Since i'm here,why not.

Chapter 17

Somewhere at the forested foot of the mountain…

The villagers, who had been evacuated from Vynra, settled down to rest after walking a long distance. The guards kept a careful watch on their surroundings, ensuring the group was safe from wild animals or other threats. Among the villagers, Clay approached Rena, her thoughts drifting to the team sent to explore the dungeon. She couldn’t help but wonder how they were faring.

Nearby, a quiet conversation began among the villagers as they did a headcount.

“Hey, was that boy Alex with the Guildmaster?” one villager asked, scanning around.

“I didn’t see him,” replied another, frowning slightly.

“I didn’t either,” another chimed in. “He might’ve gone with them, then?”

Hearing this, Clay’s heart skipped a beat, and she scanned the area frantically. Memories of the gathering flashed back; Alex hadn’t been among the adventurers heading toward the dungeon. Realizing he must have been left behind in the village, she turned to Rena.

“Rena, I need to go back. Alex might still be in the village!” she said urgently.

Rena hesitated, knowing that going back would mean defying Glenn’s orders. But the thought of Alex, alone and possibly unaware of the evacuation, worried her too. After a moment’s thought, she nodded to Clay. “Let’s go. Mark will handle things here.”

Clay and Rena moved quickly back toward the village, hoping they weren’t too late.

Meanwhile, Alex, oblivious to the evacuation, had finally arrived home, his mind still buzzing with unease over the deserted village. As he looked around his backyard, searching for Reggy, something strange caught his eye. Emerging from the forest was a massive stone golem, radiating a dark, sinister aura and pulsing with an energy he had never felt before. Its body was cracked and ancient, its joints moving with an unnatural fluidity.

Before he could react, the golem teleported in a flash, materializing right in front of him. Its huge fist came crashing down, and Alex barely dodged to the side, getting clipped and thrown against a nearby tree. Pain shot through his body, leaving him breathless as he struggled to stand.

The golem loomed, its dark aura growing thicker. It struck again, but Alex managed to roll away, feeling the ground quake as its punch shattered a tree. Heart racing, he knew he was outmatched. Summoning magic would take too long, and he couldn’t get close enough for a physical attack without risking another brutal hit. He needed a plan.

In a flash of desperation, Alex darted into the forest, weaving between trees to break the golem’s line of sight. He pushed through the pain, forcing himself to move faster, using the terrain to his advantage. After creating some distance, he crouched down, trying to steady his breathing. He needed a way to buy time for a counterattack.

Then, an idea sparked. Remembering his recent training, Alex realized he could use his mana to cover his body for protection which no chanting required. With that in mind, he devised a plan.

Moving quickly, he prepared a trap by digging a shallow hole in the forest floor. He infused his body with mana, feeling the warmth of energy coating his limbs, then called out, baiting the golem to approach.

The golem soon caught up, charging at him again. Just as it was about to attack, its front leg plunged into the hidden pit Alex had created, throwing it off balance. Seeing his chance, Alex quickly chanted, “Hear me, O Earth Spirit,Lend me the sacred power : manifest before me! Earth Art: Muddy Floor!”

The ground beneath the golem became like quicksand, trapping its legs. The creature struggled, its movements restricted as it sank deeper. Seizing the moment, Alex clenched his fist, enhancing it with mana until it shimmered with a metallic glow. He approached, aimed at the golem’s head, and unleashed a flurry of heavy punches. The stone cracked, then shattered, as he struck repeatedly, each punch landing harder than the last.

With one final blow, the golem’s head broke apart, and the dark aura faded away. Exhausted, Alex felt his vision blur as he collapsed to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness.

A few moments later, Alex regained consciousness, slowly lifting himself up and leaning his back against a nearby tree. His mind replayed the recent events, and his eyes fell on the shattered remains of the golem, still partially embedded in the ground, with scattered rocks around him. It seemed he’d only been out for a few minutes.

With some effort, he stood and began navigating his way through the forest, eventually emerging at the west gate of the village. Stumbling slightly, he made his way to a nearby vendor stall to rest. His luck, however, seemed to have run out, as he soon spotted several monstrous creatures prowling within the village. Each was cloaked in the same eerie dark aura as the golem, which made Alex wonder: was this aura controlling them, or merely amplifying their power?

He quickly ducked behind the stall, but it was too late; one of the creatures that look like a grotesque fox with distorted features that had already sniffed him out. Soon he found himself facing a whole group of twisted beasts, including a snarling monkey and a warped anteater, all with misshapen faces and an unsettling glint in their eyes.

Realizing escape wasn’t an option, Alex covered himself in mana to enhance his agility and bolted, but the creatures quickly surrounded him, forcing him backward into the town square. Surrounded and outnumbered, a wave of dread washed over him. Was this truly the end?

Then, a flash of Reggy’s training echoed in his mind, igniting a spark of determination. He noticed a broom lying on the ground nearby, grabbed it, and took a fighting stance. With a smirk, he taunted, "Come and get me, you ugly beasts."

The monsters surged forward, attacking in waves. Alex moved with precision, blocking some attacks, dodging others, and even using the monsters' own momentum against them. Spotting an opening, he misdirected one monster’s lunge so it collided with another, causing confusion among them. Clearing a path, he dashed toward a narrow alley, finally getting his back to a wall where he could defend himself more effectively.

The monsters continued their relentless assault, aiming for every part of his body. But Alex was starting to anticipate their moves, skillfully countering their attacks while whittling down their numbers. Gradually, he wore them down until, suddenly, a creature lunged at him from above, catching him off guard and sending him crashing to the ground. Pinned down, he groaned in pain as the monsters closed in, biting and clawing, his body overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught. As hope began to slip away, he felt himself surrendering.

Just then, a deafening crack of thunder split the air, and a bolt of lightning struck the monsters surrounding him. Dazed, Alex caught glimpses of a figure moving in a blur, slicing through the creatures with incredible speed. His vision blurred, and before he could fully comprehend what was happening, he slipped into unconsciousness once more.

It was Clay and Rena who had arrived just in time to save him, dispatching the last of the monsters before rushing to his side.

“Oh no, Alex…” Clay murmured, her face pale as she took in his injuries.

“Stay calm, Clay,” Rena said, checking Alex’s pulse. “He’s still breathing. We need to get him to the guild immediately; these injuries need proper treatment.”

Nodding, Clay gently lifted Alex’s legs as Rena supported his head, and together, they carried him back to the guild. Once there, they laid him carefully on the reception counter and began tending to his wounds, their expressions a mix of relief and worry.