The Hero Garen, and the Blockade

Vivian walked in the middle of the squad, maintaining the faint mana signature and alertness appropriate for her identity as “Nannali,” a human adventurer.

As the Demon Lord of Evernight, the darkness was nothing more than a thin veil in her eyes.

She could clearly see small figures flitting through the distant woods, feel the slight tremors from beneath the ground, and even distinguish the clang of metal and shouts from other night combat squads engaging demonic beasts far away.

Goblin scouts moved swiftly in the shadows, while digging demons lurked underground.

These demonic beasts were well-trained, not even rashly attacking this night combat squad.

They merely glanced at them from a distance before moving on.

Just as it was in the game, the night was indeed fraught with peril.

All this information was automatically integrated and analyzed in her mind, cross-referencing with the map Lunai had provided.

The squad’s direction of advance was precisely toward the gap in the defensive line that Lunai had pointed out.

Clearly, this team was also heading out to fill the gap in the night’s defensive line and conduct patrols, which was more or less what Vivian had guessed.

The squad advanced in silence, the only sounds being their footsteps, the friction of their armor, and their heavy breathing.

Captain Barton was experienced.

He avoided several obvious demonic beast gathering points, leaving markers on the map before quietly departing, not rashly challenging the large clusters of demonic beasts.

When they occasionally encountered small, wandering groups of demonic beasts, the squad reacted swiftly and dealt with them cleanly, minimizing noise and entanglement.

Vivian also acted at the opportune moments, using the most basic “shadow magic.”

Her skill and speed were controlled at the level of an “excellent adventurer.”

Every [Shadow Bolt] she cast was silent, precise, and effective, yet never conspicuous, perfectly blending into the team’s combat rhythm.

Just as the team was about to approach the relatively sparse woodland marked on Lunai’s map—the very location of the defensive gap—something unexpected happened!

A powerful and pure pressure, carrying the scorching aura of light, descended from the sky like a physical weight!

This pressure wasn’t aimed at any single person but washed over the entire area like an invisible tide!

The light from the team’s lightstones dimmed abruptly.

The squad members felt their breath catch, their hearts as if gripped by an unseen hand.

An instinctual awe and fear rose within them, and even Vivian felt the pressure.

“A Hero!” Captain Barton’s face changed drastically, his voice tinged with unconcealable tension. “On guard! Maintain formation! Watch out for demons!”

Not far ahead, in a clearing in the woods, a figure stood silently, like a sharp blade tearing through the night’s curtain.

The newcomer wore a suit of silver-white light armor, its surface flowing with a faint, gentle radiance like the morning dawn, completely dispelling the darkness within a radius of several meters.

He wore no helmet, revealing a head of dazzling blond hair and a handsome, serious face.

Most striking was the longsword slung across his back.

Its scabbard was simple, but merely sensing its presence made Vivian’s skin tingle.

He stood there like a mobile beacon of light, like an unsheathed holy sword ready to strike.

His powerful aura made all creatures of darkness instinctively want to retreat.

The Hero [Blade of Radiance]—Garen!

Vivian’s heart sank.

‘Why is it him!’

Vivian couldn’t help but be a little surprised.

Among the Holy Light-type Heroes, the man before her was second only to Lucia.

Furthermore, the “special effects” all over his body were extremely similar to Anis’s.

One could say this guy was a younger version of the Gilded Hero, but his strength was also exceptionally terrifying.

Most crucially, in the game’s lore, this guy was… Lucia’s admirer.

‘…Is this my karma?’

Vivian couldn’t help but swallow, thinking to herself.

According to the information Vivian had gathered, Garen shouldn’t have been in this area.

His appearance, then, meant he was either here to plug the gap, or he was here to corner her, Vivian!

Because Lucia was dead!

Only the Gilded Hero Anis and that Grand Sage had returned alive.

As the one with the most suspicion surrounding Lucia’s death, and the one coveted by all the major powers, Vivian herself was definitely the prime suspect—

Although Vivian had just wanted to slack off and live a quiet life back then, outsiders didn’t know that.

Perhaps many people believed that it was Vivian who had set a trap, poisoning Lucia by offering her own body?

In any case, the moment Vivian saw Garen, she had already completed her mental speculation.

This guy, nine times out of ten, was here to block her, Vivian’s, path.

And then, Garen’s gaze, like a physical searchlight, slowly swept over the entire night combat squad.

His eyes were incredibly sharp, possessing a penetrating power that seemed to scrutinize everything—when his gaze fell upon Vivian, she felt an immense pressure wash over her.

‘Damn it!’

Alarms blared in Vivian’s mind.

She focused all her efforts on maintaining her disguise magic, locking down her Demon Lord aura tightly, and simulating the physiological reaction a human body should have under a Hero’s pressure—fear and awe.

Her face turned slightly pale, her breathing became a little ragged, and she even made her pupils contract slightly, revealing the instinctive panic of an “ordinary person” facing a supreme powerhouse.

Although this pressure was nothing to a Demon Lord, her current identity was that of an adventurer, a shadowmancer named Nannali.

If her cover was blown here, she would most likely be unable to escape.

Besides Garen, there was one Hero on each flank.

If her opponent managed to delay her for even a moment, she would have to face an unfavorable one-on-three situation.

Garen’s gaze lingered on Vivian noticeably longer than on the others.

The few seconds of silence felt like an eternity to Vivian.

Finally, Garen spoke, his voice clear and resonant: “Captain Barton, thank you for your hard work. Any abnormalities on your night patrol?”

“Reporting to Lord Garen!” Barton immediately bowed respectfully, his voice loud. “No signs of large-scale demonic beast gatherings for now, but there are still a few gathering areas. Other than that, only a few scattered scouts have been eliminated. We are currently patrolling the edge of Defense Sector Three as planned.”

“Mm.” Garen responded faintly, his gaze still not leaving Vivian. “And this is?”

He looked at Vivian, singling her out.

“This is Miss Nannali, an adventurer, an independent shadowmancer,” Barton explained. “Her team was ambushed by demons nearby and scattered. She was lucky to escape and was temporarily taken in by our outpost. Captain Taran and Father Rocky vouched for her. She’s quite skilled and volunteered to join the night combat squad to assist with defense while searching for her missing teammates.”

“Nannali… an adventurer… an independent shadowmancer? Interesting.”

Garen repeated the name, slowly walking forward until he was only a few steps away from Vivian.

The radiance from his body, carrying a scorching aura, rushed towards her, causing the flow of mana in Vivian’s body to feel a bit sluggish.

At the same time, the light pricked her skin like sharp needles, but she could only endure it, not revealing the slightest hint of abnormality.