Chapter 295

295th Chapter

The Forgotten Giant’s Ancient Forest #2

Patter, patter, thud-thud.

The sound of an enormous four-legged beast sprinting through the grass spread noisily.

Carrk!

Its bl**d-red eyes pierced us as if they could bore straight through. Of course, no matter how sharp the glare, I knew it couldn’t actually see through me.

But those column-like legs and talon-like claws could surely pierce through us and rip us apart to shreds.

Cyaarrk!

In the blink of an eye, the creature had lifted its massive forepaws toward us.

“Aaah! That thing’s about to smash us! W-we have to run!”

Paranoi’s words rang true. For some reason, this massive beast was incredibly agitated and it seemed ready to knock our heads off. And if I got hit by that, there was a high chance my head would separate from my body.

But we weren’t about to just let that happen.

We had nothing less than the strongest monster with us, possessing an attack power of 3000 and a defense power of 2500.

“Isbaron! Do something! Endburst Stream!”

Ah… Unfortunately, I can’t do anything here in this forest. That’s the promise.

“Shi-!”

As I let out this profanity worthy of despair, a fierce claw tore through the air straight at me.

“Hassan! Look out!”

“Hassan-sama, this time, we’re really going to d*e!”

As the voice of Luna and Paranoi screamed sharply in my ears, the massive forepaw speeding toward me seemed to move in slow motion.

Is this the flashbacks before d*ath?

Events from my past reeled in my mind like photographs on a filmstrip.

Ah! Hassan’s Ultimate Deadly Technique No. 25 – The Powerful Smash!

Ah! If you reduce Paranoi’s share any further, she’ll become a Countess of Hell instead of a Baroness!

If you bring all these nymphs over here and form the Hell’s Nymph Unit –

sh*t, all I see in my flashbacks is Paranoi. It’s as if I’ve gotten some kind of computer virus.

This is unacceptable. My last sight before d*ath can’t be Paranoi!

So, I squeezed every ounce of strength from my body and raised my arms.

Pafak!

At the same time, my body collided with the massive forepaw and I was hurled far away. It was a strike of agony, shaking my very soul as if struck by lightning.

“Gurrrrkk!”

As horrifying as the blow was, the fact that I could still feel pain and form coherent thoughts suggested I hadn’t died yet.

While continuing to fly through the air, I managed to twist my body and land correctly.

Unhappy with the sight, it seemed, the white-furred beast with fangs the size of arms began growling.

By my side, Luna rushed over.

“Hassan, are you okay!?”

“Yeah! Somehow I managed to hold on!”

I don’t know exactly how, but in that instant, I had concentrated all of my energy into my arms and increased my defense. There’s nothing like actual combat for training.

As I was on the verge of d*ath, I had unknowingly achieved a superhuman level of concentration and channeled my aura.

The problem was, I had only just escaped d*ath’s threshold this once. I was now without any ultimate techniques or dash abilities, while the opponent had merely used a simple regular attack.

My situation was as dark as if the sky itself had turned pitch black.

The scene reminded me of that day, stirring memories from the past. It was after Luna and I had just formed our party when we fought a powerful beast in the underground.

Back then, I was nothing more than a trembling mouse before the mighty beast.

Is history destined to repeat itself?

“Ifrith!”

At that moment, a loud shout echoed from somewhere. Soon, a fiery inferno strong enough to scorch the surrounding air rose into the sky and shot off rapidly.

Keerrk!

Bang!

It collided with the massive, white-furred beast, causing a huge explosion.

The heat was immense, almost as if it had sucked all the moisture from the immediate vicinity, leaving my skin dry and parched.

Hwaaah…

Caught up in the powerful aftermath, Luna and I quickly lowered our stances and ducked to avoid the flames.

“Khyeek! I-I’m flying…!”

Of course, Paranoi, with her slight build, was flung far away and tumbled around, but that’s not what mattered at the moment.

Elpride’s Fireball.

Even though the Fireball is one of the most basic attack spells in fire magic, it was without doubt a deadly ultimate technique.

Patter, patter, thud-thud.

The white-furred beast quickly disappeared under the red flames of that intense explosion. It was easy to see even at a glance that Elpride’s spell had produced a powerful effect.

Oh, so she was a mage of fire. Now that I think about it, her strange mana made sense. What a magnificent flame, rivaling the breath of fire dragons.

Even that arrogant-looking dragon, Isbaron, seemed to approve.

But Elpride’s expression didn’t brighten, despite receiving praise from the dragon species she so adored.

“I didn’t take it down. Instead, I’ve probably made it even more angry. At this point, I’ll have to unleash a much stronger technique.”

Kaahaaa!

Indeed, the massive beast that emerged from the flames seemed unaffected, appearing completely fine. Moreover, it drooled between its fangs, clearly quite upset.

Is it showing signs of rabies?

At the sight of this, Isbaron the dragon chuckled slightly.

Certainly, the beast’s skin is tough. Even ordinary weapons and spells often bounce off. That’s why it could become the king of this forest.

“Stay back, mage. Preparing that strange incantation will take time.”

Sleeng!

Hippolyte stepped forward, holding a longsword nearly as long as her own body in both hands. Elpride’s furrowed brow, which had shown signs of anxiety, relaxed slightly.

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

And then, Elpride soon began chanting a long and incomprehensible incantation.

The fact that Elpride, who could usually cast most spells without incantations, was now chanting, was proof of just how potent the upcoming spell would be.

Is she about to use that technique she once employed to defeat the giant in the depths?

I’m not entirely sure, but with Elpride and Hippolyte on our side, I feel incredibly reassured.

That’s right.

This is different from the first time I fought something like a cat or a lion in the underground. Most importantly, our party composition has improved drastically.

“Hyup!”

With deep breaths, Hippolyte fiercely swung the large longsword with both hands.

From left to right – Her sword slashed through the air like a thorn or claw, producing a wave of icy wind rushing toward the beast. This was undoubtedly the secret art of swordsmen, whether you call it an energy blade or piercing strike.

Shaaaaww…

The destructive wave of physical force moved like sweeping waves, howling loudly as it rushed toward the white-furred beast –

before finally and accurately striking its body.

!

When the energy blade collided with the creature, it sounded like the sharp clash of metal against metal.

Without causing bl**d to spurt or fur to be severed, instead producing a metallic sound, this was very peculiar.

“Indeed, the skin is sturdy. So, how about I try slicing it directly?”

Hippolyte smirked, pushing off the ground with her legs. Her body soared into the sky, aiming for the monster’s head, with her longsword swinging downward from above.

So precise was the arc of her blade that it was almost as if a protractor were used to draw it. The movement was seamless and beautifully clean.

Kang!

However, the sword meeting the beast’s forehead only produced yet another loud clanging sound.

“Kggh, it’s so hard!”

Hippolyte landed on the ground, surprisingly raising her voice with a hint of unease – something unusual for her.

“It’s as if it’s wearing an iron armor!”

Indeed, based on Hippolyte’s words, the white-furred beast possessed skin akin to steel. An armored beast covering its entire body.

Is this some kind of balance patch?

As I gathered my breath and dealt with the pain, wondering how we could possibly defeat such a creature, Luna searched around her waist and eventually pulled out a small vial.

“I found it! Bug Repellent Plant! This could temporarily incapacitate that massive creature!”

Bug Repellent Plant?

Ah…

I remembered when Luna used this during the battle against Nemaea’s White One in the underground drainage system. Burning the plant released a distinctive fragrance that significantly hindered the creature’s movements.

“Back then, I couldn’t do anything. But now, I’ve learned quite a bit! Hippolyte, can you give me just a little more time?”

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but hurry up!”

While Hippolyte was dealing with the enormous monster, Luna quickly spread the contents of the vial on the ground, lighting it up with a match.

But the fire wouldn’t catch as expected.

“Are these leaves not dried enough? Hassan, can you help me start the fire?”

So, I tried my hardest to assist Luna in lighting the leaves, blowing on them and adding more dry grass, but it still wouldn’t catch.

That’s when something like a small firefly flew from somewhere.

Hwarrek!

Soon after, it ignited the Bug Repellent Plant in a fiery blaze.

Looking back, I saw Elpride continuing her spellcasting. She must have added the spark. It was unexpected, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

“Smoke Voodoo!”

Luna then promptly discarded her robe and cloak, fluttering them to spread the smoke around.

Flap, flap…

The smoke swirled in all directions, heading towards the massive white-furred beast.

Carrlkk!?

Upon catching the smell, the creature shivered violently. The monster immediately halted its attack on Hippolyte and charged straight towards Luna.

“Ha, Hassan! Just stop it for a second! Just a little bit! Just a few seconds would do – it’s big, so the effects might take a little longer to kick in!”

“sh*t, let’s see what we can do! Lady Nox, please.”

“『With such bright light, I cannot use my suit of armor of the night…』”

“Subterfuge won’t work either!”

Pap, pap…

I planted my legs firmly into the ground, grabbed the club on my back, and adjusted its weight until it elongated, turning it into a mighty staff.

I then firmly clutched its length with both hands and raised it high into the sky.

Hooomng…

The immense pillar tore through the air, climbing high into the sky.

“Come on, kid!”

Cyarrrk!?

The beast, perhaps sensing the weightiness and perceiving the danger, tried hastily to halt its run only to find itself already within the range of my extended club.

“d*e, you monster!”

Hooaaaah!!

Human strength reaches its limits at what they called “Extreme 15.”

After going through some changes, the mighty club I wielded now felt odd to call a mere weapon—a name now befitting “The Terrifying Crusher.”

I had a strange feeling—this strength, something I could never test on humans, was now facing an enemy I once struggled against. Feeling the full weight of my force, I threw all of my strength into my entire body and struck downwards.

Finally, the end of the colossal pillar collided with the head of the monstrous beast that sought to devour me—

!

A thunderous crash echoed as my titanium-made gauntlets began to shatter and burst apart, streams of warm bl**d trickled down from my nose and mouth.

My sense of lower body numbed, almost as if my legs and waist lost their functionality. Even though I was the one initiating the attack, I could fully feel the devastating aftermath.

Of course, the strike was incredibly powerful.

Gruuuu!

Kwak, kwajik.

Despite the ground being gouged deep as if struck by a meteorite, the massive monster appeared to still be standing firm.

As bl**d streamed from its eyes, nose, and mouth, it finally attempted to bite me.

“This, this thing is going to eat me!”

To prevent being eaten, I clutched onto both its upper jaws and barely managed to withstand.

With a fierce struggle, my raw power contended against its biting force when I started to feel the strength in the beast’s body slowly ebbing away.

“Shadow Binding!”

At that moment, I heard a loud striking sound behind me as Luna pounded something sharp into the ground. Shadow Binding.

One of Luna’s frightening yet powerful curses that temporarily immobilizes the opponent.

Gruuuu…

It seemed to have worked as the white monster that aimed to tear me apart piece by piece gradually stiffened, freezing in place.

“Hassan! It’s not dead yet! We need to cut off its airway! This thing’s too large, and the effect won’t last long – at most, ten seconds!”

Ten seconds!?

Luna’s words snapped me back to reality, so after freeing myself from the creature’s mouth, I tightly wrapped its neck with my arms.

A club or sword or even flames couldn’t harm this beast, but it was fundamentally an animal still alive with a beating heart.

So, I simply needed to strangle its neck and cutoff its oxygen supply.

“Gruuh!”

The creature’s neck was thick like a powerful pillar. The tendons, bones, muscles, and flesh all bulged and strained against my grip in defiant struggle.

Gruuuhaa!

“Maybe the spell’s about to wear off, Hassan!”

Gaaahh!

Krrack!

With the sound of shattering glass, the beast began to thrash wildly once more. It seemed desperately to be trying to remove me, scraping my body with its forepaws.

“sh*t, d*e already! d*e!”

If I let go here, it felt like all my suffering, training, growth, and effort would be rendered completely useless.

That’s why with a tenacity that even surprised myself, I gripped its neck even tighter.

“That… that’s Hassan-sama’s one of the five most dangerous instant d*ath techniques, Embrace of d*ath! Now, that huge beast is about to d*e!”

“I will help you, Hassan!”

Then came the sound of Hippolyte seemingly grabbing the beast’s forelegs. Thanks to her efforts, one arm was now restrained, reducing the number of attacks aimed at me, which was incredibly fortunate.

Swish, swish…

The breathing of the giant beast gradually became weaker, fading like the soft breeze.

I squeezed out every ounce of my remaining strength, veins in my head feeling ready to burst. This was now a matter of either killing it or being killed.

At this point, nothing else could enter my mind except for enduring.

And finally…

…

Finally, I felt a small life leaving me. I had defeated this massive beast with my ultimate technique, the d*ath Embrace. At that instant, I felt all my strength drain from my body.

It was as if I had used up all the power I was supposed to last a year. I couldn’t even raise a finger. As I laid collapsed on the ground, my vision blurred, dimly catching the surroundings.

“Shut! Hassan, Hassan defeated this massive white thing! Let’s skin it! Its hide can make truly incredible clothes!”

A gleeful Luna.

“I didn’t even need to step in.”

Elpride extinguishing the strange flames on her staff.

“Technique or subterfuge, just brute strength. This is why Samaritan…”

Hippolyte clicked her tongue as she returned her large longsword to its sheath.

“Hassan-sama has once again narrowly escaped d*ath…! Exactly, how much longer do you plan to toy with the God of d*ath, Moros!!”

…

Anyway, with the relief of survival and the sense of accomplishment that I had accomplished something filling my mind, my thoughts became as clear and refreshing as if plunging my brain under a cascade.

So, closing my eyes and falling asleep right here and now seemed perfectly fine.

Kaarrk…

Kaarrk…

Karrek.

“What, what is that sound…”

Upon opening my eyes again, the sight of white fur bundles surrounding us caught my vision. Meanwhile, the green dragon who had been giggling unpleasantly since before finally spoke.

What you captured is the offspring, Juvenile, of the Beast King. An unreachable task beyond ordinary people, akin to reaching for the stars. It seems the Forest King, Echidna, finds you interesting.

[Author’s Postlude] A quick public opinion survey for the illustration has concluded…

Hassan, Antiope, and the new character gods

Considering the nearly evenly divided opinions, much thought was given.

Deciding to space it out somewhat, it’s ideal to complete all of them.

Of course, since the illustrator Star is busy currently, it’s unclear how things will proceed. T-T

May your Sundays drift by leisurely…!!!

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