CHAPTER 128

The soldiers at the forefront of Naurillia were all paid mercenaries. 

This meant they were focused solely on training after receiving their wages. They acted precisely as they had been trained and drilled.

The vanguard, armed with short bows, transformed into scouts in emergencies and nimble light-armored archers in battle, all lost their arrows.

Thud-thud-thud!

Swish!

Arrows cut through the air, striking a massive shadow, too large to be considered human.

Thud-thud-thud!

Some soldiers celebrated hitting their target. Among them, a few wondered why they still heard the sound of impact. Yet, others were alarmed:

'Why isn't it stopping?'

They were disturbed that the shadow's charging speed hadn't decreased.

Whoosh.

The fog parted. Beyond the mist, a colossal figure was revealed. If it had been a bear, it would have been understandable.

As the fog cleared, the rest of the soldiers could also see the figure. 

It was visible even to Encrid, despite being positioned in the middle of the unit. The sheer size of the figure distorted the sense of perspective.

The first impression was that of a giant porcupine. The massive size meant it was an equally large target. 

The archers' skills were commendable, as dozens of arrows were lodged in the creature's body. Though counting them all was impossible, there were at least twenty. 

Thus, the first impression was that of a giant porcupine bristling with dozens of arrows.

Whoosh.

The creature, emerging from the fog, swung something in its hands in a wide arc. The full swing sent wind whooshing, pushing the fog back even further.

Bang!

A loud explosion rang out, as if a wizard's explosive spell had detonated. The impact was catastrophic, akin to a stone thrown from a catapult.

"Aaah!"

"Ugh!"

Screams erupted.

The soldiers within the hammer's range were crushed like tomatoes. One soldier on the right had his leg shattered, barely escaping with a swift dodge. 

Another soldier on the left, feeling the hammer's wind pressure, instinctively raised his shield.

Crunch. Crack.

He heard the sound of his body being torn apart. The oiled wooden buckler offered no resistance to the creature's brute force. 

The shield splintered like a rotten branch, and the soldier was torn in half, not just torn but shattered.

The hammer's force flung his body sideways, and pink innards splattered into the air. Blood, intestines, bones, flesh, and someone's limbs flew through the air—once parts of a body that had fought valiantly.

There was no need to wonder who they belonged to, anyone struck by such an attack from the front was as good as dead. 

The only hope was that Vengeance wasn't at the forefront today.

Phew.

After delivering a blow, the giant exhaled a long breath, the sound of which was clearly audible to all. It was a presence that could only be described as overwhelming.

In its hand was a giant hammer. The creature had a stature far superior to that of a human, with tough skin and thick muscles. 

It was a member of the giant race, a species as dangerous as the Frogs. 

They were known for their immense strength, several times greater than that of humans, and skin that was impervious to most blades. 

They were commonly referred to as the "Red Blood Beasts".

The giant surveyed the scene of destruction caused by its hammer and hummed a tune.

"Hrrrnhh!"

Its voice echoed like a shout from a deep cave, low, deep, and resonant.

As the cave-like humming spread, the morale of the soldiers dropped noticeably. Giants—where had such a creature been hiding until now?

"Damn, retreat!"

A soldier who was a step back shouted.

"Worms."

The giant muttered gleefully, the words emerging like a curse from the depths of a cave.

"Aaah!"

Even soldiers trained and paid for battlefields felt fear. There was no absence of fear here.

Cracks began to appear in the front lines as panic set in, and some soldiers started to retreat. This was unacceptable to the commanding officer, who shouted:

"Do not retreat!"

Shwing!

Several vanguard officers drew their swords, signaling that retreat would mean death.

"Damn it."

What were they supposed to do?

The soldiers in the front line felt despair. It was like being ordered to fight a beast. 

The giant's armor appeared to be made of wood—thin wooden armor covering its entire body, with arrows embedded in it. There were gaps at the joints, but no arrows seemed to have penetrated there.

Hahahhh.

The sight of a giant porcupine laughing was unnerving. The soldiers, caught between fear and indecision, neither retreated nor advanced.

The giant remained unperturbed. To him, they were all insects—easy to crush and kill. He was delighted in the situation.

* * *

A Giant.

Encrid was stunned. Where had such a creature appeared from?

He recalled what he knew about Giants and naturally remembered the characteristics of various races.

Frogs lived overwhelmed by dreams and desires.

Fairies revered nature.

Dwarves were obsessed with metal.

Beastmen prioritized reproduction above all else.

Dragons were said to walk alone.

And Giants...

'They revel in slaughter.'

Loving violence, they lived for the act of killing and being killed. Yet, they never came to hold dominion over the continent. Why?

Their intelligence was lower than humans, and their primal instincts were too dangerous to form organized armies. 

They were not called the "Red Blood Beasts" for no reason, being creatures madly obsessed with bloody combat.

To wield power, one needed to be a political being, which giants could never be.

And among these races were humans.

'Humans could become anything.'

Surpassing Frogs, Fairies, Dwarves, Beastmen, Dragons, and Giants, humans had become the center of the world.

While the giant silently observed its surroundings, the soldiers at the front stood paralyzed, barely avoiding wetting themselves.

Swish.

Encrid heard a peculiar sound—a slicing noise, like a well-sharpened blade cutting through flesh. It was perhaps intuition, a sixth sense, or pure instinct that made him turn his head.

Jaxon, who had been standing beside Encrid, was already looking in that direction.

"Ugh."

"Enemies!"

There weren't many. Encrid squinted his eyes.

They were on the right flank. Taking advantage of the obscured visibility caused by the fog, they had closed the distance. It appeared to be a small unit of about ten skilled individuals.

If they were attacking with such few numbers, they must be confident in their abilities.

"If they used the giant to draw our attention and attacked the right flank, something might come from the left as well. Damn, it looks like we're caught in a real trap."

Krais turned his head left and right as he spoke. Could he see anything?

If Encrid saw nothing, then Krais would likely see only fog.

Krais, surprisingly, wasn't intimidated by the giant. Instead, he looked around frantically and then said:

"We must hold them off here."

In reality, Krais had several scenarios and assumptions running through his mind. He could see what the enemy's strategy was and also thought the battlefield favored them. 

He had a rough idea of what the allied commander was aiming for. After all, utilizing the fog was not a tactic exclusive to the enemy.

If the enemy had used the river to target the rear lines, why couldn't the allies do the same? 

This was probably why the Border Guard Reserve Unit was not visible on the battlefield. 

The enemy was hiding, while the allies had more freedom of action. This gave the commander multiple options.

Therefore, the commander likely decided:

"The main force holds with the soldiers' numbers."

Since they had won previous battles, they had an advantage in numbers. With similar training levels and morale, who had the upper hand?

No matter how fiercely the Gray Hound, an independent company known for its persistence, fought, they had limitations. 

How large could an independent company be? At most, two to three hundred soldiers. 

Furthermore, there was additional intelligence available, such as the fact that one of Platoon leaders had fought with a unit of the Gray Hound and killed some of them.

How many soldiers could be left? Even if the unit had been originally composed of a generous four hundred, there might be only around two hundred left by now.

The Battalion Commander would know this as well. So, what had the enemy decided to do?

"All-in on the front line."

They threw everything they had into the fight, aiming either for a decisive victory or risking near-total annihilation.

And the giant was not the only weapon they had prepared.

Krais calculated all this in an instant and reached a conclusion. 

However, he didn't explain everything. The best choice at that moment was to do what was necessary to survive, to stay breathing in the Platoon leader's tent.

"The giant is not everything. If we can't stop the vanguard here, it's over."

He stated the plain truth. It wasn't up to him to solve this situation. 

The Border Guard Reserve Unit was absent, and the main allied force was holding the line. If they failed, they risked being annihilated.

So, what options did they have left?

There were some. Krais looked at his Platoon leader, who had fought the Frog, and the platoon members who matched such a leader.

"Leader."

Krais called Encrid and explained the situation. Encrid nodded.

Even after listening to Krais, Encrid couldn't fully understand the situation. 

He had been busy sparring the day before and had tried to get a good night's sleep, but his dreams had been unpleasant.

However, it seemed that a light was shining in Krais's eyes, similar to Ragna yesterday. Like Rem, who seemed excited. Like Jaxon, who had become more considerate. Like Audin, who seemed more at ease.

"Okay. Got it."

In an instant, all the irritation vanished. All those nagging worries disappeared. A light heart. When had he last felt this way?

He hadn't felt this way since coming to this continent. 

Rem recalled a similar feeling from another place, another time. It was when he first went to battle. Back then, it was truly fun. He was so excited that he had run wild, tongue out.

Casting aside his thoughts, Rem laughed and said, "Watch closely. This is what you'll learn next." 

He started walking forward, moving through the soldiers who cast nervous and fearful glances between their helmets at the laughing giant.

Rem walked in a straight line, shoving soldiers aside as he went. 

They stumbled out of his way, opening a path. 

"Move, you bastards." he said. 

Rem seemed his usual self, but his mood was certainly lifted—he was uncharacteristically elated.

Encrid simply watched. Rem had told him to watch closely, so watch he would.

"I'll take care of that side." 

Ragna said, unusually eager as he moved toward the commotion on the right flank. 

It was a different side of Ragna—he too seemed liberated, like Rem. 

The sword discussions with Encrid had released pent-up desires, making him feel at ease and ready to wield his sword.

"You shouldn't go alone." 

Encrid voiced his concern. Ragna thought for a moment and replied, 

"Then I'll go after this. It shouldn't take long."

Whether the allies were being cut down by the enemies pressing in from the right, Ragna didn't seem to care. 

Encrid thought they should deal with the enemies advancing from the right, but it was clearly a mobile detachment.

Before Encrid could decide on a strategy, the allied commander acted first. 

"Fall back! Don't fight and die like idiots in front, regroup! Back to back with your comrades!"

The familiar voice was Vengeance's. He's handling it well. Drawing the enemies advancing from the right inward and engaging them would buy some time. They needed time to draw them deeper so they couldn't escape.

"Then, I'll be off." 

Audin said, striding purposefully toward one side. 

Jaxon had already disappeared from sight. The soldiers felt a strange relief after venting their frustrations. 

Their steps were light. Sparring with Encrid had brought about this change.

For a moment, while waiting for the enemies to close in from the right, Encrid watched Rem. 

Whether Rem approached or not, he saw the giant raising its hammer for another swing. The sheer force was palpable. 

It was an overwhelming show of power. How would he handle it if it were him?

Rem exceeded Encrid's expectations effortlessly. Rem was, after all, Rem.

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