"I didn’t get to explore the forest more than I initially planned, but I got some unexpected gains and I’m not bored anymore... It’s time to go back."

Verc said as he stood over the two massive stone doors where he entered this place before.

The heavy, cold air of the underground room swirled around him, but it no longer felt as suffocating as it once did. The silence of the room was deep, yet he felt a sense of accomplishment.

He was in a trance for a whole three days, just meditating and using [Mana Circulation].

The process had been grueling, a slow and steady grinding of energy as he pulled the thick dark mana from the environment into his own core. Because of this—he cleaned up all the corrupted mana in the massive room, and he reached a new level of strength!

His muscles felt denser, his mana circuits wider, and his connection to the earth itself was more vivid than ever before. The aura he radiated now was sharper, a testament to the trial he had just survived.

Though, because of another long usage of mana cultivation skill continuously—he’s very hungry now.

"Ugh... I would’ve gone crazy already if it wasn’t for [Hunger Supression]."

It was a hollow, gnawing sensation that started in the pit of his stomach and radiated outward to his very fingertips.

Even the little energy he got from drinking Dune’s blood was already gone, consumed by the rapid growth and repair of his body during the meditation. His survival instincts were screaming at him to find something substantial to eat, preferably blood and meat.

This is actually one of the reasons why he decided to go back now.

He didn’t want to faint from hunger in the middle of a dark, forgotten tomb where no one would ever find him.

Anyway, when he got back to the massive room where he fought the Dark Lich—Verc saw the skeleton now just blacked dust.

The remains of the once-terrifying monster had crumbled away entirely, leaving only a dark smudge on the floor that the wind of the closing doors would eventually scatter. Now, he was really sure that the monster was dead. The soul was extinguished, and the physical vessel had finally returned to the earth.

So, without any more worry—CREAAAAAK—!

Verc placed his hands onto the stone doors and pushed them open.

The weight was still immense, requiring a significant exertion of his physical power, but with his new strength, it felt slightly more manageable.

After creating a small gap on those heavy and towering doors—TAP.

Verc stepped out, and finally left the place that almost became his grave!

BOOM!

The doors closed loudly behind him again.

"Hmm..."

The tunnel beyond was dark, but his eyes adjusted instantly. He took one last look at the chamber before turning away.

And with this; he started his journey back to his territory.

’I hope the others stored a lot sacrifice for me.’

*****

Two and a half days had passed more...

And currently, in the village Verc created—

The sun was high, and the inhabitants were busy with their daily chores. It was a scene of peaceful productivity.

"I-It’s an emergency!"

"We have a problem!"

When all of a sudden, the two Kobolds Verc bought from the slave shop back in Sionann just came back, screaming like that with panic looks on their faces!

They were Scally and Skul.

They’re now an important part of the hunting group, and one of their special roles; were scouting.

Utilizing their natural agility to move through the underbrush undetected. They explore and scout the forest to find where it is good to hunt monsters and map out their bases. They also set traps all over, creating a defensive web around the village that alerted them to any approaching threats.

That’s why, when they came back shouting—

"...?"

The others became alerted.

The sound of hammers stopped, and the chatter of the village died down. Heads turned toward the entrance where the two small figures were staggering in.

"What’s wrong?"

Pwyll, who was in charge of everyone guarding the wall, heard the two kobolds and headed to them to ask that.

He climbed down from his post, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His face was stern, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. He knew that the kobolds wouldn’t cause such a scene unless it was something truly significant.

Skul, who was in charge of his little brother, Scally—looked at the human who was from the same slave shop as them before.

He saw the familiar face of Pwyll and felt a brief moment of relief. Then, he looked around as well.

"...!"

He noticed that a lot of eyes were on them.

The Orcs had stopped their work, their massive forms looming over the smaller creatures. The Gnolls had bared their teeth slightly, sensing the tension in the air.

"We saw—"

"Don’t say it, Scally."

Scally was about to tell Pwyll what they saw, but Skul placed his hands on his little brother’s mouth to stop him from doing so.

The younger kobold let out a muffled grunt, but he understood the warning in his brother’s eyes.

Skul realized that if they revealed the news that they have right now and the others heard it; it will send a wave of panic to everyone.

The village was still new, and if the news they have spread without a plan, the fragile peace Verc had built might crumble into chaos.

Skul regained his calm and looked at Pwyll, then, getting close to him and opening his mouth—

"We need to have a meeting with all the leaders. As soon as possible."

He whispered that.

The words were barely audible, meant only for Pwyll’s ears.

"..."

Pwyll heard this, and he had no reaction on his face.

He kept his expression neutral, masking the sudden jolt of alarm he felt. Though, he was just keeping a facade, he realized what Skul was doing. He appreciated the kobold’s quick thinking and his awareness of the village’s morale. Pwyll nodded his head in understanding.

Then before leaving—

"I’ll call the others, head to the castle first."

He said that to Skul and Scally.

The two of them nodded their heads as well, then the three of them separated ways.

Pwyll moved quickly toward the different sections of the village, while the kobolds jogged toward the towering stone structure at the center of the territory.

Skul handled the situation logically and properly.

Kobolds are known to be stupid, but in fact—they aren’t.

Many people in the outside world viewed them as little more than pests or fodder, but that was a misconception born from prejudice. They just don’t have any opportunity to learn because their whole race was a slave to the humans. They were kept in cages, beaten, and never given the chance to develop their minds.

But here, they have freedom, a home given to them by their lord—Verc.

The safety of the village and the dignity they were afforded had allowed their natural intelligence to bloom.

And with Bernia teaching everyone in the village on a regular basis; Skul and Scally started learning.

They sat in the front of every class, their eyes wide as they absorbed every word about history, language, and strategy. They were even one of the fast learners!

They were stuttering when they first got here, they lack vocabulary and awareness. But now, both of them can function much better than normal people. They had found a purpose, and they were determined to protect it.

*****

Skul and Scally headed to the castle just as Pwyll instructed them.

The castle was a massive, imposing building that Verc had spent a lot of mana to construct. It served as the heart of the village and the residence for the core members of their community.

Pwyll, on the other hand, he called Groo, Mamon, and the other family heads of the Orcs. He also called for Kuma, the leader of the gnolls. Then they all headed to the castle as well. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

In the castle, the kids; Tatum, Ashley, Jed, Neit, Moro, Jai, and Maya are already there, so Scally and Skul already informed them about the meeting as soon as they arrived there.

Bernia, Grainne, and Aodh are also in the castle, and because they have special positions as well—the three of them were also included with the meeting.

Grainne is a woman dark elf that is in-charge about the agriculture of the territory.

She had a deep connection to the plants and the soil, ensuring that the village’s food supply was always stable. She’s also taking care of the three beastwomen that is part of the said group. She’s acting as their mother, being that the three aren’t even in their 20s yet, and she’s already in her 50s.

(She looks like she’s in the same age as the three though.)

To an outsider, Grainne appeared youthful, with smooth skin and bright eyes, but she carried the wisdom and patience of half a century. She was the one who kept the peace in the gardens and taught the younger ones the value of patience and growth.

Aodh is the leader of the dwarves, he’s the oldest out of the eight of them, and that’s the only reason the others decided for him to be the leader.

He was a master of the forge, and his hands were constantly stained with soot and oil. They just dumped the responsibility on him because he was the only one who could sit still long enough to listen to a report.

(He’s doing a good job handling it even though he was basically forced into being the leader.)

He grumbled about the politics, but his loyalty to Verc, who gave him freedom, and the village, who became his new home, was absolute. He made sure every tool and weapon in the village was of the highest quality.

... ... ...

... ... ...

Anyway, after just a few minutes of Skul and Scally coming back from scouting the [Cursed Forest]—all the important figures had been gathered, well, except for their lord, of course.

The twenty of them gathered on the 5th floor of the castle, just beside Verc’s room.

The room was large, with a long table made of dark wood and chairs that were built to accommodate the different sizes of the various races. Large windows offered a panoramic view of the forest canopy, letting in the natural light of the afternoon.

Verc made a massive room beside his, and he told the others to hold meetings there.

He didn’t want to travel if he ever calls a meeting, after all...

’I’d rather have them come to me than me going to them.’

He had thought when he designed the floor.

Moving on, this was the first time this had been ever used. The air in the room felt stiff and new, as if the walls were waiting for the first major decision to be made within them.

"So, what is it that the two of you had seen?"

Then without beating around the bush—Tatum asked that, looking at the two kobolds.

His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. He’s the one who holds the most power here along with Jed.

Anyway, at his question, the others looked at the two as well in curiosity.

The Orcs sat with their arms crossed over their massive chests, while the Dwarves leaned forward, their brows furrowed. Most of them had no idea why they were holding a meeting, after all. They had just been told to drop everything and get to the 5th floor.

"..."

Skul and Scally nodded their heads, and responding just as straight as they were asked—

"We saw humans outside the forest."

Skul declared that.

"A whole bunch of them."

Then Scally followed.

"!!!"

Their words were casually delivered, but as soon as the others processed them; everyone’s eyes widened!

A collective gasp echoed in the room. The Orcs gripped the edges of the table, and Kuma’s fur stood on end. The word "humans" was like a spark in a dry forest.

And before any of them could even say anything—

"And from what we observed from afar; they’re currently camping outside, and it seems like they’re planning to enter the forest."

Skul added that.

He looked around the table, seeing the fear and the rising anger in the faces of his friends.

"..."

The whole room went silent, they were all shocked and doesn’t know how to respond.

The silence was deafening. The only sound was the distant rustle of leaves outside the window. Every single one in this room... they had no good memories with humans.

For many, the sight of a human meant chains, whips, and the loss of family. For others, it meant hunters coming to claim their pelts or their lives. Even Pwyll and Bernia who are both humans don’t have good memories with them.

The silence became heavy, and it dawned onto the room like an invisible pressure pressing down on them.

The fear of the past was colliding with the hope of the present. They had worked so hard to build this sanctuary, and now, the very thing they fled from was at their doorstep.

But then, after a while—

"What kind of humans did you two see?"

Tatum asked that, breaking the silence.

He didn’t let the fear consume him. He leaned forward, his eyes locked on Skul.

"?!"

And with his voice, the others snapped back to reality as well!

The trance of shock was broken. They realized that staring at each other in silence wouldn’t help them.

Tatum understood that the situation they’re in right now is urgent, and every second was precious. He knew that information was their best weapon. He didn’t have time to panic.

If they were going to defend their home, they needed to know exactly what they were up against.

Skul was glad that someone regained their composure fast.

He took a deep breath, trying to recall every detail Scally had pointed out to him through their telescope. (Verc bought the telescope back in the city when he did a shopping spree.)

"They have weapons and are wearing heavy armors... I think they are what the people call knights."

He stated.

"They have banners, too. Bright colors. They don’t look like common mercenaries or local hunters."

"Roughly, how many are they?"

Jed asked a question this time.

He was already thinking about the logistics of defense, mentally counting the number of fighters the village could muster.

"More are still arriving when we saw them, but one thing is for sure—there are over a hundred of them, at least."

It was Scally who answered this time.

He held up his fingers, trying to count them out again. He has a better eyesight than his older brother; he was the one who noticed the humans from afar in the first place.

’There were so many... like a line of ants.’

He thought to himself, shivering at the memory of the shining steel glinting in the sun.

Anyway, after this, everyone calmed down and they realized they needed to act fast.

"..."

The initial shock had worn off, replaced by a grim determination. They were no longer the helpless slaves they once were. They had walls, they had weapons, and they had each other.

So following Tatum and Jed’s example, the others started asking questions too to prepare about the situation.

"Do they have mages?"

Aodh asked, his voice gravelly.

"What about horses?"

Kuma added, sniffing the air as if he could catch their scent from miles away.

The meeting transformed from a circle of shocked individuals into a council of war. They discussed patrols, food storage, and the possibility of evacuating the non-combatants to the deeper parts of the castle.

... ... ...

Oh, and also—It was Elianna and the expedition group that was now outside the [Cursed Forest], of course.