Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"A true noble isn\'t what we\'ve been pretending to be," he continued. "We all know it. True nobility means grand estates, vast numbers of servants, and wealth beyond imagination. Isn\'t that the kind of noble we all dream of being?"

He described the typical image of a noble, but one that was clearly far beyond their current reality.

It wasn\'t just about the level of technology; the land, homes, and population were severely lacking. However, once this quest was completed, it would no longer remain a mere dream.

"With this quest, we will obtain a city. After that, we\'ll gain a population with the next quest—subjects, many of them, ready to serve the nobles. Do you understand what this means?" Justin\'s voice echoed through the crowd.

"...!"

"It means that the title of \'noble\' will no longer be just an act. We\'ll have the foundation to become real nobles."

A gulp could be heard from somewhere in the group. No doubt, they were already imagining themselves as true nobles in the future. Who wouldn\'t want such a future?

The uneasiness that had clouded the faces of the pioneers was gone, replaced with an eagerness that burned within them.

"The outcome of this quest will determine the city you claim. Surely, none of you want to live in a crumbling ruin, pretending to be nobles, like now. If you want to claim a place worthy of the title, give it everything you\'ve got!"

"Yes!" they all responded with determination. Though the speech had been brief, morale seemed to soar. Justin smiled and raised the scroll high.

"Good! Now let\'s go!"

Tear

All around, the sound of paper being ripped filled the air. Justin tore his scroll as well, and as soon as he did, everything in front of him turned a blinding white.

\'Have we arrived?\'

When the light faded, the first thing Justin saw was a forest, dried and withered. Unlike the lush forest that surrounded the village, this one had no leaves. Despite that, the trees stood so densely packed that there barely seemed to be space to walk.

"Strange," Justin muttered.

"Kyah!" Fafnir, perched on his shoulder, screeched in agreement. As Justin stroked the creature\'s head, the other pioneers began appearing around him, bathed in glowing light. While they looked around in awe, Nathan approached.

"Everyone seems to have transferred safely," Nathan reported.

"Good. I\'ll take the lead with five others in the vanguard. The rest of you will follow behind, led by Zachary," Justin instructed.

"Huh? Aren\'t we splitting into vanguard and rearguard?" Nathan asked, surprised.

"In a regular army, yes. But the problem here is the vast difference in skill levels."

Ordinarily, warriors would take the front, and mages would cover the rear, a basic tactical formation. But that only worked when the combatants were of similar skill levels. With this group, trying to hold that formation could result in disaster.

"It\'s not just about strength," Justin explained. "There\'s a huge difference in combat experience too. If we get hit with a sudden attack, the less experienced could easily fall apart."

"So, you plan to be the shield?" Nathan \'s eyes wavered slightly, filled with admiration for Justin\'s decision to take on the most dangerous role.

Justin shrugged. He was simply doing what needed to be done. It was better to have experienced fighters like him and his companions take the brunt of the enemy\'s assault than to let the untrained pioneers be slaughtered.

"It\'s the right call. We\'ll hold the front, and when the attack comes, you\'ll have time to get your bearings and strike back."

"Understood. In that case, we\'ll..."

CAW!

CAW! CAW!

Nathan\'s words were cut off by the sudden, deafening sound of cawing from above. His face twisted in irritation.

"Where did all these crows suddenly come from—huh!?"

"...!"

Nathan gasped, his breath catching in his throat as he looked up. Justin too fell silent, momentarily speechless at the sight before him.

The creatures making the sounds weren\'t crows. They were monsters—horrific hybrids of old women and large birds, with grotesque features that made them look like half-crones, half-giant birds.

"Harpy!" someone shouted.

CAW! CAW!

The harpies screeched in response, their mouths stretching into twisted grins that seemed to mock the pioneers. Given the creatures\' eating habits, they probably found the sight of their prey walking right to them amusing.

"Damn it!" Justin cursed.

"Stay calm, everyone! Ready your weapons and prepare to attack!" Zachary barked out orders, but the chaos was already setting in. Even though the pioneers had fought many monsters before, this time it was different.

Justin quickly understood why.

\'They\'ve taken control of the skies, and they outnumber us. Their wings make them appear even larger. But the biggest problem is their grotesque appearance.\'

The harpies, with their twisted, crone-like faces, were repulsive to the point of evoking a visceral sense of disgust. It was no wonder the pioneers were struggling to keep their composure, surrounded by such hideous creatures.

And because of that, they weren\'t preparing properly for the incoming attack.

\'Intimidation.\'

Fwoosh

"CAW!?"

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Justin used his skill to apply pressure, but it had little effect. The harpies stopped laughing for a moment and flinched, but that was all. It seemed they were either on par with or even stronger than gnolls.

\'shu, do I have to use Cursed Lightning already? I was hoping to save it...\'

Just as Justin prepared to aim his spell at the harpies, Fafnir raised his head and let out a mighty roar.

"Kyahhhhhh!"

"Ding! Black Dragon \'Fafnir\' uses the skill [Dragon Fear]."

"Ding! Multiple targets have been affected by the presence of a dragon and are now in a state of terror."

At that moment, all the harpies went berserk.

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