Fire rose from the village.
From behind the walls, fierce, scorching red flames shot high into the sky.
“Impossible!?”
For a moment, Captain Razab of the Knights Order was distracted.
The hesitation dulled his sword, and the hobgoblin easily dodged the strike and dashed past him.
“Captain! The monsters are using fire!”
The lieutenant screamed. And then one after another, the monsters slipped past them. There was no time to hesitate.
“Split the squad in two! Lead half to join the village’s garrison! The rest, follow me!”
What was happening? Razap wondered as he spurred his horse and raced forward, slicing through the horde of monsters.
They had known about an ambush thanks to the Hero’s ‘eyes.’ And so they just needed to attack when they emerged from the forest, scattering them until it was over. That was all.
“Ca-captain! Ru-rust Eaters!”
The monsters, who had predicted their movements, opened the boxes they were carrying and unleashed the Rust Eaters. The tentacles writhed, and in no time, they were wrapped around the armor.
“Don’t back down! Use your spears and kill them!”
They had also predicted this attack. And so their armor was coated in Rust Eater repellent, and they wielded wooden spears.
However, more explosions erupted near the village gate. Both the knights headed for the village, and the monsters trying to attack, had their paths blocked.
“What is this!? What is happening! Sir Hero!?”
While swinging his sword desperately, he looked up at the sky and shouted.
However, there was no answer. As the monsters tried to rush into the village, the flames blazed wildly again, cutting off both enemies and allies.
“Everyone! Head to the village! Keep the monsters out no matter what!”
Many years of experience allowed him to give orders swiftly. No matter how capable a general is, it was a fundamental rule that the officers on the ground make decisions in the field.
And the current situation was abnormal. Something was happening that exceeded human knowledge and the will of gods.
While desperately suppressing his anxiety, he spurred his horse toward the blazing village.
—
Captain Will kept the advance party’s route in mind as he fixed his eyes on the bridge ahead.
It was made from quarried stone, and had a structure where the supports curved gracefully. He had heard that it was called an arch bridge, but still couldn’t understand how such a massive structure could be held up in that shape.
“A miracle of god, I suppose.”
His aide also looked on with a curious expression. He then remembered his comrades still fighting on the other side and frowned.
“Stay on your guard. We must go to them at once if there are wounded or reinforcements.”
“I know… Ah, a communication from the advance unit.”
The tag on his chest glowed as the voice reached them.
‘Captain, the monsters have been annihilated. However, many boulders have been rolled down, and it will take time to remove them.’
“Good work. Stay on your guard there. We will also begin to move.”
Well, the enemy had been dealt with for now. He touched the plate at his neck and marveled at its usefulness.
It was incredible how these dog tags allowed you to converse with people who were far away, and important orders could be relayed through colors and sounds. Compared to that, the leveling up ability was just a bonus.
“Alright, we should go now. Prepare to move out!”
He shouted at his tag, and then Will turned around to see the rest of the unit.
Up ahead, the forest was crumbling away.
The trees near the top of the mountain were bending, while others cracked and rolled down.
It seemed strangely slow at first, and then it picked up and came down the slope at a merciless speed. Will screamed.
“All of you! Move away from there!”
The trees felled by the falling timber cracked without resistance, crashing down in an avalanche onto the supply units.
And then the forest, which had shown no sign of danger until that very moment, suddenly swallowed the rear ranks in an instant.