Despite using all the knowledge from his past life to prepare, not everything could unfold perfectly as planned.

‘I can’t die here.’

It wasn’t that he had never run away in his life. He wasn’t averse to the idea of retreating when necessary.

Sometimes, retreating to seek the next opportunity is part of a greater strategy.

If he were to die, his family and estate would ultimately meet the same destruction as in his previous life.

Wasn’t enduring the hardship of venturing into the Forest of Beasts all about preventing that grim future?

That’s why he absolutely couldn’t die here.

He was the only one who knew what would happen to Ferdiun’s future.

‘But...’

There are times when retreat is not an option.

If there is no next chance, running now would only lead to a downward spiral.

Taking into account the state of his estate, his own strength, external threats, and all the information he possessed, pressing forward to their destination was the best—and only—way to break through.

If he missed this chance, his family and estate would suffer the same fate as before.

Ghislain opened his eyes and looked around at the people surrounding him.

Faces were tense, waiting for his orders.

More people would die going forward.

He had no arrogant delusion of achieving his goal while saving everyone.

In his previous life, he had lost countless comrades and subordinates as he advanced.

‘But... that doesn’t excuse letting everyone die here.’

As Ghislain made his decision, a man suddenly rushed out from among the mercenaries, shouting.

“You idiots! It’s over! Even the boss doesn’t have a plan! What the hell are you still doing here?!”

The man was Manus.

He kept retreating backward, shouting at the others.

“Now is the time to run! There's no need for all of us to die here! Do you really think we can win this? If we scatter in all directions, at least some of us will survive!”

The mercenaries' faces began to show signs of unrest.

Sensing the shift, Manus raised his voice even louder, pushing for what he knew would increase his own chances of survival if they all fled.

“Hurry, let’s run! We don’t need to risk our lives for a noble’s insane game! It was crazy to enter this cursed forest in the first place!”

At that moment, Kaor twirled the sword in his hand casually and spoke.

"Ah, that cowardly bastard. We’ll have to kill him before we leave."

Kaor raised his weapon, preparing to strike Manus down, but Ghislain lifted his hand, stopping him.

“Leave it. There's no need for that.”

Ghislain turned his gaze directly toward Manus and spoke calmly.

“Go. You've done enough.”

“What? What did you say? You’re just letting me go?”

Manus was stunned.

Normally, in situations like this, an employer would be enraged, threatening to kill the deserter on the spot.

And yet, here he was, being let go without any resistance.

Before he could fully process his surprise, Ghislain spoke words that shocked everyone even more.

“Anyone who wants to leave can go.”

The calmness of his tone caught all the mercenaries off guard.

Leave? What did that mean for their employer? What was he planning to do?

One of them cautiously asked, “What about you, boss? What are you going to do?”

Ghislain responded in a nonchalant tone, “I’m going to kill that thing.”

“Young master!”

“Lord!”

Belinda and Gillian, visibly upset, stepped forward to block Ghislain’s path.

But without replying, he drew his sword.

Though the others couldn’t understand, this task had to succeed. If it didn’t, everything would come to an end.

The most excited among them was, of course, Manus.

Unable to hide his glee, he waved eagerly at the mercenaries, encouraging them to join him in fleeing.

“Hurry up! The boss told you to run! Let’s get out of here!” Manus shouted.

However, the mercenaries stood frozen, glancing between Ghislain and Manus. None of them moved easily.

It was Ghislain who had led them into battle, saving them many times along the way.

Now, as he declared he would fight alone, they found it hard to simply run away.

Seeing the hesitant mercenaries, Manus shouted again in frustration.

“Hurry up! Are you all planning to die here? What are you waiting for?!”

At that moment, Toran stepped forward and asked, “If we take down that thing, is this really the end?”

“Yes, the destination is right ahead,” Ghislain replied with conviction.

Toran took a deep breath and responded, “Then I’ll fight with you.”

“Toran! Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish?” Manus shouted at him, but Gordon turned to Manus with a trembling voice.

“If I run away now, I’ll probably lose sleep and muscle mass from stress. I won’t be able to eat or rest properly. I can’t live with that.”

“What?”

“So, I’m not running!”

“You idiot! Have you lost your mind too?”

Then, voices began erupting from all around the group.

“If we run now, I’ll be too ashamed to continue working as a mercenary.”

“Thanks to the boss, we’re still alive. Running away would make us less than human.”

“You’re the idiot, Manus! If you want to go, then go by yourself! You have no shame! And the boss even healed you, remember?”

“With the boss here, we’ll figure something out. Let’s fight!”

Ghislain looked around, surprised by the unexpected reaction from the mercenaries.

Now, determination was written on their faces. They had made up their minds to fight alongside him, no matter how far they could go.

He had seen that look before.

It was the same expression his subordinates had shown him in his past life when they faced impossible battles.

Although these mercenaries lacked the skill his former subordinates had, their resolve was no different.

Ghislain couldn’t help but grin.

“You lot… you’re finally becoming useful.”

Kaor, who had been watching, stared at the mercenaries in disbelief.

‘Are these really the same men I know?’

Unlike the Cerberus Mercenary Corps, who thrived on dangerous jobs across different regions, the mercenaries stationed at Zimbar had never taken on risky missions.

Yet, after just a few days of following Ghislain, they had completely transformed.

‘This is amazing. He’s really got them under his control.’

Kaor, for the first time, truly recognized Ghislain’s abilities and was impressed.

Gillian, being a former mercenary captain himself, couldn’t hide his admiration at the turn of events.

But Belinda had no interest in this foolishness.

“Young master, this is perfect. Send the mercenaries ahead and make your escape while you can,” she whispered.

Ignoring her suggestion, Ghislain unbuckled the sheath at his waist and dropped it to the ground.

“Lord! Please!” Belinda pleaded, knowing full well that discarding his sheath meant Ghislain had made up his mind to fight to the death.

She wore an angry expression, but Kaor chuckled.

“Gutsy, I like that. Reminds me of my younger days.”

Ghislain said nothing as he stepped forward.

In his previous life, the mercenary group he led specialized in hunting monsters.

The beasts that had ravaged the continent were far stronger than the Blood Python they now faced.

Though neither his physical ability nor the mercenaries’ skills could match what he had back then, the experience he had gained might compensate for those shortcomings.

“Let’s fight.”

At his command, the mercenaries tightened their grips on their weapons and rearranged their formation, faces set with determination.

“I’m getting too old for this. If I end up with more wrinkles, it’s all your fault, young master,” Belinda muttered, slumping as if resigned to her fate.

“You fools! You’re all going to die!” Manus spat his last angry words as he disappeared into the forest.

But no one even glanced in his direction.

The Blood Python was slowly approaching them.

“Kaaaargh!”

With a deafening roar, the Blood Python opened its massive jaws wide, seemingly thrilled at the sight of its prey.

“Disperse!” Ghislain shouted, and the mercenaries scattered in an instant.

Bam!

The Blood Python slammed its head into the ground where the group had just stood, momentarily disoriented.

“Kaaaaak!”

Enraged, it lunged toward the nearest mercenary, its mouth wide open.

Just before the mercenary could be swallowed whole, Ghislain leaped into the air, slashing at the Blood Python’s head with his sword as he yelled out orders.

“Gillian, Kaor, you’re with me to draw its attention toward the head! Belinda, cover us! The rest of you, use the opening to attack its body!”

A small gash appeared on the Blood Python’s head.

Though ordinary attacks were useless, a weapon imbued with mana could inflict at least a minor wound.

“Kaaaaaaargh!”

Realizing it had been injured, the Blood Python let out a furious cry.

Its crimson eyes fixed on Ghislain, burning with rage.

As if unable to forgive the human who had wounded it, the serpent lunged at him with its massive mouth, charging at an incredible speed.

Bam!

Ghislain rolled to the side just in time, dodging the attack as the Blood Python’s head crashed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Seizing the opportunity, Gillian charged in, his axe glowing with mana, and brought it down on the Blood Python’s head with a powerful strike.

Boom!

A tremendous sound echoed through the air as the Blood Python’s massive head shook from the impact.

In terms of raw mana, Gillian was the strongest among them.

The sheer force of his attack seemed to deal significant damage to the Blood Python.

“Kaaaaaaaah!”

The Blood Python let out another ear-splitting roar as it lifted its head.

This time, the wound on its head was clearly visible, larger and more pronounced.

But the injury wasn’t deep enough, and instead of weakening the beast, it only served to fuel its rage.

Whoosh!

Its massive head swung towards Gillian.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Gillian barely had time to brace himself. He unleashed a surge of mana and raised his shield in defense.

BAM!

"Urgh!"

The impact crushed his shield, and Gillian was sent flying backward.

In that moment, Kaor darted behind the Blood Python and drove his sword deep into its body, shouting, “Get in close!”

Schrrk!

Kaor’s sword buried itself in the serpent’s body, but the Blood Python twisted violently in response, turning to strike him.

“Tch!”

Kaor was forced to abandon his sword and roll away to avoid the attack. While he dodged, the other mercenaries rushed in, surrounding the snake and hacking at its body.

Clang! Clang!

However, no matter how hard they slashed and stabbed, the serpent’s tough scales deflected every blow.

Without enough mana imbued into their weapons, they couldn’t penetrate the scales, which were as hard as steel.

Realizing this, Ghislain, Gillian, and Kaor took turns inflicting small cuts wherever they could.

“Belinda! Distract it and target the wounds! And aim for the eyes if you get the chance!” Ghislain commanded.

“Got it! Ugh, this is so frustrating!” Belinda replied, her voice tinged with annoyance.

Following his orders, Belinda flung her daggers, expertly embedding them in the open wounds made by the others. Her precise strikes widened the gashes, making the injuries more severe.

As she continued targeting the wounds, she also aimed for the Blood Python’s eyes, attempting to blind it.

Their combined assault was clearly having some effect. The Blood Python shook its head in irritation, as though trying to rid itself of the bothersome attacks.

With its focus on Ghislain and the others, it had less time to target the mercenaries.

“Now! Hit the wounds!” Ghislain yelled.

Seizing the moment, the mercenaries thrust their swords into the snake’s gashes, but its muscles were so thick and dense that their blades barely penetrated.

Kaaaargh!

As if furious at the insects clinging to its body, the Blood Python let out a deafening screech and whipped its tail with tremendous force.

BAM!

“Urgh!”

“Aagh!”

The mercenaries near its tail were flung into the air, sent crashing to the ground.

Just as the Blood Python prepared to crush the fallen mercenaries with its tail, Ghislain charged toward its head again, drawing its attention.

“Everyone, switch to blunt weapons! Keep hitting it until its insides soften! We need to widen the wounds! Gillian, Kaor, draw its focus again! Belinda, keep covering us!” Ghislain shouted his orders with precision.

The mercenaries’ eyes widened as they quickly nodded in understanding.

“R-right!”

“Where’s a mace? Someone give me one!”

“If you don’t have one, grab one from the cart! Let’s go!”

The mercenaries hurriedly swapped their weapons for maces and other blunt objects, surrounding the serpent’s body again.

With all their strength, they began hammering at the Blood Python’s scales, determined to break through its defenses.