When Eiran saw the giant Drakehorn, he immediately realized it was the Boss. The roar of the massive Drakehorn caused the other Drakehorns to roar in unison, becoming even more aggressive than before.
As the Boss Drakehorn began to move, the ground started shaking again. That was when everyone realized they were in a critical situation.
"Captain, this isn't what the intel said. Our group won't be able to take on the Boss Drakehorn, especially with those Raventhorns still around."
"Why is it turning out like this? But we can't go back now. I'm sure this monster won't take long to reach the city, we have to hold it off here."
Hearing that conversation, Eiran turned pale.
'Is he planning to sacrifice us?'
Just fighting the smaller Drakehorns had already been tough for Eiran. He was sure he wouldn't survive if he had to face the Boss Drakehorn.
The Boss's massive axe swung violently, making the mercenaries retreat in fear, trying to distance themselves from its rampage.
"We're going to die at this rate."
"Isn't there anyone willing to hold off the Boss Drakehorn?"
As they moved back, the long-range damage dealers continued attacking the Raventhorns and smaller Drakehorns that were bombarding them. The number of smaller Drakehorns was starting to dwindle, which only made the Boss more enraged by what the mercenaries were doing.
When the Boss Drakehorn charged at the front line that was trying to hold its ground, Eiran suddenly felt someone grab his collar and hurl him toward the Boss.
Eiran's eyes widened in shock as he realized what was about to happen to him. He could see the Boss Drakehorn's axe flashing toward him, ready to slice him in half.
Gritting his teeth, Eiran raised his shield to block the Boss Drakehorn's attack.
A loud crash rang out as the axe struck his shield. In one hit, the shield shattered into pieces, and Eiran was slammed hard into the ground.
Pain surged through his body as his back hit the ground. The Boss Drakehorn wasn't done, it raised its axe again to strike the wounded Eiran, who was still groaning in pain.
"System, help me retrieve my shield from the Inventory!" Eiran shouted inside his head, pleading for assistance.
In an instant, an iron shield appeared in Eiran's hand. He didn't have time to admire it; he immediately raised it in front of his body to block the incoming strike from the Boss.
Eiran held back the attack with all his strength. But repelling that blow wasn't easy, the power gap was too significant. He could only roll to his right to dodge the next attack.
The ground where Eiran had just been was now completely destroyed. His breathing quickened as he took in the destruction in front of him.
The Boss Drakehorn turned its red, bulging eyes toward Eiran, then roared in fury and charged at him blindly with its massive axe in hand.
"Damn it, why is he so mad at me?!" Eiran cursed his terrible luck over the past few days.
Now that he had become the target, Eiran decided to activate his Vanguard skill using his new shield.
'Vanguard!'
As if under a spell, the Boss Drakehorn instantly charged at Eiran, who braced himself with the Greywall Shield.
Unlike before, Eiran didn't feel his hands tremble while blocking the attack. He was certain this new shield was far better than the wooden one Finric had given him.
Still, no matter how well he blocked the Boss's attacks, Eiran knew he couldn't take it down alone. He still needed help from the other party members' damage dealers.
"Hey! Attack him now, I've got the aggro!" Eiran shouted, asking for help from the other party members, who were still focused on the other monsters.
Fortunately, the Knight leading the party knew exactly what to prioritize.
"Long-range damage dealers, focus on the Boss! Everyone else, protect them from the other monsters!"
The Knight quickly organized the group efficiently.
With the help of the damage dealers, Eiran found it easier to handle the Boss Drakehorn. Even so, it took nearly two full hours for them to finally bring the Boss down.
. . .
After their first expedition, several people in the party who had seen Eiran's potential thanked him for making the assault easier. Some even expressed gratitude to Eiran for saving their lives.
The people from Ember Pact weren't pleased with Eiran's current situation. It made it harder for them to drag Eiran into trouble, and even more difficult to kill him during this expedition.
Thanks to Owen—the Knight leading Eiran's party—the members of Ember Pact stopped causing trouble for him. In fact, Eiran had grown closer to members of the Kingdom and other mercenary groups.
"Captain, how long will this expedition last?" Eiran finally asked after seven days of hunting the monsters in Frosthollow.
"There aren't many monsters left. We'll probably return to the Kingdom tomorrow. Are you planning to go back too?" Owen asked, since it was rare for Eiran to initiate a conversation.
"Yeah, but I don't know if my Mercenary Group is returning tomorrow."
Eiran was surprised to hear they could go home the next day. He hadn't heard a thing from the Ember Pact members.
"If you want, you can return with us," Owen replied casually.
"Huh? Can I go with you guys?" Eiran hadn't considered returning with another group.
"You're not one of them, are you?" one of the other mercenaries chimed in.
"Well, no," Eiran replied with a sheepish grin.
Honestly, Eiran was a bit worried about his safety, members of Ember Pact had harbored bad intentions toward him from the beginning. So if he could avoid them, he wouldn't miss the opportunity.
"If you don't want to go with the Royal Knights, you can come with our group."
"I'll think about it," Eiran answered with a slight smile.
It seemed Eiran needed to discuss this with Joseph. Regardless of what happened, he had arrived with Ember Pact, so at the very least, they should be informed if he decided to return with another mercenary group.
That night, Eiran planned to talk to Joseph. Thankfully, it didn't take much effort to find him.
"Still remember your group?" Joseph rolled his eyes lazily when he saw Eiran walking toward him.
"There's something I'd like to discuss with you," Eiran replied briefly, ignoring Joseph's snide remark.
Joseph eyed Eiran with suspicion. "What do you want to talk about?"
Though he looked uninterested, Joseph decided to listen.
"I heard we're allowed to return tomorrow, and I'll be heading back to the Capital with the Crimson Howl group," Eiran stated.
"No need. We're going back tomorrow too, so you can come with us," Joseph said, shaking his head and trying to keep his composure.
"Why didn't you tell me that earlier?" Eiran frowned, clearly annoyed by Joseph's response.
"What matters is that you know now," Joseph replied with a shrug. "Tomorrow morning, we'll report in to receive our payment and prepare to return to Lysvarin. So go get some sleep!" Joseph promptly dismissed him.
Though irritated, Eiran could only clench his fists and suppress his anger. He turned around and returned to his tent to rest.
It didn't take long for Eiran to fall asleep, he was exhausted after the day's final expedition.
But while he slept soundly, a loud voice from the System rang in his head:
[Emergency Alert! The System has activated 'Wings of Sanctuary' to protect the Host from a threat!]