A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 98

The Imperial hound that was bitten by Gurav soon died.

Sieg was puzzled as to why the Empire's Imperial hounds were roaming this area.

'They could be pursuing Carus, but perhaps there are ancient ruins here as well.'

The Mad Emperor of the Rom Empire was scouring the entire continent for ancient ruins.

Sieg wasn't sure if Regeant Julius had the authority to deploy Imperial hounds, but if they were truly pursuing him and his party, crossing the border zone would become even more challenging.

Soon, Boris and Simon awoke and were startled to see the body of the Imperial hound.

"Simon, is there an ancient site nearby?"

Simon nodded in response.

"Yes. There are quite a few hidden dungeons near the border zone."

Sieg felt slightly relieved at Simon's answer.

However, he couldn't let his guard down.

The Imperial hounds were also the Imperial knights.

It was uncertain when they'd mobilize to blockade them completely.

'It's best to leave here as quickly as possible.'

Sieg woke Carus and moved straight towards the tunnel.

The tunnel Simon had mentioned could lead them past the border zone; it was a route once used by smugglers.

Back when the Isthar side hadn't issued an expulsion order, the cartel sent all of the somas this way.

Back then, outlaws rather than the syndicate acted as guides along the route.

Simon knew of this tunnel from his past involvement as an outlaw, helping to transport the cartel's drugs this way.

"We're almost there."

Beyond the wasteland, a small village made from earth walls emerged.

Sieg cautiously approached the village.

Simon said he would meet a broker and delve into the village.

Sieg and his party entered a restaurant that Simon had guided them to earlier.

Carus, sitting at the table, spoke languidly.

"Ugh. I wish we could eat something warm and not just dried food."

Crossing the wasteland with only dry rations left his mouth dry.

Soon, the food Carus wished for was served.

Though the taste was strong with spices, it was palatable.

Carus discarded his royal decorum and devoured the food greedily.

'He's a hundred times better than those noble brats who throw tantrums over not liking the food.'

Sieg was thankful that Carus was an easygoing royal.

After finishing their meal and resting for a moment, Sieg sensed an unusual atmosphere around them.

'Not good.'

As he expected, a group of men entered the restaurant.

Judging by the shape of their swords, they seemed to be from the Central Continent.

'Imperial hounds, huh.'

The Imperial hounds searching for nearby ruins apparently came to the village for their meal.

Sieg gestured to Boris and Carus to cover their faces and avert their gaze.

He was about to quietly rise from his seat when someone suddenly called out to him.

"Hey, you."

Glancing back, it wasn't the newly arrived Imperial hounds but one of the outlaws sitting in the restaurant who approached Sieg.

"Don't remember seeing you around. Where are you from?"

Sieg, his face covered, spoke to the outlaw in a Southern dialect.

"I'm with Syndicate. And you, where are you from?"

The mention of the Syndicate made the outlaw flinch momentarily.

He then sneered and approached Sieg again.

"Nowadays, everyone claims to be with the Syndicate. Kiddo, did you think that would scare me?"

Clearly, he was just a thug preying on travelers entering the village.

Sieg was more concerned about the Imperial hounds at the inner table.

"I don't want any trouble. What do you want?"

The outlaw grinned confidently and replied.

"Put out everything you have. Once I see what you offer, I'll decide what to do."

Sieg nodded, appearing resigned.

"Alright. Most of what I have is loaded on the horse. Let's head that way."

The outlaw gleefully followed Sieg to the stables.

Sieg threw a pouch that had been hanging from the horse to the outlaw.

"Oh, it feels quite heavy. I wonder wha—"

Before he could finish saying 'what', Sieg struck his nape, knocking him out cold.

He led the horse to where Carus and Boris had emerged earlier.

Then, the Imperial hounds, who had been quietly eating, rose and approached them.

"Hey, come here for a second."

Hesitating for a moment at the Imperial hound's call, Sieg approached him, face covered.

"What can I do for you?"

"I heard you say you're with the Syndicate earlier. What's a smuggler doing here?"

Luckily, it seemed he hadn't been recognized.

Sieg calmly concocted a story.

"The path into the Central Continent was suddenly blocked, so I came here to bypass via the desert."

One of the Imperial hounds cast a doubtful glance and moved towards Carus, who was dressed differently from the rest.

"You, take off your robe."

As the Imperial hound reached to remove Carus's robe, it happened.

Thwack!

Sieg swiftly pulled out a dagger and threw it at the Imperial hound's hand.

Drawing his Meteoric Iron Sword, he quickly slashed the neck of the Imperial hound in front.

Swish!

The sudden death of their comrade caused the other Imperial hounds to momentarily panic.

"Get him!"

Boris, standing nearby, drew his sword and stabbed the shouting Imperial hound from behind.

Sieg hurled another dagger at the Imperial hound trying to escape.

In the blink of an eye, three Imperial hounds were killed in the restaurant.

Boris approached Sieg.

"Boss, it's just a matter of time before we're discovered."

"Let's leave the horses and head to Simon. We need to pass through the tunnel quickly."

Sieg gathered Carus and ran to where Simon was.

However, other outlaws began to pursue Sieg and his party.

"The ten-thousand gold is escaping!"

It seemed the bounty hunters had reached this place too.

Sieg used a Flash Bomb skill against the chasing outlaws.

Flash!

"Argh!"

Exposed to the Flash Bomb, the outlaws tumbled across the market floor.

As they crossed the market and headed towards the tavern Simon mentioned, Simon ran towards Sieg's group.

"Boss!"

"Simon, what happened?"

"The bounty hunters have already caught up. The Imperial hounds caught our scent too. Can we enter the tunnel now?"

"We can enter, though there's no guide."

"I can find the way, so let's move quickly."

Following Simon, Sieg raced towards the tunnel's direction.

Since the village was formed alongside the creation of the tunnel, its entrance was closer than expected.

The entrance lay within an old well.

A guard stood watch there.

Showing a ticket from the broker, the guard gestured for them to descend into the well.

Simon entered the well first, followed sequentially by the party.

Whish!

Upon descent, a narrow tunnel stretched below the well.

Considering that a few years ago this tunnel was used to transport drugs from the South to the Central Continent, its shabbiness was astonishing.

Sieg activated the map to follow the tunnel's path.

"I'll take the lead. Simon, Protect Carus from the rear."

Thanks to the map, Sieg navigated the intricately winding tunnel without confusion.

Soon the narrow path ended, revealing a broader passageway.

Simon told Sieg.

"Boss, we just need to follow this route to pass through the border zone."

Sieg and his party continued along the lengthy tunnel.

It was hard to believe humans carved such an extensive tunnel.

As they pressed forward, noise erupted from behind them.

"They're over there!"

Apparently, there wasn't just one tunnel entrance.

Outlaws wielding weapons were pursuing Sieg's party.

Simon glanced at them and informed Sieg.

"The man leading them is the Yellow Wind Reaper, a somewhat renowned outlaw."

"Simon, Protect Carus. Boris, stick close behind me!"

Sieg immediately drew his Meteoric Iron Sword and charged forward.

Whiiiish!

Considering the risk of collapsing the tunnel, he had to rely solely on swordsmanship against the outlaws.

Sieg infused his sword with the Energy of Metal and swung it.

Thud!

The Yellow Wind Reaper, struck by Sieg's sword, was flung straight into the wall.

Boris also engaged the outlaws, handling several at once.

Sieg shouted to Boris.

"Boris! Plug your ears and fall back."

Upon Sieg's command, Boris rolled back.

Simultaneously, Sieg used the Discordance skill.

Wangggg!

A jarring sound echoed around Sieg, causing the outlaws to stagger backward in agony.

The discordance left the outlaws struggling to maintain their balance.

"Is it—magic?"

Though a skill Sieg used, it appeared akin to magic to them.

The befuddled outlaws soon fell under Sieg's sweeping sword.

"Ugh!"

Even the so-called famed Yellow Wind Reaper was no match for Sieg, merely a low-tier thug. They were nothing more than lackeys.

Sieg struck down the Yellow Wind Reaper, and Boris eliminated the remaining outlaws.

Sheathing his sword, Sieg said.

"Boris, let's go quickly."

Sieg's party rapidly advanced deeper into the tunnel.

Yet, the outlaws persistently attacked Sieg's group.

Shwik!

Sieg's sword cleaved the outlaws, carving a path forward.

The tunnel floor became damp with the blood spilled by the outlaws.

Despite Boris showing signs of exhaustion from constant fighting, Sieg, thanks to his Endless Stamina, continued dispatching foes.

'Without my Endless Stamina, things could have been dire.'

Sieg provided his companions with stamina potions and continued towards the tunnel exit.

And just as they finally reached the tunnel's exit.

Sieg sensed something ominous.

'This... it's magic energy.'

Sure enough, magic was fired from outside the exit.

Zzzit!

Boom!

Lightning and fireballs rained down on Sieg's party.

"Duck!"

Sieg shielded Carus and activated his Dragonscale Armor.

Once the explosion settled, he stood up and addressed Simon.

"Guard Carus. Let me deal with the mages outside."

Equipped in his steel armor, Sieg dashed out of the tunnel.

"He's out! Attack!"

As Sieg emerged, mages began unleashing their spells on him.

Being among outlaws, with all sorts of individuals, seeing combat mages was not uncommon.

Once again, fireballs, lightning, and energy balls poured down.

Yet, with the shield active, the attacks were automatically deflected.

Vrrrm!

Once the shield's effect ended, Sieg charged at the mages with his sword.

Extending his hand, he activated the Magic Reflection skill.

The distortion in the magical field left the mages struggling with their spell execution.

"W-Why isn't this working?"

Sieg swiftly advanced, dispatching the mages.

Scouring his surroundings after the quick clearance, he noticed the panic among outlaws who had been waiting behind the mages.

"Damn, they lied about being Delfoa mages!"

The supposed combat mages were likely deserters from the Delfoa mage regiment.

He systematically eradicated the remaining outlaws lurking behind.

"Hoo."

Though Sieg possessed Endless Stamina, he had his limits.

He was beginning to feel fatigued. Not having had the chance to use his Devour skill due to constant activity, his mental exhaustion was unmanageable.

'If I suddenly black out, it could be dangerous.'

Sieg signaled his companions to emerge.

Boris brought some horses the outlaws had left behind.

Simon addressed Sieg.

"Boss, if we ride for two days, there's a village before we enter the Forest of the Forgotten, beyond Isthar's domain."

"Reaching there first, regrouping, then entering the Troy Duchy along the forest outskirts, seems wiser."

"Better than venturing into the desert, I'd say."

"Alright. Changing course."

Though it was a longer detour, entering the desert, the stronghold of those targeting Carus, was akin to a suicide mission.

As Sieg's party spurred their horses, striving to exit the border zone.

They sensed something fervently trailing them.

Sieg used his Dragon Eyes to enhance his eyesight and scrutinized the pursuers.

He instinctively cursed.

"Damn, the Empire's Imperial hounds have locked on."

It seemed they were tracked due to the three killed in the restaurant.

Sieg's party urged their horses faster.

However, the horses taken from the outlaws couldn't match the Empire's warhorses.

Quickly, the Imperial hounds caught up with Sieg's group.

Whizz!

An Imperial hound fired a crossbow.

Sieg, at the rear, swung his sword, deflecting the arrow.

He shouted at Simon.

"Keep riding! Once we near Isthar's territory, even the Imperial hounds won't follow!"

Trailing slightly, Sieg threw daggers at the pursuing Imperial hounds.

Swhick!

Imbued with the Energy of Metal, the daggers gradually slowed the Imperial hounds' advance.

Then, from the side, another dust cloud erupted.

Another group of outlaws was swarming in, trailing behind them.