Thud.

Footsteps echoed from atop the cliff.
Ripples spread across the pool in the ravine, and grains of sand in the clearing jumped into the air before settling again.
Then came the stench—vile, choking, unmistakable.

It’s here.

Kyrie gripped his javelin.

“Jo!”

“Fall back!”

“Sir?”

“Fall back! That’s an order!”

The brush above the opposite cliff began to shake.

“What? What’s that? It’s coming!”

“Ogre! Ogre incoming!”

At that same instant, the creature entered the range of Bio Radar.

Kyrie felt its speed through the electromagnetic mesh.

Fast.

The dome-shaped field split apart as a gray-green giant burst through.

Kyrie hurled his javelin, aiming for its neck.

Thwooom!

The javelin ripped the air—strong enough to pierce three orc warriors in one shot.

Thunk!

This time, the shaft only sank a hand’s depth into the ogre’s forearm.

“Grhhrrr…”

The ogre appeared atop the cliff—over four meters tall, muscles knotted like ropes, tusks jutting from a face hideous enough to haunt dreams.

“Wraaaahhh!”

A wave of infrasound thundered from its gaping jaws.

“Wh–what…?”

“My legs—won’t move!”

Even veterans of the 7th Century who had seen ogres before were frozen in place.

“Jo! Fall back!”

Kyrie shouted again from the slope to the right.

Thwooom!

From the brush, a dark line streaked out.

Thunk!

Another javelin struck home.
It buried itself a hand’s breadth into the ogre’s shoulder—enough to turn its gaze away from the soldiers.

“Grrrk?!”

The monster snapped the shaft in half and swung its head toward the direction it had come from.

Jo clenched his teeth, forcing his mind to focus.

“7th Century—retreat!”

“But Sir Kyrie’s still—!”

“Sir Kyrie ordered it! With our arms, we can’t hurt that thing. All seventy light infantry—pull out! Thirty spearmen, regroup for counter-charge!”

To save Kyrie, they had to move with discipline and speed.

Sir Knight is buying us time. We’ll repay it with our best.

Meanwhile, Kyrie hurled his third javelin.

Thwooom!

I’d worried the ogre might ambush me, but as expected, it went for the larger group first. Bio Radar caught it in time—no casualties. I’ll thank the stars for that.

Thunk!

The javelin struck its thigh.
The ogre merely grunted, plucking it out as though removing a splinter.

The shaft snapped; the barbed metal tip remained lodged in its hide.

“Grhhrr…”

A cruel glimmer spread in the monster’s eyes.

From the direction of the thrown weapons and the lodged blades, it judged there was only one real threat.

Boom!

The ogre stomped and leapt—a vault impossible for something that massive.

The four-and-a-half-meter brute soared over the clearing and landed on the slope.

Crash!

The impact loosed a small landslide.

Have they cleared out yet?
Kyrie felt the tremor through his boots while tracking Jo’s position with Bio Radar.

Done.

The regular troops had crossed the ravine and regrouped on the opposite slope. The spearmen were forming ranks.

The one-eyed Blue Knight drew his sword.

Crackle!

White arcs raced along the blade—the Authority of Imbuement flaring to life.

The ogre reacted instantly to the sound and light.

Buried in flesh and muscle, its eyes burned with animal fury, meeting Kyrie’s single blue flame.

“Wraaaaa!”

And it charged.

Anyone who stayed awake through the Academy’s monster-biology lectures knew why land creatures rarely grew to such enormous size.
As bodies enlarged, weight increased faster than bone and muscle strength; their joints would fail beneath them.

Ordinary humans suffering from gigantism often ended crippled by knee and ankle disease.

But monsters were different.

Their bone density, musculature, and tendons strengthened to carry their bulk; regeneration allowed them to withstand constant strain.

And this ogre stood over four meters tall.
That meant tons of mass—and the strength to leap dozens of meters despite it.

Start with the ankles.

But I was no ordinary man either.

I bore Astrios blood and had survived the orphanage, the training halls, and the Academy—one among thousands to earn the rank of Blue Knight.

The ogre charged, both arms sweeping forward.
Through Bio Radar, I tracked its exact position, distance, and velocity.

Rumble.

I stepped into a Thunder Step, slashing as I passed.
My lowered body shot forward like a bolt, crossing its path.

Shraaaak!

Spinning like a top, I sliced its ankle.

Even with Physical Enhancement, the hide and muscle were so dense my wrist went numb—but I drew blood.

“Graaaah!”

“Haa…”

I backed up the slope, watching as it roared in rage.

The ogre launched again, trees exploding beneath its hands as it tore through them like straw.

Rumble.

I took another Thunder Step, springing higher up the incline.

Sunlight broke through the canopy.

I drew the last javelin from my back and threw.

Thwooom!

With Neural Acceleration and Bio Radar combined, the tip struck home again.
The monster barely flinched.

Crash!

We landed in the clearing almost simultaneously—surrounded by orc and goblin corpses.

The ogre growled low, surveying the carnage.
Perhaps it was enraged by its kin’s deaths.

Whoom!

It hurled an orc’s corpse at me.

Two hundred fifty kilos of dead flesh flew like a pebble.

Right side, 1.5 seconds.

Under acceleration, its trajectory was plain to me.

Rumble.

I dodged with another Thunder Step, the body missing me by inches, and lunged forward.

It raised its wounded foot to crush me—
I slipped between its legs, driving my sword deep into the supporting calf before rolling clear.

Thunk!

“Graaaah!”

It howled, spinning.
One massive hand brushed my face, nearly tearing off the eyepatch. Blood trickled from my brow.

“Haa…”

I widened the distance again. Definitely no easy foe.

Whoom!
Another corpse flew.
The creature was blind with rage now, twice wounded.

I still have mana to spare.

I’d lived in the Lightning Arts training hall for two weeks straight—and drunk the Elixir of Thunderclouds besides.

Crackle!

I gathered current in my left arm.
From elbow to fingertips, white lightning streamed.

The glow grew so bright it cast a shadow behind me even in daylight.

The House of Thunder’s Roar had forced upon me a dreadful vow—but it had paid its price in power.

Heat prickled from deep within the muscles; pressure swelled until my fingernails trembled.

“Wraah!”

The ogre leapt again.

This time, I didn’t dodge—I released the lightning.

The Discharge burst forth, far stronger than in my bout with Sister Andromeda.

Crackle–crash!

It wasn’t enough alone to kill the beast.
But its body was studded with metal javelin tips.

Zzzzt! Zzt!

The current raced through them, flooding its flesh from within.

“GRAAAAH!”

For the first time, it screamed—not in anger but agony.
Its muscles convulsed, halting mid-charge.

Rumble!

I stepped forward with another Thunder Step and slashed its calf again—deeper this time.
The blade bit through vital muscle; the sensation thrilled my nerves.

“Guhhh!”

It swung a massive hand toward me.
But with Bio Radar sharper than ever, I read its motion the instant it began—and, still accelerating, unleashed another Discharge mid-step.

Crackle!

Ah, another lesson learned.

If the javelin tip’s still in place, no need for full output.

This time, I targeted the shard lodged in its shoulder.

The ogre twitched violently, arm falling limp.

“Grhhrrk!”

Realization flickered in its dull eyes as it tried to pull the metal free—
but its muscles were already locking up.

With the calf cut deep, it could no longer move explosively.

I dashed in once more, slashing its wrist before retreating, then fired consecutive bolts.
Its movements slowed with each strike.

Still, the ogre stubbornly tore out the embedded tips one by one.

If I push now, I can take its head.

I hesitated.

“Sir Kyrie!”

Jo’s voice rang behind me.
Through Bio Radar, white silhouettes filled my rear view.

“Spears—thrust!”

The spearmen—thirty strong—had advanced, their weapons bristling like a hedgehog.

In moments they reached my sides and stabbed in unison.

Thunk-thunk-thunk!

The ogre’s hide was so thick their spears barely pierced, even with all their strength.

Ordinarily, one swipe of its arm would have shattered every shaft.

But I’d drained its strength; slowed it to a crawl.

“We’ve regrouped after retreat, as you ordered, sir!”

Jo held out a bundle of javelins.

When did I order that?
I blinked once, taking them.

“I thought spearmen could only handle orcs, but I was mistaken. Since you’ve paralyzed it for us, sir, we can share in this glorious hunt!”

Jo’s yellow eyes gleamed with something close to religious ecstasy.

Fine. Whatever helps morale.

I threw again.

Thwoom! Thwoom! Thwoom!

My throws and lightning strikes outpaced the ogre’s attempts to pull the blades out.

“Spears—thrust!”

The spearmen jabbed at its joints, neck, and every wound I’d opened.

“Grhhrr…”

The fury faded from its eyes.

While mine—and my soldiers’—only burned brighter.

Thus the outcome was decided.

The ogre slowed, then stopped altogether.

I kept my sword unsheathed as I gave orders.

“Pierce its neck and make sure it’s dead. Then take the heart.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Call the rest of the men. We still need to clear the cave.”

“Sir… may we be the ones to take its head?”

Jo’s voice trembled with disbelief.

“A beast we killed together—what does it matter who takes the head?”

I shrugged lightly.

It might thrash one last time. No point risking my life over something trivial when the exam’s so close.

Jo’s voice quivered with reverence.

“Sir Kyrie has granted us the honor of the finishing blow! Take the ogre’s head!”

“Glory to Sir Kyrie!”

“Thank you for the chance, sir!”

The spearmen cheered and drove their weapons again and again into the fallen giant.

Did the House of Thunder’s Roar make them swear some vow too?

I couldn’t fathom why they were happy to risk themselves.

The light infantry re-entered the clearing.

I turned toward the cave.

Let’s hope these things hoarded plenty of gold.

It was time to clear the spore marsh.

Chapter 12

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