The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 325: Chapter 324: You Can Do It. (3)

Chapter 325: Chapter 324: You Can Do It. (3)

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[It was discovered later... that the Greggs had formed an unimaginably vast kingdom deep underground. Queen of Greggs laid dozens, even hundreds, of eggs every day. The hatchlings survived by hunting subterranean monsters and beasts, and when food was scarce, they resorted to cannibalism. We hadn't known any of this.]

Boom!

Greggs' blood sprayed everywhere like a storm. Ghislain wasn't holding back his strength in the slightest.

"We're almost there! Keep going!"

At some point, the surroundings became densely packed with Greggs. They swarmed madly at Ghislain and his team to rescue Queen of Greggs.

"Screeeeech!"

Queen of Greggs screamed so loudly it seemed the entire forest would shake. Kaor shouted at the sight.

"Can't we shut that thing up?"

"It's useless. The sound isn't what's summoning them."

In a previous life, even the Duke's knights had tried to silence the Queen of Greggs. Yet the Greggs came regardless of its cries.

There had to be another mechanism for calling them, but the Duchy had never figured it out. With monsters' abilities being so bizarre, pinpointing their exact nature was nearly impossible.

Belinda urgently offered another suggestion.

"Why don't we just kill it? Kill it and throw it to them, then we can slowly deal with the ones already here using our forces."

Ghislain shook his head grimly.

"We can't do that. It'll make things worse."

[We couldn't stop the Greggs with our own strength. The camp was wiped out in an instant, and countless soldiers died. Even the most skilled knights and mages were powerless against their overwhelming numbers. In the end, we decided to retreat and killed Queen of Greggs to stop their advance.]

Boom! Boom!

Each swing of Ghislain's sword obliterated dozens of Greggs.

Even so, their numbers showed no sign of diminishing. Belinda, visibly overwhelmed, asked again.

"Why? What happens if we kill it?"

"Perdium will fall."

[Killing Queen of Greggs was the worst mistake. Without their queen, the Greggs went berserk. They scattered in every direction as if searching for the humans who had killed her. Their numbers were staggering. It felt as though every single Gregg hidden underground had emerged. The tide of Greggs swept away everything in its path.]

For a moment, Belinda was dumbfounded. They were fighting in the Forest of Demonic Beasts-what did Perdium have to do with anything?

"What does that even mean?"

"They'll leave the forest."

[The Greggs eventually left the Forest of Demonic Beasts. They ravaged Perdium first, as it was closest to the forest. Countless people died, and its infrastructure was destroyed. Yet the Greggs didn't stop; they began spreading everywhere.]

Gritting his teeth, Ghislain shouted again.

"We have to make it to the fortress! We need to imprison Queen of Greggs there and hold them off! That way, the Greggs will keep attacking the fortress instead of scattering elsewhere!"

[We were completely unprepared and couldn't stop them. Eventually, Duke Harold Desmond mobilized the Northern Army. Even Baron Arel Hydune, the commander stationed at Kaipilar Fortress facing the barbarians, had to bring his troops to exterminate the Greggs.]

Spurred by Ghislain's shout, the team barreled through the Greggs with reckless abandon. There was no time to ask more questions-there were too many enemies to spare the breath. Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Screeeeech!"

No one held back their mana. The number of Greggs swarming them had surpassed thousands, and more kept emerging from somewhere, charging at the team.

A single mistake leading to entrapment would mean being torn apart in an instant.

This territory belonged entirely to the Greggs. Other monsters instinctively avoided it. "Ahhhhh! Damn it! I'm getting caught again!"

Gordon, who was bringing up the rear, screamed as the Greggs closed in on him. He was slowing down, overwhelmed by the sheer number of monsters clinging to him.

He had a trauma from being captured by monsters before. Desperately swinging his sword, he fought with all his might, but there were simply too many Greggs.

The knights with him fought valiantly, but even they were now outmatched.

Slash!

"Urgh!"

One by one, the Greggs latched onto the knights' armor.

Even as they ran and tried to shake them off, more monsters took their place. At this rate, they'd be swallowed by the tide of Greggs.

Seeing the situation, Ghislain shouted.

"Belinda! Kaor! Keep clearing the path! I'll cover the rear!"

"Young master!"

Belinda cried out in alarm, but Ghislain paid no heed and immediately moved to the rear.

Boom!

Greggs clinging to the knights were blown away by Ghislain's strike. The knights caught their breath and pressed forward.

Meanwhile, Alpoi, dangling awkwardly from Belinda's side, started thinking fast.

"The lord is holding the rear. Kaor is clearing the front. That means we have to run faster.'

He didn't have much mana left. He had used a significant amount of it performing tricks for Queen of Greggs.

Relaxed after being carried safely by Belinda, Alpoi now felt a renewed sense of urgency.

'If we get caught, we're dead.'

Determined, he squeezed out the last of his mana. Years of construction work hadn't increased his mana reserves much, but his ability to manipulate it had improved dramatically.

Vmmm!

A wave of mana rippled outward. Alpoi cast a spell to make everyone lighter and faster.

"Huh?"

"What's this? Magic?"

"Great! We're faster now!"

The team was startled as their bodies suddenly felt lighter. Escaping would now be much

easier.

Alpoi was the only mage here, so it was clear he was the one who had cast the spell.

Applying magic to so many people simultaneously was no small feat. It required immense focus and precise mana control.

That Alpoi had managed it proved once again that he had a knack for pulling through in

desperate moments.

However, Belinda, still carrying him, shot him a glare.

She was skilled enough to sense the flow of mana emanating from Alpoi. And she realized

something critical.

"You... left the young master out on purpose, didn't you?"

Alpoi's spell hadn't affected Ghislain, who was fighting at the rear.

Belinda's eyes burned with anger, but Alpoi, looking utterly drained, shook his head

frantically.

"No! I didn't have enough mana to reach him! This is my limit! I barely managed to include

everyone else! Look at me-you can tell!"

He protested vehemently, trembling and pale as if all strength had left him.

Whether it was the truth or not, only Alpoi knew. Belinda gritted her teeth and reluctantly

looked away.

"Young master!"

The team was pulling farther ahead of Ghislain, thanks to their newfound speed. Kaor, too, was breaking through the Greggs' encirclement faster with the spell's help.

Ghislain, unfazed, laughed heartily and shouted.

"Good work, Alpoi! Everyone, don't worry about me-run to the fortress! I'll catch up soon!"

Belinda hesitated but decided to trust Ghislain.

He was the strongest among them. Her interference might only hinder him.

It would be better to reach the fortress quickly and bring reinforcements.

Boom! Boom! Kaor and the knights, leading the charge, were busier than ever. They had to fight off Greggs

while clearing a path for the captured Queen of Greggs.

"Damn it! Damn it all! This cursed forest! Why did I come back here!"

Kaor swore repeatedly as he swung his sword.

When they had defended against the monster wave in the Shadow Mountains, at least they'd

had an army. He'd never had to break through with such a small group.

The lord was insane to attempt such a plan. What kind of confidence made him act like this?

Looking back, surviving such situations felt exhilarating. But right now, Kaor was certain he wouldn't live to tell the tale.

Lost in thought as he hacked at trees and Greggs alike, Kaor and the knights finally spotted an

open clearing ahead.

"We made it!"

Kaor shouted in relief. They were near the fortress now. From the watchtower, the situation

here would be visible.

Clearly, this wasn't Gregg territory anymore-no more monsters were bursting out of the

ground.

Kaor, running as if his life depended on it, abandoned his pride and shouted words he had

sworn never to utter.

"Old man! Help us!"

Whoosh!

An enormous volley of arrows rained down from the fortress.

"Screeeeech!"

The Greggs chasing the team fell in heaps, struck by the arrows. Though there were still

countless more behind them, the ones flanking the team were gone, giving them a moment to

breathe.

From the highest point of the fortress, Gillian surveyed the battlefield and shouted.

"Fire! Secure their escape route!"

Whoosh!

Another volley of arrows flew. Gillian had ensured that everything was prepared for this

moment on Ghislain's orders.

Soldiers spread out to attack the incoming Greggs, while the elves provided precise support

fire.

"Screeeeech!"

Thwack!

A Gregg leaping at one of the knights was shot through the head and fell dead.

The elves' near-supernatural archery skills cleared the area around the fleeing team.

"Screeeeeech!"

The Greggs' screams echoed from all directions. Busy fleeing for their lives, the group didn't

notice, but Gillian, watching from a higher vantage point, swallowed nervously.

"What is this...?"

The forest was trembling. The reddish hue of the Greggs made them look like a crimson tide

rushing toward the fortress.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

Never in his life had he seen so many monsters swarming at once. Even the hunters of the

Shadow Mountains, who made a living hunting monsters, had never witnessed anything like

this.

It was horrifying. That massive wave of Greggs seemed capable of devouring the fortress in an instant.

The soldiers, seeing the oncoming tide, broke out in cold sweats.

"Where... where are all these monsters coming from?"

"Shouldn't we have seen this many in the forest already?"

"It's the lord's doing again..."

At that final comment, everyone nodded. Whenever something strange happened, it was

always safe to assume the lord was behind it.

It was fortunate they had built the fortress. If they had faced this horde without it, this place

would have turned into a living hell.

But even with the fortress, there was no room for complacency. Judging by the sheer numbers,

this fortress, no matter how sturdy, wouldn't hold out for long.

"Lower the ropes!"

At Gillian's command, the remaining knights lowered strong ropes. Those who had made it to

the front of the fortress grabbed hold and climbed up swiftly.

"Screeeeech!"

Queen of Greggs screeched and thrashed as it was hauled into the fortress.

The soldiers grimaced at the sight, repulsed by the creature, but no one attacked it. By now,

they all understood that this monster was the key objective of their operation.

"The lord! Where is the lord?"

Gillian's urgent shout was answered by Belinda, who was covered in blood and looked

disheveled.

"Ready the knights immediately! We need to rescue him!" Gillian turned quickly. Even more Greggs were pouring in than before.

The soldiers were firing arrows relentlessly, but it wasn't enough. The swarm wasn't diminishing—it was growing. Their numbers seemed to have surpassed tens of thousands. The Greggs' movement made the ground tremble and the forest quake. Finally, Gillian

understood the full meaning of the order Ghislain had given before leaving.

"Just in case, I'm telling you: no matter what happens, do not leave the fortress. Hold them

off here at all costs."

"If the fortress falls, Perdium is doomed."

Crack.

Gillian clenched his teeth so hard they felt like they might break. If monsters of this

magnitude escaped the Forest of Demonic Beasts, the Perdium territory would undoubtedly be destroyed.

It might even require not just the Royalist faction, but also the Duke's faction, to intervene.

He needed to obey the lord's orders. But he couldn't leave the lord alone among that swarm of

monsters.

Even a swordmaster would tire and die fighting such overwhelming numbers.

As Gillian hesitated, Belinda shouted.

"Gillian! Ready the knights immediately!"

Gillian looked around.

The soldiers were already showing fearful expressions, their courage wavering in the absence

of the lord.

Kaor and the knights who had participated in the operation were slumped on the ground, their

bodies soaked in blood, gasping for air.

'My lord...'

Gillian turned toward Vanessa, who was waiting nearby.

She was already inscribing a magic circle on the ground with the other mages, prepared as

Ghislain had instructed. Everything was ready.

But to cast the spell, the lord needed to be present. If they used it now, Ghislain would

undoubtedly be caught in the magic's range.

"Screeeeech!"

Rumble! Rumble!

The Greggs now filled the area in front of the fortress. Soldiers and elves, their faces pale with

fear, fired arrows without pause. Gillian exhaled heavily and shouted.

"Everyone, hold your positions! Fight with everything you have to hold off the Greggs! I will

not tolerate anyone abandoning their post!"

"Gillian!"

Belinda shouted, her eyes blazing with fury. She glared at him, threw off her robe, and drew

her daggers.

She was ready to go after Ghislain alone.

But Gillian, grasping two massive axes in his hands, said calmly.

"I will bring the lord back. Hold out until then."

Thud!

With those words, Gillian leapt from the fortress.

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