Chapter 271 (Patreon)

The moment Kana pushed the wagon window open, Joan felt it.

Not through sight.

Not through sound.

But through instinct sharpened by years of harsh training.

A pressure settled over the area outside the wagon, the kind that pressed quietly against the skin like the distant promise of a coming storm. Joan had been trained since childhood within the institutions of the Holy Kingdom, where awareness of danger was drilled into every student until it became second nature.

And right now…

Every one of those instincts was screaming at her.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Kana leaned slightly out of the window, her eyes narrowing as she studied the thick fog swallowing the road ahead.

“They are here,” Kana said quietly.

Her tone carried no uncertainty. The moment the words left her mouth, Kana’s hand moved in quick motion. She grabbed her weapon and her bow under her seat, already shifting her weight toward the wagon door as if she intended to leap out into the darkness without another second of hesitation.

Joan reacted instantly.

Her hand shot forward and seized Kana’s wrist before she could move any farther.

“Where are you going?” Joan demanded sharply, her voice tight with urgency. “Those things out there are dangerous. We should retreat while we still have the chance.”

Kana glanced at her, but before she could answer, a long sigh drifted across the wagon.

Suri had been quietly watching the exchange.

“We’ve actually been looking for these creatures for the past few days,” Suri said, lifting her staff from the floor casually. Her voice carried the tired patience of someone explaining something painfully obvious.

“They’ve been attacking travelers and merchants along this road,” she continued. “From what we gathered in the nearby towns, these beasts are incredibly difficult to track. People only ever see them for a moment before they vanish again.”

She twirled the staff lazily in one hand.

“This might be the best opportunity we get to deal with them.”

Kana nodded slightly.

“And if we leave them alone tonight,” she added calmly, “who knows how many people will die before someone finally stops them.”

Joan’s grip on Kana’s wrist tightened slightly.

Her expression hardened as she shook her head.

“I understand your intentions,” Joan said firmly. “But I don’t think we’re the right people to handle something like this.”

Her voice softened just slightly, though the seriousness remained.

“We can report the creatures to the Adventurer Guild once we return to the city. Hunting monsters like these is their responsibility.”

Her eyes locked onto Kana’s.

“You’re students,” Joan continued. “Just like me. I don’t want to see you throw your lives away on a reckless decision.”

She gestured briefly toward herself and Hen.

“Even if Hen and I fight alongside you, we can’t promise we’ll be able to protect everyone out there.”

Inside the cramped wagon, Boris shifted impatiently.

His spear leaned uselessly against the wagon wall. The weapon was simply too long to pull properly in the tight interior.

After listening to the conversation for several moments, he finally let out a frustrated grunt.

“Don’t tell me you people are scared,” Boris said bluntly.

Hen suddenly laughed. The tension in the wagon loosened slightly as he reached over and gave Joan’s shoulder a light pat.

“I think those creatures will become far more dangerous if we all remain trapped inside this wagon,” Hen said with an amused smile.

He glanced toward Kana, Suri, and Boris.

“Besides, it was their decision to face them.”

His eyes studied their calm expressions.

“They certainly look confident.”

Then Hen’s expression slowly changed. The smile faded. His face hardened into something far more serious. The kind preacher looked was gone. When he spoke again, his voice carried a cold weight that silenced the wagon.

“I’ll warn you one last time,” Hen said quietly.

His gaze moved slowly across Kana, Suri, and Boris.

“Joan and I can fight those creatures.”

He paused.

“But if the situation becomes worse…”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“We might not be able to save you.”

The silence that followed felt heavier than before.

“They are that dangerous.”

Boris tilted his head.

“Dangerous?” He scratched the side of his jaw thoughtfully.

After experiencing the brutal chaos of a mid–high level dungeon, the creatures approaching them now did not seem particularly frightening.

If anything… they felt somewhat underwhelming. 

Suri lifted her staff and murmured while staring toward the thick fog outside.

“I don’t think those things are that dangerous.”

Joan inhaled slowly.

Then she made her decision. Without waiting for further debate, she pushed the wagon door open and jumped down onto the road.

Cold mist wrapped instantly around her boots as she landed.

Joan stepped forward cautiously.

The fog shifted. And then she saw it. Her breath caught slightly in her throat.

The creature standing within the mist was unlike any magical beast she recognized. Its body was pitch black, the darkness of its skin blending so completely with the surrounding fog that its outline seemed to flicker in and out of existence. It stood nearly as tall as a large bear, yet its posture resembled that of a human walking upright.

Its arms were long. Unnaturally long. Massive claws curved from its fingers, sharp enough that their tips nearly scraped against the ground when the creature shifted its stance.

Two glowing red eyes stared back at them from the darkness.

Watching. Studying. Waiting.

And judging by the way the creature moved…

It seemed wary of them. Not aggressive.  Joan slowly tightened her grip on her two handed sword as another shape moved behind the first creature, barely visible within the fog.

Her voice lowered.

“Be careful.”

Inside her mind, she had already begun preparing herself for the worst possible outcome.

Because if this battle went wrong tonight…

Some of these young students from the Northern Kingdom might not survive it. Worst, all of them might die tonight.

The creatures answered their presence with a deep, rumbling growl that rolled slowly across the road like distant thunder echoing through a canyon.

One growl became two.

Then three.

The sound spread through the fog in uneven waves, reverberating through the still night air and crawling under the skin of anyone who heard it. They were not hiding anymore. They were announcing themselves.

The creatures began advancing toward them with confidence yet still cautious, their towering silhouettes moving through the thick mist like dark phantoms stepping out from another world. Their long, slender bodies stretched unnaturally as they walked upright, and the fog around them seemed to twist and curl as if drawn toward their presence.

It was almost as though the fog itself welcomed them.

The mist thickened further as they moved, wrapping around their limbs and torsos like living smoke. Their dark bodies blended into the gloom so seamlessly that their shapes flickered in and out of sight with every step forward.

Joan immediately sensed something unnatural about them. These were not merely beasts wandering too close to human territory. They were predators. And they were confident ones.

Joan tightened her grip around the hilt of her greatsword, her knuckles whitening as she drew in a slow, steady breath to calm her racing heart.

“[Holy Strength],” she whispered under her breath.

The moment the skill activated, warm golden light erupted across her body like the sudden rise of a miniature sunrise. Divine energy surged through her veins and muscles, reinforcing every fiber of her being with sacred power granted through her training in the military institutions of the Holy Kingdom.

Her arms felt stronger. Her legs steadier. Her senses were sharper. The ground beneath her boots suddenly felt solid and trustworthy. For a brief moment, Joan allowed herself to believe she could stand against whatever horrors had crawled out of that fog.

But the creatures had no intention of waiting politely. One of them suddenly lunged forward.

The movement was so fast it almost defied understanding. One moment the creature stood several meters away, its red eyes glowing faintly within the mist.

The next moment—

It exploded forward like a released arrow.

Joan’s eyes widened in shock.

She had been ready. She had prepared herself for the attack. Yet the creature’s speed still caught her off guard.

Her body reacted purely on instinct and discipline drilled into her through countless hours of brutal training.

She raised her greatsword just in time.

The monster’s massive claws collided against the steel blade with a violent crash that erupted into a shower of sparks.

The impact shook her entire body.

Even with [Holy Strength] enhancing her physical strength, the force behind the creature’s strike was overwhelming.

Joan felt the ground vanish beneath her boots as the blow launched her backward.

Her body flew several meters through the air before she crashed onto the dirt road, skidding violently across the ground before finally forcing herself back to her feet.

“Lady Joan!” Hen shouted from behind her, panic creeping into his voice.

He raised one hand quickly, gathering mana with practiced precision.

A blade of radiant energy began forming beside him, glowing brilliantly like a star being forged out of light itself. The sword floated in the air beside him, its edge humming softly with contained power.

With a sharp motion of his hand, Hen sent the blade streaking toward the creature.

The sword of light shot forward—

But the creature vanished.

One instant it stood before them.

The next instant it simply disappeared.

Hen blinked in confusion.

Was that a skill?

Before he could process the thought further, a massive shadow appeared beside him.

The creature had already moved. All Hen saw in that terrifying moment was the glint of enormous claws descending directly toward his head.

Joan reacted again.

Even while still recovering from the previous impact, her warrior instincts forced her body into motion. She stepped forward and raised her sword once more.

The creature’s claws crashed into the blade with another explosive clash. The impact rattled her bones. Joan grunted as pain shot through her arms, the force of the attack nearly forcing her knees to buckle.

Warm liquid filled her mouth.

Blood.

She could taste it clearly now. Behind them, a sudden flash of blue light flickered somewhere within the fog.

For the briefest moment, Joan wondered if someone else had joined the battle. But she could not afford even a second of distraction.

If she blinked now…

Their heads might roll across the ground.

Joan clenched her teeth tightly.

“[Holy Light],” she whispered.

Golden radiance erupted from her body in a brilliant flash, flooding the battlefield with divine light that tore through the dark fog surrounding them.

The creature recoiled instinctively, raising one massive forearm to shield its glowing red eyes from the sudden burst of brightness.

That momentary hesitation was all Joan needed. She stepped forward and swung her greatsword downward in a powerful vertical arc aimed directly at the creature’s torso.

Hen saw the opening instantly.

Around the monster, several radiant blades formed in the air like silent guardians waiting for the signal to strike.

With a precise gesture, Hen sent them crashing toward their target. But the creature proved far tougher than they had anticipated. Instead of retreating, it crouched low to the ground. Its enormous forearms rose defensively, shielding its head and vital areas as the glowing blades slammed into its body.

Sparks scattered through the air.

The creature grunted.

But when the dust settled…

It was still standing. Only shallow cuts marked its dark flesh, thin trails of blood running down its forearms where the blades had struck. The damage was minimal.

Joan’s breathing grew heavier.

“I’ll keep it busy,” she said between labored breaths. “Use it.”

Hen nodded silently, already focusing his mana.

Joan roared as she charged forward once again. She attacked with everything she had, swinging her greatsword with brutal determination. Each strike carried enough strength to break bones and split armor.

The beast answered her with equal ferocity. Claws and steel collided again and again in a storm of sparks and ringing metal. Every time her blade blocked its claws, bright flashes burst into the night like tiny falling stars.

Joan fought exactly as she had been trained. Perfect posture. Disciplined strikes. Precise footwork.

But slowly… the truth revealed itself.

She was losing.

Her stamina drained rapidly as the cost of [Holy Strength] began to consume her endurance. Each passing second felt heavier than the last.

I need to buy more time, she thought desperately.

Blood ran slowly across her thin lips as her breathing grew ragged. Her eyes had begun turning red from strain and exhaustion. Several minutes passed in this brutal exchange. Joan managed to land a few strikes against the creature’s body, forcing it back occasionally, but the monster’s attacks continued hammering against her defenses with relentless force.

Then suddenly—

A massive sword of bluish light appeared silently above the creature. It hovered in the air like a silent executioner waiting for its moment.

Hen’s voice rang out sharply.

“Now, Lady Joan!”

Joan gathered the last fragments of strength remaining in her body. Instead of delivering a killing blow, she lunged forward and shoved her greatsword against the creature’s body with all her weight.

She had noticed something during their battle.

Whenever her blade maintained direct contact with the creature…

It could not vanish.

So she held it there.

Locked in place. Just long enough. The hovering sword descended. With terrifying speed, the glowing blade fell from the sky and cleaved the creature from head to waist in a single devastating strike.

Its body split cleanly into two halves.

This was Hen’s most dangerous skill.

[Void Sword].

A blade that hovered above a target for several minutes before delivering a devastating strike capable of cutting through even heavily armored enemies.

Its greatest weakness was the casting time.

Hen required nearly three full minutes to create it.

But if it landed…

Few enemies survived.

Joan exhaled heavily.

“Finally…” she muttered weakly.

Her legs trembled violently beneath her as exhaustion finally caught up to her body. She lowered her greatsword and planted it against the ground, using the weapon as support to keep herself standing.

Hen hurried toward her side and caught her arm before she could collapse.

“Are you alright, Lady Joan?” he asked quickly, steadying her.

Joan nodded faintly. Then suddenly her eyes widened with realization.

“How about them?” she asked in alarm.

Only now did she remember.

They had not been fighting a single creature.

Earlier…

She had clearly seen three of them emerging from the fog. Her heart skipped nervously. The fog slowly began thinning as a breeze drifted across the battlefield.

Joan turned her head.

Then froze.

Across the road, massive bodies lay scattered across the ground like fallen statues.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.

Seven enormous creatures lay lifeless across the dirt road.

Some of them were even larger than the one she and Hen had struggled so desperately to defeat.

Standing among them casually was Boris. He rested his spear across his shoulder as though he had simply finished a light warm-up exercise.

“I thought you guys might still need some help, you’re not bad.” Boris said casually.

Joan and Hen slowly exchanged stunned glances.

There were no adventurers nearby.

No soldiers.

No reinforcements had arrived.

The battlefield made the truth painfully clear.

Those young students from the Northern Kingdom had defeated the rest.

How?

Post note:

For reference, the monster is about lvl 12-17.Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂

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