CHAPTER 45: AFTERMATH AND SECRET PACK

The pillar of light beamed down like a divine lance, engulfing the entire town and its surroundings in blinding brilliance.

Everyone shielded their eyes instinctively. For nearly a full minute, the world was nothing but pure white.

And then, silence

No more monstrous growls. Only the faint crackling of lingering flames... and the distant chirping of crickets.

"Was that light...from the ancient weapon?" Lukas asked, his voice hushed in awe.

"I think so," Ted replied, equally stunned.

"Do you think... anyone could survive that light?" Rick asked, eyes scanning the glowing remnants in the distance.

"I hope so," the mayor said solemnly, clutching his staff tighter.

They had expected the worst. They feared the ancient weapon’s blast would wipe the town clean off the map. But as their eyes adjusted and the light finally faded, the town was still there.

Nothing had changed.

And yet, they feared the worst for the Liam and the three outsiders. Ria clung tightly to Kel, tears streaming down her face, comforted by the women around her. They believed the four had vanished with the light, sacrificed to save them all.

Then a shout pierced the stillness.

"Look!"

A hand pointed to the highest point above the town.

From the centre of town, a stream of white smoke curled into the sky.

----

After the light faded, I found myself lying flat on the ground beneath the tower. The protective dome, once glowing brightly, was now flickering,thinning out, before vanishing completely like mist under sunlight.

There were no signs of monsters.

It was as if they had never existed.

Then, I heard a familiar groan.

"Ughh... my head."

Bob was sitting up slowly. I could already see a bump forming on his forehead huge definitely the product of slamming into the tower like a meteor.

"You okay, Bob? Look at my hand, what number is this?" I asked, holding up two fingers, attempting to check for signs of a concussion... or at least to sound medically responsible.

Bob squinted at me for a second, then shoved my hand away. "What the hell are you doing? I swear, if I broke a bone or got pancaked into this tower for nothing..."

He stood up and brushed off his dirt-covered pants, giving his butt a few solid slaps like he was beating the dust into submission.

"That was the only idea I had at the time," I said, a little defensive. "If I hadn’t blasted us forward, we might’ve vanished with those monsters."

Bob grumbled but didn’t argue. He stepped out from under the tower’s shadow and scanned the area cautiously.

I followed him.

No roars. No screeches. No hellish howls.

Just silence.

"Did we... did we actually do it?" I asked, half in disbelief.

Bob looked at me sharply. "How many times have I told you? Avoid red flags! Never say stuff like that!"

"What? Why are you so superstitious all of a sudden? The monsters are gone! Relax," I replied, rolling my eyes. "You’re acting like we’re still in danger."

Before our argument could escalate, two figures appeared from around the tower, Kiwi and Liam.

"Are you guys alright?" Liam asked, rushing toward us.

Kiwi arrived moments later, retrieving his staff, which was still stuck in the ground. He approached us without a word.

"Yeah, we’re fine. Thanks, Kiwi. You really saved me back there," I said, looking at him with appreciation.

He simply raised a hand, dismissing the gratitude. His eyes were sharp, scanning the surroundings in case any enemies remained.

"Let’s check the town," he said.

We followed him through the streets. The destruction was still there, collapsed buildings, shattered stone, and scorch marks everywhere, but the monsters were all gone. What remained were the quiet echoes of battle, broken bricks, blood, and too many signs of lost lives.

When we reached the central plaza the place that had been swarming with monsters not long ago,it was now eerily empty. The only things left behind were deep footprints from massive beasts and a few crater-like holes in the ground.

"Did we actually... do it?" Bob asked, still struggling to believe it was over.

I ignored his usual doom-and-gloom superstition.

We split up and started searching the area. While Bob and I were near the fountain, a loud pop startled us. Kiwi had fired a flare into the sky, white smoke spiraling upward.

A signal. The mission was a success.

Then I noticed something, where the Kaoslith had fallen, something was floating above the ground.

I nudged Bob and pointed. "Is that... a card?"

We both dashed toward it, excitement overtaking caution. I nearly tripped over a loose stone in my rush.

But as we got closer, I skidded to a stop.

It wasn’t like any loot we’d seen before.

Suspended in midair was a dark, square-shaped card. Black smoke drifted from its edges like a creeping mist, and a cold aura poured off it like a haunted freezer aisle.

"I don’t like this, Bob," I said slowly. "That card’s giving off serious evil vibes."

"What are you talking about? It’s probably at least an SR!" Bob shot me a look. "Didn’t you say we should grab anything useful?"

"I know what I said, but come on, look at it. It’s literally smoking evil."

Bob crossed his arms. "Listen, dude. We almost died saving this town and we didn’t get anything from the monsters. This card is our compensation."

Why are you so blind, man?

But I knew better that it was useless to argue with Bob once his eyes set to something.

He reached out to grab the card. The black mist whipped out like a snake, wrapping around his arm before pulling the card into his palm. As soon as it touched him, it dissolved into black particles, vanishing into his hand like it was devoured.

A series of notifications popped up:

---

[Unlocked new category in Shop: Secret Pack]

[Received new Secret Pack: Oath of Vengeful]

[New Title Unlocked: Secret Admirer]

– Increases chance to obtain Secret Packs from loot

---

My eyes widened.

Secret Pack?

There were packs beyond the default ones?

And Oath of Vengeful? That name didn’t exactly sound "friendship and goodness."

Before we had time to check our status, a commotion broke out nearby. We turned to see townspeople walking and some running toward the center of town. Their faces were lit with joy, their expressions filled with relief.

"Darling!"

"Father!"

Kel and Ria threw their arms around Liam, embracing him tightly. The townsfolk paused to witness the reunion, many of them smiling warmly.

Ted and the others soon arrived, rushing to our side.

"Are you all injured?" he asked, scanning us with concern.

"We’re all in good shape," I said, giving him a reassuring nod.

Moments later, the mayor approached, his face a mixture of disbelief and awe.

"So... the mission was successful," he said softly, closing his eyes for a moment. "Truthfully, I never held much hope. I thought tonight would be our end. That our town would be lost." He looked at each of us in turn, then bowed deeply. "But all of you... you risked everything for my selfish request. I offer my deepest gratitude, from the bottom of my heart."

The townspeople behind him followed his lead, bowing to us as one.

"It’s alright, Mayor," I said, raising my hand awkwardly. "We just wanted to help."

"Yes," Bob added. "This place already feels like our home in this world. Of course we’d fight to protect it."

’In this world?’ Kiwi glanced at Bob, curious about his choice of words.

The mayor straightened up and nodded. "We don’t have anything to offer right now that could match what you’ve done... but we promise, we will repay this debt."

"No, it’s fine," I replied quickly. "We sincerely wanted to help. Besides... we’re not even official adventurers yet. You don’t have to pay us. Please use the funds for rebuilding."

Bob and Kiwi both nodded in agreement.

"But you deserve it," Liam said firmly. "I’m living proof of what you’ve done."

I simply smiled at him.

The mayor looked into our eyes, pausing before he let out a long breath and smiled.

"It seems... there are still people in this world with kind hearts. If that is your wish, then we’ll honor it."

Lukas stepped forward, giving orders to the townspeople to return to their homes and report any problems. The able-bodied men began gathering the fallen, preparing them for a proper burial.

Dawn crept over the horizon, the first golden rays of sunlight spilling across the town, like a silent promise of a new beginning.

Then I remembered something. I slung my bag over my shoulder and began walking toward the mayor.

But before I could reach him, Bob stepped in front of me.

"Hey hey, what are you doing?" Bob asked, eyeing my bag suspiciously.

"I’m giving the treasure we got from the Black Eagles to the townspeople," I replied plainly.

"Why? That’s our loot now," he said, frowning.

"First of all, it’s not ours. That treasure was stolen by the Black Eagles. Who knows, some of it might’ve come from the townsfolk themselves. We’re just giving back what was taken." I spoke firmly.

"And second..." I added with a smirk, "didn’t someone say that if we got isekai’d, we should live outside our comfort zone?"

"Whoever said that must be an idiot."

"That someone was you!" I snapped. Did he even mean anything he said?

Bob shrugged, then shamelessly dug into the bag, scooping out a handful of gold and silver coins and slipping them into his pocket. No shame whatsoever. I wasn’t surprised, his trait was literally Unashamed.

I took the rest of the treasure and handed it to the mayor. He hesitated at first, reluctant to accept it, but after I insisted it be used to help rebuild the town, he finally agreed.

"Thank you, Bob, Alan, and Mr. Kiwi," Liam said with a grateful smile. "I really mean it. I owe you all. If there’s anything I can do in return, just say the word."

"Actually..." Kiwi muttered, raising his hand like a student asking a question.

"Yes, Mr. Kiwi?" Liam blinked.

"Can I borrow your grandfather’s diary? I’d like to study it."

Liam hesitated, visibly unsure, but when he looked into Kiwi’s determined eyes, he relented and handed him the worn journal.

"Take good care of it."

"Thank you. I promise I give it back later." Kiwi said, holding it like a fragile treasure.

After parting ways with Liam, we made our way back to the inn. In front of the battered entrance stood Tania, holding the inn’s name board in her hands. Her eyes were downcast, full of gloom as she gazed at the wreckage of the inn she’d inherited from her late father.

"I’m sorry, Tania-chan, for what happened here," Bob said softly.

"It’s fine. It’s not your fault." Tania forced a smile, but we could see the sadness behind it.

"Here, take this, Tania-chan." Bob handed her some the gold coins he had taken earlier. "It’s not much, but it should help you start rebuilding."

So he was thinking ahead. I didn’t expect that from him.

"Thank you... both of you!" Her eyes welled up with tears. "When I reopen, I promise you’ll get a special prize!" she said, smiling brightly.

Her smile lit up the street, warming our hearts. So this is what it felt like to help someone purely out of goodwill. Usually, I did favors so people would return them later. But this... this was different.

We returned to our room at the inn. Despite the giant hole in the wall and the state of disrepair, it was still the first place in this world that felt like ours.

We collapsed onto the beds. We hadn’t slept all night, and exhaustion was finally catching up to us.

"Where’s Kiwi?" I mumbled, already halfway to sleep.

"I dunno. Maybe he went back to his home or—" Bob didn’t finish the sentence. He was out cold.

A few seconds later, I joined him.