“Over there,” mumbled Lark. He pointed a finger at the vast forest of trees on his left. Lightning crackled and shot forth from his finger, buzzing past numerous trees. A split second after, a yelp echoed.

“The three of you,” said Lark. “Go retrieve the body.”

Three kids went the direction the lightning spell had struck. After some time, they returned carrying a small wild boar. It was still barely alive, its body quivering as blood dripped from its snout.

Arthus and the rest of the kids were at loss for words. This was their fourth catch of the day. After the young master issued out his orders, the guards dispersed and combed the forest for any food. And with guidance from the young master, they hunted the animals easily. This all happened in only two hours.

Lark saw one of the kids pull out a knife. When he was about to stab the half-dead boar, Lark said, “Stop. There’s no need for mercy killing right now. Let it stay alive. It would be a waste to let it die and rot. I made sure to hold my spells back solely for that.”

The kid looked at the boar with pitiful eyes, but he sheathed the knife and complied.

“We’ll smoke the rabbits once we arrive at the village.” Lark gestured for the Head Guard to come to him. “The scouts?”

“Like you said, there’re some dead trees in that area.” Clarkson pointed into the forest. “My men told me that those trees have turned into stones.”

“Arthus,” said Lark. “Does the giant serpent have the ability to turn something into stone?”

Arthus and the other kids looked at each other. Arthus shook his head. “Not that I know of. Some villagers died from the poison, while others were swallowed whole. But I’ve never heard of anyone turning into stone.”

“I see. So there’s a male and a female, huh?”

Arthus did not like what he’d heard. “What do you mean, sir?”

“There are probably two of those monsters.” Everyone stiffened upon hearing that. “If my hunch is correct, we’re dealing with basilisks. Two of them.”

Clarkson nervously gulped. “Young Master, if this is true, we should head back to the main road immediately! There’s no way for us to win against a Calamity Class Monster!”

Lark raised an eyebrow. It was the first time he had heard such a term since taking over this new body.

“Calamity Class?” said Lark.

Clarkson nodded vigorously. “Yes. I’m pretty sure basilisks are included in that list. They’re creatures that are impossible to beat without the help of the army. A basilisk appeared near Gryphon City a few years ago, and it took several knights and platoons of soldiers to defeat it.”

“Young sir, we should leave this area,” said the coachman. “It’s our job to make sure you’re safe. If anything happens to you, the—”

“It’s fine.” Lark waved a hand. “Just follow my commands.” The soldiers looked grim.

Lark could win against the male basilisk, since he only needed to dodge those poisonous fangs, but the female was an entirely different matter. The eyes of a female basilisk have the ability to petrify people. At his current strength, he could survive an encounter, but it would be impossible to protect those that were with him. An anti-petrification spell encompassing such a large area would cost a considerable amount of mana.

“Listen,” said Lark. Everyone’s attention turned to him. “There’s nothing cowardly about running away from something you are unable to beat. If you see the basilisk, run. Prioritize your safety. We did not come here to kill it. We came to save the dying villagers. Understood?”

“Yes, Young Master,” the guards and the servants replied in unison.

One of the guards scouting the area returned. He approached Lark and reported his find. According to him, a good distance away, there was a man’s corpse. A portion of his body had been bitten off by some monster, with only the head and half the torso remaining intact.

The soldier nervously looked at the kids, then Lark. He whispered, “Sir, it’s probably one of the villagers. There’s a bow near the corpse, and the tunic is similar to what the kids are wearing.”

Lark furrowed his brow. “I see. Take another guard and lead me there.” He turned to Clarkson. “You heard, right? I’ll leave this place to you. I’ll be right back.”

“Wait! Let me come with you! If something happens to the young master—”

“Stay here,” Lark commanded. He turned to the guard nearby. “Guide me there.”

With two guards, Lark went to where the corpse was found. The remaining body was in far worse condition than had been reported. A portion of the head had melted, possibly from some poison; the innards spread out on the ground. The pungent stench of decay made them crinkle their noses.

Lark picked up a dagger from the ground. The victim seemed to have made a desperate struggle against the monster before he died.

“Young Master…” said one of the guards, his voice trembling. “There’s no way an ordinary monster’s capable of this. You’re probably right. That giant serpent they talked about—it’s probably that Calamity Class Monster.”

Lark sheathed the dagger. “Let’s go back. We’ll head to the village immediately. Time is of the essence.”

After returning to the caravan, Lark ordered everyone to head toward the village. Since it would be impossible for the carts to move through the trees, they had no choice but to untether some of the horses and use them to carry the food.

The kids led the way toward their home.

After several hours, they finally arrived at their destination. “A wall? Impressive,” said Lark.

A wooden wall surrounded the village. Although small, around two meters in height, it was sturdy and well made. A small broken gate was not far from their current spot. Peeking through the gap, they also spotted damaged houses within the wall’s perimeter. It was as though a typhoon had raged through, tearing the wooden shacks and cabins apart.

Arthus and the other children ran toward the broken gate.

“Elder! We’re back! We’ve brought food for everyone!” shouted Arthus. There was no reply. The village was quiet.

“Stop,” said Lark. The kids halted in their tracks. “There’s something inside.”

As though on cue, a loud hissing sound echoed through the village. A gargantuan snake appeared, a large portion of its body hidden behind the wall.

At this sight, the kids turned pale, screamed, and ran back to Lark and the guards.

The snake continued hissing, its slit-like pupils glaring in their direction. Despite the smell of death emanating from it, the silver scales of the giant creature were beautiful. It reminded Lark of the carapace of giant crabs, like armor polished by artisans.

“The giant snake!” the kids whispered.

Lark stared at the protruding fangs. Viscous, pale green liquid dripped, and touching the ground, the venom made sizzling sounds.

“What a relief,” said Lark. “I’m not sure I could protect everyone from the female basilisk, but I should be able to kill this one.”

Lark was almost positive they had found the male basilisk. The corrosive poison was a characteristic trait.

Lark’s guards stood in front of him and drew their swords.

“Take the young master out of here!” commanded Clarkson. “We’ll hold off that monster somehow! Go!”

But Lark refused to budge.

“Young Master! Please run away!” one of the guards pleaded. Three servants started tugging at the noble’s clothes, pulling him back.

“It’s fine.” Lightning crackled at Lark’s fingertips. “We might not get another chance like this. We should take this opportunity when the male is not with the female.”

Slithering sounds came from beyond the wooden wall of the village. The walls cracked and broke and the full body of the male basilisk came into view. It hissed violently and slowly approached the humans.

Clarkson and the rest of the guards trembled, but they stood their ground. Lark was amazed that these men were so loyal to him—or to his father. Despite facing imminent death, none of them chose to run away.

Although his father had thrown him to this desolate region, he still wanted to see what the man was like. He wanted to see what kind of person the duke was, to see what made his subordinates unconditionally loyal to him like this.

“Clarkson, protect the kids. If the basilisk attacks, run. Just run away. A single graze from its poison is enough to kill you.” Lark shook off the hands that grabbed his clothes. “Prioritize your safety.”

With that warning, Lark stomped his feet and shot his body forward, blurring toward the hissing colossal serpent.

The basilisk opened its mouth wide and a string of poison shot at Lark. His body blurred and the poison missed him and hit the ground.

The spot of dirt sizzled as the poison soaked the ground.

Lark ran left and right, evading the poison strikes from the monster. He lifted a finger and a spear of lightning manifested before him, before shooting at the basilisk. The lighting spear struck the thick carapace, creating a small burn mark. The beast hissed angrily as it shot forward, its mouth open wide, attempting to swallow Lark whole.

“That’s it, open your mouth.” Lark grinned. Another spear of lightning manifested. He grabbed it, and using all his momentum, threw it into the opened mouth of the basilisk. It was a direct hit.

For a moment, the basilisk froze as though petrified. It soon regained its movement and shook its head angrily. Its slit-like pupils dilated, rage filling its eyes.

“Young Master! What are you doing?!”

From the corner of his eye, Lark saw the guards running toward him. Lark clicked his tongue. He did not want to waste the little mana he had left, but he had no choice. He channeled mana through his hands and punched the ground. A small wall of vines sprouted, blocking the guards’ path. If Lark did not do this, the men would try to rush to his rescue despite the danger involved.

“I’ve got very little mana to spare,” said Lark. “Let’s finish this quickly.”

Lightning crackled on Lark’s feet. His body blurred and his figure disappeared, only to reappear directly below the basilisk. He twisted his body and kicked the basilisk. The giant snake screeched in pain.

Another kick connected with its head, sending the serpent flying backward. In a split second, the monster regained its balance and lunged at Lark. Lightning crackled on his feet and his figure disappeared again. The basilisk struck only air.

Lark pulled the short sword from his waist. He channeled mana through it, making the blade vibrate at high speed. He kicked off from the ground and shot toward the basilisk. Using the momentum of his charge, he slashed at the giant serpent.

“Not enough.” Lark clicked his tongue. The cut he had inflicted was shallow. Most of the damage was deflected by the basilisk’s thick carapace.

“Again.”

Lark’s body once again blurred through the battleground, as he made slashes left and right. Numerous cuts appeared on the basilisk’s body, its blue blood dripping down. The monster hissed in pain and started slithering back.

As it tried to escape, arrows flew from the village, hitting the injured serpent many times. The thick carapace deflected some of the arrows, but more arrows struck the wounds, inflicting deeper damage.

Looking at the village, Lark saw around a dozen men pulling their bows. They released arrows one after another despite their weakness and emaciation. They looked like dead men walking with those skeletal frames, but their eyes blazed with vehement fury at the giant monster.

After one final violent hiss, the basilisk slithered toward the forest, disappearing into the shadows.

“It’s severely wounded! Chase after it!” shouted a man with thick beard, who seemed familiar to Lark. “Everyone! Follow me!”

The villagers came out of the broken gate, holding bows and carrying quivers. They were all panting, as though just taking another step was excruciating.

“You’ll all die if you chase after it,” said Lark. Everyone halted.

If possible, Lark would have finished the male basilisk, but his mana pool was almost empty after casting consecutive spells. His current body could not match his skills and experience. Fighting in this state would be suicidal, even for him.

The villagers looked at each other. The one with bushy beard spoke. “If we don’t chase after it now, it’ll come back for us later once its wounds heal. We need to kill it now while it’s wounded.” He raised his voice. “Everyone, follow me!”

“There are two of them,” Lark warned. The villagers’ eyes widened. “And inside that forest, you’ll be easy targets. Forget it.”

“Two of them?”

Lark nodded. “That was the male basilisk. We found petrified trees on our way here, which means the female is out there somewhere. If you go out now, you might come across it. You will all die.”

The last part of the statement made the villagers shudder.

“Two…” said the man with thick beard. There was a long pause. “That explains it. We thought it was resting in its lair, and yet here it was in the village.” He clenched his fists. “Damn it!”

“The female’s a lot tougher than that one. Are there any magicians among you?” No one replied. “Then, it’ll be impossible for you to defeat it.”

“Who are you?” asked the leader of the group carefully. “How do you know so much about those monsters?”

Lark shrugged. “Just the lord of a small town. But, more importantly…” Lark looked in the direction of the kids. Seeing them, the villagers shouted one after another.

“My son!”

“Arthus, you damn rascal! Where did you go?!”

“Thank God they’re alive!”

As Lark suspected, the kids had left the village on their own, without the consent of the adults. And he could understand why: the adults were famished, and it would not be surprising if they dropped dead. In such state, it would be impossible for the adults to hunt for wild animals and procure food for the village. So, in their stead, the kids tried hunting.

Lark withdrew his magic and the wall of vines receded to the ground. Arthus came running and leaped at the bearded man.

“Uncle Valak! I’m so glad you’re safe!”

Instead of a warm reply, Valak shouted, “You damn kid! Didn’t I tell you to stay in the village! But what did you do?! Not only did you go out on your own, but you also took all of the kids with you!”

Valak slapped Arthus’ cheeks. “You could have died! And those children too! Arthus, do you understand the consequences of your actions?!”

Arthus lowered his head. Everyone around them turned silent. “I’m… I’m sorry. But the villagers…”

Valak sighed. He bit his lip and stared at Arthus. The kid was close to tears.

“Artemas and I caught some rabbits. Come, eat.” Valak placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He looked at Lark and his companions. “It’s not much, but please come with us to eat. That’s the least we can do for our saviors.”

Lark smiled at this. “Impressive. The village is dying of hunger and you still wish to share what little you have with those that saved you. It might be foolish, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is the resolve.” He looked at Clarkson. “Take out the rations and the animals we hunted. We shall revive this dying village.”

The guards started unloading—three boars, five rabbits, and a small deer. The villagers stared.

“This should be more than enough to feed the village.” Lark nodded.

“You… You’re giving it to us?” Valak could not believe his ears.

“That’s the purpose of this visit,” said Lark. “The kids told us the village is dying of hunger. We didn’t expect to encounter the basilisk so soon though.”

Valak looked at Arthus. The kid grinned and nodded.

“How can…” Valak cleared his throat to try to choke the words out. He willed his tears to stop. He was afraid his fellow villagers would succumb to their temptations, but with this much food, everyone would be fed. “How can we repay this…”

A loud hiss came from the forest. Everyone was alert and on guard, staring toward the sound. Lark frowned. “Now’s not the time to discuss it. You have carts or horses?”

Valak shook his head. “Three carts, no horse.”

“That should be enough.” Lark signaled the guards to put the animals inside the village. “It’ll probably take several days before the male basilisk recovers. After eating, you need to leave the village.”

Valak frowned. “Evacuate? This village has existed for almost a century. This is the place of our birth, our grave. We cannot leave.”

Lark and Valak locked eyes. “You will all die if you stay here. That monster will come back. You’re just lucky the female is staying at its lair. But what if it suddenly decides to go out? To come here?”

Silence. The listening villagers were conflicted. “But even if we leave, where can we go?” Valak was exasperated.

“Come and live in my domain. Come to Blackstone Town.” Lark’s declaration took everyone by surprise. “I am the lord there. The town is undergoing drastic developments. We have the resources, but the small population is unable to provide all the work needed.”

“Blackstone Town,” repeated Valak. “If you’re the lord, then… you’re a noble.”

“Does that matter?” Lark smiled wryly. “I won’t coerce you, but I am giving you a choice. You can either remain here and eventually become food for the basilisks or move to my domain and become my citizens. You have until tomorrow to decide. For now, we’ll stay here and help revive this village.”