In the forest at night, one must never let their guard down.
No matter how well-trained a human may be, there are always limits.
In most aspects, such as night vision or sense of smell, humans are inevitably inferior to monsters.
Monsters are specialized for the wild.
Living constantly close to death, their survival instincts far surpass those of humans.
This is considered basic common sense among adventurers.
That’s why, when entering the forest, adventurers set up camp before the sky darkens.
They find a spot, gather firewood, and build a temporary shelter to spend the night.
When night falls, monsters become more active, while humans, on the other hand, experience dulled senses.
The risk of encountering enemies increases significantly, so depending on the situation, they take turns keeping watch and strengthen their vigilance.
However, no matter how much effort is put in, it’s impossible to avoid all dangers.
This was because there were monsters with wide ranges of activity and high sensitivity to territorial intrusion.
There were several monsters to be cautious of, but if I had to pick one, it would be the hobgoblin.
They were larger and more cunning than ordinary goblins.
They build more organized and systematic societies, even forming armies.
During the day, they are relatively easier to handle.
Adventurers who underestimate their danger often lose their lives in vain.
“Damn it… no matter how many I cut down, they just keep coming…!”
Three adventurers were locked in a desperate struggle.
The time was early dawn, with a crescent moon hanging in the sky.
Just as they were about to fall asleep, they sensed something suspicious and woke up to find themselves surrounded by hobgoblins.
“Elena, use a fire spell to light up the area!”
Darian, the party leader, shouted urgently.
He was cutting down the charging hobgoblins with his sword, buying time for Elena to cast her spell.
There were roughly 20, maybe 30 enemies.
Under normal circumstances, they would have counted and analyzed the enemy’s strength, but there was no time for that now.
Even with a campfire, the light only reached so far.
Just a little beyond, everything was swallowed by darkness.
To make matters worse, the moonlight was faint tonight.
They could barely defend themselves within the limited range of their vision, let alone mount a counterattack.
“Burn!”
Elena extended her staff and chanted a spell, sending a wave of fire forward.
It was a wide-area spell.
For a brief moment, the surroundings were illuminated.
“This can’t be…”
Colin, the warrior holding a large shield, muttered in a dazed voice.
He was in shock as the hidden horde of hobgoblins was revealed.
Their earlier estimate of around 30 enemies was completely off.
There were at least 50 or more.
It was far too many for just the three of them to handle.
Despair.
That word flashed through their minds.
“We can’t handle this…”
Elena, who had been using her magic to keep the enemies at bay, let out a sigh.
Even Darian who always scolded them for speaking weakly remained silent.
All three of them shared the same feeling.
—Our short lives end here.
They didn’t need to say it out loud; they all understood.
The hobgoblins were armed with armor, swords, and spears.
They were equipped with a variety of gear, ranging from crude, handmade items to looted equipment, all of which bolstered their fighting power.
The difficulty of dealing with them was entirely different from that of ordinary goblins.
They were reckless and aggressive by nature.
This was the complete opposite of goblins, who were known to be cowards.
Not only that, but they were also highly intelligent and capable of employing tactics and strategies.
Even if not quite on par with humans, in the middle of the forest, especially in the pitch-dark night, the hobgoblins held an overwhelming advantage in battle.
The chances of winning were almost zero.
They had deliberately waited until the adventurers were asleep before launching their attack.
If it weren’t for Colin, who was sensitive to sounds, they would have been wiped out without even putting up a fight.
They knew it was nearly impossible to win.
Yet, they resisted to the end to preserve their pride.
Taking down as many as they could before their last breath.
That was the final role they had left to play.
There was no noble sense of sacrifice.
They had become adventurers to make money.
But now, faced with death, they found themselves wanting to die heroically in battle.
Even they found this sudden change of heart absurd.
“Colin, how many bombs do we have left?”
“Five.”
“Throw them all. Aim over there!”
Colin lit the small explosives and hurled them, causing a massive explosion in the direction of the hobgoblins.
The attack left the hobgoblins in complete disarray.
Injured creatures screamed and rolled on the ground, causing their formation to collapse.
“Push forward from this side!”
For a brief moment, a glimmer of hope appeared.
The three of them concentrated their firepower in one direction, cutting down the hobgoblins as they advanced.
They slashed, cast spells, and blocked spears with shields, engaging in an unprecedented bloody battle.
In an instant, they had killed nearly twenty enemies.
But that was as far as they could go.
The hobgoblins regained their formation, and Darian’s party was completely exhausted.
“…I’m out of mana now.”
Elena looked like she could barely stand.
Colin too was covered in wounds from protecting her.
“Huu…”
Darian let out a deep sigh.
It was time to resign themselves to their fate.
“You all fought well. It’s been a pleasure traveling with you.”
The three of them exchanged bitter smiles as they faced each other.
So, this is where it ends.
Memories of the years they had spent together flashed before their eyes like a kaleidoscope.
Just as the hobgoblins that were now confident in their hunt approached while drooling with anticipation—
“Wow… just how fiercely did you all fight?”
A man appeared.
He was a man with a sword at his waist.
By his appearance, he seemed to be an adventurer, but there were no companions by his side.
He walked toward them with a carefree gait, so relaxed it was almost defenseless.
“…Who are you?”
A dazed voice escaped Darian’s lips.
The tension and emotion from moments ago now felt embarrassingly out of place.
The man stopped a few meters away and let out a groan, “Hmm…”
“Would it be rude if I said I’m just a passing swordsman?”
“No, it’s fine, but…”
“Then I’ll go with that for now.”
Glancing to the side, Darian noticed Elena and Colin exchanging bewildered looks.
They too seemed unsure of what was happening.
“Hobgoblins, huh? They’re common in this area, I hear.”
The man drew his sword.
“That’s…”
The knowledgeable Colin trailed off.
No explanation was needed.
Anyone could see it wasn’t an ordinary sword.
The blade shimmered with a heat haze-like aura.
Darian had read about it in a book once.
Such a distinctive aura could only belong to a magic sword.
“You’ve almost finished them off, so I apologize for intruding. I’ve been practicing my swordsmanship lately.”
The man raised his sword to waist height and took a stance.
“I’ll take the liberty of finishing this.”
“W-Wait, be caref—”
Before they could stop him, the man dashed forward.
In the blink of an eye, he cut down three hobgoblins, then swiftly changed direction to take down two more.
There wasn’t a hint of hesitation in his movements.
Even in the dimly lit forest, he accurately pinpointed the enemies’ locations.
With a steady rhythm, he felled two or three at a time, steadily reducing the hobgoblins’ numbers.
“I’ve never seen anything like that…”
Elena’s mouth hung open.
Darian and Colin were equally stunned.
The three of them stood side by side, watching the man fight.
How could they even describe this?
Darian searched his mind for the right word.
After a moment of thought, it came to him.
A whirlwind.
That was the most fitting term.
Like a whirlwind, the man swept through everything in his path.
The cunning hobgoblins fell lifelessly to the ground without even getting a chance to fight back.
What am I even watching?
As a fellow swordsman, questions flooded his mind.
The man was strong, but his style was too alien to be considered proper swordsmanship.
Amidst the indescribable sense of unease, Colin spoke up.
“He’s less like a human and more like a wild animal. Fiercer than the hobgoblins.”
Only then did Darian realize the source of his unease.
The man hadn’t just learned swordsmanship.
No, even if he had, he had broken it down, digested it, and transformed it into something entirely different.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had reached a realm of his own.
From the basics of footwork to the techniques of wielding a sword, it was the skill of someone who had honed everything in real combat.
He moved in optimized ways, unbound by formalities.
It almost looked as if he were performing acrobatics or dancing.
Shortly after, when everything was over,
There were no more hobgoblins moving around the camp.
“I’m sorry. It took me too long.”
Darian shook his head vigorously.
“No, no, you saved our lives. It’s nothing to apologize for.”
“I’m glad you’re safe. When I heard the commotion from afar, I thought I might be too late.”
As the leader of the party, Darian decided to express his gratitude formally.
“We owe you our lives. We’ll never forget this kindness. Not just me, but these two as well.”
Following Darian, the other two also bowed their heads respectfully.
They had regained their lives, which they had thought were lost.
The sudden turn of events left them too stunned to think clearly.
“How can we repay you…?”
“That’s not necessary. As a former hero, it’s only right that I did what I had to do.”
“A hero?”
“Ah…”
The man scratched his head awkwardly and gave an embarrassed smile.
“Actually, my name is Theo. There are some strange rumors about me, but I’m a decent person…”
Darian understood the reason for his strength and nodded.
“I see. I’m glad we could clear up any misunderstandings about you, Theo.”
“I appreciate the words, at least.”
“Still, it feels wrong not to offer you anything in return…”
“Really, it’s fine. Accepting rewards would dilute the purity of the act.”
Pure goodwill, huh?
He was an even more remarkable person than the rumors suggested.
Internally impressed, Darian decided to make another offer.
“You seem to be on an adventure. Is there anything you need? We’d be happy to provide supplies.”
“Ah, actually, there is one thing I’d like to ask.”
“Please, go ahead.”
The former hero, Theo, turned his gaze toward the campfire.
“If there’s any to spare, I’d like some of that…”
***
I heard an explosion from somewhere and went to check it out, only to find a party of adventurers in danger.
This area was a hobgoblin habitat, so they should have been well-prepared.
Whether they had let their guard down or not, they were completely surrounded and overwhelmed.
“Phew… that really made me sweat.”
I was originally a thief.
Though I had trained in swordsmanship, it was still incomplete.
I was worried about making mistakes, so I introduced myself as a passing swordsman… but in the end, I decided to reveal my true identity.
“Using only daggers made it hard to control the spacing.”
Thanks to the magic sword, things went smoothly, but there were unexpected close calls, like almost tripping or facing unforeseen challenges.
Did they notice my lack of fundamentals?
Well, the result was good, so let’s leave it at that.
I took a bite of the skewer I was holding.
“Eating snacks before bed makes you gain weight.”
The road ahead was long.
I needed to rest well and then travel far again.
Munching on the meat I received as a reward from the adventurers, I walked through the forest at night.
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