The news of monster horde quickly travels through out the village. As the villagers heard the news, they panicked greatly. Some quickly pack their belongings while others tried to sell items way over the market price.

Upon this panicking villagers, a store continued to remain calm. It is the only store where you can buy potions and medicine. Though the store clerk remains calm, the same thing can't be said to their costumers.

"There potions please!"

"Five medicines for me!"

"Hey! Don't cut in the line! 2 potions and 3 medicine please! Make it quick!!"

"Kaezar please marry me!!!"

The chaotic costumers speaks at the same time making the store clerk, Kaezar, to got confused on to who and what their order was. Most of them are adventurers but there are some normal citizens mixed up with them. All of them wanted to buy medicine and potion for emergency use.

"Calm down! Please calm down!"

Kaezar tried to calm them down but she failed. Against these panicking costumer, her voice didn't reached them. There's also some who tried to went over the counter but thankfully the other costumers pulled them back. The shelves on display was already emptied and she's not sure if it was bought with the right price or not.

Her chest tightens due to stress and her poor health yet she ignored it and did her best to serve everyone. While serving 5 costumers at the same time, she still worries about two Dayos who are picked up by their family. They went to the forest just before the discovery of the monster horde and haven't come back yet. She prays that they are safe while thinking that if she knew this would happen, she should have stopped both of them.

"YOU GUYS!!! FALL IN LINE IF YOU WANTED TO BUY!!"

Suddenly a roaring yell echoed inside the shop. The panicking costumers shut up as if an angel passed through them. Looking at the source of the yell, they saw a big man covered with muscle. With his scars on his face, he looks like a veteran of combat and in fact he did survived many of those. He's wearing an iron breastplate covering his vitals, an iron plated gloves, a pants with iron covering it's front and an iron greaves. On his back he carries a gigantic great sword that looks like a lump of iron. He doesn't wear helmet but his head was covered with a metal cap. He is the former A-ranked adventurer who became the test instructor of Jasper and Gino, Clark.

"Why the hell are you panicking!? We are here,the adventurers!So fall in line properly like there's no boorish monster horde approaching! We will make sure that everyone who wanted to evacuate can run away safely so calm the fuck down!"

With his words and slight curses, the costumer calmed down. Not because their reason came back to them but because their survival instincts are screaming that if they continued, they'll be kicked out of the shop physically by Clark.

Clark walks forward and as if he was a prophet, the humans gave way. Looking at Clark, Kaezar managed to catch her breath and relaxed a little bit.

"Say... Is Fernando around?"

Clark asked while looking at the door connected to the house. Kaezar answered "yes"but it seems that Clark didn't heard her. Instead he pulls something from his pocket and gave it to Kaezar.

"Please give him this now. Don't worry I'll watch over the store."

Normally, if someone told you to leave the store you're watching over you won't just follow it yet Kaezar followed what Clark has said because she knew him ever since she's a child and he sometimes watch over the store during his free time.

Seeing Kaezar went inside their house, Clark looks towards the other costumer. On closer look, most of them are adventurer which he gave examination.

"Say you pieces of shit... Aren't you a bit annoying? Why can't you just fucking fall in line like a civilized people?"

By Clark's rude attitude, they were taken aback. The Clark they knew aren't like this. He has the personality inversely proportional to his outward appearance but now it seem that his appearance and attitude becomes one.

In fact, Clark was originally like this. He curses almost everyone and everything on daily basis but his personality softens when he retired. Back in the day, he was known as "Cursing Adventurer" but right nowit's just a forgotten title yet it seems that slowly his title is getting revived.

"Didn't I told you before that panicking won't help you! Are your brains full of shit? Even a bird can remember what I said before!"

With the way he speaks, even the other people who aren't related to his scolding felt ashamed on what they did. They thoughtlessly asked for items without considering the welfare of Kaezar. In this village everyone knows the constitution of Kaezar's body yet they still forces her to serve them without letting her rest.

After a while, Kaezar comes back with Fernando. Fernando was carrying boxes while Kaezar carried a basket full of equipment used to create medicine. Without talking, Fernando went out of the store followed by Kaezar. There are some who wanted to stop them but they were forced to shut up by Clark's glare. After the two went out, some tried to follow them but Clark cleared his throat indicating that there's something he wanted to say to them.

"Now listen here you pieces of shit. The guild will be the one who will manage the selling of the medicine for an obvious reason. It's for the steady supply of those things you want so fucking much. If something happens to Kaezar then trust me, Fernando will stop compounding those fucking item. So anyone who want to buy follow me."

With those words, Clark leave the store followed by numerous costumers. At that time, Juan became the first captives of the bandits.

Jack and the others vision stabilize. They are now standing at the plaza of Wingstone City. The transportation felt terrible as if they are thrown inside a washing machine.

"Uhh... Where are we?"

Graziel asked while holding her head. She can't stand straight due to nausea and Skyla helped her.

Looking around, Jack noticed the difference between the castle plaza and this city's plaza. There's a fountain nearby and a line of carriages can be seen. Also, there are some onlookers at the side of the road while some opened their windows to see them.

It's much more lively than the castle plaza...

With those in his mind, he noticed that Percival walks towards the fountain. Of course it will be much more lively than the castle plaza. After all, this is a public place where commoners can enter while the former was owned by the royalty, only nobles, government officials and their servants are allowed inside.

Percival stands at the fountain edge and surveyed his troops.

"Listen here, members of the knight order and fellow adventurers! From here, we need to ride these carriages to reach the village! It's approximately 1 day of travel and I asked you to remain vigilant as we travel onwards! We were sent as a reinforcement against a monster horde so will do so! On my name, Percival Pendragon the "Kinght Hero"I swear that I'll bring you back to your families and love ones. So heroes of our kingdom, the shield that protect the citizen, I beg you.. DO NOT DIE!! FOR THE GLORY OF THE GODDESS!!!"

"""FOR THE GLORY OF THE GODDESS!!!"""

With a unite shout, the knights and adventurer tension went through the roof. Cheers exploded from the onlookers and they wished them a good luck! Being in the center of all of it, the two heroes doesn't know what to do. They just stand there dumbfounded by the tension of their surroundings.

"Onwards my comrades! Let us save Pinar Village!!!"

The knights and adventurers rides their respective carriages. The heroes were escorted by Skyla to their carriage which looks like more luxurious than others. Inside the carriage, the hotness of the sun disappears as if theyentered an air conditioned car. The seats are fluffy enough for them to relax. Jack sit behind the coachman seat while in front of him sits Skyla and Graziel. Both of them seems tensed.

After a while, the carriage moves and despite the lack of good roads, the carriage aren't shaking at all. This made Jack wonder on how did they made this. Even in normal cars, you'll feel it shaking if it runs on these kinds of roads yet this carriage managed to stay still.

As if Skyla knows what's inside his mind, she smiled softly and said:

"This carriage has a special item called suspension installed to it. This suspension thing was made of a Dayo trying to recreate an iron carriage called cars."

"Is that so? But it feels much more comfortable than the cars though.."

At Jack's muttering, Skyla's smile became deeper as she explained that thanks to a certain spell, the carriage body floats a little away from it's wheels. So the feeling of shaking was fully negated.

Hearing Skyla's explanation, Jack smiled wryly.

In the end, magic was responsible huh..

Just like how machine dominates the industry of Earth, in Tala magic greatly helps here. Actually, this world seems much more advance due to the thing called magic. With magic, they can communicate without wires and signals, they can fly through the skies as if they are birds, instantly reached there destination that normally needs 4 days of travel by horse, and many more yet their culture and buildings remains at the medieval period.

Realizing the greatness of magic once more, Jack smiled wryly.

Inside the forest, the Bandit King Luther waits with his subordinates. They planned to raid Pinar Village yet a monster horde coincidentally marched towards it. This dampen his mood and almost call it off but his subordinates insisted that they must raid this village with the sole reason of getting hands on their former spy's love ones. The spy said that she's possess Godly beauty making the bandits' imagination went wild.

In fact, kidnapping the said woman was much more easier but what's the fun in that? If they raid the village, not only the so called "Godly beauty" there will also be some new toys to play with. His subordinates almost went wild andstarted to raid the village but with the swing of his great sword, he made an example with the other bandits forcing them to calm down. Now they decided to watch over the village. If they managed to win against the monster horde then they'll start their raid, if they failed then they'll start the slave hunt. With those two choices, no matter what they pick they won't end up with a bad deal.

After a while, villagers started to walk away. They are bringing all of their belongings and some of them have wagons to carry them.

The eyes of Luther's eyes shine and they look at their boss, Luther.

Luther nodded and the bandit group blend to it's surroundings planning to attack the immigrants leaving the village.

As the villagers walk towards the nearest town, Wingstone City. They are chatting with each other trying to push out of their minds the monster horde coming to their village. The adventurer's mostly F - D ranked were assigned as their escorts as the C - ranked above are obligated to participate in the defense.

The adventurers might be a fledgling but with their numbers, they can take on any monsters weaker than a pigmam and bandits won't attack these imigrants due to it's size, even if the bandits knew that the escorts are lower than D - ranked, they will beovernumbered. Of course that's the case if it's a normal bandit group consisting of 5~20 members.

The villagers and adventurers needs to walk for about 4 days to reach their destination and even though it's relatively safe trip, the remain vigilant to their surroundings. As they walk through the roads, one adventurer noticed a man wearing rags lying down in the middle of the road. The man is covered with blood and on it's right hand holds a chipped short sword.He's still breathing yet it feels faint.

The adventurer notified the group and they decided to help the man. It maybe a run-away slave or criminal but they are confident enough to suppress him if he do something wrong.

As they come nearer to the man, one adventurer at the back noticed something sparkling inside the forest. He was about to warn the others but an arrow plunged deep within his throat claiming his life.

*Thud!*

The adventurers and villagers nearby heard the sound of something dropping on the floor. Looking at the source, they let out a terrified scream and panic started to cover the refugees.

"We're under attack!!"

"Martin nooooooo!!!!"

"Goddess! Save us!!"

As panic grew bigger on the refugees, Luther's smile widens.

"What a beautiful scream! You guys! Commence the attack!!!"

"""OOOOOHHH!!"""

As the bandit let's out their battle cries, the refugees panic grew bigger and bigger. With only D-ranked and below adventurers as their escorts and no one to lead them, the preliminary attack of the bandits succeeded.

Bandit came out of the forest from both side while the wounded man suddenly stands up and charges towards the group raising his own war cry. Some refugees tried to run back but bandits blocked their retreat. The adventurers tried their best but due to lack of experience they were overwhelmed by the bandits and soon enough, they fall one by one.

Some gave up and throws away their swords but the bandit didn't care, they continued to kill every man they see leaving only women who will fetch high if they are sold.

Chaos spread at the battlefield while Luther observes from the tree top. Screams of anguish and terror fills the land while blood and entrails soaked the ground. His subordinates laugh as they kill everyone who resist while the villagers cried begging to spare the lives of their love ones. Some bandits agreed to it not because they pity them but to thoroughly enjoy them later.

The fight lasted for 45 minutes only and the bandit left the scene without even trying to hide their deeds. Useless wagons are burned after taking everything valuable, human corpses scatters everywhere, it was as if a monster killed everyone of the refugees.

As time pass by, monsters and wild animals attracted to the scent of blood started to feast at the corpses. Ravens stabs their beak at the eyes of the corpses taking their eyeball, wolves started to munch human meath while goblins dragged away some meat to eat later.

As the refugees are getting attack by the bandit, the adventurers and villagers left in the village desperately created a barricade. The monster will come out from the north-east of the village near the foot of the fire dragon mountain range.

"Stack those woods hurry up! If you want to survive create a simple fucking wall!"

"We need more wood!!"

"Then cut some from the forest!!"

As the villagers and adventurers-alike runs around carrying planks and logs, the guild master called all the former A-ranked adventurers for a stragety meeting. Their objective is not only to hold out until the reinforcement comes but to beat the unknown monster leading the horde.

"So what do we know about that monster?"

The guild master asked while the one who saw it did his best to describe it.

"It's a bipedal monster with a feet that looks like a bird, it's right arm are covered with blue crystal with a red gem glowing inside. It's left hand, I don't know if I should I call it a hand, is three green tentacles which emitts a green gas as it move. It's head looks like a combination of cat and dog with the horn of a ram and a pair of bone wings grows at it's back. It has a tail that moves around as it walks and it sometimes releases a violet gas at it's tip. Also it leaves a black flame on it's track. That's all I know."

The adventurer describe the monster as detailed as possible yet the one who's listening to him found it strange. There's no monster with that trait!

They all think like that. Of course they don't after all, they won't be having this meeting if they knew the identity of the monster.

"So as far as I can say, it's not something we know and not something we heard or read. Did everyone agree to my conclusion?"

The guild master said while looking to the people inside the room. Nobody refuted what he said so he continued to talk.

"Basing on it's physical appearance, it seems to be venomous. The violet gas released by it's tail can be compared to poison mushroom's spores while the green gas on it's tentacles can be compared to farting monkey's poison fart."

The poison mushroom is a big mushroom like monster who stay still until their prey comes near them. They releases their spore, which are color violet to poison it and slowly eat it's prey while the farting monkeys are a baboon like creature with a big ass. They attack using their sharp claws and teeth, tackle by their butt and by releasing a green poisonous gas from it's butt. Both of them are considered as S-clasaSubjugation monster. They are typically seen inside the mountain range where people rarely visit.

"It also has wings so it might be capable of flight and with it's horn, it can be used as a piercing weapon. With a feet like a bird, it can scratch us while flying. It's crystal arm will let it use weapon while the tentacles, let's say that it can attack individually. Haaa.... Isn't this too hard for a monster?"

The guild master finished presenting his theory on how the monster would attack and everyone nodded. In fact, theguild master is the most intelligent one inside the roomso the other just accepted his theory as facts.

"If we are going to base with that theory, then we need to attack it with range attackslike raining it with arrows and magic?"

The one who said that is a man hanging a long bow on his back with a quicker full of arrows. He's a former A-ranked adventurer who boasted of 100% accuracy.His name was well known while he's still in active duty but only a few remember him just like Clark.

An old lady nodded at the archer's suggestion. She's also a former A-ranked adventurer who was well known on her time.She's a master of fire magic which incineratesit's enemy down to ashes.

"It's not a bad plan but what if the monster has some defensive ability against range attack?"

The one who said that was a dwarf. His height is just a meter tall with muscular build. His beard was braided and reaches down to his chest while his weapon of choice is a big hammer, a typcial dwarven weapon. The hammer was something he crafted, it was made up of Mithril and it can increase it's weight depending the Mana it tookmaking it a lethal weapon when swung down while infusing it with Mana.

"Then when that time comes, it's your turn to shine."

The old woman replied to the dwarf while smiling. It may sounds a bit sarcastic but she doesn't mean any offense to it. The dwarf noddedand silently back down.

"Okay, so first we'll try to rain it with arrow and magic then finish it off with a melee attack. Any questions?"

The guild master said then he looks at the faces of each and everyone. No one raise a fuss or question to the stragety making it good as approved. Next the guild master roll out a map in the table. In the map, there's the small village of Pinar drawn, on it's north, east and west forest can be seen and on the south leads a road to Wingstone City. Further north there's a symbol for the fire dragon mountain range and at the west a river runs along.

Then the guild master puts a goblin like piece, indicating the monster horde, at the north-east of the village. Then he puts a sword and shield piece at the village with some barricade piece in front facing the monster.

"Currently, our defenses are mainly strengthened towards the north-east but we can't possibly hope for the horde that big to go out of the forest from the same direction. So I would like it if some B-ranked adventurer move here and here."

The guild master puts a human shaped piece at the North and east of the village. It seems to represent the adventurers to be deployed at the said areas.

"They will act as scouts and a buffer force to the monster. I know that B-ranked adventurer are valuable human resource but based on the Intel we received, the monster horde consist of pigmen so deploying a C-ranked seems to be a foolish thing to do. Instead, they'll help with defending the village from the attacks of the horde."

The guild master said while the people around him all nodded except for one. It was Clark with a frown looking at the map. He seems to be dissatisfied with the guild master's decision.

"Are there any problem Clark?"

Noticing that he's not listening, the guild master asked but Clark stares for a while and shakes his head.

"It's nothing.. I just remembered some newly promoted C-ranked adventurer. They might be a good substitute here."

Clark pointed at the North where a human shaped piece was standing. It seems that the guild master thought of it too but he just shakes his head denying Clark's suggestion.

"While they are indeed excellent, I can't imagine them standing toe to toe with the pigmen."

In fact, the party Clark and the guild master was talking about fought and won against a monster much more stronger than Pigmen yet no one knows about it so the guild master decided to be against it. He said that they were excellent due to what Clark said. He's not the type of guy who would recommend someone while not having enough qualifications, bribes doesn't mean a thing to him. If you bribed him, of course he'll accept it but he still won't recommend you if your don't have skills to it.

"Then, some of the former A-ranked along with the A-ranked parties will engage combat with the unknown monster while the rest will defend the village. I'll assign Clark as the leader of attacking force while I'll lead the defense. Clark, pick 3 of them and the rest stay here."

There are 7 former A-ranked adventurers including Clark and the guild master and the guild master told Clark to pick 3 of them. Their numbers might be lacking but their strength are proven. Even if they are retired, they belong to the upper class of A-ranked near to the peak of S-rank. They just given up their profession due tosome personal problem while the others retired due to age. Clark and the guild master belongs to the former while the old woman and the dwarf belongs to the latter.

As the guild master said, Clark picked the Dwarf, Ironhand, the old woman, Jeria, and the Archer, Peet. With their party configuration, there will be two vanguard and two rearguard. He actually wanted to pick the former priest but he abstained himself. He's much more needed here than the frontline.

"So what that you are dismissed. Go tell the other guys and prepare for combat."

The meeting comes to an end yet they didn't know that another threat lurks at the shadow of the forest.