Rogue Villain-Chapter 234: Tararat

As soon as he saw the flying creature leave the horizon in their direction, Ackster moved to grab a javelin from his Inventory.

"It’s not a dragon, but it works—"

"T-tararat?"

Mara stepped back in what seemed to be a mixture of shock and surprise as she looked at the grey wyvern, spreading its large wings and cutting through the air like a sword.

"’Tararat’? You know that wyvern?"

"Not the wyvern. The rider."

Ackster wanted to ask Mara more questions, but before he could, the wyvern took a dive straight for them.

"So, they’re here for us, I take it."

"Most likely. Tararat is a hunter of the Northern Tribal Alliance. But he hunts people, not monsters or beasts."

"Is he stronger than the centi—"

"Yes. Very much so."

Ackster didn’t even have time to finish his question since Mara wanted to make it abundantly clear that Tararat was strong. She wanted to advise Ackster against fighting Tararat. But Tararat wouldn’t give him a choice now that he had Ackster in her sights. Mara also hadn’t forgotten what Ackster was. He was only keeping her around for her magic. Unless he asked something, she shouldn’t answer.

Tararat’s wyvern landed with enough force to kick up a cloud of dust, which was quickly swept away by the drag from its flight and a flap of its wings. The wyvern wasn’t as tall as the centipede had been, but it was at least as powerful, and it loomed over Ackster and Mara as a cat standing in front of a cornered mouse.

Of course, Ackster wasn’t a cornered mouse.

"A human. I knew my nose wasn’t deceiving me. Human! Are you trespassing on our sacred Land?"

Tararat pointed at Ackster with a long, white lance while shouting, the sound slightly distorted by his riding helmet, which protected his face and eyes against the terrific speeds of his mount.

"Nope."

"Bold! I like it! Hand over the traitor without resisting, and I will bring you to the elders while you can still breathe."

Ackster ignored Tararat and looked at Mara.

"You’re considered a traitor for getting kidnapped."

Mara nodded.

"It might be better if I get to explain. But in the end, I let myself be kidnapped due to my weakness or lack of resolve. I should have fought to the death if I was a true warrior of the tribe."

Ackster nodded in understanding.

"I see. Ridiculous. I wouldn’t have killed you or let you kill yourself."

"I’m getting impatient! Make your decision now, or I will make it for you."

Tararat unleashed his power in an attempt to pressure Ackster and Mara into submitting.

Ackster furrowed his brow. Mara wasn’t kidding. Tararat was a lot stronger than the centipede. And since he was a humanoid with weapons, armor, technique, skills, and experience fighting other humans, he would be an opponent far more dangerous than the centipede, lava included.

Ackster looked at Mara again, once again ignoring Tararat.

"You have Mio, right? Run."

Ackster turned Mara around and pushed her away to urge her to run.

"I see you’ve made your choice."

Tararat tapped his wyvern’s neck. It lowered its head and dropped Tararat off at the ground. The dragonling hunter strapped his lance to his mount’s neck and grabbed a sword instead.

"Your bravery has granted you the reward of dying to my blade."

"Yeah, yeah. Before that, your voice sounds familiar. Can you take off your helmet for a second?"

"Is this a trick of yours?"

Tararat looked at Ackster as he held the sword in a reverse grip.

"Does it matter? Do tricks like this work on you?"

"That’s true. I will show you the foolishness of your ways."

Tararat used his free hand to unbuckle his helmet and take it off.

’I knew it.’

"Tararat, was it?"

"That is my name. I will ask you for yours if you don’t die in one strike."

"What’s your relationship with Kargas?"

Tararat’s reptilian face instantly twisted in a way Ackster didn’t think was possible when scales covered most of it.

"None. I have no relationship with that worthless, lice-fucking, disgusting abomination of a disgraced failure of a being."

’Woah...I guess Kargas’ relationship with the Land of Dragons is deeper than I thought.’

"I see."

’I might be able to use this to help Kargas grow stronger.’

A glint passed through Ackster’s eyes as he came up with a plan to increase his odds of stopping The Hero. It was a shame Kargas was a little wild, and Ackster wasn’t sure he could rely on him or even be confident in recruiting him. But if he was going to do this, now was his only chance.

Ackster didn’t think he could kill Tararat anyway, even if he didn’t die, so he might as well use him as a messenger.

"Why do you ask?"

Tararat glared at Ackster’s nonchalant face.

"Just curious. I met Kargas a while back, and we ended up chatting for a bit. The Land of Dragons came up, and without gossiping too much, Kargas said the Land of Dragons was going down."

"Lies. Kargas will die before even stepping foot on the island, and he knows it."

Ackster shrugged casually.

"If you say so. But Kargas did say he had something that would do everything but guarantee his success. He did tell me not to tell anyone about this next part, but who cares? He found an entrance to the Alchemaze."

"..."

Tararat didn’t say anything and just looked at Ackster, trying to discern if he was telling the truth or not.

"You are coming with me."

Tararat pointed at Ackster with his sword and a way of expressing himself that left no room for rejection. But Ackster made room for himself.

"And if I don’t want to?"

"You don’t have a choice."

That was Tararat’s last words before he dashed forward faster than Ackster could blink. Good thing he didn’t need to blink.

Ackster’s Overhuman Senses instantly heated up and picked up Tararat’s movements. Ackster felt a chill on his shoulder.

’Hey, I just got this arm back. What’s with trying to take it off like that?’