Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Let's Eat Together
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The first day's training ended without anyone except Gerot and Loen achieving a perfect push.
Sunset streaked over the castle walls, and during a brief rest, they reflected on the day—what had gone well and what was lacking.
The small fortress was quiet, surrounded by massive Giants.
Kirik!
Shaaak!
Until the cold beasts slithered in with the darkness, scales scraping.
"Alert! Monsters ahead! Number... one hundred! Type: Lizardmen!"
The shout from Kaltz Black on watch duty shattered the evening break. The rider candidates jumped up and raced to the walls.
"Ugh! The fishy stench...!"
Loen White pinched his nose as he gazed out over the darkening fields.
Kang Geohan narrowed his eyes.
[Lizardman]
Height: 273
Weight: 241kg
Willpower: 213/213
Strength: 591/591
Mana: 210/210
Fat Mass: 17kg
Muscle Mass (Skeletal): 120kg
Demonic Essence: 2,100 Pindem
'Not that strong...!'
The Lizardmen's stats were similar to orcs'. Of course, orcs had 1,800 pindem demonic essence and 518 strength, so Lizardmen were bigger and stronger.
But riding Giants, they were like children anyway. Like how a fourth- or fifth-grader feels evenly matched against an adult.
Still, there was an eerie pressure.
"Their gear... looks impressive."
Each Lizardman wore gleaming metallic armor and carried weapons.
If orcs were barbaric warriors, Lizardmen resembled Rome's well-trained elite legionaries.
Military discipline, perhaps?
A hundred well-armed Lizardmen advancing in perfect formation exuded an indescribable pressure.
Jaxen Silver scanned the Lizardmen and spoke.
"Perfect. Handle them yourselves. Sir Raphael Black and I won't join."
"By ourselves?"
"Yes. A hundred Lizardmen against five Giants is just right for practice. Make full use of what you learned today."
"Understood."
"Oh, and Kang Geohan, use only one Giant Set. Maintenance is tough, and in a prolonged battle, you shouldn't strain the machine."
"Yes. Understood."
"Right. Launch!"
The group exchanged glances and dashed to their Giants standing flush against the walls.
Platforms on the walls made cockpit access easy, so boarding was swift.
About thirty seconds later.
Thud! Thud!
Grroooar!
The dormant Giants roared to life. Flames flashed, smoke billowed. Headlights pierced the darkness.
Click!
Rustle!
The Lizardman unit halted, confirming the Giants' movement. Their predatory killing intent pulled taut like a bowstring.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Even as the 9.5-meter Cyclopses advanced spewing flames, the 2.7-meter Lizardmen showed no fear, glaring coldly.
Shaaaa!
A particularly large Lizardman in ornate armor gaped its jaws in a menacing hiss.
A ground-crawling viper's hiss chills the spine; one from a three-meter Lizardman froze legs in terror.
Shaaaa!
As if on signal, the hundred Lizardmen gaped and charged.
Frontline Lizardmen raised massive shields covering their bodies; rear ones leveled long spears and axes.
Their flawless, unified movements were overwhelmingly intimidating.
But,
-Lizard brats getting cocky...!
Groooar!
Gerot revved the Giant engine hard, the roar silencing the Lizardmen.
The Lizardmen glared triangularly in fury. Gerot smirked and turned to Helena.
-Strategy?
Helena, main dealer and caller, glared at the Lizardmen and commanded.
-Sir Gerot White pushes Sir Kang Geohan White. Disrupt their lines with a fast charge. The striker's role is to shake the enemy.
"Roger that."
Kang Geohan positioned Femoral ahead of Gerot. As he timed his leap, Gerot shoved Femoral's back with full force.
Fwoosh-!
The Giant cleaved the air. Kang Geohan drew his versatile weapon, the double-bladed axe, raising it overhead.
A strike soaring twenty meters to crash like lightning. He was certain it would slice their formation like dough.
Kwaaaang!
But the result was utterly different.
"It dodged?"
The Lizardmen moved as one. Twisting like snakes, pushing and pulling, one shot up at terrifying speed.
Its long tail trailed a shadow. Like a martial arts master, it smacked the axe's side precisely with its shield.
The deflected axe slashed harmlessly into the ground.
A dazed mutter escaped Kang Geohan's lips.
"No way this is..."
At the same time, Jaxen Silver atop the wall gawked.
"Chain action? Lizardmen using chain action?"
The core of intermediate tactics.
That high-difficulty technique of channeling power among allies, executed by mere monsters.
With such perfection that a dozen pooled strength into one!
Kang Geohan gnashed his teeth, swinging wildly, but the Lizardmen didn't oblige. They swarmed like bees, scattering and regrouping, toying with him.
After two, three clashes, suddenly,
Shaaaak!
The Lizardmen screeched and lunged.
Hook-spears wedged between armor plates, grabbing Femoral; massive axes hammered its legs.
Clang!
Clangclangclang!
Sparks erupted like volcanic ash. Pinned and battered, Femoral staggered.
On the brink of collapse.
-Loen! Push Gerot!
Helena's voice cut the battlefield.
Whoosh-! Gerot's Giant soared in.
-Kang Geohan! Snap to it!
Kwaang!
Gerot's greatsword snapped the hook-spears like twigs. Only then could Kang Geohan steady himself.
But the Lizardmen's response was lightning-fast.
-Kuh!
Now spears and axes rained on Gerot. Seamless, serpentine chain attacks.
Gerot reeled on entry.
-Charge!
Helena led the late join, but persistent, organized Lizardmen blocked them.
Kang Geohan and Gerot were perfectly isolated amid the Lizardmen.
Jaxen Silver clenched his fist watching.
"Damn...! Their movements are unnatural! The white rookies can't handle it. Raphael! Launch with me...!"
But Kaltz Black, observing, stopped him.
"Wait. Just watch."
"What...?"
"The master hasn't gone all out yet."
* * *
Kririk! Kang Geohan ground his teeth to shards.
'What the hell!'
Pinned by mere Lizardmen.
'The striker's role is to shake the enemy.'
Far from shaking them, he'd been shaken, dragging the team into chaos.
Rage bristled his hair.
'Raising output.'
The reason Lizardmen toyed with him was their agile movements.
And flawless teamwork with chain action they hadn't mastered yet.
Then,
'I'll smash them with overwhelming output they can't counter!'
Whirrr-!
Femoral's Giant heart overheated.
'Overclock!'
Method to exceed limits.
The scorching heart boiled the purified oil soaking its frame.
Not done yet.
'Berserker Pack!'
Gwoooaaang!
Tsssk! Tsss!
Steam jetted from elbows, knees, ankles, wrists, waist joints with deafening noise.
Berserker Pack strained the rider but boosted speed, power—everything—spewing flames to activate.
"Die, you lizard scum!"
Spewing steam, he swept the double-bladed axe horizontally.
Fwoooosh!
A wind-shredding swing.
Lizardmen startled, leaped back.
Three swings cleared those clinging to Gerot White.
They fled, dropping weapons, but damage was minimal—just two unlucky ones shredded.
Still, he rescued crisis-hit Gerot.
-...Thanks.
"Forget it. Striker shakes the enemy. But... even with Berserker Pack, they're slippery. Damn fast..."
Despite unprecedented axe speed, Lizardmen dodged like cockroaches.
Kang Geohan gnashed.
"Mobility's lacking. Use Giant Steps...?"
But Jaxen Silver's warning against multiple Giant Sets lingered.
Then, Gerot placed a hand on Femoral's back.
-The main tank assists the striker.
Thud!
Gerot shoved without warning.
Kang Geohan didn't flinch.
Indescribable, but he knew exactly when Gerot would push.
He stomped in sync.
Fwoooosh!
Femoral slid forward blisteringly fast—Gerot's push times Berserker boost.
As the axe swept, kwauuung-! A sonic boom shattered sound's barrier.
Kwajijik!
Lizardmen ahead vanished like deleted. Green blood sprayed mist.
Before, like slicing water; past sonic, their lives shaved off like sorbet.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Gerot caught up, hand extended.
Kang Geohan grabbed it.
Gerot hurled Femoral right. Timed leap, another supersonic strike.
Kwauuung!
Exploding green gore again.
Chills from head to toe.
Breaking sonic barrier thrilled like never before.
Agile Lizardmen dangled like scarecrows, unresponsive.
"Take this!"
Now Kang Geohan charged Gerot full tilt.
Gerot naturally crouched, providing a launchpad for the jumping Kang Geohan, shoving hard.
Over-25-ton Giant soared, whistling down.
Axe stowed, special weapon Viper out—25-meter chain whirled from sky, lashing ground.
Kukukukwa!
Frontline Lizardmen collapsed. Explosions scattered torn, charred bodies.
Pitcher and catcher.
Gerot caught Kang Geohan's moves, Kang Geohan Gerot's pushes—shattering Lizardmen instantly.
-Good! Sweep them!
Helena cheered excitedly.
Disarrayed Lizardmen seemed frail, unbelievable foes now.
Giants charging flames and steam left green blood trails, fishy stench rising.
Battle didn't last long.
* * *
"Don't get cocky. Lizardmen reaching here are just outcasts from their habitat. Our final mission is deep conquest. Today's fight was just a taste."
"Yes!"
"...Still, not bad. Rest up. Squires handle watches rotationally; kingdom scavengers collect battlefield tomorrow, so ignore it."
"Yes!"
Post-battle on the walls, Jaxen Silver scratched his cheek awkwardly praising.
Kang Geohan turned from Jaxen heading to his room and shouted.
"I'm starving! Let's eat!"
Despite recent dinner, intense exertion hungered him.
"Sounds good!"
"Yeah!"
"I'm in."
Hakruk, Loen, Helena—all shared post-workout monster meat habit, instantly agreeing.
"Ah, I didn't fight, so I'll rest."
Sir Raphael Black waved sheepishly and left.
"..."
Gerot White silently peeled off toward his room.
Hakruk called him.
"Gerot!"
"...What?"
"Eat if there's food? Let's eat together."
Helena and Loen exchanged glances, slowly clearing a seat for Gerot.
Brief silence.
Gerot approached hesitantly.
Kang Geohan offered dried ogre meat.
"Want some? Everyone eats it. 2 silver per 500g."
"Huh? Isn't it 1 silver per kg for us now?"
"Ah, tact..."
Kang Geohan eyed Loen.
Gerot pierced the awkwardness, thrusting money.
"...Here's 2 silver."
"...Sharper than expected."
Thus, Gerot learned ogre meat's taste that day.
Loen, chewing, spoke.
"But these Lizardmen were weirdly strong."
Kang Geohan nodded.
"Yeah?"
"Think they're pricier?"
"Stronger Lizardmen, so corpses or loot worth more?"
"Ooh... Hope so."
Kang Geohan's eyes sparkled.
More money meant freer Giant upgrades.
Night fell; next morning, kingdom scavengers arrived.