BMN Chapter 9 (Patreon)

Chapter 9: The Ogres

At the same time, several dozen kilometers away from Bai Luo's chosen campsite, a small village of three hundred inhabitants nestled deep within the forest.

The architecture here favored a distinctly Japanese aesthetic, with purely wooden structures rising among the trees.

Among the figures moving through the settlement, the men were mostly dressed as samurai while the women wore cloth garments resembling kimonos. All of them were tall and bore distinctive horns upon their foreheads.

If Bai Luo were present, he would immediately recognize this as the Ogre village that would be destroyed by the Orcs orchestrated by Gelmud in the original timeline. 

The Ogres were a demon race closely related to Majin, with an average combat strength of B-rank, possessing formidable power capable of single-handedly destroying an entire human village.

The Ogre village had a population of around 300, and their collective strength was such that even when faced with an A-rank monster attack, they could easily emerge victorious.

In the assessment of human adventurers, they represented a terrifying force capable of leveling an entire city.

However, the Ogres of the Great Jura Forest weren't as fond of destruction and slaughter as their fearsome appearance might suggest.

On the contrary, while the Ogres possessed combative natures, they adhered strictly to principles of loyalty and righteousness, never attacking the weak or innocent.

They primarily worked as mercenaries, earning rewards from different monster communities throughout the forest and humans beyond its borders, thereby sustaining their village's development.

After centuries of accumulation, the Ogres had become one of the three dominant powers in the Great Jura Forest.

To the south were the Orcs, with a massive population numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

To the north were the Lizardmen, with a population exceeding ten thousand and individual combat strength surpassing C-rank.

And to the west were the Ogres, numbering only 300, but each possessing B-rank combat strength upon reaching adulthood.

The three powers kept each other in check, forming a triangular balance that maintained a fragile peace throughout the Great Jura Forest.

Originally, this arrangement had persisted for ages.

Human adventurers generally avoided venturing deep into the Great Jura Forest, and the Ogres refrained from actively attacking surrounding nations or forces.

However, not long ago, a swarm of insect monsters of unknown origin had shattered the tranquility of the western forest.

They indiscriminately slaughtered the forest's beasts and continuously plundered the resources upon which monsters relied for survival.

Initially, the Ogres had paid them little mind.

The Great Jura Forest was saturated with the Storm Dragon's magicules, and no one could predict what kinds of monsters and magical beasts might emerge from such an environment.

However, just recently, some tribal members had been hunting in the forest when they were ambushed by hundreds of C-rank insect monsters, leaving them on death's doorstep.

If not for the young chief of the Ogres leading a rescue team, this hunting party would likely have been annihilated.

For the sparsely populated Ogres, every tribe member was incredibly precious.

Even so, two Ogres had still perished under the insect monsters' onslaught.

One of their bodies was dragged away by the creatures, while the other died shortly after being brought back to the village.

"We can't let this continue!!"

A robust, red-haired Ogre addressed the elderly, red-skinned Ogre seated in the chief's position. "Father, gather the village's warriors and let's exterminate those disgusting insects!"

This red-haired Ogre was none other than Benimaru—the one who would later follow Rimuru and be named as the Great Marshal of the Monster Nation. 

However, at this time, he, along with Shion, Shuna, Hakurou, Souei, and Kurobee, had not yet received their names. 

In the Cardinal World, most monsters lacked names.

Once a monster received a name, it would become a Named Monster, experiencing a dramatic leap in both potential and existential level.

Unfortunately, the current Ogre village contained no Named Monsters.

After all, the Kijin had long since become legend among the Ogre tribe, with none having been born for over a thousand years. 

"Old man, what are your thoughts?"

The chief turned to the white-haired elder beside him, who sat deep in contemplation with closed eyes.

The entire Ogre tribe held immense respect for this old man, who possessed extensive combat experience and masterful swordsmanship skills.

If the elder hadn't been so devoted to perfecting his sword techniques, he would have become the Ogres' chief himself.

"I have never encountered such insect monsters in the Great Jura Forest. They don't appear to be native creatures."

Unlike the spider-type insect monster Bai Luo had faced, the varieties encountered by the Ogres and other forest communities were far more diverse.

Mantis-type, centipede-type, beetle-type, butterfly-type—they came in every conceivable form, covering virtually all battlefield roles like living biological weapons.

"But I wonder—are those insects truly monsters?"

"By classification, they are indeed monsters."

The red-skinned Ogre chief was equally perplexed. "However, we've attempted communication with them and found it completely impossible."

Magical beasts couldn't communicate, possessed low intelligence, and were purely instinct-driven creatures.

Monsters, on the other hand, were intelligent life forms with their societies, and most could coexist peacefully.

"Regardless, the young chief's proposal isn't wrong."

"For this type of insect monster to appear continuously, there must be a nest-like headquarters."

"Only by locating and destroying it can we fundamentally eliminate these dangerous creatures."

Hakurou's suggestion received unanimous approval from all present Ogres.

Thus, the red-skinned chief began organizing personnel.

He assigned Benimaru to lead a team including Shion, Souei, Shuna, and others, accompanied by Hakurou, to search the forest for the insect monsters' nest. Once located, they would launch an assault and eliminate this mysterious scourge in one decisive strike.

…..

Night fell. Bai Luo remained unaware of the successive insect monster waves' origin, nor did he know that the Ogres were organizing forces to subjugate them.

After a full day's labor, Bai Luo and Ogerpon had finally completed their first wooden cabin.

The structure was tent-shaped, about one person's height, with a triangular design large enough to accommodate both of them while providing shelter from wind and rain.

A bonfire crackled in front of the cabin. The two would need to alternate watch shifts to prevent nighttime attacks from wild beasts and monsters.

But this was temporary.

Once Bai Luo's travel cooldown ended, he would take Ogerpon to explore a new world.

If they were fortunate, they could not only find proper shelter but also replenish their supplies.

Ogerpon would take the first half of the night watch, while Bai Luo covered the second shift.

This arrangement ensured that after traveling, Ogerpon would have sufficient stamina and alertness to handle any potential troubles.

The bonfire crackled softly, its faint flames flickering in the surrounding darkness.

Inside the wooden cabin, Bai Luo savored the peaceful quiet of the nighttime forest.

Ogerpon rested her head on his lap, her small body curled into a comfortable ball, lips occasionally smacking as if dreaming of something delicious.

Even in such a wild environment, Ogerpon slept as peacefully as if she were in the warmest bed imaginable.

As long as she could remain by Bai Luo's side like this, Ogerpon felt completely at ease.

What a little foodie—she's even drooling.

Wiping away the drool from the corner of her small canine teeth, Bai Luo gently stroked Ogerpon's hood-like head.

His hand brushed over the sharp horns adorning her hat—these were part of her actual body, not mere decorations.

However, Ogerpon's form was surprisingly soft to the touch.

Even the supposedly sharp oni horns felt squishy and pliable beneath his fingers.

Just like that, Bai Luo watched over her with the care of an older brother protecting his sister. Until the sky gradually brightened, they encountered no further insect monster attacks.

Dawn broke, revealing a sliver of white light on the horizon.

In the morning haze, forest mist drifted like ethereal veils. Pale sunlight filtered through sparse treetops, dappling the damp ground where dewdrops glistened like silver on tender green grass blades.

"Poni?"

Waking from sleep, Ogerpon rubbed her drowsy eyes before instinctively searching for Bai Luo's presence.

The moment she spotted him, the worry in her eyes immediately melted away.

In its place bloomed a heart full of joy and dependence.

"Bai Luo, Bai Luo, are we continuing house construction today?"

With yesterday's experience, Ogerpon had gained considerable insight into building techniques.

She wanted to challenge herself with a larger wooden cabin—then construct a spacious house that could comfortably accommodate both of them!

"Let's pause construction for now."

Bai Luo patted her head before taking Ogerpon to the stream for their morning wash. After a simple breakfast of mushroom porridge and a few Pokéblocks, he announced the day's plan.

"I'm planning to open a gateway to another world and scout it first."

Bai Luo explained, "If the new world proves too primitive, we'll use our daily travel allowance to visit the Pokémon world instead."

The Pokémon world boasted highly advanced technology.

Bai Luo could import various equipment and resources from there to rapidly establish a proper camp.

He had no intention of capturing additional Pokémon.

【Traveler】 couldn't transport people across worlds unless they became Bai Luo's dependents.

But his dependent slots were currently limited, and he didn't plan to use the remaining two positions exclusively on Pokémon.

"However, if we encounter a dangerous world, we'll return immediately."

"Mm, Pon-Pon will protect Bai Luo!"

"Then I'm counting on you, Pon-Pon."

Stretching, Bai Luo looked at Ogerpon, who had recovered her energy and was eager for adventure. "Are you ready?"

"Poni!"

Ogerpon struck a flexing pose, indicating that she was bursting with energy!

"Excellent—full of enthusiasm!"

With that, Bai Luo activated the 【Traveler】 ability, which had finished cooling down and was ready for use once more.

"Let's go!"

In a flash of brilliant light, both Bai Luo and Ogerpon's figures vanished from the campsite, leaving only the extinguished bonfire with smoke lingering in the damp morning air.

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