Fantasy Realm [One Piece] [Harry Potter] [Naruto] - [Progression] [LitRPG]

Chapter 10: Five Nights at Navalia

Main quest starting now.

Mission: The village elder has assigned the 10 mercenaries to defend the southern section of the village palisade from Baroque Works attacks.
Clear condition: Defend the southern palisade wall for five nights.
Reward: Contribution points based on individual performance.
Failure condition: Let the southern palisade be breached by multiple enemies.
Punishment: High likelihood of the wall falling, resulting in the main mission's failure.
Hint: If the village is destroyed, everyone will fail the mission. Do your best to keep the southern palisade intact!

The village elder explains that Baroque Works prefers sneak attacks and would never openly assault the village during the day. They are too few in number for direct combat; their goal is to take over the village's resources discreetly. This gives Alex and the others some breathing room to complete side quests and gather resources during the day, but the nights are when the real danger begins.

The sun is already setting, casting long shadows over the village, and Alex feels a sense of unease creeping up his spine. The elder barks orders, directing the group toward the southern wall. Alex follows the others, thinking about the upcoming task and the weight of the responsibility they all share. They arrive at their post and are greeted by a small pile of worn weapons and armors.

"I've noticed that you scammers and wannabe mercenaries don't even have proper equipment to fight! I regret hiring you!" the elder spits, glaring at them. "Each of you can take one weapon and one piece of armor. Choose quickly, because you won't be getting any more help from us. If you want better gear, you'll have to earn it through the village shop!"

Alex wastes no time and quickly moves to the front of the group. Right next to him stands Roja, the woman from India, who shoots him a look of disdain, clearly expecting some courtesy.

"What, just because you're a woman, you think I'll let you go first?" Alex thinks bitterly. "I'd rather be a scumbag and live than be a gentleman and die."

He ignores her and begins examining the gear. The items are similar to what he saw in the village shop earlier, but the quality is much worse. All of them are gray-grade, the lowest tier.

Without hesitation, Alex grabs a bow. He already has the [Woodcutter's axe], which can serve as a melee weapon, but what makes him choose the bow is his confidence in using it. Years ago, a well-meaning but nosy relative gave him a coupon for an archery course, thinking Alex needed to spend more time outdoors. After being hounded about it, he'd finally gone, only to find that he had a knack for it. He learned that using a real bow was nothing like the movies. There was no sloppy aiming or cool poses; you have to line up the arrow with your face and carefully aim.

"Maybe that knowledge will actually help in this world," he thinks. "Only one way to find out."

After grabbing a bow and a quiver of arrows, Alex reaches for a second quiver, but the elder quickly admonishes him. "Only one quiver per person!"