Chapter 58: The Ogre’s Challenge

I read the direction of the Ogre and, together with Irene, retreated as far as possible to increase the distance.

And from a somewhat higher ground, we watched the two Ogres.

“Kuoooh!”

They were devouring the corpses of the monsters I had killed, greedily tearing into them.

To be precise, they were ripping open the bodies and feasting on the entrails.

Perhaps because they were still not fully grown Ogres, their appetite was tremendous.

I had killed over a hundred monsters, yet these things devoured all their innards and still weren’t satisfied, glancing around for more.

But when there were no more corpses in sight, they reluctantly finished off the remaining scraps.

Blood splattered around their mouths, drenching their bodies, but they didn’t seem to care, even crunching the bones to bits.

After a while, having eaten all the corpses around, the two of them seemed satisfied, thumping their bellies, and then, right there, lay down and fell asleep.

“Krurung, krurung.”

Even snoring as they slept.

Watching all the way up to this point, I fell into deep thought.

“What should I do.”

My dilemma was none other than: what should I do now?

Although I’d secured a decent amount, it wasn’t quite the number of Magic Stones I’d planned for. But thanks to the Ogres’ rampage, I’d been able to hunt monsters quickly.

“But there’s no guarantee those Ogres will stay here.”

The real problem was that there was no telling what those sleeping Ogres would do once they woke up.

If they continued to stay in the mountains, there wouldn’t be an issue. The problem would be if they came down from the mountains.

Even now, in their current state, the Ogres were dangerous. If fully grown Ogres descended, it would be nothing short of a catastrophe.

Especially in the case of my Garrison, there was no way we could stop them.

With only newly trained Slaves, Arnold, Jenny, Irene, and myself, if we could manage to kill even one, it would be nothing short of a miracle.

If I’m going to kill them, now would be the right time, but fighting two, not just one, would be like boarding an express train straight to death.

“Should I just pray they don’t head for the Garrison?”

That thought crossed my mind.

A Quest has occurred.

[ Hunt the Ogre heading for the Garrison. ]

• Rank: 5
• Details: Kill the Ogre that is set to head for the Garrison.
• Objective: Slay the Ogre
• Time Limit: Before it reaches the Garrison
• Reward: Unique Trait granted.

“Damn it, is this some kind of ‘screw you’ Quest?”

A curse slipped out automatically at this insane Quest.

What kind of Quest asks you to fight Ogres?

If I were some max-leveler, decked out in gear, or had amazing Skills, maybe I’d understand, but being told to suddenly fight is just a load of crap.

“But, there’s a reward? A Unique Trait, at that.”

The first Quest had no reward, the second Quest hadn’t even started, and now a third Quest had appeared—with a reward this time.

Is that why?

Even as I cursed at the idea of killing the Ogre, another part of my mind was racing, desperately thinking of a strategy to kill the Ogre.

“Facing both alone is impossible. One, maybe. But there’s no one to hold the other down.”

I looked at Irene.

Startled, Irene shook her head furiously, making an X across her chest with both hands and said, “Absolutely impossible. I wouldn’t last a single second.”

I thought so too. Well, maybe she’d last a second. But a minute? Impossible.

At least the time limit was generous. It didn’t ask me to kill them right away, just before they reached the Garrison.

That meant, as long as the Ogres didn’t head for the Garrison, I’d have time.

As I was wrestling with this problem, I saw something moving on the opposite side.

Shasak, sasak.

I saw something rustling through the brush and suddenly popping out.

‘Troll?’

To my surprise, it was a Troll. And not just any Troll—a fully grown adult Troll.

The Troll was cautiously watching the Ogres.

In its hand was a massive axe, and from the way it carried itself, it looked like it was out for revenge on the Ogres.

“Oh? What if?”

I considered an idea in my head.

“What if, while that Troll grabs hold of one Ogre, I take on the other?”

The odds of victory would rise considerably.

“But then again, there are variables.”

All sorts of possible outcomes flashed through my mind. The Troll could win, then attack me, or, worse, lose, leaving me to face two Ogres by myself.

“The best outcome is if all three get injured, and I swoop in for the kill.”

Wishful thinking at its finest.

Even though I knew how unlikely it was, some instinct told me it could happen.

“All right, I’ll wait for that Troll to move.”

Having made up my mind, I instructed Irene.

I told her to keep a close watch on the Troll’s movements.

Meanwhile, I’d rest and recover as much as possible to be ready for the fight.

So I closed my eyes and rested.

***

As cautious as I was, the Troll was also prudent.

The Troll, impressively, kept its distance and trailed the Ogres, waiting for an opportunity.

It was like watching a seasoned hunter.

The Troll’s green body was caked with mud.

I didn’t know where it had found that mud, but it seemed to be using it to mask its scent.

Crouching as low as possible, it carefully moved to avoid the Ogres’ notice.

The most surprising fact was that the Troll spotted me.

Or rather, it spotted Irene.

Irene felt the Troll’s gaze and told me, so I met the Troll’s eyes.

But the Troll didn’t react, simply looking back and forth between the Ogres and me.

I did the same.

Then, the Troll calmly focused on the Ogres again.

“Seriously. Have I just shared a moment of understanding with a monster?”

I thought it was absurd, but there was no other way to interpret it.

Now, all that was left was to wait for the right timing.

The Troll and I followed the Ogres for two more days.

The two Ogres moved steadily in the exact direction of my Garrison.

I was slowly backing away to avoid the Ogres, while the Troll trailed after them.

Finally, today, we arrived at a relatively open area in the mountains, with fewer obstacles around.

It looked almost like a place made for those who wanted to fight, with piles of bones everywhere.

When the Ogres moved into the center, the Troll let out a huge roar and hurled its massive axe through the air.

“Kyaaak!”

And at that moment, I drew my sword and charged in.

“Dash!”

-Accelerating with Skill: Dash, I started channeling Auror through my entire body, and also wrapped Auror around my Longsword.

As I ran, the Troll’s axe, thrown from the other side, struck the Ogre.

Whirr! Thud!

The axe hit the Ogre’s chest, but unfortunately, it was the blunt side, not the blade.

Still, judging by how the Ogre was pushed back, it wasn’t a wasted attack.

Growl

The Ogre let out a furious roar.

As the two Ogres turned to face the Troll, I reached my spot at the perfect moment, thrusting my sword horizontally and shouting,

“Gale Thrust!”

Puk.

My sword stabbed into the Ogre’s back.

Unlike my expectations that it would pierce all the way through to the belly, the blade barely went in halfway.

Considering the Ogre’s thick hide, even this was a serious wound.

So, using the momentum from Gale Thrust, I rammed my shoulder into the Ogre for a Body Slam.

Bang!

The Ogre toppled forward, and I pulled my sword out, preparing for the next attack.

-Skill ‘Gale Thrust’ has leveled up.

-Skill ‘Body Slam’ acquired.

I didn’t have time to look at the notification windows popping up.

Kwak

Angered by my attack, the Ogre shot up and started staring at me.

Growl?

Then, ignoring the blood pouring from its wound, the Ogre drooled as it gazed at me.

“Wow, hunger trumps pain? Impressive.”

I was a bit speechless. With a wound like that, shouldn’t it at least feel some pain?

‘If it were me, I’d be rolling on the ground.’

But the Ogre simply drooled as it stared at me.

Meanwhile, the fight between the Troll and the other Ogre began.

Furious at the Troll’s attack, the Ogre charged, swinging its massive club.

The Troll, not to be outdone, pulled out its own club and swung back at the Ogre.

Thwack! Bang!

Neither side bothered with defense.

After trading the first blow, the two began an all-out brawl, ruthlessly beating each other.

Thwack,, Bang.

Their clubs targeted each other’s bodies, and both took the blows head-on.

It was a fight so brutal it defied logic.

As the battle raged, I stopped my idle thoughts and hurried to ready my Skills.

Ogres are known to be resistant to magic.

In fact, Ogres are naturally resistant to most magic; 1st or 2nd circle spells don’t even leave a scratch, and only by the 3rd circle can you hope to leave a mark.

On top of that, their thick hide provides decent resistance to physical attacks, making them even harder to hunt.

To take down an Ogre, you need to maintain Auror at all times, and at least a 5th circle spell to do any real damage.

Growl

The Ogre stopped drooling and swung its club at me.

It was a simple, brutal strike—yet the ground trembled.

Bang!

The earth cried out.

Even though this Ogre was not yet fully grown, the force was tremendous—the ground was left with a gaping crater.

“What the? Why is it so fast?”

The sheer strength was incredible, but even more shocking was the speed of its attacks.

Boom, boom, booom!

The Ogre’s club tore through the air like a whirlwind.

Of course, I didn’t even try to clash with that club head-on. I dodged.

Facing that raw power would snap me in half in an instant.

Nor did I have the courage to block that massive club.

Dodging the Ogre’s attacks, I waited for my Skill to finish charging, and finally, when it was ready, I shouted.

“Call Lightning!”

As I chanted the Skill, I leapt back.

Rumble! Crack!

A lightning bolt fell from the sky, striking the Ogre’s head.

The Ogre flinched. But that was all.

The Ogre swung its club again.

“Damn it!”

I didn’t think it would just shrug it off with a mere flinch.

I raised my sword, bracing for the impact of the Ogre’s club, and used a Skill immediately.

“Shield“

A transparent barrier formed around me. But Shield lasted less than a second.

Crash! Crack!

The Ogre’s single blow shattered Shield completely, and it struck my sword with full force.

Clang!

A clear, ringing sound echoed as I was hurled backwards, flying through the air for a good distance.

“Kuh….”

I had tried to block the impact with Shield and my sword, but it wasn’t very effective. Something inside me felt twisted and heavy, and I spat it out.

It was blood-mixed saliva.

I knew what that meant.

I’d taken a bit of internal damage.

My body felt a little heavier.

This was going to be a tough fight.