Their faces immediately brightened up the moment they saw him.

"Damien!" they both cried out at once, their voices overlapping—filled with overwhelming relief and disbelief that he was truly there before them.

Damien exhaled deeply, the tension in his chest easing just slightly, but the frown on his face didn't fade.

The relief of seeing them alive was sharp, but the chaos still raging outside kept his thoughts razor-focused.

He held his sword firmly, moving closer to them.

"You're both alright?" he asked, his tone low and urgent as his eyes scanned them from head to toe.

His hand briefly brushed against Claire's arm, then Nora's shoulder, checking for any signs of blood or injuries.

His gaze lingered on their trembling forms, searching for even the smallest wound.

Claire swallowed and nodded, forcing a small, shaky smile.

"We're fine…" she said softly, though her voice quivered with lingering fear.

Beside her, Nora nodded in quick, jerky motions, her wide eyes still glistening with unshed tears.

Damien glanced around the room, his sharp eyes immediately catching the glint of something by the wall.

His brow furrowed deeper when he noticed the shattered window—jagged shards of glass scattered across the wooden floor like tiny fragments of danger.

The curtains fluttered violently with the hot wind from outside, the scent of smoke and iron wafting in through the broken frame.

Claire followed his gaze and spoke quickly, her voice trembling.

"A monster… it broke that window," she said, clutching her hands tightly together. "But luckily… it got distracted and ran off before it could get inside."

Nora's breath hitched at the memory, her hands clenching against her chest as she whispered, "I thought… I was going to die." Her voice cracked at the end, the words barely escaping her trembling lips.

Damien's jaw tightened, his teeth gnashing together. A sharp, burning anger coursed through his chest as he thought, 'If I was merely minutes late… they would have been dead. Both of them.'

The thought struck hard, leaving his gut twisting. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword unconsciously, the metal cool against his palm.

From outside, the world was nothing short of a nightmare.

He could still hear the guttural growls of monsters echoing through the air, mixed with the terrified screams of villagers.

The sounds of destruction—wood splintering, glass breaking, the crash of overturned carts—merged into a chaotic orchestra of panic.

Damien turned back to Claire and Nora, his expression hard and resolute.

"Both of you… come with me," he said firmly. His voice carried a tone that allowed no argument, but also held a protective warmth that cut through their fear.

They didn't question him. The two girls immediately followed as he moved toward the door, their steps uncertain but trusting.

Claire clutched Nora's hand tightly, keeping her close while Damien led the way. He pushed the broken door aside, stepping back into the storm of chaos outside.

The sight that met them was worse than before. The streets, once calm and familiar, had turned into a scene of pure pandemonium.

Men and women ran in every direction, clutching their children, dragging what little belongings they could carry. The ground was littered with debris—splintered wood, shattered pottery, blood.

Screams echoed from every corner as beasts rampaged through the village.

Their glowing red eyes gleamed through the smoky haze, and the metallic grinding of the wolves' jaws was drowned only by the cries of the dying.

A burning cottage collapsed nearby with a thunderous crash, sending embers flying through the air.

Damien clenched his teeth, fury rising once again.

'I was careless earlier, he thought bitterly. Pulling out this sword from my inventory in plain sight like that… if anyone had been watching closely, it might've raised questions.'

But right now, none of that mattered.

His gaze snapped to a particular scene ahead—a man pinned against the dirt road, desperately holding up a broken wooden spear to fend off a metal jaw wolf.

The beast's teeth clamped down on the makeshift weapon with a sickening crunch, snapping it in half.

The man's body was already battered, deep cuts running across his arms and legs. Blood poured from a gash near his shoulder, soaking through his torn clothes.

His breathing was ragged, his expression one of sheer terror and resignation. The wolf's jaws gleamed as it lunged forward again, ready to rip his head clean off.

And that was just one among many. All around, similar scenes played out—people screaming, bodies falling, beasts mauling anything they could catch.

The villagers were hopelessly unprepared. Most of them only had common classes, so they couldn't do anything in a fight against furious monsters.

Damien's eyes caught a flicker—subtle at first, almost hidden amid the chaos.

But his senses were sharp, honed beyond normal human perception. His gaze locked onto one of the beasts further down the burning street, and his breath hitched ever so slightly.

The creature's eyes… glowed faintly yellow.

He froze for a second, his pupils narrowing into slits.

The rest of the world blurred around him, and all he could see was that single wolf, its glowing gaze standing out like an omen in the madness.

'The monster's eyes… they're glowing yellow,' he thought grimly.

The frown on his face deepened, shadowing his expression with unease.

'I know this event,' he thought, his heartbeat steady but hard. 'But then… it wasn't supposed to happen until months from now.'

The reason Stanley had come to this very village in the game… was because of this event.

In the game, Stanley had been here when the beast horde struck. He was the one who had single-handedly wiped out the monsters, saving the village from annihilation. The event had been a turning point—a grand heroic moment that set the stage for his fame.

And it had been more than just a battle. It was the moment he met two women—two key heroines in his story. Claire and Nora.

That scene had been a pivotal moment in the game's narrative.

A tragic-romance encounter, crafted to pull at the heart.

The hero meets the two poor, scorned women—abandoned by the village, looked down upon—and through his bravery, he wins their hearts.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.