The wide-open eyes of everyone gathered make me laugh a little. I keep the fa?ade of a composed person: a calm smile and a reassuring gaze. “It’s been a while. Is no one happy to see me? Only my grandmother?” I land to the side, a little confused. My grandmother called me a hero—it’s better to ignore that comment.

  My mother teleports in, appearing right in front of me and pulling me into a tight hug. “Of course we’re happy to see you, my precious son.” Her eyes, the same color as mine, shine just like the last day I saw her before leaving for the academy.

  “Make a little space for me.” My father moves just as fast, almost like he’s using special magic. He joins the hug; his beard has grown a bit over these months, and his face has changed enough for me to notice signs of maturity. “You arrived at the perfect moment—and very well accompanied.” My father’s gaze settles on Brendu, not on Tiani.

  “I said it years ago—he’s not just a magnet for trouble, there’s something special about him.” My grandmother simply pats my head before approaching Brendu and her companion. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Brendu.” My grandmother greets Brendu directly. Tiani stays a few steps behind, clearly adopting a bodyguard’s stance.

  Everyone freezes again for a few seconds—everyone except my friend Joaki. The leader of the Owls already knew her from before. He kneels toward Brendu, shows respect to the Diamond-rank woman, and finally approaches me once my parents step aside to greet Brendu. It’s not just them; everyone moves in to offer a greeting worthy of royalty.

  “The pleasure is mine, Grandmother Rita. Your grandson has spoken very highly of you.” Brendu’s gestures are worthy of being called a princess. Her presence is noticeable without being oppressive, and her perfect smile must be the result of thousands of hours of practice.

  “Princess, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Please forgive us for receiving you under these circumstances—you and your companion. My son did not inform us of your arrival, and we had no time to prepare.” My mother recovers herself in a single second.

  “We welcome you to this small territory of the Vichag family, Princess. I hope you and your companion enjoy your stay. At the moment we’re facing a small problem—there’s no need for concern, we’ll resolve it.” My father surprises me; he used to be more of a muscle-head, but the change over the years is obvious.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. There’s no need to be so formal.” Brendu steps closer, takes one hand from each of them, and looks at them in turn. I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling. “I’ll be marrying your son soon—you can treat me as family. You can call me by my name or be more relaxed. We know about the stampede; we came to help.” Damn it. Why?

  Why did she reveal that information so casually? No—this wasn’t casual at all. She clearly intended to do this from the start. I can see her triumphant smile, her eyes shining with obvious amusement. I feel everyone’s gaze on me; I’m extremely uncomfortable. I can see Tiani holding back laughter at my stunned expression.

  For just a moment, I think about escaping. The thought lasts less than a second—not because I don’t like or love Brendu; I truly do—but to escape the awkward questions and the stressful situation.

  I feel my mother’s Imra trying to restrain me; I can endure it easily. My father’s and grandmother’s Imra rush in to pressure me; I hold it without difficulty, a clear sign of how strong I’ve become. When I see their looks, I allow myself to be caught. There’s no point in resisting.

  “We don’t have time to talk about that—we’ll do it after kicking the asses of all those idiots trying to disrupt our peace. Brendu herself said it: we’re here to help.” Everyone judges me with their eyes, but none of them can deny my words are true. My parents and grandmother reluctantly agree and decide to brief us.

  A sea of monsters is coming, estimated to arrive in less than an hour. The first of the thousands are Grade 3; there are already multiple defensive systems in place and many Sapphire-rank fighters waiting there. It’s been decided that Patt will lead the defense at that point.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Joaki and his group will stay at the same level as the defense line. Their team will specifically deal with monsters that bypass the first barricade and head straight for the city. Joaki will play a crucial role, rotating between his team and joining Patt’s group.

  Tiani offers to stay with Brendu and my grandmother about a kilometer behind the front. She’ll be ready to assist if needed. My grandmother will support with long-range attacks alongside Brendu, and they’ll retreat if anything strange happens, leaving Tiani to handle the problems.

  What will the prodigy do? Of course—I’ll fly out and take care of as many Grade 4 monsters as I can find. At first they refuse; after explaining how strong I’ve become and receiving support from both Tiani and Brendu, they finally allow it.

  I’m the only one capable of doing this. Most Ruby-rank fighters can fly, but I doubt they’re as fast as I am. Another point is my mastery over my life and spatial affinities—being able to heal and teleport if necessary makes me the ideal candidate. Those are some of the reasons I’ll go alone, and honestly, I feel better fighting solo. I’d only worry about Tiani; for the rest, I’d constantly be distracted.

  “Your favorite grandson has become very strong.” I wink at my grandmother standing beside me. I can still see worry in her eyes.

  “Don’t joke. You must come back alive, idiot. Don’t overdo it—if you’re in a situation where you might die, come back. We can always plan another solution. As long as you’re alive, we’ll find a way.” She looks genuinely distressed.

  “I know. Don’t worry. I’m stronger, not stupider. If I’m about to die, you can be sure I’ll escape and return.” Brendu looks a little sad too; she grips my hand tightly.

  “Go. Show them what you’re worth. We’ll be waiting.” My grandmother pats me on the back.

  “Show them who’s in charge.” Brendu releases my hand and urges me on.

  “Glia will fight with me for a while, then she’ll come back to help you. Grandma, can you go to the front line to remind them?” My grandmother agrees. Glia’s strength will help; she can handle several Grade 3 monsters at once.

  I rise gently into the air, focusing my mind on a single thing: killing. My brain separates all useless thoughts and concentrates on its duty. I can only reach this state by focusing with Thundersnow and knowing my territory depends on my performance.

  Minutes after taking flight, I encounter the first monsters—mostly feline-like or fast bipedal creatures. It’s easy to see why they’re so far ahead; they specialize in speed.

  “Want to greet your relatives?” I joke to Glia, who seems curious about everything.

  “Let me handle these. I can save some energy on these weak ones. I won’t be much help against the Grade 4s—once we finish, I’ll head back to the town.” I agree; I couldn’t fight at full power if I were worried about her.

  I land in the middle of them. The moment they notice me, they freeze briefly and change targets. All of them rush straight at me without hesitation. Glia appears, and together we slaughter every brainless monster around us. Time to warm up.

  The first to appear are bipedal monsters—four of them. Their limbs are incredibly thin and sharp; their arms look like blades, their feet like swords. They all try to tear me apart. I stay still, unmoving, using only one skill.

  An invisible prison captures them. The monsters look confused, unable to understand why they can’t move. When they realize their situation and try to break the enhanced gravity prison, I give them no time—Joyeuse pierces them through.

  I summon the Thundersnow Fangs to annihilate the other types of monsters around me. I feel like a killing machine. Every sword in my hands or around me moves with flawless efficiency, killing everything within range in a single strike. Some endure and have the misfortune of seeing me appear right beside them.

  I constantly inspect Glia with my Personal World, tracking her movements at all times. I’ve only helped her once—she’s doing great, already killing nearly ten monsters and continuing her massacre.

  We advance further, hunting and destroying every monster in sight. Small or large, thin or fat, bipedal or quadrupedal—if they dare face us, we annihilate them. No mercy.

  We’ve already killed over a hundred—nearly two hundred—monsters in just minutes. About two kilometers away, I see a black wave of monsters approaching. This doesn’t look good.

  Glia understands my look. “I’ll head back. Stay safe—and if you have serious trouble, let me know.” I wink, and she runs toward the town. I’ve already coordinated with Tiani—if things get dire, Glia will bite her and rush to my aid, provided they’re not overwhelmed there.

  I clear my mind, exhale, and prepare myself. I’m ready to face this massive horde. I’ll kill as many as possible for a few minutes, then go after every Grade 4 I can find.

  They’ve already detected me—the monsters at the front charge straight toward me. My swords dance, annihilating everything possible. Gravity slows them, and electric serpents swirl around me, defending against any long-range attacks.

  I’m slightly surprised to see some of them completely ignore me and continue toward the town. Are some intelligent enough not to attack me? I erase the thought and keep going. I have to trust the town’s defenders—this isn’t a battle I need to win alone.