The severed hand of the ghoul slammed against the ground, while its massive body writhed beside it, unleashing hysterical screams of pain. Its shattered club toppled uselessly to the side like meaningless debris.
James did not grant it a single moment to breathe; he lunged forward like a bolt of lightning, relying on a firm conviction that a terrestrial-grade monster like this stood no chance whatsoever against a high-rank knight.
Knights like James were the elite of the Kingdom of Lorennia, its field commanders and rare assets sought after by grand families such as dukedoms and marquisates—while minor baronial houses like the Lorens could scarcely hope to obtain even one. The balance of power was overwhelmingly in his favor.
James reached his foe, his grip tightening around his second sword.
Without hesitation, he swung it in a fluid, cutting arc that sliced through the air to halt any attempt at resistance… and in the blink of an eye, the ghoul's other arm detached and fell away.
The giant body convulsed violently, and the ghoul let out a howl that shattered the silence of the forest.
Despite its savagery, it was not devoid of sensation; pain was devouring it, and for the first time, the cold terror of death seeped into its eyes. Fear is a primal instinct that spares no creature when the end approaches.
James showed it no mercy—his strikes rained down on the monster's skull like flashes of razor-sharp light.
And in the decisive moment, the ghoul's head exploded, its remains scattering as blood gushed from its open neck before the colossal body collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
Loren, Robin, and the other knights froze in place at a safe distance, their eyes fixed on James in utter disbelief.
Could a terrestrial-rank monster really be slain this easily?Such a sight was familiar only to those among the high-level knights—an elite perched atop the combat hierarchy of the Kingdom of Lorennia.
With steady steps, James approached the fallen ghoul. He crouched over the massive mound of flesh and, without a trace of hesitation, thrust his hand powerfully beneath the navel. His fingers pierced the thick skin and muscular layers, sinking into the warm, pulsing cavity of fading life. He sifted through blood and slick organs with calm indifference, pushing them aside in search of the grand prize buried within monsters of this tier: the Energy Stone.
These rare and extremely valuable stones formed only in terrestrial-rank beasts and above, making their extraction from gore and viscera an effort well worth the reward for any knight or hunter seeking wealth and strength.
James murmured with a faint smile, "Found you."
He withdrew his blood-soaked hand, gripping a large stone roughly the size of his palm. It glowed with a deep crimson hue. He turned it over under the sunlight, examining it closely. At that moment, Baron Loren's astonished voice rang out from behind:
"James… are you truly a high-level knight?"
James glanced at him with complete indifference, as though answering something mundane, and replied:
"Yes, yes. Anyway… have you finished off all the ghouls?"
Loren nodded with newfound reverence, answering:
"Yes… we've wiped them all out. But what now? Do we return to the city to summon the army? Or send a knight for reinforcements while we stay to scout the area?"
His tone carried deep respect; the man before him had just ended the life of a terrestrial monster alone—an achievement worthy of the highest regard.
But James looked at them with complete seriousness and said in a decisive tone:
"We're going back… I want to return home and check on my wife."
A brief silence followed as Loren and the knights exchanged baffled looks for a few seconds—before they all burst into uncontrollable, hysterical laughter.
What irony! A man with monstrous strength that could shake beasts to their core… yet his heart remained tethered to the worries of a devoted husband.
Loren clutched his sides from laughing so hard and shouted through his chuckles:
"Hahaha! Very well, James. We'll return and rally the forces. Go check on your wife first… then we'll come back to finish this raid."
…..
It was a majestic sight that stole the breath of the entire city.The procession entered through the main gate, the wagons creaking under the weight of their bloody cargo.
They did not carry mere ghoul heads—at the center rested the massive severed head of the terrestrial ghoul, its lifeless eyes and dagger-like fangs standing as silent witnesses to a battle beyond imagination.
The news spread like wildfire through alleys and taverns. Knights and adventurers passed it around in stunned disbelief:James, the quiet man, had single-handedly slain a terrestrial-rank monster.
But the shock did not end there—the truth that shook everyone to their core soon followed:James wasn't just any knight… he was a high-level knight.
His status soared to the heavens in that instant, and his name echoed with reverence in every corner, like a living legend walking among them.
Amid the uproar, a familiar voice echoed in James's mind.A transparent system window appeared before him, announcing a generous reward: years' worth of raw internal energy, granted for his extraordinary feat.
But James, with his usual composure, did not rush to consume it. He stored it away, letting it accumulate for a critical moment in the future.
Neither the spotlight nor the cheers of the crowd swayed him from his true priority; he slipped away from the masses and returned home, where checking on his wife and children meant more to him than all the victories in the world.
Meanwhile, Baron Loren stood at the center of the public square, surrounded by a throng of adventurers and knights.
He explained with grave seriousness the terrifying reality of the northern forest and how it had become infested with monsters far beyond the capability of the weak.
Only then did the missing piece finally click into place for the adventurers—they understood why the baron had summoned someone with James's strength.This mission was no ordinary hunt; it was a war against the unknown.
Once James finished his brief visit home, he returned to join the gathering, carrying his sword and an aura of confidence that ignited determination in everyone's hearts.
The small army marched back toward the northern forest, their expressions shifting from anxiety to resolve.
Upon reaching the forest's shadowed edge, the plan began taking shape on the ground. The elites dismounted, stepping forward like a human spear ready to pierce the darkness.
Leading the vanguard was Baron Loren, beside him James—every eye drawn to him—and with them Robin, Philip, Kaiser, and Felix, forming an impenetrable wall of offense and defense.
Behind them lined up adventurers and knights of medium and low ranks, prepared to delve deeper.
As for the ordinary soldiers, they received strict orders not to enter.They spread out to surround the forest from the outside, encircling it like an iron ring, tasked with preventing any monster from escaping toward the city and isolating the battlefield entirely.
Baron Loren looked toward the dense trees, then shouted in a thunderous voice:
"The goal is clear… complete purification. Show no mercy to anything that moves inside!"