Click—!
The stalemate dragged on as Sakeer's iron sword steadily bit deeper into the ogre's thick wooden club.
In the end, it was the inferior weapon that gave way. The club snapped with a sharp crack, and the jagged, broken end flew through the air, landing with a dull thud in the dirt, scattering dust.
The ogre's face twisted in shock as it stared at its ruined weapon. Its expression shifted from rage to confusion — a stunned, almost childlike bewilderment.
With intelligence barely surpassing that of a goblin, the ogre couldn't comprehend why this frail-looking human possessed strength that rivaled — no, surpassed — its own.
Sakeer seized the opportunity.
His sharp eyes locked onto the ogre's chest — wide open and unguarded.
Ignoring the numbness creeping through his arms, Sakeer gritted his teeth, tightened his grip on the sword's hilt, and with a swift upward thrust —
Poof!
The iron sword's tip drove deep into the ogre's rotting chest. The force behind Sakeer's lunge, coupled with the upward angle of the blade, sent the sword plunging straight into the creature's left heart.
"It hurts! It hurts! IT HURTS!"
The ogre's agonized screams echoed through the clearing.
Even with such a fatal injury, the beast still had strength to fight. With a furious roar, the ogre's massive hands shot forward, aiming to crush Sakeer in its grasp.
At this range, dodging seemed impossible.
But—
"Instant Reflex!"
A faint blue glow enveloped Sakeer's entire body.
In the blink of an eye—
His body seemed to rewind, as though time itself had reversed. The blue light flickered — and Sakeer was back at the very spot where he'd initiated his attack just moments ago.
Bang!
The ogre's enormous palms clapped together in a bone-crushing strike — but they met only empty air.
Sakeer's retreat had been perfectly timed, and with his backward motion, the iron sword was yanked free from the ogre's chest. Blood poured from the gaping wound in thick, dark rivulets.
The ogre staggered, gasping in ragged breaths.
Even with a pierced heart, its monstrous vitality kept it from dying immediately. The beast stumbled aimlessly, swiping feebly at the air in Sakeer's direction before its legs gave out.
Boom!
The ogre's massive body crashed to the ground, sending a cloud of dust billowing skyward.
Yet even now, the creature's limbs twitched and flailed weakly, refusing to accept death.
Sakeer stared coldly at the pitiful sight.
He knew better than to step closer — he wouldn't repeat the fatal mistake made by Dosari, the reckless leader of the "Rock" team.
With calm indifference, Sakeer muttered under his breath:
"Even food can fight back... Now die already."
His heart finally eased as the battle came to an end.
Hiss...
Sakeer sucked in a sharp breath, his arm throbbing painfully from the earlier clash. His fingers ached, his muscles screamed, and his entire body felt like it had been wrung dry.
The familiar swelling pain — the aftermath of Instant Reflex.
The technique forcibly rewound his movements, returning him to his starting position after an attack — an incredibly effective escape move.
But such an unnatural correction of posture put immense strain on his body.
Sakeer opened his stats panel and scanned his HP bar.
His health... hadn't dropped.
A flicker of realization crossed his mind.
So... "Instant Reflex" doesn't actually deal direct damage... or perhaps the strain isn't severe enough to reduce my HP.
Hum—
『Gained XP 320』
The system notification appeared.
Sakeer's gaze narrowed.
"Is it dead?"
Sakeer glanced at the updated information on his attribute panel before shifting his gaze away from the ogre's lifeless body.
[XP: 1271/1500]
Eliminating a small goblin tribe along with the ogre had given him a significant boost in experience.
After a brief rest, Sakeer flexed his stiff, throbbing arm to ease the lingering numbness. Then, he walked over to the ogre's corpse — as well as the scattered bodies of the goblins — and began slicing off their ears.
At the same time, he started searching the area.
"A player never forgets the loot."
Unfortunately...
Even after a thorough search, Sakeer found nothing but bones and rotting flesh littering the ground. The entire goblin camp was barren of anything valuable.
He wasn't particularly disappointed; he'd never expected much in the first place.
Turning to the two remaining human corpses, Sakeer stood silent for a moment. His gaze lingered on their lifeless faces before he let out a quiet sigh and turned away.
He didn't bother to bury them.
There was no point.
In a forest like this, even buried bodies would eventually be dug up by scavengers. Unless the corpses were cremated, their remains would only draw unwanted attention.
But starting a fire here — especially in the dim evening light — would be far too risky. Flames and smoke would be like a beacon in the dark, attracting dangers far worse than goblins or ogres.
Because in this part of the forest...
The real threat came from the trolls — the true apex predators of the area.
As night crept in, the already shadowed forest grew even darker. The dense canopy above allowed only faint slivers of moonlight to filter through, casting eerie patterns on the forest floor.
Distant roars echoed through the trees, sharp and guttural — the cries of wild beasts stirring in the night.
In this pitch-black environment, where human vision faltered, venturing further without the Night Vision skill — or some other means of navigating in darkness — was nothing short of suicidal.
Knowing this, Sakeer carefully selected a sturdy tree with thick branches.
With practiced ease, he climbed up and settled against the trunk. From his inventory, he retrieved a durable black robe — one he'd purchased earlier — and wrapped it tightly around himself.
Leaning back against the bark, Sakeer tried to get comfortable.
To be honest... it wasn't easy.
The tree's branches were firm and unyielding, and the constant chirping of insects combined with the distant howls of beasts kept him on edge.
Yet somehow...
"It's kind of a joy out of suffering."
Sakeer muttered to himself, smiling faintly as he gazed up through the gaps in the leaves. The sky above was clear, and the stars twinkled brightly. The moon hung high, casting a silver glow that softened the tension in the air.
The eastern edge of the Great Forest of Tob had proven itself troublesome. Goblins and ogres were a persistent nuisance, but after his last encounter, Sakeer felt he'd gained a solid understanding of their strength and tactics.
They weren't to be underestimated — but they no longer felt like a true threat.
With that thought in mind, he allowed himself to relax slightly. For the first time that night, he quietly admired the beauty of the moonlit sky.
"Compared to the days of slaving away like a beast of burden in my past life... this world, with all its dangers, still feels more fulfilling."
"At least now... I know what I'm working toward — and what lies ahead."
That fleeting sense of peace lingered for a moment...
Until a cold realization crept back into his mind — one that instantly soured his mood.
The Great Tomb of Nazarick...
The very thought of it cast a shadow over his thoughts, swallowing whatever comfort he'd just found.
'Fuck…'