NOVPUBBelinda, Gillian, and the knights moved alongside Ghislain, their weapons at the ready. As the soldiers and elves started to follow, Ghislain raised his hand to halt them.
“Soldiers, stay back. There’s no benefit to clashing with ogres. Vanessa, execute the plan. Knights, form ranks,” he ordered firmly.
Against powerful monsters like ogres, sending a large number of untrained troops would only result in unnecessary casualties. Handling such creatures required precision and coordination.
A typical commander might have used soldiers as cannon fodder to weaken the monsters, sacrificing numbers to protect the more valuable knights. But Ghislain’s methods were different—he didn’t throw lives away needlessly. He had already given Vanessa instructions, along with quiet hints to Belinda and Gillian. Only Kaor had been left out of the loop.
The ogres growled lowly, their hesitation clear as they observed the large human force. Still, their territorial instincts burned bright. Clutching their massive wooden clubs, they crouched low, readying to strike.
Ghislain matched their stance, lowering his body and issuing the next command.
“Vanessa, begin.”
“KROOOAH!”
The ogres leapt into the air with immense power, showcasing their incredible strength. As they ascended, Ghislain shouted:
“Close your eyes!”
The Fenris knights, trained to follow orders without delay, shut their eyes immediately.
Vanessa’s voice rang out:
“Flash Bomb!”
BANG!
An intense burst of light erupted in front of the ogres, blinding them mid-flight.
“KRAAAAAK!”
Other mages echoed Vanessa, unleashing successive flashes.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The barrage of light overwhelmed the ogres’ vision, leaving them disoriented. They crashed to the ground in chaos, unable to land properly.
Direct blindness spells of higher magic circles were available, but Ghislain had deliberately chosen Flash Bomb for a reason: ogres had natural resistance to magic. High-tier magic might not affect all of them, but bright, blinding light worked regardless of resistance.
“KROAAAH!”
Despite their disorientation, the ogres’ reflexes allowed them to quickly scramble to their feet. Still blinded, they lashed out wildly.
The lead ogre swung its massive club, hitting another ogre that had been trying to rise nearby.
CRASH!
“KREEEAAAH?”
The struck ogre roared in pain, recoiling in shock. Acting on instinct, it retaliated with a full-force swing in the direction of the attack.
BANG!
Blind chaos unfolded. The ogres began striking at anything nearby, unable to distinguish friend from foe.
CRASH! CRASH!
Even the ogres’ thick hides couldn’t withstand the sheer force of their attacks. Blood sprayed as their own blows broke bones and caused devastating injuries.
As the light faded, the ogres began regaining their vision.
The damage, however, had already been done. They blinked in confusion, realizing they had been attacking each other. Their roars turned into accusatory bellows, each blaming the others for their injuries.
“KROOAH!”
“KUROOOK!”
After several moments of frenzied shouting, the ogres finally ceased their infighting and refocused their rage on the humans.
BOOM!
Before they could act, a single human figure soared into the air, a massive sword gleaming in his hands.
Ghislain, activating the third stage of his core, landed directly on the lead ogre, driving his sword into its skull.
CRUNCH!
The blow wasn’t enough to kill the ogre outright; its skull was as tough as expected for a beast from the Forest of Beasts. It roared and swung its club, but Ghislain swiftly retreated, shouting:
“Attack!”
The knights surged forward, moving in coordinated squads. Ghislain had trained them personally in anti-monster combat, teaching them to exploit weaknesses effectively.
The first wave of knights carried large shields, forming a defensive line as they charged the ogres.
“KROAAAH!”
Even injured, the ogres’ attacks were monstrous.
“Shield!” 𝚗ov𝚙𝚞𝚋.c𝚘m
A shimmering barrier enveloped the knights as mages cast protective spells.
BOOM!
One knight was sent flying by a single swing, but the attack had served its purpose: it created an opening.
“Fireball!”
WHOOSH!
Dozens of fireballs streaked toward the ogres’ faces, exploding with force.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The fireballs didn’t do much physical damage but succeeded in disorienting the ogres again.
SLASH! SLASH!
Taking advantage of the chaos, the knights drove their swords into the ogres’ exposed sides. Mana-enhanced strikes pierced even their thick hides, eliciting agonized roars.
“Go for their tendons!”
“Disable their arms!”
“Don’t let them swing their weapons!”
The knights targeted joints and vital points with precision, while others clung to the ogres’ massive bodies, stabbing relentlessly.
Meanwhile, Ghislain, Belinda, and Gillian focused on the least injured ogres.
Belinda’s daggers gleamed as they found their marks, piercing eyes, ears, and mouths with ruthless efficiency. Gillian’s massive axe slammed repeatedly into an ogre’s neck, each strike drawing more blood.
The battlefield was a cacophony of roars, crashes, and shouts. The knights and mages fought with precision, methodically turning the tide against the monstrous force.
Ghislain, watching the coordinated effort, smirked as he swung his blade toward his next target.
“This is how we fight in the Forest of Beasts.”
The ogres couldn’t withstand the assault. Already weakened from injuring each other during their chaotic frenzy, their combat effectiveness had been significantly reduced.
With the knights relentlessly closing in, even the ogres’ mighty strength couldn’t shake them off. The battlefield became a scene of calculated brutality, the knights dismantling their towering foes piece by piece.
Amid the carnage, Kaor—known as the “Ogre Slayer”—stood frozen, his eyes wide with disbelief as he simply watched the chaos unfold.
Nearby, Ghislain landed a second blow on an ogre’s half-shattered skull, his massive blade sinking deeper into its head.
THUD!
The blow seemed to signal the beginning of the end. Across the battlefield, ogres collapsed one by one.
BOOM! THUD! CRASH!
Dozens of the so-called "Lords of the Forest" fell in quick succession, their defeat almost anticlimactic. Their brutal reputation amounted to little more than a memory, their mutilated bodies scattered across the ground like ragged remnants of their former selves.
The soldiers stood with mouths agape, struggling to comprehend the surreal victory. The coordination and precision of the attacks had flowed so seamlessly that it felt like a pre-rehearsed performance.
Kaor, shaken from his stupor, stammered as he turned to Ghislain.
“W-What... You knew this many ogres would show up?”
He replayed the scene in his mind: despite the sudden appearance of the ogres, Ghislain hadn’t rushed or panicked. Even Belinda and Gillian had remained unusually calm.
Planting his greatsword into the ground, Ghislain replied matter-of-factly,
“Yes, I knew. I even told the mages to prepare for this.”
Kaor’s voice rose indignantly.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?!”
Ghislain smirked.
“To bring back a little tension. Everyone was getting too complacent.”
Kaor and the soldiers fell silent, their indignation melting into sheepishness. It was true—they had all let their guard down since entering the forest.
Ghislain cast his gaze over the gathered crowd.
“Well, did you all enjoy the show?”
Nobody answered. The soldiers lowered their heads in shame. They had done nothing but laugh and treat the Forest of Beasts as if it were a playground.
If Ghislain hadn’t anticipated the ogres’ attack and prepared accordingly, the sudden ambush could have been catastrophic.
Ghislain’s voice dropped to a serious tone.
“The monsters where we’re headed next are far more dangerous than what we’ve faced so far. Even if we prepare in advance, I can’t guarantee victory. Never, ever let your guard down.”
The soldiers straightened their postures, their breaths steadying. Ghislain’s words carried weight. If they hadn’t been warned about the ogres, countless lives would have been lost.
The idea of such an ambush—dozens of ogres erupting from the forest and plunging them into chaos—was terrifying.
‘How... How did Lord Ghislain know?’
‘Did he find out by chance on his last expedition?’
‘No, our lord always knows. He’s incredible.’
Such events, repeated time and time again, inspired a reverence in the soldiers that bordered on worship. It wasn’t just his uncanny knowledge. Ghislain’s unparalleled combat prowess gave them the confidence to believe he could overcome any foe.
But this faith wasn’t an excuse to grow complacent. The soldiers resolved to stay vigilant.
‘One mistake could cost us our lives.’
‘Lord Ghislain can’t save everyone.’
‘I need to stay sharp.’
The ogre attack had reignited a tension that was sorely needed. It wasn’t just the soldiers who felt it—the mages and elves were equally on edge.
For the elves, the forest’s atmosphere felt particularly unsettling. Sensitive to the flow of natural energy, they sensed something profoundly unnatural about this place.
‘This forest feels... wrong.’
‘The monsters are unnaturally large. No matter how potent the energy here, this doesn’t feel possible.’
‘A place like this shouldn’t exist.’
A forest should bring them comfort, a sense of harmony from its natural energy. Yet this forest emanated a disturbing, otherworldly aura.
The deeper they ventured, the stronger this alien presence grew. It felt disconnected from the world, as though the forest wasn’t part of nature at all.
One elf, Ascon, muttered with a scowl,
“This place reeks of filth... Goddamn forest...”
Nobody paid him any mind—Ascon was known for his habit of cursing at everything, a daily ritual that had long since ceased to surprise anyone.
But Lumina was different. Her words carried weight, and Ghislain listened attentively.
“Lord Ghislain,” she said cautiously, “are you sure we should continue further?”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Ghislain asked.
“There’s something strange... something deeply wrong here.”
“What is it?”
“The energy flowing through this forest—it’s unnatural. It’s ominous... and deeply unsettling.”
Ghislain chuckled.
“This place has always had a bad reputation. The Forest of Beasts is infamous for its danger. People who enter often never come back. Strange monsters live here, sure, but that’s exactly why we’re here—to claim its rare resources.”
“No, it’s more than that,” Lumina insisted. “The creatures here... they’re not normal. There’s something... artificial about them.”
“Artificial?”
“Yes, it’s like... it’s like everything here was created. I don’t know how else to describe it.”
Lumina’s voice wavered as she struggled to articulate her feelings.
As one of the elves most attuned to nature’s voice, Lumina could sense things others couldn’t. Since entering the forest, she had been hearing faint whispers, impossible to ignore.
“They’re speaking to me,” she whispered.
“Who is?” Ghislain asked, frowning.
“The forest,” she said.
“The forest is speaking to you?”
“Yes. It’s been whispering to me ever since we entered. At first, I couldn’t make it out because of the noise, but as we moved deeper, it became clearer. The forest is calling to me, asking me to join it... to become one with it.”
