Soon, someone stepped forward. He was another Gold Rank Adventurer…

"I'll go."

Several heads turned and recognized the armored man. He wasn't famous like Arial. But he was also a Gold Rank Adventurer, which many acknowledge, and that was enough.

One by one, others followed.

"I'm in," said a Silver Rank swordsman.

"Let's do it," added a twin-dagger rogue.

"Better than waiting to get overrun… I will be at the front!" announced by a shieldbearer.

Soon, the crowd shifted. Nervous energy turned into determined voices.

They weren't a perfect army, but they were adventurers.

Arial smiled after seeing everyone's reaction. If he really managed to stop this horde with his lead. He might be able to get the promotion he really wanted!

"Good," he said. "We move in ten minutes. Prepare your gear… Bring your own medicines or potions with you… Remember, when the beasts hit the wall, we hit them harder."

***

Rayven adjusted the grip on his staff as the crowd began to move.

The plaza buzzed with activity as the adventurers checked their gear, exchanging quick words, and preparing for what was likely the largest coordinated assault they'd ever been part of.

He didn't move alone.

Soon, two familiar figures joined him.

Miki, dressed in her reinforced leather armor, gave him a nod. Her greatsword was strapped to her back…

"Didn't expect Arial to lead something like this," she muttered.

"Do you know him?" Rayven asked.

"Not really. I just heard he's quite a self-centered guy…" she replied.

Narra arrived next as she adjusted her cloak…

"Thyruz is still at the estate," she said. "He's enchanting weapons for the city guard. Said his work would be more useful there."

Rayven nodded. "That's fine. The three of us can just work together."

The three of them merged into the moving crowd, following the adventurers as they exited the western gate and began circling the outer terrain.

This terrain was uneven with rocky paths, scattered trees, and patches of dry grass. It wasn't ideal for combat, but it offered cover.

Arial led from the front, as he pointed toward a narrow trail that curved around the base of the terrain…

"This way!" he called. "We'll flank them from here. They won't see it coming."

Rayven, Miki, and Narra stayed at the back of the main group and found a more obscure path, a shallow trench that ran parallel to the outer slope, partially hidden by overgrown shrubs and sharp stones.

It was perfect.

They crouched low, settling into position.

Miki unsheathed her blade and crouched beside him. Narra also waited silently as they notice the ground tremble.

It started as a faint vibration and it was barely noticeable. But it grew stronger, heavier, until the rocks around them began to shift and dust rose from the soil.

Rayven peeked over the edge of the trench.

They were here.

Thousands of Glimmermucks surged forward, their bodies shining under the light. They moved like a wave… They had clawed limbs slapping the ground, sharp fins and eyes bulging as they screeched and gurgled in unison.

They weren't organized.

But they didn't need to be.

Their numbers alone were overwhelming.

Rayven's breath caught for a moment.

The horde stretched across the valley, crawling toward the city walls with a slow but terrifying pace...

The outer barricades were already bracing for impact. Oil traps were being lit. Archers took position, and some mages began chanting.

But the Glimmermucks just moved faster instead!

Soon, they crashed into the wall like a living tide.

Screeches filled the air. Claws scraped against wood and stone!

Just like that, the first wave began climbing, biting, and clawing at anything they could reach.

****

Arial stood on a rocky outcrop overlooking the battlefield…

He wasn't in a hurry to assist, and his expression was unreadable. The Glimmermucks had already reached the city walls, and the chaos below was deafening. There were screeches, shouts, the twang of bowstrings, and the heavy thud of ballista bolts slamming into the horde.

The city's defenders were struggling.

Soldiers along the ramparts fought desperately, slashing down with swords and spears, while archers loosed volley after volley into the mass of writhing bodies.

Firebombs were hurled from above, igniting patches of the horde, but the beasts kept coming, climbing over their own dead, clawing at the defenses without care…

The adventurers behind Arial shifted uneasily. Some gripped their weapons tighter. Others exchanged nervous glances. A few muttered under their breath, waiting for the signal to attack…

But Arial?

He remained calm.

He watched as the wall nearly buckled under the pressure until a new force surged into the fray.

A squad of armored knights, clad in black steel and bearing the crest of the mayor's estate, charged into the front lines. Their formation was tight, and their movements were disciplined. Shields locked, blades flashing, they pushed back the tide with practiced precision.

Soon, the line stabilized.

Arial smiled faintly.

"About time," he muttered.

Then he turned to the adventurers behind him…

Everyone looked at him expectantly.

"Now we move."

He raised one hand and pointed toward the battlefield!

"Mages! cast first! Clear the path!"

Several adventurer mages stepped forward, already preparing their spells. Unlike the city's initiate mages, these were seasoned casters, Silver and Gold Ranks with real combat experience.

A group of fire mages started… Well, it was a bit too much to call them Fire Mage but since they only had two or three spells related to Fire, they wanted to call themselves Fire Mage.

"Oh flame that dances in wrath…

Blazing Blade!"

Blades of fire swept across the battlefield, igniting the oily skin of the Glimmermucks and forcing the horde to recoil!

These mages came from a group of Silver Rank Adventurers… Their leader was lucky enough to obtain the Rune Model of this fire spell, allowing him to create a small group of Fire Mages.

Soon, a group of defensive casters raised both arms, casting a protective veil over the frontliners…

"Oh unseen shield of flowing nature…

Mana Shield!"

A shimmering barrier enveloped the charging adventurers, deflecting acid spit and claw swipes as they closed the distance…

Then, several more spells followed…

A barrage of other elemental magic tore through the side of the horde.

Fire exploded in arcs, stones were thrown, and compressed air blades sliced through clusters of Glimmermucks. The beasts shrieked in confusion, some turning toward the new threat.

Soon, Arial's voice rang out again.

"Frontliners! Charge!"

With a collective roar, the adventurers surged forward.

Swordsmen, spear-wielders, shieldbearers, and rogues poured down the slope, flanking the horde just as planned.

The terrain was rough, but they moved with purpose, striking the Glimmermucks from the side while the beasts were still focused on the wall.

The impact was immediate.

The horde buckled under the pressure of the two-front assault.

Glimmermucks at the edge were cut down before they could react. Others turned to face the new attackers, only to be met with steel and spellfire.

Arial led the charge with his enchanted blade that could slice through the Feral Beasts quite easily.

Well, he was a famous Gold Rank Adventurer who was about to be promoted to the Platinum Rank after all.

He was able to cut down beast after beast with his cloak trailing behind him like a banner.

Behind the main force, Rayven, Miki, and Narra remained in their trench, watching the battle unfold…

They didn't move just yet…

Rayven's expression was calm, calculating. He had no large-area spells to contribute, and wasting gold on single-target attacks now would be foolish. He needed to conserve his resources, for when the real threat revealed itself.

So they waited and watched, as the adventurers clashed with the horde…

***

Rayven soon advanced with the rest of the adventurers, staying near the rear flank as planned. The battle was going well so far.

It was organized, coordinated, and surprisingly effective. The Glimmermucks were being pushed back, their numbers thinned as Arial's strategy had worked.

But Rayven didn't relax.

He scanned the battlefield, watching for anomalies. The horde's aggression was too focused on the city and it was too suspicious.

Feral Beasts didn't coordinate like this unless something, or someone, was driving them. At the very least, that was something he learnd in the books.

Then it happened.

A screech tore through the valley.

Not the usual gurgling cry of the Glimmermucks, but something deeper.

It echoed across the battlefield like a warning bell.

Rayven turned toward the source.

From the far end of the valley, a massive figure emerged…

It was lumbering forward on clawed limbs…

It stood as tall as a tree, its hunched back covered in fins and barnacle-like growths!

Its eyes glowed with a sickly green hue, and its mouth opened wide to release another deafening screech.

The leader had arrived!

Rayven's breath tightened.

He wasn't sure what rank it was, but it was definitely higher than a Feral Beast!

Screech~

Suddenly, the Glimmermucks surged with renewed frenzy, emboldened by its arrival…

Arial saw it too.

He frowned, then raised his blade and turned to his team.

"Vanna, Torren, Edward, Jiya… on me!"

They broke formation instantly as they dashed toward the leader of the Feral Beasts!

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