The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations #Chapter 319: Chapter 318: There Needs to Be Tension (2) - Read The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations Chapter 319: Chapter 318: There Needs to Be Tension (2) Online - All Page

Chapter 319: Chapter 318: There Needs to Be Tension (2)

Vanessa swallowed nervously and asked cautiously.

"But... is that monster really going to show up there?"

"Yes, it will, for sure. We need to use it to create tension. If we don't deal with it now, it'll get more dangerous as we go."

"Still, wouldn't it be better to give them some kind of warning..."

"That would defeat the purpose. No matter how much I tell them to stay on edge, words alone won't cut it. They have to experience it for themselves."

No matter what happens, knowing in advance and preparing for it lessens the shock. That's why Ghislain decided to let them face the monster without any prior warning for the first time in a long while.

By his standards, it was the perfect way to instill tension in people.

Vanessa understood Ghislain's intentions, but lingering doubts still clouded her mind.

"Didn't you say, my lord, that you haven't been past the entrance either? How do you know so much...?"

"Hmm, I'll explain later. Anyway, you'll see for yourself soon enough."

Ghislain smirked wryly, brushing it off. It was always difficult to explain things like this, so he had no choice but to sidestep the question.

After all, he was already known as someone with inexplicable, mysterious knowledge. Adding one more piece of such knowledge wouldn't change much.

Vanessa simply nodded and accepted it. As a mage, she had plenty of questions, but she believed there must be a reason Ghislain couldn't explain it now.

Ghislain had always shared and explained what she needed to know in the past.

With a slightly worried expression, Vanessa returned to the mages and instructed them on what to prepare.

From the point where the road ended, it was essentially uncharted territory.

The forest had grown dense and dark again, filled with looming trees and shadows.

"From here on, we proceed slowly. Increase vigilance, let the knights and soldiers lead, and have the laborers continue building watchtowers in the rear."

Claiming territory wasn't just about securing the area. To truly possess the land, you had to be able to defend it.

With the secured area expanding, Ghislain paid close attention to establishing fortifications to guard it.

Now, they were entering a new monster's territory. Ghislain moved forward cautiously, recalling memories from his past life.

[In this area, there lived a monster we knew well. A creature that never tolerated disturbances in its territory. Often referred to as the King of the Forest, it was a formidable beast. Though powerful, it was familiar, and we believed the vanguard's strength would be enough to handle it when it appeared.]

Boom! Boom!

Clearing paths and securing territory required cutting down trees. With thousands of people moving, it was inevitably noisy.

The commotion eventually irked the ruler of this territory.

Roooooar!

From a distance, a deafening cry echoed, shaking the sky.

The sound was entirely different from the cries of the monsters encountered earlier. The sheer intensity of it sent chills down the soldiers' spines, halting their work.

"Everyone, prepare for battle. Step back a little and form ranks. Knights, move to the front."

At Ghislain's command, the group quickly assumed battle positions. Something furious was smashing through the trees, rushing toward them.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The approaching steps felt like they were shaking the ground.

Bang!

"Roooooar!"

When it finally appeared before them, everyone's eyes widened in shock.

"An ogre?"

Ogres were not common, but they were well-known monsters. A single ogre was said to be

able to take on hundreds of soldiers and dozens of knights.

Due to their power and presence, they were nicknamed Kings of the Forest.

The soldiers were taken aback as they stared at the ogre.

"That thing's massive."

"What the hell do these things eat to grow that big..."

"Why are all the creatures in this forest like this?"

The ogre, though clearly an ogre, was exceptionally large. It looked at least a head taller than a regular ogre.

Its size alone rivaled that of the Twin-Head Ogre, which is considered a higher level of ogre.

A monster's size typically correlated with its combat power. Judging by its size, this ogre was undoubtedly far stronger than usual.

Even hunters who had seen ogres in the Shadow Mountain Range looked on with fascination.

"Wow, that size is going to fetch a good price."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"The bigger it is, the better the quality will be."

"Hehe, this is going to be fun."

No one seemed particularly afraid. No matter how strong an ogre was, they had gotten this far

too easily.

An ogre was said to be able to fight hundreds of soldiers alone. But here, they had over 4,000 soldiers, 400 knights, and 300 hunters.

While size might be intimidating, sheer numbers were an even greater advantage. Failing to take down a single ogre with this many people would be unthinkable.

Among them, there was even someone famous for dealing with ogres.

"Haha, I guess I'll have to handle this myself again. You guys just sit back and watch."

Kaor stepped forward with a cocky grin.

He had taken down a Twin-Head Ogre by himself before. Even if this ogre was of a similar level, he was confident he could handle it.

After all, he had gained a new level of insight and surpassed his previous limits since then.

Kaor swung his sword and addressed the others.

"I'll take care of this on my own, so nobody interfere. Got it? Just enjoy the show."

He was, after all, the famed "Ogre Slayer." Facing an ogre was naturally his role.

"Wow! It's Kaor, the Ogre Slayer!"

"Show us your skills again!"

"You're not going to lose to just one, are you?"

Cheered on by the crowd, Kaor puffed out his chest, feeling proud.

Everyone acted as if they were simply out to watch an entertaining spectacle.

Even the knights weren't particularly tense. While they couldn't take down an ogre alone, there were plenty of people here who could.

In addition to Kaor, Belinda, Gillian, and Vanessa were all strong enough to defeat an ogre

single handedly.

And then there was Ghislain, the lord. He could likely handle multiple ogres with ease. Having come this far without significant difficulty, the group had grown overconfident. They watched Kaor and the ogre with amusement, as if it were nothing more than a sideshow.

Only the mages stood with grim expressions, staring intently at the ogre.

As Kaor stepped forward, Ghislain asked him.

"You really plan to handle it alone?"

"Of course, who else but the 'Ogre Slayer' should take care of this? I bet most of you haven't

seen me take down an ogre before."

Kaor swung his shoulders, stepping a little closer. Up until then, the ogre had merely growled

and glared at the group.

It was an unusual display for an ogre, known for its ferocious temperament. Normally, it would have charged without hesitation, regardless of the enemy's numbers.

"Look at it, it's scared. It's already caught the scent of blood on me. The blood of its kind."

Kaor chuckled, but his expression quickly stiffened. Something felt off. At the same time,

Belinda and Gillian also tensed slightly.

Boom! Boom!

Another ogre crashed through the trees and appeared.

"Hmm... Two of them?"

Two ogres were a challenge, and a bead of sweat formed on Kaor's back. But backing down

would be embarrassing.

The knights and hunters looked intrigued, while the crowd cheered even louder.

"Wow! Two of them!"

"Take them both down!"

"You can do it, Kaor!"

Encouraged by the shouts, Kaor shouted confidently.

"Fine! I'll show you the hidden strength I've been saving!"

Two would be difficult, but he was prepared to retreat if things got dangerous. If worst came

to worst, the lord or someone else would step in.

In a place like this, a group like theirs could handle two ogres easily.

But as Kaor stepped forward again, another ogre emerged.

Boom!

"Three?"

This was too much. Even risking his life, victory wasn't guaranteed. One mistake, and he'd be

dead. Taking on three was sheer recklessness.

And it didn't stop there.

Boom! Boom!

"Five?"

Kaor took a step back. Belinda and Gillian tightened their grip on their weapons.

Rumble!

The ground seemed to tremble as guttural roars echoed from all directions. More figures

rushed toward them.

[Ogres are territorial monsters that don't live in groups. This is true even in the Forest of Demonic Beasts, or so we thought. But that assumption was our mistake. The monsters in this

forest defied our understanding.]

"Roooooar!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ogres charged in from all directions, roaring furiously.

Nine... Ten... Fifteen.

As their numbers increased, the expressions of those present grew increasingly grim. Knights

hurriedly drew their weapons and crouched low.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom...!

Finally, the rumbling stopped. Twenty ogres now stood before them.

A group of ogres this large could easily wipe a small territory off the map.

This forest was no ordinary place. The powerful monsters here had evolved to survive

together, forcing even solitary ogres into group living.

The soldiers and laborers were still trying to process the situation.

"There aren't as many of them as the Giant Mantises..."

"We've dealt with everything so easily until now, right? This should be no different."

"I don't think so this time."

The atmosphere was growing increasingly tense. The knights, who had been relaxed until

now, were on edge.

Finally, the soldiers and laborers understood. The monsters before them were on a completely different level from anything they'd faced so far.

They remembered why ogres were called Kings of the Forest.

"We... can't beat them?"

"We probably can... after losing a lot of people."

"Damn it, get a grip!"

The soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons, visibly tense. If it were just soldiers

fighting these ogres, at least half of them would die.

Considering that the monsters in the Forest of Demonic Beasts were even stronger than their

counterparts elsewhere, total annihilation wasn't out of the question.

Even the laborers sensed something was wrong. They scrambled backward in a panic,

bumping into each other in their haste.

Taking advantage of the confusion, the mages stepped forward. Elves with grim expressions

drew their bows.

"Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!"

The commanders, finally regaining their composure, rallied the soldiers and formed ranks. These were seasoned veterans who had followed Ghislain through many battles. They were authorized to make their own judgments and move without waiting for orders.

The soldiers hastily formed a defensive line and raised their shields, though tension remained etched on their faces.

The ogres held massive trees as weapons. A single swing could send dozens of soldiers flying. Breaking the silence, Ghislain addressed the crowd.

"This is the Forest of Demonic Beasts. You never know what kind of monster will appear, or where. Twenty ogres are nothing unusual here. This is a place where monsters beyond

imagination roam freely."

"Don't let your guard down. Don't get complacent. A single mistake here could cost you your

life."

The crowd fell silent.

These were seasoned soldiers who had achieved countless feats alongside their lord. But even

they had grown overconfident. They had relied too much on their numbers and let their guard

down.

They believed the skilled knights and their lord would handle everything. They thought they only needed to follow along.

Ghislain was pointing out that this complacency could lead to their deaths.

'So... this is the Forest of Demonic Beasts...'

'Crazy. We were acting so casually about ogres. And this is just the outskirts, not even the center of the

forest.'

"The lord once said he nearly died here. It must have been true.'

Only through direct experience do people truly understand.

The newcomers among the soldiers and knights finally grasped just how dangerous the Forest

of Demonic Beasts was.

Even the hunters swallowed nervously, forgetting their earlier confidence. While they had encountered ogres in the Shadow Mountains, they had never seen them in groups.

Ogres appearing together like this only happened under one condition.

'It's not even a monster wave, but ogres are coming out?'

'Insane... is this forest in a constant state of monster waves?'

'No wonder it's been so easy until now.'

Kaor, who had boldly stepped forward earlier, stopped in his tracks.

The situation had reversed. The ogre that had appeared first now took a step forward, its cruel

eyes fixed on them.

Staring at the ogres, Kaor suddenly turned his head with an awkward smile.

Looking at Ghislain and the knights, he spoke.

"Help me."

Pride only lasted a moment. In the end, it wasn't the strong who survived, but the ones who

survived who were strong.