Two days had passed since the investigation request. During that entire time, I barely accepted any adventurer quests. Instead, I focused on preparing myself for the incoming monster stampede as much as possible.
Every morning, I woke up an hour earlier than usual to extend my jogging routine across the plains outside Roste Town. At first, my body would ache after running for too long, but after continuously training every single day, my stamina had noticeably improved. Not only that, my passive skills were steadily growing alongside my physical endurance.
As for increasing my mana capacity, the most efficient method I discovered was alchemy.
Brewing potions repeatedly consumed a large amount of mana while also forcing me to maintain stable mana control for long periods of time. Since openly casting destructive magic inside town was prohibited unless during emergencies, alchemy became the safest and most productive option available to me.
Right now, I had just finished another large batch of potions.
Rows upon rows of potion vials filled the warehouse tables. Healing potions, vitality potions, mana recovery potions, agility potions, and several defensive mixtures were neatly organized inside wooden crates.
Roge carefully inspected the final batch before letting out an impressed whistle.
"Another productive day for you, Artorius."
I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly.
"Yeah. With adventurers arriving from nearby towns, it's better for us to have too many supplies instead of not enough."
Roge immediately burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha! You're absolutely right, boy. During times like this, overpreparation saves lives."
He placed the last potion vial down before crossing his thick arms.
"Honestly, these potions are helping the guild a lot more than you probably realize."
Hearing that made me feel relieved.
Even if I wasn't the strongest adventurer in town, at least I could still contribute somehow.
Roge glanced at me again.
"You heading to the training grounds afterward like usual?"
"Yeah," I answered honestly. "I've been trying to learn more spells lately. Since the stampede is tomorrow, I want to prepare as much as possible."
"That's good." Roge nodded approvingly. "But don't push yourself too hard either, alright? Dead tired adventurers aren't useful during battle."
I laughed softly.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Good. Now get going before you turn into a potion yourself."
I chuckled at his joke before leaving the warehouse.
Over the past few days, I had been studying different elemental attributes at the Mage's Guild library whenever I had free time. Since Roste Town was surrounded mostly by vast plains instead of dense urban structures, it gave me far more freedom to experiment with elemental magic safely inside the training grounds.
Because of my background from Trest, understanding the concepts behind elemental magic became much easier for me than expected. My knowledge of science helped me visualize how certain phenomena worked, allowing me to stabilize spells faster.
At this point, I had already become fairly proficient in fire, wind, earth, and light magic.
Today, however, I wanted to focus on two attributes I had barely explored before.
Darkness and lightning.
I arrived at the Mage's Guild training grounds shortly after. Several mages were already practicing their own spells from a distance, but the area was spacious enough that I could freely train without disturbing anyone.
I took a deep breath and extended my palm forward.
"The concept of darkness…"
Unlike simple shadows or dim environments, my understanding of darkness was the complete absence of light itself. A place where visibility vanished entirely.
I slowly poured mana into my palm while visualizing that concept as clearly as possible.
Soon, a sphere darker than black itself began forming above my hand.
"So this is Dark Ball…"
The spell almost looked unnatural. Even sunlight seemed unable to touch its surface properly.
Travy's mechanical voice echoed inside my mind.
"You succeeded because your understanding of darkness itself is stable."
I nodded slightly.
"That makes sense."
"Magic relies heavily on visualization and understanding. Your knowledge from Trest continues to assist your spell construction."
"I guess science really is useful even in another world."
"That statement is accurate."
I stared at the spell for a few moments longer before shifting my gaze toward one of the training dummies.
"I should test its offensive capability."
"That would be advisable."
Without hesitation, I threw the Dark Ball forward.
The moment it collided with the training dummy, the impact exploded violently.
Boom!
The wooden dummy was torn apart instantly, fragments scattering across the training grounds.
I blinked once.
"…That's stronger than I expected."
"The spell's stability and your mana control greatly improved its output."
I quietly observed the destroyed dummy.
Dark magic was dangerous.
Not because it was flashy, but because it felt oppressive.
I decided to test another spell afterward.
"Dark Blind."
The moment I cast the spell on myself, my vision disappeared completely.
Not dim, not blurry, but ompletely gone.
It felt as if my eyes had ceased functioning altogether.
For roughly ten seconds, all I could perceive was darkness.
Eventually, my vision slowly returned.
"…That's honestly terrifying."
"A suitable support spell against enemies lacking resistance."
"Yeah. Even a few seconds of blindness during combat can decide a battle."
I then recalled another dark spell I had read about from the library.
"Dark Bind."
Several shadow-like hands immediately emerged from the ground and wrapped around my legs.
I tried moving.
The resistance was strong enough to limit my movement significantly.
"I can still break free… but barely."
"That is because your physical strength exceeds the mana currently maintaining the spell."
"I see…"
Curious, I poured more mana into the spell.
Instantly, the shadow hands tightened.
This time, even lifting my feet an inch became extremely difficult.
"Hm… maintaining this spell continuously consumes mana."
"That is the weakness of restraint-type magic."
"But if I use it at the right timing…"
"It can completely immobilize opponents long enough for allies to attack."
I smiled slightly.
"Exactly."
After canceling the spell, I sat down briefly to recover before moving toward lightning magic.
Two particular spells had caught my interest earlier while reading inside the library.
Lightning Javelin and Chain Lightning.
Lightning Javelin specialized in piercing power and speed, making it ideal against powerful single targets. Chain Lightning, meanwhile, excelled at fighting large groups by spreading electricity between nearby enemies.
Perfect for a monster stampede.
I spent nearly an hour experimenting with both spells repeatedly.
At first, controlling lightning mana felt rough and unstable compared to water magic. However, after multiple attempts, I gradually adapted to its fast and violent nature.
A spear made of crackling lightning formed above my palm.
"Lightning Javelin."
The moment I launched it forward, the spell pierced straight through three reinforced targets before exploding behind them.
"…That's insane."
"Lightning possesses naturally destructive properties after all."
I then practiced Chain Lightning next.
Electricity burst outward from the central target before rapidly spreading toward nearby dummies.
The farther the lightning spread, the weaker the damage became, exactly as the book described.
Still, against tightly packed enemies, it would be devastating.
After refining the spells several more times, I finally let out a tired sigh.
"Phew… that should be enough for today."
"You have improved considerably within these past few days."
I stretched my arms lightly.
"Honestly, I still feel nervous."
"That is natural."
Travy's robotic voice sounded calmer than usual.
"You are preparing for a large-scale battle for the first time."
"Yeah…"
A monster stampede.
Even now, the thought alone felt terrifying.
Once I left the Mage's Guild, I immediately noticed how different the atmosphere inside Roste Town had become compared to before.
Knights patrolled the streets in organized groups while adventurers continuously entered and exited the town gates. Defensive barricades were being constructed near important intersections, and temporary supply stations had already been established.
Most civilians were evacuated toward the center district of town where the defenses were strongest.
The smaller the area that needed protection, the easier it would be to defend if monsters broke through the outer lines.
Even establishments like inns, bathhouses, and restaurants remained open specifically to support the large number of incoming adventurers.
Honestly…
The preparations were impressive.
"They're handling the situation properly," I muttered quietly.
"That is because monster stampedes are not entirely uncommon within this world."
"Still… seeing everyone work together like this is reassuring."
"Cooperation greatly increases survival probability."
I slowly nodded.
Before returning to the inn, I decided to stop by the church once again.
Ever since I first visited the church of Goddess Leriah, I had unconsciously developed a habit of praying there daily.
The interior remained peaceful despite the tension surrounding the town.
Sunlight streamed through the colored windows while the massive statue of Goddess Leriah stood silently above the altar.
I knelt quietly.
"Goddess Leriah… please protect this town during tomorrow's battle."
As soon as I finished praying, the familiar warmth enveloped my body once more.
Gentle and comforting.
Almost like someone softly placing a hand over my shoulder.
I slowly opened my eyes.
"…Thank you."
Whether the Goddess could truly hear me or not, I honestly didn't know.
But somehow…
The warmth helped calm my nerves.
Once I exited the church, the evening sky had already turned orange.
"I should rest early tonight."
"That would be the optimal decision."
"Tomorrow's going to be rough…"
"Which is why proper rest is necessary."
I smiled faintly.
"Sometimes you really do sound like a parent."
"Correction. I am merely providing logical support."
"Haha… sure."
After eating dinner and preparing my equipment one last time, I finally returned to the inn for the night.
Far away from Roste Town, deep within the dark forest, countless growls echoed endlessly beneath the moonlit sky.
Trees shook violently as monsters gathered in enormous numbers.
At the center of the horde stood two terrifying creatures.
The first was a gigantic goblin over ten meters tall, holding a massive wooden club stained with dried blood.
The Goblin King.
Beside it stood an enormous wolf nearly six meters long, its crimson eyes glowing ominously in the darkness while razor-sharp fangs protruded from its jaws.
The Forest Wolf King.
The moment the Goblin King roared, thousands of goblins screamed in response.
Then the Wolf King howled.
Countless wolves answered immediately afterward, their combined cries shaking the entire forest itself.
The stampede was no longer merely a possibility.
It was coming.
Mission Updated!
God's Quest: Roste Town Defense
Mission Requirements:
Successfully defend Roste Town from the Monster Stampede.
Time Until Monster Stampede:
16:23:57
Reward:
God's Favor (Leriah) +100
I quietly stared at the timer.
Then I slowly closed the system window.
"…Tomorrow begins."
And somewhere beyond the safety of Roste Town's walls, thousands of monsters had already begun marching.