Even with his Sword Master class now maxed out, Sakeer's speed advantage wasn't enough to create distance between himself and the pursuing ogres. The dense jungle worked against him, limiting his movement and allowing the gap to steadily shrink.
"This is bad…"
The sound of crashing footsteps grew louder behind him, and Sakeer's expression darkened.
While he was confident he could overpower a single ogre in direct combat, his strength wasn't overwhelming enough to dominate outright — and if he ended up surrounded...
"I can't afford that."
He glanced at his status bar.
[MP: 8/50]
"Mana's running too low..."
He grimaced. With so little MP remaining, he'd need to save what was left for emergency healing magic.
Weaving through the dense foliage, Sakeer zigzagged in an S-shaped pattern, skillfully using thick tree trunks to block the line of sight and slow his pursuers.
RUMBLE!
A thunderous crash erupted behind him. Sakeer's instincts flared, and he spun around just in time to see something that made his heart skip a beat.
Two of the lead ogres had stopped — and together, they were hoisting a massive tree trunk, easily as thick as a barrel, straight out of the ground.
"Oh, come on!"
WHOOOSH!
With a combined heave, the two ogres hurled the massive tree through the air. Its shadow swallowed Sakeer whole.
"Tch!"
His muscles tensed. With no time to escape, Sakeer planted his feet, bent his knees, and raised his iron sword to intercept the incoming log.
BANG!
The impact was like a hammer strike against his entire body. The force surged down his blade, rattling his bones and forcing him to stagger back.
Crack! Snap!
Branches whipped violently across his face and body as the tumbling log splintered on impact. His tattered clothes were shredded further, and fresh cuts bloomed across his arms and face.
[HP: 109/113]
Blood dripped from a corner of Sakeer's mouth as he stumbled back a few steps, barely managing to stay on his feet.
"Damn... that hurt."
The respite didn't last long.
Thud… Thud… Thud…
The remaining four ogres took advantage of the brief chaos, surging forward with their massive wooden clubs raised high.
"Hah…"
Sakeer exhaled sharply, spitting out blood. His eyes glinted with determination — and a touch of grim amusement.
"This world isn't as gentle as the anime makes it look."
Clearly, these ogres weren't mindless brutes. Not only had they set up a goblin colony as bait, but they were coordinated enough to plan a proper ambush.
"I can't treat them like dumb monsters anymore…"
"Food!"
"Die, human!"
"Roar!"
The four ogres stormed in, their twisted faces filled with vicious intent. Their clubs descended like falling boulders, aiming to crush Sakeer where he stood.
"Quick Slash!"
Sakeer's eyes flashed coldly.
Gripping his iron sword with both hands, he poured every ounce of strength into his strike.
The blade cut through the air with a sharp hiss, shimmering with enhanced power.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The powerful slash split all four clubs in half, sending splinters flying in all directions. The severed chunks of wood crashed to the ground with deafening thuds.
The force of the clash shook Sakeer to his core. His hands throbbed with searing pain, and blood trickled from his torn palms.
The iron sword — already chipped and battered — had finally reached its limit.
SNAP!
The blade fractured, its broken tip spinning off into the distance.
Sakeer stumbled back two steps, barely regaining his balance. His ragged breathing filled the air.
"Haah… haah..."
He glanced down at his trembling, bloodied hands — still clutching the broken hilt of his sword.
Despite the pain, he grinned.
"One versus four... not bad."
He knew better than to celebrate too soon.
"If those clubs had been iron weapons instead of wooden ones... things would've been a lot worse."
Regular human-made weapons couldn't compare to the sheer durability needed to withstand an ogre's strength. Without enchanted or specially forged gear, surviving an extended fight was nearly impossible.
The four ogres stared blankly at the shattered remnants of their wooden clubs, their dull yellow eyes reflecting confusion. That confusion, however, quickly turned to rage.
BANG!
They tossed the broken sticks aside, clenched their fists, and charged at Sakeer with ferocious roars.
Sakeer's hand shot out, grasping at thin air — and in a flash, a fresh iron sword materialized in his grip.
"Ten!"
He muttered the countdown softly under his breath.
"Nine!"
Two massive, rough fists — each the size of a football — hurtled toward him. Sakeer raised his sword just in time, intercepting the strike.
BANG!
The impact jolted through his body, but he stood firm. With a sharp sidestep, he narrowly dodged another fist crashing down where he'd just been standing.
"Eight!"
"Seven!"
Two more ogres flanked him, closing in from both sides. Sakeer's gaze sharpened, and he swiftly retreated, keeping himself from getting boxed in.
In the same motion, he slashed out with his sword, targeting the nearest ogre's incoming fist.
CRACK!
Flesh split. Bone shattered.
The ogre howled in agony, clutching its mutilated hand as blood sprayed across the forest floor.
"Six!"
But before Sakeer could recover, another ogre raised its massive foot and kicked out with brutal force.
Sakeer gritted his teeth, withdrew his sword, and brought it across his chest to block the strike. Yet as the impact rattled his arms, his eyes flicked to the side — the second ogre's fist was already bearing down on him.
"Five!"
"Four!"
He had no choice. Sakeer released one hand from his sword, reached into his inventory, and summoned a second iron sword — just in time to intercept the incoming punch against his left shoulder.
Three ogres had been held back — but there was still one more.
"Three!"
BANG!
The last ogre's fist hammered into Sakeer's right shoulder.
The raw force sent him hurtling backward, his iron sword flying from his hand.
CRASH!
His body slammed into a thick tree trunk, stopping his momentum with a painful thud.
"Two!"
"One!"
[HP: 71/113]
Sakeer coughed violently, blood trickling from his lips and staining his teeth crimson.
"Damn… that hurt."
Yet despite the pain, a crooked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"But... the cooldown is over."
The ogre that had just sent him flying snarled and charged forward, raising its bloodied fist to finish him off.
Sakeer wiped the blood from his mouth and sneered. His cold eyes locked onto the incoming ogre.
"Die!"
He shoved his back against the tree trunk, using it to propel himself forward. His feet dug into the earth, and with both hands gripping his sword, he lunged straight toward the charging beast.
"Quick Slash!!"
Sakeer roared, driving his sword upward in a powerful arc.
SLASH!
The blade, empowered by 120% attack strength, sliced through the air like lightning.
With no wooden club to defend itself, the ogre's exposed body had no way to stop the razor-sharp strike.
SPLURT!
Green blood burst forth, accompanied by chunks of ruptured organs.
The ogre froze mid-charge, its body severed cleanly from waist to shoulder.
THUD… THUD…
The bisected corpse hit the ground in two grotesque heaps, its mangled innards spilling across the dirt.
[XP Gained: 310]
[XP: 1581/5000]
The remaining three ogres — who had been moments away from attacking — stumbled to a halt. Even their dim minds could recognize what had just happened.
Fear flickered in their dull yellow eyes.
Sakeer's gaze shifted to the remaining ogres — and then toward the two who had thrown trees earlier.
While the other party was stunned, he turned his head and dived into the bushes and quickly disappeared.
"???"