Chapter 15(raid begins)

So they came to eat outside, in open space, there are a big tree that surrender around. In the center, a fire burned brightly, casting a warm glow over the area. Norman and his group took their seats, and he placed an order for food.

Soon, the order arrived with plates of fried fish, bread, and a hearty soup—a curry-style broth made with carrots and potatoes.

"Thank God they didn't add tomatoes in there," Ravena smirked as she took a sip.

"You actually hate tomatoes?" Norman asked while tearing his bread.

"Hehe," Ravena chuckled in response.

As they ate, Anon looked at Norman and asked, "Got any news?"

Norman sighed deeply before replying. "Yeah."

"So?"

Norman took a moment before explaining, "We didn't come to the wrong village. It's just that the village mentioned in the quest application is a different one—another village with the same name, Faymere."

"Two villages with the same name?" Anon raised an eyebrow.

"Not exactly. There are two villages close to each other, and people live in both. But the Fire Rex attack happened in the older village, not this one."

"Then why aren't the people here helping them?" Anon questioned.

"I don't know. They refuse to answer me." Norman glanced around cautiously. "Some people who returned from the old village are terrified. Out of 120 people, only a little more than half survived, and many of them are badly injured." He whispered the last part.

"Hey, what are you guys taking so long for?" Ravena grinned, holding a large drumstick in each hand.

When they looked at their plates, their own portions of meat were gone.

"You damn thief!" Anon shouted, raising his hand to smack her.

After finishing their meal, they returned to their lodging.

The Next Morning

Loud noises filled the air, waking Anon from his sleep. Annoyed, he groggily got up and opened his window. The sun had not fully risen yet, and the surroundings were still covered in thick mist. Outside, a large crowd had gathered on the road, their voices making the atmosphere heavy.

Realizing something was happening, Anon quickly woke Norman.

"Hey, wake up!"

Norman shot up as if someone had kicked him. "What's happening?"

"Hurry and get ready, or we'll miss it!"

Anon rushed out of his room to wake Ravena. Just as he was about to knock, the door suddenly swung open, slamming into his face.

"Ugh!" Anon groaned.

"Oh, sorry! Didn't see you there," Ravena said, smirking mischievously.

Once they were all ready, they stepped outside. The streets were packed with merchants, adventurers, and warriors, all gathered for a raid on the old village that had been attacked by the Fire Rex.

Suddenly, the crowd fell silent. A group of people arrived from above. One of them stood out among the rest.

"No matter how many times I see him…" Anon muttered.

"Isn't he amazing?"

Ravena looked excited, her face glowing with enthusiasm.

"Do you know him?" Norman asked out of curiosity.

Ravena smirked proudly before answering, "He's a great merchant captain who was once an adventurer, but he was banished from his position."

Anon rolled his eyes. That sounds like nonsense.

The merchant leader guided them towards the old village.

Suddenly, from behind, a boy tapped Anon's shoulder.

"Hey, did you also come to hunt the Fire Rex?"

He looked about their age but carried an enormous sword on his back. Despite his small stature, he had an overly cheerful grin.

"Yeah," Anon replied.

"Me too! Let's hunt them all together! Where are you guys from?"

Norman didn't seem too fond of him.

"We're from the North. And you?"

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After Three Hours of Walking

Time passed, and after a long journey, they finally reached the outskirts of the old village.

"We can see the village from here," the leader announced. "We will attack in half an hour, so get your weapons ready for the raid."

His booming voice echoed through the crowd, and everyone started preparing.

"Hey, hey, what kind of strategy are you guy's using for the raid?"

The boy from earlier appeared again, bombarding them with questions.

Norman looked visibly irritated.

"Can you just shut up?" he finally snapped.

The boy shrank back. "Ah, sorry… was I talking too much?" With that, he quietly slipped away.

They stood on a sloping road overlooking the village. Anon was making final preparations for the attack when an unfamiliar man approached them.

"Hey, I heard some students joined this raid. Are you guys part of them?"

"Yeah, Do you need something?" Ravena asked with an annoyed tone.

"Ah, no, no, nothing like that," the man replied, taking a sip from his drink in broad daylight. "Just be careful. Students don't really know how dangerous these monsters can be… and who knows, maybe there's something else lurking in that village."

With that cryptic warning, he left.

"What the hell is going on here?" Norman muttered, frustrated by all the interruptions.

The Raid Begins

After some time, the merchant leader stood before the group and made an announcement.

"My brothers and sisters gathered here today—some of us have come risking our lives, some are here to earn money for their families, and some are here to rescue this village. No matter the reason, we are all united in this mission. Let's give it our all!"

"Let's give it our all!" the crowd roared in unison.

"Then let's go!" the leader shouted, giving the order to charge.

Since Anon and his team were students, they were placed at the back of the formation. This was all thanks to that annoying old man, who was a unit commander of an experienced mercenary group.

As the raid began, the large group charged toward the village. The village itself was situated near the dark forest and was surrounded by tall walls, as expected. However, the front gate was completely destroyed, and massive holes were visible along the walls."Stop!" the captain commanded, raising his hand.The group came to a halt as he ordered a small team to scout the area and assess the situation inside."Hey, why did we stop?" Ravena asked impatiently."They sent people ahead to observe the situation first," a nearby boy answered.The scouts were part of a special unit—present in every raid. Their primary job was to investigate and transport essential supplies.After some time, several magicians stepped forward…

 They float into air by their magic tool.

Someone in the crowd muttered,

"Wow, magicians are really amazing."

"Yeah, but they'll run out of mana soon," another replied.

"But still, aren't they lifesavers in the middle of a fight?"

Some people started arguing over the usefulness of magicians in battle.

Ravena glanced at Noerman.

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing… just don't run out of mana," she smirked.

Noerman glared at her but didn't respond.

Soon, the magicians returned and reported to the captain. After assessing the situation, the captain made an announcement.

"All units, listen up! The first two units will enter and explore further. The other two units will wait outside for a signal. In the meantime, they'll secure the gate. Four healers and five tanks will accompany us. Everyone else stays on standby."

After some time, the first group headed inside.

"Man, this is going to be so boring now," Ravena sighed.

"Well, Fire Rexes usually only go berserk in the middle of the night, so there's not much we can do during the day," Noerman replied.

"But I heard news that they've attacked in broad daylight before," someone suddenly said.

Everyone turned to look at the person who spoke.

"Are you saying they attack at night?" Anon stepped forward.

"Hey, kid, this isn't the place for you to stick your nose in," an old man grumbled.

"Step aside," another man added.

Not wanting to cause trouble, Anon stepped back and let the conversation continue without him.

After that, they found a spot near a tree to rest.

Before the village gate, there was a small river separating the land from the village. In fact, the entire village was surrounded by water.

"Hey, did you find any info?" Ravena called from where she was leaning against the tree.

"They wouldn't listen to me," Anon sighed.

"You didn't blurt out something weird again, did you?" Noerman asked suspiciously.

"No, no, don't worry! I didn't say anything strange this time," Anon assured them.

Long time passed , after that a horse coming so rushed into the gate from inside. Who are covered by blood, and the time he come out of gate, a big covered monster wave are come behind him.

"what happened?"

 

Continued to ,,,,,