As he had initially planned, Thorian returned to the forest to aid the kobold and kobloids in extinguishing the fire. This endeavor allowed Thorian to hone his Wind Gust spell, while the water magi employed their abilities to supplement the elemental interplay. Thorian remained mindful of his final spell, "Earth Bullet", deploying it whenever a monster attempted to ambush them.

Time flowed swiftly as the flames gradually dwindled. Throughout the endeavor, Thorian reflected on his exchange with Brix. The goblin's timidity had proven to be an asset as he observed the unfolding events around the village while his kobloid counterparts had fled. His most significant revelation pertained to the orchestrator of the attack - the mysterious woman in green and her associates.

Despite racking his brain, Thorian couldn't recall encountering such a figure. The major factions within Locksley that Thorian was familiar with comprised the Ravenwood family, the minor nobility, and the Great Temple. Rumors of a period of civil unrest stirred by the underworld had reached his ears, but William and his men had swiftly quelled the turmoil, establishing absolute control over their domain.

Out of all the people he knew from the region, there wasn’t any notable figure that could be described as the “lady in green”. At least not to his knowledge.

Moreover, the fact that she received the 'Soul Reaver' quest and was able to harness its power with such proficiency is highly unusual. I've heard of no such occurrence throughout the kingdom. Only that formidable Ulfar from Thulaskar has managed anything similar.

Lost in thought, Thorian's mind was teeming with conjectures and suspicions, none of which he could verify. His situation was already anomalous - a reincarnation ten years into the past within a monster's body. Anything else paled in comparison to such extraordinary circumstances.

The forest before him was a charred wasteland, the pervasive, ashy smog was utterly nauseating. Nonetheless, they had succeeded in suppressing the rampaging flames. The protective barrier was mostly scorched, with only a few sections still partially intact.

We’re going to need a lot of wood to repair all of this damage. Territory Resources.

Resources:

Gathered Experience: 17.7k

Wood: 4.4k

Surveying the meager number of Woof Units, Thorian clicked his tongue in disappointment. Fortunately, none of the village's crucial structures had been destroyed, which alleviated some of his concerns. Only the residential areas and the protective wall required reconstruction.

Let’s start with our fortifications first. Repair Wall.

Just like previous occasions, the ground beneath them roared and trembled as the towering wall erupted from the earth, reminiscent of a tree sprouting forth. No matter how often Thorian witnessed this spectacle, it never lost its awe-inspiring effect.

Nevertheless, the depletion of resources that followed was a poignant sting. The construction consumed a whopping 3,000 wood units from the Territory Resources, leaving a meager 1,400 units to repair all other damaged structures.

That much wood was supposed to last us until the next village upgrade… It’s a shame but that is just part of running a territory. These kinds of costs are to be expected.

Having guided his territory for over a decade, evolving it from a village to a town, then to a city and beyond, Thorian was no stranger to the bitter taste of loss in humiliating defeat. Rising above these setbacks was what distinguished genuine leaders from the pretenders.

"King, we have completed the tally!"

Thorian swiveled to see Alacritas, the silver-furred assassin, bowing beside him. His complexion was slightly ashen, his eyes dulled, and his cheeks were hollow.

"How many have we lost?" Thorian asked, taking a deep breath. "Categorize them for me by civilians, combatants, and their races."

"Immediately, my king," the assassin nodded. "We've lost twenty lives. Ten of them were brown Kobloid civilians, nine were Kobloid fighters, and one was a high Orc warrior."

Thorian took a moment to fully absorb the grim news before turning his gaze back to the assassin. "Summon Zogthar, Lapis, Vivax, Forlune, Ventus, and Vigil. I will be convening a meeting with them at the Village Hall."

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"Understood, my king," Alacritas acknowledged with a slight bow before darting off at an astonishing speed. Meanwhile, Thorian surveyed the scene around the village. As expected, the atmosphere was one of deep mourning, with some collapsing into tears at the loss of their friends and loved ones, while others moved around with averted gazes.

A proper funeral for those we've lost is in order.

With that thought, Thorian made his way towards the Village Hall. As he pushed open the door, the stench of death greeted him. His gaze took in the numerous human corpses scattered around the room, their mouths frothing and their eyes revealing nothing but white.

"I am relieved you've returned, my lord," Melina greeted from behind her desk, delicately sipping from her tea cup. "It would have posed a significant problem if I'd had to entertain these new guests any longer."

"It appears you've handled things in your own unique way," Thorian remarked, casting his eyes over the room. "We'll be using the room upstairs for an emergency meeting. Is it currently in a usable state?"

The Elven woman nodded, "Certainly, my lord. No one has ventured upstairs."

"Understood," Thorian nodded, his eyes lingering on the bulletin board in contemplation. "There's something else I've been meaning to ask. For partially completed, time-limited quests, are the rewards received automatically, or do they need to be claimed explicitly?"

"As soon as the deadline is passed, rewards corresponding to the achieved milestones are distributed automatically," Melina quickly answered. "This occurs regardless of whether you've explicitly claimed the quest or not."

“Thank you for the concise answer,” Thorian expressed, a soft smile gracing his features as he thought of his loyal subordinate. At least your efforts haven't been in vain, Nox.

Recalling the grievous condition of the shadowstalker, Thorian clenched his teeth until his lips bled. His eyes blazed with an intense fury that seemed potent enough to burn holes into the ground.

After a few moments, Thorian took a deep breath and successfully transformed his furious expression into a serene one. Upon seeing this, Melina was taken aback by Thorian's previous intensity.

"I will be leading a campaign into Earendil's Sanctuary in a week's time," declared Thorian, startling the elf in his presence.

"W-why is that, my lord?" She stuttered in response.

"I need a specific object," retorted Thorian, "‘Amelia’s Crystal Tear’ is the item I desperately seek."

As he noticed the elven lady's eyes widen in surprise, Thorian calmly walked towards the staircase, leaving her with a final statement. "Should a forgotten memory about the Sanctuary awaken within you, I would be eager to hear it."

Without hesitating for a response, Thorian ascended the grand staircase, aiming for the strategic meeting room above. They had an extensive agenda to cover and the clock was relentlessly ticking away.

* * *

“N-Nox can’t be healed?” "The news struck Ventus like a blow. The meeting had just commenced, and although everyone was aware of the recent village fatalities, Nox's critical condition blindsided him.

"Healing isn't impossible,” Vigil clarified, his voice marked by patience. “What we need is a second-advancement priest. That's the information Whisperwind gave us, which Merrygold later confirmed. However, even with such a strong priest, there's only a fifty percent chance of success.”

Ventus gave his head a confused shake. “I get the whole special healer thing, but how on earth did Nox end up so hurt? I mean, he's fast as lightning. Nothing should've touched him."

Forlune responded with a grunt, "It doesn't matter how fast you are. If they throw a thousand spells at you, you're bound to be hit by something." His gaze dropped as he bit his lip, remorse creeping into his voice. "I should have gone back for him. If the roles were reversed, I'm sure he would have."

Thorian, however, firmly shook his head. "You had a duty to fulfill, and you executed it admirably," he counseled. "And let's not speak of him as though he is already lost to us. We have a clear path to his salvation."

Vigil looked towards their king, skepticism clouding his eyes. "Can we really achieve the second advancement in just ten days?" He questioned, adding, "But even if we do, our chances of saving him are just fifty percent, aren't they?"

“How is your progress in the human and monster hunting quests?” Thorian abruptly shifted the conversation.

Vigil blinked in surprise at the change in topic before answering, "Ehm, I've hit the cap on the monster hunting one. As for the humans, I've reached the third milestone."

"Good enough," Thorian nodded approvingly. "You'll receive all the level-up rewards then. Don't claim them until the very last moment. We're going to rapidly elevate your class level with dungeon clears. That way, the rewards you glean from both quests will be as potent as possible."

Forlune, feeling emboldened by the strategizing, interjected, "Should we also aim to advance our classes? That way we're all working towards a common objective."

Thorian directed his response at Forlune, "Ensure you first unlock your Bloodlust skill. It becomes available after slaying 500 monsters once your class reaches level twenty. It's the gateway to the Berserker advancement."

“Bloodlust?" Forlune's eyebrows furrowed at the unfamiliar term. He swiftly checked his stat panel, his puzzlement replaced by a triumphant grin. "Already got that skill while battling those savage humans."

"In that case, you can proceed with your advancement," Thorian responded, then swiveled his attention back to Vigil. "To revisit your earlier point: yes, using the ultimate Priest skill for the second advancement only guarantees us a fifty percent chance. But, there's a workaround to that predicament."

As Thorian inhaled deeply, all eyes converged on him. "There exists an item that can amplify a skill's effectiveness twofold. However, to procure that item, we must embark on a journey into Earendil's Sanctuary."