The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 320: Chapter 319: There Needs to Be Tension (3)



Belinda, Gillian, and the knights moved alongside Ghislain.

When the soldiers and elves tried to follow, Ghislain waved them back.

"Soldiers, stay back. There's nothing to gain from fighting ogres. Vanessa, prepare as I instructed. Knights, form your ranks."

It was better to deal with powerful monsters like ogres with an elite few. Careless attacks would only result in greater losses.

Of course, an ordinary commander might have used the soldiers as shields, throwing them into the fray to wear the ogres down. Losing soldiers was preferable to losing knights, after all.

But sacrificing soldiers to weaken the enemy wasn't Ghislain's style. Besides, he had already given Vanessa instructions to prepare something with the mages.

He had also hinted to Belinda and Gillian what was about to happen, though Kaor was left in the dark.

"Grrr..."

The ogres didn't move recklessly, either. The humans simply outnumbered them too greatly.

But ogres were creatures that never tolerated an invasion of their territory. Gripping their wooden clubs tightly, they lowered their stances.

Mimicking their posture, Ghislain spoke.

"Vanessa, begin."

"Roooaaar!"

At the same time, the ogres leapt forward, their powerful legs propelling them high into the air. Their leap was truly monstrous, a testament to their strength. But just as the monsters took to the air, Ghislain shouted.

"Close your eyes!"

The knights of Fenris were trained to respond instantly to Ghislain's commands. As they closed their eyes, Vanessa's voice echoed from behind them.

"Flash Bomb."

Bang!

An intense burst of light exploded in front of the ogres.

"Gaaaahhh!"

The other mages quickly followed suit, casting the same spell as Vanessa.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dozens of bursts of light blinded the ogres. Their vision robbed by the blinding flashes, the ogres stumbled mid-air, unable to land properly, and crashed to the ground.

Though higher-circle magic that directly blinded an enemy existed, Ghislain specifically opted for Flash Bombs.

Ogres, by nature, had high resistance to magic.

Direct spells might last longer, but there was a risk that some ogres might resist their effects. By using intense light, they ensured that their vision would be disrupted, even if only briefly.

"Grrraaaah!"

Even with their incredible reflexes, the ogres scrambled clumsily on the ground, unable to see their surroundings properly.

The leading ogre, true to its primal instincts, swung its massive club blindly.

Given its enormous size and strength, the swing covered a wide area. Unfortunately, another ogre trying to get back on its feet was caught by the blow.

Bang!

"Guaaah?"

The struck ogre let out a shocked cry. The pain was immense, almost enough to make it faint.

Unable to see who had attacked, the ogre instinctively moved to defend itself.

It swung its club with all its might in the direction of the attack.

Even without sight, it didn't matter. It swung toward where it had been struck.

This behavior was common among monsters. The stronger a monster was, the more pronounced this instinct became.

Bang!

"Graaaah!"

Blinded and confused, the ogres began attacking each other, swinging their clubs wildly without distinguishing friend from foe.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Guaaaah!"

An ogre's attack could easily smash through massive trees. Even with their tough bodies, the ogres couldn't ignore the devastating power of such strikes. Each blow elicited screams of

pain.

Mistaking the strength of their opponents, the ogres retaliated harder, swinging their clubs with even greater ferocity.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

One by one, ogres began to sustain injuries. Blood flowed from broken heads, and arms snapped under the relentless blows. The more pain they endured, the angrier they became.

"Graaaah!"

Blinking rapidly, the ogres' vision slowly began to return. The effects of the flash were wearing off.

Though they had been blinded only briefly, the damage they inflicted on each other was significant. Realizing they had been fighting amongst themselves, the ogres began roaring angrily at one another.

"Graaaah!"

"Roooaaar!"

Their chaotic blame game resembled a farcical comedy. After some shouting, the ogres ceased their squabble and turned their attention back to the humans.

"Grrr?"

Overhead, one of the ogres noticed a human leaping high into the air, a massive sword in

hand.

Activating the third core, Ghislain leapt forward, his sword aimed at the head of the leading

ogre.

Crunch!

"Graaaah!"

Even with the sword lodged in its skull, the ogre didn't die instantly. As expected of a creature from the Forest of Demonic Beasts, its durability was extraordinary.

Whoosh!

The ogre swung its club reflexively, but Ghislain quickly dodged back and shouted.

"Strike!"

The knights rushed forward immediately. These knights had trained specifically in anti- monster tactics. Ghislain, a skilled hunter himself, had regularly trained his knights on how to

combat monsters.

The knights quickly formed groups, with shield-bearers leading the charge against the ogres.

"Roooaaar!"

Despite their injuries from the earlier chaos, the ogres' attacks remained powerful, especially against the leading knight.

"Shield."

Zing-!

The mages cast protective shields over the lead knights. Shielded, the knights charged

directly into the ogres' strikes.

Bang!

"Ugh!"

Even with the protection, the knight with the shield was flung backward by a single strike. The

power was overwhelming.

Though they couldn't withstand the attack, the knight had managed to block it, creating a

crucial opening.

"Fireball."

Fwoosh!

Dozens of fireballs soared toward the ogres' faces.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Graaaah!"

Though the fireballs caused only momentary hesitation, the mages weren't surprised. The

attack was meant to obscure the ogres' vision once more.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Taking advantage of the ogres' momentary disorientation, the knights plunged their

weapons into the creatures' bodies. No matter how tough the ogres' hide, they couldn't easily withstand the mana-infused attacks of the knights.

With life or death on the line, the knights attacked with everything they had, slashing and

stabbing relentlessly.

"Graaaah!"

The ogres' screams echoed through the forest. The knights capitalized on every opening.

"Close in!"

"Cut the tendons!"

"Disable their arms!"

The knights targeted the ogres' arms and legs, clinging to their massive bodies and stabbing

with all their might.

The already-injured ogres, with broken limbs and cracked ribs, struggled to respond. The

relatively uninjured ones faced Ghislain, Belinda, and Gillian.

Fwoosh!

Belinda's daggers shot out, targeting the ogres' weak points-their eyes, ears, and mouths. Meanwhile, Gillian hacked at the neck of an ogre pinned by knights.

The ferocity of their fighting blurred the line between monster and human.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Graaaah!" The ogres couldn't hold out. Their earlier brawling had already diminished their combat

abilities.

Now swarmed by knights, they couldn't even shake them off.

Amid the chaos, Kaor, the "Ogre Slayer," stood frozen, watching with a dazed expression.

Ghislain swung his sword once more, smashing it into an ogre's head.

Thud!

As if signaling the end, the ogres began falling one by one.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The dozen or so ogres fell without much resistance, their titles as Kings of the Forest

rendered meaningless by their humiliating deaths.

Their mangled bodies lay scattered, evidence of the brutal assault.

The soldiers stared in disbelief at the overwhelming victory. The seamless coordination of the

attack seemed almost premeditated.

Even Kaor, sensing something unusual, stammered as he asked Ghislain.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Did... did you know this many would show up?"

Reflecting on how calmly Ghislain had acted even when the ogres appeared, Kaor couldn't

help but ask. Unlike before, Belinda and Gillian had also remained composed.

Ghislain planted his sword into the ground and replied.

"Yes, I knew ogres would appear. I told the mages in advance to prepare for how we'd fight

them."

"Then why didn't you tell me!"

"To bring back some tension. Everyone was letting their guard down."

At that, Kaor and the soldiers fell silent. Truthfully, they had grown too relaxed after the easy

journey so far.

Ghislain looked around at the group and asked.

"Did everyone enjoy the show?"

|| ||

The soldiers lowered their heads in shame. Once again, they had done nothing. They had

laughed and joked, treating the Forest of Demonic Beasts as a joke.

If the lord hadn't prepared in advance, many of them would have been killed in a surprise

attack by the ogres.

Ghislain spoke in a low voice.

"The monsters where we're headed are far more dangerous and difficult to face than these.

This time, we handled it easily because we were prepared, but next time, even with preparation, I can't guarantee victory. Never let your guard down."

The soldiers took deep breaths, standing straighter and regaining their composure.

The lord was right. If they hadn't anticipated the ogres and prepared, the losses would have

been catastrophic.

A sudden ambush by such a large group of ogres would have led to a massacre.

'But... how did the lord know?'

'Did he find out by chance on a previous visit?'

'Our lord truly knows everything.'

These repeated incidents filled them with a reverence for Ghislain that bordered on worship.

It wasn't just his uncanny knowledge. His combat prowess inspired confidence that he could

defeat any foe.

However, the soldiers no longer relied solely on him. They steeled their own resolve.

'One mistake could mean death."

"The lord can't save everyone.'

'We must stay sharp and focused.'

The sudden appearance of the ogres heightened everyone's tension. Not only the soldiers, but

also the mages and elves.

For the elves, the tension was especially palpable. Sensitive to the energies of nature, they

could sense the abnormality of the Forest of Demonic Beasts far more acutely. 'Something's wrong... This doesn't feel like a forest.'

"The monsters are all unnaturally large. No place, no matter how strong its energy, should be like this.'

'Does such a place even belong to this world?'

In a normal forest, elves would feel comforted and at ease, regardless of the presence of

monsters.

This was due to the natural energy that forests typically emanated.

But the Forest of Demonic Beasts was fundamentally different. It radiated a disturbing and

alien energy that grew stronger the deeper they went.

It was as if the forest didn't belong to this world.

Elves, who sought harmony and balance, felt profoundly uncomfortable and out of place here.

Ascon muttered under his breath, scowling.

"This place reeks of foul energy... It's a damned place..."

No one paid much attention to his complaints. Ascon was known for his constant grumbling

back at the estate.

No, not just frequent-complaining was practically his default state.

However, Lumina was different. Ghislain listened carefully to her words.

"My lord, are you really planning to keep going?"

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"Well... There's something strange."

"What is it?"

"The energy flowing through this forest is odd. It feels so ominous... so unsettling..."

Ghislain chuckled at her words. The Forest of Demonic Beasts was infamous for its ominous reputation. Tales of people entering and never returning were widespread.

"This place is definitely strange. The monsters here are bizarre, too. But the resources we can

find here are invaluable. That's why we're going in."

"No, that's not it. I mean... this place... it's..."

"It's what?"

"It's different. The lifeforms here aren't normal. It feels... artificial. I mean, it's like... like..."

Lumina trailed off, struggling to articulate her thoughts.

Since awakening her communion abilities, she had been able to hear faint whispers from

nature. Among the elves of Fenris, she was the most attuned to nature's voice. "It's whispering to me."

Her words made Ghislain tilt his head in confusion. He hadn't heard anything.

"What? Who's whispering? Whispering what?" "The forest."

"The forest? It's speaking to you?"

"Yes, it's been speaking to me this whole time."

Since entering the forest, Lumina had been hearing strange whispers.

At first, she couldn't discern them clearly amidst the noise of people working, chopping down

trees, and laughing.

As humans cut down the trees and disturbed the forest, its energy weakened. Where they had trampled, the natural energy faded.

But the deeper they ventured, the stronger the energy became, and the whispers grew clearer.

The forest whispered to her constantly.

It asked her to become one with it.

[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]