"Looks like we had some visitors while I was away."

Verc said as he arrived in front of the village and saw the situation. It was a small siege.

He tried his best to arrive here as fast as he can, and when he was about a hundred meters away from here; he already knew that a fight was happening. That was why he was already expecting to see a mess as soon as he arrived.

The thick scent of blood, burning magic, and shattered earth had reached his nose long before his boots touched the village border.

"..."

Everyone stopped what they were doing, they involuntarily froze after sensing the strong, sharp aura that was coming out of Verc. They felt like if they move; they would be killed!

The mercenaries dropped their jaws, the noble knights felt their knees shaking, and even the ferocious orcs lowered their weapons out of instinctual respect. The pressure rolling off Verc’s body was suffocating, heavy enough to drown out the lingering holy light in the air. It felt as if a physical weight had been dropped onto the shoulders of every single living being in the clearing, locking their joints in place!

At the frozen battlefield—

"..."

Verc took a quick look around with a straight look on his face, trying to assess the damage and the current tide of the battle. He noticed the fallen bodies, the dented shields, and the remnants of the defensive formations. His eyes scanned the lines of the enemy forces, counting their numbers and noting their equipment with a cold, mechanical precision.

"Huh...?"

And in doing so... he locked eyes with Elianna and Kael. He also saw the other squad members under them.

He was... speechless.

"..."

Elianna and Kael were obviously surprised as well. They didn’t expect to see Verc ever again, especially not in this place and in this situation.

They didn’t know what to say, not sure if they even have something to say. Their minds went blank as they looked at the man who had effortlessly disrupted the entire battlefield just by standing there. Memories of their past encounters flashed through their minds.

This was the same for Verc as well. He blinked, a flash of recognition passing through his eyes before his face went completely blank again. He hadn’t anticipated seeing the Saintess and her top protector leading attacking his home.

But after a while--

"..."

Verc just decided to turn his head away from them, then he looked at the other enemies. They were looking at him with fear.

And because of his arrival as well—the individuals under him had risen their morale. Their lord was back, and that meant the battle was already decided for them.

"Who started the fight?"

Verc asked, his voice echoing through the silent clearing. It was quiet, but it carried a weight that made the nearby trees seem to rustle.

FWISH~

After asking that, Ashley suddenly appeared on his side like she teleported. She left the others to keep an eye on Kael and his squad members. Her movements were silent, her posture respectful as she stood half a step behind him, ready to provide whatever information he required.

"They started it, Lord Verc."

Ashley stated that.

"They appeared not long ago, and declared that they plan to conquer this place. When Tatum and Pwyll confronted them, saying that this place is already under the lord’s control and they were told to go back—they accused us of colliding with demons and attacked."

She spoke clearly, ensuring every word reached Verc’s ears.

"They planned to wipe the village "clean", according to their commander earlier."

She added, summarizing what started this mess. Her eyes flashed with anger as she recalled the commander’s arrogant words.

"Status?"

Verc mumbled, keeping his gaze fixed on the main force of the enemy expedition.

"Pwyll neutralized the commander already. Bernia handled his subordinates. And we’re holding back the knights with the sun crest on their armors... they seem stronger than the commander."

Ashley reported, her tone calm and analytical as she broke down the current state of the defense.

Verc nodded his head hearing this, he frowned as he looked at the young nobles with their knights, the mages, and the mercenaries. They flinched under his gaze. The mercenaries began to look at each other, their hands trembling as they realized their employer was already incapacitated. The mages lowered their staffs, their mana destabilizing under Verc’s immense pressure, making it impossible for them to maintain their spells.

"Your commander had been caught, we have the field advantage."

He announced, his words aimed at the enemies. His voice was cold, leaving no room for argument or negotiation.

"Lower your weapons and surrender if you want to keep your lives... But if any of you still wants to fight—"

WHOOOOSH~

"I’ll take care of you personally."

A cold breeze swept by the battlefield as Verc declared that, the aura he was emitting got even stronger. The temperature dropped instantly, making everyone’s breath turn into white mist as the dark power rippled outward.

"...!"

"HIEEEK!"

The enemies stepped back, their boots squelching in the mud, but their grip on their weapons remained firm.

They just can’t trust Verc’s words that he will let them live if they surrender. To them, a powerful being ruling over a village of monsters was bound to be a bloodthirsty tyrant who would execute them the moment they disarmed.

But just then—FWIP!

The golden field that was buffing them and making the enemies weaker suddenly disappeared!

The bright light that had been keeping the knights’ spirits high vanished in a fraction of a second, leaving the clearing dim and cold once more. They all looked at the skill owner—Elianna.

"..."

And there; they saw her standing straight while looking at Verc. Her face was pale, but her eyes were filled with a strange, deep resolution that surprised everyone around her.

THUNK!

She let go of her sword and let it hit the ground, and with a resolute look on her face—

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"

She exclaimed that. Her voice rang out across the mud, shocking her own allies and causing a ripple of confusion through the remaining ranks.

"!!!"

Everyone was surprised by what she just did. They were confused as to why she would easily surrender. She was the Saintess, the symbol of their hope and their strongest pillar in this expedition, yet she was giving up without a final stand.

THUCK!

But following her decision and trusting on her... and also on Verc—Kael and the remaining conscious members of his squad also dropped their weapons!

"F—Fine...!"

One of the mercenaries yelled, his nerves finally breaking under the terrifying weight of Verc’s presence.

"I surrender too!"

Another one shouted, throwing his spear to the ground with a splash.

And after them—the enemies started dropping their weapons as well and raising their hands. A chain reaction occurred across the entire field. Swords, axes, bows, and magic staffs clattered against the earth, creating a chaotic rhythm of defeat.

The young nobles looked bitter, their pride shattered, but they too ordered their remaining guards to stand down rather than face the monster lord.

"..."

Verc looked at Elianna again, and he saw her looking at him as well. She didn’t look away.

’She convinced the others to surrender to stop pointless casualties, huh.’

Verc thought to himself.

’She’s trusting me way too much.’

He added with a frown on his face. He remembered their past interactions, but this was a completely different scenario. She acted as if she knew he wouldn’t slaughter them out of spite or anger.

"Tsk."

He clicked his tongue, then opening his mouth—

"Stop attacking! Restrain everyone and take their weapons!"

Verc ordered that. His command was absolute, and the village forces immediately responded to the word.

*****

"DON’T RESIST!"

"KEEP YOUR HANDS TOGETHER!"

The orcs and the remaining fighters took Elianna and the other enemies at Verc’s orders.

The enemies all silently followed after the orcs, fearing their lord—Verc. The atmosphere was incredibly tense as the disarmed knights and mercenaries were lined up. The orcs handled them roughly, confiscating every hidden dagger and pouch, but they kept their own weapons holstered, keeping a strict eye on every single movement.

"..."

Tap- Tap- Tap-

The human prisoners walked with their heads low, their armor clanking softly in the quiet forest. They dared not look back at Verc, whose presence still felt like a physical weight crushing their spirits even after the fighting had stopped.

Anyway, with that done, everyone approached Verc and greeted him. The battle was officially over, and the defense of the village had been a complete success.

"Welcome back, Lord Verc."

Tatum said, bowing his head slightly in respect.

"You arrived just in time."

Pwyll added, wiping some mud from his brow while resting his sword on his shoulder, his voice carrying the slight exhaustion of his duel with the commander.

Verc simply greeted them back with a slight nod of his head. He looked over their injuries, making sure none of them were in critical danger or suffering from life-threatening wounds.

"Good job holding the line."

Verc muttered quietly, acknowledging their efforts in keeping the village safe during his absence.

... ... ...

After the greetings, quietly—Verc told everyone that he’s low on energy and asked them for monster blood he could drink.

"I’m really hungry now."

The fight against the Dark Lich had drained his reserves significantly, and pushing his body to break the sound barrier on the way back had used up a lot of his reamining energy. His throat felt dry, a burning sensation clawing at the inside of his chest as his vampire nature demanded nourishment to heal the internal fatigue.

At his request, Tatum and the others immediately moved. They understood the needs of their lord perfectly. They didn’t ask questions about where he had been, what he had fought, or why he was so depleted; they just knew he needed sustenance to recover his strength and stabilize his core.

"Grainne, take the lord to the food storage right now."

Tatum ordered immediately.

Grainne, who’s in charge of storing and rationing the food—immediately led Verc to the storage room. She moved quickly, her steps urgent as she signaled for Verc to follow her through the village gates and toward the center of the settlement where the main fortifications stood.

... ... ...

"So this is where they’re all stored, huh."

Verc whispered to himself.

The storage room was inside his castle, on the second floor; where the gnolls lives before. The storage room was built by the gnolls and the dwarves.

The walls were made of thick, reinforced stone blocks, locked together with precision dwarf craftsmanship that could withstand heavy artillery.

"..."

Verc caught the strong smell of blood inside the room, and he became hungrier.

CREAAAAK--!

Grainne pushed open a pair of heavy wooden doors, revealing the vast expanse of the storage area. And inside--mountain of monster corpse greeted Verc!

"..."

After seeing the pile and mountain of monsters—Verc wasted no time.

The room was packed with large barrels, stone jars, and freshly hunted monster carcasses that had been drained and preserved for resource allocation. The sheer volume of life force stored in this single room was immense.

TAP-

Verc walked past Grainne, his red eyes glowing faintly in the dim light of the storehouse. He felt his vampire instincts roaring to life at the scent of fresh blood, his body demanding the nutrients immediately.

He kneeled down, and taking one dead monster—

CHOMP!

He took a bite of it! He tore into the flesh with his sharp fangs, puncturing the main artery of a large forest beast that had been brought in earlier that day.

SLURP!

Verc then began to draw the thick, dark blood directly from the source, swallowing it in large, heavy gulps.

It was time for him to recover his energy and strength.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

After drinking blood to his fill, Verc gathered all the leaders back at the meeting room beside his room at the fifth floor of the castle, and there—he started asking questions about what happened while he was away.

The fifth floor of the castle was the most secure area of the entire structure, designed to be the final line of defense. It housed Verc’s private quarters. The windows looked out over the entire village, providing a clear view of the damage caused by the siege and the movement of the guards outside.

Everyone took their seats around the table, their expressions serious as they waited for Verc to speak. The air was much calmer now, but the gravity of the situation still hung over them like a shroud.

"Hup."

Verc sat at the head of the table, his red eyes clear and his energy completely restored.

"Tell me everything from the beginning."

Verc stated, leaning back in his chair and locking his gaze on Tatum.

"What happened while I was gone?"

He asked, his voice steady as he began the briefing.