As Aurelia had suggested, they headed east and, indeed, came upon a cascading waterfall.
Following the waterfall’s descent, everything seemed normal.
And they were on the brink of leaving the Hael Mountains when an unexpected turn of events erupted in the turbulent river.
A colossal water beast surfaced, its body spanning dozens of meters in length.
Its black skin shimmered with a silvery glow, creating an otherworldly spectacle.
Howard, sensing danger, quickly pulled Aurelia behind a massive boulder, cautiously peeking over to study the monster dominating the lake.
Its two enormous eyes radiated a menacing red glare, and its teeth, serrated and densely packed, sent shivers down one’s spine.
The creature swayed its tail, causing its scales to clack together, the sound resonating through the air and vibrating the atmosphere around them.
A palpable pressure filled the air, making it difficult for Howard and Aurelia to breathe. ‘”This beast is of a high level; I will hold it off while you escape,” Howard said to Aurelia.
Aurelia, however, shook her head in dissent. “No, let me be the one to hold it off.”
She couldn’t let Howard, already injured, face such peril alone after everything he had done for her.
But Howard, undeterred by her protests, pushed the objecting Aurelia aside and stepped forward to confront the water monster.
At that moment, a sudden, intense pain struck his head, and a series of sentences flooded his mind.
“Human, I have been observing you for a long time. Your potential is immense. How about we strike a deal?” a voice echoed in his head.
“Who are you?” Howard, grappling with the splitting headache, crouched down, clutching his head.
Someone was communicating with him telepathically, but he couldn’t identify the source.
As he lifted his head and saw the monstrous water creature staring directly at him, a realization dawned on Howard.
“You save my domain, and then I will help you eliminate the threats to your world,” the voice proposed.
Howard’s senses returned to him, the voice vanished, and the water monster submerged back into the depths of the river.
“How are you, Howard!” Aurelia asked, concern etched on her face as she noticed Howard’s worsening condition.
Suddenly, a fierce wind rose, dark clouds amassed in the sky, and the river churned with tumultuous waves.
Howard and Aurelia found themselves caught in an irresistible force, swept into the river’s embrace.
…
Upon a desolate wilderness, a horse-drawn carriage thundered across the landscape.
Within it, four individuals clad in grey garments were in transit.
The aged horses pulling the carriage seemed strained, heaving with labored breaths at intervals.
Inside the carriage, Howard, who had fallen unconscious after being swept into the river, lay on a pile of hay, enveloped in a sense of peace and comfort.
He was exhausted…
It had been a long time since he had experienced such tranquility.
Where was he?
Hadn’t he been about to perish in that river?
And what of Aurelia?
“You’re awake,” a middle-aged man sitting beside him said, helping Howard to sit up.
He smiled, “I’m Kellman, the leader of our group. We saved you. No need for formalities, young man.” 𝑖.𝑐ℴ𝑚
“Thank you very much,” Howard replied, feeling a splitting headache and pain in multiple areas of his body, his injuries seemed to have worsened.
“My name is Howard. Captain Kellman, may I ask where we are?”
Before Kellman could respond, another man interjected, “The Forgotten Wilderness.”
Howard glanced over; the man’s hat obscured most of his face, making it difficult to discern his features.
Noticing Howard’s gaze, he spoke again, “I’m Skor.” 𝘪𝘦.𝘤𝑜
Howard nodded in understanding.
With Kellman introducing himself as the captain, he surmised the identity of these people.
“We are the Frostwolf Mercenaries. I’m Tina, the deputy leader of the mercenary group. Pleased to meet you, Howard,” a young girl riding alongside the carriage turned and offered Howard a warm smile.
“May I ask, where did you find me?” Howard inquired, his concern for Aurelia growing.
Captain Kellman replied, “Hurricane Harbor. We found you near Hurricane Harbor. By the looks of it, you must have fallen into the water, right?”‘”What about my friend? Did you see her?” Howard asked anxiously.
Kellman’s expression immediately turned solemn.
He shook his head, signaling regret. “We only found you as the sole survivor.”
“Hurricane Harbor has fallen. It’s overrun with monsters from who knows where. The higher-ups say they are Night Demons. Even if your friend is still alive, I fear that…”
“Night Demons?” Howard interjected, puzzled. Something felt off.
What exactly were these Night Demons?
Noticing their injuries, Howard asked, “Were you attacked? Was it because you rescued me?”
Kellman explained, “Yes, we were attacked, but it had nothing to do with you. The first attack of the Night Demons was near a village close to Hurricane Harbor. We, the Frostwolf Mercenaries, were there for rest and repairs. We never anticipated a sudden assault by those monsters, resulting in severe losses for us.”
“They devastated the village, mercilessly slaughtering the villagers…”
Kellman paused, seemingly overwhelmed by the memory, before regaining his composure. “We managed to evacuate some villagers, but we were too slow. The Night Demons caught up with us. From a group of over two hundred, now only the four of us remain.”
At this point, Skor, the man with the hat, spoke up, “You’re lucky we found you in time. Otherwise, you would have surely perished at the hands of the Night Demons.”
Howard couldn’t articulate his feelings at that moment.
Aurelia…
If this was true, then she was in grave danger.
Where had these Night Demons come from, and why hadn’t he sensed their presence before?'”I’m sorry for all this. Please accept my condolences…” Catt said, noting Howard’s concern.
His words seemed to pronounce Aurelia’s fate.
In his experience, no one could survive when surrounded by so many monsters alone.
“It’s been two days. We can’t keep traveling like this. We need to find a place to rest and recover,” Tina suggested.
Kellman nodded in agreement. “Alright, let’s find a place to rest. Where are we now, Tina?”
After consulting the map, Tina replied, “We should be near… Holy Light City.”
“I know of a well-known small town nearby, Nightfall Town. The people there are very simple and honest. It would be the perfect place for us to stop. Let’s make haste; we should reach there before sunset,” Kellman decided.
Nightfall Town, Howard thought, a name he had never heard before.
He furrowed his brows, feeling something amiss…
“Don’t overthink it. You need to rest now,” Kellman said, placing a comforting hand on Howard’s shoulder.
Howard could feel his sincerity.
The four members of the Frostwolf Mercenaries seemed like genuinely good people. Despite his injuries, Howard managed a strained smile.
At this point, returning to search for Aurelia would be futile and would only endanger himself. He could only hope that she was safe.
“We’re almost there. Just ahead is the renowned Nightfall Town. I’ve always heard about it from others but have only visited once,” Tina said, reminiscing with a hint of regret in her voice.
Catt, however, added, “I’ve been there many times. It’s nothing special, except the ale is decent. We must visit the tavern once we arrive.”
Skor glanced at the weary horses. “Tonight, we definitely need a good rest.”‘Kellman rallied the weary group: “Let’s lift our spirits. Once we reach our destination, we can rest properly. As long as we, the Frostwolf Mercenaries, stand united, we can overcome any obstacle ahead.”
“You’re right, Captain!” Tina agreed.
Howard, too, managed a smile and sat up, saying, “It’s time I properly introduced myself. I am Magus Howard. Once I’ve recovered from my injuries, I can protect all of you. Those Night Demons won’t be able to trouble us anymore.”
However, upon hearing this, everyone’s expression changed.
Tina, with a troubled look, said, “Um… Howard, you might have been a magus, but when Skor was treating you, he said you’ve lost all your magical powers.”
Hearing this, Howard’s face fell. He quickly checked himself and found it to be true.
Not only had he lost all his powers, but he was now no different from an ordinary person, unable to sense or connect with anything he used to.
This wasn’t just due to his severe injuries.
Howard pondered over the events before he fell into the river, the voice that had echoed in his mind.
Had it done this to him?
Who was it, and how powerful were they?
What was their purpose?
Kellman then patted Howard’s shoulder and sighed, “For now, join us in the Frostwolf Mercenaries. You won’t survive on your own.”
Howard gave a resigned smile.
He had intended to protect them, but now he was the one seeking their protection.
There was no other choice.
Nodding, Howard agreed.
Until he found a way to regain his strength, this was the only option.’Just before sunset, they successfully arrived at the town.
Tina went to take care of the carriage while the rest headed inside.
As night deepened, Howard found himself increasingly perplexed by this world.
The moonlight cast its glow on the path leading into the heart of the town.
The cobblestones beneath their feet began to emit their own luminescence, a sight both strange and wondrous.
The trees lining the path, whose names Howard couldn’t recall, shone exceptionally bright in the night.
Tina, who had just finished settling the carriage, caught up with the group.
Even for her, seeing this scene a second time, she couldn’t help but marvel, “This is so beautiful…”
Catt nodded in agreement. “Rumor has it that the residents here are simple and hospitable. It seems to be a lovely place indeed. Shall we head to the tavern first?”
𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮