The sun still shone brightly in the sky, and the villagers of Soldier Village were busy in the forest harvesting mushrooms. A few soldiers were also present to maintain order and security, including Edward, who led a small squad.
Although the forest was very close to the city, a forest was still a forest. No one knew what lurked in the darkness of this green sea. Even though the forests around the city were deemed safe to enter and some areas had patrol routes, there was still a possibility of dangerous small monsters hiding within.
“Any news from Parma Village?” Edward asked.
“None at all. Not even their messenger pigeons have arrived.”
“That’s strange. Gill should have sent us a message by this morning at the latest,” Edward said, his face puzzled. “Send one or two men to Parma Village to check on the situation.”
“Yes, Commander!”
A soldier left the tent, leaving Edward alone. He returned to the stack of documents in front of him, his brow furrowed. Today, Captain Nikolaos was supposed to lead the forest security operation, but Edward hadn’t seen him since yesterday. There were rumors that Nikolaos had been spotted at a brothel all night, but Edward didn’t want to spread such unpleasant gossip.
Amid the mountain of paperwork he had to complete—or rather, that he and Captain Nikolaos were supposed to complete—a soldier rushed into the tent, his face panicked and sweat pouring down his body.
“Commander Edward! A villager has been found dead in the forest!”
Edward immediately stood up and walked out of the tent. “Take me to the body. Now!”
Edward and five other soldiers hurriedly left the edge of the forest and headed to where the body had been found. Along the way, Edward glanced around suspiciously. Since this morning, he had felt like something was watching him from deep within the darkness, but he didn’t know what—or who—it was. Or maybe it was just his imagination.
When they arrived at the scene, Edward was shocked by the condition of the body. It was brutally torn apart, with some body parts missing. The face was gone, leaving only a skull, so Edward couldn’t identify who it was. This was definitely not the work of a human, but a monster. As far as he knew, there were no dangerous monsters in this forest. Edward examined the corpse closely, trying to find any clues or identification, but then something struck him as strange.
“This is strange,” Edward muttered.
“Strange how, Commander?”
“With all these wounds... there’s not a single drop of blood around us.”
The soldiers quickly checked the area, and sure enough, there was no blood splatter, which would have been expected with such brutal injuries. However, one soldier noticed a large bloodstain on a nearby tree, as if the corpse had been thrown or slammed against it.
“Commander, there’s blood over here.”
Edward looked at the tree the soldier pointed to. Suddenly, the feeling of being watched intensified. Even the soldiers around him grew nervous, glancing around uneasily.
“Send a signal flare! We need to evacuate the forest now!”
A soldier pulled out a chemical bottle from his pocket and threw it high into the air. Another soldier shot a flaming arrow, causing the bottle to explode brightly in the sky.
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“We need to evacuate the villagers immediately. We don’t want—”
Suddenly, a spear shot through the air, piercing a soldier’s head. The remaining soldiers quickly raised their shields to protect Edward. A loud roar echoed from the depths of the forest, followed by the unmistakable cries of numerous Aaps. Edward immediately realized he had to get out of the forest as quickly as possible, but many villagers were still inside, including two people he loved dearly.
“ONE OF YOU, GO TO THE COMMAND TENT AND SEND A SOLDIER TO WARN THE CITY! THE REST OF US WILL EVACUATE THE VILLAGERS STILL TRAPPED!”
“Y-YES, COMMANDER!”
Edward ran deeper into the forest, fighting every instinct in his body to flee. He couldn’t bear the thought of his son or wife getting hurt. He didn’t know what he would do if the two people he loved most were injured—or worse.
The sound of bells rang out loudly across the forest, hundreds of them echoing from all directions. Edward tried to identify the closest one and ran toward the source as fast as he could. There, he found two village women fighting off Aaps with wooden sticks. They looked terrified as the Aaps closed in. Edward and his soldiers quickly intervened, placing themselves between the villagers and the monsters.
“GO NOW! DON’T LOOK BACK AND KEEP RUNNING!”
Edward swung his longsword, cutting down the Aaps attacking him. The soldiers around him joined the fight. Dozens of Aaps were slain. Despite the monkeys’ lack of combat skill, their numbers were overwhelming.
“Where are all these Aaps coming from?! We’re supposed to be far from their territory!”
Edward began piecing together the puzzle in his mind—the sheer number of monsters, their presence far from their usual habitat, the loud roar echoing through the forest. Finally, he reached a conclusion.
“STAMPEDE! AAP STAMPEDE!”
“STAMPEDE?!”
After killing many Aaps, the remaining ones retreated. But Edward knew this was only a small part of the Stampede. He looked at the four soldiers around him, battered and bloodied. He wasn’t sure if they could save the remaining villagers in this state. But Edward steeled his resolve and sharpened his mind. Running wasn’t an option. Their responsibility was to protect and rescue all the villagers trapped in the forest, no matter the cost.
“Gather your strength, soldiers! There are still many villagers we need to save!”
Edward and his men plunged back into the forest. He prayed his wife and son were safe.
Deep in the forest, Apollonia carried Sebastian as she ran from the pursuing Aaps. Occasionally, a spear flew past them, but luckily, they remained unharmed—barely. Suddenly, Apollonia tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground. She quickly checked Sebastian’s body but found no injuries. Her own leg, however, was in excruciating pain. Standing up felt like being struck by lightning. She looked at Sebastian in her arms, who seemed confused by what was happening. The Aaps were closing in, and Apollonia had no choice but to let go of Sebastian.
“Run! Don’t stop until you reach the village!”
Sebastian’s face turned pale. How could he leave his mother alone? But he didn’t want to die a second time and waste the life God had given him. His body trembled violently as he stood up and ran, leaving his mother behind. Apollonia smiled. At least her son would survive, even if she had to die here.
The Aaps were now dangerously close. Apollonia closed her eyes, ready to leave this world. Suddenly, Sebastian came running back, carrying his small hammer and shield. He smashed one of the Aaps squarely in the face, causing it to collapse in pain. The other Aaps stared at him, stunned, their eyes filled with rage and hatred.
“SEBASTIAN?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!”
“NO!”
Sebastian’s body trembled, and his heart pounded wildly. This was the first time he had fought directly and seen fresh blood. Countless Aaps surrounded him and his mother, screeching loudly and brandishing weapons.
“Calm down, calm down. Remember your training.”
Sebastian steadied his breathing and gathered mana in his body. A spear flew toward him, but with quick reflexes, he deflected it with his shield. His arm shook violently, and the pain was intense. More stones, spears, and branches flew toward him, but he stood his ground.
The Aaps laughed, treating him like a toy. Weapons kept coming, striking Sebastian again and again. Fresh wounds appeared on his skin, and blood trickled out. The Aaps screamed with joy every time they wounded him, their sadistic glee filling the forest.
Sebastian knew he couldn’t win. The path to freedom was gone. All he could do now was hold on and pray he could protect his mother for just a little longer.
The sound of clashing metal echoed endlessly through the forest as the Aaps’ relentless assault continued. Sebastian’s cries of pain mixed with the roars of the Aaps.