The Arienne Kong understood the danger it was in. Its body was bound by what it seemed to be a chain made of light that extended from magic circles floating in all directions, and thus, it could not move.

Because it was being suspended in the air, it only had one means of attacking…

It immediately noticed the knights about to start fiercely attacking it, and started gathering its mana. Though, it's quite the stupid monster, it isn't so weak as to let itself be attacked by a combined a.s.sault from the knights.

Mana was concentrated in its throat, fused with its body own fluids in order to retaliate against the knights.

―――Kaah ~ Petsu!~

Something flew out of its mouth.

"Uuohh!?"

"Disgusting!!"

It spitted a cloudy fluid from its mouth, and makes the ground where it landed, immediately turn hot red and melt into lava.

(*T.N:RAWs say it's “Tang soup” for some reason. It's such a weird a.n.a.logy that I don't know if it's correct.)

Everyone was at a loss for words. No matter how much you're strengthened with magic, you won't come out unscathed after receiving an attack like that head on.

Moreover, the enemy is above them.

Ignoring the knights' thoughts, the Arienne Kong continues to spit at them.

"Prepare the bows!"

"f.u.c.king monkey! That's such a disgusting attack!"

  Although it looks like cloudy soup, it's actually a dissolvent synthetic substance. The venom acc.u.mulated in its throat was modified with magic and turned into a strong corrosive liquid. 

It also possesses a considerable adhesive power. Once it gets stuck to the body, it'll completely dissolve everything, even if it's metal.

While the knights were quickly preparing their bows to shoot it down, the boss desperately tried to break the glowing chains binding it.

"Let's gooo!!"

Warrior-type long range attack techniques depend on the distance from the target. And the knights' distance from the ape was about 5 times the lengths of their swords, and since they were still within the range of the Arienne Kong's attacks, they were pointless, and the same could be said about their spears. Therefore, their only choice was to shoot arrows at it. The problem was that a bow wouldn't be able to inflict a fatal wound to such a strong monster.

Even after reaching level 100, no matter how much they're buffed with magic, they won't be able to deal considerable damage to an opponent double their level.

"Captain, they have no effect."

"If its skin is too hard, Do you want to wait until the restraining magic breaks?"

"I don't wanna go near it while it's still spitting acid…"

"I don't want to melt, either."

The knights don't have any effective means of attacking it.

Only a magic attack would be effective at this point…

"Piece of s.h.i.+t! This thing is hard! Even magic is practically bouncing off of its body."

"Our level is too low, if we had a bit more time we'd be able to deal more damage…"

They still don't have a high enough level.

It's not like they can't beat it due to the lack of skill and combat experience. In the past two days the level of the knights have exceeded 100. However, the high-ranked Arienne Kong at level 15, is stronger than the low-ranked level 200 Crazy Apes.

In the first place, since they don't know at which level it evolves, they don't have the time or information to verify it. Moreover, the information from the 【Appraisal】 skill was unreliable.

A person's status is clearly visible, but when it comes to monsters, only the level and a small amount of information on them appears.

That's a noticeable difference from when it was a game. Zeros' game knowledge can't be reliably used as a reference for this world.

"Should I use the chains of darkness? I was careless because you guys had leveled up."

"Really? There's something else going on, right?

"Nah, there's no way…"

The knights were able to fight on equal terms against the Crazy Apes when they reached level 100. Zeros had a.s.sumed that even if their opponent was a high-ranked species, they wouldn't lag behind.

(This is a group of level 100 monsters, a couple of level 200 ones, and the boss… they're, at least, weaker than the ones that inhabit the depths of this forest.

How much have the monsters in this area evolved?

Rather than that, it's not good if the knights that were sent as our escorts die. Would it be my fault if they do?

Well, there's a higher chance the Chivalric Order will keep a watch on me if I let them die… well if it's only one or two… no, no, no!

They also have families, and it wouldn't be good if they held a grudge against me. Trust is paramount in this world. )

There was one troubled uncle (*T.N: Ossan).

In Far-flung forest, the deeper you go, the higher the concentration of mana is. 

Mana concentration is the determining factor that produces the differences in strength between monsters. But, even in the same forest, the strength of the monsters inhabiting the deepest parts of it is leagues apart from the strength of the monsters living on the boundaries.

Even a Goblin would be stronger than the Queen Arienne Kong we're fighting this time around.

(Hmmm, if mana concentration determines the upper limit of the monsters' strength in this forest, then there must be something in there that's producing these changes.

I'm interested but… at this age, I just want sake.)

He loved sake more than the romance of adventures.

(Watching hockey with a gla.s.s of a prized Kagurazaka Daiginjō… this worthless G.o.ddess,

Do you want me to hold another grudge!?) 

*T.N: A Daiginjō is a high-end type of sake and Kagurazaka is the brand I guess?

This uncle, deprived of the pleasures of his previous world, holds a grudge against the G.o.ds.

Anyways…

"Let's wrap this up, 『Spear of the Lighting Emperor』"

Zeros produced a lighting spear from the palms of his hands, and readily hurls it towards the Arienne Kong.

―――Gyaaaa!!!

The monster's scream echoes through the forest.

(Ah… I guess this is animal cruelty. In j.a.pan this would be a crime, and I'd likely be sued by an NGO from somewhere. 

For example, most organizations stage incidents to affect the public's opinion on whaling companies and damage their reputation, but those people should really learn about our history of whaling. 

First of all, j.a.panese whalers ate everything except the bones, and some of them were even used as tools, whereas, overseas whalers only used the oil. Such a waste.

That's a blasphemy against whaling and it's too late to protect them now! First of all, they overhunt whales.

Their ancestors' actions caused the whale population to plummet. It's the peak of people who denounce other countries' cultures! Reflect on that, will you!

After all, they don't really understand j.a.panese culture. If they say something is bad, then it's cancelled immediately, and exaggerated to their heart's content.

If you're ashamed of your own history then that's fair enough, but after all, they don't realize they're just being instigated by others, and that there are many other endangered species that need protection, but these people just focus on that one thing. Gorillas also suffer casualties in human wars! They're still here so we need to protect them! )

*T.N: This whole paragraph was a nightmare to try translating and I'm sure I got it completely wrong, but I guess the main points were that j.a.panese whalers aren't as bad as foreigners; cancel culture bad; j.a.pan good no hate; Gorillas are aight.

Is Zeros fond of gorillas? 

Does he hold a grudge against anti-whaling groups?

Moreover, his information was completely biased. It's a fact that, in some countries, gorillas are endangered species. Although, Zeros, who had a gorilla hanging in the air by its limbs seems to be an awfully guilty person himself.

His aura is that of a poacher. 

―――Pakyiiinnnn!!!

A high-pitched metallic sound, different from the Arienne Kong's cries, echoes. 

The glowing light chain, that had been restraining the monster's movements, broke.

"Woah!? Its bindings broke apart!"

【Bind Break】, a skill that wards off the effects of binding and restraining magics.

Zeros' magic can't be resisted by normal monsters, but this Queen Arienne Kong managed to break his spell.

"What is this? Which is it, 'hidden power' or 'berserk' ?"

(*T.N: terms from the game I suppose)

"The h.e.l.l you on about!! This is dangerous!"

The hairs on the Arienne Kong's back stood and started dying red. Its body also grew one size bigger and its muscles started pulsating abnormally.

"It's going berserk, I should've killed it instantly though? I guess I still need to get the hang of it"

"""Get it properly!!!"""

This uncle liked Roland The Gorilla.

He cherished the gorilla plus.h.i.+e he bought on a company trip abroad when he was younger. He even named it 'Uhho-kun' 

"Sayonara, Uhho-kun… 【Shadow Javelin】"

Countless jet-black spears emerged from the shadows and pierced the Arienne Kong.

This uncle was overlaying the image of Uhho-kun with the Arienne Kong… and said his eternal farewell.

The gorillas of this world weren't cute though…

But the berserk gorilla didn't stop moving. It pulled out a nearby tree from its roots and swung it towards Zeros. 

"It's getting more violent!"

"It's out of control! Please do something!"

Involving the remaining surviving Crazy Apes, the berserk Arienne Kong goes on a rampage. It continues to fight even after trees are knocked down and rocks are smashed. 

Monsters go berserk when their rage reaches a certain threshold, but at the same time, they put their lives at risk, without minding collateral damage or even injuring their own bodies.

They are blinded with rage until they manage to kill their enemies.

"…Now let's make it a bit easier,【Roaring Lightning of the Thunder G.o.d】"(*T.N: 雷神轟雷球)

This uncle also like animal animatronics…

(At the very least, I'll grant it mercy.)

As he thought that, Zeros brings forth a palm-sized ball of lightning and shoots it at the Arienne Kong.

It looks like the magic 【Lighting Ball】 but the power and the amount of mana packed-in are in a different league.

The ball of lighting hits the Arienne Kong, and releasing its destructive power, burns its body from the inside out. In addition, the excess electric discharge overruns the surroundings, smas.h.i.+ng nearby trees and rocks.

The body of the Arienne Kong was completely burned to a cinder, and its ashes scatters about when a gust of wind blows through.

Zeros took a cigarette out of the small pouch at his waist and lighted it up with magic. He lets out the white smoke of the ignited tobacco quietly with an expressionless face.

"Fuu… Empty. What is this empty feeling…?"

In his mind was Uhho-kun, who he had left behind in his former world.

Zeros had abandoned something important. The knights and his two disciples sent him cold gazes, but that didn't matter to him.

The cigarette smoke is washed away by the wind, like incenses in memoriam of the Arienne Kong.

By the end of the day, the remaining Apes were completely wiped out.

Zeros had a dream. It was the third night after he arrived to this world. That day, he was attacked by monsters since morning.

Even if he managed to hunt a prey, it was soon stolen by flying monsters. And when he hunted another prey, the smell of blood attracted carnivorous monsters in tropes. If you defeat those monsters, another horde appears before you could finish dismantling them.

In this endless vicious cycle, Zeros became exhausted both mentally and physically. And, before he noticed, the forest was already enclosed in darkness, and because he didn't eat since morning, he was a.s.saulted by a terrible hunger.

His food was taken away from him. It was a very dismal day.

The day after, he was sleeping by the river, but he was attacked by a group of lizardmen, so he decided to spend the night in the shadow of a rock.

Not being winter was the only good thing.

He soon stops thinking about those things. He immediately fell asleep due to fatigue. But then… it showed up.

He wakes up with a faint shaking sensation, and he squints his sleepy eyes to check what was happening.

And then, he realizes…

A b.u.t.t was showing from some slightly lowered trousers. In other words, half of his a.s.s was exposed. Moreover, it was a white-haired monkey with long arms and a slovenly expression on its red face, trying to lower down his pants. 

The uncle's and the Crazy Ape's eyes meet.

"" …… ""

…A long silence elapses.

And then he confirms it.

A fiendish and violent sky tree that stands up high as if penetrating the heavens, so ferocious and brutal that mosaics would be made of it…

"Fuuhi♡"

"Nooooooooo!?"

The uncle's scream echoes far and wide in the gigantic forest of Far-flung. 

His voices reverberates endlessly, though he was so exhausted that he couldn't form any words. 

From that day on, he sold his soul to a demon. Well, it probably wasn't The Devil, because selling your actual soul would mean certain death. (*T.N: no clue about this: 悪魔でないのは、おそらく魂を売れば死は確実だからだろう。)

All monsters that come to attack him are annihilated, monsters wandering around on guard are indiscriminately killed, and even monsters that run away get merrily slaughtered. 

He became an Oni in order to protect his chast.i.ty. 

After all, this is a world where might makes right, and the weak have no right to complain. 

Naturally, no rights to take one's chast.i.ty.

It's really quiet when he wakes up…

―――Kyin! Kankan!

"f.u.c.k, Where did they come in from!?"

"No clue! But this is good, you can mince a lot of them with these numbers!"

"Kyaahh!!!"

"Ness got caught!! Captain!"

"Kuh, Zweit-sama, Celestinsama, support…"

" 『Fireball』！！"

―――Dogooonnn!

Well, actually, there was a big commotion outside.

When Zeros exits the tent, rubbing his eyes, a knight in front of him gets blown away.

"………."

Were the timing a bit off, that could've been Zeros. 

It was actually quite dangerous.

In the morning of the final day of Far-flung forest's training excursion, they were attacked by plant-type monsters. 

One of the female knights was caught, and there were a few knights trying to help her, but it didn't go well. 

The group had no idea where these monsters appeared from, but were already surrounded by them.

Even after the fight with the Queen Arienne Kong ended, there was no change to their situation. The days of hunting prey and eating meat continue. But it's not like it was the end of the world for them.

"Where did these monsters come from…?"

The camp was surrounded by earth walls made with magic, and there were no gaps from which monsters could enter. However, if your opponent is a monster from this forest, you can only conclude that it came from below the ground. In fact, that's how the Crazy Ape intruded and stole their food. 

【Man-eater Beast Mime】ｘ６　Ｌｖ１２５～１７６

(*T.N: written in katakana; the literal translation is: Man-eater beast copy, but that sounds awful.)

The appraisal skills gave some appropriate information on the group.

(Beast Mime? Is it a flower monster? Or does it just replicate monsters?)

Looking at it closely, green ivy was sprouting from part of the monsters' bodies. It seems closely connected to the man-eater part, so the answer was probably the former. 

(*T.N: A man-eater is the typical RPG's plant monster with tentacles and fangs in its mouth.)

(That's right, one of the homunculus' catalysts can be obtained from this monster. )

The knowledge of online games can be reliably used as a reference to calmly a.n.a.lyze this monster.

It's weak to fire and ice magic, as it's characteristic of plant monsters. And, at the same time, the replicated monster parts also have the same traits as its main body, making it a relatively easy opponent.

It seemed like it would be a troublesome opponent for the disciples and the knights, but it looks like they are doing alright due to all the leveling up they did this week, and also because it was a good match for their magic and weapons. 

At the moment, the female knight is being taken towards the flower covered in fangs. 

"Kyaaahh!!"

" 【Scattering Silver Frost】 " (*T.N: 霧氷散華)

Ranged attack magic, 【Scattering Silver Frost】 , it's a remodeled version of the ice magic 【Diamond Dust】 that freezes and vanishes the enemies.

The main body of the Man-Eater freezes, and eventually, a wonderful ice sculpture is completed. A knight lightly swings his sword against it, causing it to shatter into countless fragments. 

The female knight was on the verge of tears.

"Zeros-dono! Thank you very much!"

"A morning attack, huh? Truly… so annoying…"

While scratching his head, he mutters quietly.

"It's been happening almost every day, I want to think this will be the last time… haah…"

"The Man-Eater has a material I'm interested in, so will you help me dismantle it?."

"Can I get the magic stone?"

"Sure, I'm interested in another thing."

Zeros inspects the crumbled Man-Eater, searching for the conspicuously large part he's looking for, with a knife in hand.

【Strange Monster】(no information)

A reproduction of the Man-Eater Beast Mime.

It replicates the genetic information of other organisms to ma.s.s produce an identical specimen. When the monster's body dies, it turns into a seed, from which a new Man-Eater will sprout.

It's the essential material for the creation of the homunculus' body.

It can also be used in the production of healing potions, but the more effective it is, the worse it tastes.

"I've never tried making it but, it should be interesting, right?"

Not knowing that the creation of life is seen as taboo in this world, Zeros began to think about creating artificial life-forms to secure manpower for plowing the fields. 

However, he still didn't have enough materials or equipment to do so.

"Sensei, What's that? That seed…"

"It's a material for a potion, but I wouldn't recommend trying it."

"Why? Is there such a high demand for that potion?"

"The taste is awful. There's nothing more disgusting than that thing."

(I don't think there's a demand for such an incredibly bitter potion.)

Its taste is so foul, that immediately after drinking it, you'd start running around full-sprint, then doing a thousand sit-ups, hitting your head against the wall several times, and dancing while screaming like a crazy person.

There's no doubt that it won't ever sell.

"The effect is high but…"

"What do you use it for?"

"Last time I had a fight at a bar, I thought I'd use it as a punishment…"

"s.h.i.+shou… are you a demon?"

It's a terrible punishment game.

It seems like the person receiving the punishment will be unhappy in another sense. 

The last day was miserable from morning to night.

Around noon, Zeros was observing the scene in front of him while smoking a cigarette.

Monsters' fur, as well as bones and fangs are spread around. The meat that can be eaten is preserved, while the inedible meat is being burned off by Zweit's magic.

Celestina was also helping incinerate the remains until a while ago, but she's now resting to recover her mana.

Monsters have attacked them about five more times after they beat the Man-Eaters, and the feeling of exhaustion is visible on the knights' faces. 

Currently, there were no walls surrounding the camp, as they were waiting for the carriage to pick them up.

"I can see the carriage!"

"W-We're going home!"

"Huh? Why am I crying…"

"That was a tough battle, I'm not afraid of anything anymore…"

The knights can't hide their joy after all these days of h.e.l.l.

"Aren't the monsters on this area weaker than the ones deeper in the forest though?"

"""Seriously!!?"""

This is the outermost area of the forest. The monsters that inhabit this part are relatively strong, but only around 1.5 times more powerful than the ones that roam across this country. It's too early to throw away their fear.

"Are you talking about the week I spent surviving in the depths of this forest?"

"Ahh… so that's why you were so happy about our misfortune?"

"I went back to how I was when I was struggling to survive for a week, that state of mind was bad…"

"It sure was risky to have the 'Zeros of that time' watching our backs."

"Rejoicing about our misfortune… I understand that feeling painfully now." (*T.N: Not sure about that whole convo.)

Everyone empathizes with Zeros, given that the knights had also the same experience.

Especially with the Crazy Apes…

"Everyone, have you finished packing your luggage together? If so, then start loading! Move it!"

"""Oohhhhhh!!! """

They were overjoyed to finally escape from this danger zone.

The knights riding on the carriage and on their horses were astonished when they saw the state of the group.

""" Why are you guys so tattered!? """

The knights' armors were immensely more damaged than when they departed. And, their faces were covered in dirt and looking more menacing. 

"They're like seasoned warriors…"

They, who have no idea what the others have been through, were waiting in a lukewarm safe area. The hard work, the days of hard battles, only the comrades who are here know. All of that is a mystery for the people on the carriage and on the horses.

Everyone here has crossed the boundary of life and death, and survived…

The knights, who were greeted like that, quickly started to load the carriage with their luggage. They wanted to leave that forest as soon as possible.

Their hearts and minds were in sync, and thus, the loading process was completed incredibly fast.

Thirty minutes later, they finally fled from that cursed place.

While being swayed by the carriage, the knights' hearts were light. After all, they finally said goodbye to battling endless waves of enemies, and were now headed to a safer place where they could sleep peacefully.

As the forest moved away from them, their expressions were enveloped in a joy coming from the bottom of their hearts.

The town of Santor was two days away by carriage. In the meantime, what they were doing was… sleeping.

The monsters attacked continuously day and night, so their hearts were probably exhausted. Because they were exposed to the stress of their lives, they couldn't take much time to rest and take it slow.

Although it's pitiful, nature is not something humans can win against. Humans only managed to tame part of it by building their cities and villages. The moment they leave those places, it becomes a harsh battle against nature.

If you lose, you'll end up in the belly of the strong, and if you win, you can continue to survive by eating the weak. That's the law of this ruthless world.

The knights, who survived, were now comforting themselves in a sense of security.

The carriage, currently heading to the city of Santor, reached a resting point some distance away from it.

It's the riverside where Zeros and the rest once stopped by. But what they saw there…

"W-What the h.e.l.l…?"

"Broken carriages and corpses of merchants… Bandits?"

Near the riverside, which is said to be a resting point for travelers, there was blood and countless bodies scattered about.

Merchants and their mercenary escorts.

"Now that you mention it, you were attacked by bandits a month ago, right? Are there a lot of them around these parts?"

"No, I don't think that's the case, although some bandits end up here to rest occasionally…"

Alev groaned.

The appearance of monsters coming out from the forest is not that unusual. This area is dangerous because of the bandits who wander around here.

"Captain, the corpses are still warm. They seem to have been attacked recently…"

"What? Then the ones who attacked them must be near."

When bandits are in hiding, it's better for them to settle near a waterside. They must have a hideout to keep the stolen goods, but obviously, it should be difficult to find.

"I haven't heard of any caves around here though…"

"When I was a kid I heard there was a band of bandits called the Masas.h.i.+ Bandits that had their hideout around these parts."

"Fumu. They're probably reusing their base then."

They seem to be quite the sly bandits.

"Zweit-kun, Celestinsan, prepare to summon your familiars."

"Oh? Is it our turn?"

"Can you locate the hideout of the bandits from the air?"

Immediately, three summoned beasts dance in the sky. From there, they began searching upstream… and, to their surprise, they managed to easily find the bandits. 

"There. It seems about… a thirty minute walk, maybe?"

"They have women and children as hostages."

"I'm gonna squash those f.u.c.king bugs!"

Zeros was enraged and visibly disgusted. Everyone was trembling in anger and releasing their killing intent. You could hear their voices full of resentment.

After coming back from the forest, they were transformed into demons.

"It seems like these thieves are giving us extra work… kukuku."

"It's time to extinguish the life of these pieces of s.h.i.+t!"

"This mithril sword here is starving for blood… hehehe."

"Isn't that just an iron sword…"

"Stop showing off, aren't you embarra.s.sed? More importantly, bandits are like c.o.c.kroaches, we have to properly dispose of them."

Their thoughts were one.

The brunt of the anger, caused by the interruption of their long awaited rest, was directed at the bandits, and so, they became demons again.

Their eyes were s.h.i.+ning weirdly, like starving beasts.

"These guys are different from the people that left one week ago…"

"Fighting drives people crazy, doesn't it? How pitiful…"

To fight is to shoulder the work.

They abandoned their job as knights to become battle-crazed warriors.

"All members! Prepare for battle, We'll eliminate all the bandits!!!"

"""Ooohhhh!!! """

A battle cry resonates across the riverside.

They fight. Just to protect their rest time. No one knows where the knights' luggage ended up. The only thing on their minds was the bandits, who, unbeknownst to them, have a horde of demonic beasts marching towards them.

"…Do we have to clean up this mess…?

"Probably. What's wrong with those guys anyway?"

"No clue, don't wanna know either…"

Only the knights that came to pick them up were left there. All of them, while lamenting it, were made to clean up this wreckage.

That's also the job of the knights, given that they discovered this place.