Chapter 60 : Chapter 60

Chapter 060: Doom Fist (2)

In my childhood in my past life, before I was banished from the family, my daily routine was monotonous.

I secretly watched the few disciples and cousins training in the courtyard from early dawn, then returned to the separate room in my secluded quarters and swung a wooden sword alone.

When I grew tired, Grandmother would come.

She always brought one or two books, but we didn’t read them right away.

We ate together, took walks, and gazed at the stars.

During these moments, we talked about the books we’d read.

Since Grandmother always read them first before passing them to me, lively debates often arose when our impressions or interpretations differed.

Back in my room, I’d read the book she brought that day and fall asleep.

Born into a third-rate martial family, the world of a bastard child confined alone in the mansion grew wider in this way.

Through reading, I imagined worlds beyond the night sky, glimpsed the lives of legendary swordsmen, understood phenomena in their essence, and learned truths beyond my reach.

Hwooooooo—!

Once, while studying the geography of the Empire, I pictured the Gigantes Mountains in my mind.

An eternal snow-capped peak where snow never ceased.

It was said that the biting wind roared like a beast, sweeping across the ridges.

The description of cascading snow bringing a white darkness left a deep impression.

And it wasn’t wrong.

Though this wasn’t the Gigantes Mountains but the Morundayle Mountains, the scene before me was overwhelming enough.

Crack—! Crack—!

Have you ever climbed an ice wall while clinging to someone’s back?

I was doing just that.

The reason I was babbling my thoughts amidst this insane act… was sheer exhilaration.

I didn’t want to merely read about snow-covered mountains in books—I wanted to see them with my own eyes.

The boy who had no one to beg for such a sight, who could only console himself, had finally fulfilled that wish after dying once.

Seeing is believing.

The majesty of nature was right before my eyes…

Kwa-za-za-za-zak—!

I nearly died just now!

“Young man! Don’t panic! If you wet yourself even once, it’ll freeze solid, and you’ll never function as a man again, so be careful!”

The giant whose back I was pressed against bellowed.

It seemed his hand had slipped.

This madman was carrying me like a backpack, climbing the ice wall barehanded.

“Why are we climbing up when we need to go down the mountain?”

“Good question! You’ll find out soon enough!”

His shout was quickly buried in the blizzard.

I clung tightly to the blanket wrapped around me, leaving only my eyes exposed.

The creaking of the wooden frame carrying me was far more terrifying than the howling wind.

Below my feet, protruding outside the frame, was an abyss of nothingness.

It felt like staring into the void.

“By the way, young man! We haven’t even introduced ourselves!”

“Bihen Benkou. Eldest son of the Benkou family.”

“Sorry, but I’ve never heard of that family!”

“Of course you haven’t. It’s an Empire family.”

Kwa-za-za-za-za-zak—!

This time, my body nearly flew out of the wooden frame!

“My hand slipped because I was startled!”

“No need to explain every detail. Just climb properly. I really thought I was going to die.”

“How the hell did an Empire man end up crawling into Wintermire?”

“…As I said earlier, I can explain everything if I get to Conwell. For now, I’d like to get there alive.”

“Now I’m curious! Don’t worry! This is a stroll for me!”

“And you are?”

“My name? Sorry, I can’t tell you yet!”

“…You said you’re not a knight. A mercenary, then?”

“That’s classified!”

I decided to shut my mouth.

As the conversation stopped, the wind’s howl pierced my ears more sharply, but the sense of stability grew.

The rhythmic upward climb was steady.

His muscles weren’t just for show.

Still, could this be possible purely through physical prowess?

He mentioned something about holy magic earlier, but I doubted it had anything to do with this insane ice wall climb.

Regardless, it felt like riding a swing ascending to the heavens for a while.

“Hraaaaat!”

Suddenly, the giant let out a thunderous cry.

My vision shot upward in an instant.

Thud!

The sensation of solid ground reached my hips.

The ice wall climb seemed to be over.

“Empire youth, can you stand?”

I silently dismounted from the wooden frame.

The moment I landed, a groan escaped me.

It felt like someone was squeezing my insides.

“Hold on a bit. It’ll be over soon.”

I was staring at the snow-covered ground, enduring the pain.

The giant didn’t seem to be speaking to me directly.

But there was something about his voice—it sounded oddly solemn, as if he were facing enemies and striking a grave pose.

Bweeeeeet—!

Was it because my senses were dulled, trapped in the frigid blizzard? The wind that constantly grazed my ears sometimes sounded like a sharp flute.

This time, it was similar… no, different. Much clearer.

I raised my head.

Men wrapped in furs, each gripping weapons, stood in a line across from us.

They exuded confidence, as if they’d been waiting for our arrival.

Flap-flap!

A raptor, flying low through the air, folded its wings on the shoulder of the man in the center. \

That must be the source of the sound.

“I was wondering what kind of lunatic it was, so I let it slide. Turns out the thing on your back was a person? A real madman, huh.”

The men snickered, flaunting their composure.

I narrowed my eyes and looked past them.

Beyond the falling snow, I saw a large mountain stronghold, haphazardly patched with animal hides over logs.

Unbelievable.

A bandit hideout in a snow-covered mountain like this.

“Hahaha! You just stood by and watched? You’ve kicked away your only chance at survival!”

It was the giant.

He stepped forward, removing the wooden frame from his back.

“No need to feel wronged, right? Now, it’s time for judgment.”

“…What’s this lunatic babbling about? Hey, do you even know who I am?”

Boom!

A deafening sound rang out beside me, rivaling the crack of a thunderbolt.

It was the giant, slamming his fists together.

“I know exactly who you are. Arno, the fallen knight. Alias, the White Hawk. Leader of the Morundayle mountain bandits, committing heinous acts across nearby domains! For the record, your contribution points rank among the highest in the Kingdom’s east.”

“Contribution, what? Hah, fine. Who sent you? Viscount Mosfield? That timid fool wouldn’t dare pull something this bold. Who is it?”

“Who am I, you ask? Very well.”

The giant suddenly turned his head toward me.

“The time has finally come to introduce myself, Empire youth. I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

He bared teeth whiter than snow.

Turning back to the front, he slowly assumed a stance.

His upper body leaned slightly forward, both clenched fists held near his chin.

‘A martial artist?’

Colorless waves of energy surged from his feet, spread shoulder-width apart.

The fur hat covering his ears fluttered like a fledgling’s wings.

“My aliases are many. Monk of Ruin, Reaper of Villains, Reformed Fist King, Monk from Hell. But I am simply…”

“Don’t just stand there listening, you bastards!”

Arno’s men charged all at once.

As if waiting for the moment, the giant’s fists erupted in blue flames.

“…Bolero, the martial priest of Solari—!”

Kwa—ang!

A thrusting fist.

The first man to charge head-on took the hit square and flew back the way he came.

Clang! Clang!

The giant caught two swords rushing in from both sides.

The metallic sound rang out due to the gauntlets covering his hands.

“Ooooooh!”

Crack!

I doubted my eyes.

The two swords gripped in his hands shattered like ice.

“Children’s toys?!”

Bang! Bang!

His fists, powered by his waist, moved swiftly.

Like swinging a hammer.

The two bandits, struck in the face, flew left and right, leaving long screams as they plummeted off the cliff.

“Waaaaah—!”

Crunch.

The giant… Bolero, took a step toward Arno.

As his cloak fluttered, the muscles of his back seemed to flash a menacing grin at me.

“What… what is this monster…!”

“…Execution of justice.”

“Stop him! Stop him!”

All of Arno’s remaining men rushed in.

I let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.

Bolero stood still, merely swinging his fists, yet the charging men were sent flying in all directions.

“Monster… bastard…!”

Now alone, Arno swung his sword.

Unlike before, Bolero didn’t catch it.

He twisted his body to dodge, then lunged like lightning, grabbing Arno’s throat with his left hand.

“Guhk!”

“Dooooom…”

Just then, the blizzard raged fiercely.

The flames enveloping Bolero’s right fist didn’t falter—they flared even stronger.

“Fiiiiist—!”

Kwa—ang!

The flaming fist exploded into Arno’s face, accompanied by a thunderous roar.

Fsssssh—

Arno’s head drooped limply, like a puppet with cut strings.

A faint smoke rose from his utterly crushed face.

“…Execution, complete.”

As if concluding, he neatly aligned his arms in front of him.

His bulging muscles relaxed with an exhale.

Hwooooo—

Bolero turned around.

One hand on his hip, he extended the other, pointing at me with a thick index finger.

His cloak billowed dramatically to one side.

“Empire youth! I hope you don’t fall into the path of evil! The divide between good and evil knows no difference between Kingdom and Empire…”

Crack!

At that moment, Bolero froze solid, encased in white ice.

‘Ice Magic!’

My head snapped upward.

It was the white hawk perched on Arno’s shoulder.

With each flap of its wings, transparent ice particles scattered.

Bweeeeeet!

Its wide-spread wings crossed.

It seemed my turn was next.

The cold it unleashed appeared in my vision like a projectile.

‘…A magic-wielding bird of prey.’

Now I understood—it was an honest alias.

The White Hawk wasn’t Arno but, quite literally, this raptor.

Crack!

I quickly rolled forward.

The ice spike struck where I’d been, but my body ached as if I’d been hit.

“Ugh…”

The hand clutching my side grew warm.

Has my wound reopened?

“You damned bird!”

There were plenty of weapons dropped by Arno’s men.

I grabbed a nearby dagger, lightly tossed it up, and caught it by the spine.

Whoosh!

I threw it skyward.

The dagger flew like an arrow and struck the bird’s body dead-on.

Dagger-throwing is a basic skill for Empire soldiers.

Boom—

Confirming the hawk had crashed into the snow, I let out the groan I’d been holding back.

Clang!

“Uooaaah—!”

A loud crash was followed by an enraged roar.

It was Bolero.

His exposed skin was flushed with blood.

“Caught off guard, damn it!”

“Phew, is it finally over?”

“…Empire youth. That was no ordinary skill. I’ve heard rumors of the Empire’s swordsmen wielding diverse blade techniques.”

“Your eyes seem to work just fine.”

“Hmph, something like that wouldn’t even scratch my mana barrier. I was caught off guard, I tell you.”

He snorted loudly, grabbed his fur hat, and yanked it upward.

The hat, tightly constricting his head, stretched as if it would tear before popping off with a pong.

‘…!’

Steam rose from his smooth, jade-like scalp.

My eyes widened.

Not for any other reason, but because of the hair sprouting like a rooster’s comb on the crown of his head.

‘Ah…’

When I first saw this man, he felt vaguely familiar.

The fragmented, hazy memories were faint.

But now, as a missing piece fell into place, the picture in my mind was complete.

The fully revived memory brought a shiver with it.

In my past life, I killed this man’s lover.

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