Hot Spring Tour: Ridge
From the shadow of the trees, I watched silently.
There were no signs that the ogre noticed me as it lay on top of the boulder.
As it was too far, I could not tell for sure…but it looked like it was scratching its ass?
Or maybe its back. It was not important. What was important was that its guard was lowered. That meant it could not detect me at this range.
And so I sunk back into the shadows once again.
I had brought a decent amount of supplies, predicting that I would have to stay out here tonight. Everything was lying on the ground now, so that I could make a run for it if necessary.
When I looked back out again, the ogre was still in the same position. It must be a comfortable spot, under the sun.
As far as I knew, ogres were not nocturnal. So it was possible that it did not see well at night. And so I considered the idea of ambushing it in the dark, as I could make use of my Night Vision skill.
However, I decided against it. The reason was that my sword and armor glowed. So I wouldn’t be able to be stealthy anyway.
Obviously, I could just not charge them up with magic energy. But the ogre was tough and powerful. An ambush would still be risky, and I would rather fight it during the day, while using my weapon and armor to the fullest.
I continued to observe it. There were no guns in this world. This would have been so simple if I had a sniper rifle. Well, I had never used a gun, so perhaps I wouldn’t even be able to hit it at this range.
In fact, I could not even guess what the distance was now. But it was ‘quite far’ to me. And so there was nothing I could do from this distance.
…And then it came to me. Nothing I could do? Was that really true?
From what I could see, there was only one ogre down there. So there was a chance that I could fight an ogre one on one. I had not found the other one yet. And since I still wasn’t sure about its range of detection, staying in one spot for a long time was risky. Perhaps I should move now while I have the chance?
If this was an orc or goblin, provoking it would just result in it calling its friends and attacking. But I had seen how easily provoked the ogre was. Would it really call the other one, if it wasn’t close by? I doubted it would do something so troublesome.
Still, if it did do that, I would have to run away at full speed. There was still some distance. As long as I left my things here, I should be able to get away.
I opened my backpack and looked inside. What I wanted…was at the bottom.
A mirror. Did one need such a thing when going into the mountains? Yes, yes one did.
And not just for shaving. It could be used for seeing parts of your body of armor that were difficult to see. Or to check your appearance before entering a town or village.
It wasn’t about manners. But walking up to a guard while covered in blood was not going to help you get through the gates.
Thankfully, it was a sunny day with a clear blue sky. I would do it then.
I moved out from the shadows, where the ridge was under the sun. Once I saw that the light could be reflected at this angle, I directed it to the ogre.
…It did not react. Perhaps it wasn’t hitting it right. Or didn’t notice.
As I continued to adjust it, the ogre suddenly sat up. Did it…notice it?
However, after sitting on the edge of the boulder, the ogre stopped moving. So it didn’t see it after all.
Apparently, it could still not detect my presence. If it had a Scouting skill, it did not have much range. I was very relieved.
And I put down the mirror and thought. Perhaps there was no point in trying to provoke it then. However, I didn’t know how long it would stay there. If it started to move, I would have to watch while wondering when it might find me.
Last time, it had seen me, even though I was hiding in the bushes. This might be my best chance. And so direct the light at it with the mirror once again.
After some time, the ogre seemed to finally notice it, as its head began to look around confusedly.
And then it stopped. Even at a distance, I could tell that it was looking at me.
My heart jumped in my chest.
Even though I had started it.
Those eyes that I had continued to see in my mind for four days. That was all it took.
The ogre seemed to be raising its voice, but I couldn’t hear it. And then it immediately jumped off the rock and came running in my direction.
—This was not time to be scared.
As this side was a steep cliff, it should not be able to reach me easily. In the meantime, I had to ensure that I had an advantageous position.
Being up here didn’t mean I had an automatic advantage. After all, it could decide where it would climb. And so I ran.
Even though it was a ridge, I was surrounded by trees. And I wanted enough room to swing a two-handed sword. And if I continued up, I was sure to have the higher ground.
While going over my memories coming here, I ran to the place most fitting for a fight. The spot I chose was an elevated clearing that was about five meters wide. There were large rocks all around, but it wasn’t too bad.
This would be fine. I turned around, but there were no signs of the ogre being close yet.
Still, it would come. I knew that. It was not the type to just let its prey get away. I knew that, after just one encounter.
Even though I had my position, I could not wait idly either. And so I tied a rope between the trees, which was the entrance to the clearing.
As it was used by hunters, it was dyed black so as to be less visible. It was just a simple trap, for the purpose of tripping.
I doubted it would be so effective, but as long as it slowed down and became cautious, then it was worth it.
As I tied the knots, my hands shook. Calm down. You still have time.
Once I was finished, I returned to the center of the clearing. I did not want to get greedy, setting up too many traps, and then being taken by surprise.
In the first place, it might not even come from the front. It could be the back or from the side.
It was best to wait, so that I did not panic.
“Phew.”
I took a deep breath.
Then I unsheathed my sword and pierced it into the ground.
The wind blew through the trees.
It was like the repeating sounds of ocean waves. And then I heard the sounds of rustling bushes.
So it was here.
“Me-zroi-tar-mez-rei. Protection!”
Light enveloped my armor. Still, I wasn’t in the dim forest now, so it didn’t make an extreme difference.
The sounds in the bushes were approaching at a frightening speed. From the front.
“Graaaahhhh!!”
Its roar echoed loudly, erasing the sounds of the wind. It had found me as well.
But my eyes widened as it emerged.
I had not realized it when seeing it from afar, but it was slightly smaller than the one I saw days ago. And it had a single horn on its head that split in two.
And though it was incredibly muscular, it seemed to have a roundness as well. And though it was too hairy to be sure, its nether region also seemed less prominent.
A female!
The thought resulted in a delayed reaction.
As if to take advantage of my surprise, the ogre accelerated while kicking off of the ground.
Thank you.