I could have killed all the enemies within range, but that would have reduced the amount of experience everyone would gain, so I held back. As we watched the chaos brought on by our repeated attacks, we charged into the darkness, ready to feast on the enemy ranks. Properly responding would have been nearly impossible for them, which made this ambush close to a complete success. We had also positioned Black Skeletons around the area. No one was meant to escape.
Killing the panicked masses was easy. The speed of our beasts—whether Demonic Bear, Orthrus, Hind Bear, or Triple-Horned Horse—far outmatched that of any of the humans’ warhorses. Within moments, we covered the distance to the enemy, spreading out and launching attacks on the still-confused soldiers.
Ogrekichi’s familiar, the Hind Bear, used its speed and size to trample fleeing soldiers from behind. Some were crushed, their innards spilling out, while others were sent flying through the air. Riding the momentum of its charge, the bear swung its colossal battle axe, engulfing its surroundings in flames and cutting down the group of Heavy Warriors.
Seemingly reacting out of muscle memory, the soldiers managed to raise their heavy shields in time to block the axe’s blow despite the confusion all around them. A sharp, heavy sound echoed through the air. But they couldn’t block the flames that followed—the axe’s inherent ability—which burned the entire front row of soldiers alive. The heavy shields bent under the pressure of the powerful strike.
The Heavy Warriors’ defense proved almost meaningless in the face of Ogrekichi’s overwhelming power. His devastating force, combined with the ability granted by his Blessing, intensified the heat from his axe, spreading a wide swath of flames and leaving a mass of charred bodies in its wake.
With his flaming axe, strikes that could break heavy shields, and a tower shield that made him nearly invincible, Ogrekichi struck sheer terror in the hearts of the enemy. Nearby, Dhami used her Enthralling Evil Eye to control any enemies who couldn’t resist her charm, forcing them to fight each other. This allowed her to avoid dirtying her own hands while still causing enemy casualties. Apparently, she also still gained experience from this, making it a highly efficient method.
We continued our assault, leveraging our unique abilities and tactics to sow chaos and destruction among the enemy ranks.
That said, not all enemies could be controlled. Some resisted Enthralling Evil Eye with combat arts, innate resistance, or possibly by using some kind of magic item, and charged at Dhami.
Those who fully resisted were few, though, and their movements sluggish. Dhami personally dealt with these foes, skewering them with ice spears generated by her Blessing, crushing them with ice blocks, or slicing them with the claymore I had given her. She would toss the bodies high into the air, and as they were shredded by ice spears, she bathed in the blood that showered down, her beautiful yet terrifying visage elevated by the streams of blood she licked off her cheeks. It sent chills down my spine.
A bit farther away, Asue’s war pick shattered the ground with deafening booms. The resulting walls of earth cut off the enemies’ escape routes, and the cracked and split earth swallowed those who couldn’t flee in time.
Most of Asue’s attacks were wide swings focusing on power, leaving openings for enemies to exploit. However, even among the half lord species, her high defense as a half earth lord meant mere steel swords couldn’t even scratch her skin. While she might have felt the shock of the attacks, her thick muscles absorbed most of the impact.
Seeing that normal attacks were ineffective against her, some enemies tried to use combat arts. But the brief moments needed to activate these skills were exploited by Asue, who killed her opponents with crushing punches, kicks, and body slams that could shatter rocks. Her cheerful, hearty laughter echoed amid the enemies’ screams.
Nearby, Spellsei conjured torrents of water with her magic, sweeping away enemies that Asue didn’t reach. It was like tossing soldiers into a washing machine filled with swords, spears, and metal armor. The fate of those caught in it was grim, as they were stabbed, shredded, and ultimately washed into the chasms Asue had created. The scene was almost comically grim, as if the battlefield was being cleansed of corpses.
Elsewhere, Bloodsato’s thirty or so blood swords, created from her abilities and only growing larger as they absorbed the blood of their victims, were cutting down enemies left and right. Those who entered the range of the blood swords spinning rapidly around Bloodsato were shredded, making her already red figure even redder with blood. She looked like a goddess of death.
The monsters, whose specifications were already higher than those of humans, had been undergoing intense daily training, leading to this one-sided massacre. I, too, cut down our enemies, reducing their numbers with my halberd that the blacksmith had enhanced with Spirit Stones.
About twenty minutes had passed since the attack began when the battle ended and the quiet of the night returned. As soon as I’d struck Aizen, we’d surrounded the area with walls of earth to ensure no one escaped. I had also cast Concealment on everyone, so even if there were any survivors, the enemy would have perceived us as something other than what we were.
This was good enough. Our objectives had been achieved. After pulling the buried red spear from the ground and collecting any usable supplies, we began to consume the flesh and blood of our fallen enemies.
Since there were many, I absorbed them efficiently using my Enhanced Digestion and Absorption, Vampiric Drain, and Metamorphosis.
[Ability learned: Wind Severance!]
[Ability learned: Storm Wind!]
[Ability learned: Regeneration Inhibition!]
[Ability learned: Perception Interference!]
[Ability learned: Uppercut!]
[Ability learned: Heavy Slash!]
[Ability learned: Warrior’s Lineage!]
[Ability learned: Knight’s Lineage!]
[Job unlocked: Dual Sword Wielder!]
[Job unlocked: Axe Master!]
[Job unlocked: Lance Master!]
[Ability learned: Survival Instinct!]
[Ability learned: Kin Slayer!]
[Ability learned: Strength Boost!]
[Ability learned: Hawk Eye!]
[Job unlocked: Berserker!]
[Ability learned: Overthinking Strike!]
[Job unlocked: Grappler!]
[Ability learned: Master of Martial Arts!]
[Ability learned: Flying Slash!]
[Ability learned: Crescent Moon Slash!]
[Ability learned: Myriad Spears Tempest!]
[Ability learned: Slash Rush!]
[Ability learned: Heavy Axe Strike!]
[Ability learned: Trap Creation!]
Finally, it was time to consume today’s main dish: Aizen. Despite most of his torso being gouged out and scattered, I managed to secure a decent amount of meat. And while I could have kept the White Dragon Scale Armor and the Cursed Reversed Thorn, I decided to eat them as well.
I crunched down on both. The armor had a crisp texture and a refreshing taste, while the spear was rich and slightly sticky.
[Ability learned: Holy Cross Slash: Grand Cross!]
[Job unlocked: Master Sword Wielder!]
[Job unlocked: Dragon Slayer!]
[Ability learned: Dragon Scale Refinement!]
[Ability learned: Cursed Scar!]
We returned home satisfied with the experience and skills we’d obtained.