Chapter 17 – The Ironfang Vanguard
We stood near the edge of the Aegis Dome, staring out into the Deadlands.
The air felt heavier here.
Colder.
"…Leo," Elias said quietly.
"Do you still want to become an adventurer?"
His tone wasn't casual.
It carried something else—
Concern.
Doubt.
Even… pity.
He had seen too much.
No matter how talented someone was—
One mistake.
One second of hesitation—
And they would die.
Elias had seen it happen.
Even to noble children.
Gifted.
Trained.
Privileged.
And yet—
He had seen their bodies return.
Lifeless.
Broken.
…
His gaze lowered slightly.
A memory surfaced.
The day his son was being bullied.
Three boys.
Older. Bigger.
Laughing as they pushed him around.
And then—
Leo stepped in.
No hesitation.
No fear.
A small boy—
Charging straight at three others.
Punch after punch—
Until they ran.
That was the first time Elias truly noticed him.
"…He's always been like that," Elias muttered under his breath.
Courageous.
Reckless.
…
I kept staring at the Deadlands.
"…When I saw that horde earlier," I said slowly, "I got goosebumps all over my body."
Elias didn't respond.
"But…"
I clenched my fist slightly.
"It's okay, Uncle."
"…I'm excited."
Silence
Elias looked at me.
Really looked.
And in my eyes—
He saw it.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only determination.
Confidence.
For a brief moment—
He was stunned.
Then—
Elias smiled.
"…Heh. That's good for you."
He let out a short laugh.
"You know… when I first came here, I had nightmares for days."
His gaze shifted forward again.
Beyond the barrier—
The Deadlands stretched endlessly.
"And that's just the beginning," Elias said. "If you go deeper, you won't just face Level 1 monsters anymore. Level 3… maybe even higher."
He shook his head.
"Scary, right?"
"…Yeah," I muttered.
"We're lucky," he continued. "If the scientists hadn't created the Aegis Dome… humanity might've gone extinct."
Then he glanced at me.
"There's also a rule. You need to reach at least C-rank—and have a proper party—before you're allowed to roam the Deadlands."
I nodded.
"I understand."
Before I could say more—
A group passed by us.
Five people.
But something about them felt… different.
Unlike the other parties I'd seen—
Tense.
Cautious.
This group was calm.
Too calm.
Like they weren't about to walk into a battlefield filled with thousands of monsters.
My eyes followed them.
At the front—
A man in his mid-thirties.
Broad shoulders.
Confident steps.
A bastard sword rested casually on his shoulder.
Behind him—
A woman with a bow, her sharp eyes scanning everything.
Next—
A massive man carrying a shield, built like a wall.
Then—
A woman holding a staff. A mage.
And finally—
A younger man, around his mid-twenties.
A blade user.
Murmurs spread among nearby adventurers.
"…Aren't they the Ironfang Vanguard?"
"…They're here?"
"They're going for another onslaught?"
I frowned slightly.
"…Who are they?" I asked.
Elias smirked.
"Them?"
He glanced at the group.
"That's the Ironfang Vanguard."
"…A B-rank party."
"Even though they only recently rose to B-rank," he added, "there's already a lot of expectation on them."
Then—
He called out.
"Jonathan."
The man at the front stopped.
He turned—
Then smiled.
"…Elias?"
"So it's you," Elias said. "Heading out again?"
Jonathan chuckled.
"Yeah. I'm running low on money."
Before Elias could reply—
"Because you keep wasting it."
The archer spoke.
Cold.
Direct.
She crossed her arms.
"On useless things."
Jonathan frowned.
"…It's not useless."
"Oh really?" she replied. "Then explain your outfit."
She pointed at him.
"Oversized sweater… with a necktie…"
"Wide-leg pants…"
"And platform boots?"
"…In the Deadlands?"
Silence.
Then—
"HAHAHA!"
The entire team burst out laughing.
Even the shield user shook his head.
"…You deserve that."
Jonathan sighed.
"…It's called fashion."
"No," the mage said calmly.
"It's called having no taste in fashion."
More laughter followed.
Even the nearby adventurers joined in—they clearly knew him.
I couldn't help it.
I almost laughed too.
Then—
Jonathan's gaze shifted.
He looked at me.
Then back at Elias.
"…Got yourself a disciple?"
Elias shook his head.
"He's not. He's a friend's son."
Jonathan nodded slowly.
"…I see."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Well then, Elias—we're heading out."
Elias nodded.
"Take care."
"Good luck out there."
Jonathan raised his hand with a thumbs-up.
"You know us."
Then—
They turned.
And walked toward the edge.
The moment they crossed the boundary—
everything changed.
They ran.
Straight into the Deadlands.
"…They're charging in?" I whispered.
"Watch carefully," Elias said.
The ground trembled slightly.
Thousands of monsters turned toward them.
Ash Crawlers screeched as they crawled over broken structures.
Rot Hounds snarled, their decayed bodies lunging forward.
Spike Slimes pulsed, crystal spikes forming along their surface.
Cracked Golemites marched, their stone bodies grinding against each other.
And behind them—
Level 2 monsters began to move.
Big Rats.
Ironhide Boars.
A full horde.
"…They're surrounded," I said.
The mage stepped forward.
She raised her staff.
Mana gathered—
fast.
No chanting.
No hesitation.
Just pure control.
The air distorted around her.
Then—
A massive fireball formed above her.
Not small.
Not normal.
It was as large as a human body.
"…That much mana…?"
She flicked her wrist.
Boom!
The fireball shot forward—
like a meteor.
It crashed into the center of the horde—
And exploded.
BOOOOM!
Fire swallowed everything.
The shockwave tore through the battlefield.
Ash Crawlers burned instantly.
Rot Hounds were blown apart.
Spike Slimes shattered under the heat.
More than a hundred monsters—
gone.
But—
The horde didn't stop.
They kept coming.
Endless.
"Here they come!" the shield user shouted.
He stepped forward.
Then—
He dashed.
Fast.
Way faster than his size suggested.
He slammed the bottom of his shield into the ground.
BOOM!
The impact created a shockwave.
The ground cracked.
Monsters in front of him—
were thrown off balance.
Some flipped over.
Others froze in place—
stunned.
"Now!"
Jonathan moved.
In an instant—
he disappeared from his spot.
Then—
He reappeared in the middle of the horde.
His sword swung.
A wide arc.
Heavy.
Brutal.
SLASH!
SKRAAAASH—!!
The air itself seemed to split—
Everything in front of him—
Erased.
Bodies torn apart.
Armor crushed.
Stone shattered.
Cracked Golemites burst into fragments.
Rot Hounds exploded into sprays of flesh and bone—nothing left but scattered remains.
Even the ground itself—
ripped open, jagged fractures spreading like veins across the battlefield.
"…That's insane."
But they didn't stop.
The archer moved next.
Her bow glowed faintly.
She pulled the string—
And released.
One arrow—
became three.
Then five.
Then—
Ten.
They rained down like a storm.
Some arrows froze targets instantly—
turning monsters into ice statues.
Others exploded on impact—
blasting groups apart.
Some ignited—
burning anything they touched.
Every shot—
perfect.
Every shot—
deadly.
Then—
The last one moved.
The blade user.
For a moment—
he disappeared.
"…Where did he—"
Then—
Slash.
A line of monsters—
stopped moving.
Then—
Their heads fell.
Clean.
Precise.
He moved again.
Faster.
Too fast to follow.
Even Level 2 monsters—
Fell in a single strike.
Big Rats—
cut in half.
Ironhide Boars—
their armor split open like paper.
"…No way…"
The battlefield turned into chaos.
Fire.
Ice.
Shockwaves.
Blades.
But within that chaos—
The party moved perfectly.
No wasted movement.
No hesitation.
Each attack—
connected.
Each move—
supported the others.
A perfect formation.
A perfect team.
In just minutes—
Thousands—
reduced.
Annihilated.
I stood there.
Frozen.
Watching.
Earlier—
there were more than ten thousand monsters.
Now—
Almost nothing remained.
"…This…"
My voice trembled slightly.
"…This is B-rank…"
Elias crossed his arms.
"Now you understand."
I clenched my fists.
My heart was racing.
Not from fear.
But from something else.
Something stronger.
"…I want that power."
I stared at the battlefield.
At the destruction.
At the strength.
"…One day…"
"…I'll reach that level."
Elias glanced at me.
And for a brief moment—
he smiled.
A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you like the story, please rate it and continue supporting the novel—it truly motivates me to keep improving and writing more!