In the stillness of the night, darkness was always present. However, light continued to exist within that darkness.
A single light moved swiftly from one place to another, passing through each tree shrouded in shadow. The darkness faded briefly when the light came, but spread again as the light merely passed through it.
The sound of footsteps, constantly pounding the ground, came from three people running through the forests that were constantly in their sight.
Their breathing was labored, and even the light from the fire burning on the logs was moving wildly.
A black-haired girl, swaying in the wind from ahead, carrying a staff, dressed like a witch with a towering cone-shaped hat and flowing black robes, asked in a loud but exhausted voice to one of the men dressed as a novice knight without a helmet in front of her.
"When can we stop?"
The man answered breathlessly.
"We have to avoid the incoming Morak! So, we must not stop!"
Hearing this unpleasant answer, one of the blonde-haired girls on the right, wearing a one-sided protective suit, groaned.
"Oh, come on! My legs are going numb!"
"If we stop here, we'll be finished off by those Morak!" the man replied.
So they continued running from the pursuit of the furry humanoid monsters, who had gathered in one spot, numbering only about five. But among the five Morak, one was taller and larger than the others.
They continued running, eventually passing through the forest, but instead of finding a way out or a glimmer of hope, they saw that the path they were on had now stopped at a steep cliff.
"...?!"
One of them exclaimed in surprise.
"A dead end?!"
The three of them stopped in their tracks to avoid falling down the cliff, and then became confused when they realized they were now cornered.
"We're cornered..." the witch girl whispered.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
"What should we do?!" the man asked in panic.
Their bodies immediately stiffened when they heard a growling sound from behind them; it wasn't just one, but several.
"?!"
They quickly turned around and saw that the hairy monsters, also known as Morak, had already approached them, blocking what would have been their escape route.
The man trembled, suddenly drawing his sword from its sheath and assuming a stance, as if ready to face them.
However, the others were confused by his friend's behavior.
"You want to fight them? They're even higher level than you!" said the blonde-haired girl.
The man, still trembling, suddenly gave an order to the witch girl.
"Tasya, try attacking them with your magic!"
However, the witch girl's answer was unsatisfactory. She mentioned that the magic wand she was carrying had lost its most important element.
"Have you forgotten? My wand is out of mana, I can't use any magic now!"
"Ah, shit!" the man shouted, growing increasingly panicked.
The mobs approached slowly, as if assuming they couldn't do anything. Coupled with the weapons they wielded, they clearly weren't cheap.
Some Morak wielded sharp-looking swords, spiked hammers, but others were barehanded.
The situation was now very difficult for them. They didn't want to die, but they also couldn't fight monsters that were even higher level than them.
The man considered his thoughts and spoke to himself.
(If I fight, I might die... But standing still is also useless...!)
The man recalled the day when they first registered their group at the Adventurer's Guild in the center of town.
(I remember the excitement of first registering at the Adventurer's Guild...)
Back then, they were just a group of beginners with high hopes, unaware of the harsh world that lay ahead.
(Everything was going smoothly...)
However, each step they had taken so far had gone better than expected. For a group of adventurers just starting out, it was more than enough of a start to build confidence that they could go further.
(But if only I hadn't made the mistake of drawing the Moraks closer...! This might not have happened!)
He then spoke, a voice that his two companions could hear.
"I can't stop here..."
They both stared at him.
"...?"
"I will fight."
That one sentence alone sent his two companions into a state of confusion.
"Are you crazy? I told you, didn't I? They're higher level than us!"
The man replied in a low, frightened voice, but with a tinge of enthusiasm within him.
"But, if we stop here... It will all be in vain!"
He stood before the monsters, who had been eagerly awaiting his arrival, surrendering to their opponents despite their fear.
They stared at him with piercing gazes, as if eager to finish off the foolish Nephilim before them.
"I will fight for you!"
(At least I'll be remembered as a hero by the girls!)
Then, quickly, he stomped his foot hard on the ground, his body shooting forward, charging towards the monsters.
The two girls were immediately shocked to see their friend choosing to fight rather than stand still.
"Towa, wait!" the witch girl said.
But it was too late.
He swung his sword with strong conviction, but his swing was stopped when one of the Morak swiftly parried it.
CLANG!
He was shocked to see that a single Morak could fend off her attack.
"?!"
But he wasn't about to lose. He immediately kicked the Morak in the stomach, causing it to retreat several steps. Seeing an opportunity, he launched a slash at its body, piercing its soft flesh, and then kicked it backward.
One of the sword-wielding Morak attacked with a vertical slash at him, but he quickly pushed himself back.
"WAH!"
He managed to dodge it, but in the next second, the other Morak attacked simultaneously, including the larger one, growling.
"Grrrrrhh!"
"Ah...?!"
The two girls behind him were also shocked by the Morak's use of their wits to attack simultaneously rather than individually.
"Towa!" they both shouted, as they were about to charge forward.
Suddenly—
"I'm counting on you, Aegis Voltara!"
A man's voice rang out from within the forest, followed by a flash of yellow electricity that radiated from the shadows toward one of the Morak, causing it to vanish like burning paper.
This shocked everyone to see such impromptu uniforms from within the forest, meaning they weren't the only ones present.
"...?!"
The two girls halted in their tracks. The witches were clearly shocked by the seemingly out-of-nowhere magic, but it was clearly someone's doing.
"Electric magic...?"
"By whom?"
The Moraks all turned their heads in unison, their gazes focused on the darkness of the forest. For a moment, silence fell. Even the sound of leaves rustling in the wind seemed to fade.
Then, from behind the dense shadows of the trees, a pair of glowing red eyes slowly emerged. The three of them, who had witnessed the same thing, froze.
"..."
The red gaze remained unblinking, as if patiently watching its prey from the darkness.
In the center of the two glowing red eyes, a black line formed a rhombus-like shape. The two eyes even moved closer to them.
Their faces instantly showed extreme panic. Even the expressionless Moraks appeared frightened and wary.
"...?!"