Sudden Invasion

While asleep, Aslan drifted into a strange and surreal dream—one in which he found himself standing before a colossal monster with a frame massive enough to cover the sky.

Despite the overwhelming pressure the monster exuded, his will remains firm and unmovable, like that of a mountain. 

Then, with a tight grip on his sword, he charged at the monster without an ounce of hesitation in his heart—

"..."

"AAAHHH!"

"..."

"Waaaah! Mommy!! I'm scared!!!"

"He-Help! Someone help!"

Chaotic shouting suddenly pierced the air, jolting Aslan from his sleep.

He sat up on the bench and looked around in a daze.

"Wh-What happened?!"

The peaceful park he had fallen asleep in was gone. In its place was chaos—destruction stretched in every direction, and terrified screams filled the air.

Aslan instinctively tilted his head upward toward the sky, which had only just begun to brighten with the first light of dawn.

There, high above, a small rift had cracked open in the heavens—and from it, monsters were pouring out like a dark tide.

It was a sudden monster invasion.

Aslan almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. The last sudden invasion occurred only a few days ago. For another one to pop up so soon was highly unusual.

However, he didn't have the time to ponder the phenomenon and immediately wielded the Nameless Sword.

< Indominable Will activated>

Despite being traumatized by sudden invasions all his life, Aslan felt oddly composed in this moment.

'I am no longer powerless!' he thought to himself as he focused on the monster closest to him.

In front of him, a massive rat—easily the size of a boar—was rampaging through the chaos and chasing people around.

With the Nameless Sword tightly in his grasp, Aslan charged forward.

"Hah!"

With a single swing of his sword, Aslan cleaved the Giant Black Rat clean in half, meeting almost no resistance as the blade sliced through its giant body.

[Lv. 9 Giant Black Rat defeated]

[You have earned 9 Contribution Points]

"T-Thank you…!"

The man who had been fleeing from the Giant Black Rat shouted his thanks.

But Aslan didn't spare him so much as a glance. He had already turned, rushing toward the next nearest monster without hesitation.

[You have joined your first Event, 'Sudden Rat Invasion'!]

[Earn Contribution Points by defeating the invading monsters!]

[Your Contribution Points will be converted into Achievement Points at the end of the Event.]

[Several Gods cast their gaze in your direction with interest]

[Several Gods have joined your channel]

[Lv. 7 Baby Black Rat defeated]

[Lv. 11 Giant Black Rat defeated]

[Lv. 8 Giant Black Rat defeated]

[The Gods expressed slight surprise after witnessing how effortlessly you defeated the monsters despite your low level.]

['Lone Swordsman from the Eastern Star' complements your Basic Swordmanship, saying it must have taken you years to reach such a level.]

['Metal Embraced by Flames' shows interest in your sword, saying they have never seen such an exquisite-looking sword before, and wonders how a newbie like you obtained it.]

In order to distinguish themselves or conceal their true identities, most Gods adopt unique titles when spectating through God's Grace—names that function much like usernames in online games or forums.

[You have reached level 6]

Though Aslan didn't realize it, every time his level increased, his overall strength, endurance, and even stamina would increase slightly. However, he did notice that some of his fatigue would go away after leveling up, which allowed him to continue fighting a little longer without rest.

"Mommy! Where are you?! It hurts!!!"

The cry of a young girl suddenly rang out, prompting Aslan to turn toward the direction of the voice.

When Aslan spotted the young girl, he noticed another figure beside her.

"C-Calm down and let me heal your injuries," the person said gently.

Aslan immediately recognized her—not by her voice, but by her unmistakable appearance.

It was the helmeted girl he had met yesterday at the library. However, unlike before, she now wore full-body armor that could easily lead someone to mistake her for a defensive-class Awakener. Yet, she wielded a red wand in her grasp and was casting healing skills on the young girl.

However, Aslan didn't have time to dwell on her unusual attire.

The moment he saw several monsters charging toward them, drawn by the young girl's cries, he rushed forward without hesitation. Furthermore, the armored girl seemed completely absorbed in tending to the injured child, unaware of the danger rapidly approaching.

"Hey! Watch out!" he shouted to alert them.

"Huh? Ah!"

The armored girl panicked when she realized monsters were swarming in their direction.

Aslan picked up his pace, sprinting as if his life depended on it, and fortunately, he reached them just in time.

Facing multiple monsters at once intensified the effects of Monster Fever, empowering Aslan to dispatch them with little difficulty.

"Y-You are…"

The armored girl instantly recognized Aslan due to his handsome face.

"I'll take care of them. Get the little girl out of here," he said to her.

"O-Okay! I'll come back to assist you afterward!" she shouted, cradling the little girl in her arms as she ran off—her armor clanking loudly with every step.

"How does she run like that with such a heavy-looking armor on her…?" Aslan muttered in a daze.

['Love for Justice' compliments your bravery and heroic actions]

Moments later, even more monsters appeared, surrounding Aslan.

"Come at me, you filthy pests!"

Aslan roared as he swung his sword relentlessly.

"..."

After cutting down over a dozen monsters, fatigue began to weigh on Aslan—his movements slowing, his breaths growing heavier. Yet, the monsters kept coming, wave after relentless wave, making his efforts feel like a drop in an endless tide.

"Damn… Why the hell are there so many of them? It'll never end at this rate." Aslan gritted his teeth in frustration.

Unbeknownst to him, most monsters from the invasion had converged on his location, drawn by something unknown, as if lured by an invisible force.

"I-I'm back! Let me assist you!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in Aslan's ears, followed by a soothing sensation that washed over him, reinvigorating his weary body.

"I have cast 'Recovery' on you! Although I may be unable to fight monsters directly, I can help you fight longer!" she said.

"Thank you!" Aslan shouted back as he resumed fighting with renewed vigor.

[You have reached level 7]

However, a few of the monsters attacked the armored girl as well.

"Hey! Are you okay?!"

"I-I am fine! They cannot damage me through my armor! Just focus on your own battle!" she quickly responded.

When Aslan glanced in her direction, he saw several monsters swarming her, biting and clawing relentlessly. However, despite their efforts, not a single scratch marked her armor.

Having confirmed that she would be fine on her own, Aslan focused on his own battle.

[You have reached level 8]

Eventually, other Awakeners showed up to the scene to assist him.

[Congratulations, you have successfully defended against the Sudden Rat Invasion!]

[Your Contribution Points will be converted into Achievement Points!]

[You have received 85 Achievement Points!]

[You have received an additional 50 Achievement Points for having the most contributions!]

['Lone Swordsman from the Eastern Star' nodded in approval, satisfied by your performance]

['Lone Swordsman from the Eastern Star' gifted you 10 Achievement Points]

['Love for Justice' gifted you 10 Achievement Points for your earlier actions]

['Embraced by Flames' gifted you 5 Achievement Points and wondered if you'd be willing to sell your sword to them.]

[Three Gods have favorited your channel.]

Once the invasion ended, the armored girl approached Aslan and spoke, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm okay, thanks to your assistance."

"No, I should be the one thanking you for earlier."

Aslan showed a stiff smile and said, "Even without my help, you would've been fine with that armor."

"That's not true. I froze back there and wouldn't have been able to save that little girl if you hadn't helped. Haaa… I'm so pathetic…" she sighed.

"Don't say that. You were able to keep healing me even when swarmed back there, so you've already improved."

"I guess…" The armored girl lowered her head, feeling bashful.

"By the way, my name is Sorin," she suddenly introduced herself.

"I'm Aslan."

"Aslan… Do you have any plans after this?" 

"I was going to look for a party so I could increase my level in a dungeon, but after everything today, I'll have to postpone it," he said.

"A party…?" Sorin mumbled.

"Um… If it's not too much to ask, would you like to join me for some morning tea? I'd like to thank you properly. I might also be able to assist you with finding a party."

"Sure." Aslan had no reason to decline her offer, especially if it'd help him find a party.

After talking with the authorities and answering several questions about the invasion, Aslan left the scene with Sorin.