But they had no choice. If they did not leave now, people would die.
"N-No... this is bad, Village Chief. Our village has already been surrounded by Demon Beasts."
Just as everyone was about to head down and pack their belongings, a blood-soaked burly man came running in from beyond the square, shouting. Not a single part of his body was intact; he was covered in marks from Demon Beast bites and tears.
After delivering those words, the burly man collapsed to the ground, devoid of breath. He was clearly dead. He had only remained alive by clinging to his last breath, and now that the message had been delivered, he could hold on no longer.
"How is that possible? How could they be so fast? Our village has already been surrounded by Demon Beasts? What do we do now?"
"Now we can only wait for death. Going out means death, and staying means death too."
"No, there's hope. There's still hope."
Upon hearing the news, the entire square instantly descended into chaos. Countless people began running about, rushing home to grab their belongings before fleeing toward the Back Mountain.
The Back Mountain contained an exceedingly hidden cave that connected to another mountain. They had discovered it when the village was first established, and it was also a route of retreat.
And now, that escape route was being put to use. Their original plan was to withdraw through the Back Mountain.
"Everyone, don't panic! Don't panic! Keep order! Run toward the Back Mountain, quickly!"
Seeing the scene in such disarray, the Old Village Chief roared at the top of his lungs. But by then, the square had already fallen completely into chaos. No one could hear his voice clearly.
All they cared about now was how to survive, how to