"What did you just say?"
The receptionist of the Adventurer's Guild in Stormhall was shocked to hear the information she had just received. She turned toward the exit door and clicked her tongue in annoyance.
She wanted to get angry, but she could not blame anyone. This was also part of her negligence. If only she had not posted that rank F mission on the mission board, none of this would have happened.
The receptionist looked at the man who had just given the report. "Are you sure this information is valid?" she asked.
The man nodded. "Yes. We checked the documents from several Adventurer's Guild branches months ago, and the pattern is the same."
The receptionist let out a very long sigh. "Gather some adventurers! We are going to Garlun village. Hurry!"
The man nodded and immediately carried out the order.
**
That scream kept ringing and only stopped after almost ten minutes. It was enough to cause a headache. But for Crowne, it was actually a blessing, since he managed to defeat two guards.
When the screaming from inside the village chief's house finally ceased, the other guards turned their attention toward Crowne. They immediately drew their weapons.
Crowne set his stance, gripping his sword tightly. "Come at me, you bastards!" he taunted.
Several guards quickly surrounded him from three directions. The sound of boots echoed on the muddy ground, making the atmosphere even heavier.
One guard with a large axe moved first, swinging it down from above his head. The strike was powerful, but slow.
"This one's not too hard. He's not as strong as the two guards earlier," Crowne muttered.
Crowne ducked swiftly, avoiding the attack. He even spotted a huge opening in the man he was fighting.
He immediately used that chance to thrust forward, but his sword was blocked by another guard's shield. The clash of steel rang loudly, sending vibrations through his arm.
Crowne stepped back. "They always protect each other."
He didn't understand why these people were doing this. He was certain they were not comrades who had been together for a long time.
"Am I underestimating them too much?"
Crowne took half a step back. He wanted to create distance so he could attack again. But suddenly, someone from the side swung a long spear. That man spun around, sweeping the spear very fast.
Crowne glanced sideways and quickly twisted his body, parrying with the flat side of his sword. But the force behind the spear pushed him so hard that his knee nearly touched the ground.
"Damn it!" he hissed, forcing himself to stand back up. His hand trembled slightly from the impact. "If I hadn't trained with the sword all this time, I wouldn't have lasted until now."
Not long after, another guard's blade slashed toward him again. This time Crowne managed to block it and even launch a counterattack.
However, the attacks didn't stop there. One after another came relentlessly, with almost no pause.
"Damn. This is too continuous," Crowne grumbled.
He raised his sword to block two strikes at once.
Claaang!
The harsh collision made his body stagger backward. At that very moment, another attack came. Crowne failed to dodge in time. The spear tip pierced through his defense, grazing his shoulder. Warm blood immediately soaked his clothes.
Crowne growled, the pain burning his nerves. "Good… this makes it even better."
He stomped on the ground and slashed sideways. His sword struck one of the guards back, but the others instantly filled the gap.
They attacked again, pressing him without rest. Each of Crowne's swings could only defend, while small wounds began piling up on his arms and waist.
Sweat mixed with blood dripped onto the ground. His breath grew ragged. But Crowne's eyes still burned with determination.
When one guard thrust his spear straight at his chest, Crowne pretended to be too late to parry. The spear actually grazed his left chest, making him cry out in pain. But at that very second, he forcefully stepped forward—sacrificing the wound—and slashed the guard's stomach from close range.
Crowne's eyes sharpened with resolve.
"Arghhh!" A horrifying scream erupted, the guard's body collapsing with blood gushing out.
Seeing their comrade fall, the other guards attacked together. Crowne leapt sideways, nearly losing balance, but he did not retreat. He kept fighting.
"I don't even know why I'm being so stubborn about this," he wondered about himself. "Whatever it is, I won't lose."
The battle raged on. Crowne's stamina was waning. The enemies had even started to use small spells.
These guards were nothing more than ordinary soldiers or hired fighters. Their magic and movements were not too strong. The problem was only their numbers. That was what overwhelmed Crowne.
"Got you!" Crowne shouted after searching for an opening for so long.
He spun his body, slashing diagonally upward. His sword tore through one guard's thigh. The man staggered back. At the same time, Crowne struck the man's throat with the flat of his sword.
The man screamed in pain. Quickly, Crowne kicked his solar plexus. One strong kick sent him crashing down, losing consciousness.
Crowne smirked. "Turns out I'm not that weak after all."
**
An hour passed, and finally only one guard was still standing. That man's face was full of fear.
"Stay back!" he shouted.
The last guard swung his sword in both anger and terror. Strike after strike came fast, hammering against Crowne's weary defense. The sounds of clang, clang, clang! echoed, until Crowne's sword almost slipped from his hand due to exhaustion.
Panting heavily, Crowne waited for the right moment. When the enemy raised his sword high, Crowne ducked and drove his blade straight into the man's stomach, though he avoided any vital spot. The guard's eyes widened before collapsing.
Crowne staggered, blood dripping from multiple wounds on his body. He gasped for breath, staring at the fallen guards lying on the ground.
"Ughh… I told you all… you chose the wrong opponent," he said with a smile.
Crowne laughed loudly, but the laughter stopped abruptly when the village chief stepped out of his house.
The chief's eyes glared sharply, filled with hatred. Completely different from before.
"Ah, you've ruined everything." He walked slowly toward Crowne. "But it doesn't matter, because in the end they will all become my pets anyway."
The village chief snapped his fingers. In that instant, dozens of strange creatures appeared around Crowne. Their forms were horrifying.
Crowne's gaze grew sharper. "You… you're the one behind all the missing livestock."