The Green Death's Assault
"What are those bugs?"
The man in the orc warrior's armor let out a voice that sounded like a beast's growl. His gaze locked onto Burren and Runaan, who were running down the hill toward the village.
"T-These are Zieghart trainees."
The masked man with red eyes, his mask drawn with eyes, bowed and answered.
"You said you saw them return, didn't you?"
The man's voice carried killing intent, different from the cold and composed voice he had shown so far.
"Y-Yes, they definitely returned. I confirmed it myself..."
"Then it means one of them noticed my pursuit. You idiot!"
The man lifted his foot and stomped on the masked man's shoulder.
"Kuhk!"
The masked man only let out a thin groan despite his shoulder being crushed, not moving.
"Tsk."
The man clicked his tongue harshly and stood up from the rock.
The Zieghart trainees had already arrived at the village and were running toward the collapsing fence.
"Are those the two?"
The man exhaled heavily after seeing Runaan and Burren, who had beheaded the orc that was destroying the fence in one breath.
"N-No, there was one more skilled black-haired woman."
"Where is she?"
"She seems to be hiding and watching since she's not visible anymore."
"Hmmm..."
The man in the orc warrior's armor crossed his arms and looked down at the village.
"They fight well."
The Zieghart trainees drew lines like a formation and completely beheaded the orcs coming over the fence.
"These won't be able to break through."
He gestured to the masked man behind him.
"Send the Green Death."
"Huh? But we were told not to touch Zieghart..."
"Do you think those who noticed you would just return? They must have sent a support request to the branch. Catching that guy is already too late. The best is to end it as quickly as possible, burn everything, and get out of here."
"...Understood."
The masked man lowered his head and disappeared into the shadows.
"Hmmm..."
The man twisted his wrist and descended the mountain. A smile formed at the corner of his small mouth.
"Even though you saved me, you came back. Your luck ends with being chosen by Zieghart."
Whoosh!
Burren split the charging orc in half with his body and leaped over the remaining fence.
"Stand in front of the fence! When the orcs cross the fence, people become vulnerable!"
"Yes!"
The trainees of the branch answered loudly and formed a formation in front of the fence.
Shaaaah!
Burren turned his head from the cool aura spreading from the left.
It was Runaan. The frost on her sword was laid on the ground, hindering the orcs' movements.
Chwaaang!
The cold qi scattered in the air made the orcs unable to see their own movements and they fell, spraying blood.
'Surprisingly.'
Runaan had always stuck close to Raon, so coming here without following his opinion was unexpected.
'Still, it's fortunate.'
The number of orcs was one thing, but their ferocity and strength were on a different level from the ones fought yesterday.
Without Runaan and the Sullion family trainees, the fence would have completely collapsed and caused great damage to the village.
"Don't take direct attacks from orcs! Dodge and counter!"
Burren gave appropriate instructions and continued to behead orcs. Thanks to one command, giving instructions suited to the situation wasn't difficult.
'If this continues, it won't be hard to stop them.'
Even if the orcs were reinforced, the trainees had experience fighting them, so they could defend sufficiently.
'However...'
If it was really Eden, it wouldn't end like this. Surely...
Swish swish swish.
As Burren was thinking about the aftermath, the forest in front of the village began to move.
'No, it's not a forest.'
From the forest, monsters in green hoods covering their entire bodies emerged. Counting roughly, there were over forty.
"Green Death!"
Burren shouted in anger and gripped his sword tightly.
'Damn it! It really was Eden.'
The Green Death were low-level warriors of Eden, possessing the characteristics of orcs, goblins, and kobolds.
"Runaan!"
Burren raised his aura to the extreme and called out to Runaan.
"We'll fight in front. Help from behind!"
"Okay."
Runaan, unlike usual, answered immediately and poured thicker cold energy into her sword, spraying it at the approaching Green Deaths.
Kbang! Kwaang!
The Green Deaths raised their axes attached to their backs and waists and swung them down at the trainees.
"Dodge the attack!"
Burren dodged the falling axes with his sword and beheaded the Green Death's neck.
Pu-kak!
A chill ran through him at the sensation of human flesh splitting, but he bit his lip to hold it back.
"Don't think of them as humans! Behead them in one breath!"
Burren, even in his panic, used the Zieghart swordsmanship's flair properly. He advanced with sharp sword strikes.
"Hup!"
Runaan scattered the frost on her sword towards Burren and the trainees advancing forward.
Hwaaaah!
The flowing cold energy passed through them and fell from above the Green Death's head.
Crack!
The Green Deaths' clothes and skin froze, slowing their movements.
"Now! Charge!"
Burren not only gave orders but jumped in first, starting to behead the Green Deaths.
"We can win!"
Even as he said that, his heart ached. The Green Deaths were still many, and the trainees were getting tired.
But there...
Ping! Hwiik!
The Green Deaths, with goblin and kobold characteristics, didn't approach but started throwing poison needles or spraying poison mist from behind.
"Cover your mouth!"
Burren lifted his clothes to cover his nose and mouth and blocked the poison needles thrown by the Green Deaths.
"Ugh!"
"Kuhk!"
"S-Shit!"
Many Green Deaths were throwing poison needles, and many were approaching, so the trainees started backing off one by one.
"Kuh..."
Burren exhaled roughly. With his breath held, blocking poison needles and fighting made his head spin.
"Haa!"
He glanced at Runaan at the shout. She was suppressing the Green Deaths with cool cold energy, but the fact that she had come forward meant the worst situation.
"Kiiik!"
The Green Deaths were cunning. When Runaan's cold energy spread, they backed away and threw poison needles and poison balls.
"Heup!"
"Uuuugh!"
The limbs of the trainees who inhaled the poison balls staggered.
"H-Hold on! Still..."
The word "hold on" that came out of his mouth sounded empty. Strength left his arms, and his legs shook.
'If this continues...'
He wouldn't last long. When the word "annihilation" floated in his mind, a massive aura surged from the left.
Kwaaaang!
Yellow aura swept through like a storm, sweeping away the Green Deaths who were throwing poison needles and poison balls.
Huuuk!
As the dust settled, the figure of the person who crushed the Green Deaths was revealed.
"Marta..."
All the Green Deaths close to death had fallen, and Marta Zieghart stood alone.
"Kill them all!"
At Marta’s instruction, the trainees who had been left beside Raon jumped into the battlefield.
"N-Now! Wipe them out!"
Burren gritted his teeth and gripped his sword. The trainees including himself had swallowed the poison mist, but they couldn't miss this chance.
"Push them!"
When Marta swung her sword filled with aura, the Green Deaths' axes and swords shattered.
'Perfect timing.'
Thanks to her timely ambush, the Green Deaths couldn't even counter and were swept away.
'We're saved!'
Raon was still invisible, but the winning chance was visible.
"Don't let even one escape!"
Burren gritted his teeth and ran towards the retreating Green Deaths.
"Until the end...?"
He was about to swing his sword all the way to the foothills of the mountain, but he stopped with his neck tucked in.
"W-What...?"
In the red mist that seemed to cover the entire forest, something was moving.
Swallow.
The sound of swallowing dry saliva came from behind.
Step.
A monster wearing green armor in the shape of swollen muscles appeared.
A single cross scar appeared on his forehead, and the protruding teeth at the corner of his mouth were curled up roundly to the tip of his nose, the orc warrior's helmet.
Burren's hand holding the sword trembled.
"O-Orc warrior's armor! Green Death Lord!"
The Green Death Lord was one of Eden's low-level executives, a monster that inherited the orc warrior's power in human form.
"B-Back off!"
Burren trembled as he backed away with the hand holding the sword. His limbs shook from the terrifying aura.
"Ah..."
Runaan couldn't hide her trembling eyes either.
"Green Death Lord."
Marta clicked her tongue in the opposite direction. Her eyes looked like she was about to rush in at any moment. But she also knew she was insufficient alone.
"Annoying."
The Green Death Lord's mouth opened. It was a killing growl as if he had truly become an orc warrior.
"You made it easy for us to play lightly, but you threw it on the floor, you fools."
He gripped the double axes on his back. The suffocating overwhelming qi swept the trainees.
Red energy burning on the axes. It was aura used only by mid to high-level monsters. All Eden executives could use aura.
"Kuk!"
"Kuhk!"
The trainees bit their lips and barely stood.
'If it wasn't for that training, I would have fallen long ago.'
Burren scratched his palm with his nails. If Rimer hadn't trained him to raise his spirit, he would have been waiting to kneel and die now.
"Even though you're a trainee, you endured my spirit. Zieghart's name is worth it."
The Green Death Lord laughed wickedly.
"But you're foolish. The reason you die is because you rushed in without knowing my abilities."
"Hmmm..."
Raon's warning came to Burren's mind.
"You have to try it. You disgusting guy!"
Marta said with a grin and came forward. She threw a signal to Runaan and Burren by pulling her hand back.
After three seconds, their eyes lit up brightly with the signal for simultaneous attack.
"No matter what you do, it's useless."
"Your mouth stinks. Shut up!"
Marta charged from the center, and Burren and Runaan infiltrated from left and right respectively.
"Three of us, will that be enough?"
The Green Death Lord swung the axe he was holding sideways. With terrifying wind pressure, heavy aura swept the space.
"Kyaak!"
"Kyaa!"
"Kuk!"
Burren's sword broke, Runaan's was repelled, and Marta fell to her knees. In just one move. The three of them and the Green Death Lord were on a completely different level.
"Ah..."
"W-With just the three of us, not enough?"
"Then how...?"
"Raon? Where is that guy!"
"H-He must have run away. Why would he come after seeing this!"
Despair shone in the trainees' eyes. Since even all of them couldn't win against that trio, and that trio was defeated in one move, there was no way.
They couldn't flee either. They couldn't even breathe properly because of the killing intent spreading from the Green Death Lord.
"You think we sent you back because you're strong?"
The Green Death Lord raised even denser killing intent and walked forward.
"You are nothing but caterpillars climbing on the great tree Zieghart. Despite not having ability, power, or spirit, you think you became something?"
With each step, flames filled with aura burned on the ground.
"Ah..."
"Kuh..."
Burren gripped his broken sword, and Runaan shook her arm and stood up.
"S-Shit!"
Marta hadn't extinguished her fighting spirit. Gritting her teeth, she raised her aura.
"Among this trash, you are the best."
The Green Death Lord approached the frontmost Marta.
"Yeah, I figured out that gaze."
He growled and stood in front of Marta.
"U..."
Marta, still not releasing the aura of the orc warrior's armor, bit her lip and trembled.
"Since it's come to this, it would be right to trample all the Zieghart sprouts."
The Green Death Lord raised his double-edged axe and smiled with killing intent.
"Die."
"Ah!"
Marta opened her eyes wide. At the moment the Green Death Lord was about to swing the axe down, a dark shadow appeared behind him.
Raon Zieghart.
The one who hadn't shown his appearance until the end appeared with red eyes and swung his sword down.
"No. You die."
Raon's sword, wrapped in red flames, rushed towards the Green Death Lord's neck.