"All of you, don't just stand there, move! Keep it orderly!" Old Man Dan shouted, waving his cane as he guided the panicked villagers toward the underground shelters. Despite his age, his voice carried authority, keeping the chaos from spreading.

Beside him, Celine knelt down, gently wiping the tears off her daughter's cheeks. "Now, now, Evelyn," she whispered softly, her tone warm and calm. "Don't cry, sweetheart. Be brave, just like your father, okay?" The little girl sniffled but nodded, clutching her mother's sleeve tightly.

Celine stood and glanced at Old Man Dan, worry in her eyes. "Have you heard anything from Grokk? Why are the monster attacks getting worse?"

Old Man Dan shook his head, his face lined with concern. "He doesn't know either. Said he's sent scouts all over the forest, but none of them found the reason. They just reported that the monsters have gone mad, like something's driving them insane."

Celine's brows furrowed. She looked toward the distant treeline. "I see… something's not right about this." She took a deep breath and turned back to him. "We should write a letter to Lumberling. He needs to know what's happening here."

Old Man Dan nodded firmly. "Aye. If anyone can figure this out, it's that lad."

…..

On the village walls, goblins, kobolds, and human soldiers moved in perfect rhythm, each group covering the other's weaknesses. Arrows whistled, shields clashed, and the smell of blood filled the air. Below them, dozens of crazed beasts clawed and slammed against the walls.

"Keep swinging!" a kobold shouted, thrusting his spear through a wolf's skull. "Don't let them climb!"

Orders flew from one end of the wall to the other, mixing with the screams of monsters and the clash of metal.

"Sir Grokk! Something's approaching from the west gate!" a soldier shouted, his voice trembling as he pointed toward the dark forest. "It seems to be… a high-evolved monster!"

Grokk turned, his armor drenched in blood from battle. The black steel shimmered faintly. With both axes gripped tightly, he glanced at the soldier. "Guard the gates. I'll handle it."

"Yes, sir!" the soldier saluted before rushing back to his unit.

Then the ground began to tremble, heavy thuds shook the air, and even the walls seemed to groan under the pressure. The defenders looked toward the western trees, their hearts pounding as branches snapped and birds scattered.

From the darkness, a massive figure emerged. The torches flickered as a towering bear stepped into view, its fur dark as night, its eyes glowing red.

"It's an Alpha Bear!" one soldier cried out.

"Archers! Take aim!" the officer bellowed, raising his hand high. "Release!"

A rain of arrows streaked through the sky, followed by several thrown spears. But as the projectiles struck, the monster merely grunted, its thick hide shrugging off the attacks. Some arrows snapped, others simply bounced off. The beast swiped its massive paw, tearing several embedded spears free before letting out another furious roar that rattled the walls.

Then it charged straight at the gate, its claws tearing through the earth with every thunderous step.

"Hold your ground! Don't let it reach the wall!" the officer shouted, raising his sword high as the soldiers braced themselves behind shields and spears.

But just before the massive beast collided with the gate, a lone figure leapt forward, landing between the monster and the wall. The ground cracked beneath his weight as he planted his feet firmly and crossed his twin axes in front of him.

The moment of impact came like thunder. A burst of wind and dust exploded outward as Grokk met the beast head-on. The force shook the nearby soldiers off balance, and for a moment, everything vanished behind the cloud of smoke and debris.

Then, as the dust began to settle, a massive shadow stood tall, unmoved.

"It's the Guardian Grokk!" someone shouted.

"He stopped the Alpha Bear with his own body!" another cried, disbelief and awe in his voice.

"Guardian Grokk!" The soldiers began to cheer, their spirits ignited.

Grokk stood there, breathing heavily, his armor cracked and smeared with blood, but his eyes were sharp and alive. He pushed the bear back with a roar of his own before turning to the soldiers.

"Get away from here! Help your comrades and hold the other sides!" he commanded.

"Yes, sir!" they answered without hesitation, quickly pulling back to reinforce the weaker defenses.

Grokk turned back to the Alpha Bear, a grin forming under his battle-worn faceplate. "Now then… let's dance."

The bear roared again and swung its paw, strong enough to crush a wagon in one blow. Grokk met it head-on, his twin axes flashing as he blocked the strike, sparks flying from the impact. The clash of monster and guardian echoed across the battlefield.

The bear lunged, snapping its jaws, its saliva thick and black. Grokk twisted aside, one axe slashing across its shoulder, leaving a deep wound. The beast howled in fury, thrashing about like a maddened storm.

"Calm yourself, beast!" Grokk shouted, blocking another blow. "You're not my enemy, wake up!"

But there was no sign of reason in the creature's eyes, only wild rage and madness. It kept attacking, ignoring pain, its strikes growing heavier and faster. Pain didn't slow it down, it only made it angrier.

'High-level monsters shouldn't act like this,' Grokk thought, parrying another powerful swipe that tore through a nearby barricade. 'Something's affecting its mind...'

The bear lunged again, jaws wide. Grokk ducked under and drove one of his axes into its chest, then spun and brought the other axe down across its neck. Blood sprayed as the beast staggered, roaring in agony.

Still, it didn't retreat. It charged again, blindly.

Grokk gritted his teeth and met it head-on. With a roar that matched the monster's, he swung both axes upward in a brutal arc, cutting through fur, muscle, and bone. The Alpha Bear's momentum stopped, it stumbled, let out one last pained growl, then collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Silence fell. Then the soldiers erupted in cheers, raising their weapons in triumph.

"Guardian Grokk! He did it!"

The cries of victory spread across the walls, easing the fear that had gripped their hearts. But Grokk didn't share their joy. He pulled his axes free, his face dark and thoughtful as he stared at the fallen beast.

'Something's not right in this forest,' he thought grimly, wiping the blood from his weapon. 'Something is driving these monsters mad that even high level monsters can't escape from.'

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