(Orlax POV)
I looked into the eyes of the people, seeing the hope reigniting within them, the excitement as they regained their courage and helped me fight the monsters.
However, despite all of this, I couldn't find Baron Elen, so I asked one of the guards standing beside me.
"Sir Knight, where is Baron Elen?"
"Your Majesty, Baron Elen was on the wall before it collapsed, and when the monsters entered, we could no longer see him."
The knight replied with a tense and slightly fearful tone, likely due to my bloodstained appearance.
I frowned slightly upon hearing that, then quickly jumped onto one of the houses and began searching for him.
I extended my mana to the maximum and started sensing the surrounding environment.
I detected two life forms beneath the rubble, so I rushed towards them immediately.
There, amidst the fallen stones from the wall, I began clearing the debris with my own hands until the two individuals trapped underneath were revealed.
It was Baron Elen, his red hair now darkened from the injury to his head, as he shielded his daughter, who seemed to have suffered a head injury from the falling rocks and lost consciousness.
I quickly removed the stones and helped Baron Elen into a stable position before checking his condition.
"Baron Elen, can you hear me?"
I lightly slapped his face to snap him out of his dazed state, and his eyes slowly regained focus.
"Ugh... Yo-Your Majesty..."
Baron Elen coughed up blood as he attempted to speak, but I stopped him immediately.
"Stop, don't talk. Let us treat you first."
I tried to lift him to move him to a safe place for treatment, but he struggled and stopped me.
"Yo...Your Majesty... I kn-know my con-Ugh...condition... There's no...point..."
"What are you saying? We must save you, no ma—"
Before I could finish my sentence, my eyes widened in shock when I saw the massive hole in his abdomen, exposing his internal organs completely.
My breathing quickened, and my heart started pounding furiously. But before panic could set in, I swiftly calmed myself, returning to my usual state.
[Cold Blood Activated]
[Patience Activated]
My mind regained its usual composure, and I fixed my gaze on Baron Elen, who was now at the brink of death.
"Please... protect our ci—ty... I beg you... Take care of my daughter... This is my... only wish..."
After finishing his words, Baron Elen's eyes lost their light, his head drooped, and he breathed his last.
I stared at him in silence, contemplating his miserable state.
'So this is family... They protect one another, even if it means sacrificing themselves. This is truly beautiful. I wish I had a family too.'
I thought as I gazed at the deceased man before me, filled with respect and admiration.
"Baron Elen, you have taught me a valuable lesson today. I promise you, I will protect your daughter and take care of her until my dying breath."
[Loyalty Trait Activated]
I turned my attention to the unconscious Riana and examined her condition.
Fortunately, she only suffered a minor head injury.
I tore off the sleeve of my left arm and used it to bandage her wound, stopping the bleeding.
Then, I carried Baron Elen's lifeless body and quickly moved it to a safe location.
Returning to Riana, I lifted her and headed toward where the people were gathered.
I didn't want chaos to erupt upon hearing of Baron Elen's death, so I chose not to bring him here.
"Sir Knight, take care of Riana."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Alright, I'm leaving now."
After ensuring Rianna's safety, I sprinted towards the wall and leaped over it.
Before me stood an army of monsters gathered in front of the gate I had created using earth magic.
The creatures were clawing and striking at the gate frantically, desperate to break through and invade the city.
"You monsters... You're about to witness hell."
I activated fire magic, but this time, I formed small spheres and hurled them at the monsters.
BOOM!
As soon as the spheres struck the ground, they exploded with a deafening sound, engulfing the gathered creatures in blazing flames.
Awooo!
Oooo!
The monsters howled in agony as they burned. Seeing this, the remaining creatures quickly retreated, backing away from the gate.
I jumped over the wall, wielding my Dark Sea Sword in my right hand.
I enveloped myself with mana, ignoring the surrounding flames, and stepped forward.
"You want to destroy the city, don't you? Well then, come at me! None of you shall cross this line."
A suffocating killing intent radiated from me, causing the monsters to tremble and retreat further.
I raised my hand towards the wall, and directly in front of the gate, a small trench appeared, preventing anything from crossing.
I advanced slowly toward the monsters until they stood right before me.
I lifted my sword and dashed toward the creature closest to me, swinging my blade calmly.
"..."
Ignoring the eerie silence that fell upon the battlefield, I pressed forward, paying no mind to the monsters behind me.
THUMP!
THUMP! THUMP!
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Behind me, dozens of monsters collapsed instantaneously, neatly severed in half.
"What's wrong? Where is your previous courage? Come on! Step forward! All of you!"
I roared at the terrified creatures as they hastily retreated.
Suddenly, an intense sense of danger washed over me, prompting me to swiftly leap to my right.
BOOM!
The spot where I had been standing was now a massive crater, around ten meters wide.
'That was close! Who did that?!'
I scanned the area, searching for the source of the attack.
Then, I saw them—two massive monsters distinct from the others.
The beasts towered over six meters in height, standing on their hind legs like humans.
They bore grotesque faces and repulsive grins, seemingly delighted by the destruction they had caused.
'How could there be twin monsters of the sixth rank here? Damn it, this is dangerous.'
Monsters of the sixth rank and above are incredibly powerful, rarely encountered by ordinary individuals.
Typically, a sixth-rank monster holds the strength of a master swordsman.
However, twin monsters are different—they possess power equal to dozens of creatures of the same rank.
'I can't fight them directly... I need to retreat and find another way to end this.'
Having made my decision, I sprinted toward the outskirts of the city, conjuring two fireballs—this time, blue and menacing in appearance.
I hurled the spheres towards the twin monsters, striking them directly.
BOOM!
BOOM!
After the explosions echoed, I halted and observed the thick clouds of dust.
As the dust cleared, the twin monsters emerged completely unharmed.
An aura of blue and red light enveloped their bodies.
Their smug grins annoyed me, but I ignored them and bolted towards the forest ahead.
I heard the heavy footsteps of the twin beasts as they pursued me, so I kept running until I reached a frozen waterfall's cliff edge.
'Damn it... I'm trapped.'
I watched as the monsters advanced toward me, opening their grotesque mouths.
Particles of light gathered within them, growing larger by the second.
'I could jump and escape, but if I do, these beasts will attack the city and slaughter everyone.'
I thought as I formed a barrier around myself, bracing for impact.
"You filthy monsters! There's a better prey here than this demon! Come and get me!"
Upon hearing the shout, I immediately recognized the voice and turned quickly to look beyond the monsters.
There, stood a woman with red hair and golden eyes. Resting on her shoulder was a rocket launcher aimed directly at the twin beasts.
As soon as the monsters saw her, they twisted their heads toward her and redirected their attack.
'Damn it, Riana! What are you doing here?!'