Chapter 7: Between the Fangs of Beasts [2]
Just one kilometer away, where the plains met the northern forest, the group of knights suddenly halted. Their horses snorted nervously, eyes fixed on the dense green wall rising before them. It wasn't merely a collection of trees, but a silent barrier, a massive riddle waiting to swallow anyone who dared step into its shadowed maw.
Baron Lorin spoke in a tense tone as he glanced at James and the rest.
"Alright… let's stay alert. We have no idea what's waiting for us in there."
His voice carried a sharp seriousness, and James nodded in acknowledgment. They moved toward the forest's edge with cautious, measured steps—driven by the urgency of their mission yet restrained by the fear of the unknown. The moment their horses' hooves touched the last stretch of grass, they dismounted simultaneously, leaving their mounts behind as they ventured deeper between the towering trunks.
The forest was green, alive, and breathtakingly beautiful—a serene refuge draped in interwoven branches that hid the sky from sight. But beneath its enchanting appearance pulsed another promise; a concealed hell whose flames only revealed themselves to those who dared venture too far… and vanish into its depths.
Their first steps were deliberate and slow, isolation deepening with every meter they moved away from the open plains. Suddenly—without warning—Baron Lorin and the knights saw James's silhouette dart past them, slicing through the silence like a blade.
Lorin froze for a second before shouting, frustration and worry tangled in his voice.
"James! What are you doing? Rushing in like that is dangerous!"
But James neither stopped nor looked back. He waved urgently with one hand, his voice hurried and breathless.
"Follow me… now!"
The knights had no choice but to obey. They sprinted after him, hearts pounding. Robin broke through the ranks, running beside James with effort.
"James! What's going on? Why are you speeding ahead like this? This is insane!"
James answered without slowing down, his eyes locked on the deepening shadows.
"I sensed monsters ahead… something big is moving in there."
Robin and the others felt their faces tighten at the word "monsters." None of them sensed anything—no vibrations, no strange noises, not even a trace of hostile aura. They could reluctantly accept that James's senses were far sharper than theirs, but what they couldn't understand was why he was sprinting toward certain danger.
The same cold thought echoed in all their minds as they ran after him: "This man is truly insane."
Yet they followed without question.
After several exhausting minutes of blind rushing through tangled trees, James suddenly stopped. He leapt lightly onto a thick branch, bracing a hand against the trunk as he stared downward with narrowed, focused eyes. Kaiser and Robin joined him on the left, while Felix, Philip, and Baron Lorin climbed onto a branch opposite them. Together, their gazes fell upon the sight that froze their breath.
The ogres below were massive, their skin thick and dark green, resembling living boulders covered in ancient moss. Their arms were disproportionately long, hanging near their knees, gripping heavy twisted iron clubs—weapons made not for elegance but for crushing bone. Their faces were artfully grotesque: glowing yellow eyes filled with malice, sharp protruding fangs gleaming in the shade, and ragged breaths forming low rumbles that shook the forest floor. Each ogre stood no less than three terrifying meters tall.
But among them… one stood like an immovable mountain towering over the rest.
It was enormous—tragically, terrifyingly enormous. The width of its shoulders alone was enough to instill mortal fear into even the bravest knight. It stood nearly ten feet tall, its dark green hide even darker than the others, muscles bulging beneath the thick skin like taut ropes ready to snap with overwhelming strength.
Its face was even more savage: burning red eyes like embers, two short sharp horns sprouting from its massive skull, and a heavy lower jaw lined with long gleaming fangs. The iron club it carried wasn't a weapon—it was a massive chunk of metal the size of an oak tree trunk, capable of turning three fully armored men into shredded remains with a single swing.
Baron Lorin froze on his branch, muttering in fear he couldn't hide, eyes glued to the beast below.
"Why… why is a level nine Earth Ogre here?!"
He wasn't asking anyone; it was a cry of disbelief. Everyone was equally stunned, equally horrified.
Monsters were divided into three main categories:
Normal Beasts — divided into 9 levels, with level nine equal to a low-ranked knight.
Earth Beasts — stronger and smarter, also divided into 9 levels, with level nine equal to a seasoned, mid-ranked knight.
And the creature before them… was an Earth Beast of level nine. Sitting calmly in a forest that was supposed to be free of such catastrophic threats. Surrounding it were several level nine normal ogres, growling like ancient war drums.
"My god… if these things attack the city, nothing will be left standing," Robin whispered, his eyes wide with dawning horror.
No one replied; they all knew he wasn't exaggerating—it was the painful truth.
"Should… should we go and call for help from the other nobles?" Philip said shakily, his voice trembling with fear.
Lorin snapped at him with rare impatience.
"Silence! Even if they believe you, they won't send anyone. Those nobles only care about their councils. And even if they do send help… they'd send dead men walking at best. Damn it…"
His anger wasn't directed at Philip, but at his own helplessness.
James broke the oppressive silence with a steady, emotionless tone.
"There are ten normal ogres… and one Earth Ogre."
All eyes turned to him instantly—they were clinging to him like a lifeline, awaiting anything… a plan, a miracle.
"I can't handle them all alone…"
He paused, then pointed at the colossal ogre in the center.
"But I'll take that Earth Ogre."
Everyone froze. They, knights of moderate skill, couldn't face an Earth Ogre one-on-one…
And James spoke as if he were announcing a morning walk.
"You handle the smaller ones. Agreed?"
Lorin hesitated, swallowed hard, and asked.
"Are you sure, James?"
James didn't look at him; his eyes remained locked on the giant below.
"We don't have time. What if more of them appear? We start now."
He gripped his sword tightly, leaning forward, every muscle coiled to strike.
"Alright… prepare yourselves. On three… we attack."
"Yes, sir!" they answered together, though some voices trembled.
"One…"
"Two…"
"Three!"
The moment James spoke the third word… he vanished.
He didn't run, didn't jump—he simply disappeared like a shadow sucked into the dark. In less than a second, he appeared behind the Earth Ogre, white Qi blazing from his sword with a sharp, cutting howl. He struck the beast with tremendous force, making its massive body shudder.
Lorin and the others were stunned—James had been beside them only a heartbeat ago, and now he was behind the monster before they could blink.
"ARGHHHH!"
The Earth Ogre roared, a deafening scream that shook the forest and made branches quiver. Pain filled its voice, but it didn't fall. It whirled with insane fury, swinging its massive arm like a moving boulder.
James leapt back with inhuman agility, his body light as a feather while his eyes remained cold as steel. He unleashed rapid bursts of Qi, each strike flashing like lightning and leaving scorched marks on the beast's hide.
But then he saw the ten other ogres charging toward him with savage speed. One of them lunged, raising its massive iron club toward his head. James twisted aside with a narrow, precise movement—dodging by a hair's breadth. The club smashed into the ground, splitting the earth and sending dirt and rocks flying like shrapnel.
"Damn it!" he snarled, trying to regain balance as three more ogres surged toward him, forming an unavoidable wall of death.
There was no time to dodge. Their clubs screamed through the air, bearing down like giant guillotines. He glanced behind them… the Earth Ogre was still writhing from the first strike, unable to recover.
James smiled faintly.
But before the clubs could crush him—
Kaiser and Robin appeared in front of him, like ghosts emerging from swirling dust. They raised their swords simultaneously, blocking all three ogre attacks at once. The clash boomed like thunder as the air shook under the impact.
"Go, James!" Robin shouted, pushing one ogre back.
"We'll handle these!" Kaiser roared as he moved between the crashing clubs.
James exhaled shortly in relief.
He regained his footing and launched himself forward.
In an instant, he was behind one of the ogres. Qi gathered around his blade like sacred fire, blazing bright.
"White Dragon Sword!"
His voice split the tension as the sword passed through the ogre's neck like a line of light. Its head fell to the blood-stained dirt.
Without waiting for the body to collapse, James spun and unleashed another strike—an arc of white Qi slicing straight through a second ogre, cutting it cleanly in half. Black-green blood gushed in a violent fountain.
Robin and Kaiser froze for a moment, faces splattered with blood, eyes wide. They had never seen James like this—so brutal, so fast, so powerful.
Blood soaked James's white clothes… but he didn't care.
Nothing slowed him.
He moved to the third ogre faster than reaction. Before it could turn, James landed behind it and struck its legs. Both limbs were severed instantly. The creature crashed down, screaming and pounding the earth.
James stood over it—eyes devoid of fear or hesitation, filled only with cold resolve.
He swung his sword and tore its head off, but his arm was no longer light. His breathing was rough, and the Qi within him was far less than before.
He could fight an Earth Beast…
But not in this condition.
He turned toward the massive ogre, which was rising again, muscles bulging, eyes glowing with rage. Its giant metal club dragged trenches across the ground as it moved.
James spoke in a low but steady voice.
"Go help Baron Lorin… I'll handle this one."
The problem wasn't strength—it was that a single mistake while exhausted could be fatal.
Kaiser and Robin hesitated, seeing the sweat on James's brow and the slight tremble in his hand. He wasn't weak—he was dangerously worn down.
But there was no time.
They ran to support Lorin, leaving James alone before the Earth Ogre that stomped toward him, every step shaking the ground.
James raised his sword, preparing for a battle he knew would be the hardest since the day he became a knight.