Episode 38: Finally Useful (1)
Once we left Palor’s territory, hellish combat resumed.
The mercenaries were getting increasingly worn out under the relentless assault of the monsters.
Ghislaine was tempted to quit at any moment and just go back to rest.
“Ah, the Forest of Monsters. But I can’t give up.”
The reason no one dared to touch this place was simple.
There was no point in risking life and limb when they didn’t even know what was here.
If he didn’t have a clear purpose, he would never have come to this dangerous forest.
But he knew exactly what was in the Forest of Monsters, and that’s why he was prepared to take on the risk.
Surprisingly, the mercenaries were quieter than expected.
Even though they looked like they could collapse from exhaustion, their eyes were still alive.
“I guess I underestimated them.”
It was tough marching, and under normal circumstances, he would’ve started talking about extra rewards to soothe their spirits by now.
However, looking into the mercenaries’ eyes, Ghislaine realized that wasn’t necessary.
They were genuinely committed to fulfilling their duties.
Only Manus was the one among the mercenaries, looking like death itself as he stomped his feet in anxiety.
Every day was a painful struggle, but everyone gritted their teeth and held on.
Surprisingly, as the battles continued, the damage they took gradually reduced.
In just a little over ten days, after fighting these extreme battles daily, they had all surpassed their limits at some point.
Around the time two weeks had passed, Ghislaine shared some hopeful news with everyone.
“We’re almost there! Just a bit further to the destination.”
At those words, the mercenaries gathered their strength and pressed on.
But after a while, the group began to feel something was off.
“What’s going on?”
“It should be about time for more to swarm us.”
“It’s too quiet; doesn’t that seem odd?”
The once-frequent arrivals of monsters were dwindling.
While it had been torturous and exhausting when the monsters were attacking, suddenly their absence was making everyone feel anxious.
Ghislaine also sensed the oddity, just like the mercenaries.
Thinking it was luck seemed far-fetched considering how fierce the previous fights had been.
The sudden lack of monsters appearing was indeed perplexing.
“It’s too quiet.”
The forest had always been quiet, to the point where it was hard to hear even the sound of insects.
It’s a forest.
But right now, aside from the sounds made by the group, it felt as if even the wind’s whispers were stifled, creating a suffocating heaviness in the air.
Gillian and Kaor had been sent out for reconnaissance, but they discovered nothing.
‘Is it good luck? Or is there some other reason? There were no records indicating any specific dangers here…’
After a long period of contemplation, Ghislaine decided to take advantage of the current opportunity.
“Everyone stop working and take a break. After restoring our stamina, we’ll carve a path to our destination and finish the job tomorrow.”
The mercenaries, faces brimming with joy, immediately plopped down to rest.
Having not properly relaxed since entering the forest, an overwhelming wave of fatigue washed over them.
Surprisingly, not a single monster showed up by the next day.
“Oh, my back. I got up from sleeping and my body aches even more.”
“I think I’ll be okay now.”
“We should reach our destination today!”
With stamina restored and the hope of the end in sight, productivity surged significantly.
Although everyone felt a bit anxious about the unfamiliar situation, making a commotion while clearing the path didn’t seem to bring any trouble.
Before long, Ghislaine had measured her map against their current location several times, then declared to everyone with an enthusiastic expression.
“We’re really almost there now. Just a little more and we can reach our destination.”
At those words, the mercenaries focused diligently on clearing the path without resting.
A look of relief began to etch into their faces.
They had endured tremendous hardship traversing a mere stretch of road.
Naturally, the thought of finally finishing this struggle was a relief.
But the one who felt the most joy and anticipation was Ghislaine.
‘We’re almost there.’
Despite everyone saying she was crazy, she pushed forward with certainty and confidence.
Thinking that the result would soon appear before her only added to her excitement.
And then it happened.
Boom!
A tremor resonated through the forest from a distance.
In an instant, everyone froze. The mercenaries anxiously glanced around, tense and on edge.
The good vibes evaporated instantly, and an ominous premonition began to spread.
“Gillian, scout ahead. Everyone prepare for combat.”
Gillian nodded and took off to scout.
The mercenaries stopped their work and picked up their weapons.
They had grown accustomed to battles in the forest over the past few days.
The question wasn’t whether they could fight, but what they would be fighting against.
As they waited, tense and alert, Gillian burst through the thick air, shouting with all his might.
“Take cover!”
“What?”
At Ghislaine’s puzzled response, trees began to fall in the distance.
Crash! Boom!
Something was rapidly approaching, smashing through the trees.
Breaking through the forest, it let out a high-pitched cry upon seeing the group.
Kaaaaa!
Seeing what had appeared before them, Ghislaine’s face stiffened.
That monster belonged deep in the forest, not roaming the outskirts.
This was not a monster that should be here.
The mercenaries, seeing the beast, inhaled sharply and began to tense up.
I started to breathe in and tense up upon seeing the creature.
“Hah, huh? Does that even make sense?”
“There are indeed monsters. Everyone avoided because of that guy.”
Everyone stared blankly at the monster that appeared before them.
It was a snake.
A snake so massive it could swallow a person whole.
The giant snake’s red scales shone brilliantly under the sunlight.
Its gaping mouth was lined with terrifying teeth that looked like they could easily tear through steel.
“Blood Python…”
One mercenary murmured that name.
The giant serpent monster known as a Python gets its name from the color of its scales.
The Blood Python, covered in blood-red scales, is known to be the most ferocious and terrifying of its kind.
Its fangs exude a powerful venom, and its scales are as tough as steel, rendering weapons ineffective.
“It’s much larger than a normal Python.”
The mercenaries were horrified by its overwhelming size.
Considering that the Python species is already categorized as a dangerous monster due to its size, the Blood Python that appeared just now was even larger than the usual ones.
This was something even Ghislaine hadn’t anticipated.
The information gathered from his past life stated that Blood Pythons resided much deeper in this area.
‘Why here, of all places… The timing couldn’t be worse.’
Surely, the destination was not far from the edge of the forest.
It was just that clearing a path and dealing with the monsters occupying that area took some time.
From the very moment Ghislaine devised a plan to explore the forest, he had confirmed multiple times that monsters deemed unhuntable resided deep within the woods.
Yet here was a monster of a grade far beyond what was expected.
Saaah.
The Blood Python licked its tongue, surveying the group with arrogant eyes.
It was the poise of a creature that saw a delicious meal right in front of it.
The mercenaries were so intimidated by its momentum that they couldn’t move at all.
Seeing their froggish demeanor facing the snake, Ghislaine shouted loudly.
“Snap out of it! If you just stand there, you’ll all die!”
At his words, the mercenaries regained their composure and quickly formed a battle formation.
They couldn’t just stand around and get killed, so they had to attempt some kind of attack.
“Fire!”
At Ghislaine’s shout, the shield-bearing mercenaries positioned themselves in front while the archers began releasing arrows.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Countless arrows flew, but they couldn’t pierce the Blood Python’s red scales.
The snake casually deflected the arrows and slithered closer to them.
“Move back!”
As the mercenaries slowly shifted back to maintain their formation, the Blood Python moved with alarming speed.
Its massive body moved with an agility that was surprising.
Kaaah!
In the blink of an eye, the Blood Python lunged forward and swallowed one of the mercenaries whole.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
The mercenary couldn’t even resist before being devoured.
Gulp, gulp.
Inside the Blood Python’s body, something slowly descended and eventually stopped moving around the middle of its body.
Seeing a person being swallowed alive by a monster was something everyone was witnessing for the first time, and the shock was utterly incomprehensible.
The sight of being devoured was something everyone saw for the first time, and the shock was beyond words.
Ssssssss!
The Blood Python squinted its eyes in satisfaction and looked around.
It seemed like it was choosing its next prey.
Despair filled the eyes of the mercenaries watching the scene.
So far, the monsters that had appeared, except for Palor, could be attacked no matter how strong or fast they were.
In any case, when they clashed, they could inflict wounds and win based on strategy and tactics.
Even Palor, who looked invincible in the darkness, could be attacked as long as there was light.
But the scales of the Blood Python were strong enough to deflect all arrows.
How on earth could they capture a monster that couldn’t be harmed?
“Back! Everyone pull back!”
The group hurriedly retreated, increasing their distance.
Sssss….
Even with the distance between them, the Blood Python didn’t immediately charge at them.
It seemed to be waiting for its prey to decide whether to flee or fight.
Having just devoured a mercenary, it appeared to have no intent to attack right away…
However, not taking its eyes off the group suggested it had no plans of letting the others escape safely.
“Young Master! What do we do now?”
“Is there a way to handle that guy?”
Without anyone giving a command, all the mercenaries looked towards Ghislaine.
But.
Ghislaine remained silent, merely staring at the Blood Python with a stiff expression.
‘Why isn’t he saying anything?’
‘Does even the employer have no solutions…?’
Normally, whenever a monster appeared, the employer would give commands faster than anyone and jump into battle first. But now, he wasn’t saying a word.
Despair began to engulf everyone.
The mercenaries sensed the inevitable death approaching.
Belinda approached Ghislaine and whispered low.
“Young Master, we need to flee now. With our current power, we can never defeat that monster.”
“If I run now, what about the mercenaries?”
“Those mercenary nobodies? Whether dozens or hundreds die, saving you is far more important to me.”
Gillian also stood in front of Ghislaine and quietly said.
“Sir, please go back with Belinda. The mercenaries and I will hold them off here. The contract includes the safety of the employer, so don’t worry about them.”
“Gillian.”
“Please take care of my daughter.”
Though his voice was small, Kaor, who was nearby, heard the conversation clearly.
He crossed his arms, fell into thought for a moment, and then spoke to Ghislaine.
“Let’s flee for now. If you give the command to retreat, everyone will know to run. Some will die, but hey, that’s just the fate of mercenaries who gamble their lives for money, isn’t it?”
With Kaor’s input, Ghislaine lowered his eyes, lost in thought.
Even if they fled now, most would be caught and killed by that snake.
A few might survive, but if they strayed from the path, they would eventually just wander around the forest and die.
‘Success was right in front of me. Is this how it ends in failure?’
Ghislaine tightened his eyelids shut.
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