TLWD 14

Chapter : 14. The Deranged Scoundrel (1)

A strange sound sent chills down my spine—an eerie echo that stirred primal fear.

I turned toward the direction it came from. There, a massive creature, at least four to five meters tall, was lumbering toward us.

Its skin was white as snow, equipped with natural camouflage.

Its head resembled a snake’s, while its body was avian in shape.

However, unlike snakes, it moved on four legs, and unlike birds, its limbs were primitive yet powerful—perhaps a failed attempt at evolving wings.

If my memory served me right…

‘Dermechsus?’

That was the name of the monster.

Dermechsus was a creature found only in the northern regions, notorious for its ferocity and overwhelming physical power.

It was also one of the monsters I had to devour.

But due to its immense strength, I hadn’t even dared to consider hunting it yet. In a way, it ranked even above Ice Trolls as an apex predator.

No wonder Kai looked visibly shaken.

In truth, Dermechsus usually inhabited the snowy mountains. While it occasionally ventured down in search of prey, it had never come this close to the Count’s territory.

KRRRRRRR…!

A low growl rumbled from Dermechsus.

It had identified us as prey.

Inherently violent by nature, once Dermechsus locked onto prey, it never let go.

We had no choice but to fight.

But…

“Huff… Huff…!”

…I was exhausted.

Two full days of relentless running.

My stamina wasn’t just depleted—it was utterly wrecked.

Even the emergency meals I’d stored in my inventory were gone.

I could no longer trigger any regeneration abilities.

Facing Dermechsus in this state? Impossible.

If I fought alone, I’d end up as nothing more than its next meal.

I glanced sideways at Kai.

He wasn’t even looking at me.

His piercing blue eyes were locked on Dermechsus, tracking its every movement. Slowly, cautiously, his hand reached for the hilt of his sword.

Kai knew. He knew we had to fight.

But…

“Haa… Haa…!”

He was exhausted too.

His long blond hair clung to his face with sweat, his breathing rough and labored.

Even someone like Kai couldn’t take on Dermechsus in this state.

He had to know that.

And yet—

Kai charged forward without hesitation.

The sudden appearance of the monster—Dermechsus.

The first emotion Kai felt upon seeing it was doubt.

It made no sense for such a creature to appear near the Count’s lands.

It belonged in the icy mountains, not here.

‘So why…?’

He shoved the question aside.

Now wasn’t the time.

Kai inhaled the frigid air, filling his lungs with biting cold.

Dermechsus wasn’t a monster to take lightly.

Ten trained soldiers would have to coordinate perfectly just to hold their own.

Even Kai, in his exhausted state, couldn’t guarantee a win.

Two straight days of sprinting had left him with little energy—and even his aura was nearly drained.

He was in no shape to fight.

But he had to do it.

He had to fight alone.

Kai acknowledged that Adrian had changed. But only to a certain extent.

Everything Adrian had done so far was just training.

This… this was real combat.

And combat was fundamentally different.

Training only tested the body.

Real battle tested your limits, your fear, your pain—and your mind.

Mental readiness for battle required far more than a few days of exercise.

Real fights never went as planned.

The unexpected always happened.

Danger became reality at every moment.

Every decision was life or death. A single mistake could be fatal.

Expecting anything from Adrian was foolish.

Right now, Adrian was more liability than help.

Thud!

Kai’s heavy steps crunched against the snow.

Through blurred vision, he saw Dermechsus—massive body, gleaming fangs.

Its eyes grew clearer as the beast approached. Terrifying eyes.

Suddenly, they flashed with killing intent.

CRAAASH—!

Claws lashed toward him.

Kai twisted his body to dodge, but lost his balance for a moment. He gritted his teeth and steadied his trembling legs.

Summoning the last of his strength, he plunged his sword forward.

But his stamina had reached its limit.

His arms, heavy and limp, added little force to the strike.

GRRRRRK!

Blood burst from Dermechsus’s neck where the blade pierced.

Kai pushed harder, but without aura, the sword could go no deeper.

Dermechsus screamed in agony, its jaws flaring open.

Then—

Its eyes gleamed again.

A primal warning rang in Kai’s mind like an alarm bell.

He ripped his sword free and leapt aside just in time.

CHOMP! The jaws slammed down where Kai had just been.

Had he hesitated even slightly, he would’ve been eaten whole.

Gulp. Kai swallowed hard. He tightened his grip on his sword.

Dermechsus was still alive.

And now that it was wounded, its fury would only grow.

Then it happened.

While Dermechsus was focused entirely on Kai—

Adrian leapt in like a bolt of lightning and slashed at its neck.

But Dermechsus’s hide was too tough for mere steel.

Only aura could pierce it.

And Adrian had no aura. His mana aptitude was practically nonexistent.

However—

Adrian adjusted his strike mid-swing.

He targeted the exact same spot where Kai had already made a wound.

His blade slipped precisely into the crevice—

“…!”

Kai’s eyes widened.

GRRRRK!

More blood surged from the monster’s neck.

Dermechsus thrashed wildly in pain.

But Adrian didn’t back down.

With both hands gripping the sword, he pressed it deeper.

He was dominating Dermechsus.

This was no mere scoundrel.

“…”

Kai was speechless.

This wasn’t the same man who wasted his days in gambling and debauchery.

Adrian had only recently begun training his body.

It had barely been ten days—and even then, he had never held a sword before.

He had zero combat experience.

And yet—

GRRRRAHH!!

That was no novice.

No one would believe that scoundrel had never wielded a blade before.

Dermechsus rampaged, thrashing like a maddened beast to shake Adrian off.

But Adrian held firm.

He plunged the sword deeper, pressing his assault.

“…!!”

Kai’s eyes grew wide again.

Not even knights with years of experience fought like that.

Even Kai wouldn’t dare fight so recklessly.

THWACK!

It was absurd.

Not only was Adrian fearless—his swordsmanship rivaled trained warriors.

There was no way he had just picked up a blade.

And yet, somehow, it was happening.

It was unbelievable—but this continent did have such absurd prodigies.

Kai himself was considered one of them.

Still…

SLASH!

This wasn’t just talent.

Every movement, every counter, was perfectly timed and executed.

It was flawless.

GRAAAH—!

This couldn’t be explained by talent alone.

You didn’t learn this from books.

This was experience.

Experience bought with blood on a real battlefield.

How…?

Adrian gripped his sword tight—SLASH!

From neck to jaw, the monster was cleanly sliced.

A fatal blow.

Yet Adrian didn’t stop.

He retrieved his sword, clenched his fist, and drove it into Dermechsus’s head.

CRACK! A thunderous impact.

The skull caved in.

“…!!!”

Kai was stunned.

Adrian had shattered the skull without aura.

That was pure physical force.

And yet—it was inhuman strength.

Thud.

Dermechsus collapsed with a tremor.

It didn’t move again.

The snow soaked in its blood turned bright red.

“Hooah…!!”

Adrian collapsed, gasping.

He sprawled out on the ground, completely drained.

Kai wasn’t much better.

The only reason he was still on his feet was sheer willpower.

Without Adrian, things could’ve gone very differently.

Dermechsus was that dangerous.

With full stamina and aura, Kai could have handled it.

But in this state, it had been a real threat.

Why did it come this far down…?

Dermechsus never descended this far. That remained a mystery.

Still, Kai was grateful it had found him first.

Otherwise, the townspeople would’ve been slaughtered.

And if Adrian hadn’t been there, Kai might’ve died too.

Hmm.

Kai replayed the fight in his mind.

Adrian’s sword skill was impressive.

But his technique lacked structure.

His attacks weren’t “swordsmanship”—they were kill moves.

At best, you could call them practical. At worst—crude.

But he made up for it with precision and keen battle instincts.

In that sense, Adrian resembled a knight.

Yet he fought like a mercenary.

And his ruthless efficiency was beast-like.

Knight. Mercenary. Beast.

Kai couldn’t place him.

But one thing was clear—

Adrian was no longer the scoundrel of the Count’s family.

Whatever happened during that week away—he was completely transformed.

Kai’s view of him had changed entirely.

Then suddenly—

Adrian sprang up from the snow.

Apparently, he had recovered enough to move without issue.

He picked up his sword and climbed atop Dermechsus’s corpse, plunging his blade into it again.

What…?

Kai didn’t even finish the thought before Adrian pulled something out.

A large object, about 30 cm in diameter.

A heart?

It was Dermechsus’s heart.

Still faintly twitching in Adrian’s hand.

But that didn’t mean the beast was alive.

It meant the killing blow had been so swift and precise, the nerves hadn’t shut down yet.

The warm blood met the cold snow, sending steam into the air.

Red droplets fell onto the white ground, turning it even redder.

Adrian looked at the heart…

…and smiled.

Is he insane?

Kai genuinely wondered if Adrian had lost his mind.

What kind of sane person smiles while holding a monster’s heart?

Then Adrian brought the heart to his lips.

Wait, is he going to—

CRUNCH.

“Are you out of your mind?!”

Kai couldn’t stop himself from shouting.

And the look on his face…

…it was no longer the look one gave to another human being.