A Bug In Fate

The battlefield had descended into complete chaos, and the cause of it all was a young man who looked no older than seventeen.

Only moments ago, Alden had been forced onto the defensive, constantly retreating under the relentless attacks of the Morkels. Now, however, the situation had completely reversed.

He no longer looked like someone struggling to survive.

If anything...

He seemed to be enjoying the fight.

The villagers watching from the edge of the plantation could only stare in stunned silence.

Who could blame them?

Never in their lives had they imagined seeing a teenager face several Peak Awakened Morkels alone—with his eyes completely closed.

"I... I’m not imagining this, right?"

One of the farmers rubbed his eyes several times, convinced they were deceiving him.

"No..."

The man standing beside him swallowed hard.

"I can see it too."

A brief silence followed before the first old farmer suddenly laughed.

"Hahaha... that kid is really something."

The concern that had filled his face moments earlier had vanished completely.

The second old man nodded in agreement, a smile spreading across his weathered face.

"He might be one of those geniuses people talk about."

"Haha... perhaps."

Around them, the other villagers remained rooted to the spot, their eyes fixed on the battlefield.

Before their very eyes, Alden stepped aside with perfect timing as another Morkel rolled past him. His sword flashed once.

Slash!

The creature collapsed before it could travel another meter.

Without giving the others time to react, Alden pivoted and cut down another Morkel that charged from his blind side.

Another lifeless body rolled across the plantation.

Not a single swing was wasted.

Not a single movement looked hurried.

It was as though the battlefield itself had become his domain.

Back on the battlefield, Alden was having the time of his life.

A faint smile never left his face as he moved through the rows of crops. Every clash, every dodge, and every swing of his sword filled him with an excitement he had never experienced before. It was dangerous, yet strangely exhilarating.

Suddenly, his Mana Sense picked up several presences rushing toward him at once.

Five.

"They’re coming together!"

"This is bad!"

"Be careful!"

The villagers watching from the edge of the plantation instinctively shouted warnings, but Alden didn’t react. He remained perfectly calm, tightening his grip on the sword.

Mana flowed along the blade, gathering around its edge until it became noticeably sharper, ready to meet the incoming assault.

A heartbeat later, all five Morkels burst through the crops from different directions, their bodies curled into spinning balls as they charged with astonishing speed.

Alden didn’t panic.

With the experience he had gained surviving in the Forest, this kind of attack wasn’t unfamiliar to him. He had been surrounded by monsters countless times before, and many of them had been far stronger than these Morkels.

Their greatest strengths were their speed and the black mist that robbed ordinary people of their sight.

Unfortunately for them...

Neither advantage worked against Alden.

He sidestepped the first Morkel with barely a hair’s breadth to spare before bringing his sword down in a powerful slash.

Slash!

A deep gash opened across the creature’s abdomen, sending it tumbling across the ground.

Without stopping, Alden pivoted on one foot as another Morkel charged from behind.

His sword shot forward like a spear.

Thrust!

The blade pierced straight through the center of the creature’s body.

Before the Morkel could struggle free, Alden twisted the sword sharply, causing the wound to tear open from the inside before pulling the blade back in one smooth motion.

The remaining Morkels immediately released clouds of black mist, desperately trying to blind him and create an opening.

Puff!

Puff!

Dark mist spread across the plantation once again.

But Alden’s expression didn’t change.

He continued moving through the darkness as though he could see everything perfectly.

If only the Morkels understood...

The human they were fighting wasn’t relying on his eyes in the first place.

They had stumbled upon someone far crazier than they could ever imagine.

The battle was nearing its end.

Realizing the Morkels had begun scattering, Alden changed his approach. Instead of standing still and waiting for them to charge, he took the initiative and began hunting them down.

With his Mana Sense covering a radius of nearly fifty meters, escaping him had become nearly impossible.

Whenever he sensed a lone Morkel—or at most a pair—he immediately closed the distance.

He no longer wasted unnecessary movements.

Every step was precise.

Every swing served a purpose.

He had no intention of dragging the battle out any longer. The longer the fight continued, the more of the green crops would be trampled beneath the Morkels’ rolling bodies.

One after another, the remaining monsters fell.

Outside the plantation, the villagers watched the battle unfold in complete silence.

"...Who is he?"

One of the farmers finally broke the silence.

"I don’t know..."

"But he actually did it."

The fear and disbelief that had covered everyone’s faces earlier had completely disappeared.

In their place were relieved smiles.

Some villagers had even started laughing as they watched the remaining Morkels desperately flee, only to be caught moments later by Alden.

To an outsider watching from afar, it would have looked less like a battle...

...and more like some strange performance.

The first old farmer let out a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha! I suddenly feel stupid for asking where his teammates were."

He shook his head, unable to hide the irony.

"I really thought he was just another overconfident youngster."

The second old man chuckled and nodded.

"Haha... I can’t blame you."

"I thought exactly the same."

He watched Alden cut down another fleeing Morkel before smiling helplessly.

"Turns out..."

"The only ones who needed a team were the Morkels."

Back on the battlefield, the fight had finally come to an end.

With a swift motion, Alden cut down the last remaining Morkel before casually flipping his sword. Crimson droplets flew through the air and splattered onto the ground.

He slowly scanned the plantation.

Several rows of green crops had been flattened during the battle, but compared to what could have happened, the damage was surprisingly minor.

Alden gave a satisfied nod.

"This was a great lesson."

A faint smile spread across his face. Fighting the Morkels had sharpened his senses considerably, and his control over Mana Sense had become even more refined.

Before he could think any further—

"Hurray!"

"We did it!"

"That young man defeated them all!"

"He’s incredible!"

"What a genius!"

"I’ve never seen anyone fight like that before!"

Cheers erupted from the gathered villagers. Faces that had been filled with worry only moments ago were now overflowing with relief and excitement. Some laughed openly, while others clapped enthusiastically.

Only then did Alden notice how many people had gathered while he was fighting.

He walked toward the two elderly farmers and raised a hand with an awkward smile, signaling everyone to calm down.

The first old man stepped forward with a grateful expression.

"Haha... thank you so much for your help, young man."

Alden simply shrugged.

"No problem."

"It’s not like I did it for free."

"Haha, no need to be so modest."

The second old man chuckled before taking a pen from his pocket.

"Hand me your mission paper. We’ll sign it so you can collect your reward from the guild."

Alden nodded and took the approved request from his pocket.

The old man carefully signed it before returning the paper.

"And once again, thank you for saving our Moonleaf tea. If you hadn’t come when you did, we might not have had any leaves left to sell this season. The losses would’ve been enormous."

"Moonleaf tea?"

Alden blinked in surprise.

"You mean... these plants are used to make tea?"

The two old men looked at each other in confusion.

"You didn’t know?"

The first old man scratched his beard.

"It’s quite famous around this region."

The second old man laughed.

"Haha, Moonleaf tea is a little more expensive than ordinary tea, so maybe that’s why you’ve never come across it."

He turned toward his companion with a smile.

"Why don’t we give him some as a token of our gratitude?"

The old man nodded without hesitation.

"Of course."

He looked back at Alden with a warm smile.

"Haha, then you can look forward to a wonderful cup of Moonleaf tea, young man."

Alden smiled and nodded.

"Thank you."

He genuinely appreciated the gesture. In a world where almost everything came with a price, receiving something purely out of gratitude felt refreshing.

"Come."

The old man gestured toward the village.

"Let’s head back. I’ll prepare your reward."

Alden nodded and was about to follow.

Just then—

"Excuse me..."

A voice called out from behind them.

Everyone turned.

Three figures were making their way toward the plantation.

Leading them was a young man with striking red hair. Beside him walked two young women, each carrying a weapon at their waist.

The red-haired young man looked around the now silent battlefield before asking,

"...Where are the Morkels?"

A strange silence fell over the plantation.