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But it wasn’t due to a lack of intelligence; it was simply a language barrier.

Naturally, they could sense emotions through glances, tone, and actions. The monsters, catching on, narrowed their eyes.

They had likely experienced group hunts before. Circling Ian, they closed in, step by step.

He raised his sword and gathered his mana, ready to strike.

“Kyahhh!”

A monster at his back shrieked to draw his attention, but the true attack came from the front.

It was a tactic to exploit human psychology, but Ian wasn’t fooled.

Instead, he ignited flames to obscure his vision, darting to the side.

‘Take down the weak ones first.’

Reducing their numbers was the priority.

Whoosh!

He surged forward, piercing through a spiraling wall of flames. The monster faltered, surprised that it was being targeted first. But it quickly raised its clawed hand, stretching it with impressive elasticity as it closed in on him.

With a fierce glint in his eye, Ian swung his sacred sword.

Clang!

‘Clang?’

He expected to slice through it, but the creature’s skin, tough as it was, only deflected his blow, leaving a scratch.

He hadn’t anticipated that a monster without a halo could possess such resilience.

He could use a skill to pierce it, but conserving his mana was essential.

Darting into its open guard, he slashed at its neck.

Slash!

The joints were naturally vulnerable.

As his blade remained extended, he twisted his body. A powerful strike sent the green fluid spewing from the fallen creature’s wound, splattering onto another monster.

It seemed they saw their own kind only as obstacles. They showed no hesitation in attacking the corpse.

Without hesitation, Ian braced himself and rammed his shoulder into the monster before him.

As it staggered, he raised his left hand.

A slender, white dagger now rested in his grasp.

He plunged it into the monster’s nape and channeled searing flames directly into its body.

“Kyahhh!”

No matter how resilient a creature’s body might be, it couldn’t withstand flames consuming it from within.

Leaving the dagger embedded, he twisted it and hurled the creature towards an approaching monster.

“Huff!”

There was no time to rest. As he scanned his surroundings, he saw something flying toward him.

Leaping off the ground, he narrowly avoided a monster that landed like a cannonball where he had stood.

Boom!

‘A halo.’

A purple ring encircled the creature’s head.

This changed things. It became the primary target.

Lifting his sacred sword above him, the monster prepared for its own move.

It planted its hands on the ground and launched itself into the air, kicking out with impressive agility.

Impressed by its nimbleness, Ian remained undeterred. If anything, it was a fortunate turn of events.

“Pamael!”

As he called out, the sacred sword vanished, and in its place, particles gathered to form a gleaming spear in his hand.

A heavy weight. Feeling the immense burden that no ordinary person could easily lift, the corners of his mouth rose instinctively.

He could already envision the scene that would unfold. Though he didn’t particularly relish the brutality of what would follow, he swung down, certain he had secured his target.

Crack!

The monster’s outstretched leg, upon contact with the spear, shattered and crumbled in an instant, reduced to pulp before collapsing.

With just the sheer power and weight of the spear, the monster was killed outright.

Boom!

The ground split and cracked beneath the immense force pressing down on it.

“Kyahhh!”

Before he could turn his back, another monster charged forward, arms outstretched, ready to bite into him.

It was too late to dodge, and blocking it wasn’t an option.

‘Then I’ll have to knock it away.’

[Bane of Evil, Third Form: Flame Heel]

His flame-wrapped heel smashed directly into the monster’s face.

Crunch—the sound of its jaw breaking echoed in his ears.

With an impact like that, its brain was likely rattled, leaving it unable to stand up right away. Not that he intended to give it the chance.

Using the momentum, Ian lifted the spear in his right hand, “Parmael,” and struck down, ensuring the writhing monster was finished off.

Watching the gushing fluid, he let go of Parmael and gripped his sacred sword again.

‘Now, there are two.’

While he was thankful they approached one by one instead of attacking in unison, that was about to change.

But that didn’t mean he was without options.

Ian narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the hilt.

‘They’re in my range.’

The Bane of Evil technique, originally created by Berger, had developed over generations.

While there was room for further growth, its fifth form, Punishment, was especially refined and effective.

It required a substantial amount of mana, but its versatility and power made it worthwhile.

[Bane of Evil, Fifth Form: Punishment – Execution]

The blade, sharpened by mana, swung with explosive speed, tracing a flash in the air.

Ssshing!

The result was clear. The two monsters charging at him from the ground tried to respond.

However, their mistake was underestimating him.

They raised their claws and attempted to shield themselves with their tough outer shells, but they were sliced clean through.

Their bodies separated with a smooth cut, spilling foul-smelling innards as they fell apart.

No matter how tenacious a creature’s life force, it couldn’t continue fighting with its organs spilling out.

Ian counted dispassionately.

‘Six.’

Five remained, three of which bore halos.

Even after losing six of their own, the monsters didn’t falter; if anything, they seemed to find it even more thrilling.

It was as if they had no fear of death. Or perhaps, death held a different meaning for them.

Thud-thud-thud!

With acrobatic precision, Ian dodged the monsters’ fists and claws, feeling a small sense of unease.

‘…?’

At first, he thought it was his imagination, but it wasn’t.

‘What is this?’

They were intentionally avoiding his vital points.

Their hostility was unmistakable. The tension made Ian’s skin prickle, and he felt as if something were gripping his heart. Yet, oddly enough, the monsters were only targeting his limbs.

Occasionally, a claw would stretch toward his head, only to abruptly change direction, as though it had been forced by an unseen hand. The awkwardness in these adjusted movements created openings, allowing Ian to easily take down three more of them.

“Hm?”

Ian burned away the monster’s fluids on his sacred sword with a flash of flame, then focused on the two remaining monsters.

They should’ve realized they had no chance of winning, yet they showed no sign of giving up.

With their numbers suddenly dwindling, Ian finally had a moment to reflect.

‘It seems like they’re not actually trying to kill me.’

It wasn’t hard to figure out their goal: capture him alive.

‘And the reason?’

Obvious. They intended to use him as a sacrifice.

This was a trait seen in certain magical beasts, but monsters with even a sliver of intelligence could act similarly to attract the attention of Outer Gods. In this case, it was likely that they were following a revelation.

‘Am I the cause of this disaster?’

It was impossible to dismiss this as mere coincidence. The simultaneous opening of numerous Outer Gates in a single region, with monsters flocking here—there was no other explanation.

‘…But how did they know about me?’

He hadn’t done anything on the scale of a grand battle against tens of thousands of monsters that would warrant the attention of the Outer Gods.

There had to be some other reason or cause, if only because he could see the outcome.

Amidst these swirling questions, Ian murmured, “Pamael.”

He dismissed his sacred sword, gripping his spear with both hands, and swung it with all his might.

Crunch!

The shell that the monster wore like armor shattered, caving in its chest.

“Khek!”

No matter how extraordinary its regenerative power, it wouldn’t survive in that condition.

Ian turned without hesitation. The monster sneaking up from behind widened its eyes in shock.

He had been aware of its position all along. His finely honed senses had complete control over his surroundings.

With a smirk, Ian lifted Parmael and brought it crashing down.

Crack!!!

Ian exhaled, satisfied, though the smile faded as he looked up.

Boom!

Now that he had a moment to breathe, the booming sound struck his ears.

Boom! Boom!

It hadn’t taken him long to deal with the eleven monsters—perhaps only ten minutes at most.

But in that time, the sounds of gunfire had significantly decreased. He doubted it was merely because the weapons were overheating; considerations like that only mattered when there was time to spare. In short, there was likely a problem.

‘The situation’s probably as bad as I think.’

Despite the urgency, Ian made sure to collect the magic stones.

He had already used up all his Tears of Nerdeiel, his mana restoration elixirs. In a pinch, consuming the magic stones was the only way to replenish his mana.

Storing the stones, he moved quickly.

Waiting quietly for the train to arrive might have been the safest course of action.

But that wasn’t the right choice. He had no way of knowing when it would come, and in the meantime, Outer Gates continued to open.

Boom!!!

Gunfire erupted all around.

“Help! Someone, please help—Aaaagh!”

Ian could hear the screams of the people, each step bringing the thick scent of blood more into focus.

As he emerged onto the street, he saw a monster greedily feasting on a corpse, tearing flesh as though it hadn’t eaten in days.

Their eyes met—the hopeless gaze of a woman whose face still held traces of the warmth she’d shown just days ago when she’d handed him a piece of fruit without hesitation.

Feeling a pang of bitterness, Ian pulled out a dagger and hurled it.

Thud!

The gleaming blade struck the monster in the temple, and it slumped, lifeless.

A guttural snarl echoed from the shadows as more monsters, smelling fresh prey, crept out from hiding and charged without hesitation. Their tongues lolled as they sprang on all fours, jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth snapping wide open.

But what met their snapping jaws was a blade bathed in flames.

Slash!

They were cut down effortlessly. Flames licked along the severed edges of their bodies, incinerating the flesh.

“Kyahhh! Kyahhh!”

The monsters instinctively writhed against the ground, trying to put out the flames, but it was no use.

These creatures were nothing special—no unique abilities, no extraordinary strength. Their sheer numbers were all they had going for them, so clearing them out was quick work.

If it had only been these lesser creatures, the fortress wouldn’t have fallen into such a state.

Screeeech…

As if in response, a massive crack appeared in the distance, beyond the fortress wall.

A crimson glow oozed out like spilled paint, and from within the rift, a fur-covered giant began to emerge.

A Garmadon.

One of the large-class monsters, known for its overwhelming strength and regeneration.

The Outer Gate was too small for it to step through immediately, so it waited for the rift to widen.

Suddenly, flames obscured its form as cannonfire exploded around it.

Boom!

Boom!

Cannons mounted along the fortress wall were firing relentlessly, attempting to seal the Outer Gate.

Ian quickly leapt from one rooftop to another, scaling the wall to join the battle above.

“Hold the line on those cannons!”

“Don’t retreat! If we fall back, it’s over!”

“Closing the gate is our priority—fire! Don’t hold back! Pour everything into it!”

Monsters roamed the wall, and soldiers and knights were fiercely engaged in combat.

The situation looked dire. The gate had opened so suddenly, and in such a short time, an overwhelming number of creatures had flooded through. The fact that even a few of the cannons were still operational was an accomplishment in itself.

Their efforts were beginning to pay off, as the massive Outer Gate in the sky started to show signs of closing.

But then, an enormous hand reached out from within, grabbing hold of the narrowing rift.

Craaaaack!

With a forceful tear, the Garmadon burst through.

———-