Chapter 31. The Uninvited Guest (2)
The peaceful village of Aren.
A small settlement north of Lete Village, but bustling with players.
“Isn’t this the place with that amazing potato stew?”
“Yeah. It’s really good—and the buff options are nice too. Let’s grab ten packs.”
“Sure.”
“Ah, if you want to buy clothes here, you’ll have to wait…”
“The guild master said we have to get them. No matter what…”
It might’ve been a small village, but players constantly came and went—for its unique clothing and its famous potato stew.
Peace, however, never lasted long.
A group appeared on the horizon, approaching the village.
“Wait, those guys…”
“The red whirlwind emblem on their chests! It’s Red Storm!”
“I didn’t think they’d come this far…!”
“If they attack, the village will be wiped out!”
“Is this the end for us…?”
The players trembled.
The Red Storm Guild’s reputation was infamous across the entire server.
They were villains.
To get what they wanted, they monopolized hunting grounds, seized dungeons, and PK without hesitation.
Once, they’d even endlessly PK’d a player simply for talking back—until that player quit the game altogether.
They were celebrities.
Forum celebrities.
“Forum,” or Sasage in Illusion, referred to the “Incident and Accident Bulletin Board” on the Illusion Community—where players exposed toxic or immoral users.
And Red Storm had been at the top of that search ranking for months.
“This isn’t their territory, though. Why are they here?”
“Why else? They’re probably here for the potato stew.”
“Be serious. You think a few hundred fully armed guild members came here to eat stew? Think!”
The player who asked frowned, then slowly nodded.
“Oh—I get it now. A guild party night, huh?”
“Idiot! They’re obviously here to take over the village!”
“Oh, right… wait, what? Then—my potato stew!?”
“Unbelievable… you’re worried about stew now?”
But in truth, he wasn’t alone.
Almost everyone nearby had the same thought.
Then—
“Wait… who’s that?”
Someone was standing fearlessly in the guild’s path.
The players gasped.
“That’s… the village guard captain!”
It was Hansel, the Captain of Aren’s Guard.
“Stop. You go no further.”
Hansel stood firmly in front of the Red Storm guild members.
They halted at his command.
“And who the hell are you?”
From among them, a man stepped forward—Brandy, the guild master—his gaze sharp and threatening.
Hansel could feel it immediately.
A powerful outsider…
He’d never faced anyone this strong before.
His trained muscles tensed instinctively.
I know, Randy… He’s dangerous. But still…
Hansel didn’t avert his eyes.
As captain of the guard, he couldn’t ignore intruders approaching his village.
“I am Hansel, captain of the village guard. State your purpose here.”
“‘Hansel’? Oh, what is this, an NPC?”
“…”
Brandy’s lips curled into a mocking smirk.
“An NPC dares to block a player’s path?”
“Look at those muscles. Think a sword can even cut through that?”
“Who cares? He’s just an NPC. Let’s kill him and move on.”
“With that face? Shouldn’t he be on our side?”
The jeers rolled through the crowd.
Hansel ignored them—he’d heard worse.
Better to do another set of squats than waste time on insults.
“Enough. Get out of the way.”
“And if I refuse?”
“What?”
“Then tell me why you’ve come.”
“Tch… You’re getting on my nerves. You wanna die?”
Brandy unsheathed his sword.
Even from a distance, its killing aura was palpable.
Hansel’s entire body screamed danger, warning him to flee.
But he stood firm.
Their purpose is obvious.
They were armed to the teeth, their intent radiating hostility.
No doubt they’d come to harm the village.
I can’t run. This is my duty.
That duty was his anchor—his reason to stand.
“As captain of the guard, I will not let you pass.”
“Can’t you count? There are hundreds of us. What can one man do?”
“Whether I can or can’t doesn’t matter. My duty is to protect this village.”
“Heh… ridiculous.”
Brandy was amused.
To him, NPCs were just lines of code—data, nothing more.
Still, killing NPCs was risky.
If this one was tied to the village, there could be penalties.
“Fine. I’ll handle this myself. No one else interfere.”
“Yes~”
“Make it quick~ My sword’s thirsty!”
“Can’t wait to start slaughtering~”
“Yeah, yeah… I’ll be quick.”
Tap!
Brandy lunged.
[Skill activated: Quick Step Lv.10]
[+90% Movement Speed for 10 seconds]
A sudden strike.
“This ends now!”
“Kuh!”
Hansel barely dodged.
Brandy’s eyes flickered with brief admiration—but his sword didn’t stop.
Can’t dodge the second one!
Hansel crossed his arms—
Slash!
Blood splattered down his forearms.
But his gaze didn’t waver.
No one… enters this village. Not while I stand.
“You blocked that too?”
Brandy scowled.
[Skill activated: Blade Lv.5]
[+15% Attack / +20% Speed / +11% Cutting Power]
His blade glowed blue, the air humming with killing intent.
“Die!”
“…!”
Hansel grit his teeth.
He couldn’t block this barehanded.
The blow would be fatal.
I will not retreat.
Even if his body broke—he would protect them.
I won’t dodge.
He charged forward, closing the distance.
Brandy’s swing faltered.
“What the—!?”
Instead of backing off, Hansel moved closer.
The sword missed its full arc—only grazing him.
“Damn you!”
Brandy shouted, shoving Hansel back and thrusting again.
It was a dangerous situation—
when suddenly—
Whoosh!
An arrow flew.
Brandy instinctively deflected it.
An arrow? But there’s no archer here—who…?
“Who’s there!?”
He looked toward the direction it came from—no one.
Then more arrows flew.
“Tch!”
They were weak, but unnervingly precise.
Head, neck, eyes—every shot aimed for a critical point.
What the hell… who’s shooting this accurately while I’m moving!?
The accuracy was unreal—easily at a top-ranker’s level.
“Coward! Stop hiding and fight me face to face!”
But the arrows just kept coming.
Brandy snarled and backed off.
“Fine. I’ll end this. Everyone—”
“Stop!”
A booming voice cut through the chaos.
Armored knights appeared behind Brandy’s forces.
One, clearly their commander, stepped between the two sides.
“I am Randol, captain of the knights.
From this moment, all combat is forbidden!”
His command thundered across the area, infused with mana.
Even Brandy flinched.
[Knight Captain Randol has forbidden combat.]
[Violating this order may result in immediate retaliation from the knights.]
“Knights? Here?”
“No way—real ones?”
“Didn’t you see the system message? They’re real!”
“Whoa, that armor looks amazing!”
Dozens of knights and hundreds of soldiers stood in formation, blocking Red Storm’s path.
Randol drew his sword, his aura dwarfing Brandy’s.
[Skill activated: Knight’s Wrath Lv.10]
[All Stats –5% / Attack –5% / Defense –10% / Mana Cost +30%]
[Chance of status effect: Fear]
An absurd debuff fell upon Red Storm.
“Why are you interfering with us?” Brandy growled.
“That’s none of your concern. We act on our lord’s orders—to protect this land.”
Then, turning to everyone present—
“Any outsider who attacks this village will face us as enemies. Remember that well.”
Brandy’s expression twisted.
He could win this fight—but it wasn’t worth it.
“Brandy…?”
“Yeah. No point in fighting. Not this time…”
Knights belonged to nobles.
Crossing them could mean trouble with noble NPC factions—something even Red Storm had learned to avoid.
“We’re leaving.”
He turned away, teeth gritted.
It’s a complete defeat.
Still, he didn’t forget.
As he looked back, his eyes burned with hatred.
“Remember this. We’ll be back.”
They didn’t notice the knights watching them leave—
nor the lone shadow crouched atop a rooftop, silently observing everything.
Ding!
[Quest Complete: “Sinister Enemies Target the Village!”]
[As Village Chief, you have successfully defended your village.]
[Rewards enhanced.]
[Experience gained.]
[Level up.]
[Blueprint acquired: Wooden Palisade.]
[Unique Title Unlocked – Guardian of the Village]
[Guardian of the Village]
Grade: B (Unique)
Effects:
-
Resident Departure Rate –10%
-
Immigrant Arrival Rate +10%
-
Tax Revenue +10%
-
Resident Affection decreases more slowly
[Resident satisfaction +20%]
[Resident dissatisfaction –20%]
[Residents feel safe and work more efficiently.]
[Work speed +10%]
[Shop productivity +10%]
[Immigration chance increased.]
“Lord Aren, are you all right?”
On the rooftop, a man lowered his bow and turned around.
His name was Aren.
“Is it over?”
“Seems so, my lord.”
Everything had gone according to plan.
“Good thing the knights arrived in time.”
“Indeed. And truly impressive, my lord.”
“What is?”
“That request from Lord Regrian—you used it for this, didn’t you?”
“Something like that.”
“Hah…”
Alfredo couldn’t help but admire him.
He never would’ve guessed Aren had planned this far ahead.
Incredible… I didn’t realize he was thinking that far ahead.
“Success,” Aren murmured with a faint smile.
He’d prepared for this after hearing Minsoo’s warning—and the timing had been perfect.
Accepting Regrian’s quest just before the attack had saved the village.
Now, no one’s going to mess with my village for a while.
He’d started this game just to have a house of his own.
By chance, he’d become a village chief—but he had no intention of taking it lightly.
Watching the retreating Red Storm members glare back at him, Aren chuckled.
That’s what you get for touching someone else’s rice bowl.
He slung his bow over his shoulder and climbed down from the roof.
The intruders were gone—but there was still work to do.
Next stop—the lumber yard.
The grind never ends.
