The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 122

The reason I called it bizarre was simple: it looked unlike any monster I had ever encountered.

The numerous monsters I had faced—Orcs, Gargoyles, Ogres, Basilisks, and so on—at least had somewhat understandable appearances. Whether they resembled humans, reptiles, or beasts, they were relatively familiar. But this unidentified monster was different.

First, its body resembled a giant tree, with several legs like those of a beast. Countless mouth-like orifices covered its body, dripping green saliva. The saliva smoked when it touched the ground, suggesting it contained poison and acid. It had no eyes, and where its head should have been, countless tentacles writhed like branches. It was a sight that would horrify even the most courageous person, even in broad daylight.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before…”

I prided myself on my experience, but I had never seen such a creature, or even anything remotely like it.

‘Serena’s never around when I need her.’

The only person I could ask, Serena, had disappeared without a word, so I couldn’t ask her about its identity. However, one thing was certain: I shouldn’t underestimate it. The fact that my body was constantly sending warning signals from the moment I saw it was proof enough.

‘Still, it feels like a waste to back down now.’

Confirming its existence was an achievement, but retreating felt like a waste. At the very least, I needed to ascertain its strength and any abilities besides mental interference, to avoid being caught off guard in the future.

‘Should I test its defenses first?’

It looked like a moving tree—a very bizarre tree, but a tree nonetheless. It looked like it would burn easily. However, I needed to confirm that.

It was common for higher-level monsters to have higher base defense and magic resistance. Especially monsters with unique abilities; their magic resistance often exceeded expectations. It might look like fire would be its weakness, but it could just as easily be water.

I drew [Fang], my custom firearm. It had been years since I made it, and despite firing thousands of rounds, the miraculous material called Mithril was withstanding the strain without much trouble.

The bullet I chose was a standard round. It had average penetration and explosive power, enough to kill most high-level monsters with a single shot.

I took a breath, closed one eye, and aimed at the fluttering tentacles. I would have preferred to target the main body, but the way the tentacles writhed seemed to protect it. That meant the tentacles were likely more durable. Since it seemed impossible to hit the body without breaking through the tentacles, I abandoned that idea.

*Thung-* *Ting-*

“?!”

I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at the unexpected sight. I was focused on how much damage I could inflict, not on it deflecting the bullet as if nothing had happened.

‘Crazy, how tough is this thing?’

Was I not using my full power? Even so, the destructive power was comparable to Aura [a technique that enhances physical abilities and weapon strikes]. Of course, there was a difference in penetration and cutting power, but what could be cut with Aura could be easily penetrated with bullets.

‘This is the worst-case scenario.’

So far, there hadn’t been a monster that couldn’t be cut with Aura. Knights could fight high-level monsters because of Aura, but they struggled because the size of the high-level monsters made it impossible to land a decisive blow by simply cutting them. That’s why, when I finally became equal to high-level monsters with Titan [a powerful combat suit], they weren’t swept away like scarecrows.

*Boo-ooo-*

The monster emitted strange cries from the mouths on its body and retreated into the monster horde. It was as if it realized someone was targeting it, and the way it used huge creatures as a wall was reminiscent of hiding behind a shield to prepare for a sniper.

‘It seems to have high intelligence, too.’

I channeled a little more mana [magical energy]. It was already impossible to snipe them.

*Thump, thump-*

Monsters charged toward my location again with echoing roars.

‘Its sensing ability is amazing, too.’

I didn’t channel a large amount of mana. Nevertheless, the way it instantly identified my location and sent its subordinate monsters was different from other monsters. It was definitely a tricky enemy.

‘That’s enough for now.’

It wasn’t ideal, but I gathered some important information. There was no point in pouring more power into it, and I didn’t want to give those seemingly intelligent creatures more information about me. So, I didn’t bother fighting the approaching monsters and retreated in the opposite direction.

#

However, I didn’t just retreat. After grasping the detailed scale and expected route of advance, I returned to the main camp and presented a plan at the conference.

“So, you’re saying… if we eliminate these newly appeared monsters, the remaining monsters will scatter. Is that correct?”

“Yes. As you’ve been informed, the entity ‘Tree’ is estimated to possess a considerable level of mental ability. The unprecedentedly massive force pushing down at once is likely related to this.”

“Huh, are you saying that a mere monster is controlling hundreds of thousands of monsters?”

“That is correct.”

The plan was simple: gather only the elite, eliminate those creatures, and then retreat. If my prediction was correct, that alone would be enough to overcome the current crisis.

“It won’t be easy. They seem to know their bodies are precious, as they hide first and foremost. They’ll try to block our path at all costs, so breaking through will cause a lot of damage.”

“Still, according to your report, we have no choice. Such mental interference that even first-rate knights would succumb to if unprepared… I’ve been here for decades, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The expeditionary force immediately began preparations. The top hundred Titan pilots were selected, and my father-in-law and Marquis Pongk naturally participated, along with me and JoJo, of course. Separately, artifacts with the ability to resist mental interference were hastily made and distributed to each member of the special unit.

What I encountered was only the mental interference that ‘Tree’ naturally emitted in its normal state. Whether the knights could withstand it when they became aware of us and attempted to interfere with all their might was uncertain.

As preparations progressed, the area we called Sector 7 completely reverted to monster territory. Even if the operation succeeded, it would be difficult to reclaim. Even if ‘Tree’ returned to the soil, the original monsters would only lose control, not disappear. They would eat and be eaten, so the numbers would decrease slightly, but it would require several times the effort.

Instead, Sector 7 and Sector 8 would likely appear elsewhere. The fact that so many were concentrated in one place meant that other areas were relatively relaxed.

Of course, the nobles who had planned to develop the former Sector 7 after receiving its distribution were furious, and even at this moment, they were demanding compensation for the damage caused by the retreat and clamoring for the quick recovery of Sector 7. However, with the achievements of the expeditionary force and the advancement of the Titans, the Emperor’s power was stronger than ever. As long as the Emperor was backing them, such minor complaints could be easily ignored.

“Now, I will explain the plan.”

In this place where a hundred knights and two masters gathered for the special unit, I was the only one speaking.

*Ttak-*

“The entity you see before you is ‘Tree,’ which we must eliminate as a top priority.”

*Buzz, buzz-*

The conference room quickly became noisy as ‘Tree’s’ appearance was revealed. It was understandable. Even though they should be used to it by now, the appearance that never became familiar, no matter how many times they saw it, was too alien to be a creature of this world.

“The abilities revealed so far include a considerable level of mental ability, and the several tentacles on its head have the strength of Aura and are used to attack and defend.”

“When you say Aura level, do you mean…?”

“Exactly. Unless it’s one of the two lords here, you won’t be able to cut through it.”

The buzzing became even louder at my words. Aura was their strongest weapon and their pride. In fact, nothing could block Aura except for certain parts of some monsters. It was no wonder they were flustered.

“So, what you have to do is simple: open the way for the two lords to approach ‘Tree,’ and then escape from the chaotic monster horde with minimal losses after the one controlling them disappears. Anyone have any questions?”

“When is the operation scheduled to take place?”

“The mages are sending familiars [magical creatures bound to a mage] to find their location, so it won’t take long. We’ll depart as soon as the location is revealed, so I want you to be fully prepared to depart at any time.”

#

Perhaps because we sent familiars without gaps along the expected route of advance, it didn’t take long to find them. In the meantime, numerous monsters rushed in, but half of the Titans, who had been the center of monster subjugation, were gathered at the main camp, so proper defense was impossible. While slowly retreating the defense line and minimizing damage, only the special unit moved to end this situation.

“What is the estimated scale?”

“It is impossible to determine. If we approach too closely, the connection is cut off even for familiars, so we could only confirm the location. But it is definitely a massive scale.”

“······Continue to maintain the connection.”

For a special unit of only a hundred people charging towards hundreds of thousands of monsters, the atmosphere was surprisingly bright. Whether it was the confidence that they could return alive since all of them were Titan pilots, or because there were two masters included, it was all good.

“There they are.”

Time passed again, and we faced them. We observed the scale of the creatures from a distance where we wouldn’t be detected, with our presence concealed, but it seemed larger than when I first encountered them, perhaps because nearby groups had joined them.

“There, do you see the target?”

“I see it. It’s as bizarre as it was before.”

“I will open the way, so please take its life. Be careful, as we don’t know what abilities it may have besides mental interference.”