6

Days turned into months, and Sebastian had become somewhat proficient in using the hammer and shield. Of course, behind his progress, Edward had always been there to enthusiastically support and train him, while Apollonia provided moral encouragement and watched him practice his mana control, even though she wasn’t a mage herself.

On a scorching afternoon, dozens of villagers gathered, each carrying straw sacks. A podium had been set up, where Justin was delivering a fiery speech.

“WE’VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH FOR THIS DAY! NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE WHAT HAS RIGHTFULLY BEEN OURS FOR DECADES!”

“THAT’S RIGHT! WE MUST FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS!”

“THEY’VE TRAMPLED ON THE LAND WE’VE CARED FOR WITH ALL OUR HEARTS. NOW IS THE TIME TO DEFEND OUR TERRITORY! IT’S TIME TO HARVEST THE SUMMER MUSHROOMS!”

The entire village cheered with enthusiasm, their eyes blazing like the sun, their spirits high as if they were heading to war. In droves, the villagers entered the forest on the outskirts of the village, searching for the famous Parme mushrooms, known for their exquisite taste and high price. A single full sack of these mushrooms was equivalent to two months’ salary for a soldier. Unsurprisingly, the wives of soldiers were the most fervent among the villagers.

Apollonia ran into the forest with Sebastian by her side. Two people working together were better than one, and now Sebastian understood what he needed to do. He tried his best to keep up. Although his father’s physical training had improved his stamina, he still struggled to match Apollonia’s boundless energy.

“HURRY, SEBASTIAN! WE EACH NEED TO FILL TWO SACKS WITH MUSHROOMS!”

“Y-YES, COMMANDER!”

Apollonia, usually a kind and loving mother, transformed in an instant. Her eyes burned with determination, and her breath steamed like hot vapor. She scanned the forest area, searching for clusters of Parme mushrooms. Finally, she spotted a sign of where the mushrooms grew and immediately ran toward the location.

“SEBASTIAN, OVER HERE!”

Apollonia quickly rang a bell, signaling that she had found a cluster of Parme mushrooms and was claiming the area. But just then, Justin emerged from behind the trees, ringing his own bell. Apollonia and Justin locked eyes, glaring at each other with anger. Both claimed the mushroom cluster for themselves, and neither was willing to concede.

“MOVE ASIDE, JUSTIN! I NEED MONEY TO RENOVATE THE BATHROOM!”

“I NEED MONEY TO PAY OFF MY MATERIAL DEBTS! STEP ASIDE, NIA!”

Apollonia and Justin immediately clashed. Such incidents weren’t uncommon; villagers often fought over mushroom clusters. Apollonia, who usually appeared as a gentle homemaker, transformed into a fierce bear with immense strength. She grabbed Justin’s arm and threw him far into the forest. Sebastian could only watch in shock, his mouth agape. This was the first time Sebastian had seen his mother act like that, and he never thought she could throw a grown man so easily.

“START HARVESTING, SEBASTIAN!”

“Y-YES, MA’AM!”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Quickly, Sebastian and Apollonia began filling their straw sacks with Parme mushrooms. They picked each ripe mushroom with precision and moved on to the next cluster once the current one was depleted.

Cluster after cluster, they harvested. They each nearly filled a sack and often clashed with other villagers, but Apollonia always managed to outmaneuver her rivals for the sake of her goals and ambitions.

Amid the bustling forest, deep in the darkness, a pair of red eyes—clearly not human—watched from the treetops. The red eyes lingered for a moment before disappearing into the shadows.

*

That night, the villagers of Parma Village gathered in the village head’s office to prepare their harvesting strategy. Their faces were serious, as if they were planning a major battle. One by one, they proposed tactics they believed would maximize their harvest. The village head listened intently.

“We should focus our efforts on entering the Soldier Village’s forest as if we’ve already depleted our own. That way, the Soldier Village villagers will lose morale.”

Some villagers nodded in agreement, but the village head’s expression remained stern.

“What if the Soldier Village villagers don’t fall for the trick? No matter how skilled we are at harvesting, if we appear in their forest too quickly, it will raise suspicions. We also need to harvest the southern forest before those disgusting Aaps show up and steal our mushrooms.”

The Aaps were large monkey-like monsters, about half the size of a normal human. They could use simple tools like stone-tipped spears, stolen swords, and protective gear made from animal skins. Aaps usually operated in small groups and were highly territorial. A few years ago, when Parma Village was newly established, most of the southern forest was Aap territory. However, through the villagers’ cooperation, they had driven the monkeys deep into the uninhabited wilderness.

“Aap activity in the southern forest has decreased significantly. We can send some villagers there, along with a few soldiers and hunters, to harvest Parme mushrooms while the rest focus on the border forest.”

The village head seemed to approve of the plan. They needed to harvest as many Parme mushrooms as possible for the village’s prosperity, especially since a large group of merchants had recently arrived, wanting to establish a branch office in their village due to the mushrooms’ value.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and four soldiers rushed in, slamming it shut behind them. Their faces were filled with terror.

“S-S-STAMPEDE! AAP STAMPEDE!”

“BAR THE WINDOWS! DON’T LET THEM IN AT ANY COST!”

A Stampede was an event where monsters appeared in numbers far beyond the norm. Such occurrences could happen for various reasons and were entirely unpredictable. When a Stampede occurred, the nearest city’s military would usually send troops to eliminate the threat and restore order.

The villagers of Parma were shocked by the soldiers’ announcement and quickly moved to barricade the windows. Some panicked, confused by the sudden chaos. Meanwhile, the village head ran to a small crack in a window to look outside. What he saw horrified him.

Hundreds of Aaps—more than he had ever seen—were roaming the rooftops, killing anyone who ran into the streets. Some broke into houses, and the screams for help echoed into the night.

“W-What is this?! How could this happen?!”

Suddenly, a spear flew through the window where the village head was peeking. The shattered glass injured one of his eyes, and he collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain and bleeding profusely. Villagers rushed to help him, trying to stop the bleeding. Meanwhile, the remaining soldiers guarded the windows and doors, hastily barricading them with furniture.

“Only ten soldiers left. The rest died in the initial attack. This is insane. Did we push the Aaps too far into the forest, causing this Stampede?”

Suddenly, the large door shook violently. From the sound, the soldiers guessed something massive was trying to break in. The pounding grew louder, and a deafening roar echoed from behind the door, sending chills down everyone’s spines. After a while, the pounding stopped, and the villagers breathed a sigh of relief—only for a window to be smashed open.

An enormous Aap stood in the shattered window. Soldiers trembled, and villagers scattered in panic. A brutal massacre ensued. Soldiers were thrown into the air and crushed to death. Villagers who couldn’t hide in time were devoured. Those who managed to hide in the basement curled up in fear, praying the Aaps wouldn’t find them.

When no one was left, the giant Aap climbed onto the village hall and let out a thunderous roar that shattered the night. The entire Aap Stampede cheered in triumph.

Then, the giant Aap looked into the distance and saw the faint glow of Soldier Village. It smiled with joy—another target for his horde.