I Reincarnated Into A Single-Celled Organism! - I Reincarnated into a Single-celled Organism! - Chapter 81

If there had been any hope that it was just a single ogre chasing on, that was quickly dispelled. The battlefield was chaos, and while there were patches of humanity still fighting, it was clear they were on the losing side. In every direction Erika pulled me, there was another creature of myth. Cyclopses, giants, giant arachnids, basilisks, and even minotaurs were at every turn. Based on Erika’s expression turning even whiter, I guessed that these weren’t normal monsters she fought every day.

The only monsters I had ever encountered since coming to this world beyond the sagebeasts were goblins. Back then, Tanner had been able to wipe out the majority of them, and I helped take out the rest. I had never gotten the impression they were all that difficult. Yet, these monsters seemed to be tearing through the knights desperately. Meanwhile, those knights seemed to have the impression we were their king and queen, and they were throwing their lives on the line blocking the enemy so that we could escape a bit longer.

I didn’t immediately react, because I was still trying to get a grip on what was happening. This was an illusion, but my senses could not differentiate this from the real thing. My common sense told me that there was no way a battlefield happened to just be sitting under the palace at the exact time we were supposed to begin this trial, but even with my high evolution levels, I found myself off guard again and again. The first thing that threw me off guard was the immortal’s ability to strip me of half of my status points. It was some kind of curse, but I still hadn’t figured out how he did it, or how to resist it.

Then, there was the trial space, which despite me still being able to contact my other half up until now despite being in some kind of pocket dimension, this trial had actually cut off the communication between us. Only after all that, did this illusion start seeming increasingly real. In truth, none of the monsters we were encountering seemed all that threatening to me. I could generally feel the pressure something gave, and if I had to rate these creatures, they weren’t much stronger than a Flawless. The ogre might have been considered a low-level Champion.

This illusion was supposed to be created with the intent that Erika and I could pass it together. Perhaps, the threats were calculated based on our evolutionary level. However, I wondered if, like everything else, the trial couldn’t determine my true level because my mana was so low. In that case, if I exuded my true strength, would the trial scale up in difficulty? This was my biggest concern. At the moment, we had things in control, but if these monsters suddenly became level 10, even I wouldn’t be able to survive, let alone Erika. This is why I decided to continue my role as a mere human until there was no other choice.

The ogre roared. “Come here, little human!”

Of all the monsters, it was the most persistent in chasing us in particular. As the strongest of the monsters, that was probably the intent of the trial. We had to escape or overcome the ogre by depending on each other.

“We can’t keep going like this.” Erika panted, holding me tightly as if she intended to pull me along if I began to lag. “This is all my fault, I put us in this situation.”

“We chose to enter this trial together.”

“I’m not just talking about the trial. I’m talking about the whole thing,” she declared tearfully. “This stupid box. If I just helped you look for a way out instead of trying to find some secret technique, we might have been gone long before that boy showed up. No, if it wasn’t for me, you never would have been sucked into this box in the first place.”

“That’s true,” I agreed.

She looked even worse. “Just leave without me. I’ll stay behind and fight it. if I die, at least you’ll get away.”

I glanced at her. “This is a trial for lovers. Do you honestly think you can die, and I’d be able to complete the trial?”

She paused for a second. “No-no, I guess not.”

“Here’s what we’ll do. Cast any spells you know that can hurt it. I’ll distract it while you weaken it.”

“Oka- ah! But if it hits you, you’ll die!”

“Then, I guess I can’t afford to be hit then,” I responded.

“R-right… it is slow, it might be possible.”

“Make it to that hill.” I pointed to the next highest area where were currently running.

Then, I stopped and turned back. I couldn’t help a flash of disdain appear in my eyes. If this was any other situation, I would destroy this monster instantly. Yet, now, we had been running from it for nearly ten minutes. I was getting annoyed.

Shaking my head, I turned back to the ogre. We had made some good distance from it, which was why it was calling out taunts with the hope that we’d get distracted and slow down. I watched it as it rushed toward me. I could see how the muscles in its arms bulged, and how its teeth gnashed against each other as it growled. I had no fear as it closed the distance and reached out to swat me.

My body moved on instinct, dodging to the side. The monster swatted after me and was thrown off balance when I wasn’t where it was expecting.

Its face twisted into a glare. “What was that? Are you mocking me!?”

“I wouldn’t spare the effort,” I responded.

“Spirit, keep him there!” Erika cried out from the top of the hill where I had sent her.

The both of us looked her way, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I knew we hadn’t come up with any means of communication, but it was clear the ogre could speak our language, so her calling out her intent was foolish. Seeing both of us look her way, her face turned red as she finally seemed to realize what she had done.

“Die, Puny Human!” The ogre growled, turning away from me as he moved to climb the hill.

“Not so fast,” I said.

“Grah!?” The ogre was confused.

I lifted a piece of rope that had seemed to be randomly strewn on the battlefield, but the other side was trapped under a crashed chariot, causing the whole thing to rise to the ogre’s knee level. I had never figured out quite how physics worked in this world. The ogre was considerably heavier than me, so even if I was stronger, he’d be able to drag me around if I tried to stop him.

Thus, I anchored myself to the ground by using adhesion on my feet and then pulled the rope taut. His knee caught it, and he ended up falling on his face. Before he could let out an annoyed roar, a fireball ended up landing on his back. his growl turned into a shriek as he started rolling on the ground, his back burning black. He managed to finally get the fire out after a few more rolls.

“What now?” Erika called when she realized the ogre was still alive.

“Cast your next spell!”

“Ah, y-yes!”

She started speaking more words as she cast another longer spell. The ogre finally stopped screaming, and then stood up, his face filled with anguish and anger.

“That hurts! I’ll make you pay for that!”

“You’ll have to catch us first,” I replied with a teasing smile only a short way away from him.

“You bastard! You’re a cowardly human!” He took a swipe at me, but I dodged it.

The ogre was angrily trying to crush me, having seemingly forgotten about Erika. I had to remain close enough that he thought he could get me, only narrowly slipping away. My health hadn’t just been cut in half, but a fourth since my other-self had the rest of my HP, so it wasn’t as easy since I wasn’t used to my current ability. I was trying to get him to focus all his attention on me. It was the only way to keep him from pursuing Erika. Fortunately, this ogre had the mentality of a child.

“Watch out!” Erika warned.

A lightning bolt came out of Erika’s hand and struck the ogre. Its body shook as it was sent flying back.

“Start the next, don’t wait!”

“Yes!” Erika seemed to be getting it now.

I grabbed a sword that had been lying abandoned near a corpse and then leaped onto the ogre’s back. Lifting the sword, I stabbed it into the ogre. It stood up, throwing me off its back. I pretended to be hurt, grabbing my ankle like I had sprained it. The ogre rose, towering over me as I gave a panicked expression.

“Spirit!” Erika cried out.

“Finish the spell!” I scooted back as the ogre slowly stepped toward me.

“You die first, then her!” He raised a foot as if to squash me.

“Fulgur!” She declared, holding out her hand.

This time, the bolt didn’t come from her hand, but directly from the sky. It seemed to have more power, and the sword stuck in the ogre’s back acted like a lightning rod, harnessing the electricity and sending it inside. He didn’t even collapse this time. Instead, he stood like that, his body shuddering as smoke began to rise from his eyes and mouth. Like a falling tree, we came crashing down on the dirt.

The sound of the battle in the distance dissipated and the sky went dark. Next, the ogre disappeared, and soon we were under the spotlight once again. I realized Erika was standing right next to me. She let out a cry, taking a step back, and then blushing.

“Y-you did well,” she spoke quietly.

“You too,” I nodded.

“We met on the battlefield,” the immortal’s old voice boomed once more. “Apart, our forces were being decimated, but together we worked to defeat the ogre general. When he died, the monster’s forces fell apart. We were able to turn the tides of the war. Humanity was preserved for another day. Both of our kingdoms had lost so much, that it only made sense that we should unite in all things. Later that month, we were married.”

It seemed like we had finished the first trial. Unfortunately, there were still two more to come.