What was the original wall?

"To overcome the gnoll leader at the cost of injury."

The gnoll leader was astonishingly fast and wielded poisoned daggers.

"A fight where even a scratch could determine the outcome."

A battle where the slightest wound could decide life or death. It felt as though this wall had been constructed specifically for Enkrid. Reflexes honed to perfection, the body responding the instant the eyes perceived—the synergy of reaction and cognition.

It seemed like a fight that could only be won by mastering these skills.

Enkrid saw the gnoll leader as a wall, and he added a small twist to it. Call it a loophole or a bit of cunning.

"What if I faced him without sustaining any injuries?"

While his stamina might deplete, there was a way. As an added benefit, most of the frontier villagers wouldn’t need to die either.

And so, Enkrid did exactly that.

Now it was time to see the results of his actions.

In short, Enkrid needed to confirm whether he had truly surpassed the wall or simply done something foolish.

The confirmation was simple—he just had to wait.

And the conclusion?

"I’m not going back."

Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink.

No matter how many times he blinked, things remained the same.

The night was deep, and the time to return had long passed.

Therefore, he had crossed the wall.

“What are you doing?” Kraiss’s voice interrupted him.

He was sprawled nearby, the voice’s source having been muttering to himself for some time now.

“Life is such a mess. Is this year just cursed for me or what?” Kraiss had been rambling about his misfortune before turning to question Enkrid.

“I feel like my luck has been pretty good this year,” Enkrid replied.

“That’s not entirely wrong. If your luck had been bad, you wouldn’t have made it back alive. But seriously, why are you blinking like that? You look possessed. It’s creepy, so please stop.”

“Oh, was it that bad?” Enkrid said and blinked a few more times.

As he blinked, thoughts churned in his mind.

Was this loophole a legitimate way to survive the day? Or was this the intended path all along? Or perhaps simply overcoming the obstacle called the "wall" was enough?

He didn’t know. There were too many things he didn’t understand. From the very beginning, repeating this day had been a string of inexplicable events.

"Will this show up in my dreams tonight?"

Maybe he should ask the ferryman. Though he doubted he’d get a kind answer, it might be better than nothing.

All of it seemed pointless, though. Wasting mental energy on such thoughts served no purpose. He’d rather swing his sword a few more times.

Thunk!

Mid-thought, the leopard Esther pressed against his chest with a paw.

Perhaps this was payment for how much he had relied on her earlier. Since returning, she hadn’t left his chest.

Even when he bathed, she’d climbed into the wooden tub filled with hot water, provided by a few workers, and shared the bath with him.

“Kyahh-ha.”

Apparently, it had felt good. Instead of her usual sharp cries, she had let out soft, satisfied purrs, even pawing at his chest before curling up and falling asleep.

Afraid she might drown in her sleep, Enkrid had held her close as he bathed. Not that he truly thought she could drown.

Now, at last, Enkrid realized that the day had completely passed.

He had crossed the wall and survived. Today, he had learned something new, building on the Sense of Evasion. Tomorrow awaited.

“Now it’s tomorrow,” he murmured into the moonlit night.

“Not yet—it’s still the middle of the night,” came a voice from behind him.

Step, step.

Covered in dirt and stray leaves, Frokk appeared, bathed in moonlight, followed closely by Lua Gharne.

“You’re back?”

So they had returned after a full day. What had they been doing all this time? Lua, it seemed, hadn’t even realized there had been attacks by monsters and beasts.

“We ran far beyond the quarry. That guy you mentioned—the cultist—he was the real deal. He escaped, though.”

Enkrid and Lua began discussing what had happened.

“So, you lost him?” Enkrid asked.

Frokk? Lose a human? Just a mere human, even if he was a cultist priest? Frokk, of all people?

Enkrid’s eyes seemed to repeatedly write and erase these incredulous words.

Lua felt an odd irritation building and couldn’t hold her tongue.

“It was possible to lose him.”

“Oh, I see. Of course,” Enkrid replied, his tone detached.

He must have been careless, or maybe Frokk wasn’t all there today. Perhaps that’s why he was still lingering here instead of returning to the capital. If not, he would have left long ago.

“Something feels off.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your eyes keep saying something different.”

“Me?” Enkrid remained calm, as always.

Only his eyes told a different story.

Even Frokk, usually dull when it came to subtleties, caught on.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Never mind.”

Lua admitted that losing the cultist was true. He hadn’t intended the insult, though the gaze had been unusually disrespectful. But the loss was a fact.

Still, why did it feel so... aggravating?

“The cultist must be connected to the monster and beast horde,” Enkrid said.

Lua nodded in agreement.

“The creatures that fled today might not scatter,” Enkrid added, and Lua nodded again.

If the cultist priest remained, he could potentially take over as the colony’s leader. The attacking monsters and beasts weren’t legendary creatures, after all. Gnolls were low-tier monsters, to begin with—stupid by nature.

Compared to ghouls, gnolls weren’t exactly bright. They simply had a habit of attacking in packs and ambushing their prey.

But these gnolls, armed and organized like a proper army, were a different story.

“So, the cultists were responsible for their equipment. That means they might return tomorrow,” Enkrid concluded.

Lua looked at him again, noticing how his eyes seemed to say something else entirely.

"This happened because you lost him, didn’t it?"

“You... your eyes…”

Lua was about to say something when Deutsch Pullman approached at the perfect moment.

“So, you’re saying they didn’t just retreat?” Deutsch asked. He had been loitering nearby, unable to stay quiet after overhearing the critical discussion.

“That’s likely,” Enkrid replied.

“Why?”

Deutsch’s question was met with a brief glance from Enkrid toward Lua. Then he answered.

“The mastermind behind the horde is still out there.”

“The mastermind? Yeah, something did seem off,” Deutsch agreed, nodding.

It made sense. Armed monsters, an unusually large horde of creatures, and even spies within their ranks—Deutsch’s missing lieutenant, in particular.

“Oh, that missing lieutenant was a cultist,” Enkrid added, dropping the revelation like a stone into a pond.

"That bastard?"

Deutsch shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

“I sent a pigeon for reinforcements, but it’ll take at least a week. There’s no backup nearby.”

No mercenary band would take on a fight of this scale without exorbitant pay. Even then, gathering enough numbers for such a battle would be nearly impossible.

Deutsch was left with only one option: to appeal to the noble supporting the village.

He had already sent the pigeon, but even if they responded quickly, it would take seven days at best.

“A whole week,” Enkrid muttered, his voice so low it was unclear if he was speaking to anyone in particular. His eyes, lost in thought, suggested he was talking to himself.

Deutsch didn’t press him. There were too many immediate concerns, starting with fortifying the walls.

If the retreating horde was tied to the cultist, magical attacks could follow. And if they faced a cultist, curses that eroded the mind were a real threat.

You never knew what to expect with cultists. Some acted like gods in remote villages, ruling with twisted zeal.

More urgently, they had to prepare for the possibility that the cultist could command the gnolls to return.

“I’ll handle the cultist,” Lua said.

Deutsch felt a flicker of relief at her words.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely.

Lua glanced at Enkrid. The blue of his eyes glimmered with an unusual light beneath his dark hair.

"Clean up the mess you caused," they seemed to say.

Lua’s cheeks puffed involuntarily, but she said nothing. After all, she had let the cultist escape.

Still, fighting someone who wielded summoning magic was no easy feat. Summoning wasn’t something you could simply counter with steel—it was a struggle even with magic on your side.

“What is it?” Enkrid asked, his eyes as sharp and blue as ever.

Lua decided it was better to prove herself if the cultist returned the next day with more monsters and beasts. She would speak with her actions, not her words.

“Are we sparring today or not?” Lua asked as she began to walk away.

“I asked Esther to handle a few things earlier. That’s why today is out of the question,” Enkrid replied, stroking the leopard resting on his chest.

Lua had nothing more to say. She left to find water and clean up. Passing a stream on her way, she decided to take a cold dip—something to clear her mind.

“Do you think we can hold out?” Kraiss asked as Frokk departed.

Enkrid tilted his head slightly.

“Hold out?”

“The gnolls are coming back tomorrow, aren’t they?”

“Oh, they’ll be back.”

His posture was indifferent, his tone calm, yet it was clear that Enkrid was lost in some peculiar train of thought.

"What’s wrong with this squad leader now?"

Kraiss’s gaze spoke volumes, and Enkrid didn’t let it go unnoticed. Such attitudes had to be dealt with swiftly.

Thud.

With a quick motion, Enkrid kicked Kraiss square in the chest, sending him rolling sideways.

“Ugh!” Kraiss groaned.

“Why—what was that for?” he managed to stammer out.

“Your eyes looked off,” Enkrid said evenly.

Kraiss, for his part, knew this about his squad leader: once Enkrid made up his mind, he wouldn’t stop. His uncanny sense for noticing even subtle gestures was nearly equal to Kraiss’s own.

He had, after all, caught Kraiss’s unspoken criticism. Usually, he was quick to accept banter, but if something crossed a line, he wasn’t above using his feet—just as he had now.

“My eyes,” Kraiss murmured.

“Yes, keep them straight.”

Finally, Enkrid seemed satisfied. It was time to sleep. Resting well and recovering fully for tomorrow would be crucial. He had already treated his minor wounds with ointment.

Though his muscles were slightly strained, a good night’s sleep would take care of that.

"I wonder how well Frokk will fight after being provoked," Enkrid thought, curious as night fell.

While Enkrid slept soundly, Deutsch Pullman, his subordinates, and the villagers were tossed between hope and despair.

“Didn’t they say they’d all retreated?”

“And now they’re coming back?”

“A cultist is involved? Oh, lord of the sun, my master, have mercy.”

“Grant us your protection, O Lord!”

Those stricken with fear wept and mumbled incoherently.

The devout turned to prayer.

The calm and collected pondered the dangers ahead.

And those in leadership roles focused on immediate tasks.

It was a night where everyone carried their burdens in their own way. For many, there was no choice but to stay awake, keeping watch through the night.

It was a day they had survived only thanks to Enkrid’s remarkable efforts.

From Deutsch’s perspective, it was clear: without Enkrid, the battle would have been lost. He had witnessed how Enkrid fought.

But such heroics couldn’t be repeated. It had been a fortunate outcome, born of chaotic circumstances.

No sane human would willingly throw themselves into a horde of monsters.

As dawn broke and a new day began, the sentry posted outside Enkrid’s home noticed the dark-haired, blue-eyed hero stepping outside.

Enkrid started his morning later than usual. Emerging from his house, he began stretching and then moved into an intense training routine, breaking into a sweat.

The sentry couldn’t help but wonder if this was too much.

“Even on a day like this, you don’t rest?” he asked, concern evident in his voice. After yesterday’s exhausting fight and the uncertainty of what lay ahead, it seemed reasonable to take it easy.

Enkrid nodded. “I had a good dream.”

What? The sentry had clearly asked if he was resting, but Enkrid gave an unrelated answer, focusing instead on his exercises.

Soon, Frokk appeared.

“A good dream? You were thrashing around all night,” Frokk commented.

“Must’ve been a bad case of sleep talking,” Enkrid replied nonchalantly.

Their conversation left the sentry with nothing else to say, so he retreated quietly.

Shortly after, the leopard Esther and Kraiss emerged.

Kraiss yawned, rubbing his eyes. When his gaze met the sentry’s, he gave a small nod, which the sentry returned.

Finally, the female ranger, Finn, came out.

“Phew,” she exhaled deeply as she stepped forward, her gait visibly stiff.

“Why are you even out here?” Enkrid asked, noticing her condition.

“Got to shoot something,” Finn answered curtly.

“Don’t bother.”

“But they’re coming back today, aren’t they?”

“Probably.”

“Then that’s a good thing.”

Enkrid, Finn, Frokk, and then Enkrid again—each spoke in turn, their words cryptic to the sentry.

“It’s a good thing if they come back,” Frokk repeated, this time with weight behind his words.

The sentry shuddered. The sheer intensity in Frokk’s tone—his vigor, his bloodlust—made the man’s legs weak.

And then it came.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The alarm bells rang out, echoing through the village.

When it came to the worst-case scenarios, it seemed they always arrived unbidden. Or perhaps the most dreaded events always loomed closest. Either way, the result was the same.

“They’re here!” a messenger shouted, sprinting from the front lines.

It was time for Deutsch Pullman’s carefully laid defense plan to spring into action.

Enkrid moved swiftly.

His body was warmed up, and all that remained was to grab his gear. Kraiss, having cleaned Enkrid’s swords the night before, had polished them until they gleamed with the oil from rendered animal fat.

Though parts of his chainmail had bent from the previous day’s skirmish, it was still serviceable. Throwing knives were in short supply, but Enkrid figured he might not need them today. If it came to it, the sword alone would suffice.

“Lua Gharne?” Enkrid called out as he donned his armor.

“I’m here,” Frokk answered with a nod. It was time to redeem herself for yesterday’s failure and prove her worth—not just to the arrogant Enkrid but to herself.

“Let’s go,” Lua said firmly.

The group moved out, joined by Finn, who intended to help—or at least observe.

Kraiss sighed heavily, muttering about his bad fortune as he followed suit. Complaining wouldn’t change anything, and he knew he had to stick with the group, no matter what awaited them.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The alarm bells continued to ring, loud and unrelenting, as the village prepared for the inevitable.