The Night Combat Squad

“…”

Vivian sighed silently.

When she first encountered Lucia, she couldn’t help but marvel at how absurdly overpowered the game’s “darling protagonist” was.

So powerful that she, a Demon Lord, had almost no strength to resist her, merely managing to hold out for a little longer.

It couldn’t be helped. Who told her that Lucia had the protagonist’s script?

But even a protagonist didn’t have a get-out-of-death-free card.

Someone had disrupted the world’s progress and rhythm, which was why Lucia had been so aggressive, and why she had fallen into the Demon Lords’ ambush—

But regardless, Vivian now had things she had to do.

“So, while I was gone, did you get a good grasp of the situation inside the camp?”

Vivian turned her head, looked at Luna’s cute little face, and asked.

“I did!” Luna responded. “During the commotion just now, I slipped into the main camp. This is the map I saw!”

With that, Luna flicked her finger, using her mana to sketch a simple and clear area map on the ground.

“If we go this way, there’s a gap in the human defensive line. You can pass through the front line with ease, My Lord. And it doesn’t look like any Heroes are stationed there. The only danger is that there seems to be one Hero on each flank, but I don’t know who they are.”

“Mmm… Alright, I understand.”

Vivian looked at the map and human defenses sketched out by Luna’s mana, stroking her chin in thought for a moment before nodding.

“My Lord, when are we leaving?”

“Tonight.”

Vivian blinked. “If things go smoothly… I’ll join a night patrol team and leave with them.”

“For now, let’s just get some rest and build up our strength.”

With that, Vivian closed her eyes and began to rest.

Night was generally the domain of the Demon Clan.

Because demons naturally possessed mana, even the weakest goblin had a faint amount, which in turn gave them a degree of night vision.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, the other races avoided fighting the Demon Clan at night.

But the Demon Clan didn’t care about that.

Night was their home turf, so shouldn’t they make the most of it?

Thus, at night, the Demon Clan’s attacks and infiltrations became more frequent.

Many scouts would charge recklessly in the dark, penetrating deep into human territory.

Of course, even so, the humans had to dispatch corresponding night combat teams to maintain control of key routes.

If an outpost did nothing and simply turtled up in their stronghold, they might wake up the next day to find themselves completely surrounded.

Naturally, such a high-risk mission had to be handled by professionals.

In the game, combat after nightfall was also particularly dangerous.

Demonic beasts generally received a twenty percent damage boost, while players or NPCs without night combat abilities would have their attack power reduced.

Thus, specialized night combat squads were formed.

Vivian’s plan was to find a team after nightfall, and under the guise of looking for her teammates, follow them out.

This would make it easier to pass through various strongholds and avoid the scrutinizing gaze of the Heroes.

After all, [Heroes] were not simple beings.

To become a Hero, one had to at least possess the strength to defeat a powerful demon lord.

Although night was the home turf of the Demon Lord of Evernight, Vivian, there was no guarantee that a Hero without related abilities wasn’t stationed here, waiting for her arrival.

After the incident at Faro Fortress, the nearby Heroes and teams would surely be on high alert.

What Vivian needed to do was hide in plain sight.

No one would ever imagine that a great Demon Lord would disguise herself as a human adventurer.

Time gradually passed. The sun set, and night descended.

After dinner, Vivian left her temporary tent. Taran and his squad happened to be warming themselves by a fire in the center of the camp.

“Miss Nannali! Are you well-rested?”

Taran greeted Vivian enthusiastically when he saw her emerge.

“I am, thank you for your hospitality. I plan to join a night combat squad next, and also look for my other teammates.”

“Oh, right, of course. I’ll make the introductions for you.”

Taran nodded and eagerly introduced Vivian to the other night combat squads in their outpost, while Father Rocky stared silently at Vivian without a word.

Taran led Vivian, in her identity as Nannali, towards a squad assembling at the edge of the camp.

The team consisted of about ten people, all well-equipped, many with the characteristic vigilance of night combat veterans on their faces.

Their captain was a stocky middle-aged warrior with a vicious scar on his face, named Barton.

His eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s; one look was enough to tell he was a seasoned warrior.

“Captain Barton, this is Miss Nannali, a skilled adventurer and an independent shadowmancer. She fits the needs of your night combat squad,” Taran introduced. “Her teammates are missing, and she wants to join a night team, partly to assist with defense, and partly to try her luck at finding her companions. She’s also a Gold-rank registered adventurer.”

Barton’s gaze swept over Vivian like a searchlight.

In response, Vivian maintained the composure befitting “Nannali” and gave a slight nod. “My apologies for the intrusion, Captain Barton. I only wish to do my part and find a trace of my teammates.”

Barton pondered for a moment, his eyes lingering on Vivian’s seemingly ordinary adventurer’s gear, then looked at Taran—the young shield guard captain was well-liked and respected in the camp.

Finally, he nodded. “Taran’s introduction, fine—but let’s get the ugly truth out of the way. The night belongs to the demon spawn. Stick with the team, follow orders, and don’t act on your own. Your life, and ours, are tied together.”

“Understood.”

Vivian replied concisely.

Just then, Father Rocky, who had been following Taran in silence, suddenly spoke, his voice low. “Miss Nannali, may the Holy Light guide your path—the night is fraught with danger, please be extra careful.”

His gaze seemed to inadvertently sweep across Vivian’s eyes, carrying a heavy weight of probing.

Clearly, even if the detections showed no “problems,” he remained suspicious.

A perfectly measured, faint smile appeared on Vivian’s face. “Thank you for your blessing, Father.”

The team set out quickly, leaving the relative safety of the camp’s glow and plunging headfirst into the thick darkness.

The moonlight was diluted by thin clouds and a pervasive demonic mist, reducing visibility to almost nothing.

The human team members then activated their enchanted lightstones.

The dim, yellow glow barely illuminated the rugged path underfoot and the shadowy shrubs and strange rocks on either side.

This light was just enough to illuminate the immediate surroundings without broadcasting their position like a beacon in the night.

From a distance, the group’s location still appeared as a patch of darkness.

The air was thick with the smell of earth, decaying leaves, and a faint, indescribable stench of nocturnal demonic beasts.

And no one knew that hidden within their ranks was a Demon Lord.