Soil exploded outward like a miniature volcano.

Three giant worm-like creatures burst into the night air, their circular mouths lined with rows of teeth sharp enough to tear human skin.

The first Sand Dweller slithered straight toward the pungent scent bait, shrieking as it impaled itself on the slanted iron spikes.

The second beast lunged blindly toward the wooden barricade, but Brak tossed the reinforced net with perfect timing, pinning the monster to the dirt.

Kane felt a subtle tremor under his foot before he even saw the third worm erupt from the ground.

He did not flinch and threw his right battleaxe with pinpoint accuracy.

The iron blade spun through the air and buried itself deep into the worm’s side.

Slash.

Instead of running forward to retrieve his weapon, Kane planted his feet and yanked his arm back.

He had secured a sturdy iron chain to the handle, wrapping the other end tightly around his wrist. The axe tore free in a spray of foul blood and flew right back into his hand.

The nearby warriors, both barbarian and villager, gasped in surprise.

A barbarian fighting with such creative, calculated tactics completely shattered their expectations.

"Don’t just stand there," Kane roared, pointing his blood-dripping axe at the netted beast.

"Hit the trapped ones right now."

A fourth worm breached near the flank, grabbing a terrified village guard by the ankle and dragging him toward the open hole.

"AH, HEL-"

A scarred barbarian leapt forward without hesitation, burying his new iron spear into the worm’s face while hauling the crying human back to his feet.

For the first time, the two factions fought side by side.

"Two more approaching from the left ridge," Thora called out from the back line.

She kept her eyes closed, using her life-sensing ability to track the vibrations moving under the grass.

Sira stayed perched on the low roof, her bowstring snapping constantly.

She let two arrows fly in rapid succession, hitting the emerging targets right in their sensitive maws. Her eyes kept a watch over Kane’s back, shooting anything that dared to get too close to her chief.

Kane waded deeper into the chaos, his twin axes carving through the hides with brutal efficiency.

[Sand Dweller Killed. +200 EXP]

[Sand Dweller Killed. +200 EXP]

[Sand Dweller Killed. +200 EXP]

Gina, the blonde warrior guarding Greta, leapt into the fray nearby.

Her long spear danced gracefully, thrusting and parrying with highly trained skill. Yet, her eyes kept drifting back to Kane.

He was too calm, too efficient in his movements. A barbarian usually will not think before he fights, but every move Kane made was calculated without a single wasted motion.

Five more worms erupted from the soil near the western palisade.

Kane did not wait for the guards to react or panic.

He sprinted across the ground and slid hard across the dirt, dropping low to the ground to avoid a sweeping bite.

As he spun his body on the grass, he swung both axes in a sweeping circle.

The twin iron blades sliced cleanly through the soft underbellies of two emerging beasts at the same time.

Foul blood rained down on the grass, but Kane was already moving again.

[Sand Dweller Killed. Plus 200 EXP]

[Sand Dweller Killed. Plus 200 EXP]

A larger Sand Dweller burst from the ground just inches away from his foot. It opened its circular mouth wide, aiming to swallow him whole.

Rows of sharp teeth glinted in the torchlight as foul saliva dripped onto his armour.

’You are too slow,’ Kane thought to himself, tracking the beast’s telegraphed attack.

He pushed off the ground and jumped high to the right, dodging the snapping jaws by a mere fraction of an inch.

He twisted mid-air, utilising his high strength stat to generate maximum momentum, and brought his axe down with brutal precision.

The blade severed the worm’s head entirely as its decapitated body slumped onto the soil, twitching briefly before digital ash began to form around the edges of the corpse.

[Elite Sand Dweller Killed. Plus 400 EXP]

Brak drove his spear through the side of another beast nearby, shouting a loud war cry that encouraged the terrified villagers.

The local men stabbed with their pitchforks and swords, finding their courage as they watched the barbarians hold the defensive line.

Sira fired another arrow from the roof, pinning a retreating worm to a wooden fence post so a villager could finish it off.

Thora kept calling out the underground movements, giving everyone the warning they needed to dodge the hidden strikes.

The remaining Sand Dwellers realised they were losing this fight badly. The vibrations in the ground started shifting away from the village walls and moving back toward the open plains.

Kane stood tall among the dead carcasses, wiping monster blood from his face with the back of his hand.

He watched the remaining bulges in the dirt slowly retreat toward the distant tree line until the grass was finally still again. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The attack was over, and the first night was safe.

**************************

The next morning, Kane woke up in his borrowed tent, feeling refreshed after a solid few hours of sleep.

He checked his system notifications, noting the small stat boosts and experience gains from the successful defence.

The village suffered minimal damage thanks to his extensive preparations. The loot drops from the dead worms also gave his wallet a much-needed boost.

He opened his interface privately to restock his supplies before the day really started.

[Bloodfang Marketplace]

[Current Gold Coins: 1,052]

[Heavy Iron Traps bundle: 25 Gold

Basic Healing Salve: 15 Gold

Reinforced Rope: 10 Gold

Scent Masking Powder: 20 Gold

Oil Flasks: 12 Gold

Wooden Spikes: 8 Gold

Minor Stamina Potion: 30 Gold

Sharpening Stone: 5 Gold

Iron Barricades: 40 Gold

Flare Arrows bundle: 15 Gold]

’I need to build a better perimeter tonight,’ Kane thought.

He selected what he needed from the floating menu.

[Transaction Complete. 180 Gold Coins Deducted.]

[Remaining Balance: 872 Gold Coins.]

A short while later, Greta invited him to her spacious manor for breakfast.

The table was laid with fresh bread, grilled meat, cheese, and fruits.

Greta sat across from him, watching his every move with sharp interest.

"You actually did it," she said, cutting into her meat.

"I’ll admit... I didn’t expect your dirty little worms’ plan to work so well."

Kane took a large bite of bread and grinned.

"Told you. Your eastern side was begging to get fucked last night. Good thing I was here to plug the hole."

Greta nearly choked on her wine, then laughed softly.

"You really have no shame, do you? Speaking like that in front of a lady."

"You stopped being a lady the moment you pushed those fat tits up while talking to me on the wall," Kane replied casually, chewing.

"Besides, results are results. My men held the line. Your people are still breathing. You should be thanking me properly."

Greta leaned forward, her ample cleavage on full display.

"And what would a proper thank you look like to a barbarian like you?"

"We can discuss that after I kill a few more of those bastards for you." He glanced toward the corner where Gina stood.

"Though my women are already quite jealous of that body you’re hiding."

From the corner of the room, Gina stood silently as Greta’s personal guard.

The blonde warrior’s jaw was tight as she watched the exchange.

This man... she thought.

He’s crude, arrogant, and far too comfortable. Yet everything he does is calculated. He’s dangerous.

Kane felt her stare and glanced over with a lazy grin.

"Something on your mind, blonde? You’ve been eye-fucking me since last night. If you want a taste, you can always ask nicely."