Chapter 1291 - Omen of Invasion (1/2)

The world was changing.

Sergio exhaled, gripped his spear, and stomped his foot. Three months ago, he was just an ordinary militiaman. But now, he had been sent to a deserted and godforsaken place to patrol this boring area everyday. He didn’t know what they were guarding. But he knew that the world was changing and becoming more unfamiliar each day. He heard news about the five Creator Dragons forming an alliance and working hard to change the destiny of this world. However…

What does that have to do with me?

Grabbing the spear, Sergio let out a helpless sigh. He was just an ordinary man who wished to find a quiet place to lead the rest of his life. The big shots often loved to come up with bothersome orders. Sergio used to live in a peaceful life in the village, but had to relocate his family just because the big shots said so. Without a choice, they left the village they had lived for a long time, arriving at this godforsaken place that was miles away. Not only that, but he had also been drafted into the army and had to patrol the area daily.

Wasn’t it said that a peace agreement was concluded between the five Creator Dragons? In that case, there shouldn’t be any more enemies around. So what exactly am I doing this for? What is the point of standing here in the chilly winds inside this simple and crude sentry post?

Forget it. It isn’t something people like me should know, anyway.

At this thought, Sergio curled his lips and turned to the town in the distance. As night fell, lamps lit up in the town one after another. No matter what the five Creator Dragons were plotting, he still had to continue living his life. As long as he stood at this sentry post, everything would turn out fine. But come to think of it, during this period, a group of strange adventurers had arrived in the town and gave him a headache. Although there weren’t many of them, they made terrible rackets and also spoke in a foreign language, troubling the nearby townsmen. Sergio wondered where the adventurers came from. They behaved like mercenaries, asking anyone they met for quests for them to accomplish. However, Sergio had to admit that they were really strong. As a member of the patrol team, Sergio once joined the capture of nearby monsters. In the face of several enormous monsters, the patrols had to act cautiously. On the contrary, the adventurers merely sent out a young lady who waved her arm and annihilated them in the blink of an eye. Sergio still remembered that scene clearly in his mind. The instant the young lady made her move, the ground beneath him trembled as though the world were coming to an end. Even if Sergio was uninformed, he could see that the adventurers weren’t an ordinary bunch. But now…

What exactly are they doing here?

Forget it. It has nothing to do with me.

Sergio shifted his gaze away from the town. At that moment, the adventurers must be performing amusing yet mysterious magical spells for the townsmen. He had to admit that the adventurers were truly impressive and a somewhat interesting bunch… But now, he just wanted to lead a normal life. He had made up his mind to propose to Irina after this trouble ended.

After wandering around on my own for so many years, it’s about time to settle down…

“Hmm?”

At that moment, he realized that his hound, which was traveling around him, had come to a sudden halt. Not only that, but it also stopped over, widened its round eyes, and stared vigilantly at the night sky. Deep growls escaped its throat from time to time as though it spotted a terrifying and dangerous predator.

What’s wrong?

Upon witnessing its behavior, Sergio raised his guard instantly. He grabbed the leash on his hound and stared at the darkness with widened eyes. The hazy moonlight illuminated the forest before him and pitch-black shadows swayed in the gentle breeze. At a glance, it made him feel really weird. But to a patrol who was on regular night watch, that wasn’t the only thing Sergio spotted. Instead… Something that shouldn’t be there was also lurking in the shadows.

“W-What is… That…”

One, two, three…

Scarlet lights glowed in the darkness, lined up in rows. It looked as though the shadows were given lives as they opened their innumerable eyes. The instant Sergio looked at the scarlet flashes, his hair stood on end. At the same time, the hound beside him was so terrified that it couldn’t let out a growl. It tucked its tail, curled up on the ground, and couldn’t budge as though it were shivering in the face of a menacing lion.

Move! Damn it! Hurry up!

Sergio stared blankly. He felt as though he were literally frozen to the spot and couldn’t shift at all. Under the moonlight, he clearly witnessed what those mysterious creatures were. Their tall, burly bodies were constructed entirely of pure steel and encased in an odd suit of armor, seemingly like a creature a mix of steel and human. And on their faces, Sergio noticed a round, scarlet eyeball swirling within the gap of the helmet. Then, the eyes stopped moving all of a sudden, locking onto Sergio.

Oh my goodness!

Just being stared at by those scarlet eyes almost made Sergio go crazy with fear. He tried to reach out for his whistle to sound the warning, but extreme fear had taken control over his body. He could only stand blankly on the spot and watch as hundreds upon thousands of steel troops marched toward him. Sergio knew their goal without even thinking. Apart from the town, there was nothing else here. And these creatures definitely didn’t arrive here for a tea session…

Move! Goddammit!

Although Sergio yelled in his head, his body just couldn’t move. He used all his strength to shift his arm, but his body was out of his control. Not only that, but he also shuddered inexorably out of extreme terror. The young guard gnashed his teeth, large beads of sweat emerging over his forehead. He wanted to survive. But he also knew he couldn’t escape death.

No…

“Woof! Woof!”

At that moment, the hound couldn’t hold on any longer. It howled, turned around, and dashed toward the back as quickly as possible. The moment the hound broke free, Sergio also regained control over his stiffened body, just like how all living creatures retaliated desperately in the face of death falling upon them. For a moment, he looked at the steel creatures before him and calmed down instead. In an instant, he reached for the whistle in his pocket and put it between his lips…

“———!”

The sharp, warning signal reverberated in the silent night sky. Almost at the same time, the steel creatures who were marching ahead came to a standstill all of a sudden. Then, they turned around abruptly with countless scarlet eyes staring straight at the young, helpless guard.

“I’m dead!”

Staring at the terrifying steel creatures in despair, Sergio’s heart sank. He knew he couldn’t go up against them. As a matter of fact, at that moment, he still didn’t know what they were. All he knew was that he was doomed! At that moment, he saw one of the steel creatures raise its right arm, which resembled a cannon barrel. Shortly after, a dazzling brilliance flashed. The blazing heat and explosion shrouded him completely.

“Huh?”