Chapter 318: We Need to Build Tension (2)
Vanessa swallowed dryly and asked cautiously.
“But… does that monster really appear around there?”
“Yes, it absolutely does. We need to use that to create tension. If we don’t deal with it now, it will become increasingly dangerous.”
“Still, shouldn’t we at least give a warning…?”
“Then it defeats the purpose. No matter how much I tell them not to let their guard down, words alone won’t suffice. They need to experience it firsthand.”
No matter the situation, being forewarned and being prepared will always mitigate losses. For this reason, Ghislain decided to have the group face the monster unprepared for the first time in a long while.
From his perspective, it was just the right challenge to instill tension in the group.
Vanessa understood Ghislain’s intention but couldn’t shake off her lingering doubts.
“But didn’t you say you’ve only been to the outskirts before? How can you be so certain about this…?”
“Hmm, I’ll explain later. For now, you’ll see when we get there.”
Ghislain evaded the question with a wry smile. It was always tricky to explain situations like this, so he resorted to vague answers.
After all, he was already perceived as someone with inexplicable, mysterious knowledge. Adding another piece of untraceable information wouldn’t make much difference.
Eventually, Vanessa nodded and accepted his explanation. As a mage, she had plenty of questions, but she trusted that Ghislain had his reasons for not divulging everything.
Ghislain had always explained and shared what she needed to know, after all.
With a slightly worried expression, Vanessa returned to the mages to relay the preparations needed.
From the end of the established path onward, it was as if they were venturing into completely uncharted territory.
The forest once again became dense with trees and shrouded in darkness.
“From here on, proceed more slowly. Raise the alert level, and have the knights and soldiers take the lead. The workers should stay at the rear and continue constructing watchtowers.”
To claim a region as territory, it wasn’t enough to merely secure the area. One had to be able to defend it, or it wouldn’t truly become their domain.
As the area under control expanded, Ghislain paid equal attention to fortifying the region with defensive structures.
And now, they were entering a new monster’s domain. Ghislain carefully advanced, relying on his memories from his previous life.
[In this territory, a monster we were quite familiar with lived. It was a creature that would never tolerate any disturbance in its domain, commonly referred to as the King of the Forest. Though it was a powerful monster, it was also one we were accustomed to dealing with. When it revealed itself, we believed the vanguard’s strength would be enough to handle it.]
Thud! Thud!
To carve a path and secure the land, trees had to be felled. With thousands of people at work, the commotion was unavoidable.
That noise inevitably drew the attention of the domain’s ruler.
KRAAAAAAH!
A deafening roar echoed from afar, shaking the skies.
Unlike the cries of the monsters encountered at the outskirts, this one sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it. The soldiers halted their tasks, their bodies stiff with fear.
“Prepare for battle! Fall back slightly and form a line. Knights, to the front!”
At Ghislain’s command, the group swiftly assumed battle formation. In the distance, something charged forward, smashing through trees with a ferocity that made the ground quake.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of its approach was palpable. Even its footsteps seemed to make the earth tremble.
CRASH!
“KRAAAAAAH!”
When the creature finally emerged into view, everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
“An ogre?”
An ogre was not a common sight, but it was a well-known monster. A single ogre was said to be capable of taking on hundreds of soldiers or dozens of knights. Its strength and sheer presence had earned it the title of the King of the Forest.
The soldiers gaped at the ogre, terror etched on their faces.
“That thing’s huge!”
“What do these creatures even eat to get that big…?”
“Why are all the monsters in this forest like this?”
It was indeed an ogre, but its size was anything but ordinary. This one was at least a head taller than any ogre they’d encountered before.
In terms of sheer bulk, it looked more like an upper-tier ogre, a Twin-Headed Ogre, than a regular one.
A monster’s size typically correlated with its strength. By that measure, this ogre was undoubtedly far stronger than a typical specimen.
Even the hunters, who had encountered ogres before in the Shadow Mountains, looked on with awe.
“Wow, something that big will fetch a good price.”
“The bigger it is, the better the quality, too.”
“Heh, this is gonna be fun.”
They weren’t afraid at all.
No matter how strong an ogre might be, they had come too far too easily for fear to take hold.
An ogre was said to be capable of taking on hundreds of soldiers singlehandedly. However, there were over 4,000 troops here. Among them, 400 knights and 300 hunters.
Even if size was a tyrant, sheer numbers were an even bigger one. With this many people, it didn’t make sense to think they couldn’t handle a single ogre.
And in this group, there was someone with a particularly famous nickname when it came to ogres.
“Hah, looks like I’ll have to handle this one too. You guys just sit back and enjoy the show.”
Kaor stepped forward, wearing an arrogant expression.
He had taken down a Twin-Headed Ogre on his own before. Even if this ogre was of a similar grade, he was confident he could defeat it.
After all, back then, he had gained an epiphany and broken past a significant wall.
Kaor swung his sword casually and addressed the crowd.
“I’ll take it down myself, so don’t interfere. Got it? Just watch.”
As someone called the “Ogre Slayer,” it was only natural for him to step forward when facing an ogre.
“Wow! It’s Kaor, the Ogre Slayer!”
“Show us your skills again this time!”
“No way you’d lose to just one, right?”
At the crowd’s cheers, Kaor raised his nose in pride, puffing himself up.
The people acted like they were out for some light entertainment.
Even the knights weren’t particularly tense. While they couldn’t defeat an ogre alone, there were people here who could.
Aside from Kaor, Belinda, Gillian, and Vanessa were all capable of taking down an ogre on their own.
And then there was Ghislain, the lord himself. Needless to say, he could likely handle several at once with ease.
The crowd, having completely relaxed after the smooth journey thus far, looked at Kaor and the ogre as though they were watching an amusing spectacle.
Only the mages stared at the ogre with tense expressions.
Ghislain addressed Kaor, who stood at the front.
“You’re really going to handle it alone?”
“Of course. Who better to take it down than me, the ‘Ogre Slayer’? Most of these folks haven’t seen me take one down before, right?”
Kaor twirled his shoulders and stepped forward. Up until that point, the ogre had only growled, glaring at the people.
It wasn’t behaving as aggressively as its reputation suggested. Normally, an ogre would charge in, regardless of the number of enemies.
“See? That thing’s scared. It already smells the blood flowing through me the blood of its kin.”
Kaor chuckled smugly, but suddenly froze. Something felt off. At the same time, Belinda and Gillian’s expressions grew tense.
Boom! Boom!
Another ogre burst through the trees, smashing them apart.
“Hmm… Two of them…”
Two was honestly a bit much. A bead of cold sweat ran down Kaor’s back. Still, he couldn’t back down now that would be embarrassing.
The knights and hunters showed expressions of interest, while the crowd cheered even louder.
“Wow! Two of them!”
“Take both of them down for us!”
“You can do it, Kaor!”
Buoyed by their support, Kaor shouted confidently.
“Alright! I’ll show you my hidden strength today!”
Taking down two might be hard, but he planned to retreat if it got dangerous. Worst case, the lord or someone else would step in to help.
With the people here, taking down two ogres should be a piece of cake.
Just as Kaor prepared to move forward again, yet another ogre appeared.
Boom!
“Three?”
This was too much. Even if he risked his life, he wasn’t sure he could win. A single mistake could mean death. Stepping up now would be sheer recklessness.
But it didn’t end there.
Boom! Boom!
“Five?”
Kaor took a step back. Belinda and Gillian gripped their weapons tightly.
Rumble!
The ground shook, and ferocious roars echoed from all sides. It was clear more were rushing toward them.
[Ogres are solitary creatures with their own territories and do not live in groups. Thus, we assumed the same would hold true in the Forest of Beasts. But we were mistaken. The monsters in this place defied all logic.]
“ROOOAR!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ogres emerged from all directions, roaring wildly.
Nine… Ten… Fifteen…
As their numbers grew, the expressions of the people hardened. The knights quickly drew their weapons and lowered their stances.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…!
The rumbling finally ceased.
The number of ogres that appeared was over twenty.
If a group of ogres this large were to move, they could wipe a small territory off the map.
As expected, the Forest of Beasts was no ordinary place. With so many powerful monsters present, even independent creatures like ogres seemed to have evolved to live in groups.
The soldiers and workers were still struggling to grasp the situation.
“They’re fewer than the Giant Mantises, aren’t they?”
“We’ve handled everything easily so far. Won’t this be easy too?”
“I… I don’t think this time will be the same.”
The atmosphere was tense. The knights, who had been relaxed until now, were visibly on edge.
At that moment, the soldiers and workers finally understood. These monsters were on an entirely different level compared to anything they had faced so far.
They remembered why ogres were called the Kings of the Forest.
“Can… can we not beat them?”
“We’ll win, sure… but after losing a lot of people.”
“Damn it, get a grip!”
The soldiers tightened their grip on their weapons, trembling with tension. If the soldiers alone were to face those ogres, at least half of them would die.
Considering that monsters in the Forest of Beasts were stronger than those outside, total annihilation wasn’t out of the question.
The workers, sensing the unusual atmosphere, scrambled to retreat. They moved so hurriedly that their shoulders bumped into one another, causing them to stumble.
Taking advantage of the opening, the mages stepped forward, their expressions steely. The elves also drew their bows with grim determination.
“Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!”
The commanders, finally snapping to their senses, rallied the soldiers and formed a line. These were veteran soldiers who had followed Ghislain through numerous wars.
Even without explicit orders, they had the authority to assess the situation and act accordingly.
The soldiers quickly formed ranks and raised their shields. However, their faces still showed clear signs of nervousness.
The ogres carried massive trees as weapons. A single swing of those could send dozens of soldiers flying.
It was then that Ghislain, who had remained silent, turned to address the group.
“This is the Forest of Beasts. You never know when or where monsters will appear. Dozens of ogres showing up at once is nothing unusual here. This is a place teeming with creatures so bizarre and terrifying, they defy imagination.”
“……”
“Do not grow overconfident. Do not let your guard down. A single mistake can cost you your life here in the Forest of Beasts.”
No one could say a word in response.
These soldiers had followed their lord through countless feats of heroism. They had grown arrogant, believing in their status as the strongest in the North.
They had placed blind faith in their numbers and let their guard down.
They trusted that the exceptional knights and their lord would solve any problem. They thought all they needed to do was follow along passively.
Ghislain had pointed out this exact flaw. Living like that would get them killed.
‘So this… is the Forest of Beasts.’
‘Insane. Acting casual in front of ogres? And we’ve only just entered the outskirts, not even the heart of the forest.’
‘The lord said he almost died here before… and he wasn’t lying.’
It was only after experiencing it firsthand that people truly understood. For the soldiers and knights here for the first time, the true danger of the Forest of Beasts was becoming clear.
Even the hunters, who had initially seemed unfazed, swallowed nervously. While ogres could occasionally be found in the Shadow Mountains, even they had never seen ogres living in groups like this.
Ogres gathering like this only happened in one situation.
“Aren’t monster waves the only time ogres gather like this?”
“Damn it… is this forest in a perpetual monster wave state?”
“Now it makes sense why things felt too easy until now.”
Kaor, who had previously stepped forward confidently, halted in his tracks.
The situation had flipped. The first ogre they had seen now exuded a cruel aura as it stepped forward, its eyes gleaming savagely.
Kaor, staring at the ogre, turned awkwardly and forced a smile.
He looked toward Ghislain and the knights and said, “Help me.”
Embarrassment lasted only a moment. It wasn’t the strong who survived but the ones who survived that were strong.
No matter how humiliating, survival came first. There was no way he could handle that many ogres on his own.
The moment he faced them, his body would be broken into pieces.
His plea must have been quite desperate.
“Alright, I’ll help you.”
Ghislain chuckled lightly, grabbed his greatsword, and stepped forward.