Chapter 7: Those Chaotic Ancient Tales

As Gawain gripped the ancient family sword and charged toward the grotesque, monstrous creature, he felt neither tension, hesitation, nor fear. If he felt anything at all, it was a faint sense of surrealism, an inkling that all of this wasn't quite real.

He could still vividly recall that split-second when his plane crashed.

He still remembered the countless years he'd hung, suspended high above this world.

He hadn't yet fully adjusted to the sudden and strange identity of "Gawain Cecil."

And yet, in this moment, here he was, wielding an ancient family sword, lunging at a creature that was either a demon or some twisted undead monster.

*Bang!*

A tremendous force reverberated through the blade, scattering all stray thoughts from his mind in an instant.

With near-instinctual reflexes, he dodged the creature's sweeping claw, twisting his upper body. His blade cut through the air in a swift arc, slashing at the creature's shoulder. As he struck, he summoned the power buried deep within this body, channeling it through the ancient sword.

The faint red glow at the base of the blade flared, surging up the length of the sword like a blaze. The heat was so intense that the air around it shimmered.

The towering, three-meter-tall creature sensed the threat in that heat. Moving with unexpected agility for its massive frame, it leaned back, causing Gawain's strike to miss by a hair's breadth.

Using his hands to unleash such power felt exhilarating to Gawain. That brief surge of excitement had thrown off his rhythm slightly, but he quickly steadied himself, channeling the energy back into the sword.

The skills and knowledge from Gawain Cecil's memories were indeed usable, and his body had not yet deteriorated to the point of being unable to wield its strength. Although he didn't know how much of its power he could access, Gawain's confidence had grown.

He immersed himself in the rhythm of battle, working quickly to transform those inherited combat experiences into skills he could wield as his own.

Meanwhile, Byron found himself in a fierce struggle.

One of the finest knights in Cecil's ranks, Byron's combat skills were second to none. However, he'd already expended a great deal of strength in the previous battle against the monsters, and the creatures' strange magic had exacerbated his injuries. His battle power was now halved, at best.

Facing the creature's relentless onslaught, Byron could only hold his ground, conserving energy where he could and waiting for an opening.

Rebecca summoned her magic, hurling a fireball the size of a human head from the tip of her staff. It collided with a shadowy bolt from the distant monster, erupting in a deafening explosion. She gasped for breath, then noticed Byron's dire situation. She immediately called to the nearby soldiers, "You three, help Byron!"

One soldier hesitated. "But, my lady…"

Rebecca, gathering another fireball, replied firmly, "We're holding our own here. If Byron falls, we're finished! As your lord, I order you—go!"

The three soldiers obeyed, charging in to assist Byron against the fierce monster.

Gawain, completely absorbed in the battle, felt the foreign memories and skills becoming his own. His control over this new body sharpened, giving him a deep sense of satisfaction. When he eventually returned to full awareness, he realized he'd been pressing the monster back.

These creatures, grotesque and sludge-like as they were, weren't invulnerable. With the right strategy, even a human could defeat them. This was wisdom from seven centuries past.

The monster's claw swiped overhead. Gawain ducked and drove his sword into the creature's thigh. The monster let out a guttural roar, stumbling. Gawain seized the opportunity to shout to Byron, "Aim for the abdomen and legs—don't bother with the chest. They have no heart!"

While the creature was off balance, Gawain moved to its side, thrusting his sword into its lower back. "Aside from the abdomen, their other weak spot is here—the lower back!"

With guidance from the legendary ancestor himself, Byron's spirits rose. With the soldiers supporting him, he quickly maneuvered the monster into a vulnerable position. Finally, he dashed under the creature, landing a decisive blow at its weak spot.

A moment before Byron's enemy fell, the monster facing Gawain crumbled to the ground.

When the battle was over, Gawain glanced toward the distant creature engaged in a magical duel with Rebecca. Just as he prepared to charge at it, the monster let out a wailing cry and collapsed.

Amber appeared behind it, twirling a pair of poisoned steel daggers. "Backstabbing weak points? My specialty."

Rebecca lowered her staff, flushed from the exertion of casting spells. She caught her breath, then corrected sternly, "Ancestor said the weak point was the lower back, not… whatever you think."

Amber spun her daggers with a smirk before sheathing them and stepping over the monster's remains. "No sense of humor, huh."

As the creatures died, their bodies rapidly disintegrated. The sludge-like flesh solidified and cracked, finally crumbling away to reveal massive, twisted blood-red skeletons.

Gawain stood beside the creature he'd defeated, watching the process, almost as if talking to himself. "So, these are the things that attacked Cecil's land…"

Hetty, curious, looked at him. "Ancestor, do you know where these monsters come from?"

Gawain's knowledge of the creatures had been evident in the fight, so he didn't bother hiding it.

"We might encounter more of them if we stay here. Let's head to the hidden passage—it has wards to keep them out," Gawain said as he led the way. "I'll explain more on the way."

Once they were safely in the ancient underground passage, Gawain broke the silence. "I did indeed fight these creatures back in my time—our main adversaries were exactly these things. You're familiar with the fall of the Gondor Empire and the Second Expansion, right?"

"Of course," Rebecca replied eagerly. As a noble, she'd been taught this history from a young age. "Over seven hundred years ago, Loren was home to only one human nation—the central Gondor Empire. It was the most powerful empire of its time, feared even by the southern elven Silver Empire. But then, a disturbance in the surrounding Aether Sea triggered a catastrophe known as the 'Dark Surge.' The capital and a third of Gondor's territory were swallowed by this surge, disintegrating under the power of the elements—almost overnight…"

"Not *quite* overnight. The process actually lasted nearly a month—the court mages of Gondor tried everything they could," Gawain interrupted. "Though in the end, it didn't make much difference. Continue."

"Oh… right," Rebecca flushed, then continued cautiously as though her teacher were grading her, "After that, the Dark Surge kept spreading, eventually destroying the entire empire. And so Gondor collapsed. Then, as the Aether Sea gradually calmed, the remaining Gondor survivors began rebuilding civilization. Since the center of the continent was now uninhabitable, they left the ruins, led by pioneers to the north, east, west, and south. This journey was known as the Second Expansion. You, Ancestor, were one of the most famous of these pioneers."

"Not bad, you know your history," Gawain remarked. "You should also know that although the Dark Surge eventually ended, countless monsters spawned from it continued to infest Gondor's ruins. Those monsters were the greatest threat humanity faced during the Second Expansion."

Hetty's eyes widened. "You mean…"

"That's right. The monsters we fought back then were just like these." Gawain sighed. "Born from the Dark Surge, they look vaguely human but aren't human at all. After Gondor fell, these creatures kept pouring out of the ruined empire, chasing down any surviving humans. In the early days of the Second Expansion, we weren't so much exploring as we were fleeing. Even after we left the empire's borders and established new nations at the edges of the continent, these monsters continued to attack from the direction of Gondor's wastelands. For the first ten years of the Kingdom of Ansu, I was fighting them nearly every day."

Rebecca's eyes widened as she became captivated by these ancient, legendary stories. "Then, after Ansu's first ten years, did those monsters stop appearing?"

Gawain smiled, reaching out to pat her head fondly. "Silly girl, that was when your dear ancestor here finally died, you know."

Rebecca blinked in surprise before understanding dawned on her, and her cheeks turned slightly pink. "Ah… Sorry, I forgot."

Hetty, her brow furrowed, asked, "If that's the case, why are these monsters showing up in our lands again? Shouldn't they have vanished along with the wastelands?"

Gawain was quiet for a moment, reflecting on the events of the past. "Although the Dark Surge ended, it seems these creatures never really disappeared. Perhaps they were lying dormant in the ruins, waiting. Or maybe some unknown force has stirred them up again, driving them out of the wastelands and back into human territories."

Amber, her usual smirk replaced by a look of genuine concern, chimed in, "So, will these monsters keep attacking us? If they're coming in endless waves, we're in serious trouble."

Gawain nodded, his face grave. "That's quite possible. The previous Dark Surge didn't cleanse them entirely. Their return might mean a greater threat is looming."

Rebecca's face showed her

 worry. "What should we do? Our defenses alone aren't enough to hold them off for long."

"Indeed. Right now, Cecil's defenses might suffice for normal enemies, but if a full resurgence of Dark Surge monsters is upon us, it'll be far from enough," Gawain said, exhaling. "But since I'm here, it's time to reinforce our defenses and fortify this land."

Hetty nodded firmly. "With you here, Ancestor, we stand a better chance against these creatures."

"But defense is just the first step." Gawain's gaze grew steely. "We need to dig deeper into these monsters' origins and find out what brought them back. Only by uncovering the root cause can we truly protect this territory."

They continued along the ancient, quiet stone passageway, a mix of emotions swirling within each of them—fear of the unknown, concern for the future, and a sense of awe and reverence for the family's rich, storied history.

Rebecca broke the silence, her voice filled with curiosity. "Ancestor, your pioneering days must have been incredibly hard, weren't they?"

Gawain chuckled as he recalled those distant years. "They were. We cut through the wilderness, battling not only monsters from the Dark Surge but also conflicts among humans. Every day was a struggle between life and death. But it was those times that made us cherish the peace we eventually achieved."

Hetty nodded thoughtfully, her respect deepening. "Thanks to you, we have the home we cherish now."

"That's also why I'm back." Gawain looked toward the distant end of the tunnel, his eyes shining with determination. "No matter what lies ahead, the Cecil family will stand tall."