Chapter 9: 9 Counter-Kill

Chapter 9: 9. The Counter-Kill

Within a few breaths, Ronin was the first to plunge into the roadside woodland.

Using the trees and low slopes to screen himself from view, he immediately summoned the seven-day login interface and claimed his Day 1 reward.

Instantly, countless pillars of light rose from the ground before him, a spectacle as intoxicating as the Tyndall effect formed by beams of light.

These pillars traced a complex, obscure, and profound summoning array upon the earth, exuding a faint aura of majesty.

A sharp wind swept through as a figure slowly materialized amidst the pillars of light.

The man was as massive as a mountain, a broad chest and powerful arms visible beneath simple leather armor; his expression was resolute and steadfast, unyielding even in the face of a tempest.

"Macken Saliton sends his greetings, my master!"

With a resounding voice and a reverent demeanor, the man summoned through the magical array struck his left chest heavily with his right hand, offering Ronin a standard knightly salute.

"Good to see you, Macken, but our current situation is rather dire."

No sooner had Ronin spoken than the gang of backstabbing guards caught up with them.

They looked in astonishment at the strange blond man before them, utterly unable to comprehend how a person could appear in the woods in less than ten seconds.

"Who are you?"

The leader of the traitors eyed Macken warily, the unease in his heart swelling ever stronger.

Macken had already discerned the intentions of the group; with a flick of his left hand, his shield was in his grasp, and he simultaneously drew the longsword from his waist. "Those who plot against my master must step over my corpse first!"

Standing a step behind Macken, Ronin watched him, noticing a small attribute panel appear beside the man's flank, its contents incredibly simple:

[Macken Saliton]: Novice Knight - Earth (0/100) +

Clearly, Ronin could assign attribute points to Macken, consuming energy essence to do so.

To ensure this battle would be devoid of any mishaps, he consumed all of his energy essence without a second thought.

[Macken Saliton]: Novice Knight (0/100) → (60/100)

Macken caught his breath, feeling his strength instantly surge with immense power; the seed of battle aura at his heart seemed to leap to life, beating with profound vigor!

He could not help but look back at Ronin, certain that such an elevation was absolutely the master's handiwork.

And at the exact moment he turned his head, the betrayers seized their chance.

"Kill!"

Ronin drew his sword and shouted, "Macken, deal with these traitors!"

"As you command, master!"

Macken took a step forward, the sheer explosive force kicking up the dirt beneath him as his figure blurred with incredible speed.

This band of treacherous guards were all ordinary men; they had caught thieves at most and beaten commoners, but when had they ever clashed with a professional knight?

Furthermore, Macken was not just a knight, but one born with natural combat instincts; before him, these traitors were like lambs to the slaughter.

"Pffft!"

The longsword skewered the chest of the foremost backstabber, eliminating one man in an instant!

Even as he withdrew his blade, Macken used his agile footwork to evade the incoming sword-tips; in the moment of dodging, he delivered a swift kick, sending two men rushing at him flying backward.

A single round of charging and slashing utterly shattered the traitors' morale.

Before they could even register what was happening, Macken had already pulled back his longsword, lunging and sweeping to slit the throats of two more traitors.

The scent of copper and blood drifted through the forest with the wind.

Ronin had originally thought he would have to step in and help, but he had never expected Knight Macken to be so fierce, killing three and felling two in an instant.

The deaths of the three traitors caused the survivors to utterly break down, as the dread of betraying nobility and knights once more seized their minds.

Any thought of flight or resistance was instantly cast aside; all they could think to do was drop their longswords, drop to their knees, and grovel before Ronin like dogs wagging their tails for mercy.

"Spare us, my Lord!"

"Spare us, my Lord!"

The courage that had fueled their betrayal just moments ago vanished without a trace.

"Heh..."

Ronin sneered, ignoring the treacherous lot and instead offering Macken a thumbs-up.

"Knight Macken, your prowess has truly opened my eyes!"

Hearing this, the traitors turned ashen; as expected, this ferocious man was indeed a knight!

They suddenly felt incredibly foolish, having naively assumed the Baron had no knight protecting him.

"This is all your bounty, master!" Macken stood to the side, ceasing the slaughter.

"My Lord, are you alright, my Lord?"

Chahar the manservant came stumbling into the woods, completely unprepared for such a scene.

"Chahar, I have witnessed your loyalty. You did well!"

Though Chahar had not been of much help, in that moment of despair, the servant had not betrayed him and had even sought to rush forward to aid him.

For that loyalty alone, Ronin felt compelled to give the man his praise.

Gripping his longsword, he walked slowly up to the leader of the traitors, watching the man grovel on the ground begging for his life, his eyes entirely devoid of warmth.

"You instigated and planned this betrayal, didn't you?"

Ronin's brow furrowed, his voice chillingly cold. "What gave you the courage to betray me?"

The man dared not look up, his body trembling violently with fear. "M-my Lord, I didn't expect... I didn't expect you to have a k-knight by your side."

"Oh~"

Ronin dragged out a mocking note. "So if you had known a knight was present, you wouldn't have betrayed me, is that it?"

"Mercy, my Lord! I won't dare do it again, I will never dare again!"

"Actually, there is one thing you might not know yet," Ronin said, his voice betraying neither joy nor anger.

"What?"

The kneeling traitor could not help but look up; from his vantage point, Ronin loomed unprecedentedly tall, so imposing that it choked him.

"In truth, I am a knight as well!"

"Even without Macken, you still would have been no match for me!"

The sharp blade pierced straight down through the man's chest, leaving the traitor's eyes wide in shock, perhaps never expecting that he would truly die here.

Ronin had harbored some hesitation regarding the act of killing; on one hand, his predecessor had never killed a man, and as a transmigrator, he was even less accustomed to it.

But having arrived in a different world as a lord, there were times when choices had to be made.

If he had possessed nothing, then he would be the one dead today; the enemy would not have shown mercy.

Watching the man collapse into a pool of blood, his breath extinguished, Ronin's heart churned violently, for this was, after all, his first time.

Yet very quickly, amidst the apprehension and unease, a trace of joy emerged, all because a line of text was flashing across his field of vision—

["Slaughter King" achievement attained, attribute points +10, energy essence +20]

The content of the "Slaughter King" achievement was to kill any unit, and the traitor being an ordinary person naturally fell within this category.

He glanced at the achievement panel, where the Slaughter King achievement had now updated:

【Slaughter King】： Kill any first-level supernatural unit, reward: attribute points +30, energy essence +60

"The achievements are indeed tiered, just like when I designed the game system."

First-level supernatural units refer to novice knights, novice magicians, and first-level magical beasts. Achieving this goal still posed a slight challenge for Ronin at present.

Although he possessed the level of a first-level supernatural being, he lacked practical combat experience.

The line he had uttered to the traitor earlier—"without Macon, he could counterattack as well"—actually contained a boastful element.

If he had truly acted, even if he didn't perish, he would likely have been severely injured, incapable of frightening enemies to the point of breaking their courage instantly like Macon could.

When time permitted, he needed to diligently hone his combat skills.

Now that he had Macon, he indeed had a teacher.

"Master, the remaining individuals do not require your intervention; let me resolve this!" Macon volunteered proactively.

Ronin raised his eyebrows slightly, directing his gaze toward the five remaining "elite soldiers" kneeling and trembling on the ground.

(The chapter ends.)