Meanwhile, dozens of kilometers from Damien's chosen campsite, a small village of about three hundred inhabitants nestled within the forest.
The architecture leaned toward traditional wooden structures, with a distinct aesthetic.
The figures moving about were striking: men dressed as warriors, women in flowing garments, all towering in stature with horns protruding from their foreheads.
If Damien were here, he'd recognize this as the village of the Ogre Tribe, the same one destroyed by Falmuth's orc army in the original story.
The Ogre Tribe, a Majin race close to Majinkind, averaged B-rank strength, capable of leveling human villages single-handedly.
With a population of around three hundred, their collective power could easily fend off an A-rank monster's assault.
By human adventurer standards, they were a terrifying force capable of razing entire cities.
Yet, despite their fearsome appearance, the Ogre Tribe wasn't prone to destruction or slaughter.
On the contrary, though they loved a good fight, they upheld loyalty and honor, never targeting the weak or innocent.
They often worked as mercenaries, earning rewards from other monster tribes in the forest or humans outside, sustaining their village's growth.
Over centuries, the Ogre Tribe had become one of the three dominant powers in the Jura Forest.
To the south, the massive Orc Tribe, numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
To the north, the Lizardman Tribe, with over ten thousand members, each surpassing C-rank.
And in the west, the Ogre Tribe, only three hundred strong but with every adult wielding B-rank power.
These three forces kept each other in check, forming a delicate balance that maintained a superficial peace in the Jura Forest.
This equilibrium had held for a long time.
Human adventurers rarely ventured deep into the Jura Forest, and the Ogres avoided attacking neighboring nations or factions.
But recently, a swarm of mysterious insectoid monsters disrupted the peace in the forest's western region.
They slaughtered wild beasts and plundered resources vital to the monster tribes.
At first, the Ogres paid little mind.
The Jura Forest, steeped in Veldora's Magicule, could spawn all sorts of monsters and beasts... no one could predict what might emerge.
However, not long ago, a group of their tribesmen hunting in the forest was ambushed by hundreds of C-rank insectoid monsters, barely escaping with their lives.
If not for the young lord leading a rescue, the group would've been wiped out.
For the population-scarce Ogres, every member was precious.
Even so, two tribesmen perished in the attack.
One's body was dragged off by the insects, while the other succumbed shortly after being brought back to the village.
"We can't let this continue!!"
A burly, red-haired ogre addressed the elderly red ogre in the leader's seat. "Father, gather the village's warriors. Let's exterminate those disgusting bugs!"
This red-haired ogre was none other than the future Benimaru, who would later serve Rimuru and become the Tempest's marshal.
But for now, he, along with Shion, Shuna, Hakurou, Souei, and Kurobe, had yet to receive their names.
In the Cardinal World, most monsters lacked names.
Once named, a monster became a "Named Monster." gaining a massive boost in potential and life essence.
Unfortunately, the Ogre village currently had no Named Monsters.
After all, an ogre evolving into an Oni was a legend unseen for a millennium.
"What's your take, old man?"
The leader turned to the white-haired elder deep in thought beside him.
This battle-hardened, swordsmanship-master elder was revered by the entire tribe.
In truth, if he weren't so devoted to his swordsmanship, he would've been the tribe's leader.
"I've never seen such insectoid monsters in the Jura Forest. They don't seem native."
Unlike the spider-type insect Damien encountered, the Ogres and other forest tribes faced a variety of insectoids... mantis, centipede, beetle, butterfly... covering nearly every battlefield role, like living weapons.
"But I wonder, are these insects truly monsters?"
"By classification, they are indeed monsters." The red ogre leader said, equally puzzled. "But we tried communicating with them. It's impossible."
Beasts were unintelligent, driven by instinct, pure monsters.
Monsters, however, were sentient, with their own tribes, often capable of peaceful coexistence.
"No matter what, the young lord's idea is sound."
"These insectoid monsters keep appearing endlessly, so there must be a nest or stronghold."
"Only by finding and destroying it can we eliminate these dangerous creatures at their source."
Hakurou's proposal won the approval of the gathered Ogres.
The red ogre chief began organizing a team.
He assigned the future Benimaru to lead, including Shion, Souei, Shuna, and Hakurou himself, to search the forest for the insectoid nest and launch an attack to wipe out the mysterious threat.
Night fell, and Damien remained unaware of the insectoids' origins or the Ogre Tribe's preparations to hunt them.
After a full day's work, Damien and Ogerpon completed their first wooden cabin.
The cabin resembled a tent, standing one person tall with a triangular structure, spacious enough for both to live in and shield them from wind and rain.
A campfire burned in front of the cabin, with the two taking turns keeping watch to fend off potential beast or monster attacks.
Once Planeswalker's cooldown ended, Damien planned to take Ogerpon to a new world.
If luck was on their side, they could find a place to rest and replenish supplies.
Ogerpon took the first half of the night, Damien the second, ensuring she'd have enough energy and focus to handle any trouble in the next world.
The campfire crackled, its faint glow flickering in the darkness.
Inside the wooden cabin, Damien felt the serene quiet of the night forest.
Ogerpon rested on his lap, her small body curled up, smacking her lips as if dreaming of delicious treats.
Despite being in the wild, she slept as if wrapped in the coziest blankets.
As long as she was by Damien's side, Ogerpon felt utterly secure.
'What a little foodie, drooling in her sleep.'
Wiping the saliva from her fangs, Damien gently stroked Ogerpon's hood-like body.
His hand brushed over the pointed horns on her head, part of her body rather than mere decoration.
Yet, her texture was surprisingly soft.
Even her supposedly sharp horns felt plush in his hands.
Like a caring brother, Damien watched over her until dawn, with no further insectoid attacks.
As the first light broke, a faint glow pierced the horizon.
In the hazy dawn, mist drifted like gossamer through the forest, soft light filtering through sparse treetops, dappling the damp ground where dewdrops gleamed silver on tender grass.
Waking from her slumber, Ogerpon rubbed her sleepy eyes, instinctively searching for Damien.
The moment she saw him, the worry in her eyes melted away.
In its place was pure joy and trust.
"Damien, Damien, are we still building the house today?"
With yesterday's experience, Ogerpon had picked up some tricks for construction.
She was eager to tackle a bigger cabin, one spacious enough for both of them!
"Let's pause for now."
Damien patted her head, then led her to the stream for a quick wash. After a simple breakfast of mushroom stew and a few energy cubes, he announced the day's plan.
"I'm thinking of opening a gate to another world to scout it out."
Damien said, "If the new world's too primitive, we'll use our daily jump to go back to the Pokémonverse."
The Pokémonverse had advanced technology.
Damien could import tools and resources from there to quickly set up a proper camp.
He had no plans to capture more Pokémon for now.
Planeswalker couldn't bring others along unless they were his familliars.
With limited familliar slots, Damien wasn't ready to use his remaining two on Pokémon.
"But if we hit a dangerous world, we'll come right back."
"Mm, Ogerpon will protect Damien!"
"Then I'm counting on you, Ogerpon."
Stretching, Damien looked at Ogerpon, who was brimming with energy and raring to go. "Ready?"
Ogerpon flexed in a bodybuilder pose, signaling she was pumped!
"Nice, full of spirit!"
With that, Damien activated his Planeswalker skill, now off cooldown.
A flicker of light, and the campsite was empty, save for the smoldering campfire, its smoke curling into the damp morning air.
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
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