Evan glanced over at Alan and Reynold, who were sprawled out on the ground.
Their bodies were drenched in sweat, and they were panting so hard they couldn’t even speak.
Evan let out a rough breath and said, “Let’s call it a day for now.”
Then he checked their status windows—specifically, the skills section.
First, it was Reynold’s status window.
[Skills Owned: Butchering Lv.20, Mana Sensitivity Lv.50, Mana Control Lv.70, Superhuman Strength Lv.90, Aura Lv.2, Endurance Lv.10, Strong Sword Lv.22]
[*You can access the memories of the soul.]
Reynold had made remarkable progress through his training.
His overall skill levels had risen significantly.
His swordsmanship had reached a new height, and he now had a clear and fitting sword style fully embodied in his body.
A style that maximizes the destructive power of the greatsword.
It focused on strong, relentless pressure and was advantageous when facing multiple enemies or in siege battles.
‘And with his superhuman strength level increased, his power must be incredible.’
What was even more notable was his Endurance skill.
When layered with Aura, Reynold’s body became drastically tougher.
Recently, this had allowed him to withstand Alan’s fierce attacks.
If he continued growing like this, he’d be nothing short of an iron man.
Evan then shifted his gaze to Alan’s status window.
[Skills Owned: Aura Lv.10, Body Enhancement Lv.65, Swordsmanship Lv.70, Reconnaissance Lv.30, Counter Lv.120, Agility Lv.90……..]
[*You can access the memories of the soul.]
At first, Alan was the epitome of a standard knight without any outstanding traits.
‘His Aura control was excellent, and the Aura maintenance time matched the intermediate level of Sword Expert.’
But that was about it.
He seemed like an ordinary knight with no remarkable features.
But that was a misconception.
Alan was naturally gifted with lightning-fast reflexes.
His body was optimized for it as well.
He excelled at fiercely countering any attack thrown at him.
Recognizing Alan’s strengths, Evan immediately changed his sword style.
As a result, Alan absorbed the new style remarkably fast and fully made it his own.
The only downside was that his overall Aura handling level remained at the intermediate Sword Expert stage.
‘Just a bit more practice and he’ll be good. Next, he’ll grow properly through real monster battles.’
Evan was satisfied, believing that nothing beats actual combat experience, and looked at them approvingly.
Of course, Alan and Reynold, unaware of Evan’s thoughts, lay panting on the ground.
***
The next day, Evan went straight to Tallin’s Central Command Office of Keluhtan.
He was deep in conversation with Andre.
They discussed the current state of Tallin, the deployment of support troops sent from higher-ups, and various other matters.
Most of these were left to Andre’s discretion to handle.
What Evan was focusing on now were the missions he had to undertake.
“You’re still in your apprenticeship period, so we’ll assign you lighter tasks for now…”
Andre tried to assign missions carefully, watching Evan’s reaction, but Evan shook his head.
“No, forget that. What’s the biggest headache around here?”
Evan’s eyes moved to the table.
Spread out on the large round table was a mission operation map.
The map showed the Tallin region in detail, with dangerous zones, main border defenses, and key passageways marked.
It seemed they updated the data regularly to conduct real-time Knight Order missions.
While scanning the map, some faintly marked areas caught Evan’s attention.
They were marked in various colors—blue, red, yellow.
“What do these marks mean?”
“Oh, those are our annual plans for the Tallin region. They show the original targets and those not yet achieved, as well as unclaimed territories or strategic points we need to secure.”
“Annual plans?”
“Yes. More precisely, it’s easier to understand as territorial expansion. Though it’s the Earl’s Territory, monsters have turned many places into wastelands. Beyond the border, vast unclaimed lands stretch out.”
“But these numbers here are far below the annual targets?”
Andre nodded bitterly at Evan’s question.
“Yes. As you know, there are many dungeons and rough terrains here. We can’t easily push forward with territorial expansion plans. So we’ve postponed the plans a bit.”
“Is that allowed?”
“Ahaha… well, we have received warnings because of that. And recently, something unfortunate happened…”
Andre’s voice lost its strength.
Evan clicked his tongue and pointed at the map.
“Enough of that talk. Tell me which places must be retaken first.”
“Huh? Suddenly that…”
“No more nonsense.”
Andre tilted his head in confusion but placed a model flag on the map.
“Our top priority is here—Aspa Gorge. If we secure just the road below this gorge, it will shorten the detours for merchant traders.”
“What’s there?”
“Well, ogres have a strong grip on this area. We think there’s an entire Ogre Tribe here.”
“Ogres…”
Evan frowned at the mention of ogres.
It had been a while since he last heard of those monsters.
In the previous world, he had dealt with ogres endlessly.
There was an incident where a dungeon in the mountains near the city became home to ogres, and hordes of them repeatedly attacked the city.
Unless the dungeon was destroyed, ogres would never disappear.
They were classified as high-level monsters, and their numbers were large and troublesome.
‘Without knowing how to tackle them, handling this will be tough.’
Evan stood up.
“Gather the knights who are ready to fight immediately.”
“Huh? What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“I’ll lead the front. From today, we’ll start the long-postponed territorial plan centered here.”
This was an opportunity to expand territory while simultaneously clearing the dungeon.
Territorial expansion would greatly affect his evaluation as a commander.
“That’s too reckless!”
“Andre, don’t question my orders.”
Andre’s expression fell as if he were about to die inside.
***
Evan and his group moved toward Aspa Gorge with fifty knights.
Alan, Reynold, and Celia, who were escorting Evan, began to grow tense.
“Are you sure this mission is really okay? From what I heard, it’s an entire Ogre Tribe…”
Celia asked Evan with a worried look.
One or two ogres were manageable, but their numbers were daunting even to her.
Fighting while protecting Evan was practically impossible.
“There are fifty knights with us. If you’re still scared, you can turn back.”
Evan’s firm tone made Celia frown.
“When did I say I’m scared? It’s just that protecting you is overwhelming. Honestly, I think fifty knights aren’t enough.”
She glanced at Alan and Reynold, who were escorting Evan.
But the two knights who should have backed her up were instead making odd remarks.
“Young master, what is our role?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen a living ogre!”
They had spent a long time with Evan and had gotten used to him.
They knew once Evan set his mind on something, there was no stopping him.
They also realized his constant worrying was a waste of energy.
It was better to focus on their roles to support Evan.
Seeing their reactions, Celia’s veins bulged on her forehead.
‘Are these guys really my escorts? They don’t try to stop me even though it’s dangerous.’
She felt her anxiety intensify, having to be the only one worried.
“Wait, be quiet for a moment.”
Evan signaled them to stop as they walked through the forest.
Between the bushes, a crude wooden totem came into view.
If they hadn’t paid attention, they would have missed it.
‘Their tribe worships past leaders as sacred figures, right?’
So they put up grotesque totems like this to mark their territory.
Evan took out a map from his inventory.
Since the totem’s discovery, the next step was to find higher ground.
Totems were often found near the dungeon’s surroundings.
And the dungeon was usually at the highest point in their territory.
‘Based on this, there should be only two places of higher elevation nearby.’
Under Evan’s command, the knights moved swiftly.
“We’re approaching their base. Be careful and prepare for battle!”
No sooner had Evan spoken than a group of ogres scouting ahead appeared.
They were three times the size of a human.
Brown skin, bulging bellies.
Each wielded a huge wooden club.
***
The ogres roared and charged at the knights.
“Graaaargh! Humans have invaded!”
Their roar was followed by a heavy blow.
Thud!
The wooden club smashed into the ground.
The knights seized the opportunity and plunged their swords into the ogres’ bodies.
Thud!
But these brutes showed monstrous vitality that made them hard to kill.
Evan shouted urgently to the knights.
“Don’t fight head-on! They’re not creatures you can overpower with brute strength!”
Evan skillfully swung his sword, slicing through an ogre’s arm and both legs.
“Raaaah!”
The ogre roared in pain, but it was short-lived.
Thunk!
The ogre’s head flew off by Evan’s sword in an instant.
Evan had taken down one ogre in no time.
At that moment, [Assimilation rate increased by: 0.3%]
[Current assimilation rate is: over 5%]
[The achievement of Slaughterer of Ogres has begun to apply to the body.]
[— Achievement Slaughterer of Ogres linked.]
‘Slaughterer of Ogres?’
Evan’s eyes gleamed.
This was an achievement earned by hunting 2,000 ogres.
He had achieved it in the previous world, and now he could use it again here.
*Slaughterer of Ogres: When fighting ogres, 200% additional damage is applied. Ogres feel fear toward you.
‘If I have this, the story changes.’
Without hesitation from then on, Evan charged straight into the ogre group.
“Wait, hold on!”
Celia, who was fighting ogres beside Evan, shouted in surprise.
But Evan didn’t listen at all.
She clenched her Aura tightly.
‘I wanted to conserve energy because of the variables, but…’
Gritting her teeth, she took down an ogre in one blow and followed Evan.
What surprised her was how quickly Reynold and Alan also joined Evan’s side.
‘They caught up after killing ogres that fast?’
Celia looked at them with disbelief.
***
When sparring with her, they had been clumsy and couldn’t control their Aura well.
‘How had they managed to quickly kill ogres and catch up?’
Still, she had to focus forward again.
Evan was already giving orders.
“Good timing. Let’s clear out as many ogres as possible.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Celia asked incredulously, but Evan ran into the ogre group without a word.
What she saw was unbelievable.
Swish—!
Ogres fell with just a few sword strikes.
Of course, it didn’t end there.
Evan’s dazzling movements dodged ogre attacks and closed the distance instantly.
“Are ogres scared?”
The ogres turned pale and started retreating.
Evan deftly avoided their blind, frantic attacks and slaughtered them one after another.
“This can’t be.”
His excellent Aura control and swordsmanship were impressive, but beyond that, it was experience that made the difference.
Alan and Reynold, watching, were surprised but soon naturally assisted Evan in handling the ogres.
“Urrgh!”
With a roar, Reynold charged at an ogre.
“That’s reckless! It’s dangerous!”
Celia shouted in alarm again but was soon left speechless.
Reynold took a direct hit from an ogre’s club but ignored it and swung his greatsword to attack.
His strength wasn’t shaken by the ogre.
Instead, he pushed forward with even greater force.
And Alan was covering him well.
Her earlier worries had been unfounded.
‘Fine. I’ll just focus on my own role.’
Watching Evan and the others, Celia gave up her thoughts.