The Homeseeker: Elemental Adventurer LitRPG [Isekai] (Series Complete!)

Less than five minutes later, Gorb was using his Elemental Power to call out to the entire town, one arm to his mouth while the other hung bleeding to one side.

"People of Wollstone! The Grimfang threat has been vanquished. There are no more monsters on the ground. But do not let down your guards. The Elemental Dragon continues its onslaught, especially when we are least expecting it. It seems to know what areas are lacking in defense and targeting those areas specifically. Do not presume safety while we try to fix the walls. We will try to restore the Healing Rest as soon as we can, but so long as the dragon lives, we can offer no guarantees."

Gorb sounded tired and grim, a dark shadow having fallen over his face. Looking around the walls one last time to make sure there were no more approaching monsters, Gorb jumped down, catching himself with a gust of wind at the last second before walking toward Rep, Zalan, Magnolia, and Enzo.

"I am glad to see you live. Winnania fell to the horde, as have other good men and women of the guards," Gorb said, his jaw tight.

"I am sorry, Gorb," Rep placed one arm on his shoulder. "They were brave and honorable to put their life on the line for the city."

"We must ensure their deaths were not in vain," Gorb said, looking up. The dragon flew in the distance, dancing behind the clouds.

"So long as they died in the act of protecting others, there is no vanity in their deaths," Rep said confidently.

Gorb looked back down at him, the intensity in his eyes receding. He nodded.

"You are right to say that," Gorb acknowledged, looking between everyone. "Their lives were spent well. We would do well to emulate their path and save more lives."

He gave Magnolia and Enzo a double take, his eyes narrowing.

"Have we met?" Gorb asked.

"I doubt it," Magnolia said.

"We are friends of Zalan. Magnolia and Enzo," Enzo said, introducing them.

"Gorbonifus," Gorb said, nodding between them. "If you will excuse me, I must go find my parents."

"How is Moss?" Zalan asked before he left.

"He lives, but he has yet to wake. In an impressive display of perseverance, he exhausted himself to the point of collapse atop the walls," Gorb said, pointing without turning around as he walked away.

Zalan looked up at the wall, and saw the shadow of the Elemental Dragon dart across clouds in the distance. He hoped it wouldn't strike while they were still trying to regroup. It had shown a lot of intelligence in its targets before, and could take advantage of attacking Moss while he was asleep and unprotected.

As they made their way to the walls, Zalan stopped abruptly in front of one of the bodies on the ground. Dimak had been pummeled into the earth, his face an inch into the ground. Slauson lay not far away, a block of ice on his face and his eyes on Dimak.

"Dimak lives," Slauson assured them. "But he is in desperate need of a Healing Rest."

"We all are," Rep said.

"Did Moss make it?" Slauson asked.

"He is on the walls. We are going to get him down before the Elemental Dragon tries to strike once more," Enzo said.

"Good," Slauson nodded, then looked somewhat confused. "Who are you?"

"Enzo. No time for more, we can do introductions later," Zalan said, leaving Slauson and Dimak for the moment.

Hobbling, limping and walking their way to the wall, Zalan looked up at the ladder to climb to the top. It felt like a daunting task just to put one arm on a rung. One arm was already fractured and quickly developing a dark black bruise, he couldn't imagine climbing up in this state. He turned back to his friends.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Are you two up to it?" Zalan asked Enzo and Magnolia, already knowing the fatigue Rep expressed with every breath.

"I can get him," Magnolia volunteered.

She hopped up the ladder and raced to the top quickly. In the silence that followed, another of the Elemental Dragon's shadows passed over the area, causing Zalan and his companions to flinch. It passed harmlessly. Then, Magnolia reappeared over the wall, carrying herself and Moss on a sand platform. She floated them down gently, hopping off the platform and leaving Moss breathing deeply on the sand stretcher.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Aetheria. Right?" Enzo asked.

"A little too soon for that," Rep said. "We need to heal first. Or figure out a way to stop that Elemental Dragon."

"Let's regroup with everyone. See if we can figure something out," Zalan said.

Turning, Zalan took two steps before buckling and falling to his knees. He desperately tried to push himself back up, but as his adrenaline plummeted, so did his energy. Magnolia formed another platform of sand below him.

"Perhaps I should carry you as well," she suggested.

"Thanks," Zalan said, allowing himself to rest on his knees while being carried.

He looked around at the area within the walls of Wollstone. Buildings closest to the walls had been destroyed by either Grimfangs or from being near one of the Elemental Dragon's various attacks. The only humans Zalan saw deceased on the floor looked to be guards, which brought him some ounce of comfort. It was better than seeing the people fleeing from the battle being swept up in it. It made all his effort feel like it was worth it to see so many buildings standing. But he knew it couldn't last forever if the Elemental Dragon kept up its assault.

"Them too," Zalan said, pointing with his good arm to Dimak and Slauson. "We should carry them to Gorb's place."

Magnolia said nothing, but frowned with the effort it took to place another two people on sand platforms. Her face sprouted a vein and went a hue darker, but she didn't complain under the weight of her Elemental exertion. Zalan pointed the way and Magnolia carried them to the courtyard attached to Gorb's home. Breathing loudly as she set them down, Magnolia freed herself from carrying the injured. They sat around on the bales of hay, looking between one another in quiet thought. Zalan's eyes lingered on Moss and Dimak, both of whom were rousing, but twitching with pain as they woke.

Gorb and his parents came limping into the courtyard not long after. Opal and Bartleby were keen on keeping their attention to the sky, watching intently for incoming Elemental attacks. Moss groaned as he rolled on the ground to push himself upright.

"What happened?" he asked, rubbing his cut forehead. Squinting at everyone surrounding him, Moss frowned and lowered his head. "I died. And you all died because I was the only thing keeping the monsters at bay."

"No, you fool. We all live," Slauson immediately corrected him.

"All thanks to me," Moss said, his tone flipping on a dime.

"Good work, all of you," Bartleby said sincerely, his eyes remaining above. "We could have suffered many more casualties were it not for you. I can see by your injuries that you put your lives on the line."

Bartleby's face was red, and he looked like it caused him stress to remain standing. Still, he remained vigilant on the air above him.

"Why does it not return for another attack?" Gorb asked.

"It fears us," Opal said. "With the town's collective focus on the sky, it knows that we might be able to find a way to bring it down permanently. I suspect it is waiting for night to shroud us in darkness."

"Then we need to take it down before that happens," Gorb said.

"What happened?" Dimak asked, an arm on his throbbing head. "Did we win?"

"No one would blame you if you suspected we all died," Moss said.

"We are clearly not dead," Dimak said derisively. "I am asking whether we fled overwhelming odds or successfully kept the monsters at bay."

"The latter," Slauson said.

"Which ladder?" Enzo asked, looking at the ladder up the nearest wall.

"The other latter," Magnolia said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Who are you, again?" Dimak asked Magnolia and Enzo.

"Friends of Zalan's," Enzo said.

"So you say," Moss challenged. "But if you are such good friends, why did he never mention you before?"

"We are not 'such good friends.' We are hardly friends," Magnolia said.

Rep chuckled loudly seated next to Zalan. Zalan looked his way, his neck smarting as he twisted it. Rep was smiling out at everyone in the courtyard.

"What's up?" Zalan asked.

"So many friends. It is surprising how many you have made in your time in the realm. With friends like these, you will certainly be able to defeat Morloch in Aetheria," Rep said.

Zalan looked up at the clouds, wondering if Morloch resided on any of the passing atmosphere. As he watched, he saw the Elemental Dragon circling far above. His eyebrows descended slowly, looking serious. Scrunching his face, he ran one hand through his hair slowly.

"You look like you have come up with an idea," Rep pointed out.

"Yeah," Zalan said, a hint of concern in his voice. "We might be able to stop the dragon, but I don't know when we're all bloody and half-beaten."

"Whatever the new idea, I wish to hear it," Gorb said.

"It's not a new idea," Zalan shrugged his one working shoulder. "We should just make the hot air balloon again and chase after the Elemental Dragon, ourselves."