In a conference room, several black-robed figures sat and were currently discussing the latest breakthrough in their research.
"How is the plan coming along?"
"Very good, if I say so myself. The experiment on strengthening weak monsters and controlling them from a distance is showing desirable results."
"Excellent. Have you sent the latest batch to Bradford?"
"They are already on their way."
"How about the Goblins targeting Aeston?"
"We're still working on that part, but we have gained sufficient data from the Rat Monsters to take control of the Goblins as well."
"The Guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild, Guthram, is quite an intuitive fellow. He dispatched elite Adventurers to go and wipe out entire Goblin Encampments and Nests before we were able to gather a sizable force to attack Aeston Town."
"Well, it doesn't matter. We have already succeeded if we look at the grand scheme of things."
"Who is in charge of the attack in Bradford Town?"
"It's the Pied Piper."
"Ah… that guy. Well, I guess news of an entire town being destroyed will spread throughout the entire Empire when morning comes."
"Congratulations, everyone. We are now one step closer to our goals."
"All Hail Twilight Dynasty!"
"""All Hail Twilight Dynasty!"""
–—----
Somewhere between Bradford Town and Aeston Town…
Lux was no stranger to Monster Outbreaks, and had even participated in the defense against a Beast Tide in Whitebridge City back in the Kingdom of Gweliven.
If he was fighting alone, he was confident that he would be able to escape unscathed.
Unfortunately, he wasn't alone, and was helping the Guildmaster, Boris, evacuate over ten thousand people to the town of Aeston before the Rat Monsters overtook them along the way.
"How credible is this information?" Boris' face immediately became grim upon hearing Lux's report about the approaching danger from the rear.
Although they had made good progress in their travels, it was highly possible that the Monsters would run after them if they discovered that no one was inside Bradford Town.
"I left one of my subordinates there to inform me if Rat Monsters appeared," Lux replied. "It won't be long before the Monsters arrive in Bradford Town."
"Do you think they will follow us?" Boris asked.
Lux shook his head. "I don't know, but the possibility exists. If they don't follow us, that would be for the best."
"But what if they follow us?"
"You already know the answer to that question, Sir."
Boris sighed, knowing that Lux was correct. If the Monsters did follow them, it was possible for them to catch up in just two to three hours. Although they had made good progress, the Monsters' speed was far greater than their own.
They couldn't possibly outrun them unless they were willing to leave some people behind.
"Right now, we only have a little over two hundred Apostles and eight Initiates," Boris stated. "The majority of those Apostles are Grade D and C. They will be unable to block thousands of Rank 4 Monsters even if we were able to double that number."
"Then what's the plan?" Lux inquired. Right now, only Boris and he knew of the approaching danger from behind, so the march was still proceeding steadily.
If anyone were to tell them that monsters were headed in their direction, the people might start to panic, which would be bad for everyone.
"We will tell everyone to hasten the pace," Boris answered. "Is it possible for you to conjure more of those Bone Wagons?"
Lux shook his head. "I am already at my limit. I can't add more than what we currently have."
If Lux could have his way, he would certainly summon more Bone Wagons, but his skill, Skeleton Make [EX], had a limit.
There were still many old people and children who required assistance, but there was simply nothing he could do about it. All the space in the Bone Wagons was already taken, and there was no more room for more people inside it.
"Let's just do what we can," Boris finally answered after a few minutes of silence. "Remember this, Lux, we can't save everyone. If there comes a time when you have to escape to save yourself, don't think twice and just do it."
Boris then took out a sealed letter from his storage ring, and gave it to Lux.
"I planned to give this to you once we reach Aeston Town," Boris said after handing his Letter of Recommendation to Lux. "But I can't, in good conscience, allow you to risk your life to do more, especially when you have already done a lot for us.
"I hate to say this, but my life is also important. I will not die here as a hero, nor will I act as a martyr. I have responsibilities, so if I think that there is nothing that can be done, I will flee by myself and head to Aeston Town. I will tell the other Defenders about this news, but I won't tell anyone else. We don't want people trampling over the other in their panic to escape with their lives."
Boris patted Lux's shoulder before he turned around to leave.
Gazing at his steady pace, Lux understood that although Boris would feel bad about leaving the people behind to save his life, he would not change his decision.
This was a decision of a man who had lived through many battlefields and became a Branch Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild.
Lux glanced behind him, in the direction of Bradford Town, where Ishtar was left to monitor the current situation.
'I hope that the Monsters just remain in the town,' Lux thought. 'May the Gods have mercy on these people.'
Unfortunately, no Gods heard Lux's prayer.
When the Monsters arrived in Bradford Town, they easily scaled over the town's wall and swarmed the town like a plague of locusts.
After seeing that there were no humans around the vicinity, the Rat Monsters wandered around the town, entering houses to make sure that no Humans were hiding anywhere. After completing their rounds of every nook and cranny of the town, the sound of a flute spread in the surroundings, alerting all of the Rat Monsters of their new orders.
Ishtar, who was hiding in the shadows, heard the flute and glanced in the direction that it was coming from. Lux already had some suspicions that someone was controlling the Monsters and giving them orders, but this had just been a hunch.
Now that the ringleader had appeared, the Nighstalker decided to scout their target, and learn more about them.
But, before she could even see the flute player, her hiding place was attacked by over a dozen Rat Monsters, forcing her to flee and escape into the shadows.
"A little rat managed to escape," a blackrobed man said after he finished playing his flute. "No matter. This will not change the outcome of this mission. Everyone, follow the tracks of the townspeople. Leave no one alive!"
""Squeak!""
Thousands of Rat Monsters obeyed their Master's call and followed the tracks that were left by the people that had decided to leave their hometown.
Ishtar, who had just escaped from the enemy's pursuit, relayed the bad news to Lux, informing him of the approaching danger from behind.
In a conference room, several black-robed figures sat and were currently discussing the latest breakthrough in their research.
"How is the plan coming along?"
"Very good, if I say so myself. The experiment on strengthening weak monsters and controlling them from a distance is showing desirable results."
"Excellent. Have you sent the latest batch to Bradford?"
"They are already on their way."
"How about the Goblins targeting Aeston?"
"We're still working on that part, but we have gained sufficient data from the Rat Monsters to take control of the Goblins as well."
"The Guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild, Guthram, is quite an intuitive fellow. He dispatched elite Adventurers to go and wipe out entire Goblin Encampments and Nests before we were able to gather a sizable force to attack Aeston Town."
"Well, it doesn't matter. We have already succeeded if we look at the grand scheme of things."
"Who is in charge of the attack in Bradford Town?"
"It's the Pied Piper."
"Ah… that guy. Well, I guess news of an entire town being destroyed will spread throughout the entire Empire when morning comes."
"Congratulations, everyone. We are now one step closer to our goals."
"All Hail Twilight Dynasty!"
"""All Hail Twilight Dynasty!"""
–—----
Somewhere between Bradford Town and Aeston Town…
Lux was no stranger to Monster Outbreaks, and had even participated in the defense against a Beast Tide in Whitebridge City back in the Kingdom of Gweliven.
If he was fighting alone, he was confident that he would be able to escape unscathed.
Unfortunately, he wasn't alone, and was helping the Guildmaster, Boris, evacuate over ten thousand people to the town of Aeston before the Rat Monsters overtook them along the way.
"How credible is this information?" Boris' face immediately became grim upon hearing Lux's report about the approaching danger from the rear.
Although they had made good progress in their travels, it was highly possible that the Monsters would run after them if they discovered that no one was inside Bradford Town.
"I left one of my subordinates there to inform me if Rat Monsters appeared," Lux replied. "It won't be long before the Monsters arrive in Bradford Town."
"Do you think they will follow us?" Boris asked.
Lux shook his head. "I don't know, but the possibility exists. If they don't follow us, that would be for the best."
"But what if they follow us?"
"You already know the answer to that question, Sir."
Boris sighed, knowing that Lux was correct. If the Monsters did follow them, it was possible for them to catch up in just two to three hours. Although they had made good progress, the Monsters' speed was far greater than their own.
They couldn't possibly outrun them unless they were willing to leave some people behind.
"Right now, we only have a little over two hundred Apostles and eight Initiates," Boris stated. "The majority of those Apostles are Grade D and C. They will be unable to block thousands of Rank 4 Monsters even if we were able to double that number."
"Then what's the plan?" Lux inquired. Right now, only Boris and he knew of the approaching danger from behind, so the march was still proceeding steadily.
If anyone were to tell them that monsters were headed in their direction, the people might start to panic, which would be bad for everyone.
"We will tell everyone to hasten the pace," Boris answered. "Is it possible for you to conjure more of those Bone Wagons?"
Lux shook his head. "I am already at my limit. I can't add more than what we currently have."
If Lux could have his way, he would certainly summon more Bone Wagons, but his skill, Skeleton Make [EX], had a limit.
There were still many old people and children who required assistance, but there was simply nothing he could do about it. All the space in the Bone Wagons was already taken, and there was no more room for more people inside it.
"Let's just do what we can," Boris finally answered after a few minutes of silence. "Remember this, Lux, we can't save everyone. If there comes a time when you have to escape to save yourself, don't think twice and just do it."
Boris then took out a sealed letter from his storage ring, and gave it to Lux.
"I planned to give this to you once we reach Aeston Town," Boris said after handing his Letter of Recommendation to Lux. "But I can't, in good conscience, allow you to risk your life to do more, especially when you have already done a lot for us.
"I hate to say this, but my life is also important. I will not die here as a hero, nor will I act as a martyr. I have responsibilities, so if I think that there is nothing that can be done, I will flee by myself and head to Aeston Town. I will tell the other Defenders about this news, but I won't tell anyone else. We don't want people trampling over the other in their panic to escape with their lives."
Boris patted Lux's shoulder before he turned around to leave.
Gazing at his steady pace, Lux understood that although Boris would feel bad about leaving the people behind to save his life, he would not change his decision.
This was a decision of a man who had lived through many battlefields and became a Branch Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild.
Lux glanced behind him, in the direction of Bradford Town, where Ishtar was left to monitor the current situation.
'I hope that the Monsters just remain in the town,' Lux thought. 'May the Gods have mercy on these people.'
Unfortunately, no Gods heard Lux's prayer.
When the Monsters arrived in Bradford Town, they easily scaled over the town's wall and swarmed the town like a plague of locusts.
After seeing that there were no humans around the vicinity, the Rat Monsters wandered around the town, entering houses to make sure that no Humans were hiding anywhere. After completing their rounds of every nook and cranny of the town, the sound of a flute spread in the surroundings, alerting all of the Rat Monsters of their new orders.
Ishtar, who was hiding in the shadows, heard the flute and glanced in the direction that it was coming from. Lux already had some suspicions that someone was controlling the Monsters and giving them orders, but this had just been a hunch.
Now that the ringleader had appeared, the Nighstalker decided to scout their target, and learn more about them.
But, before she could even see the flute player, her hiding place was attacked by over a dozen Rat Monsters, forcing her to flee and escape into the shadows.
"A little rat managed to escape," a blackrobed man said after he finished playing his flute. "No matter. This will not change the outcome of this mission. Everyone, follow the tracks of the townspeople. Leave no one alive!"
""Squeak!""
Thousands of Rat Monsters obeyed their Master's call and followed the tracks that were left by the people that had decided to leave their hometown.
Ishtar, who had just escaped from the enemy's pursuit, relayed the bad news to Lux, informing him of the approaching danger from behind.
