Chapter 28 – Roholon Defense Battle (1)

Drug-addicted parents sold their children for six gold coins.

The noble who bought the siblings lusted after the girl, not yet 15.

So the boy fled, taking his sister with him.

They walked barefoot through a frozen world, Braving the harsh winter with nothing but their bodies.

Out in the world, the boy stole for the first time—for his sister’s sake.

He stole warmth. He stole fullness. He stole hope.

Each time, the girl smiled.

Though they knew these things weren’t truly theirs, Though they knew they belonged to others, She smiled, understanding her brother’s sacrifices.

The siblings savored their stolen happiness in secret, Relishing what should have been theirs from the start.

But even this fleeting joy couldn’t last.

The owners of their stolen freedom oppressed them. The owners of warmth forced them into the cold. The owners of fullness made them retch everything up. The owners of hope crushed their spirits with despair.

The world took everything from them.

Yet the boy refused to break.

To save his only family, he pressed on.

Once more, he stole warmth, fullness, and hope. He fled the world of men and hid among monsters.

The boy wrapped himself in a beast’s hide. The girl bundled up in stolen warmth.

He gnawed on carcasses left by predators. She ate cold but fragrant bread.

He drank filth. She sipped clear water.

As time passed, the boy’s despair grew. As time passed, the girl’s hope faded.

But still, they smiled.

The boy wanted to show his sister the light. The girl longed to give her brother dreams. They clung to a hope that was truly their own.

And so, they smiled endlessly.

Thus, the siblings endured the bitter winter and welcomed the warm spring.

They reached Hablon Village, surrounded by high walls. There, they found new hope—a chance at genuine happiness.

The village embraced them.

They wiped away the blood of beasts, Healed their wounds, Offered honest work, Warm meals, and cozy beds. They gave them a foundation to build upon.

Because the villagers had little, they could share. Because the siblings had nothing, they could receive.

At last, they could enjoy life’s simple pleasures— Happiness that was truly their own, without the need to steal.

As spring faded and they settled in, winter returned once more.

The boy grew ambitious.

Watching adventurers hunt the beasts around the village, he made a decision.

He craved power.

He studied the adventurers’ movements, skills, mannerisms, and speech. He learned everything he could from afar.

Clumsy at first, but steadily improving. Fearful and in pain, but resolute.

He persevered, and the boy…

Luchi became an adventurer.

He gained the strength he had longed for— The power to protect his sister, Lux.

The survival instincts he had honed became his talent. That talent became a beacon, illuminating Luchi’s path.

Following his own light, Luchi, at 21…

Became a legendary prodigy, reaching the gold rank in just three years.

The siblings’ suffering came to an end.

They believed they’d never again face the bitter cold of their past.

The nauseating meat of scavenged animals. The ragged skins they wore. The filth they were forced to consume.

They thought those days were behind them forever.

Then one day, a stranger arrived in their peaceful village.

He resembled their former selves, so they extended a helping hand.

Just as the village had done for them, They did the same for him.

They offered the stranger warm food, A cozy bed, and honest work.

But that night…

A noble and his retinue of knights entered the village, Claiming to search for a thief who had stolen from them.

At that moment…

A strange horn sounded.

And with it…

Calamity descended upon Hablon.

***

“Judging by your expression, you haven’t completely forgotten.”

“You… bastard…”

The man pulled a hidden dagger from his sleeve and hurled it at Luchi.

Luchi effortlessly deflected the incoming blade.

“Your tricks have improved. Let’s deal with those reckless feet of yours first.”

Luchi swung his sword.

“Gyaaahhh!“

The man’s right ankle was severed cleanly.

“Keep moving and I might miss. After all, I only have one eye thanks to you.”

He swung again.

“You… you crazy bastard… ugh… agh…”

The man’s left leg was sliced off, and he collapsed.

“Dying too quickly would be inconvenient. I haven’t heard your reason yet.”

Luchi approached the fallen man, produced a potion from his pocket, and poured it over the severed limbs.

The bleeding stopped as the wounds began to close.

“Now you won’t die. So, tell me. Why did you do it back then? Let’s hear your excuse.”

Luchi crouched before the man and drove his sword through the man’s left hand.

Writhing in agony, the man dropped a horn he had been clutching.

“Damn it! You psycho! Damn you, damn you!”

The man’s screams echoed throughout Roholon.

People began to gather, watching the scene unfold.

Village adventurers. Guards.

But no one intervened. They all just… watched.

I couldn’t comprehend it.

Why wasn’t Heinzel, standing right beside Luchi, stopping him?

Why was Rubia…

Why was she blocking my path?

“Rubia… What’s happening? Why are we just standing here? Why isn’t anyone doing anything…?”

“Noah, I don’t know if I should say this as a priestess, but… it’s best if we don’t interfere right now.”

“Wh-what? What do you mean? That man—he’s…!”

“The night in the ruins, when you were asleep, Luchi told me the truth about the massacre.”

Rubia’s voice was somber as she cut me off.

“Hablon Village wasn’t destroyed by the noble, but because of the gnolls.”

“Gnolls…?”

I recalled the towering walls of Hablon I had seen in the ruins.

The walls that had been torn down, drenched in blood.

“It… it doesn’t make sense. How could gnolls breach those walls? They shouldn’t even be able to get in… And what does that man have to do with the gnolls…?”

“The thief who had snuck into the village opened the gates to escape from the noble… And as soon as the gates opened, the leader of the gnolls blew a horn and led his pack inside… The blood of the dying villagers awakened the Carpeng…”

“The man opened the gate… and the gnolls swarmed in?”

Suddenly, Heinzel and Rubia’s behavior made sense.

But something felt off.

Rubia’s explanation didn’t align with what I knew.

There’s no way thousands of gnolls could gather in one place like that.

And only at one of the village’s entrances…?

That’s impossible.

No matter how different the game and reality might be, that just can’t happen.

Those savage beasts can’t gather in one place for long. They’re too driven by hunger.

I expanded my senses to observe Luchi and the man.

Luchi was still interrogating him.

And the man…

Was quietly reaching for the fallen horn.

A horn…?

“Rubia… You mentioned a horn sound when the gnolls attacked, right…?”

“Yes. Luchi said that sound is something he’ll never forget—”

A horn… that summons monsters…

“The Frenzy Horn…! That bastard…!”

Without hesitation, I drew my greatsword and charged toward the man, shouting.

“Luchi! The horn! Don’t let him blow it!”

Hearing my warning, the man produced another hidden dagger and swung at Luchi.

Luchi easily parried the strike.

In that instant, the man brought the horn to his lips.

But before he could blow it…

“Not so fast.”

“Gyaaaaaaa!“

Luchi seized the man’s jaw and ripped it off.

With a sickening crack, the man’s lower jaw was torn away, leaving his mouth a gaping wound, no longer able to sound the horn.

All he could do now was scream in unbearable agony.

Luchi ignored the man’s tortured wails, turning to me with an unnervingly calm voice.

“Noah. Do you know what this is?”

“Y-yes. If someone blows that horn… all nearby monsters will rush here. That’s probably what happened to Hablon in the past… because of this horn…”

The Frenzy Horn.

An item that draws the aggro of all nearby beasts to a single location.

Its gathering power was unmatched, but it came with a dangerous side effect—enraging the monsters and making them even stronger.

That’s why it was typically used only by large parties of six or more.

I had never used one myself… since I didn’t have any friends…

“I see… So this is what he stole from the noble…”

Luchi’s gaze shifted to the horn.

“Hablon was destroyed… because of this worn-out thing…”

Luchi’s sword slowly rose.

“Alright… There’s nothing more I need to hear from you.”

As he swung his sword toward the man…

The man, in a final desperate act, jammed the horn deep into his throat.

With a sickening, wet crunch, the horn lodged in his windpipe.

And then—

Bwoooooot!

The horn let out an eerie, sky-piercing blast.

CRACK!

Luchi’s sword came down at the same moment, shattering the horn embedded in the man’s throat.

But it was too late.

From the distance, both in the ruins we had crossed and in the plains that lay ahead…

The unmistakable howling of beasts began to echo.

The sound sent a chill down my spine.

Heinzel and Rubia hurried over, their faces pale with alarm.

“What… what was that sound just now, Noah…?”

“Luchi, kid. What the hell is happening?”

Ignoring their questions, I stretched my senses as far as they would go.

Beyond Roholon’s borders, I reached into the ruins and the plains beyond.

Instantly, blood burst from my nose.

My head felt like it was about to split open, and my veins pulsed dangerously under my skin, threatening to rupture.

I fumbled for the potion in my pocket, downing it in a single gulp to steady myself as I pushed my senses even further.

“Noah! What are you doing!? You’re bleeding—stop! You’ll hurt yourself!”

Rubia’s voice was full of panic, but I couldn’t stop now.

I had to know.

I had to understand the full extent of what was coming.

Thud… thud… thud…

In the recesses of my mind, I could see it—an endless tide of monsters rushing toward Roholon.

Images painted themselves in my mind with frightening clarity.

More and more of them kept coming. Over and over again, the scene replayed in my head, each time with more beasts than before.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

I couldn’t count them.

It was impossible to estimate their number.

At a minimum, thousands.

No… tens of thousands of monsters were charging toward Roholon.

We had about 15 minutes before they would reach the village.

If even 30% of the villagers were killed…

The blood would awaken the Carpeng from the ruins.

We had to stop them.

I had to stop them—no matter what.