Chapter 34: i want it all

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"As the last grain of sand fell through the Dragon hourglass, a resonant sound echoed—a loud crack that reverberated throughout the world in an instant.

In that next moment, the environment began to mutate dramatically.

The previously cloudless sky transformed into a vivid wine red, turbulent and heavy with a sharp, ominous aura.

"Ding! Please choose!"

The familiar options appeared before Jason.

"1. Hide in the weapon shop until the disaster wave is over..."

"2. Save Lute Village from the disaster wave..."

"3. Solve the boss from the disaster wave..."

Just as the system's selection sound resonated, Jason noticed a sudden shift in their surroundings.

One moment, he and Raphtalia were in the weapon shop; the next, they found themselves in a dense forest.

Jason understood that with the disaster wave's arrival, it forced him to teleport as a brave man, thus dragging him into this conflict against the impending disaster.

To be honest, this involuntary situation aggravated Jason's frustration. However, recognizing his limited power in this moment, he had no choice but to abide by the rules of this world. Still, he silently vowed to break these oppressive rules one day.

Simultaneously, Jason understood why the first choice was to hide in the weapon shop to escape the disaster wave; it promised a reward. After all, returning there from here would be a challenging endeavor with disaster waves undoubtedly blocking the path.

The second and third options entailed rescuing Lute Village and confronting the boss directly.

Recalling what he had read in the original story, he remembered how Iwatani Naofumi had tried to save the villagers of Lute, only to watch the boss get defeated by the other heroes without him even laying a finger on it.

While Jason wasn't the type to jump in to help others out of mercy, he knew rewards like these shouldn't be neglected.

However, on a closer inspection, the third option offered a more lucrative reward for defeating the boss.

Should he abandon the villagers of Lute Village in favor of fame and fortune? No...

"I'm an adult; I want to choose everything!"

There was no inherent conflict between choosing the second and third options—as long as he managed his time well, he could accomplish both!

Therefore, Jason resolved first to save the villagers and then defeat the boss, hoping to claim a total of 10% completion of the Garp template all at once. If Iwatani Naofumi couldn't do it, that didn't mean he couldn't.

Of course, this would be a new endeavor for Jason; he couldn't guarantee the feasibility of completing both tasks simultaneously.

"Master Jason, we seem to have been teleported near Lute Village," Raphtalia noted, already orienting herself.

Just then, a familiar, unwelcome voice called out, "Jason, you bastard! What did you do to that beautiful woman? You must have ordered her to attack me, right? I knew it; you're just full of schemes!"

It was the voice of Motoyasu, sounding incredulous and accusatory. Strangely, it also seemed a bit... thinner?

He blamed Jason for Raphtalia's assault, despite knowing it was partially justified.

Alongside him were the adventurers who always followed Motoyasu, as well as Ren and Itsuki.

"Hey, hey, hey... You got beaten up because you were being obscene. Don't go blaming others, alright?" Jason shot back, not backing down.

"Obscene? I'm a handsome guy! How could I be obscene?" Motoyasu proclaimed, flicking his hair back with a melodramatic flair, fully in the grips of narcissism.

"You think wanting to hold hands with a girl you just met isn't obscene? That's textbook hooligan behavior."

"Hooligan? Do you even know what a hand kiss is?" Motoyasu scowled.

"And that justifies being a hooligan?" Jason challenged, unflinching.

"Nonsense… nonsense…" Motoyasu spluttered, his face flushing in embarrassment. He squats and scratches his head, desperately searching for a rebuttal, while Jason effortlessly parried his arguments.

"Is it nonsense? It seems you're just looking for trouble. What, do you want to fight me again?"

Under Jason's unwavering gaze, Motoyasu began to shrink back.

"Alright, alright, the disaster wave is here; now isn't the time for infighting," Itsuki interjected, stepping in to mediate.

With that, Motoyasu finally conceded and declared, "That's right, we need to focus," before darting off in a panic, followed closely by his band of adventurers.

Once Motoyasu and his group departed, Ren and Itsuki gathered their own adventurers and left in their own hurry.

Jason wasn't rushed at all; he accessed his attribute panel and equipped the Disciple of Hell armor. He didn't have the time or focus to analyze how much the equipment boosted his attributes.

Now, with purpose renewed and choices made, he was ready to confront the disaster head-on.

[Jason]: Human.

[LV]: Level 31

[HP]: 2610

[Spirit]: 90 (+10)

Tip: (+XX) represents equipment bonus.

The equipment's bonuses were impressive—no wonder it required ordinary people to be at level 50 to wear it. With all attributes exceeding 100, Jason felt he was ready for the challenges ahead.

"Raphtalia, are you ready?" Jason asked, confirming her preparedness.

"Yes, I'm ready... Thank you, Lord Jason, for taking care of me during this time. Without you, I would probably be dead now. Thank you for teaching me how to survive..."

Before she could finish, Jason placed a reassuring hand on her head.

"Don't act like this is a parting for life and death. It's just a disaster wave. Let's see how I can blow it away with one punch!"

With Jason's smile and encouragement, Raphtalia felt a wave of relief wash over her, nodding firmly in response.

"Now then... let's go!"

Jason stepped forward towards Lute Village, followed closely by Raphtalia.

...

As the disaster wave commenced, a massive teleportation gate opened in the sky, unleashing countless monsters akin to swarming wasps descending from above.

A horde of zombie soldiers fell to the ground, clad in broken armor and wielding various weapons. Individually, they may have seemed weak, but in overwhelming numbers, they could not be underestimated.

Lute Village, situated nearby, found itself at the forefront of this onslaught, becoming the prime target for the incoming monsters.

Although some soldiers patrolled around Lute Village and a few brave souls had formed a militia to defend against the monsters, the sheer density of the approaching horde was like a tiny boat adrift in a storm-tossed sea, vulnerable to being capsized at any moment.

"Where are the brave ones? Where are they?"

"Why haven't the soldiers from the army come to support?!"

"Damn it, I can't take it anymore!"

"Mom... I'm scared!"

The defensive line surrounding Lute Village erupted in chaos filled with cries for help, amid the panic and despair gripping the village. Sadly, the anticipated reinforcement from the army did not materialize.

From the nearby forest emerged hundreds more zombie soldiers, their numbers now overwhelming the meager defense.

"It's over! It's all over!"

"Run! Everyone, run! There might still be a glimmer of hope!"

Despair seeped deeper into the ranks; some had already accepted their fate, abandoning all hope of resistance.

"Don't panic! The Royal Army will definitely come to help us!"

"Help? Hah! Do you understand? No army is coming; we've been abandoned... abandoned!"

"Wait... something's falling from the sky!"

Many raised their gazes, squinting at a figure swooping down from above.

Suddenly, enormous wings that appeared to be made of flames unfurled from behind the figure.

"Firehawk swoops down!!!"

An ominous voice boomed across the battlefield.

Then, without warning, the figure plunged into the mass of hundreds of zombie soldiers.

Boom!

The impact created a thunderous explosion, shaking the very earth beneath their feet. Clouds of dust surged into the air, obscuring the view for a moment.

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