Peter distributed his free stats evenly among Strength, Agility, Intelligence, and Perception before setting up his fake status.



Status...


Name:
Peter
Race:
Human


Class:
Blade Dancer lv. 1, Villager. Lv. 1
Level:
2


Title:
None
Age:
10


Experience:
0/300
Free Stat Point:
0


Health:
120
Mana:
310


Stats...


Constitution:
12
Spirit:
31


Strength:
11
Agility:
10


Intelligence:
18
Perception:
2


Luck:
3




Skills:
Mana Sense lv.8, Swordsmanship {Short- Sword} lv. 14, Recovery {Physical} lv. 7



 
Satisfied, he turned to his parents and nodded with a small smile.
“Congratulations on getting your class, son.” Joseph stood up and ruffled Peter’s hair.
Peter barely had time to enjoy the moment before his father sighed. “I wish we could talk more, but I must get going. There’s a lot of paperwork waiting for me.” He gave them both an apologetic look.
“It’s okay, dear. We understand.” Mariah reassured him before turning to Peter. “I’ll cook something special to celebrate. What do you want to eat?”
Peter rubbed his chin in deep thought. “Hmm…”
After much internal debate, he finally answered, “Roasted lamb.”
Mariah and Joseph exchanged amused glances. He never compromised when it came to food.
“Alright, I’ll make that for you,” Mariah agreed with a doting smile. She needed to go grocery shopping to fulfill his demands.
Joseph spoke after clearing his throat, drawing their attention. “I’d prefer if you both moved to Amelia’s house until things settle down. It’ll be safer for you there.” The guards had split into patrols, constantly sweeping the woods to eliminate stray predators, but mistakes could happen.
Understanding the concern in Joseph’s voice, Mariah nodded without hesitation. “Let me pack some clothes,” she said, with a benignant smile gracing her lips as she stood up.
Joseph glanced at his wife and son one last time before turning away, his steps firm with renewed determination. There was a village to protect.
…
“What’s the situation?” Joseph asked while taking his seat at the desk.
The soldier before him straightened, saluting stiffly. “Yes, Captain.” He swallowed, feeling the weight of his superior’s calculating gaze.
“The Vice-Captain has been coordinating patrols since morning after you took a break from the night shift. The situation isn’t as dire as it was at dawn. No permanent injuries. Nothing a potion or rest won’t fix,” he reported swiftly.
Joseph nodded, fingers tapping against the desk. “Any update on what caused all this?” His brows furrowed in thought.
It was a relief that no serious casualties had occurred and that things were under control. But until they understood the root cause, he couldn’t let his guard down.
The soldier hesitated before answering. “None, sir. Other villages are facing similar troubles, but so far, no one has dared send a scouting party deep into the woods to investigate.” His frustration was evident.
Joseph smirked. “They’re not fools. A scouting mission would be too risky. Cautious types like them won’t take the initiative in a situation like this.”
“Then what’s our next move, Captain?” the soldier asked hesitantly.
He had patrolled alongside Joseph last night and had nearly lost his life to a razor wolf’s bite. If not for the man sitting before him, he wouldn’t be standing here now.
Joseph exhaled, rubbing his forehead. “We can only wait things out despite not liking the option. The lord needs to be informed of what’s happening in his domain. Whether he decides to send the knight order or hire adventurers is up to him.”
He pulled open a drawer, retrieving a sheet of parchment before dipping his quill in ink. “Tell the reserves to rest as much as they can. We’ll replace the Vice-Captain and his team this evening.”
The soldier gave a quick nod before hurrying out of the room.
…
Later That Evening
Joseph locked eyes with the pack leader, assessing the beast’s level. Measuring nearly two meters in length with bulging muscles rippling beneath its fur, the wolf was in its prime.
An ordinary beast wouldn’t have such calculating eyes. Something of this calibre wouldn’t stumble close to the village under normal circumstances. He had to ensure that his men didn’t underestimate it or the pack it led.
“Simon, how many?” he asked the scout without breaking eye contact with the beast. The only reason it hadn’t attacked yet was its wariness of him. He couldn’t let his guard down. This wasn’t just any wolf; it was a godforsaken thing at the peak of the first tier.
“Twelve, Captain. Six are hiding under the bushes, slowly approaching,” Simon answered from his perch in a nearby tree…an ideal position to rain down deadly, precise arrows.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Joseph wasn’t as skilled an archer as his scout, but he was a trained fighter. And any fighter worth his name had ways to survey his surroundings.
Taking a deep breath, Joseph activated Mana Sense. His mana drained proportionally as the skill spread out, mapping the hidden wolves lurking nearby.
His team stood in a practised formation, their coordination honed through experience. He had faith in their victory. These were powerful foes, but they would persevere.
“Get ready.” Raising his sword, Joseph moved fluidly. His weapon hummed with bloodthirsty intent as mana surged through it, activating his weapon skill.
The beast snarled in defiance, meeting his charge head-on with equal agility, despite his use of Shadow Step. It might not have been a pure agility-based skill, but it still gave him a significant speed boost.
The wolf lunged, jaws wide, claws shimmering silver from some skill. Joseph expertly spun, sword in hand, dancing with the beast. Steel met claw in mid-air, the force of the clash sending a tremor through his arm. The wolf tried to snap at him, its head darting forward in an attempt to bite, but he wouldn’t allow that. He pulled his head back.
The beast had exposed its belly by lunging, and Joseph wielded a one-handed sword. Without hesitation, he reached for the knife on his hip and drove it into the wolf’s chest.
A pained howl tore from its throat as it staggered back, but Joseph didn’t let up. He kept it too occupied to remove the blade, striking relentlessly with his sword. Every second, the beast lost more health. If it managed to remove the knife, its wound would heal rapidly, and Joseph couldn’t let that happen.
Around him, similar battles unfolded. The village guards worked in pairs, coordinating their attacks against the wolf pack. They were trained to use all the advantages at their disposal. It was never supposed to be a fair fight.
They were fighting for survival, not for approval from the system for a higher experience share.
Dodging a vicious swipe, Joseph thrust his sword toward the wolf’s face. At the same time, his Mana Sense registered an arrow laced with fire mana slicing through the air. Simon’s shot found its mark, piercing a wolf’s eye standing a few meters to the right and frying its brain instantly.
“Keep each other protected!” Joseph bellowed. He glided forward, pushing Shadow Step to its limits, his sword arcing in a single, fluid motion. A spray of crimson followed. A thin, deep cut ran across the pack leader’s torso, causing it to stumble, losing another chunk of health as it struggled to close the wound.
Joseph empowered his sword further and struck, severing the leg of an unsuspecting pack member who had been fending off two of his men.
“Coordinate, and we will win! We just need to hold them off until our ranged attackers take more of them down!” His voice rang across the battlefield, carrying his instructions to every soldier under his command.
He had to be cautious and restrained. Not every member of the village militia was as skilled as he was in close combat. Plus, the night was long…they couldn’t afford to drain their mana pools completely just yet.
Despite their best efforts, injuries were inevitable. Mistakes happened. In the heat of the battle, none were wiser.
With Mana Sense fully activated, Joseph had complete awareness of the battlefield. Whenever a team member was wounded, arrows rained down in that direction, giving the injured fighter time to heal by expending health points.
The battle raged on, but once the pack was reduced to six, the outcome was sealed. With three humans per beast, the fight ended swiftly.
Joseph exhaled deeply, cleaning his sword while his fallen opponent lay lifeless at his feet. He grunted, feeling sore in various places. Blood and sweat covered his body inside the leather armour, making him feel unpleasant.
Popping open a mana potion, he downed it in a single gulp, grimacing at the bitterness. Around him, others did the same…some replenishing their mana, others drinking health potions to recover from injuries.
Now that the battle was over, he finally allowed himself to check his system notifications.



Collectively defeated a pack of 12 Lumen Wolves.Calculating contribution…Gained 4,585 experience points.Levelled up.



 
Simon approached and stood beside him. “What are your orders, Captain?” he asked, handing Joseph a small bag containing all the magic stones extracted from the wolves.
“We’re retreating to the village,” Joseph announced, loud enough for everyone to hear. Several heads turned toward him, confusion evident on their faces.
“Not to question your authority, Captain, but everyone’s still in pretty good shape,” Simon whispered, confidence in his tone from the recent victory. He wasn’t wrong. Everyone’s average health was still above 70%, and fatigue was minimal.
“Besides, this is the first group of predatory beasts we’ve encountered in the last fourteen hours. Things seem to be calming down. We probably won’t run into anything else,” Simon added, scanning their surroundings.
“No,” Joseph shook his head, sheathing his sword. “Something is very wrong here. Lumen Wolves don’t usually form packs this large.” A pack of twelve was highly unusual. The thought nagged at him as he started walking back toward the village. He felt deeply unsettled.
He stopped when he noticed Simon hadn’t followed.
“What’s wrong?” Joseph asked, watching his scout’s face turn pale. A good scout would periodically scan their vicinity whenever on a mission.
“We… We’re surrounded, Captain,” Simon finally said, his voice grim.
Joseph’s instincts flared. “Halt!” he barked, stopping the group in their tracks.
“Form a defensive circle! Ranged combatants in the middle!” he commanded, dragging Simon with him and shoving him inside the hastily arranged formation.
“What do you see?” Joseph asked, sword drawn, scanning the surroundings with Mana Sense, his only vision-related skill. Cursed luck.
“All around us, Captain,” Simon nearly shouted, panic creeping into his voice. “They’re everywhere. About six hundred meters out.”
Joseph clenched his jaw. Simon was losing it.
If the situation weren’t so dire, he would’ve slapped the scout to snap him out of it. Instead, he glanced at his men. They had started to shift uneasily, their confidence wavering. They were losing morale.
“How many? Identify them and stop freaking out like a wild mutt,” Joseph snapped, cursing under his breath.
“Humanoids… Too far for me to use Identify {Monster} properly. Too many to—Oh no, they’ve started running,” Simon stammered.
Joseph’s grip on his sword tightened. “Listen up, brave warriors! Hold strong, no matter what comes!” he shouted, locking eyes with every man and woman in the tiny formation.
“We will retreat, but we must carve a path first. Only together can we protect ourselves.” He insisted, making sure none broke the formation. It was their only hope in this outnumbered situation.
“Yes, Captain!” came the unified response.
“I will not die without seeing my daughter’s wedding!” someone called out.
“Our loved ones are waiting for us back home. Try not to fall,” Joseph said, before turning to face the unseen threat beyond. They waited in silence. The wait caused fresh sweat to flow from their temples, hearts to accelerate.
Then the signs came.
Footsteps—hundreds of them. High-pitched chattering.
Now that the enemy was closer, those with vision-related skills could finally see them. A grim silence settled over the group, thick with tension. Joseph could hear the dry gulps of men trying to wet their throats.
“…At least five hundred. Maybe more,” Simon finally spoke, his breath ragged as the militia surveyed their surroundings.
Joseph’s Mana Sense spread outward, and his heart sank. Everywhere it reached, it was flooded with the hostile presence of kobolds. His eyes hardened as he muttered a quiet curse under his breath. For a fleeting moment, his usual composure cracked.
Iron Will flared in response, shoving aside the creeping despair and fear. Joseph had his mental skills to rely on, but the others weren’t so lucky. Their breath caught in their throats. Their eyes darted in every direction, unsteady and filled with growing horror.
No matter where they looked, four-foot-tall creatures stood watching them. Green, reptilian-skinned beasts with dog-like muzzles and sharp, hungry eyes.
“How… How can this be?” someone whispered in disbelief.
“They shouldn’t be here. They can’t be here,” another voice trembled with despair.
“Where in the hell did they come from? And in such large numbers?” Simon asked, his voice hollow.
“Gods…” someone whispered beside Joseph. “There are too many of them.”
Yes. Too many to count. They were vastly outnumbered.
“What level?” Joseph forced himself to ask, swallowing the lump in his throat.
“Each in the range of 20 to 25,” Simon answered, his voice nearly lifeless. Individually, a kobold wasn’t much of a threat. Everyone in their group was between levels 50 and 60 in Tier 1.
Yet…
There were too many. These beasts were known for their overwhelming tactics and group mentality.