Atticus walked forward and stood at the edge of the wall with the rest of the Ravenstein youths directly behind him.
Then he turned his focus towards the rapidly approaching wave of beasts.
Just like the last time, each form of the beast was just as tall as an average-sized dog, but the sight of thousands of them with their blood red eyes, razor sharp canines and claws, plus the sheer size of the approaching horde, would be enough to wet the pants of many, and it wasn't the good kind.
But despite the ferocity of their advance, each of the youths held their weapons tighter, determination etched on all of their faces.
They had been training like hell for 3 weeks for this day now. It wasn't like back then when many of them were trembling at the sight of the same horde.
Back then many of them knew nothing, with most completely being inexperienced and having even never fought any real life battles in their whole lives.
Many of them had been skeptical about Atticus's speech back then, not believe they could become strong.
But after 3 weeks of intense training, even they had to admit it, their improvement was astounding.
And now, none of them had any intention of backing off today. They were going to prove that the past 3 weeks hadn't been futile!
The earth trembled with intensity as the beasts neared, their black forms charging towards the camp like an uncountable swarm of black ants.
Just as they reached 50 meters away from the youths, no order was given, not even a signal, but immediately they entered that 50 meters mark, the sky was instantly filled with hundreds of projectiles cutting through the air with speed, each one finding their mark on multiple beasts, piercing and impaling their forms in an instant.
During the past 3 weeks, it wasn't only the units that had been training; Aria also trained every single one of the rangers hard. And after 3 weeks of intense training, their improvements were clearly visible.
Each one shot out different attacks towards the approaching horde with speed, killing hundreds of beasts with every scrutinized attack.
But just like the first time, the sheer size of the wave of thousands of beasts made it impossible for only the combined effort of 200 youths to hold them back; soon enough, the horde broke through the barrage, their rapid forms kept advancing towards the armored at the first line of defense.
They each tightened their hold on their shields, stabilizing their footing, taking a deep breath to calm their nerves.
And then, the tsunami of beasts crashed against their shields with a force so overwhelming that the frontline of defenders staggered backward in unison, their collective strength strained to the limit.
It was as if an unstoppable torrent of jet black water collided with an immovable wall.
The impact was brutal and instantaneous. The initial line of beasts that met the unforgiving silver shields was obliterated in an instant, reduced to a grotesque mixture of blood and gore that painted the once pristine shields in a sinister shade of crimson.
But the wave of beasts remained undaunted in the face of their brethren's deaths, as they continued their relentless advance.
The sheer mass of their numbers overwhelmed the first line of armored defenders as the beast pressed forward, a seemingly endless tide that coalesced before the shields.
Each of the youths struggled to hold their ground, but it became a desperate struggle against the relentless onslaught.
Despite their efforts, they were forced to yield ground, retreating step by step in the face of the unyielding advance of thousands of beasts.
But just as it seemed as though they were about to get completely pushed back, the dealers reacted instantly.
Each of them channeled their mana, augmenting their bodies and enhancing their speed; they all moved with a synchronicity that spoke of the hours of practice they had all undergone.
Aligned in perfect unison, the more than four hundred youths each got into the same identical stance, with their left leg forward, both knees bent, their backs arched forward with both their hands gripping the spear, its sharp tip pointed downward.
As if responding to an unseen cue, they synchronized a powerful stomp with their left legs.
And as though that were a signal, each of the armored youths in the front line suddenly clicked a button like switch on the handles of their shields, and immediately, myriad of small holes, a perfect fit for the sharp tips of spears, opened up at the top of every single one of their massive shields.
And without so much as a word, the dealers surged forward with practiced fluidity.
Every single one of them all erupted with speed, thrusting their spears with unreal rapidity through the different holes that had formed on the shields, each time piercing and killing multiple beasts on the other side of the formation.
There was only one word to describe their actions: efficient.
The efficiency of their actions was nothing short of remarkable.
They were all moving in sync, rapidly piercing their spears and killing a multitude of beasts.
Some of the beasts managed to get over the shield, but they were instantly pierced by a barrage of thrusts.
The dealers joining in the fray and rapidly killing the beasts was able to reduce the heavy load on the armored youths, making holding the line easier.
They swiftly started pushing back the beasts.
"Not bad," Aurora remarked behind Atticus, her gaze on the chaotic battlefield. Although she had always watched them while they were training, this was the first time she would see them in battle.
Watching the unfolding battlefield, Atticus also nodded his head in approval.
If they were to compare the youths currently fighting down below with their past selves when they had just come to the expanse, it was like comparing heaven and earth.
It was truly a major improvement.