Kael’s eyes narrowed the instant the shrill alarm echoed across the fortress city. His gaze instinctively shifted toward the towering city walls in the distance, a faint frown settling on his face.
There was no doubt about it.
Something had happened.
His mind rapidly sifted through every possibility before settling on the most likely answer.
A beast horde...
And almost as though the world intended to confirm his suspicion, a loud voice suddenly rang through every broadcasting array installed throughout the fortress.
"I am Victor Smith, the person in charge of Fortress City Verdan."
The calm yet authoritative voice instantly silenced the restless crowd.
"A beast horde has been detected advancing toward the city. All hunters are to report to the city walls immediately and assist in holding back the horde until reinforcements arrive."
There was only a brief pause before the voice returned, this time noticeably colder.
"Take note. The rift entrance has been sealed. No one is permitted to leave until the crisis has been resolved."
"Any hunter found attempting to evade the defense effort or forcefully leave the rift will face disciplinary action from the Hunter Association."
The broadcast ended.
For a heartbeat...
The entire fortress fell deathly silent.
Then chaos erupted.
"What?!"
"A beast horde?!"
"Damn it..."
"I don’t want to die here!"
Voices filled with panic, fear and despair spread throughout the streets as hunters looked at one another with ugly expressions.
Not a single one of them looked excited.
Nor should they.
To ordinary civilians, Hunters were heroes.
They were powerful beings capable of slaying monsters and protecting humanity.
That image wasn’t wrong.
But very few ordinary people understood the burden that came alongside that power.
Whenever disaster struck...
Whenever a rift break occurred...
Whenever a beast horde descended...
Hunters weren’t the ones allowed to flee.
They were the ones required to stay.
It wasn’t merely expectation.
It was law.
The civilians escaped while Hunters remained behind to buy them time, even if it meant gambling with their own lives.
Power came with responsibility.
That responsibility was written in blood.
Stanley scratched the back of his head before releasing a long sigh.
"Well... shit."
"What do we do now?"
Ezra looked toward him as though he had asked an obvious question.
"We join the fight."
She spoke without hesitation.
"Do we have another choice?"
Jonathan’s expression gradually lost every trace of the carefree attitude he had displayed all day.
His playful attempts at impressing Lyra disappeared completely.
Only seriousness remained.
"This is bad..."
Meanwhile...
Kael remained silent.
While everyone else was discussing the situation, his senses expanded outward without anyone noticing.
His perception surged through the fortress before spilling beyond its walls, sweeping across the surrounding land like an invisible tide.
Several seconds later...
His brows furrowed.
This was far worse than he had initially imagined.
Outside the city walls stretched an ocean of monsters.
Countless beasts poured across the land, their roars blending together into a terrifying chorus that shook the earth itself.
Among the sea of weaker monsters...
He sensed several powerful presences.
Each one vastly stronger than the average beast surrounding them.
His senses then swept back across the fortress.
Hunters.
Soldiers.
Support personnel.
Cannons mounted atop the walls.
Magic artillery.
Defensive formations.
It looked impressive at first glance.
Yet after comparing both sides...
The conclusion became painfully obvious.
If the two forces were to truly collided, the humans would suffer catastrophic casualties.
The fortress possessed defenses.
But they weren’t enough to bridge the overwhelming numerical difference.
Jonathan drew a slow breath before clapping his hands once.
"Alright."
"Let’s head to the walls first and assess the situation."
Nobody objected.
The group immediately stood.
Around them, every hunter within the food district had already begun moving.
Meals were abandoned midway.
Conversations ended abruptly.
Chairs scraped against the ground as hundreds of hunters rushed toward the city entrance.
By the time Kael’s group arrived...
The place had already transformed into organized chaos.
Hundreds upon hundreds of hunters gathered beneath the towering walls while heavily armored soldiers bearing the Hunter Association’s insignia moved through the crowd with practiced efficiency.
"Healers to the eastern section!"
"Ranged attackers on the wall!"
"Melee units stand by!"
"Support classes report immediately!"
Orders rang out one after another.
Beyond the walls, battle had already begun.
The first wave of beasts had reached the fortress.
Fortunately, they consisted mostly of weaker monsters.
The soldiers stationed at the walls, supported by the fortress defenses, were currently keeping them under control.
Everyone knew, however...
That wasn’t the real battle.
It was merely the opening act.
The true horde was still advancing.
The pressure hanging over the battlefield grew heavier with every passing second.
Kael’s gaze shifted toward Lyra.
She stood silently beside Ezra, her grip around her staff noticeably tighter than before.
There was worry in her eyes.
It wasn’t fear born from cowardice.
It was uncertainty.
She had only awakened recently.
Although today’s hunt had pushed her all the way to Level 30, experience wasn’t something levels alone could provide.
A beast horde and an ordinary hunt were worlds apart.
Kael studied her for a brief moment before speaking.
"Wait here."
Lyra blinked.
"Huh? Where are you—"
She never finished the sentence.
The instant the words left Kael’s mouth, he bent his knees.
The ground beneath his feet exploded apart.
BOOM!
His figure shot skyward like a cannonball, tearing through the air in a blur as countless astonished eyes instinctively followed his rapidly ascending silhouette.
# #
[AN_ Hey everyone!
A new week starts in a few hours(depending on your timezone,) so I’m planning a new *Mass Release Event* for next week!
Here are the new goals:
For Golden Tickets: We’re at 28 right now. If we hit 100 by the end of next week, you’ll get 2 bonus Chapters instead of 1!
For Power Stones: The milestone is lowered from 500 to 300 Power Stones for 2 bonus Chapters
For Super Gifts: Every Super Gift sent anytime next week = 5 bonus Chapters
Let’s gooo! 🔥]