Chapter 150: My Teacher's Grace is as High as the Sky (1)

Louis heard the bells just as he teleported to Lia’s house.

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong!

The fierce tolls continued relentlessly. Louis extended his perception, soon feeling the energy of bustling people throughout the village. Beyond that, he sensed an enormous presence outside.

“Huh?”

Louis blinked, puzzled.

He was sensing two distinct entities: a monster on a rampage and a powerful being of great importance—certainly not any small, weak monster but one that ruled supreme among its kind. Not many species could generate such potent spiritual energy.

Instantly, Louis recognized the nature of the monster.

Is this an ogre?

Even in the Mac Mountains, where all manner of monsters coexisted, ogres were considered top-tier predators.

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong!

The incessant tolling of bells caught Louis’s attention.

“This must be the evacuation warning,” he thought.

An adult ogre typically stood over thirteen feet tall, making them colossal creatures. They were indiscriminate eaters, consuming everything from monsters and flora to fauna and even humans. Their thick skin was nearly impenetrable by ordinary attacks, while their monstrous strength could effortlessly snap large trees. To even consider taking on such a beast, one would need at least two tier-2 strongest individuals.

Louis pondered the appearance of this particular ogre.

Were there still some left in the vicinity?

While traversing the mountains, Louis had tested his sacred scripture on various large monsters, including ogres. As a result, few creatures in the Mac Mountains had escaped Louis’s wrath, and among them, ogres were his preferred durable punching bags due to their resilience.

Ogres were tough; while only one or two blows could take down most other monsters, ogres could usually weather several hits. At one point, Louis had even targeted ogres and trolls specifically for his training purposes. It stood to reason that he’d felled many dozens with his own hands.

Though, no doubt their numbers have swelled since I gave them a rest.

It had been about forty years since he last stomped an ogre, after all. Plenty of time for them to have propagated quite a bit.

With these thoughts on ogres fresh in his mind, Louis stepped inside Lia’s house, where he was greeted by two red-haired siblings.

“Mr. Louis!”

“Mr. Louis!”

Tania and Kendrick rushed over to embrace him immediately, their faces filled with fear and sorrow. Tania’s eyes were already moist from tears, while her older brother Kendric was doing his best to hold back his own.

Louis sensed something was off and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“The ogre…” Kendrick’s face was etched with terror. Despite his young age, he had heard the chilling tales of ogres from the adults.

While Kendrick struggled to speak, Tania, cradled in Louis’s arms, managed to get out a tearful, “Daddy and… Mommy…”

At Tania’s words, Louis finally realized that Lia and Aaron were missing from their home.

He looked at the children and asked, “Where did your mom and dad go?”

“Mom went to gather mountain herbs, but then the ogre… So Dad went after her…”

Louis pieced together the fragmented story from Kendrick’s disjointed words.

“Oh dear…”

While the mother had gone out to pick wild greens, an ogre attacked the village. Apparently, the father had left to save his wife.

A thought flashed through Louis’s mind.

Could it be…?

In the original story, Kendrick and his sister lost their parents at a young age and had been living together alone. The village where the two siblings lived and were later kidnapped by the Mad Dragon wasn’t the same as this one.

When he pieced together these facts with the current situation, he came up with a hypothesis.

Did today’s ogre attack mean they lost their parents and this village is also destroyed…?

It seemed like Kendrick must have moved as a child from the village they lived in to another that would later be wiped out by the Mad Dragon.

“Hmm…” Louis stared blankly at the brother and sister trembling with anxiety.

This…

A small smile played on Louis’s lips.

Isn’t this just…

Even though he hadn’t been sure how to ensure his guru’s glory, this situation could prove perfect.

Killing two birds with one stone.

Later, if Elvis came looking for Kendrick, his primary focus would be on the villages after Kendrick had migrated.

But what if Louis prevented Kendrick from leaving this village?

Elvis would have quite the quest.

Louis inwardly laughed and extended his hand toward Kendrick.

“Grab on.”

“Teacher…?” Kendrick hesitated.

“Hurry up. We’re going after your mom and dad.”

”…?!”

Kendrick’s expression changed instantly at the mention of his parents. He swiftly took Louis’s hand.

Whoosh!

Kendrick, Tania, and Louis vanished from sight.

The scene resets to before Louis’s arrival in the village.

Lia, her face ashen, had concealed herself behind a tree. Her forehead was drenched with cold sweat.

Lia caught her harsh breaths as she stole a glance from her hiding spot. And in that instant—

Crack.

A massive, tawny body emerged as a nearby tree snapped in two.

A low, guttural roar reverberated, its breath so foul it seemed to permeate the air ten meters away.

Grrr.

Lia’s complexion grew even more pallid at the sight of the hulking ogre.

“Oh…” She let out a small whimper and hastily clamped her mouth shut.

Good Lord…

Lia had ventured out of the village to forage for wild herbs in the nearby forest. The area was relatively safe due to periodic patrols by hunters who culled monsters. As such, Lia had been moving about without much concern…

Why…why is an ogre…?

This was unprecedented. The ogres, typically dwelling deep within the mountains, had never approached this close to the village before.

Struggling to catch her breath against the pounding of her heart, Lia cautiously assessed the situation. She then carefully examined the ogre before her.

Grrr.

The ogre emitted a low grumble as it scanned its surroundings. Its eyes, once a clear blue, were now clouded with a yellowish mucus and streaked with white pus.

In the general case of encountering an ogre in the forest, what chances would a woman like Lia have to survive? She should have already become a meal for the ogre. Nevertheless, she was still alive because the ogre wasn’t in good shape.

It’s obvious he can’t see ahead!

Otherwise, it would have spotted her from the start and charged at her. In any case, this was a good situation for Lia.

What should I do now?

Lia gritted her teeth and turned her gaze. Her eyes landed on where the village fence was erected. If she descended straight down from this mid-mountain point and ran, she’d immediately reach the village. The distance wasn’t far; it would only take a few minutes running.

Despite this, Lia’s face remained somber.

If the ogre attacks the village…

Though it was in poor condition, it was still an ogre—the king of the mountains. In a village with just over sixty households, how could they possibly fend off such a creature?

The moment the ogre reached the village, it would all be over.

Moreover, in that village…

Kendrick and Tania…

While the safety of the village was of great concern, as a mother, there was nothing more precious than the well-being of her children. Lia gritted her teeth.

Sniff, sniff.

Unable to see, the ogre was sniffing around, before turning in Lia’s direction.

Oh…

Time was running out.

At long last, Lia made her decision and began to run. Her direction was away from the village. She had decided to protect the children by drawing the ogre away.

As she started her frantic sprint, the ogre heard her movements and let out a terrifying roar:

Graaaaaaah!

It began to chase after Lia immediately.

Thud-thud-thud!

The earth trembled with each step the ogre took. With strides as wide as its massive body, it should have caught up to Lia instantly. However, the dense forest proved to be a formidable obstacle for the beast. The ogre’s progress was hindered by trees and undergrowth, allowing Lia some time to evade capture.

But even with these distractions, the sheer might of the ogre could not be underestimated.

Graaaah!

The enraged ogre let out a coarse roar and charged forward, effortlessly crushing trees in its path. The thick trunks snapped like twigs, and it seemed only a matter of time before Lian would be caught. The dangerous pursuit continued.

Just then…

“Liaaaah!”

Both Lian and the ogre froze at the voice that rang out from a distance. Lian turned toward the familiar voice, her face paling.

Aaron!

In the far distance, running from the direction of the village, was her husband, Aaron.

No!

She knew her husband was coming to save her, but this was not a good situation. A fourth-tier warrior was no match for an ogre. All he would do was become another casualty.

As they closed in on the vicinity, Aaron launched an arrow at the ogre.

Thwack.

The arrow posed a threat to smaller creatures like beasts, orcs, and goblins, but it failed to penetrate the ogre’s thick hide. Still, it was enough to distract it.

While the ogre hesitated, Aaron shouted, “Lia! Run for your life!”

“Aharon!”

Surrounded by voices of humans, the ogre momentarily seemed conflicted before turning its body backward. Its sharp senses appeared to be overwhelmed by the loud cries coming from all directions.

Grrr.

The annoyed ogre let out a low growl, uprooted a nearby tree, and hurled it in Aaron’s direction.

Crack!

Fortunately, Aaron emerged unscathed from the ogre’s attack, but that wasn’t the problem.

Clang-clang-clang!

The belated tolling of warning bells from the village made the ogre’s head turn once again.

Lia spotted this and shouted, “No! In the village… there are children!”

The usual bell warning of a monster’s approach now spelled danger for the village. Lia and Aaron, realizing the implications of her words, desperately tried to draw the ogre’s attention away from the village.

But it was all in vain.

Clang-clang-clang!

With the resounding bell tolls as its target, the ogre’s bulk shifted towards the village.

Seeing this, Aaron gritted his teeth.

I must get it away from the village no matter what!

Even if it meant his own death today.

Aaron desperately ran towards Lia.

“Lia… The ogre is coming to the village…”

“There’s no time to explain. I’ll divert it somehow. You go to the village and stop the bells.”

“Ahron…”

Lia couldn’t help but well up with tears as he voluntarily offered himself as bait, just as she had done earlier.

However, there was no time for extended farewells. Aaron and Lia exchanged brief glances.

It might very well be their final farewell.

At the moment Aaron faced off against the ogre, LIA was about to skirt around it for the village…

Shwip!

A figure dropped from the sky.

And a voice rang out.

“Dad!”

“Mom!”

Recognizing these familiar calls, Aaron and LIA froze in their tracks.

“Kendrick! Tania!”

“A…!”

They were astonished to see their children and Louis plummeting down. Soon, Louis’s feet touched the ground.

“Oh, Louis?”

“I’m safe.”

“W-What are you doing here?”

“Let’s talk later.”

Louis handed Tania and Kendrick to their parents, who took them in confusion. LIA held her child in one arm and Louis in the other, both nestled close as she pressed them into her heart.

The warmth conveyed by the children gradually melted away Louis’s earlier worries and anxiety. Having entrusted them to their parents, Louis slowly began walking towards the ogre.

“Uncle Louis!” Liah cried out, panicked.

“Sir!” Kendrick shouted, equally alarmed.

But Louis didn’t stop moving. Instead, his voice traveled into their ears:

“Watch closely from there.”

He waved his hand lightly, as if heading on a leisurely picnic. Smiling, he observed the ogre, which had just reached the village’s fence.

Since we’ve come this far, I might as well show off my skills.

After all, he wanted to demonstrate the immense prestige of a guru.