Turning Point (1)

I tightly held onto Vittorio's hand to make sure I wouldn't lose him. 

The knights were escorting the wagon from afar. Perhaps to hide the corpse, a small mound on top of the wagon was covered with a blanket and tightly bound with ropes, making it impossible to see inside.

"Well done…"

At that moment, Count Ertinez offered his congratulations to Ferdinand, who was proudly sitting on his white horse.

Since the gates had opened, I had been focusing solely on the wagon. I clearly saw it.

Something like a whip swiftly passed under the feet of the knight leading the wagon, and the knight tripped, letting out a grunt of "Ugh!"

'It's coming.'

Main Objective: Handle the Monster Chaos (0/1)

This quest is categorized under [Hunt Missions].

[Hunt Missions] calculate the contribution of the participants.

If there are any casualties, the quest will be judged as failed.

If the objective is completed within the time limit without any casualties, an additional +500 reputation points will be awarded.

Quest Participants: Leonardo, Isaac

Time Limit: 00 hours 15 minutes 20 seconds

Crack.

Then, a shadow-like figure swung again like a whip, breaking the wheel of the wagon. The fragments scattered in all directions, sharply raining down, and the horses became agitated, galloping. The fallen knights groaned as they rolled in the mud.

On the broken wagon, a piece of cloth that had been swelling up like a balloon fluttered. Soon, it burst like a flare, signaling the start of disaster. The monster roars.

Shriek!

[Accessing information of the designated entity.]

[Entity Name] Man-Eating Seven-Sided Stone Lizard (Adult)

[Habitat] Primarily grows on rocky cliffs and is an excellent predator skilled in 'playing dead' and camouflage. It has a habit of strangling and killing travellers who pass by on steep paths using its tongue and tail.

The rag draped over the monster's body slid off with a rustling sound. Its bulging eyes, so striking, seemed as though they might spill out of their sockets with the slightest touch. The two eyes rolled in opposite directions, as if each eyeball were a separate creature. Like it was searching for prey.

The surface of its skin wrinkled and shifted, and a droplet of saliva fell with a plop from the corners of its mouth. That eerie grin sent a chill down the spine. The tense air shattered in an instant.

"Ahhh! The monster is alive!"

At the sound of someone's scream, people quickly turned and fled, and the knights, who had been rolling in the mud, staggered and gathered themselves.

In the midst of the chaos, one person stood out. Leonardo, who had kicked up the sword handle lying on the ground and grasped it in one swift motion, charged forward, kicking off the ground. Though they were all in the same turmoil, there was always someone who acted first, looking ahead. There is a name for such a person. That's why everyone called him a hero.

"Leonardo!"

Count Ertinez, who had been helping the fallen Ferdinand, exclaimed in shock. His voice was filled with disbelief. And why wouldn't it be? What he was seeing right now was Leonardo Ertinez.

I too called out the same name.

"Leo!"

But the person I was calling was someone else.

"It's the eyeball!"

[Weakness (1) / Eyes] The two protruding eyeballs move independently of each other and can move in all directions, leaving no blind spots. The hunting method that utilizes the tail and tongue requires precise distance measurement, so without this exceptional vision to support it, the accuracy of the attack would be significantly reduced.

Understanding the shout instantly, Leonardo tilted the broad side of his sword at an angle. The sword, reflecting the bright sunlight high in the sky, emitted a dazzling silver gleam.

And then, flash.

A sharp beam of light struck the monster's eyes precisely, and its eyeballs, exposed to the fierce reflection, moved erratically as though malfunctioning.

Leonardo immediately leapt up, stabbing downward like a sharp knife cutting into soft butter—thunk!

Shriek!

A shrill monster's scream followed. Dark red blood splattered onto the ground in a sticky mess. The monster, having lost one eye, swung its tail wildly in a frenzy, excited and out of control.

I grabbed the collar of a nearby unconscious knight and pulled him to safety, dragging him outside the danger zone. Vittorio rushed to join, pulling and grunting to help. Leonardo, quicker than us, swiftly grabbed the gaps in the knights' armour and threw them backward, tossing them aside as if carelessly. 

Meanwhile, Count Ertinez regained his senses and shouted.

"All unarmed personnel, evacuate immediately! Knights, draw your swords!"

With a sharp thud, Leonardo landed and quickly twisted his sword to shake off the blood. As always, his face remained expressionless. Even as the monster's tail swung around, seemingly intent on crushing everything in its path, he remained focused, eyes locked on the task ahead.

As the knights formed ranks and Baron Roald began evacuating the unarmed personnel, another change occurred. The monster's bloodied form began to shimmer like a mirage. The colour of its wrinkled skin gradually blended into the surrounding colors, and soon it completely merged with the background, as if it had dissolved into the air itself.

"What…!"

"This is their characteristic!"

Ferdinand, bleeding from his forehead, shouted. His staggering movement suggested he might have suffered a concussion.

Vittorio, tense, quickly grabbed a sword from an unconscious knight's waist. Leonardo, with surprising calmness, issued the command.

"Knights, form a circle. Protect the unconscious and those unable to evacuate inside the formation. Prepare for an invisible attack."

"…..!"

They didn't even have the time to be bothered by the fact that the order came from the 'reckless' Leonardo, and simply obeyed the hierarchical command, following his words.

A circle formed around me, Vittorio, and the unconscious knight, with three or four more smaller circles appearing around us. Everything was silent, and in the stillness, even the faint sound of someone inhaling sharply was vividly felt. I quietly raised my eyes.

It didn't matter if the monster had hidden its body with its incredible camouflage skills. Because I had never closed the information panel I accessed with the , the sheet of paper still floated in my vision, showing the details.

It was tracking the hidden attacker moving stealthily within the courtyard. Just like a helium balloon tied to a child's wrist to prevent them from getting lost. The oppressive silence that enveloped the space was shattered in an instant.

"Behind the wagon."

As others stumbled, unable to understand this sudden addition, Leonardo reacted faster than anyone else. He raised his sword and threw it like a spear.

Swish!

The flying sword buried itself halfway into the air before coming to a stop.

Shriek!

The sword cut through the monster's skin, lodging perfectly and causing it to scream once again. The sword, now suspended in the air, indicated the monster's location, allowing the knights to finally identify its position.

Count Ertinez' gaze briefly shifted towards us. I gently placed my hand on Vittorio's shoulder while simultaneously offering a light smile to the Count.

[Scenario weight 35.6%]

The fact that accumulating reputation points is a condition… it's a scenario designed to encourage blatant action.

That's also why I didn't bother trying to hide it by using . Leonardo, true to his nature, would find his way to the hero's position, and to make that happen, there had to be as many excuses as possible to stay close. Since my partner isn't ordinary, I too have no choice but to push myself harder.

The monster, shaking off its body, dropped the sword and fell silent again. Spotting the unarmed Leonardo, Vittorio quickly threw the sword he had been holding. Leonardo smoothly caught it. Anyway, that guy tends to treat weapons like consumables. I gathered my thoughts and gave the command once again.

"By the feed trough."

This time, almost simultaneously with Leonardo, Count Ertinez launched his attack. The white sword blade, shining as if glowing from the light, sliced through the air, drawing a large cross-shaped line.

Shriek!

Blood surged up and splattered onto the ground. The sound of the monster's heavy breathing echoed.

Whoosh!

The enraged monster swung its invisible tail and tongue, attacking wildly, but perhaps due to its injured eyes, most of its strikes missed. However, it did land one hit.

A sharp swish echoed, and someone shot into the air.

"Young Count!"

"Ferdinand!"

The one wrapped up by the tail and flung into the air was none other than Ferdinand. The monster must have whipped its long tail, sending Ferdinand crashing into the stone wall with a loud thud.

I tapped the knights' shoulders, signaling them to move the formation, quickly pulling Ferdinand back into the inner circle. A concussion was nearly certain. I hoped the holy water would help with the internal injuries as well.

And I shouted.

"Leo, stab upward. Now!"

Without hesitation, Leonardo thrust his sword into the empty space, twisting his wrist and violently tearing through the air. The air split open, revealing a deep crimson flesh beneath. It was as if a large mouth had appeared in the air itself. Soon, the monster's form slowly emerged, and with a thud, the monster collapsed.

The sound of ragged breathing, the sickening squelch of blood flowing from the dead monster, and Ferdinand's painful groans all mingled together… Then, Baron Roald cautiously stepped forward. He gave the monster a light prod and, confirming that the once-throbbing artery had stilled completely, broke the silence.

"It's dead."

[Scenario Subquest Condition Achieved! – Handle the Monster Chaos (1/1)]

[Calculating the contribution for ' Sub-quest #016-1']

[Top Contributor: 'Leonardo (Contribution 54%)' has been confirmed. Processing the first-place reward.]

'Ah.'

This was a bit unexpected.

Count Ertinez lowered his sword and shouted.

"Send Ferdinand to the chapel immediately! Baron Roald, take care of the cleanup… and both of you, follow me."

Leaving the knights muttering and glancing at us in confusion, Leonardo and I locked eyes.

The time for the second meeting with the Count arrived.