image [https://i.imgur.com/XIZL0SH.png]

A Map of Sun Helm

image [https://i.imgur.com/iYufrGJ.png]

Victor awoke in his bed, stretching his arms. The bright sunlight filtered into the room, and he opened one eye.

I can’t hear any villagers in the fields, he thought, while turning his head to the side.

“Did I wake up early?” he asked, “Or late?”

*knock knock*

Well, someone was looking for him, he thought.

*knock knock knock*

“Coming!!” Victor pushed aside his bedsheet and got up. He picked up the washbasin to fill it with water.

Was it Taiyo?

The door shook with the force of being banged on.

“Don’t break my door!” Victor opened the door. “What’s the big idea–”

“Victor!” Bronx stood outside the door, his right arm clenched his left, or rather, where his left arm should have been.

His left arm was missing…

Victor dropped the basin on the floor in shock, water splattered everywhere.

Blood dropped to the floor from the wound, mixing with the water. Bronx panted violently.

“What the hell happened to you!” Victor grabbed a cloth and wrapped it around Bronx’s stump of an arm. Pulling tightly, he tried to stop the bleeding.

“Thank… you,” Bronx said through heavy breaths.

“Were you attacked?” Victor asked.

Victor inspected the wound. It was bloody and jagged, as if something had bitten his arm right off.

He used the last of his Sun Whiskey to pour it on the wound.

Bronx winced from the pain.

“I don’t have any antiseptic,” he said. “Taiyo should be able to cauterise this if we get you to her.”

“She’s at the town square,” Bronx said. “There’s a meeting.”

The Market square was at least 15 minutes away, Victor thought.

The cloth he wrapped around Bronx’s wound turned red from the blood.

His heart pounded. You could bleed out from a missing arm anywhere between 5 minutes and days. Bronx’s wound was especially bad. Judging from the time it may have taken him to get to Victor, he needed treatment immediately.

“Hold on,” Victor said.

He looked at Bronx. His frame wasn’t as tall as his, but he was stocky and wide.

“It’ll be faster if I carry you,” Victor said.

Putting one arm around Bronx’s back, and one behind his knees, Victor lifted him up in his arms. Though he was wide, Victor swiftly raised him up, bringing their faces uncomfortably close to each other.

“Can’t you just give me a piggyback?” Bronx frowned.

“How are you going to hold on to me with just one arm?”

“...”

Ignoring Bronx’s protests, Victor ran towards the village. Adrenaline pulsed through his veins, and he could feel the warmth in his stomach pushing him forwards. Dashing through the fields, he held up Bronx’s body, so the stalks of Sun Grain did not whip him.

“You don’t have to treat me like a princess…” Bronx said.

“I’ll stuff something in your mouth if you don’t shut up,” Victor looked down at Bronx.

“...”

“Bronx?”

Bronx’s eyes were closing, and his face was losing its redness.

“Shit, he’s lost too much blood.” Victor's eyes widened. “Fuck. Stay with me, you idiot!”

Victor’s heart pounded even harder. Adrenaline pulsed through his veins. Victor put all his concentration into his legs, the strange feeling in his stomach moved to his feet. Slamming his foot off the ground. Each step he took carried them several metres ahead.

If an onlooker saw this, it’d look like he was skipping.

Luckily, his hut was close to the Market square. Victor saw tens of heads standing before the stage.

“Medic!” he shouted. “We need a medic!”

Taiyo and Garyu stood on the stage, addressing the villagers.

“Taiyo!” Victor said. “Bronx needs help!”

“Victor?” Taiyo held up her dress and gracefully descended off the stage. She smiled at Victor. “Why are you skipping around carrying Bronx?–”

The smile on her face froze as she looked at Bronx. Her eyes widening, then narrowing. Golden light swirled in her pupils.

“Put him down, now!” she said.

Victor placed Bronx on the floor. His breathing had become faint.

Not wasting time, Taiyo burned the cloth Victor had wrapped around Bronx’s arm with her magic, none of the fire touching Bronx’s skin.

Such precise control, Victor thought.

She tied up her hair with a red handkerchief, the gold light in her eyes intensified.

“Great Yiho,” she chanted. “Please lend me your power to heal this poor soul.”

Taiyo placed her palms over Bronx’s stump. Golden light emitted from her hands, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air.

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Sweat dropped off her face, taking her palms off his wound. It looked nearly the same as before.

“Why didn’t it work?” she said.

“You need more power,” Victor said. “His constitution is like mine. Magic is less effective on him.”

Her eyes widened in realisation, and a determined look spread across her face.

“Great Yiho, bless this man with all your strength!”

Taiyo pressed her palms together, and so much light came out of her pupils that her whole eyes looked golden to Victor. Holding her hands slightly away from the wound, golden threads grew out of her fingertips, weaving a golden cloth of light over the wound.

All the surroundings darkened, and Taiyo’s figure solely emitted light. Like a wildfire blazing in the night.

Memories of losing his comrades as an adventurer filled Victor’s mind. Harry, who was eaten by a magical beast. Victor watched it crush him in its jaws, all that was left of him was a hand that he reached out to Victor before he died.

Kim, who chose to self destruct her magic core rather than allow herself to be captured and enslaved by bandits. Blood and limbs flew everywhere, and only through her actions did Victor survive.

Delsie… The only woman he ever loved, and whose fate was worse than both Harry or Kim. Victor’s heartbeat raced as her name came to mind. He forcefully suppressed the thought of her and shook his head.

Several villagers knelt down next to Taiyo. They all clasped their hands and prayed. The colour of her light turned from golden to white.

“Nearly… there…” she said.

The glow faded out, and Taiyo’s eyes turned from golden back to brown. Sweat poured off her forehead, and she panted.

Light returned to the area.

Victor hurriedly examined Bronx's wound, and the bleeding had completely stopped. He put his finger on his neck, searching for a pulse.

“You saved him,” Victor said.

Taiyo’s body lost balance, and Victor caught her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and she breathed raggedly.

“He… needs rest,” she said.

Victor nodded. Taiyo looked so strong moments ago, but she felt small when he held her. The sweet smell of cinnamon came to him. Victor gently put her down.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll be okay.” Her face had turned slightly red. Was this because of the magic? He thought. His expression turned grim as he looked at Bronx.

“He’s going to be missing an arm for the rest of his life,” Victor said. If only I were there. Victor clenched his fist. I could have protected him.

“Thank Yiho for taking pity on this foreigner and saving him.” Garyu approached them.

Taiyo was the one who saved him, Victor thought.

“What happened to him?” he asked

“He was sent to scout the impending monster hoard,” Garyu said. “What transpired? Only he knows.”

“Monster hoard?” Victor asked.

“There’s a hoard of magical beasts coming towards Sun Helm,” Taiyo said. “We’re preparing a defence plan now.”

Monster hoards were invasions of large populations of magical beasts. They rarely attempted to occupy human territory, but sometimes one group could displace another, causing them to search for a new home.

“How many of them are there?” Victor asked.

“That’s what Bronx was meant to find out,” Taiyo said.

“It does not concern a foreigner‌,” Garyu said.

“Have you ever fought a monster hoard before?” Victor asked him.

“Yiho can protect us from any monsters,” Garyu said. “Though, if you’d like to help, you can register yourself at the census over there.”

Victor walked in the direction Garyu pointed. A lady was handing villagers a crystal and writing down their names.

A young villager held the crystal, and it turned golden as it shone with light.

“Rank 0.3,” she said.

Victor pushed in front of the other villagers.

“Take my name down,” he said.

“Name?” The woman frowned at him. She had black hair woven into a braid and wore square glasses which gave her a secretary look.

“Victor Azelheart,”

“Hold this.” She handed him a transparent crystal.

A measuring stone? He thought. The whole surface was smooth and ovular like a pebble, and the crystal was clear like glass.

Victor held it in his palm, closing his fist on it.

For a moment, Victor thought he saw purple mist swirl inside of it, but checking again, there was nothing.

The woman nodded and scribbled something down. Victor then walked towards the stage.

There must be about 40 or 50 villagers here, he thought. Depending on the size of the monster hoard, this could be doable, or very difficult. The key element would be how to position each individual–

“The Census numbers are now in!” Garyu said. “I will read them out, naming our most powerful members first.”

The secretary lady handed Garyu a sheet of paper. He coughed and read out the numbers.

image [https://i.imgur.com/kIJKh6G.png]

Only one person above Rank 1? These numbers were too low, Victor thought. If a beast king was part of the mix, they would be screwed.

“That concludes the numbers,” Garyu said

Huh? Victor thought. My name isn’t on there?

“Now, I will give everyone the battle strategy,” he said. “All Rank 0 combatants will stay safe within the market square. We will then split ourselves into 4 groups of 4, each defending the fields north, east, south, and west. With Yiho’s protection, we can drive back the scourge that dares to attack our village!” The Villagers roared in response to Garyu’s words.

The more he heard, the more Victor’s eyes widened.

“This plan is going to get you killed!” Victor said.

The surrounding villagers murmured amongst themselves, and Garyu narrowed his eyes at Victor.

“What are you saying, foreigner?” he said.

“A magical beast hoard could have many Rank 1 beasts,” he said. “Spreading your forces thinly is practically suicide. It would be much better to barricade the entrance to the village, funnel the beasts into the market square, and destroy them all—”

“Pawan, the high priest himself, has appointed my authority. Questioning me is akin to questioning him, and questioning him is akin to questioning God himself.” Garyu’s voice rose with every word he spoke. “You dare to question our god, foreigner?”

This bastard! Victor clenched his fist. His heart was racing.

“This is more than just your God, you fool!” Victor said. "Your pride will destroy this entire village!"

Victor had defended against magical beast hoards before as part of his commission. What was truly terrifying wasn’t the number of beasts, or the endless onslaught of deaths.

It was one thing.

The beast king.

Even with several groups of adventurers, one mistake would lead to death. To take on a beast king, you’d need at least one A rank party. At least five adventurers as strong as Garyu!

Currently, their forces barely equate to one B rank.

“Garyu,” Taiyo said. “Maybe we should listen to him?”

“Even you, Taiyo,” Garyu said. “You dare to oppose the church’s doctrines?”

“No, that’s not it–”

“This foreigner has polluted your mind,” Garyu said. “Bring me the census.”

The secretary lady handed Garyu another sheet of paper.

“Victor Azelheart,” he said. “You talk a lot, for someone at Rank 0,”

the villagers nearby sniggered.

Taiyo frowned.

Victor’s face turned red in anger.

“Rank 0?” he said. “What a load of rubbish. I was once a Mythril adventurer–”

“Save it for the rest of the villagers you’ll be staying with,” Garyu said.

“You need to listen to me, Garyu!” Victor’s voice boomed across the stadium. “You and everyone here are going to be killed! Put aside your pride.”

Though his expression momentarily shook at Victor’s voice, Garyu turned his back to Victor.

“Combatants, let’s split into groups.” He walked away.

“Taiyo!” Victor shouted. “You need to stop him!”

She stood there, frowning. Her eyes turned from Victor to Garyu, her fists clenched around her dress.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

She followed him off the stage.

“Fuck!” Victor kicked a nearby statue, cracking it.

If I had my full strength, he thought. I could kill the beast king. All because of that fucking idiot–

“Seethe,”

Victor clutched his head, a sharp pain appeared in his abdomen and temple.

His expression contorted in pain.

He’s nothing compared to you. He's inferior and needs to be destroyed.

“What… is happening.” Vicor panted and sweat dripped from his face. Onlooking villagers gave him a wide berth.

“Take control… You’re better than him…”

“I need to do something.” Victor clenched his teeth and looked up.