Natural disasters cannot be stopped by humans.
Such a definitive tone of speech naturally evoked a contrarian reaction from Rena, a staunch empiricist.
Rena had lived her life this way.
Not that she believed in impossible feats or anything of that sort.
It was just her nature to try things firsthand before she could find peace with them.
Even someone as persistent as Rena had no intention to dispute this particular premise.
It’s a fact, after all, what can you do about it.
Hence, if a genuine natural disaster had struck, Rena would have packed up and moved out without hesitation.
But the so-called natural disaster was a metaphor.
Upon closer examination, it turned out to be nothing more than monster chaos.
Then, it was worth handling.
Even gentle beasts would fight against predators when their homes and families were threatened.
All the more so for Rena, who was human.
Driven by the determination to protect her home and property, Rena’s eyes burned with resolve.
*
Some people are usually highly emotional, yet paradoxically turn rational when they’re angry beyond measure.
Rena was one such person.
At this moment, Rena was calmer and more rational than she had ever been in her life.
Ordinarily, upon arriving at the scene, she would have jumped straight into action without devising a plan.
However, even upon reaching the scene, Rena immediately began strategizing.
Rushing into things would only escalate the situation.
First things first, I should locate someone I know.
Ideally someone like a Warrior Chief—or a Tribe Chief would be better still.
A crowd without a leader is merely a collection of individuals, whereas a group with a leader is an organized force.
Leaders were necessary to restore order to the scattered Orc tribes.
Once the Orcs calmed down, the next course of action would be obvious.
Go away, in the opposite direction of my house!
To Rena, running Orcs or rampaging boss-level monsters were all the same.
They both posed an imminent threat of turning her house into wreckage.
Do the lives of these creatures fleeing in terror inspire any concern for others’ property? Not likely.
And boss-level monsters?
As irrelevant as an ant under the foot of a walking person, her house would surely lie in ruins under the monster’s rampant destruction.
To protect her house, Rena needed to deal with both the Orcs and the monsters—not just handle one side.
Of the two, the Orcs were the easier target to prioritize.
…But where have they all gone now that I can’t see them?
The two towering figures often competing to be the strongest in the tribe should stand out more in such chaotic situations.
Unless… they were the first ones to flee?
Indeed, it would be unusual to see them if they had fled first.
Tch. Surely the Tribe Chief wouldn’t do something as reckless as that.
But wasn’t the current Tribe Chief the one who sold off his own tribe to me anyway?
The suspicion growing in Rena’s heart began to swell.
In reality, the Tribe Chief had been the one bravely fighting the Python at the forefront.
Unfortunately, there was no opportunity for the misunderstanding to be cleared up.
For a dead man cannot speak.
“…I’ve found you.”
Fortunately, Rena spotted the Warrior Chief.
Just as the enormous tail of the monster was about to crush him, Rena’s body moved faster than her mind could think.
His survival had been decided by the narrowest of margins.
Kroggkh!
Rena was propping up the massive tail with both her hands.
It was a reckless move.
Even though Rena wielded immense strength, the weight difference was insurmountable.
It was wiser to dodge the monster snake’s attacks rather than confront them head-on.
Unfortunately, the situation didn’t allow it.
There wasn’t enough time to grab both the Warrior Chief and the Tribe Chief and extricate from the danger zone.
Apparently, Rena’s body had made that judgment on its own.
Rena trusted her instincts.
In this situation, this was undoubtedly the best course of action.
So, even though her shoulders ached and her grip tingled, she didn’t show it.
Nothing broken—bones nor muscles.
This was good enough, wasn’t it.
“Hurry up and get out of here!”
That said, holding it up forever wasn’t feasible either.
Upon being prompted, the Tribe Chief finally snapped out of it and fled.
Why he kept looking back even as he ran for his life was beyond Rena’s comprehension.
Rena held her ground until his back fully vanished from sight.
… Promotion from Warrior Chief to Tribe Chief.
Did he seize the throne amid the chaos?
The last Tribe Chief was a traitor, and the current one, a betrayer—so the future of the Wind Blade Orc Tribe looked particularly bleak.
But, that was an Orc problem.
At any rate, that was one less worry.
The last impediment before Rena now was the sole remaining boss-level monster.
“Python.”
Rena read the glowing words hovering above its head.
The name sounded familiar, as if she’d heard it somewhere before.
Hailing from Greek-Roman mythology, perhaps? Alternatively spelled Python or Puthon.
A common name, indeed.
The monster’s identity as a giant snake wasn’t surprising either.
Given that it led Lizardmen, its leader naturally had to be a snake.
Khrrooo!
As Python writhed its gigantic body, the surrounding area crumbled with a series of sounds.
A ruler of the Great Forest, to be sure, it possessed an extraordinary aura.
What made it particularly extraordinary was its size.
Some might think that being large isn’t much of a “characteristic,” but when you’re as big as a small hill, things change.
To be more specific, it was slightly smaller than the pile of bones of a dead dragon in a dragon’s lair.
Is this a snake or a dragon?
It was abnormally large to be called a snake but too small to be a dragon, leading one to ponder whether it could be an Imugi.
Are there Imugis in a fantasy world?
Rena’s wandering thoughts were cut off there.
Whether it was a snake, a dragon, or an Imugi, it made no difference.
It was still her enemy to defeat.
“Hello. We’ve lived on the same land for years, but this is the first proper greeting, isn’t it? Can you hear me?”
As stated in the ancient Chinese military classic, The Art of War, the most beautiful victory is achieved without fighting.
Furthermore, subduing an enemy without a fight is deemed the highest form of excellence.
Resolving issues through dialogue would be the most ideal outcome.
Python had yet to destroy Rena’s home, so there was room for compromise for both parties.
Khrrooo!
Python’s response was a wriggling movement.
It wasn’t even clear if Python had heard the question, given that its head wasn’t directed toward Rena.
“Sigh, of course you’d be like this.”
Rena sighed.
Having bet on the possibility that Python’s giant head housed an equally large brain…
It proved unable to overcome its inherent limitations as the head of a snake.
No matter what title precedes you, you’re still a beast at heart.
Attempting dialogue with creatures like these would require beating them up first.
Rena put this truth, learned from the wild, into action.
Loosening her grip and coiling her lower body, Python’s tail floated slightly up.
Sensing nothing unusual from its massive body, Python continued to ignore Rena.
So, you think you’re safe, do you?
It’s time you suffer a bit.
Rena’s body spun rapidly, pivoting on her left foot.
One rotation, five rotations, ten rotations… It was an endless spin akin to a spinning top.
In that whirling world, Rena’s eyes remained steady.
Three, two, one, now!
With the final twist of her torso, the accumulated rotational force concentrated on her feet.
Wham!
At the exact moment, she struck Python’s tail as it descended.
…!
Python’s massive body slid like a straight line.
The trees, bushes, streams, and hills in its path were swept away.
The aftermath cascaded behind it like a wave.
As is well known in physics, the law of action and reaction.
Since Python was pushed so far back, the force Rena used to kick it should have sent her flying a similarly great distance.
However, Rena stood firm in her spot.
She fully absorbed and digested the reactive impact with her body.
A monstrous physique defies physics!
At least that seemed to be true in the fantasy world.
The existence of creatures as massive as Python already made the physics rules in Rena’s memory irrelevant.
Rena gave a brisk shake to her kicking leg and observed Python’s condition.
Surely, it’s come to its senses by now.
It’s impossible not to be stunned after its skin was so abrasively scraped.
Rena realized her effort had been futile.
The scales were far too resilient.
Though the scale at the point of impact had broken, the rest only bore superficial scratches.
Accordingly, Python’s eyes remained glazed, more chaotic than ever.
How do you tell what’s in its pupil when it’s a snake?
Nonetheless, it was clear that Python was flailing wildly, overwhelmed and unable to find a way to release its confusion.
She had assumed at first that Python was raging after seeing its subordinates harmed.
But apparently, it had simply gone into convulsions due to a mental breakdown.
As the long-time ruler of the Great Forest, Python had undoubtedly lived a long life.
Even though Rena lacked such knowledge, the creature’s colossal size suggested a long life.
Even animals can suffer from dementia.
Given the longevity, this was reasonable.
Perhaps I should’ve kicked its head instead of its tail.
Don’t broken electronics often return to normal after being hit a few times?
Given how simple-minded Python was, it was highly likely this simple trick could have worked.
Swish!
Fortunately, Rena’s kick wasn’t entirely futile.
The raised head of the Python was now precisely aimed at her.
Even in its muddled state, it recognized the tiny human who dared harm it.
“Much better.”
That’s right, look at me.
And steer clear of the area above my house.
Rena bared her shiny white teeth in a grin.
