Chapter 65 – Giant (1)

Gerik’s eyes were watching the outside of the wall without any gaps. A steady gaze shot out as if it would pierce through the darkness. He did not move a muscle. He simply stood there, holding the spear shaft firmly with his calloused hands. Judging by his aura alone, he looked like an elite soldier. However, his mouth was not as heavy as his body. He spat out curses without end.

“Shit, shit, shit. If I had known it would be like this… I should have just farmed.”

A peasant who came to the city because he hated rotting in the provinces, a lucky man who became a soldier after begging as a hoodlum. A coward who abandoned his comrades and fled. All of these were words that referred to him. Gerik fell into thought. His first memory was of a wheat field. Green sprouts that had not even ripened were sticking their heads out. Nearby, the sound of a watermill turning was heard endlessly.

It was a boring scene he would have seen endlessly every day if he hadn’t left his village. Next was a dirty back alley and the Lord’s castle, and the last was a battlefield. A full moon rising like blood and pouring monsters welcomed him. Even the few who could be called comrades all met their deaths at the hands of the monsters.

– Gerik. M-me… save me… save me…

He remembered a senior who was groaning while clutching his intestines spilling out from his split abdomen. Gerik’s eyes were still looking past the wall, but his mind was elsewhere. ‘I just wanted to eat well and live well. Why on earth did it turn out like this? Can I survive and get out of here? I’m like duckweed floating on the water. Just being swept away…’ In Gerik’s ear, a shout was heard.

“Mon… Monster!”

Gerik snapped out of it. Through the dim darkness, waves were rushing. And they rushed incredibly large and fast. A huge shadow was cast under the flickering torchlight. Along with a sickening stench, a hot breath was felt. He looked up.

A giant whose face was distorted like smallpox was smacking his lips. Gerik cursed inwardly. ‘How did he get here so fast? Was I slacking off on my watch? No, if I had known this, I really should have farmed…’ A club flew in, and his thoughts were cut off. A soldier died. Soon after, similar things occurred simultaneously.

“It’s an attack! Giants! Giants have appeared!”

“What happened to the wall?”

“It collapsed a long time ago! Look at their size! Shit! It will only take them an instant to push all the way here!”

At the senior soldier’s question, the soldier defending the wall shrieked. The senior soldier frowned deeply, but soon regained his composure. If this were a real fortress, there would have been at least a warning bell ringing when an enemy rushed in. There would also be a high watchtower. However, this place was a fortress in name only; in reality, it was a trash dump. How long would a wall stand if they built it with rotten planks instead of sturdy masonry? That was why they set up human walls and used screams instead of watchtowers. That was what the non-commissioned officer who had rolled around battlefields thought.

The important thing was that he was not deployed to the wall, and that he had to report this fact to his superior. Leaving the terrified soldier behind, he ran to the center of the military camp. Perhaps they had heard the commotion; dozens of heavily armed knights were already forming a formation around the tent. The NCO approached one of the knights, saluted, and spoke.

“Sir Garan. It’s an attack. It’s the giants.”

“They attack without giving us a break. Even after killing so many, there are still some left.”

Garan muttered as he slung his lance over his shoulder. Soon, he gestured to the NCO.

“Inform the order and the other lords of this fact. Tell them that if they don’t fight back risking their lives, everyone will die.”

“Yes, sir.”

The NCO left, and Garan turned to enter the tent where the Duke resided.

“Duke.”

“Giants?”

“Yes. They are currently engaging the soldiers inside the walls.”

Georg, who was putting on his armor with the help of a servant, smirked. Engaging? How could ordinary humans deal with a monster over four meters tall? They were probably being trampled or eaten. At best, they were just buying time. The Duke strode forward. On his waist, he wore a Rune Sword, and he even held a shield engraved with a similar pattern.

Although he was old, his back was straight and his eyes were full of power. He still boasted a robust physique. Above all, the artifacts he wore on his body alone were enough to sweep away most monsters. He was already a knight. The old knight spoke.

“What about preparations for departure?”

“Thanks to your advance notice, we finished them long ago. Just give the order.”

As Garan looked at him with an amazed expression, the Duke shook his head.

“No, I also heard it from someone else. I just mentioned it just in case… What kind of guy is he? To have heard this?”

The Duke recalled the young knight who was bold enough to be insolent even in front of him.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s nothing. We move.”

As he stepped out of the tent, the knight order surrounded him as if protecting him. An elf swordsman who fled because he hated his homeland, a barbarian who clung to strong power, a sword demon who wandered in search of battlefields, a dwarf with outstanding craftsmanship, and so on. Each was a hero with a special secret and armed with powerful artifacts. ‘Yes, as long as I have them, I can do anything.’ The Duke watched them with satisfaction. Soon, he muttered so only his royal guard could hear.

“Never overdo it. We must preserve our forces as much as possible.”

There were lords of other forces who survived, and the order was also alive and well. All of them were companions who had to fight together against the Demon King, and at the same time, competitors who had to fight for the throne. The knights nodded, but out of anxiety, he added one more word.

“If things go wrong… you know what to do, right?”

The Duke’s face turned toward the people holding staffs who were relatively lightly armed. They were mages belonging to the knight order. One of them nodded and spoke.

“We will use the portal spell. However, the side effects…”

“Eighty percent. It’s better than all of us dying.”

“I understand.”

Preparing insurance just in case, the old knight moved. By now, the sound of vibration had grown so loud that it enveloped the entire military camp. In the distance, the figures of man-eating monsters were slowly visible. Soldiers holding a torch in one hand and a weapon in the other ran in all directions to face them.

He smirked. How many of them would survive? Who would get their hands on the crown? Whatever it was, it was clear that only those with power would occupy a more advantageous position than others. The range of choices they could make at a critical crossroads would widen. That was why he hungered for stronger power. He also needed authority. And if anyone blocked that path, he had no intention of forgiving them, whoever they were—whether it was the church or the knight who broke the gate.

#

If you think they would be dull because they are big, that is a mistake. As they weighed a lot, the muscles settled in their bodies were also abundant. This meant that the power and stride coming out of their bodies were also larger. Such a giant’s club flew in. It was like pulling out a pillar of a mansion and swinging it.

The soldiers resisted with shields, but every time they were hit, they vomited blood and were knocked away. The torches they held flew high in the sky and fell on the rotten houses, causing flames. The surroundings burned red. Now people had to face not only the monsters but also the smoke and heat.

“What a mess. How do we clean this up?”

Cara spoke, ruffling her hair.

“Can’t we use that spell from before? The magic that causes a blizzard. If we put out the fire with that…”

Isabel spoke as she loaded her crossbow, but Cara shook her head.

“This is a place where thousands of people were stationed. It’s not something that can be covered by a single spell. It would be possible if we got help from other mages, but they don’t seem to have the leisure either.”

Isabel looked around. Indeed, the mages were casting their respective spells at the monsters. Lightning, fireballs, and invisible forces struck the bodies of the fiends. As claws and talons were coming at them right in front of their eyes, they couldn’t afford to pay attention to the fire. Isabel closed her eyes briefly, opened them, and loaded an arrow.

“Then there’s only one way.”

“We have to pave a path before we burn to death.”

When Veloc replied, Adel shouted.

“Giant ahead!”

The group turned their gazes. Behind a collapsing building, a head suddenly rose. Its size was easily twice that of a normal person. Perhaps it had also spotted the group; its distorted face crumpled even more. It looked like a look of fear of the upcoming battle or pain from being wounded. However, in Veloc’s eyes, it was a smile. It was closer to a face anticipating a feast while rubbing its belly. It was just as he thought. The giant licked its lips. Soon, it swung its arm and completely shattered the collapsing house.

[New meat. Female meat. Tender meat.]

A chilling voice vibrated around. Through the falling wood fragments, its figure was revealed without filter. It was a vagrant wearing a rag on his lower body. However, it was a monster vagrant whose entire body was packed with muscles. ‘Well, rather than a giant, he looks like a leper.’

[New meat is here. I don’t need this.]

The giant swung its right hand. Cara cast a shield spell. A translucent force field appeared, and the object thrown by the giant slid off with a crunch. It was a corpse. A lump of flesh with only the lower half remaining, the upper half having been torn away.

“I feel like what I ate is going to come back up…”

Cara, frowning, cast a spell again. Adel also spat out harsh curses and drew her sword and shield.

“Crazy monster bastard!”

She looked ready to charge at any moment. However, Veloc stepped ahead. Holding his greatsword tightly, he charged bravely. It wasn’t out of anger for the poor soldier who had become the monster’s meal. He was just curious.

How strong would this newly appeared monster be? Would it surpass me? What about the experience points it would give? Veloc tensed the muscles in his body with a bit of anticipation. Then he thought about how much force to swing his sword with. Half? Or with all his might? He shook his head. ‘How can I measure and swing it with such numbers?’ He acted as usual. Black light flashed, and the giant’s club split.

[Ooh?]

A huge wooden plank split open. Through the flying sawdust, the giant’s bewildered eyes were visible. Veloc pulled back his swung sword. Soon, without losing momentum, he charged. This time, a black line flew in. The giant was pierced through the stomach before it could react. It vomited blood. It distorted its face even more.

It was not a look of joy, but due to the pain boring into its entrails. The giant shrieked as if the world would collapse. An arrow lodged in its eye. It was shot by Isabel. Adel, who had approached, also swung her curved blade wildly. The monster’s thick arm began to be sliced like ham.

[Aaargh!]

With a hole in its stomach, blinded, and unable to use one arm, the monster roared louder than before. Its remaining eye gleamed with malice. It was no longer looking at prey. It was the eye of a fiend that hated all things on earth. The monster opened its mouth wide. Through the chunks of meat caught in its teeth, dark darkness was revealed. Soon, a flickering orange squirm was also visible inside. At that moment, Veloc predicted what the monster would do. He remembered what the mercenary captain had said. Surely…

“You said it breathes fire.”

“Sir Veloc! It’s dangerous!”

Adel approached him urgently, chanting a prayer. Cara, who was in the back, also shouted.

“I’ll block it! Duck your head!”

In her hand, several sharp ice spears were held. She planned to drive them into the giant’s mouth to offset the flames. Seeing that, Veloc shook his head.

“What a fuss… Everyone, calm down!”

He took a short breath. Soon, he put more strength into the hand holding the sword. The blade shrieked, and the monster’s body also shrieked. Its steel-like skin, bones, thick flesh, and organs all tried to stop the movement of the blade. It was useless. All this resistance was futile. Veloc raised his sword, his brow slightly furrowed. A dark trajectory decorated the sky, and the monster split in half. Getting showered in the pouring blood and organs, Veloc let out a faint sigh.

“I expected it to some extent, but still… this makes me doubt my eyes every time.”

Leaving Cara, who was muttering in vain, behind, Veloc drove his greatsword into the ground.

“You don’t live up to your size. The experience points are too small.”

He looked around. Along with the astonished stares of the surroundings, various eyes were watching him. Most of them belonged to the monsters. A sticky hostility gripped his body. The growling breath also grew louder. However, Veloc smiled.

The knight was not afraid. He just wondered how long this unprofitable business would last. Compared to the effort put in, what he got was too small. Soon, he changed his mind. ‘Well, if the earnings are small, I just have to move more. Aren’t I used to gathering small things?’ He raised his sword again. The blood of the fiends dripping from the tip of the blade trickled down.