Both Jiro the Hind Bear and Saburo the Alpha Dark Wolf underwent Existence Evolution. They had been catching their own food and accompanying us during our attacks on the human army, quietly accumulating experience.
Jiro evolved to a size even larger than a Red Bear. His once gray fur darkened, his muscles bulked up significantly, and a sharp, fifty-centimeter obsidian-like horn grew from his forehead. According to Gobjii, he had evolved into a Demonic Bear.
Demonic Bears are known for their strong territorial instincts and fierce temperament. Their claws are harder than steel, and their massive arms can crush rocks with a single swipe. It’s said that a single Demonic Bear’s rampage could completely annihilate an average town in this world. However, once subdued, they become highly obedient, making them excellent mounts.
With time, the horn on a Demonic Bear’s forehead can harness special powers. Jiro already seemed to possess some form of power—occasionally, when attacking with his arms or horn, a black aura would appear, significantly increasing the power and speed of his attacks. While he couldn’t fully control this ability yet, it was likely just a matter of time before he mastered it.
Next was Saburo, who had grown to the size of a warhorse and now had two heads that could think independently and exhaled black flames crackling with lightning. This species is known as Orthrus. Typically found in volcanic regions and underground caverns, they’re a rarity in this area.
An Orthrus can breathe both lightning and fire, but according to the Dull Iron Knight, the flames should be red. Saburo’s flames are black. His fur has also darkened even further. It seems that my influence is at play, but I don’t fully understand how, so I’ll set that aside for now.
To test the capabilities of my newly evolved creatures, I planned a raid on a human military unit. Our party consisted of me, Ogrekichi, and four other ogres (those who had undergone Existence Evolution twice), along with their familiars, totaling thirteen.
As a small, elite group, we hoped to increase our levels. Recently, we had been focused on raising the overall level of our group, so the main fighters like us had been careful not to over-hunt. The more members there were in a party, the less experience each one received, which made it harder for us to level up, since we needed more experience to do so. Despite all the battles and kills, our levels haven’t increased as much as anticipated.
While boosting the group’s overall strength is important, in the end, we have to rely on ourselves. Staying weak would mean being unable to protect what we hold dear, so it was time for a significant level boost.
I left the Dull Iron Knight and the Lady Knight in charge, along with some Black Skeleton squads and three larger self-replicated clones for added security. The human forces were focused on the elves, so they likely wouldn’t target our distant stronghold.
Around sunset, when it started getting dark, we rode through the forest. I was on Jiro, with Saburo by my side, and the others were on their respective familiars. Our target was a group of humans with a small number of mages but many heavy warriors with high attack power and knights who excelled in both offense and defense, making them formidable in close combat.
The enemy force numbered just under six hundred. All were humans, with no demi-humans among them, and each soldier had risen through the ranks on the strength of their martial prowess. With nearby enemy units like this one, the plan was to inflict as much damage as possible in a short time before retreating.
After an hour’s run, we reached the enemy encampment. The darkness had already settled, making it convenient to bolster our forces with summoned undead. Human armies rarely moved through the forest at night, so they were easy targets.
From a hill overlooking the enemy camp, where tents and bonfires illuminated the area, I observed their setup. The only notable figure was an elderly knight with a prominent white beard. Even while dining, he held a black iron short spear with numerous small thorns on the red-black blade. He wore a luminous white scale mail.
The Dull Iron Knight and the Lady Knight had mentioned this individual on the “List of Notable Adversaries of the Kingdom and Empire” we had compiled. He matched the description of one Aizen Ritter, the second brigade commander of the third division of the Empire’s army, known as Luutrun Nea, the Lair of the White Serpent. This elite unit trained in state-owned military dungeons to enhance their strength. In his younger days, Aizen had been a famed adventurer.
The black iron short spear, an Ancient-class magic item named the Cursed Reversed Thorn, was something Aizen himself had acquired from the Empire’s Divine Era Dungeon. Even a slight graze from the weapon’s blade would inflict multiple powerful curses: Curse of Sluggishness, Curse of Paralysis, Curse of Near-Death, and so on. The white scale mail he wore was also a magic item named the White Dragon Scale Armor, crafted from a white dragon Aizen had slain. It could easily deflect crossbow bolts and possessed high magical resistance.
These items and Aizen himself were all prime targets for consumption—especially the armor.
Taking Aizen out first would remove the most significant threat, improving our overall chances and safety. To ensure his elimination, I retrieved the Legendary-class Artifact, the crimson spear Hunger-Thirsting Impaler of a Thousand Thorns, Kazikli Bey, from my Item Box. Then I transformed my silver arm into a ballista and loaded the spear.
To improve my chances of success, I activated multiple abilities and jobs: Assassin for increased assassination efficacy, Archer and Hunter for long-range attacks since I was using a ballista, Throwing and Needle Shot for improved accuracy and power of ranged attacks, and Blood Flow Manipulation to increase power more generally. Then I aimed the crimson spear at Aizen’s torso and fired.
Aizen, positioned near the center of the enemy camp and about three hundred meters away from us, was well within range. As I concealed my presence as much as possible, my crimson spear launched, resembling a red comet more than a projectile weapon. It struck Aizen’s torso, where it was protected by the White Dragon Scale Armor, and pierced through it effortlessly.
Aizen had no time to react to the powerful, unseen strike. His final expression, one of bewilderment, lingered in my memory. The soup-filled bowl he had been holding shattered as it hit the ground, the sound echoing through the mostly silent camp.
This is the beginning of the legend of the ultimate surprise attack.
Let the notion of fighting fair be fed to the pigs.
In the end, the natural order is survival of the fittest, and history is written by the victors.
These trivial thoughts briefly distracted me. Regaining focus, I observed the enemy’s reaction.
The crimson spear’s momentum remained undiminished, embedding itself deep into the ground. A hole marked where the spear had landed. Soldiers stood around Aizen’s lifeless body, which now had a gaping chest wound. Their mouths agape in disbelief, the shocked soldiers struggled to comprehend what had transpired, perhaps thinking such an abrupt death was no more than an illusion.
When enough soldiers had gathered around Aizen’s body, I activated the spear’s ability: Tepes, the Bloodstained Crimson Spear Legion. Without warning, numerous crimson spears emerged from the ground at high speed, impaling anyone within a hundred-meter radius. Those caught within the ability’s range either perished or sustained severe injuries, with many suffering from pierced limbs or torsos.