Wildness and Masks

Lange never expected that the earthquake-like sound from before was actually caused by the giant's death.

Although it wasn't hard to connect the two, Lange was still taken aback when it actually happened.

A feeling he couldn't quite describe welled up inside him.

When the power gap is small, or when you feel your opponent is weaker, losing might make you angry and unwilling to accept it.

But when the power gap is visibly vast, all negative emotions disappear, leaving only a sense of awe.

"Hmm." Ogre nodded nonchalantly.

This battle wasn't as easy as it seemed for him.

As the adrenaline faded, Ogre felt his body was exhausted and aching...

Four to five minutes was his limit for combat duration—but that didn't mean a fight lasting less than a minute came without a price.

The acquisition of power itself comes with a cost.

This level of outburst was entirely due to Ogre trading his body's wear and tear for it, and the battle process was not easy, akin to a tightrope walker performing a dangerous act—one misstep could lead to disaster.

Ogre had to step in quickly to free Foucault; otherwise, every moment wasted would put Thrandic in greater danger.

Without completely dealing with that giant, leaving would be difficult, and the longer they stayed, the more dangerous it became.

But no matter what, Thrandic's predicament was inextricably linked to Ogre. He was the one who called the shots, chose this village.

So Ogre had to take responsibility.

"Never thought this place would be so dangerous..." Lange remarked with a hint of emotion.

He had barely participated in this adventure.

Yet, even so, the frequent emergence of enemies gave him a glimpse of the brutal law of the jungle.

He couldn't help but recall the goal he set for himself long ago when he first became a knight—someday, he too would become as strong as that man.

'So this is the life of a Professional...' Lange couldn't help but tighten his grip on his sword.

"Let's hurry and leave." Ogre said as he walked past Lange.

"Aren't we going to deal with those who ran away, or search for valuable items?" Lange asked.

"Let's leave that for later. I'm afraid if we don't leave now, it'll be too late." Ogre glanced into the depths of the forest before turning to take another path.

"That's not the way we came, Ogre, you're going the wrong way." Lange raised his hand to remind him.

Though he didn't understand why they needed to leave immediately, he followed nonetheless.

"I know." Ogre bent down, picked up some sand and stones, and rubbed them on himself to ensure no bloodstains were left behind, then continued forward.

"Why are we leaving in such a hurry?" Lange asked, still puzzled.

Asking when you don't understand is a good habit, something Foucault taught him.

"This village is too suspicious, and one thing to note is that the goblin Professional I fought was just a knight, but that goblin giant was clearly not something a knight could handle."

During the battle, Ogre noticed modification marks on the goblin giant—and its movements were unnatural...

"You mean?!" Lange began to understand.

"Yes—the true master of this place is likely not simple. If we don't leave now, we might all die here." Ogre, despite his usual principle of leaving no stone unturned, knew safety came first.

The current situation was unsafe, and even if there were secrets hidden here, Ogre wouldn't dig deeper.

Leaving here, diving into the small woods, and dealing with their scent would mean half the safety.

"Goblins... I never thought such a low-level demon beast could possess such power." Lange's Circle of Life was only two-thirds complete.

His Battle Qi seed wasn't enough to cover his entire body and form a cycle.

In the past, Lange wouldn't have found anything wrong with this; after all, at his age, having such power wasn't bad, and there were many who were slower than him.

But the problem was, he came here.

The world is full of wonders; even a goblin could complete the Circle of Life and become a Professional Knight.

More absurdly, this Professional goblin died at the hands of Ogre, whom Lange thought had only won through tricks.

After killing it, Ogre told him he hadn't used his full strength before, then turned around and killed a giant goblin...

The giant goblin's strength was undeniable—Thrandic, whose strength was not much different from his, was nearly killed by a single blow, and even if Lange was tougher, it was limited.

"Never underestimate any life..." Ogre wiped his mask and placed it in his bag, then continued, "Every life that survives in the forest is remarkable."

Lange opened his mouth, feeling a desire to say something, but didn't know how to express it.

Finally, he looked back at the goblins he had slain.

Perhaps... his greatest fortune was being born human, in a peaceful place, with a decent background and someone worth following...

"I will respect all lives that strive for survival." Ogre picked up his spear and cleared the weeds ahead, pausing before speaking again, "So, no matter who I fight, I will take it seriously."

Ogre also wouldn't forget how those guys treated him when he was weak.

"Ogre..." Lange sighed.

"What's up?" Ogre asked without turning his head.

"Just feeling that you're different from everyone else." The more he got to know him, the more Lange sensed Ogre's uniqueness—a kind of unfamiliar loneliness.

"Different?"

Ogre couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"But it won't be like that in the future." Lange patted the armor on his chest, "We have us, and when my young master graduates, you're always welcome. You're one of the few he acknowledges."

"Alright, once I've fulfilled my wishes, I'll definitely come find you."

To be honest, Ogre didn't dislike Lange, even if he was often outspoken.

Compared to the deceitful Arena personnel, Lange's straightforwardness seemed harmless and innocent.

"Ogre, I'm serious."

"So am I." Ogre turned and said.

"That's good."

"By the way..."

Ogre seemed to think of something and suddenly asked Lange a question, "Speaking of which, Lange—what do you think of what we adventurers do? I mean... how do you view humans invading the Demon Beast Forest, if, and I mean if, we are on the unjust side?"

Ogre was curious about this mainlander's perspective.

"What else is there to think about? We've already acted, so why have so many other thoughts?" Lange asked in confusion. If it weren't for Ogre asking, he would have retorted—why so much nonsense.

"True, we've already acted..."

Once different races start fighting, there's often no right or wrong.

There won't be distinctions of good and evil, or between men, women, and children.

All attempts to beautify war are merely to mask the pursuit of interests.

When it rolls to the end, the truth no longer matters—hatred takes over everything.