Chapter 72

"What are those bugs?"

The man in the orc warrior's armor let out a growl-like sound, his gaze catching Barran and Runan as they ran down the hill toward Sebu Village.

"They, they are Zighart's trainees."

The red-eyed ghoul with a mask depicting an eye answered while prostrating himself.

"You clearly said they had turned back, didn't you?"

The man's voice was filled with killing intent, different from the calm and composed tone he had shown until now.

"They definitely turned back. I confirmed it and returned…."

"Then it means one of them noticed your tail. Stupid fool!"

The man kicked the masked man's shoulder.

"Khhhh!"

The masked man only let out a thin groan, not moving despite his shoulder being crushed.

"Tsk."

The man spat and stood up from the rock.

Zighart's trainees had already arrived at the village and were rushing to the collapsing wooden fence.

"Those two?"

The man saw Runan and Barran cutting down the orcs that were breaking the fence and exhaled heavily.

"No, I don't think so. There was a black-haired girl who was even more skilled than the two."

"Where is she?"

"Since she's not visible, she's probably hiding and watching."

"Hmm…."

The man in the orc warrior's armor crossed his arms and looked down at the village.

"They're fighting well."

Zighart's trainees drew lines like an array, cutting down all the orcs that climbed over the fence.

"They won't be able to break through with just those."

He nodded to the masked man behind him.

"Send the green ghouls."

"Wait? We were told not to touch Zighart…."

"Did you think those who noticed you would just turn back? They must have sent a request for reinforcements to the branch. It's already too late to catch them. The best course of action is to finish as quickly as possible, burn everything, and leave this place."

"…Understood."

The masked man bowed his head and disappeared into the shadows.

"Hmm…."

The man turned his wrist and descended the mountain. A smile appeared at the corner of his small mouth.

"You came back even after I let you go. It seems your fate is sealed by Zighart's choice."

* * *

Swoosh!

Barran split an orc in half with a single strike and leaped over the half-destroyed fence.

"Stand in front of the fence! The moment the orcs cross, the people will be in danger!"

"Yes!"

The trainees of the side branch responded loudly and formed a line in front of the fence.

Shhhhhh!

Barran turned his head at the cold chill spreading from the left.

It was Runan. Frost from his sword had spread on the ground, hindering the orcs' movements.

Swoosh!

The orcs, unable to move due to the cold, fell to the ground, spewing blood.

'Surprising.'

Runan was always right next to Laon, but coming here without following his advice was unexpected.

'But it's a good thing.'

The number of orcs was one thing, but their ferocity and strength were far beyond those they had faced yesterday.

If Runan and the Bongshin family's trainees hadn't been here, the fence would have collapsed, causing significant damage to the village.

"Don't directly engage the orcs! Dodge and counterattack!"

Barran gave appropriate instructions while continuing to cut down orcs. Thanks to his previous experience in command, giving instructions suited to the situation was not difficult.

'If this continues, it shouldn't be hard to hold them off.'

Even if the orcs were stronger, the trainees had experience fighting them and could defend adequately.

'However…'

If it's Eden, as Laon said, this won't end here. It's certain….

Rustle, rustle.

While Barran was thinking about the aftermath, the forest in front of the village began to move.

'No, it's not the forest.'

Green-hooded monsters emerged from the forest, numbering over forty.

"Green ghouls!"

Barran clenched his sword and cursed.

'Damn! It really is Eden.'

Green ghouls were low-ranking warriors of Eden, possessing the characteristics of orcs, goblins, and kobolds.

"Runan!"

Barran called out to Runan, raising his aura to its peak.

"We'll fight at the front. Support us from the back!"

"Okay."

Unlike usual, Runan responded immediately, emitting a denser cold from his sword and spraying it at the approaching green ghouls.

Boom! Bang!

The green ghouls raised the axes they carried on their backs and waists and swung them at the trainees.

"Dodge the attacks!"

Barran deflected the axes with his sword and cut off a green ghoul's head.

Thud!

The sensation of human flesh splitting sent shivers down his spine, but he bit his lip to endure it.

"Don't think of them as humans! Cut off their heads in one go!"

Despite his panic, Barran effectively utilized the Zighart sword technique, advancing with sharp sword strikes.

"Huff!"

Runan scattered frost from his sword as Barran and the trainees moved forward.

Whoosh!

The cold spread past them and fell on the green ghouls' heads.

Crack!

The green ghouls' clothes and skin froze, slowing their movements.

"Now! Charge!"

Barran, not just giving orders, was the first to rush in and start cutting down the green ghouls.

"We can win!"

Even as he said this, his heart ached. There were still many green ghouls, and the trainees were tiring.

Moreover….

Zzzt! Zzzt!

The green ghouls, possessing the characteristics of goblins and kobolds, did not approach but started throwing poison darts and spraying poison gas from behind.

"Cover your mouths!"

Barran raised his clothes to cover his nose and mouth and deflected the poison darts thrown by the green ghouls.

"Ugh!"

"Kuh!"

"Damn it!"

There were many green ghouls throwing poison darts, and many more approaching, causing the trainees to start retreating one by one.

"Kuh…."

Barran exhaled roughly. Fighting while holding his breath to deflect the poison darts made his head spin.

"Haah!"

Barran glanced at Runan's battle cry. While spreading cold to pressure the green ghouls, the fact that she had moved forward indicated the worst-case scenario.

"Keeek!"

The green ghouls were cunning. The moment Runan's cold spread, they retreated and threw poison darts and poison bombs.

"Kuh!"

"Ugh!"

The trainees' limbs wobbled as they inhaled the poison bombs.

"Hold on! We can still…."

The word "hold on" that came out of his mouth sounded hollow. His arms felt weak, and his legs wobbled.

'If this continues…'

They wouldn't last long. The word "annihilation" circled in his mind when a massive aura rose from the left.

Boom!

A yellow aura swept like a gale, scattering the green ghouls who were throwing poison darts and bombs.

Puff!

The dust settled, revealing the figure who had crushed the green ghouls.

"Marta…."

Nearly a dozen green ghouls had fallen, and Marta Zighart stood alone.

"Kill them all!"

At Marta's command, the trainees who had stayed with Laon rushed into the battlefield.

"Now! Sweep them all away!"

Barran clenched his teeth and gripped his sword. Despite the trainees, including himself, having inhaled the poison gas, they couldn't miss this opportunity.

"Push forward!"

As Marta's aura-filled sword struck, the green ghouls' axes and swords shattered.

'Perfect timing.'

Thanks to her timely ambush, the green ghouls were swept away without a chance to counterattack.

'It's over!'

Laon was still not in sight, but victory was in sight.

"Don't let a single one escape!"

Barran clenched his teeth and ran towards the retreating green ghouls.

"Until the end…huh?"

Just as he was about to chase them to Sebu Mountain and swing his sword, he stopped, his neck shrinking.

"What…what is this…."

Something was moving in the red mist that seemed to cover the entire forest.

Gulp.

The sound of someone swallowing dryly came from behind.

Thud.

A monster in a puffed-up green armor appeared.

A single cross scar protruded from his forehead, and the tusks on his helmet curled up to his nose, resembling an orc warrior's helmet.

Barran's hand holding the sword trembled.

"Orc warrior's armor! Green Battle Ghoul!"

The Green Battle Ghoul was one of the lower-ranking officers of Eden, a monster who had inherited the might of an orc warrior in a human body.

"Fall back!"

Barran, trembling, took a step back. The terrifying aura made his hands and feet shake.

"Ahh…."

Runan couldn't hide her trembling eyes.

"Green Battle Ghoul."

Marta, on the other hand, licked her lips. Her eyes looked ready to pounce, but she knew she couldn't handle it alone.

"You're being troublesome."

The Green Battle Ghoul's mouth opened, emitting a growl as thick as an orc warrior's.

"I gave you a chance to play lightly, but you threw it away. You're incredibly stupid."

He grabbed the double axes on his back. An overwhelming aura that made it hard to breathe swept over the trainees.

The red aura burning on the axes was a technique used only by high-level monsters. All of Eden's officers could use this technique.

"Kuh!"

"Kuh!"

The trainees bit their lips and barely managed to stand.

'If it weren't for that training, we would have fallen long ago.'

Barran scratched his palm with his fingernails. If Reimer hadn't trained them to withstand such pressure, they would have been on their knees, waiting to die.

"To withstand my aura as mere trainees, you do live up to the Zighart name."

The Green Battle Ghoul grinned.

"But you're stupid. The reason you're dying is that you acted recklessly without knowing your own abilities."

"Ugh…."

Barran's mind echoed with Laon's warning.

"We'll see about that. You disgusting thing!"

Marta sneered and stepped forward. She signaled to Runan and Barran to attack simultaneously in three seconds.

The two's eyes glowed intensely at the signal.

"Whatever you do, it's useless."

"Your mouth stinks. Shut up!"

Marta charged from the center, while Barran and Runan infiltrated from the left and right.

"Will three of you make a difference?"

The Green Battle Ghoul swung his axes horizontally. A terrifying wind pressure and heavy aura swept through the space.

"Kuh!"

"Kyaah!"

"Kuh!"

Barran's sword broke, Runan was knocked back, and Marta fell to her knees. In a single move, the three were defeated. The gap between them and the Green Battle Ghoul was too great.

"Ahh…."

"Even the three of them couldn't…?"

"How…?"

"Laon? Where is that guy?"

"He probably ran away. Why would he come after seeing this!"

Despair filled the trainees' eyes. If even the three of them, who had all attacked together, couldn't win, there was no way out.

They couldn't even run. The killing intent from the Green Battle Ghoul made it impossible to move, let alone breathe.

"Did you think we let you go because you were strong?"

The Green Battle Ghoul approached, emitting even more intense killing intent.

"You're just worms on the giant tree of Zighart. Did you think you were something with no abilities, no might, and no mental strength?"

With each step, flames filled with aura erupted from the ground.

"Kuh…."

Barran clutched his broken sword, and Runan, trembling, stood up.

"Ah…."

"Damn it!"

Marta still hadn't lost her fighting spirit. She clenched her teeth and raised her aura.

"You're the best among this trash."

The Green Battle Ghoul approached Marta, who was at the front.

"Given that you could read that gaze."

He growled and stood in front of Marta.

"Ugh…."

Marta, still unable to withstand the aura of the orc warrior's armor, trembled and bit her lip.

"Since it's come to this, it's right to crush all the sprouts of Zighart."

The Green Battle Ghoul raised his double axes, a sinister smile on his face.

"Die now."

"Ah!"

Marta's eyes widened. Just as the Green Battle Ghoul was about to strike, a dark shadow rose behind him.

Laon Zighart.

The one who had remained hidden until the end, his red eyes glowing, struck with his sword.

"No. You die."

Laon's sword, enveloped in crimson flames, shot towards the Green Battle Ghoul's neck.