Chapter 128: Watch Closely. This Is What You'll Learn Next
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 128: Watch Closely. This Is What You'll Learn Next
The men at the very front of Naurilia’s vanguard were all professional soldiers.
They were men who received a steady wage of Krona and did nothing but train. Consequently, they moved exactly as they had been disciplined.
The vanguard archers—men who served as scouts in emergencies and fast-moving light infantry in battle—all plucked their bowstrings in unison.
Thrum-thrum-thrum!
Whoosh!
Arrows sliced through the air, embedding themselves in a massive shadow that defied human proportions.
Thud-thud-thud!
Some of the soldiers cheered, relieved to have hit their mark. Others tilted their heads, wondering why the impact sounded like a dull thud against wood rather than flesh.
And still others...
‘Why isn't that thing slowing down?’
...panicked as the shadow’s charging speed didn't falter in the slightest.
Whoosh.
The fog parted. Beyond the mist pushed aside by the massive bulk, the creature's true form was revealed. Had it been a bear, they might have found the courage to stand.
As the fog scattered, those standing further back could finally see their opponent.
Naturally, it was visible to Encrid as well.
Even though he was positioned near the middle of the unit, the creature came clearly into view. It had to. Its colossal, non-human frame completely warped his sense of perspective.
His first impression was that of a giant hedgehog.
A large body meant a target just as large, and the allied archers were undeniably skilled. Dozens of arrows bristled from its torso. Though he couldn't count them all in the chaos, there were at least twenty.
A giant hedgehog sprouting a forest of arrows. That was his first impression.
Whoosh.
Then, the creature that emerged from the fog swung something vertically with immense force—a full, overhead swing from back to front.
Fwooooosh!
A sound like a localized gale erupted. The fog was blasted back even further than before. Then, following the arc of its massive arms, the object in its hands slammed into the earth.
BOOM!
An explosive roar erupted, sounding as if a mage’s explosion spell had detonated. It was as if a boulder had been launched from a trebuchet; the resulting carnage was only natural.
"Aaargh!"
"Uwah!"
A chorus of screams tore through the air.
The soldiers within the hammer's reach were crushed like overripe tomatoes. One soldier on the right had his leg shattered instantly, despite dodging as quickly as he could. A soldier on the left felt the wind pressure of the hammer and reflexively raised his shield.
Crack. Crunch.
The soldier heard the sound of half his body being pulverized. The oil-soaked wooden buckler couldn't offer even a semblance of resistance against the raw violence the creature wielded. The shield shattered like a rotten branch, and the soldier died as the right side of his body was torn apart. No—he exploded.
His body was flung sideways by the sheer kinetic force of the strike. Pink viscera erupted from the flying corpse, spraying into the air. Blood, guts, bones, and severed limbs rained down—parts of a body that had, moments ago, been a living man fighting for his life.
There was no need to wonder who they belonged to. Anyone hit by that strike at the front was already dead.
Encrid only hoped that, at least for today, Vengeance wasn't standing at the very front.
Fuuuuh.
Stopping after its single strike, the creature let out a long, heavy breath. The mere sound of its exhalation was audible over the din of battle.
It was an overwhelming presence.
In its hands was a giant hammer. It was a being with a height far exceeding any human, possessing hide-like skin and thick, corded muscles. It belonged to a race just as dangerous as the Frok: the Giants.
With physical strength three to four times greater than a human's and skin so tough it couldn't be cut by ordinary blades, they were commonly referred to as Red-Blooded Demonic Beasts.
Surveying the scene of slaughter his hammer had wrought, the creature hummed a low, guttural tune.
"Khrrrng!"
His voice was like a shout echoing from the depths of a cave—low, thick, and resonant. As the hum spread, the atmosphere among the allies turned ice-cold.
A Giant. Where on earth had such a thing been hiding?
"Shit, get out of the way!" shouted a soldier from the second rank.
"Morons," the Giant muttered, seemingly amused. The insult rumbled from the depths of his chest.
"Uwahhh!"
Just because they were professional soldiers didn't mean they were immune to terror. Cracks began to form at the front of the line. Fear took root, and several soldiers tried to scramble backward.
Unable to let the formation collapse, the allied commander roared.
"Do not retreat!"
Clang! Clang!
Several vanguard commanders drew their swords, a silent promise that they would cut down anyone who turned tail.
"Dammit."
The soldiers at the front wanted to cry. It was absolute madness, being told to face a monster like that.
Looking at the Giant's body, Encrid noticed his armor was made of wood—a full-body suit of thin, layered slats, now riddled with arrows. Though gaps could be seen around the joints, it seemed not a single arrow had managed to find the flesh beneath.
Khehehe.
The giant hedgehog let out a dark chuckle. Trapped between screams and panic, the mass of soldiers could neither retreat nor advance.
The Giant took his time. In his eyes, these humans were all bugs—easy things to catch and kill, so long as they weren't those "knights" the humans bragged about.
Crush, explode, kill. The Giant savored the moment.
*
A Giant.
Encrid was utterly stunned. Where had a thing like that come from?
He recalled what he knew of the various races. The Frok lived driven by dreams and desires. Elves revered nature. Dwarves were obsessed with metal. Beastmen prioritized reproduction above all else. And Dragonkin were the solitary walkers of the world.
And Giants...
‘Those intoxicated by slaughter.’
They were beings who loved the violence they enacted with their own bodies—living to kill and be killed. Yet, they could never hold hegemony over the continent. Their intelligence was inferior to humans, and their instincts were far too volatile to form a cohesive army. They were madmen crazed for blood.
And then, there were humans.
‘Because humans can become anything.’
By adapting and evolving, humans had surpassed the other races to become the center of the world.
While the Giant surveyed his prey and the soldiers at the front stood frozen, barely managing to keep their bladders in check...
Slice.
Encrid heard a strange sound—the unmistakable sound of a well-sharpened blade shearing through meat.
His head snapped toward the noise. Sachsen, who had been standing beside him, was already staring in that direction.
"Guh!"
"It's the enemy!"
They weren't many in number. Encrid narrowed his eyes. It was the right flank. The enemy had closed the distance while the fog obscured their vision. It looked like a unit of about ten, but every single one of them appeared highly skilled. To charge into a formation with so few meant they were supremely confident.
"If they used the Giant to draw our attention and strike the right, something will come from the left too. Damn, it looks like we've walked right into a trap," Krais said, his eyes darting around.
Surprisingly, Krais didn't seem frightened by the Giant. Instead, his mind was working at a frantic pace.
"We have to stop them here."
Krais could see the enemy's aim. The battlefield favored the opponent, but he could also guess what their own commander was planning. The enemy wasn't the only one who could use the fog. If the enemy targeted the rear camp via the river, their allies could do the same. That was likely why the Border Guard was nowhere to be seen.
The commander had made a choice: the main force would hold the line with sheer numbers.
No matter how wildly the independent companies—the Gray Dog or the Persistent Lover—rampaged, they were limited by their size. At best, they had two or three hundred men left.
The enemy had gone for an all-in gambit at the front. They were risking everything on this strike. And the Giant wasn't their only weapon.
"The Giant isn't everything. If we can't stop their vanguard here, we're finished," Krais stated plainly.
He looked at Encrid, then at the rest of the platoon.
"Captain."
Krais explained the tactical situation. Encrid nodded. Even if he couldn't see the whole board as clearly as Krais, he understood the stakes.
A strange light seemed to be seeping from Krais's eyes—the same intensity he had seen in Ragna yesterday, in Rem’s excitement, in Sachsen’s newfound calm, and in Audin’s peace of mind.
"Yeah. I get it," Encrid answered.
He looked to the right. A squad-sized force was pushing in. To the left?
"The left seems to be my kin."
The Elf Company Commander had appeared beside him.
"I will stop the left."
She glanced at Encrid, their eyes meeting briefly.
"Why? Do you need a kiss of blessing?"
"No, I'm fine."
For some reason, the image of Esther flashed through Encrid's mind. The young panther would be hiding safely in the back, hopefully.
The Elf Company Commander didn't laugh at his rejection. She merely stared silently before moving toward the left flank, followed by a handful of her most elite, nimble soldiers.
As she moved out, Rem stepped forward.
"Good. Very good."
Rem was in an exceptionally good mood. The source was yesterday's sparring. He had been irritated lately, bored by pathetic duels and the lack of a real challenge. But then Encrid had returned, and they had conversed with sword and axe.
That moment had been pure, unadulterated fun. His irritation had vanished, replaced by a feeling he hadn't felt since he first stepped onto a battlefield.
Rem grinned, his eyes fixed on the Giant.
"Watch closely. This is what you'll be learning next."
He began to stroll forward toward the Giant, who was still chuckling at the terrified soldiers. Rem shoved an allied soldier out of his way.
"Out of the way, you bastards."
Rem was his usual self, but there was a rare, electric excitement radiating from him. Encrid watched intently. He had been told to watch, so he wouldn't miss a second.
"I'll handle the right," Ragna said, his voice overflowing with motivation. He, too, had been changed by the sparring session. His mind was at peace, and his only desire was to swing his sword.
"You shouldn't go alone," Encrid cautioned.
Ragna paused. "Then let's go after that's finished. It doesn't look like it'll take very long."
He didn't seem to care about the soldiers being slaughtered on the flank. He was focused entirely on the fight ahead.
"Fall back! Don't die like idiots! Group up! Stand back-to-back!" Vengeance’s voice roared over the chaos. He was managing the situation well, drawing the enemy in deep so they couldn't escape.
"Well, I suppose I should head out as well," Audin said, striding toward the fray.
Sachsen was already gone, having vanished into the mist to find his own mark.
Every member of the platoon moved with a lightness in their step. Their sparring with Encrid had purged them of their frustrations.
Encrid kept his eyes on Rem. The Giant was already pulling his hammer back for another devastating swing—a strike of overwhelming, bone-crushing violence.
Encrid wondered how he would even begin to block such a thing.
Then Rem moved, and he easily surpassed every expectation Encrid had.
Indeed, Rem was Rem.