The outskirts of the city.
Much like any other part of the Red Desert, were unremarkable.
However, the factory just outside the city has ceased production due to a monster infestation.
The | Blue Dew Lions | had been hired to exterminate the monsters and ensure the resumption of production.
It was recommended that citizens avoided the area until the situation was resolved.
"Uhh, guys... Shouldn't we have a plan?"
Lutessa expressed concern about the lack of a plan for the job at hand.
The task involved killing redakhondas for a settlement of 300 silver pieces or 3 gold pieces.
However, the number of redakhondas was unspecified which raised doubts about the adequacy of the party to handle the job.
It was better to have a clear understanding of the number of redakhondas before taking such a job.
"You're already getting cold feet?"
Nambrole spoke as he walked.
"It's fine, Tess... Don't worry too much, redakhondas are really weak and besides, you're a Support Magus so we'll be sure to protect you."
Gilbert, the party leader assured her.
Feena constantly kept the spell [Search] active. It was designed to inform her of any monsters that had the plan to ambush them.
"I'm not picking up anything so far.."
"Maybe they're scared.." Gilbert chuckled loudly as he treaded the red sand.
With an unfeeling voice, "Don't be so naive.."
For the first time, Lamperogue spoke. He criticized the naivety of Gilbert anent such an unnecessary amount of confidence.
"Come on Rogue! I'm sure we can handle this job.."
"That doesn't mean we shouldn't be cautious."
"Of course, (laughs~) I know that!"
"(sighs~) Then why are we having this discussion...?"
Lamperogue's appearance was calm and distantly cold. His eyes appeared dull and conceited. He had straight black hair of medium length, with his bangs covering his right eye. His clothing was tight-fitting, possibly due to his fighting style. On his back, he carried two intersecting shortswords in their scabbards.
With a mild sigh, the optimistic Nambrole uttered:
"It's just like Rogue to always act so cool and mysterious... That doesn't get you any girls nowadays though! (laughs~) But Gilbert's right, we should be confident in our abilities or we'll fail..."
They paused their talks and resumed their exploring.
From Lutessaʼs unbiased assessment, Lamperogue appeared to be the most experienced among the party.
This wasn't to say that the others lacked refinement, but when dealing with imprecise jobs such as this one, caution was paramount.
She sincerely hope that the decision to take on this job wouldn't result in any future regrets.
"So, I have a plan already.."
In front, Gilbert smiled as he partially looked back at his party members.
"You're the boss! Whaddaya got planned?" Nambrole spoke.
"Well, since we're five now... I was th—"
In a single strike, the atmosphere changed from one of joy and ordinariness to one of terror and agony.
A red serpent, blending in with the red sand, emerged and savagely attacked Gilbert, ripping his face in half.
The resulting blood flow drenched Feena, causing her to scream to the point she could lose her voice.
The situation was horrifying and traumatic.
They were at death's doorstep.
"Gilbert!"
Nambrole screamed out his name as he watched the red serpent eat his remains.
As if he would let this creature use his leader as food.
Nambrole bravely engaged the red serpent, delivering a powerful kick that sent it flying.
However, his victory was short-lived as twelve more red serpents emerged from the surrounding red sand and began attacking their prey, including Nambrole.
One serpent quickly wrapped itself around him, tightening its grip until it snapped his neck and spine simultaneously, resulting in a fatal outcome.
The grip on Nambrole's neck was so tight that it caused his head to detach and fly out with force, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.
The head landed near Lutessa, who was frozen with shock and collapsed to the ground.
"H-Help me... God."
Her fear was so intense that she involuntarily urinated on herself.
There were currently twelve red serpents and two deceased prey.
This left only three remaining: Feena, Lutessa and Lamperogue.
Lutessa was mentally incapacitated, leaving Feena and Lamperogue to continue the fight.
Feena's [Search] spell was not effective in detecting the serpents earlier due to their deep hiding place.
While Feena felt responsible, the entire team was at fault for their lack of foresight.
"Focus Feena! Look after the girl.."
Lamperogue swiftly directed Feena to tend to Lutessa's needs before expertly evading the attacks of five red serpents.
His movements were precise and agile, akin to that of a snake.
With lightning-fast reflexes, he dislodged the head of one serpent and sliced two others in two with his shortswords.
Lamperogue's speed was so great that he appeared as a shadow, skipping between frames.
These actions showcased his exceptional combat skills and quick thinking in the face of danger.
There were still ten more red serpents to deal with.
'That means there's no redakhkonda..' he thought.
Adventurers generally preferred Redakhkondas over red serpents due to the former's rank C monster classification and their tendency to not attack in large numbers.
On the other hand, red serpents were classified as rank D monsters and were considered dangerous due to their tendency to attack in groups.
Feena knelt beside Lutessa, her hands trembling with fear and adrenaline.
"We're gonna die.. We're gonna die... We're gonna die.."
She repeatedly stated with a mortified expression.
Despite her extensive training, she was unable to effectively wield her wand in the face of the red serpents.
When one of the creatures lunged at her, Feena attempted to use lightning magic to subdue it, but was instead met with a vicious bite that tore her hand from her wrist.
"MY ARM!!"
Blood gushed from the wound, leaving Feena incapacitated and in need of immediate medical attention.
As if.
Not long after, the same serpent proceeded to eat her up, before it would focus on Lutessa.
'Crap! I can't focus on all ten at once..'
Even with his party members dead, Lamperogue wasn't emotionally fazed.
Instead, he remained calm.
His code of conduct was: The more the situation worsens, the calmer you get.
Lamperogue executed a series of combination attacks, zigzagging between serpents and cutting them down with remarkable speed.
He dispatched two serpents before hurling a shortsword, stained with purple blood, at a third serpent, crushing its head and killing it.
However, he was ambushed by another serpent from behind.
Fortunately, a longsword suddenly appeared and shattered the serpent's head into countless pieces.
The longsword thrown was identified as <
This particular skill involved advanced throwing techniques that possessed enough force, speed, accuracy, and rotation to not only hit but demolish its targets.
It was classified as a Cerulean-ranked skill due to its exceptional power and precision.
TAP! TAP!
Dulled footsteps treaded the sands.
Archibald silently navigated through the red serpents until he reached the spot where he had thrown his <
He retrieved the weapon from the ground head of one of the serpents he had previously targeted.
Without speaking, he deftly wielded <
"Two.."
He kept a tally of his kills, which was now at two.
'Who is this guy?' Lamperogue questioned himself.
From his stature, Lamperogue was sure Archibald wasn't old enough to be showing such display of skill with the Black Moon Arts.
As of now there were about three left, and one was on the verge of attacking the still frozen Lutessa.
All that was left of Feena was a writhing mass of flesh.
Quickly, Archibald got in-between Lutessa and the serpent.
He drove <
When Lamperogue finished dealing with the other two serpents by equally cutting them down with his shortswords, he tucked them back into their scabbards.
'Seriously... Who is this guy...?'
It was the same question Lutessa asked, but with a more frightened voice:
"W-Wh.. Who are... You..."
As he slotted <
"...Archibald."