The monsters that couldn’t attack from a distance also charged to the main gate, tangling with the Adventurers fighting in close quarters.

Colin took a quick look.

The companions who had escorted the carriage with him were worlds apart from these people. That was true for both their will to fight and their combat abilities.

These Adventurers showed no fear at the sight of the monster assault.

Before these hardened Warriors, the short Twig Blights could hardly last three blows. Most were smashed to splinters in a single exchange.

The Twig Blights’ counterattacks were ineffective against the Adventurers’ protective, sturdy leather boots. Their sharp wooden claws might be fine against unarmored targets, but they couldn’t do a thing against tougher opponents.

Colin breathed an inward sigh of relief.

’At this rate, unless a few hundred more Blights show up, there’s no way they’ll break through.’

Just then, a black raven flew overhead, circling them twice.

"They’ve spotted a Druid over there. I’m going to check it out." After speaking, the Mage made a hand gesture, and a white mist immediately billowed from his body.

When the mist dissipated, he was gone.

’Probably some kind of Teleportation Magic,’ Colin thought.

"Face the blades of the Stone Family!"

A shout suddenly rang out from the main gate.

Relying on the thick Defense of his Long Chain Armor, the knight’s scion leaped out of the gate, roaring his family’s name.

He gripped his Hand Half Sword with both hands, forcing back the surrounding Twig Blights that had closed in.

Then he lunged forward, smashing a monster with a backhand swing, before leaping backward and cutting down an unlucky pursuer with another slash of his sword.

With that, he cleared a space in front of the line.

Gasping for breath, Victor raised his blade high, turned, and stared daggers at Colin as he roared, "I am the hero of Silverpine Village!"

The people around him roared in agreement, and morale instantly soared to its peak.

For those fighting on the front lines...

...a hero who stood before them all was far more real than some so-called hero tossing Magic from a rooftop. After all, it remained to be seen if that other "hero" truly deserved the title.

But the monsters weren’t about to stand by and watch them cheer.

Victor planted his feet, put his whole body into it, and swung his Hand Half Sword back fiercely, sending several charging Twig Blights flying.

The monsters didn’t hesitate for a second as several more Twig Blights pounced.

Surrounded by several monsters, Victor dodged and weaved, flitting among them like a butterfly and occasionally felling a few unlucky ones that couldn’t evade his blade in time.

’This guy’s Swordsmanship is actually pretty good,’ Colin thought.

’It’s not surprising, I suppose. He was trained as a candidate for knighthood since he was a child...’

CRACK, CRACK, CRACK!

Suddenly, the situation took a drastic turn.

Accompanied by a terrifyingly loud sound of snapping bones, countless snowflakes and a cold mist exploded amidst the crowd.

"ROAR!!"

Before anyone could react, a massive bear’s head lunged from the mist and clamped its jaws onto Victor’s shoulder.

The poor man didn’t even have time to scream before the giant bear snatched him up and thrashed him about in mid-air like a ragdoll. With a swipe of its two front paws, it brutally tore half his shoulder off. Shredded rings of Chain Armor clattered to the ground.

Having done this, the giant bear picked Victor up in its jaws again, turned, and charged toward the Adventurers’ line.

’How did that thing get here?’

Colin instantly found the answer in his mind—’If Druids can turn into animals, they could have just turned into a rat, snuck up through the monster horde, and then instantly transformed into a bear.’

’Since I know this thing isn’t just a simple animal...’

"Stop it!" Colin instantly realized what it was trying to do.

He casually flung a Flaming Arrow at the bear’s head.

But the great bear was unfazed and continued its charge toward the gate. Behind it followed countless snarling Twig Blights, and even the Needle Blights had abandoned their ranged attacks to follow along. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Faced with an enemy they couldn’t break, the monsters were making an all-or-nothing push!

The hero who had been in the spotlight just moments ago was now a tattered rag in a monster’s mouth. The Adventurers didn’t dare stand in the way of the surging horde.

The solid defensive line was instantly torn open.

The giant bear, still carrying Victor in its jaws, slammed its head into the house beneath Colin and the others. How could an earthen house made of branches and mud withstand such an impact?

Colin felt the roof beneath his feet give way, and he and the others beside him fell through.

A cloud of dust filled his vision.

The crisp ring of metal on metal sounded in his ears, followed by a fierce gust of wind that tore the dust apart.

Having fallen to the ground, Colin saw Kase holding the Insect Shell Shield in front of him.

The massive Bear Claws pressed against the Shield, producing a piercing screech. Kase’s hands, which had been steadily holding back the attack, began to tremble—the Curse was taking effect.

Colin looked at the countless Blights following behind the great bear.

’Now’s the time,’ he thought. ’I knew something like this would happen.’

He opened his palm, extended his hand toward the onrushing monsters, and instantly chanted in Dwarven, the words full of explosive sounds.

Tier One Magic, Burning Hand.

In that instant, searing flames blossomed from his palm.

The flower of fire instantly engulfed all creatures within a five-meter radius. Before this storm of flame, the plant-based monsters stood no chance.

Countless charred leaf fragments flew everywhere. The Blights’ offensive collapsed in an instant!

"Hold on."

"I can’t hold on much longer!" Kase shouted from behind the Shield. Even so, he drew his Battle Axe and hacked at the great bear’s waist, using all his strength to stall the fearsome opponent.

The Bear Claws relentlessly scraped at the Insect Shell Shield, kicking up sparks.

Colin moved past the Shield and rushed toward the gap in the formation. Spreading his hands, he unleashed another Burning Hand, incinerating the Twig Blights that were about to surge forward and fill the line.

Thanks to his previous practice...

...Colin didn’t feel dizzy after casting a Tier One Magic spell for the second time. He only felt a throbbing pain in his forehead.

After doing all this, he yelled, "Hold the line!"

At his shout, the surrounding Adventurers finally snapped out of their stupor.

The line that had been torn open was stabilized again in an instant. And all of it had been done by a single person in a matter of seconds.

Their thoughts of retreat were instantly burned away along with the monsters.

This was the hero of Dragon’s Fang Castle!

The Adventurers’ spirits rallied. They charged toward the center, intending to reclaim the shattered line.

’Now to deal with that bear,’ Colin thought, but at the same moment, he realized there was no longer any noise behind him.

He turned to look, and the giant white bear from before had vanished without a trace.

A figure in Beast Hide Armor lay on the ground, while the Halfling stood nearby, nonchalantly toying with a Dagger.

’He dealt with it that quickly?’ Colin was a little surprised.

"Nice work, kid," the Halfling said, looking at Colin. "Your combat awareness is way better than our team’s Mage was when he first started. But you’re probably unluckier than him, too. After all, you can’t get this kind of experience anywhere but in a life-or-death battle."

Kase nodded. "You’re right about that. He’s been cursed by the Goddess of Destiny."

The rustling in the surrounding trees started up again.

He looked around.

Just like last time, seeing they could gain no advantage, the Blights were retreating decisively.