In a dry land The fine sand was blown away by the dust and blown by the wind. The hot afternoon sun was even more scorching, making the surroundings hotter as if they were being baked alive.

A man from a foreign land bowed his head as he walked and looked at the glittering sand. He had a destination he didn't know how far away. Because he had been deceived by a wandering merchant, he had no means of survival. Many important items were also stolen. There were no maps or anything that could be used for navigation. Moreover, on a sunny afternoon like this, we cannot see the stars to guide us.

While feeling discouraged and hopeless His eyes suddenly found a base that might lead to his survival.

Not far from him was a city standing tall in the middle of a vast expanse of sand. The passion for life made the young man walk without fear that he would become tired. He walked and kicked hundreds of thousands of grains of sand. to head towards a young woman who was pulling a rope to draw water at a pond

“Mae Ying…please help me.” Just during the day, no liquid fell to the tip of the tongue. The young man soon realized that he could hardly speak. His voice was hoarse, as if he had been shouting all day.

"Ouch! What's wrong with you?" The girl in the crimson skirt exclaimed in shock. Raise your hand to cover your mouth and release the pulley rope tied to the bucket until the bucket full of water falls to the bottom as before. She rushed over to the unconscious young man who was lying face down and called for someone to help him take him to rest at her house.

The young man's eyelids slowly opened, the first thing he craved was nothing but a tasteless liquid. He muttered that he wanted some water and tried to sit up. And the first thing that appeared in his eyes was a girl with jet black hair and sweet brown eyes. She wore her black hair back in a neat bun.

The dark red dress didn't make her look as old as a middle-aged woman. But it makes her a woman with a lot of charm beyond her years.

“You must be very thirsty.” She handed him a glass of water and smiled sweetly.

The young man grabbed a glass and gulped the water into his mouth as if he had never tasted water before. The woman saw this and brought the whole pitcher over for him to drink. Of course, the young man drank it all.

“Thank you very much,” he said to his rescuers after the thirst died in his throat.

“Are you lost?” a clear voice asked after placing the pitcher on the table in the middle of the room. The young man could hardly take his eyes off her hourglass figure. It was as if he had met an angel in the form of a girl who lived in a village in the middle of the desert.

“I'm right...yes.” I didn't want anyone to know that I was inexperienced. So he accepted what the woman said.

“My parents said you might be here for a while. I mean, maybe.” She picked up some fruit and food and put them on a plate. “Every once in a while, strangers come here. I haven't met any new people in a long time. It would be great if you became my new friend. This evening, try talking to my father. Maybe you can get me a place to stay.” She sat down on the chair next to the bed and handed the plate of food to the young man.

“Are you telling the truth?” The young man smiled happily at her. He awkwardly accepted the plate of food. “Thank you again.”

“It's okay.” She sat and asked him how he was doing for a long time before excusing herself to go ahead and do her own work. The woman told him to sleep as he pleased and wake up to have dinner with her family.

The young man thanked fate for remaining in good fortune. He thought that he would die as a dry corpse. The goddess of light was sacrificed. I really have to thank this desert angel.

But in good fortune there is also shame. He didn't have any money left with him. So how can I get home? The young man pondered while biting at the fruit. It wasn't like he had to work in this village in exchange for money.

But he's starting to make money, isn't he? He did this purely because he wanted to practice. Because no one would dare travel through this cruel and terrifying path alone. The path that leads to the land of all demons at night And of course, now it was about to be conquered by a man like him who was not yet eighteen.

His newly recovered brain pondered life's path until the sun was about to set. It will be another hour until the next hour.

Soon a beautiful young woman greeted him like a guest. She fetched water for him to bathe in and prepared clothes for him to wear. The food on the table was deliciously prepared. A young man sat opposite the solemn village chief. To the middle-aged man's left was his daughter. On the right is his wife.

“Did you get lost? And what did you do in the first place?” the village chief asked as he dipped a piece of dough into some kind of spicy food.

“I…” He almost didn't dare answer that he had come to do something that other people wouldn't dare do. “I will go defeat the Night Demon.”

Upon hearing the answer from a young man of a young age The entire table fell silent. There was only the sound of the wind blowing and the sand whistling.

“Night Demon?” The village chief downed the pitcher once. “It shows that you are a demon hunter like that.”

“Uh, not yet,” the young man replied indifferently. while giving his daughter a look asking for help But she only smiled sweetly at him.

“Even when traveling, you can get lost. Let alone kill any of those demons. I suggest you go home.”

“I can't go back. Because there is nothing in my body that can survive this path. Therefore, I would like to ask permission from you to allow me to stay here temporarily to provide for my financial resources. Then I will leave from here.” How could he find the strength the young man was talking about to defeat the Night Demon?

“You will make money by defeating demons like that.” The village chief leaned back in his chair.

“But there aren't many demons roaming around here, right?”

The simple question made the large man burst into laughter. Both his wife and daughter also smiled and laughed softly.

“I can't tell if you're brave or cowardly. Or are you really stupid?” The disdainful tone made the young man start to feel a little angry. If it weren't for the fact that he had no way to survive. He definitely wouldn't open his mouth to reveal his shame.

“If you mean what I requested, you would allow me to temporarily reside in this village. I don't think that would be construed as brave, cowardly, or stupid. Because if I had a choice, I won't disturb anyone.” He stared into the village chief's dark eyes.

“Darling, I think he's really brave,” said his wife, amused. “Even if you are brave because of ignorance.”

“But you defeated the demon, right? Did you tell me then?” the beautiful daughter asked him, tilting her head suspiciously.

“Even though I'm not a hunter yet, But she was able to subdue a demon. It's really interesting. I hope what my son said wasn't something you made up to show off.” The girl's father still bitten him. “This will be one time. I'd like to see some of your skills. Prove how useful you will be to my village.”

The village chief's defiant voice stopped. Shrieking noises rang out around the area. The sound of growing branches The sound of movement rubbing against the wood of the creatures created by the dark curse.

The young man sat motionless. Shortness of breath A sudden feeling of turmoil in the stomach arose. He understood that this place had not yet reached the Night Demon Territory. And it is true that in the areas of human cities there will be monsters that appear sporadically. But why did the word 'Sporadic' have their screams so loud?

“So how do you usually defeat them?” the young man asked. Sweat dripped down his face, defying the cold desert air.

The village chief smiled mysteriously. He didn't answer the young man's question. But chose to ask again instead. “How? Would you like to go out and try one out? Or wait for them to break into this house first?”

The young man gritted his teeth until his jawline formed a clear shape. His eyes swept over the three people still sitting at the dining table. In his heart, the young man prayed that these people were 'not'.

'Goddess of Light, please help me escape.' He closed his eyes and prayed in his heart.

“Do you close your eyes and pray for something?” The village chief stood up from the table and put his hands on support. leaned in to look at him

The young man stared deeply into the man's dark eyes. “Yes, I will defeat him.”

But those words were not truthful. The young man had no enchanted sword. Therefore he was unable to defeat the Night Demon. When his legs stepped out of the three people's house, As usual, he ran without thinking for life and without knowing the direction.

“Don't let him escape!!” The village head who was about to transform into a demon shouted loudly. The shrill screams of the monsters along the path were haunting. Those people are not human. They are night demons!

The young man ran like that until he almost had no strength. And when he looked up at the moon, he saw that it was the second hour… Definitely, the second hour demon was following him.

The sound of four-legged animals' footsteps on the gray sand combined with the sound of two-legged running made the young man's heart plummet. He had no idea that he had wandered into the realm of a true Night Demon. If he had known, he would have fled the village before nightfall.

“Come back!!!” The dazed figure in the moonlight behind him howled. It was a deep, deep voice that felt cold throughout my body when I listened to it. And if the source of those sounds could touch him This human body would have only a name left. The sharp claws from its long, spindly arms would tear his body in two.

The teeth are arranged in a pattern around the mouth to bite into raw meat. Then he would lick the bones until they were shiny.

The young man ran towards the abandoned, almost ruined temple of the Goddess of Light. It was the only place he could rely on.

He collapsed in front of a statue of a young woman holding a crystal ball above her head. He turned to look outside the temple where cursed creatures were walking around.

A monster with eyes as pitch black as infinite holes stared at him. His lips formed a terrifying smile. Sticking out its long tongue Its body was tall and long, and it had pale, bone-white skin. It moved like a person had lost his line. There was a low moaning sound in his throat all the time. He tried to enter the temple.

But with the power of the Goddess of Light It must take a step back like before.

He saw one of the Night Demons with torn crimson clothes. It was assumed that it was a young woman, the daughter of the village owner. But now her beauty had completely disappeared. Only the opposite remains. is terror Her hair was a mess, like it had never been brushed. Light brown eyes suddenly became darker than the night.

His beautiful body was so thin that his bones could be seen like a dead ghost...

And these Night Demons were the villagers from that village.

If he had a sword, he would have slit their throats, leaving none left…

Before it turned into a Fourth Guard Demon!

The young man sat behind the statue of the Goddess of Light, avoiding their eerie eyes. You can't do anything but hold your hands and pray that you will survive this incident. In his heart, he cursed himself for ever having the thought of becoming a demon hunter. He thought it would be easy. Just take the sword and stab it to death. However, he had never imagined that what the hunter might not be able to do was control his own consciousness in front of these inhuman beings.

Soon, the sound of a large bird fluttered in the sky. The second guard demons had evolved, spreading wings out from the middle of their backs. A shrill cry resounded throughout the sky. The young man closed his eyes and covered his ears to avoid the horror. He wanted to pass out now. I want to escape the sound of their claws. These screams were so mysterious.

“Want to survive?”

The young man was startled. He looked around frantically. I was sure it wasn't those demonic voices. “Who…?”

“The one who is protecting your head.” Her voice came from the statue of the goddess in front of him. She doesn't just speak. But also turn to face him!

“You…Goddess of Light.” The young man was both shocked and delighted at the same time. He didn't expect that he would meet the goddess he worshiped in person.

“I can't protect your head until the fourth watch. You should know.” The statue opened its mouth. “But I have a proposal. Will you do as I say or not? If you give in, you will be saved. If you don't agree, then wait for death.”

The young man's heart pounded in his chest. The Night Demon's voice was extremely oppressive. “What is your offer?”

“…Maiden of the Dawn.” The statue moved slowly. Extend the hand holding the crystal ball above your head down to him. It was bright and a golden-haired woman appeared. “Protect her and take her home.”

“Come out to me…” The voice of a demon clinging to a ruined pillar outside the temple roof called out to him. He smiled widely. Using dark eyes, he looked at him and laughed hysterically.

“Get out of here!!” in shock and fear. The young man then grabbed a nearby stone. The body threw one time at its head. Third Guard Demon was unfazed. He hungrily wiped away the black blood that had stuck to his finger into his mouth and spoke back to him.

“I would rather eat you…heh heh heh.”

“What do you say?” the goddess statue asked.

“How can you let me protect that girl? I can't even see your face.” The young man was both afraid and confused. He looked at the girl with a blank expression on her face.

“There is only one Maiden of Dawn. You will know for yourself.” The goddess's white sandstone eyes stared at him. She leaned down closer to him. “Will you agree or not? If not, I will watch you die as a sacrifice to the dark goddess.”

tight! tight! tight!

The demonic voice outside screamed loudly. It was a distorted scream beyond any human imagination. The third guard demons began to move their legs back and forth until their joints made a loud clanking sound. Jaws clattered loudly. His gaunt body slowly enlarged.

“I agree!”

“Give me some blood,” the statue held out a hand to him.

as quick as thought He took out the dagger that was the last thing he had with him. Holding his breath, he slashed his palm and let it drip onto the statue of the Goddess of Light.

Suddenly, a bright light shone down on the ruined temple. The young man's eyes widened as he saw the fourth demon guard approaching the temple. A giant body that was black and sticky, covered in slime and emitting a foul odor. The previously pitch-black eyes became bloodshot red. His hair turned into black dust that moved with the force of his movements. The Fourth Demon Lord opened his mouth and screamed until the young man's eardrums stung.

But they had to take a step back to escape the bright light from the temple. The biggest one moaned. Pointing with a long finger and saying, “The night is mine. You mustn't come in here!”

There was no reply. There was only the yellow lightning that was slowly flowing. Breaking out from the night sky

scorching!!

The most frightening lightning that the young man had ever seen struck the group of four demon guards the first time, causing their horrifying bodies to fall and writhe. They struggled until the ground shook to reach the temple. But it was struck again and again by lightning until those huge black bodies gave off a burning smell.

scorching!!!

The last lightning flash was so bright that he had to hide his head and close his eyes. The young man's eardrums almost died. Even though I covered my ears with my hands, it hardly helped. But at least it was better than dying on the soles of those demons who were now dust and dust floating in the cold desert wind.

“If the time comes You have not kept your promise. Then you will die at the hands of these demons.” The goddess' voice came from above the young man's head. Just finish that speech. The light gradually disappeared, leaving only darkness as before.

The young man stepped outside the temple. He looked at the moon facing west.

'Maiden of the Dawn' Where could he find her?

***This short story was written to be read for fun. I wrote it to give my brain a break. The author also doesn't know if this story will be related to future novels. But let me say that it is like writing to organize your own thoughts like that.

***It may not seem like a short story, but that's it. It's just trying something without expecting anything. I think it's fun to read.