Chapter 105 - 103: The Village That Fired First

Chapter 105: Chapter 103: The Village That Fired First

The first arrow struck the Civic Exploration Platform’s front armor with a sharp metallic clang.

Arin looked up from the navigation display.

"Well, that’s rude."

A second arrow followed.

Then a third.

Lucan leaned against the railing of the forward observation deck, watching the projectiles bounce harmlessly from the massive hull.

"Friendly place."

Arin sighed.

"Apparently."

The platform had stopped approximately three hundred meters from the unknown settlement.

Ahead stood a rough defensive wall built from timber, stone, and salvaged metal. Several watchtowers rose above it, their occupants holding bows and crossbows.

A narrow road led toward the main gate.

Beyond the wall, smoke rose from chimneys.

The village was alive.

And very clearly frightened.

EVE appeared beside Arin.

"Projectile impacts detected. No damage."

"Obviously."

"Shall I activate defensive countermeasures?"

"No."

Lucan smiled.

"Not even a warning shot?"

"Especially not a warning shot."

Another arrow struck the hull.

Arin stared toward the gate.

"Someone really needs to explain that we’re not here to invade."

The village’s defenders were doing a poor job of hiding their panic.

From the observation deck, Arin could see several archers arguing with one another.

One man appeared to be shouting orders.

Another was trying to reload a crossbow with trembling hands.

A third had dropped his bow entirely.

Arin couldn’t blame them.

A sixty-meter armored machine had just emerged from the forest and stopped outside their walls.

From their perspective, that was probably a terrible way to begin the morning.

He turned toward EVE.

"Can we establish communication?"

"Attempting."

A small communication drone rose from the platform.

It approached the gate slowly, broadcasting a peaceful identification message.

The villagers responded by shooting it.

The drone avoided the first arrow.

The second struck its side.

It wobbled.

Then returned.

EVE looked mildly offended.

"That was unnecessary."

Arin nodded.

"Agreed."

Lucan laughed.

"Maybe they don’t like visitors."

Arin considered.

"Then we’ll visit without the giant machine."

The platform remained stationary.

Its defensive systems stayed inactive.

Arin, Lucan, and A-01 approached the gate on foot.

EVE accompanied them in her humanoid body.

Rian remained aboard with the survey team.

The sisters were instructed to stay inside the family quarters.

Lyra objected.

Luna asked whether the village had biscuits.

Arin promised to investigate both matters.

Now, standing before the gate, he raised his hands.

"We’re not here to fight!"

Silence.

Then a voice shouted from the wall.

"THEN WHY DID YOU BRING THAT THING?"

Arin looked back toward the enormous platform.

"Transportation!"

A pause.

"THAT’S TRANSPORTATION?"

"YES!"

Lucan leaned toward him.

"Technically true."

Arin ignored him.

The voice shouted again.

"WHO ARE YOU?"

"ARIN ELYSIUM!"

Silence.

Then several people began talking at once.

A moment later, a woman appeared above the gate.

She looked to be in her thirties, with short dark hair, a scar across her cheek, and a worn leather breastplate.

She stared down at him.

"House Elysium?"

Arin nodded.

"Yes."

Her expression changed.

Not relief.

Recognition.

Then suspicion.

"Prove it."

Arin sighed.

"How?"

She considered.

"Show us something only House Elysium can do."

Lucan slowly smiled.

Arin closed his eyes.

"Don’t."

Lucan looked innocent.

"What?"

Arin turned back toward the wall.

"Would you prefer a medical drone or a construction drone?"

The woman blinked.

"What?"

"One heals people. The other repairs buildings."

She stared.

Then looked toward the damaged watchtower behind her.

"Construction."

Arin nodded.

"Fine."

Ten minutes later, a compact construction drone was repairing the village’s outer watchtower.

The villagers watched in complete silence.

The drone lifted broken timber.

Removed damaged supports.

Installed temporary braces.

And reinforced the structure with salvaged materials.

The entire process took less than twenty minutes.

When it finished, the watchtower stood straighter than before.

The woman on the wall stared.

Then slowly lowered her crossbow.

"Open the gate."

The village was called Hollowbrook.

It had once been a small farming settlement along an old eastern trade route.

Then the road fell into disrepair.

Merchants stopped coming.

Regional patrols became less frequent.

And the surrounding forests grew dangerous.

The settlement had survived by becoming increasingly self-sufficient.

Its population was approximately four hundred.

Its people farmed.

Raised livestock.

Hunted.

And traded occasionally with neighboring villages.

But three weeks earlier, something had changed.

The woman who had challenged Arin introduced herself as Captain Mira Fen, commander of Hollowbrook’s local guard.

She led the visitors into a modest council hall.

Arin sat across from her.

Lucan examined the damaged furniture.

EVE quietly scanned the building’s structural condition.

A-01 stood near the entrance.

Mira folded her arms.

"Three weeks ago, monsters began attacking our livestock."

Arin nodded.

"What kind?"

"At first, ordinary forest predators. Then larger ones."

"How large?"

Mira hesitated.

"Large enough to tear through reinforced fences."

Lucan looked interested.

Arin continued.

"Casualties?"

"Seven injured. Two dead."

The room became quiet.

Mira looked down.

"Both were guards."

Arin’s expression softened.

"I’m sorry."

She nodded.

Then continued.

"The attacks became more frequent. We reinforced the walls, but four nights ago something broke through the eastern watchtower."

Arin looked toward the damaged structure.

"What?"

"We don’t know."

Lucan frowned.

"You didn’t see it?"

"We saw pieces of it."

Arin raised an eyebrow.

"Pieces?"

Mira nodded.

"Claws. Armor. Something moving through the darkness."

EVE looked toward Arin.

"Unusual."

He nodded.

"Very."

The village’s healer arrived shortly afterward.

An elderly man named Tomas.

He brought medical records.

Arin examined them.

The injuries were serious.

Deep cuts.

Crushed bones.

And strange burns around several wounds.

EVE scanned the records.

"Mana-related tissue damage."

Tomas nodded.

"That’s what I thought."

Arin looked toward him.

"Can you treat it?"

"Partially. But our supplies are limited."

Arin nodded.

"We can help."

Mira looked up sharply.

"How much?"

Arin blinked.

"What?"

"How much will it cost?"

He considered.

"Medical supplies? Nothing."

Mira stared.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

She looked suspicious.

"Why?"

Arin sighed.

"Because people are injured."

Lucan smiled faintly.

Mira remained silent for several seconds.

Then slowly nodded.

"Thank you."

The medical team arrived from the platform within half an hour.

They treated the injured villagers.

Stabilized infections.

Replaced damaged bandages.

And supplied the local healer with additional medicines.

Arin insisted that Tomas remain involved.

The village needed to understand the treatments.

Not become dependent on equipment it couldn’t maintain.

Meanwhile, EVE analyzed the damaged eastern wall.

The results were strange.

The wood had been torn apart by tremendous physical force.

But the surrounding stone showed signs of localized mana discharge.

Not ordinary fire.

Not lightning.

Something else.

Lucan examined a deep claw mark.

"Big creature."

Arin nodded.

"Very."

"Strong."

"Yes."

"Probably angry."

Arin looked at him.

"Excellent analysis."

Lucan smiled.

"Thank you."

The village’s children were the first to become comfortable around the visitors.

They gathered near the gate, staring at the Civic Exploration Platform.

Some pointed.

Others whispered.

One small boy asked whether it was a walking castle.

Arin smiled.

"Something like that."

The boy’s eyes widened.

"Does it have cannons?"

"No."

"Dragons?"

"No."

"Treasure?"

Arin considered.

"Snacks."

The boy looked disappointed.

Then Lyra appeared at the platform’s boarding ramp.

"WE HAVE BISCUITS!"

Arin closed his eyes.

Of course.

Within twenty minutes, the Little Elysium Workshop had opened a temporary stall.

Lyra and Luna sold biscuits and small wooden souvenirs.

At ordinary prices.

Arin made sure of that.

The village children gathered around them.

Luna carefully explained the different souvenir designs.

Lyra described the Civic Exploration Platform in increasingly dramatic terms.

"It’s a giant moving house!"

A boy stared.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Can it fight monsters?"

Lyra hesitated.

Then smiled.

"My big brother can."

Arin, standing nearby, sighed.

Lucan laughed.

The first attack came shortly before sunset.

A warning sounded from the eastern watchtower.

Then another.

Mira rushed toward the gate.

"MONSTERS!"

Arin looked up.

EVE immediately projected a map.

"Multiple hostile signatures approaching from the eastern forest."

"How many?"

"Approximately thirty."

Lucan smiled.

"Finally."

Arin looked at him.

"Please stop enjoying this."

Lucan shrugged.

"Can’t help it."

The creatures emerged from the trees in a loose formation.

They resembled wolves, but their bodies were covered in thick, dark plates.

Their jaws were unusually wide.

Their eyes glowed faintly red.

Several carried scars across their backs.

EVE identified them.

"Grimhide Stalkers. Pack predators. Usually found in deeper forest regions."

Arin frowned.

"Why are they here?"

"Unknown."

The pack charged.

Mira’s guards raised their bows.

Arin stepped forward.

"Hold."

Mira looked at him.

"What?"

"Let us handle the first wave."

She hesitated.

Then nodded.

Lucan drew his sword.

A-01 activated its shield.

Arin deployed restraint drones.

The first Grimhide leaped.

Lucan intercepted it.

His sword struck the creature’s armored shoulder.

Sparks flew.

The beast twisted.

Then lunged again.

Lucan stepped aside and struck its exposed flank.

The creature collapsed.

A-01 blocked two more.

Its shield absorbed their impacts.

The restraint drones fired cables.

Several creatures were pinned.

Others fled.

But the pack did not retreat entirely.

Instead, they circled.

Watching.

Waiting.

Arin frowned.

"That’s unusual."

EVE nodded.

"Pack coordination exceeds expected behavior."

Then the forest trembled.

Something enormous moved between the trees.

A deep growl rolled through the valley.

The Grimhide Stalkers immediately lowered their heads.

Not in submission.

In fear.

Lucan’s smile faded.

"That’s new."

Arin looked toward the forest.

A massive shape emerged.

Nearly twenty-five meters long.

Six powerful legs.

A broad armored body.

And a head crowned with jagged mineral horns.

Dark mana pulsed between the plates along its spine.

EVE’s voice became serious.

"Unknown variant. Estimated high-tier threat."

Mira stared.

"That’s it."

Arin looked toward her.

"The creature that attacked the wall?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

The beast roared.

The sound shook the ground.

Several villagers stumbled.

The Grimhide pack scattered.

Arin studied the creature.

Then smiled faintly.

"Well."

Lucan drew his sword fully.

"Finally something interesting."

Arin sighed.

"You’re impossible."

The beast charged.

Its six legs propelled its enormous body forward with terrifying speed.

Arin stepped into its path.

The creature lowered its horns.

Then struck.

A thunderous impact echoed through the valley.

Dust exploded outward.

Mira gasped.

The villagers screamed.

Lucan raised an arm against the shockwave.

When the dust cleared, Arin stood exactly where he had been.

One hand pressed against the beast’s horn.

His boots had carved shallow trenches into the ground.

He looked mildly annoyed.

"That was unnecessary."

The creature struggled.

Arin held firm.

Then he noticed something.

A dark metal band embedded beneath one of its neck plates.

Not natural armor.

Manufactured.

He frowned.

"EVE."

"Scanning."

The beast roared.

Arin tightened his grip.

"Hold still."

The band pulsed.

A sharp burst of mana erupted from it.

The creature convulsed.

Then attacked again with renewed fury.

Arin’s expression changed.

"Someone put that on you."

EVE completed the scan.

"Confirmed. Artificial mana-control device."

Lucan looked up sharply.

"What?"

Arin stared at the band.

It was crude.

Damaged.

But unmistakably manufactured.

The device appeared to be stimulating the creature’s aggression through repeated mana pulses.

Not controlling it perfectly.

Just making it violent.

Making it attack.

Arin’s expression hardened.

"Whoever did this is going to have a very unpleasant conversation with me."

The beast struggled.

Arin placed his free hand against the metal band.

EVE analyzed the mechanism.

"Removing it without disabling the internal discharge circuit may cause severe injury."

Arin nodded.

"Then disable it."

"Working."

The creature roared.

Its body trembled.

The band pulsed again.

Arin held it steady.

"Easy."

Another pulse.

Then EVE spoke.

"Discharge circuit isolated."

Arin smiled.

"Good."

He tore the band free.

The creature convulsed once.

Then collapsed.

Not dead.

Exhausted.

Its breathing slowed.

The dark mana along its spine gradually faded.

Arin stepped back.

Lucan approached.

"Alive?"

"Yes."

Mira stared.

"You... saved it?"

Arin nodded.

"It wasn’t attacking because it wanted to."

Lucan looked toward the broken band.

"Someone made it."

Arin’s expression darkened.

"Yes."

The village survived the attack.

No new casualties.

Several damaged fences.

A few frightened livestock.

And one enormous unconscious monster lying outside the eastern wall.

Mira looked toward Arin.

"What do we do with that?"

Arin considered.

"Keep everyone away from it."

"Then?"

"We find out where it came from."

EVE examined the broken device.

The metal was ordinary.

The mana circuitry crude.

But one marking remained visible.

A small stamped symbol.

Three interlocking rings.

Arin frowned.

"Recognize it?"

EVE searched available records.

"No confirmed match."

Lucan looked toward the forest.

"Bandits?"

"Maybe."

"Illegal hunters?"

"Possible."

"Someone experimenting on monsters?"

Arin nodded slowly.

"Also possible."

He looked toward Hollowbrook.

The damaged walls.

The frightened villagers.

The exhausted guards.

For weeks, these people had been defending themselves against creatures driven into unnatural aggression.

And someone had caused it.

Arin’s expression hardened.

"Tomorrow, we follow the trail."

Lucan smiled.

"Now that’s an expedition."

Arin looked at him.

"You’re enjoying this."

"Very."

Arin sighed.

Then smiled faintly.

"Fine."

The ocean could wait another day.

Chapter End