Second Step (2.5)

"Hmmm~."

I moan a little as the meat is melted inside my mouth. While I can cook just fine, I'm not a master chef. I'm just a man that cooks because I live alone by myself. As long as it is edible, I will eat it without complaint.

However, I still want to eat good food, and the vendor in front of me is serving a good meat skewer.

"Can I get another three skewer?"

"Coming right up!"

I pay the vendor owner and say my goodbye before walking toward the adventurer guild. It has been two days since the hero and his party came to this city. I must say that I'm not impressed by the rumor. I can see the hero is a dickhead.

He has an arrogant young master's aura, and I don't like him for it. Not only that, but he is also a pervert. I already heard the hero found harassing the lord maid and even dared to hit the poor woman in the face for not sleeping with him.

Let's say that he was immediately thrown out of the Lord's mansion the next day. I hear the hero, and his party has already gone to Mt. Abbot to explore the dungeon there. The hero is followed by thirty or so people equipped from head to toe.

While I don't like that dickhead, I hope he successfully conquers the dungeon.

I snap from my thoughts when I hear someone call my name. I look to my right and wave my hand when I see it was a young woman that I healed not too long ago. I continue my walk toward the Adventurer Guild.

However, before I could reach the Adventurer Guild, a bell began to ring. However, it was not the bell that indicated it was a mid-day. The bell rang at a faster rate, meaning that it was a distress signal. There must be a monster outbreak or something.

I quickly eat my last food and store the trash inside my inventory before running toward the adventurer guild.

~A few minutes later~

"The reason why the bell rings is that there is a monster outbreak that is coming here."

I hear the guild master saying that with a grim expression.

I guess I can understand why he has that expression. Monster Outbreak is the upgraded version of a monster spike. However, unlike a monster spike that only spawns a great number of one-type monsters, this one summons many types of monsters and summons them at once.

A Monster Outbreak happens when someone activates it by either reaching the Dungeon Core or feeding the dungeon with mana by flaring their mana carelessly if it was a high-level dungeon.

"It happens because someone decides to use their skill every time they encounter a monster. Not only that, but they also didn't, or rather they can't suppress their mana before you say anything, yes. It was the people that went to Mt. Abbot."

"Where is this… person right now?"

One of the adventurers asks the guild master while trying not to insult the hero.

"Our lord…. Decide to give them someplace to stay after seeing the traumatizing experience."

Meaning that the hero and his party run away from the trouble and go to the city lord's place. Instead of in here doing some morale boost speech, he hid behind the lord's mansion. I begin to hate this guy more and more.

"Anyway! We are right now facing more than a few hundred monsters. I need all of you in the field. Level one archer will stay on the wall. Level two and higher will be in the front except for the Mage and Healer. Mage, I want you to stay on the wall and kill as many monsters as you can in the backline. Healer, you stay with the mage. I want you to cast your healing spell on the frontliner. This city's fate rests on your shoulders."

The guild master takes out his greatsword and continues his speech.

"Think about your children! Think about your wife! Think about the people you love! Think about them and what will happen when the monster raids our city! Take out your sword! Your spear! Your Ax! Your hammer! It is time to use them not for the money but your loved one!"

"OHHHHH!!!"

"Good! The monster will arrive here in a few hours! Shielder will come with me and attract as many monsters as we can. The other close combat fighter will follow my deputy…"

The guild master looked at a massive man with a massive Axe on his back. He had a magnificent beard, and his black hair was tied up into a ponytail. He has a scar on his left cheeks. It was like a scar coming from a claw.

"... He will be your leader in this fight. Follow his order. The soldier will also join the fight. They will arrive shortly. We will be the first one that prepares the battlefield. If there is nothing else, we will move out!"

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|3rd POV|

Barik looked around and nodded his head. The magician already created a massive trench filled with spikes that served as a trap. While it will not stop the monster, it is good enough to slow them down for a few seconds.

He looked at the adventurer and the soldiers standing in front of the city wall. Their job is to hold the monster horde that is coming toward the city. Barik frowned a little when he did not see the Hero and his party.

That little shit coming to the City Lord mansion with fear on his face. Barik meets the City Lord to report about the scam his underling does to the White Healer, but before he could say anything, the Hero and His party barge inside the mansion, saying that there is a monster outbreak.

When the Hero says that, Barik really wants to punch the young boy in the face. Barik and the City lord already warn him more than once that there is a huge chance the dungeon in Mt. Abbot will release a monster outbreak, but he did not hear their warning and go to the dungeon anyway.

So, here they are, preparing for a massive monster outbreak without reinforcement from the capital.

Monster Outbreak is different from the Monster spike. Monster Outbreak is the larger version of a monster spike, and unlike the monster spike, the Monster Outbreak has a Boss Monster leading them to battle.

This Boss monster makes Barik uneasy. Because of the high-level dungeon, he knows that the Boss Monster will be at least level five. A level five monster with more than a hundred monsters guarding it makes the fight even harder.

Barik snaps from his thoughts when he sees a movement in the distance. Seeing that the monster was coming from the forest, He looks at the people near him before shouting.

"Here they come!"