Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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All year round, fierce snowflakes danced around Taebaek Mountain, where Beastmen resided. It was a village inhabited by the White Mountain Goat Clan called White Night Fortress.

The exact reason was unknown, but to escape two Dragon’s Blood entities that had come to Taebaek, we left the city and headed towards this village called White Night Fortress. We had no suitable place to stay, so we planned to pay for a few days’ accommodation.

“Hmm…”

Upon checking the map, we arrived at a village named White Night Fortress. The sight of it, spread over the white-dusting mountains, resembled a beautiful painting.

Just as we approached the wide-open doors of White Night Fortress, faint sounds that had been drowned out by the howling wind began to grow louder.

The sharp clanging of metal, the sound of weaponry clashing, and the screams of people drifted in the wind. The scent wafting through the white snow was of flame and blood.

“This is…”

For some reason, it seemed a fight was taking place inside. Given the lack of significant flow of mana, it must be a battle among Beastmen rather than between wizards. I jumped off Nightmare and cautiously peered over a small fence into the village.

“Protect the children!”

“Ahhh!”

“Find the Ice Stone!”

It was chaos. Swords and shadowy weapons flew about as blood splattered everywhere. Red petals bloomed beneath the cold corpses. It was a scene of unilateral massacre. The goat Beastmen were growing cold, unable to mount any proper resistance.

The appearance of those perpetrating the slaughter seemed familiar. They wore white hoods and winter hats, and Wendy frowned as if recalling the attackers we encountered earlier.

“Those guys…”

“They seem to be the same Beastmen that attacked Wendy,” I replied.

“They’re using the same weapons. I’m certain of it.”

“Should we help?”

“Umm…”

Wendy hesitated at my question, shaking her head with a reluctant expression.

“It might be better to just leave…”

Just as Wendy trailed off, a blurry gray flash flew toward her from inside the village.

Ting!

I hurriedly swung my sword to deflect the gray projectile. As sword and shadow collided, bright sparks flew into the air.

“I think we have to fight. Wendy, just stay still.”

“What…?”

The direction where the shadow projectile came from was deep inside the village. This meant the attackers recognized us since we had invaded White Night Fortress. Wendy began to gather mana with a horrified expression.

The moment the shadow collided with my sword, a loud bang resonated, drawing all attention towards us. The Beastmen who had been swinging their swords inside the village started rushing toward this very spot.

Don’t they have the option to talk things out?

Kiiing!

As the mana circle began to spin, blue lightning began to manifest on my hand. It was a spell well-suited for dealing with multiple enemies—Chain Lightning.

“Ha!”

I scattered bolts of lightning towards the rushing attackers. The chain lightning shot in a straight line, creating a chain reaction that spread all around.

Boom!

They weren’t strong enough to require my full power. Sometimes, they would spring out from unexpected places swinging their swords, but they posed no real threat to me.

However, there was a sense of foreboding. An ominous feeling crept in, as if invisible sharp spikes were aiming at me.

It was a sensation akin to foresight gained through Dragon Acceptance. I quietly began to draw mana and wrapped it around my entire body while dispersing it around me.

The starlight mana flowed out, scattering among the pure white snow, beginning to seize the space.

At that moment, a blurry shadow sprang from thin air. It appeared to be using some sort of spatial magic. The shadow swiftly swung its sword in my direction.

The silently approaching sword was fast, but not fast enough for me to react. I instantly used Blink to slip behind the shadow and struck.

Boom!

Just before my vigorously swung sword could strike the shadow, it abruptly twisted its body to parry my attack. A huge energy flowed through my sword. I frowned and poured more mana into it.

Kagang!

“Ugh…!”

The blurry figure began to solidify. It was wearing a mask, but those oversized eyes could not be hidden. I could tell from the slightly curled tail that this was a Chameleon, a Beastman of the Mermicidae family.

Even with swords clashing, its presence felt excessively faint. Not even the heartbeat could be clearly heard—surely, it had mastered some special breathing technique.

“What the hell is this power…!”

I pressed down on it with our swords still locked together while it could not escape. The intense mana usage began to spur reactions from my body, showing early signs of Dragon Transformation. My teeth and claws sharpened. If I kept this up, I’d soon fully transform into a Dragon.

Using my newfound strength, I knocked aside the Mermicidae Beastman’s sword.

Ting!

“Gah!”

I stepped in closer. I did not miss the chance and swung my sharpened claws viciously.

Swoosh!

As blood sprayed from the tips of my claws, furious flames erupted behind in the place where my claws had passed.

Woosh!

“Ugh…”

The body of the Mermicidae Beastman, with its face split into five parts, disintegrated. The sword it held clattered to the ground as silence fell over the arena.

As I gasped for breath and looked around, it appeared that Nightmare and Wendy had taken care of the other attackers. Noticing Wendy’s slightly pale face, it seemed she had overexerted herself.

While I rummaged through the belongings of the attackers piled in one place, I sensed a faint presence approaching from inside the village; soon after, goat Beastmen emerged.

They seemed to be survivors of the massacre. I waved at them lightly. I had unintentionally saved them. They wouldn’t refuse if I asked to stay for a few days.

I walked past a retching Wendy and approached the goat Beastmen.

“Thank you so much for helping…”

“Is it possible to stay in the village for a few days?”

At my question, one goat Beastman stared blankly, then turned his gaze behind him. The frozen blood and corpses strewn throughout the village did not look beautiful at all.

“If you desire, you may stay as long as you like, but are you okay with that? As for a reward…”

“A reward is unnecessary. I didn’t do it for something in return…”

I trailed off, shaking my head.

*

The villagers’ funeral was simple. They dug a grave, buried the bodies, and sprinkled some alcohol on top. The attackers’ corpses were gathered in one place and burned.

“We owe you a great debt. We of the White Mountain Goat Clan never forget kindness. I will repay you in any way possible. Although a material reward is difficult for now…”

What kind of reward could there be when an entire village has been laid waste? I shook my head and replied.

“Focus on rebuilding the village. By the way, what’s the connection with those attackers?”

The goat Beastman shook his head.

“I don’t know them.”

I sighed, arms crossed. Just as before, there wasn’t a single possession on the bodies of the dead that could hint at their identities.

“Those people were saying something about needing Ice Stones earlier. Surely there cannot be any Ice Stones in this village?”

The goat Beastman hesitated for a moment before replying. After somewhat stammering, he finally spoke.

“There are no Ice Stones… They probably came because of an old story.”

“An old story?”

“It’s said that the ones who forged the Ice Stones from the breath of dragons were the goat Beastmen of Taebaek Mountain…”

The goat Beastman began to relate an old tale. Long ago, the dragons that once roamed this land searched for artisans who could forge their breath. The tale goes that those artisans were the goat Beastmen living in Taebaek Mountain.

“Could it be that you all… that your ancestors really forged the breath of dragons?”

The goat Beastman shook his head and continued.

“We have not left this mountain for a very long time. The location of the village has also not changed, but there hasn’t been a blacksmith or any skilled artisans to forge the breath of dragons in this village.”

“Hmm…”

“So, please rest comfortably.”

The goat Beastman left those words and exited the room.

*

Was it because she had fought fiercely while under the influence of poison?

Wendy lay bedridden for three days. She regained consciousness on the morning of the third day in this village called White Night Fortress.

“Are you okay now?”

“Yup! I feel great!”

Wendy regained her radiant smile. Rising from her bed, she dashed around the village like a breeze. I slowly started preparing to leave. We had lingered too long in a village that had suffered greatly.

Just as I was about to pack up and leave the village, a girl dashed over to me and handed me something heavy. I tilted my head and looked down to find a severed goat’s horn being offered to me.

“What’s this…?”

“It’s my house’s treasure!”

“Is it okay to just give away a treasure like this?”

“Yup! You saved our village, after all!”

The girl beamed and hopped around me. What should I even do with this horn? After a brief moment of contemplation, I nodded.

“Thanks. I’ll make good use of it.”

“Yay!”

Now, it was really time to leave. After saying my goodbyes to the surviving villagers, I took off riding Nightmare.

As we sped across the vast white snowfield, Nightmare, who had been running smoothly, suddenly stopped and looked up at the collapsed mountaintop.

Kugugugung-!

A foreboding rumble echoed. Just as it sounded like a giant monster was howling, a torrent of white waves began to pour down from the mountain.

It was the start of an avalanche.

“Oh no…!”

“Gah!”

The blinding white snow that covered the sky filled my vision. I urgently pulled on the reins of Nightmare. Yet, it did not run to escape the avalanche. Time was of the essence. I frowned and slapped Nightmare’s rear.

“What are you doing? Move!”

Phewihing-!

In that moment, it seemed Nightmare went mad, charging straight toward the falling snow.

“Yahhh!”

Wendy, who was with me on Nightmare, screamed wildly.