The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 323: You Can Do It (2)

As if it had deliberately made space for him, the Queen Grex stood there, observing Alfoy. He turned back toward the empty space behind him and whispered in a panic.

“What... what do I do now? What am I supposed to do?!”

“Get closer,” Ghislain's calm voice responded.

“Get closer and then what?”

“Lure her. Use some magic—something flashy. She’ll follow you, entranced by anything unusual.”

“Ugh... fine.”

Alfoy took a deep breath and cautiously stepped forward. The Grex nearby squirmed but didn’t show any hostility toward him.

As Alfoy approached the Queen Grex, Belinda, still hiding with the group, looked on in bewilderment.

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“What... what’s going on? Why is this happening? They always attacked us on sight, and Alfoy was with us the whole time!”

On their way here, they had eliminated every Grex they encountered. None of them had treated Alfoy differently.

The only difference now was the presence of the Queen Grex.

A mage who survived the annihilation of a scouting party once wandered into the forest. He stumbled upon the Queen Grex, and though hundreds of Grex attacked him, he miraculously survived. According to his account, it was thanks to the Queen Grex herself.

Ghislain nodded. “The Queen Grex is showing interest in Alfoy right now.”

Belinda’s eyes widened. “W-wait... Are you saying that... that monster likes Alfoy? Is she planning to take him as a mate?”

“...No, it’s not like that.”

According to the mage, the Queen Grex exhibited a higher level of intelligence than the other Grex. She had a peculiar habit of closely observing new things, driven by an unusual curiosity. This behavior was what allowed the mage to escape alive.

Watching Alfoy inch closer, Ghislain explained further.

“She’s fascinated by mages.”

“Mages?”

“Yes. For some reason, she seems able to sense magical energy. That’s why I sent Alfoy.”

We initially thought the Queen Grex was friendly toward humans. Using the surviving mage as a guide, we sent a team to observe and study her. However, we were mistaken.

Belinda tilted her head in confusion. “Then couldn’t we have sent Alfoy with someone else? A mage is still a mage, right?”

“No. There’s a limit to what she tolerates, and it doesn’t apply to just anyone.”

The Queen Grex’s tolerance extended to a single individual. She displayed curiosity only when faced with one mage. If there were more than one person, or if they weren’t mages, her demeanor shifted to hostility. It seemed she had a unique ability to detect magical energy.

Though skeptical, the group couldn’t deny the evidence before them.

Everything Ghislain had predicted was unfolding exactly as he said it would.

Belinda, however, was burning with curiosity—and not just her.

‘How on earth does the young lord know all this? He’s never ventured alone into the forest before!’

If Ghislain had tried entering the forest in the past, he wouldn’t have survived to tell the tale. His earlier status and skills wouldn’t have even allowed him to approach it.

And yet, Ghislain moved through the Forest of Beasts as if he knew it intimately, like someone who had already been there.

‘It’s almost like... like he’s been here before.’

While Ghislain’s achievements were always impressive, his mastery of the forest bordered on the inexplicable. Each time he ventured into the forest, it felt as though he were reading from some detailed guidebook.

Belinda’s instincts, honed to an almost frightening precision, resurfaced the theory she had buried deep within her mind.

‘It’s not some dark mage possessing him... but... he’s still my adorable young lord most of the time....’

Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that some other being resided within Ghislain, feeding him knowledge and guidance.

‘If I ever catch it, I’ll fill it with holes until nothing’s left.’

Belinda had clearly not considered that harming this mysterious entity might also harm Ghislain.

While Belinda struggled with her suspicions, the rest of the group had grown numb to Ghislain’s inexplicable abilities. They had seen so many strange things while following him that they no longer bothered questioning it.

As Alfoy cautiously approached the Queen Grex, the other Grex simply watched, unmoving.

“Ugh...”

Once he was close enough to the Queen, Alfoy froze. He couldn’t bring himself to take another step.

“Krrrk...”

The Queen Grex lowered her grotesque head, her many eyes gleaming as she studied him. She tilted her head slightly as if sniffing the air, her drooling mouth dripping with saliva.

The sight made Alfoy’s knees buckle.

After what felt like an eternity of scrutiny, the Queen let out a displeased sound.

“Krrrr...”

At the same time, the surrounding Grex began to grow agitated. Their claws rose, and they inched closer to Alfoy.

‘These bastards—’

When faced with imminent danger, the human body could react with incredible speed.

Alfoy quickly realized that the Queen was losing interest in him.

“Screeeech!”

The Queen’s sharp cry signaled the Grex to move. But before they could attack, a small flame appeared in Alfoy’s hand.

“Look! Look at this! It’s fire! Fire!”

“Krrk?”

The Queen Grex recoiled slightly, clearly startled. At the same time, the advancing Grex stopped in their tracks.

“It’s amazing, right? Look, it even moves!”

Alfoy poured every ounce of effort into manipulating the small flame, making it dance in intricate patterns.

His mana control was so precise that even a seventh-circle archmage would have been impressed. Desperation, it seemed, was a powerful motivator.

“Screeeech!”

The Queen twisted her massive body, her fascination evident.

‘It’s working. It’s actually working.’

Gaining a bit of confidence, Alfoy began to retreat slowly, carefully leading the Queen.

The Queen followed, her attention fully on the dancing flame. The other Grex stayed in place, watching silently as if mesmerized themselves.

Alfoy, drenched in cold sweat, focused intently.

‘Just a little further. I just need to get back to Ghislain. Then this will all be over.’

But as he moved, the Queen suddenly stopped.

“Screeeech!”

Alfoy instantly understood her meaning. She was demanding something more. He had developed such a keen understanding of her cries that it was almost supernatural.

‘Damn picky monster.’

Left with no choice, Alfoy extinguished the flame and switched tactics.

“Alright, check this out.”

Picking up four small stones from the ground, Alfoy held them up for the Queen to see.

“...?”

The Queen tilted her grotesque head, her curiosity piqued.

With a flick of his wrist, Alfoy used a sleight-of-hand spell.

Swoosh.

One stone vanished as he flipped his hand, but the Queen couldn’t see where it went.

When he opened his palm again, only three stones remained.

“Screeeech!”

The Queen let out an ear-piercing cry, her excitement unmistakable. It was as if she were shouting, “Incredible!”

There was no way a monster could recognize such a simple trick as a human deception.

Using this newfound rapport, Alfoy continued performing his “magic” while slowly retreating.

The Queen followed him, utterly captivated, while the rest of the Grex stayed behind, watching silently.

Kaor, observing the scene from a distance, muttered,

“This is unbelievable.”

It was hard to say what was more impressive: Ghislain’s foresight in choosing Alfoy or the fact that Alfoy was actually managing to lure the Queen.

‘Does that guy really have something special about him?’

Even Kaor, who had always dismissed Alfoy as a joke, felt an uneasy respect for the so-called “man who defeated a god.”

The rest of the group watched in tense silence, their palms sweaty from the suspense.

‘Come on! Just a little further!’

‘You can do this, Alfoy!’

‘You’re the man who defeated a god!’

If the Queen decided to attack, Alfoy, distracted by his tricks, would be torn apart in an instant.

Each time the Queen screeched, Alfoy flinched, but he continued leading her step by step.

Finally, the Queen Grex reached the area where Ghislain and the others were hiding.

The group held their breath, realizing they were now within striking distance.

But Alfoy’s luck ran out.

“Screeeech!”

The Queen cried out again. Alfoy froze, panic flashing across his face.

“What... What do I do now?”

Alfoy’s mind went blank. He had shown every trick he could think of, barring stripping naked.

The Queen Grex, still fixated on him, cried out again.

“Screeeeech!”

At the same time, the surrounding Grex began moving, raising their claws and advancing toward Alfoy.

In that instant, Ghislain’s eyes gleamed crimson.

“Now!”

Bang!

“Scree—?”

From the shadows of the dark forest, something burst forth, causing the Queen Grex to lift her head in alarm.

“Well done, Alfoy!” Ghislain shouted, dashing forward with lightning speed. In one swift motion, he severed the Queen’s legs and one of her arms.

“Kaaaaargh!”

The Queen’s agonized scream echoed through the forest, triggering a frenzy among the other Grex. The rest of the team sprang into action as the Grex rushed toward them in a chaotic wave.

“Tie her down!”

At Kaor’s command, Belinda’s cloak flared as dozens of daggers shot out, each trailing thin but incredibly durable threads. The threads wrapped tightly around the Queen Grex’s writhing body.

The knights followed up with thick ropes, binding her even more securely.

“Screeeeech!”

The Queen Grex thrashed violently, but the reinforced restraints held firm.

“Move!”

At Ghislain’s shout, the knights began dragging the immobilized Queen away.

“Belinda! Get Alfoy!”

“On it!”

Belinda grabbed Alfoy by the back of his collar, hefting him like a sack of grain as she darted away.

“Kaor! Clear the path!”

Boom!

Ghislain swung his sword, smashing through the dense trees ahead. Kaor joined him, using his brute strength to tear through the obstacles in their way.

The Queen’s size made it difficult to maneuver through the forest, but the team was determined to keep moving.

As they ran, thoughts raced through their minds.

‘Was all this really necessary?’

‘Couldn’t we have just killed them all and dragged her out afterward?’

‘The ones chasing us can’t even keep up.’

Indeed, the hundreds of Grex pursuing them couldn’t match their speed. It seemed like they could simply continue to the fortress without any issues.

But Ghislain suddenly shouted again, his voice sharp with urgency.

“Run at full speed! Now!”

It was as if something far worse was chasing them. Though puzzled, the group obeyed, picking up their pace.

Then they felt it.

A vibration.

Rumble... rumble... rumble...

“Screeeeech!”

The Queen Grex continued her high-pitched cries, but the vibrations weren’t coming from her. They seemed to follow her, as if drawn to her cries.

Something was coming.

Belinda, who had the keenest senses among them, froze as she realized the source of the vibrations. They weren’t coming from around them.

Her gaze dropped to the ground.

“Underground?”

The vibrations were emanating from beneath the earth, moving like a massive tidal wave coursing through the soil.

“It’s not just one,” she muttered, her face pale.

If it had been a single large monster, that would have been manageable. But what she sensed was different. It felt like the movement of dozens—no, hundreds, maybe thousands of creatures converging all at once.

We wanted to uncover the secret of how the Queen Grex maintained her territory. How could such a weak group survive in the Forest of Beasts? We formed many theories.

Up ahead, Kaor’s eyes widened as the ground suddenly collapsed.

Crash!

“Screeeeech!”

From the pits that opened in the earth, swarms of Grex emerged.

“What the hell is this?!” Kaor yelled, his voice trembling with shock.

It wasn’t just a few. The Grex pouring out of the ground numbered in the hundreds, and more were still emerging.

“Screeeeech!”

The vibrations beneath them grew stronger and stronger, resonating like a monstrous drumbeat.

Ghislain’s thunderous voice cut through the chaos.

“Push forward!”

Slash!

At the front of the group, Ghislain tore through the swarms with ruthless precision.

Though individually weak—each roughly as strong as a human soldier—the sheer number of Grex made them a terrifying force. Just as a disciplined army of soldiers could become a formidable power, the gathered Grex were overwhelming.

We believed that if we unraveled the Queen Grex’s secret, we could make the Forest of Beasts much easier to conquer. That’s why we kidnapped her. But we were wrong. There was no secret. The Forest of Beasts operates solely on the principle of power.

“Screeeeech!”

The Grex continued to erupt from the ground, their numbers swelling until they blanketed the forest floor.

Kaor gritted his teeth as he hacked through the swarm. Belinda and the knights fought furiously to keep the Queen safe from the encroaching masses.

But the more Grex swarmed them, the slower the group’s progress became. The ground itself was so riddled with holes that it was difficult to even find stable footing.

The Queen Grex did have a unique ability, as we suspected. She could command all Grex. At her cry, they would converge from every corner of the forest. The number of Grex that answered her call to rescue their queen was...

Boom!

Ghislain unleashed the third stage of his core, his body glowing with unleashed power.

“Break through faster! If we slow down any further, we won’t make it!”

...approximately 200,000.