Pacs and Aelda started moving. They left the kingdom of the Dark Elfs and continued on toward their next stop.
Aelda glanced at him. "Where are we going?"
Pacs replied, "Where people seek help."
They travelled a long distance, passing through the woods. Along the way, they fought and killed a few monsters that crossed their path.
When they grew tired, they stopped near a river. They rested there for a while, drinking water and catching their breath.
After that, they moved on again, following the side of a mountain.
After moving for a while, they got far from the mountain. Soon, they came across a village where people were living.
The houses were made from raw materials, rough and uneven, as if no proper builder had ever worked there.
These people were once from the kingdom of Ravenmark. They had fled and settled here.
With no proper infrastructure, they were struggling to survive.
Ren and Erie were there as well. They were trying to build proper infrastructure for the village.
Even with magic, it wasn't easy to create a place fit to live in.
Pacs went over to Ren and Erie and asked about the village. They were using magic—something like crafting magic—shaping materials into place.
From them, Pacs understood that they were trying to build proper infrastructure for the village.
Pacs spoke with them a while longer and learned about the kingdom of Ravenmark. After hearing everything, he said, "I will claim it back for you."
Ren and Erie looked at him and shook their heads. They said it was too late. The king had been killed during their escape, and the people who survived had chosen to remain here.
What they needed now was not a lost kingdom, but a place they could live in—this village, built with proper infrastructure.
Aelda looked at Pacs and said, "I can build the structures for them."
Pacs turned to her. "Are you sure?"
Then he faced Ren and Erie. "We can help. We can build the infrastructure for this village."
They agreed, and Pacs, with Aelda's help, began building the village.
Using her magic, Aelda shaped the structures quickly, while Pacs assisted where needed. In about an hour, the work was done.
Everyone had a house to live in.
They were all happy, their faces lighting up. Soon, the whole village was celebrating together.
But it didn't last long.
The Demon Lord Valak had found them—the people of Ravenmark who had fled from him.
In a matter of seconds, the village was surrounded by demons.
Ren and Erie stepped forward, deciding to face the Demon Lord. They turned to Pacs and told him to take the villagers and lead them to a safer place.
Erie charged at the demon army instead of the Demon Lord. As she moved, she told Ren to clear the rest of the army.
Ren stepped forward and attacked the Demon Lord, but her spells were completely neutralised. Seeing that her attacks had no effect, she tried casting more powerful spells.
But nothing worked on the Demon Lord.
At last, both of them turned their attacks on the demon army, trying to break through.
The Demon Lord stepped in and confronted Ren and Erie. With a single spell, he formed a prison around them, trapping them in place.
Before Pacs could lead the villagers to safety, they were surrounded by demons once again.
Now it was Pacs standing against the Demon Lord.
The Demon Lord looked at him and said, "Why are you, a demon, helping these humans? Hand them over to me, and I will let you go."
Pacs shook his head. "A hero doesn't abandon those who need help."
The Demon Lord laughed. "You? A hero? Demons don't become heroes. You are a fool."
The Demon Lord unleashed blazing flames. The ground burned, and the fire spread across the surroundings. Pacs dodged it effortlessly.
The heat grew intense. The ground turned red, and the trees were reduced to ash.
Pacs wasn't a magic user—he relied on his sword. Gripping it tightly, he dashed forward and struck at the Demon Lord.
The sword struck the Demon Lord's hand, but the blow was blocked. It felt as if Pacs had hit solid rock.
He didn't stop. Pacs kept striking again and again, but the Demon Lord deflected each attack with his bare hands.
After several strikes, the sword broke.
Pacs didn't hesitate. He shifted to bare-handed combat. With his speed, he dodged the Demon Lord's attacks and kept striking back with his fists.
Pacs had faced many strong monsters before, but the Demon Lord was different. This time, he was being pushed back. It was becoming clear that this fight was beyond him.
Aelda saw it too. If this continued, Pacs would lose.
Without wasting a moment, she teleported both of them away from the Demon Lord.