too-distant future, he would ride beyond the Great Wall like his ancestors, plundering countless women and riches.

He was ambitious. His servant had told him a great deal about the various kingdoms, and his ambition had grown ever more fervent. He wasn't content to do as his ancestors had and simply raid and pillage. He had a far grander ambition.

He looked toward the depths of Spruce Forest, unable to hide his excitement.

Guided by the tribe's shaman, he had risked bringing the tribe's warriors into this forest for one purpose: to find the Child of God the Barbarians had left behind when they scattered hundreds of years ago.

Once he obtained the Child of God, he would gain the protection of the Old Gods and become the Child of Destiny foretold by the Frost Temple.

At the thought, Dark could no longer contain his excitement. Everything would be decided here.

But first, he had to kill this insolent fool who had dared offend him.

"Great Warrior Kuro, take care of him. Show him that if we could defeat them hundreds of years ago, we can do it again today."

Dark looked toward the tower-like figure and smiled cruelly. Kuro was the reason he'd dared come here.

Kuro was a renowned great warrior among the many Barbarian tribes. Dark had paid three Ice Crystals to hire him.

Thinking of those three Ice Crystals made Dark's heart bleed. His father had meant them to help him break through to the Source Gathering level of magic, but now they had gone to someone else.

"Heh. My blade can hardly wait to be stained with blood."

Kuro's voice was hoarse. He grinned, his eyes narrowed, looking delighted—as if slaughter were the only thing that could satisfy him.

He was a great warrior and a renowned talent. Before he turned forty, he had already reached the Lower Rank Magic level. But without a Legendary Bloodline, breaking through to Middle Rank Magic was an insurmountable bottleneck. He needed resources—mountains of magical herbs and potions, enough to support his breakthrough to Middle Rank Magic.

He slapped the back of the horse beneath him. The warhorse's legs immediately snapped, and it screamed in pain. Kuro's tower-like body leaped high into the air, a black greatsword in his hand. Its cold, icy-blue light shimmered as the magic of ice surged through it.

He was a battle maniac who reveled in slaughter.

Kuro's face twisted into a savage grin as he laughed wildly. The long blade in his hand swung down at Russell!