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Ester’s face soon blushed as all the attention was on her, but the campfire light couldn’t show her red cheeks. She was slowly building her confidence to win over her shyness of living as an outcast. A condition that accumulated because of the villagers avoiding and making fun of her.

Tula nodded and went beside Ester, surprising Koss at the treatment she gave Ester, a person she knew for a few days.

Tula rested her gaze on her father while Vincent and Koss discussed the situation. She would lightly giggle from time to time with a delighted smile.

Koss returned his gaze towards Vincent and said with a manly tear appearing on the sides of his eyes, “That’s my twin brother alright. I’m proud my brother defeated a Demonic Beast for my daughter’s sake. But it’s sad to hear he and his fiancee passed away so young.”

Vincent, Ester, and Kazumi felt the family situation was a bit strange. They heard how Kass was the twin brother of Tula’s father, Koss. Their faces had similar facial features almost identical, but the age was mismatched. Like a father and a son rather than twins.

Koss seemed to be around the age of forty to fifty. On the other hand, Kass seemed almost twice the age in the little time they had to see his face when alive. On death, his face became withered and old.

.....

“Thanks to Kass... your brother. We are alive, but we aren’t adventurers. We are crossing through Aero Forest, heading to Laurel Town. My beastman girl used her heightened senses to evade most of the dangerous animals, but...”

“Was Kass your twin brother? He looked quite older than you. I don’t mean to pry, but I’m a bit curious.” Vincent couldn’t resist the urge to ask about this strange phenomenon any longer. He didn’t know if twins could be born years apart in this world.

“We are twins born on the same day. Many people ask us, so I don’t mind, boy. Kass has... had the Berserker class. Mine is only the Warrior class. Do you know about the Bloodline ability Upper Zerk Mode?”

Koss later asked. He saw Vincent and Ester shake their heads while Lupa kept her guard. Her golden eyes were like a hawk changing the targets to keep her man and sister out of harm.

“It seems you don’t know. Upper Zerk Mode’s ability is a double-edged sword. Your blood flows faster, increasing the user’s strength by three times and speed by one time, but the price is quite steep...”

“The user has to pay the costly upkeep by boiling their blood to their limit and pumping all that forced power through their veins. It causes them to age at an astounding rate, and their forcefully expanded muscles deteriorate. The immense strain it causes on the body when their body reaches three times the limit is why they age as well.”

“The ability has the limit of around one to five minutes before their life starts burning away at a noticeable rate. It starts with hours, then days. But after their limit to withstand the ability is overtaken, they start burning years.”

“Race, gender, age, stats, and additional skills might allow the ability to last longer without any danger. It means the longer one uses it, the older and weaker they become, and the less time without the serious aging side effect one could have on the... the next use if they would have any.”

“There are three phases that certain people can learn. By having one of these three abilities, can one advance to the Bloodline class called Berserker. My brother was such a person.”

“Upper Zerk Mode increases the user’s strength by three times and speed by one time.”

“Lower Zerk Mode increases the user’s strength by one time and speed by three times.”

“Full Zerk Mode increases the user’s strength by three times and speed by three times.”

“My brother enlisted in a special squad filled by people with the Berserker class. They were paid handsomely for their every mission and extra whenever they burn their life.”

Koss sighed after he started remembering an unhappy memory. He looked at the fire, sighed once again, and continued.

“One day, my twin brother appeared at my home with a person he wanted to marry, but he left me speechless when I looked at him.”

“I didn’t see my brother for a few months as his special platoon had to clean a few areas where vile bandits gathered. Some conducted illegal businesses, while others engage in assassination orders and information sharing.”

“The two of them returned so older that I had a hard time believing my old eyes. As if they were my mother and father. His face became more wrinkled than the last time I saw him, and the woman was standing beside him as well.”

“Only after he introduced her could I recognize the old woman. She was a student I once taught as I’m an army instructor. The Berserker new recruit was barely twenty years old when she left to join my brother’s special platoon a couple of years ago.”

“Heh... whatever they faced in a few years caused such a sweet young woman to reach the same age as my brother. They fell in love as age didn’t have a meaning because of their class.”

“My brother and I had a love-hate relationship. I regretted the times I quarreled with him when he hardheadedly wanted to join the special platoon. But it was thanks to my brother that we got noticed and later sponsored by the Lionheart family.”

“We lived a better life, but I would get angry at the cost of all this. However, only a few months ago did he finally listen to my words and retire with his fiancee.”

“My brother was paid handsomely for his services. He didn’t need to worry about retiring. They bought a house and many pricey things, but a few weeks before they were going to marry...”

Koss suddenly revealed an angered frown. His eyes became cold, emitting frightening killing intent. However, he quickly stopped as he noticed his daughter started to tremble. The soldiers and the young woman behind trembled as well.

Vincent, Ester, and Lupa became cautious instead of trembling like the others. They swam and fought against such killing intent, winning against their fears every time. Their bodies didn’t freeze at the feeling of fear. It only became a bit heavy and a bit harder to breathe.

Koss massaged his temple and decided to stop talking about his brother to the people he gave his life to protect. Koss was happy that the group of two humans and a beastman took good care of his daughter. This was the reason he became so talkative.

“D-death behind... d-death in front... ” The young woman carrying the large bag helplessly uttered before her trembling legs lost their strength, causing her to fall on her bottom.

“Huh?” Vincent blurted after the reason as to why the new recruits seemed on edge and despair painted on their faces. It felt like the few terrified words revealed the situation of the five new people.

“I didn’t want to keep it a secret, but I can’t let you proceed to Laurel Town...”

“The town is burning after the appearance of a nearby Broodmother Ant Queen. It sent its colony to attack Laurel Town... the town has probably disappeared by now.”

“Non-essential soldiers were tasked to help evacuate Laurel Town villagers while the World Adventurer Guild Association offered quests to help the army kill the ants.”

“As an army instructor and a capable fighter, I was included in this dangerous emergency task to lead a new recruit platoon to help with the protection of the fleeing survivors.”

“My daughter insisted on following me to help with a few conditions to run instead of fighting. She believed her self taught swordsmanship was on par with mine. But I let her win every time.”

Koss felt like he could say this because Tula didn’t remember any of this. He turned a sad glance at his daughter and continued with a saddened frown.

“Tula is... was quite good with the sword, but she didn’t have any combat experience, and now she lost her skill as well...”

“Kass heard retired soldiers could join if they wished. My brother and his fiancee decided to help and keep both of us safe. They seemed adamant because they knew I wouldn’t want to accept their offer.”

“I declined, but he told me, “I want a good wedding and not a funeral. I will help to bring both of you back with my shield.” I ended up accepting as I wanted to do something for my brother for once.”

“However... the escort task was more dangerous than anyone predicted. I split the platoon into three. Ten followed me, ten followed my brother, and the rest stayed to form a perimeter and allow safe passage halfway to Lusterfall City.”

Vincent, Ester, and Kazumi could now understand why a terrified face appeared during the mentions of Kass’s death and the Demonic Beast’s death. There was no easy escape from this situation.

“Low ranked adventurer parties were being overwhelmed by the sheer number of ants. Many rankers fleed after the rewards for each ant’s head felt unworthy to lose their life.”

“New recruits deserting their platoons and information loss devastated our ranks. It caused the plan of gathering a large force a must. But I’m a temporary vice-captain just for this emergency situation. I couldn’t do more than I did.”

“The high commanding officers changed the quest’s requirements two days later, from a minimum of E Rankers to C Rankers, but the damage was already done, and the morale fell as quickly as the ant and human bodies fell at every scuffle.”

“A plan devised too late, I say. This is the first emergency I have experienced in all my life. It seems the higher-ups wanted to avoid more deaths while killing the Royal Ant Guards and destroying the unknown number of nests.”

“...The last information I received states that Laurel Town is hell itself.”

A cold chill ran through everyone’s spine after the last sentence entered their ears. The Laurel Town Vincent, Ester, Lupa, and Kazumi were heading toward might be no more. Or at least a place no one currently wanted to visit.

Vincent felt lucky to run into this soldier group and more so into Koss as he thoroughly explained the current situation without appearing to be lying or mixing the truth. They would’ve come face to face with death again if the fortunate with Koss was missed.

Koss couldn’t help but stare at his daughter after he stopped talking with a saddened frown. She was acting like a child holding Ester by the edge of her shirt. Her hands trembled from hearing about the ant’s attack.