The Genius Archer Who Became a One-Man Army

Chapter 2

The entrance to the Pellon Gorge has a gentle slope on the left and a steep, high cliff on the right.

Climbing the steep cliff is risky and offers little cover. In contrast, the gentle slope is perfect for ambushes, with step-like terrain and recessed areas ideal for hiding.

Therefore, there are many more areas to investigate on the left slope than on the right.

“As you all know, the left side has many places for ambushes, so there’s a lot to check out. We should send five squads to the left and one squad to the right cliff. What do you think?”

“That sounds reasonable.”

“Since you can see everything once you climb up there, one squad should be enough.”

Paront, the senior leader among the thirty scouts, spoke up. The other squad leaders murmured in agreement, though they glanced around nervously.

After all, one squad would have to climb the steep cliff.

At that moment, Lian approached Tauran and spoke quietly.

“Squad Leader Tauran, I know an easy way up the right cliff. Let’s volunteer to go there.”

“What? Are you crazy, rookie? Know when to speak up and when to stay silent.”

It was understandable that Tauran was shocked. A fresh recruit claiming to know something.

But such threats were laughable to Lian. Besides, these squad leaders who once seemed intimidating now looked like small chicks to him.

‘These fools don’t know anything.’

When Lian was a regular soldier, he thought squad leaders and platoon leaders had special abilities.

But they were all the same.

In a crisis, they would panic and act foolishly, just like any other soldier.

Lian didn’t back down.

“I know this terrain very well. If we volunteer, we’ll earn great credit later.”

“…You said you’re from around here?”

“I’ve lived in Roil Village for over ten years.”

“Fine, I’ll trust you. But if this path is strange, you’ll regret it.”

“Don’t worry.”

Tauran cleared his throat and addressed Paront.

“Ahem! This path looks tough, so we’ll take it.”

“Oh, Squad Leader Tauran. Will you?”

“Just make sure to tell the platoon leader about our contribution.”

“I’ll make sure he knows you took the initiative. Now, everyone, let’s get moving!”

Paront, worried that Tauran might change his mind, quickly started leading his men up the left slope.

Tauran turned to Lian.

“You said it’s an easy path? Lead the way.”

“Yes, I’ll go first.”

Lian had been to Pellon Gorge several times, not just for his first battle.

He wasn’t an expert, but he knew the terrain well enough.

Of course, he knew a slightly easier way up. Slightly.

“Huff… Huff… Huff…”

After about twenty minutes of fast movement, he was out of breath.

He realized he wasn’t in his old, fit body but in a weak one with no calluses on his hands.

His heart pounded, but Lian didn’t stop.

He controlled his breathing and kept moving quickly.

‘Just a bit more to go.’

Lian saw a crooked tree leaning to one side like a bent spine. He remembered it was said to be over 200 years old.

“Just a bit further, huff… huff…!”

“You… once we’re up, you’re dead.”

The rookie kept climbing without stopping, and the others followed, struggling just as much.

They had believed it was an easy path and came this way, but Tauran’s legs were already trembling slightly.

Lian clicked his tongue at the sight.

‘Tsk! A squad leader getting exhausted this easily.’

Well, he wasn’t in much of a position to criticize.

But soon, they reached the top of the right cliff.

Unlike the gentle slope on the left, once at the top, they could see everything below.

“Huff…!”

Taking a deep breath, Lian surveyed the surroundings.

Of course, there were no ambushes, so there was nothing to see except for the gently swaying bushes and trees.

“Hey, Lian!”

“Ah, Squad Leader Tauran. You’re amazing. Even with the slope, it must have been tough, but you don’t seem tired at all.”

Lian praised Tauran as he approached, then clutched his chest in mock pain.

“I thought I was going to die climbing up. If I were alone, I would have given up, but thanks to you, I made it. You truly deserve to be a scout leader!”

“Uh, ahem. Well, I am quite fit.”

Lian’s smooth flattery made Tauran clear his throat and speak modestly.

Meanwhile, Lian turned to look down the Gorge.

“If we search in four directions from here, we can cover the entire area.”

“Hmm, we can see almost everything from here.”

“Yes, so if we spread out in four directions and you direct us from here, it would be efficient.”

Tauran glanced at the slope they had to search.

It wasn’t as steep as the climb up, but there were still areas that required descending quite a bit.

Already exhausted, the thought of going down there was daunting.

“Good idea.”

Tauran nodded.

Lian smiled slightly.

He had dealt with Tauran’s type countless times in his past life.

Give them a little face-saving, and they follow willingly.

Tauran said,

“Each of you take a signal flare. If anything happens, fire it immediately! I’ll coordinate from here.”

“Yes, sir!”

Lian responded loudly and pointed to the path into the Gorge.

“Then, I’ll take the hardest path!”

With that, Lian quickly ran off without looking back.

If he stayed, Tauran might change his mind and send him somewhere else, ruining the plan.

Pat-pat!

Climbing the steep path had left Lian’s thighs and calves trembling, but he quickly began to move again.

Once he had put some distance between himself and Tauran, Lian calmly assessed his current condition.

‘Ugh… this body is really pitiful.’

Even in his previous life, he hadn’t possessed extraordinary physical abilities, but now he truly was just a fledgling.

His legs were screaming after just twenty minutes of brisk hiking up a mountain path.

Moreover, his hand holding the spear was already starting to ache.

Gritting his teeth, Lian gripped the spear tighter and pushed through the pain in his legs.

Despite not being in an ambush zone yet, Lian scanned his surroundings cautiously as he ran towards the end of the Gorge.

The Gorge path was only slightly more than three hundred meters long, so reaching the end wasn’t a major issue.

“What the hell? How far is that guy going?”

Tauran couldn’t hide his astonishment as he watched Lian dash madly ahead.

‘I know they’re here.’

The Huns.

The Kingdom of Artian faced the Baroque Kingdom to the east and the Huns, as they were called, to the north.

While the Baroque Kingdom had some semblance of a truce or political exchange, the Huns were different.

Despite having vast lands, the Huns lived as nomads in their cold, crop-barren territories, constantly invading the kingdom.

The kingdom dismissed them as mere beastmen to be dealt with, but…

‘The Huns… are strong.’

Lian had fought the Huns for decades. Though he mostly held the position of a foot soldier, one thing he knew for sure: the Huns should never be underestimated.

Swiftly reaching the end of the Gorge, Lian hid behind a nearby rock to catch his breath.

‘Now, this is their territory.’

He needed to be cautious from this point on, not knowing where or how they might be lying in ambush.

Carefully peeking around the rock, Lian surveyed the area ahead.

Just an ordinary brush-covered area.

Bushes reaching up to his thighs, scattered rocks, and trees were all there was to see.

No one would expect an ambush here.

But the Huns were a thoroughly battle-hardened tribe.

‘They would be hiding by digging into the ground around this time.’

A method the kingdom never even considered.

They wouldn’t expect them to be hiding with their bodies covered in dirt.

‘Where are you… where are you hiding?’

Lian concentrated fully, scanning his surroundings.

They were human too, so they couldn’t hold their breath indefinitely.

Moreover, since the army hadn’t entered the Gorge yet, their guard was likely down.

After about a minute, Lian noticed a suspiciously rustling bush at the end of the Gorge.

‘Found you!’

His eyes sparkled.

They were ambushing at the end of the Gorge, which was the start of the plains from their perspective.

But Lian knew.

These were just the scouts checking on his advancing unit.

The main force would ambush his three hundred men once they fully entered the plains, about five hundred meters beyond the Gorge.

‘Huns’ scout teams usually consist of three.’

So, there could be at least three to six of them in the spot he identified.

The best option would be to go back and bring his comrades, but…

‘Who would believe a rookie? They’d probably think I’m crazy and slap me.’

To be convincing, he needed clear evidence.

And the severed heads of the Huns were the clearest evidence he could get.

“Phew…”

Could he do it?

With this pathetic body?

If he had a bow, maybe, but with hands as soft as these and only a spear to rely on?

He chuckled.

‘It’s not about if I can. I have to.’

This is a chance to change his future and take the first step towards becoming a grand general.

If he couldn’t do this, he might as well die now.

If he couldn’t do this, this life would end up no different from the last.

‘I will.’

He could do it.

Gripping the spear tightly, his heartbeat quickened.

The excitement before a life-or-death battle surged through him, but it quickly settled as his focus narrowed.

Lian held his breath and began to move slowly towards their position.

The distance was about thirty meters.

Since they were buried in the ground, their visibility was limited.

‘Quick and decisive.’

While it wasn’t a bow, his nearly twenty years of spear experience hadn’t disappeared.

Silently, he closed the distance to about ten meters.

His heartbeat pounded louder, and he tightened his grip on the spear.

Now that he was closer, he could clearly see their ambush positions.

‘Two seconds to reach them with this body?’

He had to kill at least two in one go.

‘Go.’

The decision made, Lian sprang forward like a coiled spring.

In an instant, he covered the remaining distance, his spear thrusting forward in a straight line.