Inside the Witch’s Flower Shop, Alisa sat, propping her head in her hand. She gazed at the quiet, almost deserted interior and let out a soft murmur.
“With Manager Lena away, the flower shop has lost a lot of its usual bustle.”
“After all, many people come to buy flowers just for a glimpse of Manager Lena,” Anna replied without even turning her head from cleaning the display case.
Alisa fell silent. With nothing to do, she began to fantasize once more about her own encounter with a hero.
She imagined herself as a maiden in distress, with a hero descending from the heavens like a prince from a fairy tale.
Subtly, their affections would blossom, and under the gaze of countless witnesses, they would become husband and wife.
Young girls always harbored fantasies of love, and she was no exception.
Yet, she also knew such things were best left to her imagination. A hero was an existence far beyond her reach.
Deep down, she understood that marrying a hero might not even be the best choice.
She was merely an ordinary person, her lifespan barely a century. Heroes, imbued with magic, lived far longer as their strength grew.
Ultimately, she would be nothing more than a transient figure in their lives.
Perhaps, as her beauty faded, she might even be cast aside by the hero before her time.
Manager Lena’s rejections of those heroes likely stemmed from similar concerns.
She had indeed seen the heroes who pursued Lena. Almost all of them were minor, unknown figures, their strength lingering at only the first or second tier.
Not a single truly renowned hero from the guild had ever appeared.
Still, Alisa understood that Manager Lena was just an ordinary person. To even know these common heroes was already quite remarkable.
Anything beyond that existed in an entirely different realm.
As she drifted in thought, the flower shop suddenly grew dim.
Several flashes of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a resounding clap of thunder.
“Is it going to rain?”
Anna, who had been wiping the display case, walked to the window and looked up at the sky.
The next moment, the rag in her hand slipped to the floor.
“W-what is that?!”
Her voice was laced with extreme panic and unease. Alisa snapped back to reality and rushed to the window.
There, the sky had fractured into countless cracks, like a shattered mirror.
A scorpion, three stories tall, burst through a rift and emerged.
Its eyes glowed crimson, and the hook at the end of its tail gleamed with a terrifying cold light.
With just a gentle sway of its massive pincers, nearby buildings crumbled, sending up plumes of dust.
Screams of terror erupted from the street. Alisa’s heart trembled, unable to believe the scene unfolding before her eyes.
“A monster?!”
How could a monster suddenly appear within the city walls?
Shouldn’t they remain in the Tranquil Forest outside the city?
“Quick, run!” Anna was the first to react. She grabbed Alisa’s hand and pulled her out of the flower shop, with the other staff members following suit.
The monster was dangerously close. Staying inside the flower shop would be a death sentence.
“To the shelter!” Alisa, regaining her composure, instructed them.
Due to Vidona’s proximity to the Tranquil Forest, beast tides occasionally erupted, prompting the city to specially construct beast tide shelters to protect its residents.
After the last staff member exited, Alisa turned to lock the flower shop’s door.
She then quickly checked the windows before finally joining the others in their escape.
Even in this moment, she hadn’t forgotten her role as acting manager.
“Alisa! Hurry up!”
“Coming!”
The monster was still some distance away, so although they were terrified, panic had not fully set in.
Other residents reacted similarly. Soon, the streets near the monster became deserted.
Evidently, this enraged the monster. It quickly traversed the empty areas, charging towards the direction Alisa and the others were fleeing.
A colossal shadow enveloped them. Alisa’s heart pounded with tension, and a fine sweat broke out on her forehead.
In terms of speed, they simply couldn’t hope to outrun this monster.
Just then, a flash of fire shot from the distance, striking the monster with immense force.
Boom—!!
A deafening explosion ripped through the air, scattering sparks.
Many residents covered their ears, squatting down and trembling with fear.
However, upon seeing the fiery red figure appear in the sky, hope instantly surged within them.
“It’s Lady Rolan! They actually returned from their mission outside the city!”
“Lady Rolan is a Fourth-tier Hero! We’re saved!”
Rolan, a hero of Vidona, was renowned for her fiery red hair and terrifying control over flames.
Moreover, her hero squad was considered the strongest in Vidona.
Comprising three Third-tier heroes and one Fourth-tier, their coordination was exceptionally seamless.
They had few rivals within the Vidona Hero Guild.
Many residents breathed a sigh of relief at her appearance.
But the next second, as the fiery glow dissipated, the monster, completely unharmed, moved a leg and swung its pincer in a devastating horizontal sweep.
Unable to dodge, Rolan was struck and sent crashing violently into a building, causing gasps of alarm from the surrounding residents.
“Lady Rolan!”
Soon after, a disheveled figure reappeared in everyone’s sight, and only then did Alisa truly relax.
She had worried needlessly. How could a Fourth-tier Hero possibly be defeated by a monster?
Subsequently, the rest of Rolan’s squad arrived. The monster, which had been so arrogant moments before, was immediately suppressed, its advance significantly slowed.
Buildings on both sides were affected by the battle, with flames soaring skyward.
Thick, rolling smoke filled the entire street, choking Alisa and the others, making it difficult to breathe.
Amidst their frantic escape, a weak plea for help suddenly reached Alisa’s ears from beside her.
“H-help me—”
Her steps faltered. She turned her head and saw a girl lying on the ground, her legs crushed by a collapsed building.
Her hands and face were covered in grime and blood.
Well aware of the monster drawing nearer and the precarious buildings around them, Alisa knew that if she didn’t save this girl, the child would surely die.
“What are you doing, Alisa! There’s no time!” Anna, seeing her stop, waved frantically and urged her on.
Anna had also seen the pitiful girl, but there was nothing they could do. Saving her would likely cost both of their lives.
They weren’t men; they didn’t possess such strength. Carrying her, they wouldn’t get far at all.
“Leave her! If we don’t go now, we won’t make it out either!”
Alisa hesitated for a moment, then quickly walked towards the girl.
“You go on ahead. I’ll save her!”
“Are you out of your mind?!”
Boom—!
Another explosion erupted within the building near the girl, sending a shower of rubble and glass shards onto the street.
Anna recoiled several steps, terrified of being caught in the blast.
She dared not approach, only watching anxiously as Alisa reached the girl’s side.
With great difficulty, Alisa lifted her from the ground and placed her onto her back.
The girl’s breathing was now incredibly faint, her consciousness hazy. Alisa spoke to her, urging her to stay awake, as she used every ounce of her strength to stand up with the girl on her back.
The once flat street was now riddled with craters from the collapsed buildings. Just as Alisa prepared to take a step, another explosion boomed.
This time, the already crumbling wall of the building could no longer hold, collapsing with a thunderous roar!
Massive stones rained down towards Alisa. With her head bowed, she could only see a large shadow suddenly appear beneath her feet, engulfing her entirely.
“Alisa!”
Anna’s voice cracked.