(EP-295.1) #4

295 – Fall #4

It was said that this world was once a world of giant beasts, spirits, and gods.

Now, the world was ruled by the Gwangyeong Church.

But in ancient times, not only nymphs and elves, but also various other fairies and races roamed the world.

Deep within forests and rugged mountains, each had its own master, where humans, beasts, and monsters all coexisted in harmony.

A master.

Ruler of the forests and mountains. A being so powerful that words could not describe them.

“This presence… it can only be the forest’s master. Everyone, stay on your guard.”

Stella Von Bellhawk, the ever-alert elf, warned us. As she said, a being that reigned over a cursed forest would be a terrifying monster.

Rustle, crack.

Such an existence was coming straight towards us.

It must have sensed our presence. Unlike the flustered Stella, however, Professor Balan remained brimming with confidence.

“To be r-rattled by such a minor threat… Professor Stella, you’ve still got a long way to go. Let me, Balan de Sabrnak, demonstrate the power of those who walk the path of magic!”

Crack.

Finally, the tree in front of us snapped, revealing the enormous form behind it. It looked like black rock—rough and hard.

But it wasn’t rock; it was muscle. Weathered and scarred skin that had become as hard as stone.

Standing about four meters tall, its body was adorned with armor-like skulls. In its pillar-like hand, it wielded a massive sword carved from the bone of some unknown beast.

Everything about it screamed death, except for the two flickering red eyes on its goblin-like face.

“An ogre-.”

Stella, who was gripping my arm, spoke up.

“It seems angry because we caused a disturbance in its territory…!”

Just as she said, the creature that had emerged was an ogre.

I had encountered an ogre before, mainly through my subordinate, Gorgor.

They were living war machines that could tear apart knights trained for slaughter with their bare hands. Taking one down typically required the support of a mage.

In fact, even Gorgor had only been subdued by the Rank 7 Archmage Aira.

However, if I were to compare Gorgor to the beast in front of us now…

The difference was like that between a dog and a wolf—an entirely different level of ferocity. And without even explaining, it was clear which was the wolf.

As if to prove this, the ogre opened its monstrous mouth, with gleaming sharp fangs, and let out a thunderous roar.

━━━──!!!

No… It was more like an explosion than a roar…

“Ugh, as expected from an ogre, that’s a loud one!”

Because of that, Stella and I, who have sensitive hearing, had to cover our ears. The situation was on the verge of chaos, and if things continued, it would undoubtedly spiral into a much bigger mess.

Ideally, I wanted to conserve my mana in case of an emergency, but…

“… Open chant.”

This WAS an emergency! I steadied my breath and prepared to cast a spell.

However, I couldn’t complete it because Professor Balan was in front of us. I called out.

“Professor Balan, you might get caught up in the spell, it’s dangerous! Please step aside!”

But Professor Balan chuckled smugly.

“There’s no need for Theo-nim to use his power. I, Balan de Sabrnak, will handle this. Even if it’s a master of the forest, it’s just an ogre─.”

Indeed.

Has Professor Balan finally decided to show off her true skills?

I remembered the time when Mirna, Elga, and I went to the fortress to stop a rampaging Balan.

If she could display the same level of skill as back then, she should be able to deal with an ogre. As if to meet my expectations, Balan began to chant in a gloomy voice.

“Tos’d Nigle Fa Yorrrrr…”

It sounded less like a chant and more like a dialect.

No, this should be described as a beast’s cry.

Such was roughly how black magic operated.

Sensing the ominous and primal magic radiating from her, Stella, who had just notched an arrow into her bowstring, asked.

“What is she planning to do?”

“I don’t know, but she seems confident.”

“I’ve heard that Professor Balan is a master of black magic, but that thing over there… it looks like an ogre from the Black Abyss Tribe. Can she really handle it?”

“The Black Abyss Tribe?”

“You see how dark its skin is? Ogres with black skin mostly come from the Black Abyss Tribe. They’re known to be among the strongest and most ruthless in the Demon King’s army—”

Before Stella could finish her sentence, the ogre let out a roar and charged toward us.

━GRAAAAAAHHH!!!

The thunderous cry had Stella and I bracing for impact.

The sight of the ogre’s massive body, like two elephants combined, charging at us was as intimidating as the wyvern we had faced not long ago.

Like a seasoned slugger, it swung an enormous bone club with terrifying force. Its rock-like muscles tensed, causing the air around to ripple.

Of course, its target wasn’t a ball—it was Professor Balan.

━Gruuaaaaaahhhh!!!!

Huuuuu-!

Finally, the ogre’s club sliced through the air, hurtling toward Professor Balan. In that brief moment, I wondered if Balan would be able to withstand the attack.

Smack!

“Hiii…!”

However, without any resistance, Balan was struck flying far into the distance.

“No…”

After all that posturing, she was completely useless. Though, with her impressive regenerative abilities, it was unlikely she’d die from a mere physical blow….

I was momentarily taken aback as I watched her spin and disappear from my sight.

━GRAAAAAHH!!!

Edit by: faker