The Cyclops is no less than a legendary creature. Although it exists in reality, encountering one is nearly impossible due to its extremely low numbers.
Excluding dragons, it could be considered the strongest monster due to its immense power and massive size.
What if someone were to take down such a monster alone?
'Then I could be called the 'Cyclops Slayer!''
Kaor had already earned titles such as "Ogre Slayer" and "Leather King of the North."
At the time, he had been quite satisfied with these titles, but now that he had become a superhuman, they felt a bit lacking. He yearned for something more impressive and intense.
The Cyclops was the perfect target to satisfy that desire. While "Dragon Slayer" was out of reach, this was within the realm of possibility.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Cyclops was relentlessly swinging its club at Kaor. It seemed quite enraged as Kaor kept dodging.
Kaor excelled in combat and was skilled at exploiting his opponent's weaknesses. Calmly, he avoided the Cyclops' attacks.
Whenever he saw an opening, he darted in and swung his twin swords.
Slash! Slash!
True to their reputation for doubling his attack power, the Cyclops' lower body was covered in sword wounds.
Kaor particularly targeted the Cyclops' Achilles tendons. When hunting such massive monsters, the basic strategy was to first rob them of their mobility.
Slash! Slash!
Kaor's swords moved with lightning speed.
Since becoming a superhuman, his movements had changed slightly.
Though they still appeared rough and wild to the untrained eye, their sharpness rivaled that of Ghislain.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
Kaor persistently attacked the Cyclops' ankles. While it would take some time, he was confident in his ability to bring it down.
The others, seeing how steadily Kaor fought, hesitated to intervene.
Gordon turned to Lucas and asked, "Should we step in? He looks like he could take it down given enough time."
"Wouldn't it be better to end it quickly?"
"Knowing his temper, he'll throw a fit again."
"Ha, that guy is something else. If only he had half of the old man's temperament."
Gordon and Lucas shook their heads, exasperated. The other knights felt the same way.
Gillian had no unnecessary sense of pride. His sole focus was helping Ghislain achieve his goals.
That's why, unless a one-on-one duel was unavoidable, he had no qualms about fighting alongside allies.
But Kaor was different. His desire for recognition was insatiable.
Those who knew Kaor's volatile temperament could only watch helplessly.
Belinda, who had returned supporting Ghislain, clicked her tongue.
"Why is he like this even after becoming a superhuman?"
Ghislain chuckled at the sight. It seemed Kaor would never change.
After the war, when Kaor's superhuman status was revealed, Ghislain had celebrated and praised him enthusiastically.
However, emboldened by his newfound strength, Kaor challenged Ghislain to a rematch.
Naturally, Ghislain beat him so thoroughly that the incident became a laughingstock.
It seemed that humiliation had spurred Kaor's desire to gain fame by defeating the Cyclops today.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Kaor was completely focused on the battle, evading the Cyclops' massive swings.
'I'll take it down, I'll do it. Even the old man couldn't take one down alone, but I will.'
That way, Kaor would prove he was superior to the old man.
This singular desire consumed Kaor's mind.
What use was it to be a superhuman? The estate was full of extraordinary individuals, and his inferiority complex hadn't diminished at all.
This wasn't about living leisurely as a superhuman. It was a matter of pride.
Kaor's concentration had reached an astonishing level. His overwhelming desire drove him.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
The Cyclops' ankles were so cut up that its bones were beginning to show.
Kraaaargh!
The Cyclops roared in pain and collapsed. Now it was a matter of circling around and attacking its arms and body.
'Phew, I can do this!'
Though Kaor was exhausted and had used over half his mana, he felt confident.
If he kept this up, he would win. It would take some time, but in the end, he would triumph.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
Kaor attacked the Cyclops with unparalleled focus.
The Cyclops' movements grew slower and clumsier, while Kaor's excitement grew with each successful strike.
'Just a little more!'
Suddenly, Kaor felt lighter, as though his strength was surging.
Kraaaargh!
The Cyclops swung its club toward Kaor.
Boom!
The ground quaked and split, but Kaor dodged quickly, his eyes gleaming.
'This is it!'
He sprinted toward the Cyclops with all his might. He could even aim for its neck now.
The legendary "Cyclops Slayer" would finally be born.
Even if he couldn't kill it in one blow, he could inflict a fatal wound. Grinning with exhilaration, Kaor gripped his swords tightly.
Watching this, Ghislain clicked his tongue.
"Tsk tsk, there he goes again."
The fight wasn't over until it was over. Kaor's overconfidence was obvious.
That was when things became most dangerous. The Cyclops wasn't a mindless beast.
Sure enough, the Cyclops suddenly swung its club sideways.
"Huh?"
Kaor froze in shock. This was entirely outside its usual attack pattern.
The massive club rushed at him from the side, so large it filled his vision.
There was no room to dodge. Desperately, Kaor channeled all his remaining mana to protect himself.
'I'll die if this hits!'
Kaor instinctively knew the blow would be fatal.
Jerome and Vanessa quickly deployed shields for Kaor, while Yulian struck the Cyclops' arm with his sword.
Their actions were swift and precise, but all of them were already exhausted.
They couldn't completely block the Cyclops' powerful attack.
Boom!
"Guhhh!"
Crack!
Kaor's arm and ribs shattered under the force of the blow.
Even though the Cyclops' arm had been weakened and a shield had absorbed part of the impact, the damage was severe.
In that moment, Kaor's life flashed before his eyes.
"Ah... It was like this last time, too...."
He had nearly died hunting the Twin-Head Ogre.
But this time was different. One side of his body felt entirely broken. If the Cyclops struck again, he wouldn't survive.
'...I'm screwed.'
Pain clouded Kaor's mind. For the first time, he regretted showing off.
He flew through the air, landing far away.
Kaaaargh!
The Cyclops roared in victory.
It had finally landed a solid hit on the pesky human who had been pestering it. It was a shame the blow hadn't killed him outright, but that hardly mattered.
The human lay on the ground, unable to stand. It was only a matter of finishing the job.
The Cyclops turned its massive body. Although Kaor had been thrown quite far, a few steps would be enough to crush him.
There were other humans nearby as well. The Cyclops planned to kill them all.
Kaaaargh!
It raised its massive frame. Its mobility was compromised, but killing the humans before it wouldn't be difficult.
Lying on the ground, Kaor muttered in agony, his face twisted in pain.
"Help me..."
"......"
The people watched Kaor with a mixture of exasperation and pity. As expected, Kaor was still Kaor.
The Cyclops was indeed a fearsome monster, but there were many powerhouses present here.
With the remaining monsters already eliminated, the fortress forces were handling the scattered remnants.
At Kaor's cry for help, everyone except Ghislain moved simultaneously.
Boom!
Magic struck the Cyclops' body relentlessly. Following that, Yulian and Gillian's swords and Belinda's daggers tore into the monster mercilessly.
Kraaaaah!
The Cyclops flailed its club in agony, but no one was hit.
As multiple people took turns attacking, the exhausted Cyclops began to pant. Its movements grew even slower.
At that moment, the Fenris Knight Order surged in.
Thud! Slash! Boom!
Kraaaaaaah...
Thud!
In no time, the Cyclops collapsed, its body reduced to minced meat.
While Kaor's continuous attacks had worn it down, the combined strength of skilled fighters ended the battle quickly.
Watching from where he had been sitting, Ghislain smiled.
"Finally, it's over. Good work, everyone."
The delay had been due to retrieving the mages. Had they been any later, the frontline fortress might have been overtaken, resulting in catastrophic losses.
Fortunately, they had arrived just in time.
At Ghislain's declaration, the soldiers erupted in loud cheers.
"Yaaaaaaah!"
"We won!"
"We're alive! We really killed all those monsters!"
The fortress forces were genuinely overjoyed. Having come so close to death, their relief and elation were palpable.
But pure joy was short-lived. It wasn't long before many began mourning their fallen comrades.
This monster wave had been horrific, something they never wanted to face again.
Marquis Alperen rushed over with priests and shouted, "Your Grace! Are you okay?"
The priests surrounded Ghislain, emitting holy power. Ghislain waved them off with a smile.
"I'm always fine. Take care of him first."
Kaor was being carried away on a stretcher. He had failed to gain the title and recognition he desired and instead had earned another round of humiliation.
The priests rushed to Kaor and unleashed their holy power upon him. Kaor flipped over, burying his face into the stretcher.
It was obvious he didn't want anyone to see his face.
Belinda clicked her tongue as she watched from beside the stretcher.
"If you're embarrassed, you shouldn't have acted like that in the first place."
"......"
Kaor said nothing, refusing to lift his head.
However, the area around his buried face seemed suspiciously damp.
Alpoi, standing nearby, teased, "Looks like he's crying. Hey, are you crying?"
"......"
Kaor buried his face deeper, waving his hand irritably to signal he wanted to be taken away quickly.
The soldiers carrying the stretcher hurried along, walking briskly. Alpoi followed, continuing to prod.
"Hey, are you crying? Are you seriously crying right now?"
"......"
Kaor remained silent, face buried until the end.
After receiving basic treatment, Ghislain stood up. Marquis Alperen spoke.
"You've done so much, Your Grace. Please tend to your wounds and take some rest."
Ghislain immediately shook his head.
"We need to head to the next location immediately. We can rest while traveling."
"But everyone must be exhausted..."
"This is the frontline fortress, so it was the first to fight. But other fortresses will soon face monsters as well. We need to arrive before that happens."
"Hmm..."
"It will be tough, but we have no choice. We must reorganize our forces and move at once."
Marquis Alperen nodded in agreement.
This army had been sent to stop the monster wave, and defending one fortress didn't mean the mission was over. The other fortresses still needed their help.
However, the troops were utterly exhausted. If they were forced to march immediately, it would be a significant burden.
'Ugh... Do we really have to deal with another monster wave?'
The Marquis, having experienced the current battle, was thoroughly fed up. The soldiers were terrified.
If told to march and fight again, some might desert. Honestly, it would be more surprising if no one did. Even the Marquis himself wanted to abandon everything and return to the capital.
Sensing the Marquis' concerns, Ghislain smiled reassuringly.
"This was the most dangerous and intense battle we'll face. While other locations may have more monsters than usual, they won't be as bad as here. Plus, mages will be divided among the fortresses. There's no need to worry too much."
"Hahaha... I wasn't that worried."
The Marquis laughed nervously and nodded. It was a relief to know the next battles wouldn't be as extreme.
Moreover, they now had superhumans and mages fighting alongside them. That made the situation manageable.
"Then... could you address the soldiers directly? Hearing from Your Grace would boost their morale more than if I spoke."
"Of course, that's no problem."
Ghislain mounted his black steed and rode confidently to the front of the soldiers. Despite his battered body, he showed no signs of pain.
The steed, Black King, raised its head proudly, as if it were used to such displays.
Ghislain spoke firmly, "We must move immediately to support the other fortresses! It will be hard, and I know you're afraid, but do not worry! The monsters ahead will be fewer in number, and the mages and superhumans here will fight alongside you!"
The soldiers looked a bit glum. They were already stretched too thin.
Sensing this, Ghislain softened his tone, offering a kind smile.
"Just a little more effort! The rear fortresses are well-stocked with supplies, weapons, and fresh troops! You won't have to endure the same hardships there. Once we arrive, you'll have plenty of time to rest!"
The soldiers forced themselves to smile. If there would be fewer monsters and more reinforcements, perhaps it was manageable.
Still, they were utterly exhausted. All they wanted was rest. That couldn't be helped.
Ghislain understood their state well. It would be strange if they weren't tired after such a battle.
But he also knew how to rally his troops when they were at their limit.
"I swear on my name! To those who've fought so valiantly, I promise—at the end of this battle, you will receive rewards equivalent to three years' wages!"
Regardless of the treasury's condition, distributing rewards liberally was the way forward.
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