Episode 26 – The Chimera Legion
The weather was rather chilly.
Was it because winter was approaching? The night arrived quickly.
Torches burned all around, illuminating the bandits’ encampment.
For now, the plan had succeeded. Just as I intended, the bandits had gathered at the camp en masse.
But...
“Wow, Dominic, you crazy bastard.”
There were way too many of them.
As the naked bandits who’d been chased off spread the word, more and more of their scattered comrades arrived at the camp, and their numbers had already exceeded five hundred.
And they kept increasing at a rapid pace.
My entire body began to tremble—not from fear of the sheer number of bandits, but because of Dominic’s madness.
‘How many has he used as test subjects?’
This was merely one of Dominic’s makeshift prisons for experimental subjects. If I considered the others, the total number could easily be two thousand, three thousand—or even more.
Every one of them would eventually be dragged into the lab and consumed as materials for chimera experiments.
Like lab rats.
According to the novel, these experiments had been going on for years. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how many people had been sacrificed in that time.
‘This guy’s worse than a mass murderer.’
It also meant he was that powerful.
Could I really handle something on this scale?
Dealing with a mass murderer might have been easier. At least I could talk with them. But this psychotic bastard? He was impossible to predict.
If things went south, he could devour me right on the spot.
Is this what it feels like to try surfing on a tidal wave?
There was no avoiding this unless I managed to break through the magic circle.
‘The problem is when the collection will begin. When will they make their move?’
The collection of test subjects for the chimera experiments.
Judging from the fact that the captured bandits had no idea about the camp’s true purpose, it seemed the collection hadn’t begun yet.
Did any of the bandits here even know what this place was?
Maybe not.
If they knew, they wouldn’t have gathered here like this—it would be suicidal.
Sharing that information with them?
My hesitation lasted only a moment.
The instant I thought of the Chimera Legion, the answer became clear.
‘It changes nothing.’
I had no confidence I could persuade the bandits, nor any intention of sacrificing myself for them.
My goal was survival, not dying for nothing.
If I had to use them, I would. I had no desire to jump into the fire myself.
‘But isn’t this a bit much?’
As the numbers swelled to nearly eight hundred, an uneasy feeling began to creep in.
It was just too many.
If Dominic saw this, it would be a feast too tempting to resist.
Could his experiments be triggered by such a large gathering?
I tried to push that thought out of my mind.
Every bad guess I made had been disturbingly accurate so far.
“…Ah.”
A sudden chill crept up my spine.
Instinctively, I slipped deeper into the branches of a tree.
My heart pounded violently, and my hands trembled as they clutched the leaves. The tingling sensation I felt quickly turned into a chilling foreboding.
‘Killing intent.’
The presence of a fierce predator.
It felt as if something had suddenly fallen from the sky, spreading its aura in every direction in an instant.
And when I realized that the source of the killing intent came not from one, but multiple beings, my face twisted in frustration.
“…Shit. Why now of all times?”
I suppressed a groan and stared toward the encampment.
The killing intent was aligned with my gaze.
Hundreds of bandits gathered together in one place.
The creatures targeting them were obvious.
The Chimera Legion.
My worst guess had come true once again.
Should I warn them?
No, it was already too late.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. THUD!
Without giving me any time to decide, a heavy rumbling erupted from beyond the forest.
The ground quivered faintly.
A massive pressure accompanied the rumbling, pressing down from all directions. I clenched my teeth and curled my body into a tight ball.
If I was discovered, I was done for!
Kraaaaaahhhhh!!!
“……!”
The forest writhed as if it were a living creature, and a monstrous roar echoed from deep within.
The bandits were thrown into chaos.
A few of them immediately bolted. They were few in number, but from the way they moved, they were clearly skilled—aware that this place was about to turn into a living hell.
“W-what’s going on? What is this!?”
“The forest is moving!”
“Shouldn’t we run?!”
“Running would be even dumber. Look how many of us there are.”
“But those things…”
“They’re just a bunch of cowards. Ignore them and stay together.”
Most of the bandits mocked the ones fleeing. They drew their weapons and huddled together.
I let out a sigh of regret at the sight.
Sure, with nearly eight hundred of them, they might think they could handle anything.
‘But they’ve picked the wrong opponent.’
Whether this disaster was scheduled to happen today or triggered by my actions, it no longer mattered.
The die had been cast.
Without even having time to survey the prison factions or the surrounding terrain, the chaos erupted.
Now, my task was clear. As I quickly assessed the situation, a passage from the novel came to mind.
[For the test subjects, only despair awaited. And that despair began the moment they encountered ‘them.’]
Thud—
“……!”
The writhing forest suddenly stilled.
An oppressive silence fell over everything. The bandits swallowed dryly, staring into the dark forest.
I picked the tallest tree nearby and swiftly climbed it.
Gripping a thin branch, I peered down at the bandits below. It was then that an ominous sound began to squeeze my chest.
Ugh— Ugh— Ugh—
Black shadows burst forth from the gaps between the trees.
When the torchlight revealed their forms, the bandits screamed.
Horrifying monstrosities.
Hundreds of grotesque figures surged into the camp, surrounding it completely.
Kiaaaaahhh!!
“W-what the hell are those things?!”
“Aaagh! Run!!”
‘They’ had arrived to collect their test subjects.
Dominic’s Chimera Legion had appeared.
Watching the demonic horde swallow the encampment like a black tide, I clenched my jaw tightly.
From the very first day I ended up in Laup Forest, a spectacular disaster was unfolding right in front of me.
Clearly, I had terrible luck.
***
If hundreds of bandits capable of combat grouped together, they could pose a serious threat—even to a small or mid-sized noble army.
If they stuck together tightly, they could even challenge higher-tier monsters.
However, the moment these forces came face-to-face with the Chimera Legion, they scattered like a disorganized mob, running for their lives.
The overwhelming presence of the chimeras crushed their fighting spirit on sight.
And their appearance...
“O-Ogre?!”
“…No, it’s not. It has... six arms!”
“W-what the hell! Don’t come near me! Aaaagh!”
“Gaaaah! Help me!”
A grotesque, massive monster came crashing through the camp, shattering everything in its path.
The ogre charged forward, diving into the middle of the bandit formation.
As its six arms swung wildly, the formation collapsed in an instant.
The bandits caught in its arms were lifted into the air, screaming for their lives, while the rest fled in panic.
Kuuuuooooooohhh—!!!!!
The ogre’s deafening roar made nearby bandits crumble to the ground. Overwhelmed with terror, they pressed their heads to the ground, trembling uncontrollably as if their minds had shut down completely.
And then, from above...
Ssssuk—
“Urgh! Kkrugh!”
“S-spare me…!”
A gigantic slime, large enough to envelop the entire camp, slithered forward, scooping up bandits as it moved.
Hundreds of human-like arms protruded from the slime’s surface.
The bandits trapped by those arms struggled inside the slime’s body, clawing at their throats as they suffocated. After thrashing helplessly, they lost consciousness and floated lifelessly within the translucent mass.
It was a terrifying sight.
Panic spread among the bandits, and they scattered in all directions, screaming as they fled into the forest.
The hunt had begun, and more predators revealed themselves.
A monster with the head of a bull and the body of a crocodile. A winged serpent soaring through the sky.
Each one was enormous, making the humans look like nothing more than insects in comparison.
From behind, swarms of smaller chimeras with varying forms rushed in like a dark cloud, overwhelming the fleeing bandits.
Those captured were dragged across the ground, screaming, only to disappear somewhere unknown.
It was a one-sided hunt.
But it wasn’t a massacre.
That’s why the forest echoed with their desperate screams and cries of agony.
The entire forest was steeped in fear.
This was exactly why Laup Forest was known as a place of terror.
Fwoooosh—!
“Aaaahhh!”
I remained hidden among the trees, observing the scene below.
A giant eyeball the size of a torso floated in the air. When the fleeing bandits crossed paths with the eye monster, it emitted a crimson glow.
The bandits exposed to the light clutched their heads, screaming in agony. A moment later, their expressions went blank, and they began to follow the eye monster, as if hypnotized.
‘Now!’
The moment the floating eye monster passed beneath my tree, I leapt down with a dagger imbued with Divine Power.
The eye quickly tilted upward, catching sight of me. For a split second, I saw my reflection in its dilating pupil. Then, just as its crimson light flared toward me—
The moment I was exposed to the light, my face twisted in pain. A wave of nausea hit me, and my head throbbed, but I clenched my teeth and forced it down.
Puuuk—
My dagger sank deep into the eyeball.
I dragged the blade downward as I landed, slicing it open. Blood gushed from the ruptured eye. Still gripping the severed tissue, I pulled out a second dagger.
And then—
Puk— Puk— Puk— Puk—
I stabbed the eye repeatedly, as if possessed. White fluids splattered, drenching me. The eyeball twitched violently for a moment before going limp.
“…Huh?”
As the monster died, the bandits standing nearby snapped out of their daze. They looked around, disoriented, and then panic overtook them once more.
“Aaagh!”
“Help me!”
Screaming like madmen, they scattered into the forest.
They didn’t even seem to notice that someone had saved them—but I understood.
This place was pure hell.
I barely managed to survive on my own. I didn’t have the luxury of helping others.
I butchered the corpse of the eye monster like a hunter field-dressing his prey. After rummaging through its remains for a moment, I pulled out a red gemstone.
‘There it is.’
A Biological Mana Stone, the power source of a chimera.
After briefly considering the stone’s value, I stashed it away and prepared to move again.
I climbed the trees, searching for my next prey.
After hiding and observing for a while, I realized that the chimeras’ objective wasn’t mass slaughter—it was capture.
‘Even when ambushed, their response is surprisingly passive.’
That meant Dominic’s control over the Chimera Legion was limited. And if I played this right, I could hunt chimeras myself.
However, I needed to avoid getting caught at all costs. I could only afford to target chimeras I knew I could handle.
The massive ones that appeared at the start? Those were out of the question. But chimeras with psychic abilities, like the one I just killed, were relatively easy to deal with.
My mental barrier proved to be a great asset here as well.
‘Since things have already escalated, I might as well take advantage of the situation.’
My immediate goal was to survive the collection of test subjects.
Once Dominic gathered enough subjects, he would seal the magic circle again.
Of course, I had no intention of hiding or running during that time.
Collecting Biological Mana Stones was critical for me.
I crushed a handful of pungent herbs and smeared the paste all over my body. The toxins caused my skin to swell and sting, but this was the best way to mask my scent from the chimeras, which had highly sensitive noses.
Kraaagh!
Kieeeeek!
The forest swarmed with countless chimeras, stirring up a cacophony of roars and shrieks.
In the distance, I could hear the screams of fleeing bandits.
The safest way to find more psychic-type chimeras was simple.
Follow the bait.
Silently, I began to move, tracking the direction of the screams.