Forward Base (1)
Just fifty minutes on foot north of the Lorenne Outpost, or twenty if you pushed into a sprint, lay the Patton Outpost.
“Holy shit! That’s supposed to be a forward base?”
“This is way worse than I thought.”
The squad members’ expressions had gone beyond disappointment straight into sheer disbelief.
The wooden palisades and stakes meant to block monster advances had rotted and snapped. The trenches for safe movement by scouts and musketeers had collapsed. The outer walls of the base were nowhere to be seen—likely washed away—and inside, plants from the Great Forest towered as high as a Gigant.
Even Wayne, descending from Artemis, didn’t look pleased.
“It’s a total mess.”
“It’s been over a year since the Eisen territory forces pulled out.”
“And it turns into this in just one year?”
Bowga, the knight commander, chuckled in response.
“The Great Forest’s growth is insane. Leave it alone for a bit, and it gets out of control. But don’t worry too much. Our Lorenne Outpost started out looking just like this. We’ve got the know-how for rebuilding abandoned bases—it won’t take long.”
“That’s somewhat reassuring. For now, we’ll need to hack down all the trees and plants around with Gigants.”
Bowga waved a hand at Wayne’s words.
“We’ll handle that. Just keep the monsters from the nearby area off us. If we run into beasts mid-work, the casualties would be huge.”
Wayne nodded just as—
Whirr! Thud! With a flash, a gleaming blue sword shot out from one arm of Nancy’s Gigant. Clang!
Wayne smiled at Nancy’s eager initiative.
“Good! Do that.”
Nancy began scanning the perimeter.
“She’s gained real confidence. Sara trained her well.”
Sara, standing nearby, shrugged.
“Don’t even get me started. A few days ago, she charged a monster like a storm—now her confidence is through the roof.”
“A storm, huh... From now on, let’s call that Gigant a Stormtrooper.”
“Storm Rider?”
“Yeah—assault troopers that sweep in like a storm.”
“Ooh, I like it.”
Gigants were usually named by their territory and class, like “3rd-class whatever territory Gigant,” but since Wayne had no territory yet, he gave Nancy’s a fresh name.
The Stormtrooper was about a meter shorter than other territories’ 3rd-class Gigants, but matched their output while being faster and more agile.
Wayne pictured dozens of Stormtroopers overwhelming enemies like a tempest. His body itched to raid the Lava Cave for more Gigants already.
But the time wasn’t right. They lacked pilots and influence—too many Gigants now might draw suspicion. Besides, their current ones could hold the outpost just fine.
“Alright! Let’s get to it!”
“Work Gigants, chop the trees! Soldiers, yank weeds and torch the small plants!”
The 3-meter work Gigants swung axes and saws into the timber, while soldiers ripped out grass and set fire to undergrowth. With a dozen small Gigants and hundreds of troops pitching in, by midday they’d cleared enough to reveal one section of the base wall.
The work crew chief reported to Wayne.
“Just another hundred meters in, and we’ll see the entrance.”
“Good work.”
“Nah, it’s nothing. You saved our outpost and soldiers—we gotta hustle.”
Rustle!Whoosh!
“Gah! Monster!”
Something burst from the inner brush. A soldier chopping weeds yelped in shock, and the watching musketeers leveled their guns.
“Hold fire! Don’t shoot!”
Yan dashed forward, blocking their line of sight.
“What the—? It’s that wolf!”
Yan snatched Eleven by the scruff.
“Damn! Finally caught you!”
In the few days Wayne hadn’t seen him, Eleven had grown to the size of a six-month pup. His appetite was monstrous—devouring twice his body weight daily. Yan still outmatched him in strength and size, but in a month, he’d be unmanageable.
“Yan, did you lose track of Eleven?”
Wayne approached, and Yan gulped nervously.
“S-sorry, sir. He just bolted into the brush all of a sudden...”
Wayne sat, radiating red Odd, and extended a hand. Eleven spat out the large thing in his jaws and approached, head bowed.
“Good boy, Eleven. You know your master well!”
Eleven flopped onto his back under Wayne’s touch, tail wagging furiously like a pet dog.
Yan gaped. He’d never seen this side of Eleven—not after feeding him, cleaning his shit, and tending his bed...
‘That... traitorous mutt!’
“What’s he got there, anyway?”
Eleven shoved his head into the object and started digging in.
“Huh? Looks like a hive or something.”
Fist-sized eggs filled the log-like shell.
Wayne’s face hardened instantly as he stared into the base.
“Fall back!”
“Huh?”
“Everyone stop work and pull back!”
Though confused, they obeyed Wayne’s command and retreated.
Then the inner brush shook violently—something massive stirred.
“Keeeeeek!”
A gigantic mantis monster rose amid the foliage, forelegs raised, roaring. Soldiers clutched their ears against the eardrum-shattering screech.
The beast seemed frenzied—its eggs gone.
“What the hell? It’s... huge!”
“Everyone, fall back further!”
The thing measured 17 meters long, 14 meters tall upright—a rare behemoth outside the Great Forest, B-rank.
It beat its massive wings and took to the air.
“Flying monster!”
“Dodge!”
It vaulted the brush in one leap, landing outside where the humans clustered.
The mantis swiveled its pointed triangular head, eyes locking on one spot: a tiny wolf pup with his muzzle buried in its egg sac, slurping away.
Furious, it reared one leg high.
“Keeeeeek!”
Shrieeeek!BOOM!
Dust billowed. Eleven’s spot cratered a meter deep.
But right beside it, the pup fled with the hive in his jaws. Even under the giant’s strike, he hadn’t dropped his prize.
“That crazy little wolf bastard!”
The sight horrified everyone—it was just provoking the beast further.
Thud-thud-thud-thud! Nancy’s Stormtrooper, blades drawn from both arms, charged to block the mantis.
Compared to the monster, it looked like a child.
The mantis tilted its head, then whipped a scythe-like foreleg at the Gigant.
Clang!
The 5-meter Gigant parried the massive limb. But outmatched in power, Nancy backpedaled immediately.
The mantis reared its upper body, slamming both pickaxe-like forelegs down.
BOOM! BOOM!
Nancy twisted the Gigant aside, barely dodging the twin blades. She swung her sword upward at a foreleg.
Clang!
‘Ugh! Tough!’
Nancy grunted. The beast’s sturdy limb resisted the Stormtrooper’s razor edge. She retreated swiftly.
Then Wayne and Loren’s Gigants joined the fray.
Whirr! Thud! Thud!
With two more Gigants, the mantis spread its arms wide, body swelling.
Wayne’s Artemis circled right; the mantis tracked it, swinging a foreleg.
Whoosh!Clang!
Artemis parried with crimson flames. Four legs held firm against the four-limbed strike.
Meanwhile, Nancy’s Stormtrooper rushed from the opposite flank.
But Loren’s 3rd-class Gigant stayed put.
Then the mantis spread wings and rocketed upward.
“What?”
It shattered the two Gigants’ assault in an instant.
“Not so fast!”
Wayne hurled a 4-meter spear like he’d been waiting.
Shrieeeek!Splat!
It pierced one wing base.
“Keeeek!”
The mantis flapped wildly before plummeting.
Sealing its wings was key—otherwise, it could flee skyward endlessly. Wayne knew its habits from Python’s hunts in the Great Forest.
Artemis carried four back spears, had four arms for swordplay mid-throw. Only Wayne, wielding eight limbs like a monster, could manage it.
Wingless, it remained deadly—its scythe-forelegs shrugged off Gigant blades.
“KeeEEE!”
It lunged at Artemis with a roar. Sparks flew as scythe met crimson flame—but the blinding speed and ferocity pushed Artemis back.
Nancy’s Stormtrooper arrived, aiding against the onslaught.
The duo battled fiercely, but Loren froze.
Loren’s heart pounded like it might burst. He stared at his sword, speechless.
‘C-can I really do this?’
Two months ago, he’d been a failing cadet at Gigant academy.
Then he met Wayne, felt Odd awaken inside, learned to gather it. He still needed Wayne’s help to build it up, but he could march in a Gigant and fight—for twenty minutes, anyway.
Killing the monster ahead? Impossible.