Chapter 37

I wasn’t in the deepest sleep, but I was still sleeping. But of course, this was going to be another night where I was hurriedly awakened by Daniela.

“Asagi. Monsters.”

I quickly sit up. After grinding my fists into my eyes and opening them, I grab my sword and stand up on my feet.

“Grass wolves again?”

I take in a deep breath to help get my brain working again. Then I leave the tent and drink a cup of water in one gulp. Thankfully, Daniela always wakes me up with just enough time to prepare before the fight.

“No. Unfortunately, it is orcs.”

“Orcs?”

I had heard once from Gardo that orcs lived in the deepest reaches of the northern forest. Later, someone else said that there were also many at the base of the southern mountains. But both of those places were far from where we were now.

“Had you heard of it, Asagi? There was an orc hunt not long ago.”

“What’s that?”

There was that one time that Gardo and Ness had been absent for quite a stretch. Perhaps that was what they were doing if they had gone to the southern mountains. Though, they never did tell me. So I had no way of knowing.

“That hunt took place in those southern mountains.”

Daniela pointed at the mountains that were faintly lit by moonlight.

“They must be survivors who escaped that hunt and wandered over here.”

I see. There was no other reason why there would be any orcs in such a thin forest.

Orcs lived in forests. But the ones that lived in the northern forest could only be encountered if you went very deep inside. They preferred dense, almost jungle-like environments. And the forest at the base of the southern mountain was so dense it could be called an ocean of trees. It was also connected to the forest that previously belonged to the forest wolves. So we could have entered it, but it would have been dangerous to enter Beowulf’s territory. Well, he wasn’t actually there anymore.

“Encountering orcs in this place… We must have the worst kind of luck…”

“Prepare yourself, Asagi. Every blow from an orc carries a lot of weight. These are monsters that can swing a log with one hand.”

“Well, that’s encouraging. Do we have a hope of winning?”

Daniela laughs.

“Oh, they are nothing. As long as you do not get hit.”

She was so cool recently… However, it was as she said. And I was pretty confident because of my high AGI. It was about the only thing I was confident in, actually.

“So these enemies hit hard. And so we have to…”

“Make use of our speed.”

And it was currently night time. Then…

“We should kill them quickly with an ambush. I think that would give us the best chance.”

“Indeed. Well then, I will attack them with my bow from on top of a tree.”

Daniela said as she held her bow.

“I’ll hide in the ground and attack from below.”

There were plenty of dead leaves. I could use water to make them stick to my body for an instant ghillie suit. I’m sure the clean-up afterward will be fun.

“Understood. They will be coming here from the south. Three in all. Can you sense them?”

I use Presence Detection. Immediately, I detect the position of the three creatures. I nod at her and she nods back.

“I would say that our distance is about 700. And there is a small clearing about 200 away from here. It’s too small for them to camp at, but it will be just enough for us to set up the ambush.”

She must have gone out scouting as soon as she detected them. I did feel like I was being carried throughout this journey. I had to do my best so I could stand shoulder to shoulder with her in the near future.

“Good. Now, let us begin. Asagi.”

“Leave it to me, Daniela. We’ll reach that town tomorrow.”

We bumped fists and then quietly darted off. It was fine. There was nothing to be worried about. We’ll just get this over with and arrive at Spiris.

□ □ □ □

I watched Daniela disappear into the forest ceiling before stretching a hand out to the dirt. I imagine that my hand is a showerhead and use magic. Just as I expected, water came spraying out and wet the leaves. I lay down over this and rolled around several times until I looked like a dead-leaf monster. Once I was satisfied with this, the next thing to do was find a place to wait. This area was a clearing, which meant it lacked any obstacles. There was nothing you could hide behind.

However, that wouldn’t be too much of a problem now. I just need to lie on the ground and I was hidden. So the thing I really needed to be wary of was the movement of the orcs. We knew that they would arrive from the south. So where would they pass through? There would be no point in hiding where nothing was happening. I needed to be hidden but also in a position where I could ambush them. I look carefully at my surroundings.

My eyes catch sight of two trees. If the orcs happened to pass through there, I could hide nearby and attack. The fact that it was so narrow would also help cause confusion in the moment. I would be able to cut off their heads in no time. But how could we lure them to come through there?

I hang some dried meat on the branches. Some fruit too, just in case. All of these were taken from the hollow bag. It was a good thing I brought it with me.

Now, I was done. I quietly put the sword on the ground and cover it with leaves. Then I hold the pommel and sigh. Here we go.

We waited for about ten minutes. The clouds thinned in the sky and the moonlight began to shine through the leaves. As I squinted, I could see three giant forms walking this way. They were covered in scars. Likely, they were veteran warriors. But their skin was a pale green. They were not human. Monsters. At a glance, they look almost corpulent, but their arms and legs were thick with muscles, kind of like a sumo wrestler. They wielded giant clubs that looked like they were carved from uprooted trees.

They were orcs alright. Their appearance fits right in with what knowledge I had of fantasy creatures.

Oink. Oink. I wasn’t sure if they were breathing heavily or whispering to each other. But the three big pigs were not very quiet as they came closer. I stared and waited for the right timing. They were looking around their surroundings as if searching for something. Then one of them looked in our direction and pointed. Ah, so they were looking for food.

Any sense of caution seemed to have left them as they ran towards the food. They must have been really hungry. Unfortunately for them, this was the end of their road.

A current of magic passes through my hand and into the ground. Just as it arrives at the feet of the orcs it turns into a light blue. The ice magic activates. There is no name for this spell. If I had to give it one, maybe ‘Upward Icicle.’

“HGYAGHHGAGA!!!!!”

They pierced through the feet of the orcs. A dirty blue liquid that was likely their blood, covered the spears of ice as they shot from the ground. Without missing a beat, an arrow came flying down and landed in the brain of one of the orcs. The dead creature fell on its back. Its knees were bent as its feet were fixed to the ground.

I then stood up and swung my sword into the neck of the closest orc. It descended at an angle, cleanly cutting into the thick flesh. But, damn. It did not go all the way through. However, a bright torrent of blood sprayed from the wound and rained down on the trees. I could probably just leave it and it would die by itself. But you should never underestimate larger enemies. The trick was to deal a deathblow.

I use magic to create ice in the air. It is in the shape of a sword. Sharp, thin, hard. The finished sword swings towards the half-severed neck.

As I was following this with my eyes, a chill runs down my spine. I don’t have time to see what is happening as I dive forward. A heavy sound and the pressure of wind shoots over my head. There was now a large club right where I had been squatting a second ago. That was close… The orc that should have been stuck to the ground by icicles was now looking straight at me. Its legs were covered in blood, but there was no ice. They must have broken…these guys were insanely strong.

Then I heard a snap. I turn my head just in time to see the other orc fall. Its head had fallen to its feet, the ice sword was stuck in the ground right next to it. So the magic attack was able to kill it after all. The snapping sound must have been the icicles that could no longer support the orc’s weight. In other words, those icicles weren’t strong enough against a force equal to their weight. I needed to make them stronger.

I pick up the ice sword that was in the ground. It was a little cold, but that wasn’t a problem. You just needed to run a current of magic through it and the sensation was gone.

I look at the orc in front of me, holding the steel sword and the ice sword in each hand.

Now there was just one guy left.