The ground started to shake again before anyone could answer. The shaking was caused not only by one monster, but by many different sources. Denna was the first to see it. Her eyes widened as she looked toward the forest.

She yelled, "Everyone, get into defensive positions!"

"We're getting more monsters approaching!"

Another wave of monsters came out from behind the trees. But this time, they weren't running away in fear. There was another Berserk Titan at the front of the group, and they were all moving with purpose. Then one more. And even more coming in.

Three Class S monsters, along with dozens of Class A and B creatures following them like an army. "There are so many of them...!!!"

Kael's face went pale. "That's not possible. Berserk Titans are creatures that live alone."

"They don't go in groups."

"They will follow orders when someone is in charge of them," Ryn said, her voice empty. "Look at their eyes."

Greg looked around, his stomach dropping as he spoke in a low tone. "What the bloody fuck is this situation...? It's even worse than before..."

"Almost beating my past life's war..."

The three Titans all had glowing red eyes, but there was something else about them now. A faint purple light flickered under the red, like a second mind on top of their natural anger.

Greg thought that Seraphine would have said, "Mind control magic." Someone or something was responsible for these monsters.

Elias's face changed for the first time since he got there. Instead of being bored, there was something that could have been surprise or even worry.

"This wasn't in the reports," he said quietly, holding his sword tighter. "The mana disruption was supposed to cause random movement, not planned attacks."

"You didn't know about this?" Marina asked.

"Of course I didn't know!" Elias snapped, and his calmness broke a little. "Do you think I would have let you fuckers deal with one Titan if I had known three more were on the way?"

"I'm fine, but I can't take on three Class S monsters by myself while protecting civilians who are being useless pieces of shit!"

"What do we do now?" Denna asked, even though it was clear from her face what the answer was. They couldn't win this. Not in their current state, and not with these odds.

The three Titans screamed at the same time, and the noise was deafening. The smaller monsters started to move away from each other, surrounding the village on all sides.

There would be no way to get out now, no way to get away. They were greatly outnumbered and outmatched in this siege.

Greg looked at his hands, which were covered in blood and shaking. His mana was drained out, and his body had gone too far. He couldn't make anything else or forge anything that would help. He felt completely helpless for the first time since he got here.

Marina grabbed his arm and held it tightly enough to hurt. "Greg, pay attention to me."

"We have to get you out of here. You can't fight, and if they catch you—"

Greg said firmly, "I'm not leaving these people behind."

"You'll die if you stay!"

"Then I'll die fighting for something worth it instead of running away!" Greg pulled his arm away and picked up his hammer, even though he knew it wouldn't work against monsters this big.

"I spent my whole life making weapons that killed people."

"If I die in this life, it will be because I tried to protect them."

Elias made a noise that showed he was disgusted. "How noble and completely useless."

"Okay, stay and die with your values intact. I'm sure that will make you feel better when a Titan eats your body."

He lifted his sword, and power began to gather around the blade. "Everyone else, get out of my way if you want to live."

"I have to use all of my strength, and I can't promise that the village will still be there when I'm done."

Kael said, "You can't be serious."

"You'll kill everyone!"

Elias said coldly, "Better a few dozen dead than letting three Class S monsters run wild in the area."

"This is what people mean when they say they have to make hard choices. Something none of you seem to be able to get."

The Titans started to charge, and with each giant step, the ground shook. A wave of fangs and claws followed the smaller monsters. The power around Elias's sword made the air itself start to warp, making it shine even brighter.

"Everyone get down!" Ryn yelled as she tried to cast a barrier spell with the little mana she had left.

Marina grabbed Greg and pulled him behind her. She raised her frying pan, even though she knew it wouldn't help against attacks of this size. Denna and Kael stood in front of the civilians, ready to make a last stand even though they knew it was pointless.

Elias's sword reached a point where the power in the blade was strong enough to destroy the whole village and everything in it. He smiled with the same cold, arrogant smile as he got ready to kill monsters and innocent people.

Then something that shouldn't have happened did.

The Titans came to a stop. It didn't slow down, but all three of them stopped in the middle of their charge, as if they had hit an invisible wall. The smaller monsters behind them crashed into each other in confusion, breaking up their formation as they tried to figure out why their leaders had stopped.

For a moment, everyone just stood there in shock, not saying a word. Then the purple light in the Titans' eyes got brighter, and someone came out of the woods behind them.

It was a figure that was difficult to see clearly even though it was right in front of them. Greg could feel the power coming from it, and he knew that whatever this thing was, it was the cause of the stampede, the mind control, and all the other chaos.

And when the figure spoke, it sounded like it was coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. "How disappointing."

"I was hoping the famous Rank S adventurer would be more entertaining. But you really were going to destroy the field just to win? How fucking boring."

Elias no longer looked sure of himself. Instead, he had a look on his face that Greg had never seen before.

Fear.

"What are you?" Elias yelled, his sword still raised but not getting any stronger.

The shadowy figure laughed, and the sound made everyone shiver. "Little reincarnator, I am the reason you are here."

"I've been watching, waiting, and testing to see if any of you are good enough." The figure pointed, and the three Titans moved in perfect sync, taking up defensive positions around it like well-trained pets.

"And so far," the shadow said, its voice dripping with disappointment, "you've all been nothing but disappointments."

It pointed straight at Greg, even though he was far away. He could feel those eyes boring into him.

"Except maybe you, Greg Greyson. The one who doesn't want to follow his destiny."

"The person who makes things instead of breaking them."

"You interest me."

The shadow started to move forward, and the Titans followed it like an honor guard. As it got closer, the temperature in the village seemed to drop, and frost formed on the ground even though it was warm outside.

The shadow said, "Let's see if you deserve the power you've been given."

"Wait, nah, let me retry that again..."

"Let's see if any of you are good enough."

Then the three Berserk Titans roared in perfect harmony, shaking the very foundations of reality itself. Greg knew that the real battle, the one that would decide everyone's fate, was only just beginning.

"Fuck my new life."

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