LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 17: The Next Invasion
The night was still.
Too still.
Dain stood on the newly built watchtower, Silverlight resting at his side. His eyes scanned the darkness beyond the village walls, his Dungeon Sense humming faintly in the back of his mind.
Something was coming.
The system had given him no warning yet, but he could feel it.
The way the wind barely stirred. The way the animals had gone silent.
It was the same eerie feeling he had before the Shade Stalker attacked.
Only this time—
It was stronger.
A system notification appeared.
[Warning: Hostile Forces Approaching]
• Threat Level: High
• Estimated Time Until Contact: 10 minutes
Dain's grip tightened.
He turned to Edric, who stood beside him. "It's time."
Edric nodded. "Let's get everyone in position."
Dain and Edric moved swiftly through the village, rousing the militia and putting everyone into position.
• Archers took their places on the rooftops and watchtowers.
• Spearmen stood ready behind the barricades.
• Traps—pitfalls, sharpened stakes, oil barrels—had been placed in key locations.
Dain could see the fear in their eyes.
They had trained for this.
But training and real combat were two different things.
So he did the only thing he could.
He gave them hope.
"This village has stood for generations," Dain called out. "And it will stand for many more. Not because of the land or the walls, but because of us."
He let his gaze sweep across the crowd.
"We survived the hobgoblins. We survived the first attack. And we will survive this."
A few of the men straightened their backs.
Dain drew Silverlight, the blade glowing faintly in the torchlight.
"No matter what comes, we fight. Together."
Silence.
Then, Rowan raised his spear. "For Eldrin's Hollow!"
The others followed.
"For Eldrin's Hollow!"
Dain felt a system notification flash.
[Militia Morale Increased: +10% Battle Efficiency]
Good.
They would need it.
Because whatever was coming…
It was almost here.
A distant howl echoed through the night.
Not a wolf's cry.
Something darker. Hungrier.
Dain's Dungeon Sense flared.
A new notification appeared.
[Enemies Identified: Night Reapers (Lv.10-12)]
• Health: 150-220 HP
• Threat Level: Extreme
• Status: Hunters of the Dark
Dain's blood ran cold.
He had never heard of Night Reapers before.
But the system's threat level said everything.
Then—the first shape appeared.
Slipping through the trees like a living shadow.
Then another.
And another.
Dozens of twisted, humanoid figures emerged from the darkness, their elongated limbs tipped with jagged claws. Their eyes glowed a deep crimson, their bodies covered in a shifting black mist.
Dain's stomach tightened.
They weren't like goblins.
They weren't even like hobgoblins.
They were predators.
And they were here to feed.
A piercing shriek tore through the night.
Then the Night Reapers charged.
"Hold the line!" Dain shouted.
The first wave of arrows flew from the rooftops, cutting through the darkness.
A few of the creatures fell, impaled by sharp wooden shafts.
But most of them kept coming.
They were fast.
Faster than anything Dain had faced before.
"Spears forward!" Edric roared.
The front line of militia braced their weapons, the sharpened tips aimed at the charging creatures.
The Night Reapers hit the barricade like a storm.
Screams erupted as the creatures clawed, bit, and tore through wood and flesh alike.
Dain didn't hesitate.
He rushed forward.
Silverlight flashed, cleaving through the first creature's chest.
The holy glow burned as the blade tore through shadowy flesh.
[Direct Hit! 42 Damage Dealt]
The Night Reaper shrieked, staggering back.
Dain didn't let it recover.
He twisted his blade and drove it through the creature's skull.
[Enemy Defeated: Night Reaper]
+150 Experience Gained
But there were too many.
The line was breaking.
Dain saw a Night Reaper leap over the barricade, claws aimed at Gareth.
Dain moved instinctively.
He threw Silverlight.
The glowing blade spun through the air, piercing the creature's chest.
It crashed to the ground, twitching.
But Dain was now weaponless.
A second Night Reaper lunged at him.
Dain barely had time to react before the creature's claws slashed across his chest.
[Health: 65/100]
Pain flared, but he didn't fall.
Instead, he dove forward, grabbing Silverlight from the fallen creature's corpse.
Then he turned and slashed.
The second Night Reaper's head rolled across the dirt.
[Enemy Defeated: Night Reaper]
+150 Experience Gained
But the battle was far from over.
More creatures were pouring in.
And the militia was starting to falter.
Dain gritted his teeth.
They couldn't win this fight by just holding the line.
They needed to strike back.
"Edric!" Dain shouted. "Take the left flank! Push them back!"
The veteran nodded, rallying a group of fighters and charging into the enemy.
Dain turned to the archers.
"Shoot the barrels!"
The oil barrels, strategically placed along the main road, were meant for one purpose.
A flaming arrow shot through the air.
The barrels exploded.
A wall of fire erupted, cutting off part of the enemy's advance.
Screams filled the night as several Night Reapers were consumed by flames.
The tide was shifting.
But then—
A new system warning appeared.
[Elite Enemy Detected: Reaper Alpha (Lv.15)]
• Health: 500/500
• Threat Level: Lethal
Dain's breath caught.
The fire had drawn it out.
From the shadows of the treeline, a massive figure emerged.
Taller than the rest. Twice as muscular.
Its crimson eyes burned brighter, its claws glowed with dark energy.
The Reaper Alpha let out a deafening roar.
The remaining Night Reapers turned toward it.
And then—they all charged at once.
Dain felt the weight of the moment.
If they didn't stop the Alpha, the village was finished.
A new quest appeared.
[Final Battle: Kill the Reaper Alpha]
• Objective: Slay the leader before the militia collapses.
• Reward: ???
Dain's fingers tightened around Silverlight.
This was it.
The real fight had begun.
And if they were going to survive—
He would have to kill the strongest enemy he had ever faced.