novelraw Chapter 83 : Chapter 83
Chapter 83 : Chapter 83
Chapter : 83
The infuriated ogre ignored the other elf knights and swung its club at me.
-Whoooosh!
-Whump! Whump!
It was a simple, brutish swing devoid of any technique, but technique was, after all, something created by weaker humans to deal with stronger beasts.
The ogre’s club, which swung with overwhelming mass, had no need for such things as technique.
A mere graze would be a fatal wound!
-Crack-!
“Huk.”
I barely dodged the club.
A tree behind me was struck and instantly shattered, collapsing.
“Its strength is truly ridiculous.”
Looking at the fallen tree, I broke out in a cold sweat. Seeing the solid wood so miserably crushed, it seemed I would have been in big trouble if I had taken the hit with my bare body.
‘Just as Sir Agpiel said, I should create some distance.’
As it happened, the elf knights were misunderstanding my appearance. They were greatly encouraged and charging at the ogre.
“Ooh, follow His Excellency-!”
“Do not be afraid. Charge like our valiant Excellency!”
‘Hmm….’
I had no intention of taking the lead and fighting, but to think they'd misunderstand like this.
But what did it matter.
The important thing was that the ogre had turned its attention to me.
-Krrrrr?!
As the elf knights charged again like moths to a flame, the ogre seemed quite flustered.
Usually, after being trampled this much, it was normal for them to scatter in all directions. But the elf knights were far too different from other races.
“Death is by my side!”
“Ooh, for a glorious death-!”
On the contrary, they were charging with even greater disregard for death.
Thanks to that, I was able to buy some time. I calmly raised my spear and aimed at the ogre.
Although it was as agile as it was strong, making its movements fast, its large size thankfully made it easy to aim.
-Kigigigigik!
The spear shaft in my grip screamed as if it would break at any moment. The power blessed by the goddess had begun to condense in the shaft.
And for a moment.
-Hooop!
I took a deep breath.
-Swhoooooosh-!
And unleashed the condensed power towards the ogre, which was distracted by the elf knights.
-Poooow!
“■■■■-!!”
With a sound like thick leather tearing, the ogre screamed. The long spear had pierced through the ogre's thick hide and penetrated its abdomen.
Seeing this, the elf knights shouted with excitement.
“Oh-! The attack landed.”
“Get closer…?!”
But an ogre was an ogre.
-Kuwaaaaaa!
-Crash-!
Just when it seemed to stagger for a moment, it swung its club even more ferociously. Thanks to this, the elf knights who were close by were sent flying outwards, unable to react.
‘What is this nonsense?!’
Seeing that, my jaw dropped.
I knew it was a powerful monster in [Pangea Universalise], but wasn't this too much?
It moved without restraint, as if the spear deeply embedded in its abdomen was nothing more than a toothpick.
As I threw the spear, I shouted to Magician Agpiel.
“How much longer for the magic!”
“It’s almost ready. But can you hold it in place for a moment? It’s too fast!”
“Damn.”
At Magician Agpiel’s words, I clicked my tongue.
As if the ogre had a learning ability, it was moving left and right, making it difficult for me to throw another spear.
It even used an elf knight as a shield at times-!
By what means was I supposed to hold such a cunning and powerful monster in place?
Then, Magician Agpiel shouted at me.
“The magic ring!”
“Yes?”
“Trust the magic ring and charge! It only needs to be stopped for a moment.”
“Ah?”
“It will withstand the ogre’s attacks about three or four times. That should be enough!”
“Ooh?”
The ring he gave me was that powerful? It was a truly amazing magic artifact. So much so that it felt like a waste to use it here.
“I’ll make you another one, so hurry! The magic is almost complete!”
“A-Ahem. I was going to do it anyway. Don’t misunderstand. Haaah!”
Feeling needlessly embarrassed, I drew my sword and rushed forward. With the goddess's blessing and if the magic ring was truly that powerful, it was worth a shot.
“You beast! Your opponent is me.”
“Ooooh! His Excellency is with us. Let’s match his pace!”
The elf knights who spotted me cheered.
A warrior who disregarded their life was the ideal knight for them. Of course, I thought it was strange they weren't stopping me, their liege lord, from stepping forward.
‘If I die, how will they handle the aftermath?’
It was absurd, but there was no time to argue. I was already standing before the ogre.
“■■■■-?”
The ogre looked at me as if I were pathetic, snorted, and swung its club.
-Whoooooooosh!
With a heavy whoosh, the club aimed for my head. I quickly lowered my body and closed the distance to the ogre.
The club cut through the air, and before my eyes, the ogre's sturdy and thick thigh was exposed.
“Die!”
-Crrrunch!
The longsword, filled with all my strength, dug into the ogre's massive flesh.
“Ooh! Did it work?”
But.
-Snap!
At some point, the longsword couldn’t withstand the force and snapped in two.
Absurdly, the ogre's dense, tough muscles and leathery hide were acting as armor.
“Damn it-!”
Seeing the broken longsword, I clicked my tongue. But it seemed to have had some effect.
-Kwaaaaaaa!
The ogre screamed and clutched its thigh. My sword had halfway severed the bone in its thigh.
The ogre flailed on the spot, swinging its club wildly around.
-Thump!
-Thump! Thump!
Rocks and everything else shattered to pieces whenever they were hit by the club. I was precariously dodging its attacks in the middle of it all as if performing a stunt.
“■■-!”
As if annoyed by me, the ogre limped and tried to charge me again.
It was truly a touch-and-go situation!
Just then, Magician Agpiel’s spell was complete.
“It’s done, get back!”
-Fwoooooosh!
-Crrrrack!
Tree trunks shot up from the ground and began to wrap around the ogre's arms and legs in an instant.
The ogre was bound tightly by the trunks, like a prisoner.
“Oh!”
“Now it's really the end!”
Seeing this, the elf knights' faces lit up as they raised their swords and spears and rushed at the ogre.
But this alone wasn't enough to stop the ogre.
“■■■■-!”
-Kwagagagagak! Kwang!
When the ogre roared and swung its bound arm, the tree trunk was pulled out from the ground and swung around.
“?!”
“Wait, didn't you say you could bind the ogre?”
“Is that important right now? We need to subdue it quickly.”
Magician Agpiel urged hastily.
And just as he said.
The tree trunk holding its other arm was also screaming as if it would snap at any moment.
If that too broke free, a true catastrophe would unfold.
“Damn it!”
I threw aside the longsword and quickly grabbed the tree trunk that was being pulled from the ground. Then, I put all my strength into my arms and began to pull the trunk.
-Kigigigigik!
The ogre and I.
We had suddenly started a tug-of-war.
“Your Excellency, you’ll be in great danger!”
“No, even for you, that’s impossible!”
The elf knights and Magician Agpiel shouted with horrified expressions. Magician Agpiel, in particular, was even more shocked because he knew why I was doing this.
But I was filled with a strange sense of confidence. Just like when I fought the knights in the City of Mangtong.
‘Power… is surging.’
From deep within my body, vitality and an indescribable power were stirring. In fact, the ogre's arm was gradually being pulled towards me.
“■■■-!??”
The ogre seemed quite flustered by this situation it had never experienced before. To be losing in a contest of strength against a human!
The ogre quickly grabbed the tree trunk with its free hand, but.
-Udeuk!
-Udeudeuk!
Instead, its arm was pulled closer to me, its joints screaming in protest.
“???”
“?????”
“Oh, Goddess. I had forgotten. That you truly turned that noble into an ogre….”
* * *
“Whew, that was really tough.”
“Who told you to fight an ogre in a strength contest so foolishly?”
“It’s all because things didn't go as you predicted, Sir Agpiel.”
“A-Ahem.”
At my words, Magician Agpiel sheepishly turned his head away.
It was understandable, as the tree trunk magic he claimed would hold the ogre fast had been torn apart by its strength. If I hadn't stepped in, a real disaster would have occurred.
“My apologies for that. Still, in the future, please don’t fight so recklessly. That was truly insane.”
“Hmm…. I’ll reflect on it.”
Recalling the recent battle, I nodded with an awkward expression.
Holding onto the tree trunk and playing tug-of-war with the ogre, I eventually succeeded in sealing both its arms.
And as soon as I was convinced I could win with strength, I immediately ran to the ogre, wrapped the tree trunk around its neck, and strangled it to death-!
Thanks to that, my whole body was creaking, as if I had pushed it to its limits.
“Still, you’ve achieved a feat that will go down in history…. Your fame will spread far and wide once again.”
“This kind of fame is… not something I wish for. ‘The Excellency who strangled an ogre to death.’ Doesn't that sound too brutish?”
“You reap what you sow. What can be done? It's not like it's a lie.”
“Ugh….”
I had nothing to say.
Because what he said was true.
“Hmmm. By the way, this is a bit strange.”
“Pardon? What is?”
“This isn't a place where an ogre would normally be active. In truth, ogres aren't stupid. They don't just rush into a place with so many humans like this.”
As he said that, Magician Agpiel looked towards the hill behind us.
“I have a bad feeling about this. I don't think the ogre just came here on its own.”
“Come on, surely not. Are you saying someone was controlling it?”
In my experience playing [Pangea Universalise], there was no information about controlling such a large monster.
I thought this problem had probably occurred because of me.
My high infamy stat.
It had to be because of that.
“No. Follow me for a bit.”
“Goodness. Magician Agpiel, aren't you being too sensitive… Oh?”
Following Magician Agpiel, I was momentarily surprised, and my eyes widened.
It was because I felt a certain trace in the bushes on the hill.
A remnant of something writhing.
“Hm? It seems you’re beginning to feel it too.”
“Is this…. the aura of mystery?”
“Indeed. It’s a subtle feeling that’s hard to describe in words. Hoho.”
Magician Agpiel looked at me proudly, then scanned the traces of mystery with a serious expression.
“It may be hard to believe, but it seems there is a magician who controls monsters. What kind of evil mystery could this be….”
“Should we pursue them?”
“Hmm…. It doesn't matter, but it would be best to catch them. If they lured the ogre, there must be a reason, right? Isn't it too much of a coincidence?”
“Ah?”
Come to think of it, he was right.
There was no way they would have used an ogre to attack the elf knights without a reason. There was clearly someone behind it.
“Hmm, we must catch them quickly.”
* * *
When she received the request from the Holy Empire’s Emperor, Magician Azella had been fairly confident.
Although she didn't have any remarkable magic, she had successfully carried out various schemes by controlling small monsters, especially goblins, with the mystery of herbs.
That was why, even when she used goblins to make the ogre clash with the elf knights, she had thought she could succeed without any problems this time as well.
That was, until she saw that monstrous knight.
“Hiiik.”
A knight who strangles an ogre to death! She had seen all sorts of knights who were said to be the best in the Emperor’s court, but she had never seen a monster like that.
Moreover, next to that monster knight was an old man who seemed to be a tremendous magician, unlike herself.
“I-I have to run away.”
Thanks to that, Magician Azella was gripped by fear.
If she stayed here, she would die.
Therefore, Magician Azella immediately ran out, trying to escape the forest.
“Lady Azella! Wait for us!”
She left behind even the knights who had come panting with her. But that was a futile hope of hers.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
That crazy monster knight had somehow caught up and appeared in front of her.
And at that, holding a sword dripping with blood.
“Hic.”