The Lord’s Raids

In a small house built from tightly assembled wooden beams, there lay a man on a bed, his cinnamon-brown eyes reflecting the faint rays of sunlight that caressed his face.

Cliff stared at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. He was trying to piece together his memories. He didn't recall ever having the chance to visit the countryside, but the sweet scent of wood carried by the morning breeze made him feel a bit... nostalgic?

"I have so many things planned today."

A meeting had been scheduled early that morning, leaving him no time to linger. He had projects to execute and needed the support of these people. There were also plenty of questions he wanted to ask, which was his main motivation for attending.

A noise came from behind the door. Someone had just knocked.

"You can come in, Dahlia. I'm already up," said Cliff, heading toward the door to make sure it was shut.

"Hello, my lord, uh... how did you know it was me behind the door?" she asked, still in shock.

"Hmm? You could say it's one of my abilities," Cliff replied nonchalantly.

Cliff had gained the [Echolocation] ability after slaying a flock of bats. It allowed him to perceive shapes through ultrasonic waves, which was very useful in a forest where attacks could come from any direction.

"That's... a really scary ability!" Dahlia whispered, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"Um... they're already ready for the meeting, I assume? Is that why you're here?" he asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

"Yes, my lord. Please follow me. I'll lead you to the meeting room," she said, bowing respectfully.

"Good," Cliff said as he made his way toward the door.

They walked for a few moments before stopping at a door that led to a basement. They descended into a room with a round table in the middle.

Three people were already seated there, including Rakahn and two others Cliff had seen at the village entrance. That made five in the room.

When they saw Cliff enter, they stood up to greet him. Embarrassed, Cliff gestured for them to sit back down. This environment, where he was an important figure, wasn't entirely foreign to him. In his old world, he had been respected at the dojo by both his juniors and elders for his above-average abilities and prowess.

"Rakahn, could you brief them on what we discussed earlier?" Cliff asked, sitting across from him.

"Yes, my lord," Rakahn replied, rising to speak.

Rakahn explained that they were on the large continent of Merlea, inhabited by various creatures. They were currently in the southern part, called the "Corrupted Forest," named so because it was overrun with monsters. All the kingdoms had given up trying to conquer it, leaving it unclaimed. Those living in the forest were demi-humans, descendants of the monsters and humans who survived the Thousand-Year War.

"A war? What do you mean?" Cliff asked, perplexed.

"It was the greatest breach of the 'Underworld' ever opened, leading to an invasion of monstrous varieties that caused millions of deaths and widespread devastation. They were eventually pushed back into this forest, and we, the descendants of monsters and humans, live here. Small breaches still appear occasionally, making the forest dangerous," replied Dahlia, seated beside him.

"What sets you apart from humans besides your horns?" Cliff asked, resting his head on his hand.

"Like monsters, we demi-humans possess essence stones. Awakened humans hunted us to absorb our power, claiming we weren't truly human," Rakahn continued.

"Awakened? Who are they?" Cliff asked, raising an eyebrow.

The room fell silent until one of the two soldiers spoke up.

"Um... my lord, the 'Awakened' are those who have demonstrated great willpower and awakened special abilities."

"They must think my questions are strange. Maybe even children know this information," Cliff thought.

"So, I'm an Awakened, too," he declared, testing their reactions. They only nodded, seemingly unsurprised.

"I have a question. No, I have many questions, but this one's more important," Cliff said, looking hesitant.

He was reluctant to ask, uncertain how they might treat him after revealing such personal information. But after much thought, he decided to proceed.

"Have you ever heard of people being summoned from other worlds?"

"Are you talking about the Summoned, my lord?" Dahlia asked in return.

"Uh... Maybe that's what you call them," Cliff said, his voice still uncertain.

Rakahn scratched the back of his head and said, "We know very little. All we've heard are stories of people summoned from various worlds who are bound to a master. If they stray too far, a spell activates, consuming their soul. They are often summoned in the northern nations for their strength since crossing worlds awakens their powers."

Cliff was both shocked and curious. Questions raced through his mind. Who was his master? Was he lucky the summoning had failed? And if it had failed, why was he brought here at all?

"There's something that bothers me. You say they're bound to a master. Has there ever been a case where someone escaped?" Cliff asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not exactly. In the forest, there are nine clans. Long ago, each was led by a Summoned from different worlds or eras. These leaders killed their masters to escape and hide in the forest. As they were strong, our ancestors welcomed them. For instance, in our clan, a Summoned came from a country called Kemet. It was during their time that the Clan Wars began," Rakahn explained.

"It's true, I recognized his weapon. As a blacksmith, I've tried forging many ancient weapons. His ancestor must have been Egyptian or from a parallel world," Cliff mused.

"The Clan War? Ah, yes, you mentioned it in the cave."

Cliff had heard briefly about this territorial conflict. It was essentially a war over hunting grounds. Since the forest was dangerous, the hunting zones—where monsters were less frequent—were highly coveted. But they were too small to sustain all nine clans, sparking disputes that eventually led to war.

"Why not gather a group of soldiers, subdue a powerful monster, and absorb its essence to grow stronger?" Cliff asked, surprised.

"Forgive me, my lord, but it's not that simple. You must be the one to kill the monster to absorb its essence," the dark-skinned soldier replied.

"Oh really? Well, that's a shame. I was hoping to hunt as many monsters as possible with you. Maybe you wouldn't be able to keep up," Cliff muttered, frustrated by this harsh reality.

He had been eager to use his abilities in this monster-filled forest.

"So many skills to devour," he thought. "But I lack experience and knowledge about the monsters. I couldn't fight them alone."

"Is there a way to bypass that rule? I really want to help you all," he said, searching for answers.

The room fell silent again, and Rakahn seemed to be deep in thought.

"Uh... Rakahn, do you know something?" Cliff asked anxiously.

"Well, the elf clan found a method to bypass it, but they've only used it on monsters. Since we're half-monster, I wonder if it could work for us," Rakahn replied.

Cliff felt reassured.

"Well, that's something," he said, a smile creeping onto his face.