Winterseed began with a rather gloomy atmosphere—not because another villager had been taken by the dark creature wreaking havoc across the village.
The gloom stemmed from the villagers quietly observing one another, checking on their neighbors to ensure they had made it through the night.
The past few events had shaken them so deeply that, at this moment, they needed to confirm their families' and neighbors' safety before proceeding with their day.
Dragun was outside early, having strolled around the village twice during the night to detect any threats. Vishirk did not accompany him, as he was busy meditating and preparing for the journey that would commence once Rowan returned with the soldiers.
He watched how the villagers went about their day, and it pained him.
He was no longer their Lord.
However, he had once been their Lord, so he naturally felt for his people.
He even attempted to calm some of the villagers who grew panicky while checking on their loved ones.
Brandon was also outside, unable to sleep as he worried he might be the next to fall victim.
He was among the first few villagers to step outside.
He spotted Dragun and greeted him briefly before returning to his house.
Riela woke up early, filled with hope and energy to begin a new day, her mind brimming with new creative goals to accomplish.
She had finished replicating the water- and heat-resistant enchanted embroidery on all of Rowan's available clothes.
She placed the neatly embroidered clothes into Rowan's wardrobe, a proud smile spreading across her face. She couldn't help but imagine Rowan's reaction upon his return; merely thinking of his smile and touch made her blush profusely.
But at the same time, Laverena's words from last night resurfaced in her mind, and once again, she wondered who Rowan truly was and what kind of blessing he possessed to make Laverena jealous.
The mission Laverena had given her to test Rowan's true abilities lingered in her thoughts, yet she trusted her intuition that it was impossible.
After arranging the room, she took a bath and went to meet her colleagues, who had already cleared the area and were ready to work.
After informing them that they would soon be able to use enchanted embroidery once they improved their skills, the women became even more motivated and diligent in their tasks.
Riela smiled proudly as she watched their enthusiasm.
"Today's work will go smoothly," she noted to herself with a smile.
Nevertheless, the word "smooth" did not apply to Rowan and his soldiers in the dark forest.
---
After Rowan recovered from his nightmare, he gathered the soldiers and provided them with breakfast. Once they had finished eating, he led them toward another clearing.
At that moment, the soldiers settled into their usual battle positions.
The archers formed circles around the close-range fighters, preparing to slay the first waves of monsters that would emerge.
Bryce stood among them with a grin on his face, his fists clenched and vibrating rapidly, ready to fight.
Not far from him, Winston stood with his hands folded, staring deep into the woods with a cold glint in his eyes.
Rowan noticed his two best men standing close together and smiled.
He tilted his head forward and said in a loud voice, "The deeper we venture into the forest, the stronger the monsters we'll face. Prepare yourselves to confront more bloodthirsty foes who care for nothing except filling their stomachs. You don't expect me to brief you on what they eat, do you?"
The soldiers looked among themselves and nodded.
"Do not worry, Lord Rowan. We can handle any monsters under your guidance," they replied courageously.
Rowan turned to George and nodded.
Then he opened his mouth and used the hunter's call.
As usual, the thumping sound of approaching monsters blasted across the area.
The thumping sounds were very loud, indicating that a large number of monsters were approaching.
It was reminiscent of the last horde they had fought against yesterday.
Within seconds, the bushes stirred as monsters began emerging one after another.
Rowan yelled to the archers, and they quickly began firing at the approaching monsters.
The attacking monsters collapsed to the ground one after another.
Those who fell disrupted the momentum of the others, toppling over upon impact with the ground.
The archers used this opportunity to attack, targeting the vital points on the monsters' bodies.
The monster horde continued pouring out of the forest, and soon the formation was surrounded by circles of aggressive monsters.
Rowan checked the monsters' stats and discovered that over 70% of them were F-rank—stronger than his soldiers in many ways.
But Rowan wasn't scared—he trusted his soldiers.
The archers fired their last rounds of arrows.
Rowan called for the switch, and the soldiers masterfully executed it.
"Yaaaaa!"
They charged forward, yelling with power and determination in their voices.
They clashed with the monsters, tearing them apart one after another.
[ Your soldier, Winston, has slain 2 goblins and gained 130 evolution points ]
[ 10% of the soldier's earned evolution points have been transferred to you ]
[ Your soldier, Winston, has slain 1 mid-rank demonic wolf and gained 75 evolution points ]
[ 10% of the soldier's earned evolution points have been transferred to you ]
Rowan was greeted with frequent notifications from Winston.
The frequency of Winston's notifications was far greater than Captain Bryce's.
Rowan even shocked when he saw Winston taking care of more than one monsters at the same time.
What shocked him the most was the fact that the monsters he mostly slayed were F-ranks who were way stronger than FF-rank he was used to.
The other soldiers fought as well; the clashing of swords, wailing of men, and cries of monsters erupted across the area.
Everyone was active.
Some archers in the circle even assisted their colleagues by injuring monsters with their arrows.
Bryce continued to wrestle with the monsters as though he were grappling with a fellow man.
Winston continued moving around the battlefield, claiming lives.
Rowan was watching when....
[ Your soldier (Winston)'s skill has evolved ]
[ Sword Master (F) → Sword Master (E) ]