Kumodesu

A quiet day passed.

Our group had completed preparations. Those of us who couldn't fight had been moved to the rear, nearly ten miles away, with a number of guards stationed alongside.

I overheard that the general plan was to dig a large pit and camouflage it. When the Gatisor arrived, the soldiers would engage them while gradually retreating, luring them into the trap. Once the Gatisor fell in, those with explosive-type skills would bombard them repeatedly until they were wiped out.

It was a simple plan, but effective—Gatisor had poor eyesight and wouldn't be able to see through the camouflage. However, if even one of them was a mutated variant, the whole plan would fall apart. The scouts who went out yesterday didn't report any such variant—had they simply overlooked it?

That was a major oversight.

But there wasn't much I could do now.

All the soldiers were already in their hiding positions. Among them, I spotted a familiar face—Alger Klvest, son of Marquis Klvest. Among the people here, apart from the Commander and the Vice Director, Alger had the highest status.

Alger Klvest had left a strong impression on me. Only 19 years old, yet one of the most promising individuals in Lubberia.

Among all the noble offspring who had joined this expedition, he was the only one truly relying on his own abilities to earn merit. He was also the only noble who hadn't brought along any servants.

I had a certain level of respect for this man.

Just as I was lost in thought, a roar snapped me back to attention.

"They're here!"

The scouts returned, visibly shaken.

"All units, prepare for combat!" the Commander shouted.

Not long after, the sounds of movement from the forest grew louder and closer.

The battle was about to begin.

Though I was stationed far from the frontlines, I had a skill that enhanced my vision, allowing me to observe the situation clearly.

Moments later, a Gatisor burst out of the woods, followed by many more.

"Unit One, forward!"

At that command, over fifty soldiers stepped up, shields raised to block the enemy's advance.

"Unit Two, attack! Unit Three, support Unit One!"

A group behind them cast support skills, while another flanked from both sides, unleashing a barrage of attacks. Explosions rang out one after another.

The initial wave of Gatisor were caught off guard, but soon they erected walls of earth to shield themselves.

"Unit One, retreat!"

The shield-bearers began to pull back. The Gatisor tried to press forward but were met with another volley of explosive skills, reducing them to dust.

"Unit Two, fall back. Unit Four, move up!"

As one group retreated, another advanced.

Same tactics again.

Although the original plan had been to trap them all in the pit, it wouldn't hold a hundred of them at once. They intended to thin the numbers first.

The first wave only had about thirty Gatisor.

That wave was dealt with swiftly, but no one relaxed.

Nor did I.

An ominous feeling surged within me.

I moved beside Vice Director Reo.

"Vice Director, may I borrow the map for a moment?"

He gave me a puzzled look but handed it over.

I studied it carefully.

"Something's wrong..."

I muttered, just loud enough for the Vice Director to hear.

"What is it?" he asked.

I pointed at a spot on the map.

"This is where the main force is fighting. And here's our current location. The distance between them is roughly ten miles."

"So?"

"A herd of Gatisor this large should be led by a mutated variant, one with stealth-type skills. And look—over here, there's a cliff. Not a big one, but enough that if a mutated Gatisor wanted to sneak past, it could easily do so undetected."

"Judging by the behavior of the Gatisor in the last wave, it seemed more like they were probing our defenses. That doesn't align with their usual reckless nature.

Which means—they might have sent another group to attack us from behind."

The Vice Director frowned.

"First, we're not even sure if there is a mutated one. Second, that cliff area is the territory of a Wolf King. We already scouted it—if something crossed through, it would have fought the wolf. We would've noticed."

I calmly responded.

"Before we arrived here, we passed through Rolat City and asked about the state of the forest. The locals confirmed that Gatisor have never been seen in this region before. It seems this herd only recently migrated here. But as you said earlier—the cliff area is the Wolf King's domain, and the right side belongs to the Venomous Serpents. If there wasn't a mutated leader, no ordinary Gatisor would risk settling here."

"Secondly, while normal wolves hunt at night, a Wolf King isn't bound by that schedule. It might've left to hunt, and the mutant seized the chance to move in."

"If not, then by Gatisor behavior, early morning like this should be their resting time—after mating all night. They wouldn't be launching coordinated attacks like this."

The Vice Director fell into thought.

I added, "How about sending someone to check on the Wolf King's lair? If my theory is correct, we're in real danger. Our front lines just held off a second wave—no casualties, but most are exhausted. And given their pride, when the Gatisor attack, the mutated one should always lead. Yet we've seen no sign of it."

Though doubtful, the Vice Director still sent someone to scout the Wolf King's area.

I felt slightly more at ease.

While I was lost in thought, something soft touched my hand.

I looked down to see Seryl's hand gently resting atop mine.

"You were... really cool just now," she whispered with a small smile.

My heart raced uncontrollably, but I forced myself to stay calm.

"Thank you for the kind words, Miss Seryl."

She didn't move her hand away, only turned her head as if embarrassed.

I stayed perfectly still.

About five minutes later, the scout returned with confirmation—the Wolf King was not in its den.

The Vice Director's frown deepened. He quickly explained my theory to everyone nearby.

The once relaxed researchers and servants immediately tensed up, just as if they were on the front lines.

"That's strange. If the Wolf King is gone, shouldn't the Gatisor have attacked us by now?" someone asked.

The Vice Director looked toward me again, seeking an answer.

I gathered my thoughts.

"Based on the current battle situation, our troops have taken damage, but the Commander, Vice Commander, and yourself remain unharmed. The mutated Gatisor may have noticed we still have powerful fighters and decided to hold back."

"If it does show itself, the Vice Commander can reach here quickly thanks to his speed. Even you, Vice Director, could delay it long enough. The soldiers nearby can hold off the others."

"So they're still lying in wait?" he asked.

"Possibly. They're waiting for the perfect chance—when all three of you are injured or distracted."

The problem was—I had no idea how to prevent that from happening.

The Vice Director fell silent, beginning to scan the area with his own skills.

"Did you find anything?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"I've checked several times. If it's really here, its stealth skill is extremely powerful. But if it comes within twenty meters of me, I'll detect it immediately."

"That's reassuring," I nodded. "That means it's still at a distance, so we'll have time to respond if it attacks."

Everyone around us exhaled slightly in relief.

"Then as long as the front lines hold, it won't show up, right?" someone asked.

I shook my head.

"That makes it even more dangerous. We're still outside the forest, so we can manage for now. But once we move in deeper—especially through that treacherous valley—we won't have this luxury."

Just then, a deafening explosion echoed from the front lines.

"What was that?!"

Everyone turned toward the sound, but thick smoke made it hard to see anything.

I activated my vision-enhancing skill.

Up ahead, a mutated Gatisor had appeared. The Commander had already ordered a retreat and was engaging it directly.

So it's begun…

I doubted that was the only mutant Gatisor.

"Prepare for combat! They could strike here at any moment!" I warned.

Faces immediately tightened with fear.

Then—a terrified scream rang out.

All heads turned in its direction.

From a patch of brush, Gatisor burst out, charging madly toward the soldiers.

"Battle positions!" the Vice Director shouted as he led the charge.

Chaos erupted instantly—over 40 Gatisor emerged, led by a visibly larger mutated one.

The Vice Director clashed with it head-on.

Though he worked in research now, he had once been a battalion commander—his strength was formidable.

But this fight seemed evenly matched.

We had just over 60 soldiers on this side—more than the Gatisor, but far weaker in individual strength.

I rushed back to the camp and quickly informed everyone of the situation.

The room turned pale with panic.

"All who can fight, get out there and help!"

I shouted—but no one moved.

These were all researchers or noble attendants.

The nobles themselves—who had come here seeking glory—now looked completely terrified.

What a pathetic bunch.

I then used my skill to quickly dig a makeshift shelter beneath the camp.

Some caught on and helped me.

"Anyone who can't fight—get inside!"

The others rushed underground like ants into the hole I'd made.

Once I was done, I turned to head back into battle—but a hand grabbed my arm.

"Miss Seryl, it's dangerous outside. Get into the shelter," I said.

"What about you?" she asked, her eyes pleading.

"Don't worry. I won't go far. I have support-type skills—I'll just assist a little."

"Be careful," Seryl said quietly before heading down.

As soon as she was in, I sealed the shelter behind her.