"Brother, what is that?" Charlotte asked fearfully.

"It'll be alright, don't worry," Alistair said, but he couldn't quite mask the frown on his face. He then stood up straight and addressed the people in the cafeteria. "Everyone, remain calm. I suggest you remain in the inn. However, if you wish to head home, then please do not push. Exit in a slow, orderly manner."

"Those who wish to leave, please follow my directions." Barrett made his way to the door and slowly coordinated the crowd, preventing the panic before it began.

"Melina, could you, please, take my little sister back to my house?" Alistair said, although two knights were already standing firm by the girl's side.

"Of course. I'll make sure she gets back safe," Melina said, and Charlotte instantly attached herself to her.

"Thank you! I'll be going to deal with the problem then," Alistair said and turned to leave.

Melina could feel Charlotte trying to reach for her brother, but she kept the girl close. "It's alright. It's what he does."

Although she said that to calm Charlotte, Melina herself felt nervous as she watched Alistair disappear among the crowd. Whatever had caused those tremors must be very large. Perhaps, another cragjaw drake. While they were usually solitary monsters, mothers would usually remain with their children until they were strong enough to fend for themselves.

No, that is unlikely. The cragjaw I saw through Sienna was most definitely an adult, not a youngling. It must be something else.

"Will Alistair be okay?" Charlotte asked tearfully as they slowly made their way to the exit. People were pushing, and only Barrett's strong voice and the presence of Charlotte's knights kept the crowd in check. A few more adventurers had joined in to guide the people while Erina took charge of those who decided to remain, taking them to their rooms.

Another tremor shook the inn, making everyone wobble around and nearly lose their footing. Some plates and bottles fell and shattered to the ground while Charlotte desperately clutched onto Melina.

"We must keep going, Young Lady!" One of the knights urged as the crowd grew more panicked.

"Keep calm! Don't push! We are safe! The adventurers will deal with the threat!" Melina yelled over the crowd to keep them from panicking.

"That's right! Sunglow walls have not been breached! You are all safe!" Barrett added. "Please, do not push!"

Everyone calmed down slightly, at least enough not to push each other. Melina continued guiding Charlotte towards the exit, taking slow steps while the knights kept most of the crowd away from them. Soon enough, they exited the inn.

The streets were in a similar half-panicked state. Melina could instantly tell which people were the locals and which were tourists. The locals remained calm if a bit anxious, moving slowly and guiding the crowd where necessary. The tourists looked like they were about to go into full panicked frenzy, their eyes shooting from side to side nervously to search for the danger.

The town guard took command of the streets, guiding people inside or further away from the walls—to the beach. Meanwhile, adventurers were running towards the wall, some already armed to the teeth.

"We're heading to Alistair's house," Melina said, taking Charlotte's hand and guiding her through the crowd. Tremors would repeat every few minutes, sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker. Judging from their intensity, the monster was moving around, but not exactly towards the town. Melina guessed that somebody was already keeping it occupied.

With a beast that large, it must be Elowen. I doubt anybody else would be able to do that on their own. Or perhaps the Guildmaster has already organized a group.

Soon they had reached their destination, Charlotte shaking like a leaf. Each tremor seemed to scare the girl more and more.

"Charlotte, you're safe!" The Duchess outstretched her arms the moment she saw her daughter. The girl instantly ran to her mother, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Thank the System," The Duke let out a sigh of relief, then began looking around. "Where is Alistair?"

"He went to face the monster," Melina said.

The Duke frowned. "Something like this is far beyond his ability. Kerrein, assemble the knights and send them to the town's defense. I don't want to see a single monster near the town wall!"

"At once!" One of the knights saluted and rushed away with about a dozen knights following him. A dozen more remained with the Duchess and Charlotte. Much to Melina's surprise, the Duke snapped his fingers, and a few moments later, the butler appeared with a sword in hand.

Melina barely noticed the old man–that's how quickly he had appeared. She wondered whether he perhaps had a System too, with some stealth class equipped.

"Thank you for getting my daughter here safely," the Duke said, grabbing the sword. "You're free to remain here for the time being."

"Thank you for your generous offer, but I must go and check on my Master," Melina bowed politely and then ran off towards the bakery. With the corner of her eye, she saw the Duke run off in the opposite direction.

The Duke must be a System user himself, most likely with <Stormbringer's Legacy> skill, just like Alistair. While he doesn't take part in active combat anymore, I'm sure he is one of the strongest fighters currently in Sunglow.

This thought calmed Melina. Although the monster attacking Sunglow was clearly powerful, with the combined forces of the Guild, Alistair, Elowen, and the Duke's forces, they should be able to handle it.

Melina decided that she would go to the bakery to make sure that Master Gilbert is alright. After that, she would send Sienna to join the fight.

The way to the bakery was relatively empty since it was further away from all the festivities. She saw some people huddling away nervously in their homes, while a few people she met on the way asked her what had happened. She replied that some dangerous monster was outside of town, but that adventurers had the situation under control. It was best not to make people worry even more.

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The closer she got to the bakery, the quieter it got. Eerily so. Melina slowed her pace and observed the surroundings. It was too calm. Too quiet. Sienna seemed to tense up, too, her gaze darting around—searching for something.

Another tremor shook the ground, but it felt further away as she didn't even need to steady her footing. She was almost at the bakery and heard something clamor inside. Did something fall and break? Melina worried that the old baker might have fallen over from shock.

She was about to rush inside when suddenly Sienna jumped off her shoulder, taking up her large form and letting out a short burst of flame. Melina barely noticed the dark figure, which was less than a few meters away from them, jump back from Sienna's attack.

The next moment, it threw something at Melina. Out of instinct, she reached out to Sienna mana and created a protective shield of flames. She didn't even know what this secret assailant had thrown, but it burst into flames and fell to the ground.

Only then did she manage to get a good look at the attacker. It was a drow. Not just any drow. Melina recognized the dark armor with purple rune lines stretching throughout the fabric and the mask that covered his nose and mouth. She knew that it was enchanted to protect its wearer from all types of poisons and spores.

It was one Monster Lord's subordinates—an assassin who did his dirty work. But why was he here? Why was he attacking Melina? Or was this an attack on Sunglow, and Melina just happened to be first in his path?

No, that couldn't be the case. The bakery is quite some distance away from the wall. He came here for me specifically. Wait… Has he done something to Master Gilbert already?

"What do you want?" Melina asked, hoping to distract the attacker and figure out a way to check whether the old baker was safe.

The drow didn't answer and instead disappeared. She recognized the move as Shadow Step. It was like a short-range teleportation spell that allowed the user to move from one shadow to another. For example, from his own shadow to Melina's shadow.

Melina created a bright flame right above her head, effectively erasing her shadow. The drow couldn't appear in her shadow and instead appeared in Sienna's shadow, ready to throw his poisonous needles at Melina. He didn't even need to hit any of her vitals. The poison within them would kill her within a minute.

But he had underestimated Sienna. Her reflexes in her large form were second to none, and the moment the drow appeared in her shadow, she had already bitten into his arm.

"Sienna, let go!" Melina yelled, seeing the drow aim his needle at the wyrm instead.

Sienna violently threw the drow, nearly ripping off his arm. But the assassin didn't even flinch. He quickly uncorked a potion and poured it over his wounds.

Melina didn't intend to let him rest. She unleashed a powerful fireball at him while Sienna followed up with her own fireball. But the drow disappeared once again, before either of the flaming balls could reach him. This time, she didn't manage to erase her shadow in time.

She felt like the world had gone into slow motion when the drow emerged from the shadow, his needle ready to strike. At that moment, Melina realized how outmatched she was. Sienna wouldn't be able to reach her in time.

But much to her surprise, another creature emerged from her shadow and, with a violent kick, sent the assassin flying. It was none other than Knight, standing protectively in front of Melina and snorting angrily at the drow and digging the soil in front of him with a hoof.

"I've never been happier to see you, Knight!" Melina exhaled in relief.

It took a moment for the drow to get up—never underestimate a nightmare's kick.

"What do you want?" Melina asked, as Sienna and Knight both stood protectively by her side.

"I was told you'd be a tough opponent, but I have to admit, I was skeptical," the drow said quietly, his voice barely audible.

"What do you want?" Melina repeated.

The drow looked Melina in the eyes, his gaze cold and deadly. He motioned with his thumb over his neck in a slow, slashing motion.

"Why?! I haven't done anything to you!" She protested.

The drow snorted. "Don't play dumb, Archmage. The Lord knows that you remember."

Melina's blood ran cold. It was just as she had suspected. This drow was sent here by the Monster Lord. But that would mean that he, too, remembered the events before rewind.

"I will not let the past tragedy repeat itself!" The drow snarled and threw his nearly invisible needles at Melina. She erected another shield, melting the needles before they could reach her or her two monster friends.

Sienna attacked with a fireball, but the drow disappeared into shadow. Melina created a fireball above herself, Sienna, and Knight. For a moment, everything was silent as they waited where the drow would emerge next.

Knight suddenly disappeared as well and emerged near the strawberry patch, throwing a powerful kick into seemingly thin air. The air shimmered, and the drow appeared out of it. He must have used some temporary invisibility spell, hoping to catch them off guard.

If Melina had all of her magical skills, then these kinds of petty tricks would never have worked. A few wards would be everything she needed to catch a stealth-loving opponent like this. But she wasn't sure how to deal with him with her limited abilities.

For a while, their chase continued as the drow tried to ambush Melina from the shadows while she did her best to limit his movements and block his attacks. Knight and Sienna would go on the offensive, but even these two had trouble pinning this opponent in a single spot.

I can't continue this forever! Sienna doesn't have a limitless supply of mana, not to mention that my options are severely limited. One slip-up is enough for this bastard to win.

The fact that Monster Lord remembered the past also sent Melina's mind into a panicked frenzy. She was barely able to fight off the drow's attacks, growing increasingly more tired by the second.

I need to finish this quickly!

Sienna sensed her anxiousness and grew increasingly bolder, trying to grab the drow with her teeth. The drow disappeared into the shadows, and Knight disappeared after him. The wyrm, meanwhile, rushed to Melina's side and returned to her small form.

"Sienna, what are you doing?!" Melina asked in surprise, holding the flame above herself. The drow emerged from the shadow beneath the bench, lunging at Melina. Knight emerged after him, and Sienna jumped at him. Moments later, she was large again, and her maw closed around Drow's shoulder.

"Out of the way!" The drow growled, stabbing into the wyrm with his needle. The wyrm didn't budge and tore at the drow viciously.

"Sienna, get back!" Melina yelled, watching as the drow was ready to embed another needle into her.

Reluctantly, the wyrm jumped back.

"Knight, to me!" Master Gilbert's voice rang through the yard. Knight disappeared in an instant.

The next moment, he, with Gilbert on his back, emerged from a shadow next to the drow. The old baker was dressed in full armor, holding a war axe in his hand. He brought it down on the drow, who just barely managed to dodge by disappearing in shadow.

Melina was flabbergasted. She knew her Master's past for a while now, but seeing it with her own eyes was something different. He didn't seem frail in the slightest.

"That won't work with me!" Gilbert yelled, and along with Knight disappeared after him.

Seconds later, the three of them emerged from the same shadow with the drow pinned underneath Knight's hoof while Gilbert's axe was squarely pointed at his head.

"Don't think that you can come into my home and attack my apprentice! I may be old, but I am far from defenseless," Gilbert growled.

Knight pressed his hoof down on the drow, and he screamed out in pain, "You'll regret this!"

The next moment, the drow was gone. Everybody remained still, and Melina still held a fireball above her head, just in case he would reappear. But the heavy feeling retreated, and the nature around them also seemed to take a breath as the birds resumed their chatter.

"He's gone," Gilbert let out a sigh.

Suddenly, the flame above Melina's head flickered and disappeared. Her connection to Sienna had severed, and the wyrm fell limp to the ground.

"SIENNA!"

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