The morning began with a silence that seemed to indicate trouble. Adam stood at the edge of the safe zone, spear in hand, gazing out into the forest. The bird's song had faded, replaced by an ominous silence. Ignis joined him, his spear glinting through the faint embers as his golden eyes searched the treeline.
"My lord, something is stirring beyond the zone," he said quietly. "
Adam nodded. "I can hear it again. It's clear some"
Ignis nodded slightly and stepped back to warn the guard and the craftsman. Adam's instincts told him this was no ordinary patrol.
---
The first sign of trouble appeared in the middle of the morning. The guard returned from inspecting the perimeter, his shield broken, and he was out of breath.
Despite his injuries, he greeted, saying, "My Lord." "Demons on the Southern Border. A small but organized group. "
Adams took the spear hardened The monsters tested their defenses, and although the attack was not perfect, it was a bad sign of things to come.
"How much?" Adam asked.
"Three, my lord," replied the guard. "A wild boar and two wild wolves. The traps have been delayed, but they will continue to persist. "
---
> **Support monster:**
> - Boar: **HP 60/60**
> - Wild Wolf (2): ** 40/40 HP each **
> - **Rating:** F+
---
Adam quickly ordered. "Ignis, lead the way. Protect him, and you will help him. The Worker, stay inside the house and prepare additional weapons in case reinforcements are needed. "
Ignis stepped forward, his staff blazing with power. "Done, my lord."
---
The group
moved quickly to the south. The trenches and spike pits were finished—one of the wolves had been impaled, and its lifeless body lay limply by the side of the room. At the end of the pit, a wolf and a boar had avoided the traps and were forced into the pits.
Ignis raised his staff, the flames shot out, and the wolf was consumed in the flames. He screamed in pain before collapsing in a burning heap.
---
> ** fallen monster:**
> - wild wolf: 10 gold, 15 XP, hidden wolf
---
The wild boar struggled, his tusks tore up the ditch as he broke. this The guard stepped in front of Adam and raised his shield to block the attack. The blow knocked him down, but he stood.
Adam quickly thrust the spear into the boar's neck. The creature grunted, blood staining its fur, but not enough to bring it down.
Ignis struck again, this time summoning a stream of fire that consumed the boar's flesh. The monster stumbled, breaking its momentum, before Adam delivered the final blow with a single blow A direct blow to its neck
---
> ** Monsters defeated:**
> - Boar: 15 Gold, 20 XP, Boar Tusk
---
The last monster fell, and the wind grew again. Adam watched Ignis as the flames and waves of his rock erupted. "It's still working," he said.
"Your work will be easy, my lord," he replied.
---
Returning to the house, Adam opened his interface to examine the items.
---
> **Loot collected:**
> - Wolf Hide (2)
> - Boar Tusk
---
As he placed the items in the storage box, the system beeped and his **Lord Merchant** returned some of the items.
---
> **Lord Merchant activated:**
> - Resources returned:
> - Wood: +5
> - Gold: +10
---
Adam also noticed that his **job progress** had increased.
---
> **Increase in Progress:**
> - 17/20 transaction completed (following sign: copy statistics).
---
It was a small thread, but a clear warning. The monsters didn't wait to attack - they scanned his defenses, looking for weaknesses.
---
That evening Adam held a meeting. The Worker, Builder, Guardian, and Ignis gathered around the fire, their eyes aglow with the glow.
"The monsters will test us," Adam began. "Today is just a taste of what is to come. The onslaught will be greater, more powerful, and more merciless."
The
NPCs nodded, their words becoming clear. Ignis spoke first. "Let me go. With your guidance, my flame and your strength, we will endure."
Adam looked at the moon count in his vision.
---
> **Demon Time Boy:** 3 days left.
---
"We're going to have to do more than just be patient," Adam said. "We want to win. And we want them to regret challenging us."