The Lord’s Raids

Blinking several times, Cliff tried to shake off the gloomy thoughts clouding his mind.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he found his progress slower than he'd like. If he intended to face an entire horde of ogres, he needed to be prepared. No, everyone had to be ready. He had realized that to achieve his goal, he needed the help of his companions, and they would not only have to survive the coming battle but emerge victorious.

Even though Cliff had only known them for a few weeks, they'd been kind and welcoming—almost like family to him. He didn't want to see them fall because of his ambitions.

"Family... huh?" Cliff muttered to himself, memories of his grandparents surfacing. He hadn't really experienced the affection of his parents, who worked abroad. It was his grandparents who had raised him. The thought of them gnawed at him. Were they okay? Had they survived? Were they worried about his disappearance?

Cliff lowered his head, staring at the ground, trying to clear his thoughts.

"Is everything alright, Master Cliff?" Dahlia's sweet voice broke through his reverie like a soothing melody, bringing a smile to his face.

"She's so damn beautiful!" Cliff thought, getting up to begin his patrol.

Earlier, during their meeting, Cliff had told everyone they could rest, and he would take on the patrol. Though they had objected, suggesting they send soldiers instead, Cliff assured them it wasn't because of them—he just couldn't sleep. In the end, they reluctantly agreed. Cain, the young elf, was the first to leave, followed by Akumu. The wolf-eared man had looked at Cliff as if he wanted to say something, but held back and walked away without a word.

Sighing deeply, Cliff wandered through the village, marveling at the differences in culture that made each clan so unique. From their architecture to their clothing styles, everything was distinct.

"Maybe it's the influence of the 'summoned' over time."

Studying the structures of the Ibara clan's houses, Cliff deduced that the ancient summoned leader must have come from East Asia or a parallel world resembling it. The buildings and dress codes were both familiar and strange.

"I'll ask Akumu about it later."

Cliff pulled a stone from his pocket, turning it in his hand as he examined its structure. He was curious about these stones and wanted to understand them. Was absorbing their essence to increase one's attributes the only way to use them?

He'd managed to infuse purified mana into empty stones, but that had been Dahlia's idea. She'd told him, "Since purifying the mana stone in its raw form returns it to its ethereal state, why not purify the mana and store it in the ex-essence stones so everyone can access it more easily?" Cliff had thought it was a good idea, tried it, and succeeded.

"So beautiful and so smart. At this rate, I'd make her my manager, not just my secretary," Cliff mused.

Focusing on the stone, Cliff used his draining skill to absorb its essence.

[You have absorbed the essence of a variant monster: Demonic Rat.]

[Your "strengthening" skill has evolved into "body enhancement."]

[Your "transformation" skill has awakened a new ability: "duplication."]

Cliff waited for the system's announcements to finish, then relaxed. As he opened his eyes, his echolocation ability at its peak, he heard strange rustling in the forest. The sounds grew clearer, turning into whispers. Frowning, he moved toward the source, katana drawn.

But as he approached, the whispers stopped.

"Have they noticed me?" Cliff wondered.

With his skill active, Cliff condensed mana into his arm and slashed horizontally through the air.

The sharp whistle of his blade echoed through the forest.

A heavy thud followed—the sound of a tree being felled, its branches trembling weakly.

Two figures stood nearby, huddled and terrified. One was an elf, the other a young woman with two horns on her forehead.

"Two horns?" Cliff mused, analyzing the frightened pair.

"Ah, you're from the Dhakat clan, aren't you?" Cliff asked, crouching to their level.

"Alright, I'm going to ask you to come with me."