Chapter 390: A New Force
“Ah.”
“What’s wrong?”
I couldn’t help but exclaim, as I was deep in thought about how to deal with the people speaking in dialect. This might be a bit more pressing.
“A Spider TYPE has been destroyed.”
“What?!”
“Seriously?!”
Rio and Ivan reacted similarly to my words. The TYPE Series possesses strength that rivals even Ivan’s, at least in terms of status. Moreover, it has skills specialized in stealth, making it a troublesome opponent if it was caught and destroyed.
“Yeah. It’s unlikely that it malfunctioned just a few days after creation, so it’s better to assume it encountered something in this area.”
“Where? Is it close from here?”
Rio asked with a serious expression. If this place were to be attacked and suffer damage, it would be a serious matter, so we need to respond as a priority. By cross-referencing the coordinates where the Spider TYPE’s presence vanished with my Map Skill, I quickly identified the location.
“It’s to the south, beyond the mountains surrounding this basin. It’s about two hundred kilometers away, but we can’t really predict a monster’s range of movement.”
“True. Especially if it’s a flying monster.”
“That’s definitely the case…”
“I’ll go check it out, but what about you?”
“Hmm… I think I’ll stay back just in case.”
“Understood.”
That does seem safer. I could leave it to Nil and Phonia, but if we were attacked in numbers, we’d be in trouble. Better to be cautious.
“Be careful.”
“Yeah.”
As Rio saw me off, I confirmed that there was no one around before teleporting close to the site where the Spider TYPE was destroyed. It appeared to be in the Forest, enveloped by the rich scent of lush greenery. As I extended my Presence Detection, I quickly picked up the reactions of living beings. It seemed to be quite a large group, moving in a specific direction.
“Do they have a destination?”
I tried to extend my Presence Detection to see if there was anything at their destination.
“Hmm?”
There were many concentrated presences ahead. Perhaps the group of creatures was heading toward this gathering. The destroyed Spider TYPE was behind the moving group, so the gathering they were heading toward probably had nothing to do with it. I couldn’t predict what would happen when the moving group and the gathering collided, but I had a hunch that a battle would likely ensue.
While this area was uncharted, it wasn’t impossible that there were indigenous people. I could wait leisurely for a collision, but if the gathering turned out to be humans, it would leave a bad taste. The moving group? They had the suspicion of having destroyed the Spider TYPE, so I might not need to show them mercy.
Using Spatial Magic to scout ahead, I confirmed the forms of the moving group. They were bipedal monsters over three meters tall. With red skin and horns extending from their foreheads, they matched the imposing appearance of the Ogre classification I had identified. There were nearly a hundred of them, making them quite a threat. Moreover, I could see a few higher-ranking individuals among them.
As for the gathering they were heading toward…
“…Elves?”
When I scouted the area, I spotted a village. The houses were cleverly built to blend into the Forest, showcasing a lifestyle in harmony with nature. At a glance from above, it would be hard to notice. However, the village was in a state of chaos. Children and the elderly were evacuating to the back of the village, while the younger ones rushed out, armed.
Seeing that all the villagers had brown skin, they were likely of the Dark Elf race. I confirmed this through appraisal, and it was indeed the case. They seemed to be a race strong in magic, but considering the attacking Ogres, the slender physique of the Elves appeared rather unreliable. I could see a few villagers with desperate expressions, suggesting they might not have the strength to fend off the Ogre horde.
“Should I lend them a hand?”
Even if they are indigenous people, they are residents of the land I acquired. It would be a hassle to do nothing, but it wouldn’t hurt to maintain good relations with the neighbors.
The Dark Elves were preparing to confront the approaching Ogres, forming a half-encirclement. In the dense Forest, the Ogres were unaware that they were charging into a dangerous area.
Timing my attack just before the Ogres and Dark Elves clashed, I launched a surprise assault, breaking through the side of the Ogre horde. The front line of Ogres, distracted by the swelling magic power and killing intent emanating from me, stumbled into the range of the Dark Elves.
“Fire!”
At that moment, a beautiful voice from the Dark Elves rang out, and a barrage of ranged attacks was unleashed upon the Ogres. I had refrained from using area magic to avoid causing damage to the Forest, yet the Dark Elves were unconcerned as they unleashed flashy spells.
“Why are they doing that?”
I couldn’t help but let out a bit of Kansai dialect.
“Well, whatever.”
After piercing through the Ogre horde, I decided to unleash my area magic on the group behind them without hesitation. The Ogres had considerable durability, so I infused a bit more magic power than usual into my strike. I summoned spears of earth from the ground to skewer the enemies across a wide area. While it did disturb the ground somewhat, it was better than incinerating or clear-cutting the area.
With most of the Ogres dealt with, I moved toward the front line. In the now clearer area, the battle with the Ogres continued.
It seemed that one particularly large Ogre with jet-black skin remained, likely a Black Ogre. It surpassed the status of the Dark Elves, and while there hadn’t been any fatalities yet, injuries were mounting among them.
This Ogre might be a bit of a heavy load to handle.